Equestrian Team Jumps Into Third Place Finish

Author: Alison Hertel

At their home horse show held at The Equestry in New Haven on March 9, the Middlebury equestrian team came in third in the point standings, a considerable improvement from their sixth place finish the weekend before at Bates/Bowdoin Colleges. Middlebury was just four points behind Dartmouth and the University of Vermont, who tied for reserve champion. Colby-Sawyer was the champion school for the second weekend in a row.

The Middlebury team rode outstandingly well over fences, boasting second place finishes by all of their over fences point riders. As a result, Middlebury was in first place going into the afternoon. However, despite strong rides on the flat, the traditional intercollegiate powerhouses toppled Middlebury's lead.

Allison Nagel '03 placed third in Walk-Trot, earning enough points to qualify for Regionals and point up into the Beginner Walk-Trot-Canter division. Nagel will join KT Mertes '04 on the Middlebury Regionals squad; Mertes qualified for Regionals in Novice Over Fences at the Bates/Bowdoin show.

Liz Rudnick '02 may join Mertes and Nagel at Regionals. Her strong performances in the Intermediate division at the Middlebury show put her within two points qualifying. Rudnick said, "After having not ridden that much, I didn't have high expectations, but it was nice to draw a good pony and do well for the team." Kathryn Hirsch '02 and Ellie Toan '02 also have a shot at qualifying for Regionals, depending on their results at the upcoming University of Vermont horse show.

The team was pleased with their riding and with the show as a whole. Sarah Berkowitz '05 said, "It was great to have everyone on the team from beginner riders to open riders come together, working hard to achieve a common goal amongst the team. I feel that everyone was well prepared, exemplified poise and showed off explicit talents which resulted in an excellent end outcome for the Middlebury Equestrian team." Rudnick echoed Berkowitz's sentiments. She said, "After having been away for a year, it's great to see the team coming together."

Even the weather cooperated. Mertes said, "The weather on Saturday was perfect; we were able to host a sunny show in Vermont in March, which is awesome." Mertes added, "A lot of Middlebury students who had friends on the team came to cheer us on. Having that support gave us a bit of a home advantage and definitely helped us ride better and unify as a team."

Middlebury hopes they can continue their improving trend as they head into their final horse show of the season at the University of Vermont on Saturday, April 6.