What do you do at St. Andrews?

I wrote this as a response to a question from a high school sophomore earlier in the week on our facebook page regarding our hunter seat program and the Biology with a Specialization in Equine Science major. As tomorrow is the first IHSA hunter seat show of the 2012-2013 season, this seems like a fitting introduction to one of the many things we do at St. Andrews.

Thank you for your interest in our program. We have had many several students graduate with a Biology major with a Specialization in Equine Science and most of them have gone to Vet school. The first graduates from the program are in their last years at Vet school, others are still studying. We currently have at least three students studying at Ross in the Caribbean and another who just graduated from Vet school in Missouri and has started practicing Veterinary Medicine. Students in this major have the option to do a year long internship with our resident Vet, which includes caring for the St. Andrews horses and being on call when something happens. With over 100 horses there is always something new to learn!

Although we offer western and dressage our hunter seat program is by far the largest program. We host Intercollegiate Horse Show Association shows (IHSA) regularly and compete against schools in North Carolina and Virginia. The shows are a great way to show case your riding and learn the art of catch riding. There is no warm up allowed; you mount the horse you drew at random, adjust your stirrups and go! Really tests your horsemanship. When we host, team members from all three disciplines work together to make the show happen, it is a lot of work but lots of fun too!

Dedication of the Suzanne Mott Dansby Arena

Sept 25, 2012 saw the dedication of the large covered arena at the lesson barn. This post is from the press release sent from the St. Andrews University Communications Office.

 

"We are dedicating the arena to express our appreciation to Stewart Dansby, an alumnus who has generously supported his alma mater for more than 35 years," said President Paul Baldasare, "and, at Stewart’s request, we are honoring his sister, Suzanne, an internationally known and highly competitive Grand Prix dressage rider and instructor."

 

Formerly competing as Suzanne Mott Dansby, the arena's namesake has been listed for the USET dressage team since 2000 and served as the 2006 USET team alternate in Germany for the World Equestrian Games. Owner of Dancing Horse Farm in Atlanta, Ga., she began riding dressage in 1984, when she returned to riding after several years away. She began a practice several years ago of donating all of her winnings to local charities while being generous in her support of the U.S. Dressage Federation Building Fund and the USEF National Grand Prix and Intermediate Championships.

 

"My mother's side of the family has always been philanthropic, involved in giving back to the community," she said. "I have served on foundation or non-profit boards all of my adult life, contributed either as a volunteer or monetarily." This generosity and commitment to service are shared by her brother.

 

"Throughout his adult life, Stewart has devoted much of his time to volunteer and charitable work," Baldasare said. "He has remained faithful to St. Andrews. He served on our board of trustees from 1982 to 1990 and then again from 2005 to 2007. He has contributed generously to everything from scholarship support to renovations to endowed funds to general operations. He always gives in honor of others and with great humility."

 

In addition to his charitable work, Dansby is the co-founder, owner and director of American Cadastre, Inc. He has also spent several years in his home town of Birmingham, Ala., promoting economic development and tourism for the Birmingham Chamber of Commerce.

 







Ella Brave on LJ





Lindsey Agaliotis riding Windsong

 

Pebbles Turbeville and Manly

Matt and Rob reveal the banner!

President Baldasare, Suzanne Dansby-Bollman, Stewart Dansby and Peggy McElveen

 

The Equestrian Program at St. Andrews

The St. Andrews equestrian program began in 1969 with the creation of the Hoofers as an officially recognized campus club. In the fall of 1982, St. Andrews became a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). One year later, the team became a recognized varsity sport. That same year, St. Andrews won the IHSA National Championship Stock Seat title and was the National Reserve Champion in the Hunter Seat Division.

 

Having utilized rental facilities at Singing Wood Farm and Annex since the early 1980s, the equestrian program moved to its current location on Hasty Road in stages, beginning with the Therapeutic Horsemanship in 2001 with the opening of the Singletary Therapeutic Riding Center. The Dressage program moved next with the Hunter Seat team completing the move in 2004. A Western program was added in 2005.

Team Tryouts This Weekend!

Written by Heather Wile for the SAPC Equestrian Alumni Facebook Page

We are getting ready for fall here at the equestrian center. Lessons are in full swing, horses are back to work, and before we know it we'll be hosting the first IHSA Hunter Seat show on September 29th. New head coach Matt Arrigon and assistant coach Rob Jacobs are holding tryouts this weekend for the Hunter Seat IHSA team. C Team coach Kelsi Peterson also holding her tryouts as well! Dressage and Western are both holding tryouts on Saturday as well! Good Luck to coaches and riders!!

Freshman Orientation Has Begun!

Today is the start of freshman orientation. Their first stop is at the barn to do their placement ride to determine where they need to be placed in the lesson program. Their next stop is check in on campus, finding their room and unpacking. This afternoon there are several orientation activities planned which culminate with the Opening Convocation and a picnic with President Baldasare by the lake.

Tomorrow the Drew Crew leads orientation, students have their IDs made, the honor students have their first official meeting with Dr. Neal Bushoven, and the day ends with karaoke and an ice-cream social. Saturday academic advising begins and is also a time for students to get to know their suite mates. Sunday there are a few fun events planned including barn orientation for all new equestrians. Monday is reserved for more advising and classes start Monday evening.

