From left to right are University of Kentucky Head Coach Michelle Zimmer, "Classy," University of Kentucky senior Callie Schott and her Mother, former Kentucky Head Coach Elaine Schott. Callie Schott received a score of '87' while riding Classy in the team open fences class, good enough for the blue ribbon.

WITH A WIN IN THE FINAL CLASS KENTUCKY SCHOTT TO VICTORY

BURBANK, CA - Sometimes the Hunter Seat Team Competition at IHSA Nationals is a ho-hum affair, with one team pulling way ahead, making the latter half of the competition academic. In total contrast to a potential ho-hum outcome, 2008 IHSA Nationals will go down in history as one of the best ever, as both the Hunter Seat and Western Team Competitions went down to the final class.

While an account of the Western Team Competition is in the works, this story has to do with the hunter seat. And on a weekend when several records were set, the Hunter Seat Team Competition was the top story, with eight teams all alive with a shot to at least share the 2008 National Championship going into the final team class.

2008 IHSA Nationals marked only the second time in the organization's 41-year history that the year-end show took place on the West Coast, returning to the Los Angeles Equestrian Center in Burbank, California for the first time since 1996. It was also the first time since the 1996 show that the University of Massachusetts at Amherst had a full hunter seat team entered in the competition. The Minutemen had not won their region in that time, as Mount Holyoke had eleven consecutive Zone 1, Region 3 Championships in between (not to mention nine appearances at IHSA Nationals, two National Championships and a tie for the Reserve National Championship in '07). Umass was one of seven schools with a full team entered which had not competed in the 2007 Team Competition in West Springfield, Massachusetts. The other six were St. Lawrence University (beating out Cazenovia for the Zone 2, Region 2 Region Title), the University of Mary Washington (beating out Goucher for the Zone 4, Region 1 Title), St. Mary of the Woods College (which beat out Purdue in Zone 9, Region 1 to earn their first-ever hunter seat Region Title), Louisiana State University (surviving Zone 7 Zones for the first time), West Virginia University (surviving Zone 3 Zones for the first time) and Cal-Poly Pomona, the most local school to the Los Angeles Equestrian Center with a full team, back with a hunter seat team for the first time since 2002.

Eleven of the 18 teams were returnees from 2007 Nationals. Defending National Champion Virginia Intermont College was competing in their ninth consecutive Nationals show, the longest currently active hunter seat streak. VI had run away with the blue ribbon last season, besting Mount Holyoke and the University of Findlay by a 37-25 score; Findlay was back, technically with a full team for the eighth time in nine seasons; Brown University finished third with 23 points at The Big E in '07 and was looking for their first championship; Centenary College scored nine points at the '07 Nationals show but was hoping for results similar or better than their '96 visit to the LAEC, when the Cyclones were Reserve National Champions; Berry College, which scored eight points at '07 Nationals, hoping for an upset; Skidmore College, which only scored six in '07 but won easily at the '96 competition; Stanford University, which scored only four points last season, the other Zone 8 entry along with Pomona, making this the first IHSA Nationals ever with two full hunter seat teams from the state of California entered; The University of Wisconsin at Madison, also with four points at the '07 show, hoping for something big in their fifth Nationals appearance in six seasons; Penn State University, Zone 3 Zones champions for the sixth year in a row and two seasons removed from a tie for Reserve National Champion with Stanford; the College of Charleston, with only two points at '07 Nationals, but a Zone 5 champion for the umpteenth time; and the University of Kentucky, which scored only five points at the Big E a year ago and which had finished second to Findlay at Zone 6 Zones for the second season in a row. Though several returning schools utilized many of the same riders as at '07 Nationals some wondered if experience would be a benefit this time around. For the most part, battle-tested riders from previous IHSA Nationals team competitions would not repeat past glories, making for perhaps the most balanced team scoring totals from top to bottom in many years.

