Horned Frogs Set For Varsity Equestrian National Championships
4/13/2011 12:00:00 AM | Equestrian
April 13, 2011
HUNT SEAT BRACKET | WESTERN BRACKET
FORT WORTH, Texas - The No. 8 TCU equestrian team will open competition Thursday at the 2011 Varsity Equestrian National Championships in Waco.This is the fifth-straight year that the Horned Frogs have been invited to nationals, which will take place at the Extraco Events Center. The Frogs made program history last season, wrapping up competition in fourth-place, which is the highest finish ever for a Horned Frog squad at nationals.
The TCU Western team enters the tournament as the No. 6 seed. The Frogs, who finished fifth overall at the 2010 National Championships, will open tournament play versus No. 11 Fresno State. The Bulldogs and Horned Frogs split the overall season-series, 1-1.
The Frogs' Hunt Seat team makes its third-straight appearance at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships as they enter the tournament as the No. 9 seed, which is the highest pre-tournament seeding ever on the English side. TCU will play No. 8 Kansas State in first round action as it looks for only its second victory ever over the Wildcats.
"This is the hardest working team I have ever seen," said head coach Gary Reynolds. "This team is ready and I am so proud of them because of that. They have worked so hard to get to this point."
Follow The Horned Frogs
Fans not able to attend the Varsity Equestrian National Championships can follow the action live by logging onto www.gofrogs.com. Following each day in Waco, a full recap and final results will be posted daily on the TCU athletics website. A live webcast will also be made available during competition by clicking on the live video link on the right side of the schedule page.
All-American Status
Courtney Chown, Ashley Aikman and Callie Selchau made program history earlier this month, earning Varsity Equestrian All-America accolades.
Chown, a junior from Pilot Point, was named All-American in Horsemanship, while Aikman and Selchau received honorable mention All-America honors. Aikman was an honorable mention All-America honoree in Horsemanship, while Selchau earned honorable mention accolades in Equitation on the Flat. The trio are the first ever All-American recipients in TCU equestrian history.
The Opening Slate In Waco
Competition is slated to begin on Thursday at 8:30 a.m. in Waco and will continue through Saturday afternoon.
As a team, the No. 6 seeded Western squad will begin competition at 8:30 a.m. on Thursday with Reining, while Horsemanship will follow at 1:00 p.m. from inside the Extracto Coliseum.
On the English side, No. 9 seeded TCU will battle No. 8 Kansas State on Thursday morning at approximately 8:30 a.m. in Equitation on the Flat, while the Frogs will open competition against the Wildcats at approximately 12:30 p.m. in Equitation over Fences at the Extracto Show Pavilion.
National Championship History
When TCU begins competition on Thursday in Waco, the Frogs will carry a storied history into nationals. In 2008, the Purple and White captured the Western National Championship. They followed that up in 2009 earning Reserve Western National Championship accolades, falling to Texas A&M in the finals.
Last spring, the squad made program history, wrapping up competition in fourth-place in the final team standings at the 2010 Varsity Equestrian National Championships. The fourth-place finish is the highest placing for a Horned Frog squad at nationals.
The TCU Western squad collected fifth-place, while the Hunt Seat team placed sixth overall on the final day of the championships at the Heart O' Texas Fair Complex. The sixth-place showing on the English side is highest placing for a Horned Frog Hunt Seat team at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships.
Individually, former Horned Frog great Carrie von Uhlit was crowned the 2009 individual champion in Reining, while now junior Courtney Chown brought home second-place honors in Horsemanship in 2009, dropping a heartbreaker in the finals to Texas A&M's Caroline Gunn.
Scouting TCU
TCU heads into nationals with a 7-4 record after downing Oklahoma State to close the month of March. The Frogs are currently ranked No. 8 in the Varsity Equestrian National Poll.
Tassie Munroe and Kelsey Huffman both collected MVP accolades as No. 8 TCU upended No. 4 Oklahoma State on senior day at October Hill Farm, 12-8.
Kelsey Huffman has led TCU in Reining this season, going 7-3 overall with four MVP honors, while junior Courtney Chown is a perfect 9-0-0 in Horsemanship with four MVP accolades. Ashley Aikman has also been solid for the Frogs in Horsemanship, recording a 7-3 overall record.
On the Hunt Seat side, Taylor Frederick has captured five wins in Equitation over Fences, while Victoria Lee has posted two MVP honors to go along with four victories. In Equitation on the Flat, senior Tassie Munroe is 6-4 on the season, while Callie Selchau is 5-1 on the year with one MVP.
Scouting Kansas State
Kansas State comes into nationals with a 5-11 overall record. The English squad has received solid contributions this season by junior Stephanie Patterson and sophomore Larissa Laffey. Patterson has recorded three MVP honors, while Laffey has posted nine victories this season. Both should be major factors heading into competition Thursday morning.
Scouting Fresno State
A familiar foe to the Horned Frogs, Fresno State comes into this week with a 4-6 overall record, but is ranked No. 9 in the national polls. The Lady Bulldogs traveled to October Hill Farm in February and dropped a 7-3 decision on the Western side to TCU, but battled to a 3-3 draw in Fresno.
Madison Silber has led FSU this season with a 6-2 record in Horsemanship with one MVP honor, while Sydney Colleti is 3-3-2 with two MVP accolades in Reining, including one against the Purple and White on Feb. 13. Freshman Sonya Koch has also been solid, posting a 7-3 overall record in Reining.
Players Mentioned
