He is essentially unbeatable at his home facility. Adam Edgar of Savannah College of Art and Design (pictured) won both of his open classes at the May 1st 2021 Spring Tournament of Champions invitational which SCAD hosted. Edgar competed for the Bee-Lieve team which scored 54 of a possible 56 points to earn high point team honors at the only TOC event of the 2020-21 school year.

PANDEMIC DOESN'T KEEP SCAD FROM EXTENDING TOURNAMENT WINNING STREAK

Hardeeville, SC - The streak is now eight in a row, and has been the case more than once in that span the runner-up was a second team from that same school.

The institution of higher learning in question is Savannah College of Art and Design, and since January of 2018 the Bees have earned high point team honors at eight consecutive Tournament of Champions Invitational events. Each time they win they break their own all-time tourney record for consecutive wins.

On May 1st SCAD hosted (which means that the Ronald C. Waranch Equestrian Center has been the site of consecutive TOC events due to the pandemic wiping out at least three series events in between), bringing together schools from different IHSA regions in a physical, in-person competition for the first time since the Winter Tournament of Champions event on 1/25/20 less than two months before the pandemic put a stop to sporting events and many other activities taken for granted at the time. The IHSA held several virtual horse shows involving schools from multiple regions during the 2020-21 school year, and at least two schools which had done well in those virtual shows would lead the pack on May 1st.

Safety was the goal prior to the start of the 2021 Spring Tournament of Champions invitational, with everyone in attendance required to complete a 'daily health check' intake form ahead of arrival as well as sign a liability release waver. Each team had to stop at a certain point after going through the main gate to hand in their paperwork and have their temperatures taken. Though everyone was already required to enter with a mask on, the staff at SCAD provided additional masks during the temperature check if needed. Everyone not riding was required to have a mask on throughout the day, while riders were only allowed to remove masks and face coverings when mounting, riding, and dismounting. As soon as they were off their respective draws the masks went back in place.

The pandemic wiped out physical IHSA competitions in all but four regions in 2020-21. However St. Mary of the Woods College was in one of the four regions that held shows and the Pomeroys even won their region. Kathryn Kraft (pictured), a senior from Zionsville, Indiana, was third in the high medal while teammate Alexis Cobb was third in the low medal. St. Mary of the Woods was the only Region Champion team from the current school year entered in the May 1st Tournament.

Once the show started at 8:50AM the local favorites took control and left little doubt as to which school would produce the top two teams. The first six classes were won by riders from either SCAD Bee-Lieve or SCAD Bee-Strong, with a quirk in the schedule giving four of the first six blue ribbons awarded to Bee-Lieve riders. Of the 16 traditional classes held riders from either Bee-Lieve or Bee-Strong won 12 of them. No SCAD rider across the two teams finished below third for the day. Bee-Lieve, with seniors Adam Edgar and Brady Martino each riding twice and earning four blue ribbons between them, won seven of eight classes to outscore Bee-Strong 54-49. Edgar, a senior from Leesburg, Virginia who won the Cacchione Cup at 2019 IHSA Nationals, won both of his open classes with Section A of open flat his final undergraduate ride. Martino, a senior from Easton, Pennsylvania won both of his limit classes. In contrast eight different riders competed at least once for Bee-Strong, as head coach Ashley Henry made an effort to get as many of her riders as possible into the show across the Bee-Strong and Bee-Lieve teams and the two Medal Divisions which serve in lieu of a ride-off for individual high point rider.

The race for third place (or top prize not awarded to a SCAD team) was very close. Goucher College had faired well at the two virtual IHSA shows earlier in 2021, with several riders winning classes. One of them is Kristen Wilhelm, a freshman from Columbia, Maryland who won her novice equitation class at the first virtual show (results from that competition were announced on March 10th). On May 1st Goucher had yet to earn a blue ribbon through seven divisions but was only three points out of third place. Wilhelm came through in the second section of novice equitation, which was also the final regular class of the competition. Her blue ribbon elevated Goucher to a 35-34 edge over the New England All-Stars Blue Team for third place.

At TOC events the medal classes are held in lieu of a ride-off for individual high point rider. Alexis Hart of the Central Florida Equestrians team (pictured) was the low medal champion. With the win Hart became only the fifth rider in 16 such classes dating back to early 2016 to win this division and not concurrently be a member of the Savannah College of Art and Design equestrian team.

