While the majority of the student body may not have heard, the Dartmouth equestrian team has quietly put together one of the most successful seasons in recent memory over at Morton Farm. The Big Green has finished no worse than fourth in any show this year, and has been on a roll winning the last two shows, at home over Homecoming and at the Mt. Ida show.
In equestrian, points accumulated during the fall season count towards qualifying for championship shows in the spring, so a good performance in the fall season is crucial.
"You want to be in a good place in the fall, because most of the points that are accumulated for regionals are in the fall. The top three might move around a bit in the spring, but a lot of it is set in the fall," Lily Macartney '08 said.
The team has been successful despite the graduation of several key seniors, including Tim Malone '07, who took 10th place in open fences at the national championship. However, the team has reloaded with capable riders in each level of competition.
"We went from around 20 to about 15 riders this year, and we took few new riders, but we have very talented riders in each class," co-captain Daisy Freund '08 said. "The hardest position to fill is actually the walk-trot, since you have to look for someone with virtually no prior equestrian experience, and people move up into higher divisions so you can't keep anyone there."
Of the returning riders, Erica Anhalt '09 has made huge strides.
"She's been unbelievable this season. She worked extremely hard over the summer and during the season, and has been reliable," Macartney said.
If a rider accumulates 35 points in a class through the course of his or her career, he or she must move up to the next class.
The highlight of the season thus far has been the six-point victory at the Mt. Ida show, the most impressive win in recent memory. Dartmouth accumulated 47 points, while runner-up Mt. Ida had 41. The victory is even more impressive when taking into account the fact that in collegiate equestrian competitions, the host has one of the biggest home-field advantages in sports, as visitors must ride the host's horses.
"It's a huge advantage for the hosts because they have ridden all of the horses, so they know which horse hates strong hands and such," Freund said. "You don't get any time to warm up, so you just make a small circle and go. It's a good way to level the competition, because it focuses on riding skills rather than the quality of the horse."
Despite this disadvantage, the team rode to victory behind strong individual performances, including riders who won both the open and flat competitions.
Blue ribbon winners at Mt. Ida include Freund in open fences and open flat, Macartney in intermediate fences and intermediate flat, Amanda Watson '09 in novice fences, Karelle Hall '08 in novice fences and novice flat, Kate Wooler '08 in open flat, Alaina Smith '09 in novice flat, and Anhalt in walk/trot/canter.
Freund has put together an impressive season, as she has yet to lose in the open flat competition, has already qualified for the regional show, and has been the high point rider in two shows. She is also looking to qualify for the Cacchione Cup at nationals, contested by the high point rider for the season in each region. Freund is currently leading the region.
Other qualifiers for regionals include Macartney in the novice flat, Katherine Scovner '08 in the novice fences, and Wooler in the intermediate fences.
Although the team has been successful, the riders will not rest on their laurels and will strive to become better.
"We'll continue to work on our skill, especially the ability to get on any horse and do well," Macartney said.
Looking forward, Dartmouth will look to advance to the regional show as a team, and hopefully beyond.
"We definitely want to stay ahead of our big competitors and stay strong, because every show is a new challenge," Freund said. "We'd like to go to regionals and send as many individuals as possible, and our ultimate goal is to make it to nationals as a team."
Dartmouth will compete in the last show of the season at New Hampshire on Sunday, Nov. 4.
