From left to right are Head Coach Nick Caputo and riders Eric Hart, Alex Hudson and Tim Gridley of Valley Forge Military College. Valley Forge is one of 23 schools who have made or will likely make their IHSA debuts during the 2008-09 season.

NEW IHSA PROGRAMS SPROUT UP NATIONWIDE IN 2008-09

Now in its 42nd season, the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association continues to grow at a rapid pace. A visit to the official IHSA web site, IHSAinc.com reveals that as of February 9th there were 23 new IHSA programs registered as members for the 2008-09 season, with an additional four programs that were re-joining the organization after at least two years away from IHSA competition if not a considerably longer time. The new schools, which to the best of our knowledge did not previously compete in at least one IHSA competition, are...

Arizona State University
Bethany Lutheran College
Curry College
Douglas College
Grinnell College
Los Angeles Pierce College
Marshall University
Millersville University
Northern Kentucky University
Sam Houston State University
Sonoma State University
Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville
St. John Fisher College
St. Louis University
University of California at Irvine
University of California at Santa Barbara
University of Maryland at Baltimore County
University of Oklahoma
University of South Carolina at Aiken
University of South Florida
Valley Forge Military College
Warren County Community College
Western Illinois University

The four schools which fielded teams previously but not recently are...

Though all of these schools are officially registered, not all have made their 2008-09 IHSA debut in actual competition. As of February 9th three of the four schools returning after a hiatus (Hiwassee, Russell Sage and Towson) had yet to compete, while Millersville, Northern Kentucky and Sam Houston State were still to make their first rides of the season. We are still trying to confirm if Bethany Lutheran College, Grinnell College, Los Angeles Pierce College, Southern Illinois at Edwardsville, South Carolina at Aiken, South Florida and Warren County Community College already made their IHSA debuts in regions where we are trying to track down the current team standings. We can confirm that 13 schools definitely have made their IHSA debuts in shows, with several already out of the proverbial cellar in their respective region's standings.

University of Maryland at Baltimore County Head Coach Sherri Fram (center) stands between novice riders Cortney Crouse (on left) and Emily Plitt. Crouse was the first Retriever in program history to compete in an IHSA class, earning a fifth in novice flat at the October 4th Mount St. Mary's show. Plitt's second in novice fences later that day was one of three red ribbons Maryland - Baltimore County won during the Zone 4, Region 1 season opener.

Several schools on the West Coast are fairing very well in their inaugural season. Through January 31st Sonoma State University was fourth in the Zone 8, Region 1 hunter seat team standings, narrowly ahead of three programs which have been around for several seasons. Sonoma State also had the number two rider in the Region 1 hunter seat open rider standings in Caitlin Maus, who was only four points behind Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo's Vanessa Thomas headed into the region's final regular season hunter seat shows on February 7th and 8th. Further down the coast the University of California at Santa Barbara was in sixth place, but had more points - 67 - than all but one hunter seat team we know of who had never shown IHSA prior to the fall. The Gauchos are not the only Zone 8, Region 2 team with a history of less than six shows. The University of California at Irvine was at 33 points while Arizona State had 51 points in hunter seat and 53 in western through February 1st. The Sun Devils western team was in fact in third place out of eight Region 2 schools headed into the February 8th shows in Pomona, California. Arizona State western rider Ali Dahlgren was second to Cal Poly - Pomona's Catie Pabst in the Region 2 western open rider standings at that moment as well. Should Los Angeles Pierce College compete before the season ends then Region 2 will claim no worse than a tie for the most new schools nationwide (with four) to have made their IHSA debut in 2008-09.

Though we are not sure if the Douglas College campus in New Westminster, British Columbia or Coquitlam, British Columbia produced the only Canadian newcommer to the IHSA so far this season, but we can tell you that Douglas finished the season with 36 hunter seat points. Five riders showed for Douglas in their first season, with Megan Chmiel first in her section of novice fences at the November 22nd Western Washington show for Douglas's only blue ribbon.

Zone 9, Region 2 could tie Zone 8, Region 2 for most new IHSA programs entered in actual shows should Grinnell College and Southern Illinois at Edwardsville show this season (we are still trying to confirm if Grinnell is a member of this region or if they compete in Zone 9, Region 3 - Editor). Both Western Illinois and St. Louis University have competed, with Western Illinois fairing better with 38 hunter seat points compared to 15 for St. Louis. With all the growth in Illinois, Iowa, Kansas and Missouri Zone 9, Region 2 is slowly turning into one of the largest regions, with up to 16 teams showing. Zone 9, Region 2 also covers great distances in land, with the Kansas State campus nearly 500 miles from Northern Illinois campus.

Curry College senior Emily Carr (on right) poses with Head Coach Lynne O'Sullivan at the October 25th Boston University show, which was also the first IHSA competition in Curry program history. The Colonels scored seven points overall that day and went on to score a total of 49 during the fall.

While The vast majority of new IHSA programs are located outside the Northeast, the area north of the Potomic River does have a few newcommers. Curry College is so far the only new IHSA program in New England this season. Competing in Zone 1, Region 4, Curry is eleventh out of thirteen teams through five fall shows with 49 points. The University of Maryland at Baltimore County is the only new school in Zone 4 (so far). The Retrievers earned eight of their 21 points at the October 4th Mount St. Mary's show, which was also their IHSA debut. Maryland - Baltimore County is tied for 12th overall in the Zone 4, Region 1 team standings. Should Towson compete in one of the spring shows there will technically be two new programs in Region 1, though the Tigers did in fact field an IHSA team most recently during the 1997-98 season.

The only school to in fact completely leave the IHSA and (so far) return after a hiatus of more than a year is Stephen F. Austin University. Though they were not at several of the early fall Zone 7, Region 2 hunter seat shows the Jacks managed to score 43 points over perhaps as few as two shows (which puts them ahead of three other schools through February 1st). Along with several other Zone 7, Region 2 schools, Stephen F. Austin left the IHSA following the 2005-06 season to go NCAA/Varsity-only. While there have been schools who tried to compete in both IHSA and NCAA/Varsity simultaniously, and then subsequently went IHSA-only, Stephen F. Austin appears to be the only program to date which completely left the IHSA for NCAA/Varisty but later returned.

Valley Forge Military College may be the only two-year school to have made their 2008-09 IHSA debut so far. Like the University of California at Santa Barbara, Valley Forge has 67 points. Valley Forge has already co-hosted its first IHSA show, and can boast a very large on-campus facility. Head Coach Nick Caputo, a Centenary College graduate who has also coached at Delaware Valley College and Lynchburg College, hopes that after two seasons many of his riders are able to transfer to one of the four-year service academies and continue riding in the IHSA there.

In a short time we hope to have information on several other programs which have made or will make their IHSA debuts this season. If you compete for a team which joined or re-joined the IHSA in 2008-09 we would enjoy hearing from you, either with a photo of one of your riders winning a class or even simply to hear how your team came to be. Send your e-mails to editor@campusequestrian.com and we will try to post your stories in a follow-up article on schools making their IHSA debuts (or return) in 2008-09.

--Steve Maxwell