Colette Courtney (on horse), a freshman music education major from El Paso put West Texas A & M on the board in the beginner western division. The buffs would indeed be heard from again.

It's great to be an A & M

(Editor's note: This story was revised on 6/22/03 to reflect two errors. My thanks to Chris Harrell at Texas A & M for pointing out these oversights - Steve Maxwell.)

The IHSA has a rule stipulating that if a zone has 499 or fewer hunter seat riders then that zone sends one hunter seat team to IHSA Nationals. If a zone has between 500 and 999 hunter seat riders then two teams advance from zones to IHSA Nationals in the team competition. A thousand or more? Three teams go.

For stock seat, the rules are similar. However there are currently seven IHSA regions without any stock seat. Because of this there should be fewer western teams in the Nationals team competition. In an effort to promote the growth of Stock Seat, the IHSA executive board worked it out so that seventeen stock seat teams - the same number as for hunter seat - participated in the 2003 IHSA National Horse Show at the brand-new Tennessee Miller Coliseum in Murfreesboro, Tennessee.

In hunter seat, only the top team in each region is currently eligible to advance to zones in a team competition. However, in stock seat, the rule about taking only two teams if there are between 500 and 999 stock seat riders does not always apply. Three of the four zone 8 region champion stock seat teams advanced to Nationals. All three from zone 9 advanced.

Zone 7 is another story altogether, for this is the only zone remaining with a paltry two regions. Yet Zone 7 sports perhaps the largest number of stock seat riders coast-to-coast, and among the most talented. During the regular season, Colorado State won Zone 7, Region 1 (made up of Colorado, New Mexico and Wyoming) by 28 points over New Mexico State. Zone 7, Region 2 was a closer race, and a controversial one. Oklahoma State appeared to come from behind during the final regular season show hosted by Texas A & M on March 2nd. The final results had Oklahoma State with 143, Texas A & M with 141 and West Texas A & M with 138. The defending Co-National Champs would still have a shot to go back, as the IHSA made a unique exception: The reserve high point team in each Zone 7 region would take part in a four-way stock seat team competition at zone 7 zones, with the better of the two second-place teams getting a so-called wild card berth at IHSA Nationals.

The story would have ended there, but in the following days it was discovered that Oklahoma State had used a "Misclassified Rider" to quote the Texas A & M athletic department. The points from the March 2nd show at Dick Freeman Arena were re-calculated and Texas A & M was now region champion (still with 141 points) while West Texas A & M moved to second (also staying at 138 points) and Oklahoma State fell to third with 133 points. At Zone 7 Zones on April 5th, host New Mexico State could not beat out West Texas A & M for the wild card. Texas A & M won (with 32 of a possible 35 points!), West Texas A & M was second with 25, New Mexico State was third with 20, while Colorado State, already assured of a place in the Nationals team competition, was fourth with 18 points. This marked the first time two separate stock seat teams from the state of Texas would both compete at IHSA Nationals. The Texas A & M aggies were defending co-national champions, but could the buffs from Canyon, TX dethrone them?

Unlike the hunter seat competition, where only seven out of fifteen teams were back from the 2002 Nationals team competition, better than half the stock seat teams were returnees. In 2002 there were only 14 teams in the stock seat team competition, nine of which were back this season as part of the record 17 teams participating. The State University of New York at Morrisville was back, hoping to improve on a three-point performance last season; The University of Maryland, back for the third year in a row since western was formed in Zone 4, Region 1 in Fall 2000, and still looking for their first-ever team point at Nationals; Auburn University, with last season's AQHA Cup runner-up Crystal Pope riding in both open classes; Colorado State, with first-year western coach Bobbie Skelton, hoping to prove that Zone 7 Zones were just an off-day; The College of Southern Idaho, with assistant coach and region president Eric Hubbard in tow, hoping to send Hubbard out on a positive note (Hubbard will be an assistant coach at the University of the South starting in the Fall, though as it turned out he still had one great alumni ride left in him); Cal-Poly Pomona, with head coach Jerry Liberatore in tow, hoping to send Liberatore out on a positive note (Liberatore will remain involved with the Pomona equine program but will no longer be involved with the IHSA now that he will be a full-time Paramedic); Midway College, coached by Shelby Hume, now a member of Zone 6 and the last team to secure a birth at Nationals (Findlay had placed ahead of Midway at Zone 6 Zones but in similar circumstances to what happened with Oklahoma State, the oiler stock seat team had to forfeit a class at Zones, resulting in Midway scoring more points. The eagles only found out about the switch the previous weekend, too late to change the official program sold at the National show) and Ohio State, the Co-National Champions, coached by Ollie and Debbie Griffith, back to try and win an eighth IHSA stock seat National Championship. Both Texas A & M and Ohio State would be defending their titles with only one rider from last season's championship teams. Barbara Stancel was second at Cazenovia last season in advanced western horsemanship, part of the Ohio State comeback on the third day of the 2002 show. However first went to Jessica Tate of Texas A & M, who unlike Stancel had not pointed out of the division during 2002-03. Tate would have a shot to win the exact same class two seasons in a row while Stancel would ride in the more difficult open western horsemanship division.

