Mallory Kass (left) and Ariana Arcenas of Brown were second and first, respectively over novice fences at the November 22nd Connecticut College show.

THIS WEEK, IT WAS BROWN'S TURN!

Oakdale, CT - After the first show Brown led. After shows two and three, Roger Williams was ahead. After the fourth show it was Brown with the lead. The fifth show saw Roger Williams go back in front. The sixth and final fall show went into the victory column for the Brown Bears, with the nine point margin over Roger Williams enough for a four point lead headed into the winter break.

Defending Region 1 Cacchione winner Jamie Peddy of Brown moved ahead of Natalie Williams of Roger Williams in the high point open rider race. Peddy won both of her open classes and a ride-off for high point while Jessica Mendelson (intermediate flat), Bridget Barbera (novice fences), Ariana Arcenas (same), Grace Peloquin (novice flat), Heidi Abrecht (advanced walk-trot-canter), Natalie Forbes (beginner walk-trot-canter) and Gabriela Gargano (walk-trot) also won classes for the bears. Brown totaled 36 points overall, while the University of Connecticut, also with nine first-place ribbons won by their undergraduates, was reserve high point team with 34.

UConn even managed to tie Roger Williams for second overall, with both teams now trailing Brown 210-206. Cassie Uricchio had the best day of any huskie rider, placing first in both of her novice classes. "This was only my second time jumping," said the senior who pointed out of advanced walk-trot-canter two shows before. "Last time I went off course!" Also placing first for the huskies were Bethany Cardile (open fences), Meghann Jones (intermediate flat), Katie Guild (intermediate fences), Lora Abbott (same), Karen Cooper (novice flat), Suzanne Mancheski (same) and Emily Breck (same). UConn graduate Jen Corti won both alumni classes, technically giving the huskies more blue ribbons than the bears on this day.

With 39 Undergraduate classes and two alumni sections there were quite a few other riders with blue ribbons. For much of the morning it seemed as though Johnson & Wales was winning, as the wilcats won four of their seven blue ribbons during the first eleven classes. When it was over Kristin Marzbanian (open flat), Caitlin Benedetto (same), April Barrichinna (intermediate fences), Lisa Bienia (same), Angela Tate (novice fences), Emily Stube (same) and Beth Fitzpatrick (advanced walk-trot-canter) were blue ribbon winners for J & W. The wildcats score of 28 was easily their highest of the season so far, good enough for fourth place today.

Numbers can be deceiving, as host Connecticut College only managed two first-place ribbons but still finished third overall with 31 points. Jessica Molloy won her intermediate flat while walk-trot rider Jason Sienbenthall won the very last class of the day for the camels. With a second in open flat and a fourth in open fences Vanessa Stevenson moved into a tie with Williams for reserve in the Cacchione race, both now with 54 points and both seven behind Peddy. The camels also managed nine reserve ribbons, perhaps helping to boost the team total considerably.

Roger Williams did not have a bad day, scoring 27 points and earning six first-place ribbons. Megan Wilkinson (open flat), Krystal Watkins (open fences), Alexis Johnson (intermediate fences), Jennifer Desmond (novice flat), Liz Lawrence (same) and Stephanie Joseph (walk-trot) won blue ribbons for the hawks.

Other riders to win classes at Laurel Ledge Farm on this day were Amy Alexander (open fences), Rachel Anderson (novice fences), Danielle Bastian (advanced walk-trot-canter) and Erika Tougas (same) of the University of Rhode Island; Melissa Allen of Teikyo Post (intermediate flat) and Trinity senior Patricia Ruggles, whose victory in novice fences was her first jumping blue ribbon and her first IHSA blue ribbon since she was a freshman. Though Salve Regina and Wesleyan University did not win blue ribbons, Diane Bollen was second in her section of novice flat for the former while both Emily Pisetsky and Liz Perry were second in their sections of intermediate flat for the latter.

It's it the cards: Six of the ten teams competing today had full point cards, while Johnson & Wales and Teikyo Post lacked only walk-trot riders. Few regions around the country can claim such a large percentage of their teams are able to fill a card on a given weekend.

We need five Horses! No! Two Horses!!: For a while the ride-off looked as if it would be a five-way for the reserve ribbon. Arcenas of Brown, Breck of UConn, Anderson of Rhode Island and both Desmond and Lawrence of Roger Williams had a first and a second going into the final novice flat class. However Uricchio of UConn won a second blue ribbon in that class, allowing the five riders with a first and a second to slip into something more comfortable and forcing Peddy to have to ride a third time. Peddy won the ride-off, perhaps the third time this season the Brown sophomore has won individual high point rider honors.

Corti going to Regionals, twice: Jen Corti won both alumni classes today, bringing her point total to 36 in alumni flat (where she was already qualified for regionals) and 28 over alumni fences (qualifying her today in that division). Though she did not show alumni until the third show, former UConn teammate Liz Lopez is up to 22 points in each alumni division. Lopez was second to Corti both times today while Kirin Corda of Roger Williams was third in both classes. Corda has only showed alumni twice this season but would likely qualify in some capacity if she does not miss a show the rest of the way.

Something to get excited about: Though the University of Vermont, Mount Holyoke College and Stonehill College have healthy double-digit leads over their nearest rivals in the other Zone 1 regions, the Brown/Roger Williams/UConn race for high point team is quite a race indeed. Not including the two regions in Upstate New York (where their are still fall shows yet to come) there are at least seven regions along the eastern seaboard where the reserve team is less than ten points from the top spot. With races like this one, the Spring Shows cannot get here fast enough!

--Steve Maxwell

Show Incidentals: High Temperature in the upper 50's. Overcast skies with occassional wind. Start time: 9:13AM. Finish: 4:53PM - includes 42 minute lunch break/coaches & captains meeting and separate 10 minute schooling break. Point cards posted in this region? Yes, but with no rider names (class names listed only). Alumni Classes held in this region? Yes. Judge: Sandy Epstein. Stewards: Schwartz/Roger Williams University, Fogg/Johnson & Wales University and Callahan/University of Connecticut.

Team Totals: Brown University (High Point Team) 36; University of Connecticut (Reserve) 34; Connecticut College 31; Johnson & Wales University 28; Roger Williams University 27; Teikyo Post University 24; Wesleyan University 24; University of Rhode Island 22, Trinity College 7 and Salve Regina University 6.

High Point Rider - Jamie Peddy, Brown University
Reserve High Point Rider - Cassie Uricchio, University of Connecticut