University of Findlay seniors Matt Piccolo and Nastassia Hovey wait for the start of 2008 IHSA Nationals at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center on May 8th. Piccolo was one of 31 riders qualified to compete for the Cacchione Cup, a division in which he would place inside the top five.

THE 2008 IHSA NATIONALS CACCHIONE CUP COMPETITION

BURBANK, CA - There was a 'mild' anniversary for IHSA Nationals in 2008. Though it was 34 years since the first official year-end IHSA Nationals took place in 1974, the '08 National show was, in fact, the 35th such year-end competition for the organization founded in 1967. In that time 17 different schools could claim to have won the hunter seat team competition at least once while 31 riders and 20 different programs could claim a victory in the Cacchione Cup Competition.

This writer has been writing about IHSA Nationals for a comparatively short time, having attended each Nationals show since 1997 save for the 2001 contest in Conyers, Georgia (and even then I was able to write about the event thanks to a few assistants). In that time nine different programs won at least one IHSA hunter seat National Championship, with the University of Kentucky the latest winner, scoring a huge upset at the '08 contest in Burbank.

Since attending the May 1997 IHSA National show held at Mount Holyoke College I had witnessed ten different riders win the Cacchione Cup Competition, with only one program claiming two different winners. I use the past tense 'had' because on May 10th I saw yet another program represented with their first-ever Cacchione Cup winner.

In my efforts to follow the IHSA throughout the regular season (and pass along as much information through Campus Equestrian as possible), I attend shows in up to 15 regions, not to mention the occasional Tournament of Champions series event as well. As a result I usually meet more than half of the riders who go on to make up the Cacchione Cup field at IHSA Nationals before they even qualify. When combined with those who I met at the previous three IHSA Nationals leading up to the May 8-11 event at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center, I had already met 25 of the 31 2008 IHSA Cacchione Cup entries before ever setting foot in the state of California.

The six Cacchione riders I met for the first time at the LAEC were Savannah Cook, a UCLA sophomore from Seattle, Washington, who won a close race for Zone 8, Region 2 high point open rider honors versus Cal Poly - Pomonas' Hailey Quirk; Rachel Erickson, a sophomore from St. Louis Park, Minnesota who is the first hunter seat rider in the history of the University of Minnesota - Twin Cities program to qualify for Nationals; Brittany Henson, a University of Nevada at Reno freshman who won a ride-off at Regionals versus Stanfords' Anders Jones to break a 61-all tie to claim the Cacchione entry out of Zone 8, Region 1; Lia Nagle of the University of Montana Western, a junior from Fairview, Pennsylvania who won the Zone 8, Region 3 hunter seat open rider race by 42 points over her closest competitor; Jillian Rountree of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, who won the Zone 9, Region 1 Cacchione entry by one point over Aubrey Fait of St. Mary of the Woods College, and Rice University junior Mimi Willard. From Stanfordville, New York, Willard won the Zone 7, Region 2 Cacchione race by 46-33 over Louisiana State's Emily Taylor, though it should be noted that the low score was in no way Willards' (or Taylors') fault. Region 2 managed the minimum number of hunter seat open classes during the regular season to make their Cacchione entry legal (this will likely not be an issue in 2008-09, as Region 2 will regain two schools in Western Texas that had joined Region 1 prior to the 2005-06 season. With this realignment Zone 7, Region 2 will have an easier time hosting shows and thus holding more sections of open). None of these six riders I met for the first time managed to make the top ten in the Cacchione class at '08 Nationals (Rountree and Erickson would have been the best of the bunch had ribbons been given out for all 31 placings. Both were very consistant, with Rountree averaging a score of '74.75' while Erickson was a quarter point behind at '74.5.' Technically this would have made Rountree 16th and Erickson 17th, respectively).

Tufts University junior Rebecca Renier (on left, with Head Coach Katie Schaaf) was one of two Minnesota residents to compete in the Cacchione division. Only five riders managed to best Renier's flat phase score of '85,' and eventually she finished seventh out of 31 riders.

