Mount Holyoke College junior Cate Bates is seen here in Lexington, Kentucky last May 4th holding up the IHSA Nationals show program. Dozens of IHSA riders submitted their design in a contest for the front cover of the 2023 IHSA Nationals program and it was Bates' design that won! Bates' first in section B of limit fences briefly put the Lyons back into a tie with SCAD for first place halfway through the Pre-Season Tournament of Champions in St. Mary of the Woods, Indiana on September 23rd.

SCAD PULLS AWAY TO WIN 16TH TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS EVENT SINCE THE FALL OF 2018

ST. MARY OF THE WOODS, IN - Since the start of the 2018-19 school year there have been 19 Tournament of Champions invitational events. Savannah College of Art and Design has won 16, lost one and did not compete in two of them (the two missed shows are the two most recent Spring TOC events). The sixteenth win took place on September 23, 2023, with the Bees taking home five blue ribbons in the team classes. Hattie Bradford, a senior from Johnson City, Tennessee won two of these ribbons when she prevailed in both of her limit classes. Alex Alston, starting his second semester on the SCAD team, won both team open flat and the Prestigious High Medal Division, the latter of which takes place at TOC events in place of a high point ride-off.

SCAD did not lead throughout however. The University of Massachusetts briefly led the Bees by a point through two divisions courtesy of a blue ribbon for Emma Begley in intermediate fences. A moment later Mount Holyoke College jumped ahead of both UMass and SCAD thanks to Hallie Phillips' winning the second section of intermediate fences. Ryan Kenny's blue ribbon in intermediate flat put SCAD into first place for good (though Mount Holyoke briefly tied the Bees at 31-all following a blue in limit fences for Cate Bates).

While SCAD winning these events has become commonplace the runner-up was perhaps the story of the day. Purdue University brought two teams to St. Mary of the Woods - named the black team and the gold team - and the latter rallied from 19 points and sitting on the bubble of the top eight to take reserve high point team honors with 40 points. Ashley Hartman (introductory), Haylie Johnson (limit flat) and Tori Berch (novice) won the last three team classes to account for 21 of team gold's 40 points. To the best of our knowledge this is as high a team ribbon (red) as any Purdue team has ever earned at a Tournament of Champions event.

Cordelia Edwards, a Goucher College junior from Los Angeles, California won the low medal division. This division was introduced in early 2016 as an alternate to the high medal for riders who were not yet at the open level. There were two sections of low medal over fences and (unusually) three sections of low medal flat. Eight riders were then called back by judge Sabina Oldaker-Chambers for a work-off in which Edwards prevailled. The low medal championship has now been awarded 25 times, with Goucher riders winning twice (Sarah Lummis won the 2016 Pre-season Low Medal which was only the second time the ribbon was awarded). The high medal has now been awarded 55 times since it was introduced in 2006, with Alston surprisingly only the sixth SCAD rider to win this award. It should be noted that one SCAD rider, Celia Cram, entered the show having won four of the last seven high medal classes (and as TOC series founder Jim Arrigon noted in the show program Cram is only a junior). This time teammate Alston took the honor, though Cram won the very first class of the day which was the first of two sections of open fences. Former SCAD rider Brady Martino won the low medal six times from January 2018 through January 2020 for the all-time record of 'most medal wins by one person' (and might have added to that had his senior year not been wiped out by the pandemic). Cram still has perhaps five to seven more TOC's to chase down Martino for the most wins.

From Waldorf, Maryland, Abby Talcott of Purdue University (on right) won the first of two sections of intermediate flat for Purdue's "Gold Team." In only her second year coaching the Boilermakers Kathryn Kraft (on left) may have Purdue's all-time best score and team ribbon at a Tournament of Champions event. After Talcott's win three more Gold Team riders won classes late in the day to secure Reserve High Point Team status with 40 points.

Not all TOC events feature an Equestrian Talent Search Medal Division but this one did. Arrigon created his Equestrian Talent Searches separate of the TOC series as a way to educate prospective college students and their parents as to how to approach the college application process and how to explore the many options pertinent to riding in college. These ETS's usually feature riding in front of a college coach, lectures on what college coaches are looking for, and sometimes even a mock-IHSA show. Arrigon will also steer riders who take part in these ETS's to ride in the ETS Medal Division at TOC events which feature one. Riders who enter this division are assigned (or choose themselves sometimes) a college coach present to act as their coach. They walk the course with that coach and take their advice prior to entering and then exiting the ring. Trinity Peldonia-Lies, a high school freshman from Crown Point, Indiana already interested in Purdue, St. Mary of the Woods and Texas A and M among others, prevailled as champion in a field of nine across three phases of the ETS medal class (fences, flat and a work-off). The Medal Class will next be offered at the Winter Tournament of Champions this coming January which SCAD will once again host. However TOC afficionados will only have to wait until the first Saturday in December for the next Tournament event. The Holiday Tournament of Champions will be held December 2nd in Long Valley, New Jersey with Centenary University hosting. This will be the first time since December 2015 that Centenary has hosted a TOC event. This will be the first TOC in the Northeastern United States since the University of Connecticut hosted the Pre-Season Classic in September of 2019 (our definition of the Northeast is east of the Ohio/Pennsylvania border and north of the Potomic River separating Virginia from Maryland and/or Washington, DC - Editor).

