First year hunter seat Coach Debra Fields (on right) has yet to lose a show. Her West Virginia Mountaineers are two-and-0 after defeating both Edinboro and Slippery Rock by a 32-30 margin on October 4th. West Virginia open rider Miranda Cain (on left) won on the flat and competed in a ride-off for reserve.

WEST VIRGINIA WINS NARROWLY

Arthurville, WV - Since Zone 3 was realigned prior to the 2005-06 season the West Virginia Mountaineers have won four hunter seat Region Titles in as many years. The closest anyone came to catching West Virginia at the end of the season came in early 2006, when the University of Pittsburgh came up short by 26 points. While the Panthers were nearly this close in '07, falling by 27, the Mountaineers dismissed the competition each of the past two seasons early and often, finishing 80 points ahead of Edinboro in '09 and a remarkable 100 points on the dot ahead of Slippery Rock in '08. One of the keys to West Virginia's success in that time is their ability to fill their point card. In contrast there were many shows during the 2007-08 season when none of the other 14 or 15 teams entered had a full card, meaning that everyone but the Mountaineers had a drop score before ever arriving.

When 14 teams gathered for the first hunter seat IHSA show held to date at Reedsville Farm, four other schools had riders in all eight divisions. Allegheny, Bethany, Edinboro, Pittsburgh and the host Mountaineers were thus forced to drop a score only if all eight pointed riders placed sixth or higher. At the end of the day, Slippery Rock University would tie for reserve high point team in spite of no entree at the novice fences level.

Where these riders come from, a blue ribbon means second place! From Kentville, Nova Scotia, Seton Hill University sophomore Marissa McIsaac (on right) holds her blue ribbon won in novice flat. Freshman teamate Alexandra Kemp-Thompson (on left) is also from Canada, hailing from Ottawa, Ontario. Seton Hill Head Coach Abbe Wagonblast (center) saw the Griffins score 16 points and two first-place blue ribbons on October 4th (red equals first place in Canada for the record).

Edinboro University of Pennsylvania would score a season-high 30 points to tie Slippery Rock, but both would as usual look up at the Mountaineers in first place. For the second week in a row the margin was close however, with West Virginia following up a 41-37 win over Slippery Rock with a 32-30 win at home this time. Leading the way for the Mountaineers was Miranda Cain. Though she spent the 2007-08 season riding NCAA/Varsity for the University of Tennessee at Martin, Cain is in only her second season enrolled in Morgantown, so the Parkersburg, West Virginia resident will compete for the Mountaineers two more seasons and utilise all eight semesters of IHSA eligibility. The defending Region 3 Cacchione representative was first to start the day in open flat and later placed third in open fences. Cain moved into the lead in the Region 3 open rider standings, a point ahead of Washington & Jefferson's Erica Green. Alex Castillo also won for the Mountaineers, the junior from Morgantown (a long commute to school!) won her advanced walk-trot-canter class (Cain and Castillo were the only West Virginia residents to win classes at today's show). Erin Murray, who only one week earlier pointed out of intermediate flat, was second in her open flat debut. Surprisingly no other Mountaineer earned a placing higher than third. With a first and a third, Cain would be part of a ride-off for reserve high point rider.

Though Slippery Rock is still looking for their first win of the season, the Rock are only six points out overall. Leading the way was Lisa Suhrie, a senior from Mercer, Pennsylvania who won novice fences to get things rolling for the Rock while Melissa McDowell, a junior also from the town of Mercer (and a former member of the Virginia Intermont College team in Zone 4, Region 3), won intermediate flat. Kelli Gimbus, a sophomore from Ohioville, Pennsylvania won her advanced walk-trot-canter while Hilarie Clark made it four blue ribbons for each of the next four graduating classes as the freshman from Sewickley, Pennsylvania won her IHSA debut in walk-trot. Sophomore Rachel Thompson was second in an earlier section of walk-trot while Susie Jansto was second in novice flat. Other praises to be sung about the Rock include McDowell qualifying for the reserve ride-off, all 13 Rock rides resulting in a top six placing and 30 points on the board with no intermediate fences rider. If Slippery Rock maintains their current pace (and provided the weather does not cost the region any shows) their year-end point total should exceed last season's score of 168 with ease.

She rode unjudged in her IHSA debut last week. This week it counted, and Edinboro University walk-trot rider Abigail Maras (on right, with Scots Head Coach Lew Trumble) beat out six others to technically stay unbeaten. The Scots tied Slippery Rock for reserve high point team, both with 30 points today.

