Equestrian

The Big Red Equestrian Team provides opportunities to all levels of riders to compete at a national level within the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA). The IHSA competition format is unique in the sense that our team members do not need to own a horse to compete for Cornell, nor have their own riding equipment. This eliminates the cost of horse ownership from riding, the sport’s primary barrier to access. Our teammates range from complete beginners who have never ridden a horse before, to experienced riders with years of competition experience.

In the IHSA, everyone is equally important in contributing points to the team. Within our barn, we also provide a place where older show horses can begin a new career with the Big Red.

Cornell Equestrian had a fruitful beginning to the 2023-2024 season, earning five high-point finishes overall. Most notably, the team earned two perfect scorecards at the Alfred and Cornell shows for the first time in program history. We look forward to a successful spring as we make our bid to qualify for nationals.

Equestrian is an expensive sport, given our horses require quality supplements and care to ensure their health as performance athletes. Many of our horses are seniors and need a bit of special care to keep them healthy and competition-ready. We rely on support from our loyal alumni, fans, and friends to be able to take care of our equine partners at the highest levels!