University of Delaware sophomore Jennifer Windish (right, with teammate Kristina Christiansen) was one of four riders with two firsts at the November 11th Arcadia/Bucks County show. Windish was a winner in intermediate flat and fences.

UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE TIES SCHOOL RECORD, MOVES INTO FIRST PLACE

Hilltown, PA - If you were at Briarwood Farm on April 9th, 1995 you saw one of the most incredible comebacks in IHSA history. Defending Zone 3, Region 2 high point team Delaware Valley College had taken a full team to IHSA Nationals the previous two seasons and had won the region five times in nine seasons starting with their first-ever Region Championship in Spring of 1986. Del Val looked like a lock for a third straight trip to Nationals. The Aggies led the University of Delaware by ten points headed into the April 9th Regular season finale hosted by Rutgers, one of many current Region 4 schools that were still part of Region 2 at that time (Regionals and Zones took place over the April 22nd/23rd weekend. This was the last time the IHSA permitted official post-season shows such as Regionals or Zones to be held less than three weeks before Nationals - Editor). Certainly that kind of a lead should hold up, shouldn't it?

But at the end of the day when both Del Val and The University of Delaware were told to line up for the awarding of high point and reserve high point team, the shocker was announced. The Fightin' Hens had won the show with a school-record 47 points while the Aggies had posted 35. Since that day this writer has only encountered two scenerios in eleven seasons where a double digit lead vanished in the season's final show nationwide. Things like this just don't happen, except when they do.

The University of Delaware then became a powerhouse, advancing a full team to Nationals seven times over eight seasons. The 1996-97 UDel team came from behind to win the IHSA hunter seat National Championship. But following the 2002-03 season, the balance of power shifted north again, as Delaware Valley College won the region, and is in search of a fourth consecutive Region title as the 2006-07 season unfolds.

Though there were some issues with the points going into the November 11th Arcadia/Bucks County show at Red Wing Farm, one thing was clear: Delaware Valley College held a four point lead over the University of Delaware through the first three hunter seat shows. In fact Del Val had led the region following every show since the conclusion of the third show of the 2005-06 season. The University of Delaware had not led their region in any month called November since the 2002-03 season. But unlike several of the past seasons, the Del Val lead had not sprung to double digits, and it would not do so today either.

Things started out well for the Aggies, as Jessica Yankus and Kaitlyn McLaughlin won separate sections of the open fences. While some struggled with their draws during the first section of intermediate fences, Del Val freshman Terence Prunty had a very clean round, winning the first of his two blue ribbons for the day.

From Cranford, New Jersey, Delaware Valley College freshman Terence Prunty (left, with Head Coach Cory Kieschnick) won both of his intermediate classes at the Arcadia/Bucks show. Prunty was the first of four riders to win a pair of classes on this day.

Lindsay Pell of the University of Pennsylvania became the first non-DVC rider to win a class when she took the second section of intermediate fences. Quaker teammate Kate Long then won the third of four intermediate fences sections before the University of Delaware scored their first blue ribbon of the day courtesy of Jennifer Windish. The sophomore from Hillsborough, New Jersey who joined the UDel equestrian team this season would win both of her intermediate classes, joining Prunty and two others as it would turn out as multi-blue ribbon winners.

Following the lone section of alumni fences (won by Del Val graduate Jamie Mast), five sections of novice fences took place. Two sections were won by Del Val, two went to UDel and section 4C went to Christie Carlson of Drexel. A sophomore from Verona, New Jersey, Carlson was instrumental in starting the Dragon equestrian team last season. "I just didn't want to ride by myself," Carlson said. For a team that is only in its' first season of IHSA competition, Drexel has half of the eight divisions filled, and if Carlson or teammate Dorothy Graham-Vannais can point up the Dragons will only need an open rider to fill their card.

Jamie Winnick, a freshman from Penfield, New York and Lindsay Kohl, a junior from Newark, Delaware won novice fences classes for the Hens. Amanda Trauger and Devan McNamara won the first and last novice fences classes for the Aggies. McNamara, a freshman from Setauket, New York, and Kohl would eventually win on the flat, creating what would normally be a very good four-way ride-off for high point with Windish and Prunty.

