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UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE COMES FROM BEHIND TO WIN ON OPENING DAY Williston, VT - Thanks to some very good rides over fences, the University of Vermont was ahead at the lunch break. It seemed just like most shows the Cattamounts host, as the home team gradually builds on one good ride after another, until the day ends and the high point team ribbon stays on the property. However the unexpected happened. Though Vermont rode consistanly well throughout the day, riders from the University of New Hampshire and Endicott College made headway by apparently riding even better once the jumps were removed. When the final class before the ride-off was completed, the University of New Hampshire had captured the first Zone 1, Region 2 event of 2010-11. Led by freshman Sara Barone (a winner in both of her intermediate classes), the Wildcats won by a 37-33 score over Endicott. Vermont was third with 31. When asked afterwards if she could recall a prior University of New Hampshire team winning at Imajica, Wildcats Head Coach Chris Keim did not recall such an occurance. "We have been reserve high point here, but I think this is the first time (winning high point)," Keim said.
Through the jumping classes only Barone, a freshman from Hopkinton, Massachusetts, had earned a blue ribbon for the Wildcats. However things changed right away once the lunch break ended as Kim Lynch won section A of open flat. A senior from Derry, New Hampshire, many were simply happy to see Lynch at the show let alone compete in it. After the fall 2009 semester Lynch was involved in a serious auto accident which had many worried if she would even be in college during the fall of 2010. Though she cannot jump Lynch seems to be able to flat as well as in previous seasons. New Hampshire would earn six more blue ribbons after Lynch's uplifting return. Barone, Christine Phipps (junior, New Hartford, New York, in novice flat), Becca Butz (junior, Montvale, New Jersey, also in novice flat), Courtney Norberg (freshman, Cranston, Rhode Island, in advanced walk-trot-canter), Erin Carey (sophomore, Gratham, New Hampshire, in beginner walk-trot-canter) and Zoe Lillis (sophomore, Deerfield, New Hampshire, in walk-trot) each followed Lynch into the winner's circle. Lillis won the second of two walk-trot classes, officially puting the Wildcats ahead of both Endicott and Vermont. Tori McTague (in advanced walk-trot-canter), Hilary Adler (in novice fences) and Meghan Lusty (in intermediate fences) added red ribbons for the Wildcats, the latter two accomplishing this in their first IHSA rides. Endicott College went into the final walk-trot class with just as much of a chance at high point but ultimately was reserve. The Gulls were making their first appearance in Zone 1, Region 2 since the 1998-99 season, after which most of the Boston area was hived off to create Zone 1, Region 4 (which in the fall of 1999 included three schools extracted from Zone 1, Region 1). Though considerable time had passed, Head Coach Stephanie Andreottola was pleased to see that both Vermont Head Coach Madeleine Austin and Dartmouth Head Coach Sally Batton were, like Andreottola herself, still coaching the same teams as the last time all were under the Region 2 name. The Gulls were one of two teams moved out of Region 4 over the summer, with UMass-Dartmouth joining Zone 1, Region 1 and Mount Ida College leaving Zone 1, Region 2 to take the place of Endicott and UMass-Dartmouth in Region 4. The Gulls were blue ribbon winners on three occasions. Molly Shannon, a freshman from Vernon, Connecticut (not to be confused with the actress of Saturday Night Live fame) and Anna McKendry, a junior from Allentown, Pennsylvania both won sections of advanced walk-trot-canter while Anna Pavlov, a sophomore from Pound Ridge, New York won her intermediate fences. In both Pavlov's and McKendry's cases their blue ribbons catipulted them to Regionals. Freshman Victoria Knight was second in intermediate fences for a fine IHSA debut while junior Anne Wilcox followed with a red ribbon in the first section of novice fences.
