Katie Shanahan (left), stock seat head coach Thomas Goodwin and Chelsey Holshoe of Centenary did not know it at the time, but they were part of Zone 2, Region 1 Stock Seat history on October 4th.

CENTENARY EDGES USMA, ENGLISH AND WESTERN

Highland Falls, NY - It was not the biggest surprise when Centenary College was high point hunter seat team at the end of the day, as this is a common occurrence for the cyclones. Fifteen blue ribbons? Been there, done that.

Earlier in the day however the cyclones did something they had never done: They won a stock seat show, handing host USMA their first defeat in western since the region launched the discipline in the Fall of 1998. Army had won every one of roughly 40 shows held in the region to date before falling by a 29-26 count today. Katie Shanahan (advanced western horsemanship) and Cem Uzman (beginner western horsemanship) won classes for the cyclones. With the addition this season of the novice level to western, the show still took all of 97 minutes before Centenary stock seat head coach Thomas Goodwin could celebrate. Apparently unaware that the Army had never been beaten, Goodwin was clearly the happiest coach of the day, english or western, upon hearing the news.

The United States Military Academy may have placed second, but the black knights did win the majority of stock seat classes. Jared Marinos (open reining), Kate Smyser (novice western), Scott Vetter (same), Lauren Colonna (intermediate western), Erin Morgan (same) and Shawn Carlson (beginner western horsemanship) all emerged with blue ribbons. Peter and Sherry Cashman's western team had 21 riders entered, while the other four schools combined had but 15. Drew sophomore Kristine Kennedy had the best day of any western rider, placing first in open western horsemanship and adding a red ribbon in open reining. Kennedy ended the day as high point stock seat rider, leading the early open rider standings over Marinos, Annabel Benito of Centenary, Jeanine Branham of Marist (who was last seasons Zone 2, Region 1 AQHA high point rider) and Sara Temme of the College of Saint Elizabeth, the latter two of which were the only western riders competing for their schools on this day.

Though Centenary finally broke the string of Army victories, the results could have been very different had Army been pointed other riders. The effort of Drew University should not go unoticed, as Karen Sykes' western team ended the day with 25 points, even going into the last division tied for the top spot. It should also be noted that Ken Fairfax was unable to judge the stock seat show at the last minute and was replaced by hunter seat judge Lisa Harrell, who judged both shows but has a hunter seat background.

Long days journey into night: The hunter seat show started at almost quarter to eleven in the morning, and unlike the stock seat show where the skies only threatened, the velvet and leather entourage would be soaked by passing showers most of the day, giving dry cleaners lots to cheer about. The proceedings started with open fences, with defending Zone 2, Region 1 high point hunter seat rider Kristen Schwieger picking up where she left off last season. The senior from Los Angeles won the first section while Marinos answered for Army with a first in the second section. Most of the riders in the open division were returnees from last season. All ten riders in the first section of open fences had ridden in the region last season, while only four riders made their IHSA debuts in the section Marinos won. Placing third was Columbia freshman Sarah Hart, who tied for the highest ribbon of any open freshman on what would end up a fourth place day overall for Michael Clarke's lion team (Not only was the lion's 24 point performance their best opening day score in team history, the Columbia football team went on to defeat Princeton in Princeton later that evening, the first time the lions defeated the tigers on the road since 1945!).

Centenary newcomer Ashley Dibongrazio won the first section of intermediate fences, while seasoned veteran Allison Guerin won the second. Open flat followed, with Marinos, Elizabeth Griffith of Manhattanville and Julie Wiley of Drew each winning a blue. Pace freshman Maeve Kelly was third in the second section, equaling Hart's ribbon.

Three schools earned their first blue ribbon of the day during intermediate flat. Brooke Alexander of Vassar, Kristina Kish of Pace and Janise Morgan of Sarah Lawrence all emerged victorious. Following a 28 minute schooling break and lowering of the jumps it was a Centenary sweep of the novice fences. Tracey Smith, Suzanne Rausa, Kimberly Murphy and Renee Blacharski all won for the cyclones, who could claim at least three entrees in each of the four sections.

It was not until after the Lunch Break and Coaches & Captains meeting that the last of the novice classes took place. Starting up again close to 3:30PM, the novice flat initially produced what would have been an interesting ride-off. Following a first for Centenary's Tamara Medinger, Blacharski won for a second time. The Centenary freshman was now tied with Marinos, which would mean a ride-off at the end of the day in theory. If they could pick their own horse, which they cannot, both would wish a horse named "Executive Decision" was around. Marinos owned Executive Decision before going off to college. The Army junior from Brooklyn (and leader in the open rider standings after this day) sold Executive Decision to - you guessed it - the Blacharski's! But alas the IHSA horse draw is a random one with horses provided by the host college. Rausa won a second time following Blacharski's victory to make the potential ride-off a three-way affair. However most of the coaches in the region tend to choose a coin-toss over a ride-off at day's end to preserve the horses, and on this rainey day the decision was made to order addtional ribbons and give all three the high point rider honor. Like novice fences, Centenary swept the novice flat, with Katherine Mahland and Carolyn Meyer winning classes 3D and 3E respectively.

