Writer: Tana Luna
The Department of Animal Science has a new competitive student organization, the Texas A&M Eventing Team. The Eventing Team was founded by a group of students during the spring of 2016. Dr. Martha Vogelsang serves as their advisor.
Eventing is the equestrian equivalent of a triathlon. It’s one of the three equestrian sports included in the summer Olympic Games. Originally a sport designed to showcase the best horses the mounted cavalry had to offer, eventing horses must have discipline, stamina, courage and bravery. The three phases of the competition are dressage, cross-country, and stadium jumping.
Dressage is the first phase. This phase is a pre-memorized pattern in which the movements are judged on the harmony between the horse and rider and the precision of the test. The second phase, cross-country, is the heart and soul of the sport. The course covers approximately 2.5-4 miles and has anywhere from 20-36 solid obstacles from water crossings, ditches, banks, or fallen trees. This phase showcases the trust between horse and rider and their bravery. The final phase is stadium jumping. This is done in an arena over fences that fall when hit. This phase shows the horse’s stamina after two previous days of competition
Members of the Texas A&M Maroon Team are: Savannah Welch, Kate Boggan, Tess Guerra, and Meag Threadgill.
Members of the Texas A&M White Team are: Grace Craven, Sierra Roney, Erin Posey, and Hannah Ayoub.
Members of the Texas A&M/TCU Scramble Team are: Emily Crews, Allie Morrison, Darcy Loupot, and TCU rider Elise Hunt.
Eleven Texas A&M students competed in the first ever intercollegiate challenge hosted in Area V (Texas, Okla., Ark., and La.) during the weekend of Oct. 22. This competition took place at the fall Pine Hill United States Eventing Association (USEA) Horse Trials in Bellville, Texas. The Texas A&M Maroon Team was names the champion team, the Texas A&M/TCU Scramble Team won reserve champion, and the Texas A&M White Team placed third.
At the Area V Championships at the fall Texas Rose USEA Horse Trials in Tyler, Texas, Savannah Welch won reserve champion in the novice division.
On Dec. 17-18, 2016, the Texas A&M team along with Olympian and Bryan, Texas native, Clark Montgomery, will be hosting a clinic at Meadow Creek Park.
The team looks forward to competing in the 2017 Intercollegiate Championships at the Virginia Horse Trials in Lexington, Va. in May 2017.
If you would like to learn more about eventing and it’s history, click here.
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Tana Luna is a senior Animal Science and Entomology double major from Troy, Texas.
For more information regarding news from the Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Texas A&M University, please contact Maggie Tucker at maggie.tucker@tamu.edu or (979) 845-1542.