Kristen Walters of the Mississippi State University Equestrian Team forwarded us this photo of several Bulldog riders at one of the University of the South shows in Zone 5, Region 1 held February 14th and 15th. From left to right are Camille Wood, Walters, Ally Long, Stephanie Aanstoos and IHSA Founder and Executive Director Bob Cacchione. When Walters forwarded the photo she mentioned that Wood had qualified for Regionals in walk-trot-canter, that Aanstoos had qualified in both hunter seat intermediate divisions and that she herself had pointed out of intermediate flat. Both Aanstoos (over fences) and Walters would later earn fifth-place ribbons at Zone 5 Zones in Brooklet, Georgia on March 28th in what may have been the fastest Zones show ever! (photo courtesy Wes and Donna Long/Mississippi State Equestrian Team)

TOOT YOUR HORN: REGIONALS RESULTS (AND MORE) YOU SENT US!

Not seen for many a day, the Campus Equestrian "Toot Your Horn" segment is back. Toot Your Horn is simply some of the information you sent us with little to no editing performed. Thus if it looks frightningly close to the exact e-mail that you sent us then please do not adjust your computer.

First up today to toot the horn is Emily Jacobs. All season long Jacobs has forwarded us the Zone 6, Region 3 Western Points and on March 14th we received the class-by-class results from Region 3 Western Regionals from her. Held earlier that day in Findlay, Ohio, the University of Findlay was on their game, earning first and second place ribbons in all six classes...

IHSA Regional Competition Stock Seat Show Zone 6, Region 3 held at The University of Findlay (Judge: Kendra Weis):

Class #1 Open Reining
1. Ryan Sims, The University of Findlay
2. Katie Morehead, The University of Findlay
3. Brittany Lambert, Miami University

Class #2 Open Horsemanship
1. Katie Morehead, The University of Findlay
2. Jarrod Bush, The University of Findlay
3. Katie Glon, The University of Findlay
4. Kristen Koberger, Miami University
5. Molly Smith, The University of Findlay
6. Lisa Flaschberger, The University of Findlay

Class #3 Beginner Horsemanship - Walk/Jog
1. Lily Flynn, The University of Findlay
2. Elise Gerken, The University of Findlay
3. Kyle Greene, Wilmington College
4. Melody Maxwell, Ohio Wesleyan University
5. Shannon Ashcraft, Miami University
6. Sarah Stefan, Bowling Green State University

Class #4 Novice Horsemanship
1. Heather Allenby, The University of Findlay
2. Kelly Harmon, The University of Findlay
3. Alina Lebo, The University of Findlay
4. Randee Russell, Ohio Wesleyan University

Class #5 Intermediate Horsemanship
1. Spencer Zimmerman, The University of Findlay
2. Rebecca Fournier, The University of Findlay
3. Amanda McNally, The University of Findlay
4. Andrew Wolf, The University of Findlay
5. Chase Marshall, The University of Findlay
6. Alyssa Salva, The University of Findlay
7. Ann Marie Kickel, Miami University
8. Mallory Hill, Wilmington University

Class #6 Advanced Horsemanship
1. Mark Kucko, The University of Findlay
2. Kim Deane, The University of Findlay
3. Amanda Brooks, The University of Findlay

Regional High Point Rider = Katie Morehead, The University of Findlay
Reserve Regional High Point Rider = Ryan Sims, The University of Findlay

Regional High Point Team = The University of Findlay
Reserve Regional High Point Team = Miami University

Hayley McGuire, Vice President of Oregon State University Equestrian Team, sent us one of the shorter e-mails of the season...

Check out our team website! www.osuihsa.com

Most recently the VP won her individual walk-trot-canter class at Zone 8 Zones in McMinnville, Oregon on March 28th. Perhaps there will be photos from Zones on the Oregon State team website in the near future.

Betsy Vogt keeps the points in Zone 3, Region 2 and after their Western Regionals on March 15th Vogt e-mailed us the top two in each class. However Vogt asked us to withhold the placings until after their March 28th year-end Regional Banquet, at which time the top two placings in each division would be announced. Now that the Banquet (and Semifinals!) have come and gone it is safe to let everyone know who won blue and who won red...

