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IHSA ADDS A RECORD FIVE REGIONS FOR FALL 2010 WHILE CONSOLIDATING ZONES 7 AND 9 Despite a changing economy and changing times the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) has done nothing but grow since officially taking that name in the spring of 1967. Between 2000 and 2009 the IHSA added six regions and one zone to their national map, with the most recent addition in that time the separation of Michigan schools from part of Ohio prior to the 2007-08 season. For the past three seasons the IHSA has been made up of 31 geographic Regions within nine geographic Zones (and in 2009-10 the IHSA apparently exceeded 8,000 total registered riders). For several seasons growth in certain parts of the country led to issues with riders having the chance to ride often (and in some cases, at all) due to limited shows or limited horses available, and in many cases this was caused by too many people joining too many teams all at once in the same geographic area to make everyone happy. In some parts of the country schools were traveling great distances, even needing a 'travel morning' so that riders could make part of a long drive on a Friday afternoon, then stay in a hotel and finally reach the show location by lunch time on a Saturday. In these cases it was believed that the region had to be so geographically large due to horse availability in the area, or due to the perceived low number of actual riders in the region, or both. As time has gone by more schools have stepped up to the plate to provide horses in these enormous regions (mostly in the Midwest and Plain States), and with more probable host schools it seemed as though a realignment with smaller drive times could be feasible. The IHSA Board talked about realignment at 2008 board meetings but wisely did not rush to put anything in place. Instead things were thought out over an 18 month period and in early 2010 a National Realignment Proposal started to make the rounds. In April 2010 an official vote made it a reality: The IHSA would expand to 36 Regions, with several existing regions changing Zones. In some cases a specific region simply got renamed (Zone 2, Region 1 schools are now Zone 3, Region 3). In some cases a region got renamed and slightly tweeked (Zone 3, Region 3 is now Zone 6, Region 5, but without three schools from 2009-10 that were placed elsewhere). In a small number of cases a completely new collection of schools was designed. The decision was also make to reduce the number of Zones from nine to eight. This was fairly easy to do, taking the existing Zone 7, spliting it in two and placing one of the two regions in Zone 8 while bringing the existing Zone 9 schools in with the other under the Zone 7 name. The ultimate goals of the realignment were to thin out some very large regions so that more riders could have the chance to ride; To reduce travel times in several parts of the country and to allow for growth should more schools sign on. One IHSA board member said the idea was to "move everything to the west" which is evident when looking at the modifications. However because the numbers for western are not as high as those for hunter seat a number of Western Regions will remain unchanged in 2010-11. This will create oddities where a school such as the University of Delaware will be in the new Zone 4, Region 4 for hunter seat while their western team is still a member of Zone 3, Region 2 competing against the exact same schools as last season. Because the alignment for Western and Hunter Seat are not the same in 2010-11 we at Campus Equestrian are still trying to learn the exact 2010-11 geographic arrangement for Western. We are working on it and will present a separate story on the new group of Western Regions sometime later this summer. Another change the IHSA Board made for 2010-11 is to limit the number of hunter seat schools which will advance through Zones with a full english team to Nationals. Regardless of how many riders are currently in a Zone, only the top two hunter seat teams at Zones will continue on to IHSA Nationals. Also the top two in each individual class at Zones will move on to Nationals, a change for Zones 2 and 3 which had exceeded 1,000 registered hunter seat riders and thus had three individual riders each at 2010 IHSA Nationals. The one revolutionary change was the decision to eliminate some Cacchione Cup riders at Zones. However this decision was CHANGED at the June Board Meeting. The plan had been to hold a Cacchione Cup Class at all eight Zones shows (some Zones have regularly held this class as a preparation class while others have abandoned it) with only the top two in each advancing to Nationals to compete for the Cacchione Cup (this would have reduced the field from 31 riders to only 16 from 2010 to 2011). However the IHSA Board modified their plan at the June meeting, agreeing to take all 36 high point open riders to Nationals. However though each of these 36 riders will be participating in the jumping phase, only the top 24 will be invited back to compete in the flat phase, with a number determined by the judge invited back a third time for the work-off phase. This will mean that every IHSA region will still have at least one rider entered at the National show (We would like to thank Virginia Intermont College Head Coach Eddie Federwisch for alerting us to this recent change. Federwisch mentioned that because 60 to 72 rides were being eliminated due to the Zone contraction and removal of the extra riders from Zones 2 and 3 that all 36 Cacchione candidates could be accomodated at the National show - Editor).