Welcome to the newest St. Androids!

Matt Arrigon Hired as IHSA Hunter Seat Coach

Welcome Matt Arrigon from Lynchburg, Virginia is our new head coach for the IHSA Hunter SeatTeam. Matt graduated from Miami of Ohio University with a degree in Management and Business. Matt grew up in his parents’ horse business at Beckett Run Farm in Hamilton, Ohio. After graduation he worked professionally in the horse industry in Ohio until accepting the Head Coach position at Lynchburg College in 2008. During his four years at Lynchburg he coached many riders to Zone IV championships and IHSA nationals individual reserve champions. Additionally he operated his own Ashmont Stables, LLC. with his partner Ashley Lovegrove and coached clients to numerous championships at USEF shows. Matt brings a tremendous amount of knowledge and experience to St. Andrews and is ready to help our riders advance and continue our winning way.

Kelsi Peterson Returns to SAU as Show Team Coach

Kelsi Peterson returns to SAU as Show Team Coach. She is a St. Andrews graduate who majored in Psychology with a minor in Equine Studies and competed on the IHSA Hunter Seat Team, the ANRC Team, and the Show Team and served as Riding Council President during her four years at St. Andrews. Since graduation, Kelsi has worked for Troy Hendricks at Kimber-View Farm in Pennsylvania as a manager, trainer, and instructor. In the fall of 2010 she had the opportunity to start her own business operating out of Black Gable Farm in Maryland. She has a broad and talented client base, training in both hunters and jumpers, and taking them to shows in Maryland, Virginia, and Pennsylvania. Additionally she starts and brings along young horses and has recently been active in the Breeding Divisions at such major shows as Upperville and Devon. We are excited to have Kelsi back home with us and know that she will be a great addition to our equestrian family.

Kelsi can be reached at: petersonk@sapc.edu

Meet the Sansburys!

Meet Jennifer and Jeremy Sansbury from Taylors, SC. They are joining the equestrian staff beginning in the fall of 2012. Jennifer will be serving as the Associate Barn Manager working at the lesson and western barns and Jeremy will be serving as the Assistant Facility Manager working closely with Dale and Bobby.

Jennifer graduated from Lander University with a degree in Early Childhood Education and taught first grade before working as a barn manager and coaching the Coastal Carolina University Equestrian Team. She recently served as the volunteer barn coordinator at IHSA Nationals in Raleigh this May.

Jeremy graduated from Francis Marion University with a degree in Criminal Justice. He served in the United States Marine Corps and has worked as a Production Manager for Pro-Fab Inc. and as the Technical Manager for Anderson Farms. Jeremy brings a tremendous amount of mechanical and technical training as well as leadership skills to the equestrian program. We are excited to have both Jennifer and Jeremy as part of the equestrian family.

Marsha Retires

Marsha Toyne Retires After 10 Years of Service to the Equestrian Program

 Marsha has been the organizer who has kept the Equestrian Center running smoothly as well as the first St. Andrews “voice” many equestrians and their families have heard. Her ability to coordinate all aspects of the program and to always know where each person is and what they are doing has been astounding. She did the travel arrangements for all the team travel as well as recruiting and conference travel arrangements. Her spreadsheets of who was going where, how they were getting there, where they were staying and when they were leaving and returning was mind boggling. Handling all the bills and invoices for the entire equestrian program was a daunting job which she handled beautifully. Additionally, Marsha served as the IHSA Regional Points secretary for all the years that St. Andrews has been the President College for IHSA Zone 4—that in itself is several file cabinets full of paperwork! Marsha consistently went above and beyond expectations for the good of the program and the students. For years she was here for every event hosted at the Equestrian Center and she travelled with the teams to countless away events. She has been a friend of the students, the staff, and many parents who have had questions or concerns about their children as well as Peggy’s right hand and advisor. She will be greatly missed! Marsha is at home and would love to hear from you.

Her mailing address is Marsha Toyne, 12421 Richardson Road, Laurinburg, NC 28352 and her email is:

toynemar@sapc.edu

 Audrey Hayden from Montclair, Virginia will be taking over the reins as the Equestrian Program Operations Manager. Audrey is a St. Andrews graduate with a degree in Business Management. Since graduation she has been working for the EMO Agency, Inc. in Warrenton, Virginia as a Licensed Property and Casualty Insurance Agent. Audrey’s organization skills, attention to detail, knowledge of the equestrian program and IHSA, and excellent communication skills are attributes which make her a great fit for this position.

Audrey can be reached at her office email address: haydenac@sapc.edu.

The Pioneer Award - Peggy McElveen

Peggy was honored with the Pioneer Award at IHSA Nationals last week. This is the piece I wrote about Peggy and the award for the IHSA program.

The Pioneer Award is not awarded every year, it is only awarded when a deserving recipient rises above the hundreds of volunteers who make up the IHSA. This year the pioneer award winner has worked tirelessly for IHSA, locally, regionally and nationally. Peggy McElveen’s service to equestrians in college is outstanding. Beginning as the coach for the North Carolina State University and Peace College IHSA teams Peggy has been a leader for IHSA and its participants.