Janae Benton of Bucks County Community College (right, with Head Coach Amber Jewell) was the only rider from either of the schools co-hosting today's show to win a blue ribbon. Benton won her section of advanced walk-trot-canter, ending a streak of six consecutive classes won by either Del Val or Delaware riders.

However Region 2 has not held ride-offs most weekends so far this season. This is in part because the shows themselves have run very late into the afternoon (the show a week earlier in Maryland had ended at ten minutes to seven). Today's show would in fact continue this trend, with four names picked out of a hat to determine who would claim the individual champion and reserve ribbons.

Nice to be Kneaded: Between the final fences class and the first of 23 flat classes, this writer took advantage of a unique offer seen once in a blue moon at IHSA shows. Co-hosts Bucks County Community College and Arcadia University invited two massage therapists to give free massages at today's show. Though all but the final four classes were held outdoors, therapists Merle Plotkin and Jaclyn Vallerio had their massage chairs set up in the viewing area of the indoor. Vallerio's business card begins with the phrase "I Knead You (You Need Me!)" while Plotkin's card explains she specializes in six kinds of massage including Deep Tissue and Myofascial Release! The latter worked the kinks out of my shoulders and both are highly recommended by this writer if you happen to be slightly North of Philadelphia (Plotkin's phone number is 267-474-3726 while Vallerio has both a phone number, 267-481-3352 and an e-mail address, Ahawk1986@aol.com).

Mast started the flat divisions off by making it two-for-two on this day. Though the Region 2 alumni points were not known by this writer until several days after this show took place it turned out that Mast's first over fences gave her a one point lead over 2006 West Chester graduate Sara Moll while Mast's first on the flat moved her total from three points to ten in that alumni division. Former University of Delaware rider Kim Melnick did not ride at today's show, yet she maintained her lead in the alumni flat division, with Moll again one point out.

The remaining flat classes were held in a certain order so that the horses for different divisions could alternate to some extent. The first of two open flat sections saw UDel riders take the top two spots, as Kristina Christiansen earned the blue while teammate Tabitha McAnally grabbed the red. The first section of novice flat followed, with yet another University of Delaware rider, in this case Jessica Serron, awared the top prize. It was at this point that Hens Head Coach Bryan Bradley seemed like he knew that his Delaware team was on to something. With the points sheets out of sight, no one knew who was pointed, save for each coach knowing their own point riders. Could Bradley have picked his point riders very well on this day?

From left to right is the entire Rider University team on this day: Janice Lang (who rides open flat/intermediate fences), Head Coach Dawne Morrone (who also coaches the Penn team), Andrew Grandin (the only male on the Bronc team) and Bethany Trainor. Trainor holds the red ribbon she won in intermediate flat, which accounted for all five of Riders' points at today's show.

Shanequashanaynaylefondawatson, not to be confused with Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious: Emily Casali then won the second and final section of open flat for Del Val, while Prunty then won the first section of intermediate flat. There was this beat-up stuffed animal that various Del Val riders were using to clean boots if this writer is not mistaken. The name of this good luck charm was alleged to be Shanequa-Shanaynay-Lefonda-Watson, though this also turned out to be a phrase the Del Val team would use to show unity at the end of the show. At this particular moment, the good luck charm was working.

Bucks Countys' Janae Benton ended the Del Val/Delaware win streak, winning the first section of advanced walk-trot-canter. Benton would win the only blue ribbon of the day for either of the host schools. In spite of only one blue ribbon for the team, Bucks County easily finished third overall for the day with 36 points. Elizabeth Summerville temporarily kept the University of Delaware undefeated in novice flat with a win in the next class, while McNamara kept Del Val undefeated in intermediate flat with a win in the class after that.

