Annie Peer (on left, with Coach Bennie Sargent) was the second of two University of Kentucky western riders to win a class at the February 13th Morehead State show. The Wildcats tied for high point team a day earlier but won on the 13th by a point over region leader Cincinnati.

UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY WESTERN TEAM WINS, GIVES WILDCATS A WEEKEND SWEEP

Morehead, KY - The University of Cincinnati entered the February 12th/13th weekend leading the Zone 6, Region 3 Western team standings and finished the weekend still leading the field of six schools. The Bearcats produced three winners on day two of the back-to-backs hosted by Morehead State University and found themselves leading the University of Louisville by 19 points through eight shows.

However Cincinnati did not win either of the western shows at Morehead State, falling by four points to both the University of Kentucky and the host school on the 12th and by a point to the Wildcats on the 13th.

Because Morhead State hosted both English and Western shows each day at their Derrickson Agricultural Complex, the University of Kentucky actually went four-for-four. The Wildcat hunter seat team won outright both days while the Western team scored 23 to tie Morehead State in western show #1 while earning a 29-28 win over Cincy in show #2.

From Washington Courthouse, Ohio, University of Cincinnati freshman Heidi Harper (pictured) was the second of three Bearcat riders to win a Western class on February 13th. Harper's win in novice western help offset the fact that Cincinnati did not have a beginner western rider showing that day.

Allison Board, a freshman from Louisville, Kentucky was the first blue ribbon winner of the day for the Wildcats. Board was a winner in novice fences. Annie Peer, a sophomore from Toledo, Ohio won the second and final blue ribbon in intermediate II western. The Wildcats earned more red ribbons than any other school on the 13th, as Claire Knox (in open western horsemanship), Evin Torney (in advanced western horsemanship), Sam Thomas (in novice western horsemanship) and Taylor Stewart (intermediate II western horsemanship) were second in their respective divisions. Each day the Wildcats set a new high total for the 2010-11 season. Heading into the weekend Kentucky had scored no more than 20 points in a western show.

After having been held to only 19 points on the 12th Cincinnati scored 28 points for the third time this season. Leslie Gilb, a junior from Fort Thomas, Kentucky who pointed out of advanced western earlier this season won the lone section of open western horsemanship while placing fifth in the only section of open reining. This was good enough to put Gilb into the ride-off. Gilb has been quite helpful at the higher level for the Bearcats, having won four blue ribbons and a red in ten open-level classes. Heidi Harper, a freshman from Washington Courthouse, Ohio was a winner in novice fences while Madeliene Collins closed out the regularly-scheduled classes with the Bearcat's third blue ribbon. A sophomore from Dayton, Ohio, Collins won the section of intermediate II prior to the ride-off. Hanna Eckhoff, who pointed up from intermediate II on Saturday, was a red ribbon winner in her novice western debut. There were only 13 western undergraduate classes on February 13th and Cincinnati had at least one rider in only nine of them, including no rider in the beginner western level. In spite of this the Bearcats still gained six points on the University of Louisville during the Sunday event and ten points on the Cardinal for the weekend.

Six of the thirteen undergraduate winners on February 13th were from the state of Ohio, with the town of Dayton claiming two winners from separate teams. With a win in the lone section of advanced western Kenzie Klingenberg (pictured) was the first of the two Dayton, Ohio residents to win and the only Louisville Cardinal to earn a blue ribbon that day.

While Saturday was not a good day for the Cardinals (a season-low 15 points) Louisville finished third on the 13th with 22 points. Britta Jackson, a junior from Portland, Oregon who was the region's individual AQHA Trophy representative at 2010 IHSA Nationals, remained on pace to earn a direct pass to the National show this season. Jackson was second in her open reining and third in open western to tie Gilb and force a ride-off. Though this was the first weekend this season in which she did not win a blue ribbon Jackson still emerged with a 75-57 lead over Cincinnati's Kara Hughes in the Region 3 open western rider standings with two shows remaining. Kenzie Klingenberg, a freshman from Dayton, Ohio was the only Louisville rider to win a class on the 13th, prevailing in the lone section of advanced western. Claire Spalding was second to Board in novice western to round out the Cardinals' top-two placings.

