After winning the High Medal Division at the 2025 Holiday Tournament of Champions invitational Alex Alston of Savannah College of Art & Design (pictured) has a chance to add another unique record to his resume. Alston has now won the High Medal at a Pre-Season Tournament, A Winter Tournament and a Holiday Tournament. If he can repeat at the Spring Tournament Alston will be the first rider in Tournament series history to win the High Medal at all four of the T of C events!

HOLIDAY TOURNAMENT JOYOUS FOR THE BEES, A "SCADASTROPHE" FOR OTHERS

Long Valley, NJ - We could go through it class-by-class, but as is often the case when you have a Tournament of Champions invitational event at some point Savannah College of Art & Design is going to win.

Some had noticed that SCAD had gone two Tournament events in a row without a blue ribbon, dating back to the Spring Tournament at the University of Findlay. But that will seem like ancient history after the Bees (just one team this time) won the Holiday Tournament of Champions 42-32 over Skidmore College on December 6th in Long Valley, New Jersey. SCAD scored points in every division, with Alex Alston winning both of his open classes and Nate Biery winning his limit flat to go with a fourth in limit fences. Alston was undefeated for the day, earning the blue ribbon in the High Medal Division to go with the team wins. Alston, who won the Cacchione Cup at IHSA Nationals last May, now has won three High Medal events at three different 'named' Tournament events. Alston won at the Pre-Season Classic in 2023, the Winter Classic in January of 2024 (which SCAD hosted) and with Centenary University hosting the Holiday Tournament in December of 2025. By the time of Biery's victory the Bees were never to trail the rest of the way, with the ten point margin of victory "Scadatrophic" for those looking up at the Bees in the standings.

Surprisingly runner-up Skidmore did not receive a blue ribbon on December 6th. Isa Jensen (in open fences), Ian Gaudio (in intermediate fences), Lillard Preschlack (in intermediate flat) and Ani McIntyre (in limit flat) each placed second for the Thoroughbreds, who were generally in the top three throughout the day.

The University of Delaware had one of their best performances at a T of C event in a long time. The Fighting Blue Hens were the best of eight teams to score in the '20's at Centenary with 29 points, staying with SCAD in the early going. Natalia Onisko (who won individual intermediate over fences at 2025 IHSA Nationals) was second in both of her open classes while Anna Birney won her team intermediate over fences in between.

The only tiebreaker within the top eight was between St. Lawrence University and Sacred Heart University. Both schools finished with 27 points, but after the "most blues" and "most reds" came up even the tiebreaker was points over fences, which favored St. Lawrence 12-10. Sophia Wirtz (intermediate flat) and Cate Weis (in limit fences) took first place in team classes for the Saints while Kayla DeStephanis (in intermediate fences) and Olivia Dolan (in novice equitation) won classes for the Pioneers. Dolan's win was in the last team class of the day which forced everyone to check the tiebreakers. Weis proved lightning does strike twice in the same place. The senior from Newburyport, Massachusetts won the Low Medal division. On December 2nd, 2023 Weis won the exact same Low Medal when Centenary most recently had hosted a Holiday Tournament event.

Skidmore College was reserve champion without any of their riders earning a blue ribbon. Ian Gaudio (center), a sophomore from Redding, Connecticut was a red ribbon winner in his first T of C event. Gaudio was one of four Skidmore riders to place second.

Contrary to what might have been reported elsewhere there was not a tiebreaker necessary for sixth and seventh place. At one point there was a mistake on the big scoreboard giving an extra point to Delaware Valley University. When this was corrected Emory & Henry University had edged the Aggies 26-25 for sixth place. Delaware Valley's Grace Allen, who was second in the High Medal at the Pre-Season Tournament of Champions, won the open fences class which started the day. Allen also earned a second in open flat to account for 12 of Del Val's 25 points. Keira Larkin, a freshman from Berkley, Massachusetts won her intro class. Emory & Henry came upon their best ribbons as the day moved along, Ella Oglesby won her limit flat to push the Wasps past Del Val in the next to last class (earlier Oglesby was second in limit fences) while Julia Seery won her novice section. These three ribbons were earned during Emory & Henry's final four rides of the day.

Host Centenary University was the only school with two teams entered. The Centenary "Blue" team took eighth place with 23 points. Fiona Bukhman of the Blue team won her introductory class while Paige Boggio was second in limit fences and sixth in limit flat to add six points to their total. The highlight of the day for Centenary were their Medal Class successes. Open rider Aislinn Bermingham placing second to Alston in the High Medal Division while Taylor Ernst was second to Weis in the Low Medal.