IHSA Alumni Director Karen Sykes (left) and organization Founder and Executive Director Bob Cacchione (right) are seen with Berry College freshman Stephanie Petersen (center), who won team novice over fences. Petersen's win in the division not only gave Berry more points than they earned in eight classes at '07 Nationals, this also gave the Vikings their first-ever lead at an IHSA Nationals show.

Following the individual intermediate over fences, which started Nationals and during which eight of the top ten riders came from schools without a full team entered, the 2008 team competition began as it had every year since 2004 with Team Novice Equitation over Fences. Surprisingly none of the 18 entries in the team novice fences division was a holdover from the 2007 Nationals class bearing the same name. All 18 riders navigated the course, earning combined scores from Judges Sue Ashe and former Olympian and Chef d'Equipe Michael Page which ranged from a high of '85' and a low of '60.' With Kenn Marash announcing the scores over the PA System after every ride anyone in attendance could figure out who would place where before the ribbons were announced. The only thing that could affect the placings would be if the judges opted to test. As had been the case with the individual intermediate over fences, there was no further testing.

Though eight of the eighteen riders received scores in the '70's only two were destined to receive points for their efforts. After each rider who was out of the top six was thanked for their participation, the green ribbon and the first point awarded at 2008 Nationals went to Centenary College freshman Talor Lee-Stiles, one of three male riders who showed in this particular division. From Portland, Oregon, Lee-Stiles scored a '78' while freshman Hadley Deming of St. Lawrence University was fifth with a '79' score. It would not be the last time Deming would earn the Saints points in the team competition. Freshman continued to fair the best as Crystal Threlfall of the College of Charleston was fourth with an '80' score. From Ridgefield, Connecticut, Threlfall had given the Cougars one more point than they scored at the '07 show. Stanford would equal their '07 team total in the first division, as Pam Geist was third. A senior from Bedford, New York who had won the team novice flat division at 2006 IHSA Nationals in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Geist was the first non-freshman into the ribbons, earning a '81' score. University of Findlay junior Raffi Kechejian had placed fourth in team walk-trot-canter at '07 Nationals. From Clovis, California, Kechejian was one of a handful of Los Angeles area riders to compete not far from his hometown at '08 Nationals. Kechejian was the reserve champion with a score of '82' while Stephanie Petersen of Berry College was the first team rider with a blue champion ribbon. A freshman from Snellville, Georgia, Petersen had gone in the middle of the group and had easily finished atop the field with a combined '85' score. Petersen's first not only gave Berry College the early lead it marked the first time in program history that the Vikings held first place at an IHSA Nationals show.

In total contrast to the order of classes at the previous four IHSA Nationals, when four of the eight hunter seat team classes took place on the first day of the four-day event, only novice fences had been completed when day one of 2008 IHSA Nationals was completed. The second hunter seat team division was the second class on day two of Nationals, held following the jumping phase of the Cacchione Cup. Team Intermediate Equitation over Fences featured two riders who had competed in the same division at 2007 IHSA Nationals, with both improving on their performances of one year ago. In contrast to the jumping scores awarded at '07 Nationals, far more riders were able to score into the 80's this time around, though six riders also were in the '60's. At least one rider, Genevieve Rubin of the University of Wisconsin at Madison, received an exact '80' score which would have meant third place in the division at the 2007 show but kept her out of the ribbons (technically seventh) here. College of Charleston freshman Caitlin Smith received a score of '81,' giving the Glenmoore, Pennsylavania resident sixth place while providing the Cougars with their fourth point. Jessica Hoy of Penn State was one of the holdovers from last season's team intermediate over fences classes. Hoy had received a '74' score at the Big E in West Springfield but improved to an '82' at the LAEC which equalled fifth place. Berry College would hold the lead through another division, as freshman Megan Erikson was fourth. From Knoxville, Tennessee, Erikson's '84' score increased the Vikings' total to ten. Findlay made it two Californians in the ribbons in a row as senior Natassia Hovey was third. From Los Angeles, Hovey was competing in her fourth IHSA Nationals in some capacity. Hovey was one of three riders tested, and it turned out that testing did not change the order of the top three. Hovey's score of '86' resulted in the yellow ribbon, equaling her ride in team novice flat at 2005 IHSA Nationals at Eden Park in Columbus, Ohio. Virginia Intermonts' Jessica May received a '79' score and third place in team intermediate fences last season. This time around the senior from Auburn, New York received an '86.5' score but her test did not result in a move up from second. VI was at least on the board with five points, giving hope that a fourth championship in five seasons was within reach. University of Kentucky freshman Ali Cibon, whose older sister Kati competed in the Cacchione Cup for Ohio University in the previous class, received a score of '87' and further testing did not change her placing. From Bannockburn, Illinois, Ali Cibon had ridden "Freddy" (not to be confused with the similarly-named "Frederick") to victory in intermediate fences. Kentucky thus exceeded their 2007 total of five points. Another plus for the Wildcats was that 2007 Cacchione Cup runner-up Callie Schott had a pair of team open level rides on the remaining itinerary. Through two divisions Berry led with ten, Findlay had nine and Kentucky seven to round out the top three.

