Seen here with her Father, Columbia junior Jessica Nichols clinched victory for the lions with her first in walk-trot at the October 16th Fairfield show.

LIONS WIN, TAKE EARLY LEAD IN REGION 4 TEAM STANDINGS

New Canaan, CT - The Columbia Lions scored 38 points and earned seven blue ribbons en route to victory at New Canaan Mounted Troop on October 16th. Though some are not 100% sure if Columbia had ever scored as much as 38 in one show, the lions can claim that, for the first time in team history, they are in first place through two shows.

Blue ribbons were awarded to Chris Peregrin (open fences), Sarah Nir (intermediate fences), Tracey Wheeler (same), Katherine Azcuy (intermediate flat), Mariel Davis (novice flat), Becky Chaleff (advanced walk-trot-canter) and Jessica Nichols (walk-trot). A junior from Cranford, NJ, Nichols' blue ribbon in the next-to-last class of the day clinched a five-point win over reserve high point team Stony Brook.

Following the show, Columbia Head Coach Penny Kinnally was quick to give all the credit to her riders. Upon hearing Kinnally hand out praise, open rider Sarah Hart said that Kinnally deserved the credit for today's victory. Regardless of where the credit to today's lions victory belongs, Columbia goes into the Hofstra/Alumni show with an eight point lead over Long Island University - C.W. Post.

For part of the day C.W. Post was within striking distance of Columbia, this despite the pioneers from the island earning only two blue ribbons (awarded to Jackie Minto in intermediate fences and Stefanie Spierer in novice flat). C.W. Post went on to score 32 points, four more than at the season opener in Yaphank.

Host Fairfield, which had been one of three teams to tie for first last Sunday, scored 27 points. Senior Sonia Knutsen did something few ever get to do at an IHSA show: She got to ride a horse she once owned! Not long ago Knutsen donated a horse named 'Mikie' to the New Canaan Mounted Troop. Knutsen drew Mikie and the pair proceeded to win a section of intermediate flat. Freshman Elizabeth Green won her advanced walk-trot-canter class while another freshman, Kyla McHaffie, won sections of intermediate flat and novice fences. From Walpole, Massachusetts, it was the IHSA debut for McHaffie, who ended the day as the only rider with two firsts and thus earned High Point Rider honors for the day.

It was her first IHSA show. Fairfield freshman Kyla McHaffie (left, with stags Head Coach Lisa Bailey) won both her intermediate flat and novice fences divisions, becoming the only undergraduate rider on this day with two firsts.

Yale University, which won the old Zone 3, Region 1 last season (a region that contained every team showing today save for Columbia and New York University), scored 24 points without a walk-trot rider to fill their card. Senior Elizabeth Jordan won her open fences class while freshman Elisabeth Leake prevailed in intermediate fences. Erica Deahl, a junior from Lubbock, Texas, was first in intermediate flat and second to Minto in intermediate fences, becoming one of three riders to earn a first and a second at today's show.

St. Joseph's College went almost the entire show before earning a blue ribbon, then got two in the final three classes. Walk-trotters Elizabeth Harrison and Kelly Marmo both won, while St. Joseph's finished with 23 points, eight more than at their season opener. St. Joseph's had five riders competing in intermediate fences, and when one of them points up their point card will once again be full.

Like Yale, Sacred Heart had no walk-trot rider at today's show. The pioneers from the nutmeg state scored 21 points and four blue ribbons, as Lauren Pierce (open fences), Catherine Coyle (same), Nicole Lay (novice flat) and Kelly Johnson (same) all won classes. Though a senior, it was only the second IHSA show for Johnson, and her first time winning the blue ribbon in an IHSA show.

New York University had scored 32 points at the season opener, finishing in a tie with Fairfield and Sacred Heart for high point team. This week NYU fell back to 18 points, with Hanna Gelfand (open fences), Stacy Schwartz (beginner walk-trot-canter) and Evania Vasquez (walk-trot) all earning Reserve red ribbons.

Molloy College finished with 17 points and two blue ribbons, awarded to Alicia Curci in novice fences and Carly Rose Palazzolo in novice flat. Dowling scored 13 points, with Nicole Farrell a blue ribbon winner in novice fences while Shannon Kern won the lone section of beginner walk-trot-canter.

He rode for C.W. Post last season. Chris Hernandez of Stony Brook (left) poses with C.W. Post Head Coach Jennifer Hennessey (his former coach) and Stony Brook Head Coach George Lukemire. Hernandez's placing in walk-trot would affect whether his current or former team took reserve high point honors.

