Saratoga Springs, NY - The SUNY Cobleskill hunt seat equestrian team rounded out its fall schedule with a busy three-show stretch at Skidmore College, highlighted by back-to-back Reserve Team Championships at the November 15 doubleheader and a Reserve High Point finish at the November 22 Stable Game. All fall events were held at the Van Lennep Riding Center, where Cobleskill consistently rode near the top of the leaderboard against a competitive field of regional programs.

The Tigers opened the Nov. 15 doubleheader by riding to Reserve Champion honors with 37 points, finishing second only to Skidmore. Casey Van Nostrand (Guilderland, NY) led the way as Reserve Champion Rider, winning Open Fences and taking second in Open Flat. Cobleskill earned points throughout the card with Sophia Scala-Palladina (Pine Bush, NY) placing fifth in Open Fences, Sage Badman (Fabius, NY) finishing fifth over Intermediate Fences and third on the flat, and Mackenzie Caldwell (Baldwinsville, NY) taking second in Intermediate Fences. In Limit divisions, Faith Burfeindt (Millbrook, NY) secured a win over fences and a runner-up finish on the flat, while Kennedy Sims (Memphis, NY) delivered a third in fences and a strong first-place ride on the flat. Amelia Fleischmann (Ballston Spa, NY) earned second in Novice, followed by Margaret Koenig (Holland Patent, NY) in third, while Olivia Griffiths (Oswego, NY) placed second in Pre-Novice. The introductory division also performed well with Jaiden Wendt (Dalmatie, PA) finishing second and Jessica Somerset (Selden, NY) placing third.

Cobleskill carried that momentum into Show Two, once again finishing toward the top of the standings with 33 points, tying RPI for Reserve Champions. Burfeindt shined again, earning a win in Limit Flat and second in Limit Fences before riding off to claim overall Champion Rider honors. Van Nostrand tacked on a third-place finish in Open Flat, while Erin Hayes (Holland, NY) earned second in Open Fences. Badman finished third in Open Fences and second in Intermediate Flat, and Sims added another win on the flat. Strong novice rides came from Fleischmann (3rd), Abbigail Fluty (Wynantskill, NY),  (5th) and Leta Bernhardt (Williamson, NY) (3rd) . In Pre-Novice, Emma Araujo (Levittown, NY) rode to a second-place finish, while Wendt and Somerset added more points in Introductory, placing second and third respectively.

The fall schedule concluded with the Stable Game on November 22, where Cobleskill posted yet another Reserve High Point Team performance with 36 points. Burfeindt once again headlined the lineup as Reserve High Point Rider after a five-horse ride-off, winning Limit Flat and placing second over fences. Fleischmann and Meara Kelly (Levittown, NY) led the Novice group with first-place rides, supported by solid finishes across multiple divisions. Caldwell and Wynnik added Intermediate Fences points, Badman rode to a second and fourth in Intermediate, while Sims and Riley Stiles (Chittenango, NY) contributed in Limit Flat. The Tigers also saw a wave of placings in Pre-Novice, headlined by a win from Kaitlyn Stonitsch (Chestertown, NY) and top-three finishes from Griffiths, Vannata, and others.

The fall season featured consistent results across all competition dates, including a High Point Team title at the home show on October 25, where Burfeindt took High Point Rider and Badman earned Reserve High Point Rider. Cobleskill earned Reserve High Point Team honors at four additional shows: Nov. 1 at Siena, both shows on Nov. 15 at Skidmore, and the Nov. 22 Stable Game. Individual high-point honors were split between standout riders—Casey Van Nostrand earned Reserve High Point at the first Skidmore show, while Faith Burfeindt claimed High Point Rider later that day and returned for Reserve High Point the following week.

Six riders have already qualified for Regionals, to be held March 28 at Skidmore:
• Sage Badman – Limit Flat
• Oksana Wynnik (Champlain, NY) – Limit Fences
• Erin Hayes – Intermediate Flat
• Ceilia McFarland (Kingston, NY) – Introductory
• Mackenzie Caldwell – Intermediate Fences
• Leta Bernhardt – Novice

With five of eight regular-season shows completed, the Tigers will resume competition in the spring with upcoming dates at Siena (2/21), Skidmore (2/28), and Cobleskill's home show on March 7. Postseason competition continues with Regionals on March 28 and Zones on April 4 in Rochester, followed by IHSA Nationals in Tryon, North Carolina from April 30–May 3.

Cobleskill closes the fall slate positioned well for the spring, showing depth across divisions, strength in the flat and over fences, and a roster continuing to build momentum toward postseason riding.
 

 

November 15 – Show 1

1.     Skidmore College – 45
2.     SUNY Cobleskill – 37
3.     Colgate University – 31
4.     Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – 27
5.     SUNY Albany – 18
6.     Siena University – 17
7.     Oneonta State College – 16
8.     Hamilton College – 16
9.     Hartwick College – 6

November 15 – Show 2

1.     Skidmore College – 45
2.     SUNY Cobleskill – 33 (Tied)
3.     Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – 33 (Tied)
4.     Colgate University – 28
5.     Siena University – 22
6.     SUNY Albany – 20
7.     Oneonta State College – 17
8.     Hamilton College – 10
9.     Hartwick College – 9

November 22 – Stable Games

1.     Skidmore College – 40
2.     SUNY Cobleskill – 36
3.     Colgate University – 32
4.     Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute – 26
5.     Siena University – 24
6.     SUNY Albany – 24
7.     Oneonta State College – 15
8.     Hamilton College – 14