2008-09 Riding Blog - Week 6

by Kirsten Kasper - December 18, 2008

On the morning of November 8, Mount Holyoke riders geared up to compete in Amherst College Intercollegiate Horse Show. It was the final regular season show of the fall. At that point, our team was running neck and neck with the University of Massachusetts in the race for first place in the region. In the weeks leading up to the competition, we had been working hard to hone our skills in hopes of distancing ourselves from UMass in the standings. Well, the weeks of no stirrup work and team workouts paid off! Our team of determined riders destroyed the competition, taking home 12 of a possible 18 blue ribbons. Amazing! We claimed victory with a near perfect score of 47 points! UMass finished 19 points behind in second place.

In years past, we had to wear long underwear and bring blankets to cope with the freezing temperatures at this show, which takes place on top of a huge hill. This year, the weather cooperated, as there were sunny skies and amicable temperatures. The nice weather was greatly appreciated, and we went home with no frostbite or chattering teeth! Along with the good weather, we had many great parents, who drove (or flew!) many miles to support the team. They rolled in, bringing cookies, candy and the day’s favorite - a huge gourmet cheese and cracker platter! Wow, were we spoiled!

Other highlights were bringing home the High Point and Reserve High Point Rider Honors for the day. Margaret Swanson entered the ring for her novice jumping class on a feisty horse that she rode the pants off of and won her class on. She then proceeded to walk all over the competition in novice flat to take home High Point Rider of the day. Senior captain Amanda Pettengill was not far behind. After taking the blue ribbon in open fences, she put in a beautiful ride against some good competition in open flat. Her second place showing in the event helped her secure the Reserve High Point Rider title for the day. As I said before, our team did very well. We took home 12 blue ribbons out of a possible 18. Four of the blues were over fences (Cassie Herman, Amanda Pettengill, Lora Ciborowski, Margaret Swanson) and eight were on the flat (Anne Tucker, Jasmine Haddad, Bridget Brady, Emily Coler, Katie Viechnicki, Margaret Swanson, Meredith Feinburg).

The region raffle was also drawn, and the winners got to take home huge baskets full of goodies! This raffle was done to raise money for Williams College's team barn, which was hit by lightening and destroyed. Fortunately, no horses were killed. but the barn and equipment were lost. Each college donated a themed basket and was responsible for selling $100 worth of raffle tickets. The raffle was a success, and a lot of money was raised for a good cause. Hopefully, the barn will be rebuilt in due time and the team will be able to resume its normal schedule. Much luck to them!

Overall it was a hugely successful day, and I am proud to report that with the 19 points gained, we are now leading the region and will enter the spring season with a strong 24 point advantage! Go Mount Holyoke! Over the break, the team will be practicing hard to maintain and perhaps increase this lead in the shows to come!