From left to right are Stonehill College Head Coach Tarah Watson, Rebecca Rossi, Kelsey Hill and Assistant Coach Ashley Dann. Hill had just won novice fences at Region 4 Regionals on March 28th while Rossi was second. Hill would later finish second in intermediate flat to advance to Zones a second time on this day.

STONEHILL WINS REGULAR SEASON FINALE, DOMINATES REGIONALS OVER FINAL WEEKEND OF MARCH

Boxford, MA - In the New York Metropolitan area there are advertisements running on several news radio stations for Stonehill College. Mary Beth Carey, who appears to be in charge of admissions at Stonehill in these ads, states that Stonehill students are among the happiest students anywhere, as a poll indicated that Stonehill has the seventh-happiest student body in the US.

These ads started running before Regionals, and even before the March Region 4 regular season shows for that matter. If Stonehill was already floating on air at that time then the Sky Hawks must be in outer space after what their Equestrian Team accomplished down the stretch in 2009-10.

Because of a penalty assessed prior to the start of the 2009-10 season (due to an ineligible rider in use last season) Stonehill was not allowed to submit a point card at the first two shows. By the start of the third show Endicott College and Bridgewater State College each had a 64 point head-start on the Sky Hawks. After five fall shows were in the books Boston University had taken over the Region 4 lead. The Terriers led Endicott 175-171 with Stonehill 56 points out at 119 sitting in eighth place.

However there was a silver lining of sorts. Stonehill averaged 39.8 points per show over the three shows in which they were able to post a point card, clearly the best average in the region. If the Sky Hawks could maintain that average there was a chance that the difference could be made up over five spring shows if everything broke just right.

And to just about everyone's shock Stonehill did just that. The first show of 2010 hosted by Wellesley at Rising Star saw Stonehill shave 12 points off the BU lead. Then the Wheaton/UMass - Dartmouth show saw another 20 points shed. Then following a schedule change which saw the number of spring shows cut to only nine Stonehill scored their season high to date, earning a 43-40 win over Boston College while Boston University and Wheaton College scored only 31 at the Brandeis/Bridgewater State show. Stonehill now trailed Boston University by only 256-244. However Endicott had re-taken the overall Region 4 lead with 263.

This set up the final showdown - with Stonehill hosting - at Dry Water Farm the day before Regionals. Some thought this show might be only a 'point show' - where each school has only one rider in each division - when scheduled during the fall. However the show wound up with many riders in each division. Despite having to jump two teams (the Sky Hawks had jumped six schools over three shows since new year's) Stonehill pulled it out at the eleventh hour. The final score for the year (when posted on a dry-erase board at Regionals the next day) showed Stonehill with 289, Boston University with 288 and Endicott with 283. The Sky Hawks scored a season-high 45 points (which equaled Boston University's 45 score at the fall Endicott show for top Region 4 team point total for one show in 2009-10) while BU scored 32 and Endicott 20.

(Less than a week later the results of two classes at the March 27th Stonehill show were changed. One of the two classes affected the team totals, adding one more point to Boston University's total. However even though both the Sky Hawks and Terriers tied at 289 the first tiebreaker is number of shows actually won outright. Stonehill, with six high point team ribbons - including the last five in a row - had this statistic very much in hand and thus had a full hunter seat team at Zone 1 Zones for the fourth year in a row - Editor.)

From Dalton, Massachusetts, Endicott College sophomore Lauren Horth (second from right) poses with her parents and Head Coach Stephanie Andreottola (on far left) in front of the awards table after placing second in open fences. Horth would be the only member of the Power Gulls to advance to Zones on March 28th.