I had met the rest of the field at least once before, having seen 13 of them ride more than once this season prior to Nationals. There were three riders I had not seen since 2007 Nationals, one I had not seen since 2006 Nationals and one I had not seen compete since the December 2005 Holiday Tournament of Champions. That rider, University of Findlay senior Matt Piccolo, had made huge strides in between, having competed at the novice level in Fall of '05 but now representing Zone 6, Region 3 in the Cup class, having edged out Ohio State's Laurie Muellner by a point and Findlay teammate Becky Baumel by four points during the regular season. Not seen at Nationals since '06 at Harrisburg was Laura Bagby of Washington State University. From Woodinville, Washington, Bagby had placed sixth overall in intermediate fences in the first class held at 2006 Nationals, but in 2008 finished three points ahead of Oregon States' Katie Curtis in the Zone 8, Region 4 open rider standings. Since I last saw them at the Big E in West Springfield, Massachusetts last May West Texas A & M senior Whitney Fouts became a Cacchione qualifier for the first time, fnishing ahead of teammate Katherine Williams and the University of Colorado at Boulders' Kristina Hankin in Zone 7, Region 1; Michael Lenard had repeated as the Zone 9, Region 2 Cacchione entry, the Northern Illinois junior finishing a healthy 19 points ahead of Allison Cornman of Southern Illinois at Carbondale, and Charlotte Powers had repeated as the Zone 5, Region 2 Cacchione qualifier, earning a narrow 78-75 win over Clemson University teammate Sarah Spainhour to try and improve on what would technically have been 24th place at '07 Nationals. Of these five both Piccolo and Powers were destined for the top ten over three rides at the LAEC.

There were seven riders I had seen once each during the 2007-08 season leading up to Nationals. I met University of the South freshman Lindsay Maxwell (no relation) at the December 2007 Holiday Tournament of Champions held at Centenary College. Maxwell's best showing that day was a very impressive third in the Medal division, held at the various Tournament of Champions shows in lieu of a ride-off for high point. Maxwell eventually finished second to Vanderbilt freshman Whitney Goulart in the Zone 5, Region 1 hunter seat open rider standings, but because Goulart knew far enough in advance that she would be unable to compete at Nationals Maxwell moved up as the runner-up. I met Jenna Watson at the January 12th Michigan State show. A University of Michigan senior from West Bloomfield, Michigan, Watson was in a tight Zone 6, Region 4 race where Wolverine teammate Kevin Stevens, Michigan States' Patrick Foth, Albion Colleges' Christine Grahl and Grand Valley States' Rebecca Payne all had a shot at being the Cacchione qualifier headed into the final regular season show on (what must strike many as the very early date of) January 19th. Though for a few weeks it looked as though a male would represent the region at Nationals Watson beat the men, finishing three points ahead of Stevens and four ahead of Foth. I first met Kathleen "Kati" Cibon back in '06 at Zone 6 Zones that April. I had seen Cibon most recently at the Pre-Season Tournament of Champions held at St. Andrews Presbyterian College in September of 2007 (the same site as the 2005 Holiday T of C). On that occasion Cibon placed seventh in the Medal division. Cibon was the only rider to qualify for the 2008 Cacchione who had also qualified in both 2006 and 2007. The Ohio University junior from Bannockburn, Illinois also has a younger sister now competing in the IHSA. Ali Cibon, a freshman at the University of Kentucky, rode at the intermediate level in 2007-08 but could be a contender for the 2008-09 Cacchione entry out of Zone 6, Region 2 if she can point up very early in the season. I first met Katherine "Katie" Furches at a Bridgewater College horse show in November of 2006. Now a sophomore at Hollins, Furches did not watch her lead evaporate in the Zone 4, Region 2 open rider standings as it had done in 2006-07. Last season Whitney Roper of the University of Virginia rallied to tie Furches at the final show of the regular season to force a ride-off at Regionals, which resulted in Roper going to Nationals and defeating the entire field for the Cacchione Cup. This season Furches finished five points ahead of Ashley Lovegrove of Randolph College. I had most recently encountered University of Kentucky senior Callie Schott at the same Tournament of Champions at Centenary as Maxwell. Schott finished second to Roper for the Cup at '07 Nationals and in '08 won the Zone 6, Region 2 Cacchione by a 75-52 margin over teammate Larissa Kern. Though Schott did not have her best rides in either of the first two phases of the Cacchione division it would be her two firsts - and one for teammate Ali Cibon - which would deliver the 2008 IHSA Nationals hunter seat team title to the Kentucky Wildcats for the first time in program history. I had most recently encountered Dartmouth College senior Daisy Freund at the Ivy League Invitational held at Cornell University's John T. Oxley Center only two weeks before Nationals. From Southampton, New York, Freund finished a healthy 13 points ahead of the University of Vermonts' Mike Zito to claim high point rider honors in Zone 1, Region 2. Freund is one of a small number of IHSA riders who could claim to have competed at both 2008 and 2005 IHSA Nationals, the latter having been held at Eden Park in Sunbury, Ohio. Freund was out of the top ten in the Cacchione Cup on that occasion, but a great trip over fences would help her fair better this time. I most recently saw College of Charleston junior Hannah Mayer compete at the Holiday Tournament of Champions at Centerary five months earlier. From Tallahassee, Florida, Mayer did not earn a top ten placing that day but would eventually rally to take Zone 5, Region 3 high point hunter seat rider honors on the final day of the regular season. Had ribbons gone down far enough, Mayer would have been 25th at 2007 Nationals in the Cacchione class. We are still checking the record books, but Mayers' one year improvement in the division may be the biggest jump ever, accounting for the fact that the IHSA only had 21 regions as recently as 1997 Nationals.

