SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. -- The Cornell equestrian team moved up from the middle of the pack and edged the host school in winning the Skidmore Show on Saturday afternoon. The Big Red scored 43 team points to top Skidmore (42) and Hartwick (40) at the top.
Brooke Cagwin started off the day in open fances with a win, with classmate Nicole Finazzo riding to a fifth and senior captain Heather Sherman placing second in her class. Cagwin and Finazzo qualified for the regional championships with their effort.
Freshman Emily Webster rode to a win and junior Kelsey Craig was sixth in intermediate fences. In novice fences, freshman Anne Elise Creamer rode well to a win, while junior Samantha Duxbury placed second, as did sophomore Caroline Rusk. That placing qualified Rusk for regionals.
In the open flat, Cagwin was first to ride and did a great job by finishing second, while Finazzo rode to a fifth. Senior Zoe Samuel rode to a great second.
Craig and Webster both rode to wins in the intermediate flat. Craig was out for redemption and to qualify for regional championships, while Webster's effort put her in the High Point Rider Ride Off.
Rusk rode to the consistent second in the novice flat, while classmate Melissa Kenny rode to a second as well. Freshman Emily Kowalchik placed second and Creamer rode to the win, earning her a spot in the High Point Ride-off.
Junior Lizzie Briggs rode to the win and qualified for regionals in advanced walk-trot-canter, with senior Ji Min Kim picking up a second. In beginner walk-trot-canter, freshman Joelle Jach placed third. Freshman Joan Kim had her best ride yet and it came at the best time, as her win sealed the day for the Big Red in walk-trot.
Creamer and Webster were in the ride-off with two other people, the students decided to have the judge ask a question to save the horses. The judge asked for the symptoms and remedies of colic. Creamer won the reserve high point rider of the day.
REGIONAL QUALIFIERS:
Zoe Samuel - Intermediate Fences
Morgan Broccoli - Walk-Trot-Canter
Katie Fink - Novice Fences
Charmaine Tan - Walk Trot
Brooke Cagwin - Open Fences
Nicole Finazzo - Open Fences
Kelsey Craig - Intermediate Flat
Caroline Rusk - Novice Fences
Lizzie Briggs - Walk-Trot-Canter
FINAL RESULTS
1. Cornell - 43
2. Skidmore - 42
3. Hartwick - 40
4. Siena - 29
Colgate - 29
6. Morrisville - 24
7. RPI - 22
Binghamton - 22
9. Ithaca - 19
Hamilton - 19
11. Oneonta - 16
Cobleskill - 16
13. Albany - 14
