The Sweet Briar Intercollegiate Horse Show Association team attended its first competition of the 2007-08 season on Oct. 7. The show was hosted by Radford University at Walnut Springs Stable in Blacksburg, where temperatures hit a record high for October. It was starting to feel like summer again.
Although Sweet Briar got off to a slow start in the Over Fences divisions, Open division rider Sarah Fishback ’10 received a sixth-place ribbon for her efforts on Winston. Winston also was sophomore Heather McPheeters’ ride in her Intermediate Fences and Flat classes.
Morganne Young ’11 made her first appearance in the IHSA ring in the Novice Fences class. She was able to take two trips because her first mount attempted to bolt out of the ring. Her re-ride course was admirable and was a great learning experience for the first-year.
Things began to pick up when the Under Saddle flat classes began and the temperature started to rise. Mollie Linden ’10 won her Open Flat class, and Open Flat riders Renn Goldberg ’11 and Fishback were fourth and fifth respectively in their separate classes.
The Intermediate Flat classes for Sweet Briar kicked off with McPheeters taking a sixth-place ribbon, and Young coming back strong with a blue ribbon in her section. Novice Flat got off to a great start when Paige Kaylor ’10 won the blue ribbon, which garnered her enough points to qualify for regionals in Novice Flat and to advance to Intermediate Flat competition.
The second section of Novice Flat was a great IHSA debut for Erin Aufox ’11, who took home a second-place ribbon. Katie Bird ’09 also was successful in Novice Flat, winning her section. SBC’s last Novice Flat rider was Erica Palmisano ’11, who finished her class in fifth place.
Laura Jones ’10, Sweet Briar’s first rider in Advanced Walk/Trot/Canter, received a fourth-place ribbon. She was followed in a later section of the same class by teammate Caitlyn Lindsey ’11, who came in third.
To finish off the day, Walk/Trot rider Melissa Ramos ’10 came home with a fourth-place ribbon.
Sweet Briar tied for fourth place for the day with James Madison University at 29 points each. Hollins University was the winner and Bridgewater College was a close second.
– By Emily Casali , IHSA assistant coach