The University of Lynchburg just missed an official ribbon by a point, technically ninth with 22. Freshman Amaya Bellfield won the second section of open flat for the third school with a stinger (they are the Hornets). Goucher College would technically be tenth with 21 points. Freshman Cam Andruskiewicz won the second section of limit fences. This was Deja Vu all over again, as Andruskiewicz won the same class when the Gophers hosted the Pre-Season Tournament event on September 27th. The only college rider not mentioned so far to win a class on December 6th is Kate Smith of Mount Holyoke College. Contrary to what you might have read at the time elsewhere on this very site Smith has technically not graduated as of the end of December. Smith has completed all of her classes but Mount Holyoke only holds one graduation ceremony a year. Smith won't officially receive a diploma until May. In any event Smith won the second section of intermediate flat to help the Lyons score 15 points.

This is a family show!: University of Delaware head coach Whitney Carmouche (on right) had the opportunity to watch her daughter Olivia (center) compete for Sewanee in the open divisions. Tigers head coach (and former Cazenovia College rider) Savannah Mannes (on left) saw the younger Carmouche place fourth in open fences and sixth in open flat. Only in the flat class did UDel coach Whitney have to watch two riders in the ring at the same time, with Natalia Onisko of UDel (not pictured) also being there to take second.

Other schools entered were the University of Rhode Island (15 points), the University of the South (also called Sewanee with 13 points), Miami University of Ohio (ten points), Penn State University (Main Campus or State College with nine points) and Centenary's "White" team with 16 points. This was one of the toughest fields if not the toughest in the 35 years of the Tournament of Champions series. The founder of the series, former IHSA head coach Jim Arrigon, managed to get 'Yes' responses to his invitations from eight of the top nine teams at 2025 IHSA Nationals. Only defending National Champion Purdue University had a conflict and could not take part within the top nine. Of the fifteen schools present at Centenary only Sacred Heart (the runner-up at each of the past two IHSA Nationals events) could not claim to be either in first outright or tied for first place in the team standings within their region (Sacred Heart trails Long Island University by nine points through five fall Zone 2, Region 4 shows; Three shows remain in this region before Regionals - Editor).

The Medal Classes serve as an alternate to a ride-off for high point rider. Schools are told there will be a certain number of spaces for each medal class, and at Centenary there was room for 16 riders in both the High and Low Medals. There were two flat sections of each Medal, with judge Creigh Duncan calling back eight to jump.

However at most but not all T of C events there is a third Medal Class. This one has no college riders entered; It is the Equestrian Talent Search Medal, where current High School Riders who took part in Jim Arrigon's ETS Boot Camps at various IHSA facilities throughout the calendar year get to ride in front of IHSA Coaches. These high schoolers even have the opportunity to walk the course with a college coach. On this occasion there were 13 riders from eight states entered, with six invited back by judge Duncan to jump. As was the case with riders entered in each medal class those who jumped received their ribbons at the end of the day. The ETS results were read before those of the Low and High Medal, and the winner of the ETS class was Kaleb Johnston from Corfu, New York. The runner-up traveled the furthest, as Jenny Hillert of Austin, Texas received the red ribbon. Julianne Bucsku of Clinton, New Jersey, who won the division when Goucher hosted the Pre-Season Classic in September, was third this time.

Since the Tournament Series turned 35 this season Jim Arrigon decided the time was right to create a Tournament of Champions "Hall of Fame." Prior to the start of the show Arrigon said coaches, former riders and even horses will be inducted. At today's show the first former rider to be inducted was Ciara Menkens Tjong, now the co-coach of the Delaware Valley University equestrian team but also a rider for the Aggies (class of 2013). Menkens Tjong was a member of two Del Val teams that won a T of C event. Menkens also won three high medal championships, all at Winter Classic events in 2011, 2012 and 2013, respectively.

If you are keeping track of the SCAD dynasty at these T of C events the Bees have won 21 of their last 26 competitions in which they were entered. It was 18 of 20 at one point, but somehow other teams have won each of the past two pre-season events to close the gap very slightly. SCAD is seen here after scoring 42 points on December 6th in Long Valley, New Jersey to win the second of four 2025-26 T of C events. The Bees will host the next event on January 31st (originally scheduled for January 24th) in which they will have two teams entered.

What's next?: The Winter Tournament of Champions in Hardeeville, South Carolina was scheduled for January 24th with Savannah College of Art & Design hosting as they have done every year since the lost pandemic season of 2020-21. However at 4:29PM on January 22nd Arrigon announced that the show has been postponed exactly one week to January 31st. This was not because of a weather issue in Hardeeville (pre-show forecast was a high of 50 degrees with a chance of rain) but rather because of a snowstorm in many of the northern locales from where IHSA schools would have to fly back to. This Saturday evening/Sunday all-day snowstorm would likely leave many stranded in the Southeast until Monday, when there would be on-campus classes the students might miss. Ultimately the change in date meant only eight schools would be able to compete (down from 13 in the early version of the show program), with a few of those replacements for others who could not re-arrange travel plans or who had a show in their regular IHSA Region that weekend. As is customary the host school has two teams entered, which meant SCAD would have a chance to place first and second at home in a T of C event for at least the fourth time this decade.

