St. Lawrence Head Coach Mary Dreuding (on left) poses with the Saint's Hadley Deming after the latter won her novice flat (and subsequently changed out of her riding clothes) to point out of the division on November 22nd. The Saints tied Cazenovia for high point team on November 22nd and on March 1st captured their sixth Region 2 hunter seat title since 2001.

THE 11/22/08 ST. LAWRENCE STORY IS FINALLY HERE...

...And it may be the most disjointed, difficult-to-read stories since Campus Equestrian was launched in August 2002! And there is a reason for this.

It isn't a good reason however. It has to do with so much of the IHSA competing at the same time and trying to gather information about all these shows. If the stories were always completed within 48 hours of the shows there would be information from other shows this writer did not attend that would be delayed. The importance of trying to follow the entire country in a timely fashion takes presidence over trying to finish a story on a specific show, especially when that show comes so close to the end of the fall portion of the schedule (and days before a short work week owing to Thanksgiving).

When constructing a story on a specific show for Campus Equestrian, this writer likes to include at least three photos. Often five photos appear, and in cases where I know I probably won't see the entire region again for another year I like to include seven photos, so that at least seven teams are represented in pictures in a timely fashion. At least that is my intention going into battle.

For the November 22nd St. Lawrence show I selected seven photos out of 63 I took on my digital camera during the event. I had to include the hosts, as the Saints tied for high point team and were the defending Region Champs at the time. I had to include a Cazenovia photo, as the Wildcats also scored 36 points that day. Alfred University had stayed dangerously close to the Saints and Wildcats through the first four shows and were a hot topic so at least one Alfred photo had to make the cut. The University of Ottawa came in second behind Caz and St. Lawrence, the first time in Ottawa program history the GiGi's had been that close to the blue ribbon. I took a nice team shot, and that too was a lock to make the story.

Kristen Williams of Cazenovia College (on right) and Wildcat teammate Barbie Lanigan (on left) finished second and fifth, respectively, in the Region 2 hunter seat open rider standings for the 2008-09 season. Lanigan was Reserve High Point Rider the day this photo was taken. Through seven of the eight 2008-09 hunter seat shows Cazenovia had won twice, St. Lawrence twice while both schools tied for high point team three times.

Then came the tough decisions. Eight other schools took part, with all but one scoring in double digits. I simply decided almost arbitrarily to use photos pertaining to S.U.N.Y. - Potsdam, Nazareth College and the University of Rochester, the latter of which scored in single digits. Photos related to these teams would not lend themselves well to the smaller windows on the Zone 2, Region 2 page and surrounding pages, so they were the lucky few. Or so it seemed at the time.

The photos planned for the story were then sharpened, brightened, cropped and re-sized. They were entered into the server for safe keeping. The next order of business was to write the story itself. This is where the problems started.

For several seasons I had encountered difficulty receiving the current points from the Region 2 pointkeeper (owing to the fact that I don't have a mac and that my PC would not open the file that was sent. Troubles receiving all the faxed pages as an alternative made for patchy totals (sometimes I would have all the team totals but not the open riders and vice versa). I decided that rather than try to write the story right away I would wait to see if I could obtain the elusive regional qualifiers and alumni totals as to compare how things had changed with the results on November 22nd. The remainder of calendar year 2008 came and went without me being able to obtain the information. Then the spring shows started up nationwide and the St. Lawrence show again took a back seat. Then on February 28th and 1st there were two more Region 2 hunter seat shows to close out the 2008-09 regular season. A short time later I decided that I would include a year-end recap when the story was finally written. But still I did not have the missing totals (and at this point the team and open rider totals would also need revising). Eventually I received the information very close to the date of 2009 Nationals (this snail-mail did not include the alumni totals - which sadly were not received at all during the 2008-09 season for Region 2 - but did include everything else) which meant the story would have to wait not only until Nationals was completed but until the stories related to Nationals were written and posted first. By the time I was ready to deal with writing the story again it was July of 2009. Owing to personal issues at the time the story was started and not finished. Then it was picked up again in December 2009 as I wrote some of the preamble that you are reading now (up to the phrase "Then came the tough decisions"). 18 months after that all 2011 IHSA Nationals stories were written, the Region pages were all changed for the summer, and the story sitting on my desktop all that time named 'STL1122' could finally be revisited. Without further adieu here is what was started in July of 2009 and finished in 2011 regarding an event in November 2008...

Ronja Ogrodnik (on right) was the second of three Alfred University riders to win a class at the well-heated Elsa Gunnison Appleton Riding Hall on November 22nd. Mandy Herrmann (who was the Alfred assistant coach at the time) poses with Ogrodnik after she won her advanced walk-trot-canter class.

