Hunter Seat Riders Finish 6th in VENC
4/19/2008 12:00:00 AM | Equestrian
April 19, 2008
WACO, Texas -
Complete Results in PDF Format 
Baylor's hunter seat team posted its best-ever finish at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships (VENC), finishing sixth in the competition at the Heart O' Texas Fair Complex. The Bears' previous best finishes were eighth in 2006 and `07.
Baylor finished sixth with a 7-1 loss to defending national champion South Carolina. Junior Nicole Brown earned the team's lone point with a 169-166 victory over Megan Massaro in Equitation Over Fences.
"I thought we had a solid performance by all of our girls," said head coach Ellen White. "Our first ride (vs. UT Martin) we came out like gangbusters. In our second match against Georgia our nerves got to us and we made silly mistakes. In the match today we didn't win but rode well, I'm not disappointed at all."
Brown represented Baylor in the competition's first-ever individual national championship. The Zionsville, Ind., native advanced to the title match when she and Oklahoma State's Ally Blais both registered rides of 170. However, Brown moved on by winning the tiebreaker on a judges decision. In the championship match, South Carolina's Kristin Terebesi claimed the championship with a 162-160 win over Brown. Terebesi went on to win the Equitation on the Flat national championship as well.
"Nicole had a tough weekend. I'm really proud that she put it all together. She made a couple of mistakes in the championship match that opened the door for her opponent. However, she turned in a solid performance every single time," said White.
Two horses used by the equestrian team were honored as well. Caleb, owned by White was named the Most Valuable Horse in Equitation on the Flat and Maverick, a Baylor-owned horse, earned the same honor for Equitation Over Fences.
Players Mentioned