---Steve Maxwell

Show Incidentals from the 2025 Holiday Tournament of Champions invitational, held at the Centenary University Equestrian Center in Long Valley, New Jersey on December 6th, 2025: Sunny skies, with temperatures reaching the upper '30's. Entire show held indoors. Start time: 9:15AM. Finish: Sometime after 5:00PM but before 5:30PM. Judge: Creigh Duncan, Princeton, New Jersey. Stewards: Heather Pinnick, Miami University of Ohio; Belinda Colgan, Skidmore College and Jenn Smith, Goucher College. This show was Hunter Seat or English only.

Class-by-class results, in the order in which they were held, with the rider's names they were using at the time:

Open equitation over fences - Section A: 1. Grace Allen, Delaware Valley University. 2. Natalia Onisko, University of Delaware. 3. Hallie Phillips, Mount Holyoke College. 4. Aislinn Bermingham, Centenary University - Blue Team. 5. Amaya Bellfield, University of Lynchburg. 6. Hope Verschleiser, Goucher College.

Open equitation over fences - Section B: 1. Alexander Alston, Savannah College of Art & Design. 2. Isa Jensen, Skidmore College. 3. Maci Iddings, Penn State University (State College). 4. Olivia Carmouche, University of the South (Sewanee). 5. Clara D'Amico, Miami University of Ohio. 6. Nada Soueidan, Emory & Henry University.

Intermediate equitation over fences - Section A: 1. Kayla DeStephanis, Sacred Heart University. 2. Ian Gaudio, Skidmore College. 3. Alex Miller, Savannah College of Art & Design. 4. Victoria Varella, Centenary University - White Team. 5. Ava Jackson, University of Lynchburg. 6. Lily Carter, University of the South.

Intermediate equitation over fences - Section B: 1. Anna Birney, University of Delaware. 2. Lainey Rockacy, St. Lawrence University. 3. Adriana Hardin, Goucher College. 4. Taylor Ernst, Centenary University - Blue Team. 5. Ella Bramer, Emory & Henry University. 6. Tiara D'Amico, Delaware Valley University.

Open equitation on the flat - Section A: 1. Alexander Alston, Savannah College of Art & Design. 2. Natalia Onisko, University of Delaware. 3. Aislinn Bermingham, Centenary University - Blue Team. 4. Harper Eskey, St. Lawrence University. 5. Emily Richardson, University of Rhode Island. 6. Olivia Carmouche, University of the South (Sewanee).

Intermediate equitation on the flat - Section A: 1. Sophia Wirtz, St. Lawrence University. 2. Isabella Ruisi, Sacred Heart University. 3. Ella Luhn, Savannah College of Art & Design. 4. Remy Guertin, University of Rhode Island. 5. Margot Leiter, University of Delaware. 6. Isabella Fioretti, University of the South (Sewanee).

Open equitation on the flat - Section B: 1. Amaya Bellfield, University of Lynchburg. 2. Grace Allen, Delaware Valley University. 3. Isa Jensen, Skidmore College. 4. Maci Iddings, Penn State University (State College). 5. Kayley Besbris, Centenary University - White Team. 6. Hallie Phillips, Mount Holyoke College.

Intermediate equitation on the flat - Section B: 1. Kate Smith, Mount Holyoke College. 2. Lillard Preschlack, Skidmore College. 3. Victoria Varella, Centenary University - White Team. 4. Maggie Mitchell, Delaware Valley University. 5. Caroline Talbott, Penn State University (State College). 6. Ella Bramer, Emory & Henry University.

Limit equitation over fences - Section A: 1. Cate Weis, St. Lawrence University. 2. Ella Oglesby, Emory & Henry University. 3. Jaclyn Whitmore, University of Delaware. 4. Nathaniel Biery, Savannah College of Art & Design. 5. Elizabeth Schrock, Centenary University - White Team. 6. Annala Fricke, Miami University of Ohio.

Limit equitation over fences - Section B: 1. Cameron Andruskiewicz, Goucher College. 2. Paige Boggio, Centenary University - Blue Team. 3. Jessica McElhaney, University of Lynchburg. 4. Sophia Poling, Sacred Heart University. 5. Sophia Bull, Mount Holyoke College. 6. Carolina LaCosta, University of Rhode Island.

