Campus Equestrian: Zone 1, Region 1 Home Page

IHSA ZONE 1 - REGION 1

The University of Rhode Island finished the fall in first place within the Region 1 team standings. One of the Rams to qualify for Regionals is Keely Grady (on right, with head coach Wendy Brayman). A junior from South Kingston, Rhode Island, Grady will compete at Regionals in intermediate fences. URI was one of fifteen teams to compete at the Holiday Tournament of Champions invitational in Long Valley, New Jersey on December 6th. The Rams scored 15 points which technically put them in a tie for eleventh place. Keep in mind eight of the top ten teams at 2025 IHSA Nationals were entered (with host Centenary University allowed to have two teams in the competition as the host school).

Johnson & Wales University goes into the mid-season break trailing URI by eleven points. The Wildcats are now coached by former Roger Williams University coach Nikki Speranzo (on right), who picked up her first win at Jay-Woo with a 35-29 victory over URI on October 11th. One of the highlights of the day for the Wildcats was when Scarlet Siskind (on left) won her intermediate flat class (made up of ten riders). From Wellington, Florida, this sent Siskind to Regionals in the division.

The October 11th show was co-hosted by Roger Williams University and Salve Regina University at the latter's home barn which is Blue Meade Stables in Rehoboth, Massachusetts. Emma Hufford (on right) poses with head coach Chelsea Francis and "Fury" before receiving a second place ribbon in her intermediate fences class. A junior from Saratoga Springs, New York, Hufford had qualified for Regionals in limit flat the previous week when surprisingly the exact same two teams hosted the Region 1 season opener at Blue Meade on October 4th.

You cannot hope to have a better first IHSA show than Brown University's Isabella Cope (pictured). A freshman from Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Cope won both the intermediate fences class and the second section of limit flat to earn high point rider honors in her IHSA debut on October 11th. Cope has since won two more limit flat classes while the Bears sit in fourth place overall after six shows.

Between 2022 and early 2025 Speranzo coached Roger Williams. For two decades through early 2025 Dirk Fogg (not pictured) coached Johnson & Wales University. It came to pass between May and early September that Speranzo became head coach at Johnson & Wales while Fogg became head coach at Roger Williams. At the first show of the season the Hawks were blue ribbon winners three times, with Alexandra MacDonald (on left) and Lily Scarth (on right) earning one each. A senior from Norwood, Massachusetts, MacDonald was a winner in intermediate flat while Scarth - a sophomore from East Setauket, New York - prevailed in limit fences. Johnson & Wales finished the fall fifth overall in the Region 1 team standings.

This photo dates from the March 3, 2024 Roger Williams show which was held at URI's facility, Hunter Ridge. On that rainy day Logan Firestone of the University of Rhode Island posed outside during a break in the skies prior to winning his novice equitation class. Fast-forward to the 2025-26 season and the junior from Reading, Pennsylvania is qualified for Regionals in the division.

This photo dates from the October 11, 2025 Roger Williams/Salve Regina show (as do most of the others currently on this page). On the left is Cristina Schiavone of Rhode Island College alongside head coach Dana Stark. A short time later the sophomore from Cumberland, Rhode Island received the blue ribbon in introductory equitation, qualifying her for Regionals. RIC is in sixth place overall headed into the break.

The College of the Holy Cross made their season debut with three riders on October 11th including Clarissa Azurin (on left). A senior from Buffalo, New York, Azurin was fifth in limit flat that day. We must apologize to Clarissa and her mother Sharon (on right) for on our Zone 2, Region 1 page we mistakenly referred to Clarissa as the youngest Azurin when talking about her sister Estelle who is on the Cornell University team. In order Sharon has three daughters who have competed in the IHSA: Oldest sister Sophia who graduated from the State University of New York at Geneseo, Clarissa and Estelle. Sharon Azurin is the only IHSA mom we can think of with three daughters who rode in three different IHSA regions!

IHSA founder and former executive director Bob Cacchione was on hand for the October 11th RWU/Salve show. Cacchione is seen here with Brown University's Bridget Hickton (Center) and Bears' head coach Michaela Scanlon (on left). It was a noteworthy day for Hickton, for the junior from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania placed fifth in intermediate flat to qualify for Regionals in the division. Besides Hickton going to Regionals and Cope taking the high point rider ribbon another Brown rider, Cassady Churchill, pointed out of limit flat to move on to Regionals.

From Scranton, Pennsylvania, Caitlin Talbot of Johnson & Wales University (pictured) was second in introductory equitation behind Schiavone on October 11th. The Wildcat junior said she still needed two more points to qualify for Regionals. Those points would come at the next show hosted by Brown University on October 25th, during which Talbot was second yet again.

Yet another University of Rhode Island rider qualified for 2026 Regionals is Lindsey Spencer (on left). Seen here with coach Brayman at the November 23rd, 2024 URI show, the senior from Glastonbury, Connecticut has pointed out of limit flat. Winners of at least three of the six fall shows, the Rams are in search of their ninth region title in program history.

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The Zone 1, Region 1 Smorgasbord

Schools competing in Zone 1, Region 1 during the 2025-2026 school year: Brown University, College of the Holy Cross, Johnson & Wales University, Rhode Island College, Roger Williams University, Salve Regina University, University of Rhode Island, Wesleyan University and Yale University.

Winter/Spring 2026 Show Schedule for Zone 1, Region 1 (Zone 1, Region 1 is currently Hunter Seat or English Only):

Saturday, February 28 University of Rhode Island (Host) at Hunter Ridge, Ashaway, RI 9:00AM ENGLISH ONLY

Saturday, March 14 Johnson & Wales University (Host) at Sunflower Meadows Equestrian, Tiverton, RI 9:00AM ENGLISH ONLY

Sunday, March 22 Zone 1, Region 1 Regionals at Hunter Ridge, Ashaway, RI Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY

Saturday, April 4 ZONE 1 ZONES at the Mount Holyoke College Equestrian Center, South Hadley, MA Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY

Friday through Sunday, May 1 - 3 IHSA NATIONALS at Tryon International Equestrian Center, Mill Spring, NC Time each day TBA ENGLISH AND WESTERN

Show Schedule subject to change.

Recent Region 1 Team Champions

1997 - Stonehill College
1998 - University of Connecticut
1999 - Stonehill College
2000 - Brown University
2001 - Brown University
2002 - Brown University
2003 - Brown University
2004 - Roger Williams University
2005 - University of Connecticut
2006 - University of Connecticut
2007 - Brown University
2008 - Brown University
2009 - Brown University
2010 - Brown University
2011 - Brown University
2012 - Brown University
2013 - University of Rhode Island
2014 - University of Rhode Island
2015 - University of Rhode Island
2016 - University of Rhode Island
2017 - University of Rhode Island
2018 - Brown University
2019 - Roger Williams University
2020 - Roger Williams University
2022 - University of Rhode Island
2023 - Johnson & Wales University
2024 - University of Rhode Island
2025 - University of Rhode Island

Regional Qualifiers

Open Level Rider Standings

Team Standings

ZONE 1 NEIGHBORS

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