STANFORD WINS ZONE 8 TEAM COMPETITION WHILE CALIFORNIA SCHOOLS DOMINATE INDIVIDUAL PLACINGS

Pomona, CA - It was misting in Southern California before the show started, but thankfully a move to the covered ring was not necessary. Under overcast skies and temperatures in the low '70's Stanford University won early and often, scoring six blue ribbons in the team competition en route to 50 points and their second consecutive Zone 8 Zones Championship. Open rider (and Zone 8, Region 1 Cacchione representative) Katherine 'Kat' Bechtel won both team open classes for the Cardinal while Margaux Bennett won team novice and advanced to Nationals individually with a second in individual walk-trot-canter. Of all five Zones shows to take place around the country on April 7th, Stanford scored the most points, earning two more than Centenary College and defending National Champs Mount Holyoke College.

Riders from schools in Regions 1 and 2 of Zone 8 took 15 of the top 16 individual prizes, with Helen Speidel of the University of Washington the only undergraduate rider not from a California school to advance to Nationals (Speidel, who rides for the University of Washington, won the individual novice flat). Stanford advanced four riders, while the University of California at San Diego advanced three. The University of Southern California advanced three rides, with two of them belonging to Trojan open rider Braidee Foote, who won individual open flat while placing second to UCSD's Cameron Bradley in individual open fences. Stanford owned all the divisions below novice, earning High Point and Reserve honors in individual walk-trot and individual walk-trot-canter, while also winning the team classes for these divisions.

Though the winners have a long trek to Massachusetts ahead of them, the good news is that 2008 Nationals will be not far west of the Fairplex, at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, which hopefully will cut down on travel time and expenses.

--Steve Maxwell

Class-By-Class Results from 2007 Zone 8 Zones in Pomona, California, with the top two riders in each individual class advancing to IHSA Nationals May 3rd through 6th in Springfield, Massachusetts:

Individual Open Equitation Over Fences: 1. Cameron Bradley, University of California at San Diego. 2. Braidee Foote, University of Southern California. 3. Katherine Bechtel, Stanford University. 4. Anders Jones, Stanford University. 5. Kaitlyn Kleck, University of Oregon. 6. Elena Micucci, Montana State University at Bozeman. 7. Cammie Ginkel, College of Southern Idaho. 8. Aleesha Gillette, University of British Columbia.

Team Open Equitation Over Fences: 1. Katherine Bechtel, Stanford University. 2. Cammie Ginkel, College of Southern Idaho. 3. Hailey Quirk, Cal Poly - Pomona. 4. Laura Sahlfeld, Oregon State University.

Individual Intermediate Equitation Over Fences: 1. Tracy Brownell, Cal State - Fullerton. 2. Christine Andry, Santa Clara University. 3. Julianna Simon, Washington State University. 4. Claire Winterscheid, Oregon State University. 5. Hannah Klasson, University of California at Davis. 6. Beth Brune, College of Southern Idaho. 7. Elizabeth Behrens, University of Montana.

Team Intermediate Equitation Over Fences: 1. K.C. Simon, Stanford University. 2. Julie Mandle, Cal Poly - Pomona. 3. Emma Clark, Oregon State University. 4. Joetta Johnson, College of Southern Idaho.

Individual Novice Equitation Over Fences: 1. Laura Erickson, University of California at San Diego. 2. Katie Spillane, University of Southern California. 3. Sammy Ryan, University of Montana - Western.

Team Novice Equitation Over Fences: 1. Meghann Rhynard-Geil, Oregon State University. 2. Kate Sernoff, Stanford University. 3. Katrina Sedorka, Cal Poly - Pomona. 4. Jennifer Johnson, College of Southern Idaho.

Alumni Equitation Over Fences: 1. Dana Stewart, University of San Diego. 2. Meghan Sederholm, College of Southern Idaho. 3. Mika Buffington, University of Maryland.

