We are not sure why several Lafayette Leopards opted to crouch for this photo, but it did make for a perfect 'tallest to shortest'-type picture. For more details about the photo, read the final paragraph of the story.

DEFENDING REGION CHAMPION LAFAYETTE WINS SEASON OPENER

Readington, NJ - It was one of those days when you might have wanted to be elsewhere. The weather was dreary, with intermittent rain. Though Briarwood Farm has two indoor bathrooms a circuit was out, resulting in about four lights not working including those in both bathrooms, thus causing considerably higher traffic at the portable toilets. The show took longer than most, eventually ending only four minutes shy of nine hours from when it started (becoming the second-longest show in the eight-plus year history of Region 4).

For at least 27 riders there was something good: A blue ribbon to take home. Four undergraduates won twice while an '09 graduate went undefeated in her alumni debut.

And for the Lafayette Leopards there was a high point team ribbon. The defending Region 4 hunter seat Region Champions won with 31 points. Though some associated with the team were surprised that no one finished ahead of them after an underwhelming performance the point card spoke for itself. Kelsey Work, a sophomore from Los Angeles, California, won both of her novice classes to reach the ride-off. Work, who won team novice flat at 2009 IHSA Nationals in her most recent ride prior to today's show, pointed out of both novice divisions in the process. Also winning for the Leopards were Danielle Miranda (open fences), Kristen Greaney (intermediate flat) and Julie Doyle (novice fences). Earning red ribbons were Molly Clarke (advanced walk-trot-canter), Hannah Frank (novice flat), Emily Odle (same), Doyle (same) and Michele Torchio (intermediate flat). Lafayette was able to win today in spite of their walk-trot rider being a late scratch, giving the Leopards an automatic drop score before the show was completed.

From Massapequa, New York, Jennifer Bree was the first of five Bloomsburg riders to win a class on September 27th. Bree (on right) poses with her mother after winning her novice fences. Like Lafayette, Bloomsburg did not have a full card, yet the Huskies were still reserve champions with 28 points sans an open fences entry.

While it is uncommon for any team to earn high point honors without a full card it is even more uncommon for the top two teams to make that claim. Bloomsburg University, with no open fences rider and no blue ribbons through the first 14 classes of the day, finished with five firsts and 28 points when it was all over. Jennifer Bree, a freshman from Massapequa, New York, won the fourth section of novice fences in her IHSA debut to start things rolling for the Huskies. Alyssa Wernham won the 19th class of the day, the second section of advanced walk-trot-canter while Emily Whisel won the only section of beginner walk-trot-canter. The Huskies won the final two classes of the day prior to the ride-off, as Emily Wohl won walk-trot and Elaine Tierney won advanced walk-trot-canter. In addition Lyndsey Gibson earned the Huskie's lone red ribbon with a second in novice fences. By virtue of earning reserve high point team honors, Bloomsburg is in second place overall for only the second time in the 15-year history of the Huskie program.

Despite a desparity in blue ribbons, East Stroudsburg and Rutgers tied for third with 27 points each. For the Warriors only April Koveleskie was able to win a class, taking the blue in both novice fences and the unofficial maiden fences division (sadly riders who win the maiden class and their flat class are ineligible for the end-of-the-day ride-off). ESU did earn a pair of red ribbons, as Kaitlin Black (who was very good in her intermediate fences re-ride) and Erin Kanaly (in advanced walk-trot-canter) took seconds (it is unclear if ESU had a walk-trot rider, which would make for a full card - Editor). For Rutgers there were many high-end ribbons. Freshmen got the ball rolling for the Scarlet Knights, as Emily Hulak won intermediate fences and Libby Dayton won open flat. The former, from Milford, Connecticut, also won her intermediate flat class to qualify for the ride-off. Dayton, from Meyersville, New Jersey ended the day with nine points and second place in the region 4 open rider standings. Shannon Thieme, who was dominant in the novice level as a freshman last season, won her intermediate flat. Kate Caracappa won her novice flat while Sarina Bowen won her advanced walk-trot-canter. Alica Ulmes (open flat), Caitlin Doran (intermediate fences), Kate Felter (intermediate flat), Kathryn Diamantoni (novice fences), Trista Kuna (novice flat), Samantha DiMaria (advanced walk-trot-canter) and Hannah LeBon (walk-trot) all earned second place ribbons for Rutgers, which did have a full card for today's show.