When Slippery Rock hosted the previous Sunday, Edinboro University scored only 19 points. Today the Scots looked like a different team, tieing the Rock at 30. Edinboro shone brightest at the walk-trot level, where Brianne Carnes was second and Abigail Maras was a blue ribbon winner. A sophomore from Fairview, Pennsylvania, Maras was riding 'judged' for the first time at an IHSA show. Kiley Iszkula, a junior from Gerard, Pennsylvania won the second section of open flat. The Scots were one of no more than two teams to actually win a show versus West Virginia last season (the Mountaineers have only lost twice since the fall of 2007) and could make the team race interesting with more performances like the one today.

Allegheny College did not earn any blue ribbons on October 4th. However thanks to Meghan Naylor placing second in both of her open classes and a red ribbon for Katie Krackhardt in beginner walk-trot-canter the Gators scored 21 points to finish ahead of ten other schools. Naylor, a junior from Chagrin Falls, Ohio, is now fifth in the Region 3 open rider standings but only five points behind Cain for first.

A logjam of schools scored 17 points, including two which are now tied (along with Allegheny) at 39 overall. The University of Buffalo was the only school out of three with 17 that could not claim a full point card. Sans a walk-trot rider, the Bulls were led by Rebecca Mayville. A freshman from Canastota, New York, Mayville won the lone section of intermediate fences made up of 12 riders. Sophomore Lauren Miller was second in both intermediate flat and novice fences.

Those who won blue ribbons also received a bag of candy. Though Halloween is still four weeks away Region 3 won't compete again until after that time, so riders like Melinda Maloney (on right, with first-year Pittsburgh Head Coach Kathy Marciak) received their treats and tricks today.

The University of Pittsburgh heated up when the jumping was nearly completed. Freshman Emily McTish was second in novice fences while Melinda Maloney won the Panther's first blue ribbon of the day four classes later. A freshman from Doylestown, Pennsylvania, Maloney won the first of three sections of novice flat. Katherine Halo (the only winner all day whose class and hometown we do not know) won advanced walk-trot-canter while Alicia Timmons and Katherine Schneeburger followed with red ribbons in the same division. Pittsburgh emerged from the contest with 42 points for the season.

Rounding out the schools with 17 points was Bethany College. The Bison had what no other team could claim at today's show: A rider with two first-place ribbons! Daniella Vitale, a sophomore from Fort Lauderdale, Florida who is also a Co-Captain won the first novice fences class (made up of eleven riders) before winning her intermediate flat eleven classes later (until that point there was some concern that a first and a third might be enough for high point. No one received a first and a second at today's show). Jillian Manning had the next best Bison ribbon, placing third in novice flat.

Seton Hill University scored 16 points and had a pair of riders in the high ribbons. Katie Taylor, a junior from Beaver, Pennsylvania won her novice flat while Marissa McIsaac, a sophomore from Kentville, Nova Scotia, was also a novice flat winner. Erin Albert, who was the Cacchione representative from Region 3 in 2007 and 2008 before Cain did the honor last season, was third on the flat and fourth over fences and now trails Cain by only three so far this season.

Bethany College Head Coach Kerri Gregg (on right) is soooooooo happy that Daniella Vitale (on left) is the only rider with two firsts and therefore does not have to ride off for high point. Vitale may have scored 14 of Bethany's 17 points today.

California University of Pennsylvania scored only seven points at the Slippery Rock show. At Reedsville Farm the Vulcans were twice as good! Despite only one ride prior to the lunch break, the Vulcans were very strong starting with novice flat. Freshman Katie McAndrew was second to Maloney in novice flat while Linda Syers, a sophomore from Forked River, New Jersey who transfered from Cedar Crest College this past off-season, was first in advanced walk-trot-canter. Two classes later it was Julianna Currinder's turn. The freshman from Hughesville, Pennsylvania (who previously attended Bloomsburg University; Gee wiz Region 3 gets a lot of transfers - Editor) won her beginner walk-trot-canter class.

Washington & Jefferson was next with 13 points. Erica Green was fourth on the flat and first in the lone section of open fences, a class of ten jumpers. The senior from Mansfield, Pennsylvania who was abroad last spring stands one point behind Cain in the open rider standings through two shows. Valerie Mahoney was third in novice fences. The Presidents have also added Leslie Carroll as a transfer to their line-up. Carroll was a member of the University of Kentucky team the past two seasons, during which the Wildcats were first and second, respectively, at IHSA Nationals. This may make Carroll the only rider from any of the current Region 3 schools to have been part of a National Championship IHSA team.

