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Penn State University (State College) had the top three riders in the fourth section of novice fences on November 17th. From left to right are head coach Malinda Grice, Laura Smith, Danielle Esplin and Samantha Albert, who won the class. Penn State remained undefeated, finishing eight points ahead of Gettysburg in a high-scoring affair.

NITTANY LIONS STAY UNDEFEATED AS AN ERA COMES TO A CLOSE

Readington, NJ - One day after Dickinson College hosted the first of two consecutive IHSA Zone 3, Region 1 shows at Briarwood Farm it was the combination of Lebanon Valley College and Susquehanna University handling the honor. And quite an honor it was as these two schools co-hosted not only the final IHSA show at Briarwood Farm on November 17 but also the final horse show of any kind at 161 Pleasant Run Road in Readington.

While the current Briarwood Farm has been leased by Katie Benson since 1993 (with her late husband Jack Benson for most of that time) the actual owners of the land want to convert the property into an organic farm starting in 2014. With that decision being made official sometime over the summer the only Briarwood shows that remained were the events scheduled for the fall. And as has been the case each of the past three seasons Zone 3, Region 1 finished the fall portion of their schedule with back-to-backs at Briarwood.

Over the past two seasons the race for high point team had been close after the two Briarwood shows, meaning that the top team (in each Penn State University) was less than 20 points ahead of the second place team going into the winter break. This could not be said in November of 2013, for the Nittany Lions have started stronger than at any time so far this decade. Penn State had a pair of riders with two firsts on November 17th and prevailed as high point team for the fifth time this season, defeating Gettysburg College 44-36 to remain unbeaten and untied. The Nittany Lions carry a 42 point lead over second place Gettysburg into the break.

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All of the Dickinson College riders who were present posed for a team picture before the fog lifted over Briarwood Farm. Head Coach Lindsay Vulich can be seen in the front row pointing to one of several who were taking photos of the team.

A pair of Penn State riders were double-blue ribbon winners. Daniella Carissimo, a freshman from Sleepy Hollow, New York who rides open fences and intermediate flat, won the first class of the day as well as the ninth. Megan Perdew, a freshman coincidentally from State College, Pennsylvania won both of her novice classes to join Carissimo in the ride-off (which turned out to be a question-and-answer session with judge Shane Ledyard). Others to win blue ribbons for Penn State were Brendan Weiss (senior, Southampton, Pennsylvania, in open fences), Lauren Powers (junior, Yardley, Pennsylvania, in open flat), Katie Powers (Lauren's younger sister, a freshman, in intermediate fences), Samantha Alpert (senior, Bethel Park, Pennsylvania, in novice fences), Melissa Stecklow (freshman, Flemington, New Jersey, in novice flat), Holly Lamp (also in novice flat), Kristie Stamatis (freshman, Rochester, New York, in advanced walk-trot-canter), Kelsey McCloskey (junior, Cresion, Pennsylvania, also in advanced WTC) and Maggie Yanowitz (freshman, New City, New York, who is a cousin of Lauren and Katie Powers, in beginner walk-trot-canter). Penn State earned 13 of a possible 28 undergraduate blue ribbons on the 17th. In addition Olivia Perdew (Megan's older sister, in advanced walk-trot-canter), Chelsea Patrichuk (in same), Danielle Esplin (in novice flat and fences), Steven Passerello (in same), Amanda Pritt (intermediate flat), Maddy Fass (in same), Alli Healy (in open flat), Weiss (in same) and Lauren Powers (in open fences) added red ribbons to a very large ribbon pile. Penn State even had the top three ribbons in the fourth and final section of novice flat (Albert, Esplin and Laura Smith were 1-2-3). The Nittany Lion's 44 points are their 2013-14 season high to date, two points better than their September 29th opening day effort.

Gettysburg's 36 points was also their season high. The Bullets were led by Vail Cort, a sophomore from Lincoln, Massachusetts who won her intermediate flat while placing second in intermediate fences. For a long time Cort was the only blue ribbon winner, but then Julia Freed (sophomore, Manorville, New York) won the fourth section of novice flat. Siobhan McIlhoney (sophomore, West Hartford, Connecticut) won the section of advanced walk-trot-canter that followed. Aside from Cort in intermediate fences red ribbons were awarded to Emma Goodman (in open fences), Abby Brodsky (intermediate fences), Marielle Chambers (novice fences), Rachel Dalkin (novice flat) and Danielle Keim, who was second in both of her novice classes.

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Bucknell University freshman Meg Rash (on right, with Bison head coach Farra Phillips-Hillyard) won both of her intermediate classes to become part of what was a question-and-answer session rather than a ride-off. Bucknell was third for the day with 33 points.

