Seen with Head Coach Eddie Federwisch (left) and IHSA Founder and Executive Director Bob Cacchione (right), Sophomore Rachel Ellis (on horse) was one of three Virginia Intermont riders to win a hunter seat team class at 2004 IHSA Nationals.

VIRGINIA INTERMONT EDGES FINDLAY BY A 27-26 SCORE

Murfreesboro, TN - Some IHSA programs are known within the organization by their school name. For example the University of Findlay is known as "Findlay." Some IHSA Programs are known for nicknames. The University of the South is known more as "Sewanee" than anything else. Some schools get nicknamed within their own region, such as Centenary College being referred to as the "Evil Empire" within Zone 2, Region 1. The cyclones had this name bestowed on them for being high point team fifteen years in a row and still going, tied for the current longest hunter seat streak along with Colorado State (Stony Brook holds the record, winning sixteen years in a row through the 1994-95 season, likely to be tied by both the cyclones and the rams next season). And some schools are known by, or referred to, by their Coach.

Back in fall of 1995, Eddie Federwisch took over the head coaching position at Virginia Intermont College. At the time his region included both Hollins College (now University), which had won the region three years in a row (including a National Championship in 1993) and Southern Seminary College (known by this time as Southern Virginia College for Women), which had won the region 13 years in a row before Hollins' modest streak. "Southern Sem" as they were known had won seven IHSA National Championships during that 13 year streak.

Hollins Head Coach Nancy Peterson once related a story to me about Federwisch's first season. Peterson was on the phone one day with IHSA Founder and Executive Director Bob Cacchione, who happenned to ask what she thought of the new coach at Virginia Intermont. Peterson told Cacchione what a nice man Eddie is. A few months later, Peterson was again on the phone with Cacchione. This time she said he is such a nice man, and he has really done a great job with the Virginia Intermont team. The next time the two talked, Peterson and Hollins were on the verge of being mathematically eliminated from a fourth consecutive region title. Eddie was "still a nice man, but he's beating us!" Federwisch did, in fact, win Zone 4, Region 2 his first time out, advancing the cobras ("Shhh. Don't tell anyone," says Federwisch, "as we don't want to be known by that name.") to IHSA Nationals in Los Angeles. Virginia Intermont won the region again in 1996-97, though a snafu with the overall number of riders in Zone 4 kept Eddie's team out of Nationals, having placed second to University of Virginia at Zones. Virginia Intermont did not win the region in 1997-98, though the Hollins team that won Region 2 clobbered the competition at Nationals in Port Jervis, New York. Following the 1998-99 season, Virginia Intermont College moved into the newly-created Zone 4, Region 3, where Eddie's team has won all five Region 3 Titles and advanced through Zone 4 Zones to IHSA Nationals every time.

In 2004 there was less turnover compared to previous Nationals, as ten of the seventeen hunter seat teams had been in the team competition a year ago, including Eddie's team. Zone 9 Zones survivors were Purdue, back at Nationals with a full hunter seat team for the first time since 1999, and the University of Wisconsin at Madison, making their second appearance in a row. Zone 8 remained the only Zone without enough hunter seat riders to allow the top two teams at Zones to advance to Nationals. As a result Fresno State was the lone west coast entry in the team competition. Since Zone 7 is made up of only two regions, and the Zone has over 500 hunter seat riders, both Colorado State and Texas A & M get to bring full english teams by virtue of winning regions one and two respectively. Texas A & M was making their first hunter seat team appearance since 2001. Findlay, the defending runner-up from last years' Nationals hunter seat team competition, won Zone 6 Zones while Miami of Ohio was second. Thus both Ohio schools got to make the journey to the Nashville suburbs. Berry College was back from Zone 5 after a year out, while the University of the South made their third appearance in a row. Hollins received a scare from Mary Washington at Zone 4 Zones, but came from behind to reach Nationals a seventh consecutive season, the longest active streak of any hunter seat team. Eddie's team had won Zone 4 Zones convincingly. Penn State ran away with Zone 3 Zones, with Delaware Valley College second and thus making their first team appearance since 1994. Centenary College won outright at Cazenovia, but the wildcats were easily second and thus both advanced out of Zone 2 Zones. Zone 1 Zones produced a complete turnover, as defending National Champion Stonehill College was ousted in the last class on April 10th. The University of Vermont, with defending Cacchione Cup winner John Pigott, finally made the jump back to Nationals for the first time since 2000. Mount Holyoke College was reserve, making their first appearance since 2001.

