The American Quarter Horse Journal, April 17, 2009 – At the end of the second day of competition at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships, the contest continued to be tight.
In the western bracket, Texas A&M University and Texas Christian University, the No. 1 and No. 2 seeds, respectively, have earned the right to compete for the national title.
The championships began Thursday in Waco, Texas, and will conclude Saturday with the naming of a national champion. Varsity competition is a tournament, with the winner of each bracket advancing to the next round.
“AQHA works in cooperation with the U.S. Equestrian Federation to promote and advance the sport of equestrianism at the collegiate level,” said Leman Wall, AQHA director of corporate and affiliate partnerships. “The competition is good for our industry. Strong collegiate programs offer academic and athletic opportunities for young riders as well as good homes and good jobs for accomplished show horses.”
Varsity athletes compete in horsemanship and reining in the western bracket. In the English bracket, they compete in equitation on the flat and equitation over fences. The riders get a short warm-up period before they show unfamiliar horses.
In the Varsity system, exhibitors compete head-to-head on the same horse. The competitor with the better score earns a point for her school. The school with the most points advances.
“Even if parts of your ride aren’t great, you show through it,” said junior Laura Browne, a former American Quarter Horse Youth Association top-10 exhibitor who now rides for Kansas State University. “Horsemanship is judged like reining, so each part is separate. Just because one part didn’t go well doesn’t mean your whole ride is bad. Even if you get a horse that misbehaves for you, he might be just as bad for the other girl.”
Kansas State will duel for fifth place Saturday in the western division. The University of Georgia and Oklahoma State University will fight it out for third and fourth while Texas A&M University and last year’s winner Texas Christian University face off in the championship round.
“We are excited to be crowning our national champions Saturday,” Wall said. “This year’s contest is marked by strong teams and strong riders. We look forward to some excellent horsemanship.”
Two AQHA judges, Bonnie Miller and Andrea Simons, are the judges for the western events.
To learn more about Varsity Equestrian National Championships and see results, go to www.varsityequestrian.com.
AQHA news and information is a service of AQHA publications. For more information on The American Quarter Horse Journal, The American Quarter Horse Racing Journal or America’s Horse, visit www.aqha.com/magazines.
