PUTNAM IS NATIONAL CHAMPION; SAINTS TIED FOR FOURTH IN TEAM COMPETITION

May 9: St. Lawrence University sophomore Kristin Putnam became the Saints first national champion in riding since 2001 when she won the individual walk-trot-canter competition at the 2008 Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Championships in Los Angeles on Friday.

Putnam, the Zone 2 champion in walk-trot-canter, led a field of 18 riders to become the Saints first national champion since Ashley Dann in 2001.

The Saint team is tied for fourth after two events in the Collegiate Cup team competition as Nick Depheteros finished second on Friday in the walk-trot competition. Berry College of Georgia and Findlay of Ohio are tied for first with 11 points through two events while Centenary is third with eight and the Saints and the University of Kentucky are tied with seven each.

Dorothy Douglas scored 72 points in the USEF/Cacchione Cup competition for high point riders and is 14 th heading into the final round of competition on Saturday.

: Hadley Deming finished fifth in Novice Equitation over Fences in the first Collegiate Cup event of the 2008 Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Championship Show in Los Angeles and the Saints are fifth as a team heading into Friday competition.

The only other Saint rider to show on Thursday was junior Dorothy Douglas who is competing in the USEF/Cacchione Cup for high point riders. She scored 78.5 points in Thursday’s first phase, equitation on the flat, and is 9.5 points off the lead heading into the equitation over fences which will be the first event on Friday.

Other Friday events for Saint riders include the Collegiate Cup intermediate over fences and walk-trot equitation. Kristin Putnam will show in the individual walk-trot-canter competition. Katharine Hankin will also ride on Friday, competing in the individual open equitation on the flat division.