During 2003 Nationals, Virginia Intermont put 14 points on the board, eight more than during a rare forgettable Nationals performance in 2002. In 2001 Eddie's team scored 19 points, one less than third place Centenary and College of Charleston. But 2000 was Virginia Intermont's best Nationals outing headed into the 2004 competition. During the first National show in the new Millennium, Eddie's team had 24 points through six classes (including firsts for Jeremy Shomper and Gretchen Bly) before Mount Holyoke and Hollins squelched the cobra - oops - VI. That 2000 show ended with tremendous drama, as Hollins needed seven points to pass Mount Holyoke in Open Flat, the final team class that season, only to earn five.

There were many similarities between the 2000 and 2004 IHSA Nationals. Both were held in the South (2000 in Conyers, Georgia), both were held the over the second weekend - and not the first - in the month of May, and both would be decided by one point. Nine of the teams from the 2000 hunter seat team competition were the same. Only the outcome would be different.

We're underway: Novice Fences Actually the second class of the entire National show (individual intermediate fences took place first), the placings in novice fences almost set the tone for the entire show, as each of the top four riders in this section turned out to be on a team that scored in double figures. The University of Findlay took the early lead, as freshman Elizabeth Dubrowski won the blue ribbon. Tamara Medinger of Centenary was reserve, while Anela Bird of Fresno State took third. A second generation IHSA rider was fourth. Miami of Ohio freshman Matt Arrigon rides for his father, longtime red hawk Head Coach Jim Arrigon. The elder Arrigon rode for Miami of Ohio in the late '70's, under the guidence of Ken Copenhaver, whom he replaced as Head Coach in 1988. Ken Copenhaver's son Vance then rode for Arrigon at Miami of Ohio in the early '90's, and now serves as both Coach of the University of Cincinnati Equestrian Team and Zone 6, Region 2 Region President, the same region that contains Miami of Ohio! Returning to the placings, Kelly Eatman of Berry College was fifth while Emily Casali of Delaware Valley College was sixth. The results of each class were announced by Pat McAfee from sixth through first, though some of the drama was lost during the jumping classes, as the combined scores of judges Sarah Good and John Roper were read following each rider's trip. If you wrote down the scores, you knew Dubrowski had it coming. Findlay, Centenary, Miami of Ohio and Fresno State would all be among the top six when it was all over (counting ties), though a pair of schools from south of the Potomic River would more than make a dent.

Hailing from Wilton, Connecticut, University of Findlay freshman Elizabeth Dubrowski (in helmet) won the first hunter seat team class. Many teammates (and Assistant Coach Michelle Arnold, far left) pose with Dubrowski following her blue ribbon in team novice fences.

Second time is the charm: Intermediate Flat Three more teams got on the scoreboard while three others tried to pull away from the pack. The first flat class of any kind at 2004 IHSA Nationals, team intermediate flat saw one rider who excelled in team novice fences a year ago ride well again, and another rider who rode in team intermediate flat improve one placing from 2003. Texas A & M freshman Erica Palomo put the aggies on the board with a sixth, while Jenifer Martin of Centenary bested two of the three "Jennifers" entered in the class with a fifth. Jessica Jensen of Wisconsin at Madison put the badgers on the board with a fourth, while Katie Jablonski of Miami of Ohio placed third, giving the red hawks seven points through two classes.

With the judge's scores unknown from the flat, there was drama in the air. Unlike in past seasons, when the riders who were given participation ribbons heard their names called before the top six, no one knew who among the remaining thirteen were in the top two. It turned out that Findlay sophomore Mara Keith-Hunter, who won team novice fences a year ago, placed second, moving Findlay five ahead of both Miami of Ohio and Centenary. But wait! First went to Jennifer Tabisz of Virginia Intermont, who had placed second in the exact same division last season. Since Tabisz had not pointed up during the 2003-04 season, the senior from Severna Park, Maryland was able to compete in the same class. Intriguingly, the winner last season, Coagi Maten of Findlay, had herself once ridden at consecutive IHSA National Shows in the same division. Even with Maten having graduated a year ago, the Findlay oilers were getting the job done (a footnote on the participation ribbons: Rather than award them at the end of each class, every rider entered in the show received their participation ribbon before competing, which meant several had both participation ribbons and ribbons from actually having placed).

