New Paltz Equestrian Prepares for Regionals at Marist

On Feb. 22, the New Paltz Equestrian Team closed out their regular season with a show at Marist University. The team brought home winning ribbons while select members had qualified for regionals.

For their regular spring 2025 season, the Equestrian team had two shows, the first being a double header at Centenary University on Feb. 15. This wasn’t the first time the Hawks had a show at Centenary. Last semester, their show there had some of their best results, with a total of three first-place placements, one second and two thirds.

The Equestrian team at New Paltz participates in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA). IHSA uses both western and English discipline. “New Paltz competes only in the english discipline, more specifically hunt seat equitation, which is judged on style of riding and effectiveness,” said second-year business management major and team member Madeline LaPenna. The New Paltz riders are divided up into six divisions based on experience and skill level. The intro division involves walking and trotting, while the most advanced riders compete in the open division, which contains a flat class and an over fences class. As riders acquire points and place well at shows, they move up in divisions.

IHSA brings in some unique challenges for riders. Since it is not a regular horse showing, the riders do not know what horse they will be riding until just a little while before they get in the ring. This promotes fair judging, but the riders must be in tune with their horses at all times. Seond-year marketing major and member of the equestrian team Chloe Harisis shared the care and determination that goes into riding. “My teammate in this sport is the horse and I just think that is the coolest thing. You put so much trust in each other, working together to figure out each other’s cues,” Harisis said.

LaPenna expressed this same sentiment. “Horses read emotion very well,” she explained, stating that a rider’s frustration can frustrate the horse. “Working through those moments with a level head while exerting yourself physically can be exhausting and hard to navigate.”
The team travels to different barns in the region for shows and the commute can range from 40 minutes to two hours. With shows typically starting at 7 a.m., this can mean early mornings for the team. The shows usually begin with the highest division, working down to the intro division to finish.

The team trains twice a week at Meadow Creek Farm in Dutchess County, and the members carpool and form practice groups based on class schedules. Some riders, like Harisis, try to go for private lessons when they have the time. The team’s trainer, Helaina Ricciardi, works to make sure the team has the lessons and trainings they need.

“Helaina loves to keep us on our toes with different exercises and challenges every lesson. Something I love about riding with Helaina is that if we are able to make it out to the barn more than just our practice days, there are usually horses for us to just practice ride to fine-tune what we’ve been working on in lessons,” LaPenna said.

For riders who qualified for regionals, they are increasing the intensity of their exercises. Physical strength and stamina are necessary for equestrian. “Regionals prep is less about moving forward and more about making sure you are as prepared as possible with the skills you have at the time,” said LaPenna. “The stakes are high at regionals, because riders who place first or second in their classes will qualify for zones, and then if they’re lucky, nationals.”

The equestrian team, while being smaller than other New Paltz sports teams and facing accessibility and financial challenges, works with a passion for their horses and the sport. Regionals will be held at Crosswinds Equestrian Center at Marist University on March 29.