COLLEGE STATION, Texas Despite starting the day with a 4-0 lead, the Kansas State equestrian team lost to Oklahoma State, 8-7 Saturday in the first round of the Big 12 Classic Invitational at Freeman Arena.

Kansas State took an early lead in the English portion of the show Saturday with a 4-0 win in Fences over the Cowgirls. The Wildcats then cruised to a win with a victory in Horsemanship, 3-0.

Oklahoma State battled back for a 4-0 win in both Equitation on the Flat and Reining to wrap up the win.

Junior Lindsey Salsbury captured MVP honors for the second show in a row in Horsemanship with a stellar ride that earned her a score of 74 points.

Junior Whitney Snyder picked up her English team-leading 15th win of the season as she took home a win in Equitation Over Fences, 73-70, against Oklahoma State’s Caitlyn Roberts.

With her 72-69.5 win over Brandy Thomas in Horsemanship, senior Sara Weller brought her overall record to 15-9-2, making her the Western squad’s team leader in varsity wins.

“We started the day off strong and going into the second half of the show we didn’t make the necessary corrections to come out with a win,” western coach Casie Lisabeth said. “Our Reining riders need to make some changes and ride like we do in practice and bring that level of play into tomorrows show.”

In the other Big 12 Classic match-up today, Texas A&M defeated Baylor with ease, 12-4. A&M will now face Oklahoma State for the championship and K-State will compete for third place against Baylor Sunday beginning at 9 a.m.

In other action this weekend several K-State English riders competed in IHSA Regionals in Lake in the Woods, Ill. Four riders qualified for Zones including, Lianna Bodlack in Walk Trot Canter, Katie Edwards in Walk Trot Canter, Dresden Sommer in Intermediate Flat and Macie Ayers in Novice Flat.

Two other K-State riders Erin Paulsen in Walk Trot Canter and Nicole Harkness in Walk Trot Canter also performed well, but came up just short of qualifying for Zones.

“This afternoon all of our riders rode very well,” head coach Teresa Slough said. “If our riders perform tomorrow as well as they did today we will have some great results.”   

Zone competition will take place Sunday, at Northern Illinois. A placing in the top two of each class will earn riders a spot in IHSA Nationals May 3-6.

Kansas State 7, Oklahoma State 8

March 31, 2007

Freeman Arena

College State, Texas

Western Results

Varsity Horsemanship

Jana Lechtenberg (KSU) 73 tied Samantha Davidson (OSU) 73

Laura Browne (KSU) 68.5 def. Ashley Koch (OSU) 67.5

Lindsey Salsbury (KSU) 74 def. Jordan Pickleman (OSU) 71

Sara Weller (KSU) 72 def. Brandy Thomas (OSU) 69.5

KSU 3

OSU 0

Tie: 1

Reining

Rachel Shobe (OSU) 67.5 def. Lindsey Salsbury (KSU) 62.5

Katie Bohr (OSU) 69 def. Sara Weller (KSU) 57

Jacque Roberts (OSU) 70 def. Dennon Zimbleman (KSU) 0

Rachel Curratt (OSU) 72 def. Morgan Campbell (KSU) 70.5

KSU 0

OSU 4

Western Total: OSU 4 KSU 3

English Results

Varsity Equitation on the Flat

Michelle Woolschlager (OSU) 76 def. Casey Finnell (KSU) 56

Bailey Mahoney (OSU) 78 def. Bridget Doyle (KSU) 63

Samantha Collingsworth (OSU) 81 def. Whitney Snyder (KSU) 60

Ally Blais (OSU) 74 def. Jenny Giraldin (KSU) 57

KSU 0

OSU 4

Varsity Equitation over Fences

Casey Finnell (KSU) 81 def. Ally Blais (OSU) 76

Whitney Snyder (KSU) 73 def. Caitlyn Roberts (OSU) 70

Kendall Marvin (KSU) 82 def. Paige Hortman (OSU) 77

Ashley Collett (KSU) 77 def. Jaclyn Osterstock (OSU) 68

KSU 4

OSU 0

English Total: KSU 4 OSU 4

IHSA Hunt Seat Show

Lake in the Hills, Ill

Open Flat: 5th- Dresden Sommer

Intermediate Fences Section A: 4th- Genrty Horigan

Intermediate Fences Section B: 3rd- Dresden Sommer

Intermediate Flat: 6th- Gentry Horigan

Novice Flat Section B: 1st- Nicolle Harkness

Novice Flat Section C: 5th- Erin Paulsen

Advanced Walk Trot Canter- 1st- Katie Edwards

IHSA Regional Results

Lake in the Hills, Ill

Walk Trot Canter: 1st- Lianna Bodlack, 2nd- Katie Edwards, 4th- Erin Paulsen, 5th- Nicole Harkness

Intermediate Flat: 1st- Dresden Sommer

Novice Flat: 1st- Macie Ayers

-kstatesports.com-