Save for one or two anomalies, the 2010-11 geographic breakout of IHSA Regions and Zones is a vast improvement over the recent alignment (In a very small number of cases the IHSA assembled a region which might look odd on a map but was necessary to keep numbers balanced from Region-to-Region and Zone-to-Zone). Though many will need a few shows to adjust to what may be new surroundings, it will be an upgrade in the long run (This writer's only concern is what might happen to alumni in places where only a small number were already showing. Some alumni - such as those in Connecticut, Rhode Island and Central and Western Massachusetts - may have to plan ahead to make sure there will be enough alumni riders in the region they want to ride in for a class to be legal. This writer encourages alumni to get out there and compete!). And exactly which schools will be competing in which regions in 2010-11? We have put together a list that, to the best of our knowledge, is accurate for hunter seat. At the time this story was originally posted (June 29th) we were still trying to confirm if Rochester Institute of Technology was to be in the new Zone 2, Region 1 or remain in Zone 2, Region 2 and if the University of Wisconsin at Eau Claire was to go into Zone 7, Region 3 (with schools to it's north) or Zone 7, Region 4 (with schools to the south). We have put question marks (?) next to their names in the regions where we suspect they will eventually be found. BOLDFACE type indicates a school which captured a hunter seat Region Title in 2009-10, advancing a full team to Zones at the time. Following the list of schools in each region are some "Quick Observations" about that particular regions' changes from last season. At some point in August Campus Equestrian will re-align the map of America on our home page to reflect the new IHSA alignment, and we will create new pages for the new regions (Editor's note: If anyone sees what appears to be an error please let us know by e-mailing editor@campusequestrian.com so that we can be as accurate with this list as possible. Zone 1, Region 1: Quick Observations: Schools from the Central part of Massachusetts (between Springfield and Boston) join the Rhode Island schools that already held the Region 1 name. To balance out numbers within Zone 1 the University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth (not too far from the RI/MA border) also joins in. All six schools from the state of Connecticut leave Region 1 - and Zone 1. Geographically this new version of Region 1 makes sense, with no one having more than a 90 minute drive (if that). The only thing that might affect a drive time is if a facility with more horseflesh on the turf of a neighboring region becomes the site for a Region 1 show. Zone 1, Region 2: Quick Observations: Save for one trade-off, this is the same Zone 1, Region 2 as last season. Mount Ida College, which won the region for the 2007-08 season, was not geographically in synch with the Northern New England states (at least since 1999). Mount Ida leaves Region 2 for Region 4 while Endicott College, which was the Northernmost Region 4 program, joins Region 2. Both Mount Ida and Endicott hosted shows (sometimes more than once a year) on a regular basis for the past few seasons, so this transition should be seamless. Zone 1, Region 3: Quick Observations: The IHSA's smallest geographic region gets even smaller! Still with Mount Holyoke, UMass-Amherst and Smith this region will always have a large turnout (hahahaha!). Gone are Assumption, Becker, Clark and Holy Cross. Only Becker (in the fall of '07) and Holy Cross (in the spring of '10) from this quartet hosted shows outright over the past four seasons. Zone 1, Region 4: Quick Observations: For the first time since the 1998-99 season Mount Ida will compete in regular season competition versus Tufts and Boston University. Incredibly these are the only current Region 4 schools that were part of Region 2 at that time (Boston College, Brandeis, Bridgewater State, Curry, Umass-Lowell and Wellesley all made their IHSA debuts since then while Stonehill and Wheaton were part of Region 1 at the time). Mount Ida's host facility - Riverwind Farm in Pembroke, MA - and Boston University's home barn - Holly Hill in Hanover, MA - are one exit apart along Massachusetts Route 3 so travel will only get easier. If you did not already read it in our Region 1 description UMass - Dartmouth leaves Region 4 to join Region 1. If you did not already read it in our Region 2 description Endicott College is