The final two classes held were the call-backs from the High Medal and Low Medal classes held earlier in the day. A total of 12 riders were separated into sections of six riders each for the flat phase in both the high and low medal, with judge Megan Taylor then calling back eight to jump. Though SCAD had two riders entered in both the High Medal and Low Medal - and all four survived to be part of the call-backs - only one of them placed as high as second. Sarah Ryan-Tynan, a junior from Round Rock, Texas won the red ribbon in the low medal division. The low medal winner was Sarah Hart of Central Florida Equestrians. From Port St. Lucie, Florida, Hart is one of very few non-SCAD riders to win the low medal since the division was introduced in January of 2016. SCAD riders have now won eleven of 16 Low Medal Championships, with Martino having won six times though he was not entered in today's medal classes.

SCAD senior Rose Kauffman-Skloff won the high medal on 9/21/19 in Storrs, Connecticut at the Pre-Season Tournament of Champions. Kauffman-Skloff would place fourth for the top SCAD ribbon in today's high medal awards. Kathryn Kraft of St. Mary of the Woods College was third while Sara Hearn nearly made it two straight wins in the division with a second. From Tallahassee, Florida, Hearn led the New England All-Stars Blue Team with 12 points, including a blue ribbon in open flat that was the first blue ribbon of the day awarded to a non-SCAD rider. The winner in the division had been second last time a Tournament of Champions event was hosted by SCAD but there is a twist here. Cole Jackson, a Goucher College sophomore from Denver, Colorado had been second to Martino in the Low Medal on 1/25/20. This time Jackson rode in the more difficult high medal classes, impressing judge Taylor and prevailing with the blue ribbon.

Because the covid-19 virus forced a great number of schools nationwide to hold their classes on-line only throughout the 2020-21 school year a very large number of IHSA schools could not accept invitations to compete at the May 1st Spring Tournament event. Therefore riders associated with only nine schools competed. The most interesting case was that of Georgia Southern University, which wanted to compete but could not fill a great number of divisions. Tournament of Champions founder Jim Arrigon came up with a solution: Let Georgia Southern borrow riders from other schools! Two riders from Goucher College and one from St. Mary of the Woods joined a pair of Georgia Southern riders to form a compilation team called "St. Gopher of the Southern Georgia Woods." And surprisingly the borrowed riders did better than some of their teammates on their regular teams! St. Mary of the Woods open rider Taylor Valencia was second in both of her rides for SGOTSGW while Sarah Schultheis (in intermediate flat) and Lexi Mason (in novice equitation) each won red ribbons on loan from the Goucher Gophers. Milan Berry, a senior from Atlanta, Georgia, is one of the real Georgia Southern riders. Berry closed out her undergraduate career with a first in introductory equitation to help SGOTSGW finish fifth overall with 31 points (and that was without an intermediate fences rider).

From left to right are Sarah Schultheis and Lexi Mason of Goucher College, Milan Berry of Georgia Southern University, Taylor Valencia of St. Mary of the Woods College and Danielle Boerger also of Georgia Southern. Together they made up the oddly-named "St. Gopher of the Southern Georgia Woods" team that tournament founder Jim Arrigon put together since the Georgia Southern riders wanted to compete but could not come close to a full card without help from somewhere. Though they still didn't have an intermediate fences rider SGOTSGW managed to finish fifth overall in a field of 11 actual teams entered.

Savannah nearly won in Savannah!: Savannah Kiwacz, a Central Florida senior from Bradenton, Florida, joined Wilhelm, Berry and Hearn in winning traditional classes while riding against a SCAD rider at today's show. Kiwacz won the second section of introductory equitation to help the Central Florida Equestrians to 28 points and sixth place in their first-ever Tournament of Champions appearance. Though her first name is Savannah and Savannah College of Art and Design hosted, the riding facility is actually in the town of Hardeeville, South Carolina, a few miles north of Savannah, Georgia.

If only one of them couldn't canter: Sacred Heart University just missed out on a team ribbon, finishing one point behind the New England All-Stars White Team. However the Pioneers did not have an introductory equitation rider entered, which almost certainly would have meant a higher placing had their card been full. Raegan Olson, a sophomore from Ellington, Connecticut, was the last Sacred Heart rider to compete and her second in limit flat was the best ribbon of the day for the Pioneers.

Woo-Tam-Moo or Woo-Tam-You?!: Arrigon says that he has referred to West Texas A and M University as Woo-Tam-Moo for decades. However this writer quotes Buffs head coach Amanda Ellis (who was not present at today's show) as calling them "Woo-Tam-You" to emphasize the 'U' in the abbreviation WTAMU. The Buffs final rider of the day, sophomore Marin Duriex, also received their best ribbon with a third in novice equitation.