Additional Editor's Note: This story has been updated to correct an error involving the placings of the ETS Medal Division.

--Steve Maxwell

Show incidentals: Sunny Skies with a high of 81 degrees. Judge: Sabina Oldaker-Chambers, Shelbyville, Kentucky. Stewards: Eddie Federwisch, Savannah College of Art and Design; Kathryn Kraft, Purdue University and Chris Mitchell, Albion College. This show was Hunter Seat or English only.

Class-by-class results, in the order in which they were held:

Open equitation over fences - Section A: 1. Celia Cram, Savannah College of Art and Design. 2. Marianna George, University of Findlay. 3. Caitlyn Culbertson, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 4. Anna Cahill, Purdue University - Team Gold. 5. Claire Willis, Butler University. 6. Riley Gasaway, Miami University of Ohio - Team Brick.

Open equitation over fences - Section B: 1. Emmalyn Mirarchi, Mount Holyoke College. 2. Phoebe Martin, Albion College. 3. Anna Wilson, Miami University of Ohio - Team Ivy. 4. Abby Cole, Purdue University - Team Black. 5. Kellen Sullivan, Goucher College. 6. Elizabeth Orosz, Otterbein University.

Intermediate equitation over fences - Section A: 1. Emma Begley, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 2. Nicolas Laplante, Purdue University - Team Black. 3. Madisyn Courtney, St. Mary of the Woods College. 4. Addie Keyworth, Savannah College of Art and Design. 5. Hayley Anderson, Goucher College. 6. Chloe Hall, Butler University.

Intermediate equitation over fences - Section B: 1. Hallie Phillips, Mount Holyoke College. 2. Emily Martinez, Albion College. 3. Roberta Cullinan, Miami University of Ohio - Team Ivy. 4. Abby Talcott, Purdue University - Team Gold. 5. Marie Hollertz, Otterbein University. 6. Abby Rich, University of Findlay.

Open equitation on the flat - Section A: 1. Alex Alston, Savannah College of Art and Design. 2. Jaden Perry, St. Mary of the Woods College. 3. Helena Weiss, Mount Holyoke College. 4. Anna Cahill, Purdue University - Team Gold. 5. Caitlyn Culbertson, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 6. Phoebe Martin, Albion College.

Intermediate equitation on the flat - Section A: 1. Ryan Kenny, Savannah College of Art and Design. 2. Jacob Connell, Goucher College. 3. Emma Begley, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 4. Eva Sargent, Purdue University - Team Black. 5. Chloe Thatcher, Otterbein University. 6. Emily Martinez, Albion College.

Open equitation on the flat - Section B: 1. Elizabeth Orosz, Otterbein University. 2. Kellen Sullivan, Goucher College. 3. Marianna George, University of Findlay. 4. Kayley Kruse, Miami University of Ohio - Team Brick. 5. Abby Cole, Purdue University - Team Black. 6. Claire Willis, Butler University.

Intermediate equitation on the flat - Section B: 1. Abby Talcott, Purdue University - Team Gold. 2. Emily Cacioppo, University of Findlay. 3. Emmalyn Mirarchi, Mount Holyoke College. 4. Riley Gasaway, Miami University of Ohio - Team Brick. 5. Chloe Hall, Butler University. 6. Hannah Minton, St. Mary of the Woods College.

Both Purdue's Talcott and Hattie Bradford of Savannah College of Art and Design can claim to have previously won the TOC low medal division, with Talcott prevailing in March of 2023 in the Spring Tournament and Bradford in the December 2022 Holiday Tournament (when this photo was taken). Bradford did not win a medal class on September 23rd but her firsts in each of her limit rides loomed large for the Bees to prevail over Purdue team gold 48-40 for high point team honors.

Limit equitation over fences - Section A: 1. Hattie Bradford, Savannah College of Art and Design. 2. Anabela Erikson-Brottet, Miami University of Ohio - Team Ivy. 3. Ryan Bradley, University of Findlay. 4. Abby Shelchuk, Purdue University - Team Gold. 5. Jacob Connell, Goucher College. 6. Sophie Schneider, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Limit equitation over fences - Section B: 1. Cate Bates, Mount Holyoke College. 2. Katie Woerner, Albion College. 3. Olivia Wilson, Miami University of Ohio - Team Brick. 4. Emma Herbruck, Otterbein University. 5. Audrey Hostrawser, Purdue University - Team Black. 6. Sofie Stephens, Butler University.

