Seen here at 2012 IHSA Nationals is Kathryn "Katie" Haley of Centenary College. Haley won a ride-off to break a tie for high point rider in her region and became the final Cacchione qualifier of the 2013-14 season.

THE 2014 IHSA NATIONALS CACCHIONE CUP RIDERS

The field is complete! Brooke Nestor, who rides for Centenary College and also handles the points in Zone 3, Region 3, sent us the following information on May 5th:

"The (Region 3) Cacchione Cup ended today with a tie for 82 points between Samantha Pyle and Kathryn Haley. To break the tie both the riders re-drew horses and competed in a ride off. The ride off concluded the Cacchione title to Kathryn Haley."

Pyle had entered the day three points ahead of Haley, with the latter winning twice to force the ride-off. Both riders compete for Centenary, with Haley making her first-evere Cacchione appearance at an IHSA Nationals event.

Campus Equestrian also learned that Lucy Hart of the University of Kentucky and Rachel Anderson of the University of Montana finished on top in their regions. With that news we can provide a complete list of all 38 riders, which will make for the largest Cacchione group in IHSA history. It is hard to believe that only 15 years ago 22 riders competed for the Cacchione Cup at Cazenovia in '99.

Named for Mario "Marty" Cacchione, whose son Bob founded the IHSA in 1967 and still runs the organization to this day, the Cacchione Cup is presented every season at IHSA Nationals to the top hunter seat open rider. Every open rider who finishes the regular season with the most combined flat and fences points within their region advances directly to IHSA Nationals to compete for the cup (save for when there is a tie at the end of the regular season and a ride-off at Regionals is necessary to break it). Each of the 38 riders who qualify will take part in the jumping phase of the Cacchione (usually during the Friday session, which would be May 2nd this year). The top 24 will then compete in one of two flat classes. The judges then have the option to hold a work-off (usually during the Saturday session; This would likely be on May 3rd). The winner will join the ranks of Beezie Patton, Peter Wylde and James Fairclough II as having won the Cacchione Cup, or as some have said 'they can claim to be the best of the best for that season.'

--Steve Maxwell

The 38 2014 IHSA Nationals Cacchione Cup qualifiers, each of whom will compete for the USEF Cacchione Cup May 1st through 4th in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. An asterisk * denotes a rider who competed for the Cacchione Cup at 2013 Nationals. Two asterisks ** denotes a rider who competed for the Cup at a prior IHSA Nationals show but not in 2013:

ZONE 1, REGION 1: Sarah Kieren, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth

ZONE 1, REGION 2: Alex Carlton, University of Vermont

ZONE 1, REGION 3: Paige Hendrickson, Westfield State University

ZONE 1, REGION 4: Carly Corbacho, Boston University

ZONE 2, REGION 1: Georgiana de Rham, Cornell University

ZONE 2, REGION 2: Emily D'Alessandro, St. Lawrence University

ZONE 2, REGION 3: Ursula Green, Skidmore College

ZONE 2, REGION 4: Cecilia Busick, New York University

ZONE 2, REGION 5: Jen Dorfman, Trinity College (CT)*

ZONE 3, REGION 1: Lauren Powers, Penn State University (State College)*

ZONE 3, REGION 2: Chelsea Koerper, Delaware Valley College

ZONE 3, REGION 3: Kathryn Haley, Centenary College

ZONE 3, REGION 4: Rebekah Scharfe, Lafayette College**

ZONE 3, REGION 5: Hanna Myrdahl, Washington College

ZONE 4, REGION 1: Joey Fink, Goucher College

ZONE 4, REGION 2: Olivia Smith, Sweet Briar College*

ZONE 4, REGION 3: Kelsey Kocher, St. Andrews University

ZONE 4, REGION 4: Molly Banfield, University of Mary Washington*

ZONE 5, REGION 1: Madeline Reich, Middle Tennessee State University*

ZONE 5, REGION 2: Ali Ohringer, Emory University

ZONE 5, REGION 3: Eliza Hay, College of Charleston*

ZONE 5, REGION 4: Blake Roberts, Virginia Intermont College*

ZONE 5, REGION 5: Michael Kocher, Savannah College of Art & Design*

ZONE 6, REGION 1: Chelsie Stair, Lake Erie College

ZONE 6, REGION 2: Sarah Jadwin, Ohio State University

ZONE 6, REGION 3: Lucy Hart, University of Kentucky

ZONE 6, REGION 4: Sam Stephenson, University of Michigan

ZONE 6, REGION 5: Sarah Durrer, Allegheny College

ZONE 7, REGION 1: Darby Dyar, Purdue University

ZONE 7, REGION 2: Kelsey Gore, Louisiana State University

ZONE 7, REGION 3: Emily Steeley, University of Minnesota at Crookston

ZONE 7, REGION 4: Katie Walsh, University of Notre Dame/St. Mary's College (IN)*

ZONE 7, REGION 5: Elizabeth Miller, Truman State University

ZONE 8, REGION 1: Claire Margolis, Stanford University*

ZONE 8, REGION 2: Sarah Pollock, Cal Poly - Pomona

ZONE 8, REGION 3: Rachel Anderson, University of Montana

ZONE 8, REGION 4: Whitney Fleming, Western Washington University

ZONE 8, REGION 5: Drew Weber, University of Colorado at Boulder*