Excluding the alumni and maiden divisions, Centenary won eleven consectutive classes. Following the perfect nine-for-nine in the combined novice levels, Catherine Weitershausen and Kelly Balk of the cyclones prevailed in advanced walk-trot-canter. The streak came to an end when Nicole Mumma of Stevens Institute prevailed in beginner walk-trot-canter. The USMA earned another blue when Josh Sands won the second section of beginner walk-trot-canter moments later.

As the walk-trot got underway at ten after five the outcome was still in doubt. Uzman changed all that. The sophomore from Turkey won to clinch victory for the cyclones. Uzman has an interesting winning streak of his own, having won the team walk-trot class at IHSA Nationals in Murfreesboro, TN last May, then winning beginner western earlier in the day and beginner walk-trot as the sun begin to set. Kelly Kinggo of USMA won the second section while the final walk-trot class went to Cheryl Maloney of Manhattanville. At 5:38PM the show was over, the horses were in their trailers and the tents came down at warp speed.

Alumni so big they had to split it!: There were only four regulars in Zone 2, Region 1 alumni shows last season. Sandra Sayre, the Drew assistant coach and four-time alumni champion at IHSA Nationals often fought it out for a blue ribbon with New York University head coach Dominique Vonsiatsky. S.U.N.Y. - Morrisville graduate Robin Mustaciuolo and Yale graduate Irene Lu were the others, trying their best to place above Sayre and Vonsiatsky. It must have been a surprise to some when no less than thirteen alumni participated in today's show. Several had never ridden in the region before, while some had not been seen since the 1900's. Tara Gerber, a recent Sacred Heart graduate, won her section of alumni flat. Emily Gifford, who rode for Miami of Ohio in the early nineties, was second in her section of alumni fences. Victoria Stubrin, a Tufts graduate who was a member of two region-winning teams, will undoubtedly do better than sixth in alumni fences next time. Chris Murphy, a 1988 Fordham graduate not listed in the program, was fourth over fences and fifth on the flat. Three Pace graduates were entered, two for the first time. Pam Roura, class of '03 and Joan Van DeGriek, class of '01 both won orange ribbons (Roura in alumni flat, Van DeGriek in alumni fences) while Jennifer Leveille managed a second over fences and third on the flat in her first alumni appearance since competing in alumni flat at 2002 IHSA Nationals. USMA graduate Bill Rollins last rode alumni at the 2001 Army show, with a fourth in alumni flat the high point of his efforts today. Dee Rudy, class of '91 at Fairleigh Dickinson, made her first appearance in perhaps five seasons, placing sixth in alumni flat. In spite of the crowded field, Vonsiatsky won both of her classes while Sayre was first over fences and second in the same section of flat that Vonsiatsky won.

---Steve Maxwell

Stock Seat Show Incidentals: High Temperature in the mid 40's. Overcast and windy, with brief drizzle. Start time: 8:10AM. Finish: 9:43AM. Point cards posted in this region? Yes. Alumni Classes held in this region? Perhaps but not today. Judge: Lisa Harrell. Stewards: N/A.

Stock Seat Team Totals: Centenary College (High Point Team) 29; United States Military Academy (Reserve) 26; Drew University 25; Marist College 8 and College of Saint Elizabeth 4.

High Point Rider - Kristine Kennedy, Drew University
Reserve High Point Rider - Jared Marinos, United States Military Academy

Hunter Seat Show Incidentals: High Temperature in the mid 50's. Overcast and windy, with rain throughout most of the show. Start time: 10:44AM. Finish: 5:38PM - includes 59 minutes worth of breaks. Point cards posted in this region? Yes. Alumni Classes held in this region? Yes. Judge: Lisa Harrell. Stewards: Clarke/Columbia University, Dowling/Centenary College, Rakoczy/Sarah Lawrence College and Sykes/Drew University.

Hunter Seat Team Totals: Centenary College (High Point Team) 34; United States Military Academy (Reserve) 32; Pace University 30; Columbia University 24; Drew University 19; Sarah Lawrence College 19; Marist College 15; Vassar College 13; Stevens Institute of Technology 11; State University of New York at New Paltz 8; New York University 8; Manhattanville College 7; College of Saint Elizabeth 1 and Cooper Union 0.

High Point Rider - TIE between Jared Marinos, United States Military Academy; Suzanne Rausa, Centenary College and Renee Blacharski, Centenary College.