Sara Horwath (on right) won the first section of intermediate flat. Kaitlyn Bristol (on left) won the second section.
Post University head coach Jessica Roth Thomas (center) is happy these two ride for her team. Horwath went on to earn reserve high point
rider honors on October 19th while Post was reserve high point team.
SACRED HEART WINS BY FOUR OVER POST, STARTS SEASON THREE-AND-0
Gales Ferry, CT - IHSA Zone 2, Region 5 is only in its' fourth
season, having been formed in mid-2010 by merging six schools from
Zone 1, Region 1 (Connecticut College, Central Connecticut State
University, Post University, Trinity College, the University of
Connecticut and Wesleyan University) and three schools from Zone 2,
Region 4 (Fairfield University, Sacred Heart University and Yale
University). The 2013-14 season is the first where all the
undergraduates in this region (save for any who took time off and
then went back to school and will graduate with a later class than
the one they came in with) have ridden only in Zone 2, Region 5.
In the short time Region 5 has been around no two schools have
captured consecutive Region Titles. The University of Connecticut
won the region in both 2011 and 2013. In between Sacred Heart
University won to date their only Region Title (the program
apparently started around 1990-91). It is shaping up to be an
odd/even thing as UConn captured the region on the odd years
while Sacred Heart won for the third time in three tries this
season and appear to be the front-runners to take a full team to
Zone 2 Zones in April of 2014.
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Freshmen were extremely successful on October 19th, with at least 10 of the 27 official undergraduate classes won by first-year students.
Sarah Fogel of Trinity College (sitting in chair) was one of them, taking first place in novice fences to give her four blue ribbons over her first five
IHSA rides. |
For the third weekend in a row the Pioneers scored in the
40's, winning a close 41-37 competition over Post University
at Mystic Valley Hunt Club in Gale's Ferry on October 19th.
Though Sacred Heart had six red ribbons over the first 14
official undergraduate classes it was not until Katie Gray
(sophomore, from Colchester, Vermont) won the first novice flat
class that a Pioneer was a blue ribbon winner. Jessica
Chaloux (freshman, Newtown, Connecticut) and Riley Boath
(freshman, Ansonia, Connecticut) were winners in advanced
walk-trot-canter and walk-trot, respectively. In both cases
these were the first-ever IHSA hunter seat blue ribbons for these
riders. Abigail Williams (in novice fences), Courtney Sevigny (in
intermediate fences), Gabriella Tauro (intermediate flat), Taylor
DiBella (same), Allison Buccos (open fences) and Jocelyn Alfieri
(open flat) were red ribbon winners for the Pioneers. A senior
from Darien, Connecticut, Alfieri added eight open-level points
to her total and continues to lead the Region 5 open rider
standings.
Post University had been very consistant prior to today's
show, scoring 20 points on October 5th (sixth place) and 19
points on October 12th (fifth place). The Eagles cannot make
this claim after today's show however, having scored almost
double their total from seven days earlier. Sara Horwath
(senior, Canton, Connecticut) won both of her intermediate
classes and qualified for what turned out to be a three-way
ride-off for high point. Kaitlyn Bristol (sophomore, Watertown,
Connecticut) won her intermediate flat following Horwath's win in
the division. Katrina Matz (freshman, Cheshire, Connecticut) won
her novice fences while Courtney Ritchings (sophomore, Sutton,
Massachusetts) won her walk-trot. Morgan Lavelle (freshman,
Bethel, Connecticut) won two blue ribbons but only one officially
counts. Region 5 is one of a small number that holds the
unofficial crossrails class. Lavelle won the first of three
sections of crossrails prior to winning her advanced
walk-trot-canter class. Only one of Posts' 12 entries at today's
show earned a red ribbon. Melissa Larkin was second in the
second of five sections of novice flat. Horwath, who started
college at the State University of New York at Cobleskill, had
never before won a blue ribbon in IHSA competition prior to
earning two of them today.