Virginia Intermont senior Jennifer Tabisz won team intermediate flat to put the cobras on the board. This was not the first time Tabisz had ridden in this division at IHSA Nationals, having placed second in the class last season.

The rich get richer: Novice Flat Five of the seventeen entries had already ridden earlier in the day over novice fences. Two of them, Matt Arrigon and Kelly Eatman, had placed. It would turn out that the top four in this division would all ride one time only at 2004 Nationals, but what rides they turned out to be!

Colorado State sophomore Andrea "Andi" Mink put the rams on the board with a sixth. Nora Harris of Virginia Intermont, who had finished out of the ribbons over fences, won the pink ribbon here. Amy Fitzwater put Hollins on the board with a fourth, while University of the South freshman Mary Harrison gave the sewanees their first team points (What is a Sewanee? A google search was not terribly revealing, though the University of the South is located in Sewanee, Tennessee. A "Sewan" was an unstrung wampum bead used as currency by the Algonquian Indians along the Delaware hundreds of years ago. Signs along certain interstate highways in the southeast show musical notes to the song "Swanee River," perhaps originally the Sewanee river. Needless to say, the University of the South is known simply as "Sewanee" in their part of the country). Another oiler rider came through, as sophomore Katherine Thiel kept Findlay from placing below red-ribbon status with a second. Centenary needed to be first to stay with the oilers, and thanks to freshman Renee Blacharski, that is just what the cyclones did. Blacharski, who was only third in the same division at Zone 2 Zones weeks earlier, beat the entire field to put Centenary within three. Findlay had 17, Centenary 14 and Virginia Intermont 9 through three divisions. With five teams still not yet on the scoreboard, and four others with only two points or less, could over half the field be out of the race by the end of day one?

Still time to go sight-seeing: Walk-Trot-Canter 2004 IHSA Nationals was the first-ever four day show, with the extra day added in hope that the show would end earlier each day than over the past few seasons. In 2003, classes on Friday and Saturday ran to 10PM each day, and with a new stock seat division added this season (novice western) things could only get longer. Thus the show started a day earlier in 2004, with the entire Thursday schedule being hunter seat only. Eleven english classes took place throughout the day, with the fourth team class, the walk-trot-canter division, the eleventh. Not only was the sun still out when it was over, the clock was two minutes from striking 5:00PM Central Time! Had they scheduled all the hunter seat classes in one day, one wonders could they have run all of them by 10PM?

She was the only Centenary rider to place third in a field of three in eight team classes at Zone 2 Zones. Four weeks later Renee Blacharski became the only Centenary rider to win a team class at IHSA Nationals, winning team novice flat.

Walk-trot-canter classes often show if a coach can take a rider with very little riding experience and teach them fundamentals of posting and sitting to the trot, as well as cantering. Some can perform the first two gaits but have difficulty with the last one. In many cases the riders entered in this division had little or no riding experience before going to college, with some only recently out of the walk-trot division. The coach who can get the best ride out of this rider has really accomplished something. The same is even more true of the walk-trot division, and three coaches would have riders in the ribbons in both divisions below the novice level.

Somewhat surprisingly, Mount Holyoke had not put a point on the board up to this point, but Marie Hilliard's sixth-place ribbon took care of that. Lindsey Krol put Miami of Ohio on the doorstep of double digits with a fifth, while Kelly Balk of Centenary College was fourth, giving the cyclones a very temporary tie with Findlay for the top spot. Third went to Colorado State freshman Jennifer Campbell, which meant that the rams had already improved on last season's four-point showing. Findlay earned their third red ribbon in four tries, as freshman Ashley Gallo gave the oilers the lead for the evening. Though many needed a big ribbon here to stay even remotely in the race, Virginia Intermont earned their second blue ribbon of the day as sophomore Rachel Ellis came through. Referred to by Eddie as the "hometown hero" because she is from Johnson City, Tennessee (just south of Bristol, Virginia, where Virginia Intermont is located), Ellis's points put Eddie's team at 16, one behind Centenary and six behind Findlay with four classes still to go. Besides what to do on such a nice evening in the Nashville area, the only question that remained was if Findlay was catchable.

