The equestrian team will open its 2001-2002 season tomorrow in Oneonta, N.Y. at the Hartwick invitational. There the Red will face nine other squads including teams from such schools as Hartwick, Skidmore, Morrisville, Binghamton, Ithaca College and RIT.
“We are really excited about the contest tomorrow, we had a strong year last year and we are looking to have an even stronger year this year,” said senior Julie Canter.
Preparing
The team, under the direction of head coach Chris Mitchell, has been working hard to prepare for this year. The Red had tryouts and early practice sessions for the team in late August before classes started. The squad has been practicing regularly since mid-September. The Red also participated in a practice show in Ithaca several weeks ago to warm up for the invitational this weekend.
The Red will look for leadership this year from seniors Julie Canter and Zoe Oreki. Both compete for the Red in the Open division, in which the most experienced riders participate.
Oreki indicated that this team, “is stronger and deeper this year. It has some extraordinary talent.”
The squad is a balanced mix of both veterans and newcomers, each comprising about half of the team. In equestrian depth is important as there are several categories a team competes in. Having enough riders to compete strongly in all these events will certainly aid the Red.
Of the competitors Cornell will face, Skidmore appears to be the greatest challenger.
Yet the Red, in the words of Oreki, “be looking to take them down.”
Archived article by Chris Callanan