Western Team Shines at Home Opener

The sun shone from a clear blue sky on Saturday, Oct. 17,  as the Albion western team hosted their first double-header show of the season at the Nancy G. Held Equestrian Center.

The team took the reserve championship in the first show, just behind Michigan State University and tied for third place in the second show, placing behind Michigan State University and Grand Valley State University.   Eight new riders filled out the team’s largest ever 14-person roster.

Walk/Trot rider Christine Johnson ‘10 (Grosse Pointe Farms / Grosse Pointe South) got the team off to a strong start, winning her first class and placing second in the second show.

In the Open and Reining divisions, Trish Marheine ‘09 (Iron Mountain/Kingsford) (pictured left) placed fourth in the first show. Marheine went on to win her reining class in the second show and placed second in open horsemanship, earning the overall high point rider award. First-year student Katie Petchell ‘13 (Pinckney/Pinckney) won her open horsemanship class in the first show and took fourth in reining in the second show.

Sarah Spencer ’11 (Jonesville/Jonesville) took second in both classes in the Intermediate II division, becoming the team’s first regional qualifier of the season and moving up to the Novice division. Returning team member Olivia Choate ’12 (Fenwick/Gratton Academy) placed fourth and fifth, respectively; first-year Chelsea Utt ’13 (Harbor Springs/Petoskey) came home with two fourths. 

For the Advanced division, new team member Brittany Booth ‘13 (Otsego/Otsego) (pictured right) received first place in the first show and sixth in the second show. Team Captain Kiva Auten ’11 (Houghton/Houghton) earned a sixth in the first show and improved to fourth in the second. Katie Leonhard ’13 (Kingsley/St. Francis) placed fifth and sixth in the first and second shows, respectively.

In the Intermediate I division, first-year Amanda Douglas ’13 (Cheboygan/Cheboygan) received two seconds; new team member Christine Marble ’11 (Midland/H.H. Dow) took fourth in the first show and third in the second.

First-year Alice Coyne ’13 (Cedarville/Cedarville) won her first class of the day in the Novice division and received a sixth in the second show. Returning team members Alyssa Ford ’11 (Clayton/Hudson) and Kelsey Lauer ’11 (Traverse City/Traverse City Central) took third and fifth and second and sixth in the first and second shows, respectively.

The team will compete next at a Nov. 8 meet hosted by Grand Valley State University.

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