Centenary College junior Mary Bogatko gives a thumbs-up while signing thank-you notes at the awards table following her first in team walk-trot on May 9th. The five schools which placed second through fourth at 2008 IHSA Nationals had only two blue ribbons combined between them.

Though it was only the fourth class on day two, Team Walk-Trot was the final hunter seat team class of May 9th. Lyndsey Renken of the College of Charleston was a returnee from the division a year ago, while another rider, Claire Menke of Stanford University, is believed to be the younger sister of Elise-Marie Menke, who placed third in the division as a senior for the Cardinal at 2007 Nationals. Team walk-trot was the first team division with no judge's scores announced, which meant that the placings would be complete mysteries until Marash announced them. Though riders were asked to walk and trot in each direction, the judges perhaps instructed Marash to use unusual terminology to describe this to see if some of the riders would be caught offguard ("forward trot rising" was one of the requests). When the class was lined up (and it was a quick class, with less than five minutes passing between the 'you are now being judged at the walk' and 'riders you may line up' announcements) sixth place went to Kathryn Atwood of Berry College, raising the Vikings total to eleven. Fifth went to Findlay freshman Spencer Zimmerman, who would also compete individually in beginner western horsemanship. From Newport, Pennsylvania, Zimmermans' two points moved Findlay into a tie for the lead with Berry, both now with 11 points. Fourth went to Melissa Madsen of St. Mary of the Woods, the sophomore scoring the first hunter seat team points in the history of the Woodsies' program. University of Massachusetts at Amherst senior Hannah Deutsch, who had been a big part of the Minutemen taking down Mount Holyoke for the Region title (as the Lyons are known for exceptional walk-trot riders, including four individual national champions in the division since 1997), was third while St. Lawrence freshman Nicholas Dephtereos was reserve. From Watertown, New York, Dephtereos had moved St. Lawrence to within four points of the top spot. Champion in the division was Mary Bogatko of Centenary College. A junior from Westfield, New Jersey, Bogatko raised the Cyclones' total to eight points, only three off the lead. Through two days and three divisions eleven different teams had points, and all seven teams which were scoreless could take heart in that only eleven points separated them from the leaders.

