March 1, 2012
FORT WORTH, Texas- No. 10 TCU will return home Saturday to face South Dakota State at October Hill Farm. Competition against the Jackrabbits will begin at approximately 10:00 a.m. CT and will mark the Horned Frogs' Purple Out meet at Hudson Oaks.
"I'm very excited to be hosting South Dakota State this weekend at home," said Hunt Seat head coach Logan Fiorentino. "It has been a long season of traveling and it will be nice for our fans to be able to see our team in action. South Dakota State is a talented team and it should be a great meet."
In all, TCU will compete as a full team at home for the first time since a 10-8 victory over nationally ranked Oklahoma State to end the month of November. The Frogs, who are 2-0 at home this year, will be going for their third-straight victory at October Hill Farms on Saturday.
"We are so excited to finally be home for a weekend," said interim Western head coach Kindel Huffman. "The team has grown a tremendous amount by traveling on the road and we are ready to showcase those skills at home with our fans."
Follow The Horned Frogs
A full recap and final results will be available following Saturday's competition on GoFrogs.com.
The All-Time Series
TCU will be facing South Dakota State for only the second time in program history Saturday. The Jackrabbits, who lead the series 1-0, defeated the Horned Frogs in 2009, 9-7.
Scouting South Dakota State
South Dakota State comes into this weekend with a 3-6 overall record after defeating Sacred Heart in its last outing. The Jackrabbits, who are receiving votes in the national poll, had three riders earn MVP accolades against the Pioneers. Overall, SDSU ended competition in a 8-8 draw, but defeated Sacred Heart by a raw score of 1,092.5-848 to claim their third win on the year.
Scouting TCU
TCU comes into Saturday's showdown looking for not only its fourth win of the season, but also its third-straight victory at home. The Horned Frogs are currently 3-9 on the year, but are ranked No. 10 in the current national rankings.
In its last outing, junior Kolby Simonson garnered MVP accolades, but No. 9 TCU fell to New Mexico State last Saturday at the NM State Equestrian Center, 12-6.The Frogs were particularly strong in Western events as TCU outscored the Aggies by a raw score of 737-727, but came up just short in points, falling 5-3.
The Frogs have had several individuals post impressive victories during the 2011-12 campaign.
On the Western side, TCU is currently 3-8 overall as Alexie Estrada has a season record of 7-3-1 with one MVP accolade, while Taylor Prince is 7-4-0 in Horsemanship. In Reining, Kolby Simonson is coming off an MVP performance at New Mexico State and is 6-5-0 on the year. Alexi Child has also been productive in the event, garnering five victories.
Several student-athletes have excelled on the Hunt Seat side as the Frogs, who are 4-5-2 heading into this weekend's competitions. Haley Jacobi has carried the Purple and White in Equitation over Fences with a 6-5-0 record, while Kaitlin Perry has shined recently as she has brought her season record to 8-3-0 with one MVP accolade in Equitation on the Flat. Finally, Caitlin Ader has captured four victories this season in the Flat heading into this weekend.
The National Rankings
The TCU women's equestrian program received word this week that it has been ranked No. 10 in the latest Women's Intercollegiate Equestrian National Coaches Poll.
Overall, the Horned Frogs totaled 10 points. Georgia is ranked No. 1 with 77 points, while both Auburn and Texas A&M sit just behind at No. 2 and No. 3 with 68 and 62 points, respectively.
The coaches poll is released bi-monthly with the next announcement scheduled for March 14, 2012.
Last Time Out
Junior Kolby Simonson claimed MVP accolades, but No. 9 TCU fell to New Mexico State this past Saturday, 12-6.
The Frogs were particularly strong in Western events as TCU outscored the Aggies by a raw score of 737-727, but came up just short in points, falling 5-3. In Horsemanship, senior Courtney Chown scored the lone point for the Purple and White in the event, defeating Chelsea Campbell, 75-73. With the win, the Pilot Point native posted her sixth win of the season. Freshman Calli Rouse appeared to have scored a point for the Frogs, but battled Megan Gould to a 74.5 draw. Fellow freshman Samantha Bayer also scored a draw in the event after going against Lauren DeVoe.
The Frogs struggled for a majority of the day in Hunt Seat, dropping a hard fought 3-2 decision in Equitation on the Flat. Sophomore Caitlin Ader and freshman Kaitlin Perry led the way for TCU in the event by defeating Amber Tassel and Hannah Swarthout, respectively. With the win, Perry improved to 8-3-0, while Ader posted her fourth victory on the season.
Perry, a California native, continued her winning ways on the day in Equitation over Fences, recording an 83-74 decision over Amy Lang. Junior Haley Jacobi tried to rally the Horned Frogs, but came up short, falling to Emily McConnell.
Up Next
TCU will wrap-up its regular season next Friday against No. 1 Georgia at October Hill Farm. Start time is scheduled for 2:00 p.m. CT.
