Good Luck Charm: Dr. Carol Matteson, President of Mount Ida College (on right) brought good luck to Mount Ida junior Allison Schaitman (on left) and the rest of the mustangs when they hosted on October 23rd. Schaitman won a five-way ride-off for high point while Mount Ida scored what may be a school record 44 points.

MOUNT IDA WINS BIG, SCORES 44, CLOSES GAP

Pembroke, MA - Led by open rider Allison Schaitman and intermediate rider Chelsea Dwinell, Mount Ida College secured their first win of the 2005-06 season, scoring what is believed to be the school record of 44 (out of a possible 49) points. Heather Paulsen (open fences), Sara Smith (novice flat), Jamie Diamond (same), Jessica Durke (advanced walk-trot-canter) and Dana Amendola (beginner walk-trot-canter) all won one class each for the mustangs while Schaitman, a senior from Stratham, New Hampshire and Dwinell, a sophomore from Amherst, New Hampshire, won twice. As each level was completed, the noise generated by the host mustangs got louder, as it was apparent Mount Ida was experiencing something special on a dark and rainey day in Pembroke.

However some of the noise was coming from one corner of the viewing area, for the University of New Hampshire, albeit in a reserve roll, was gradually scoring 38 points, which may also be their school record. Amy LaFave (intermediate flat), Evan Dick (novice fences), Rebecca Disbrow (advanced walk-trot-canter) and Michelle Horne (walk-trot) each won one class for the mustangs while Kiley Turner won both of her novice classes to secure a place in what turned out to be a five-way ride-off for high point. In both the case of Mount Ida and University of New Hampshire, their high scores allowed them to move up in the Region 2 team standings. Mount Ida jumped over Dartmouth for second place while UNH jumped over Colby-Sawyer for fourth.

The team that entered the day in first place retained that title. The University of Vermont, undefeated through the first three shows, finished third with 32 points, good enough to maintain a seven point lead over Mount Ida. The cattamounts captured four blue ribbons, all at the intermediate level, as sophomore Mike Zito and freshman Ali Joyce each won twice. Though no other University of Vermont riders came out on top, five cattamounts earned reserve ribbons.

A freshman from Moultonborough, New Hampshire, Ali Joyce of the University of Vermont (left, with Head Coach Madeleine Austin) won both of her intermediate classes at Mount Ida on October 23rd, securing a place in the ride-off, which also included teammate Mike Zito.

In spite of the cold and generally miserable conditions, Mount Ida was still able to get their show started at 9:15AM. Early on it was clear that the hosts were capable of a big day, with Paulsen and Schaitman sweeping the open fences. Joyce and Zito of Vermont took two of the three intermediate fences divisions, while Dwinell won inbetween. New Hampshire took half the blue ribbons awarded in novice fences, as Turner and Dick came through with firsts. Valerie Campbell earned the first blue ribbon of the day for Colby-Sawyer while Middlebury College junior Kim Ward won the only blue ribbon of the day for the panthers with a first in the third section of novice fences. It would be Ward's last ride in the division, as she has pointed into intermediate fences.

Following the lunch break and some schooling of horses, the open flat division saw defending Region 2 Champs Dartmouth College earn their first blue ribbon of the day. Sophomore Daisy Freund, who was the Region 2 Cacchione Cup representative at 2005 IHSA Nationals, won the first of two open flat sections, enlarging her lead over teammate Tim Malone in the 2005-06 Region 2 Open Rider Standings. Freund, who now leads Malone by a 45-38 margin, also placed second in the section of open fences Schaitman won. Schaitman edged out Malone for the top spot in the second section of open flat.

Four sections of intermediate flat followed, with three of the four won by the ride-off participants. Zito, Dwinell and Joyce won the first three sections while LaFave won the fourth. Four riders were in the ride-off at this point. Despite the small number of classes it was still possible for seven riders to reach the ride-off at this point.

A sophomore but yet new to the New Hampshire team this season, Kiley Turner (on right, with her Mother) won both of her novice classes at the October 23rd Mount Ida Show.

Neither Dick nor Campbell were able to win a second time on this day. However Turner, a sophomore from Shelbourne Falls, Massachusetts won the first of four novice flat sections. Smith edged out Dick for the top spot in Section 3C while Diamond was one place better than Campbell in Section 3D. Emma Phillips of Castleton State College, a team now in its second season of IHSA competition, won section 3B. Today's show marked the fourth consecutive show where Castleton improved on their score at the previous show. The Spartans scored 14 opening day at Vermont, 15 the next day at Middlebury, 20 the following weekend at Colby-Sawyer and 21 today. Castleton competed in only three shows in their inaugural season but scored a healthy 82 points in doing so. The Spartans point total stands at 70 though four shows this season, so a new single-season scoring record is on the horizon.

Durke and Disbrow won the first two sections of advanced walk-trot-canter while Meg Abramczak of the University of Maine won the third and final section. Maine scored a season-high 19 points at today's show. The lone section of beginner walk-trot-canter went to Amendola. It would be the final blue ribbon of the day for the mustangs, but not their final points.

Jane Park of Dartmouth did what no one had been able to do so far this season: She broke Lauren Cichetto's string of firsts in the walk-trot division. Park, a senior from Massapequa, New York but yet another upperclassman who is new to her team in 2005-06, was surprisingly only the second big green rider of the day with a first. Cichetto, a junior also in her first season of IHSA competition, earned her first second place ribbon but did win a blanket in the Mount Ida Raffle following the show. Horne of New Hampshire won the second and final section of walk-trot.

