Texas A&M
Fresno State
Grand Opening: Aggie Riders Open New Digs With 15-5 Romp
Sep 26, 2008 | Equestrian
Sept. 26, 2008
BRYAN - The Texas A&M equestrian team opened its new facility, as well as its 2008-09 season, with a dominant 15-5 victory over the Fresno State Bulldogs at the Brazos County Expo Complex on Friday.
The Aggies earned team wins in all four disciplines and swept all four most valuable rider honors to run their current home win streak to 11 in a row over a three-year period, albeit in a new snazzy home.
"We are extremely excited to start off the season as competitive as we were today as well as having a very well run show in a wonderful facility," head coach Tana McKay said. "We were all very pleased in all four disciplines, top to bottom, at how the girls rode and we are excited for what's to come this season."
The western riders opened their season up with an 8-2 victory while the hunter seat team cruised in for a 7-3 win. The equitation on the flat, horsemanship, and reining groups all won 4-1 decisions while the equitation over fences group squeaked out a 3-2 victory in the final ride of the discipline.
Horsemanship national champion Caroline Gunn (Greensburg, Ind.) extended her personal win streak to 13 with an MVP-winning 73.5-60 performance over Fresno State's Madison Silver. Senior Sibyl Parsons (Combine) earned the second highest horsemanship score of the day in a 72.5-72 victory over Bulldog Asheline Beeson. Senior Reneé Dirkse (Rockwall) and sophomore Randi Standley (Madisonville) both earned scores of 72 to go to 1-0 in the win column for the season as well.
The Aggie reiners were led by senior Amanda Ryan (Ramona, Calif.) who rode her way to a 73-70.5 win and in doing so captured the first reining MVP award of her collegiate career. Maggie Gratny (Leavenworth, Kan.) won her match impressively, taking down FSU's Haley Henderson 72-69 while sophomore Tara Christiansen (Snohomish, Wash.) grabbed a 70.5-69.5 victory over Shellie Dalluge.
Senior Christina Matz (McKinney) turned a personally eventful flat session into the first MVP honor of her collegiate career. Matz began the flat session needing to better an 83-point ride by FSU's Kim Hewson Budnik on `Junior', however `Junior' spooked during the warm-up, then did what he could to not begin the pattern for the first 20-30 seconds of Matz's ride. Matz was diligent however, eventually forcing Junior to execute the pattern. Before Matz could even get off her horse, the hunter seat judge granted a re-ride to give both riders a chance on a more cooperative horse. Hewson Budnik and Matz went at it again, this time on `Bob', with Matz claiming a 63-45 win.
Senior Tegan Zealy (Tampa, Fla.) recorded the highest countable flat score of the day in a 66-61 win over the Bulldogs' Tarynn Shada. Junior flat captain Brittney Dodson (Amarillo) claimed a 56-49 win over FSU's Kelsey Bulllock while redshirt freshman Amber Goodwin (West Newbury, Mass.) claimed her first collegiate win, a 46-30 victory over Fresno's Emily McNeil. Freshman Megan Webb (Burlington, W.V.) wowed those in attendance with two impressive demonstration flat rides that garnered scores of 86 and 88, the highest scores of the day by 20 points.
Sophomore Brooke Coleman (Houston) turned in the most clutch performance of the day to close out the fences competition. Coleman needed to beat an 80-point ride by Fresno State's Lisa Wells to earn A&M the team win in the fences discipline. With the heat on, Coleman turned in one of the best rides of her young collegiate career, an 83-point effort that garnered her first-ever MVP honor.
Veteran fence riders Kristi Waldal (Battle Ground, Wash.) both began their junior seasons with wins against FSU. Smith grabbed an 82-79 victory over Fresno's Cambria Kissell while Waldal topped her younger sister, Jessica Kissell, 68-67.
In intersquad exhibitions held in conjunction with the show, redshirt freshman Taylor Reiner (Spring), true freshman Leah Ward (Terrell), earned victories in fences, flat, horsemanship, and reining, respectively.
With the win, the Aggies move to 1-0 overall on the season while Fresno State drops to 0-3 after facing arguably the toughest three-match schedule of the season to-date.
The Aggies will hit the road this coming week for their first Big 12 match-up of the year. A&M will drive to Manhattan, Kan., on Thursday to fulfill a 9 a.m. Friday date with the Kansas State Wildcats at Fox Creek Farm.
Players Mentioned
