By Lauren Simpson
Cornell Athletic Communications

They say you can't teach an old dog new tricks, but in Ido's case, this certainly doesn't apply to horses.

Just a year ago, Cornell equestrian's beloved horse Ido couldn't have been further from the competition ring, spending his days as a research horse in Cornell's College of Veterinary Medicine. After being under the watch and care of Joy Tomlinson, a research vet at the Baker Institute for Animal Health and an internal medicine doctor in Cornell's Equine Hospital, Ido had begun to wear out his welcome as a research horse. His future was uncertain, and he was about to be without a home.

But luckily for Ido, Tomlinson's friendship with equestrian head coach Joanna Novakovic '03 prompted an idea – taking Ido on as a member of the equestrian team. This was a horse that hadn't been ridden in years. He was out of shape, had never jumped, and many thought he would never be sound again. However, Novakovic was willing to take a leap of faith.

"Knowing that this was his last chance, I was like 'Alright, we are going to give this the absolute best go that we can,'" said Novakovic. "I pretty quickly realized that he would be a good team horse."

Essentially the newest member of the equestrian team at that point, Ido was thrust into a world that he had totally forgotten, if ever known.

"I don't think he really remembered how to wear a tack. It was literally like re-breaking a horse, which I fortunately have a lot of experience with," said Novakovic. "But then it was a like a lightbulb went off."

The more Novakovic gained Ido's trust, the more it became evident that Ido wasn't just going to be a good team horse. He was going to thrive. It took less than a year for Ido to be transformed into a show horse, and he was ready to make his debut at the 2020 IHSA Regional Championships, hosted by Cornell at the Oxley Equestrian Center.

He was one of the horses that was slated to take part in the introductory competition, and to junior equestrian student-athlete Hannah Braun '22's excitement, she was paired with Ido.

"We draw horses randomly for our shows, so I was really happy when I drew him to ride, and it turned out pretty well," said Braun.

Pretty well could be considered an understatement, as Braun would go on to be named the IHSA Regional Reserve Champion for the division and qualify for the Zone Championships with Ido's help.

In his first show ever, Ido was evidently comfortable with the walk-trot portion of competition. It was now time for him to be challenged once again and teach him how to jump. At this point, Ido had already begun jumping at practice, but it was a work in progress.

"Once he started jumping, he wasn't always the most graceful or talented horse," said Novakovic. "We used to joke that he would just knock things over all the time, which he did, but he would always go. He was very brave. He would always jump the jumps."

As Ido learned to jump, he taught the Cornell equestrian student-athletes who rode him just as much as they were teaching him.

"For a lot of the girls, they've never ridden something that's green," said Novakovic. "It really makes them pay attention, so it's actually a very good learning experience for them too."

Senior Elizabeth Koman '21 experienced this first-hand. As she helped Ido improve his jumping technique, he forced her to pay attention to detail and pushed her to become a better rider.

"He just didn't have a lot of experience, especially jumping," said Koman. "So for me, I had some of my most challenging lessons on him, just because he's so big and you had to really help him along with the jumping."

With each and every lesson, Ido continued to improve, and several weeks ago, Ido jumped in competition for the first time. It was only fitting that it was recent alumna Nicole Zitzmann '17 who rode him, as she has been with Ido every step of the way since he joined the team.

"I was actually here in Ithaca the summer that he came, and I got to help Joanna get him acclimated and back in shape before the team got back that fall," said Zitzmann. "I've seen him from the beginning and how far he's come, and it's honestly incredible."

With Zitzmann guiding him, Ido jumped to new heights in the duo's show on Oct. 11 at Carriage House Saddlery in Trumansburg, N.Y. In what was another first for him, Ido and Zitzmann emerged victorious.

In that moment, it was impossible to overlook Ido's incredible journey. For someone who had watched Ido grow as a show horse practically from day one, it almost brought Zitzmann to tears.

"At this point last year, I couldn't picture even getting him around a course like that and doing so well," said Zitzmann. "I think the fact that I've seen how far he's come in the past year just makes this the most rewarding and great experience ever. It literally almost made me cry. I'm so proud of him."

Ido's story is one of second chances. It's one of hope, compassion, and perseverance. The Cornell equestrian team never gave up on Ido, and in return, he's never given up on them. He now holds a spot not only on the team, but in the hearts of those who have witnessed his journey to where he is today.


To find out more about Ido's journey, check out his television debut on Spectrum News.