PLYMOUTH, Mich. -- Mount Holyoke College equestrian team opened its fall semester of competition Saturday at the Pre-Season Tournament of Champions, hosted by the University of Michigan at Willowbrooke Farm. Highlights of the day for Mount Holyoke included junior Emmie Mirarchi (Harvard, Mass.) winning Champion honors in the Low Medal Class with senior captain Caroline Sullivan (Groton, Mass.) placing fourth, and first-year Hallie Phillips (Santa Rosa, Calif.) making her collegiate debut with a third-place showing in the High Medal Class.
The show was the first in a series of four competitions in the fall and spring that feature top equestrian teams from around the country.
The Lyons placed seventh out of 10 teams at the competition with 15 points, outscoring teams from Purdue University (14) and the University of Michigan. Savannah College of Art and Design won the team title with 33 points.
To start off the day, sophomore Helena Weiss (Clifton, N.J.) made her collegiate debut in Open fences, where she had a beautiful round, finishing just out of the placings. Sophomore Camille Cheng (Goleta, Calif.) was next up in Intermediate Fences, laying down a great trip to finish just outside of the placings.
Next up, Mirarchi entered the ring in Limit Fences, where she secured a second-place ribbon.
The show resumed with the ToC Collegiate High Medal. In Flat Section A, Weiss returned to the ring for another tremendous ride and was accompanied by Phillips, who delivered a beautiful ride in their collegiate debut. As they waited for callbacks, the tournament moved on to Limit Flat, where first-year Charlotte Subak (Brooklyn, N.Y.) debuted with a wonderful ride to finish just outside of the ribbons.
Weiss reentered the ring in Open Flat and put in a beautiful round, finishing just out of the ribbons.
Next in the ring, Sullivan delivered a great ride in ToC Collegiate Low Medal and waited for callbacks.
First-year Olivia Simon (Sacramento, Calif.) then made her collegiate debut and put in a tremendous ride in Section B of the High Medal.
Mirarchi then returned to the ring and put down a flawless ride in Section B of the Low Medal division. It was then announced that Sullivan, Mirarchi, and Phillips were called back for the fences portion of the Medal divisions.
Mirarchi again entered the ring in Intermediate Flat and put in a tremendous round to secure first place. Next, junior Astrid Zhao (Beijing, China) rode into the ring and put down a strong ride to secure a fifth-place ribbon. Sophomore Marlene Healey (Coventry, Conn.) then entered the ring in Novice Flat and delivered a beautiful ride to finish just out of the ribbons.
Sullivan then competed in the fences section of the Low Medal, where they had a great round. Mirarchi followed with a gorgeous ride over fences in Low Medal. Finally, Phillips returned in the jumping phase of the High Medal, with a wonderful round.
The Mount Holyoke Hunt Seat equestrian team will start off its fall IHSA show season on October 15th at Bonnie Lea Farm, hosted by Williams and Bennington.
Final College Results:
1. Savannah College of Art and Design - 33 points
2. Goucher College - 27 points
3. University of Massachusetts Amherst - 23 points
4. University of Findlay - Black - 17 points
5. Cornell University - 16 points
6. University of Findlay - Orange - 16 points
7. Mount Holyoke College - 15 points
8. Purdue University - 14 points
9. University of Michigan - Maize - 11 points
10. University of Michigan - Blue - 6 points
-- Reporting by Caroline Sullivan '23