Eight other teams were in the competition, two of them for the first time, and both newcommers had the same nickname. Kansas State, coached by Lindsay Breidenthal, was one of three teams from the new Zone 9 to compete. In previous seasons the wildcats were in Zone 7, Region 2 with Texas A & M, Oklahoma State and West Texas A & M, formidable competition to beat to say the least. Cazenovia College, coached by Brian Maxwell, had previously been in the same stock seat region in upstate New York with S.U.N.Y. - Morrisville. In 2002-03 the stock seat fell in line with the hunter seat, and the wildcats easily won region 2 while S.U.N.Y. - Morrisville kept winning though in the new region 3 this time. Other teams in the stock seat competition had been at Nationals at some point in the past. Fresno State was back after being caught in a number's game in 2002 (only two stock seat teams came out of Zone 8 last season, do to a drop in overall membership within the zone). Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, coached by Cindy Durham, returned as part of the new Zone 9, Region 1. The Pomeroys last took a stock seat team to Nationals in 1999. The University of Minnesota at Crookston, coached by Jonathan Holland and the third entry from Zone 9 (via region 3) were last at Nationals with a team in 1997 at Mount Holyoke. Kutztown University, coached by Bruce Lachiusa, was the first team from Zone 3 to reach Nationals back in 1999 (the golden bears had also participated in 2000). Middle Tennessee State, the hosts of this year's (and next year's) show, had competed at 2001 Nationals in Conyers, Georgia. The open rider on the 2001 team was Sarah Elder, third in team open western horsemanship and looking to improve on that score this time around. The third returnee from 2001 was Rebekah Backman's West Texas A & M buffs, sporting five completely different riders from that team, which had finished third in the nation with a healthy 14 points. Could the buffs improve on that number in 2003?

First up: Open reining The parade/opening ceremonies (which actually came after two hunter seat classes were complete) took place before 12 Noon. Spectators waiting for the one and only stock seat team class could have gone sight-seeing during the afternoon and still made it back in time for the open reining, which started after 7PM. In spite of nine teams returning from last season's competition only Pope could claim to have ridden in the class last season. In an era when male participation is on the rise it was also surprising to see seventeen females in the ring. As recently as 2000 there had been four men in this class and not since at least the mid-90's had the class been 100% female before today (the stock seat team competition featured only one male, College of Southern Idaho freshman Chris McCann, who rode in the team beginner western division).

Each rider performed their pattern, with the combined judging scores of Leslie Lange and Bob Mowrey read afterwards. Anyone who wrote down the scores could determine some of the placings before they were announced. As a result, fans of Middle Tennessee State knew their rider would be getting the blue ribbon and the team would be getting seven points before the obligatory delay between the last pattern in the class and calculating the order of all the scores in order to announce the results. When the placings were announced, the eleven riders who were not in the top six were each given "Participation Ribbons" one by one. Sixth was awarded to Colorado State sophomore Kayce Wagner, who had been tenth in the Zone 7, Region 1 open rider standings during the regular season. Fifth went to S.U.N.Y. - Morrisville's Debby Boardman, who had already participated in the rail phase of the AQHA Cup Competition (Boardman made the top ten in that department as well). Stancel was fourth, while Katie Fistner of Cazenovia brought the wildcats their first stock seat team points ever with a third. Though the legendary Quincy Cahill graduated mid-season, Texas A & M Freshman Katie Forest almost did as well as Cahill used to, the sophomore from Richmond, TX placing second. MTSU's Elder won the class, earning her first blue ribbon at an IHSA Nationals show, but not her last. The senior from Maryville, TN would have a few more rides before the weekend was over.