While West Texas A and M finished with 19 points and one third, Mississippi State University scored 18 points but could claim two thirds! The Bulldogs were making their first-ever appearance at a Touranment of Champions event and a pair of sophomores can currently claim the top ribbon at such an event. Alexandra Gordon (from Chesterfield, Virginia) was third in intermediate fences while Olivia Cresswell (from Chalfont, Pennsylvania) was third in limit fences.

He was second in the low medal roughly 15 months earlier under the same roof. On May 1st Cole Jackson of Goucher College (pictured) was entered in the more difficult high medal division. This time Jackson left the Ronald C. Waranch Equestrian Center with the blue ribbon, besting eleven others to take home the top individual prize awarded at a TOC event.

More senior moments than usual: According to SCAD Director of riding Eddie Federwisch the goal was to get as many SCAD seniors into today's show as possible, allowing them to compete in at least one physical show during 2020-21. And it turned out that 11 seniors competed in at least one class on May 1st. Besides Edgar and Martino three other seniors won in their final undergraduate rides. Olivia Murray, one of the eight Bee-Strong riders, won her intermediate fences. Addison Diaz helped Bee-Lieve with a first in the section of intermediate fences that followed as did Sallie Sledd with a first in novice equitation. Two juniors, two sophomores and a freshman also won traditional classes for one of the two sets of Bees.

The freshman winner, Lindsey Hurley of Rochester, New York, took first place in intermediate flat for Bee-Lieve. In December long-time IHSA Treasurer Naomi Blumenthal passed away, but some time before it was Blumenthal who recommended Hurley should look into the SCAD riding program and perhaps enroll there.

Virtual champs multiple times ahead of the Spring TOC: Most of the schools in attendance had not practiced under normal circumstances prior to competing in today's show (i.e. very few lessons or practices over the current school year). However both SCAD and Goucher were technically entered in their third competitions in four weekends! The IHSA's final virtual show of 2020-21 was the Spring Showcase II, held the weekend of April 10th with the results announced on April 15th. SCAD was awarded high point team honors, with Edgar winning both of his open classes while Sledd (in novice equitation) and Hurley (in intermediate flat) also took home blue ribbons. Goucher won two blue ribbons at the Spring Showcase II, both courtesy of freshman Jacob Connell. From Ellicott City, Maryland, Connell won both of his limit classes that day (Connell finished second in both of those same classes on May 1st, kept out of the top spot by Martino each time) which helped Goucher finish third behind SCAD and reserve champion St. Lawrence University. The following weekend SCAD had four teams (!) entered in the ANRC Spring College Tournament (which was also a virtual event). SCAD's Black Team won that meet with 26 points while their Yellow Team was reserve high point with 22. Goucher had one team at the ANRC and this group of Gophers even managed to beat the third SCAD team! With seconds from Mason (in novice) and Makaylin Shoop (in open/intermediate flat) Goucher outscored SCAD's Bees Team by a point, 15-14 for third place. Goucher participated in the ANRC's Fall College Tournament, winning both high point team and reserve high point team honors with two teams entered.

St. Mary of the Woods may not have competed in these virtual shows but the Pomeroys deserve a shout-out for helping Zone 7, Region 1 get in all ten of their hunter seat shows as well as Regionals in a year when most of the IHSA Regions were on the sidelines due to circumstances beyond anyone's control. Alex Crabb, a freshman from Brazil, Indiana was second in her introductory equitation class to earn the top ribbon on May 1st for St. Mary of the Woods. The Pomeroys make exceptional use of social media and their followers see video from practices as well as the actual meets throughout the school year.

There is something suspicious going on here. The champion SCAD Bee-Lieve team was made up of Adam Edgar (in two classes), Brady Martino (also in two classes) and four other riders. Yet there are six riders in the photo with Edgar (who is right where the words 'SCAD equestrian' can be seen) and Martino (third from the left). Heck they are so good let them add whoever they want to the photo. Everyone in attendance was grateful that the Bees were willing to host the first in-person show involving IHSA schools from multiple regions in over a year.

Today was the first time that Megan Taylor judged a Tournament of Champions event. Taylor is a former Purdue University rider who later became head coach of the University of the South's team. Taylor was also the IHSA Alumni Director for a few years and most recently has become the play-by-play announcer for IEA Nationals. Almost by accident Taylor was behind the microphone for a short portion of the 2019 IEA finals webcast which led to an appearance doing the same for even more of the IHSA Nationals webcast a week or so later. This led to being asked by the IEA to do the play-by-play for most of the broadcast at their recent Nationals event in Georgia. If the world can get back to normal hopefully Taylor will be judging often next season and doing the play-by-play at more than one year-end championship in the Spring of 2022.

