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WASHINGTON COLLEGE, UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA SHARE FIRST PLACE Malvern, PA - It was a warm and breezy fall day for the first of three IHSA shows scheduled to take place at Reinbow's End Farm prior to Thanksgiving. Deer could be seen jumping in and out of paddocks across from the ring used for open and intermediate classes early in the day, while a cat decided to star in the final walk-trot class of the day in the smaller, enclosed ring. Over the course of 22 undergraduate classes it became clear that annual top-two team the University of Delaware was not going to be high point school, and since this was the first show ever for the brand-new Zone 4, Region 4 it was clear before the day began that Delaware Valley College, now located in a region which retained the Zone 3, Region 2 name but only four schools, would not be high point team either. So which school that normally does not find itself in first place earned the first-ever Zone 4, Region 4 high point team award? It turned out to be a tie. The University of Pennsylvania, today's host (at a facility where Villanova practices) and a member of the IHSA since at least 1985 (when Greg Best was a Quaker open rider) scored 27 points and claimed the only rider of the day with two firsts in sophomore Allison Lee. Washington College, which existed for one show in the fall of 1993 before vanishing until October of 2001 when they started up for real, also scored 27 points. Penn Head Coach Dawne Morrone claimed this is the first time Penn has ever been high point team, even if it is a shared high point honor (Campus Equestrian is trying to confirm if this is correct. Penn had a few very respectable seasons shortly after their creation and may have been competitive for a 1989-90 region title eventually won by Delaware Valley). The win marked the first time the Quakers have been in first place since October 2005, when after two shows Penn held the Zone 3, Region 2 lead even though they had not won either event (a reserve championship and a third coupled with one very up and very down-day each for Delaware Valley and the University of Delaware put the Quakers ahead for slightly over a week). It was certainly the first time since Morrone took over the Coaching duties in 2002 that the Quakers had won or tied for the top honor.
Washington College Head Coach Chris Bigelow felt her Shoreman team had done likewise. Bigelow believes that Washington had never been in first place (for hunter seat) or had won a high-point team ribbon prior to today's show (does anyone who rode for the Shoremen over five seasons ago wish to dispute this? This writer is pretty sure that reserve high point was their best ribbon). Senior Kristie Heitmann started the Shoremen off on the correct lead, winning the open fences class which started the day. From Milford, New Jersey, Heitmann was completely surprised to find out she won, for the horse-holding area to which she rode 'Riley' back to is too far away from the PA system to hear the results. Jenna Morante, a freshman from Moorestown, New Jersey won her intermediate fences and was second in novice flat and looked for the longest time as if she might be part of a two-way tie for high point rider. While New Jersey residents won the Shoremen's first two blue ribbons the state of Maryland produced their final three. Amanda Kloetzli, a freshman from Centreville, Maryland was a winner in novice flat. Kim-Vi Sweetman, a freshman from Crofton, Maryland won her IHSA debut in novice fences and Courtney Gowland, a freshman from Parkton, Maryland won her novice flat. Jared DePermentier, a freshman from Schwenksville, Pennsylvania was second in a separate section of open fences to Heitmann's. If all these freshman continue to produce the future of the Washington College team is as good as it has ever been. While Washington won five blue ribbons, Morrone's Quakers lead all schools present with six. Penn did much of their damage late, as Lee, a sophomore from Livingston, New Jersey, picked up their first blue ribbon in novice fences nine undergraduate classes into the show. Grace Conway, a freshman from Yardley, Pennsylvania won her IHSA debut also in novice fences three classes later. Penn went back-to-back-to-back to start novice flat. Kristen Aigeldinger, from nearby West Chester, Pennsylvania, won section A. Annie Shearer, a sophomore from Lafayette, California won section B while Lee prevailed in section C to drop Morante and Villanova's Hilary Lancaster into a tie for Reserve. Ally Savage, a sophomore from Cannonsburg, Pennsylvania won the second section of beginner walk-trot-canter to close out the blue ribbon barage. The Quakers were nearly shut out in the red ribbon department. However Lyle Brunhofer (from Philadelphia) was second in the walk-trot class which concluded the afternoon. It was Brunhofer's second which elevated the Quakers total from 22 to 27 forging the tie at the top. Though they did not earn top two ribbons in their IHSA debuts, Orysia Bezpalko (a sophomore from Mount Laurel, New Jersey) and Chloe Corner (a freshman from Philadelphia) compete on the circuit and could earn some big ribbons at the open level for the Quakers before the season is over.
