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PRESEASON CLASSIC TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS

PRESS RELEASE: September 27, 2003; Bristol, Virginia.

Eighteen equestrian teams from 11 colleges started their invitational seasons in a flurry with the Tournament of Champions PreSeason Classic Invitational Team Tournament, September 27, at the Virginia Intermont College Equestrian Center in Bristol, Virginia.  In the end, it was 2003 IHSA National Champions -  Stonehill College - squeaking out a one-point win over host VIC, 36-35.  Three other teams – another Virginia Intermont team, St. Andrews Presbyterian College, and Miami of Ohio – all tied with 31 points apiece before the open fences and open flat tie-breakers placed them in that order. 

Stonehill-Purple, Virginia Intermont-Gold, and Miami-Black were essentially the same teams that had competed at the 2003 IHSA Nationals in Tennessee, where they placed in the same order – Stonehill on top, Intermont in fourth place, and Miami in fifth.  In a horse show that offered no real surprises, the “sleeper” was perhaps St.Andrews Presbyterian College.  St. Andrews hosted the 2002 Holiday Tournament of Champions, and after hosting the first regional point show of the new year, they lead the region over Virginia Intermont and Virginia Tech.  The up-and-coming team, located in southern North Carolina, is coached by Peggy McElveen and Debbi White.

The judge was John Roper, USAE LargeR from Nashville, Tennessee.  The show was hosted by Virginia Intermont College, coordinated by VIC Director Eddie Federwish, and produced by Jim and Gwen Arrigon as part one of the 2003-04 Tournament of Champions Series.  Virginia Intermont College and Virginia Tech provided horses for the event.  The next show of the series – Holiday Tournament of Champions - is December 7-8 at University of Findlay in Ohio. 

Show results follow:

PRESEASON CLASSIC TOURNAMENT OF CHAMPIONS
Bristol, Virginia; 9/27/03

CHAMPION HUNTER TEAM
Champions:  Stonehill College – Purple Team, 36 points
   Virginia Intermont College – Gold Team, 35 points
3rd:  Virginia Intermont – Black Team, 31
4th   Saint Andrews  - Blue Team, 31
5th   Miami of Ohio – Black Team, 31
6th   Virginia Tech – Orange Team, 23
   Saint Andrews – White Team, 20
   Stonehill – White, 20
   Virginia Tech – Maroon Team, 19
   College of Charleston, 18
   Sweetbriar College, 17
   Delaware – Blue Team, 14
   North Carolina, 14
   Wisconsin, 12
   Miami of Ohio – Red Team, 11
   Ohio University, 10
   Miami of Ohio – White Team, 10
   Delaware – Yellow Team, 1
 (tie- breaker: Open Fences; 2nd Tie-breaker: Open flat.)  

GRAND CHAMPION RIDER CHALLENGE:
Champion:  Jennifer Tabisz, Virginia Intermont College
Res. Champion: Kelsey Amedeo, Stonehill College

For complete results, click here