The first section of walk-trot did not go to a Delaware or Del Val rider but rather to Carolyn Hurwitz of Villanova, the lone Wildcat rider on this day to win a blue ribbon. Kohl, who had pointed out of novice fences earlier in the day with her jumping blue ribbon was a winner again in novice flat while Windish became the first Hen with a blue ribbon in intermediate flat moments later. University of Delaware riders made it three consecutive wins as Rachel Smucker won her section of advanced walk-trot-canter.

Graham-Vannais then brought home Drexel's second blue ribbon with a win in novice flat. The Dragons finished fifth overall with 24 points, one more than Villanova and one less than Penn at today's show. Rebecca Debonis gave UDel a win in the first section of beginner walk-trot-canter while Jennifer Rowe gave the Aggies their third blue ribbon in novice flat shortly thereafter. For only the third time on this day a University of Pennsylvania rider came out on top, as Kavita Vakharia won the second section of walk-trot.

Delaware Valley then added to their total of blue ribbons, raising it to ten (not counting Mast's alumni ribbons) via Jalyn DeCarlo's first in beginner walk-trot-canter. The final novice section went to Jill Desmond of the University of Delaware while the final class to take place outdoors went to Carolyn Steeves of Temple, the only Owl rider with a blue ribbon at today's show. The senior from Ambler, Pennsylvania won the third section of advanced walk-trot-canter. It was her first-ever IHSA blue ribbon.

Carolyn Hurwitz of Villanova (left, with Wildcats Head Coach Sara McCoy) was first in her section of walk-trot. Riders from schools other than Delaware Valley and the University of Delaware won only eight of the 33 undergraduate classes at today's show.

With the loss of daylight, the final four classes shifted to the Red Wing indoor. The final section of walk-trot went to University of Delaware sophomore Emily Janosko. Though point sheets are not posted in this region, it is believed this ride insured that Delaware would be over 40 points for the day. The indoor continued to be kind to the Hens, as Nikolett Varsa won the fourth of five sections of advanced walk-trot-canter in the next class. This apparently finished the UDel card, and some finish it was. As had been the case way back in April of 1995 the University of Delaware had tied their all-time high score, earning 47 of a possible 49 points. The overall lead could even perhaps be theirs, but had Del Val also scored well into the fourties?

The final section of beginner walk-trot-canter also went to UDel, as Nicole Dobbs won. The chance to go undefeated in the indoor went by the boards in the days' final class, as Megan Barilla won the final advanced walk-trot-canter class for the Aggies (Del Val had three riders out of seven in this section). When the points were added Del Val had a very respectable 38 points, but with the Hens scoring 47 the four point Del Val lead had become a five point deficit headed into the Villanova show at Briarwood Farm the following Saturday.

Settling the ride-off: Seeing as the show could run past 6PM (it ended at 5:54) the decision was made to forgo the ride-off in favor of pulling pieces of paper out of a hat with either "High Point," "Reserve High Point," "Good Job" or "This Space For Rent" written on them. Though not all four undergraduate riders with two firsts actually did the drawing, a representative from each team did. McNamara actually got the high point rider ribbon by default, as each of the other slips of paper came out first. Windish was selected the reserve ribbon winner.

--Steve Maxwell

Show Incidentals: Sunny skies, with temperatures rising to the upper '60's. Start time: Unknown. Finish: 5:54PM - includes many schooling breaks through the early portion of the show. Coaches & Captains meeting held prior to start of show. Point cards posted in this region? No. Alumni classes held in this Region? Yes. Judge: Shirley Fox. Stewards: Cavanvan/Drexel University, Orem/West Chester University and Ron Blessington/former Bucks County Community College rider.

Team Totals: University of Delaware (High Point Team) 47; Delaware Valley College 38; Bucks County Community College 36; University of Pennsylvania 24; Drexel University 23; Villanova University 22; West Chester University 20; Arcadia University 13; Rider University 5; Temple University 4 and Washington College 1.

High Point Rider - Devan McNamara, Delaware Valley College
Reserve High Point Rider - Jennifer Windish, University of Delaware