Friday, all day: Intermediate Fences The second day of IHSA Nationals started at 8:35AM with individual novice fences. This was followed by the jumping phase of the Cacchione Cup, which was in turn followed by team intermediate fences.

Though it did not start until after 11, the intermediate fences was perhaps the fastest class of the day. No testing was involved, and unlike the western classes which would commence later in the afternoon there were no patterns. Just one ride for each rider followed by the judge's scores. Only three riders out of seventeen scored in the eighties, each from a team already on the scoreboard. Though many were already excited, having written the judge's scores into their programs, the announcement of the placings was well received. Purdue got on the scoreboard, as Lesley Maradik placed sixth. Amanda Hancock of Fresno State was fifth, the senior bringing the bulldog point total to six. Fresno State's point total from their previous four IHSA Nationals appearances combined were only two points! Like Purdue, Cazenovia got on the board, as Elizabeth Redding was fourth. Maradik, Hancock and Redding had judging scores of 77, 78 and 79 in that order. Colorado State freshman Lindsay Collins scored an 82, and was third. Heather Hurst of Hollins was second, receiving a score of 85. Hurst was good enough to raise the Hollins point total to eight, but not good enough to hold back Virginia Intermont junior Kim Hezzelwood. Unlike her teammate Rachel Ellis, Hezzelwood traveled all the way from San Clemente, California to ride for Eddie's team. Hezzelwood's score of 88 added seven points to the VI total, allowing them to overtake Findlay and Centenary and move into first place.

Earlier in the day, Findlay Head Coach Lori Cramer said that her Nationals team was younger than usual this season. Prior to the start of the show, Cramer had told her riders not to worry much and to go out and enjoy themselves. A year ago Findlay had placed second in the nation with several seniors taking part (Maten and Sara Ballinger both won classes and accounted for 14 of Findlay's 23 points in '03). Even with Keith-Hunter out of the ribbons in team intermediate fences, Cramer's oilers had 22 points using two freshman and two sophomores up to this point. Virginia Intermont had 23, Centenary still had 17. No one else was in double figures up to this point.

The race tightens up: Open Flat Though Cramer likely has one of the soundest IHSA programs in the country, the one element that Findlay did not have this season was a slam dunk open rider. Cramer often pointed one-time University of Wisconsin at River Falls rider Aubrey Hunt over fences (Hunt did not flat this season) while several others flatted at the open level with generally good results. The first oiler senior in the team competition was Amanda Blue, who had ridden at '02 Nationals in team intermediate flat and at '03 Nationals in individual intermediate flat but would now be facing the open competition. The field was loaded with riders who made their IHSA debut at the open level, never having ridden below the intermediate level, and many had ridden at Nationals before.

Among the entries were Megan Palmer, a two-time Cacchione Cup rider and sophomore from Miami of Ohio, who had the highest score in the flat phase of the Cacchione Cup yesterday; Missy Starr, the Cazenovia senior with three Cacchione Cup appearances, a first in individual open fences and seconds in both team open divisions at 2002 Nationals; Meredith Houx, the Texas A & M senior who placed seventh in the Cacchione in 2002, sixth in 2003 and who was in the top five through both Cacchione phases so far in '04; Virginia Intermont sophomore Erika Jewell, who like Palmer had ridden in a pair of Cacchione Cup Competitions in two seasons; Annabel Benito of Centenary College, a senior who placed third in the team open flat last season; Kyla Makhloghi of Mount Holyoke College, a sophomore who averaged more points per class than any open rider in the competitive Zone 1, Region 3 during the 2002-03 season; Alex Ansteth of Colorado State and Allison Handler of Penn State, both with previous and current Cacchione Cup experience; and John Pigott, the University of Vermont junior with a first in individual open fences and a second in individual open flat at 2003 Nationals under his belt, not to mention winning the 2003 Cacchione Cup.

Following rigorous commands in each direction, eight riders were tested: Makhloghi, Benito, Starr, Jewell, Palmer, Houx, Michelle Tonello of Fresno State and Jennifer Champagne of Hollins. Work without irons took place for some time before the remaining eight were lined up.