Alumni Equitation on the Flat: 1. Dana Stewart, University of San Diego. 2. Meghan Sederholm, College of Southern Idaho.

Individual Walk-Trot-Canter Equitation on the Flat: 1. Jane Sundae, Stanford University. 2. Margaux Bennett, Stanford University. 3. Monica Meell, Western Washington University. 4. Amanda Stephenson, University of Montana - Western. 5. Carolyn La Prade, Cal Poly - Pomona. 6. Jenny Seto, University of Southern California. 7. Corrie Watson, College of Southern Idaho. 8. Erin O'Donnell, Washington State University.

Team Walk-Trot-Canter Equitation on the Flat: 1. Kate Farrell, Stanford University. 2. Christina Bernards, Oregon State University. 3. Mila Bock, Cal Poly - Pomona. 4. Jaime Dennis, College of Southern Idaho.

Individual Walk-Trot Equitation on the Flat: 1. Karen Lone, Stanford University. 2. Jarret Guajardo, Stanford University. 3. Esther Lo, University of Southern California. 4. Sarah Rios, Cal Poly - Pomona. 5. Amanda Carlson, University of Montana - Western. 6. Jenny Otteman, Washington State University. 7. Jaime Dennis, College of Southern Idaho.

Team Walk-Trot Equitation on the Flat: 1. Elise Menke, Stanford University. 2. Katy Warrick, College of Southern Idaho. 3. Alexis Spaeth, Cal Poly - Pomona. 4. Megan Dilson, Oregon State University.

Individual Novice Equitation on the Flat: 1. Helen Speidel, University of Washington. 2. Jessica Moylan, Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo. 3. Laura Erickson, University of California at San Diego. 4. Pam Geist, Stanford University. 5. Adrienne Smith, Oregon State University. 6. Nikki Medrud, Rocky Mountain College. 7. Leila Bicos, University of California at Los Angeles. 8. Elena Ruddy, University of Montana.

Team Novice Equitation on the Flat: 1. Margaux Bennett, Stanford University. 2. Meghann Rhynard-Geil, Oregon State University. 3. Carolyn La Prade, Cal Poly - Pomona. 4. Corrie Watson, College of Southern Idaho.

Individual Intermediate Equitation on the Flat: 1. Christine Andry, Santa Clara University. 2. Clara Turner, University of California at San Diego. 3. Dara Sheinman, Cal Poly - Pomona. 4. Jason Peacock, Linn-Benton Community College. 5. Julianna Simon, Washington State University. 6. Leah Roady, Cal Poly - San Luis Obispo.

Team Intermediate Equitation on the Flat: 1. Julie Mandle, Cal Poly - Pomona. 2. Beth Brune, College of Southern Idaho. 3. Adrienne Smith, Oregon State University. 4. Pam Geist, Stanford University.

Individual Open Equitation on the Flat: 1. Braidee Foote, University of Southern California. 2. Michelle Brownstein, University of California at Los Angeles. 3. Katherine Bechtel, Stanford University. 4. Stephanie Mitchell, Washington State University. 5. Allison Kenton, University of California at Davis. 6. Kaitlyn Kleck, University of Oregon. 7. Ashley Wren, Montana State University at Bozeman. 8. Cammie Ginkel, College of Southern Idaho.

Team Open Equitation on the Flat: 1. Katherine Bechtel, Stanford University. 2. Hailey Quirk, Cal Poly - Pomona. 3. Khrista Drew, College of Southern Idaho. 4. Sara Gibson, Oregon State University.

Final Hunter Seat Team Totals, with the top team advancing to IHSA Nationals May 3rd through 6th in Springfield, Massachusetts: Stanford University 50, Cal Poly - Pomona 37, Oregon State University 34 and College of Southern Idaho 31.

(Special thanks to Krystina Snyder for her help in gathering these results and to Hailey Quirk for her account of the competition - Editor)