October 19, 2007
The Texas A&M equestrian team will wrap up its season-opening four-match home stand with match-ups against Georgia and Baylor this weekend at N.W. ?'Dick?â„¢ Freeman Arena.
The Aggies (2-0) face Georgia (4-0) in a much-anticipated showdown on Saturday at 11 a.m. The Aggies and Bulldogs won each of the first three Varsity Equestrian National Championships from 2002-2004 and finished second and third, respectively, at last year?â„¢s national show.
Saturday?â„¢s show will also pit A&M?â„¢s two original equestrian coaches against each other for the first time since the Aggies elected to go to varsity-only showing last season. Tana Rawson, now in her 10th year coaching the A&M team, and Meghan (Nolan) Boenig, now in her sixth season at the helm of the Bulldogs, were the Aggies?â„¢ original western and hunter seat coaches when the program was picked up as a varsity sport by the athletic department in 1999.
The ties don?â„¢t end there however. A&M horsemanship coach Beth Bass was Georgia?â„¢s original varsity western coach from 2003-05. Bass, who was a member of A&M?â„¢s original equestrian club team in 1990, returned to College Station in 2005 to coach the Aggie horsemanship riders.
Newly hired Georgia assistant coach Lesli Bailey rode for her new boss Boenig at A&M for two years, graduating with a degree in biomedical science in 2003. A&M hunter seat coach Linzy Woolf was teammates with Bailey as an upperclassman, riding under Boenig as well.
On Sunday, A&M will take on Big 12 rival Baylor (0-3). The Aggies faced the Bears three times last season, winning all three match-ups. Baylor has dropped decisions to Georgia, Kansas State, Oklahoma State so far this season.
A variety of promotions will take place at Freeman Arena over the weekend. Saturday will be Maroon Club Day and Girl Scout Day. There will also be coloring, face painting, and dress-up-like-an-equestrian-team-member stations for kids as well as the opportunity to have their picture taken with a pony. The 12th Man Team Rewards Program will be there to scan its members and an IPOD will be given away to a lucky fan that attends both shows this weekend. Other free giveaways are scheduled as well.
Sunday will be 4-H Day. The coloring and face painting stations will return as will the chance to have your picture taken with a pony. There will be additional giveaways and the IPOD will be awarded as well on Sunday.
Admission to equestrian shows is free of charge. Freeman Arena is located on the west side of FM 2818/Harvey Mitchell Parkway, approximately one mile north of University Drive.