This past weekend, Chatham Hall hosted the first Interscholastic Equestrian Association home show of the year, where riders competed against 85 competitors from 6 other teams. Several riders on the team were competing for the very first time.
Results over fences include Elizabeth Trexler '17 pinning 1st in the Open Fences, Lily Porter '19 and Juliette Alliata '17 both finishing in 4th place in their Intermediate Fences sections. Trexler grabbed another 1st in the Open Flat and then Porter finished 4th and Alliata was 2nd in the Intermediate Flat. With the morning classes behind them, the team had a total of 22 points before heading into the Novice division, trailing behind last year's National Reserve Champion team from Staunton, VA.
Alysha Cranmore '17 kicked off the Novice Fences with a 1st place over jumps, Hailey Johnson '19 grabbed a 2nd, and Caroline Hawthorne '19 was also 1st. New IEA Team member Emma Jones '19 had a strong round and was 6th among a competitive class. On the flat Jones finished 2nd, Hawthorne finished 1st and Cranmore was 5th. Despite a strong ride, Johnson did not receive a ribbon. In the Beginner WTC Divisions, Chatham Hall was represented by four riders, three of them competing for the very first time. Isabella Hubbard in her second year of competition finished 1st in the Flat class. Susie Wu '18 also finished 1st in her section. Lauren Lamothe '18 was 6th and Salem Twiggs '19 was 3rd. All Chatham Hall riders had strong rounds with very few mistakes among tough competition.
Overall the team finished with 41 points, resulting in a Championship finish. For reference, a perfect score is 49 points, so, with their 41 point finish, the team is feeling strongly about their season opener. The team competes next in a back to back show weekend with a competition in Hillsborough on November 12th and a home show on November 13th. To stay abreast of results, follow the Riding Program on twitter @RideChathamHall.
