02/11/2026
ALUMNI UPDATE!!!
Our trip to the 2026 Fall Invitational Tournament at UVA in Charlottesville was a great one. In addition to the Championship win by our men, and a strong showing by our women, we were so proud to see so many friends, alumni, and parents here supporting us.
It was my absolute pleasure to meet the lovely Olga Baer, whose husband, Dr. George Baer, was a member of the 1958 Men's National Championship team at Cornell. And there's family legacy now, too, as his granddaughter, Samantha ("Sammi") Iahn is a sophomore team member for our current women's varsity team.
It was also a very special moment to meet with William H. Speiden ("Bill"), Class of 1958, who was a team mate of George Baer on the 1958 Championship team. Bill makes his home in central Virginia and after decades as a dairy farmer, has taught history, and has also published several books over the years, which include some of his memories of being a member of the Cornell Polo team.
Being a member of the Cornell Polo team is not only about the wins and losses, the long hours, the dedication, the time in the saddle, the work, the sweat, the tears, the elation of a win, or the agony of defeat ... it is about recognizing how special this program is, and has been for so many years. It is so important to take every opportunity to learn, to hear the stories of those that came before us, and to recognize that we are so much bigger than any one person, and we are so very proud of our team, and its extraordinarily proud history.
Many thanks to everyone who helped us pull of this very successful week in Virginia, and a special shoutout to Alexandra Baer for helping to coordinate a very special "meeting of the minds" in Charlottesville. ❤️❤️❤️🐻🐻🐻🐴🐴🐴
~ Coach Condo