now the southernmost school in Region 2. Zone 2, Region 1: Quick Observations: As was the case within Upstate New York before the 2010 realignment, there is some geographic overlap within the Empire State, a nightmare for someone making a map of Zone 2 but geographically not a bad thing for travel. An example is that the University of Buffalo in Buffalo, NY is still in a different region from Canisius College, though Canisius is also located in the city of Buffalo. Geographically there are other schools in Central and Western New York State from Region 2 which overlap, though this one contains more schools from the Western portion of the state. None of these schools has ever taken a full hunter seat team to Zones so history will be made at some point in March or April of 2011. And if you are looking for the recent version of Zone 2, Region 1 scroll down to Zone 3, Region 3 as this is their new name (Editor's Note: We now can confirm that Rochester Institute of Technology will be located in this region for the 2010-11 season). Zone 2, Region 2: Quick Observations: This is a smaller version of Region 2 as it had been known. Gone are Alfred, Nazareth and St. John Fisher (and on an early version of the team line-up RIT was also headed to Region 1). All three Canadian schools from last season's Region 2 remain. Expect to see Cazenovia and St. Lawrence host multiple shows and at least one Lehman Farm weekend (with separate hosts each day) on the fall schedule. Zone 2, Region 3: Quick Observations: Save for Colgate this region now resembles the Albany, NY metro area or an Interstate 88 region. For several seasons Skidmore, Morrisville State, Hartwick and Cornell had hosted two regular season shows each. Though Cornell is now part of Region 1 it would not suprise many if a Region 3 show were to be held at Cornell's Oxley Center at some point. Also gone along with the Big Red are Binghamton, Ithaca, Hobart & William Smith, Elmira and Hamilton (each now part of the new Zone 2, Region 1). Zone 2, Region 4: Quick Observations: It is nearly 1993 again! Long Island is almost an entity unto itself. The only difference this time is the inclusion of Columbia and NYU from the five boroughs. All nine of these schools were in Region 4 last season, but what is missing are the three Connecticut schools the region borrowed in the mid '90's. Many on both sides of Long Island Sound are breathing a sigh of relief now that travel within their respective regions has become much easier. For several seasons this region had the largest alumni contingent so it will be interesting to see if the alumni numbers thin out slightly (or if they don't). Zone 2, Region 5: Quick Observations: A rare case of one region being made up of schools entirely from one state! This was almost not the case, as Fairfield and Yale only learned their fate in April (both nearly remained in Zone 2, Region 4, but it appears that Long Island and the NYC schools can make it on their own). This should be one of the more interesting regions as Fairfield has been known to make a run at Zone 2, Region 4 while UConn has made a run at Zone 1, Region 1. Call them the Constitution State or call them the Nutmeg State. Either way this state will send a full hunter seat team to Zone 2 Zones come April. Zone 3, Region 1: Quick Observations: There isn't much to say. Franklin & Marshall have been moved into Region 2 where they started. Otherwise it is status quo (Editor's Note: Indiana University of Pennsylvania was also in this region during the 2009-10 season but will be moved into Zone 6, Region 5 for the 2010-11 season). Zone 3, Region 2: Quick Observations: Though this region still contains four schools from last season, it could be described as a 'New Creation.' Strangely enough all but one of these schools were members of Zone 3, Region 2 during the 2000-01 season. Only Penn State - Berks has spent their entire existance in Region 4 up until now. Rider will make IHSA history as the first program ever to switch regions for one single season and then find themselves back in their previous region by name a year later! Geographically it is odd for PSU-Berks and F&M as they are considerably further west but not for the rest of the schools. Most of last season's Region 2 will now be found by scrolling down to Zone 4, Region 4. Zone 3, Region 3: Quick Observations: Hey! It's Zone 2, Region 1 under a new name! The version of Zone 3, Region 3 which existed from 2005-10 is now mostly known as Zone 6, Region 5. The new Zone 3, Region 3 is one of two cases where a Region simply gets re-named and re-zoned for the 2010-11 season. Otherwise it is still Centenary's region to lose. And they will keep winning. And winning. And winning... Zone 3, Region 4: Quick Observations: Save for Rutgers being in Central New Jersey, the remaining schools are all from what could vaguely be called Northeast Pennsylvania. Expect the Pennsylvania schools to still host several shows at Briarwood Farm in Readington, NJ as Region 4 has always hosted at least half their shows there over nine seasons. Region 4 sheds Penn State - Berks (which has made great strides in only three seasons in the IHSA), Princeton and Rider, all now found in Region 2. Zone 4, Region 1: Quick Observations: You see before you the first of eleven IHSA Regions coast-to-coast which not only kept its name but also kept the exact same schools under their umbrella from 2009-10. If sixteen or more schools compete in Zone 4, Region 1 during the 2010-11 season they will have the highest number of actual competing schools within any of the IHSA's 36 regions. If you are an alumni rider in Region 1 who reaches 28 points in a division beware that you will probably have to compete at Zone 4 Zones (no more free pass to Nationals if you survive Regionals) as the new Zone 4, Region 4 will almost certainly offer alumni who will qualify for Zones as well. Zone 4, Region 2: Quick Observations: You see before you the second of eleven IHSA Regions coast-to-coast which not only kept its name but also kept the exact same schools under their umbrella from 2009-10! Nothing else to say; It's the same arrangement as last season. Zone 4, Region 3: Quick Observations: Where did half the schools go? If you rode in Zone 4, Region 3 last season and don't see your school listed here then scroll down to Zone 5, Region 4. Such programs as Virginia Intermont College and Wake Forest will now be found there. Geographically this is mostly the Eastern half of North Carolina, though there is slight overlap as UNC-Charlotte is close to several of the new Zone 5, Region 4 schools. Zone 4, Region 4: Quick Observations: These seven schools were part of Zone 3, Region 2 for various lengths of time. Now they are the Northernmost part of Zone 4. Talk of splitting Zone 3, Region 2 into two regions had been on the table for two seasons and now everyone gets their wish. Though the region may seem small to an outsider (a tie for the fewest schools with Zone 8, Region 3 would be the case without a 'debut' IHSA program in one of those places) there are a reasonably large number of registered riders from the seven combined schools to make the new arrangement feasible. Zone 5, Region 1: Quick Observations: The more things change the more they stay the same - for a select few! Zone 5, Region 1 is not affected by the realignment other than the region champion team now having to survive a four-way team competition at Zones instead of a three-way event. Zone 5, Region 2: Quick Observations: While a new region was not created two seasons ago, three schools which had been part of Region 3 were moved in to boost sagging numbers in Region 2 at the time. However since the Atlanta area additions in the Fall of '08 Region 2 has experienced a renaissance of sorts, with several new programs and a few previously-defunct teams being reborn to liven up the proceedings. If all 15 programs listed here compete in 2010-11 this region will boast more actual IHSA teams than perhaps all but Zone 4, Region 1. None of the 15 schools listed were in another IHSA region in 2009-10. Zone 5, Region 3: Quick Observations: No change here. It is still the Georgia Coastline, the entire state of Florida and the College of Charleston comprising the region. If you rode with several of these schools between 1996 and 2002 you will recall the region was known as Zone 5, Region 4 at that time. Try not to be confused in 2010-11, as there will be a completely different group of schools resurrecting that particular name. Zone 5, Region 4: Quick Observations: This is the western half of Zone 4, Region 3 under a new name. With this addition to Zone 5 the IHSA's Southeast Zone contains schools from nine different states (ahead of all but Zones 7 and 8). With the smaller size for Region 4 does anyone wonder if alumni classes will ever come to this region? Zone 6, Region 1: Quick Observations: From a geographic standpoint this is the new Northern Ohio region. However two Western Pennsylvania schools (one from the Pittsburgh area) are also part of it. Findlay is once again separated from Miami of Ohio (which used to be in Region 1) with this latest move. Gone from last season's Region 1 are Dennison, Ohio State and Ohio University, each of which now falls under the Region 2 name (Editor's Note: When this story was originally posted we accidentally omitted the College of Wooster and Kenyon College from this list. Both schools remain in Zone 6, Region 1. Also it came to our attention that Duquesne University did not compete during the 2009-10 season. If Duquesne returns to IHSA competition in 2010-11 they will be in Zone 6, Region 1). Zone 6, Region 2: Quick Observations: Ohio University - Southern Campus must be living right, as they are the only school to keep the Region 2 name from last season! This new edition of Region 2 is mostly Central Ohio, with the Columbus area finally all under the same umbrella (Otterbein and Ohio State had not been in the same region since the early 1990's). The hunter seat team race between Miami of Ohio and Ohio University could be a good one. Zone 6, Region 3: Quick Observations: Save for Ohio University - Southern Campus having gone