After placing second in each of the first two shows, United States Military Academy graduate Peggy Leonowich-Graham (pictured) won the third of three alumni western horsemanship divisions on September 26th. Members of Leonowich-Graham's family showed up just in time to see her win the blue ribbon.

UNITED STATES MILITARY ACADEMY DROPS OPENER, THEN WINS NEXT TWO WHILE HOSTING WESTERN TRIPLEHEADER

Highland Falls, NY - You could not have asked for nicer weather. The high for the day at Morgan Farm in Highland Falls was only 68 while the low (at least during show hours) was in the upper '50's. The sun shone against the trees on the high hills which showed hints of the fall changing of colors most of the day. The ring at Morgan Farm is slightly lower that the road which runs beside it, allowing spectators to stand above for a perfect, close-up view down into the ring. The horses behaved generally well while riders showed little rust from not having competed in an IHSA event for at least five full months.

There was not one nor two western shows at Morgan Farm on September 26th. This was what would be rare by IHSA standards, a triple western show. And at the end of the day host United States Military Academy had scored in the 30's all three times to hold a ten-point lead over Centenary College in the Region 1 team standings.

With only four schools entered (including Sacred Heart University, which shows in Zone 2, Region 4 for hunter seat) the classes were small, with only two made up of as many as seven riders. The small classes helped both the Judges and spectators get a good luck at the competitors in action. And save for the open western horsemanship division no rider managed to win the same class three times during the day. Though the final team totals through three shows showed two teams ahead of two others, the individual placings provided something for nearly everyone.

Sacred Heart senior Casey Marino (on left) hugs sophomore teammate Coleen Booth after the latter won her section of novice western during the first show. Marino won her intermediate western class earlier in the day to point up, and in an uncommon move was promoted over the novice and advanced levels directly to the open divisions.

The first show turned out to be the longest of the three, completed in two hours and 32 minutes, and the only one to include two sections of beginner walk-jog. The show also included a re-running of the first section of beginner, with USMA junior Aryn Davis winning the section both times (as this was the first show to start today nationwide Davis can claim to have won the first IHSA blue ribbon anywhere in the country in 2009-10). Centenary junior Jen Washel won the second section, while Cyclone teammate Debbie Smith won her IHSA debut in the first section of intermediate western which followed. The second section of intermediate western was made up of three USMA riders, with freshman Chrissy Thebaud winning her debut while teammate and junior Laura Ramsey was second after overcoming a difficult start. Sacred Heart University did not have a rider in the first four classes, but in the first section of intermediate western horsemanship II the Pioneers had two entrees, including sophomore Alyssa Woronik, who won their first blue ribbon of the day.

The second section of intermediate western II featured Woronik's teammate Casey Marino. An outstanding hunter seat rider who qualfied for hunter seat regionals last season in intermediate flat, Marino won her intermediate western section to point out of the division. Though she technically would move up into novice western, Marino was elevated directly to the open level. First-year western coach (and former Teikyo Post University rider) Dawn Wilson would see Marino hold her own in the open western divisions as the day progressed.

Another Centenary freshman won her IHSA debut as Taylor Duncanson won the first section of novice western horsemanship. Sacred Heart made it three wins in four classes, as section two of novice went to Colleen Booth. A sophomore from Portland, Connecticut, Booth would be the last Sacred Heart rider to win for a while, as the Pioneers would go without a blue ribbon in the second show. Advanced western horsemanship was made up of the same four riders in each of the three shows, also the only time all day when a class of four was made up of riders from each of the four schools entered. Centenary sophomore Ellen Rauchbach added seven to the Cyclone's total with a first in the division. Open western followed, with two-time defending individual AQHA qualifier Randi Cashman making her first appearance of 2009-10. While Jamie Fishbein of Stevens Institute was a familiar open foe, the USMA entree was senior Raquel Rascon. From Dallas, Texas, Rascon pointed out of advanced at the very end of 2008-09 and was thus making her open debut (one face missing from the division was Emylee Darneille, the runner-up to Cashman in the region 1 open rider standings last season. Darnielle suffered a non-riding related injury at the USMA less than two weeks before opening day of the show season, and sadly Darnielle is not at the academy at this time - Editor). In spite of Randi Cashman's familiarity with the suroundings (she is the daughter of USMA Coaches Peter and Sheri Cashman, and her house can be seen from the ring itself), Rascon prevailed in the first open class of the new season. Cashman was second while Fishbein was third. Two classes later Cashman won the first open reining class of the new season, with Fishbein second and Rascon third. All three riders in this division rode the same horse, 'Montana.' Between the two open divisions was the lone alumni division, the alumni western horsemanship. Manhattanville College graduate Lauren Napoli-Green won the division, with USMA alum Peggy Leonowich-Graham giving riders with hyphens in their last names the edge with a second. American University graduate Lana Ciaramella was third while another Manhattanville graduate, Cheryl Maloney, was fourth. Maloney, who coached the Manhatanville hunter seat team not long ago, hinted the Valiants may return to the IHSA with a team in 2009-10 after a season without one. The first-show team totals showed Centenary to have won with 38 points (which would be the high score for any team on this day), the USMA with 32 in reserve, Stevens with 20 and Sacred Heart (without riders in walk-jog, open western and open reining) with 17.