Peggy came to St. Andrews University (formerly St. Andrews Presbyterian College) in 2000 to serve as its Equestrian Program Director. Her first task was to move the equestrian center from the rented 17 acres into a brand new facility. Convincing local land owners to sell land that was not even on the market was the first of many challenges. To purchase the initial 100 acres she worked with several families including one who had owned their land for 100s of years. Next was the construction of a world class equestrian center including a covered arena which would withstand hurricane force winds – a first for Scotland County. The beautiful facility lacked vital items such as water buckets, office furniture and saddle racks. Peggy went undaunted out into the community to raise money and solicit donations. The friends she made along the way have loyally supported St. Andrews and the equestrian community. Within a couple of years Peggy added another 200 acres, additional stalls and arena space to an already impressive facility.

This facility has enabled St. Andrews to host numerous IHSA, American National Riding Commission (ANRC), Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) events and international caliber clinicians including Lynn Palm, Dorothy Morkis, Jane Savoie, Laurie Renker and Bernie Trauig. Regular season shows, ANRC Equitrails, IHSA Regionals and Semi-Finals, invitational Tournament of Champions, Path International Regional Conferences and workshops, and ANRC and IDA National Championships have all found an excellent venue at St. Andrews. Through these events the equestrian facility has benefitted equestrians not just from St. Andrews but from across the United States and Canada.

Peggy is the organizer of these 2012 IHSA National Championships, an event that requires incredible event management, social and organizational skills. The planning started two years ago and has been an on-going process centered around IHSA ideals and Southern culture. Peggy has been the driving force behind this week’s events working tirelessly to lead the many volunteers to excel at their assigned duties.

2012 St. Andrews graduate, Rob Jacobs who is now a hunter seat instructor at St. Andrews has this to say about Peggy’s contribution. “Peggy enjoys investing in students and seeing them grow as riders and horsemen. Peggy has been a huge supporter and has played a large role in the IHSA's continued success.”

Peggy’s service is not limited to St. Andrews and the events it hosts. She is a dedicated member of several committees and boards serving the equestrian community including service for ANRC, IHSA, the United States Equestrian Federation, the United States Hunter Jumper Association, and the North Carolina Horse Council.

Peggy’s work has always involved the betterment of others, whether it be in the classroom, the competitive arena, event management, staff development, job placement for students and graduates or promoting the goals of a national organization. As one of her faculty colleagues said recently, “she holds herself, her staff, and students to the highest levels of excellence.” Excellence is a theme that resonates around Peggy and one that she expects from those that work with her in any capacity. Rob Jacobs again, “Peggy's passion for seeing the students succeed has rubbed off on me and I now have developed a passion for watching the students grow and learn some of the important lessons that were taught to me.“ Peggy was recognized in 2011 by the United States Hunter Jumper Association as Instructor of the Year.

Peggy McElveen is an individual who inspires, educates and serves as a role model for excellence. Her service to St. Andrews University, the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association and the greater equestrian community has impacted and changed numerous lives for the better.

Saturday Awards Update!

As busy as I was shipping horses yesterday, I overlooked the fact that Dugan McDermott won the National title for the AQHA (team) walk/jog class! Congratulations Dugan, what an amazing accomplishment! Dugan came to St. Andrews to play lacrosse; somehow we persuaded him to come out to the equestrian center and that was all it took to get him interested in the team! Prior to coming to St. Andrews, Dugan had ridden on a ranch in Hawaii but had no formal training. Dugan told Carla and I recently that lacrosse was his passion but the horses come a close second.

Congratulations also go to Carla for all her hard work; yesterday she was recognized with the IHSA Coach Sportsmanship Award. Senior Shannon Leggett was recognized for her team leadership and sportsmanship with the IHSA Rider Sportsmanship Award.

Social media intern Andrea Tito and Pebbles Turbeville have put together a great photographic record of the Championships on our facebook page.

My Saturday at IHSA Nationals

Kira was assigned to assist Sarah at the draw table for Saturday and Sunday and I realized that all but two of the St. Andrews hunter seat horses were finished. So around 8:30 we loaded 6 horses and as many buckets, fans, tack and extra feed that we could. I made great time back to Laurinburg and was met by Kelly Meehan, Rachel and Marianne to unload everything. I filled up on Diesel at Nic’s and drive back to Raleigh. As I arrived the first of several severe thunderstorms  hit which later in the day delayed the show making for another late night for everyone.

Saturday at IHSA Nationals is the day when the volunteers, officials and organizers are recognized. The competition continues, but around lunch time there is a break in the action for the Parade and Celebration of Teams and Horses, Presentation of the Collegiate Cup (for team hunter seat), Sportsmanship Awards and additional recognitions as decided by the IHSA Board of Directors.

The parade of teams is a wonderful spectacle with all 450 competitors, coaches and one horse from each school that provided horses, all marching around the arena. Each zone has its own banner and each team carries a banner. Kellie G. led Will to represent the St. Andrews western horses and Ozzie was the hunter seat representative. The parade is followed by the awards. St. Andrews hunter seat team was tied for 8^th place with five other schools. Coach Duda was please saying, "we earned more points than last year!"