Makhloghi (pronounced "Mack-loo-gee") was sixth, followed by Starr with a fifth. Houx, riding in an IHSA team competition for only the second time (eighth in team open over fences in 2001, when eighth or higher was announced for the division) placed fourth. Benito proved to be consistant from year-to-year, earning a yellow ribbon in team open flat this season as well as last. With Jewell, Palmer, Tonello and Champagne still out there, the Findlay, Virginia Intermont and Miami of Ohio clusters were on the edge of their seats. It was Tonello from Fresno State, who later won one of the Sportsmanship awards given out on Sunday, with the red ribbon. Though bothered slightly by the red dust rising from the surface at Tennessee Miller Coliseum, bulldog Head Coach Chuck Smallwood could rejoice that Fresno State's hunter seat team had broken double digits for the first time ever at IHSA Nationals. Though everyone was jumping up and down, Eddie seemed to doubt if Jewell would get a ribbon here. He had seen something during the testing that led him to think this way. In first place was Champagne, who suddenly had Hollins in mathematical contention. Certainly the team with no nickname from Roanoke, Virginia was having a good Friday, with a first and a second. Centenary now had 21, Findlay still 22, Eddie still 23, and surging Hollins 15.

Long day's journey into night: Walk-Trot Begun after 7:30PM but before 8, team walk-trot was the next-to-last class of the day (team open reining was last, and did not end until 10:24PM). All walk-trot classes are hard to predict, as some teams have absolute beginners who were held back and have shown perhaps four or five times in their lives, and all in the IHSA in the previous eight months. Stefanie Fink of Miami of Ohio was not so inexperienced, in that she rode in the same division last season, but had not pointed up in between. Though Fink did not place at Nationals last season, she was a hit at the 2002 Holiday Tournament of Champions, and now had an extra year of experience under her belt.

There was no real testing with this division, though everyone rode in each direction for longer than they were probably used to. There was a longer delay than usual between the time each rider lined up and the placings were read, which can be an issue when one remembers these are walk-trot riders trying to keep their horses still. In sixth place was Katherine Humphreys of Findlay, which put the oilers into a tie with the cobras - oops - Virginia Intermont. Fifth went to Rebecca Daly of Penn State, which made the nittany lions the sixteenth of seventeen teams to get on the scoreboard. Mount Holyokes' Whitney Rockwell was fourth, giving Mount Holyoke five points overall, four accrued by riders below the novice level. Wisconsin at Madison Sophomore Anna Wagner was third, giving the badgers seven points overall and two more than their 2003 Nationals showing. Berry College freshman Kristin Farmer was second, giving the vikings their first points since Eatman was fifth to start the show yesterday. Fink won the class, moving Miami of Ohio over Hollins for fourth place at the time. With Hollins out of the ribbons, only Virginia Intermont, Findlay and Centenary were still mathematically alive. Through seven of eight team classes it was Findlay with 23, Eddie's team also with 23, Centenary with 21, Miami of Ohio 16, Hollins 15, Fresno State 11 and eleven others below double digits.

High Noon at 8AM: Open Fences Prior to the start of Saturday's classes, several coaches - some with teams at the show and some without - were gathered near the so-called scoreboard, in actuality a large printout of the team scoring sheet found on page 120 of the National Show Program. All the numbers for hunter seat were filled in except team open fences. Several coaches discussing the scenerios kept saying the same thing: "For Centenary to win by themselves, both Findlay and Eddie cannot get more than a fourth." "If Findlay or Eddie get a second, they assure themselves of at least reserve." "I hope Eddie gets it." The reoccuring theme is that no one refers to Virginia Intermont as Virginia Intermont, but simply by the first name of their coach. Perhaps it is his sense of humor, or maybe just for being a good guy all around. Earlier this year, when Virginia Intermont hosted their fall show, Eddie was concerned that the horses did not look their best during schooling. "I don't know what it is," Eddie said during the pre-show Coaches & Captains meeting. "Maybe bad biorhythms or whatever." Some took the biorhythms comment seriously, while others like myself tried not to laugh (the horses rode perfectly once the show started). At the 2002 Holiday Tournament of Champions I asked Eddie what their school mascot is. "We don't have one. We are really the cobras, but don't tell anyone. We don't want to be known as that." And then Eddie imitated a cobra hissing as only Eddie can do.

Former riders, such as Hartwick College Assistant Coach Tammy Decker (not present at 2004 Nationals but a 1996 blue ribbon winner in Los Angeles for Eddie in team novice fences) usually mention their beloved former coach the minute anyone mentions Virginia Intermont to them. Though some former Virginia Intermont riders who pre-date Eddie's arrival in Bristol still refer to the team by its' full name, many still mention what a great job Eddie has done with the team.

