MANHATTAN, Kan. Fresh off hosting the Central Championships at Fox Creek Farm, the Kansas State equestrian team will close out Varsity competition with the Varsity Equestrian National Championships April 17-19 in Waco, Texas.

K-State’s Western squad will be seeded fifth overall for the championships and will ride against UT-Martin in the first round, while the Hunter Seat squad is seventh and will open with Delaware State. 

Last year at the VENC, the Wildcats placed sixth on the Western side and third in the Hunter seat, placing them fourth overall. 

This year VENC will be hosted by Baylor University for the second straight year at the Heart of Texas Fair Complex. New for 2008 are individual championships in each of the four events: Equitation over Fences, Equitation on the Flat, Horsemanship and Reining. The selection committee reviewed many individual statistics when selecting the top four individuals for each event. The 7th annual VENC will be held April 17-19th, 2008.

Since its induction in 2002, the VENC has evolved to an equitable and fan friendly format allowing for the best teams to advance towards a national championship.  The VENC has visited Florida, Texas, Georgia and New Mexico throughout the past 7 years. As the sport continues to grow, VENC participation numbers have increased to allow inclusion of as many participants as possible while still hosting a first class national championship event.

More information on the event and a detailed account of the Wildcats at the VENC will be available the week of the competition. Daily updates during the show can also be found at www.varsityequestrian.com and www.baylorbears.com.