north this is last season's Zone 6, Region 2 under a new name (why didn't the IHSA leave the Region 2 name on it? It would seem to have been easier than giving the Region 2 name to a combination of Region 1 and Region 3 schools - Editor). If you are looking for last season's Zone 6, Region 3 pay close attention to the new Zone 6, Region 1 and Zone 6, Region 2 and you will see the schools from last season spread out. Zone 6, Region 4: Quick Observations: If not for the University of Western Ontario, this region would be made up entirely of schools from the state of Michigan. This region remains unchanged from 2009-10. Zone 6, Region 5: Quick Observations: For 21 years the entire state of Pennsylvania was located in one Zone. In 2010-11 Pennsylvania schools fall into three different Zones! Save for Duquesne, Westminster and the University of Buffalo, all of Zone 3, Region 3 simply takes on a new name. Duquesne and Westminster go to Zone 6, Region 1 while Buffalo goes into the new Zone 2, Region 1 (Editor's Note: Indiana University of Pennsylvania was in Zone 3, Region 1 during the 2009-10 season but moves into Zone 6, Region 5 for 2010-11). Zone 7, Region 1: Quick Observations: This is yet another case of a region changing zones and receiving a new name with only minor changes. In this case those changes are Bradley University, Purdue University at Calumet and University of Notre Dame/St. Mary's College (IN) going to the new Zone 7, Region 4. This will mean that for the first time since the 1990's all Indiana schools will not be in the same region. With Zone 9 being eliminated all schools from that zone will now be part of Zone 7, which stretches from Crookston, Minnesota down to San Antonio, Texas in 2010-11. If you are looking for the likes of Laramie County Community College and the University of Colorado at Boulder (i.e., last season's Zone 7, Region 1) please scroll down to the new Zone 8, Region 5. Zone 7, Region 2: Quick Observations: Not much to say. Save for the possibility of a new program coming on board, Zone 7, Region 2 is made up of the exact same schools as last season. Changes will only become evident when hunter seat riders compete at Zones in parts of the country not previously associated with Zone 7. Zone 7, Region 3: Quick Observations: Between mid-2002 and mid-2010 these schools (and a few others) comprised Zone 9, Region 3. The realignment has shrunken this region slightly, with Ellsworth Community College, Ripon College and three schools within the University of Wisconsin system (including Madison) heading southward. It will be interesting to see if Saturday shows in this region start earlier than in the past as several schools which needed to travel both on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning to arrive for a 2:00PM show are now in the new Zone 7, Region 4. Zone 7, Region 4: Quick Observations: This Region is a truly new creation. For the first time since the 1990's schools from Indiana and Wisconsin are in the same region, as well as Illinois and at least one from Iowa. Considering that the Chicago area schools had to take an airplane to compete at Kansas State within their own region in past seasons the smaller geography can only bring a sigh of relief to many (there is still one Chicago area school that may rack up some frequent flyer miles - See Zone 7, Region 5). This is also the only new region for 2010-11 with multiple schools from three different regions (as oppossed to a region bringing over only one school while two others brought over multiples). Zone 7, Region 5: Quick Observations: This is Zone 9, Region 2 minus four schools under a new name. There is some geographic overlay in the new Zone 7 as several Illinois schools in close proximity to one another are in either Region 4 or Region 5. Northern Illinois and the Kansas schools are still in the same region. Otherwise the new configuration for Zone 9 under the Zone 7 name makes complete sense to the casual observer. Zone 8, Region 1: Casual Observations: Zone 8 is the Zone least affected by the 2010 realignment. The four regions which made up the zone last season are unchanged. The new region added in 2010 is last season's Zone 7, Region 1 under a new name. Unless a new school joins (or rejoins) the IHSA in Central or Northern California (or the Reno, Nevada area) Zone 8, Region 1 will be the same as last season. Zone 8, Region 2: Casual Observations: Like Region 1 to its north Region 2 will probably be made up of the exact same schools as last season. Zone 8, Region 3: Casual Observations: Like the rest of the 2009-10 Zone 8 alignment, Region 3 does not change at all. Zone 8, Region 4: Casual Observations: As is the case with Regions 1, 2 and 3, Region 4 will field the same line-up of schools in 2010-11 unless a new program joins on. Zone 8, Region 5: Casual Observations: This is the 2009-10 version of Zone 7, Region 1 under a new name. Zone 8 now stretches from the Pacific Ocean to Omaha, Nebraska, going over the Rocky Mountains for the first time. --Steve Maxwell
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