The recognitions continued but it was time for me to load up six more horses and a bit more equipment to return to Laurinburg. I knew Peggy was going to be recognized with the IHSA Pioneer Award as I had written about it for the program. The Pioneer Award is only awarded when someone does something extraordinary for IHSA – such as organizing the National Championships!

I was sad to miss the presentation but needed to get the horses home. Turns out my timing was excellent as after I left Raleigh they experienced torrential rain that flooded the horse complex and put the show on hold. I had another easy trip back and the barn crew was quick to unload horses and equipment.

Today Dale takes the trailer back to Raleigh and once the show is over the rest of the horses and the remainder of the equipment will ship home. So I am missing the action today, but following it on the live streaming which you can find at ihsainc.com along with the results as they happen.

Friday at IHSA Nationals - One Perspective

My roommate last night was Kira Gainey, we caught up on one another’s families and animals before falling asleep. The SAU interns and barn staff were once again at the barn very early. Kira and I arrived around 7:00. I headed to the draw table and Kira joined Pebbles for runs to the store for water and food for the officials, interns and volunteers. The volunteers looked great today in their red shirts. Yesterday the shirts were yellow and I hear there are green and blue shirts for the remaining 2 days. The SAU interns are smartly dressed in khakis and dark blue polo shirts. For each prize ceremony one of the interns carries the prizes and ribbons. A line of 8+ St. Androids smartly dressed, carrying awards, is quite impressive!

The morning at the draw table was slow with the large Cacchione Cup over fences class with 36 riders taking up most of the time. St. Andrews rider Katie Hansen had an unfortunate stop in what was otherwise a very nice round, taking her out of the competition. IHSA recognized all Cacchione Cup qualifiers with an awards ceremony headed up by Bob Cacchione and a representative from the United States Pony Club one of the oldest equestrian, educational organizations in the country. Each rider received a saddle pad with the USEF logo. The top 24 riders returned to test on the flat in two sections, the ride off for the ultimate IHSA title in hunter seat will be tomorrow. Following the Cacchione Cup Kali Cram was 4^th in team intermediate over fences.

After lunch the classes alternated between western and hunter seat flat classes. Shannon Leggett earned 5^th place in the team reining. Shiloh Kozlowski was 4^th in Walk/Trot and Miranda Wright was 6^th in Walk, Trot, Canter both riding for the hunter seat team.  The only hunter seat team rider left to ride is Katie Hansen in the open over fences and on the flat. The students reported that the team is currently tied for 8^th with 3 other schools so if Katie does well tomorrow we could potentially move up. Ashley told me we already have one more point than last year!

With Shannon’s fifth place in the AQHA Cup reining we moved on with the western team competition. The last class of the day was the Western Novice Horsemanship. Brittany Powell drew St. Andrews horse Zoey and placed 3^rd. Shannon is currently in 6^th place for the high point class so the western team is off to a great start!

I left around 8:30 to get dinner, some of the western horses were going back to school, which would be followed by the jumps being set up for tomorrow. The St. Andrews staff and students are in for yet another late night followed by an early morning. (I think they are getting used to this schedule!) The first horse draw is at 7:30 and the day starts with the Collegiate (team) Open Fences.

Saturday has lots going on with classes, the majority of the awards and a competitor’s lunch hosted by NRHA, AQHA and USEF. My job is to help with the draw table and then ship home 6 hunter seat horses when they are done. I will rendezvous with Dale who will drive up early Sunday morning to pick up more horses, we then hand off the trailer one more time for me to return Sunday afternoon to bring home 6 more with Kellie in the other trailer with the remaining horses.

It is now 9:30 and my roommate, Kira is not home yet, as I suspect she is helping set jumps. She is just one of many who have come to donate their time and help St. Andrews host the biggest show in its history! Sarah Rhymer is taking vacation to be here to work the draw table, Audrey Hayden and her Mom are doing the same thing to organize the awards and prizes! There are many other alums, parents and friends of St. Andrews doing the exact same thing!

All I can say is, “Wow, awesome! What a privilege to be a part of the St. Andrews team!”

First Day of Competition at IHSA Nationals - One Perspective

Thursday: Former St. Andrews IHSA coach and SAU alum Sarah Rhymer and I are working the draw table or put another way managing the ducks in the duck pond! The draw table is always a good place to be as you meet everyone. In addition to the competitors, parents stop by as well as IHSA officials and stewards. Sarah has a 5 week old puppy that is looking for a home so we have an added attraction – as if the ducks weren’t cute enough! Bernie Trauig stopped by to video the ducks in action for an Equestrian Coach video on IHSA.

Meanwhile, the rest of the staff are busy with multiple responsibilities. Hunter seat starts the competition so Ashley of course is coaching. Rob is schooling and preparing horses all day which I believe started around 5:00 a.m. for the key hunter seat people. The barn staff also had early start having left close to midnight yesterday due to late arriving horses.

Heather is typing up announcements to recognize our sponsors, Pebbles has not been seen but food miraculously appears on a regular basis! Our own Debbie Bell arrived with a car load of goodies from the Admissions office – thank you Jeff Bennett!