Defending Region Champion University of Connecticut was third
with 32 points. The Huskies were led by novice rider Abigail
Perrotti (freshman, Portland, Connecticut). Perrotti's win in
novice fences was her first IHSA blue ribbon. Six classes later
Perrotti equaled Horwath's feat by earning her second-ever IHSA
blue ribbon to join the ride-off. Victoria Stevens (junior, from
nearby Mystic, Connecticut) won her open flat while Hayley Snell
(sophomore, Marlborough, Connecticut) and Bethany Sullivan
(junior, Bolton, Connecticut) gave the Huskies wins in three of
the five novice fences classes. Naomi Lowe and Kaitlyn Boggio
won consecutive sections of novice flat while Danielle Caro and
Beata Hlinka did likewise in beginner walk-trot-canter. Add in
Elizabeth Pizzella's blue ribbon in advanced walk-trot-canter and
UConn's ten blue ribbons turned out to be the most for any school
showing at Mystic Valley today. Pizzella and Sara Bennedetti
were second in crossrail classes while red ribbons were also
awarded to Brenna Daly (in intermediate flat), Cristina Raymond
(in novice fences), Erin Lee (same), Kristen Malec (same), Greer
Lesnieski (novice flat), Malec again (in novice flat), Ashleigh
Bancel (same), Catherine Gereg (advanced walk-trot-canter),
Dominique Martin (same), Bennedetti again (advanced
walk-trot-canter), Tereza Foscolos (same) and Kerri Cavanaugh
(beginner walk-trot-canter). Though UConn had more blues and
reds than any other team the Huskies did not score as well as at
the previous two shows, at each of which they received reserve
high point team honors.
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Fairfield University freshman Maddie Davis (on left, with Stags head coach Naomi Gauruder) won both of her
intermediate classes to qualify for the ride-off. Though Fairfield was fourth with 29 points on October 19th the Stags would
return to Mystic Valley a week later as hosts and win the show to snap Sacred Heart's win streak.
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Fairfield University was an enigma through two shows,
scoring only 15 points on opening day and following it up
with 37 points at the second show. Today the Stags were
fourth with 29 points. Maddie Davis, a freshman from
Granby, Connecticut (who had won a blue ribbon prior to
the 19th) won both of her intermediate classes to become
part of the ride-off. Sophomore Cristina Longo was second
in both of her open classes while Olivia Tourgee (in
intermediate fences) and Emily Kohler (in novice fences)
were also red ribbon winners. Through October 19th Davis
had four firsts, two seconds and was undefeated in
intermediate flat.
Host Connecticut College scored 25 points without a
rider in the intermediate flat division. Taylor Kungle, a
freshman from Vancouver, British Columbia was the only
member of the Camels to win a class on October 19th.
Kungle won the first of two sections of open flat (this
was Kungle's first IHSA blue ribbon). Sarah Young (in
novice flat), Molli Udis (in beginner walk-trot-canter)
and Emma Brunetti (in the walk-trot class that ended the
day) were second in their respective classes. Sophomore
Zeina Jabali, who traveled even further than Kungle to
attend Conn College (from Kuwait) was second in her
crossrails class.
Trinity College scored 23 points, the Bantams' first
time out of the 30's this season. Annie Gardner (junior,
Garden City, New York) started the day on the right lead
for Trinity, winning the open fences class at roughly
9:30AM. Mallory Taylor (junior, Lexington, Massachusetts)
won the second section of open fences to sweep the division
for the Bantams. Sarah Fogel (freshman, Denver, Colorado)
won her novice fences. Through her first five IHSA classes
Fogel had four firsts and a fourth (in novice fences a week
earlier). Erin Barney (junior, Stamford, Connecticut) won
her novice flat for Trinity's final blue ribbon of the day.
Trinity nearly went the entire day without a red ribbon.
However their final rider of the day, Sasha DiNotto, was
second to Ritchings in walk-trot.
Central Connecticut State University had but five riders
entered. Still CCSU had every division from novice down
filled and finished the day with 12 points. Jessica
Rutledge (in novice flat) and Ashleigh Guliano (in advanced
walk-trot-canter were third in their respective classes to
lead the way for Central Connecticut, which bested their
previous season high of 11 on opening day.
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University of Connecticut freshman Abigail Perrotti stands beside the horse draw. Save for the final eight classes the entire show was held outdoors.
The horse draw was generally kind to Perrotti, who won twice and got to compete in the final outdoor class of the day, the ride-off for high point rider.
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Rounding out the scoring was Yale University with three
points. The Bulldogs had three walk-trot-canter riders
and one novice flat rider on the grounds. However for
reasons that are not clear the novice rider was listed in
the roster area of the program but not in any of the five
novice flat classes. This oversight led to a refund of
the original entry fee but it also meant Yale had riders
in only one division. Seoyun Lee, a junior from Winetka,
Illinois easily earned Yale's best ribbon of the day with
a first in advanced walk-trot-canter. Charlotte Guertler
(in advanced walk-trot-canter) and Ayanna Watende (in
beginner walk-trot-canter) were fourth in their respective
divisions.
When the program was printed there were three blank
boxes where the alumni flat and alumni fences entries were
supposed to be listed. It turned out that three former
Central Connecticut State riders were entered here, and
none of the three would earn the same ribbon twice. 2012
graduate Ashley Minicucci won the alumni fences followed
by 2011 grad Liz Benfield and 2013 alum Julia Barnett.
