Elser To Compete In Collegiate Equitation Challenge
STILLWATER, Okla. – Oklahoma State equestrian freshman Sammy Elser is set to compete next week in the second-annual Collegiate Equitation Challenge, held Feb. 11 at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Fla.
The tournament will be run in the Varsity Equestrian head-to-head, bracketed format with 16 top collegiate riders from around the country. Riders will compete over an equitation course with heights up to 3’6”. Competition will start at 2 p.m. with all 16 riders in the preliminary round. The eight winners will qualify for the finals in the evening, and the rest of the field will compete in a consolation bracket immediately following the preliminary round. The horses will be on loan from local professionals and are unfamiliar to the riders. The winner of the consolation bracket will receive a trophy donated by Pierre and Martha Jolicoeur and the champion will be presented a trophy sponsored by the South Florida Hunter Jumper Association.
Elser, a native of Hopewell, Junction, N.Y., has a team-high five head-to-head wins in equitation over fences this season, including an performance in the first ride of her collegiate career. The feat came against UT-Martin in the opening competition of the season. Elser’s ride earned a 90, the highest score of the season in that discipline for the Cowgirls. She has won four straight head-to-head matches and is coming off a 75-74 victory over her Kansas State counterpart in the Cowgirls’ 12-6 win over the Wildcats last week.
Participating Schools & Riders
Auburn University – Maggie McAlary
Baylor University – Kendra Vicary
California State University at Fresno – Kimberly Budnik
Delaware State University – Kayla Blair
Kansas State University – Catherine Avolese
New Mexico State University – Laura Bostwick
Oklahoma State University – Samantha Elser
Sacred Heart University – Abbie Britton
South Dakota State University – Megan Violand
Southern Methodist University – Jordyn Pettersen
Texas A&M University – Brooke Coleman
Texas Christian University – Victoria Lee
University of Georgia – Kacy Jenkins
University of Miami – Nellie Foosaner
University of South Carolina – Kim McCormack
University of Tennessee at Martin – Caroline Cramer
Florida State University (Alternate Entry) – Samantha Moore
Updated 02-04-2011
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