Penn State - Berks Head Coach Chrystal Coffelt was unable to attend the ESU show, so in her place was former Kutztown Head Coach Bruce Lachiusa (on right). Lachiusa saw Berks score 25 points while newcommer Hannah Kreider (on left) won both of her novice classes to qualify for the ride-off.

While there was a two-way tie for third, three schools tied for fourth with 25 points each. Several of the point totals changed after the show, including those of Penn State - Berks. Campus Equestrian incorrectly listed Berks with only 24 points on our team standings page (Berks was listed as having scored 25 before a correction; Then another correction brought the total back to 25). Normally coached by Kutztown graduate Chrystal Coffelt-Wood, Berks was coached instead by Coffelt-Wood's former coach at Kutztown, the legendary Bruce Lachiusa (ironically Coffelt-Wood was competing at a non-IHSA show, riding at least one horse of Lachiusa's). Lachiusa was also assisted by yet another Kutztown graduate, Coffelt-Wood's former teammate Megan Lissi. Armed with a full card, Berks was hot early as Larissa Ott was second in open fences while sophomore Brooke Shinners won her IHSA debut in intermediate fences. After the lunch break Hannah Kreider had an even more memorable IHSA debut. The freshman from Sinking Spring, Pennsylvania won both of her novice classes to join Work and Hulak in the ride-off. Kay Kocher was second in advanced walk-trot-canter while Makenzie Danton was second in a later section of novice flat. Erin Peterson was second to Koveleskie in the maiden fences. Not a bad day for a Berks team which had not yet made their IHSA debut two years ago at this time.

The University of Scranton also scored 25. Meghan McAliney was the only Royal to win a class, coming in first in the fourth section of advanced walk-trot-canter. Jillian Cassetori (in novice flat), Lisa Taommina (beginner walk-trot-canter) and Kelly Kuzmiski (walk-trot) earned seconds as Scranton did much of their scoring after the lunch break. Scranton was also initially listed as having scored 24 but in fact the Royals earned 25.

Rounding out the 25 point club was Lehigh. Like Berks and Scranton the Mountain Hawks had a full card. Unlike those teams Lehigh did not have a blue ribbon winner. Maggie Gordon came close twice, placing second in both open flat and intermediate fences (her red ribbon in the latter qualified her for Regionals). Newcommer Kristin Vasmanis was second in advanced walk-trot-canter.

Though they were into the blues and reds more often than Scranton or Lehigh, Kutztown University surprisingly only scored 22. The Golden Bears started well, with Shannon Ebert winning open fences to start the day. From New Tripoli, Pennsylvania, Ebert leads the Region 4 Cacchione standings with 11 points through one show. Kaitlin Tomecek won her intermediate fences while Andrea Heinzman won open flat. Montana Blum, a freshman from Owings Mills, Maryland came closest to reaching the ride-off. Blum placed second in novice fences while later winning her novice flat. Jess Benner was second in both her open fences and intermediate flat while Katelyn Grumbling was second in another section of novice fences.

After spending their entire IHSA existence in Zone 3, Region 2 (and its predecessor, simply known as Region 5) Rider University has become the third Garden State-based school in Region 4. Seen here with "Classey" are Kim Ruotolo (center) and Sara Kassim of the Broncs. Ruotolo won Riders' only blue ribbon of the day with a first in novice flat.

Rider University made their Region 4 debut, scoring 13 points. Though the Broncs have had a team on-and-off since the 1970's this was their first regular-season competition versus Kutztown, Scranton, Lehigh, Bloomsburg, Cedar Crest, Moravian, East Stroudsburg and Rutgers since the Spring of 2001. Region 4 was created for the fall of 2001 by spliting Zone 3, Region 2 in half. Because Dawne Morrone was Head Coach of both Rider and the University of Pennsylvania at that time both schools remained in Region 2. During the next eight seasons Rider was the only New Jersey school in Region 2, a region which has become one of the two largest in the entire IHSA. Though there was a proposed split of Region 2 over the summer, the only change that came of it was to move Rider into Region 4, a geographically-sensible move. Kim Ruotolo, a senior from Monroe Township, New Jersey, won the Broncs' first (and so far the only) blue ribbon as a Region 4 school. Ruotolo won novice flat while Cassie Thornton was second in intermediate flat to lead the way for a Rider team in need of only an open rider and a walk-trotter to fill their card.

