A championship team without recognition

Sophomore Sophie Edmondson helped lead the Caledonia High School equestrian team to its sixth state championship last fall. Her teammate, senior Grace Rabbitt, has spent years riding, training, and competing for the school.

Neither of them will graduate with a varsity letter for their sport.

Caledonia Community Schools has repeatedly denied the equestrian team eligibility for varsity letters, even after the riders offered to pay for them themselves. The team is still pushing for a change.

Why varsity letters matter

For these riders, a varsity letter is not just a piece of fabric. It carries weight in college applications and scholarship decisions.

"Varsity lettering on a state championship team could mean a difference in scholarships and it is more proof of all of our hard work that we have put into this team to be so successful," Edmondson said, according to FOX 17.

Rabbitt put it more simply.

"A sport is a sport. We put in just as much work as everyone else, so having that letter would mean everything," Rabbitt said.

The school's explanation

Caledonia Community Schools says the riders are ineligible because equestrian is not sanctioned by the Michigan High School Athletic Association (MHSAA). The sport instead falls under the Michigan Interscholastic Horsemanship Association (MIHA), which governs it as a club activity.

The district released a statement explaining its position.

"Caledonia High School recognizes and celebrates student achievement across a wide range of academic, athletic, artistic, and extracurricular activities," the district said. "Varsity letters are awarded to students participating in programs that fall under the district's athletic department. Student organizations and clubs outside of the athletic department, including equestrian, recognize participant achievement and involvement in a variety of meaningful ways that are specific to their programs and experiences."

A coach who does not understand the no

Kim Fox Frederick, the team's coach, said other high schools in Kent County do offer varsity letters to their equestrian riders. The Caledonia team offered to cover the cost of the letters. The answer was still no.

"We don't really understand why we have been told no because we do well," Fox Frederick said.

She added that the team has won its sixth state title, a feat she described with emotion.

"We were able to pull off a win when we did not expect it. A lot of tears, happy tears," Fox Frederick said.

Congressional recognition, but no varsity letter

The team's success did earn recognition from one level of government. After the state championship, the riders received certificates of special congressional recognition from Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Caledonia).

"Your display of model horsemanship with a spirit of purpose and perseverance has helped reflect excellence for the Caledonia community," Moolenaar wrote in the certificate, according to the report.

The district said it remains committed to supporting student engagement and growth. But for riders like Rabbitt, who will soon graduate, the window for a varsity letter may be closing.

Edmondson, still two years away from her own diploma, said she is hopeful the policy will change before she finishes high school.

"I am hopeful," she said.

What happens next

Equestrian remains a club sport under MIHA governance. Caledonia Community Schools has not indicated it plans to change its varsity letter policy. The riders and their coach continue to push for recognition they say they have earned.