In similar fashion to day two of IHSA Nationals, two more team classes took place on day three. The Saturday session began with alumni fences, the Cacchione Cup Work-Off phase, and Team Open Equitation over Fences for the third class of the morning. Two of the riders who had taken part in the work-off were ready to ride in open fences a short time later. One of those was Penn State junior Samantha Pandolfi, who had placed sixth in the Cacchione Cup but did not know this information at the time. In spite of a rail down during her team open fences round Pandolfi was still given a score of '77,' which proved worthy of sixth place. Virginia Intermonts' Brittany Denton finished with a '79,' giving the defending National Champs two more points as the junior from Atlanta, Georgia was fifth. Though a editing error in the Official Show Program omitted her from the page (as well as four others), Kate Lawrence of UMass at Amherst was part of the class, earning fourth place. The sophomore from Scituate, Massachusetts received a score of '80' for her jumping effort. Third place went to University of Mary Washington junior Jessica Van Brocklin, who had won individual open flat less than 24 hours earlier. From Alexandria, Virginia, Van Brocklin scored an '83' to give the Eagles their first points of the event. Unlike Pandolfi, Denton, Lawrence and Van Brocklin, Emily Bruschi of Skidmore College had not already competed at 2008 Nationals in the Cacchione Cup Competition (her teammate Megan Martin had that honor, in part because Martin won seven of her eight open fences classes during the Zone 2, Region 3 regular season). However the sophomore from Plainview, New York had finished fifth in the individual open fences on Thursday with a '77' score. This time around Bruschi received an '86' score, which put the well-named Thoroughbreds on the board for the first time. While Findlay and Berry were both out of the ribbons for the first time, Kentucky won outright for the second time in as many days. Schott, a senior from Versailles, Kentucky, rode a horse named 'Classy' and like Cibon received an '87' score. Suddenly the Wildcats were up 14-11 on Berry and Findlay, with ten teams also on the scoreboard and within 12 points of the top. Could the University of Kentucky continue to win every other class?

As was the case for Berry, Kentucky now led at IHSA Nationals for the first time in program history. Though many may not have known, the Wildcats were riding with a heavy heart, for one of their riders had tragically lost her life only a few hours after Kentucky survived Zone 6 Zones. Connie Blount, a freshman intermediate rider from Park City, Utah, was the victim of a hit-and-run early in the morning on April 13th. Blount came to Lexington to study equine and animal sciences and even brought horses "Luke" and "Sam" from Utah with her. Though Blount was not one of the Wildcat riders competing at Zones she was very popular with her teammates and was apparently close with Schott among others. Not unlike a year ago, when Virginia Intermont chose to wear Virginia Tech caps after the Zone 4, Region 3 rival Hokies lost one of their riders in the tragic April 2007 campus shootings, the University of Findlay took it upon themselves to wear blue UK Hats in support of their Zone 6 Zone rivals. There would even be a brief ceremony held outside the Equidome later in the show where Findlay hunter seat Coach Sandra McCarthy would present Schott with a trophy in memory of Blount.

Though her school did not earn any points until the fourth team class, Skidmore College Head Coach Cindy Ford (far left) saw freshman Hanae Kimura (center) win team walk-trot-canter to move the Thoroughbreds within three points of the top with two team classes to go.

Following alumni flat and team beginner western horsemanship, the fifth hunter seat team class saw the defending reserve champs re-take the lead. Three of the eighteen riders in Team Intermediate Equitation on the Flat were the same as a year ago, and one of them was Skidmore senior Hawthorne Hart. Hart proved that lightning strikes twice as she was sixth for the second year in a row (Had the junior from Waterford, Virginia placed first it would also have been a repeat performance, as Hart won team intermediate flat at 2006 Nationals). Hart's point gave Skidmore six overall while Rachel Samuels put Centenary into double digits with a fifth. From Pennsville, New Jersey, Samuels had been out of the ribbons in the same team division a year ago but earned two points here to give the Cyclones ten points over three days. Local entry Cal Poly - Pomona would not be shut out, as senior Carolyn LaPrade was fourth to give the Mustangs three points. UMass jumped into double figures a point ahead of Centenary, as freshman Stefanie Van der Kaaij was third for the Minutemen. Though Findlay had a different rider in the division a year ago in then-senior Ashley Gallo, the Oilers received the same result this year via Hovey. The senior improved on her intermediate fences placing by one point, more importantly giving Findlay a 16-14 lead on Kentucky with her red ribbon. Up until now Brown University had been shut out. Freshman Allegra Aron ended the Bears' dry spell by winning the intermediate flat. Aron gave Northern California their first blue ribbon of the team competition, as Aron hails from Burlingame. Though Brown needed five classes to score, the Bears were only nine points out, trailing Findlay 16-7 with Kentucky at 14, UMass and Berry at 11, Centenary at 10 and Virginia Intermont also at 7. Three teams that were not currently inside the top seven would wreck havoc with the overall placings less than 24 hours later.

