Jamie Jansen of Skidmore (left) and cousin Jennifer (right) of Morrisville State got to ride against each other in open flat during the Hartwick show on March 13th. Jessica was sixth, Jamie was second, and Skidmore clinched yet another hunter seat region championship.

SKIDMORE HEADED BACK TO ZONE 2 ZONES

Otego, NY - Many reading this may have heard the old saying "They won the battle but lost the war." Cornell won four of eight Zone 2, Region 3 battles this season, and tied Skidmore for high point team today for a fifth. However one lop-sided Skidmore win on February 21st paved the way for a sixth consecutive region title for the thoroughbreds. Skidmore will ride against Cazenovia College and Centenary College in the team competition at Zone 2 Zones on April 9th.

Though it was not until the tenth class of the morning when Skidmore won it's first blue ribbon of the day (courtesy Alyssa Garvin in novice fences), six different thoroughbreds would win classes. If blue ribbons alone were the criteria, then Cornell would have won outright, as big red riders took home eight blue ribbons, including Regina Salvat, who won both of her novice classes.

The Region 3 representative in the Cacchione Cup Competition at IHSA Nationals will once again be Jamie Jansen of Skidmore. Though the senior was only fourth over open fences and second in open flat, Jansen still wound up eleven points ahead of Cornell's Asta Torokvei, who had the exact same placings as Jansen during today's show at Hunter's Rein Stable.

Though it was spring break for some schools, only three teams turned in point cards that were not full, and high scores were to be had by many. Host Hartwick reached 40 points for the first time ever, with Nicole Gan (open fences), Caitlin Niedzialkowski (intermediate fences), Beth Brandt (open flat) and Karoline Trela (walk-trot) all winning classes.

Hamilton College, which did not compete as a team between 1994 and 2003 scored 39 points, believed to be their all-time high score as well. Carrie Biggar (open fences), Kellyn Shoecraft (intermediate fences), Jess Perry (open flat) and Elisabeth Thayer (intermediate flat) all won classes for the continentals. Hamilton, coached by Ania Krasinski in the fall and Tammy Huber in the Spring, ended up eighth overall in a field of eleven upon completing their first full season in the IHSA in a decade.

The State University of New York at Cobleskill finished sixth overall for the season, though had they not missed one show due to weather conditions the fighting tigers may have finished higher. Leslie Ann Ernst (open fences), Vanessa Mitchell (intermediate flat), Stacey Mayhew (novice flat) and Kim Ringer (advanced walk-trot-canter) all won classes for Cobleskill, fifth overall today with 34 points.

Morrisville State College was the sixth of seven schools today to put 30 or more points on the board. Suzannah Cornue won her section of advanced walk-trot-canter, while four other mustang riders placed second. Morrisville, who will host Regionals on the 27th, posted 33 points. The mustangs also finished the season third overall.

The last team to reach the 30 point plateau was Colgate, with 31. Senior open rider Alexis Gilbard won the first class of the day for the raiders, which was the first of four sections of open fences.

Though there were at least three sections of every division except beginner walk-trot-canter and alumni flat & fences, only two riders managed to win twice. Kate Andrezejczak, a freshman from Buffalo, New York won both of her novice classes for Ithaca College. The ride-off, held between the alumni flat and advanced walk-trot-canter, was won by Cornell's Salvat, a freshman from Glendale, Wisconsin. It marked the only time this season a ride-off took place between two riders from different schools located in the same city! Both Cornell and Ithaca are within the Ithaca city limits.

Other blue ribbon winners were Vanessa Mauro of Siena (who won the section of advanced walk-trot-canter immediately following the ride-off), Ashley Woodhouse (open flat), Casey Atchinson (novice flat), Anna Gates (same), Kate Hugo (advanced walk-trot-canter) and Pearl Higgins (walk-trot) of Skidmore and Angela Barclay (open flat), Alex Hurd (intermediate fences), Lindsay Boutote (intermediate flat), Gillian Pech (same), Laura Acker (novice fences) and Diana Chaffee (beginner walk-trot-canter) of Cornell.

There have been some scrambles to fill the alumni classes in Region 3 on occasion this season. The one constant has always been Cornell graduate Christie Schneckner, who will be the lone alumni regional qualifier from Region 3. Though the classes have often been filled by other Cornell graduates, such as S.U.N.Y. - New Paltz head coach Kristen Connor, today the other entrees were former Ohio State rider James Sardelli, who rode walk-trot with the buckeyes during the 1997-98 season, and Clemson graduate Kathleen Webster, who rode at several other Region 3 shows this season. Sardelli may have been making his alumni debut, but the debut was a success nevertheless. Sardelli was first in alumni fences, and later third in alumni flat. Webster reversed places with Sardelli, while Schneckner was second in both classes. Schneckner will go straight to Zone 2 Zones on April 9th, where she will ride at Cazenovia in both alumni divisions.

It was quite a year: Though Skidmore won Region 3 for the fourth season in a row (the thoroughbreds won Region 2 in '99 and '00 before Region 3 was created), Cornell improved upon their 2002-03 numbers, when Skidmore won the region by a 337-282 count over the big red. The margin was only 345-326 this season (a new single-season point total for Cornell) and if you remove the 47-30 margin by which Skidmore won their own show on February 21st the margin of victory would have been only two points.

---Steve Maxwell

Show Incidentals: High Temperature in the upper 30's. Snow followed by sunshine, yet very windy. Entire show held indoors. Start time: 9:06AM. Finish: 3:12PM - includes 56 minute lunch break/coaches & captains meeting and several schooling breaks totaling an additional 30 minutes. Point cards posted in this region? Yes. Alumni Classes held in this region? Yes. Judge: Bob Crawford, Ipswich, MA. Stewards: Eklund/Morrisville State College, Ford/Skidmore College and C. Mitchell/Cornell University.

Team Totals: Cornell University (TIE-High Point Team) 43; Skidmore College (TIE-High Point Team) 43; Hartwick College 40; Hamilton College 39; State University of New York at Cobleskill 34; Morrisville State College 33; Colgate University 31; Ithaca College 28; Binghamton University 23; Siena College 22 and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute 8.

High Point Rider - Regina Salvat, Cornell University
Reserve High Point Rider - Kate Andrzejczak, Ithaca College