From Danbury, Connecticut, Penn State University junior Samantha Pandolfi (third on right) finished sixth overall in the Cacchione Cup division. Like Renier, Pandolfi managed a score of '85' during the flat phase.

Because of the proximity of my front door to many of the IHSA shows held in the Northeast, I had seen everyone else ride at least twice in 2007-08. Jessica Engle of Lehigh University won the Zone 3, Region 4 Cacchione entry by a healthy 19 point margin over Lauren Casale of Kutztown. Engle is the second Lehigh rider in as many seasons to compete for the cup at Nationals, following former teammate Jill Douglass who missed out on the top ten in '07 but was Reserve Champion in 2004. Kristina Christiansen is the first University of Delaware rider to compete for the cup since Kelly Ross in 2003. Three of Christiansen's current teammates came closest to her in the Zone 3, Region 2 hunter seat open rider standings, with Megan Spilatro the closest but still ten points in back. Christiansen is from Fairfield, Connecticut, also home to Fairfield University, a school which could claim the Zone 2, Region 4 Cacchione qualifier in sophomore Elysse Ruschmeyer. Ruschmeyer unseated defending Region 4 Cacchione competitor Rachel Cresswell by an 86-79 margin. In a different part of the nutmeg state (and a completely different zone) is the University of Connecticut. Huskies senior Tara Lynch was one of the top 'point-scorers' in the nation, finishing on top of the Zone 1, Region 1 by a 109-82 margin over two-time defending Region 1 Cacchione entry Whitney Keefe of Brown. When she clinched the honor with a show still to go Lynch became the first University of Connecticut Cacchione qualifier in over a decade. The State of Connecticut could claim more 2008 Cacchione riders living inside its' borders (but not during the school year) than any other. Besides Engle (Stamford), Christiansen, Ruschmeyer (South Glastonbury) and Lynch (Suffield), Penn State junior Samantha Pandolfi rounded out the 'Nutmeg State' representatives as the Zone 3, Region 1 qualifier. Hailing from Danbury, Connecticut, Pandolfi won by a 76-50 margin over Bucknell's Devon Avallone, though it should be noted that defending Region 1 Cacchione qualifier Andrew Olen was not far behind through the first five Region 1 shows before sitting out the final show altogether (like Goulart, Olen knew he could not compete at Nationals, so the Franklin & Marshall senior let others in the region get the points).

