Cobleskill, NY – The SUNY Cobleskill hunt seat equestrian team wrapped up its IHSA regular season with a strong run of performances, highlighted by a third-place finish at the Dutch Manor/Siena IHSA Show on February 21 and a tie for Champion Team honors at the Skidmore College double show on February 28. The Fighting Tigers displayed depth across all divisions as they prepare for the postseason.

Dutch Manor/Siena IHSA Show – February 21
Cobleskill placed third overall with 37 points in an eight-team field. Skidmore captured the High Point Team title, while Colgate finished as Reserve Champion Team.

The Tigers were led by Casey Van Nostrand, who delivered a standout performance by winning Open Fences and finishing second in Open Flat. Faith Burfeindt also had a strong showing in the Limit division, sweeping both Limit Fences and Limit Flat. She later rode off for Champion Rider honors but came up just short after a question round with four other competitors.
Erin Hayes placed fourth in Open Fences and fifth in Open Flat, while Sophia Scala-Paladini earned fifth in Open Fences. Mackenzie Caldwell added a sixth-place finish in Open Fences and a runner-up ride in Intermediate Flat. Sage Badman contributed with a fourth-place ride over Intermediate Fences and third on the flat.

Additional points came from Kennedy Sims, who placed second in Limit Fences and fourth in Limit Flat, while Riley Stiles finished fifth in Limit Flat. In the Novice division, Meara Kelly earned the blue ribbon in Novice Flat and Kaitlin Stonitsch placed third. Emily Scheriff added a second-place finish in Pre-Novice Flat. Jaiden Wendt and Jessica Somerset both placed third in the Introductory division.

Skidmore IHSA Double Show – February 28
Show 1
Cobleskill opened the doubleheader with a Reserve Champion Team finish, posting 35 points. Van Nostrand and Burfeindt tied with four other riders for Reserve Champion Rider honors, with Van Nostrand winning the tiebreaking question round.

Van Nostrand once again led the charge by winning Open Fences and finishing second in Open Flat. Caldwell added a fifth-place ride in Open Fences. In the Intermediate division, Badman placed fourth over fences and second on the flat, while Burfeindt rode to second in Intermediate Fences and first in Intermediate Flat.

Sims contributed with a fifth-place finish in Limit Fences and third in Limit Flat, while Stiles earned fourth in Limit Flat. Olivia Griffiths placed sixth in Novice Flat, and Meara Kelly and Emma Araujo both added fifth-place finishes in the Novice division.

In Pre-Novice, Ella Dillman secured a first-place ride and Bella Vannata finished second. The Introductory division saw Jaiden Wendt and Jessica Somerset each finish second.

Show 2
Cobleskill capped the regular season with one of its strongest performances of the year, tying host Skidmore for Champion Team honors with 39 points.

Van Nostrand continued her consistent riding with second-place finishes in both Open Fences and Open Flat. Caldwell finished fifth in Open Fences and sixth in Open Flat. Badman placed third over Intermediate Fences and fifth in Intermediate Flat, while Burfeindt delivered a first-place ride in Intermediate Fences and added a second-place finish on the flat.

In the Limit division, Sims rode to second-place finishes in both Limit Fences and Limit Flat, while Riley Stiles also earned second in Limit Flat and Leta Bernhardt added a fifth-place finish.
The Novice group was highlighted by Jazlyn Hoadley's third-place ride and Meara Kelly's fifth-place finish. Emily Scheriff topped the Pre-Novice division with a first-place ride, followed by Lanelle Vile in second.

In Introductory, Jaiden Wendt finished fourth and Jessica Somerset placed fifth.

Season Recap and Postseason Outlook
Cobleskill concludes the regular season as the Reserve Champion Team overall behind Skidmore. Across the eight regular season shows, the Tigers captured one High Point Team title at their home show, tied for High Point Team once, finished as Reserve Champion Team five times, and placed third once.

The team now turns its attention to the postseason. Zone 2 Region 3 Regionals will be held at Skidmore College on Saturday, March 28.

The following Cobleskill riders have qualified for Regionals:

Open Fences – Casey Van Nostrand
Open Flat – Casey Van Nostrand
Intermediate Fences – Mackenzie Caldwell
Intermediate Flat – Mackenzie Caldwell, Erin Hayes
Limit Fences – Oksana Wynnik, Faith Burfeindt
Limit Flat – Faith Burfeindt, Sage Badman, Kennedy Sims
Novice – Meara Kelly, Leta Bernhardt
Introductory – Ceilia McFarland

With a strong regular season behind them, the Fighting Tigers will look to carry their momentum into Regionals as they continue their pursuit of postseason success.