Cancellation Makes Fink Region's Cacchione Qualifier

TOWSON, Md. — With the region's 2013-14 team champion already determined and weather forecasters predicting showers to start off tomorrow and then a steady rain later in the day, a decision was made late this morning to cancel the final IHSA Zone IV Region I riding show of the season that Goucher was scheduled to host.

Goucher built up an insurmountable 95-point lead over George Washington through the first six riding shows of the season, making tomorrow's competition unnecessary as far as determining the high point college for the season.

As the Region I champion, Goucher earned the right to compete against the top riding programs from the other three regions at the IHSA Zone IV Championships, which will take place April 6 in Roanoke, Va.

Tomorrow's show would have given those individuals competing to become Zone IV Region I's high point rider for 2013-14 one last chance to catch Goucher's Joey Fink (Baltimore, Md./The Park School). The junior was the leader after six shows with 60 points, giving him a healthy 11-point advantage over his closest pursuer, but the cancellation means he will be the region's representative in the prestigious Cacchione Cup competition at the IHSA National Horse Show in May.

The region's top individual riders in each division are still scheduled to gather on Sunday at Tulip Pond Farm in Poolesville, Md. for the Zone IV Region I Championships. For Goucher, that includes Moriah Patashnik (Seattle, Wash./The Northwest School) and Laura Malone (Weston, Mass./Weston) in novice equitation over fences and Kaduk Sherpa (East Aurora, N.Y./The Park School) in advanced walk-trot-canter equitation.

Fink qualified for regionals in both the jumping and flat phases in the open division as did Ashley Bent (Phoenixville, Pa./Phoenixville Area) in intermediate fences, but because there were so few qualifiers in their divisions, both will advance to compete at zones.