Canton, NY - If not for numerous delays in writing other stories and in obtaining the hunter seat Regional Qualifiers for Zone 2, Region 2 this story would simply be about the November 22nd St. Lawrence show. However so much time has passed that the entire season can be put under the microscope. And after much observation it appears that the top two teams once again went down to the final day.

However a third team pushed both St. Lawrence and Cazenovia to do better or risk falling into third place. The Alfred Saxons were two points ahead of St. Lawrence and two points behind Cazenovia after two shows at Lehman Farms way back when. After three shows Cazenovia led St. Lawrence 113-112, but Alfred was right with them with 111. After four shows Alfred was back in second, scoring 36 at the SUNY-Geneseo show to reach 147. Cazenovia scored 29 that day to fall into third with 142 (the only time the Wildcats scored under 30 at any Region 2 hunter seat show all season) while St. Lawrence scored 41 to lead with 153.

The fifth show of the season was also the first not held at Lehman Farms. Held at the Elsa Gunnison Appleton Riding Hall, host St. Lawrence tied Cazenovia on November 22nd, both schools scoring 36 points while Alfred tied Ottawa for third with 30 each. St. Lawrence might have won this show had the decision not been made to pull their walk-trot rider. This is a strategic move based on the theory that one show doth not a season maketh! St. Lawrence had but one walk-trot rider at the time and needed to take precaution in case this rider might point up.

One day after St. Lawrence hosted, most of Region 2 made the trek south to Cazenovia, where the Wildcats scratched out the competition. The hosts tied their high score of 42 achieved previously on opening day, or at least what was the Wildcat's high point total at the time. Syracuse was second with 33 (the only time the Orange could make this claim in 2008-09, though if you count Caz and St. Lawrence's tie on opening day as one first then Syracuse's 35 was the next best score) while Alfred was third with 31. It is not clear if St. Lawrence pulled their walk-trot rider again on November 23rd but the Saints did score a season-low 27 points. St. Lawrence saw their eleven point lead turn into a four point deficit in roughly 24 hours. Cazenovia would hold a 220-216 lead for the next 97 days.

Beginner's luck: Though Nazareth College did not have a blue ribbon through the first 21 undergraduate classes on November 22nd, freshman Caley Fain (holding blue ribbon) ended that drought. In her IHSA debut Fain won her beginner walk-trot-canter class to earn the Golden Flyer's only blue ribbon of the day.

With all due respect to the likes of St. Andrews Presbyterian College and the University of Massachusetts at Amherst, St. Lawrence had the best second place hunter seat IHSA team in North America at the mid-season break. Open rider Katharine Hankin had already run away from the field and would finish the season 17 points ahead of Cazenovia's Kristen Williams for the right to represent Region 2 at Nationals in the Cacchione Cup competition. Hankin may not have had this opportunity had teammate Dorothy Douglas not sustained an off-season riding related injury that kept the defending Region 2 Cacchione rider out of the fall shows. With Douglas back in the fold for the final two shows on February 28th and March 1st the Saints would be that much deeper in the open levels.

As had been the case on November 22nd and 23rd the February 28th and March 1st shows would be hosted by the current leading schools. However unlike in November Cazenovia would host the Saturday contest while St. Lawrence would host the regular season finale a day later. The Saints would win by enough during the final home show to win the region by a 312-307 margin over Cazenovia and send a full hunter seat team to Zone 2 Zones in Long Valley, New Jersey a month later. Alfred finished the season third with 278 points while Syracuse edged S.U.N.Y. - Geneseo for fourth by a 235-230 margin. Hankin finished ahead of Williams by an 84-67 margin to represent the region at IHSA Nationals in Murfreesboro, Tennessee in the Cacchione Cup Competition.

The November 22nd St. Lawrence show was in many ways a microcosm of the entire regular season. For the host Saints Hankin was again the star, winning both of her open classes and a ride-off versus Barbie Lanigan of Cazenovia. A senior from Endwell, New York, Hankin was joined by fellow Saints Abby Cook (freshman, from Duxbury, Massachusetts) who won her intermediate flat, Jess Sweeney (senior and Captain, from Kingston, New York) who won her novice flat and Hadley Deming (sophomore, from New York City) whose first in novice flat made her a regional qualifier in the division. Saints who won red ribbons were Gina Spilatro (in intermediate fences), Violet Batcha (in intermediate flat), Tricia Yandow (in novice fences) and Deming, who was second in her intermediate fences.

Cazenovia earned one more blue ribbon, with Lanigan (a senior from East Longmeadow, Massachusetts) winning both of her open classes. Paige Brady (sophomore, Oneonta, New York) and Chelsea Moore (freshman, East Hartford, Connecticut) won intermediate flat classes on either side of Cook's win while Amy Crysler (senior, Marsales, New York) was a winner in intermediate fences. Erin Crowley, a sophomore from Shrewsbury, Massachusetts raised the Wildcats' blue ribbon total to six with a win in novice flat. Red ribbons went to Brady (in intermediate fences), Williams (in open flat), Laurel White (in novice flat) and Jena Valletta, whose second in the first of three sections of walk-trot marked the only time a rider from either Cazenovia or St. Lawrence made the top two in a level below novice on this day.

