With only two shows until regional competition and 13 points to gain on front-runner, Skidmore, the women’s equestrian team must make every jump count at its contest this weekend at SUNY-Morrisville. The Red, which has won first place in four of its last five contests dating back to November, will have to out-ride Colgate and Ithaca College, not to mention Skidmore, tomorrow and next week in order to advance to regional riding.
But Cornell, which has already qualified nine individual riders for the regional, is well prepared, and head coach Chris Mitchell feels confident his riders can get the job done.
“We’ll bring our biggest team of the season with 18,” he said. “We’re looking very good right now after placing first last weekend. But we came in third at Skidmore and lost some ground.”
At last weekend’s event, which Cornell hosted, senior co-captain Jeannette Pettit placed fifth in the open category, while junior teammate and co-captain Erica Rosen placed first in her ride. Sophomore Asta Torokvei also took home a blue ribbon in her category of the open division.
“We do have a deficit to overcome, though,” Mitchell added. “If we want to win, we have to make up at least 14 points on Skidmore.”
Working against the riders will be, ironically, the horses themselves.
“When we go to an away meet like this, we get to watch the horses warm up with people, not riders, and then its up to a random draw,” continued Mitchell. “The horses get warmed up, but we don’t.”
Despite the additional hurdle, Mitchell believes his women will find a way to win.
“We’re preparing well, and we’re upbeat about the weekend,” he concluded. “We’re a little tired after hosting last weekend, but definitely focused and determined.”
Archived article by Everett Hullverson