March 7, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Felicia Prater
(305) 205-4236

Equestrian Team Earns 21 Top Four Ribbons at Horse Show

Northampton, MA: Twenty-two riders won 21 top 4 ribbons at the Hampshire/Westfield Equestrian Horse Show co-hosted with Hampshire and Westfield State Colleges. Of the twelve colleges competing, the University of Massachusetts was the High Point college with 42 points, while Mount Holyoke was the Reserve High Point college with 35 points. Becker College took third with 34 points, Hampshire College followed in fourth with 27 points and Smith finished fifth with 26 points.

First place winners for Smith included sophomores Morgan Brescia (Seekonk, MA) in Intermediate Flat and Anya Bahros (Norwell, MA) in Novice Flat. Smith's second place finishers were sophomores Rebecca Nelson (Milton, MA) and Laura Jean Schneider (Roscoe, MT) in Walk-Trot, first year Esme Rabin (Tiburon, CA) in Intermediate Flat and senior Xiaoshuanh Chen (Ningbo, China) in Beginner Walk, Trot, Canter. Third place finishers were seniors Christy Stine (East Dover, VT) in Intermediate Fences and Open Flat and Charlotte Ballantine (Alstead, NH) in Novice Fences, junior Sarah Maxner (Norwich, VT) in Novice Fences and sophomores Abigail Cooper (Chalfont, PA) in Open Fences and Mary Bordewieck (Bernardston, MA) in Novice Flat. Also finishing third was Elizabeth Jacobson in Alumni Flat and Alumni Fences. Fourth place finishers included first years Ryan Fogarty (Greenwich, CT) in Open Fences and Lucy McAuliffe (Ho-Ho-Kus, NJ) in Internediate Fences, sophomores Abigail Gifford (Rutland, VT) in Walk, Trot, Canter and Bahros in Novice Fences, juniors Grace Livingston (Cleveland, OH) in Novice Flat and Maxner in Novice Fences and senior Jennifer Chain (Sacramento, CA) in Walk-Trot.

11 Pioneers have qualified for Regional Championships; three of whom have qualified in two divisions. Smith will participate in the Regionals to be held at UMass on March 28th at 9 am.