OCET Charges On

Oberlin Wins Reserve High Point Team

Nine members of the Oberlin College Equestrian Team set out last weekend to prove once again that size doesn't matter.

OCET traveled to Miami University in Oxford, OH, to compete in two Intercollegiate Horse Show Association shows.

At an Intercollegiate Horse Show Associate event, the riders draw the name of the horse they will be riding out of a hat not long before they go into the ring to compete. Therefore, there is a large home-field advantage for the host team, an advantage which OCET rarely enjoys, having no facilities which would accommodate a show. "Luck of the draw" is an apt cliché for this system ‹ we do our best to look good and control a horse we have never ridden. This is not a problem for OCET. We prove that we can conquer even the largest teams on unfamiliar horses.

At Saturday's show, OCET placed third of the 10 teams competing. Miami of Ohio and Ohio University finished first and second respectively. Many teams had as many as 51 members competing to Oberlin's nine.

Several Oberlin riders did well placing high in their classes on Saturday. Sophomore Krista Egger took third in Advanced Walk Trot Canter. Sophomore Lis Kidder took first in Walk Trot. Senior Laura Motley and sophomore Erin McDonough both won third in the Walk Trot.

The following day the determined riders of OCET won Reserve High Point Team, totaling the second highest team points and beating eight other teams, including Miami of Ohio and Ohio University, the high point teams of Saturday's show. The Ohio State University team won High Point Team.

OCET actually tied points with Miami (that's right ­ our nine riders tied with a 51 person team) and then won the coin toss to determine Reserve High Point Team.

Even more Yeoriders turned in outstanding rides on Sunday. Senior Allison Matthews won third in Open Flat and second in Open Over Fences. Junior Lindsay Kramer took first in Intermediate Flat. Senior Jenny Conneff won third in Intermediate Over Fences. Senior Leigh Miller won second in Novice Over Fences. Senior Gwen Evans took second in Advanced Walk Trot Canter. Sophomore Lis Kidder took second in Walk Trot. Sophomore Erin McDonough won second in Walk Trot.

The previous weekend, at the Ohio University IHSA show, OCET rider sophomore Katherine Warshaw-Reid was named Reserve High Point Rider for Sunday's show. This means she scored the secondmost points of any rider at the show.

OCET travels to Lake Erie College this weekend to hold up our reputation as a small but mighty force in the world of the IHSA.

- Gwen Evans is the Publicity Co ordinator for the Equestrian team