March 28, 2007

Columbia, S.C. – The University of South Carolina Equestrian team is making its third consecutive appearance at the Varsity Equestrian National Championship, earning the No. 1 seed in the Hunt Seat Division and the No. 7 seed in the Western Division. Twelve teams are invited to the VENC’s which will be held April 18-20 in Waco, Texas. The Gamecocks were the overall and hunt seat champions in 2005, and brought home the hunt seat title again in 2006.

Defending their back-to-back titles for the Hunt Seat team in equitation on the flat will be seniors Kelley Campbell (Keysville, Va.), Sarah Lowe (Augusta, Ga.), and co-captain Carly Johns (Woodstock, Ga.), and junior Kristen Terebesi (Glenmoore, Pa.). In equitation over fences, South Carolina riders will be Terebesi, sophomore LIndsey Pace (Camden, S.C.), and freshmen Nicole Bourgeois (Sherwood, Ore.) and Megan Massaro (Summerfield, Fla.). Alternate riders for the Hunt Seat team will be freshmen Carly Babcock (Deer Harbor, Wash.) and Sarah Stephens (Chalfont, Pa.).

In the Western division, the Gamecocks will be led by senior co-captain Rachel Sternoff (Redmond, Wash.) who will be competing in both horsemanship and reining. Also riding for the Garnet and Black in the horsemanship competition will be juniors Allison Bradley (Lancaster, Cali.) and Katy Biffle (Orange Grove, Texas), and sophomore Katie Grossnickle (Winona Lake, Ind.). Junior Lindsay Williams (Sand Springs, Okla.) and sophomore Rebekah Roof (Lexington, S.C.) will join Bradley and Sternoff in the reining portion. Alternate riders for the Gamecock Western team will be Biffle and freshman Kristina Papendick (Rapid City, S.D.).

USC owns a 7-2 record this season. The Hunt Seat team remains undefeated with a sparkling 9-0 record, while the Western team posts a 3-6 record, which includes a win over Georgia who was undefeated entering the contest on March 3.