Though some did not like the 2008 show schedule the decision to move three english team classes to the event's final day proved to make the show considerably more exciting. Few in attendance were probably able to recall 1997 Nationals, during which half the team classes were held on a Saturday and half on Sunday, far enough back in time that the entire National show took place in only two days. Ironically the final three team classes were walk-trot-canter, novice flat and open flat at 1997 IHSA Nationals, the same final three which would make up the Sunday (2008) session. At the 1997 show Centenary and Colorado State were leading with 16 while Stonehill College and the University of Delaware had 15 and Miami University of Ohio 14 entering the fifth english team class. When that show was over the University of Delaware had come from behind to unexpectedly win their first-ever IHSA Championship by a 27-25 margin over Colorado State, with Centenary close at 24 points and host Mount Holyoke fourth with 21. Could someone without a previous championship prevail this time?

Following the alumni reining division which started the fourth and final day of 2008 Nationals, the Team Walk-Trot-Canter division took place. None of the 18 riders entered in the division were holdovers from the 2007 team walk-trot-canter, though two riders had competed in team walk-trot at the Big E 12 months earlier. Following the usual walk-trot-canter-reverse-walk-trot-canter routine the class was lined up and as it turned out very few schools in the running saw their bubble burst. Ashlynne Jones became the second Centenary rider from the West Coast to earn a single point as the freshman from Bishop, California was sixth. Mallory Roberts, who had finished two places behind Jones at Zone 2 Zones on April 12th, gave St. Lawrence a boost as the freshman from Canandaigua, New York was fifth. Stephanie Carmack, who won the team walk-trot class a year earlier, finished her undergraduate career at Brown with a fourth. The senior from Pawcatuck, Connecticut thus took the Bears into double digits at ten points. Just as fifth and sixth went to Zone 2 riders, Zone 1 riders claimed third and fourth places. Ariel Spuzzillo, a University of Massachusetts at Amherst sophomore from Cleveland, Ohio who made her IHSA debut last October, was third. Spuzzillo was the third Minuteman rider in six team classes to earn a yellow ribbon. More importantly UMass was now at 15 points, only one shy of Findlay. West Virginia University was one of three teams which entered the division without having previously scored a single point. Jennifer Kanetsky, a freshman from Holland, Pennsylvania, became the first rider in West Virginia hunter seat program history to earn team points. Kanetsky's red ribbon also gave The Mountaineers more points than Zone 3 rival Penn State through six divisions.

Zone 2 contains schools in Northern New Jersey, the Province of Ontario and all but one school in the State of New York. Because Zone 2 has over 1,000 registered IHSA hunter seat riders the top three teams advance from their Zones show to IHSA Nationals as opposed to only one or two from the others. Though Zone 2 riders already had the fifth and sixth place ribbons there was one more rider from a Zone 2 school destined to hear her name called. Though she had finished between Jones and Roberts at Zones, Hanae Kimura was better than anyone else this time. The Skidmore freshman from Seattle, Washington won team walk-trot-canter to take the Thoroughbreds from six points to 13 and fourth place overall for the time being. Kimura's win left nearly everyone with points in the race, as Findlay still led with 16, UMass was second with 15, Kentucky still at 14, Skidmore at 13, Berry and Centenary tied for fifth with 11, Brown sixth with 10, St. Lawrence a blue ribbon away from the top with nine and defending champion Virginia Intermont still mathematically alive with seven. Could someone already near the top win the next division and put the field away?

Novice flat was the seventh of eight team classes, and when College of Charleston freshman Caitlin Smith won it she gave the Cougars hope that they could go from a tie for tenth place through six classes to a tie for first through eight!