Second class: Beginner western Though luck of the draw plays a large part in any class, the walk-jog-lope is perhaps the division where the playing field is as level as it's ever going to be. Many of the participants only began to ride over the past season or two, and in most cases the teams to beat overall occasionally get shut out here. Taking place on Saturday afternoon, the class actually was a pre-cursor to who would do the best overall, as four of the six riders to put points on the scoreboard came from the eventual top four teams. An exception was sixth place, a historic moment as Carmelina Carroccetto of Kutztown scored the first-ever team point for the golden bears. This was actually the first time any team from Zone 3 had ever scored in a Nationals stock seat team competition, with this being the fifth season of stock seat for the zone. Above Carroccetto in sixth was Amanda Craddock of Middle Tennessee State, earning a fifth and keeping the blue raiders in the lead. Fourth went to Jennifer Jones of Texas A & M, putting Tana Rawson's aggies a point behind MTSU through two. Third went to Lisa Martin of Ohio State, putting the buckeyes two points behind MTSU with seven overall. Second went to Cal Poly-Pomona's Shawna Winfrey, earning the first points of the show for Liberatore in his finale with the broncos. The winner of the class was Colette Courtney of West Texas A & M, which put the buffs on the board and only two behind the hosts and one behind region rival Texas A & M.

Seen here with College of Southern Idaho assistant coach Eric Hubbard (who ran the trophy room), Trina Schwertner became the second WTAMU buff to win a stock seat team class when the sophomore from Slaton, TX won the Intermediate Western.

Third down: Intermediate western horsemanship Two teams began to emerge, though with two classes to go neither had clinched anything other than double digits. In sixth was Ashley Hiller of Ohio State, who had been the only rider on Ohio State not to win her team class at Zone 6 Zones. Hiller kept the buckeyes on the board through each of the first three divisions. Kansas State junior Lauren Allen put the wildcats on the board with a fifth while Jill Schroer of S.U.N.Y. - Morrisville brought coach Bonnie Miller's mustangs to five points with a fourth, equaling Morrisville's previous two nationals' scores combined. Lindsay Brown kept Cazenovia in the running with a third. Claire Adian kept Texas A & M in reserve with a second. However, West Texas A & M was able to move into the lead, one point ahead of the aggies, as sophomore Trina Schwertner won the intermediate outright.

The penultimate class: Advanced western horsemanship The sun set over Murfreesboro during the eleventh of thirteen classes held during the Saturday session. Rachel Smith put Greg Williams' Auburn tigers on the scoreboard with a sixth. Megan McGee's Fresno State bulldogs also got on the board, thanks to a fifth from Stephanie Reeves. College of Southern Idaho coaches Curt Fuller and Eric Hubbard also avoided a shutout, as freshman Brenna Burris placed fourth. West Texas A & M sophomore Mallory Vestal was third, the third class in a row that the buffs gathered points. Ohio State's chance for a second straight National Championship (or at least a share of it) was on the line, and sophomore Ashley Kremer came through with a second to keep the buckeyes in it. Texas A & M's Jessica Tate had a shot to win the same class at Nationals two seasons in a row, but it was not to be. Kristin Tanney of Kansas State, a sophomore from Spring Hill, KS moved coach Breidenthal's team total to nine points, keeping the wildcats alive for second place at this point. Vestal had moved the buffs five points ahead of both Ohio State and Texas A & M. If Bachman's buffs could get a fifth or better on Sunday then the title (or a share of it) would be assured of going to Canyon, TX for the first time.

Middle Tennessee State senior Sarah Elder won both team stock seat open level classes. Seen here in the winner's circle after winning the open western horsemanship section, Elder's efforts were not enough in themselves to lift the blue raiders to a national championship.

The light at the end of the tunnel: Open western horsemanship The only western team class to be held on Sunday would determine which of three teams would be National Champs. Ohio State senior Kim Wingfield, long in the shadow of Laura Mae Phillips, now would get her chance to be the latest buckeye hero. Ashley Shiffler of Texas A & M was almost in the same boat. The senior from Hummelstown, PA (who will return to The aggies for one more season) was competing in her first IHSA Nationals class of any kind, and a class that Quincy Cahill had been the Texas A & M entry in last season. Both Shiffler and Wingfield would have to hope that Kristen McDonald of West Texas A & M would not place higher than fourth, as this would clinch an outright title for the buffs.

