St. Lawrence University junior Emily D'Alessandro came within a whisker of a win in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Cacchione Cup competition, finishing second, the highest-ever finish for a Saint rider in that event.

D'Alessandro also rode in the team competition in a busy Saturday and finished fifth in open equitation on the flat. While the Saints fell short in their bid for three straight national titles, they did record their fourth straight top five finish in the national championship show as they were fifth in the 14-team field. Centenary College ran away with the team title, scoring 31 points.

The Cacchione Cup is a two-phase competition among the nation's high point riders, who are judged on their horsemanship both over fences and on the flat. D'Alessandro, Region 2 High Point Rider, scored 170.5 points, 85.0 over fences and 85.5 on the flat for her runner-up finish. A total 47 riders were in the competition and 37 earned points toward the title. Vermont's Alexandra Carlton won the title after a Saturday morning jump-off.

D'Alessandro is the first Saint rider to crack the top ten in the high point rider competition since the introduction of the current format. Suzanne Snyder had back-to-back 13th place finishes in 2010 and 2011 for the previous best.