Hunt Seat, Western equestrian teams open with strong showings at Sweet Briar, St. Andrews

Liberty University's Hunt Seat equestrian team opened its fall schedule by winning Sunday's Region 4 debut hosted by defending regional high point champion Sweet Briar College in nearby Amherst, Va. That showing came on the hoofs of the Western team's third- and fifth-place finishes at perennial Region 4 champion St. Andrews on Saturday and Sunday in Lawrenceville, N.C.

In the Hunt Show event, Liberty accumulated 34 points to finish ahead of Christopher Newport University and Mary Washington University, which tied for Reserve Team Champion honors with 31 points apiece, followed by Randolph Macon College (26), William & Mary, and the host Vixens, who tied for fifth with 23 points. The University of Richmond, which also competes in Region 4, will not be riding this semester.

Equestrian-Coach-rider — Head Coach Suzanne Flaig watches Anna Pemble ride.

"It was a solid showing and a good result, scoring more points than anyone else and coming out on top," Lady Flames Head Coach Suzanne Flaig said, noting that her riders reduced the number of errors they had been making in practice. "It's been a quick start, and we haven't had a lot of practices to get ready, but we have been able to utilize our time the best that we could. We were pretty consistent, which is always the struggle with the number of people we send into the arena. The team really worked well together to support each other throughout the day."

After having their originally scheduled season opening shows at the College of William & Mary and Christopher Newport University washed out by Tropical Storm Ophelia two weekends ago, the riders enjoyed sunny skies for Sunday's outdoor riding event.

"It was a beautiful day, a little unseasonably warm, but a nice day to horse show," Flaig said. "We were very blessed."

She said the experienced riders and rookies supported each another and spurred one another on throughout the show.

"We had about half and half, returners and newcomers, and our newcomers got some good experience," Flaig said. "They had the opportunity to show and really worked hard and had solid performances, so I am excited to see what they can do the rest of the season. We will try to push forward and grow in our skills to be competitive with the other schools in the region."

Senior team captain Maggie Sunders finished first in Open Fences and third in Open Flat and junior Claire Hutchinson placed first in Limit Flat and tied her twin brother, junior John Hutchinson, for second in Limit Fences.

Sophomore Anna Pemble placed second in Intermediate Flat and junior Guilia D'Addesi and freshman Katie Staib tied for second in Limit Flat. Senior Bekeh Honaker, a regional qualifier in Intermediate Fences, placed third in that event while junior Macy Ricker was third in Introductory riding.

This coming Sunday, Liberty will travel to Williamsburg, Va., for the makeup of its show against William & Mary. Liberty's show at CNU in Newport News has been rescheduled for Nov. 5, after competing at Randolph-Macon in Ashland, north of Richmond, on Nov. 4.

Abby-Rice-rides — Abby Rice placed second in Level 1 Horsemanship.

Liberty's Western team was led by first-place finishes by junior Amanda Mast and senior Payton Ruwet in Rookie A Horsemanship on Saturday and Sunday, respectively.

The Lady Flames also got second-place showings from freshman Alex Dixon in both Ranch Riding and Level 2 Horsemanship, senior Shelby Coble in Level 1 Horsemanship, and Alexis Evans in Beginner Horsemanship on Saturday and from Mast in Rookie B Horsemanship and junior Abby Rice in Level 1 Horsemanship on Sunday. Rice also placed third in Level 1 Horsemanship on Saturday and Dixon finished third in Level 2 Horsemanship and Ranch Riding on Sunday, when freshman MaKenzie Cox placed third in Rookie B Horsemanship.

"There's a lot of potential in our new students," Flaig said. "They'll continue to grow and gain experience and they are looking forward to their next show in November," at Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va.

By Ted Allen/Staff Writer; Video edited by Micah Adams/Club Sports Video & Media Assistant

Western-Equestrian-team — Liberty's Western equestrian team showcased plenty of new talent among their riders who competed at St. Andrews (N.C.)

Hunt Seat, Western equestrian teams open with strong showings at Sweet Briar, St. Andrews

Players Mentioned

Shelby Coble

Claire Hutchinson

John Hutchinson

Amanda Mast

Anna Pemble

Macy Ricker

Payton Ruwet

Katie Staib

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