Jim Arrigon (on left) presents Nicole Ferrell of the University of Mary Washington with the reserve champion ribbon in the collegiate medal division at the 2014 Pre-Season Tournament of Champions last September 20th. Effective August 4th Arrigon is officially involved with an IHSA program for the first time since 2011.

JIM ARRIGON, IHSA NATIONAL SECRETARY AND TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS SERIES FOUNDER, NAMED EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF RIDING AT LIBERTY UNIVERSITY

It was made official on July 23rd that former IHSA head coach Jim Arrigon will be the new Executive Director of Riding at Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia effective August 4th. This will be Arrigon's fifth time as either a coach, head coach or Director of Riding involving an IHSA program.

"I've thought of going back into running a college program for several years and have been watching for the right opportunity," Arrigon said in a press release Liberty issued. "I applied because it's Liberty, so it's going to be something special. As I've watched Liberty develop, everything they do, they do it big and do it well."

Arrigon is referring to the rapid rise of the Liberty equestrian team and the school's on-campus riding accomodations over the past six years. Before anything was constructed Liberty joined the IHSA for the 2009-10 season, then disappeared from the IHSA for three seasons and reappeared in the fall of 2013 as an offical Liberty 'club team.' Though Liberty did not show IHSA in 2011 it was during that calendar year that ground was broken on a 300 acre equestrian center. Following their return to the IHSA for the 2013-14 season an 18 stall barn opened in mid-2014. In the fall of '14 Liberty showed Western in the IHSA for the first time. Earlier this summer an additional 45 acres of pastureland were cleared a short distance from the Equestian Center's riding rings, and if all goes as planned up to 65 horses will be grazing in that particular spot in the near future.

The 2013-14 Flames scored a total of 57 team points for tenth place overall out of 12 hunter seat teams in IHSA Zone 4, Region 2. Last season Liberty switched regions for English shows, joining Zone 4, Region 5 where they finished sixth out of eleven teams with 187 points. And though it was their first IHSA season showing Western the Flames finished third out of ten teams in the combined Zone 4, Region 3/Region 5, scoring 71 points.

Few candidates for Riding Director opportunities have quite the resume of the man who has served as the IHSA's National Secretary for the past 24 seasons. Arrigon graduated from the University of Kentucky in the early 1980's, riding for the Wildcats under Ken Copenhaver (whom Arrigon would later replace at Miami of Ohio) and competing in some of the earliest shows ever held in what is known today as parts of IHSA Zones 5 and 6. Arrigon then became head coach at Murray State University for parts of five seasons (1984-1988). Though thought of mostly as a hunter seat coach, Arrigon led the Racers to a Western National Title in his very first season. Kim Hackett won individual intermediate western horsemanship at Nationals that same season. When Copenhaver stepped down at Miami midway through the 1988-89 season Arrigon took over for his former coach and stayed there until early 2005. Jennifer Tatum would be Arrigon's first individual hunter seat National Champion, winning individual intermediate on the flat at 1990 Nationals. Arrigon would guide the Red Hawks to 13 hunter seat Region Titles in 15 tries. While at Miami Arrigon created the Tournament of Champions invitational series, an event that his Red Hawks would win three times under his supervision. After winning the IHSA's Lifetime Achievement award in 2005, Arrigon spent one season as hunter seat coach at Ohio State University. Though the Buckeyes appeared to be the odd team out at Zones that spring, fate would step in and Arrigon would coach Ohio State in seven of eight team classes at 2006 IHSA Nationals. To date this is the only time the Buckeyes have competed in hunter seat team classes at an IHSA Nationals event. Arrigon then spent five seasons coaching the Xavier University of Ohio club team he helped start from scratch. When an Xavier rider placed 10th in advanced walk-trot-canter at 2011 Nationals it meant riders from all five IHSA programs which Arrigon was coaching competed at least once in an IHSA Nationals event. Since 2011 Arrigon devoted his time to the Beckett Run Farm IEA program, which until this summer was his home base northwest of Cincinnati. Co-coached by Arrigon's wife Gwen, the Beckett Run Farm IEA team has won many individual championships over the first 15 years of that organization's existance not to mention the 2009 IEA High School (or Upper School) Championship.

One of Arrigon's many Miami of Ohio riders over the years was 2002 graduate Erin Armbruster Barritt (on right), who was third in individual open flat at 2000 Nationals. Barritt is seen here with Arrigon at 2008 IHSA Nationals, a show at which Barritt was reserve champion in alumni flat.

In the fall Arrigon will be based in Virginia, hopefully where he will see a sixth IHSA program he has been involved with send a rider to IHSA Nationals. Though he will be leaving Ohio behind Jim and wife Gwen will be slightly closer to their son Matt, a 2007 Miami of Ohio graduate who is entering his fourth season as hunter seat coach at St. Andrews University. According to the Liberty press release Arrigon expects Liberty to host IHSA shows in the near future and that a facility upgrade will mean a covered ring over one of the two existing outdoor rings located between the two barns at some point. Arrigon will also work with the director of Liberty's Kinesiology program to develop equestrian classes starting with the spring 2016 semester.

The Liberty western team will be the first to show in IHSA competition with Arrigon's involvement, showing at St. Andrews University over the September 19/20 weekend (Arrigon may need to be in two places at the same time, as the annual Pre-Season Tournament of Champions invitational is currently scheduled for September 19th at the Randolph College Riding Center In Lynchburg). On September 26th Averett University will host the Zone 4, Region 5 hunter seat season opener, which will be the first 2015-16 english show for the flames. Knowing full well how strong many IHSA programs in Zone 4 are, overnight success may be a tall order but the future is fair game.

"It's a real competitive area that has produced a number of national championship teams," Arrigon said. "Being the new player it's going to be tough going, but that's the plan, to make Liberty one of the top dogs.".

With complete control and a track record like no other (with individual IEA, IHSA and NCAA/Varsity champions, the latter during a time when Miami was both IHSA and Varsity roughly 14 years ago) one would expect Arrigon to take Liberty to a new level. In the final line of the Liberty press release Arrigon made it clear that not only will the Flames be a top-notch team but that IHSA programs (and the horseworld in general) may be traveling to Lynchburg for more than just a couple of Zone 4, Region 3/5 back-to-backs.

"It may take us a couple years to get to that point. We have a facility to build and horses to attain, but within a few years our hope is to be able to host some championship-level events."

(NOTE: This story has been revised to correct one error regarding the first program Arrigon coached as well as to add the Beckett Run Farm National Championship information.)

--Steve Maxwell