There was one noteworthy absence from Nationals that Eddie himself pointed out early Saturday morning. Office manager Margaret Jones, who is Eddie's right-hand woman (and who dates back to the era when Joleen DeWitt and Ashton Phillips were undergraduates) was obligated to stay back at the Virginia Intermont Equestrian Center for some non-IHSA show that weekend. Jones is described as both an Office Manager and a Coach on the Virginia Intermont College website. Though everyone refers to VI as Eddie, Federwisch himself would be the first to chant "Margaret."

The first class on Saturday morning (which really started at 8:10AM) was the final hunter seat team class of 2004 IHSA Nationals. Nine of the seventeen riders had ridden in team open flat the day before, including blue ribbon winner Champagne. Each rider knew the judge's score would be announced following their trip. Horse draw determined that Jewell would ride second, well before Kristen Schwieger of Centenary and Aubrey Hunt of Findlay. Jewell was quite good, earning a score of 87. For a while, the riding was a bit tentative, and seven riders would not even score a 70. Hunt went towards the middle, and looked as good if not better than Jewell. When the judge's score of 86 was announced, the Findlay riders cheered, and Virginia Intermont riders pumped their fists in the air. Some may have thought that Virginia Intermont had clinched a better score than Findlay (including this writer), but many had not accounted for the fact that there could be testing. Schwieger went soon after, only receiving a score of 79, at the time good enough for third but perhaps off the bubble as far as being invited back for testing, which at this point would be Centenary's only chance for a National Championship. At some point during the class, after Jewell, Hunt and Schwieger had all ridden, Eddie had to step out of the building; The cobra's coach just could not bear to watch.

During this class Palmer fell off, the second time in two days the Miami of Ohio standout suffered a mishap. During the jumping phase of the Cacchione Cup, Palmer had refusals on separate fences. Many in attendance felt Palmer deserved a re-ride following her Cacchione ride on Friday, though ultimatly that request was turned down by the stewards. Few re-rides were granted during the four-day National show, though the stewards (who varied throughout the show; A pool of several IHSA Head Coaches took turns throughout each day as stewards) did give Palmer a re-ride this time, which infuriated at least two coaches with riders in the division. Before Palmer had another go, two of the final three riders in the class changed the outcome completely. Champagne had a brilliant ride, receiving a score of 90. Then Houx received the highest jumping score of the entire show, a 95! The superior trip over fences was not the final ride for the senior from Albuquerque, as she was part of the five-way work-off for the Cacchione Cup immediately following this class.

Then Palmer went again. The Lake Bluff, Illinois resident had a fine trip this time, scoring an 84 to put her between Hunt and Schwieger in the scoring. By this time Eddie had returned, ready to face the music about testing. Following a long pause, the announcer made the statement that sealed the verdict.

"There will be no further testing."

Schwieger thus placed sixth in her final IHSA ride. The senior from Los Angeles could claim to have been part of three Centenary College teams that placed third at IHSA Nationals. Centenary totalled 22 points, the exact same number as one year ago. A quick rundown of Megan Palmer's 2004 IHSA Nationals appearances would show a ninth in individual open fences, a score of '96' in Cacchione flat phase (tops in the competition), a score of '20' in Cacchione over fences phase, no ribbon above the participation level in team open flat, a first in individual open flat (which came later on Saturday) and fifth in team open fences here. The red hawks finished with 18 points and fifth place as it turned out. Fourth went to Aubrey Hunt, the Findlay senior bringing the oiler's total to 26 points. In third was Jewell, who received the second loudest cheer (Findlay had their stock seat team in the stands, so the crowd noise for Hunt's ribbon was even louder) but the one that came from everyone's heart. For her four points gave the cobras - I mean VI - I MEAN EDDIE - enough to say Virginia Intermont College is the 2004 IHSA Hunter Seat National Champion Team. "I'm going to call Margaret (Jones) and tell her the good news," Eddie said afterward, heading out the back door of the ring towards the holding area.

