April 14, 2008

AUBURN- The Auburn equestrian team (11-4) will participate in the 2008 Varsity Equestrian National Championships in Waco, Texas, Thursday through Saturday as the Tigers will be one of 12 teams to compete in both Hunt Seat and Western competitions at the Heart of Texas Fair Complex.

"We are looking forward to Nationals," said Auburn head coach Greg Williams. "Our team has worked extremely hard this season, and we will find out what we are made of because this is just like March Madness, you win or go home. All the teams competing will be tough, and some will want it more than others. This is make or break time for us."

In the Hunt Seat division, fifth-seeded Auburn will face 12th-seeded Stephen F. Austin with the winner advancing to face fourth-seeded South Carolina. The Tigers defeated the Ladyjacks 15-5 on March 8.

Riding for the Tigers in Hunt Seat Equitation on the Flat are Chelsea Anheuser, Katie Breedlove, Ali Loprete, Coburn Park and Rebecca Rifkin. Riding in Hunt Seat Equitation over Fences are Jessica Braswell, Dottie Grubb, Ali Loprete, Jenny Reinhart and Anna Schierholz.

In the Western division, seventh-seeded Auburn will face 10th-seeded Fresno State with the winner advancing to face second-seeded Georgia. The Tigers defeated Fresno State by virtue of a tiebreaker with a 1037-947 raw score after tying 8-8 on March 2.

Riding for the Tigers in Western Horsemanship are Jessica Jones, Kylie Miller, Avery Sams and Kim Tidwell, while the alternates are Shannon Hinton and Kim Pope. Riding in Western Reining are Ashton Fairey, Julie Gibbes, Lyndsey Jordan and Paige Monfore, while the alternates are Kim Pope and Kim Tidwell.

Auburn's Rifkin and Gibbes were selected for individual competition as the fourth-seeded Rifkin will face top-seeded Haylie Jayne from Georgia in Hunt Seat Equitation on the Flat. Third-seeded Gibbes will face second-seeded Leah Kuehn from Oklahoma State in Western Reining. The winners will advance to the finals.

"Our team is capable of winning another National Championship," said Williams, whose Tigers won the 2006 VENC. "The girls just have to ride to their potential."

Following is the direct link to the 2008 Varsity Equestrian National Championships which will have results from each day's events:

Championship Results

For additional information, contact: Wes McDougal at (334) 844-9800.