Delaware Valley College Stock Seat Coach Joanne Coniglio stands between Aggie riders Katie Mick (left) and Laura Bunke (right), each of whom advanced to Zone 3 Zones at the Region 2 Western Regional Show on February 19th.

2006 ZONE 3, REGION 2 STOCK SEAT REGIONALS RESULTS

WARWICK, MD - It took only one hour and 50 minutes to complete the eight classes held at Region 2 stock seat Regionals at Sunnyside Farm on February 19th, and when it was over Region 2 high point team Delaware Valley College could claim at least one rider in all but one division had advanced to Stock Seat Zones on March 25th.

True, the Aggies had the most riders qualified, with 14 individuals spread across each of the divisions including alumni. Still, quantity does not always equal victory, so earning five undergraduate and two alumni rides at Zones is a good accomplishment.

The University of Delaware actually had the second best percentage advancing riders on this day, as three of six UDel riders who had qualified for Regionals made the top two, including Region 2 High Point Open Rider Ryan Pepper, who advanced in both open divisions.

The school with the best percentage on this day was actually neither UDel nor Del Val but instead Arcadia University. The Beavers had only one undergraduate rider and one alumni competing. However senior Brandi Redding made the top two in intermediate western horsemanship while Head Coach and alumni rider Amber Jewell managed to make Zones in both alumni western divisions. This made Arcadia a perfect three-for-three, which was not bad considering the Beavers almost did not have any appearances at 2005-06 stock seat shows.

Redding explained that the school would not allow them to participate in stock seat shows until they had a recognized Coach. Jewell volunteered before the last set of shows and thus Redding and several others were able to show at least once. Redding needed that show as she earned the seven points necessary to point out of intermediate western.

Arcadia stock seat Captain Lauren Baron (left) poses with teammate Brandi Redding after the latter placed inside the top two at Region 2 Stock Seat Regionals. Redding won't know if she was first or second until the Region 2 Awards Banquet on April 1st, when the champion and reserve ribbons from today's classes will be given out.

In any event, Redding was one of two survivors in the day's opening division. A fairly large assembly of parents, teammates and friends watched as ten riders - six from Del Val - took part in intermediate. It was interesting to note that Dr. Lloyd Jarred, who was the Judge for today's show, stood at the end of the ring where the mirror was. It appeared that Dr. Jarred could see both the riders lopping in front of him as well as those who were some distance behind. Dr. Jarred appeared to judge near the mirror for the first two classes, each with more than four riders, then moved toward the middle for the other divisions. Three of the six Delaware Valley entries in this division placed between third and sixth, while sophomore Laura Bunke placed inside the top two, thus advancing to Zones with Redding. Exactly what placing these two riders received won't be known until April 1st, as Region 2 has a long-standing tradition of awarding the High Point and Reserve High Point Ribbons won at Regionals during their Awards Banquet held the evening of Hunter Seat Regionals. Ironically, each of today's top two will know if they are going to Nationals or not (and their Zone placings) before they will know what ribbon they earned at today's show!

Seven riders took part in the novice horsemanship class, with the fortune pair being Delaware Valley sophomore Katie Mick and Temple senior Colleen Hampton. From Pottstown, Pennsylvania, Hampton would be the lone Owl rider to reach Zones on this day. Hampton was very happy not to repeat her last performance at Regionals. As a freshman, Hampton had the unfortunate luck to place third in intermediate horsemanship, just missing the cut for Zones.

Alumni horsemanship was the third class of the day, and the last one to feature more than three riders. Delaware Valley stock seat Coach Joanne Coniglio and Arcadia Coach Jewell made up half the field while Bucks County Community College graduate Alexis Plavacos and Del Val alum Dawn Kaufman were also qualified. Plavacos, who represented the region at 2003 IHSA Nationals in the AQHA Trophy class, placed fourth while Kaufman was third. The Coaches survived, at least in this particular alumni division.

Both of the open divisions featured the exact same three riders: Pepper, a University of Delaware senior who pointed into open her junior year and proceeded to finish the 2005-06 campaign as the region's top open rider; Whitney Eisentraut, a Delaware Valley College senior who represented the region at both 2004 and 2005 IHSA Nationals in the AQHA Trophy class, and Staci Banks of Washington College, a freshman and the lone member of the Shoremen western team to qualify for Regionals. The Open Reining division took place first, with Banks and Pepper the two survivors. It should be noted that Georgetown, Delaware resident Banks had a large cheering section of Washington teammates on hand even though she was the only rider competing for her team on this day. Several classes later however, Banks would be the odd rider out, as Eisentraut and Pepper advanced to Zones in open western horsemanship.

The western rider in each IHSA region with the most combined open reining and rail points at the end of the regular season goes directly to Nationals to compete for the AQHA Trophy. Because Pepper ended the regular season with the most points in the region (eleven more than both Banks and Eisentraut), the Milton, Delaware resident entered today's show already assured of going to Nationals. Pepper, who was ninth in the nation at 2005 IHSA Nationals in the individual advanced western horsemanship division, will have two rides at Zones and the opportunity to increase her number of rides at 2006 IHSA Nationals should she make the top two in what will be a field of four in both open divisions at Saddlebrook on March 25th.

