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Liz Rolon was nervous about joining the Syracuse English Equestrian Team when she arrived at SUNY ESF. She had only been riding for two years, but joined a team that featured a blend of life-long and intermediate riders with just a few beginners.

“We come from different backgrounds, have different interests, and have different strengths, but we all love riding. It’s what brings us together,” said Rolon, now co-captain of the team and a two-year member.

The equestrian team, composed of both Syracuse and SUNY ESF students, travels to Affinity Farms in Skaneateles weekly for practice and is preparing to send riders to regional and national shows. In 2019-2020, the team finished second in its division before the pandemic halted competition.

The program is a member of the International Horse Shows Association (IHSA) and is in a division — labeled zone 2, region 2 — with Le Moyne, SUNY Geneseo, Oswego, St. Lawrence and Cazenovia, as well as Canadian schools Ottawa and Guelph, among others. Over the fall 2022 semester, the team completed six shows. It will finish the regular season in February with shows against Cazenovia and St. Lawrence, on Feb. 25 and 26, respectively.

When a member joins the program, they fill out a questionnaire for IHSA that will determine which level they will compete at. In order to get promoted up a division, a rider must achieve 36 points in a single season. A first-place finish at a show is worth seven points, second place is worth five, third is four and so on. If a rider reaches 36 points in one of the higher divisions, they will advance to regionals. A top-two finish at regionals earns a spot in zones, where riders can qualify for nationals with another top-two finish.

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“Getting into the horse world can be really scary,” said Rolon, “So having people answering your questions and helping you maneuver through buying your first boots was so heart-warming.”

Lilly Forney, a transfer student from John Carroll University, has been riding for 15 years and showing competitively for 11. It’s her first year on the Syracuse team, saying she’s developed as a collegiate equestrian and improved as a rider.

Forney said the various levels of experience has been an asset to the club, but the upperclassmen have been crucial to help “acclimate” younger riders on the teams.

“It’s refreshing to have a group of girls my age to work and ride with,” Forney said. “With great experience comes great knowledge that can be passed on to younger and newer riders.”

The first six shows of the competition season have presented a challenge for the captains, who have to decide the lineup each week. Rolon said with the increase of new additions and a roster filled with many seniors, filling slots can be difficult.

Forney added that this season has been more of a “learning year” for the younger members of the team.

“We don’t want to throw freshmen right into their first intercollegiate competition too soon, and we don’t want to neglect seniors in their last year of competition,” Rolon said.

Head coach Denise Van Patten has coached the team since 1996. She was drawn to coaching because she wanted to witness the development of her riders, both on and off the horse, she said.

Rolon said Van Patten knows when a rider needs help before they even know it themselves, noting that having a coach with her experience has been an asset for the team. Forney said Van Patten has improved her mentality, helping adjust her mindset to understand the demands of showing in IHSA. Forney added that Van Patten prepares her riders for the collegiate level.

“It’s an amazing learning experience to feel your body and try to understand how it works on top of an independent half-a-ton animal,” Rolon said. “She’s very intuitive and that helps shape my riding for the better.”

The 2023 Regionals will be held at St. Lawrence on April 1 and zones will be held at Skidmore College a week later. Currently, three riders have qualified for regionals. Rolon said she’s nervous because the experience can be “daunting” for a younger rider like herself, but she’s excited to compete with her team at regionals.

“We have a couple of other teammates who are going to regionals as well and I have total confidence in them,” Rolon said. “They will crush it.”

Published on February 2, 2023 at 12:30 am