Class 11 Beginner
Champion--Aimee Manahan, Temple
Reserve--Caitlin Bemis, D(elaware) V(alley) C(ollege)

Class 12 Intermediate
Champion--Brandon Smith, Washington College
Reserve--Ashley Serridge, DVC

Class 13 Novice
Champion--Steph Moran, UDel (University of Delaware)
Reserve--Jamie Frees, Washington College

Class 14 Advanced
Champion--Brittany Malinowski, DVC
Reserve--Shilpa Deshpande, UDel

Class 15 Open Rail
Champion--Bernadette Loomis, Washington College
Reserve--Staci Banks, Washington College

Class 16 Open Reining
Champion--Staci Banks, Washington College
Reserve--Bernadette Loomis, Washington College

Class 17 Alumni Rail
Champion--Courtney Beidelman, DVC
Reserve--Bryan Bradley, Cazanovia College

Class 18 Alumni Reining
Champion--Bryan Bradley, Cazanovia College
Reserve--Gia Ottaviano, DVC

Vogt also raved about her horse, Boo, who would have won more blue ribbons than any of the riders had he been eligible...

Just another fun fact about Sunday's show. The show was done in two hours. And Everyone who drew Boo in their class (except for one rider who went off pattern in Open Reining) won their class. He was used in five classes (and went twice in Open Reining) and his riders won all five classes. Is that a record?

Zone 2, Region 4 once again claims the largest alumni turnout in 2008-09, with over 30 different human beings mounting up at least once over the course of what turned out to be nine shows. Rachel Kaczorowski, who is the Region 4 alumni rep this season, sent out a group e-mail (which included us) telling a little about how the alumni faired at Regionals. Please note that Zone 2 takes the top three from each class at Regionals to their Zones competition...

Congratulations to everyone who made it to Regionals! It was a tough year to qualify, especially with our classes of way too many.

A special Congrats to FLAT Champion Kristine Brackenridge and Reserve Champrion Alexandra Schauble, and FENCES Champion Amanda Gerdts and Reserve Champrion Alexandra Schauble. Also, congrats to Valerie Achkhanian and Diana Patterson because our top three will be going to N(ew) J(ersey) for Zones at Centenary College!

One last Congrats to Amanda Gerdts for being the High Point rider of the season and Diana Patterson for being the Reserve High Point rider of the season!

Here are the results:

Alumni Flat Champion - Kristine Brackenridge (Sacred Heart University)
Reserve Champion - Alexandra Schauble (SUNY Stonybrook)
3rd - Valerie Achkhanian (Fairfield University)
4th - Amanda Gerdts (Salve Regina University)
5th - Jessica Nichols (Columbia University)
6th - Diana Patterson (Columbia University)

Alumni Fences Champion - Amanda Gerdts (Salve Regina University)
Reserve Champion - Alexandra Schauble (SUNY Stonybrook)
3rd - Diana Patterson (Columbia University)
4th - Joelle Siegel (Nassau Community College)

Becki Bloom, the Head Coach at both the University of Pittsburgh and Penn State University's Fayette Campus not to mention the Region President of Zone 3, Region 3 was kind enough to e-mail us the top two from Region 3 hunter seat Regionals held on March 29th...

Class 8 Open Fences
Miranda Cain, West Virginia University
Kiley Izskula, Edinboro University

Class 7 Open Flat
Miranda Cain, West Virginia University
Kiley Izskula, Edinboro University

Class 6 Intermediate Fences
Jackie Boyczuk, West Virginia University

Class 5 Intermediate Flat
Mary Clark, Seton Hill University
Jackie Boyczuk, West Virginia University

Class 4 Novice Fences
Erin Murray, West Virginia University
Katie Posner, University of Buffalo

Class 3 Novice Flat
Julie Cyr, Seton Hill University
Lauren Milller, University of Buffalo