I had seen all of the 'Connecticut residents' compete at multiple shows in their own regions. I could not say the same for Goucher College senior Brittany Martin. From Ocean City, Maryland, Martin is the second Goucher rider in program history to compete for the cup after Lydia Davies did it in 2004 and 2005. I saw Brittany Martin at two separate Tournament of Champions competitions and one Zone 4, Region 1 show hosted by Goucher. Martin also displaced a 2007 Cacchione rider, finishing ahead of Mary Washingtons' Jessica Van Brocklin by a 71-68 margin. There were two riders named 'Martin' in the Cacchione class, with the other being Skidmore senior Megan Martin. Of no relation to Brittany, the Palm Coast, Florida resident won all but one Zone 2, Region 3 over fences class during the regular season. I saw Megan Martin compete at two shows in her own region and Zone 2 Zones, the latter of which was where I saw Dorothy Douglas of St. Lawrence University ride for the second time during the 2007-08 season. A junior from West Bridgewater, Massachusetts, Douglas unseated yet another defending Cacchione entry, finishing ahead of teammate Brittan White, who had competed in each of the past two Cacchione classes. Considering how good White is, I was impressed with Douglas's ability to get ahead of her in the Zone 2, Region 2 open rider standings and not drop down (Douglas won both classes and a ride-off at the December 8th St. Lawrence show I attended).

In similar fashion I saw Erin Albert of Seton Hill University compete once during the regular season and once at Zones, albeit a different Zones show. Albert was able to follow up a good act one, as the sophomore from South Park, Pennsylvania competed for the cup at both 2007 and 2008 Nationals. The Zone 3, Region 3 high point open rider was destined to improve tremendously on what would have been 27th place at the Big E in West Springfield. Brittany Denton of Virginia Intermont College was another rider to capture a place in the Cacchione class two seasons in a row. The junior from Atlanta, Georgia was in a see-saw battle with teammate Ashley Miller and St. Andrews' Janelle Harcus for Zone 4, Region 3 high point rider supremacy. Two good shows at the end of the season made the outcome look lopsided, with Denton ten points ahead of Miller and Harcus heading into the post-season (Though Connecticut had five riders in the '08 Cacchione class to lead all states, the city with the most entries is Atlanta, as Denton and Maxwell both hail from the Capitol of the South). Tufts University had their second Cacchione qualifier in as many seasons, as Rebecca Renier finished ahead of the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth's Meredith Milliner by an 83-74 score (Former teammate Tessa LeCuyer had represented Zone 1, Region 4 a season earlier). Had Milliner finished on top it would have meant that UMass-Dartmouth would have faced off against UMass-Amherst, as the Minutemen could claim the top open rider in neighboring Zone 1, Region 3. University of Massachusetts sophomore Kate Lawrence finished 17 points ahead of teammate Bailey Sheran for the honor, with many of her 91 points elevating the Minutemen (or Minutepeople) ahead of Mount Holyoke College for the first time since Nationals were last held at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in 1996. Perhaps surprisingly, UMass can now claim as many Cacchione rides at Nationals as Mount Holyoke since 2003, with three each.

We had to use a picture of her at Zones as she was out the door (and on a plane) by the time awards were given out for the Cacchione top ten. After a '78' score on the flat and an '81' over fences, Seton Hill sophomore Erin Albert (on right) earned fifth place in the Cacchione. Head Coach Abbe Wagonblast (on left) accepted the pink ribbon during the awards presentation on Albert's behalf.

And there was one more Cacchione participant I saw at least four times leading up to Nationals. James Fairclough II emerged from perhaps the closest race for a Cacchione entry nationwide headed into the final Zone 2, Region 1 regular season show. Fairclough led Drew University teammate Tori Frederick and Centenary College's Jen Elrod by a 73-72 margin (Sadly Campus Equestrian does not have the final totals from this region). The Drew junior, who spent his freshman year at Champlain College in Vermont, and who emerged the leader after the final Region 1 show would surprisingly not survive Regionals on the individual open flat or Zone 2 Zones in individual open fences. That left Fairclough with one award to compete for at Nationals. It would be all or nothing in the 2008 IHSA Nationals Cacchione competition.

