University of Georgia Athletics
2003-2004 Season Outlook
February 09, 2004 | Equestrian
Much anticipation surrounds Georgia Equestrian's second season of varsity competition after the dramatic successes of last year's inaugural team.
The Bulldogs culminated their first season in climactic fashion with wins at the Varsity National Championships and the Southern Equestrian Championships, as well as sending three riders to compete at the IHSA national championships.
"The biggest thing we're trying to do this season is maintain momentum," Georgia coach Meghan Boenig said. "We did some fantastic things, particularly at the end of last year, and striving to do them again will be even more difficult this year."
This year the team is setting their sights on a perfect 8-0 season. "I know the girls have helped set a precedent to want to have a sweep year, taking everything," Boenig said. "We're going to work very hard to do that."
The 2002-2003 Bulldogs outrode the nation's top twelve varsity schools to win the Varsity National Championships in College Station, Texas on the weekend of April 18-19. They bested second place Oklahoma 42-39 to claim the national crown.
"We fully intend on winning the national championship again this year and we have the riders to do it," senior team captain Collins Daye said. "It's just a matter of showing up and being prepared."
On April 26-27 Georgia defeated the other two varsity teams in the Southeastern Conference, Auburn and South Carolina, to win the Southern Equestrian Championships. The meet, which equated to competition for the SEC title, also included club teams from Florida, Mississippi State, and Vanderbilt.
"It's kind of hard coming back when you've already gone out and won a national championship your first year," said Georgia's other captain, senior Erin Hernandez. "(Georgia Assistant Athletic Director) Hoke Wilder said it puts a bull's-eye on our back and that everyone is out to get us, but it's so much better to be there than to be the ones trailing behind."
The new season will bring significant changes to the young team and the emerging sport. After competing under the auspices of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association last year, Georgia will now compete according to a new dual-meet format, abiding by rules and regulations set forth in biannual coaches meetings sponsored by the NCAA.
"We love the new format," Hernandez said. "It levels the playing field so much."
Under the new regulations five riders from each team will compete head-to-head in each of four events. Riders will compete in Hunt Seat Equitation and Equitation over Fences in the English discipline and in Horsemanship and Reining in the Western discipline. Each team will ride the same five horses as their opponent in each event.
"(The new format) is so much better because it tests a rider's ability to ride," Daye said. "With equitation so much of it is based on how pretty you look, and there are certain types of bodies that look prettier on a horse. But it doesn't matter how pretty you look if you can't get the horse to do a movement at a certain spot. (The new format) tests who can get the better ride out of the horse because we ride the same horses as our opponent."
After hosting just two meets last year, the new format has allowed the Bulldogs to schedule five home competitions for 2003-2004.
"We're excited about the number of home meets that we have. We're going to try and really build a fan base," Boenig said. "I think those home competitions will put us in a good rhythm and get us going where we need to go. We'll know our own home turf a lot better."
Competitions under the dual meet format are expected to last 3-4 hours, a large contrast from the 12-hour marathons of IHSA shows. Boenig said the change should especially benefit her team at home.
"It used to be that you were so exhausted by hosting a show that it almost was a disadvantage because you became so focused on organizing that you never coached and your riders got stressed and tired," Boenig said. "I think now in a three-hour format we'll have an advantage because we'll know the horses pretty well and we'll know the tests extremely well and we'll obviously have the fan support."
English Preview
Last season's Bulldog team found its greatest success in the English discipline, winning the overall Hunt Seat competition at the Varsity National Championships.
Georgia has high expectations for several of the team's new English discipline recruits, including freshmen Rachel Berkowitz and Nikki Breedlove, while walk-on Caroline Gardner has also shown great potential. "Rachel Berkowitz is one that I think is going to shine right off the start," Boenig said.
The caliber of Georgia's new recruits is also sparking better performances from the team's veterans.
"A lot of the girls came back from last year and they were intimidated because we have a lot of really good recruits that are well-known in the horseshow world," Daye said. "A lot of the girls who didn't show as much last year came back with a whole new attitude and they really stepped up to the plate over the summer. It will be interesting to see what happens because they don't want these freshmen to take their spots."
Hunt Seat Equitation
Daye returns to lead the Bulldogs as the defending national champion in Hunt Seat Equitation as she helped secure Georgia's national title by taking first place in the event at the Varsity National meet.
Daye will be joined by returning veterans sophomore Byerly Vaughn and seniors Lizzie Newsome and Rebecca McNorrill.
"Our biggest strengths I would have to say are going to be both the flats, doing the Hunt Seat Equitation and Horsemanship," Boenig said.
Vaughn took first place in Hunt Seat Equitation class III in April's national championships, while Newsome and McNorrill each qualified in their respective events for the IHSA national championships in May.
Equitation over Fences
Junior Megan Richardson is one of Georgia's leading returners in Equitation over Fences as she took second place in the event at last season's national meet. "She's been very reliant and has really pulled us through some tough times," Boenig said.
Despite Richardson's experience, the Bulldogs are looking to improve their performances in the jumping event overall.
"We just need time over fences," Boenig said. "The key thing is being able to find a distance from wherever you are, in whatever arena, and on whatever horse, and that is very difficult to do. That's something that you need a lot of time on."
Daye is also a strong competitor for the Bulldogs in the event. She recorded the highest score of the day in Equitation over Fences at the S.E.C. meet last April.
Western Preview
Georgia finshed second to Oklahoma by three points in the Western discipline at the Varsity National Champions last April. This season the Bulldogs hope to build off of that performance.
"We have more Hunt Seat riders than Western riders, but the depth of our Western riders is so rich," Daye said. "They're really good so we have a pretty strong team in general."
Georgia's strong recruiting class includes junior Morgan Strauss and sophomore Kari Ellingson.
"All of them are going to add a lot to this team, really round out and fill some holes," Boenig said "There are some people who have already stepped up to the plate."
Horsemanship
The Bulldogs expect to field a strong set of riders in Horsemanship for 2003-2004. Junior Carly Veldman is Georgia's leading veteran in the event and she is marked by high expectations for the new season. She placed third in the event at last year's national championships as well as taking sixth place in class II reining.
Veldman will be joined by sophomore Ashley Slocumb who won Horsemanship class II at the Varsity National Championships and placed third in her class at the IHSA national championships.
Reining
Sophomore Sarah Meier took second place in reining at the national championships last season and is expected to lead Georgia on the event this year.
"We have a lot of new Western recruits," Hernandez said. "Our Western program is really taking off, especially with the reiners."
Meier recorded the top reining score at the Southern Equestrian Championships where Slocumb also played a key role in the Bulldogs' win with her reining performance.
