VENC WRAP UP

The 2007-08 Varsity Equestrian season concluded April 17-19 at the Heart O’ Texas Fairgrounds in Waco, Texas, with the Varsity Equestrian National Championship competition. New national team titles were given out for Western, Hunter Seat, and overall team champions, along with the inaugural Individual Champion in both Western and Hunter Seat events. This season was filled with hard earned victories and hard losses for teams across the nation from September to April. The 2008 VENC was no exception from the rest of the season either, with each team working towards the championship round at the end of the week. The University of Georgia captured the overall team title with Texas A&M as the reserve National Champions.

In the Hunter Seat side of competition, the top six seeds took home the top six placings, with half of the teams placing exactly as they were ranked. Host team and 6th seed Baylor University played 4th seed University of South Carolina for the 5th and 6th places Saturday morning with the Gamecocks defeating the Bears 7-1. Also for grabs that morning were the 3rd and 4th place team finishes which featured the top ranked Oklahoma State Cowgirls against third seed University of Georgia Bulldogs. The University of Georgia came out on top soundly defeating Oklahoma State 6-1.

The Championship round for the Hunter Seat title faced second ranked Texas A&M University against fifth ranked Auburn University. While the Aggies’ team is no stranger to national titles, this would be the first time ever for the Hunter Seat team to make it to the championship round. While the Auburn Tigers had also won a national team title, Hunter Seat team had previously competed but had never been able to pull out a win. With a 3-1 victory in Equitation on the Flat and 2-1 win in Equitation over Fences, Auburn pulled out their first ever Hunter Seat national championship win 5-2 over Texas A&M.

The Western competition followed the Hunter Seat lead with the top six seeds taking the top six placings as well. 4th seed Texas A&M University defeated 6th seed University of South Carolina 6-2 for the 5th place title. The 5th ranked Kansas State University Wildcats played 3rd ranked Oklahoma State Cowgirls for the third place title. The Wildcats won their match against Cowgirls 6-1.

Texas Christian University made their second tip to VENC as the number one seed of the tournament and finished the same way the started. After defeating Baylor University and Kansas State University during the first two days of competition, TCU beat the University of Georgia for the national title. In a close competition, the outcome was determined through raw scores after a 4-4 tie. TCU came out on top 1168.5 to UGA’s 1161.0.

The first ever individual championships were also held in each event Saturday morning. The top four riders in Equitation on the Flat, Equitation over Fences, Horsemanship, and Reining competed in a preliminary round Saturday morning in a mini-tournament bracket. The winners from each set competed during the team championship rounds Saturday afternoon. The 2008 Individual Reining champion University of Georgia sophomore Sarah Locker, and sophomore Caroline Gunn of Texas A&M University won the Individual Horsemanship championship. Senior Kristin Terebesi of the University of South Carolina captured both the Equitation on the Flat and Equitation over Fences championship awards.

In an effort to also recognize the other most valuable players at VENC, the horses brought in from all over the country, Nutrena sponsors a Most Valuable Horse award for each event. The winners are chosen by the schools and are given a year’s worth of feed by Nutrena. Baylor University provided both of the Most Valuable Hunter Seat horses with a school-owned chestnut gelding named Maverick winning for Equitation over Fences, and a bay Warmblood stallion named Caleb, on loan from head coach Ellen White, earning the award for Equitation on the Flat. In the horsemanship category, the oldest horse of the competition, a 22 year old Quarter Horse mare owned by Kansas State University and named Misbehavin’ I Aint, better known as Sister, won the honors. The Most Valuable Reining horse award was given to a sorrel Quarter Horse gelding by the name of Cooper, brought to the show by Texas A&M University.

With champions crowned for another year, the end of the 2007-08 season means that the 2008-09 season is just around the corner. As classes end, many riders will head home to show and ride on their own, some will stick around campus to take summer classes, and others will try to stay as far away from the barn as possible. Regardless of their plans, the new season will begin in September with just 6 more months after that until new champions are named once again.