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VIRGINIA TECH AMONG TEN IHSA HOSTS IN SEPTEMBER'S FINAL WEEKEND The 2007-08 IHSA Show Season sprang into action last weekend, as Brown University started 1-and-0, Berry College opened up a 14-point lead through two shows and Mount Holyoke got the better of Virginia Intermont for the first time since 2006 Nationals. Those who watched 'The Road to the Maclay' a few years back on Animal Planet may be interested to know that Brianne Goutal had a very successful IHSA debut, winning both her open flat and fences classes for Brown as the Bears edged the University of Connecticut 42-39. It is not clear if there was a ride-off. However Brown intermediate rider Elizabeth Giliberti received the high point rider ribbon for the day, indicating that there likely was. It is a major coup that Brown was able to land one of the great medal riders of the decade in Goutal, who was eighth in the Bates USA Equitation Ranking of April 7, 2006 as printed into the IHSA Nationals program shortly thereafter. Still, UConn kept it close while host the University of Rhode Island scored 30 in the Zone 1, Region 1 season opener. Lander University hosted a pair of Zone 5, Region 2 hunter seat shows. When both were completed defending Region 2 high point team Berry College emerged with a 14-point lead over Clemson, while 2006 region champion University of Georgia trails Berry by 19. Eleven riders pointed up over the two days at Cricket Hollow, with Berry's Sarah Smith and Georgia's Erin Brown pointing up twice (Smith is out of both intermediate divisions while Brown said goodbye to novice flat and fences). Clemson alumni rider Tanya Bruce won three of the four alumni classes held over the weekend, while former University of California at Davis rider Allison Liljedahl won alumni flat on day two. Though the Tournament of Champions does not count in the standings it is taken very seriously by those who accept the invitation. Defending National Champion Virginia Intermont College had won five of the previous six such Tournament shows but saw Mount Holyoke looking down at them when the day was done. As most of the Tournament of Champions schools had two full teams competing under the Nationals rules VI essentially ended in a Mount Holyoke sandwich. The Lyons' "Team McLovin" won with 39 points, while Virginia Intermont "Gold" was reserve with 34. Mount Holyoke was also third with their "Team Superbad" registering 31 points. The secret to McLovin's success was to never score below third in any of the eight rides, and of course to ride better than everyone else! Another highly-touted IHSA freshman, Lindsay Sceats, earned Team McLovin's only blue ribbon to go with four reds and three yellows. Cornell was fourth overall with 30 points (only one team on hand for the Big Red), including three firsts. Though Mount Holyoke almost did not make it to the Tournament when their bus broke down on the way to the airport it should be noted that Cornell drove the furthest, leaving their Ithaca, New York campus on Thursday evening and reaching the St. Andrews Equestrian Center in Laurinburg, North Carolina 13 hours later on Friday at 10:00AM. Fortunately the Big Red had until Saturday morning to recover from the long drive. While Cornell, Mount Holyoke, Goucher College, Hollins University and Maryville College (the latter making their Tournament of Champions debut) will have another week to five weeks to recover, the remaining Tournament of Champions entries will be mounting up again this Sunday. Zone 4, Region 3 had four schools in the Tournament, and nine others that were not. All 13 schools may be in attendance as Virginia Tech hosts the official season opener on September 30th. This will not be just another show, as it will be the first at VT's Alphin-Stuart Livestock Arena since the April 16th tragedy on campus. Some may know that Emily Jane Hilscher of the Hokie Equestrian Team was among the victims and she will be remembered during the show. The competition itself will give Virginia Intermont the chance to finish ahead of the field for the first time this fall or technically not receive a blue ribbon at consecutive shows for the first time in over three years! Elsewhere Brown will co-host the second Zone 1, Region 1 show of the season while all of Zone 3 kicks off at four separate sites. Regions 2 and 4 go Saturday while Regions 1 and 3 follow a day later. Expect another close race in Zone 3, Region 2 as Delaware Valley College and the University of Delaware will try to avoid a tie for high point team as was the case after ten shows last season. In total contrast the College of Charleston won all ten Zone 5, Region 3 hunter seat shows last season. The Cougars will try to make it eleven in a row when Georgia Southern hosts on Saturday. GSU will also host a double western show on Sunday, with the University of Florida hoping to repeat as Region 3 western high point team in 2007-08. The hosts however were 2005-06 Region 3 Champs and hope home field advantage puts them ahead early and often. Midway College will host English and Western each day, with Zone 6, Region 2 taking on a different look now that Miami of Ohio and Wilmington College have shifted into Region 3. While the University of Kentucky will hope to repeat as Region 2 high point hunter seat team the western race is up for grabs, as Miami was the high point team in Region 2 each of the past two seasons. And Zone 9 has a pair of shows, the first in the Central Time Zone of the new season. Truman State hosts western each day at their University Farm, 1.5 miles from the Truman campus. Black Hawk College won this region last season but one wonders if the hosts or Missouri State could give them a run for their money in Zone 9, Region 2? The University of Wisconsin at Madison hosts english each day. The Badgers have run away from the competition the past few seasons and though a few noteworthy seniors from last season are gone it would take some impressive recruiting by the other Zone 9, Region 3 schools to make a race of it. Yet somewhere in the IHSA the new recruits will make a race of something that was predictable last season, so maybe it will be Zone 9, Region 3. Or maybe Zone 5, Region 3. Or maybe Zone 3, Region 4, etc. The season is young and hope springs eternal in the fall. Enjoy the shows and travel safely. ---Steve Maxwell
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Zone 3,
Region 2 Temple University (Host) at Red Wing
Farm, Hilltown, PA 9:00AM ENGLISH ONLY
Zone 6,
Region 2 Midway College (Host) on campus at Keeneland
Equine Center, Midway, KY 9:00AM ENGLISH FOLLOWED BY WESTERN