Only one day after their improbable comeback was completed, Stonehill was once again the dominant team. Riders at Regional shows in Zone 1 must make the top two to advance to Zones, and in the Sky Hawk's case one of their riders placed inside the top two seven times! Open rider Quinn Traendly got the ball rolling, winning open fences which was the first class of the day. The novice fences saw Stonehill riders take both of the top two ribbons, the only time all day a school could make this claim about their undergraduates. Rebecca Rossi, a sophomore from Cranston, Rhode Island earned the red ribbon while Kelsey Hill, a senior from Dover-Foxcroft, Maine was the novice fences champion. Three classes later Hill was second in intermediate flat. Christine Dwyer, a sophomore from Park City, Utah took home the red ribbon in novice flat. While Dwyer emerged from two heats to take her red ribbon, Kate Perez emerged from three walk-trot-canter heats for hers. A junior from Southampton, Massachusetts, Perez was riding under some duress according to her Mother. "Spencer, who is Perez's horse at home, got kicked by another horse on January 28th and broke his cannon bone. (Perez) visted him each day over the last eight weeks." Sadly it is likely that Spencer is no longer able to be ridden as a result of the inadvertant horseplay out in the field but he will survive. On a happier note Nina Crossley closed out the proceedings with a blue ribbon. The Stonehill sophomore from Ho-Ho-Kus, New Jersey was best in a class of three walk-trot riders. Fifteen rides, three blues, four reds. Not a bad day for the school from Easton, Massachusetts.

Wheaton College managed to advance two riders to Zones, including Eileen McNamara, a junior from Weston, Massachusetts (we are not sure where the rumor started, but McNamara is not from New Jersey as some might have said during the show) who was the open flat champion. McNamara will have more than one ride at Zones as she is the Region 4 high point open rider for 2009-10 and will thus compete in a Cacchione-style class versus the other three Zone 1 high point open riders on April 10th (though the outcome will not keep her from automatically going to IHSA Nationals to compete for the Cacchione Cup). Had McNamara won the open fences (she was third).

Brandeis University was the only other school with multiple top two placings for their undergraduates. Elizabeth Bowman, a senior from Webster, New York finished second to Giuseppone in intermediate fences while Alison Engel, a sophomore from New York City was second to McNamara in open flat. Brandeis had eleven rides at Regionals, the second most behind Stonehill and likely the most at a Regional show to date for the Judge's program.

Tufts Head Coach Katie Schaaf (on left) had already placed second in alumni fences when she posed for this photo with Alex Uden, who would win the walk-trot-canter division for the Jumbos a short time later.

When you add the results of the alumni fences to the equation, Tufts University had as good a day if not better than Wheaton and Brandeis. Katie Dunn, who rode for Tufts during the 2003-04 season, won the alumni fences to give her two rides at Zones. As the only Region 4 rider to earn 28 or more points in alumni flat Dunn was already qualified for Zones without having to ride in this division at today's show. 2000 Tufts graduate and current Jumbos Head Coach Katie Schaaf was second in alumni fences to qualify for Zones as well. Sophomore Alexandra "Alex" Uden was one of 17 walk-trot-canter riders spread out over three heats. Uden was in the group of six called back out of 17 and she proceeded to win the largest division of the day outright. When asked where her hometown was, teammate Katie Christiansen said "Go with someplace exotic!" Uden, who has lived around the world, decided to call England her home. At this time Uden, who speaks with what some would call an English accent, is legally able to vote in the United Kingdom should someone call for elections there.

The highlight of the day for host Endicott College came in the very first class, as Lauren Horth was second to Traendly in open fences. A sophomore from Dalton, Massachusetts, Horth was the only rider out of nine Gulls participating to advance to Zones.

Six riders took part in the first novice flat heat; Five more went in the heat that followed. Six of the 11 riders were called back, and when the hack-off was over Boston College had their only Zones qualifier of the day. Leslie McDonald, a sophomore from Newport Beach, California was the novice flat champion.

The University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth had five riders enterred. The Corsairs did not have a Zone qualifier through the first seven undergraduate divisions. However their last rider to compete did them proud. Adelaide Hopkins, a senior from Wellfleet, Massachusetts finished second to Crossley in walk-trot.

Considering the good year they had, this writer is sad that Boston University did not advance a rider past this point. Terriers sophomore Jordan Lavy was third in the large walk-trot-canter class for BU's best ribbon of the day. Wellesley College had two riders in that same class while Curry College had one. In each case none were called back for the hack-off ending their respective seasons.

First year Head Coach Kate Bobola (on left) poses with Elizabeth Bowman of the Brandeis Judges, who models one of the many red medallions given out to riders who placed second at today's show. From Webster, New York, Bowman was second in intermediate fences to become the first of two Brandeis riders to qualify for Zones on March 28th.

