|
||||||
|
MOUNT HOLYOKE TWELVE BETTER THAN AMHERST COLLEGE Williamstown, MA - For the second week in a row, Mount Holyoke emerged victorious with over 40 points, finishing with 44. Open rider Nathalie Cooper (pronounced "Natalie;" the 'h' is silent) was high point rider while nine other Mount Holyoke riders won classes. The first in open fences and second in open flat allowed Cooper, a sophomore from Newport, Rhode Island, to hold the lead in the Region 3 open rider standings. Also winning classes for Mount Holyoke were Kyla Makhloghi (open flat), Chrissy Hewitt (intermediate fences), Christine Gunn (novice fences), Lorin Weaver (novice flat), Ali Wilson (advanced walk-trot-canter), Catherine Rilla (same), Sara Royston (beginner walk-trot-canter), Danielle Johnson (walk-trot) and Katherine Malone (same) who was riding in her first IHSA show. Reserve high point team was a bit of a surprise. Amherst College, with blue ribbons awarded to Elise Chad and Kathryn Wunderle in novice flat, came in second with 32 points. Amherst ran off four straight reserve ribbons in novice and intermediate fences at one point, which aided their cause. Smith College, with blue ribbons awarded to Jill Medinger (intermediate flat) and Lilly Joseph (novice fences) was third with 29 points while perennial reserve high point team University of Massachusetts at Amherst was fourth with 28 points. The minutemen had quite a few blue ribbons however. Elizabeth Asci (open fences), Tory Forsyth (intermediate fences), Bailey Sheran (intermediate flat), Ariel Weisman (novice flat) and Annie Ollila (novice fences) all won classes for UMass. Ollila, a freshman from Rutland, Massachusetts was alone as the high point rider candidate before Cooper placed second to Makhloghi in the final flat class of the day forcing a ride-off, which Cooper won. Others with blue ribbons on this day were Ashley-Rose Lanzone of Holy Cross (intermediate fences) and three Williams riders. Stephanie Swanson (beginner walk-trot-canter), Kyle Acebo (intermediate flat) and Alden Connor (open flat), who managed to get kicked by two separate horses after dismounting. "The horse next to me kicked, but only grazed me," said Connor. "Then my horse reacted and got me in the leg!" Ironically Connor was applying an ice pack to her left thigh when she was announced as winner of the class. The sophomore from Atherton, California was not seriously hurt, and Williams went on to place fifth with 25 points. It had not been a good week for the barn where Williams trains, as thieves had cut through a chain link fence at Bonnie Lea Farm and made off with all the saddles, bridles and other tack six days earlier. "All of the tack we have today has been donated," said Lisa De Mayo, the head trainer, owner and operator of Bonnie Lea Farm, who was grateful for the support of the Western Massachusetts riding community for their help. Williams co-captian Meg Bossong suggests that "People in barns or tack auctions keep their eyes open for a collection of tack being sold under circumstances that look fishy." Bossong adds that much of the tack was custom-fit to many of the horses and has sentimental value to their owners. It should also be known that the tack donated for today's show was only on a temporary basis, so if you see anyone with a extensive collection of tack for sale, be very suspicious and consider contacting the local authorities. Riding in the big city: Amherst open rider Emily Eisen, who placed second today in her open flat class spent part of her summer in London, where she found work at Hyde Park Stables. Hyde Park is not unlike Central Park in New York City, in that you have horses trotting around with a backdrop of skyscrapers. Eisen was able to ride almost every day on the unflatteringly-named "Rotten Row" within Hyde Park. "The barn is in the side of a house," says Eisen, noting that the houses are row houses on a one-lane street and that the barn is not unlike your typical garage, save for the fact that horses are kept there instead of autos. Eisen loved the experience, which entailed traveling the streets of London to work every day in her britches and boots. "I wore them on the street, in the tube (the subway, or "Underground" as they call it over there - Ed.), everywhere. It made for some great conversations." Eisen says that there are many employment opportunities for horse people in the United Kingdom and Europe, something the seniors or those spending the summer abroad may want to consider. Alumni return: During the 2003-04 season, alumni grew around the country but not in Region 3. Only one show all season had alumni, with only three entrees that day. There were four alumni present at today's show, with the results juxtaposed between flat and fences. Former Williams open rider Anna Reiner won the alumni fences to start the day while Mount Holyoke alum Anne Meade won alumni flat moments later. Lissa Ong of Williams was second over fences while Melissa Daly was second on the flat. The riders who placed 1-2-3-4 in the first section placed 4-3-2-1 on the flat. Daly's story is the most interesting, for she actually now resides in Montana. Daly, one of three Williams riders showing alumni today, is the Zone 8, Region 3 alumni rep. Though she only rode hunter seat at Williams, Daly will be riding stock seat out in Montana, Idaho and Utah. If she rides hunter seat out in Zone 8, Region 3 she will void today's points (points can only count for one region) though it seems if she doesn't Daly could become the first rider in IHSA history to show alumni in one discipline over the course of a season in one region and the other discipline in another. The only question is how often would Daly be back in New England to show against Ong, Reiner, Meade and UMass at Amherst's Jennifer Lober (expected to be showing at Mount Holyoke)? ---Steve Maxwell Show Incidentals: Mostly Sunny with High Temperatures in the low 60's. Start time: 9:33AM. Finish: 3:35PM - includes 31 minute schooling break. Point Cards posted in this region? No. Alumni Classes held in this region? Yes. Judge: Irving Evans. Stewards: Lee/Elms College, Payne/Smith College and Schurink/University of Massachusetts at Amherst. Team Totals: Mount Holyoke College (High Point Team) 44; Amherst College (Reserve) 32; Smith College 29; University of Massachusetts at Amherst 28; Williams College 25; Becker College 20; College of the Holy Cross 13; Elms College 9; Westfield State College 9 and Springfield College 7. High Point Rider - Nathalie Cooper, Mount Holyoke College
|
||||||
|
|
||||||
|
HOME
| CONTACT US |
||||||