Carolyn Martell (left) and Erika Tillotson (right) of Franklin Pierce College pose outside with Ravens Head Coach Kelly Costa, who sampled the Meat-and-Spinich Pie sold at the Mount Ida concessions during the lunch break. Franklin Pierce is in their first season of IHSA competition.

Though they did not win a class on this day, Franklin Pierce College took part in an IHSA show for only the second time. The new kids on the block in Region 2 set a school record with 10 points, four more than their IHSA debut a week earlier. Senior Meryl Janicki, sophomore Melissa Philbrick and Erika Tillotson (class unknown) earned the best ribbons of the day for the ravens, each placing third. Tillotson won her ribbon in beginner walk-trot-canter while Janicki and Philbrick did the honor in advanced walk-trot-canter. The ravens have no open rider nor anyone that jumps, so for only four spaces on the point sheet being occupied Franklin Pierce is doing reasonably well early on in their IHSA existance.

No crossing the irons this time: One of the unusual aspects of the five-way ride-off was that the stirrups were removed altogether. Judge Irving Evans then had each of the riders perform several tests, with Schaitman judged to be the winner and Dwinell reserve.

Licensed to Exercise: One unusul piece of trivia learned at today's show is that Dwinell exercises horses at Suffolk Downs, a racetrack in the Boston suburbs. Not anyone can do this, as the state of Massachusetts requires individuals to obtain a license before they may gallop a horse at an in-state track.

For what it is worth: This writer/photographer travels to IHSA shows throughout the Northeastern United States in an effort to provide you with the best coverage of college shows that he can. Without a program it would be next to impossible to provide as much information about a show as is contained within this article. In some IHSA regions, programs containing the team rosters, each of the classes, and who is in the classes are sold for between one and three dollars. These programs, which are printed for all IHSA shows but not always made available to the general public, are one thing that separates the IHSA from other riding organizations, in that programs for shows below the 'A' level usually list classes only and not actual participants. The IHSA programs provide a superior way to 'Follow Along' at a show.

Knowing that programs can be scarce, this writer e-mails most schools ahead of time to insure a copy is set aside. Though I have been told that due to the nature of entry deadlines and other reasons, printing additional programs is not an option in some regions, I would be remiss if I did not mention that several sets of parents at today's show asked 'Where did you get that thing' and 'Do they have any more?' There is a solution that saves on ink and paper.

At one show I attended last season the host school took an extra copy of the show program, separated the pages, and stapled them up on a wooden surface. This way everyone could read who was in each class throughout the day, as well as the placings, which the host school wrote in while they were filling in placings on the point cards nearby. Simply put, it helps outsiders and those unfamiliar with the IHSA to try and learn the system, which, though simple compared to the structure of non-IHSA shows, can be confusing at first.

Mrs. Kay Ganzel (left) and her husband flew all the way from Phoenix to see their grandaughter Chelsea Dwinell (right) show for Mount Ida. The Ganzels picked the right show to attend, as Dwinell won twice and picked up Reserve High Point Rider honors.

What's next?: The two shows that have come since! This writer apologizes for the delay in finishing this story, which should have been completed before the October 29th Dartmouth show but wasn't. Furthermore another show hosted by New Hampshire has taken place on November 6th. The cattamounts rebounded from their third place showing at Mount Ida to win 36-35 over both Mount Ida and Dartmouth at Dartmouth. Colby-Sawyer was close with 31. Eight days later Dartmouth won for the first time this season, tieing their season high with 38. Colby-Sawyer was reserve with 35 while Vermont was third with 34. Colby-Sawyer has moved back in front of New Hampshire for third place. Castleton State now has 82 points, equaling their 2004-05 total. Though not present at the Mount Ida Show, Bates College scored 15 at Colby-Sawyer and 19 at UNH for a total of 34, four more than Franklin Pierce. Malone won three of four open classes since the Mount Ida show and now trails Freund by a 68-63 margin. Vermont now leads Mount Ida by 12 and Dartmouth by 14 with two (definite) shows to come.

What's still in the future?: The University of Maine will host the final Fall Region 2 show Sunday, November 13th at Pineland Equestrian Center in New Gloucester, Maine. Mount Ida will host a show the final weekend in March, with Regionals to be held either April 1st or 2nd. Barring any additional Spring Shows, these eight shows plus Regionals are it until Zone 1 Zones April 8th at the Stoneleigh-Burnham School in Greenfield, Massachusetts.

---Steve Maxwell

Show Incidentals: Cloudy, with rain and wind most of the day. High Temperature in the mid '50's. Entire show held indoors. Start time: 9:15AM. Finish: 2:20PM - includes 63 minute lunch break/coaches & captains meeting. Point Cards posted in this region? Yes. Alumni Classes held in this region? No. Judge: Mr. Irving Evans. Stewards: P. Payson/Colby-Sawyer College, Keim/University of New Hampshire and Austin/University of Vermont.

Team Totals: Mount Ida College (High Point Team) 44; University of New Hampshire (Reserve) 38; University of Vermont 32; Colby-Sawyer College 28; Dartmouth College 25; Castleton State College 21; University of Maine at Orono 19; Middlebury College 11 and Franklin Pierce College 10.

High Point Rider - Allison Schaitman, Mount Ida College
Reserve High Point Rider - Chelsea Dwinell, Mount Ida College