Though Stevens Institute of Technology could claim several second-place ribbons over three shows, only Jamie Fishbein won a class for the Ducks. Seen here with her parents, Fishbein (center) won the open reining class during the second of three shows.

Though the second show started out the same way as the first, with Davis winning walk-jog (this time there was only one section), the results would differ for some time after that. Naomi Fuhrman of the USMA won the first section of intermediate western, while Ramsey improved a placing with a first in the second section. Centenary sophomore Lauren Bender stopped the run of USMA blue ribbons, finishing first in a field of six riders in the lone section of intermediate western II. From Fresno, California, Bender was the only Region 1 rider save for Cashman in the Individual AQHA Trophy class to compete at 2009 Nationals, placing eighth in individual beginner western on April 26th. USMA then went back to their winning ways, as junior Sabrina Szabo was best in section 13-A of novice western. Kalen Larsen, a USMA sophomore from nearby Connecticut, made it a sweep of the division for the Black Knights with a first in section 13-B.

Rauchbach then provided Centenary with their second blue ribbon of the second show, tops again in advanced western. Rascon kept her run of blue ribbons in open western alive with another first in the division. This time Marino joined Rascon, Cashman and Fishbein in division, with the Andover, Massachusetts product second in her first try at the higher level. Cashman was third and Fishbein fourth, this despite having ridden in the division prior to today's show. The alumni results changed considerably. Ciaramella won the class, Leonowich-Graham was second, Maloney was third and Napoli-Green fourth.

The final class proved to be the highlight of the day for Stevens. Up to this point the morning as a whole had been forgettable, as the Ducks were stuck in traffic on Route 3 near the Meadowlands Sports Complex for 90 minutes (things were at such a standstill that new walk-jog rider Tony Mancini was able to leave one Stevens vehicle to open the trunk of another to retrieve a bagel. Eventually the Ducks broke free but arrived after the show had started). Fishbein, riding against three others, won open reining to conclude the second show. The lone blue ribbon of the day for Stevens affected the team totals significantly, as the Ducks moved a point ahead of Centenary to take reserve champion honors in the second contest. USMA won their first show of the season with 36, Stevens was second with 24, Centenary third with 23 and Sacred Heart, still with no walk-jog rider, at 22. Overall the Black Knights took the lead by seven.

Seen here with "Grant," Ellen Rauchbach of Centenary left Morgan Farm with two blue ribbons. A sophomore from Toms River, New Jersey, Rauchbach won the first two advanced western classes before placing third in the third show.

The second show ended with the last placing announced at 2:17PM. The third show started with the first rider into the ring at 2:30PM (Kudos to all at USMA involved with running the show in such an efficient manner - Editor). Davis proved she was human, finishing second to teammate Christine Jordan. A freshman from Bethlehem, New York, Jordan had not placed above third in her previous two IHSA rides. After having finished second to Fuhrman during the second show, Smith of Centenary prevailed for the second time today in section 12A-a of intermediate western. In similar fashion Thebaud (pronounced "Tay-bo") was again a blue ribbon winner in intermediate western after defering to Ramsey in the second contest. The third show continued to look eerily like the first, at least concerning blue ribbons, as Woronik was first in the lone section of intermediate western II. This ended the Pioneer's blue ribbon drought though it was their final first of the afternoon.

