Tuesday, October 16, 2012

Strong Start for Stanford Western

Freshman Carson Kautz in Open Reining at Sonoma
The Stanford Equestrian Team's Western squad competed in the region's first IHSA shows of the season on October 6 and 13 at Sonoma and Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. The young team, which had accepted four new freshmen to its roster mere days before competing at Sonoma, put in a strong showing on both days of competition, cementing hopes for a good season.

Freshman Maria Filsinger competes in Advanced at Sonoma
At Sonoma on October 6, all of Stanford's athletes took home a ribbon despite some large classes and tough competition. Highlights included senior (and western team captain) Julia Ishiyama winning her class in Intermediate, while sophomore Anne Stickells took second and junior (and team co-president) Alina Benavides took fourth in a strong showing for the Cardinal. Freshman Maria Filsinger, gamely leaving her usual spot as a first level rider for Stanford's dressage team to ride for the western contingent, took third in Advanced in her first-ever western show. Freshmen Michael Xu and Catie Mong also took third in Novice and Walk-Jog, respectively. Freshman Open rider Carson Kautz took a pair of fifths in her first showing in rail and reining and sophomore Reno Tsosie rounded out the day with a sixth in Walk Jog, giving the Cardinal a third place team finish.

Senior (and western team captain) Julia Ishiyama taking second at Cal Poly

Stanford's western riders continued their solid riding streak at Cal Poly on October 13, where Benavides and Ishiyama each took second in their section of Intermediate. Sophomore Julia Fine, making her first appearance of the season, also took a second in Walk Jog. Filsinger continued her discipline crossover success by taking another third in Advanced, followed by Xu's fourth in Novice. Kautz finished fifth in Open Reining and sixth in Open Horsemanship. Stickells had a spitfire of a draw in Intermediate, gaining a re-ride that carried her to a strong fourth place finish. Mong and her fellow freshman Alex Scott also had great rides with reserve. The team again finished third overall, gaining valuable show experience for its young riders.

Freshman Michael Xu in Novice at Cal Poly
The Western team now looks ahead to its next pair of shows, a double-header at the College of the Sequoias in Visalia, CA on October 27 and 28. Stanford's dressage team will make its season debut that same weekend, opening with a pair of shows at Cal Poly.

All photos in this post are courtesy of Maria Filsinger, '16.