With covid-19 infection rates falling on a nationwide basis since mid-April the next-scheduled Tournament of Champions event on the calendar will hopefully take place as planned. Virginia Tech will host the Pre-Season Tournament of Champions at the Alphin-Stuart Livestock Arena in Blacksburg, Virginia on Saturday, September 25th unless something unforseen happens. So far the Fall Tourney is the only TOC event on the 2021-22 schedule with a home. It is hoped that if things get back to normal over the summer that many riding facilities that might have been hesitant to host events during the pandemic (with good reason) will swing their doors open again (UPDATE: Arrigon has confirmed a December 4th date for the Holiday Tournament of Champions - which will be hosted by Otterbein University - and a March 12, 2022 date for the Spring Tournament of Champions to be hosted by the University of Findlay. Arrigon is still looking for a Winter Tournament location for the month of January and is even considering a second early fall TOC show at a yet-to-be confirmed location in the Northeast.)

Fill in the blanks: There were four IHSA Regions which held physical, in-person IHSA shows in 2020-21, with only one of them (Zone 7, Region 1) holding both Western and English shows. We learned from Georgia Southern Head Coach Eleanor Ellis that Clemson University was high point hunter seat team in Zone 5, Region 3 while the entire St. Mary of the Woods team told us they won Zone 7, Region 1 for both English and Western. Now all we need to find out is which Western Teams won Zone 5, Region 1 and Zone 7, Region 3, respectively. If you know can you please e-mail us at editor@campusequestrian.com so we can share the news?

--Steve Maxwell

Show Incidentals: Sunny skies, with temperatures reaching the middle 70's. Judge: Megan Taylor, Hilton Head, South Carolina. Stewards: Tabitha Taylor/St. Mary of the Woods College; Brittany Martin/Goucher College and Eddie Federwisch/Savannah College of Art and Design. This show was Hunter Seat or English only.

Team Totals: Savannah College of Art and Design - Bee-Lieve (High Point Team) 54; Savannah College of Art and Design - Bee Strong (Reserve) 49; Goucher College 35; New England All-Stars Blue Team 34; St. Gopher of the Southern Georgia Woods 31; Central Florida Equestrians 28; St. Mary of the Woods College 26; New England All-Stars White Team 24; Sacred Heart University 23 and Mississippi State University 18.

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

Open equitation over fences - Section A: 1. Carly Alder, Savannah College of Art and Design - Bee-Strong. 2. Sara Hearn, New England All-Stars - Blue Team. 3. Cole Jackson, Goucher College. 4. Drew Arnold, St. Mary of the Woods College. 5. Lea Mascola, Sacred Heart University. 6. Taylor Jernigan, Mississippi State University.

Open equitation over fences - Section B: 1. Adam Edgar, Savannah College of Art and Design - Bee-Lieve. 2. Taylor Valencia, St. Mary of the Woods College. 3. Megan All, Central Florida Equestrians. 4. Klarissa Barley, West Texas A and M University. 5. Sierra Dunn, New England All-Stars White Team.

Intermediate equitation over fences - Section A: 1. Olivia Murray, Savannah College of Art and Design - Bee-Strong. 2. Libby Sams, New England All-Stars - Blue Team. 3. Alexandra Gordon, Mississippi State University. 4. Kathryn Dietsch, St. Mary of the Woods College. 6. Ava Charrlin, West Texas A and M University.

Intermediate equitation over fences - Section B: 1. Addison Diaz, Savannah College of Art and Design - Bee-Lieve. 2. Adeline Callihan, Goucher College. 3. Alyssa Kinney, Sacred Heart University. 4. Avery Schoen, New England All-Stars - White Team. 5. Hannah Nelson, Central Florida Equestrians.

Open equitation on the flat - Section A: 1. Adam Edgar, Savannah College of Art and Design - Bee-Lieve. 2. Taylor Valencia, St. Gopher of the Southern Georgia Woods. 3. Drew Arnold, St. Mary of the Woods College. 4. Sierra Dunn, New England All-Stars - White Team. 5. Klarissa Barley, West Texas A and M University. 6. Hanna Lloyd, Sacred Heart University.

Intermediate equitation on the flat - Section A: 1. Lindsey Hurley, Savannah College of Art and Design - Bee-Lieve. 2. Sarah Schultheis, St. Gopher of the Southern Georgia Woods. 3. Avery Schoen, New England All-Stars - White Team. 4. Ava Charrlin, West Texas A and M University. 5. Alexandra Gordon, Mississippi State University. 6. Tessa McAfee, St. Mary of the Woods College.

Open equitation on the flat - Section B: 1. Sara Hearn, New England All-Stars - Blue Team. 2. Casey Truran, Savannah College of Art and Design - Bee-Strong. 3. Hannah Farrell, Central Florida Equestrians. 4. Taylor Jernigan, Mississippi State University. 5. Cole Jackson, Goucher College.

