Equestrian to Host 2007 Varsity Championships
6/29/2006 12:00:00 AM | Equestrian
June 29, 2006
WACO, Texas - The 2007 Varsity Equestrian National Championships will be hosted by Baylor's equestrian program as announced by head coach Ellen White. The shows will take place in Waco's Heart of Texas Fair and Rodeo Complex in the Dodge Show Pavilion April 18-20. Only 10 Western and 12 English programs are invited annually to compete in the show.
"We have plenty of home events scheduled for this upcoming season, and by the time Nationals roll around, we'll be well versed and ready to host such a big event. It's wonderful for our program to be asked to host in only its second year as we continue to grow," said White.
In last year's Championships, Baylor's Western team entered as the ninth seed and was defeated in the first round by seventh-seeded Auburn. The English riders earned the tenth seed, advanced through the first round upsetting seventh-seeded Sacred Heart, but were then defeated in the next three shows. The English team finished the tournament in eighth place.
Currently there is no NCAA equestrian championship. In 1998, equestrian was classified as an NCAA emerging sport. Many people within the horse industry have united together to help advance the sport to full NCAA championship status. In order to attain that goal and hold a NCAA Equestrian Championship, there must be 40 Division I/II schools that sponsor equestrian as a varsity level program. Currently 21 colleges and universities offer equestrian as a varsity sport and more continue to add the program each year.
A Varsity Equestrian Championship is held each year among colleges and universities competing at the varsity level. Because equestrian has two unique disciplines, this event crowns a national champion in each of three areas; Western, English and Overall.
