In its season debut this Saturday, the equestrian team opened with a bang. The squad defeated the University of Connecticut and the University of Rhode Island by accumulating 42 points in a show at Faith Hill Farm in East Greenwich, R.I.
Last season was a banner year for the equestrian team, which took third in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Show - its best-ever finish. After a long summer layoff, the team showed no rust in its first competition.
"We rode well," said Elizabeth Giliberti '10. "We just talked about coming out well at the first show and getting it done, and we did."
Giliberti and Brianne Goutal '11 led the way for Brown. Competing in the intermediate classes as she did last season, Giliberti took first place in both the Flat and Fences competitions. Her performance secured 14 points for the team. Goutal, riding in her first collegiate show, turned in an impressive performance in the Open Division, the top flight of competition. The freshman standout from New York City took the blue ribbon in both Flat and Fences.
Brown also received contributions from upperclassmen as Irmak Tasindi '08 won the Novice Flat class and Stephanie Syc '08 triumphed in Walk Trot Canter. Other standout finishers were Rachel Griffith '10, who finished second in Novice Fences and Stephanie Carmack '08, who pinned thirdin WalkkTrot.
The biggest surprise of the show was the finish of last year's top rider, Whitney Keefe '08. Keefe finished fifth in the Caccione Cup last spring, the top national collegiate competition. Keefe took a solid second to Goutal in the Open Fences class, but did not place in Open Flat because her horse, one randomly chosen for her as is done for all riders, spooked.
"We know that horse and it's done that before," Giliberti said. "It spooked and reared right in front of the judge."
Though Brown won almost every event, UConn, which Giliberti called one of Brown's main rivals, was able to come close by racking up 39 points. URI finished with 30.
Next week the team will ride in their only official home show of the fall, at Windswept Farms in Warren.
It is "a pretty big deal," Giliberti said.
