MIDWAY, Ky. -- Following another successful season in 2024-25, the Midway equestrian western team is set to open their season this weekend and is hoping for continued success in 2025-26.

The Eagles are set to open their season this weekend in Wilmington, Ohio at the Wilmington College Shows. The shows on Saturday will begin at 12 p.m. ET and the shows on Sunday are set to start at 11 a.m.

Midway is coming off yet another successful season in 2024-25 where they won the Region Championship for a fourth consecutive season.

Not only did the Eagles win the Region Championship, but they also finished fourth at IHSA Semi-Finals and advanced to the IHSA National Championship Show for the fourth consecutive season.

The Eagles return a good portion of the team from last year that finished in sixth place at the IHSA National Championship Show.

Headlining the list of returners for the Blue and Gold is Alana Utlak, a two-time defending national champion in Level II Horsemanship. Utlak, now a junior, won her first national championship as a freshman and followed it up with another stellar performance last year.

Utlak is joined by a senior class that has a plethora of experience including Stacey Geissler, Sofia Getty, Tate Gill, Hannah Mullins, and Truman Sleuth.

Gill earned a reserve national championship last season in Level II Horsemanship, while Mullins (Rookie Horsemanship) and Geissler (Level I Horsemanship) each earned top five finishes in their respective classes.

Getty also had a strong showing last year, taking sixth in Rookie Horsemanship, while Emily Sue Watts (Beginner Horsemanship) and Amelia Lee (Reining) finished third and sixth, respectively, in their events.

Along with the returners, the Eagles have several new faces including 11 freshman which are expected to contribute throughout the year.

The Wilmington College Shows are one of two shows in the first semester for the Eagles. The second of the two is set for November 22-23 at the Morehead State University Shows.