Thursday Evening: With the draw table finished for the day, I relocated to the St. Andrews barn area, to help Carla and the western riders with their horse selection. All the horses had been ridden during the day, but each one had to be shown to the horse selection committee. The reiners started the selection process around 5:30 followed by the horsemanship horses.

The schooling was wrapping up when I left at around 8:30. Kellie and the barn staff had returned from dinner and were busy wrapping legs, packing feet, picking stalls and doing the late night hay and water. Pebbles was on another run to the airport to pick up a western judge and Peggy was going to the store for additional cases of water. With the heat the crew had gone through almost 50 cases in the first few days. Tomorrow schooling starts at 6:00 a.m. followed by the first horse draw at 7:30. Going to be another busy day!

IHSA Nationals – One Perspective

I picked up 5 western horses in Laurinburg this morning and with the help of Liz Dulski and Rachel Buckler, loaded quickly. Pebbles wanted some baskets from the TH classroom for hospitality and Kellie had requested more double ended snaps for the barn. We also packed feed tubs and a hose. The drive was thankfully uneventful and I arrived 30 minutes ahead of Peggy’s minute by minute schedule. As I turned into the Fairgrounds I was greeted by Alexandra Fullerton one of the SAU interns for the event. She directed me to the barn where an army descended on the trailer to unload the horses. Carla helped me park the trailer while Kellie settled the horses.

Thankfully, much of the set-up had been done over the last few days, so the afternoon was relaxed aside from the arrival of horses. Carla did an incredible job of persuading her friends to lend their horses for the show. During the afternoon several horses were delivered that Kellie dubbed “orphans” as they had no one staying to care for them. The SAU students become their foster parents for the duration of the show. Other horses arrived with their care providers from various schools and were helped by the overall stable manager, Jen, with their stall placement.

Orders for shavings and hay came in all afternoon. Tyler with the help of Jake and anyone else who was available took care of these. The SAU interns were everywhere taking care of everything! I wandered around and visited with parents, current students, alums and IHSA officials. I spent a few minutes with Heather who was numbering ducks for the draw table; briefly visited with Pebbles who seemed to be feeding everyone and taking care of the officials; and tried to help Kellie and Carla with their jobs.

As the day wound down, I checked in with Kellie and Carla and then headed to the hotel to check in. I was expecting to share a room maybe even a bed, but no, true to southern hospitality, I have my own room, at a very nice hotel, with complimentary water and chocolate chip cookies on the table. Thank you Peggy, I love southern hospitality!

As one person said, “it takes a village, no wait a minute, it takes a mid-size town!” I agree whole heartedly!

I will try to post each day for the next few days, time permitting. Good luck to all the Knights riding in the next few days!

2012 IDA National Championships

The dressage team returned from Centenary College in New Jersey late last night from the IDA National Championships. The team arrived in New Jersey Thursday evening after a day of driving. Delaware Valley and Cazenovia College also contributed to the horse pool and on Friday morning the team observed all the horses being ridden for the horse selection committee who designate the groupings of horses. Videos were taken of all the horses for scrutiny after the horse draw. Friday afternoon was an opportunity  to visit the Beval tack store to shop for some bargains.

The IDA annual meeting and horse draw took place at the host hotel that evening and the team was excited to draw horse group C. After business and dinner everyone was entertained by a hypnotist who very tastefully provided an excellent distraction from the gradually building tension of the competition.

Saturday was an early start with the parade of horses at 7:30 followed by the Opening Ceremonies. First level rider Lindsey Agaliotis had the third ride on her horse and had the opportunity of observing his first two tests before mounting. Lindsey rode a solid test ending with an average score from the two judges of 69.05%.

Next up was Lauren Parker for St. Andrews who had the second ride on her horse. Lauren rode more conservatively than Lindsey for an average score of 66.6%. Paige Tillison drew the first ride on her horse turning in an average score of 63.85%. Last to ride for St. Andrews was Jenna Marten who was also the last ride of the day. Jenna rode beautifully to earn a score of 72.81%.

The competition is followed by a parade of teams for the presentation of prizes. Lindsey, Lauren and Paige all knew their placings within their divisions but Jenna’s division was not posted prior to the awards ceremony so the tension built. The individual placings were awarded with Lindsey placing 7^th, Lauren 12^th and Paige 10^th. The introductory level division started with the lower placings and the St. Andrews group became more and more excited as they were counted down. Finally Jenna’s name was called for 2^nd place! We found out later that she was reserve high point champion for team day which earned her another ribbon and additional prizes! There is no drop score at Nationals so at the end of the day St. Andrews had 21 points earning them 7^th place. “Mission accomplished,” said Coach Dwelle, “our goal was 7^th or better!”

Sunday’s individual competition started early and the only rider that qualified as an individual was Lindsey Agaliotis riding at first level. Lindsey drew an F.E.I level horse which was 17.2 hands and massive. She was also the first ride on the horse. Her warm up went well but Lindsey who is just 5’2” and had never ridden a horse trained to this level had a difficult time with the large horse in the competitive arena when he became distracted and spooky. Lindsey kept her composure through what was a very frustrating ride.  The experience was another reminder of how humbling horses can be. “I was very disappointed for Lindsey,” said Coach Dwelle, “she has never ridden a horse trained to that level and in the 10 minutes of warm up it is very difficult to learn how to do that. Lindsey handled the situation with exceptional grace and I am very proud of how she represented us in what was an extremely trying situation. Had she drawn any of the other horses she would have had a much stronger ride, but that is horses for you, they can be very humbling and you have to be prepared to be dealt that card once in a while. Lindsey showed yesterday how well she can ride, I am very proud of her and all the team members they were wonderful ambassadors for St.Andrews.”

Coach Jackie Dwelle, Lauren Parker, Paige Tillison, Lindsey Agaliotis and Jenna Marten.

Such an exciting time to be at St. Andrews!

The ANRC team placed 4th at Centenary College in New Jersey competing in the American National Riding Commission National Championships. The team of four riders traveled with their horses and Coach Ashley Duda to compete against approximately 15 other colleges. The competition consists of four phases; a written test of riding theory and equine science, a USEF hunter equitation test, a hunter seat equitation medal course and a Derby style equitation course similar to a hunter trials course.

The weather caused changes in the schedule, delays at the airport, and a loss of sleep for the riders, however at the end of the weekend all riders were very pleased with the final result.

The dressage team will be driving to New Jersey on Thursday to compete in their own Intercollegiate Dressage Association (IDA) National Championships at Centenary College. St. Andrews has not qualified a team for IDA nationals since 2002 although individuals have represented the college in most years. The team is led by Lindsey Agaliotis at first level who qualified as an individual at upper training last year. Lindsey qualified this year as an individual as well as riding for the team. Her team mates are Lauren Parker in upper training, Paige Tillison in lower training and Jenna Marten at the Introductory level. Interestingly, Jenna is the only equine business major of the group. Lindsey is an interdisciplinary major, Lauren is an education major and Paige is a psychology major, showing that dressage is a sport for everyone!

Beginning this weekend the St. Andrews Equestrian Program begins the move to Raleigh. As the host school of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Championships St. Andrews is providing many of the volunteers, approximately 23 horses and many hours of Director Peggy McElveen’s time and organizational expertise. More on that shortly!

The Titanic Sportsmanship Challenge

St. Andrews hosted the Dressage Sportsmanship challenge today. The show was an invitational and run along the lines of a conventional IDA show with a few differences. Riders rode on the usual teams of four, but the teams were scrambled so that a team consisted of riders from different schools. Elon and Virginia Tech were the invited schools and with the St. Andrews students made up 6 mixed teams. The day was also very educational with time for each rider to speak with head judge Kris Hamilton after their ride. Kris went over the tests box by box and for some riders educated them on how the collective marks are awarded so they could understand what they needed to improve upon from a positive perspective.


We were incredibly fortunate as Carla Wennberg agreed to be the second judge at E. So riders received two judged tests, plus a conversation with Kris Hamilton immediately after their ride. None of the horses were designated to a level so the teams had to decide which level the horses in their group would compete in. With each horse going twice we had 4 to 6 horses in each division. It was great fun to see Windsong and Corky placing 1st and 4th at first level, and then placing 2nd and 1st at Intro! Socke won upper training and Chico was the winner at lower training.

Given that today is the 100th anniversary of the Titanic going under, the show had a Titanic theme. The horse groups were The Unsinkables, The Luxury Liners and The Icebergers. Teams selected their own names and placed in the following order.

1. Tight as Ice

2. The Leonardos

3. Theres Room for Two

4. Artic Crash

5. I’d Hit That!

6. The Iceberg

Individually, SAU riders placed well and there was an immense amount of excitement about the direct feedback from Kris Hamilton. There were a couple of riders who at the last minute did not attend so two riders got to ride two different tests on two different teams. From a coaching perspective it was an invaluable experience for all my riders from the ones whose interest in dressage is just beginning to the riders going to Nationals who are looking for every bit of feedback they can find. As Carla said at one point during the day, “it is both educational and fun!”

First Level Test 2

1. Lindsay Agaliotis SAU (Reserve High Point 75.81, 70.27, avg. 73.04%)

2. Anna Graves VT

3. Erin Hudson SAU

4. Cody Armstrong VT

5. Andrea Tito SAU

6. Helen Wright Elon

Training Level Test 3

1. Jenna Marten SAU

2. Lauren Parker SAU

3. Cara Barskey VT

4. Kea Kiser VT

5. Sarah Jones SAU

6. Abigail Skillman SAU

Training Level Test 1

1. Paige Tillison SAU

2. Cara Barskey VT

3. Caitlin Cleaver VT

4. Danielle Dombrowse VT

5. Bridget Newman SAU

6. Claire Pollard SAU

Introductory Level Test B

1. Andrea Oliver VT (High Point Rider 71.56, 78.75, Avg. 75.155%)

2. Jenna Marten SAU

3. Danielle Dombrowse VT

4. Danielle Chambers VT

5. Masha Peckham SAU

6. Sarah Hathaway VT

It is a Great Time to be a Knight!

