42nd Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association National Championships: SCAD and Berry Emerge as Top Teams, High Point Riders Hay and Finn Rewrite Cougars, Huskers History

Three times proved the charm for coach Bob Story and College of Charleston Cougars senior Elizabeth Hay, who made school history as COC's first USEF/Cacchione Cup Hunter Seat Equitation champion. Selena Finn rewrote the record books for the University of Nebraska-Lincoln Huskers and coach Lori Jaixen, as its first AQHA High Point Western Rider.

EquestrianCoach.com (http://EquestrianCoach.com) Achievement of Excellence Awards for style, effective riding and potential to excel in equestrian sport were presented to hunter seat rider Cody Wooten (Centenary College) and western rider Morgan Sykes (University of Central Florida). Wooten receives a six-day apprenticeship with Karen Healey and certificate for an Antares helmet; Sykes gets a six-day apprenticeship with Tim McQuay. Each also receives a $1,000 expense stipend, lifetime membership to EquestrianCoach.com (http://EquestrianCoach.com) and annual memberships for their coaches, and an embroidered saddle pad, hat and backpack.

Also recognized for their role were the horses generously provided, including Triple Crown High Point Hunt Seat Horse and “great draw,” bay warmblood gelding Chop Chop (Cazenovia); SmartPak Most Popular Hunt Seat Horse, the dapple gray mare with a “big stride and great engine,” Daphne (Skidmore); The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program Award winner and “great draw” was bay gelding Sport (Cazenovia); Triple Crown High Point Western Horse and SmartPak Most Popular Western Horse was the chestnut “packaged at the lope” stallion, Colonel Pepenator, aka 'Peppy' (Oswego); and the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Horse of Show was chestnut gelding and “easy lead changer,” George (Morrisville).

Honored for academic and/or behind the scenes accomplishment were Senior IHSA Essay Academic Achievement Award Contest winner, Megan Talbott (Central Connecticut State); Teresa L. McDonald IHSA Scholarship Challenge winner Anna Knowles (Dartmouth); IHSA Nationals Sportsmanship Volunteer Award winner, Karen Hurff (Skidmore); IHSA Nationals Sportsmanship Rider Award winner Anthony DeSimone (Centenary); and the IHSA Nationals Sportsmanship Coach Award went to Cazenovia assistant coach, Liz Pinto.

The 2015 Collegiate Cup winners, SCAD, also won the right to reward the individual of their choice with a new set of paddock boots courtesy of Fabbri Boots USA, and selected Goucher College rider and all-around good sportsman, Joseph Fink.

The live feed webcast of the competition by The EPCo Group drew international viewership from 19 nations, and its social media post reach on Facebook, Instagram and YouTube reached nearly a quarter of a million. The 2016 IHSA National Championships will be at the Kentucky Horse Park. For complete results and more about IHSA visit www.IHSAinc.com<http://www.IHSAinc.com>.

2015 IHSA Hunter Seat National Championships: A Fuller Story

It was a win 30 years in the making for College of Charleston (SC) Cougars coach, Bob Story, as Elizabeth Hay ('15) made history while the sun shone Saturday afternoon, May 2, at the 42nd Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association National Championships in West Springfield, MA,winning COC's first-ever USEF/Cacchione Cup title against 46 of the top hunter seat Open Equitation college riders in America.

“ I know the best we had done up to this point was Hannah Mayer being second in Los Angeles in 2008,” said coach Story, who has made 30 trips to Nationals including returning this year with the 2014 reserve Collegiate Cup High Point Hunter Seat Team champions.

Clinching the second of the IHSA's two most prestigious national hunter seat titles in back-to-back seasons was emotional for Story, who stood trembling at the gate as the final announcements came down to Zone 1 qualifier Carly Corbacho (Boston University) on Centenary College's Herbie and the Zone 5 Cougars' Elizabeth Hay, on Centenary's James.

As Story whispered, “Every time we've been in this position we've been second. Please let there be a God,” Kenn Marash announced BU's Corbacho as Reserve and recipient of a $500 Anne Cacchione Memorial Scholarship.

“ Oh my God, she did it.”

Hay, in whom Story had recognized Nationals potential as early as her freshman year, had already proven him right by twice qualifying for Nationals and now had done what no rider had done before.

“ He always told me I could qualify,” Hay said. “This was my third year. I'd never placed. I think being to Nationals three times helped as I knew how nervous I'd get! I didn't really breathe through the last trip.”

