The equestrian team placed second of 13 teams in its first show of the semester at Rutgers University last Sunday.
“I think everyone rode pretty strongly, and the points reflect that,” said senior president and show captain Emma Sylvester.
The Leopards edged out third-place rival Lehigh University by one at 24 points but could not get close to first-place Delaware Valley University, which led the show with 37 points.
Senior Kristina Torkelsen earned the Leopards’ only first place in intermediate fences. She also placed fourth in the intermediate flat.
“Our horses that we typically use haven’t been out as much, and it was pretty chilly that day, so I was a little nervous going in,” Torkelson said. “But, on course, I felt like I found a really good rhythm with the horse.”
Junior Daly Gibson and sophomore Nora Kelly also qualified to individually compete in regionals, hosted at Wyndsor Farm on March 22.
Gibson placed third in the novice division, which she said she needed to point her into the limit class.
“I was really happy with my ride in the end, even if I was kind of hoping for first,” she said.
Gibson said that her mom will be flying out from San Diego to see her compete at regionals.
Kelly earned second in the introductory division, moving her up to the pre-novice class. Additionally, Kelly qualified for the introductory class at regionals, for which she said she is “definitely more nervous” than any other show she’s competed in because of the chance to go to Zones at Centenary Equestrian Center on April 6.
But, she added that it “would be really, really, fun.”
Sophomores Bram Halpert and Ava Gustafson also qualified for regionals earlier this season in novice and limit flat and fences, respectively.
The show was a last-minute idea from Rutgers, Sylvester said, as there were only two previously scheduled shows the semester.
“It was a regional effort showing that everyone was contributing,” she said. The Lafayette team donated money to rent a horse for the show, volunteered for show operations and ran a bake sale.
For second place, Lafayette was awarded a basket including a DVD collection of all five “Ice Age” movies, Gibson said.
Reflecting the show’s scores, Delaware Valley currently leads the region with 295 cumulative points. The Maroon and White sits 112 points behind in second place, four points ahead of Bloomsburg University.
A university with programs in equine management and equine science, Delaware Valley was only added to Lafayette’s region last year, according to Sylvester.
“It’s kind of nice to have Del Val as a competition,” Kelly said. “It pushes us to do better.”
The Leopards will compete next at Delaware Valley University on Sunday, the team’s last show as a whole team, as the following show hosted by Kutztown University is during spring break.
“It’s bittersweet as a senior,” Sylvester said. “But it’ll be fun. We’re hoping to keep up our lead in second place.”
Disclaimer: Photo Editor Emma Sylvester ’25 is a member of the equestrian team. She did not contribute writing or reporting.
