eEducation – Cornell University A Cornell Must-Do – Ride at Oxley Equestrian Center By Alessandra Shultz

You may have heard about Cornell University from Andy “the Nard Dog” Bernard from the hilarious sitcom The Office. 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 first 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), flaming pumpkins pitched over the cliffs into the gorges, secret societies, classes on Magical Mushrooms and Wine Tasting, throwing fish 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 Alessandra Shultz relaxing with her at the barn in nearby New York to study Newfield, New York. Apparel Design Management. I brought my horses the change even more drastic, I decided not to pursue riding on here, but to make a team anymore. I keep my horses at a nearby barn in Newfield where I can ride before class and on the weekends. The Oxley Equestrian Center, on the other hand, is where Cornell’s equitation and teams practice. Hockey is a The equitation team follows the IHSA (Intercollegiate popular part Show Association) format, which caters to a variety of riding of the Cornell levels, from walk- to open fences. The polo teams fall under culture. 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 first 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 Autumn at the Cornell Arts Quad. currently has two mares that she rides and shows in the jumpers. Photo by Meghan Flynn 86 SIDELINES JUNE 2013 FOR HORSE PEOPLE • ABOUT HORSE PEOPLE