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The master Varsity Equestrian schedule has been released. Here are the meets involving SMU:

Sept 23 TCU
Sept 30 Fresno State
Oct 1 at Oklahoma State
Oct 21 at New Mexico State (hosted by Delaware State)
Oct 22 at Delaware State
Oct 23 at Sacred Heart
Oct 28 South Carolina
Nov 12 at Baylor
Mar 2 South Dakota State
Mar 9 Georgia

Apr 14-16 Varsity Equestrian National Championships

OK - based on the schedule (especially the lack of activity in February), I can only guess we are only competing in Huntseat competitions and totally igorning Western again. I don't know this obviously, but it sure looks that way. I really don't understand why we don't up our Western program, as the lack of Western competition is certainly the reason we were snubbed for the National Championships last season.

I certainly wish the program the best and will support them as much as possible, but I still think we should be competing in Western even if we aren't that good at it yet.

Either way, you really should head down to Buck Branch for a meet - it's a blast!

Plus you really shouldn't miss All-American Jordyn Pettersen in her senior season. Her performances over fences are unbelievable.

Hopefully we will have enough success in Huntseat they will have to take us for the national tournament next season.

Not to be rude, but the team isn't just "ignoring" western—there is only a Hunt Seat team at this time. Riders can't just cross over as they wish. As an alum of the team, I, along with most of my teammates, had only ever competed in Hunt Seat competitions. (I had been riding for 14+ years, solely Hunt Seat, when I was recruited by SMU.) SMU doesn't have the facilities or the horses for a Western team.

Additionally, the lack of a western team has nothing to do with "being snubbed" for nationals. If you notice, the team has been to Nationals several times before. Nationals is based on records, and last year the team simply didn't have a good enough record to qualify.

loratliff wrote:Not to be rude, but the team isn't just "ignoring" western—there is only a Hunt Seat team at this time. Riders can't just cross over as they wish. As an alum of the team, I, along with most of my teammates, had only ever competed in Hunt Seat competitions. (I had been riding for 14+ years, solely Hunt Seat, when I was recruited by SMU.) SMU doesn't have the facilities or the horses for a Western team.

Additionally, the lack of a western team has nothing to do with "being snubbed" for nationals. If you notice, the team has been to Nationals several times before. Nationals is based on records, and last year the team simply didn't have a good enough record to qualify.

Sorry if it sounded rude, and thanks for your input.

I know we participated in one or two western events a couple of years ago and I was just thinking we might add more since I would imagine it would help the program nationally. I do understand the difference obviously. Personally, I much prefer Huntseat anyway.

I thought we were the 12th best Huntseat program last season, and found it more than just a coincidence they invited 12 teams to nationals who could fill both brackets - just my opinion. We were also really getting stronger towards the end of last season so I was pretty upset we didn't make nationals.

Hopefully we will get back this year!

I was on the team a couple of years ago and we have never participated in a Western event. There have never been Western riders on the team, thus it's an impossibility, both past and present.

As far as 2011 Nationals, it was pure coincidence that every team had both Western and Hunt Seat riders. The team performed poorly last year. A loss is a loss. I never won a horse show based on effort.

loratliff wrote:I was on the team a couple of years ago and we have never participated in a Western event. There have never been Western riders on the team, thus it's an impossibility, both past and present.

As far as 2011 Nationals, it was pure coincidence that every team had both Western and Hunt Seat riders. The team performed poorly last year. A loss is a loss. I never won a horse show based on effort.

I just checked the archives - we did do some western competitions but it was more like 2004/2005 - I can't believe it was way back then. I was thinking it was just a couple of years ago. It also looks like we just did horsemanship and not reigning.

http://smumustangs.cstv.com/sports/w-eq ... aaa.html#_

Anyway, personally I really enjoy Huntseat, and have no interest in Western, but I guess it's probably a bit harder to run a program in the US without Western. Maybe it's not. I have no idea since I have never recruited equestrian athletes.

And, to be fair, we were in great position to make the VE championships going into the last few meets last season - we were even getting votes in the national poll. But even though our riders were actually performing better and posting higher individual scores at the end of the season, the overall team scores did still slip. It's probably my rose-colored glasses that make me think we deserved to be in the championship bracket.

I still wonder why the schedule has not been officially released considering the season starts next month, but I did see we also have an exhibition at Baylor on Sept. 9.

Go Ponies!