Goucher Stacks Up Fourth Among Top Riding Programs

Hodge, Tidwell Earn Blue Ribbons, Red Ribbon for Jabin

HACKETSTOWN, N.J. — Goucher, which is closing in on the 2011-12 IHSA Zone IV Region I title, took a break from the Collegiate Cup competition today for a chance to see how it stacks up against some of the top intercollegiate riding programs in the nation by competing at the Holiday Tournament of Champions.

The Tournament of Champions is a non-sanctioned exhibition series where each attending team brings one rider in each of the eight IHSA class divisions, all riding for team points against the other teams' best eight riders. The eight-rider team that represented Goucher finished in fourth place with a team score of 28 points.

Centenary placed first overall with a team score of 37 points. Two points back in second place was Mt. Holyoke. Delaware Valley was third with 31 points. Skidmore and Savannah Art & Design earned 24 points apiece to wind up tied for fifth place, one spot behind Goucher.

Twenty-four teams representing 23 different institutions competed at today's event.

Two of Goucher's riders were awarded first place in their class division: Callie Hodge (Columbia, Md./Long Reach) in advanced walk-trot-canter equitation and Madison Tidwell (Sun Valley, Idaho/Middle College) in walk-trot equitation.

Addie Jabin (Annapolis, Md./Severn School) returned from the competition with a red ribbon for placing second in intermediate equitation on the flat, Karli Postel (Newbury Park, Calif./Oaks Christian School) was third in open equitation over fences, Joey Fink (Pikesville, Md./The Park School) was fourth in novice fences and sixth in novice flat, and Amory Brandt (Saratoga, Calif./Lynbrook) was sixth in open flat.