The University of Vermont equaled New Hampshire's total of eight blue ribbons while adding four red ones. Though all three fences divisions and open flat the Cattamounts looked like the team having the best day. In the end the home team scored 31 points and impressed despite third place overall. Madison McKay, a freshman from Melville, New York won her open flat while placing second to teammate Sophie Allen in open fences. Another freshman, Michaella Scott, won her novice fences while placing second in novice flat. From Newburyport, Massachusetts, Scott and McKay were the only riders to compete in a ride-off for Reserve High Point Rider. Reese Green (junior, East Montpellier, Vermont, in open fences), Allen (senior, Stowe, Vermont), Laura Burke (freshman, Rumson, New Jersey, in intermediate flat), Ashley Post (freshman, Glen Head, New York, in novice fences), Sheena Tuthill (senior, Saratoga, New York, in novice flat) and Emily LeBlanc (sophomore, Richmond, Vermont, in walk-trot) rounded out the role call for Vermont blue ribbon winners. Along with McKay and Scott, sophomore Tori Kulwicki and freshman Sarah Ach won red ribbons in open flat and intermediate fences, respectively. Between third and fourth their was a considerable drop-off. Castleton State College was one of four schools separated by four points, but to their credit the Spartans were the leaders in this group. Competing at the season opener without an open fences rider, Castleton State scored 23 points. Kara Simanskas, a junior from Londonderry, Vermont won her intermediate fences while Jessica Sullivan, a junior from Newfields, New Hampshire won her open flat. Meaghan Hutchins, a junior from West Haven, Vermont was the third and final Castleton rider to win a class on October 9th, prevailing in the first of two sections of beginner walk-trot-canter. Julia Shaw and Jennifer Weisenburger both earned red ribbons in their respective sections of intermediate flat. Middlebury College cornered the market on red ribbons, with all five riders below the novice level earning seconds. Competing without riders in either open division, the Panthers scored 22 points. Thea Morrison, a senior and co-captain coincidentally from the town of Middlebury, Vermont earned the Panther's first red ribbon in intermediate flat. Hanna Howell's second in the fourth of four sections of novice flat started the wild red streak. Ariel Lattanzi followed with a red in the first section of advanced walk-trot-canter. Three classes later it was Brendan O'Connell's turn. The junior from Placerville, California was second to McKendry. Miriam Rose Baker and Santiago Zindel then earned back-to-back red ribbons in the only sections of beginner walk-trot-canter. Lisa Mulcahy, a junior from Williamstown, Vermont was second to Lillis in the day's final class before the ride-off.
If you follow the Dartmouth College Equestrian Team you are aware that any Big Green blue ribbon winner will be asked to wear some funny item of clothing until another Dartmouth rider wins and the item passes over to that individual. Helena Witte, a sophomore from Fairfield, Connecticut won the first section of novice fences to earn the right to wear the pink 'winner's sash' for much of the day as it turned out. The pink sash had shed many sashes before Abigail Franklin won the third of four advanced walk-trot-canter sections 14 classes later. A sophomore from Wilmont, New Hampshire, Franklin would wear the sash through the final class. Seeing as she was entered in the Middlebury show the next day, Franklin probably had to wear what was left of the sash to start Sunday's show. Though Dartmouth earned several more blue ribbons on Sunday than on Saturday Franklin still had to don the sash again as she prevailed in advanced walk-trot-canter two days in a row (Franklin pointed out of the division with the win on Sunday). Faye Keegan, junior from Greenwich, Connecticut was second in both of her open classes while Sarah Spangenberg, a senior from Griswold, Connecticut was second in both of her novice classes. Janna Wandzilak (in novice flat) and Trevy Wing (in walk-trot) closed out the red ribbon barage for Dartmouth on October 9th. Though the Big Green scored only 21 points at Imajica, their total at the Equestry was 40 points, enough to move them into a tie with Endicott for second overall in Region 2 through the first two shows. Colby-Sawyer College was the last school clustered together in the low '20's, with 20 points. Tracey Proctor, a senior from Concord, New Hampshire won her intermediate flat while Nicole Morin was second to Franklin in advanced walk-trot-canter. Proctor's blue ribbon on Saturday is CSC's only blue ribbon through two shows. Like Dartmouth, Colby-Sawyer showed with a full card at both Imajica and the Equestry.
