Carlye Thornton | Lariat Photo Editor
By Cody Soto
Sports Writer
No. 1 Baylor equestrian took a big 13-7 win over No. 2 Kansas State Saturday afternoon to keep its perfect season record untouched at the Willis Family Equestrian Center.
The Bears (7-0, 3-0 Big 12) won equitation over fences to start the meet but fell 3-2 in equitation on the flat to the Wildcats (5-2, 0-2 Big 12) to tie 5-5 in hunt seat. The western team dominated the rest of the meet and took two 4-1 wins in horsemanship and reining to finish the meet strong.
“We won and that’s good. It’s always good to win. I feel like western really stepped up and rode beautifully today. Hunt seat probably needs to push on it a little bit,” head coach Ellen White said.” [Kansas State] is a good team; they’re No. 2. We’re ranked No. 1, but we probably could have pulled off a little bit more than what we did. We had a few mistakes.”
Baylor swept all four Most Outstanding Player honors in every event on Saturday. Senior hunter seat rider Sam Schaefer was named Most Outstanding Player for her 87-point performance in equitation on the flat, beating out Kansas State’s Madison Wayda.
Sophomore hunter seat rider Alicia Gasser won MOP honors after beating Kansas State’s Henley Adkins 93-79 in equitation over fences Saturday morning. Gasser’s 93-point performance was the highest score of the meet.
Senior western rider Gillian Chant scored 77 points in her win in horsemanship to earn MOP honors in the event. Senior western rider Parris Rice took the final MOP award with her 69-point performance over Kansas State’s Kara Guy to finish the sweep for Baylor.
The win for Baylor was the seventh consecutive win at home this season, and the cold weather did not affect the riders and horses’ performances, White said.
“All in all, I think it was a good job,” White said. “It was cold, so we just did some quick cold snaps and the horses were a little bit more awake and fresh. The girls did a good job of adjusting to that and making it happen.”
The top-ranked Bears hit the road for the first time this season and face off against Delaware State in Dover, Del. Friday afternoon. The meet will be their last contest before hosting New Mexico State on Jan. 29 in Waco.
