Equestrian rides into Texas ready for NCEA Championships

The UTM Equestrian team has had yet another fruitful season, being nationally ranked yet again. However, the National Collegiate Equestrian Association championships are closing in right around the corner.

At the United Equestrian Conference Championship in Dallas, Texas, UTM came in as the number two seed, behind hosts Southern Methodist University and followed by three seed, Fresno State and four seed, South Dakota State University. UTM first went up against Fresno State, who they met earlier in the year on Nov. 9 and defeated 11-5. This time, however, the Skyhawks were unable to triumph over the Bulldogs, losing 10-6. The next day UTM would ride against SDSU, who they’d also met earlier in the year on Feb. 24, and also found victory in a 10-6 win. The match between UTM and SDSU this competition was much closer, however. The contest ended in a tie at 8-8, but SDSU would win the tiebreaker.

The team has not rode again since the loss to SDSU on March 31; their next outing being the upcoming NCEA Championships beginning on April 18 in Waco, Texas. In between meets, some of the riders were still recognized on April 10, as nine of the team members were recipients of the APHA NCEA Academic Honor Roll. The requirements for receiving this award are that the athletes earn a minimum cumulative GPA of 3.25 while maintaining full-time enrollment in the previous spring and fall semesters. UTM’s recipients are Jade Blesky, Bobbie Piddock, Megan Aiosa, Randi LaChance, Sydney Lintner, Gwen Bracey, Sammi Felts, Savannah Metheny and Johnie Parker.

Looking ahead to the NCEA Championships, UTM was not placed in the top eight rankings for the team seeding but was placed in the top 10 in three of the event seeding’s. UTM was given the number eight seed for Equitation over Fences, the number eight seed for Equitation on the Flat, the number 10 seed for Horsemanship, as well as the number 11 seed for Reining.

In the equitation over fences event, UTM will start off with a chance to break the season series tie with their third meeting against nine seed Fresno State. If the Skyhawks were to win, they would then go up against one seed (in fences, overall four seed) and defending National Champions Texas A&M, so the road to the fences final will not be easy.

For equitation on the flat, UTM will again first face off against Fresno State. If they win, they’ll have the overall one seed, Georgia, who’s also won the most NCEA Championships since its inception in 2002 with six, waiting on them.

In horsemanship, UTM will go up against seven seed SMU, with two seed Auburn waiting for the winner out of this category.

And for reining, UTM’s lowest event seeding, the Skyhawks will face six seed, and the host to this year’s championships, Baylor.

Although UTM didn’t place in the team seeding bracket, starting on April 18, the UTM equestrian women will still be preparing to give the higher seed’s a competitive outing in Waco, Texas.

Top: Sophomore Agricultural Communications and Agricultural Business major Jade Bleskey sits atop her horse.

Above: A western team member rides her horse through the pailion to be judged.

Photo Credits/Sports Information