April 6, 2009
WACO, Texas - For the third straight season Baylor and Waco will host the Varsity Equestrian National Championships (VENC) at the Heart of Texas Fair and Rodeo Complex, April 16-18. The Lady Bear's will enter the 2009 VENC as the No. 4 and No. 6 seeds in Hunter Seat and Western, respectively.
Senior Nicole Brown and freshman Lisa Goldman will compete for the VENC individual national title in Equitation over Fences, while junior Allison Orosz will compete in Horsemanship.
Baylor's Hunter Seat squad, currently with a 13-4 record, will enter the VENC show in the No. 4 spot. The Lady Bears finished sixth at last season's national championships, their best-ever finish. The western team will enter the show as the No. 6 seed after posting an 8-7 record this season.
Brown, from Zionsville, Ind., will compete for the VENC's individual national championship title in fences for the second straight season. Brown has tallied 13 points in 16 rides this season and garnered MVP honors three times in the event. Goldman, from Hawthorn Woods, Ill., will also ride for the VENC's individual national championship title in fences. Goldman has recorded 11 wins in 13 matches with five MVP honors.
Orosz, from Salem, Ohio, becomes Baylor's first western rider to compete as and individual. She will ride for the VENC's individual national championship title in Horsemanship. Orosz has led the Horsemanship team with 10 wins in 15 matches, along with four MVP honors.
Twelve Hunter Seat and twelve Western teams were chosen to participate by the VENC Selection Committee. Championship awards are given to the tournament's overall winner as well as the best English and Western programs.
The 2009 Hunter Seat teams include, in seeded order:
1. Auburn
2. Georgia
3. South Carolina
4. Baylor University
5. Texas A&M
6. Oklahoma State
7. Fresno State
8. Kansas State
9. UT-Martin
10. Texas Christian
11. SMU
12. Delaware State
The 2009 Western teams include:
1. Texas A&M
2. Texas Christian
3. Georgia
4. Oklahoma State
5. Kansas State
6. Baylor
7. South Carolina
8. Auburn
9. New Mexico State
10. South Dakota State
11. Fresno State 12. UT-Martin.
The Georgia Bulldogs claimed the 2008 overall title, while Texas Christian won Western and Auburn won Hunter Seat.
