COLLEGE STATION, Texas – The 11-time national champion Texas A&M equestrian team revealed its 2013-14 schedule today, beginning the quest for a 12th national title on Saturday, Oct. 5.
Texas A&M will host five meets, including three Southeastern Conference (SEC) shows, and will move into the team’s brand new, state-of-the-art facility for the spring 2014 half of the season.
All of the Aggies’ seven different 2013-14 opponents were competitors at the 2013 National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) National Championships. The Aggies will also compete against every 2013 national champion or reserve national champion this year.
“We are really excited for the 2013-14 season,” Head Coach Tana McKay said. “Not only will we have great matchups all across the board, but we will also get to break in the new Texas A&M Equine Complex in the spring. Competition this year should be fierce, as it always has been, and I’m really excited for this group of seniors to lead us on our hunt for a 12th national championship.”
The Aggies will give a team preview at the annual Maroon & White Scrimmage on Sept. 20 before taking to the road for the Oct. 5 matchup at 2013 western reserve national champion Kansas State. All fall 2013 home contests will take place at the Brazos County Expo Complex in Bryan.
Texas A&M will ride in front of a friendly crowd for the first time on Oct. 11 when SMU travels to Bryan-College Station. The Aggies open Southeastern Conference action in the following meet, hosting South Carolina at home on Oct. 25.
A pair of meets on the road – Nov. 1 at TCU and Nov. 8 at Georgia – will be the final two road events of the fall for the team, though junior Molli Jacobs will compete in the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Horsemanship Challenge on Nov.20-21 in Oklahoma City.
Fall 2013 competition will end with an SEC meet between the Aggies and reigning hunt seat and overall national champion Auburn at A&M on Nov. 24.
In the first-ever meet at the new Texas A&M Equine Complex, near the intersection of FM 2818 on F&B Road, A&M will start the spring swing of the schedule with a Feb. 1 SEC show vs. Georgia. The Bulldogs were the hunter seat and overall NCEA Reserve Champions in 2012-13.
The next weekend, Texas A&M will be represented by a to-be-determined rider at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) Collegiate Equitation Challenge in Wellington, Fla.
Team action will resume in a the form of a two-meet SEC road swing at Auburn on Feb. 15 and at 2013 SEC champion South Carolina on Feb. 22.
2013 western national champion Oklahoma State will travel to College Station for a March 8 nonconference matchup to close out the regular season. The Aggies will then ride at the second annual SEC Championship, set for March 28-29 at South Carolina.
The 2014 NCEA National Championships will take place April 17-19 at the Extraco Events Center in Waco, where the Aggies’ season ended in April of this year. To learn more about Texas A&M Equestrian, log on to AggieAthletics.com and follow @AggieEquestrian on Twitter.
2013-14 Texas A&M Equestrian Schedule Friday, Sept. 20th – Maroon & White Scrimmage Saturday, Oct. 5th – @ Kansas State Friday, Oct. 11th – SMU @ TAMU Friday, Oct. 25th – South Carolina @ TAMU Friday, Nov. 1st – @ TCU Friday, Nov. 8th – @ UGA Wednesday, Nov. 20th & Thursday, Nov. 21st – AQHA Horsemanship Challenge Sunday, Nov. 24th – Auburn @ TAMU Saturday, Feb. 1st – UGA @ TAMU Friday, Feb. 7th – WEF Collegiate Invitational Saturday, Feb. 15th – @ Auburn Saturday, Feb. 22nd – @ South Carolina Saturday, March 8th – OSU @ TAMU Friday, March 28th & Saturday, March 29th – SEC Championship @ South Carolina Thursday, April 17th – Saturday, April 19th – NCEA Nationals in Waco, TX