ITHACA, N.Y. -- The Cornell equestrian team opens the spring season this weekend, February 18^th, on the road at Alfred University. At the concluding event of the fall, the Big Red earned the high point title for the fourth time in five shows. Last year at Alfred, Cornell took high point in both events there.
 
In this weekend's show, the Big Red face off in eight classes at six different levels. Lauren Benson will represent Cornell in the introductory flats. The pre-novice flats will be ridden by Claudia Arredondo, with Natalie Ferguson and Caroline Gaudet taking on the novice ride. In the limit flats, we'll see Annalisa Piscitelli and Emily Pecsok compete. Four Cornellians will ride in the limit fences. These include Gillian Roche, Taylor Haines, Jianna Simcik, and Emma Basher. Katherine Philipp will ride a double header on the day in intermediate flats and fences, joined by Alexandra Miranda and Taylor Haines in flats and Lauren Aubert and Nina Davis in fences. Miranda will be featured in her second ride of the day in open fences, competing alongside Posie Price. Price will also ride with Bianca Garcia in the open flats to wrap up the day.

About the Big Red

• Cornell has won high point four times this season in just five shows.
 
• The Big Red return 11 riders to the line-up, including Ashley Ardila, who placed fourth at the 2022 IHSA Nationals in Individual Introductory Equitation.
 
• The Big Red finished atop the podium 8 of 10 times in the 2021 season, including winning the Ivy Show title.
 

Head Coach Joanna Novakovic

• The 2022 season marks Novakovic's eighth year as Head Coach of Equestrian. It marks her seventh season as the 2020-21 season was canceled due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

• Novakovic has helped lead the Big Red to the national stage on multiple occasions, including a seventh-place overall finish in the first ever team qualification to the IHSA National Championship in 2016.
• Under Novakovic, Cornell has won four straight Ivy Show titles (2017-2021)
• Novakovic coached an IHSA National Champion and a National Reserve champion in 2015.
• She has developed Zone Reserve Champions (2016, 19, 21), Regional Champions (2015, 16, 17, 18, 19, 21), Ivy League Champions (2015, 17, 18, 19, 21) and Ivy League Reserve Champions (2016, 21)

Up Next

• The Big Red will return to action in the new year, next competing at Alfred University on Saturday, February 18.