I had also seen Fairclough ride in five shows during the 2006-07 season. I remember the first IHSA show in which I saw him compete. It was in fact co-hosted by his Drew team and Sarah Lawrence College. On that October morning at Briarwood Farm in the Fall of 2006 Fairclough did not have a great performance, placing third over fences and missing the top six on the flat. Yet many of his teammates not to mention Drew Head Coach Karen Sykes and Assistant Coach Sandy Sayre were thrilled to have him. The story was that Fairclough is very good in regular, non-IHSA competition. In talking to him Fairclough appeared very confident that he would improve upon what had happenned today. There was something about him I could not put my finger on, but his demeanor reminded me of former Cacchione Cup Champion John Piggott. Having seen many established non-IHSA riders produce mixed results in their early college competitions (some even bagging the IHSA prematurely), I could see if Fairclough stayed with Drew that things would only get better for both. Never mind the points at today's show; I could sense that Drew had something special on their hands.

The next time I saw Fairclough compete was again at Briarwood Farm, with the entire region co-hosting on 10/29/06. In the second class of the day, the second of four sections of open fences, Fairclough fell off! I was told he had fallen off once at another IHSA show I had not attended. Nevertheless when these mishaps did not occur Fairclough was dead-on, evidenced by his sitting in third place in the Region 1 open rider standings through five shows. Though I had yet to see him win a blue ribbon, I still felt strongly that Fairclough was on his way to big things within the IHSA.

Finally, on 3/4/07, and yet again at Briarwood Farm, I saw Fairclough not only win a class but win twice! Fairclough nailed both the flat and fences, and though he would lose a close race to Liz Stitzel of Sarah Lawrence and a pair of Centenary College riders to represent the region in the Cacchione Cup at IHSA Nationals in West Springfield, Massachusetts, it was obvious that Fairclough was as good as any of these Region 1 riders, or perhaps any rider in the IHSA. Don't ask me why, but he seemed like someone who could win the Cacchione Cup at some point over his final two seasons at Drew.

From Palm Coast, Florida, Skidmore College senior Megan Martin (second on right) received a score of '79' on the flat and '82.75' over fences. This was good enough for fourth place after the work-off phase.

The actual 2008 IHSA Nationals Cacchione Cup Competition to determine the top IHSA hunter seat open rider did not start until nearly lunch time on May 8th, with 15 of the 31 riders qualified competing in the Section A of the flat phase. At least one rider from each of the IHSA's nine Zones walked, trotted and cantered in each direction before judges Michael Page and Sue Ashe split the group further to watch some extended gaits. Eventually this group was excused and two classes later (following individual intermediate western horsemanship) Section B walked down the sloped entrance to the Equidome for their turn. Page and Ashe put the remaining 16 riders through the same routine. Eventually they too were excused. Roughly an hour later, the combined judge's scores for each of the 31 riders were posted near the show office. Surprisingly three riders were on top with the same score. UConn's Lynch, Findlay's Piccolo and Charleston's Mayer all received a score of '88' while Freund received an '87,' Fairclough an '86' and both Pandolfi and Renier an '85.' Historically riders who score in the mid-to-upper '80's in the first phase usually finish inside the top ten, that is unless disaster strikes over the fences.

