Polo

Cornell Polo boasts a proud, tradition-rich history dating back to the early 20th century (1919, to be exact). Under the direction of Maj. T. J. J. Christian and Maj. Ralph Hospital, the mounted ROTC Field Artillery Unit began playing polo to keep the ponies fit and mentally sharp. In 1934, polo became a varsity sport within the Department of Athletics at Cornell, one of the first and currently the only varsity polo program in the United States. The men’s team currently has 12 USPA National Championships to their credit, most recently the USPA Division II title in 2024. Women’s polo has been played at Cornell since 1972, and since that time has been equally successful on the national stage, winning 15 USPA National Championships, including an unprecedented five straight from 2000 through 2004. Most recently, the women won back-to-back Championships in 2015 and 2016.

The club is made up of students from across all undergraduate colleges at Cornell, and currently has around 40 playing members each year on its first-year, junior varsity, and varsity teams combined. Teams practice twice per week with additional skill sessions and drills throughout the year, rules clinics, and varsity games on Friday and/or Saturday evenings. Admission to home matches played at Cornell’s Oxley Equestrian Center is free. The team relies on team dues and fundraising activities across the year to fund the team operations, travel, equipment, and horse care (daily board, veterinary care, and farrier).

Equestrian

The Cornell Women's Equestrian team was first granted Varsity status in 1995 and has consistently grown to be a force to be reckoned with at the Regional, Zone, Ivy, and National level. In the past 10 years the team has won eight Regional Championships, seven Ivy League Show Championship titles, a Zone Reserve Championship, and had their first appearance at Nationals in the team event in 2016 where they placed 7th overall from the over 400 teams in the country competing in the IHSA yearly. The team has also had numerous Regional, Zone, Ivy, and even a National Championship Individual winner.

The team is made up of approximately 25 undergraduate women yearly and owns 18 of their own horses to use in practice and competition. The team not only participates in practice, gym requirements, and competition, but also cares for the team horses themselves and largely funds the program through donations and revenue. The IHSA (Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association) format allows for all levels of rider to have opportunities to compete with equal importance across the skill levels, which promotes an inclusive and learning-oriented environment.