2007 IHSA Lifetime Achievement Award winner and Hollins Head Coach Nancy Peterson (left) presents Sweet Briar Head Coach Jon Conyers with the 2008 Lifetime Achievement Award. IHSA Founder and Executive Director Bob Cacchione is on the right (Photo courtesy Sweet Briar College Public Information Office).

CONYERS RECEIVES 2008 LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD AT REGION 2 REGIONALS

(On leap year day, Zone 4, Region 2 held their annual Regional show, with all riders who qualified for Regionals during the regular season vying for a top three placing and a trip to Zone 4 Zones on April 13th. During the show Sweet Briar Head Coach Jon Conyers was presented with the IHSA's annual Lifetime Achievement Award. Normally presented at IHSA Nationals, the IHSA decided to surprise Conyers with the award at Sweet Briar, site of this seasons' Region 2 Regionals. Though we normally edit and re-write Press Releases given to us, on this occasion IHSA National Secretary Jim Arrigon's account of the award presentation, and Conyer's biography, is presented with only the slightest of edits - Editor)

Sweet Briar, VA - Sweet Briar College equestrian coach Jon Conyers was presented the most distinguished honor of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association in a ceremony at the IHSA Zone 4, Region 2 finals at Sweet Briar College, Sweet Briar, Virginia on Friday, February 29. As is tradition, Conyers accepted the IHSA’s Lifetime Achievement Award from last year’s recipient, Hollins University riding director Nancy Peterson. Also with Conyers during the ceremony was Bob Cacchione, executive director and founder of the IHSA.

"The ceremony will be repeated at the IHSA National Championships in May at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center," said IHSA National Secretary Jim Arrigon, "but the IHSA broke with tradition this year and held this early awards ceremony to enable Jon to celebrate the occasion with his family and friends surrounding him." Conyers has been undergoing cancer treatments for several months.

A better look at the Lifetime award itself, as Conyers poses with the plaque outdoors. Conyers is the 15th recipient of the award, which was first given out in 1993. Besides having coached IHSA with six different programs Conyers has also judged many IHSA shows, including the first-ever show at Virginia Tech's Alphin-Stuart Livestock Pavillion and 2003 Zone 3 Zones (Photo courtesy Sweet Briar College Public Information Office).

The award is one of the most prestigious in collegiate riding, chosen each year by a the past winners of the award. “Jon was chosen this year based on his lifetime of service and success in the IHSA,” said Arrigon, a previous winner and IHSA officer.

Conyers, a coach and riding instructor at Sweet Briar since 2003, has been an active director and committee chairman for the IHSA Board of Directors for more than a decade. He has been an advocate of several affiliated programs, including the IHSA Alumni Association. Recently he has served as chair of the association’s marketing committee, which promotes collegiate riding and the IHSA to the horse industry.

Conyers grew up near Staunton, Virginia and began riding when he was 12. He became involved with the intercollegiate riding association as a student at St. Andrews Presbyterian College when he took a lead role in forming an IHSA team there.

Since that time he has served as director of riding at Wesleyan College in Georgia and at his alma mater, and coached at the University of Virginia and Savannah College of Art and Design. While in Georgia, he also owned a horse show management business. Over the course of his career, he has organized five IHSA national championships.

In 1992 Conyers helped coach a national-champion team at the University of, and throughout his 23-year career he has coached national-champion riders at St. Andrews, Wesleyan College, the University of Virginia, Sweet Briar and, as a freelance coach, at the University of Findlay in Ohio.

The show itself saw eight schools advance riders to Zones. Seen here at the Pre-Season Tournament of Champions last September, Mandy Lynch was one of four riders from 2008 Region Champion Hollins University to advance to the April 13th Zone 4 Zones show. Lynch was also one of only two riders regionwide to advance from Regionals in multiple divisions, as she was second in both intermediate divisions.

Conyers became involved in the IHSA because it offered competitive riding at the collegiate level, but he appreciates the organization’s structure and how it levels the playing field for all riders, he said.

It works especially well for students who have some competitive background but who are beginning riders. “They have that drive,” Conyers said. “The IHSA gives them that opportunity.”

