86 SIDELINES JUNE 2013
FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE
Alessandra Shultz relaxing with her horses at the barn in nearby
Newfeld, New York.
e
Education – Cornell University
By Alessandra Shultz
You may have heard about Cornell University from Andy “the
Nard Dog” Bernard from the hilarious sitcom The Offce. In the
show, he portrays an alum with a serious devotion to his a capella
group. I laughed on cue during the show, but when I frst got to
Cornell I was surprised to discover that a capella actually is a big
deal here.
Cornell is steeped in quirky traditions. The more time I spend
here, the stranger this place gets: dodging wads of socks whizzing
through a crowd of people (Zombie Wars), faming pumpkins
pitched over the cliffs into the gorges, secret societies, classes
on Magical Mushrooms and Wine Tasting, throwing fsh onto the
ice of the Cornell vs. Harvard icers game (there was even an
octopus), llamas in the library, the list goes on. Most of these odd
activities are logged on the popular “Big Red Ambition: 161 Things
Every Cornellian Should Do.” My favorite one on the list is number
140: Ride at Oxley Equestrian Center.
Although, I haven’t crossed that off of my list yet. I transferred to
Cornell from Southern Methodist University in order to change my
major. SMU recruited me to their riding
team, which I did for
two years before
moving to upstate
New York to study
Apparel Design
Management.
I
brought my horses
here, but to make
the change even more drastic, I decided not to pursue riding on
a team anymore. I keep my horses at a nearby barn in Newfeld
where I can ride before class and on the weekends. The Oxley
Equestrian Center, on the other hand, is where Cornell’s equitation
and polo teams practice.
The equitation team follows the IHSA (Intercollegiate Horse
Show Association) format, which caters to a variety of riding
levels, from walk-trot to open fences. The polo teams fall under
the umbrella of the USPA (United States Polo Association) I/I
(Intercollegiate/Interscholastic) program. I caught up with my
friend Tate Lavitt on the men’s polo team to learn some more
about it. Evidently, Cornell has the only varsity polo team in the
country, which means they abide by similar standards that one
would expect of a NCAA division I athlete including mandatory
workouts, drug testing and tutor privileges.
The Cornell polo team plays arena polo (indoors) on donated
horses under the tutelage of one of the best coaches in the country.
Tate also pointed out that Cornell’s polo team is an inexpensive
way one can pursue polo because of the minimal dues for the year
as opposed to the pricey fees at regular polo clubs. Also, Cornell
has a spectrum of teams: men’s and women’s, varsity, junior
varsity, and a frst year team for which non-polo players can try
out in order to learn the sport, and the experienced team. If all of
this is still too much commitment, semester long riding lessons are
also offered as physical education class through the university.
For more information about Cornell’s equestrian teams, visit
www.cornellbigred.com.
About the writer: Alessandra Shultz grew up in the mountains of Colorado, but
now lives in upstate New York where she is studying Apparel Design Management
at Cornell University. Alessandra also covers the fashion scene for Sidelines. She
currently has two mares that she trail rides and shows in the jumpers.
A Cornell Must-Do –
Ride at Oxley Equestrian Center
Hockey is a
popular part
of the Cornell
culture.
Autumn at the Cornell Arts Quad.
Photo by Meghan Flynn