Though the state of Maine has five IHSA programs at the moment, only the University of Maine competed at the season opener. The Black Bears brought five riders and showed in seven classes, with no Maine rider placing above fourth on opening day. Amy Conforti (in novice fences), Jennifer Bonk-Brown (in novice flat) and Sarah Wiltbank (in advanced walk-trot-canter) each earned a fourth for the Black Bears, who despite not having riders in four divisions still scored eleven points. The Black Bears scored eleven again on October 10th, with Bonk-Brown winning her novice flat. Head Coach Melissa Spencer said that she expects Maine to compete at all the shows this season, giving her school a leg up on the other Maine schools which have yet to compete through the first weekend of Region 2 competitions. Still no alumni in Northern New England: Zone 1, Region 2 has not held alumni classes since the last time Endicott was in the region, and for the moment it appears that won't change. Several coaches stated that there are only so many horses available for each show and to include alumni would deprive some undergraduates the opportunity to compete each week. Region 2 is not alone in expressing this opinion. The Ride-Off: Judge Elizabeth Vars asked both McKay and Scott to demonstrate a flying lead change through the middle of the ring, which both proceeded to do. It was not until Vars asked for the counter-canter that McKay had an edge over Scott. Both riders had difficulty getting the counter-canter (Austin's horses are well trained to do 'the right thing' and not take the wrong lead without an effort) but after several tries McKay finally maintained the counter-canter around half the ring at which time Vars called for both riders to line up. McKay thus was Reserve Champion in her first IHSA event.
Vars one of our favorites: In 2005 Campus Equestrian wrote a story on "Ten Judges We Recommend." One of the ten was Vars, who has judged many IHSA shows over the past ten seasons throughout New England. When Elizabeth Vars judges the decisions are fair, riders get a respectable amount of time in the ring to prove themselves (it won't necessarily be a short show but it won't run past 5:00PM either) and the results are ready in a timely fashion once everyone has lined up. At the moment Vars does not have any IHSA shows on her itinerary so we at Campus Equestrian hope those in need of a judge consider this Rhode Island-based veteran of prior IHSA competitions. Why not make it into a team?: Castleton State College has a new open flat/intermediate fences rider by the name of Gabrielle Johansen, who though she is a junior made her IHSA debut with a third on the flat and a fourth over fences on Saturday. Johansen is a transfer from Saint Michaels College in Burlington, Vermont where they did not have a team. "They have a riding club but they don't go to shows," said Johansen. This made us wonder how many schools have riding clubs where students practice together but don't travel to any organized competition. Our advice: Why not organize into a team and join the IHSA! Yes competition will mean there will be winners and losers, but the experience traveling to shows together will make it fun indeed. The IHSA started this way, with IHSA Founder and Executive Director Bob Cacchione organizing the Fairleigh Dickinson riding club into a team to compete first against a separate FDU campus and then against similar club teams on Long Island. Then schools further away wanted to compete. And eventually you have over 350 schools but no Saint Michaels at the moment. Wildcats stay on top: A day after winning at Imajica, the University of New Hampshire won at the Equestry, edging Dartmouth 43-40 for high point. Barone won both of her classes to go undefeated for the weekend. The Wildcats hold an 80-61 lead over both Endicott and Dartmouth while Vermont is at 60 points. At least 40 percent of the Zone 1, Region 2 regular season will be over in the space of nine days as Colby-Sawyer and Dartmouth host each day over the October 16th/17th weekend. ---Steve Maxwell Show Incidentals: Sunny skies but windy, with temperatures in the low '50's. Entire show held indoors. Start Time: 9:45AM. Finish: 3:16PM - includes 85 minute lunch break/Coaches & Captains meeting. Point Cards posted in this region? Yes. Alumni Classes held in this region? No. Judge: Elizabeth Vars. Stewards: Payson/Colby-Sawyer College, Selby/Middlebury College and O'Rourke/Castleton State College. Team Totals: University of New Hampshire (High Point Team) 37; Endicott College (Reserve) 33; University of Vermont 31; Castleton State College 23; Middlebury College 22; Dartmouth College 21; Colby-Sawyer College 20 and University of Maine (Orono) 11. High Point Rider - Sara Barone, University of New Hampshire
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