Oklahoma State University Athletics
Oklahoma State Has a New Sport in Town!
June 21, 1999 | Cowgirl Equestrian
April 19, 1999
The OSU Athletic Department added equestrian to its list of varsity sports in January of 1999. This sport combines the athletic ability of the student-athlete with the grace and strength of the horse. It will be considered an "emerging" sport with the NCAA during the 1999-2000 school year, when over 30 schools will participate at the varsity level.
Thirty years ago, collegiate horse showing began as a club sport at a small school on the east coast. Since then, 235 colleges and universities have become members of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, with over 5,000 individual members.
The Oklahoma State Athletic Department added equestrian for several reasons. First, the facilities were already there. The University has a first-class arena and housing facilities already on campus. And, the new sport was a perfect fit at OSU. The state of Oklahoma has the largest number of horses per capita in the country, and is in the top five for total number of horses in the union. Title IX was another factor in adding the sport to the athletic department.
Coach Larry Sanchez brings with him a long list of credentials. In his short tenure as the coach at New Mexico State, Coach Sanchez won two national championships, including last year's title. The Aggies also finished runner-up in 1997. He also brought two individual national champions with more to come to the program.
OSU has 25 members on 98-99 team, and has already qualified for the IHSA National Championship in Cazenovia, New York April 21 - 26.
What is the "Intercollegiate Horse Show Association"
The Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) is the governing body over equestrian. The IHSA has grown and developed since it was established in 1967. Highly praised for its structure and competition, the IHSA allows riders with various degrees of experience in the hunter and western rider disciplines to compete individually or on a team.
The Association was founded on the principle that any college student-athlete should be able to participate in horse shows, regardless of their financial status or riding level. Full-time student-athletes of member colleges or alumni who competed in the IHSA as undergraduates are eligible.
The IHSA helps to eliminate the expense of student-athletes owning horses and allows more student-athletes to compete. Student-athletes ride horses that are furnished by the host college and chosen by drawing lots. The use of personal tack is not allowed and schooling is not permitted. The theory behind this structure is to equalize variables of the competition and test the horsemanship of the contestants. Classes range from walk/trot for first-year riders to the Open Division for the more experienced riders.
Oklahoma State student-athletes will compete in 10 regional qualifying shows throughout the fall and early spring semesters in 1999-2000 in both Hunt Seat and Western disciplines. These athletes compete against other individuals in the region to accumulate enough points to qualify for the Regional Championship show. The top three individuals from the Regional Championship show proceed on to the Zone Championships. From the Zone Championships, the top two individuals in the Hunt Seat division and the top three in the Western division will move on to the National Championship show.
Each regionl High Point Team competes for national champion team honors: winning the Miller's "Collegiate Cup" for the Hunt Seat division and the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Trophy in the Western Rider division.