After two early shows in which they scored 14 points and 10 points, respectively, Bucknell University has faired much better. The Bison scored 34 points at the November 2nd Wilson College show and just missed that total with 33 on the 17th. Meg Rash, a freshman from Menlo Park, California was a winner in both of her intermediate classes to qualify for the ride-off/question-and-answer. Amanda Relick, a freshman from Malvern, Pennsylvania won the first of six sections of novice flat while Morgan Gisholt - Minard won the Bison's final blue ribbon of the day. Yet another freshman, Gisholt - Minard (from Duxbury, Massachusetts) won the first of two sections of walk-trot. Bucknell did not have a red ribbon until the third-to-last class of the day. Then Sarah Gronsky placed second in the only section of beginner walk-trot-canter while Mari Erdman was second in the walk-trot class that concluded the day.

Though they did not have an open fences rider, Dickinson College scored a season-high 28 points. Forest Stone, a freshman from Round Hill, Virginia who was reserve high point rider behind Weiss on the 16th, won the second of five novice fences classes for Dickinson's first blue ribbon. Charlotte Woody (senior, Stratham, New York) won the next section. Kristen Cunningham (in novice flat) and Samuel Richards (sophomore, Mendham, New Jersey, in advanced walk-trot-canter) brought Dickinson's blue ribbon total to four. "I had every colored ribbon but Blue until now!," said Richards. Red ribbons were awarded to Renee Hirt (second to Stone in novice fences), Brooke Bender (in novice flat), Grace Camut (in same), Alexis Haynie (in advanced walk-trot-canter), Emma Rodwin (same) and Sarah Kaye (in walk-trot).

Lebanon Valley College was also into the 20's at 20 points. Brittany Fleisher, a freshman from Newport, Pennsylvania who grew up riding with Dickinson coach Lindsay Vulich, earned LVC's only blue ribbon of the day in the first novice fences class. The Dutchmen were one rider short of a full card, lacking an intermediate fences rider. However Fleisher has been so good in novice fences she will likely fill that spot on the card sometime soon.

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From left to right are Margaret Hervey, coach Rachel Martin, Kelly Higgins and Jennifer Gillin of Lycoming College. Lycoming has shown more in 2013-14 than in all their prior seasons combined. On November 16 Hervey won her walk-trot class while Higgins was second in advanced walk-trot-canter as Lycoming scored a program-record 12 points.


Co-Host Susquehanna did not have a rider in either open division and finished the day with 17 points. Kit Gildein, a sophomore from Shicshinny, Pennsylvania won her advanced walk-trot-canter class for the Crusaders' only blue ribbon of the day. Likewise Emily Greco was second in an earlier advanced walk-trot-canter class for Susquehanna's only red ribbon earned on the 17th. Gildein, who is in her first season with the team, won a blue ribbon on the 16th to go undefeated for the weekend.

Showing with a full card, Wilson College finished the day with 12 points. Ashleen McCullough, a junior from Havertown, Pennsylvania, was second to Stecklow in novice flat. This was Wilson's only red ribbon of the day and the points advanced McCullough to Regionals in the division. It was not until the 28th and final class of the day that a Wilson rider won outright. Molly McElroy, a freshman from Baltimore, Maryland, won the second of two walk-trot classes. Because there was a question-and-answer session and not a ride-off for high point rider McElroy goes into the history books as the final rider to win a blue ribbon in the history of Briarwood Farm. McElroy will need to make sure she does not confuse the blue ribbon from November 17th with any others, as she is now undefeated and four-for-four in IHSA competition.

Lycoming College has an unusual history in the IHSA. Lycoming fielded a two-person team during the 2004-05 season for at least two shows. Last season Lycoming showed at least once in the second half of the season. In 2013-14 Lycoming has so far competed in every show, with their all-time best score occuring on November 16. Walk-trot rider Margaret Hervey (sophomore, Commack, New York) won her class at the Dickinson show while Kelly Higgins was second in advanced walk-trot-canter to account for the Warrior's 12 points. Currently made up of three riders (Jennifer Gillin rides in beginner walk-trot-canter), Lycoming scored only one point on the 17th, with Higgins sixth in advanced WTC. Still Lycoming has 27 points through five shows with only two spaces filled on their card.