One other team won only two blue ribbons, but that team went on to finish as Reserve High Point Team! Rachel Cresswell, who rode for Stony Brook in 2003-04 and then spent a season in the NCAA, returned to the seawolves this season. Cresswell won the first class at today's show, giving Stony Brook their first blue ribbon of the day. 23 undergraduate classes later McKenzie Murphy would win her section of advanced walk-trot-canter. Though no other seawolves won classes, several finished second in their sections, including the final Stony Brook rider of the day.

Between the spring and the fall, walk-trot rider Chris Hernandez transfered from C.W. Post to Stony Brook. Hernandez, who had been very popular with pioneers coach Jennifer Hennessey and the rest of the team, earned a second place ribbon in the section of walk-trot Nichols won, moving Stony Brook from a point behind to a point ahead of C.W. Post for the afternoon.

Munoz still perfect over fences: 2005 Stony Brook graduate Stacy Munoz won her alumni flat and fences classes at today's show, keeping her undefeated in the latter alumni division. With the alumni turnout so large in Region 4, two separate sections of each alumni division were again needed this week. Fairfield graduate Valerie Achkanian won the other section of alumni flat, giving her the lead by two points over Munoz in the division. University of Maryland graduate Dara Eisenberg won the other section of alumni fences, putting her in a three-way tie with former Sacred Heart rider Krissy Brackenridge and former Stony Brook rider Erin Graham for second in Region 4 alumni fences. Munoz leads all three riders by four points.

What's the Deahl with the ride-off?: Though McHaffie was the only rider with two firsts, three riders managed a first and a second, in theory creating a tie for Reserve High Point Rider and the need for a ride-off. Since the show ran very late (ending at 6:13PM), it was decided not to have a ride-off, though it is not clear what tie-breaking method was used. It is known that both Nir and Deahl had to leave before the end of the show, so logic would indicate that if Knutsen was still on the premises she would get the reserve ribbon. However when the High Point and Reserve High Point Riders were announced over the PA system, Deahl was awarded the red ribbon.

Better than going to the mall: When Columbia hosts their show on November 13th, spectators and riders alike may want to have some extra cash on hand. The first IHSA show at Bergen Equestrian Center (formerly Overpeck Riding Center) since Spring 2001 will have more than a food truck and a bake sale to help you part with your money. "Our first time at Bergen features a used equipment and tack sale," Says Nir, "Since every student is on a budget. Plus needless things to splurge on! Lots of vendors will be sponsoring the jumps. We try to involve everybody."

Photo finish: This writer and photographer has been at many IHSA shows where professional photographers have been brought in to take pictures of the riders in action. Sometimes one or two announcements over the PA is all the photographer gets. At today's show, photographer Alison Hartwell (www.alisonhartwell.com) spent over eight hours in the ring taking candids and action shots. Since the PA system was difficult to hear in at least one end of the ring, many may not know they can order photos from today's show through her web site. Though the site indicates her work is not limited to Equestrian Photography, the photos Hartwell posted are mostly of hunter/jumpers, polo ponies in action, and equestrian-related portraits, and all are brilliant. It is also refreshing that Hartwell works only with film in this digital age, so negatives exist of each photo from today's show. Hartwell can be reached on-line at alison@alisonhartwell.com and if you are a member of the Columbia team you might want Hartwell's final photo of the day. Hartwell gathered the Lion team in front of one of the jumps, taking the first-ever photo of Columbia in first place this late in the season.

--Steve Maxwell

Show Incidentals: Partly sunny skies, windy, with temperatures in the mid '60's. Start time: 9:36AM. Finish: 6:13PM - includes 44 minute lunch break/Coaches & Captains meeting and separate schooling breaks totaling 27 minutes. Point cards posted in this region? Yes. Alumni classes held in this Region? Yes. Judge: Barbara Fillipelli. Stewards: Hennessey/Long Island University - C.W. Post College, Heffron/Yale University and Cantelmo/Sacred Heart University.

Team Totals: Columbia University (High Point Team) 38; Stony Brook University (Reserve High Point Team) 33; Long Island University - C.W. Post College 32; Fairfield University 27; Yale University 24; St. Joseph's College 23; Sacred Heart University 21; New York University 18; Molloy College 17 and Dowling College 13.

High Point Rider - Kyla McHaffie, Fairfield University
Reserve High Point Rider - Erica Deahl, Yale University