Hay rode on the 2014 Collegiate Cup team and was a working jumper student for Aaron Vale and Schuyler Riley. She described her work-off in front of veteran Derby and Maclay Finals judges Danny Robertshaw and Jimmy Toon: “I was fourth going in. My halt was longer than others but I wanted to wait for him (James) to relax. Our roll back was really good, too.”

Their work-off was a trot to fence 2 (near the in gate), halt after a long approach off the far corner to fence 8, then counter canter (down the long side closest to the judges) to the gate. She asked the 16.3 gray warmblood gelding provided by Centenary College to make good on his description: “Scopey and handy. Big stride, soft hand.” And he did.

“ Her patience was overwhelming, especially with the halt and then picking up the counter canter,” said judge Robertshaw. “That horse was ready to slip right out of it, and she just did the right little block at the right moment, held it together and went. Her patience and thought process were right on.”

“ The panel that rates the horses for this show also does a good job. This is a beautiful event, where each team and rider have a great shot at a national title.”

Judge Toon agreed. “These are real Finals. Yet we're also lucky to watch great catch riding where we can take into account when a 'harder' ride is turned into a nice one.”

Few rides turned out nicer than that of USEF/Cacchione Cup reserve champion Carly Corbacho, who went into the work-off seeded an unlikely seventh.

“ Herbie was not my type of ride,” the Marketing & Information Systems business major confessed. Praised in his notes as a “seasoned equitation horse; very handy; nice draw,” the 16.2 bay warmblood gelding was also strong.

“ The course went as planned until the counter canter. But my worst moment was also my best because I had to regroup to finish the way I wanted. My coach (Phyllis Cervelli) told me to stick to my plan, it's my ride and to do what I think is best.”

“ Moving from seventh up to second is a great way to end a college riding career,” coach Cervelli said.

Moving up to first in the nation is also a great way to end a season. Ask first-time Collegiate Cup High Point Hunter Team champions, coach Ashley Henry and the Savannah College of Art & Design (SCAD) Bees, who methodically pinned in the top 10 (including two wins) in seven out of eight team classes to finish with 30 points ahead of defending Collegiate Cup title holders, Centenary College (24), and 2013 co-champions Skidmore College (19) and St. Lawrence University, who tied for fourth (17) with Stanford University.

“ There are no words to describe this feeling. Winning this has always been a goal,” said Henry, in “lucky” bee earrings, socks and honeycomb scarf. She began coaching the Bees 10 years ago and was a competitor at the 2001 IHSA Nationals.

“ We had a strong year because we worked hard.”

Riding for SCAD at Nationals were Jessica Amsberry, Lindsay Baker, Ryan Genn (who went in as SCAD Student-Artist-Athlete Player of the Week), Quinn Lowsky, Tess Mroczka, Heather Partlow and Devon Walther, whose second-place in the final qualifier, the Collegiate Cup Open Equitation on the Flat, anchored SCAD's first Collegiate Cup team title in their history.

In February, the Bees had clinched their second consecutive Tournament of Champions national title, then closed their regular IHSA season in March as reserve team champions and qualified Devon Walther for the USEF/Cacchione Cup, and in April, made university and American National Riding Commission (ANRC) history by becoming the first team to win the national and novice divisions at the ANRC National Intercollegiate Equitation Championships.

“ Ashley is the hardest working coach I've ever seen. I wanted this for the team so much. She is committed to IHSA and holds to a standard that amazes me,” said SCAD director of equine programs and 2014 IHSA Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Ed Federwisch, revealing how that high standard includes Monday night team yoga classes.

And lessons in generosity. Among SCAD's Collegiate Cup prizes, courtesy of Fabbri USA Boots, were a pair of paddock boots to be awarded to the equestrian of their choice: They chose Goucher College rider and good sportsman, Joe Fink.

Last year's SmartPak Most Popular Hunt Seat Horse, Cazenovia's bay warmblood gelding and “great draw,” Chop Chop, returned to be named this year's Triple Crown High Point Hunt Seat Horse, while Skidmore College's gray mare with the “big stride and great engine, Daphne, earned the 2015 SmartPak Most Popular Hunt Seat Horse Award and its prize package including a Harwich padded fancy stitch bridle and year ($1,200 value) of SmartSupplements at SmartPak.

The Jockey Club Thoroughbred Incentive Program Award and “great draw” was bay gelding Sport (Cazenovia).