Just as there had been a tie at the top with 27 each, both Drexel University and West Chester University were next with 20 each. The Dragons did it in a low-key way, with no blue ribbons and no walk-trot rider. However the good news for Drexel was that three riders placed second at opportune times. Cora Rivera, a senior from Chicago, Illinois was second in intermediate fences. Cameron Callaghan, a sophomore from Perkasie, Pennsylvania was second in intermediate flat while Allison Kane was second in novice flat some time later. West Chester scored as many points as Drexel but with some blue ribbons in the mix. Lyndsey Broadhead, who for the past two seasons has been a member of the Bucks County Community College team, won her Golden Rams debut with a first in open fences. The junior from Doylestown, Pennsylvania was later joined in the winners circle by teammate Rebecca Dewald. A senior from Oxford, Pennsylvania, Dewald was a winner in novice fences. All of West Chester's blue ribbons came via the jumpers, as Blanton Goll, a freshman from West Chester, Pennsylvania won her IHSA debut in novice fences. The Golden Rams managed one red ribbon as Heather Yarnell was second in open flat. A senior from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, Yarnell was third in her open fences and currently sits fourth in the Region 4 open rider standings. The University of Delaware's mascot may be a blue hen but red was certainly their color at the season opener. University of Delaware riders received red ribbons 13 times over 22 classes and had a UDel rider supplanted Kane in section B of novice flat they would have earned ten consecutive second-place finishes! Instead their longest streak of the day was six straight. James Hobbie (in open flat and novice fences), Mimi Wesson-Roth (in intermediate fences and novice flat), Maddy Jensen (in novice fences), Colleen Harper (same), Sam Rosser (same), Grace Oldfield (in both novice divisions), Theresa Kulikowski (in novice flat), Ester Sportello (in advanced walk-trot-canter), Olivia DelPizzo (in beginner walk-trot-canter) and Charlotte Strazdous (same) all took red ribbons back to Newark, Delaware. Three Blue Hens left Reinbow's End with blue ribbons. Cassie Simons, a sophomore from Bel Air, Maryland was a winner in intermediate flat. Jessica Hill, a freshman from Millington, Maryland won the first of two sections of beginner walk-trot-canter while Grace Focht, a sophomore from Greenwood, Delaware (the only rider to actually reside in the first state and win a class) won the lone section of walk-trot which closed the day. Though point cards are not posted in Zone 4, Region 4 Head Coach Bryan Bradley was quite up front that his UDel team had not done well during the early portion of the show. The Blue Hens finished the Region 4 opener with 19 points, putting them behind four schools for the moment but only eight points from the leaders.
Like the University of Delaware, Villanova University was able to earn some nice ribbons but the effort did not translate to the scoreboard. After placing second to Heitmann in open fences, Hilary Manchester won her open flat class. This meant that the junior from Concord, Massachusetts is one point ahead of Heitmann for first place in the Region 4 High Point Open Rider race. Sage De Rosa (mispelled 'De Rosi' in today's program), a junior from Newburgh, New York won the first section of intermediate fences for the Wildcats. Christin Sagui, a sophomore from Oakhurst, New Jersey won the first section of open flat. Much later on Kate O'Halloran (a sophomore from Malvern, Pennsylvania) and Anne Cullen (from East Lyme, Connecticut) swept the advanced walk-trot-canter divisions (Cullen pointed up into novice with her blue ribbon). In spite of having as many blue ribbons - six - as Penn and riding at the facility in which they practice the Wildcats scored a surprisingly low 11 points for the day. Villanova was hampered by not having riders entered in novice flat or walk-trot and like UDel saw several normally reliable point riders in 2009-10 come up with sub-par placings. It would not surprise this writer if Villanova won one of the remaining Reinbow's End shows outright. Valley Forge Military College riders were not seen in the ring until the fourth-to-last class. Hannah Loll rode in the first section of advanced walk-trot-canter and received a sixth. Clinton Bradley rode in the only section of walk-trot and received a fifth. Anna Alden, a sophomore from Liverpool, New York was second to Cullen in the second section of advanced walk-trot-canter. We at Campus Equestrian are slightly confused about Valley Forge's final total, as it was announced as five points. It is easy to trace five of them to Alden but wouldn't Bradley have added two more as the lone walk-trot rider? While alumni classes have yet to be held in their old region (in fact each region in Zone 3 has shown at least once with only Region 4 having held alumni classes so far), enough graduates turned out at today's show so that sixth place would be awarded in both alumni divisions. 