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Wow, big news today. SMU is planning on adding a Western team in Fall 2013!!!!

Obviously, this will be a pretty big undertaking. It will be exciting to follow the recruitment of riders, acquisition of horses, and any potential additions to the coaching staff.

With the tremendous advancement of the Hunter Seat performance and results since Coach Schoolfield arrived, this addition will hopefully take the program to even newer heights.

Go Ponies!

This is awesome. Being a Texas school we should be able to attract some of the best in this field.

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who is the Western Team? why is this big news?

bubba pony wrote:who is the Western Team? why is this big news?

There are two main categories of competition in the NCEA - each with two disciplines.

Hunter Seat (English riding) competes in equitation and equitation over fences. The riders wear nice jackets, breeches, riding helmets, and riding boots.

SMU has only (with a couple of rare exceptions) competed in Hunter Seat since the inception of the program.

Almost all (it might even be all) other schools also compete in Western riding (hormemanship, reining) which is more classic American riding. The riders wear jackets and cowboy hats and cowboy boots.

The addition of a Western team is essential to the growth of the program because, as has been discussed in other threads, SMU can never really get higher than 8 or 9 in the national rankings since we only compete in Hunter Seat. Also, the national championships feature a Hunter Seat bracket and a Western bracket - so we only are only eligible in one of the two big competitions.

Competing in Western will allow the SMU program to be much more prominent nationally.

We were seeded 5 in the Hunter Seat bracket last season, so if the Western team can come up to speed in the next few years SMU could easily be one of the top programs in the country.

Hearing about adding the Western team as well as the announcement of the planned SMU Equestrian center being built south of Dallas should have all of the SMU Equestrian fans totally excited about the future!

Go Ponies!

Thanks for info, interesting and impressed you're so knowledgeable about this sport.

I guess news about the new Equestrian/Natatorium Center has spread far and wide. I certainly hope they join the water polo team in 2013. Have heard that Ralph Lauren will match any of JJ's donations, and will be looking for some, "in stone" naming recognition, ie., Ralph's World, or The Polo Grounds.

Hunter Seat



Western

Sounds more like dance than sport. Considering the costumes, are that graded on how they 'look' while riding? Or is it all physical performance? If all physical isn't it really the horse who is the athlete and more important than rider?

Honest questions from someone with no knowledge.

"Western". Now that is something I can relate to! Good show! After all - we are the 'Mustangs'.

couch 'em wrote:Sounds more like dance than sport. Considering the costumes, are that graded on how they 'look' while riding? Or is it all physical performance? If all physical isn't it really the horse who is the athlete and more important than rider?

Interesting question to answer. I admit I tend to be in the camp where if somebody has to tell you who wins it's not a sport. Obviously, equestrian is judged so it is what it is.

No, the way the riders look has no part in the score so it isn't like dance or anything. The rider outfits are traditional and I only mentioned them to help give a picture of the type of riding in each of the disciplines.

The judging is based on stuff like the ability to control the horse, riding position, pace, etc. - I won't even begin to pretend like I have any idea how they actually judge it. I will say even if you have no idea about the technicalities of riding a horse you can tell the good riders from the not so good riders when you see it.

That being said, it obviously takes a good deal of strength to control a horse - both with the arms and with the legs, so there is a good deal of athletic ability required.

Naturally, the horse is doing a lot of work, but without somebody who knows what they are doing on top of the horse, it wouldn't be pretty.

God I miss Orsini.

NavyCrimson wrote:"Western". Now that is something I can relate to! Good show! After all - we are the 'Mustangs'.

I was hoping that this post meant that we were adding a rodeo team. Oh well.

That would be neat, too.

Have to love Title 9!!!

Dress up JJ as Buffalo Bill Cody, and we could have a Wild West Rodeo, featuring Liberty & Justice at The Ford !