HARRISBURG, Pa. (May 4, 2013) – The Mount Holyoke College riding team rounded out its 2012-13 campaign with a fourth place finish at the IHSA National Championship Horse Show this weekend. A total of 13 teams from around the nation competed in the event, which was hosted by the Pennsylvania Farm Show Complex.
St. Lawrence University and Skidmore College amassed 22 points en route to a tie in the High Point Championship in the Collegiate Cup Hunter Seat Team Division. The Saints and Thoroughbreds were followed by Stanford University (20 points), Savannah College of Art & Design (18 points) and Mount Holyoke (17 points).
Rounding out the field were Centenary College (13), Goucher College (13), Berry College (12), Otterbein University (11), Delaware Valley College (11), St. Andrews University (9), the University of Colorado-Boulder (4) and the University of Findlay (4).
Day three saw junior Alexa Lohrer (Carlisle, Mass./Concord Carlisle) post two top-five finishes in the Collegiate Cup events. She was third overall in the Open Flat, while taking fifth in the Open Fences competition.
Lohrer's outstanding performances capped another fantastic Nationals appearance for the Lyons, who earned a ribbon in every event competed at this year's meet. Leading the way was sophomore Abby Raucher (Easthampton, Mass./Easthampton), who won her first individual National title with an outstanding ride in Individual Novice Fences on day one.
Seniors Morgan Cooley (Plymouth, Mass./Plymouth South) and Clara Tate (Piedmont, Calif./Piedmont) both performed solid on day one as Tate took home fourth and Cooley was fifth in Novice Flats.
Cooley also competed in the Collegiate Cup Intermediate Flat class, taking home third overall. In the Intermediate Open Fences, junior Felicia Harrsch (Lansdale, Pa./North Penn) was fifth in her class, while sophomore Jessica Murray (East Longmeadow, Mass./East Longmeadow) was sixth in Collegiate Cup Novice Fences.
Rounding out the performances on day one was sophomore Madeline Shortt (Eugene, Ore./South Eugene), who was fifth in the Collegiate Cup Novice Flat.
Day two saw sophomore Samantha Stone (Stoneham, Mass./Masconomet) finish fourth in the Collegiate Cup Walk Trot Canter class. Also riding solid was sophomore Callie Calder (Manhattan, N.Y./United Nations International School), who placed sixth overall in the Collegiate Cup Walk Trot.
Junior Eleanor Maynard (Colorado Springs, Colo./Cheyenne Mountain) finished eighth overall in the Collegiate Cup Intermediate Fences.
Lohrer also took part in the prestigious Cacchione Cup Class, finishing in 18th place overall with 77 points.