Because they tied Alfred for second with 30 points each, the University of Ottawa technically was tied for Reserve at today's show. According to then-head coach Corry Smallegange (fourth from left, holding dog) this was the closest the GiGi's have ever come to high point team in program history.

While St. Lawrence and Cazenovia had their troubles in the lower divisions Alfred University thrived. Sandy Burnley, a sophomore from Bayside, New York won the first section of walk-trot. Ronja Ogrodnik, a freshman from Spencer, New York won the third section of advanced walk-trot-canter while Lyndsay Patterson's second in the preceeding section of advanced walk-trot-canter put the senior within five points of going to Regionals. Kalcy O'Keefe, a freshman from Rochester, New York, won the third section of intermediate fences for the Saxons much earlier in the day. Kelly Reinbold and Beth Ulbrecht were second in the first and fourth sections of novice flat, respectively.

The University of Ottawa had one of their best days ever to tie Alfred at 30 points. Ariane Brunet, a second year student from Chelsea, Quebec won her novice flat while placing second in novice fences to lead the way for the GiGi's. Brunet wasn't the only Ottawa rider to cross province lines and win a class for the GiGi's. Elizabeth Stronach, a second year student from Montreal, Quebec won the first of three sections of intermediate fences. Kirstyn Allen, a co-captain and second year student from Stouffville, Ontario won the second of four sections of novice flat. The GiGi's had a full card on the 22nd, something that was a rarity prior to this season.

The State University of New York at Geneseo was next with 26 points. Through the first class of the day the Knights were in first place, as Katie Heishman's second in open fences gave S.U.N.Y. - Geneseo five points while nearly all other schools had point riders in a later section of open fences. Heishman equaled the placing in open flat while Ashley Kresge (in novice flat) and Annalise Ammer (in advanced walk-trot-canter) were also red ribbon winners. A senior from Brighton, New York, Ammer pointed up into novice with the second. The Knights did not have a blue ribbon winner but did have a rider entered in all eight divisions.

There was a substantial drop-off as Syracuse University was next with 19 points. The Orange were at their best below the novice level. Lena Dubersky, who describes herself as "sort of a junior" from Milford, Pennsylvania won the second section of advanced walk-trot-canter. Stef Borowve, a freshman from North Syracuse, New York won the third and final walk-trot class which ended the afternoon proceedings at 3:31PM local time. Prior to walk-trot-canter it was "The Kristens" who lit up the scoreboard for Syracuse. Kristen Frieburger was second to Hankin in open fences while Kristen Unbehend was second to Allen in novice fences.

Only once all day did first and second place in the same class go to riders from the same team. State University of New York at Potsdam Head Coach Debbie Healey (center) poses between Jaclyn Daley (on left) and Ashwath Naroth after they placed one-two in walk-trot for the Bears.

Four teams tied with 15 points each. Because the State University of New York at Oswego had a full team they are listed first among this group. Jeni Nagel, a sophomore from Niagra Falls, New York who went on to be the top open western rider in Region 2 for the season, won her novice fences. Mary Lou Mahaffy, a junior from Central Square, New York won the first of three sections of advanced walk-trot-canter. Gretchen Dietrich (in intermediate flat) and Kate Johnson (in the lone section of beginner walk-trot-canter) were red ribbon winners for the Lakers.

The State University of New York at Potsdam came close to a full card, laking only an open fences rider. The Bears earned three top-two ribbons over the final two classes of the day. Jaclyn Daley, a junior from Hastings, New York won the second of three sections of walk-trot while teammate Ashwath Naroth (a senior from Chennai, India) was second. One class later Karie Keleher of S.U.N.Y. - Potsdam was second to Borowve. Prior to the walk-trot division Janet Peachey had the Bears' only top-two placing with a second in intermediate flat.

Nazareth College scored 15 points without a rider in either of the open divisions. For the longest time it looked like the Golden Flyers might go the entire day without a top-two finisher. Somewhat surprisingly a rider making her IHSA debut won the lone section of beginner walk-trot-canter outright. Caley Fain, a freshman from Pittsford, New York won the division, the 22nd undergraduate class out of 25 held. With no one on Nazareth earning a top two ribbon in walk-trot this was the only placing above third for the Golden Flyers.

Canisius College had riders in every division except the open ones (the Griffins even had a rider in both alumni divisions). However they had a total of only six undergraduates entered for the smallest roster of the day. Cassidy Hogrewe, a sophomore from Grand Islands, New York had the Griffins' only top-two ribbon of the day (among undergradutes). Hogrewe won the first of four sections of novice fences.

