HWS News
29 March 2023 HWS Equestrian Team Members Progress to Regionals By Finley Hetherington Aherne
Students achieve high placings at first two competitions.
With strong performances during its first two competitions of the spring semester at Alfred University, the HWS Equestrian Team progressed to regionals.
The first competition on Feb. 18 saw impressive individual results. Particularly noteworthy was the success of novice-level rider Siena Bertolino ‘26, who placed third at the Alfred University show.
As a result of the team’s success, both Co-Captain Saoirse Higgins-Corbett ’25 and Assistant Coach Christine Garvey progressed to the Hunt Seat regionals competition on March 5 at Cornell University. Hunt seat refers to a style of seat riding used in equestrian events. Together with dressage, they constitute the two types of “English riding,” which is done with a flat saddle, in contrast to the deep seats or saddle horns seen in Western saddles.
The second competition on Feb. 25, also at Alfred University, saw Higgins-Corbett capture first place in the “Limit Hunter Seat Equitation on the Flat” event as the High Point Rider of the competition as well as second place in the “Limit Hunter Seat Equitation over Fences” event. Abigail Britton-Lowden ‘25 placed fourth in the “Limit Hunter Seat Equitation on the Flat”, while Bertolino achieved a fourth-place finish in the “Novice Hunter Seat Equitation on the Flat” event.
Established in 2007, the HWS Equestrian Team is a club sport that competes in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, against top teams such as Cornell University, Alfred University and Nazareth College. The team rides at Wynn Farms in Lima, N.Y.
Top: HWS Equestrian Co-Captain Saoirse Higgins-Corbett ’25 poses with her High Point Rider 1st place ribbon that she received at the competition at Alfred University.
