The Battalion. (College Station, Tex.) 1893-current, February 24, 2004, Image 5

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The Battalion
Page 5 • Tuesday, February 24, 2004
&M’s national title contender: Equestrian
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By Jordan Meserole
THE BATTALION
Recent losing football seasons
several losing basketball sea-
have often clouded many
exasA&M students’ minds. Few
blize they don’t have to look
[veiy farto find an Aggie team that
ill be competing in a national
|championship this season.
Hidden behind many trees and
[agate with an A&M logo pasted
lothe front lies a small dirt road.
A trip down the bumpy dirt road
peals a large brown, open-air
kuilding. There is no VIP parking
-however, under the shade of a
tee is a premium spot. A walk
into the building reveals a few
bleachers with paint that is chip
ping and fading. Loud chirping
ilsthebuilding as birds fly rafter
lotaller, and there’s a slight smell
to the building that the average
city person isn’t accustomed to.
This is not the typical sight a per
son would expect to see when
linking of national champions.
Since achieving varsity status
Sveyears ago, the A&M eques-
tian team has consistently pro
duced success. The team has seen
k different riders win an indi
vidual national championship
tom 2000 to 2002 and has won
ie last two western national
championships. Although every
hder is considered a member of
:equestrian team, the squad is
)ken into two different see
ds: western and English style
ling squads. It has been the
lestem squad that has brought
A&M both of its national team
titles. This year, it will be the
English squad’s chance to bring
the trophy back home.
This won’t be the first time
the English squad has been to
championship. In
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2001, the team placed seventh at
nationals. Head coach Tana
Rawson, who has been the head
coach since the team became a
varsity sport, said the team has
advanced a lot over the years.
“We’ve gotten better
resources to be able to go far
ther,” Rawson said. “When I got
here, we had roughly 18 horses.
Now we have close to 50.”
The A&M English team cap
tured the regional team champi
onship and the trip to the national
championships after a meet two
weekends ago at West Texas
A&M University. The Aggies
also had 13 riders qualify for
regional competition this season,
with the opportunity to advance to
the championship on an individ
ual basis. The Aggies finished out
as overall point leader over two-
time defending regional champi
on Oklahoma State University.
The Aggies and the Cowgirls
have always been neck-and-neck;
last year’s point total champion
was decided by the last event
between the. two teams.
“It’s frustrating to work over
the years to work as hard as you
do and be as close as we have
been,” Rawson said. “It’s a big
sigh of relief to get that win.”
A&M English coach Pam
Bremmer said the success has
come from hard workouts that
involve more than just getting
on the horse. Bremmer said
much like other sports, English
riding takes physical toughness
as well as mental toughness.
“Many people don’t think so,
but these girls are true athletes,”
Bremmer said. “There are mus
cles you never knew you had
until you get up on a horse.”
A&M freshman Erica Palomo
said riding takes true dedication
to the sport, a dedication that
f
r
Evan O'Connell • THE BATTALION
Senior English rider Meredith Houx and her horse Houdini practice Monday night at the Cedar Trace Stable in College Station. Houx won this season's
regional high-point title for the third consecutive season.
some athletes don’t experience.
“We wake up at 5:30 a.m. to
pick up horse manure - not
many other people will do that,”
Palomo said.
The English success has come
largely with help from senior
rider Meredith Houx. She cap
tured the yearly regional high-
point rider crown this season -
her third consecutive time to
achieve the honor. Houx earned a
sixth-place finish last year com
peting for the Cacchione Cup,
which is awarded for the top
English riders in the nation.
Houx said winning the cup
would be a good end to her col
legiate career and knows the
competition will be just as tough
as previous years. The soft-spo
ken Houx seems uneasy talking
about her accomplishments
though, flashing a quick dimpled
smile and changing the subject.
“I’m really no different than
any of the others out here,”
Houx said. “Hopefully things
will work out for the team at
nationals. Last year we were so
close to getting there, and this
year I think A&M has a great
opportunity to win - it would be
great to see the team win.”
The English team will pack
its bags and saddles May 7 to
head for Murfressboro, Tenn.
Upon returning home, perhaps
the team will get to hang one
more championship banner
from the dusty rafters. A cham
pionship might help convert
Aggie sports fans from jeering
to cheering once again.
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We realize that you may already know them as student, leader or friend, but we also want you to know how much we, the
Department of Residence Life, appreciate having them on our staff. Please join us in thanking our Resident Advisors
for their dedication, concern and commitment to providing leadership and healthy community living.
m
.V ,
Nikki Adeyeye
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Elliot Ahr
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Felix Arnold
Eric Bacon
Tanner Baker
Stefanie Beaver
Ryan Bippert
Chad Bonstead
Ali Bradbury
Cresta Bradley
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Timothy Chen
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Kendall Neck
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Allen Parish
Simoun Peralta
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James Pessara, Jr.
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Alisha Stalbaum
Rick Stevenson
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Morgan Stockman
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Kara Stucky
Rocky Takacs
« **
,/T
Samantha Thomas
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Patrick Waltz
Cindy Wang
Katie Waser
Dave Weir
Stephen Weir
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5 U m L
"Bringing People end
Housing Together"
February 24,2004