SUNY Cobleskill Equestrian Team Captures IHSA Region Title

COBLESKILL - Morrisville, N.Y.: The SUNY Cobleskill Western Equestrian Team posted a second place and a  first place finish at the final Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Zone 2 Region 3 events hosted by the Morrisville State College Mustangs on Sunday. With their finishes at the shows the Fighting Tigers captured their first Zone 2 Region 3 Championship in program history which automatically qualifies all team members for regional semi-final round of the championships.

Entering the day’s first show holding the overall regional lead by six points; the Fighting Tigers placed second overall in the five team field to the host Mustangs by a score of 37-to-3,1 which tied both teams for the regional overall points lead at 200-to-200 after seven regional regular season shows.

Junior Morgan O’Sullivan, Killingsworth, Conn., Middletown High School, was the Reserve High Point Rider in the show by winning the Open Western Horsemanship competition while   placing second overall in Open Reigning.

In the day’s second show the Fighting Tigers overcame Morrisville State’s home arena advantage to win the show by a score of 34-to-30 over the home team and the rest of the five-team field. With their four point victory, Cobleskill captured the regional title by an overall score of 234-to-230 for the eight show regular season over the defending champion Mustangs.

Sophomore Ashlynn Ratner, Livingston Manor, N.Y., Livingston Manor High School, led the Orange & Black to the title tying for High Point Rider honors in the show by winning Open Reigning and placing third overall in Open Western Horsemanship while Morgan O’Sullivan took Reserve High Point Rider honors with a second place finish Open Western Horsemanship and a second place finish in Open Reigning.

The Fighting Tigers also received important event wins from: junior Karly Brandimarte, Hicksville, N.Y., New Rock Charter School, in Novice Western Horsemanship, sophomore Erin Hopmans, Dalton, Mass., Wachonah Regional High School, in Intermediate Western Horsemanship I and from sophomore Samantha Baker, Ballston Spa, N.Y., Ballston Spa High School, in Beginning Western Horsemanship.

With her individual performance, Morgan O’Sullivan wins the IHSA Zone 2 Region 3 High Point Rider Championship for the second time in her career with a season total of 90 points and automatically qualifies individually for the 2017 IHSA National Championships to be hosted from May 2nd thru May 4th at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky.

Cobleskill will next compete as a team in the IHSA Regional Semi-Final Round of the  Championships hosted by Morrisville State College in Morrisville, N.Y.  on Sunday February 26th at 9:00 a.m.

SHOW TEAM RESULTS

Team Totals for Show #7:

Team Totals for Show #8: