Fairfield wins big at home, moves into lead

New Canaan, CT - On a day when most teams could not crack 20 points, co-host Fairfield University tallied 42, enough to overcome a 25 point deficit in the team standings entering the day and surpass C.W. Post for the overall lead. Novice rider Jenn Santorello of Northport, NY (pictured) won two of the seven blue ribbons awarded to the stags and was also high point rider for the day. Other Fairfield riders to place first were Jillian Brown (open flat), Jessica Matherson (open fences), Sarah Sexton (intermediate flat), Jessica Kurose (advanced walk-trot-canter) and Sarah Buckley (walk-trot). Brown, who was high point open rider within the region last season, moved to within one point of the top spot this season. The Ridgefield, CT resident was second in her open fences class.

St. Josephs' College was the only other school to break 30, with a healthy 36. Despite not having anyone in the open fences level, Sheila Rodgers' team made up for that as Victoria Logan (intermediate fences), Tricia Crispens (novice flat), Magdalena Petrov (advanced walk-trot-canter) and Lauren Guiffre (walk-trot) all won first-place ribbons. Novice fences was another St. Joes' highlight, as Crispens, Cherilynn Raffone and Rachel Mammina all placed second in separate sections. Thirty-two points out of first place when the day started, St. Josephs' moved to within 13 points of first, providing real hope that the riders still present from the region championship team of '01 could again reach zones in the team competition.

Not Posts' day: Heading into todays' show, Jennifer Hennesseys' pioneers had been one of the big surprises around the IHSA this season. Now known as Long Island University - C.W. Post, the pioneers' fortunes turned for the better during the off-season, when twin sisters Destiny and Stacey Caldwell transfered from Cazenovia. When the shows commenced on October 13th, not only did the Caldwell sisters live up to expectations, but returnee Lisa Costell also showed improvement. The pioneers looked like the team to beat at three of the first four shows, however today intermediate rider Tally Piacentine won her section of intermediate flat, the only time a Post undergrad found themselves receiving a blue ribbon all day. Section 8B was another moment of frustration. Stacey Caldwell had trouble on her fence course, but was given a re-ride. On her second attempt, she had more refusals than on the first, and did not place. Even the alumni turned out to be problematic. Maria Triolo '02 won her Alumni flat to start the day, but then fell and was rolled on during her fences round (Two seasons ago, Triolo broke a bone in her left foot during a Spring show at Smoke Run Farm, and many worried she had re-injured that foot. However this time it was the right foot, and the injury is not a break but rather some sort of aggravation of the achilles tendon. Triolo is scheduled to ride in North Carolina in December and is still planning to do so, though she will likely rest the foot through the end of November. The horse was not hurt during the fall). The individuals who struggled today were certainly productive at the other four shows, so hopefully for Hennessey and co. the pioneers have gotten the bad show (only 15 points) out of their system.

It was a very good show for at least one Dowling rider: Danielle Reynolds, a Dowling sophomore from Greenlawn, NY (who may be new to the team this season) had never won an IHSA class entering the day. Reynolds won both her intermediate fences and flat classes, eventually riding off for high point with Santorello. Though Reynolds would place second to Santorello as the sun went down and the rain started, the day was a success for Dowling, placing third overall with 23 points.

Others to win undergraduate classes outright were Emily Grayson and Jessica Gehrlein of Sacred Heart (both open flat); Jennifer Cummins (open fences), Anna Robertson (novice flat) and Aelwen Wetherby (beginner walk-trot-canter) of Yale University; Amanda Butler and Ashley Barbara of Hofstra (both novice fences); Jane DaCosta of St. John's (intermediate fences) and Marie Rivera (novice flat) and Kimberly Shea (walk-trot) of Chirstine Harveys' Nassau Community College team, fourth overall for the day and only the fourth school to break 20 points, earning 22.

Open rider race still a free-for-all: For the first time this season, the region 1 open rider who led at the beginning of the day was still on top at the end of the day if only by a hair. Sacred Hearts' Emily Grayson, a sophomore from Greenwich, CT who rode for the University of Vermont two seasons ago, held onto the lead with 35 points. Grayson placed first in open flat and fifth in open fences, good enough to stay ahead of Brown. Matherson, who led after two shows, now sits third with 31. Two others are at 30, two more at 29. Kristine Brackenridge of Sacred Heart is only nine behind teammate Grayson, and entered the day only three back. Brackenridge had been a story by herself, having stayed in the race to be high point open rider through four shows despite still competing in the intermediate fences!

Oh Carolina!: Sacred Heart open rider Carolina Kronqvist, second in last seasons' open rider standings, summed up a forgetable round over fences. "I have this sleeping pill. It only works when I am in motion!" Kronqvist was second to Grayson in her open flat class, one of her better efforts during a season when the senior from Sweden has ridden well but can't seem to catch a break. A couple of firsts could put her back into the open rider race.

Sanger-Katz opens up lead in alumni fences: While Triolo now holds a narrow lead in alumni flat (helped in part by the absence of St. Joseph's graduate Steph Rigert, who led on the flat entering the day), Yale graduate and acting coach Margot Sanger-Katz opened up a six point lead over fences. The '02 Yale graduate has substituted for Anne Arendt (who has various personal obligations keeping her from coaching at some shows) and now holds a healthy lead in the alumni fences. Sanger-Katz placed first over alumni fences and second in alumni flat, where she is five points behind Triolo. Even without Rigert, nine other riders were entered in the alumni flat, making the alumni turnout in region 1 the second largest in the IHSA. Only down the road in zone 3, region 2 will one find more alumni entries, with two sections of each division taking place every weekend in the Philadelphia area.

Three shows are scheduled for the Spring (2/23/03 at Westbrook Hunt Club, Yale hosting; 3/23/03 at New Canaan Mounted Troop, today's site, Fairfield hosting and 3/20/03 at Smoke Run Farm, Dowling hosting). Hopefully the races for top open rider, top alumni and top team will stay close through all three.

Show Incidentals: Mostly sunny in the AM, then overcast. Temperatures in the mid 50's. Start time: 9:08AM. Finish: 5:06PM - includes 32 minute lunch break/coaches and captains meeting and an eight minute schooling break. Point cards posted in this region? Yes. Alumni classes held in this region? Yes. Judge: Lynn Peters, North Salem, NY. Stewards: Hennessey/Long Island University - C.W. Post, Gerrity/Molloy College and Sanger-Katz/Yale University.

Team Totals: Fairfield University (High Point Team) 42; St. Joseph's College (Reserve) 36; Dowling College 23; Nassau Community College 22, State University of New York at Stony Brook 17; Long Island University - C.W. Post 15; Yale University 15; Hofstra University 14, Molloy College 14; Sacred Heart University 12 and St. John's University 10.

High Point Rider - Jenn Santorello, Fairfield University
Reserve High Point Rider - Danielle Reynolds, Dowling College