2015 IHSA Western National Championships: A Fuller Story

The greatest strength any team can have is its heart, agreed Berry College coach Margaret Knight, whose Vikings – Ashlyn Clay, AnnaLee Cooley, Amanda Petersen, Elizabeth Poczobut and Mariel Wrench -- proved big hearts make for big wins, claiming for the second time since 2011 the AQHA High Point Western Team national championship, three points ahead of the University of Findlay Oilers (19 points), for reserve and West Texas A&M Buffs in third (18).

“ I am so excited. Everyone has worked so hard, but never lost sight of the fact that it's not about them, it's about the horses and we're so appreciative of the good horses we got here,” coach Knight said, crediting mounts generously provided by schools and private owners as integral to their success.

Wrench and Petersen won their Novice and Intermediate Western Horsemanship championships on Jeremy Minitiz's “rides with contact” Storty and Cazenovia's “quiet ride” Red; Cooley earned reserve in Advanced on Michelle Carter's “soft contact” Luke.

2015 AQHA High Point Western Rider and University of Nebraska-Lincoln Animal Science major Selena Finn ('19) was also quick to name the horses that worked with her through its horsemanship and reining phases in front of judges Pete McAlister and Marilyn Randall: Ohio State's “nice reiner,” Lance and Oswego State's “very steady” Buddy.

Finn, who started reining four years ago, was still awestruck by her own achievement, bringing the first AQHA High Point Rider trophy ever back home for the Huskers.

“ Wow. This. Is. Crazy,” the freshman said. “My strength going in? Just working hard. My coach's advice was to have a clean pattern and have fun.”

“ I sensed when Selena joined the team in September that here could be a real talent. She's also an extremely hard worker and has an impeccable work ethic,” praised Huskers coach Lori Jaixen, who has been producing regional and zone level high point riders since 2009 and can now add a national champion to that list.

It would be a Zone 8 domination for the nation's top two Western rider slots, with the AQHA High Point reserve title going to California State Polytechnic University-Pomona's McKenna Coveney.

“ This is one of my favorite shows. The enthusiasm and commitment you see in these students, their tears of happiness, you can't find anywhere else,” said judge McAlister, an AQHA Open and Youth World veteran.

“ These are great riders who make their draw and make it happen.”

Judge Randall agreed, “Here it isn't 'just' riding a show horse. It's handling a catch ride. How to read a horse and help it do something, that shows real feel in the hands and seat. Opportunities like this help launch careers, help people enter the horse world.”

Demonstrating good seats and hands for their reining patterns were Finn's Huskers teammate, Kallie Kayton, who won the AQHA Trophy Open Reining Pattern on Karen Black's “great draw,” Tari; NRHA Open Reining Pattern champion (for a Bob's Saddle and Lawson Bronze) Danielle Grasmeder (SUNY Oswego) on Oswego stallion, Colonel Pepenator; and IHSA Alumni Reining Pattern champion (for a Bob's Saddle and NRHA Pewter) Rebecca Folk (Lafayette College) on “easy lead changer” George from Morrisville State College.

Calling Bob Anthony “One of the greatest horseman ever. His feel was better than anyone's.” and IHSA coach, Carla Wennberg, a “selfless” example of dedication to students, Morgan Sykes (University of Central Florida) was selected to receive theEquestrianCoach.com<http://EquestrianCoach.com> Western Achievement of Excellence Award and prize package including a six-day apprenticeship with Tim McQuay, $1,000 expense stipend, embroidered saddle pad, hat and backpack, and lifetime membership for the award winner and annual membership for their coach to EquestrianCoach.com<http://EquestrianCoach.com>.

Sykes, the 2012 NRHA Reserve Youth World Champion, first slid to attention in 2009 as a 4-H Regional Reining Champion before turning in top 10 finishes at the 2014 IHSA Nationals and 2013 NRHA Collegiate Challenge: “I'd like my future within the sport to include involvement with IHSA Alumni. The IHSA has given so much to me as an undergrad. I owe them so much. Also to be a responsible owner, competitor, and ambassador for our sport.”

Colonel Pepenator (aka Peppy) was named SmartPak Most Popular Western Horse, receiving a Rockin' SP single ear headstall, Rockin' SP split reins, and a year ($1200 value) of SmartSupplements in SmartPaks. Peppy was also named Triple Crown High Point Western Horse.

Morrisville State's chestnut gelding George was named National Reining Horse Association Reining Horse of Show.

The 2016 IHSA National Championships will be at the Kentucky Horse Park. For complete results and more about IHSA visit www.IHSAinc.com (http://www.IHSAinc.com/) and follow Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

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Photo courtesy of Al Cook