Host Morehead State was fourth for the day with 19 points. A day after tieing for high point honors the Eagles earned more blue ribbons than any other western team on the 13th. Rebecca Sulken, a senior from Bethel, Ohio won the open reining class to start the event. Christine Kawalek, a sophomore from Lakeville, Minnesota won the only section of intermediate I. Morehead State won back-to-back classes toward the end of the show, as Ashley Wack (freshman, from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) and Candice Carson (freshman, from Versallis, Kentucky) won sections of novice western and intermediate II, respectively. Carson pointed out of the division with her win. Kameron Klein was second in beginner western, earning the Eagle's only red ribbon of the day. Morehead State remained in third place overall, moving from 17 point to only 12 behind the Cardinals.

Christine Kawalek of Morehead State University (on left, with Head Coach Erin LeCompt) won the eighth of thirteen undergraduate classes on February 13, prevailing in the only section of intermediate I western horsemanship. This was one of only three classes made up of as many as nine riders during the day.

Northern Kentucky University followed up their high total so far this season (21 points) by tieing their low score on Sunday. The Norse were the only team without a blue ribbon on February 13th. Senior Laura Weber was second in intermediate II as Northern Kentucky was fifth with 12 points.

Midway College may have brought up the rear with ten points. Like Morehead State, Midway is also known as the Eagles, and though they did not soar with regard to team points Midway had a very good day gathering up blue ribbons at one particular level. Dinah Bellar, a freshman from Athens, Ohio, won the first section of beginner western. Two classes later Hannah Blevins, a sophomore from Richmond, Kentucky, won the second section of beginner. Two classes after that it was Mary Brunck's turn. The freshman from Evansville, Indiana made it a sweep for this group of Eagles in the beginner sections. Andrea Compton and Courtney Bach were second to Blevins and Brunck, respectively, to give Midway five top-two ribbons in the beginner classes. Olivia Harmsen was a red ribbon winner in intermediate II for a Midway team that did not have a rider in the advanced western division at today's show. Still the Eagles scored one more point on the 13th than on the 12th.

Carter continues to dominate the Alumni: 2007 University of Kentucky graduate Megan Carter was the most successful of the alumni riders on February 13th. Carter won her alumni reining while finishing second in alumni horsemanship. Brittany Swartzwelder, a 2010 Ohio University - Southern Campus graduate edged out Carter for the blue ribbon on the rail but was off her pattern for no ribbon in reining (Swartzwelder apparently backed up too far). 2010 Midway Graduate Breanna Gregg was third in alumni western (her only ride as Gregg does not rein) while 2008 Midway graduate Laura Karrer was second in reining and fourth in horsemanship to round out the alumni placings.

"I am the Walk-Jog Queen," declaired Midway College western coach Marianne Bartley-Lehman (on far right) after her riders swept the beginner western classes. Midway had three riders in the middle section of beginner, with Mary Buchner (on far left) placing fifth, Andrea Compton (second on left) second and Hannah Blevins (second on right) winning the class.

The Ride-Off: Jackson won the ride-off to conclude the long weekend at 7:02PM (owing to the hunter seat show finishing at 2:30PM, prior to the schooling of western horses, the Coaches & Captains meeting and the start of the western show at 3:38PM).

Bearcats take Region Title: A week later all six teams returned to the Derrickson Agricultural Complex for a double western show to conclude the 2010-11 regular season. Louisville won the first show 30-25 over Kentucky while Cincinnati was third with 21. However there was no great comeback for the Cardinal as the Bearcats won the nitecap 23-22 over Northern Kentucky to finish ahead of Louisville 242-222 for the year. This gave Cincinnati their second region title in three years. Jackson captured high point rider honors for the second consecutive season and will again represent the region at Nationals in the individual AQHA Trophy class. Perhaps the most impressive statistic belongs to Carter, who rode in ten alumni reining classes and scored 64 of a possible 70 points.

---Steve Maxwell

Show Incidentals: Sunny skies but windy, with temperatures in the mid '40's. Entire show held indoors. Start Time: 3:38PM. Finish: 7:02PM. Coaches & Captains meeting held prior to start of show. Point Cards posted in this region? No, though a scoreboard was updated during the competition. Alumni Classes held in this region? Yes. Judge: Charlene Carter, Goodlettsville, Tennessee. Stewards: Sargent/University of Kentucky, Hollinsworth/University of Cincinnati and Carter/University of Kentucky alumni.

Team Totals: University of Kentucky (High Point Team) 29; University of Cincinnati (Reserve) 28; University of Louisville 22; Morehead State University 19; Northern Kentucky University 12 and Midway College 10.

High Point Rider - Britta Jackson, University of Louisville
Reserve High Point Rider - Leslie Gilb, University of Cincinnati