Five different individuals have shown alumni so far this season in Region 1 and each was involved in today's show in some way. However four were alumni entries while Kristi Jacobsen sat out the show in order to school horses instead. Jacobsen spent much of her youth riding at Briarwood and schooled many horses at IHSA shows there before even going to Lebanon Valley College. Jacobsen prefered to ride as much as possible the final Briarwood weekend rather than compete and be limited to two rides per day. Kristie Swift, who was Kristie Heitmann as an undergraduate at Washington College won the alumni fences while Penn State graduate Haleigh Boswell won the alumni flat. In each case Swift and Boswell qualified for Regionals with the wins. Another Penn State graduate, Elise Settanni, was second in alumni flat and third in alumni fences. Former Drew University rider Katie Baer was fourth in both of her rides yet Baer was not the only Drew graduate in attendance. Rachel Denning, who is now the Drew University assistant coach, was on hand to watch younger sister Emily place third in both open flat and fences. A day earlier Emily qualified for Regionals in intermediate flat.

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Can anyone imagine how many ribbons have been given out at Briarwood Farm over the years? Between three different locations dating back to the 1970's it may run in the hundreds of thousands! Molly McElroy of Wilson College (on left, with first year head coach Jenna Beatty) holds the very last blue ribbon awarded at a Briarwood Farm show. Keep that one in a safe place Molly, for your win in walk-trot will have some historical interest in the history of one of New Jersey's most well-respected riding facilities.


The Question-and-Answer session: Some of the coaches in Region 1 have the opinion that the horses deserve a break at the end of the day and that a question-and-answer session with the judge should be held to break a tie for High Point Rider rather than a Ride-Off. Judge Ledyard asked questions of Carissimo, Rash and Perdew and eventually chose Carissimo as the winner and Rash as reserve. With those choices made there was nothing left save for a trip to the Briarwood office to determine everyone's team points. By 3:15PM several of the schools had already begun their trip back to Central Pennsylvania when the official point totals were learned. At that point the remaining schools finished throwing out the trash and then gradually drove away bus-by-bus and car-by-car from Briarwood for the final time.

In total contrast to the final Zone 3, Region 3 show at Briarwood the previous Sunday there had been little fanfare on the final day at Briarwood. It was essentially business as usual, with Katie Benson not only imploring the riders to mount up before the first class but even getting the first rider into the ring before 8:30AM! A small number of people with IHSA history in their blood were on hand, including University of Scranton graduate/alumni rider Michelle Geise (who grew up training with Vulich). Perhaps the most interesting visitor was a Dickinson parent by the name of Jane Acocella. Her daughter Katherine rode in both novice divisions but Acocella's IHSA history deserves a mention. As Jane Bilafer she was the 1984 high point open rider for Marymount College in what would now be part of Zone 3, Region 3 but was still simply known as "Region 1" at the time. Bilafer came out of a very difficult region and competed against Beezie Patton for the Cacchione Cup at Harrisburg in the spring of '84. Bilafer married an Iona College graduate (Iona has never fielded an IHSA team as far as I know, though Jane's husband went with her to many of her IHSA shows) and now teaches in Connecticut. In addition to Jane, her husband and daughter Katherine another daughter, Kristen, was also at Briarwood to watch.

What's next?: That is a good question. As of January 12th Region 1 was still trying to finalize their spring show schedule. Not one date is known as of yet to this writer. It is highly likely that Wilson College will hold one show as they have done so in either February or March each of the past few seasons. When these shows will be is anyone's guess, though Region 1 has more time than usual. Zone 3 Zones are a week later than usual, taking place at the Centenary College Equestrian Center in Long Valley, New Jersey on Saturday, April 12th. With none of the region 1 schools involved in Western (no conflicts with Western Semifinals the final weekend in March) the schedule does not have to be set anytime soon seeing as only one show is needed to make the season legal and ten weekends will remain after January 31st to fit in one show and Regionals. There will probably be at least two shows prior to Regionals if Region 1 still plans things like they did prior to discovering Briarwood roughly seven seasons ago.

--Steve Maxwell

Show Incidentals: Morning fog, then mostly cloudy temperatures reaching the upper '50's. Start time: 8:27AM. Finish: 3:04PM - Includes 30 minute lunch break/Coaches and Captain's meeting. Point cards posted in this region? Yes. Alumni classes held in this region? Yes. Judge: Shane Ledyard. Stewards: Vulich/Dickinson College, Grice/Penn State University and Martin/Lycoming College.

Team Totals: Penn State University (High Point Team) 44; Gettysburg College 36 (Reserve); Bucknell University 33; Dickinson College 28; Lebanon Valley College 20; Susquehanna University 17; Wilson College 12 and Lycoming College 1.

High Point Rider - Daniella Carissimo, Penn State University
Reserve High Point Rider - Meg Rash, Bucknell University

 


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