Equestrian Set For Willis Invitational
9/10/2009 12:00:00 AM | Equestrian
Sept. 10, 2009
FORT WORTH, Texas - The TCU women's equestrian program opens its 2009 campaign this weekend at the Willis Invitational in Waco. The Horned Frogs will take on Miami (Ohio) on Friday at 4 p.m., before closing out the invite against host school Baylor on Saturday morning at 10:30 a.m.
TCU, who returns nearly every rider from a squad that competed at the 2009 Varsity Equestrian National Championships, will open up against the RedHawks inside the Willis Family Equestrian Center. Action begins in Waco with the first round of horsemanship and equitation on the flat starting at 4 p.m., while equitation over fences and reigning will follow at approximately 5 p.m. Second round competition is slated to begin at 6 p.m. on Friday.
"With almost no exception every student-athlete has progressed over the summer," said head coach Gary Reynolds. "We should be able to analyze some of our freshmen this weekend. I am looking for consistency from our reining team and for the hunt seat girls to put some points on the board this weekend."
Follow The Horned Frogs
A full recap and final results will be available following both days of competition in Waco on GoFrogs.com.
Scouting TCU
TCU is coming off a season in which the Frogs collected runner-up honors in the western division at the 2009 Varsity Equestrian National Championships.
The Purple and White will be led this fall by returning senior Carrie von Uhlit, who captured the National Championship in reigning last spring. Sophomore Courtney Chown also returns for the Frogs this fall after earning runner-up honors in horsemanship at the National Championships, which took place in Waco. Senior Chloe Baker could have a big season this fall after securing 13 wins between horsemanship and reining during the 2008-09 campaign, while Ashley Aikman is poised for a breakout junior season after winning eight games last year. Junior Kelsey Huffman will once again be a big factor for TCU this season. Huffman went 21-9 during her sophomore campaign, recording a 9-3 record in horsemanship.
The Frogs hunt seat team, which made its first ever appearance at the National Championships last spring, will be led this season by Taylor Frederick and Jessica Hagen. Both riders excelled last season with Frederick, a sophomore from Morrison, Colo., recording 10 victories and five MVP honors in competition. Tassie Munroe, Milana Trimino and Lauren Quiroz should also play a big role on the english side after having solid seasons in 2008-09.
The Newcomers
Fans could potentially see plenty of new faces this weekend in Waco as three or more newcomers could see action. Callie Selchau, Lexie Estrada and Kolby Simonson could all make their TCU debut at the Willis Invitational.
Success In Waco
When TCU opens its season this weekend in Waco, the Frogs will return to a place where they have garnered much success the past couple of years. Last spring, TCU saw both its western and hunt seat teams compete at the National Championships, with the western team earning runner-up honors. In 2008, the Horned Frogs collected the program's first team-title, winning the Western National Championship in a tiebreaker.
Last Season At The Willis Invitational
The Horned Frogs went 1-1 on the final day of competition in Waco as they upended New Mexico State, 6-5, but fell to host school Baylor in the third and final round. In the opening round, the Frogs dropped a heartbreaker to Fresno State, 705-701.5.
Senior Spotlight
Chloe Baker returns this fall after collecting 13 wins in 2008-09, competing in both horsemanship and reining. Baker scored a 75 twice in horsemanship against West Texas A&M and South Carolina, respectively. She closed out the season earning a victory against South Carolina in the second round of the 2009 Varsity Equestrian Western National Championships.
Up Next
Following action in Waco, TCU will travel to Auburn, Ala., on Friday, Sept. 18 for a match against Auburn.
Players Mentioned