Novice equitation on the flat - Section A: 1. Ella Czarnecki, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 2. Maddy Gabber, Otterbein University. 3. Samantha Mayer, University of Findlay. 4. Kyley Pellfrey, St. Mary of the Woods College. 5. Kate Smith, Mount Holyoke College. 6. Kayla McNab, Miami University of Ohio - Team Ivy.

Limit equitation on the flat - Section A: 1. Hattie Bradford, Savannah College of Art and Design. 2. Lauren Dunnett, Purdue University - Team Black. 3. Maddy Pugliese, Butler University. 4. Eliza Mutz, Mount Holyoke College. 5. Halle Minton, St. Mary of the Woods College. 6. Emma Christensen, Miami University of Ohio - Team Ivy.

Introductory equitation on the flat - Section A: 1. Evie Hogan, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 2. Evan Coblentz, Purdue University - Team Black. 3. Marissa Skaggs, Otterbein University. 4. Emma Lynch, University of Findlay. 5. Katelyn Proshek, Albion College. 6. Kailyn Moody, Miami University of Ohio - Team Ivy.

Introductory equitation on the flat - Section B: 1. Ashley Hartman, Purdue University - Team Gold. 2. Bradley Shepherd, Savannah College of Art and Design. 3. Grace Ryan, Miami University of Ohio - Team Brick. 4. Abbigail Coyle, St. Mary of the Woods College. 5. Lingdang Zhang, Mount Holyoke College. 6. Nicole Eckert, Butler University.

Limit equitation on the flat - Section B: 1. Haylie Johnson, Purdue University - Team Gold. 2. Katie Woerner, Albion College. 3. Lauren Rex, University of Findlay. 4. Cordelia Edwards, Goucher College. 5. Lindsay Topf, Miami University of Ohio - Team Brick. 6. Sophie Schneider, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Novice equitation on the flat - Section B: 1. Tori Berch, Purdue University - Team Gold. 2. Lexi Stoebenau, Savannah College of Art and Design. 3. Lucia Scouten, Albion College. 4. Faith Heinle, Miami University of Ohio - Team Brick. 5. Kristen Wilhelm, Goucher College. 6. Jade Samet, Butler University.

Equestrian Talent Search Medal Results: 1. Trinity Peldonia-Lies, Crown Point, Indiana. 2. Carlee Hove, Kankakee, Illinois. 3. Kendyl Delp-Harbarger, Temperence, Michigan. 4. Brecke Zaucha, Yorktown, Indiana. 5. Kaelyn Groce, Greenwood, Indiana. 6. Ashley Vaught, Zionsville, Indiana. 7. Eleanor Combs, Lawrenceburg, Indiana. 8. Luca Theis, St. Louis, Missouri.

Seen here at that same December 2022 Holiday Tournament of Champions are Cordelia Edwards of Goucher College (on right) and head coach Jen Smith. The low medal champion ribbon has now been awarded 25 times and while SCAD riders have 13 wins seven of the eight most recent winners come from other schools. Edwards' win in the low medal on September 23rd means that seven different schools have provided the last seven winners in this division (Skidmore, Penn State, Mount Holyoke, SCAD, Stanford, Purdue and now Goucher).

Low Medal Division Results: 1. Cordelia Edwards, Goucher College. 2. Kate Lantzer, Miami University of Ohio. 3. Hayley Anderson, Goucher College. 4. Abby Talcott, Purdue University. 5. Maire Hollertz, Otterbein University. 6. Ella Luhn, Savannah College of Art and Design. 7. Hope Gillaspie, St. Mary of the Woods College. 8. Chloe Hall, Butler University.

High Medal Division Results: 1. Alex Alston, Savannah College of Art and Design. 2. Raelyn Palladino, University of Findlay. 3. Elizabeth Orosz, Otterbein University. 4. Kellen Sullivan, Goucher College. 5. Helena Weiss, Mount Holyoke College. 6. Emmalyn Mirarchi, Mount Holyoke College. 7. Celia Cram, Savannah College of Art and Design. 8. Emma Begley, University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

2023 Pre-Season Tournament of Champions Team Totals:

Savannah College of Art & Design - 48 (High Point Team)

Purdue University - Team Gold - 40 (Reserve High Point Team)

Mount Holyoke College - 36 (Official Third Place)

University of Massachusetts at Amherst - 33 (Official Fourth Place)

University of Findlay - 30 (Official Fifth Place)

Albion College - 28 (Official Sixth Place)

Purdue University - Team Black - 25 (Official Seventh Place)

Otterbein University - 24 (Official Eighth Place)

Goucher College - 21

Miami University of Ohio - Team Brick - 20

St. Mary of the Woods College - 18

Miami University of Ohio - Team Ivy - 16

Butler University - 13

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