Feb. 18, 2010
COLLEGE STATION, Texas - The third-ranked Texas A&M equestrian team begins its season-ending homestand on Friday when the Aggies host No. 6 Kansas State at the Brazos County Expo Complex in Bryan. The show is slated to begin at 11 a.m. and admission is free.
A&M, winners of 21 in a row at home, will hold its final three competitions of the regular season in the friendly confines of the Expo Complex as it looks to make a push towards the Big 12 Championships in late March and secure a strong seed for April's Varsity Equestrian National Championships. The Aggies will also look to extend a four-show win streak over the Wildcats, who they defeated in a tiebreaker in Manhattan back on November 6.
"We are excited to be back at home," head coach Tana McKay said. "We had a strong showing against a good Baylor team last weekend in Waco and hopefully we'll take that momentum and carry it into Friday's competition with the Wildcats."
Texas A&M (7-4) is coming off a come-from-behind, 9-8 victory at No. 7 Baylor last Saturday. The Aggies are led on the western side by senior Maggie Gratny in reining, who tied a school record with her fourth consecutive MVP award in the win over the Bears, and senior Caroline Gunn in horsemanship, whose 51 career wins is the most in program history. Pacing the hunter seat riders are sophomore Elizabeth Solch on the flat, who is unbeaten in her last five rides, and sophomores Maggie Earle and Lia Chafee in fences.
KSU (4-3) has won two of its last three, but has ridden just once in the spring--a 17-6 loss to Oklahoma State in Stillwater two weeks ago. The Wildcats have victories this year over TCU, Baylor, Tennessee-Martin and Delaware State, while dropping two shows to OSU and the one to the Aggies in November.
The 3,000-seat Expo Complex is located at 5827 Leonard Road in Bryan.