Though they were originally listed with only five points on our team standings page, Cedar Crest College scored eleven. Seven of the eleven may have come from Tatiana Ballreich, who was the lone Falcon rider to win a class. Ballreich won the first of two sections of walk-trot.

Rounding out the scoring was Moravian College with eight points. Stephanie Testai was the only member of the Greyhounds to make the top four, winning her section of advanced walk-trot-canter to secure seven of Moravians' eight points.

Wait 'till next time: Neither Princeton nor Wilkes participated in today's season opener. Hopefully both will compete in six days when the alumni riders host.

Speaking of the Alumni there were ten of them competing at today's show, including four who were making their alumni debut. Rian Harris, who as Rian Harker rode for William & Mary back in 1994-95, is now a graduate student at Princeton. Though class of '98 Harris only rode for the Tribe as a freshman. Rachel Suna, who graduated from Lehigh in 2004 was making her first IHSA appearance of any kind since the 2002-03 season. Lauren Nelson was the reserve high point open rider in Region 4 last season. The East Stroudsburg graduate finished second to Kutztown's Lauren Casale, who was nearly unable to make her alumni debut by not having the necessary waiver form. As luck would have it Casale found a hotel in the area which could print out the waiver form. This proved instrumental in the outcome of the alumni divisions as Casale won both classes. Dartmouth graduate Stacy Klein was second in alumni flat while Danielle Reynolds was second over fences. A graduate of Long Island University - C.W. Post College who also rode for Dowling College, Reynolds was making her Zone 3, Region 4 debut after spending her entire IHSA career to this point in Zone 2, Region 4 (the old Zone 3, Region 1 for the most part). East Stroudsburg graduate Melissa Tsouhnikas was third on the flat and fifth over fences. Suna was third over fences while Virginia Intermont graduate and Princeton Coach Ashton Phillips was only fourth on the flat. Like Rider University, Samantha Day has moved north. The Colorado State graduate is now living in the Lehigh Valley, and placed fourth in alumni fences and fifth in alumni flat in her first non-Zone 3, Region 2 alumni ride. Lehigh graduate Lena Andrews, who went to Nationals last season in alumni fences, placed sixth in both alumni divisions.

From Milford, Connecticut, Rutgers University freshman Emily Hulak (on left, with teammate Sam Sagot) won both of her intermediate classes to qualify for the end-of-day ride-off. When the results of the ride-off were announced at 5:53PM Hulak remained undefeated for the day.

The Ride-Off: Though Work had a personal three-class win streak (that technically remains alive) it was Hulak in first and Kreider second when the results of the ride-off were announced. When asked to mention a trainer back home, Hulak praised Susan Horn of Bethany, Connecticut while Kreider had kind words for Lori Eberly in Birdsboro, Pennsylvania.

Not the best day for photo opportunities: With the entire show in the Briarwood indoor this writer took fewer photos than usual (it was hard to track the winners down as they vanished into the corners of the arena or their vehicles). Our only photos of Lafayette were at the end of the day when several of the Leopards were getting ready to leave. When taking the photo we learned that Kristen Greaney's (center of photo at top of page) last name is honestly pronounced 'Grainey' and that the sweatshirt Julie Doyle (on far right) is wearing says 'Del Val' but pertains to her high school and not Delaware Valley College (which Lafayette defeated at Zone 3 Zones last April). Work and Greaney hold the high point team ribbon in perhaps the only photo taken all day that shows a hint of sunlight in the area.

--Steve Maxwell

Show Incidentals: Cloudy, with rain in the morning. Then some sun late in the day. Temperatures in the upper '60's. Entire show held indoors. Start time: 8:57AM. Finish: 5:53PM - includes 47 minute lunch break/Coaches & Captains meeting and several short schooling breaks. Point cards posted in this region? Yes. Alumni classes held in this Region? Yes. Judge: Pat Byrne. Stewards: Francfort/Rutgers University, Githens/Lafayette College and Casale/Kutztown University.

Team Totals: Lafayette College (High Point Team) 31; Bloomsburg University (Reserve) 28; East Stroudsburg University 27; Rutgers University 27; Penn State - Berks 25; University of Scranton 25; Lehigh University 25; Kutztown University 22; Rider University 13; Cedar Crest College 11 and Moravian College 8.

High Point Rider - Emily Hulak, Rutgers University
Reserve High Point Rider - Hannah Kreider, Penn State University - Berks