Then things started to resemble the second show results. Szabo won her second consecutive blue ribbon while Larsen did likewise. Finally someone without a blue ribbon came through for the first time today. Regina Woronowicz, a junior from Bellevue, Washington placed first in advanced western for the Black Knights, a crucial ribbon with regard to trying to make it two out of three wins for the team that day. Rascon then became the only rider to sweep a division for the entire day with another first in open western. This time Cashman was second, Fishbein third and Marino fourth. Though this writer jokingly told Leonowich-Graham to finish second yet again and Maloney to win (so that everyone but Leonowich-Graham would have a blue ribbon while Leonowich-Graham would have all the red ribbons as compensation) the results were slightly different. Leonowich-Graham won the final alumni western of the day to lead the Region 1 standings with 17 points. It was good timing on Leonowich-Graham's part, as her Mother, one of her sisters (not Pam Leonowich, who also rode for USMA as an undergraduate) and a few cousins showed up at that very moment to catch the waining moments of the final show. Maloney was second, Ciaramella third and Napoli-Green fourth.

The final class of the day helped Centenary close the gap slightly, though USMA could only have lost first place had Rascon failed to receive any points. Cashman won her second blue ribbon of the day while Marino picked up her second red ribbon at the open level and her first red in reining. Fishbein was third while Rascon was announced at 4:10PM to conclude show number three in exactly 100 minutes. The final open numbers show Rascon with a 33-31 lead on Cashman for the right to represent Region 1 at Nationals in the individual AQHA Trophy class while Fishbein is still alive and well with 27. Marino may not have the quantity of open classes on her side, but there is certainly quality in her 17 open points.

Usually we photograph the rider with her parents, but in this case Raquel Rascon (second on left) posed with her Boyfriend's family! From Dallas, Texas, Rascon won all three of her open western classes and leads the early Region 1 open rider standings by two points over Centenary's Randi Cashman (not pictured). Rascon helped the USMA take a ten point lead over Centenary with perhaps three or four more western shows off in the distance.

USMA won show three by a narrow 33-30 margin over Centenary, with Sacred Heart upping their total to 24 and third place. Stevens finished with 20, just enough to lead Sacred Heart overall 64-63 for third through three shows. Centenary ended the day with 91 points while the United States Military Academy broke triple digits with 101 to lead the field.

Two Judges knew each other well: Judging the first show of the day was Mike Breigal while Mr. and Mrs. Craig Johnson did the honors for shows two and three, respectively. According to Sheri Cashman, Craig Johnson is the first person ever to win a million dollars in reining competitions worldwide ("Did you know our judge is the Million Dollar Reiner?" is how Sheri put it). His wife Lynn judged the final show and based on what this writer saw today other IHSA regions might want to contact either Craig or Lynn about judging shows in their area. Their selections were on the money.

Cashman takes two of three high point ribbons: Though Rascon earned more points, Randi Cashman was awarded high point rider honors for two of the three shows. Cashman edged Rascon 12-11 for the honor in show one and 12-10 in the finale. In between Rascon edged Fishbein 12-10 for high point in show two.

What's Next?: For those who also show in IHSA Hunter Seat competitions the next Zone 2, Region 1 contest is at Briarwood Farm on Sunday, October 4th, when Drew University and Sarah Lawrence College will co-host the first of (probably) ten regular season hunter seat shows. While members of USMA, Centenary and Stevens will no doubt mount up at Briarwood that day, several Sacred Heart riders (such as Marino) will have ridden hunter seat for the first time in 2009-10 by the time you read this. Columbia University was set to host the Zone 2, Region 4 hunter seat competition at Garret Mountain Equestrian Center on September 27th, only a day after the triple western meet.

A date for the next Region 1 western competition has not been set as of the time of writing (September 28th). Members of the Stevens team stated that they have wanted to host for some time, and during the day the Sacred Heart coaches discussed possibly co-hosting with the Ducks in early 2010. Though it is anyone's guess when or where the next western show will take place history shows that the Region 1 schools ultimatly always settle on a date and get in enough shows for everything to be legal. When those shows do take place, the USMA will try for a region-record sixth consecutive Region Title. The Black Knights won the first five western titles when the region started showing western in the fall of 1998, then saw Centenary win one region title in 2003-04. USMA has since captured another five titles, and if they prevail a full Black Knight team will travel to Pomona, California for Semifinals and the chance for a trip to IHSA Nationals in Lexington, Kentucky this coming May.

---Steve Maxwell