Equestrians Win Tournament Series to Clinch 15th National Championship

Equestrians of Virginia Intermont College earned the college its 15th national riding championship by winning the Winter Classic Tournament of Champions Saturday, Jan. 29. That clinched for the college the prestigious national Tournament of Champions Series championship.
With the consistency of five second place finishes and a first place ribbon, VI’s Intercollegiate Horse Show Association teams won the Winter Classic held at Chatham Hall School, besting the top 20 colleges invited to the tourney, including Virginia Tech, Penn State University and Dartmouth College.
VI’s teams earned a total of 36 points to combine with their previous scores at the “Pre-Season” and “Holiday” tournaments to clinch the Tournament of Champion Series Championship. That stacked up Virginia Intermont’s eighth win of the tournament series, a record in the 19-year history of the competition.
Eddie Federwisch, director of equine studies, and coach of the IHSA teams along with Sue Glover, termed it “very exciting” to bring home a 15th national championship.
Final results from the Winter Classic were as follows:
TEAM RESULTS:
Virginia Intermont College – Bristol, Va. – 36
Delaware Valley College – Doylestown, Penn. – 30
St. Andrews Presbyterian College – Laurinburg, N.C. – 28 West Virginia University – Morgantown, W.Va. – 25
Mount Holyoke College – South Hadley, Mass. – 23 * won tie breaker
Virginia Tech – Blacksburg, Va. – 23
University of New Hampshire – Durham, N.H. – 20
University of Mary Washington – Fredericksburg, Va. – 19
Penn State University – State College, Penn. – 18
Sweet Briar College – Sweet Briar, Va. – 16
Lafayette College – Easton, Penn. – 15* won tie breaker
Lynchburg College – Lynchburg, Va. – 15
University of South Carolina – Columbia, S.C. – 14
Tufts University – Medford, Mass. – 13
Randolph College – Lynchburg, Va. – 12* won tie breaker
University of the South – Sewanee, Tenn. – 12
Stonehill College – Easton, Mass. – 10* won tie breaker
Dartmouth College – Etna, N.H. – 10
University of Michigan – Ann Arbor, Mich. – 6
Xavier University – Cincinnati, Ohio – 3* won tie breaker
University of Wisconsin – Madison, Wis. – 3
Cornell University – Ithaca, N.Y. – scratched
VIRGINIA INTERMONT RESULTS:
OPEN OVER FENCES – Ashley Miller – Senior – 2nd
OPEN FLAT – Ashley Miller – Senior – 3rd
INTERMEDIATE OVER FENCES – Amanda Shamer – Senior – competed
INTERMEDIATE FLAT – Andrea MacQueen – Senior -1st
NOVICE OVER FENCES – Lauren Wills – Freshman – 2nd
NOVICE FLAT – Kate McManis – Senior – 2nd
WALK/TROT/CANTER – Megan Kelty – Sophomore – 2nd
WALK/TROT – Taylor Scott – Freshman – 2nd
MEDAL – Blake Roberts – Freshman – competed
Manager – Mary Ashley Marable
Schoolers – Jordan Shelburne and Audrey Hanlon

2010-2011 Tournament of Champions Series Final Results:
Champion: Virginia Intermont – 62 points
Reserve Champion: Delaware Valley – 58
St. Andrews – 55
Virginia Tech – 47
Mount Holyoke – 44
Lynchburg – 42
West Virginia University, Morgantown, W.Va. – 39
Penn State – 34
New Hampshire – 33
Tufts University – 32
Skidmore College, Saratoga Springs, N.Y. – 21
Mary Washington – 19

Photo courtesy of Bethany Coogle