It’s payback time, Skidmore. After a long season of finishing just behind the twelve-time defending champions, Cornell Equestrian is finally getting its turn. This weekend at the Hartwick Invitational, Cornell beat the Thoroughbreds for the second weekend in a row, this time earning 42 points. Skidmore came in second trailing by only one point (earning 41 points) and Colgate came in third with 36 points. Home team Hartwick finished sixth.
“It feels great having won two in a row. We are back on track like I knew this team could be,” said head coach Chris Mitchell. “We are peaking at the wrong time for the team but everyone is riding at the right time for the ivy championships.”
The Red started off the day in open fences where senior Brooke Cagwin rode first to a sixth place. Junior captain Georgina Melbye earned fourth and senior captain Heather Sherman earned sixth. Cagwin and classmate Nicole Finazzo will attend Regionals in this event.
In the intermediate fences, sophomore Caroline Rusk rode to second place. This was Rusk’s first time riding in an intermediate division event. She will compete at Regionals in novice fences. Classmate Katie Fink earned first as did Junior Kelsey Craig. Craig, who was already qualified for Regionals in the intermediate flat event, is now also qualified in intermediate fences.
“That was [Craig’s] last chance to qualify and she nailed it,” said Mitchell. “She has a very good shot of moving on to nationals.”
It was a Cornell sweep in the novice fence division. Freshmen Anne Elise Creamer and Emily Kowalchik and sophomore Samantha Duxbury all rode to the win. This marked Kowalchik’s first win in her IHSA career in fences.
Cagwin and Craig rode again in open flat earning second and first, respectively. Melbye also finished second in this event. Katie Fink earned third place in the intermediate division, while freshman Emily Webster earned second.
Rusk returned to compete once again in the novice flat. She earned second while Junior Morgan Broccoli took home the blue ribbon.
In walk-trot-canter, freshman Joelle Jach rode to her first win all season. This result will move her up to advanced walk-trot-canter.
The day finished up with Joan Kim in walk-trot. Cornell needed Kim to win in order for a team victory for the Red and she did, earning Cornell’s second victory this season.
“What a great day and last two weeks we’ve had,” said Head Coach Chris Mitchell in an e-mail. “The girls are coming together and riding great, this is one the tightest teams I have coached here. That is a great feeling.”
The Red has several weeks to practice before the upcoming Regional Competition on April 3rd. Cornell will send 10 riders to compete.
Original Author: Katie Schubauer