The fourth-to-last class of 2008 Nationals (and the 2007-08 IHSA Season) was Team Novice Equitation on the Flat. Only one rider in this particular division was a returnee from the division a year ago (Margaux Bennett of Stanford not only competed in team novice flat both seasons, she even got to wear the same number, which was 126). However several of the riders had already ridden once at 2008 Nationals, including Deming, UMass's Molly Bettencourt and St. Mary of the Wood's Sarah Kniesly in team novice over fences. Berry freshman Megan Erikson had placed fourth in individual novice over fences while Virginia Intermont senior Jennifer Kelly had placed sixth in individual walk-trot-canter. Each of these riders already had time in the seat but no rides in at least 48 hours as the class began. When it was over Marashs' announcements of who would be thanked for their participation before the top six were announced had become almost as important as who made the top six. Bettencourt, Erikson and Kelly were among those not in the top six, while riders from Brown and Kentucky also heard their names called. As was the case earlier in the day riders from all three of the Zone 2 schools were not relegated to participation ribbon status.

Sixth place went to Hannah Woll of the University of Mary Washington, which gave the Eagles one more point but also meant no shot at a share of the National title this time around. Fifth went to Findlay's Lindsay Baker. A sophomore from Bourbonnais, Illinois, Baker had increased the Oiler's total to 18 but now the Findlay faithful would have to hold their breath waiting to see if they stayed in the lead. Fourth place to Grier Filley of Skidmore. A sophomore from Millbrook, New York, Filley moved Skidmore to within two of Findlay. Third went to Deming, who improved two places from her fences score. From New York City Deming now had six of the 13 St. Lawrence points. Second went to Kelly Arvidson of Centenary College. From Monroe Township, New Jersey, Arvidson's second meant that Findlay had again dodged the bullet, as a first would have meant a tie atop the standings with 18 each. By process of elimination it was apparent that Smith of the College of Charleston was the winner. Now with eight of the Cougars' 11 points, Smith's second ride at an IHSA Nationals show had completly changed the outlook of the final team class. For with her blue ribbon, Charleston now had 11 points, enough that a first for the Cougars in the final class would mean 18 points and perhaps a tie with Findlay for the championship. Many liked Charleston's odds to move up, as the Cougars had Hannah Mayer riding in the final class, only a day removed from her reserve championship in the 2008 Cacchione Cup Competition.

Through seven team classes Findlay had 18, Centenary and Skidmore 16, UMass 15, Kentucky 14, St. Lawrence 13, and both Berry and Charleston 11. Eight teams were separated by seven points. There had never been a three-way tie for high point team in an IHSA Nationals team competition, be it english or western. If things broke a certain way in Team Open Flat mathematically a five-way tie was possible!

Was history on anyone's side? Skidmore had won 1996 IHSA Nationals at the L.A. Equestrian Center, with Centenary second. Neither of these teams had been within two points of the top through seven divisions in the current decade. St. Lawrence was reserve champion at 2001 Nationals, behind Findlay. The Oilers had shared reserve status with Mount Holyoke a year ago and were second to Virginia Intermont in 2004. UMass, Berry, Charleston and Kentucky did not have recent history on their side. What three of these teams had were exceptional open riders in the upcoming open flat class coming off big seasons. Lawrence, Mayer and Schott were all Cacchione riders. Ironically the open flat riders for the current top three had not advanced to the Cacchione. Becky Baumel would ride for Findlay (finished four points behind teammate Matt Piccolo in the Zone 6, Region 3 Cacchione race), Jessica Schroff would ride for Skidmore (missed a large part of the Zone 2, Region 3 regular season due to injury) and Jen Elrod, who finished only a few points behind eventual 2008 Cacchione Cup winner James Fairclough II of Drew during the Zone 2, Region 1 regular season, would ride for Centenary. Several other riders of note looked to play spoiler. Whitney Keefe of Brown would be riding as an undergraduate for the last time. Samantha Pandolfi of Penn State had been in the ribbons more than once so far at 2008 IHSA Nationals. And Brittany Denton is always dangerous for Virginia Intermont. Throw in St. Lawrence freshman Suzanne Snyder and recent point-up from intermediate Sarah Smith riding for Berry and the Team Open Equitation on the Flat had the makings of a classic.

