St. Lawrence University's riding team shrugged off a sub-par performance by its scoring riders in the equitation over fences portion of its home horse show on Oct. 31 as a perfect performance in the equitation on the flat classes lifted the Saints to a 43-39 victory over Cazenovia with Geneseo third with 35 points and Potsdam fourth with 34 to complete the opening weekend of Intercollegiate Horse Show Association competition.

The Saints finished second to host Cazenovia in the first show of the year Saturday and the two teams are tied at the top of the regional standings after the first two shows as each won by four.

Teams declare scoring riders for the team competition in eight of the nine events in an IHSA horse show and then throw out the low score. Riders receive seven points for winning a class, five for second, four for third with additional points declining by one to sixth place.

The Saint scorers in Sunday's show had two thirds and a fifth in the jumping portion of the competition, but every one of the scoring riders on the flat won their class to account for 35 of the Saints total of 43 points.

Senior Jordan Koivu finished as reserve high point rider in Sunday's show after a three-competitor ride off. Koivu won her class of open equitation over fences, but was not the designated team scorer in that event. She also won intermediate equitation on the flat and scored for the team in that competition.

Other scoring rides for the Saints, all blue ribbon performances, came from Suzanne Snyder in open on the flat, Emma Jones in novice on the flat, Mary Donohue in advanced walk-trot-canter, and Chesney Randi in beginner walk-trot.

Jenna Gunnell also had a first for the Saints in beginner walk-trot-canter on Sunday while Abby Cook was second in her class of open on the flat and Natalie Bates was third in beginner walk-trot.

Casey Zuraitis was third in intermediate over fences and Katherine Figeuroa was third in novice over fences to account for the Saint scoring in the jumping competition on Sunday.

In Saturday's season opening show at Cazenovia, the Saints were second as a team to the host school with Geneseo finishing third. Cazenovia finished with 49 points, SLU with 45 and Geneseo 38.

Snyder was the reserve high point rider in the show after winning her class of open equitation over fences and placing second in open on the flat. Other Saint winners included Molly Hayssen in novice over fences, Cook in open on the flat, Koivu in intermediate on the flat, Sophie Miller in advanced walk-trot-canter, Michelle Harazim in beginning walk-trot-canter and Gunnell in walk-trot.

Koivu and Cook were second in their classes of open over fences, Katherine Figueroa was second in novice fences and novice on the flat, Zuraitis was second in novice on the flat and third in novice over fences and Liese Piper was second in walk-trot. Tim Moore and Bates finished third in their classes of walk-trot.

St. Lawrence will ride back-to-back shows at Lehman Farms on Nov. 13-14 before hosting their second show of the fall portion of the season on Nov. 20.