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.
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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.
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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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