This has been a very exciting (slightly overwhelming) semester. Starting with the dressage team qualifying for their National Championships mid-March, followed by the western team a week later and then the hunter seat team over Easter weekend. The words trifecta and hat trick have been heard in the barns lately. St. Andrews is the only school in the nation to have all three of its teams qualify for their national championships in this year. It is also a first for St. Andrews to have all three teams going to their respective National Championships. Ashley, Carla and I were interviewed for the Laurinburg Exchange on Monday and Jason Chisari. You can read his story here.


Needless to say, we are continuing to work our team riders as hard as we can. Alie McGraw was so excited to qualify for IHSA Hunter Seat Nationals. When I saw her after she returned from Goucher College the first words out of her mouth were, “Jackie – all those lessons paid off!” Fitting in practice around school work and keeping grades up is required at St. Andrews so the students have become masters of time management and prioritizing.

The dressage team is hosting a fun show this Sunday called the Sportsmanship Challenge where the entire team will be competing against invited riders from Elon and Virginia Tech. Each team of 4 riders will have representatives from each of the three schools and the riders select which horses they ride and coach themselves. I am very excited to have Kris Hamilton judging at C and our own Carla Wennberg has agreed to judge at E to give everyone the opportunity to ride for two judges. Next week the western team will be hosting Debra Jones Wright for a day long clinic to get them tuned and ready. The hunter seat team has already had several clinics this year so they will be working hard with Ashley for their final preparation in the run up to Nationals.

On top of all this excitement The Ride-Like-A-Knight Therapeutic Horsemanship program was just recognized by the “North Carolina Association of Community Based Intermediate Care Facilities for the Mentally Retarded & Community Alternatives Programs Service Providers” better known as “The Providers Association” with the 2012 Group Achievement Award. RLAK was nominated for this award by the Monarch Group who participate in the RLAK program.

A student posted on our facebook page last week, “it is a great time to be a Knight!” I have to agree!

Remembering Oscar Allen

The St. Andrews Equestrian Program lost a true friend this week. Oscar Allen who was 80 years young died after a short illness. Until a few weeks ago, Oscar was still working mowing, weed eating, raking and watering the plants as needed. He would help out with stall cleaning and worked alongside the maintenance crew. Oscar knew everyone and everyone knew Oscar and loved and respected him. He loved to joke and kid around and would be quick to tell you a story which was often totally unrelated to the topic of conversation. As he got to the punch line he would start giggling and laughing and you just had to join in whether you “got it” or not! Oscar was never one to say anything negative and was always happy and upbeat. Oscar did not have a cell phone and several times a day he would say, “got a call my sweetie” and would go to the nearest land line to call his wife Irene. Over the years Oscar had a variety of vehicles which he would drive around the equestrian center often with tools and the weed eater balanced on the hood or roof. The tools were never in danger of falling off as he was super respectful of the 15 mph speed limit. So much so that as he headed down the drive way just ahead of the runners participating in the 1 mile run for a recent fitness test, organizer Heather Wile was heard to say, “That is not the pace car, you may pass it” and everyone knew what she was talking about!


Oscar’s wife Irene worked for Shelby and Tom French in the late 70s and early 80s. She was nanny to their daughter Diana and kept house for the Frenchs’s. Oscar worked for McCarter Electric and also helped out with maintenance around Singing Wood Farm which was where the equestrian program started. In the early years he was the sole stall cleaner, did all the maintenance and mowing and anything else that was needed. One of Diana’s horses was named after Oscar and with a show name of Namesake. Many years later Cathy and Daniel Geitner (both SAU alum) named a race horse after Irene, her show name was Oscar’s Wife!

Oscar remained connected with St. Andrews as the equestrian program grew, Shelby moved to Sweet Briar College and Peggy McElveen took the helm. He continued to work on the maintenance crew and also worked for various staff members mowing and cleaning up the yards at their homes. He was a one of a kind individual who was friends with everyone he met. Staff and students who knew him (and over the years there were many) recall his infectious laughter and sunny outlook on life. Oscar you will be missed at St. Andrews but never forgotten.

Western Team Qualifies for Nationals!

This post was written by social media intern Andrea Tito who traveled with the team this weekend.

Day 1- Travel Day


The St. Andrews western team traveled all the way to Herrington, Delaware for IHSA Semi-finals this weekend and took five horses with them. It was a weekend of good attitudes, good teamwork, and good rides!

The riders who competed in semi-finals were:

Dugan McDermott – Walk/Jog for team

Amber Powell – Individual Walk/Jog qualifier

Katie Mosca – Intermediate for team

Kimmy Simonsen – Individual Novice qualifier

Brittany Powell – Novice for team

Kali Cram – Advanced for team

Michelle Hustad – Open Horsemanship for team

Shannon Leggett – Individual Reining qualifier as well as Reiner for the team

SAU’s barn manager Kellie Garrabrant and students Jake Nix and Andrea Tito came along as well to help haul and take care of the horses. The horses that were chosen were Lark, Russell, Sailor, Will, and Gracie. It was a surprise to the team and Coach Carla that the two more inexperienced horses, Russell and Gracie, acted like they had been showing for years and ended up being two of the favorites of the weekend! Not only by the team’s standards, but other competitors as well!

