2015-16 Season In Review: Equestrian

Another successful season is in the books for Oklahoma State equestrian in a year that saw the Cowgirls take home a Big 12 Conference title and clinch a first-round bye at the NCEA National Championship.

"I was very pleased with the outcome of this season," said OSU head coach Larry Sanchez. "Winning the Big 12 Championship was definitely the highlight and showcased what this team was capable of. What I am most proud about was how this team came together throughout the year. This team was very close and developed a strong bond entering into the postseason."

"Of my four years, this is the most close-knit team that we've had," senior Paris Nottingham said. "English and Western, there's absolutely zero division between us."

The campaign began in September 2015, when OSU notched a 13-6 victory over No. 9 SMU.

The Cowgirls dominated in Western competition throughout, outdueling SMU, 8-2 as Brenna Brawner, Nottingham and Carly Barrick all took home Most Outstanding Performer honors.

Next up for the Cowgirls was the team's first road meet of the year against conference-rival Kansas State.

OSU once again dominated the competition, topping the Wildcats, 13-7. This time around, it was the English side's time to shine, as they handled K-State, 8-2.

Maggie Drysch, Kendall Pedigo and Miranda Reed all earned MOP honors for their performances, while Justine Peters and Erin Willoughby notched points on the Western side.

The Cowgirls would hit the road once again with competitions against No. 1 Georgia and No. 2 Auburn. Although they would come up short in both meets, competing against the top teams in the country was a valuable learning experience.

"Overall I think we made a lot of progress as a team," Nottingham said. "We started out pretty slow, having those three tough road meets. We ended up winning K-State, but going down to Georgia and Auburn, we knew those were going to be tough matchups and they were. We had several wins at home and several wins on the road and came away with a Big 12 Championship. I think those losses really set the stage for some improvement for the long-term during the season."

The Cowgirls would return home to face off with No. 3 Baylor in their second conference matchup of the season. OSU dismounted the Bears in impressive fashion, winning 13-7.

Eight of the team's 13 points came in Western competition, as both Horsemanship and Reining posted 4-1 scores.

Nottingham and Ebba Lange were named Most Outstanding Performers in their respective events, and Erin Willoughby improved to a perfect 5-0 record in Reining for the Cowgirls.

Willoughby would go on to be named the Big 12's Reining Rider of the Month for the month of October.

Fall semester competition concluded with a home meet against TCU, a meet the saw the Cowgirls triumph over the Horned Frogs, 12-8.

Peters was named the event's MOP in Reining.

The win improved the Cowgirls to 4-2 on the season and a perfect 3-0 in conference play. Willoughby also continued her unblemished campaign, boosting her individual record to 6-0.

Barrick and Jorden Davis were the ones who stole the show, however, each taking home MOP honors. Barrick posted scores of 92 and 84, and Davis carded an 88 and an 83.

Although the Cowgirls had a solid 4-2 record and No. 5 ranking, they believed they were capable of higher success.

"I noticed a difference after Christmas break," Sanchez said. "They grew closer as the spring semester progressed."

"Every single girl, whether they are a warm-up rider or just behind the scenes, has wanted the rider to win and succeed and get that point," Nottingham added. "I think that really showed when we came back from Christmas break. We really came back refreshed and came together as a team, and I think that shows with how our Big 12 play went during the second semester."

The Cowgirls opened up second semester competition with wins over K-State and TCU, boosting the team's conference record to a perfect 5-0.

Kirsten Chamberland, a transfer from K-State, earned a point against her former team, while Nottingham was named the meet's Most Outstanding Performer in Horsemanship.

Against the Horned Frogs, Horsemanship reigned supreme for OSU, taking the event, 4-1, with points from Libby Collins, Nottingham, Ty Paris and MOP Miranda Reed.

Lange, Danielle Cohen and Julia Purus all picked up points for the Cowgirls in Reining, as Purus extended her winning streak to six meets. Katie Jones and Kaitlyn Arnold both secured points in their season debuts in their respective categories, as well.

"All of the Big 12 schools are very competitive and are among the top teams in the country," Sanchez said. "To go 5-1 is very special. Most years, everyone has a 3-3 record going into the conference championship. We were very fortunate to get two very tough road wins."

After coming up short in meets at No. 3 Baylor and No. 4 Texas A&M, the Cowgirls returned to Stillwater for a Senior Day matchup against No. 1 Auburn.

Although the Cowgirls would fall to the Tigers, 10-9, in a meet that came down to the very last ride, it was an experience that the team knew it would build off.

"Senior Day was a really close one with Auburn," Nottingham said. "We really wanted to come away with that one. To only lose by one to the No. 1 team in the country showed us that we were capable of a lot of things. We knew if we cleaned some things up, that it would make a difference and we would come away with those victories."

Barrick and Davis had monster days for OSU, posting scores of 96 and 95 in Equitation on the Flat.

Ty Paris continued her surge, posting a 76.5 and being named Most Outstanding Player for a second-consecutive meet.

Peters, Willoughby and Lange all picked up points in Reining for OSU.

Next up was the Big 12 Championship, where the Cowgirls were paired with TCU. They defeated the Horned Frogs for a third time in the season, winning, 12-7.

A matchup with Baylor awaited the Cowgirls in the final. The two sides split, 1-1 in the regular season.

After a back and forth battle, OSU began to pull away in Reining and Equitation on the Flat. The Cowgirls surged to a 13-6 victory, with Amy White clinching the winning point.

"Every year is just like the first time," Sanchez said. "Every year it's a different team, and we're very proud of their hard work and to come out of it with a conference championship is just awesome."

The title marked the fourth in the last five years for Oklahoma State.

After the championship meet, four Cowgirls – Carly Barrick (Fences), Ty Paris (Horsemanship), Jorden Davis (Flat) and Ebba Lange (Reining) - were named to the All-Big 12 Team at the awards ceremony, with one rider representing OSU in each of the four events.

Paris was named as the Big 12 Horsemanship Rider of the Year.

"Ty (Paris) was great," Nottingham said. "I'm so happy for her because she has worked so hard. It's just great to see that rewarded. She's been such a great part of the Horsemanship team, really encouraging girls with Larry's help. It's really rewarding to be a part of that. I think it gave Ty a lot of confidence going into nationals, and it showed with the ride she had there."

The win over Baylor bumped the Cowgirls to No. 4 in the national polls, resulting in a first-round bye at the NCEA National Championship in Waco, Texas.

At the championship's opening ceremony, Ebba Lange was named to the NCEA All-America Reining First Team, and Jorden Davis was named to the NCEA All-America Equitation on the Flat Second Team.

For Davis, it was the second time she has received NCEA All-America honors.

The Cowgirls would fall to Texas A&M in the NCEA quarterfinals but remain hopeful about what their future holds.

"Where we started and where we are now is a complete 180," Drysch said. "On the English side, we're only losing one spot. Coming into next year, we'll be starting in a much better place than we did this year."

"I think they have a great outlook," Nottingham said. "On the English side, they have several very capable girls who have been here and girls coming in. On the Western side, they're losing two on the Horsemanship side and two in the Reining, but, again, they've got some really strong girls stepping in there. Overall, I think they have a strong campaign ahead of them."

Oklahoma State University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Kaitlyn Arnold

Carly Barrick

Brenna Brawner

Kirsten Chamberland

Danielle Cohen

Jorden Davis

Maggie Drysch

Katie Jones

Ebba Lange

Paris Nottingham

Ty Paris

Kendall Pedigo

Justine Peters

Julia Purus

Miranda Reed

Amy White

Erin Willoughby

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