A staple of the Centenary University riding program for over a decade, "Houdini" goes into the record books as the first horse inducted into the Tournament of Champions Hall of Fame. Ironically on this day Houdini schooled prior to the show but was not part of the horse draw. Besides Tournament organizers Gwen Arrigon (on far left) and Jim Arrigon (on far right) Centenary University co-coaches Heather Clark (beside Gwen) and Michael Dowling (holding Houdini's plaque) join Kelly Munz the Department Chair of the riding program at Centenary for the presentation of the award. Not only has Houdini been a regular at prior Tournament of Champions events hosted by the Cyclones he has also taken a trailer ride to just about every IHSA Nationals over the past ten years. Numerous riders have won on Houdini at IHSA Nationals events.

Novice equitation on the flat - Section A: 1. Julia Seery, Emory & Henry University. 2. Jillian Boyers, Miami University of Ohio. 3. Eleanor Tabke, Goucher College. 4. Anya Stoklosa, University of Delaware. 5. Mattigan Porter, St. Lawrence University. 6. Elsa Heacock, Delaware Valley University.

Limit equitation on the flat - Section A: 1. Nathaniel Biery, Savannah College of Art & Design. 2. Ani McIntyre, Skidmore College. 3. Adam Matejko, University of Lynchburg. 4. Olivia Herfert, Sacred Heart University. 5. Abigail DeLumen, University of Rhode Island. 6. Paige Boggio, Centenary University - Blue Team.

Introductory equitation on the flat - Section A: 1. Fiona Bukhman, Centenary University - Blue Team. 2. Caroline Holland, University of the South (Sewanee). 3. Catherine Epstein, Skidmore College. 4. Haylie Dowell, Emory & Henry University. 5. Grace Osterlund, Miami University of Ohio. 6. Lia Liang, Mount Holyoke College.

Introductory equitation on the flat - Section B: 1. Keira Larkin, Delaware Valley University. 2. Kameron Riggs, Savannah College of Art & Design. 3. Kylie Correale, University of Rhode Island. 4. Laura Hipgrave - Brown, University of Delaware. 5. Landsay Chudy, Sacred Heart University. 6. Amaya Shuler, University of Lynchburg.

Limit equitation on the flat - Section B: 1. Ella Oglesby, Emory & Henry University. 2. Cameron Andruskiewicz, Goucher College. 3. Gabrielle Knoblauch, Centenary University - White Team. 4. Lainey Rockacy, St. Lawrence University. 5. Lily Carter, University of the South (Sewanee). 6. Amelia Parsons, Delaware Valley University.

Novice equitation on the flat - Section B: 1. Olivia Dolan, Sacred Heart University. 2. Madison Poulin, Savannah College of Art & Design. 3. Isa Washburn, Skidmore College. 4. Isabella Lecher, University of Rhode Island. 5. Annabella Shores, University of Lynchburg. 6. Rosie Strydesky, Centenary University - White Team.

Equestrian Talent Search (ETS) Medal Division: 1. Kaleb Johnston, Corfu, New York. 2. Jennifer Hillert, Austin, Texas. 3. Julianne Bucsku, Clinton, New Jersey. 4. Maggie Carr, Hudson, Ohio. 5. Laurelai Fowler, Chappaqua, New York. 6. Layla Winters, Red Hook, New York.

Low Medal Division: 1. Cate Weis, St. Lawrence University. 2. Taylor Ernst, Centenary University. 3. Lily Carter, University of the South (Sewanee). 4. Caroline Hall, Emory & Henry University. 5. Victoria Varella, Centenary University. 6. Peter Cavagnac, Savannah College of Art & Design. 7. Zoe Wright - Riley, Goucher College. 8. Ian Gaudio, Skidmore College.

High Medal Division: 1. Alexander Alston, Savannah College of Art &Design. 2. Aislinn Bermingham, Centenary University. 3. Annabelle Gitterman, St. Lawrence University. 4. Hallie Phillips, Mount Holyoke College. 5. Amaya Bellfield, University of Lynchburg. 6. Emily Richardson, University of Rhode Island. 7. Grace Allen, Delaware Valley University. 8. Olivia Del Pinal, Emory & Henry University.

2025 Holiday Tournament of Champions Team Totals:

Savannah College of Art & Design - 42 Points (High Point Team)

Skidmore College - 32 Points (Reserve High Point Team)

University of Delaware - 29 Points (Third Place)

St. Lawrence University - 27 (Official Fourth Place - Won Tiebreaker)

Sacred Heart University - 27 (Official Fifth Place)

Emory & Henry University - 26 (Sixth Place)

Delaware Valley University 25 (Seventh Place)

Centenary University - Blue Team - 23 Points (Eighth Place)

University of Lynchburg - 22

Goucher College - 21

Centenary University - White Team - 16

Mount Holyoke College - 15

University of Rhode Island- 15

University of the South (Sewanee) - 13

Miami University of Ohio - 10

Penn State University (State College) - 9

(For more info about the Tournament of Champions series please e-mail JimArrigon@hotmail.com or visit the Equestrian Talent Search page on Facebook)