Riders to Keep Your Eye On During 2014 NCEA National Championship!

EC Blog by: Chelsea Zillner

Hello everyone and welcome to Waco, home of the 2014 NCEA National Championship! If this season was any indication of what’s to come this week, then we are all in for a treat. The nation’s top twelve teams will compete for an overall national title. This is the first year the championships are run in a team format rather than divided (different titles for western and hunt seat).

The top-12 equestrian teams are invited to compete at the NCEA National Championship. The NCEA selection committee invites teams based on their records. The format is head-to-head, where a rider from each team competes on the same horse. The horse and rider matchup is a random draw to ensure fairness. Riders are given a four-minute warm up to learn and prepare their horse. Riders are given a score based on their performance. The rider with the highest score wins the point. The team with the most points at the end of the competition wins the match.

The 2014 Championships feature some of the best collegiate riders in the history of the sport. Here are a few riders to keep your eye on this week:

Katy Krshka Jr., Oklahoma State, Western: Krshka is no stranger to the winner’s circle. The junior boasts a 67-12-1 record during her career along with 29 MOP honors and a 2013 Western National Championship. The multiple All-American winner just came off an impressive showing at the Big 12 Championships where the Cowgirls won their third consecutive title. Watch for Krshka in the horsemanship and reining.

McKenzie Lantz Sr., Georgia, Reining: Lantz enters her final NCEA Championship as one of the top reiners in NCEA history. The SEC Reiner of the Year for the second consecutive season holds a 46-12-3 record as a Bulldog. Watch for Lantz in the reining.

Paige Stawicki Jr., Georgia, Horsemanship: Stawicki made her presence known at the 2012 NCEA National Championships when she won Most Valuable Player as a freshman. She has helped lead the Bulldogs to a No. 2 seed and an SEC Runner Up title. The All-American and SEC honoree will be showing in the horsemanship at the 2014 NCEA Championship.

Samantha Schafer Jr., Baylor, Hunt Seat: Schafer led the Baylor Bears to a National Championship in 2012 and is looking to add another title. The junior had another All-American season with a 26-2 record and 11 MOPs. Watch for the Big 12 Rider of the Year in equitation on the flat and over fences.

Katerine Schmidt Jr., South Carolina, Hunt Seat: Schmidt, the all-time win leader in South Carolina history is looking to add to the win column this week in Waco. The All-American and multiple SEC Rider of the Year takes a 72-19-1 career into her third NCEA Championship appearance. Schmidt led the Gamecocks to three consecutive SEC titles and a No. 1 seed. Watch for Schmidt in equitation on the flat and over fences.

Demi Stiegler, Jr., Auburn, Hunt Seat: Stiegler has come up huge in her first season as a Tiger. The All American transferred from TCU and picked up right where she left off. Stiegler leads a strong Auburn hunt seat squad, who won the 2013 National Championship, into Waco with a 45-21-5 career record. Watch for Stiegler in equitation over fences and flat.

Competition kicked off Thursday morning with No. 5 taking on No.12 Texas A&M; the winner will take on the No. 4 Auburn Tigers. No. 6 Baylor rides against No. 11 UT-Martin to take on Georgia. Seven-seeded New Mexico State rides against SMU where the winner will take on No. 2 Oklahoma State. No. 8 Fresno State will take on No. 9 TCU, winner will take on top-ranked South Carolina.

Tune in to http://www.varsityequestrian.com/competitions to view the live stream. Stay tuned for more outstanding blog coverage right here on EquineChronicle.com coming from Chelsea Zillner.