For this edition of 10 Questions, Sun columnist Katie Schubauer sits down with equestrian senior captain Kelsey Craig. They get deep into all the unique smells that come with being a member of a team so heavily involved with horses.  

1. Kelsey, you are a senior captain on the equestrian team. What has the sport meant to you over the course of your college career?

I have ridden horses my whole life, but I was planning on playing lacrosse in college. After I tore my ACL my senior year [of high school], riding was something that I could come back to and pick up again. It’s been really great to be active at the college level post-injury. 

How did you first get into equestrian when you were young?

I was too inflexible for gymnastics and too gangly for dance. 

Who is your favorite teammate and why?

Nicole Uber even though she’s afraid of horses. I have never seen a more graceful and delicate individual. It’s inspiring just watching her ride. 

2. Do you drive a car on campus or do you just ride your horse?

No I use modern transportation. Horses have feelings too. 

Apparently your car has a very distinct smell.

It does. Windows down is a requirement and not just because of my great taste in music. 

What does it smell like?

It smells like a mix between stale urine, decaying horse feces and Febreeze. No one ever wants rides to class.

Why does it smell like that?

My roommates don’t let me keep my horsey things in the house, so they live in the car. The barn smells like no other place in the world. If you drive past it you can smell it from the road. It’s not my fault, I promise. 

3. Do you have any nicknames?

My friends call me ‘Pony.’ I’m hoping it has something to do with horses. 

Do you enjoy that nickname?

It’s endearing. It’s better than some of my other nicknames in my house …

What do your teammates call you? 

My teammates call me ‘Mama K.’ 

How did that originate?

As captain I have the duty — nay the privilege — to care for others at team parties. I’ve held back a few ponytails throughout the years, so I guess you could say I am very maternal. 

4. So you live with 14 of your friends. Which one are you the most jealous of and why?

I am jealous of [senior] Mattie Prodanovic because she was a four-year varsity field hockey player and now gets to enjoy a real senior spring after recently finishing a great season. She never lets me forget it. 

5. Is it true that you have an obsession with Friendly’s waffle fries?

Guilty. They know me by name, I have the Friendly’s business card in my wallet and I may or may not have them on speed dial. 

6. Apparently you have a very large T.V. in your room. Why is that?

It’s simple. To lure boys into my room under the pretense of watching T.V. shows. Little known fact — boys have a thing for technology and T.V. Take notes, ladies.  

Speaking of T.V. and movies, I hear you have some pretty funny habits when you go to the movie theater. 

You say funny habit, I say Ithaca’s best-kept secret. It’s not a movie without pizza delivered directly to your seat. I hold up a neon yellow card and they come right to me. They don’t deliver to Linden Avenue — I asked. 

Every time?

Every time. They know me by name, too. 

7. Please tell us the story about the time you were in your house and stepped in something not so pleasant. 

This is a deeply repressed memory, so you’re lucky I like you, Katie. It was a blustery 5 a.m. No one really is awake or paying attention to the surroundings at that ungodly hour, so when I stepped in a squishy something I didn’t think much of it. (Yes, I realize my mistake now, thank you.) I went to brush my teeth and when I came back out in the hallway I looked and saw what could only be explained as a big cow pie. I’m not sure of much at 5 a.m., but I knew, “This is not ideal.” We think it was probably a prank of some sort, but we are still not laughing. 

8. You are obviously very involved on campus. What would you say is your throbbing passion?

My throbbing passion you ask? Undoubtedly the Cornell men’s polo team.

Speaking of the polo team, you are very good friends with senior captain Max Constant. So Kelsey, polo or equestrian — would you do better at polo or would Max do better at equestrian?

To be honest I think he might do better at equestrian. My hand-eye coordination isn’t what it used to be, but I accept your challenge, Max.

9. Tell us about the time you were on an away trip with your team and you had a little incident sharing a bed with a senior on the team. 

Woah. Okay, it was one time. I like to sleep in the very cold and my roommate liked … it very hot, and I mean sometimes you do things when you are sleeping. And … I took my pants off. 

How did that go over the next morning when you emerged from the bed pantsless?

She was surprisingly okay with it. 

You’ve obviously had some interesting experiences on the team. Your coach encourages you to use the phrase “I can feel it.” What is that about?

So we were on a van ride to a tournament in Virginia. Eight or nine hours in a van can get pretty boring after the third speeding ticket so I decided to play a little game with myself where from the edge of Ithaca to our destination I was going to not use the restroom. I may or may not be the most stubborn person in the world so I held my pee for nine hours. Coach [Chris Mitchell] is very concerned about our health, so he informed us that it was not a healthy thing to do. In order to prevent something like that from recurring, we have instated the “Kelsey Rule,” and you now have to inform him when “you can feel it.” (I still won, coach). 

10. Which other Cornell team do you like to hang out with the most?

I don’t really know anyone on the team, but I want to hang out with the baseball team because I really dig their tight pants … I mean uniforms.