Sweet Briar College has long enjoyed a strong riding program, attracting some of the finest equestrians around. Yet 2005 has proved to be a standout year, with Sweet Briar leading the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Zone IV Region I standings. In addition, SBC senior Jodie Weber is the current high-point rider in the region. She is 14 points ahead of her nearest competitor, Anna Anderson of Mount St. Mary’s. Including Weber, three of the region’s 12 top scorers are SBC riders.

IHSA team: Kathryn Davilli (front row from left), Jenn Doherty, Tessa Daley, Micaela Scarpulla, Rebecca Schneider and Laeun Sung

Katie Bird (middle row from left), Kelly Young, Erin Wittle, Amber Lubeck, Jodie Weber, Alison Sims, Alex Hiniker, Rebecca Penny and Jenny Walkiewicz

Angela MacFawn (coach) (from left), Leslie Lewis, Lindsay Mills, Jessica McCarthy, Jennifer Summerfield, Alison Carr, Chelsea Capizzi-Walsh, Meghan Kaminski, Leela Dyer-Doyle and Krista Steinmetz (coach).One of the most unusual aspects of this year’s team, according to riding fellow Angela MacFawn, is that the team is comprised mostly of first-year students. “This year, the incoming group of freshmen [riders] was exceptionally strong,” she said. “The tryouts were really competitive, and we were really able to pick and choose the strongest group of riders possible.”

First-year riders are not the sole contributors to the team’s success. Although 12 of the members of the IHSA team are newcomers to the SBC riding program, MacFawn maintains that the team make-up this year creates a “different dynamic to the team from last year. We have the riders who can step in and play the leadership parts, and then others who are just learning things about IHSA, and they’re all very excited about it.”

The momentum built up by each member of the SBC team may be the factor that catapults the team into the national spotlight. According to MacFawn, the possibility that this year’s team could advance to Nationals looms large.

“We have three more regular season shows in the spring, so hopefully we will continue to earn points and to stay on top of the standings in the team competition,” she said.

– By Katie Beth Ryan '08

Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Standings for Zone IV Region I

Sweet Briar College, 151 points
Goucher College, 149
University of Maryland, 107
University of Mary Washington, 116
College of William and Mary, 100
Mt. St. Mary’s University, 95
University of Richmond, 76
St. Mary’s College, 72
George Mason University, 67
George Washington University, 66
Hood College, 65
Christopher Newport University, 48
American University, 46
Catholic University, 36
Georgetown University, 6

High-Point Rider Standings: (top 12)

Jodie Weber, SBC, 49 points
Anna Anderson, MSM, 35
Alison Sims, SBC, 34
Jennifer Mehalko, HC, 31
Katie McIntyre, W&M, 28
Jessica Lewis, UMD, 27
Jessica Smolar, GW, 27
Brittany Yates, UR, 22
Marisa Tasho, AU, 22
Lauren Campbell, UMW, 21
Emi Piez, AU, 21
Meghan Kaminski, SBC, 21