Sept. 19, 2012
FORT WORTH, Texas- The No. 8 ranked TCU equestrian program will open its 2012-13 season Sunday against No. 10 New Mexico State. Start time is set for 10:00 a.m. CT at Turning Point Ranch, which is located in Springtown, Texas.
"I'm looking forwarding to hosting New Mexico State to open up the 2012-2013 season," said Hunt Seat head coach Logan Fiorentino. "This will also be a great opportunity for TCU fans to come out and see our new facility and cheer on the Equestrian team. I know that the team has been practicing really well and I'm excited to get the season started. New Mexico State is a tough competitor so it will be a good first test for our team."
"We are looking forward to opening our season at home on the Western side," said Western head coach Kindel Huffman. "It will be great to have our fans come out and see our new facility. We are looking forward to a successful meet against New Mexico State."
Following its Sunday match-up, the Horned Frogs will continue action at home against SMU on Oct. 5, starting at 2:00 p.m. CT.
Follow The Horned Frogs
A full recap and final results will be available following Sunday's competition on GoFrogs.com. During the meet, live results will be made available at the official TCU equestrian twitter page. Fans are encouraged to follow @TCUWEquestrian.
All-Time Series
TCU and New Mexico State will be facing each other for the fifth time in program history Sunday. The Frogs are 2-2 all-time against NMSU after falling last season in Las Cruces, N.M.
TCU Opens Up In National Rankings
The TCU women's equestrian program received word this week that it has been ranked No. 8 in the first Women's Intercollegiate Equestrian National Coaches Poll of the 2012-13 season.
Overall, the Horned Frogs totaled 31 points. Georgia and Texas A&M open the year ranked No. 1 with 82 points, while Auburn sits at the No. 3 spot in the polls with 63 points.
The poll will be released bi-monthly with the next announcement scheduled for Oct. 3, 2012.
A New Home
The TCU equestrian program will host its 2012-13 home matches at Turning Point Ranch, a 30-acre farm located in Springtown, Texas.
The new facility, which will house only the Horned Frog equestrian program and is managed by Chuck Briggs of Turning Point Ranch, LLC, will feature two barns with a total of 36 stalls, two covered arenas, two outdoor arenas, a team clubhouse and plenty of turnout and pasture space.
Directions To Turning Point Ranch From TCU
• Head north on Stadium Drive toward Highview Terrace
• Turn right onto West Cantey Street
• Take the third left onto South University Drive
• Turn left onto TX-199 W
• Turn right onto Farm to Market 2257 N/Jay Bird Lane
• 1880 Jay Bird Lane will be on your right
Scouting TCU
The TCU equestrian program returns plenty of talent this fall to make some noise in its first season in the Big 12.
During the 2011-12 season, the Hunt Seat squad, who ended last spring with a 6-6-2 overall record, will lean on several talented returnees during the early portion of their schedule.
The Hunt Seat team will most likely rely on returning NCEA First-Team Academic All-America honoree Haley Jacobi early and often this fall, while senior Callie Selchau and sophomore Kaitlin Perryshould also have major impacts on the Purple and White's success this year.
Jacobi, who garnered the Hunt Seat MVP a year ago, is back for her final season in a Horned Frog uniform and could push for All-America and all-conference accolades this season. The Arizona native led the Frogs in 2012, competing in 13 games, while posting an 8-5 record with one MVP in Equitation over Fences. Selchau garnered five MVP's between Equitation on the Flat and Fences a year ago and could see that number increase significantly.
Probably no one had as big as impact on the 2011-12 Hunt Seat season as sophomore Kaitlin Perry. The California product received Honorable Mention All-America accolades at seasons end after riding to a 9-3-1 record in Equitation on the Flat, which included an impressive victory against Texas A&M. What Perry does for an encore this year could help move TCU closer to its first conference championship in program history.
On the Western side, the Frogs return a solid nucleus off a young squad that rallied deep into postseason last spring, wrapping-up the spring season sixth overall at nationals after defeating Baylor and Kansas State in Waco.
The Horned Frogs, who must replace former National Champion Courtney Chown due to graduation, have plenty of talent to better their No. 6 finish at nationals a year ago, including 2012 NCEA Honorable Mention All-American Alexie Estrada and fellow senior Kolby Simonson. Estrada finished last season 10-6-1 on the year in Horsemanship and garnered impressive victories over Auburn and Oklahoma State along the way.
Simonson, a Colorado native, is poised to have a major season in her final year. The recently voted captain by her teammates, won eight meets a year ago in Reining, which included victories over perennial powers Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina and Kansas State.
Also back for TCU is a trio of sophomores in Samantha Bayer, Alexi Child and Katelyn Gray, respectively. Bayer, who had three MVP honors on the 2011-12 season, had one of the most dominating performances in program history at nationals, winning six-straight matches before the final day of competition.
Child, who went 8-7-2 last season, returns after winning all three of her contests at the National Championships, while Gray recorded five victories and was one of only six riders to compete in all 17 meets in 2012.
Simply put, the three sophomores will have a huge impact on the Horned Frogs' success on the Western side throughout the school year.
Scouting New Mexico State
New Mexico State comes into Sunday's contest with plenty of talent returning off a squad that won nine meets a year ago, including impressive victories over Auburn, South Dakota State and TCU.
The Aggies, who currently sit No. 10 in the national rankings, will open this weekend under first year head coach Robin Morris-Walters at the Willis Invitational in Waco.
Individually, NMSU will rely on Megan Gould and Clarissa Edgerton during the early portion of its schedule in Western. Both tallied points last spring at the NCEA National Championships. In Hunt Seat, senior Hannah Swarthout, Emily McConnell and Ruby Jenkins will look to continue their recent success during the early stages of 2012-13. McConnell and Jenkins both earned NCEA Honorable Mention All-America accolades a year ago.
Up Next
TCU will return to action on Friday, Oct. 5 against SMU at Turning Point Ranch. Start time is set for 2:00 p.m. CT in Springtown, Texas.
