University of Michigan sophomore Kristy Kenn (center, between Tournament of Champions series organizers Jim and Gwen Arrigon) finished second in the prestigious medal class at the Holiday Tournament of Champions in Long Valley, New Jersey on December 5th. Kenn and the Wolverines do not host the final Zone 6, Region 4 hunter seat shows of 2009-10 this weekend, but they will be at their home facility.

A NEW DECADE BEGINS

Way back in the mid-1970's the CBS television network carried NFL football games mostly involving the National Football Conference (today CBS covers the American Football Conference for the most part while Fox covers the NFC). When each game on CBS reached halftime every Sunday the network threw viewers back to their New York studio for a highlights program, thus allowing everyone to see highlights from games around the country. For about two seasons this halftime show was entitled "Around the League," and right out of commercials the announcer would say, "And now let's travel around the league." Then Brent Musburger would start talking about the different games going on with Phyllis George and Irv Cross.

However late in the season CBS would carry one or two Saturday NFL/NFC games. On these occasions only one game would be on nationwide at that moment. Nevertheless the announcer would read "and now let's travel around the league" to which Musburger would say "we've got this one game going on...!."

The IHSA rings in the new year (and decade) much the same way. There is only one IHSA show each day over the January 9th/10th weekend, and both involve the same region making up the entire state of Michigan. Michigan State University holds a 208-196 lead over the University of Michigan going into the final hunter seat shows of the regular season. Last season Michigan State won the region by one point over the Wolverines 278-277 while in '08 the University of Michigan finished on top by a healthy 257-231 margin over reserve Grand Valley State. The defending region champion Spartans co-host each day with Central Michigan, though the shows themselves take place at Willowbrooke Farm, the home base for the University of Michigan. The race to represent Zone 6, Region 4 at Nationals in the Cacchione Cup class is also close, with the Spartan's Shelby Piechorowski holding a 57-53 lead over both Central Michigan's Ashley Abbruzzi and Western Michigan's Ben Miller. Three riders in the upper '40's (including Kristy Kenn of the Wolverines, who recently was reserve champion in the Medal Division at the Holiday Tournament of Champions invitational) will need to win twice and receive help from the riders they are chasing for a chance. By Sunday evening we will all know who the first hunter seat rider qualified for Nationals will be, unless of course there is a tie which would have to be settled at the Regional Show on February 28th. The weather forecast in Plymouth, Michigan calls for snow flurries and a high of 21 degrees on Saturday, then sunny skies and a high of 24 on Sunday.

Unless there are IHSA shows we are not aware of, Zone 6, Region 4 also holds the only show next weekend, when Michigan State holds a double western show on January 17th. This may or may not complete the Region 4 western regular season, as there has been discussion of an additional show before western Regionals.

Not much else to talk about, though as we type the IHSA Executive Board is holding their annual January meeting. Hopefully within our next update we will have results from the Board Meeting as well as the Region 4 winners.

---Steve Maxwell

Saturday, January 9th:

Zone 6, Region 4 Michigan State University/Central Michigan University (Co-Hosts) at Willowbrooke Farm, Plymouth, MI Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY

Sunday, January 10th:

Zone 6, Region 4 Michigan State University/Central Michigan University (Co-Hosts) at Willowbrooke Farm, Plymouth, MI Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY