Lexington, KY – The Varsity Equestrian National Championships (VENC) announced the collegiate teams that have been selected and seeded for this year’s competition, in conjunction with the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA).

This year, there will be twelve schools competing in Hunter Seat, including Equitation Flat and Equitation Over Fences. There will also be twelve schools competing in Western, including Horsemanship and Reining. Eight individuals will be competing in each division (Hunter Equitation Flat, Hunter Equitation Over Fences, Horsemanship and Reining) for the Individual Championships in addition to the Team Championship.

The selected schools include:
Western Teams – Texas A&M University, Texas Christian University, University of Georgia, Oklahoma State University, Kansas State University, Baylor University, University of South Carolina, Auburn University, New Mexico State University, South Dakota State University, Fresno State University and University of Tennessee at Martin.

Hunter Seat Teams – Auburn University, University of Georgia, University of South Carolina, Baylor University, Texas A&M University, Oklahoma State University, Fresno State University, Kansas State University, University of Tennessee at Martin, Texas Christian University, Southern Methodist University and Delaware State University

These selected teams will compete Thursday, April 16 through Saturday, April 18 in Waco, Texas at the Heart O’ Texas Fair Complex. Wes Allison, President and CEO of the Heart O’ Texas Fair Complex, will be serving as the Facility Manager with Bobby T. Murphy assisted by Pat Duncan serving as Managers and Course Designers. Competition Judges include Bonnie Miller and Andrea Simons (Western) and Scott Alder and Randy Mullins (Hunter Seat).

Following the bracket format, schools will compete in head-to-head competition using the same set of borrowed horses. Similar to most NCAA sporting events, the winning team will advance through the winner’s bracket until the National Champions are determined Saturday, April 18. There will be three national team champions crowned: Overall Team Champions, Hunter Seat Team Champions and Western Team Champions. In the Individual Competition, riders will compete for the title of Champion Hunter Seat Individual and Champion Western Individual.

For more information on Varsity Equestrian and complete coverage from this year’s competition, visit www.varsityequestrian.com.

ENDS