Incredibly, only five of the seventeen riders from the team open reining pattern were chosen to compete in the rail division (Elder, Pope, Boardman, Fistner and College of Southern Idaho's Hannah Bitzenburg all rode twice and unsurprisingly all rode in the AQHA individual High Point Western Cup class as well). Each rider performed the walk-jog-lope routine in both directions, followed by the individual patterns. Though about seven of the riders bungled their patterns to the point where their teams were obviously not going to get anymore points, about ten riders looked very, very good. The participation ribbons, as always at IHSA Nationals, were given out first. Wingfield and McDonald both had to be disappointed in hearing their names called after rides that would normally win something back in their regions. Shiffler however did not get called, and could bring the aggies a championship with a first.

Sixth place went to Jessica Frazier of Fresno State while Fistner boosted Cazenovia to double digits in their first stock seat team appearance with a fifth. Erin Peery, a sophomore from Lee's Summit, MO who transfered from Oklahoma State to Kansas State in 2002 moved the wildcats to at least fifth place with a fourth. Buffs fans were getting nervous as Shiffler was still not yet pinned. It got even closer as Colorado State freshman Michelle Kippur received the third place ribbon, raising the rams' total to five points. More importantly, the Texas A & M aggies guaranteed themselves at least a tie as repeat National Champions.

Texas A & M senior Ashley Shiffler (on right, with head coach Tana Rawson) was second in team open western horsemanship. Shiffler was one of three aggies to place second in a team stock seat class. The aggies became the first stock team since at least 1990 to earn a share of the team national championship without placing first in any of the five classes.

Second place was announced. It was Shiffler, meaning the region 2 rivals were Co-National Champions, both with 18 points. Host Middle Tennessee State then jumped over Cazenovia, Kansas State and Ohio State as Sarah Elder won the class. Elder was the biggest winner overall for the three days, placing first in both of her team classes while winning the AQHA Cup and placing third in both indvidual open western classes. Brzezicki's blue raiders ended up with 16 points, behind only Rawson's aggies and Bachman's buffs.

Texas A & M now has the unique distinction of being declaired IHSA National Stock Seat Champions three times, and none of them ever were outright. The aggies tied with Colorado State in 1994 (which was hosted by Texas A & M), Ohio State last year and the team they beat by three whole points during the regular season in 2003, the buffs. For Bachman and West Texas A & M, it was the high point of the program's history.

---Steve Maxwell

The Stock Seat Team Class-by-Class Results. The first class listed was held Friday, May 2nd, the next three were held Saturday, May 3rd, and the final class was held Sunday, May 4th. The judges for all stock seat classes were Leslie Lange, Greeley, CO and Bob Mowrey, Holly Springs, SC:

Team open reining: 1. Sarah Elder, Middle Tennessee State University. 2. Katie Forest, Texas A & M University. 3. Katie Fistner, Cazenovia College. 4. Barbara Stancel, Ohio State University. 5. Debby Boardman, State University of New York at Morrisville. 6. Kayce Wagner, Colorado State University.

Team beginner western horsemanship: 1. Colette Courtney, West Texas A & M University. 2. Shawna Winfrey, Cal Poly - Pomona. 3. Lisa Martin, Ohio State University. 4. Jennifer Jones, Texas A & M University. 5. Amanda Craddock, Middle Tennessee State University. 6. Carmelina Carroccetto, Kutztown University.

Team intermediate western horsemanship: 1. Trina Schwertner, West Texas A & M. 2. Claire Adian, Texas A & M University. 3. Lindsay Brown, Cazenovia College. 4. Jill Schroer, State University of New York at Morrisville. 5. Lauren Allen, Kansas State University. 6. Ashley Hiller, Ohio State University.

Team advanced western horsemanship: 1. Kristin Tanney, Kansas State University. 2. Ashley Kremer, Ohio State University. 3. Mallory Vestal, West Texas A & M University. 4. Brenna Burris, College of Southern Idaho. 5. Stephanie Reeves, Fresno State. 6. Rachel Smith, Auburn University.

Open Western Horsemanship: 1. Sarah Elder, Middle Tennessee State University. 2. Ashley Shiffler, Texas A & M University. 3. Michelle Kippur, Colorado State University. 4. Erin Peery, Kansas State University. 5. Katie Fistner, Cazenovia College. 6. Jessica Frazier, Fresno State!

The 2003 Co-National Champions. Texas A & M is to the left of the AQHA Trophy, while West Texas A & M is to the right.

Stock Seat Team Totals: