Centenary College Coach Andrea Wells (center, in white) is flanked by several of her Centenary riders during the October 31st USMA show. Centenary has won five of six Region 1 hunter seat shows so far this season.

CENTENARY WINS, DREW IMPRESSES

Through the course of six Region 1 hunter seat shows two trends are prevailing. First is that Centenary College is virtually a lock for a sixteenth consecutive Region Championship, and second would be that Drew University has a reasonable shot at reserve.

The cyclones lead the rangers by a 244-210 count, having won five of the six fall hunter seat shows. Drew has been reserve high point team at three of the past four shows, edged by only a point at the fall finale at Southlands Foundation on November 20th. On November 7th Drew handed Centenary their only defeat of the season, beating the cyclones 38-35. Fourteen of the Drew points that day came from open rider Kristine Kennedy, who is having one of the best seasons of any open level IHSA rider coast-to-coast.

The junior and co-caption from Middleton, New Jersey has earned 74 points in six shows, averaging 12.3 points per show. Kennedy's ability to always be in the ribbons (and always third or higher) against a field that usually numbers eight has routinely meant eleven or more points for the Drew point card.

Kennedy would be the first to admit that there are six other divisions on the Drew point card that deserve credit for the Rangers' success. Besides Kennedy having qualified for Regionals in both hunter seat open divisions, four other Drew riders have qualifed, including Co-Captain Kate Baer in intermediate fences. Freshman intermediate rider Tori Fredrick has been a big addition, including earning high point rider honors at the November 13th Stevens Institute show. Head Coach Karen Sykes and Assistant Coach Sandra Sayre (both Drew alums) have the rangers performing so well this season that last year's point total of 218 will be surpassed at the seventh show of the year when the region gathers again at Briarwood Farm on February 19th.

He is known only as "Superfan." The Drew University Superfan (third from left), who tries to attend as many Drew sporting events as possible, poses with open rider Kristine Kennedy (fourth from left), who is having a super season.

Army marches on: The United States Military Academy, the reserve team within Region 1 five of the past six seasons, has faired well in 2004-05, scoring in the 30's between October 10th and November 13th. Though we do not know who qualifed for Regionals (on any of the teams) during the November 20th Vassar show, the USMA may have more riders qualified than Centenary heading into the sixth hunter seat show. Four Army riders have qualified in the advanced walk-trot-canter (Kaitlyn Faaland, Liz Greenstein, Kelly Kinggo and Josh Sands) while Kate Smyser and Laura Watson are in on novice fences. Brittany Ladner will go in walk-trot, while Scott Vetter was among the earliest qualifiers, breaking the 35-point barrier in novice flat at the October 10th Drew/Sarah Lawrence show. Army could conceivably place third in the region yet improve on last seasons' 275 points.

While we at Campus Equestrian do not have the full results from two of the final three shows of the fall, we can say that at least one other school is trending upward. The Stevens Institute ducks were twelfth last season with only 73 points. It took the ducks only three shows to surpass that point total this season, setting a new single-season team record. Unlike last season, Head Coach Patti Zwaan, now in her third season, can fill the Stevens point card. So far this season the most consistant rider for the ducks has been freshman intermediate rider Kerri Rettig, who earned at least one blue ribbon for three weeks in a row starting with the October 31st USMA show. Stevens is one of a small number of schools in the region with Varsity status, and Zwaan has hinted that the duck's roster may become considerably larger in seasons to come.

Nice work if you can get it: Perhaps the most interesting summer employment story we have heard this season came from Columbia junior Sarah Nir. The George Washington transfer, who rides open flat/intermediate fences, spent last summer working for the New York City Mounted Parks Enforcement. "I got to ride Belgians through Central Park," says Nir. "We would catch pot smokers. Get them arrested. Things like that." The lions, who tied Drew overall for fifth place last season, could move up or down in 2004-05 depending on many factors.

The Enforcer! Sarah Nir of Columbia won her intermediate fences class on October 10th, but her summer work for the New York City Mounted Parks Enforcement deserves a medal more than a ribbon.

Fences are no obstacle for Vassar success: Vassar scored exactly 64 points for the 2001-02 and 2002-03 seasons. Then last season the brewers posted 172 points, better than twice the previous two seasons combined. Through three shows this season Vassar had 68 points, and the brewers added another 18 at the Stevens show November 13th. However Vassar's effort on that day will be remembered for some great jumping. Vassar had ten riders entered over fences, and all ten placed fifth or higher! Lydia Sisson had the best go, winning the first section of intermediate fences.

In the end, the Cyclones are in a class by themselves: Only once in the past eight seasons has Centenary entered the final Region 1 Regular Season Show with less than a 20 point lead overall. The cyclones have finished third at IHSA Nationals three of the past four seasons and give reason to believe they can do it again (or do even better). When one takes into account that Drew and USMA have improved in 2004-05 the fact that Centenary still has their usual solid lead is even more impressive. Among the cyclones to qualify for Regionals are Carrie Nass (intermediate flat), Suzanne Rausa (same), Emily Vaughan (intermediate fences) and Ethan Smock (both intermediate divisions). Novice rider Kelly Balk will likely join them, as the sophomore from Eldersburg, Maryland won both of her classes at three of the fall shows. Most recently intermediate rider Holly Fatula and walk-trot rider Pamela Ciccone went undefeated at the Holiday Tournament of Champions, with each winning their regular section and the Grand Champion division the next day. With one of the largest rosters in the country, Centenary had two teams in the Tournament of Champions competition, with one of the two placing fifth overall with 28 points. Barring a comeback for Drew or USMA, the cyclones will win the region a sixteenth consecutive season. Between 1976 and 1982 Centenary won their region six seasons in a row as a member of what is essentially Zone 3, Region 2 today. The 1975-76 cyclones were the first to win their region, and at that time the New York Metropolitan area (including Long Island), all of New Jersey and all of Pennsylvania were one big region! Though we cannot confirm if Mount Holyoke College has the same number, a 23rd Region Championship would at least keep the cyclones tied with the lyons for the all-time record for hunter seat Regional Championships.

--Steve Maxwell, with assistance from Denise Zeno

11/13/04 Stevens Institute Show Incidentals: Weather unknown, entire show held indoors. Start time: 9:13AM. Finish: 4:42PM - includes 40 minute lunch break/Coaches & Captains meeting. Point cards posted in this region? Yes. Alumni Classes held in this region? Yes. Judge: Cheryle Francis, Bedminster, PA. Stewards: P. Cashman/United States Military Academy, Sykes/Drew University and Clarke/Pace University.

11/13/04 Team Totals: Centenary College (High Point Team) 44; Drew University (Reserve) 39; United States Military Academy 36; New York University 31; Pace University 24; State University of New York at New Paltz 24; Columbia University 23; Sarah Lawrence College 23; Stevens Institute of Technology 22; Vassar College 18; Marist College 10; Manhattanville College 4 and College of Saint Elizabeth 1.

High Point Rider - Tori Fredrick, Drew University.
Reserve High Point Rider - Kelly Balk, Centenary College.