Though they were shut out in five of the eight team classes, the University of Kentucky won the other three outright. Head Coach Michelle Zimmer (second on right) can claim her 2007-08 Wildcats are the best IHSA Hunter Seat team in the nation by virtue of a 21-18 win over three schools. Kentucky thus becomes the 19th school in IHSA history to officially win an IHSA Hunter Seat Team National Championship.

This writer had a very good vantage point to observe each of the 18 riders in the final hunter seat division enter the ring. The vast majority of the riders had 'concerned' expressions on their faces as they walked their horses down the sloped entrance to the Equidome. Once all the riders had ridden in each direction at the walk, trot and canter Judges Ashe and Page decided to do something rarely done during the flat classes at 2008 Nationals, and that decision was to test. And in contrast to previous classes the number of riders remaining in the ring did not equal those who would receive a ribbon above the participation level. Ten of the eighteen riders were excused, including Mayer, Lawrence, Smith and Denton. Remaining in the ring were Keefe, Elrod, Snyder, Schroff, Van Brocklin, Schott, Baumel and West Virginia senior Brittany Poff.

Following testing including a series of transitions that saw all eight riders spread far apart at times and picking up the counter-canter among other gaits the remaining eight were lined up, five of which were capable of making their school the outright 2008 IHSA hunter seat National Champion, provided things broke just right. In what was perhaps an accident, the other ten riders were not called back into the ring. However the eight who were tested were allowed to dismount, with each walking over toward the general vicinity of the winner's circle. Marash proceeded to announce those who had earned participation ribbons, which meant that two of the eight in the ring were going to hear their names mentioned ahead of the top six. Those two turned out to be Baumel and Elrod, meaning Centenary could only finished third at best while Findlay needed a lot of luck to maintain an outright hold of first (or even a share of it).

Poff, from Phillipsburg, New Jersey, turned out to be sixth, giving West Virginia a sixth point in her final undergraduate ride. Things got interesting when fifth was awarded to Schroff. A senior from Tonawanda, New York who had won the individual open over fences at 2007 Nationals, Schroff had moved Skidmore into a tie for first with Findlay for the moment. When Van Brocklin earned fourth place to raise Mary Washington's final total to eight points those who were checking all the possible combinations knew that unless Keefe won the division someone from either Kentucky or St. Lawrence would put their team ahead of both Findlay and Skidmore. However if Schott was third, Snyder second and Keefe first there would be a four-way tie for the title! Then Marash announced that Keefe was third. Brown finished with fourteen points, all of which were earned over the final four team classes.

This meant that for the first time in over a decade the annoucement of second place in the final team class would determine who the new IHSA Hunter Seat National Champion was. Not unlike many reality TV programs Marash paused an unusually long time between the words "Our Reserve Champion is" and "Number 453 Suzanne Snyder of St. Lawrence University." The freshman from Chester, New Hampshire thus moved the Saints into a three-way tie with Findlay and Skidmore for the Reserve National Championship.