Fortunately the over fences class saw not one fall and only one refusal. The only drawback is that because of this few riders who finished in the middle during the flat phase were able to move up significantly when scores from both phases were combined. Day two of Nationals started with the Cacchione Cup jumping phase, with Maxwell the first of 31 into the ring. Her score was '78,' which would be the ninth best over fences score. Fouts followed with a '62' while Renier was third in the ring, scoring a '76.' The first of eight riders to reach the 80's and beyond was Lawrence. Going fourth the sophomore from Scituate, Massachusetts received an '83.' However Lawrence had been in the bottom five on the flat, making a callback for the work-off seem like a reach at the moment. Rountree then earned a '73,' while Piccolo, riding sixth, received a '77.5' to take the lead overall for the time being (those with pen and paper could write down the scores, as announcer Kenn Marash read them shortly after each rider had left the ring. In addition there was a message board at Nationals for the second year in a row, which also flashed - albeit briefly - the score being read aloud). Erickson received a '74' while Nagle had some difficulty and earned a '60.' Lenard followed with a '40,' though he would have received a much higher score if not for the only refusal in the division. Engle continued the trend of scores ending in zero with a '70.' Bagby did not break this string either, receiving a '50' (not sure if she lost her stirup - Editor). Henson went 12th, earning a '63.' After what seemed like an eternity of lower-than-average scores, Ruschmeyer came close to Lawrence, receiving a score of '82.' Having scored a '69' during the flat phase it remained to be seen if Ruschmeyer could sneak into the top ten. Watson earned a '72.5,' Powers a '71' and Furches a '69,' the latter being the 16th rider in the ring and thus pushing the division past the halfway mark.

Then it was Fairclough's turn. The junior from Newton, New Jersey (the only rider from the Garden State to compete at Nationals for this season's Cacchione) had the best pace of any of the riders, and after his near-flawless round aboard a horse named "Bombay" was completed, Marash announced "A score of '90' for rider number 211." There was much applause and a few 'oohs' and 'aaahs' following the announcement. Fairclough became the first Cacchione competitor to receive a score of '90' or higher in the jumping phase since Sarah Willeman of Stanford two seasons earlier. Like Fairclough, Willeman had a few "off days" over her first few IHSA shows, only to go on a hot streak during her senior year which led to her winning the Cup at Harrisburg in 2006. Would Fairclough, with an average of '88' through two rides, see the same result?

Douglas had the unenviable task of following Fairclough. She received a '74' while Mayer made the Charleston faithful very happy with a score of '82.5.' This gave the junior from Tallahassee, Florida a combined '85.25' average, second only to Fairclough at the time. Brittany Martin was the 20th rider to have a go at it, and her ride was almost as good as Mayer's. Martin received a score of '80.' The high scores kept pilling up, as Albert received an '81' as the division was now two-thirds complete. Schott of Kentucky did not have a ride to put into the time capsule, receiving a '68.' Despite having support from the locals, UCLA's Cook was only slightly better, receiving a '68.5.' Denton was 24th in the order of go, receiving a '74.' All eyes were then on Lynch, who had a chance to remain inside the top five with a good round. However Lynch was not as fortunate as during her flat ride, receiving a score of '70' to make things very interesting. Freund then dazzled with a briliant '84' over fences to go with her '87' on the flat. Unless something very unexpected happenned (i.e. scores in the mid-90's) Freund would be second to Fairclough through two phases. Pandolfi had to follow Freund, and her score of '75' gave hope of a top ten placing. Megan Martin was next, and her trip showed that the fences are indeed her strong suit. Martin received a score of '82.75' to become the eighth rider into the 80's over the jumps. Christiansen then received a '65' while Cibon earned a '75.5' to technically fall into eleventh place. Willard was the 31st and final rider in the division, earning a '65' to equal her score on the flat.

Victor Mayer (on right) is a happy Father as his daughter Hannah (on left) is the 2007-08 Reserve National Champion in the Cacchione Cup Competition. A junior at the College of Charleston, Hannah Mayer had the third best combined flat and fences score through two phases but moved up to reserve during the work-off phase.