Barnett went to the head of the class in alumni flat,
placing first while Minicucci was second and Benfield
third (this was Benfield's first IHSA show of the season).
Though CCSU was the only school with alumni entered today,
riders from Post and Yale showed alumni over the previous
two Region 5 events.
The Ride-Off: Two of the three riders had never won a
IHSA blue ribbon when the day started. One had yet to
place below second at an IHSA show. When the ride-off was
over Davis had claimed high point (not so surprising)
while Horwath was reserve champion. This was the first
ride-off ever for the Post senior and captain.
A little more about the Crossrails. Sometimes the
programs call this class "Cross Rails." At other times
they have been called "Maiden Fences" and "Maiden
Crossrails." Today they were "Cross-Rails" and in each
case four sets of crossrails were set up. Riders had to
navigate a course that sent them over these rails a total
of eight times. This class is a practice class, designed
to give riders who are not yet ready for the novice fences
the opportunity to jump in a competition. Riders who are
showing advanced walk-trot-canter or higher - but are not
ready to jump novice - are eligible to compete. For
horseflesh and time reasons few regions offer this class
in 2013-14, though it can be useful in developing
confidence for those without an extensive riding history.
Two riders not mentioned earlier who won these classes
were Cayley Moynihan of Trinity and Katie Johnstone of
Post.
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The Sacred Heart University team is seen here after the final class was completed but before
the High Point Team ribbon was awarded. The Pioneers were three-and-0 at this point, and after seven fall shows
would be four, two and one (there was a three-way tie on November 16th). Sacred Heart would score at least 31
points at each of the seven shows and lead UConn by 36 points with three shows scheduled in March. |
Western is a Gray area for Sacred Heart: Riding in
intermediate fences and novice flat - when she shows
english - Katie Gray of Sacred Heart had won each of her
four IHSA hunter seat classes through October 19th.
However what Gray accomplished on October 13th was even
more impressive. The Pioneers hosted the first western
show of the year that day and Gray won her first-ever
open reining class. Gray tied for high point rider but
was second in the ride-off. The catch here is that
Gray had all of six western lessons in her entire life
before the October 13th show.
There's more: Through seven fall shows Sacred Heart
gradually built up their lead on UConn, with the score
278-242 at the mid-season break. Fairfield won the
fourth show of the season 36-34 over the Pioneers while
Trinity was a 40-36 winner over Post when Wesleyan University
hosted on November 2nd (Wesleyan was on fall break the
weekend of October 19th and did not participate). The
sixth show resulted in a three-way tie for high point team
between Sacred Heart, Trinity and host UConn (38 all)
while Sacred Heart won the final fall show (also at UConn)
by a 43-36 margin over the hosts. Alfieri continues to
lead the open rider standings, with Irene Peluso of
Fairfield trailing 60-55. Defending Region 5 Cacchione
Cup rider Jen Dorfman of Trinity is at 52 points while
Kungle and Taylor are at 51, making for an open rider race
that is too close to call with three shows remaining
(weather permitting).
Also Zone 2 Zones will be hosted by Region 5 for the first
time. Zones will take place at Fairfield County Hunt Club
in Westport, Connecticut on Sunday, April 6th. This is
believed to be the first time Zones - or perhaps any IHSA
show - has ever been held at the renown Hunt Club. This
will not be the first time Zones will take place in the
state of Connecticut. In 2001 Westbrook Hunt Club was the
site of Zone 3 Zones. At that time Sacred Heart, Yale and
Fairfield were part of Zone 3, Region 1 (with the Long
Island schools before the region was re-named and re-zoned
as Zone 2, Region 4) making those three schools the only
ones based in Connecticut to send riders to a Zones show
without having to leave state lines prior to 2014 Zones.
--Steve Maxwell
Show Incidentals: Partly sunny skies, with temperatures
reaching the middle 60's. The final eight classes were
held indoors. Start time: 9:16AM. Finish: 4:52PM -
Includes a 36 lunch break. Coaches and Captains meeting
held prior to start of show. Point cards posted in this
region? Yes but without rider's names. Alumni classes
held in this region? Yes. Judge: Cynsie Buffington
Broda. Stewards: Gauruder/Fairfield University,
Meacham/University of Connecticut and Hajdasz/Sacred Heart
University.
Team Totals: Sacred Heart University (High Point Team)
41; Post University (Reserve) 37; University of Connecticut
32; Fairfield University 29; Connecticut College 25; Trinity
College 23; Central Connecticut State University 12 and Yale
University 3.
High Point Rider - Maddie Davis, Fairfield University
Reserve High Point Rider - Sara Horwath, Post University
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