2002 Delaware Valley College graduate Jamie Mast won the alumni fences, while 2008 Drexel graduate Lindsay Wrazien won the alumni flat. The remaining alumni fences ribbons went to Jess Schatz (second place), a 2007 Penn graduate who like Mast has faithfully ridden alumni since graduating; Katherine Petro (third place), a 2009 Penn State graduate who was making her alumni debut; Wendy Myers (fourth place), a 1997 graduate of Salem Teikyo University in West Virginia (the school is now known as Salem International University and has not fielded an IHSA team since 2006) who was Wendy Tompkins as an undergradute. Myers is now in her second season coaching the Drexel Dragons; Nicole Adams (fifth place), a 2010 University of Delaware graduate also making her alumni debut, and Kate Long (sixth place), a 2009 Penn graduate who faired slightly better with a fifth on the flat. The remaining alumni flat ribbons went to Adams (second), Schatz (third), 2009 West Chester graduate Kelley McNeill (fourth), Long and 2008 Villanova graduate Natalie Marchand (sixth). Wrazien, McNeill and Marchand rode on the flat only. Mast, who enjoys jumping the most, was perhap the happiest to start the season on a strong note. All nine alumni riders earned at least one ribbon between the two divisions.
The Ride-Off: Just as Zone 3, Region 2 had moved away from holding ride-offs the past few seasons, Zone 4, Region 4 did not hold one at today's show. Instead Judge Joanna Povenski asked both Lancaster and Morante a series of questions to determine which of the two would earn the Reserve High Point Rider ribbon. After 15 minutes of questions, Morante was the red ribbon winner at her first IHSA show. That darn cat!:The lone section of walk-trot had an additional participant. One of the barn cats decided to stroll into the middle of the ring. Initally this was greeted with laughter but then the kitty decided to stand right in the line of traffic. McCoy Palmer eventually climbed into the ring (while all the riders were in other corners) and tried to chase the cat. Eventually McCoy Palmer succeeded, with the cat racing into some bushes and hiding until the Q and A for reserve a short time later. What's next?: Zone 4, Region 4 is the 'busiest' IHSA region during the fall of 2010. And if you ride western then your weekends have vanished until thanksgiving! Save for October 9th, Halloween and November 6th there is either an English or a Western show every weekend day through Sunday, November 21st. West Chester hosts the next hunter seat show at Gloucester County Dream Park in Logan Township, New Jersey on October 10th, the second of eight (!) fall English shows in Region 4. While seven schools took part at today's show, an eighth school will likely compete at the October 17th Washington College hunter seat show. Salisbury University, coached by Amy Walls, is scheduled to make their IHSA debut that day. At least five members of the Salisbury team traveled up the Delmarva Pennisula with Walls to observe today's event. Will their be cats in the ring and deer in a distant pasture when Salisbury competes? Maybe not, but something unique will happen for certain. This is the IHSA you know. There is nothing like it on Earth! ---Steve Maxwell Show Incidentals: Sunny skies, with temperatures reaching the upper '60's. Start time: 8:53AM. Finish: 2:52PM - Includes 28 minute schooling break. Coaches & Captains meeting held prior to start of show. Point cards posted in this region? No. Alumni classes held in this Region? Yes. Judge: Joanna Povenski. Stewards: McCoy-Palmer/Villanova University, Bigelow/Washington College and Bradley/University of Delaware. Team Totals: University of Pennsylvania (TIE-High Point Team) 27; Washington College (TIE-High Point Team) 27; West Chester University 20; Drexel University 20; University of Delaware 19; Villanovia University 11 and Valley Forge Military College 5. High Point Rider - Allison Lee, University of Pennsylvania
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