Sept. 24, 2008
WACO, Texas - Baylor's equestrian team will open its 2008-09 season by hosting the first-annual Willis Invitational on Friday and Saturday, Sept. 26 and 27. The four-team round robin competition will be held at the Willis Family Equestrian Center. The event is open to the public and no admission is charged.
Joining the Bears in the competition are Fresno State, New Mexico State and Texas Christian. Competition begins at 4:30 p.m. on Friday and 9:30 a.m. on Saturday.
Schedule of Events
Friday, Sept. 26
4:30 p.m. - First Round
Baylor vs. New Mexico State
Fresno State vs. Texas Christian
Saturday, Sept. 27
9:30 a.m. - Second Round
Baylor vs. Fresno State
New Mexico State vs. Texas Christian
3:00 p.m. - Third Round
Baylor vs. Texas Christian
Fresno State vs. New Mexico State
6:00 p.m. - Awards Ceremony
Order of Events
Jumping - Outdoor arena; Reining - Indoor arena (contested simultaneously)
Horsemanship and Flat (indoor arena, contested simultaneously)
The competition format will feature a series of head-to-head match ups. The team accumulating the most head-to-head victories will win the overall match. In the event of a tie, the victor will be determined by total points. In addition, there will be an individual award for the most valuable rider in each event. Three riders will compete in each event.
The Bears are expected to be led this season by the program's first three-year letterwinners. Seniors Nicole Brown, Kim Marlowe, Nicole McCoy, Shelby White and Cara Wilson are the only letterwinners that have been with the program since its inception four years ago.
"We are excited to host what we plan on becoming a yearly event. We appreciate the Willis family's assistance and support in making this an exciting event for both riders and spectators. We encourage people to come out and watch the competition. Since this is our first competition of the season, we are excited to jump right in and get our feet wet. This is just our fourth year as a program and our first year to have seniors, so we're looking for good things this year," said head coach Ellen White.
The Willis Family Equestrian Center is located on University Parks Drive, approximately one mile past Baylor's Ferrell Center.
