Baylor Claims Second annual Willis Equestrian Invitational

Baylor posted a perfect 3-0 record for the second consecutive year at the Willis Equestrian Invitational, a four-team round robin tournament. Baylor beat Texas Christian in the final round 9-3. New Mexico State placed second, Fresno State finished in third while Texas Christian was fourth.

“It was great to see our girls out for the first time,” head coach Ellen White said. “They stepped up and got the job done. We are excited about our freshmen, because this is so different from what they are used to. There is a lot of new talent coming up and we have the veterans to anchor them, it’s really a nice mix.”

Baylor’s 4-2 western victory over Texas Christian, the defending Western national champion, snapped a Horned Frog 19-match win streak.

Throughout the tournament, Baylor riders collected nine MVP honors. Shelby White, Mary Smitson and Cara Wilson earned Equitation on the Flat honors while Kendra Vicary was the squad’s only MVP for Equitation over Fences. In Horsemanship, Allison Orosz, Nicole McCoy and Lindsey Tomko were MVPs and Madelyn Mooney garnered two in Reining.

“Every flat girl won every ride, I can’t take that much credit because everyone did fantastic,” said senior Shelby White. “I had a very good ride (95) in my first competition of the year and that seemed to set the tone for the rest of the competition.”

“I was pleased with the performance of the athletes this past weekend. We had a few mistakes and have some things to work out. It is still early in the season, and I am excited about the competitions to come,” said Head Coach for New Mexico State, Andrea Hanson.

Amy Lang, Hunt Seat rider for New Mexico State University said, “This was my first varsity equestrian experience. I really enjoyed the format and was please with both my fence and flat rounds.

VIEW FULL RESULTS HERE.

Round 1 – Friday
Baylor def. New Mexico State – 7-3 (HS-BU 5, NMSU 1; W-BU 2, NMSU 2)
Fresno State def. Texas Christian – 6-6 (705.5-701.5) (HS-FS 4, TCU 2; W-TCU 4, FS 2)

Round 2 – Saturday morning
Baylor def. Fresno State – 10-2 (HS-BU 6, FS 0; W-BU 4, FS 2)
Texas Christian def. New Mexico State – 6-5 (HS-NMSU 4, TCU 2; W-TCU 4, NMSU 1)

Round 3 – Saturday afternoon
Baylor def. Texas Christian – 9-3 (HS-BU 5, TCU 1; W-BU 4, TCU 2)
New Mexico State def. Fresno State – 7-5 (HS-NMSU 3, FS 3; W-NMS 4, FS 2)

2008 Willis Invitational MVPs
Reining – Madelyn Mooney (Baylor)
Horsemanship – Courtney Chown (Texas Christian)
Equitation on the Flat – Shelby White (Baylor)
Equitation over Fences – Tassie Munroe (Texas Christian)

2008 Willis Invitational Results
1. Baylor University
2. New Mexico State (2,444)
3. Fresno State (2,416.5)
4. Texas Christian (2,338.5)