It feels good to be ridden by someone I know! "Willie" had the honor of being drawn by University of Delaware junior Kim Holland, who also happens to be his owner. Holland and Willie are seen here after Holland placed either first or second in the final class of 2006 Stock Seat Regionals, the advanced western horsemanship division.

Alumni reining followed, with Coniglio earning third while Kaufman and Jewell escaped with the top two spots in this particular division. Beginner western horsemanship followed, with the first of two University of Delaware riders with the first name Kim advancing. From Camden, Delaware, senior Kim Eck extended her season at least one more show while Delaware Valley junior Colin Meager became the only male rider to qualify for Zones on this day. "I've just been riding for barely over a year," said the Hatfield, Pennsylvania resident, who competed for the Aggies at 2005 Nationals in the team beginner division.

The final division of the day was advanced western horsemanship. From Newtown, Pennsylvania, Delaware Valley sophomore Lauren Vile made it to Zones for the second season in a row. Last season Vile went all the way to Nationals in the individual novice western, placing tenth in the nation. Vile also earned the only stock seat team point for the Aggies with a sixth in team advanced western. Vile also rides in hunter seat shows for the aggies, and her fourth in team advanced walk-trot-canter at 2005 Nationals earned Del Val three of their four points in the english competition.

Joining Vile and two riders yet to be determined from Region 4 is University of Delaware junior Kim Holland. Hailing from Westminster, Maryland, Holland had the rare opportunity to ride her own horse at an IHSA show. IHSA rules stipulate that all horse draws must be random draws, which makes riding one's own horse an unlikely occurance. However Holland agreed to let 'Willie' take part in the competition, and with only three in her class she beat the two-to-one odds and drew her own mount.

What's next? For a few such as Vile, the first of three Region 2 Spring Hunter Seat Shows is on the horizon on February 25th. But for most of the riders who advanced today, their next IHSA competition will be at Saddlebrook Equestrian Center in Schwenksville, Pennsylvania on Saturday, March 25th. Zone 3 Zones will feature eight individual classes and six team classes, with Delaware Valley College taking on the Zone 3, Region 4 High Point Team with the winner going on to Nationals and the runner-up done until the Fall. Last season the Aggies won the two-way team competition versus West Virginia University to advance to Nationals. The Mountaineers are currently tied with Kutztown atop the Region 4 team standings, as each has 86 points with five stock seat shows still to come. The last two of those five will take place at Saddlebrook the day before Zones, as Region 4 will start early on Friday March 24th, holding two shows and Regionals all in the same day.

--Steve Maxwell.

Show Incidentals: Sunny but cold, with high temperatures in the mid-'20's. Entire show held indoors. Start time: 10:31AM. Finish: 12:21PM - Coaches & Captains meeting held prior to start of show. Alumni classes held in this Region? Yes. Judge: Dr. Lloyd Jarred, Laurel Springs, New Jersey. Stewards: Bower/West Chester University, Kuster/Washington College and Kathleen Osborn/not affiliated with a specific team.

Class results, in the order in which they were held, with the top two in each class advancing to Zone 3 Stock Seat Zones on March 25th in Schwenksville, PA. The exact placings for the top two riders will not be made public until 4/1/06. What is known is that the first two riders listed were either first or second in their respective divisions:

Intermediate Western Horsemanship: (Laura Bunke, Delaware Valley College and Brandi Redding, Arcadia University) 3. Danielle Puffer, Delaware Valley College. 4. Tiffany Mansy, Delaware Valley College. 5. Christina Carl, Delaware Valley College. 6. Meredith Perry, University of Delaware.

Novice Western Horsemanship: (Katie Mick, Delaware Valley College and Colleen Hampton, Temple University) 3. Jessica Phillips, Bucks County Community College. 4. Erin Nolan, West Chester University. 5. Sarah Urban, Delaware Valley College. 6. Bethany Moore, Delaware Valley College.

Alumni Western Horsemanship: (Joanne Coniglio, Delaware Valley College and Amber Jewell, Arcadia University) 3. Dawn Kaufman, Delaware Valley College. 4. Alexis Plavacos, Bucks County Community College.

Open Reining: (Staci Banks, Washington College and Ryan Pepper, University of Delaware) 3. Whitney Eisentraut, Delaware Valley College.

Alumni Reining: 1. (Amber Jewell, Arcadia University and Dawn Kaufman, Delaware Valley College) 3. Joanne Coniglio, Delaware Valley College.

Beginner Western Horsemanship: (Kim Eck, University of Delaware and Colin Meager, Delaware Valley College) 3. Laura Kolibabek, Temple University.

Open Western Horsemanship: (Whitney Eisentraut, Delaware Valley College and Ryan Pepper, University of Delaware) 3. Staci Banks, Washington College.

Advanced Western Horsemanship: (Kim Holland, University of Delaware and Lauren Vile, Delaware Valley College) 3. Dana Mastronardy, University of Delaware.