While the haul up was a long 8 hours and to pass the time most everyone decided to sleep. They arrived safely and immediately went to work on making the horses as comfortable as possible. Some team members unloaded the horses and took them out grazing while others unloaded feed, tack, and supplies for the weekend. Stalls were bleached, water filled, and shavings put into stalls while the horses were tacked up and ridden by team members. After night check everyone was excited to go to the hotel and call it a night.

Day 2- It’s Showtime!

The night passed quickly and the morning came early for the team. Kellie, Jake, and Andrea went at 6:30 to feed the horses and do warm-up rides; meanwhile the team arrived at 8 for the coaches meeting and start getting ready to show.

Quiet conversations about horses and riding strategies hovered over the grandstands as competitors got ready for the first class. SAU’s rider Amber Powell was up first for her walk/jog class. She was competing as an individual and her ride would determine whether or not she was called back to compete in the finals on Sunday. After putting in her rail work and a solid pattern Amber felt good about her ride, but she had to wait until the middle of the day to find out if she was called back.

Next to ride was Michelle Hustad in Open Horsemanship as an individual as well. Since there were two heats of her class she would also have to wait until later in the afternoon to find out if she was called back. After she dismounted she was happy with her ride, but from then on it was a waiting game for both her and Amber.

Dugan McDermott was the first rider on the team to ride for points. He had good rail work, an accurate pattern, and the team was waiting anxiously as the placings were announced. 8th passed, then 7th and 6th, and soon Dugan was standing with the top 3 in his walk/jog class. They called his name for second place and the team erupted with cheering and clapping since this gave them a very good start with points.

The tractor rumbled in to drag the arena before the individual reining started and Shannon Leggett was studying the arena to prepare for her pattern. She was the 5th rider in her class and was lucky to be able to watch the horse she drew go with another rider before her. As she left her pattern her score was announced as 140 and divided between two judges that put her at a score of 70 as well as in first place. Other competitors came very close to topping her score, but after the last ride was announced Shannon lined up to receive her blue ribbon and belt buckle that meant she was on her way to nationals!

Michelle rode again after that only this time it was for team points instead of as an individual. Happy with her ride she lined up to wait for the placings and the team all waited anxiously to see how they would do in points. Shock fell over the team when Michelle’s name was called for 8th place. This meant that on Sunday the team would have to work hard and place well in order to rally back.

Last to ride was Kimmy Simonsen in individual intermediate. After putting in good rail work and a good pattern, the riders were excused and that was it for the day. Callbacks would be posted soon and the team would find out if Michelle and Kimmy continued on to the finals the next day. When the announcer’s voice came over the speaker system everyone stopped what they were doing to listen. As he read down the list of numbers tension built higher and higher as they waited to hear Kimmy’s and Michelle’s number.

Once the announcer was finished with the list everyone got back to work taking care of the horses. Kimmy and Michelle had not been called back to compete the next day and although they were disappointed, they stayed positive and started talking about how they would help and support the team on Sunday.

It was dark by the time everyone cleared out of the barn and went back to the hotel. Another early morning was on the schedule so the team called it a night.

Day 3 – The Final Tally

Another early morning started off with horses being fed, warmed up, and riders getting ready to compete in their classes. First up was Shannon Leggett in Team Open Reining. She drew a little bit of a difficult horse for her class but she made the most of it. The team was excited to see her receive fourth place in the lineup and help her team along with points.

Amber Powell followed in the Individual Walk/Jog Finals. Competition was tough and the crowd was quiet as the announcer began with 8th place. Once fourth place was announced, the teams that still had riders standing in the lineup, which included SAU, started cheering because their teammate was going to nationals. They called Amber’s name for third place and the team started cheering even louder.

Brittany Powell was next in Team Novice Horsemanship and there was nothing more to her ride other than precision and confidence. After being excused to dismount and return on foot the crowd around the riders whispered, “Great job” or “It’s all you” as they walked by. Soon Brittany was standing in the top three and her teammates were all excited not only for the points she was going to earn, but also because two more placings went by and Brittany ended up standing alone in the ring to receive Semi-Finals Novice Champion.

A few more classes went by and it was common knowledge that scores between teams were close. Close enough that when Kali Cram mounted up for her ride, she knew that the points she earned in her class would decide if the team went to nationals or not. It seemed to take forever for the rail work and patterns to be completed and for the riders to line up in the ring to get placed. Every time a placing was called the excitement was building up because Kali was still in the running. “6th place… 5th place… 4th place goes to Kali Cram riding for St. Andrews University.” The team exploded with cheering as Kali received her ribbon and ran to hug Coach Carla. No one could stop saying, “We’re going to nationals!”

St. Andrews placed 3rd overall for the weekend, 2nd went to Ohio State and the champion team was University of Nebraska-Lincoln. All the different teams came together and congratulated each other on their hard work and dedication throughout the year. The award ceremony came to an end and then it was time to get everything packed up to go home the next day.

Day 4 – Home

The trailer pulled out of the show grounds at 6am sharp and the team was on their way back to North Carolina. The 8 hours were passed by sleeping, doing homework, and the occasional singing along to a song on the radio. Conversations about movies, music and the rest of the school year were constant as well as excited talk about going to nationals.

Pulling into the driveway at school the team was greeted by applause and balloons. A banner read “Congrats western team. Going to nationals!”