Liz Jordan of Yale won both of her open classes at the March 28th Dowling/C.W. Post show. Jordan was high point rider for the day and reserve high point open rider for the 2003-04 season.

STONY BROOK GETS FIRST REGION 1 TITLE IN SIX YEARS; YALE OVERTAKES FAIRFIELD FOR FOURTH PLACE

(Yale senior Phoebe Heffron has submitted the Yale take on Sunday's regular-season finale at Smoke Run Farm. A music major, Heffron has often offerred the services of her own horse, Highly Likely, to those hosting Region 1 IHSA shows the past three seasons. Highly Likely will be in action at Regionals this Sunday, and according to Heffron, he is quite the draw for intermediate fences-ed.)

Stony Brook, NY - The Yale Equestrian Team finished the 2003-2004 regular season campaign on a high note, with a win in the season’s final show. Co-Hosted by Dowling and C.W. Post at Smoke Run Farm in Stony Brook, the show featured perfect weather conditions, efficient show management, and well-behaved horses. Not only did the YET come out on top, but sophomore open rider Liz Jordan came away with high point rider honors on the day, clinching the honor of reserve high point rider in the open rider standings within Zone 3, Region 1.

Yale began the day with a bang, posting a perfect point card through open flat, open fences, and intermediate fences. Jordan won her section of open flat, a finish that qualified her to compete in the same division at next weekend’s Regionals competition to be held at Fox Ridge Farm in Newtown, Connecticut. She was also victorious in open fences. The wins pushed Jordan into sole possession of second place in the region’s Cacchione Cup standings falling just short of catching Destiny Caldwell of C.W. Post.

Junior Rebecca Krauss put up another seven points on the Bulldogs’ point card with a win over fences at the intermediate level with a beautiful, smooth round. Krauss is another one of the YET’s riders who will be competing at Regionals next weekend in both novice divisions.

The team’s next win came in novice flat. Elizabeth Gerber rode very well in a tough novice class to post another seven points on the Yale point card. In a crowded advanced walk-trot-canter class, freshman Gypsy Moore secured another four points with a third place finish.

Going into the final class of the day, the YET knew that it needed at least a second place finish in walk-trot to have a shot at earning high point team honors. Sophomore Kei Yagasaki pulled through under pressure and clinched the victory for the Bulldogs with a well-deserved blue ribbon, not only securing the team victory but also vaulting herself into the Regionals competition next weekend.

Liz Jordan competed in a high point ride-off just after the conclusion of walk-trot. She executed the judge’s instructions with great precision and fluidity, winning the ride-off and the High Point award for the show. It was an exciting way to finish a day which had begun as early as 3:30 for some of the Yale riders as highway closures forced them to leave extra early to arrive at the show on time.

The Yale point card boasted 39 points at the end of the day placing them just ahead of fellow Connecticut school Sacred Heart University. The finish also pushed Yale into fourth place in the Zone 3, Region 1 Team standings, moving ahead of perennial powerhouse Fairfield University. Yale finished behind Stony Brook, C.W. Post and Sacred Heart University for the 2003-04 season.

Yale will be sending an unprecedented eight riders to Regionals next weekend, over half of the active team! Coach Margot Sanger-Katz, the region’s high point alumni, will compete in both alumni divisions, Jordan will compete both on the flat and over fences at the open level, junior Philippa Pavia will be competing in intermediate flat, Krauss will be in both novice divisions with Anna Robertson joining her in novice fences, Gerber is qualified in walk-trot-canter along with sophomore and roommate Aelwen Wetherby, with Yagasaki rounding out the field at walk-trot. Senior Elizabeth Streibich is also qualified in novice over fences but will be unable to attend the Regionals competition.

--Phoebe Heffron

(Stony Brook was fourth for the day on March 28th, but still Region 1 high point team for 2003-04 by a comfortable margin...Destiny Caldwell is the first C.W. Post rider to reach IHSA Nationals since Maria Triolo survived Zones four seasons ago in individual open flat. Caldwell is qualified in the Cacchione Cup Competition by virtue of leading the region in points earned by an open rider...Looking past Regionals, the Zone 3 Zones competition will be at the Nemacolin Woodlands Resort in Farmington, Pennsylvania, southeast of Pittsburgh. It has been ten seasons since Zone 3 staged the show further west than Central Pennsylvania. Many teams on the island flew out to Pittsburgh for Zones that time. Connecticut teams did not participate, as Zone 1, Region 1 still contained Fairfield, Sacred Heart and Yale at that time. The show at S.F. Ford's Stable in Allison Park, Pennsylvania took place on April 10th (a Sunday in 1994), with Stony Brook finishing as Reserve High Point Team between Penn State and Delaware Valley. It's Deja Vu all over again as both Penn State and Delaware Valley are back in '04, joined by a fourth team, Kutztown...Interstate 95 between exits 25 and 27 has been re-opened, so the bulldogs and their fans have a clear path to Regionals-ed.)