Mercyhurst College scored 11. Megan White, the only Mercyhurst rider at today's show above the advanced walk-trot-canter level, was second in intermediate flat. Melissa Velchoff, a senior with the only Texas license plate this writer saw all day, was third in advanced walk-trot-canter.

The ride-off for reserve matched a novice, Melissa McDowell of Slippery Rock (on right) against an open rider, Miranda Cain of West Virginia (seen in a different photo earlier in this story). Anyone who tells you that the higher-classed rider will win nine times out of ten is just not correct. With McDowell prevailing for Reserve this marked the second time in two days this writer had seen an IHSA ride off where a novice defeated an open rider for reserve. Slippery Rock coach Amy Keefer (on left) has her team in second place only six points behind West Virginia through two shows.

Penn State - Fayette scored nine points, with freshman Nick Oliverio securing a second in intermediate fences. It was the first IHSA show for the Bridgeport, West Virginia resident. Later in the day sophomore Rita Krater was second in advanced walk-trot-canter while Barbara Gencel was second in novice flat.

Westminster College scored seven points. Rachel Mooney had Westminster's best placing, placing second behind Halo in advanced walk-trot-canter. Janelle Grasso was third in beginner walk-trot-canter one class earlier.

Rounding out the team scoring was St. Vincent College with five. Freshman Heidi Hellmuth made her IHSA debut in the last class of the day before the ride-off, and her third turned out to be St. Vincent's highest ribbon. Though they only scored five today their total of 18 through two shows is a big improvement on 2008-09, when St. Vincent's year-end total was 36.

Cal U graduates just won't leave: Four of the seven alumni competing at today's show were graduates of California of Pennsylvania. 2007 Cal U graduate Kaley Riel won the alumni flat while another '07 grad Jamie Mindzyak was third in alumni fences and fourth in alumni flat. 2006 St. Vincent graduate Elizabeth Ferris was the most consistant alumni rider, placing second in both divisions. 2009 Pittsburgh graduate Mandy Collier was third in alumni flat while Aiden Mewha, who only jumped, left undefeated for the day as the 2007 Westminster graduate won alumni fences.

The Ride-Off for Reserve: Though Cain is an open rider and McDowell is a novice, the ride-off went to the latter. Judge Cindy Foster had both riders halt and perform other tasks not necessarily seen in a traditional open class.

A long drive indeed: Seton Hill open rider Alexandra Kemp-Thompson drives ten hours to return home to Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Teammate Marissa McIsaac has a 22-hour drive home to Nova Scotia. McIssac actually leaves the USA in New York and drives up and over Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine. Instead McIsaac travels through Pennsylvania, New York, Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia on the long drive.

Pure Trivia: The rest rooms at Reedsville Farm are painted Blue and Yellow inside to match the school colors. The blue floor and Yellow walls are very eye-catching and other schools should take West Virginia's lead and try the same thing.

A month to prepare: Zone 3, Region 3 hunter seat riders will not compete again until November 7th, when everyone travels west to Stonegate Farm in Coolville, Ohio for two shows in two days. A week later it's back to Reedsville Farm for another show hosted by the Mountaineers. It will be interesting to see how class-ups affect the schools chasing West Virginia (if affected at all), and if the Mountaineers start looking like the team that ran away from the region the past two seasons. Full cards or not, several teams looked like they were much improved, so the team race may be considerably closer than in recent times.

--Steve Maxwell

Show Incidentals: Partly cloudy skies, with temperatures reaching the mid '60's. Show held indoors. Start time: 9:34AM. Finish: 3:57PM - Includes a 69 minute lunch break/Coaches & Captains meeting. Point cards posted in this region? Yes. Alumni Classes held in this region? Yes. Judge: Cindy Foster, Novelty, OH. Stewards: Keefer/Slippery Rock University, Bloom/Penn State University - Fayette Campus and Gregg/Bethany College.

Team Totals: West Virginia University (High Point) 32; Edinboro University of Pennsylvania (TIE-Reserve) 30; Slippery Rock University (TIE-Reserve) 30; Allegheny College 21; Bethany College 17; University of Buffalo 17; University of Pittsburgh 17; Seton Hill University 16; California University of Pennsylvania 14; Washington & Jefferson University 13; Mercyhurst College 11; Penn State University - Fayette 9; Westminster College 7 and St. Vincent College 5.

High Point Rider - Daniella Vitale, Bethany College
Reserve High Point Rider - Melissa McDowell, Slippery Rock University