While Canisius had but six undergraduates entered, Rochester Institute of Technology had only two! Erica Standish earned six of RIT's ten points with fourths in both of her novice classes while Erin Litts earned the Tigers' top ribbon with a third in intermediate flat.

University of Rochester sophomore Elisabeth Arthur (on left) won her novice flat on November 22nd while teammate Amanda Brightman (on right) managed a sixth in novice flat. So why do we include Brightman in this photo? Because at the previous show the sophomore from Sun Valley, Idaho was high point rider, making Brightman the first-known University of Rochester rider ever to earn high point rider honors at an IHSA show.

Though the University of Rochester had riders entered in every level except walk-trot the Yellowjackets scored only eight points for the day. From an individual standpoint Rochester did very well; It was simply a day where their point card did not catch any breaks. Elisabeth Arthur, a sophomore from Harrisonburg, Virginia won the fourth and final section of novice fences while Risa Bernstein was second in the novice fences class a moment earlier. Gloria Snyder was the final Yellowjacket in the ring, placing second to Ogrodnik in advanced walk-trot-canter. Recently the University of Rochester experienced several 'firsts.' At today's show Grace Weiss showed in both open levels, which may have made her the first rider in program history to ride in both open levels at the same show. At the previous show Amanda Brightman was high point rider. The sophomore novice rider from Sun Valley, Idaho may have been the first University of Rochester rider ever to earn high point rider honors.

There were three alumni riders competing at today's show. Christine Bigaj, who was one of the original Canisius College riders a few seasons earlier, was second in alumni flat and third in alumni fences. Amamda Taylor, who graduated from the University of Ottawa last season, was first in alumni flat and second in alumni fences. And Stephanie Harnois, a 2006 Virginia Intermont College graduate who hails from the province of Quebec, won the alumni fences while placing third in alumni flat. To the best of this writer's knowledge, this is the only time he knows of where better than 50 percent of an alumni class was made up of Canadian Nationals.

The Ride-Off: Hankin and Lanigan were the only riders with two firsts. Both rode off between the second and third sections of advanced walk-trot-canter, with Hankin earning the high point ribbon.

Gee this was a long time ago: St. Lawrence took a full hunter seat team to 2009 IHSA Nationals but scored only two points (Suzanne Snyder, who did not show on November 22nd, was fifth in team open flat). Hankin was out of the ribbons in the Cacchione class at Nationals. Lanigan faired better, winning the individual open flat class that coincidentally was the final hunter seat class held at 2009 Nationals. Alumni rider Dr. Emily Weis (still known to some as 1999 Stonehill College graduate Emily Unger) did not compete on November 22nd but did well for Region 2 at Nationals with a fourth in alumni flat and an eighth in alumni fences. Nagel was the individual AQHA Trophy winner at 2009 Nationals as the top open western rider in the IHSA for the 2008-09 season. For the following two seasons Campus Equestrian devised an alternate way to gather the various point totals from Region 2 which has worked out better (though Regional Qualifiers remain a mystery until the regular season has been completed). Much later the 2010-11 St. Lawrence team tied Skidmore College for Reserve High Point team at 2011 IHSA Nationals. Save for Ottawa Head Coach Corry Smallegange and Alfred Assistant Coach Mandy Herrmann all of the Region 2 coaches on November 22nd, 2008 were still coaching the same teams when the 2010-11 season was completed. However several of them were coaching in the new Zone 2, Region 1 which was created following the 2009-10 season. St. Lawrence and Cazenovia still enjoy the great 'same region-rivalry' as both remained in Region 2 after the realignment. Unless the exact opposite is true, it could be said that the more things change the more they stay the same!

--Steve Maxwell

Show Incidentals: Overcast skies, with temperatures rising into the upper 20's. Entire show held indoors in a heated facility. Start time: 8:31AM. Finish: 3:31PM - includes 37 minute lunch break/Coaches & Captains meeting. Point cards posted in this region? Yes. Alumni Classes held in this region? Yes. Judge: Nancy Murphy. Stewards: Sanford/State University of New York at Geneseo, Bouchard/Nazareth College and Van Patten/Syracuse University.

Team Totals: St. Lawrence University (TIE-High Point Team) 36; Cazenovia College (TIE-High Point Team) 36; Alfred University 30; University of Ottawa 30; State University of New York at Geneseo 26; Syracuse University 19; State University of New York at Oswego 15; State University of New York at Potsdam 15; Nazareth College 15; Canisius College 15; Rochester Institute of Technology 10 and University of Rochester 8.

High Point Rider - Katharine Hankin, St. Lawrence University
Reserve High Point Rider - Barbie Lanigan, Cazenovia College