Michigan’s first year implementing EWD (Equitarians with Disabilities) as an official division came at the right time for Brighton High School equestrian team rider and freshman Madison Krugh.
In previous years, Michigan started implementing the EWD pilot program, which allows students with physical and cognitive disabilities to compete in equestrian events; the program was eventually successful enough to be initiated as an official division. This year, Krugh was able participate. This makes her the first-ever EWD rider to compete on the BHS equestrian team, and Krugh made sure to give it her all.
“I had a lot of fun,” Krugh said when asked how she thought the season went.
After competing three times at districts in Milford and receiving enough rankings to progress, she and the rest of the team qualified for regionals in Shiawassee from Sept. 26 to Sept. 28, 2025. Although they didn’t make it past regionals after tying for fourth, the team is proud of their effort and how far they were able to go. That’s not to say Krugh didn’t perform well at regionals; she was able to secure placement in the state-wide competition. However, she opted out of attending due to the fact that the rest of the team wasn’t going to be there.
This was Krugh’s first year in competitions after many years of lessons, so even though she and her horse, Outlaw, have been riding for a while now, this new division allowed her to officially compete for the first time.
“The new division gives her an opportunity that she wouldn’t otherwise have… It’s really great that she can experience that,” Melissa Krugh, Madison’s mother, said.
Being that this was her first experience on an equestrian team, she performed well and hopes to continue with the BHS equestrian team in the years to come. According to Melissa, the teammates made Madison feel welcomed and a part of the team as a whole.
“I mean, the whole team was really, really awesome in including Madison and making her feel part of the team, even though she rode in a different division,” Melissa said.
Overall, the EWD has opened up a world of opportunity for Madison by not allowing her to compete with Outlaw in an official setting but also allowing her to be a part of a team. This type of experience and inclusivity is rare in high school sports, as many have completely separate seasons and teams. While some sports teams for students with disabilities, like Unified, give opportunities to students in need, some find the experience to be artificial or isolated compared to other competitive athletic environments. Madison being able to complete in an official equestrian division is an opportunity that not all students with disabilities have.