WILLIAMSTOWN, Mass. -- The Mount Holyoke hunt seat riding team took first place in its first show of the fall 2025 season, outscoring runner-up UMass-Amherst by 10 points to place first among eight teams at the Williams College Show, hosted by Bonnie Lea Farm.
Senior Hallie Phillips (Santa Rosa, Calif.) kicked off the year with a beautiful trip, earning her first place in Open Fences. Then, Intermediate Fences followed with wonderful rides from Eliza Mutz (Stanford, Calif.) and Carly Bitler (Wellington, Fla.), earning Mutz sixth place and Bitler placing just out of ribbons in a large, competitive class.
Grace Neumuth (Marlborough, Conn.) entered the ring in the first section of Limit Fences and took home fifth place. First-year Sophia Bull (Lumberton, N.J.) then made her official Limit Fences debut and earned a first-place ribbon in Section A of Limit Fences. Up next in Section B, senior Charlotte Subak (Brooklyn, N.Y.) placed first, qualifying for Regionals. In the same section, senior Kate Smith (Wells, Vt.) placed fourth. In the final section of Limit Fences, senior captain Charlie May (Stockton, N.J.) placed first, also qualifying for Regionals, and Emi Graf (Belmont, Mass.) placed second.
After the day warmed up and flat schooling finished, Phillips went into the ring for Open Flat and placed second. In Intermediate Flat Section, Subak earned a fifth-place ribbon, and Alyssa Martinsen (Arlington Heights, Ill.) placed third. Next, Mutz rode to a fourth place in Section B.
In Limit Flat Section A, Smith and Graf returned to the ring, placing first and fourth. In Section B, May placed third. Bull placed fifth in Section C, and Neumuth fourth in Section D. MHC's Pre-Novice rider, sophomore Cloe Hinck (Norwich, Vt.), placed first in her class.
Kenny Yang (Nantong, China) started off the Intro division on a high note, earning a first place ribbon. The wonderful placings kept coming with Lia Liang (Beijing, China) placing third in Section B, and Gaile Hao (Beijing, China) first and Milly Chen (Nanjing, China) third in Section C.
Next were our Novice flat classes, led by a debut from first-year Salome Hizanishvili (Newton, Mass.) earning first, and Az Reading (San Luis Obispo, Calif.) earning second in Section A. Bessie Huggins (New Providence, N.J.) placed first in Section B, sophomore Nicole Richards (Middletown, R.I.) placed third in Section C, and Sabella Riccio (Jersey City, N.J.) placed sixth in Section C.
Ending our day, Phillips went back into the ring for testing, earning the title of Overall High Point Champion Rider.
After a slew of quiz bowls, Mount Holyoke proudly dominated the High Point Ribbon placings:
Hallie Phillips - Overall High Point Champion Rider
Charlie May - High Point Limit Rider
Bessie Huggins - High Point Novice Rider
Cloe Hinck - Reserve High Point Novice Rider
Kenny Yang - High Point Introductory Rider
Gaile Hao - Reserve High Point Introductory Rider
Final Team Results:
1) Mount Holyoke College - 39 Points
2) University of Massachusetts - 29 Points
3) Smith College - 21 Points
4) Amherst College - 19 Points
5) Worcester Polytechnic Institute - 15 Points
6) Worcester State University - 14 Points
7) Springfield College - 13 Points
8) Williams College - 11 Points
-- Reporting by Grace Neumuth
