CAZENOVIA, NY -- The Alfred University Western equestrian team competed Saturday, Feb. 14, in a pair of shows hosted by Cazenovia College. The Saxons won Saturday’s first show, wrapping up the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Region II team championship. The team will now begin preparations for the IHSA national semifinals, March 28 and 29.

AU junior Lauren Pfeifer (Livonia, NY/Livonia) was high-point rider in Saturday’s first show after taking second in open reigning.

First-place riders for AU in Saturday’s first show were: senior Theresa Wills (Ransomville, NY/Lewiston-Porter) in open reigning junior Kristen Kovatch (Lansdale, PA/North Penn) in advanced horsemanship; junior Michelle Applebaum (Applegate, CA/Maidu) in novice horsemanship C; and junior Josette Turro (Sussex, NJ/High Point Regional) in Intermediate Horsemanship I B. Other top riders for AU were: sophomore Allison Lawrence (New Paltz, NY/Oakwood Friends), second in open horsemanship A; freshman Annilee Obrochta (Angola, NY/Lake Shore), second in Open Horsemanship B; senior Noelle Orlowski (Wilson, NY/Mt. St. Mary Academy), second in Beginner Horsemanship A; freshman Erin Moseley (Cazenovia, NY/Canzeovia), second in Intermediate Horsemanship II B; and junior Christy Rath (Hilton, NY/Hilton), second in Beginner Horsemanship A.

Earning first-place ribbons for Alfred in Saturday’s second show were: Wills in Open Horsemanship A; Moseley in Intermediate Horsemanship II A; and senior Wanetu Tarrant (Southampton, NY/Darrow School) in Beginner Horsemanship A. Other top riders for AU in he second show included Obrochta, second in Open Horsemanship B; senior Danielle Weimer (Lima, NY/Honeoye Falls-Lima), second in Novice Horsemanship B; and freshman Katie LeSuer (Edinboro, NY/Cambridge Springs), second in Intermediate Horsemanship II B.

The following members of Alfred’s Western equestrian team have qualified to compete in the IHSA national semifinals in March: Kovatch, Applebaum , Pfeifer, senior Jenny Groen (Prattsburgh, NY/Prattsburgh); junior Kate West (Pavilion, NY/Pavilion); junior Alicia Pickett-Hale (Concord, NH/Concord), junior Natalie Grow (Hyde Park, NY/Oiur Lady of Lourdes), junior Jessica Kulik (Winslow, ME/Winslow), senior Lyndsey Patterson (Belmont, NH/Belmont), sophomore Marie MacKeller (Canisteo, NY/Manheim Township), senior Natalie Gilbert (Potsdam, NY/Parishville-Hopkinton), and senior Katie Mix (Warsaw, NY/Warsaw).