Then came another wait. Page and Ashe had to decide how many of the riders they wanted to call back. This number has varied over the years from as many as 12 to as few as five. This time the top ten combined flat and fences would proceed on to the work-off phase, to be held at the start of day three. Fairclough, Freund, Mayer, Piccolo, Megan Martin, Renier, Pandolfi, Albert, Lynch and Powers were the survivors. Perhaps the most fortunate member of the group was Powers, who finished with a '77.5' average, behind Lynch's '79' but barely ahead of Cibon ('77.25') and Brittany Martin ('77'). Nevertheless Powers now had a chance to move up from tenth to the single digits with the opportunity presented to her.

When the top ten returned to the ring on Saturday morning they were asked to perform a test which involved several fences. The tricky part was to remember the order and to understand precisely what the judges were requesting over and between the jumps. Each of the riders performed the test as best they could, and when it was over only two riders were asked to remain.

Fairclough and Mayer, who had been first and third, respectively, going into the work-off, were invited to perform another test. Then when that was completed, the judges requested the two trade horses and perform the same test. This request pleased many IHSA fans, for in this case everyone can see how each rider will fair on the same horse, eliminating the "luck of the draw" element. After all, this division decides who is "The best of the best" as IHSA Founder and Executive Director Bob Cacchione often says.

After Fairclough and Mayer were excused, there would be yet another wait. Prior to the start of 2008 Nationals the decision had been made to award the top ten ribbons in the Cacchione class during a Saturday night ceremony, at which time the top ten in the western equivalent, the individual AQHA Trophy division, would also be awarded. Though the work-off was over and done by 11AM the ribbons were awarded after 9PM Pacific Time (IHSAinc.com provided the placings as they were announced; It would be interesting to know how many people on the East Coast stayed up past midnight to see the results of these classes posted).

Tenth place went to Lynch, who will be remembered at this Nationals for being the first rider listed on top of the standings through the flat phase, this even though two others also received scores of '88.' Ninth went to Freund, who was apparently outdone in the work-off phase. Still Dartmouth College took a full team to Zones for the first time in program history during Freund's junior campaign, with the Southampton, New York open rider earning a significant amount of points along the way. Eighth went to Powers, who moved up from tenth during the testing phase. The Poolesville, Maryland resident has placed 24th (technically) and eighth, with her senior campaign still to come. Renier was seventh, the junior from Hamel, Minnesota placing higher in the Cacchione than any other Tufts rider since Haley Phillips was the Cacchione Champion in 2000. Pandolfi was sixth, improving on her 2006 effort (technically 21st at Harrisburg). Though Penn State had a rider competing in all but three Cacchione classes over the previous ten seasons, Pandolfi is the first Nittany Lion to reach the top ten since Angela Pappas was ninth in 1998.

Fifth place went to Albert, who in one year went from what would have technically been 27th all the way to fifth. Already on a plane headed east (perhaps to another show?), Albert was not on hand for the ribbon ceremony. Seton Hill Head Coach Abbe Wagonblast stepped into the winner's circle to accept on Albert's behalf. Megan Martin moved up one place from where she was after the flat and fences phases had been completed. For eight consecutive seasons Skidmore has advanced a rider to the Cacchione class, and in six of them that rider has placed inside the top ten. However save for Ashley Woodhouse's first in the division in 2005, Martin had the highest placing on any Skidmore rider in the Cacchione during that time, earning fourth. While the University of Findlay has been one of the IHSA's elite programs over the past ten-plus seasons, Piccolo is their first rider to compete at Nationals for the Cacchione since Angela Seager in 2001. Piccolo also moved up one place to finish third, the same placing Seager earned not in 2001, but in 2000. Campus Equestrian is trying to confirm that 2008 marked the first time that two of the top three placings in the Cacchione Cup division went to male riders. This may have happenned once in the 1970's but we are so far unable to confirm this. If anyone can recall this happening before please drop us a line. Piccolo, from Medfield, Massachusetts, is also the first Cacchione rider we can recall make the top three after having started in the IHSA at the novice level.

Kristine Kennedy (far right) and Sandra Sayre (second on right) both rode for Drew University at previous IHSA Nationals in the Cacchione Cup Competition. However no Drew rider had ever won the prestigious cup prior to 2008. To the delight of Head Coach Karen Sykes (third from right), Drew University junior James Fairclough II (fourth from left) defeated the largest field in Cacchione Cup history to take home the award given annually to the top hunter seat open rider in the IHSA.

