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VIRGINIA INTERMONT WINS WITH 46 POINTS, TAKES OVER FIRST PLACE IN REGION 3 Bristol, VA — Host Virginia Intermont came very close to posting a perfect score of 49 points but wound up settling for 46 and a return to first place in Region 3. Entering the day ten points behind St. Andrews, Intermont was 16 better than the knights, who tied North Carolina at Chapel Hill for fourth on the day. Intermont sophomore Erika Jewell edged North Carolina State's Lauren Hill in a three-way ride-off. Jewell, currently from Huntington Valley, PA but soon to be from Pennington, NJ is the region three Cacchione Leader through two shows. Intermont had led in their region throughout the 2002-03 season and has won Zone 4, Region 3 every year since being formed from Region 2 starting fall 1999. Jewell, who was pointed twice, was one of seven Virginia Intermont riders to win classes. Novice freshman Kristina Macey won her first IHSA jumping class and second IHSA flat class, becoming the third rider in the ride-off. Brad Allen nearly rode in the advanced walk-trot-canter with spurs, which are only allowed in certain IHSA regions and not below the novice level. Allen won without the spurs he was mistakenly given. Morgan Graber and Janelle Komnick won separate sections of intermediate flat, one of two divisions where Intermont riders won more than one section. Lindsay Hudson-Tolles joined Allen as a winner in advanced walk-trot-canter, and Allison Hewlett, pointed in the walk-trot-canter even though she is at the beginner level, was the final class winner of the day for "VI" as they are referred to by some. Though North Carolina State was reserve for the day, the wolfpack posted their 37 point score with only four blue ribbons. In addition to Hill, blue ribbons went to Leah Boutler (beginner walk-trot-canter) and Natalie Doe (walk-trot). Wolfpack head coach Meredith Wood saw five of her riders place reserve, with several having their names on the point card. North Carolina State ended the day with realistic chances to catch VI and St. Andrews for the top spot, trailing first place by sixteen with at least six shows still to come.Virginia Tech, third for the day with 34 points, could boast of four blue ribbons. Katie Schlesinger (open fences), Ashley Wolfe (intermediate flat), Elissa Gorby (novice flat) and Mara Sullivan (same) all won their classes for coach "T" McDonald's hokies. Virginia Tech, 21 points behind Virginia Intermont, will sport the newest arena in the region next season, as a facility for livestock and horse shows is under construction directly across the street from their current home, Campbell arena, the site of the next region 3 competition October 26th (We took some photos of the new structure and hope to have a story on the arena sometime this spring-Ed.). St. Andrews dominated certain divisions but struggled slightly in others, yet were still impressive with 30 points. Matt Lawson (novice fences), Amy Townsend (intermediate flat), Julie Rosselot (novice flat), Jesse Grayton (same), Natalie Norwood (advanced walk-trot-canter), Kelly Miller (same), Nikki Heath (beginner walk-trot-canter), Anita Kelso (walk-trot) and Sarah March (same) all won for coach Peggy McElveen's knights. St. Andrews actually tied VI for most blue ribbons if you do not count the ride-off, and most certainly could re-take the lead on a given show day. The only other team to crack 30 points is current fourth-place team North Carolina at Chapel Hill. The tar heels pulled off this feat with only one blue ribbon all day, a first for Beth Zornow in novice fences. In contrast, Elon University won three blue ribbons but posted only 25 points. The Phoenix blue-ribbon winners were Sarah Slater (intermediate fences), Lindsay Pinkstaff (novice fences) and Brandi Crumley (open flat). Duke managed to fill a point card even though they were a team of six today, as the blue devils earned 26 points and a blue ribbon for Laura Hines in open flat.Other riders to win blue ribbons were Ryan Hicks of Appalachian State (novice flat), Andrea Mosher of Wake Forest (intermediate fences), Erin Crenshaw of Western Carolina (same) and Ashley Sneed of East Carolina (advanced walk-trot-canter). North Carolina at Greensboro was the lone school without a blue ribbon, but on this day they were a team of only five, with everyone either in the novice flat or walk-trot-canter divisions. Becky Norris earned the best ribbon of the day for the spartans with a second in her section of novice flat. They just knew it was a run-through: Prior to the start of today's show, Virginia Intermont head coach Eddie Federwisch MC'd the coaches and captains meeting. Most entertaining was his assessment of his own horses, during which time he claimed, "I do not know what is wrong with these horses. I don't know if it's Biorhythms or what." After going through the list of all 33 horses in the program (some regions might want to try doing this in their programs-ed.) Federwisch must have been happy with what he saw during the actual show as oppossed to the schooling beforehand. The horses were simply fantastic once the riders in hunt coats were aboard them. 227 and growing: Because this was a weekday show (both Virginia Intermont and St. Andrew's often hold their shows during the week) several teams were short-handed, and a larger number of riders from other teams will likely compete at Virginia Tech on Sunday the 26th. One noteworthy absence was Elon's Melissa Jimenez, who was very impressive in the open division at St. Andrew's but opted not to miss class for today's show. In spite of many who were on their respective campuses in classrooms during the show, an incredible 227 riders were entered in today's mid-week competition. "We have got to have the biggest hunter-seat only region in the country," said Federwisch. The show itself was run as efficiently as any in the country. Between the time Jewell entered the ring at 10:10AM and the announcement of placings for the final section of walk-trot at 4:41PM there was only one delay, a seven-minute interval to remove the jumps! No one fell off, no one failed to finish their jumping course, and judge Leslie Brown pinned each section seconds after everyone lined up.--Steve Maxwell Show Incidentals: Sunny skies, with High Temperatures in the upper '60's. Entire show held indoors. Start time: 10:10AM. Finish: 4:41PM - includes seven minutes to remove jumps from the ring. Coaches and Captains Meeting held prior to start of show. Point Cards posted in this Region? Yes. Alumni Classes held in this region? No. Judge: Leslie Brown, Glagow, VA. Stewards: Hickman/Appalachian State, Morgan/Wake Forest and Peltier/Elon and North Carolina - Greensboro. Team Totals: Virginia Intermont College (High Point Team) 46; North Carolina State University (Reserve) 37; Virginia Tech 34; St. Andrew's Presbyterian College 30; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 30; Duke University 26; Elon University 25; Wake Forest University 24; East Carolina University 22; Western Carolina University 14; Appalacian State University 11 and University of North Carolina at Greensboro 7. High Point Rider - Erika Jewell, Virginia Intermont College
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