Sweet Briar’s Intercollegiate Horse Show Association team attended its second fall IHSA competition on Friday, Oct. 12 at Randolph College. The show was co-hosted by Randolph College and Lynchburg College.
Sweet Briar kicked off the team’s scores with a fourth-place finish from Sarah Fishback ’10 in Open Fences, followed by a third place from Heather McPheeters ’10 in Intermediate Fences. “Both riders showed good improvement from their rides at the previous show,” said SBC’s assistant IHSA team coach Emily Casali.
Fishback and McPheeters shared credit for their progress with their mounts in the Randolph-Lynchburg show. In IHSA competition, the host college provides the horses, which are paired with riders by random drawing. The use of personal tack is not allowed, nor is schooling. The system opens the shows to all riders and equalizes many of the variables of competition.
“I drew a great horse and put in a respectable course,” McPheeters said. “I placed third and really had a turn-around performance from the beginning of the season. It was even better that my parents were there to watch.”
Fishback had a “lot more confidence going into this show,” she said, but her horse made the biggest difference. “It was more my type of ride.”
Sweet Briar brought three first-year students – Erin Aufox ’11, Erica Palmisano ’11 and Nell Malbon ’11 – to show in Novice Fences. It was all three students’ premiere jumping experience at an IHSA show. Aufox finished third in her class and Palmisano finished in fourth place.
IHSA veteran Mollie Linden ’10 rode first for SBC’s flat riders, taking a fourth place in a difficult Open Flat class. Paige Kaylor ’10 made her first ride in Intermediate Flat a successful one, finishing in third place. Katie Bird ’09 and Aufox rode in Novice Flat and Aufox placed second, claiming Sweet Briar’s best finish of the day.
Prior to her ride, a Lynchburg coach told Advanced Walk/Trot/Canter rider Laura Jones ’10 that her horse would “ride like a Porsche” if she rode him correctly. She responded by navigating her horse to a third-place finish.
“I really appreciate any tips I can get from the home team, since they know the horses best,” Jones said later, in an e-mail. “I loved the horse I drew for the Randolph show and I placed in the top three, so I definitely had a good match.”
Caitlyn Lindsey ’11 must have impressed the judges. She managed a fourth-place ribbon even after her stirrup broke during her last canter around the ring. For Sweet Briar’s grand finale, Melissa Ramos ’10 won a fourth-place ribbon for her efforts in Walk/Trot.
Sweet Briar finished the day tied with Lynchburg College for fourth place with 26 points, just two behind the third-place University of Virginia team. Randolph led with 46 points, followed by Hollins University at 39.
