Cornell had another successful performance this past Saturday at the first ever Varsity Invitational Championship Tournament in Newberry, FL. The Red had three riders compete in the tournament — senior captain Julie Canter in the Open division, freshman Kate Reynolds in the Intermediate division, and freshman Gillian Pech in the Novice division. The trio rode well en route to a ninth-place finish at the tournament. It was one of the first opportunities for the Red to compete against other national programs such as Ohio State, Kansas State, Texas A&M, and Fresno State.
“Everyone rode great today,” commented head coach Chris Mitchell. “Everyone showed great experience and great composure. This is a huge step for the program. It is really our first chance to compete on a national level, and we held our own.”
Canter led off the day in the Open flat. She got a tough draw but rode extremely well. She committed one small mistake in front of the judge, and as a result, finished in 10th place. She had a stronger showing in the Open fences, where she landed in third place, gaining four points for the Red.
Reynolds rode well in both the Intermediate flat and the Intermediate fences, placing eighth in both. She had a particularly tough draw in the fences class, ending up with an intractable horse name Wishes.
Pech had an impressive showing for Cornell in the Novice flat division, where she placed fifth, earning the first two points for the Red. She rode well in the fences division as well but ended up in 10th place.
“All and all, it was a great day for the team,” said Mitchell.
The equestrian team will return to action this weekend it travels to Hanover, N.H. to compete in the Ivy Invitational.
Archived article by Chris Callanan