The remaining placings were almost incidental, though their importance should not be diminished. Champagne nearly placed first a second time, but received the red ribbon, allowing Hollins to overtake Miami of Ohio for fourth place. Texas A & M shot up to eleven points, ten earned by Houx herself. Her blue ribbon allowed the aggies to tie Fresno State for sixth place. Had Houx and Champagne scored below Jewell and Hunt, the judge's testing decision may have been a "yes" rather than a "no."

Erika Jewell (left) and Coach Eddie Federwisch pose in front of the Tennessee Miller Coliseum following Jewell's third in team open fences. The sophomore from Pennington, New Jersey clinched Virginia Intermont's first National Championship ever by one placing (and one point in the judge's scoring).

Later in the morning, what used to be known as the "Opening Ceremonies" but now is referred to as the "Parade & Celebration of Teams" took place. Following the parade of riders from all nine zones and a trip around the ring by some Tennessee Walking Horses, the Hunter Seat Awards were presented. Each team that made the top ten was introduced, until there was only one team left. When introduced, each member of the Virginia Intermont - eh - Eddie's team received a Collegiate Cup jacket from sponsor Weatherbeeta, while Eddie Federwisch himself was presented with the Collegiate Cup. Strangely, the normally talkative Head Coach was rather quiet, smiling like Jimmy Carter circa 1976 but saying next to nothing. The Collegiate Cup had Eddie speechless. Even afterwards, many of the coaches who did not win were saying, "I sure am happy for Eddie."

---Steve Maxwell

The Hunter Seat Team Class-by-Class Results. The first four classes listed were held Thursday, May 6th, the next three were held Friday, May 7th, and the final class was held Saturday, May 8th. The judges for all hunter seat classes were Sarah Good, Belton, MO and John Roper, Brentwood, TN:

Team novice equitation over fences: 1. Elizabeth Dubrowski, University of Findlay. 2. Tamara Medinger, Centenary College. 3. Anela Bird, Fresno State. 4. Matt Arrigon, Miami University of Ohio. 5. Kelly Eatman, Berry College. 6. Emily Casali, Delaware Valley College.

Team intermediate equitation on the flat: 1. Jennifer Tabisz, Virginia Intermont College. 2. Mara Keith-Hunter, University of Findlay. 3. Katie Jablonski, Miami University of Ohio. 4. Jessica Jensen, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 5. Jenifer Martin, Centenary College. 6. Erica Palomo, Texas A & M University.

Team novice equitation on the flat: 1. Renee Blacharski, Centenary College. 2. Katherine Thiel, University of Findlay. 3. Mary Harrison, University of the South. 4. Amy Fitzwater, Hollins University. 5. Nora Harris, Virginia Intermont College. 6. Andrea Mink, Colorado State University.

Team walk-trot-canter equitation: 1. Rachel Ellis, Virginia Intermont College. 2. Ashley Gallo, University of Findlay. 3. Jennifer Campbell, Colorado State University. 4. Kelly Balk, Centenary College. 5. Lindsey Krol, Miami University of Ohio. 6. Marie Hilliard, Mount Holyoke College.

Team intermediate equitation over fences: 1. Kimberly Hezzelwood, Virginia Intermont College. 2. Heather Hurst, Hollins University. 3. Lindsay Collins, Colorado State University. 4. Elizabeth Redding, Cazenovia College. 5. Amanda Hancock, Fresno State. 6. Lesley Maradik, Purdue University.

Team open equitation on the flat: 1. Jennifer Champagne, Hollins University. 2. Michelle Tonello, Fresno State. 3. Annabel Benito, Centenary College. 4. Meredith Houx, Texas A & M University. 5. Missy Starr, Cazenovia College. 6. Kyla Makhloghi, Mount Holyoke College.

Team walk-trot equitation: 1. Stefanie Fink, Miami University of Ohio. 2. Kristin Farmer, Berry College. 3. Anna Wagner, University of Wisconsin at Madison. 4. Whitney Rockwell, Mount Holyoke College. 5. Rebecca Daly, Penn State University (State College). 6. Katherine Humphreys, University of Findlay.

Team open equitation over fences: 1. Meredith Houx, Texas A & M University. 2. Jennifer Champagne, Hollins University. 3. Erika Jewell, Virginia Intermont College. 4. Aubrey Hunt, University of Findlay. 5. Megan Palmer, Miami University of Ohio. 6. Kristen Schwieger, Centenary College.

Hunter Seat Team Totals: