Sept. 19, 2007

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina equestrian will kick off its 11th season as the Gamecocks host TCU on Saturday, Sept. 22. The event will start at 10 a.m. at OneWood Farm in Blythewood. This will be the first of three fall home events for the Gamecocks.

“TCU will bring a good team to our place this week,” head coach Boo Duncan said. “They are a very young team but they have loads of talent. We will have our work cut out for us in both hunter seat and western. We will have several freshmen competing ourselves so it will be a real test for us and a good way to gauge how competitive we will be this fall.”

Riding for the Gamecocks in equitation will be senior captain Kristen Terebesi and Lisa Bourbonniere along with sophomores Carly Babcock and Alex Haskell. Freshman Victoria Middleton will also make her first collegiate ride in equitation. In equitation over fences, Terebesi will again ride with veterans Nicole Bourgeois, Megan Massaro, LIndsey Pace and Katie Stenberg.

On the western side, seniors Katy Biffle and Allison Bradley will lead in horsemanship, followed by junior Katie Grossnickle and sophomore Amy Biffle. Freshman Hailey Thornton rounds out the Gamecocks competing in horsemanship. In reining, Bradley will be joined by team captain Lindsay Williams and junior Rebekah Roof. Carolina will ride two newcomers in reining with Chloe Gray and Kyla Thurlow competing in their first collegiate rides this weekend.

The Gamecocks hope to build upon last season’s national championship, the second overall championship in three years for Duncan’s program. The Hunter Seat team has won the past three national championships. Carolina will also host South Dakota State and Georgia during the fall season.