The Mount Holyoke seniors were introduced at their final home show on March 5th. Though one show remains before Regionals, the lyons clinched high point team for the year nonetheless.

MOUNT HOLYOKE CLINCHES NINTH STRAIGHT TRIP TO ZONES

South Hadley, MA - One week after a perfect 49 score at UMass, Mount Holyoke College not only won at home with 45 points, the lyons clinched the Zone 1, Region 3 Region Championship for the ninth season in a row. Sophomore Ainsley Cathcart led the way for the lyons, winning both her novice flat and intermediate fences classes. Cathcart's blue ribbon in the former will mean two rides at Regionals, as she was already qualifed in novice fences. The lyons' point total stands at exactly 300, 56 more than Smith.

The University of Massachusetts at Amherst was second with 38 points, the minutemen's second highest score of the season. Freshman Bailey Sheran won both of her intermediate classes for UMass, and went on to finish as Reserve High Point Rider for the day. Annie Olilla (intermediate flat), Sheena McNally (novice fences), Richard Buckman (walk-trot) and Thor Hansen (same) also won blue ribbons for UMass. Buckman pointed out of walk-trot with his blue ribbon, while Kim Miller advanced to Regionals in open fences and Ariel Weisman did likewise in novice flat.

Amherst College had their best outing of the season, placing third overall with 37 points. Alicia Fazzano (intermediate fences) Sarah Sander (walk-trot), Kathryn Wunderle (novice flat) and Ashley Arana (novice fences) all won classes, while Wunderle and Arana used their blue ribbons to reach the 35-point mark and move on to Regionals. Last season Amherst finished the year with 194 points, the most for any Amherst team since at least 1997 and maybe ever. With one show remaining, the jeffs already have 186 points, and provided they do not revert to opening day form (when they scored only nine points at Smith), Amherst will likely break 200 points and hold onto the fourth-place finish of a year ago.

From Gilford, Vermont, Smith sophomore Emily Hertz won both of her open classes and a ride-off for high point. Still in second, Hertz shaved two points off of Kyla Makhloghi's lead in the Region 3 Open Rider Race.

Considering the great year Smith is having, today's 35-point effort seems like an off-day compared to the last few outings. In truth Smith did no worse than last weekend, when they earned 35 at UMass but finished in reserve. Leading the way for the pioneers was Emily Hertz, who won both of her open classes and a ride-off versus Sheran and Cathcart. Hertz gained two points on Mount Holyoke's Kyla Makhloghi in the open rider standings, with the latter now ahead by a 75-64 margin. Other pioneers with blue ribbons were Lorena Passi (open fences), Lizzy Jacobson (novice fences), Susan MacLauchlan (novice flat) and Kristen Vogelhuber (beginner walk-trot-canter). Sharon Mason's second place ribbon in novice fences pointed her out of that division. The 35 points scored by the Smith team raised their season total to 244, more than the pioneers have scored in any season over the past ten years (229 last season was the previous best in that span).

So strong were Mount Holyoke, UMass, Amherst and Smith on this day that only two riders from any of the other five schools in attendance managed a blue ribbon. Katherine Makowski of Holy Cross won her section of intermediate flat while Hannah Duranleau of Becker College won the very last class of the day, earning a blue ribbon in advanced walk-trot-canter. Duranleau advanced to Regionals with the first while Becca Lawrence of Williams earned a second in that same section and also qualified for Regionals.

Hulick remembered, yet her work is still in progress: The February 26th UMass Show was dedicated to Gail Hulick, who passed away on February 8th (See Separate Article on the Campus Equestrian Home Page). Hulick, who along with her husband Ed Paro have been Coaching the Becker Team since Fall of 2002, had been working with College President Ken Zirkle to expand the College's equestrian offerings. Zirkle, who was involved with the University of Findlay during their rise to prominence within the IHSA, was so impressed that a new facility was secured. Quarter Mount Farm in Paxton, Massachusetts will in time become the home of Becker Equestrian. Hulick had been involved in negotiations that led to the agreement. Paro is hoping for an open house later this calendar year and for Becker to host IHSA shows there in 2006-07. When today's show was complete, Becker had increased their point total to 135. Becker had scored only 75 points in Hulick and Paro's first season, but had upped that total to a school record 156 last season.

Seen here with her Father, Sheena McNally was one of five University of Massachusetts at Amherst riders to win a class at Mount Holyoke.

It's been awhile: Mount Holyoke alumni rider Anne Meade became the first rider from Zone 1, Region 3 to advance to Regionals since the 2002-03 season. Meade won her alumni flat class, raising her total in that division to 31. Meade was third in alumni fences while 2002 UMass graduate Elizabeth Pelis reversed those placings with a first in alumni fences and third in alumni flat. Another UMass graduate, in this case former open rider Jennifer Lober, was second in both divisions. Meade and Lober both have 24 points in alumni fences while Lober has 24 in alumni flat. If Lober can qualify, both riders would be assured of not only a trip to Regionals, but also to Zone 1 Zones April 9th at the Stoneleigh-Burnham School in Greenfield, as the top two in each division advance from Regionals to Zones. Pelis only started riding this semester, though if she competes throughout the 2005-06 season she clearly has a chance at post-season rewards next year.

Don't forget us: Mount Holyoke had the most blue ribbons of any team on this day. Besides Cathcart's pair of firsts, blue ribbons were awarded to Kenzie Snyder (open fences), Makhloghi (open flat), Alicyn Roy (same), Gabrielle Denby (novice fences), Courtney Centento (novice flat), Alison Wilson (advanced walk-trot-canter) and Sara Royston (same). Though she was second to Passi over fences, Makhloghi qualifed for Regionals over the open jumps while Darcy Broughton pointed out of advanced walk-trot-canter in same section that Beckers' Duranleau and Williams' Lawrence qualified in. Roy finished the day third in the Cacchione/Open Rider Standings, no longer with a chance to catch teammate Makhloghi but still only four points behind Hertz for Reserve.

What's next?: If Smith earns 27 or more points at the Amherst show on March 26th it will be the first time the pioneers ended the season second overall since 1997-98. That was the season Mount Holyoke won Region 3 by a phenomenal 270-177 margin over Smith, while UMass was third with 150. Though Mount Holyoke was so far ahead, they received a scare at Zones when Colby-Sawyer from Region 2 won seven of the eight team classes outright, and Mount Holyoke only advanced to Nationals after beating the University of Connecticut in a ride-off for Reserve (UConn is leading Brown by seven this season with one show to go-ed.). Though UMass was third in 1997-98, the minutemen came way back in 1998-99, finishing only eight behind Mount Holyoke (236-228 was the final number) and even led the region much of the year. It only goes to show that things can change in a hurry, though Mount Holyoke should be commended for staying on top for nine consecutive seasons in the one statistic that matters the most.

---Steve Maxwell

Show Incidentals: Mostly Sunny with High Temperatures in the low 30's. Entire Show held indoors. Start time: 9:14AM. Finish: Unknown (Lunch/Schooling Break totaled 40 minutes). Point Cards posted in this region? No. Alumni Classes held in this region? Yes. Judge: Jennifer Bradley, Scarborough, Maine. Stewards: Paro/Becker College, Ehrlich/Springfield College and Schurink/University of Massachusetts at Amherst.

Team Totals: Mount Holyoke College (High Point Team) 45; University of Massachusetts at Amherst (Reserve) 38; Amherst College 37; Smith College 35; Becker College 22; College of the Holy Cross 13; Williams College 13; Westfield State College 8 and Springfield College 3.

High Point Rider - Emily Hertz, Smith College
Reserve High Point Rider - Bailey Sheran, University of Massachusetts at Amherst