Helania Ricciardi began her first season at the helm of the SUNY New Paltz varsity Equestrian program during its inaugural season in 2019-2020.
Ricciardi has been riding horses since she was five years old and has been a competitive rider, trainer, barn manager and barn owner ever since. During her junior year’s Ricciardi successfully competed in the Medal, Maclay and USET in the North East, gaining multiple points throughout the years.
She founded Meadow Creek Farm, which the Hawks use as their practice facility, in 2000, purchasing its current location in Pleasant Valley, NY in 2013.
Ricciardi has coached many students to success over the years. She guided riders to a reserve championship in 2’6’’ adult medal at Marshall & Sterling Finals in 2018, a third-place standing in Bit O’Straw in 2016 and seventh-place standing in three-feet at the Dover Medal at Marshall & Sterling finals.
Additionally, Ricciardi has been the head coach of the successful Meadow Creek Farm IEA High School and Middle School team for the past three years.
From 1997 to 2016, she worked at the prestigious Heritage Farm for Andre and Michael Dignelli and for the first half of her tenure there was the barn manager, responsible for overseeing the care of 50 of the top horses in the country. Her duties included supervision of full-time care, nutrition, scheduling of medical care, the training schedule and home horse shows. For the second half of her time at Heritage Farm, while maintaining responsibility for barn management of the now 110 horses, she also assumed the role of show and road manager, coordinating all travel logistics, including air, hotel and ground transportation for the horses, rider and staff. Additional responsibilities included horse show entries, tracking of riders’ points to ensure they qualified for finals, ensuring all memberships were current for horses and riders, and sales.
Ricciardi graduated from Mercy College with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Management and Administration in 2000. She currently resides on the Meadow Creek property with her two goals, 10 chickens and her dog Bailey.
Contact Helaina Ricciardi at
equestrian@hawkmail.newpaltz.edu.