Intermediate equitation on the flat - Section B: 1. Elizabeth Deupree, Savannah College of Art and Design - Bee-Strong. 2. Adeline Callihan, Goucher College. 3. Libby Sams, New England All-Stars - Blue Team. 4. Hannah Nelson, Central Florida Equestrians. 5. Alyssa Kinney, Sacred Heart University.

Limit equitation over fences - Section A: 1. Brady Martino, Savannah College of Art and Design - Bee-Lieve. 2. Jacob Connell, Goucher College. 3. Olivia Cresswell, Mississippi State University. 4. Carolena Galvin, New England All-Stars - Blue Team. 5. Eleonora Novebaci, Central Florida Equestrians. 6. Kira Morris, West Texas A and M University.

Limit equitation over fences - Section B: 1. Hattie Bradford, Savannah College of Art and Design - Bee-Strong. 2. Lilly Bove, Sacred Heart University. 3. Taryn Schueb, St. Mary of the Woods College. 4. Sydney Cropper, New England All-Stars - White Team. 5. Danielle Boerger, St. Gopher of the Southern Georgia Woods.

Novice Equitation - Section A: 1. Sallie Sledd, Savannah College of Art and Design - Bee-Lieve. 2. Lexie Mason, St. Gopher of the Southern Georgia Woods. 3. Abigail Marsh, Sacred Heart University. 4. Elizabeth Harris, Central Florida Equestrians. 5. Erin Gillen, New England All-Stars - White Team. 6. Camryn Pike, Mississippi State University.

Limit equitation on the flat - Section A: 1. Brady Martino, Savannah College of Art and Design - Bee-Lieve. 2. Jacob Connell, Goucher College. 3. Kristina Lester, New England All-Stars - Blue Team. 4. Eleonora Novebaci, Central Florida Equestrians. 5. Danielle Boerger, St. Gopher of the Southern Georgia Woods. 6. Olivia Cresswell, Mississippi State University.

Introductory Equitation - Section A: 1. Milan Berry, St. Gopher of the Southern Georgia Woods. 2. Alex Crabb, St. Mary of the Woods College. 3. Rachel Gaede, Savannah College of Art and Design - Bee-Strong. 4. Kate McFadden, New England All-Stars - Blue Team. 5. Nick Arrighetti, Goucher College.

Introductory Equitation - Section B: 1. Savannah Kiwacz, Central Florida Equestrians. 2. Olivia Gaddy, Savannah College of Art and Design - Bee-Lieve. 3. Hope Coss, New England All-Stars - White Team. 4. Paige Doyle, West Texas A and M University. 5. Yasmeen Williams, Mississippi State University.

Limit equitation on the flat - Section B: 1. Anna Carter, Savannah College of Art and Design - Bee-Strong. 2. Raegan Olson, Sacred Heart University. 3. Taryn Schueb, St. Mary of the Woods College. 4. Sydney Cropper, New England All-Stars - White Team. 5. Kira Morris, West Texas A and M University.

Novice equitation - Section B: 1. Kristen Wilhelm, Goucher College. 2. Emma Swanson, Savannah College of Art and Design - Bee-Strong. 3. Marin Duriex, West Texas A & M University. 4. Marlene Healey, New England All-Stars - Blue Team. 5. Meghan Bennett, St. Mary of the Woods College.

Low Medal Division: 1. Alexis Hart, Central Florida Equestrians. 2. Sarah-Ryan Tynan, Savannah College of Art and Design. 3. Alexis Cobb, St. Mary of the Woods College. 4. Kristina Lester, New England All-Stars. 5. Fin Duffin, Savannah College of Art and Design. 6. Alexandra Gordon, Mississippi State University. 7. Danielle Boerger, St. Gopher of the Southern Georgia Woods. 8. Halle Taylor, Goucher College. 9. Hailey Tyler, Sacred Heart University. 10. Carolena Galvin, New England All-Stars.

High Medal Division: 1. Cole Jackson, Goucher College. 2. Sara Hearn, New England All-Stars. 3. Kathryn Kraft, St. Mary of the Woods. 4. Rose Kauffman-Skloff, Savannah College of Art and Design. 5. Taylor Jernigan, Mississippi State University. 6. Jessica Konopinski, Savannah College of Art and Design. 7. Hannah Farrell, Central Florida Equestrians. 8. Libby Sams, New England All-Stars. 9. Klarissa Barley, West Texas A and M University. 10. Devon Cavaliere, Sacred Heart University.