Class 2 Walk Trot Canter
Lisa Suhrie, Slippery Rock University
Kate Henderson, University of Pittsburgh

Class 1 Walk Trot
Lindsay Carter, Edinboro University
Whitney Angelini, Slippery Rock University

Class 9 Alumni Flat
Amanda Hawkins, Slippery Rock University
Jamie Mindyzak, California University of Pennsylvania

For the second year in a row St. Andrews Presbyterian College will send a full western team to IHSA Nationals. The Knights finished second at the Morehead, Kentucky semifinal, adding to the fun for Western Coach Carla Wennberg, who was named Horsewoman of the year by the National Quarter Horse Association earlier this year. Gary Greene forwarded us the St. Andrews Press Release, which we have posted here verbatim...

Equestrian coach and rider Carla Wennberg has been named the Professional Horsewoman of the Year by the National Quarter Horse Association, an international organization dedicated to the preservation, improvement and record-keeping of the American Quarter Horse.

Wennberg serves as the western equestrian coach at St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg.

“This respected professional horsewoman has truly made her mark on the industry through her commitment to education and her dedication to share her knowledge with others,” said an AQHA spokesperson in making the announcement. “American Quarter Horses have been her life and her family’s life.”

The AQHA sanctions many equestrian events and houses the American Quarter Horse Hall of Fame and Museum. Founded in 1940, the organization has nearly 350,000 members.

“We are very proud of Carla and this recognition is richly deserved,” said Peggy McElveen, director of the St. Andrews Equestrian Center. “Carla is dedicated to coaching her riders so they can excel in the ring. She also holds high sportsmanship attributes that she passes on to her riders.”

At age 13, Wennberg received her first registered American Quarter Horse from Lynn Palm, the renowned equine trainer. Her competitive spirit carried her to several equestrian championships at various levels.

Among those championships are three world championships received in Tulsa, Okla., at the youth world show sponsored by the AQHA. Wennberg came away with individual world championships in Showmanship and Halter, Western Horsemanship and Hunt Seat Equitation.

Wennberg has also excelled internationally as a judge, judging more than a dozen national championships including championships in European countries and Australia.

“I never think of myself at this level,” said Wennberg after receiving the award. “But it’s really important to me to have received this from my peers. I think the reason I got the award was my contribution to the industry by educating young people through college. It is all about the youth. If you don’t focus on that, who are going to be the next leaders?

“We have plenty of young leaders here at St. Andrews and they have great leadership abilities. This is what I love about our equestrian competitions. It’s all about getting along, helping each other, and being considerate of each other.”

Few trainers exceed Wennberg’s credentials. She has been an international judge for the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) and National Reining Horse Association for 22 years. She has organized, instructed and demonstrated at clinics and seminars throughout the country.

Wennberg was featured in the AQHA video “Hunter Under Saddle” and created the instructional video “World Champion Western Horsemanship”.

Three of the best St. Andrews western horses were used in the training – Wilee Stuff, Gotta Lotta Chex, and Sailing to T Juana.

In presenting the international award to Wennberg, the AQHA shared a particularly incisive story about her: “Her spirit was particularly evident one rainy day in Virginia on the way to a show when she, her mom and a friend ended up hanging over a mountain with four horses in their trailer. Though her mom passed out, this determined young woman and her friend managed to get all the horses to safety. Even after the traumatic experience, they went on to the show.”

Witnessing the national award presentation was Wennberg’s mother, Nancy. The presentation was greeted by a standing ovation for the 1,300 people at the conference.

(The Editor would like to add that before she joined the St. Andrews faculty Wennberg was a co-judge of the Western Classes at 2000 IHSA Nationals in Conyers, Georgia, making her one of a very small number of people - Western or English - ever to judge an IHSA Nationals show and also coach an IHSA team at some point).

If you have information from a recent IHSA show, be it English or Western, please feel free to e-mail us at editor@campusequestrian.com and perhaps you will see it here in our Toot your Horn section.

---Steve Maxwell