Savannah College Of Art & Design is in a pretty familiar position at the 32nd ANRC National Intercollegiate Equitation Championships, today, Saturday, April 17, Sweet Briar, Va. They slipped into the lead after a strong performance in the dressage sportif phase of the competition, and since the school has taken home the title five times in the past decade, they’re hoping to bring home number six, and their third consecutive win.
It won’t be easy though, considering Sweet Briar, the host college, is less than a point away from the lead and hungry for a title. Always a frontrunner, the school hasn’t won a championship since 1999. Goucher College, who has yet to win at ANRC, is sitting third, just 2.72 points behind SCAD.
“The [hunter trials] course tomorrow is going to be challenging,” said judge Anne R. Kenan, Dahlonega, Ga. “It’s major uphill and downhill, people aren’t used to that. It’s going to show how truly those basics from today carry over to the jumps.”
ANRC is a four-part championship that includes a written test, a dressage sportif, a hunter trial equitation phase and a hunter seat equitation medal phase. This weekend’s competition began with a written test on Friday, April 16. Riders must score a 70 percent or above or .8 is deducted from the dressage sportif score and .6 is deducted from the hunter trials and hunter seat phases.
The dressage sportif is 40 percent of the riders’ overall score and is judged similarly to a dressage test. Riders were asked to perform a series of set movements, including counter canter, turn on the haunch, and lengthenings, as well as one trot jump and one single oxer.
“It’s really about seeing what a rider can get out of a particular horse. If that rider is making it the best it can be, it’s going to score well,” said judge William Moroney, Keedysville, Md. “It’s about the riders adapting to the horse, doing the test right, and doing it well. A rider that comes in and gets a stellar performance out of an average horse is going to get some bonus points. They are the riders. They are what you’re looking for. The person who can adapt and create a great performance. “There were a group of riders who were very confident, knew what they wanted to get, and for the most part, got it done.”
“For me it’s about creating a quality connection,” added Kenan. “You’re looking for a great partnership, where the one will enhance the other. The neat thing about it is the horses kind of tell the truth. This test is really to show that they have a sound base and understanding of the principles. I think it does its job well.”
After the dust settled in Sweet Briar’s indoor, their own Liz Koslow aboard Ladino finished first in the dressage sportif. Centenary Jennifer Elrod on King’s Ransom was second, and SCAD’s Kels Bonham, last year’s individual champion, was third on Watermark.
Teams will head out to the hunt field tomorrow morning (7:30 AM), and then finish the event with a medal round in the afternoon (1:00 PM).
Team Standings After Two Phases
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1. SCAD – 65.88
2. Sweet Briar College – 64.96
3. Goucher College – 63.16
4. University of Virginia – 62.96
5. Centenary College – 60.52
6. St. Andrews Presbyterian College – 58.00
7. Virginia Intermont College – 54.52
8. Delaware Valley College – 51.52
9. Otterbein College – 46.52
Individual Standings After Two Phases
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1. Liz Koslow/SBC – 33.28
2. Jennifer Elrod/Centenary – 33.08
3. Kels Bonham/SCAD – 33.04
4. Morganne Young/SBC – 32.92
5. Paul Fredrick/SCAD – 32.84
6. Samantha Whitley/Centenary – 32.8
7. Amory Brandt/Goucher – 32.6
8. Kelly MacDonald/SBC – 32.04
9. Grace Stuntz/UVA – 31.92
10. Lauren Perhala/SBC – 31.72