Sweet Briar College riding director Shelby French prepared remarks to be read during Conyers’ award ceremony. She noted that Conyers didn’t intend to make horses his life’s work two decades ago, a fact he doesn’t dispute. He earned a music degree and planned to go into Christian education and church music, he said.

That was before he took a one-year coaching position at St. Andrews. That year morphed into a distinguished career in collegiate riding, summed up by French’s words at the award presentation:

“For such a young man, Jon’s influence has been amazingly far reaching because of the number of programs, coaches and riders with whom he has had the opportunity to share his passion for horses, quality riding and the IHSA.”

--Jim Arrigon

It was a very good Regionals debut for 1st year James Madison Head Coach Bobby Jones (right). Four members of the Dukes' equestrian team advanced to Zones, including Vanessa Colley (left) in intermediate flat.

Region 2 Regionals Competition Notes: Bridgewater College had the best day of any team, advancing six riders in as many divisions, with freshman open rider Lindsay Clark moving on to Zones in both open divisions...Hollins riders will account for five rides at Zones, as four riders earned top three placings. Like Clark, Hollins senior Mandy Lynch will ride twice after a pair of seconds in the intermediate divisions...James Madison advanced four riders, including senior Bridget Holroyd with a first in intermediate fences...Both Lynchburg College and the University of Virginia advanced two riders each, both of which won classes outright. For Lynchburg Caitlin Flathers won novice flat while Mary Pinzinger won walk-trot-canter. The Cavaliers were led by Kirkland Brown, who won open fences, and Kathryn Clapp, who won novice fences. Clapp and Katie Furches of Hollins will now try to qualify for IHSA Nationals individually for a second consecutive season. Clapp was sixth in intermediate flat last season while Furches was tenth nationally in open flat...Furches is already assured a ride at 2008 Nationals as the Region 2 Cacchione Cup entry...Randolph College, known until this season as Randolph-Macon Woman's College, will have two entries at Zones. Ashley Lovegrove, who was runner-up to Furches in the Region 2 open rider standings placed second in open fences while Vanessa Monsul won the walk-trot. Both riders will find Zones convenient as the April 13th competition is at their Randolph College Equestrian Center...Longwood University may have finished tenth out of ten in the 2008 Region 2 team standings but Julia Schleifman is going to Zones. The Lancer sophomore placed second in advanced walk-trot-canter...Sweet Briar College will have one rider at Zones as Katie Bird was second to Flathers in novice flat - Editor.

The Top Three in each class from February 29th Zone 4, Region 2 Regionals, with each rider listed qualified to compete at Zone 4 Zones on April 13th in Lynchburg, Virginia:

Open equitation over fences: 1. Kirkland Brown, University of Virginia. 2. Ashley Lovegrove, Randolph College. 3. Lindsay Clark, Bridgewater College.

Intermediate equitation over fences: 1. Bridget Holroyd, James Madison University. 2. Mandy Lynch, Hollins University. 3. Emily Wolek, Bridgewater College.

Novice equitation over fences: 1. Kathryn Clapp, University of Virginia. 2. Danielle Parkinson, James Madison University. 3. Abby Gonzalez, Hollins University.

Open equitation on the flat: 1. Katie Furches, Hollins University. 2. Lindsay Clark, Bridgewater College. 3. Patti Ann Thornton, Bridgewater College.

Intermediate equitation on the flat: 1. Lindsay Barrett, Bridgewater College. 2. Mandy Lynch, Hollins University. 3. Vanessa Colley, James Madison University.

Novice equitation on the flat: 1. Caitlin Flathers, Lynchburg College. 2. Katie Bird, Sweet Briar College. 3. March Ryan, Bridgewater College.

Walk-trot-canter: 1. Mary Pinzinger, Lynchburg College. 2. Julia Schleifman, Longwood University. 3. Cary Smith, Bridgewater College.

Walk-trot: 1. Vania Monsul, Randolph College. 2. Stephanie Ostericher, Hollins University. 3. Maggie Foley, James Madison University.

Campus Equestrian thanks both Jon Conyers and Sandy Gerald for providing us with the Region 2 top three placings - Editor.