A visably stunned (but happy) Callie Schott awaited to hear her name announced as the champion moments later. Schott was the fourth rider in the division to earn points for her team in her final undergraduate ride. Thanks to a pair of firsts from Schott and another from Cibon Kentucky had upset the field in feast/famine style. The Wildcats, who went 17 years without sending a full hunter seat team to IHSA Nationals before last season, added 16 points to their '07 total to earn a 21-18 win over Skidmore, St. Lawrence and Findlay. The Wildcats became only the third hunter seat team not from Zones 1 through 4 ever to prevail as high point team at an IHSA Nationals show. The win was also the first ever for a Zone 6, Region 2 team. Coincidentally Kentucky set a dubious IHSA record for the fewest points ever to win the hunter seat IHSA National Championship, removing Penn State and Colby-Sawyer from the record books, both of which tied for the 1989 Championship at 22 points each. Still the Wildcats were ecstatic to win out over one of the more impressive (and balanced) fields in recent IHSA Nationals history. With former Wildcats Head Coach Elaine Schott on hand to watch her daughters' final undergraduate rides, current Head Coach Michelle Zimmer was presented with the Collegiate Cup, awarded annually to the hunter seat champion team at Nationals. The Wildcats - and especially Schott - came through in their tribute to Blount. It was refreshing to see a genuine upset at Nationals. One can only hope that the 2009 competition in Murfreesboro, Tennessee is as competitive as the 2008 event heading into the final class.

---Steve Maxwell

Here are the 2008 IHSA Nationals Hunter Seat Team Class-by-Class Results. The first class listed was held Thursday, May 8th, the next two were held Friday, May 9th, the next two on Saturday, May 10th and the final three on Saturday, May 11th. The judges for all hunter seat classes were Sue Ashe and Michael Page:

Team Novice Equitation Over Fences: 1. Stephanie Petersen, Berry College. 2. Raffi Kechejian, University of Findlay. 3. Pam Geist, Stanford University. 4. Crystal Threlfall, College of Charleston. 5. Hadley Deming, St. Lawrence University. 6. Talor Lee-Stiles, Centenary College.

Team Intermediate Equitation Over Fences: 1. Ali Cibon, University of Kentucky. 2. Jessica May, Virginia Intermont College. 3. Natassia Hovey, University of Findlay. 4. Megan Erikson, Berry College. 5. Jessica Hoy, Penn State University (State College). 6. Caitlin Smith, College of Charleston.

Team Walk-Trot Equitation: 1. Mary Bogatko, Centenary College. 2. Nicholas Dephtereos, St. Lawrence University. 3. Hannah Deutsch, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 4. Melissa Madsen, St. Mary of the Woods College. 5. Spencer Zimmerman, University of Findlay. 6. Kathryn Atwood, Berry College.

Team Open Equitation Over Fences: 1. Callie Schott, University of Kentucky. 2. Emily Bruschi, Skidmore College. 3. Jessica Van Brocklin, University of Mary Washington. 4. Kate Lawrence, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 5. Brittany Denton, Virginia Intermont College. 6. Samantha Pandolfi, Penn State University (State College).

Team Intermediate Equitation On The Flat: 1. Allegra Aron, Brown University. 2. Natassia Hovey, University of Findlay. 3. Stefanie Van Der Kaaij, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 4. Carolyn LaPrade, Cal Poly - Pomona. 5. Rachel Samuels, Centenary College. 6. Hawthorne Hart, Skidmore College.

Team Walk-Trot-Canter Equitation: 1. Hanae Kimura, Skidmore College. 2. Jennifer Kanetsky, West Virginia University. 3. Ariel Spuzzillo, University of Massachusetts at Amherst. 4. Stephanie Carmack, Brown University. 5. Mallory Roberts, St. Lawrence University. 6. Ashlynne Jones, Centenary College.

Team Novice Equitation On The Flat: 1. Caitlin Smith, College of Charleston. 2. Kelly Arvidson, Centenary College. 3. Hadley Deming, St. Lawrence University. 4. Grier Filley, Skidmore College. 5. Lindsay Baker, University of Findlay. 6. Hannah Woll, University of Mary Washington.

Team Open Equitation On The Flat: 1. Callie Schott, University of Kentucky. 2. Suzanne Snyder, St. Lawrence University. 3. Whitney Keefe, Brown University. 4. Jessica Van Brocklin, University of Mary Washington. 5. Jessica Schroff, Skidmore College. 6. Brittany Poff, West Virginia University.

Hunter Seat Team Totals: