Centenary College junior Rachel Samuels came up big at Zone 2 Zones on April 7th, winning team intermediate flat, individual novice fences and earning second place in individual novice flat.

CENTENARY WINS BUT FAIRFIELD IS THE BIG STORY

Canton, NY - Three seasons ago Centenary College won Zone 2 Zones in Cazenovia, New York, which was the last time Zone 2 Zones were hosted by a Region 2 school. The Central part of New York State remained kind to the Cyclones in 2007, as Centenary won handily. The 'Evil Empire' as they are known in some Region 1 circles only trialed once, and that was after the first class. By the third class Centenary was ahead for good, and from start to finish not one Centenary team rider placed below second.

Yet the real story of the show at the Elsa Gunnison Appleton Riding Hall was not the Centenary romp for first but rather the underdog showing by Fairfield University. Perhaps at a disadvantage in that their three opponents in the team competition have their own riding facilities, the Dear were to indeed be feared. Freshman Open Rider Elysse Ruschmeyer (whose older sister Genna graduated from Fairfield last May) won team open fences to start the day. Another Fairfield freshman, Allison Irving, finished second to Centenarys' Nora Crist in team intermediate fences shortly thereafter. Through two team classes it was Centenary 12, Fairfield 12, Cazenovia College 7 and Skidmore College 7 (Former Cacchione Cup winner Ashley Woodhouse placed fourth in team open fences. The Skidmore senior supposedly broke from the canter to earn the white ribbon). With Zone 2 the only Zone nationwide with over 1,000 hunter seat riders, the top three teams at Zones move on to IHSA Nationals. Though it was early, some actually wondered who the odd team out might be.

The remaining six team classes all had a common thread: Riders from Centenary or Skidmore would place first or second in every one of them. Subsequently Fairfield proceeded to earn fourth-after-fourth, allowing Cazenovia to chip away at the Stags' five point lead. The eighth and final team class was open fences. Woodhouse made amends for her earlier snaffu to win the division while Ashley DiBongrazio of Centenary was second (as had been the case for the Hightstown, New Jersey resident in team open fences). Ruschmeyer was in fact, Third, earning the first yellow ribbon of the day for the Stags and insuring that Fairfield would send a full hunter seat team to IHSA Nationals for the first time in four years and for the first time as a member of Zone 2, which absorbed Southwestern Connecticut and Long Island prior to the 2005-06 season.

Former Centenary College standout Kelly Anne Taylor (right) had the opportunity to coach Fairfield University against her former team. While Centenary won handily, Fairfield survived the team competition, thanks in large part to freshman open rider Elysse Ruschmeyer (left), who earned 11 of the Stags' 31 points.

Though Cazenovia did not advance from the team competition, Region 2 undergraduates faired the best in individual classes. Six riders from Region 2 moved on to the Big E in Springfield, Massachusetts, including walk-trot rider Brittany Burns of the Wildcats. Caitlin Hartman of Alfred won the individual walk-trot-canter while Lindsey Weatherhead of the University of Ottawa placed second to Centenarys' Rachel Samuels in individual novice fences. Though we at Campus Equestrian cannot yet prove it, we see no signs that a Canadian school has ever advanced an IHSA rider to Nationals prior to Weatherhead's performance on this day. Saint Lawrence was already represented at IHSA Nationals as Brittan White is the Region 2 Cacchione rider. White (who was second in individual open flat to earn another ride at Nationals) will be joined by teammates Dorrie Douglas, who was second to Jessica Schroff of Skidmore in the day's first class, individual open fences, and Jessica Campbell, who won individual novice flat. As soon as Campbell enters the ring at the Big E she will make IHSA history as the first daughter of a prior Cacchione Cup winner to compete at IHSA Nationals. Campbell's mom Suzie was the Cacchione Cup Champion as a sophomore with Colby-Sawyer College in 1976.

--Steve Maxwell

Class-By-Class Results from 2007 Zone 2 Zones in Canton, New York, 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. Jessica Schroff, Skidmore College. 2. Dorrie Douglas, Saint Lawrence University. 3. Elysse Ruschmeyer, Fairfield University. 4. Ashley DiBongrazio, Centenary College. 5. Alison Levy, Binghamton University. 6. Rachel Cresswell, Stony Brook University. 7. Brittan White, Saint Lawrence University. 8. Jackie Minto, Long Island University - C.W. Post College.

Team Open Equitation Over Fences: 1. Elysse Ruschmeyer, Fairfield University. 2. Ashley DiBongrazio, Centenary College. 3. Jackie Miller, Cazenovia College. 4. Ashley Woodhouse, Skidmore College.

Individual Intermediate Equitation Over Fences: 1. Danielle Curcio, Sacred Heart University. 2. Monica Cluff, Fairfield University. 3. Courtney Clark, Skidmore College. 4. Kerri Rosen, Syracuse University. 5. Karli Tauss, Molloy College. 6. Lisa Landis, Alfred University. 7. Alyce Simons, Saint Lawrence University. 8. Christina Van Vooren, Centenary College.

Team Intermediate Equitation Over Fences: 1. Nora Crist, Centenary College. 2. Alison Irving, Fairfield University. 3. Jennifer Wilkins, Skidmore College. 4. Jen Mondazzi, Cazenovia College.

Individual Novice Equitation Over Fences: 1. Rachel Samuels, Centenary College. 2. Lindsey Weatherhead, University of Ottawa. 3. Jessica Campbell, Saint Lawrence University. 4. Christine Jordan, Centenary College. 5. Micaela Zettel, University of Ottawa. 6. Ella Nace, Ithaca College. 7. Amelia Rubenstein, Skidmore College. 8. Kyla MacHaffie, Fairfield University.

Team Novice Equitation Over Fences: 1. Alexa Lass, Centenary College. 2. Katherine Fegan, Skidmore College. 3. Beth Bracken, Cazenovia College. 4. Maria Christine Cordona, Fairfield University.

Alumni Equitation Over Fences: 1. Emily Unger, Stonehill College. 2. Kristine Kennedy, Drew University. 3. Lisa Tomaselli, Virginia Tech. 4. Amy Gregonis, Centenary College. 4. Danielle Reynolds, Long Island University - C.W. Post College. 6. Audra Ravo, Ithaca College. 7. Becky Kosbob, State University of New York at Oswego. 8. Angela Netoskie, Pace University.

Team Novice Equitation on the Flat: 1. Kim Kalosy, Centenary College. 2. Katherine Fegan, Skidmore College. 3. Sharla Englerth, Cazenovia College. 4. Kelly Burke, Fairfield University.

Individual Open Equitation on the Flat: 1. Ashley Woodhouse, Skidmore College. 2. Brittan White, Saint Lawrence University. 3. Jessica Schroff, Skidmore College. 4. Rachel Cresswell, Stony Brook University. 5. Liz Redding, Cazenovia College. 6. Charlotte Morse, Yale University. 7. Ashley DiBongrazio, Centenary College. 8. Tori Frederick, Drew University.

Team Intermediate Equitation on the Flat: 1. Rachel Samuels, Centenary College. 2. Hawthorne Hart, Skidmore College. 3. Jen Mondazzi, Cazenovia College. 4. Alison Irving, Fairfield University.

Alumni Equitation on the Flat: 1. Amy Gregonis, Centenary College. 2. Kristine Kennedy, Drew University. 3. Sandra Sayre, Drew University. 4. Amanda Gerdts, Salve Regina University. 5. Emily Unger, Stonehill College. 6. Audra Ravo, Ithaca College. 7. Becky Kosbob, State University of New York at Oswego. 8. Angela Netoskie, Pace University.

Team Walk-Trot-Canter Equitation on the Flat: 1. Laura Roberts, Skidmore College. 2. Heather Bowen, Centenary College. 3. Eliza D'Alessandro, Cazenovia College. 4. Alisha Soares, Fairfield University.

Individual Walk-Trot Equitation on the Flat: 1. Elizabeth Jones, Fairfield University. 2. Brittany Burns, Cazenovia College. 3. Elizabeth Stanish, Skidmore College. 4. Erica Oziemina, Cornell University. 5. Tim Garvin, Nazareth College. 6. Amanda Brenske, Cornell University. 7. Jamie Merriman, William Paterson University. 8. Rachel Lieu, Long Island University - C.W. Post College.

Team Walk-Trot Equitation on the Flat: 1. Michal Adut, Skidmore College. 2. Megan Tritsch, Centenary College. 3. Jen Keefe, Cazenovia College. 4. Christel Stabler, Fairfield University.

Individual Walk-Trot-Canter Equitation on the Flat: 1. Caitlin Hartman, Alfred University. 2. Amy Carter, Centenary College. 3. Anna Supp, State University of New York at Cobleskill. 4. Christine Hawkins, Colgate University. 5. Sharla Englerth, Cazenovia College. 6. Addie Andrews, State University of New York at Geneseo. 7. Victoria Eckert, Centenary College. 8. Kelly Crawford, Saint Joseph's College (NY).

Individual Intermediate Equitation on the Flat: 1. Jennifer Wilkins, Skidmore College. 2. Laura Acker, Cornell University. 3. Katie Heishman, State University of New York at Geneseo. 4. Kate Bacon, Saint Lawrence University. 5. Kate Kokanovich, Colgate University. 6. Christina Van Vooren, Centenary College. 7. Kristin Novak, Syracuse University. 8. Lynn Matz, Saint Joseph's College (NY).

Individual Novice Equitation on the Flat: 1. Jessica Campbell, Saint Lawrence University. 2. Rachel Samuels, Centenary College. 3. Christine Jordan, Centenary College. 4. Craig Worboys, State University of New York at Potsdam. 5. Laura Clough, Hartwick College. 6. Julia Morton, State University of New York at Cobleskill. 7. Kara Rothermal, Siena College. 8. Jessica Anselmo, Centenary College.

Team Open Equitation on the Flat: 1. Ashley Woodhouse, Skidmore College. 2. Ashley DiBongrazio, Centenary College. 3. Elysse Ruschmeyer, Fairfield University. 4. Liz Redding, Cazenovia College.

USEF/Cacchione Cup Combined Fences & Flat Phases: 1. Ashley Woodhouse, Skidmore College. 2. Rachel Cresswell, Stony Brook University. 3. Brittan White, Saint Lawrence University. 4. Liz Stitzel, Sarah Lawrence College.

Final Hunter Seat Team Totals, with the top three teams advancing to IHSA Nationals May 3rd through 6th in Springfield, Massachusetts: Centenary College 48; Skidmore College 43, Fairfield University 31 and Cazenovia College 30.

(Special Thanks to Rachel Cresswell for her help in gathering these results - Editor)