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FIGHTING HENS PREVAIL OVER DRAGONS AND QUAKERS ON A VERY HOT OPENING DAY Furlong, PA - With Zone 4, Region 4 being one of a few IHSA regions in the Northeast United States where point cards are not posted no one really knows which teams are winning at any given time of day. At 4:32PM, when the question-and-answer session to break the tie for high point rider was completed, the totals for all nine teams entered at the October 9th Region 4 hunter seat season opener became public knowledge. The University of Delaware, with easily the largest number of riders entered at Stepping Stone Farm, earned nine blue ribbons and nine red ribbons, the most in either category for the day. However the final totals showed the Fighting Hens as high point team for the day by only a three point margin over both Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania. The Dragons and Quakers had each scored 28 points with a combined six firsts and two seconds between them. Even with many of the pointed University of Delaware riders finding themselves bested by their own teammates the Fighting Hens were especially effective in the flat divisions. Katie LaDow, a senior and co-captain from Unionville, Pennsylvania won her open flat while placing fourth in open fences to finish the day leading the Region 4 hunter seat open rider standings. Cassie Simons (a junior from Bel Air, Maryland) won her intermediate flat two classes later. Colleen Harper (senior, from Forked River, New Jersey) won the section of intermediate flat following Simons. Jessica Hill (sophomore, from Millington, Maryland) set the trend when she won her advanced walk-trot-canter, as the Fighting Hens proceeded to win four of the next five classes. Kristyn Daly (sophomore, from Lancaster, Pennsylvania), Jaclyn Weiher (freshman, from Middletown, Delaware) and Tara Doele (freshman, from Mount Lauren, New Jersey) won three of the four sections of beginner walk-trot-canter while Jen Eccleston (year and hometown unknown) won the first section of walk-trot. Much earlier Alexa Hunter, a senior from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania won the lone over fences ribbon for the Hens. Hunter was tops in a field of nine intermediate fences riders. Anna Loughran (in open flat), Maddy Jensen (in intermediate flat), Lindsay Pologe (in novice fences), Jen Armistead (in novice flat), Allison Keller (in advanced walk-trot-canter), Alex Older (same), Kristina Brereton (in beginner walk-trot-canter), Michaela Shinn (same) and Carmen Marra (same) were the University of Delaware red ribbon winners.
According to University of Delaware Head Coach Bryan Bradley it was the flat classes that ultimately made a winner of the team often identified simply as 'UDel' in the Region 4 show programs. "Wendy had an 11-10 lead at the lunch break," said Bradley, referring to Drexel University Head Coach Wendy Myers. Myer's Dragons did in fact have the hot hand early. Tyler Weith, a sophomore from Charlotte, Vermont won the rather large open fences class (12 riders) which started the day. Another sophomore, Christine Novack (from Perkasie, Pennsylvania) won the first of five sections of novice fences. Rachel El-Chaar, a junior from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, won the middle section of intermediate flat while Paulina Bartowlski (listed simply as "Paulina" without a last name in the program) came through with the final Drexel blue ribbon. Bartowlski won the next-to-last class of the day, the middle section of walk-trot. While Drexel earned the first Region 4 blue ribbon of the season (before the temperature rose dramatically), the Penn Quakers had to wait until the 20th class of the day to earn their first blue ribbon. Heather Gerrish, a junior from Richmond, Virginia won the first of three advanced walk-trot-canter classes. Gerrish was the first rider to win indoors as the final ten classes were held inside the Stepping Stone indoor (this was pre-planned, so that the riders below novice would not have to negotiate any fences still in the outdoor ring. Thankfully it proved to be much cooler in the indoor). Lyle Brunhofer, a sophomore coincidentally from Philadelphia, Pennsylvania won the 29th and final class of the day. Brunhofer's win in walk-trot moved Penn into a tie with Drexel only three off the lead. Rachel Fleszar, a freshman from Painted Post, New York was second in open flat and third in open fences to finish the day a point behind LaDow in the Region 4 hunter seat open rider standings. Sunny Shen also was a red ribbon winner for the Quakers, taking second place in her beginner walk-trot-canter class.
