Equestrian to be the Horned Frogs' newest sport
1/11/2006 12:00:00 AM | Equestrian
Dec. 21, 2005
FORT WORTH, Texas -- The TCU Athletics Department has announced the addition of varsity women's equestrian to begin in the 2006-07 academic year.
The decision to add equestrian involved a long process of information gathering and research.
"Equestrian is a great fit for the university and the community," TCU athletics director Danny Morrison said. "There's a wealth of talent in the north Texas area, and numerous junior riders travel from across the country to Fort Worth to compete in a variety of national shows held annually at the John Justin Arena in the Will Rogers Memorial Complex."
The equestrian community has been extremely supportive of TCU's decision. A board of local equestrian professionals and enthusiasts, chaired by Kate Johnson, has assisted the university in its research and decision-making process.
The program plan for the sport includes sponsoring both Western and English disciplines. The first phase of program implementation, which will begin in January, will include the hiring of a head coach. The university will lease training time at a local stable.
The NCAA designated equestrian as an emerging sport in 1998, and there are currently 23 intercollegiate programs in NCAA Division I and II. Programs in the region include Baylor, Kansas State, Oklahoma State, SMU, Stephen F. Austin, Texas A&M and West Texas A&M.
Intercollegiate equestrian programs support an average of 70 student-athletes.