Bridgewater State had at least two riders competing, with Lindsay Alexander placing third behind Crossley and Hopkins in walk-trot. While Alexander was likely disappointed to finish third out of only three riders in the walk-trot class, she can take some consolation that these same two riders repeated these placings at Zone 1 Zones 13 days later. Crossley and Hopkins were better than six others at Zone 1 Zones (at least in the eyes of Judge Leo Conroy) and are both headed on to Lexington, Kentucky and IHSA Nationals May 6th through 9th. Traendly was again the individual open fences champion while Hill again was second in intermediate flat. Dwyer moved up a place to become the Zone champion in novice flat. And Schaaf repeated her red ribbon effort to advance to Nationals. For at least the second time ever Schaaf will ride in the ring against her former trainer Ashton Phillips. The current Princeton University and New York University Head Coach has reached Nationals in one alumni class or another every season from 2002 to the present and like Schaaf is looking for his first blue ribbon at an IHSA Nationals event.

More Zones: As a team Stonehill represented Region 4 well, moving into second place in the four-way team competition when the fifth of eight classes was pinned (Emily Dolan placing second in intermediate flat) and eventually surviving a tense moment as Brown University had a chance to knock the Sky Hawks out during the open flat at the end. Stonehill earned 38 points to finish reserve behind Mount Holyoke College with 47. Somewhat unusually, the Sky Hawks did not win a team class at Zones. To their credit not once was a Stonehill rider announced in fourth place either. Six seconds and two thirds were good enough to secure a trip to the Kentucky Horse Park for the Sky Hawks, whose last IHSA Nationals appearance seven years ago resulted in the Collegiate Cup going back home with the team to Easton.

--Steve Maxwell

Show Incidentals: Sunny skies, with temperatures reaching the mid '50's. Entire show held indoors. Start time: 9:06AM. Finish: 1:40PM - No official Coaches and Captains meeting or lunch break. Judge: Carl Catani, Pembroke, Massachusetts. Stewards: Watson/Stonehill College, Mitchell/Wellesley College and Del Vecchio/Wheaton College.

Class results, in the order in which they were held, with the top two in each class advancing to Zone 1 Zones on April 10th in South Hadley, Massachusetts:

Open equitation over fences: 1. Quinn Traendly, Stonehill College. 2. Lauren Horth, Endicott College. 3. Alison Engel, Brandeis University. 4. Katie Christiansen, Tufts University. 5. Eileen McNamara, Wheaton College. 6. Lily Zarella, Boston University.

Intermediate equitation over fences: 1. Kathryn, Wheaton College. 2. Beth Bowman, Brandeis University. 3. Kayla Schnieder, Stonehill College. 4. Mia Finkelstein, Endicott College. 5. Amy Mason, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. 6. Dan Lincoln, Brandeis University.

Novice equitation over fences: 1. Kelsey Hill, Stonehill College. 2. Rebecca Rossi, Stonehill College. 3. Tricia Morrison, Endicott College. 4. Ashley Zibura, Brandeis University. 5. Taylor Franchi, Boston University. 6. Kerin Devine, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth.

Alumni equitation on the flat: 1. Katie Dunn, Tufts University. 2. Katie Schaaf, Tufts University. 3. Veronica Bruce, University of Maryland (College Park).

Open equitation on the flat: 1. Eileen McNamara, Wheaton College. 2. Alison Engel, Brandeis University. 3. Lucy Huber, Boston College. 4. Lily Zarella, Boston University. 5. Quinn Traendly, Stonehill College.

Intermediate equitation on the flat: 1. Kathryn, Wheaton College. 2. Kelsey Hill, Stonehill College. 3. Stephanie Perry, Stonehill College. 4. Kate Selig, Endicott College. 5. Cecilia Pontoriero, Tufts University. 6. Beth Bowman, Brandeis University.

Novice equitation on the flat: 1. Leslie McDonald, Boston College. 2. Christine Dwyer, Stonehill College. 3. Ashley Zibura, Brandeis University. 4. Kerry Sachs, Tufts University. 5. Julia Scobbo, Boston College. 6. Taylor Franchi, Boston University.

Advanced walk-trot-canter: 1. Alex Uden, Tufts University. 2. Kate Perez, Stonehill College. 3. Jordan Lavy, Boston University. 4. Anna Wilcox, Endicott College. 5. Christine Hevey, Endicott College. 6. Marisa Blaustein, Bridgewater State College.

Walk-trot: 1. Nina Crossley, Stonehill College. 2. Adelaide Hopkins, University of Massachusetts at Dartmouth. 3. Lindsey Alexander, Bridgewater State College.