A thid-place finish at the Morrisville show last weekend marked the lowest point in the equestrian team’s season. This weekend, the riders hope to rebound in their season finale at Hartwick.
After finishing no lower than second in its first six shows, the riders dropped to third last Saturday. Though several individuals won their respective events, the team lost ground on Skidmore, which currently sits atop the league.
“We just didn’t ride well last weekend,” said head coach Chris Mitchell. “Skidmore was the same as always, we just couldn’t catch them.”
Despite the relatively low finish, several equestrians had excellent rides, which will give them momentum heading into this weekends event. Sophomore Mary Slocum only needed one point to qualify for regionals, and she did it with a first place ride. And senior co-captain Jeannette Pettit placed third in the open fence; fellow co-captain, junior Erica Rosen, took fourth; and junior Samara Ringer took third in their respective divisions.
“Those performances were nice, and they’ll be good coming into this weekend. We’ve had good practice,” Mitchell continued. “This week will be a tough show. It’s a tight ring so you have to be more organized and on top of your game.”
As the squad heads into the Hartwick show, it hopes that these riders will be able to improve their performances to come away with a championship. Most of the other ten teams at the meet will not challenge the Red — including host, Hartwick, which placed seventh at last weekend’s show. Skidmore and Morrisville will be the exception.
“We’re looking to finish first, but we know we can do it,” Mitchell concluded. “This will be great preparation for regionals.”
Archived article by Everett Hullverson