Perhaps the most surprising team of the day was Burlington County College. BCC had a very short IHSA history prior to October 9th. The only New Jersey school in the entire Zone scored a total of ten points over the final two shows last season. After one show in 2011-12 Burlington has more than double that amount. Coached by Briana Quinn and with Team Advisor Marjorie Arnold (a Nutrition Professor at BCC) also in tow Burlington scored a team record 22 points. This was even more impressive in that Burlington did not have an open rider or a walk-trot rider. Abigail Sell, in her second year at BCC won both her novice flat and fences. From Moorestown, New Jersey Sell would be one of only two riders to qualify for the ride-off. Sophomore Megan Reinhardt (from Burlington Township, New Jersey) won her novice flat while sophomore Sarah Stepp (from Southampton, New Jersey) won her beginner walk-trot-canter. Reinhardt and Stepp were both making their IHSA debuts. Kimberly Dixon added a red ribbon in intermediate flat to round out the top-two placings for BCC. Though it was not an official class, Rachel Lowrie won the Maiden Crossrails division. Offered only by a handful of IHSA regions, the maiden crossrails allows riders in both advanced walk-trot-canter and novice who are not ready to jump a vertical to navigate a course of eight crossrails. Though they won't necessarily offer the division at every show, Zone 4, Region 4 is the third IHSA region to hold a crossrails class so far in 2011-12. Host Temple University was one of two schools to score 20 points. Competing without a rider in the open divisions, the Owls were led by newcommer Jen Mickley. A freshman from Allentown, Pennsylvania, Mickley won both of her novice classes to equal Sell's accomplishment. For a while Owl teammates Erin Griffith (a sophomore from Elizabeth, New Jersey) and Alyssa Patari (a freshman from Schnecksville, Pennsylvania who goes simply by 'Ali') were both up for high point, as each won their novice flat while placing second in novice fences. Brianne Murphy (in intermediate flat), Bianca Lupo (in novice fences), Leann Rhoads (in novice flat), Kelsie Jett (same) and Morgan Carrin (in both advanced walk-trot-canter and the maiden Crossrails) added red ribbons in Jenn Post's Coaching debut. Post, a former University of Scranton rider, is assisted by Kim Cousins, who as Kim Brookreson was a member of both the University of Georgia IHSA team and then the founder of the Temple team in the fall of 1995 when the Owls were briefly a one-woman team.
Also scoring 20 points was Washington College. The Shoremen nearly had a full card, missing only a walk-trot-canter rider to make it all complete. Washington College dominated the intermediate fences classes, with two seconds and a first. Jamie Frees, a senior from Malvern, Pennsylvania was first in the second intermediate fences section for the Shoremen's only blue ribbon of the day. Colleen McCarron was second to McCarron while Anna Becker was second to Hunter of UDel a few minutes earlier. Freshman Christy Littlefield was second in her IHSA debut (in novice fences) while Emily Hess and Megan Schwarz were both red ribbon winners in walk-trot. Villanova Universitiy had half a card, with both the novice and open divisions covered more than once. Hilary Manchester, a senior from Concord, Massachusetts won her open flat while while Nicole deVoe was second to Weith in open fences. Kara O'Halloran, a junior from Malvern, Pennsylvania won her novice fences while Anne Cullen and Cat Rideout both placed second in their sections of novice flat. If any of these novices can point out while leaving a few of their teammates to cover novice the Wildcats will have a good shot to exceed their total of 18 points earned on this day. Salisbury University began their second season in the IHSA with riders in every division but walk-trot. Although their card was seven-eighths full the Seagulls scored only 11 points. Sarah Kullman, a junior and co-captain from Easton, Maryland earned Salisbury's first blue ribbon of the day with a win in novice fences. Much later Kimberly George (a junior from Denton, Maryland) won the Seagulls second and final blue ribbon. George won the middle section of advanced walk-trot-canter. Rounding out the scoring was Valley Forge Military College with eight points. Sara Palmer, who coaches both Valley Forge and Villanova (and who as Sara McCoy rode for Bradley's University of Delaware Hens over a decade ago) had perhaps the most difficult decision to select her point riders of any coach present. The Valley Forge team was made up of 12 riders on October 9th, with 11 of them competing in the walk-trot division. While Gabe Gray was an automatic choice to be the point rider in novice flat (where he placed fourth) Palmer apparently selected sophomore Kayla Woods as the walk-trot rider. Palmer was proved right when Woods (from Dallas, Texas) was second to Bartowlski to earn Valley Forge's top ribbon of the day.
Schatz, Adams take early alumni lead: Six alumni jumped while seven flatted on opening day. 2007 University of Pennsylvania graduate Jess Schatz made her first IHSA appearance since placing third at IHSA Nationals in alumni flat. Schatz won the alumni fences and later repeated her Nationals placing on the flat. 2010 University of Delaware graduate Nicole Adams was the alumni flat winner after having been third in alumni fences. Jamie Windle, who has been an alumni mainstay since graduating from Delaware Valley College in 2002, was second to Schatz over fences while placing sixth on the flat. The only other alumni rider who like Windle could not claim her alma mater had a full team entered at today's show was 2011 University of Southern California graduate Katie Calpino. Calpino was better on the flat, earning a second, while placing fourth over fences. James Hobbie, who graduated from the University of Delaware last May, had already made his western alumni debut eight days earlier. Hobbie's hunter seat alumni debut resulted in two fifths. Drexel graduates Alison Kane and Lindsey Peterson also made their alumni debuts, with Kane sixth over fences and Peterson fourth on the flat. If the Speed Limit is 10 Miles Per Hour, don't hand gallop through there!: Zone 4, Region 4 remained consistant with their 2010-11 policy not to have actual ride-offs to break a tie for high point rider. Mickley and Sell, both qualified to appear in a ride-off for the first time, were asked to answer a question from Judge Shane Ledyard. However Ledyard's first question ("What are the five rein aids and how are they applied?") stumped both of them. The second question, "What are the speeds of all the gaits: walk, trot, canter and hand gallop?" was answered correctly by Mickley. Ledyard said that a walk is four miles per hour, a sitting trot is six miles per hour, a rising trot eight, a canter is ten to twelve while a hand gallop is 14 to 16 miles per hour. These are the sort of questions which a judge might ask at a show where there is no ride off but multiple riders in the running for high point rider. Quote of the day: After Windle had completed her jumping course, an impressed Sara Palmer said "She is on like a prawn that yawns at dawn!" (the editor is speechless - Editor) You broke all the crummy plates! Now I'll have to use the fine china!: Towards the end of the novice sections, a third alternate horse was needed. "Becky," who according to Post is registered as "Rebecca Ann" turned out to be quite the draw for several riders who saw not only their original draw but the replacement also pulled. Mickley won novice flat on Becky, and Sell did likewise in the section which followed. If you hadn't built it I would have!: One new addition to the Salisbury team is junior open rider Molly Beebe. Beebe transfered from High Point University in North Carolina where she in fact founded the Panther's IHSA team! Ironically Salisbury was started only a year ago, so had Beebe already been at Salisbury there would have been multiple people walking the campus dreaming of founding the Seagull's IHSA team. Does anyone know if a record temperature was set?: On December 6th, 1998 there was a show at Fox Heath Farm, less than a mile away from Stepping Stone. On that day the high temperature in Philadelphia became the all-time high for the month of December, reaching 76 degrees (this writer remembers spectators in shorts only three weeks before Christmas). There was talk on the radio that a new high might be set for October 9th, but does anyone know if the temperature reached 88 to set the record? In any event it appears that if you schedule your IHSA show in Furlong, Pennsylvania there is a chance that summerlike conditions might sprout up well past the autumnal equinox. ---Steve Maxwell Show Incidentals: Sunny skies, with high temperatures in the upper '80's. Show held outdoors save for the final ten classes. Start time: 9:23AM. Finish: 4:32PM - Includes 29 minute lunch/schooling break. Coaches & Captains meeting held prior to start of show. Point cards posted in this region? No. Alumni Classes held in this this region? Yes. Judge: Shane Ledyard. Stewards: McCoy-Palmer/Villanova University and Valley Forge Military College; Bigelow/Washington College and Bradley/University of Delaware. Hunter Seat Team Totals: University of Delaware (High Point Team) 31; Drexel University (TIE - Reserve) 28; University of Pennsylvania (TIE - Reserver) 28; Burlington County College 22; Washington College 20; Temple University 20; Villanova University 18; Salisbury University 11 and Valley Forge Military College 8. High Point Rider - Jen Mickley, Temple University
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