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Georgia Claims Equestrian National Championship; Texas A&M Wins Western Title, Georgia Victorious in Hunter Seat

Release: April 24 2009

Author: smeier

Content provided by Julie Bennett, Baylor University

WACO, TX— For the second straight season, the Georgia Bulldogs claimed the overall team title on Saturday at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships (VENC), held at the Heart O’ Texas Fair and Rodeo Complex in Waco, TX. The win marked Georgia’s fourth VENC national championship. In addition, the Bulldogs took home the Hunter Seat team championship, their fourth and the first since 2004, while Texas A&M claimed its third VENC Western title and first since 2005.

In the Hunter Seat championship round, Georgia, the bracket’s second seed, soundly defeated the top-seeded Auburn Tigers, 7-1. The Bulldogs streaked off to a 4-0 Flat sweep and continued its excellent riding with a 3-1 triumph in fences over Bobby Murphy’s creative and challenging championship course. Emma Lipman, Michelle Morris, Katie Hagerty and Haylie Jayne all posted Flat wins while Jayne, Lipman and Kelley Cowperthwait all won in Fences. Maggie McAlary recorded Auburn’s lone win earning a point in Fences.

Top-seeded Texas A&M triumphed over defending champion TCU, 7-1 to convincingly claim the championship Western trophy. Horsemanship was especially strong for the Aggies as they swept all four rides. Claiming wins for the Aggies were Randi Standley, Caroline Gunn, Katie Lisabeth and Sibyl Parsons. Maggie Gratny, Genna Fishgold and Amanda Ryan all registered Reining wins for Texas A&M, while Carrie Von Uhlit claimed the only TCU victory on the night, a win in Reining.

In individual competition Georgia swept the top two spots in Fences with a win by Jayne, the bracket’s top seed, followed by a second place finish by Cowperthwait, a No. 7 seed. Oklahoma State’s Ally Blais, seeded second, claimed the top spot in Flat by beating fifth-seeded Victoria Middleton of South Carolina. Texas A&M’s Gunn, seeded No. 1, repeated as Horsemanship national champion with a win over second-seeded Courtney Chown of TCU. TCU’s Von Uhlit, a No. 2 seed, won a squeaker in Reining over eighth-seeded Bri Parnell of Oklahoma State, 142.5-142.

Overall Team Results
1. Georgia
2. Texas A&M
3. Oklahoma State

Hunter Seat Team Results
1. Georgia
2. Auburn
3. South Carolina
4. Baylor
5. Oklahoma State

Western Team Results
1. Texas A&M
2. TCU
3. Oklahoma State
4. Georgia
5. Kansas State

Saturday Results
Western Team Bracket - Brackets M, N
(5) Kansas State def. (7) South Carolina 6-1, KSU finishes fifth, USC sixth
(4) Oklahoma State def. (3) Georgia 5-3, OSU finishes third, UGA fourth

Championship
(1) Texas A&M def. (2) TCU 7-1

Individual
Reining Semifinals
(8) Bri Parnell (OSU) def. (4) Kate Chesley (NMSU) 131-115
(2) Carrie Von Uhlit (TCU) def. (6) Sarah Locker (UGA) 132-127.5

Reining Championship
(2) Carrie Von Uhlit (TCU) def. (8) Bri Parnell (OSU) 142.5-142

Horsemanship Semifinals
(1) Caroline Gunn (TAMU) def. (5) Alyssa Freeman (KSU) 152.5-140
(2) Courtney Chown (TCU) def. (6) Kate Chesley (NMSU) 147-5-144

Horsemanship Championship
(1) Caroline Gunn (TAMU) def. (2) Courtney Chown (TCU) 154.5-151

Hunter Seat Team Bracket - Brackets M, N
(3) South Carolina def. (4) Baylor 6-2
(6) Oklahoma State def. (5) Texas A&M 6-2

Championship
(2) Georgia def. (1) Auburn 7-1

Individual Competition
Flat Semifinals
(5) Victoria Middleton def. (8) Haylie Jayne (UGA)
(2) Ally Blais (OSU) def. (3) Carly Babcock (USC)

Flat Championship
(2) Ally Blais (OSU) def. (5) Victoria Middleton 143-134 (rideoff)

Fences Semifinals
(1) Haylie Jayne (UGA) def. (5) Anna Schierholz (AU) 168-160
(7) Kelley Cowperthwait (UGA) def. (3) Maggie McAlary (AU) 154-0

Fences Championship
(1) Haylie Jayne (UGA) def. (7) Kelley Cowperthwait (UGA) 173-162

For additional information, please contact Julie Bennett, Associate Direct

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