Only two riders remained in the ring, and to the surprise of no one they were Mayer and Fairclough. Apparently influenced by television shows from "Who Wants to be a Millionare" to "Project Runway," Marash had some fun pausing before announcing most of the placings, thus making the results that much more chilling. When Marash finally announced second it turned out to be "Number 345 Hannah Mayer from the College of Charleston." According to Cougars Head Coach Bob Story, Mayer is the first Charleston rider to finish as high as second in the Cacchione class. Mayer also appears to have set a record for most improved placing at Nationals from one season to the next. Because she was technically 25th in the Cacchione last season, Mayer improved 24 placings, slightly better than Albert's jump of 23 earlier in the proceedings. Mayer is also the first College of Charleston rider to earn a top ten placing in the Cacchione class since Chiara Parlagreco was tenth at 2000 IHSA Nationals in Conyers, Georgia.

With the announcement that Mayer was Reserve Champion, it meant that Fairclough was going to be the Cacchione Cup winner. The Drew program has produced many outstanding IHSA riders (Current Assistant Coach Sayre, Kristine Kennedy, Maria Garrison, Megan McGuire and 1989 individual open on the flat champion Archie Cox to name a few) but none could claim to have won the Cacchione Cup. Named for Mario "Marty" Cacchione, the Father of IHSA Founder and Executive Director Bob Cacchione, the award was about to be presented for the 37th time since Duncan Peters of the University of Connecticut was the first winner in 1972.

I will not forget the reaction of the Drew Coaching staff when they realized that Fairclough was the winner. Sayre, herself a multi-blue ribbon winner in IHSA Nationals alumni classes, was essentially in tears. Kristine Kennedy, who was fourth in the alumni flat earlier in the day, was trying not to cry. But Head Coach Sykes was beaming, clearly savoring her greatest triumph since taking the helm at Drew from her former Head Coach Joan Greenberg in 2001. Sykes calmly headed over to the winner's circle with Sayre and Kennedy at her side, joined there by representatives from the USEF, Fairclough and Bob Cacchione himself. As the cameras went wild the Cup was given to Fairclough, the second consecutive New Jersey resident (after Roper) to win the award and the first to both reside in the Garden State and win the Cacchione Cup while attending a school located there. I regret that I did not ask Fairclough or Sykes for a few comments at the time, though I did run across several articles on the internet after the National show was completed - one posted by Drew University athletics and one in the on-line version of the Drew school newspaper, The Acorn - which contain comments by either the rider or the coach. One article informs that former Drew rider and Southern California resident Cox had in fact received a visit from Fairclough and friends around the time of Nationals while the other indicates that though Fairclough would like to repeat as Cacchione Champion he really wants to help Drew win a region title his senior year. Being the wealth of information that I am, I must point out that Centenary College has won Zone 2, Region 1 every season since 1990 and thus holds the record for most consecutive hunter seat Region Championships in IHSA history with 19 and counting. Still, with Fairclough showing every time there is a Region 1 competition, maybe this "Consecutive Hunter Seat Region Championships" record is the one to keep an eye on in 2008-09.

---Steve Maxwell

(If you wish to read the articles mentioned on Fairclough's Cacchione championship, visit the Drew athletic site at http://www.drew.edu/depts/AthleticsContent.aspx?id=34109 and the Drew Acorn at http://media.www.drewacorn.com/media/storage/paper914/news/2008/09/05/Sports/Cacchione.Cup.Champ.Rides.For.His.Teammates-3417278.shtml)

Results from the 2008 IHSA Nationals Cacchione Cup Competition, held May 8 through 10 in the Equidome at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, California. The Judges for all hunter seat classes at 2008 IHSA Nationals were Sue Ashe and Michael Page.

Combined Flat Scores, followed by Combined Fences Scores and the averages of these phases before the work-off: