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VIRGINIA INTERMONT WINS REGION 3 SEASON OPENER (AND SO FAR, EVERYTHING ELSE!) Laurinburg, VA — Back on September 26th, Virginia Intermont College won the Region 3 Season-Opener at the Saint Andrews Equestrian Center by a 46-44 margin over the hosts. Senior open rider Erika Jewell won twice to reach the ride-off where she won yet again. Intermediate rider Jennifer Cumming also won a pair of classes for the cobras, and finished second to Jewell in the ride-off. Rachel Gilman (open fences), Nora Harris (novice flat), Lauren Blankenship (novice fences), Rachel Ellis (advanced walk-trot-canter) and Cassie Ralston (walk-trot) were also class winners for Virginia Intermont. Though the above paragraph applies to the first show, it could apply to any of the five fall shows Region 3 held between September 26th and November 15th. True, the exact same riders did not win every time, but the end result was very similar, much to the dismay of anyone hoping to give the cobras a run for their money. Virginia Intermont scored 46 on September 26th, 43 on October 16th at Virginia Tech, 43 again on October 24th at Elon, 45 at Duke on October 30th, and a perfect 49 at their home show on November 15th. The cobras earned 226 points in total, an average of 45.2 points per show. Had Virginia Intermont simply held horses at their November 15th show, allowing the rest of the field to catch up, even current second place team Saint Andrews might be looking up at them in the standings. The cobras had 177 points through four shows; Saint Andrews has 171 through five. This is not to take anything away from Saint Andrews or any of the other eleven teams in Region 3. Teams from all over the country went head-to-head against Virginia Intermont at two separate Tournament of Champions shows, and the cobras blew them out of the water too! On September 24th, two days before the Region 3 season opener, Virginia Intermont traveled to South Hadley, Massachusetts to take on teams from ten other IHSA programs. When the Pre-Season Tournament of Champions was completed, the cobras had scored 49 of a possible 56 points (the lowest score is not dropped at a Tournament of Champions show). One of three Mount Holyoke teams finished second with only 37. On December 3rd, Virginia Intermont was one of five Zone 4, Region 3 teams to take part in the Holiday Tournament of Champions show. Though 22 schools entered at least one group of riders, one of two Virginia Intermont teams still prevailed, as the "Gold" Intermont team scored 45 points, 19 more than runner-up Mount Holyoke.Turning our attention back to September 26th, Saint Andrews had a pretty good day in giving the cobras their best fight of the season to date. Christina Kalinski, a Saint Andrews junior from Bethel, Connecticut, won both of her open classes and took part in the three-way ride-off. The Knights were strongest in the novice flat division, winning five of the six sections. Nikki Heath, Sarah Harty, Kate McAlinn, Katie Ackerman and Max Mullins all won novice flat sections for Saint Andrews. Kelsi Peterson (open flat), Lilly Russell (advanced walk-trot-canter), Mike Viscusi (beginner walk-trot-canter) and Ashley Warnick (walk-trot) also won classes for the Knights, giving the hosts eleven blue ribbons, two more than Virginia Intermont.
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill was third overall on opening day, and five shows later can still lay claim to third place. Despite not having an intermediate fences rider, the Tar Heels scored 32 points on September 26th. Ashton Butler and Kara Duffle won novice fences classes while Jackie Ratner was a blue ribbon winner in advanced walk-trot-canter. Butler was one of four Tar Heel riders to earn a red reserve ribbon, taking second in novice flat. The first show of the season continued to be an omen of what was to come, as Virginia Tech was fourth with 30 points. Meredith Clark (intermedite flat), Sarah Sheer (intermediate fences) and Meg O'Brien (advanced walk-trot-canter) each won classes for the hokies, who went on to finish the fall on a high note, scoring 38 points at Virginia Intermont on November 15th to earn reserve high point team honors.Elon University was fifth on opening day with 20 points, this despite only having five riders entered and no one in the novice fences or walk-trot divisions. Though no one on the Phoenix won a class on the 26th, Katelyn Ryan (open flat), Claire Leonard (intermediate flat) and Lauren Fisher (novice flat) all placed second in their respective divisions. Fisher later pointed out of novice flat, perhaps leaving Elon with another division to fill. Nevertheless through five shows Elon is tied for fifth overall, averaging a healthy 23.8 points per show. Duke University scored 18 on opening day, good enough for sixth place at the time. Katherine Hardy was the lone Blue Devil rider with a blue ribbon, won in intermediate flat. Duke was another team with a small opening day roster, with only four riders entered, and two of those were in the open division. The Blue Devils finished the fall with 103 points, technically putting them in eighth place.
Two teams scored 16 points on opening day, and each has since improved to average almost 24 points per show for the fall. Wake Forest was led by Rebecca Leshman and Mimi Gaines, who won their open flat and advanced walk-trot-canter classes respectively on 9/26. Other highlights this fall for the Demon Deacons included Alex Laudeman taking High Point Rider honors at the October 16th Virginia Tech show and junior Aleece Mihok and sophomore Sarah Gay Barnett both winning classes at the December 3rd Tournament of Champions show, at which Wake Forest scored 20 points. Barnett's first in novice flat and Mihok's first in walk-trot-canter helped the Demon Deacons place sixth out of 28 teams from around the country. North Carolina State also took part in the December Tournament of Champions show, with McKenzie Roberts earning a red ribbon in novice fences for the wolfpack. North Carolina State scored 13 at the Tournament and 16 on opening day, when junior Katie Lilley scored their highest ribbon with a second in open flat. Perhaps the highlight of the season so far for the Wolfpack has been the effort of their open riders at the October 30th Duke show, when Kaitlyn Walsh finished as High Point Rider while Lauren Hill was Reserve. Through five shows North Carolina State has 119 points, tieing them with Elon for fifth place. Wake Forest is only one point behind with 118. Western Carolina had their second best day of the fall on September 26th, scoring 15 points. Maria Aponte scored a second place ribbon in walk-trot. Western Carolina had their best day of the fall most recently, scoring 16 points at the November 15th Virginia Intermont show.
East Carolina may have scored only 14 points on opening day, but senior Sara Dunham did something she had not done at a previous IHSA show: Dunham won a blue ribbon. Her first in advanced walk-trot-canter was the lone blue ribbon for ECU at Saint Andrews on 9/26. East Carolina ending the fall semester with 89 points and ninth place overall. The University of North Carolina at Greensboro rounded out the opening day scoring with 11 points. Carolyn Miller earned the highest ribbon of the day for the spartans with a second in her section of advanced walk-trot-canter. Through five shows Greensboro has scored 59 points, essentially earning 12 points per appearance.One other team was present, but only as spectators. University of North Carolina at Charlotte Team President Bethany Coogle (who is an East Carolina transfer) and Vice President Roberta Anderson joined Head Coach Shirley Murphy and stock seat instructor Paula Duhon to watch a show before the 49ers made their IHSA debut at Virginia Tech on October 16th. Though UNC-Charlotte went on to compete in only four fall Region 3 shows, the 49ers consistantly performed better than nearly half the field. Their 27 points at Virginia Tech immediately had them ahead of two schools and through four competitions the 49ers are averaging exactly 28 points per show. Their 112 points puts them only seven behind both Elon and North Carolina State for fifth place. If the 49ers maintain their average, they could move all the way into fifth place if things break their way. The University of North Carolina at Charlotte also became the first team ever to compete in a Tournament of Champions show their very first year competing within the IHSA. On December 3rd, Anderson was sixth over intermediate fences, Allyse Schuber was fifth in novice flat and junior Sarah Wooley provided the 49er highlight of the day as she won the novice fences versus riders from schools such as Findlay, Centenary, Mount Holyoke and Stonehill, the latter of which Murphy's twin sister Sheila coached from 1996 to 2004 (including guiding Stonehill to the 2003 IHSA Hunter Seat National Championship).
"Use the left hand to turn right and the right hand to turn left?:" It had been over 15 years since the command for riders to walk, jog and lope had been heard at an IHSA show in these parts when Saint Andrews hosted the first-ever Zone 4, Region 3 stock seat show on November 12th. Four teams took part, with the host Knights earning the victory with 32 out of a possible 42 points. Tim Cohill of Virginia Tech and Elizabeth Munday of Western Carolina are tied for the early lead in the AQHA Cup open rider standings. Four more western shows are scheduled (five are needed to make the results 'Legal' with regard to the post-season), with Saint Andrews again hosting on February 11th (the Knights will have hosted two english shows, three western shows, Region 3 Regionals and the Holiday Tournament of Champions when the 2005-06 season is over). What will be interesting is when and where Zone 4 Stock Seat Zones will be, as the winner of the Region 3 proceedings will have to tangle with the Region 1 High Point Stock Seat Team sometime after March 31st. What's next?: Should Virginia Intermont remain undefeated through the next two Hunter Seat shows, the Cobras would clinch Region 3 High Point Champion Team honors for the seventh season in a row (three shows remain, though VI leads by 55 points and would clinch the region by holding a 50 point lead or more headed into the final regular season show hosted by Wake Forest). In each of the six prior seasons, Virginia Intermont has placed either first or second at Zone 4 Zones, therefore automatically advancing a full team to IHSA Nationals. The Cobras have won the past two IHSA Hunter Seat National Championships, with some already making comparisons to the Southern Seminary dynasty of the 1980's (four consecutive outright IHSA Hunter Seat National Champion Teams and three other titles either won outright or as part of a tie). If Virginia Intermont can return to Zones, and again place second or higher, and then conquer the field that awaits them in Harrisburg come May 4th through 6th, the cobras will have won three straight Hunter Seat Team National Championships, becoming only the second IHSA program after the now-defunct Southern Seminary program to accomplish this. It is a big 'If,' but so far no one seems to be able to beat them. --Steve Maxwell 9/26/05 Show Incidentals: Sunny skies, with High Temperatures in the upper '70's. Start Time: 10:16AM. Finish: 4:38PM. 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: Susie Barrett, Southern Pines, NC. Stewards: McDonald/Virginia Tech, Federwisch/Virginia Intermont College and Prochaska/Western Carolina University. Team Totals: Virginia Intermont College (High Point Team) 46; St. Andrews Presbyterian College (Reserve) 44; University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 32; Virginia Tech 30; Elon University 20; Duke University 18; Wake Forest University 16; North Carolina State University 16; Western Carolina University 15; East Carolina University 14 and University of North Carolina at Greensboro 11. High Point Rider - Erika Jewell, Virginia Intermont College
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