College of Charleston equestrian added two more victories to its blemish-free season with a two-day sweep of a Two Hunt Seat Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) show hosted by Clemson at Garrison Arena over the weekend.
With snow decorating the ring, the Cougars opened in impressive fashion on Saturday, riding to High Point Team honors on day one, before posting an impressive 21-point victory over second place South Carolina and the rest of the field on Sunday.
“It was a challenging day for all the competitors because the weather conditions at Clemson the week prior to the show made preparing the horses for the show really difficult for the Clemson team” said head coach Bob Story. “We talk a lot about riding what you draw no matter what the circumstances, and the team did a great job with difficult rides on Saturday.”
Day one class winners for the Cougars were Junior Victoria Bauer in Intermediate Flat, Junior Taylor Bibbiani in Beginner Walk, trot, Canter, and Freshman Emily Rees in Walk Trot. Junior Audrey Kallman was named the Reserve High Point Rider and qualified in Novice Flat for the upcoming Regional Finals.
On Sunday, senior Eliza Hay returned to form with a win Open Fences and a second place finish in Open Flat, earning her the High Point Rider of the day award. Junior Kelsey LeBuhn won Intermediate Flat and junior Victoria Bauer won Intermediate Fences. Senior Kate Kohl won Novice Flat (sec. C). Senior Alyssa Johnson won Advanced Walk, Trot, Canter (sec. C) followed by freshman Emily Rees’ win in Walk Trot (sec.B). Senior Alyssa Johnson and sophomore Julie Folkman both qualified for Region Finals in Advanced Walk, Trot, Canter.
“In our first two competitions of the spring season, the team came out really flat and did not compete very well,” said Story. “On Sunday, they came out and competed at the level of excellence that I expect at every show. It was pretty much a mistake free day for all of the Cougars.”
After placing second amongst over 400 IHSA teams nationally a year ago, the Cougars have rattled off seven consecutive first place finishes in the 2014-15 season to stretch a commanding 113 point lead over their regional challengers.
The Cougars will now prepare for a fully slated weekend at their home on Storybook Farm, as they will host the regular season finale on Saturday, Feb. 28 before playing host to the IHSA Zone 5 Region 3 Finals the following day.
