Fresno State Athletics
Raising the Bar
12/1/2000 12:00:00 AM | Equestrian
The fifth year for the Fresno State equestrian team will be filled with new but exciting challenges. As the newest varsity program at Fresno State, the team has lifted itself to a level of national recognition. This season, with four Division 1 shows on the docket, the Bulldogs will take on a true Division 1 schedule after competing against mostly club teams the first four years. Along with facing the usual strong club teams such as Stanford, Cal Poly and UC Davis, the `Dogs will pit their talent against other true Division 1 programs that are national powerhouses like the strong English riders of the University of South Carolina, and the western giants of Texas A&M and Oklahoma State.
This team is equipped to handle these challenges. Head coach Megan McGee, who has been with this program from the beginning, has complete confidence in her riders.
"The depth we have this year is incredible," McGee said. "Last year we were not very deep on certain events until halfway through the year, this year we are returning a strong group of national-caliber riders."
Fresno State is a testament to the rising strength of equestrian. Fresno State is one of five schools in the nation to have equestrian as a Division 1 sport. The `Dogs also had two riders compete in the Olympic selection meet and place in the top 20. Because of the Bulldogs' success in the past, Fresno State will host a NCAA Division 1 tournament in March.
"We are very excited about hosting the tournament this year," McGee said. "I think we have all worked very hard on building this program and this is a reflection of our hard work."
The Bulldogs are also taking part in spreading another new development in the sport, Intercollegiate Dressage, an Olympic discipline that has never been offered at the collegiate level. The governing body of this event, the United States Dressage Federation, has worked for years to get this event to this level, and they have succeeded.
"I think it is very important for riders to get the opportunity to work on this event at the college level," said McGee. "If these riders want to compete at the Olympics they need to prepare now and compete at the collegiate level."
The Bulldogs have already hosted one Dressage show and will host three more this season. Fresno State won four first places finishes and had the overall High Point rider of the show. Senior Shari Heitkotter scored 69.5 percent in the Training Level test I category.
"It is a tough discipline to master," Heitkotter said. "It takes a lot of skill and you really have to work to meet the judges' requests."
Dressage is an event that is similar to competitive ice skating. It is a two-part process. First a rider must meet a rigid set of technical standards requested by the judge. The second part is a more artistic program, allowing the rider some flexibility in the interpretation of the requirements. Some riders even work out a program with musical accompaniment.
So far this season the Bulldogs have risen to the challenges with which they have been faced. In their first meet at Purdue the `Dogs scored eighth with 11 points. At Reedley, the Bulldogs took Reserve High Point on day one of the show and High Point honors on the second day and had the Overall High Point and Reserve High Point riders for the show. Fresno State also had the Reserve High Point rider at the home show held on Oct. 29 then traveled to Stanford where they competed against Stanford, UC Davis, Cal Poly and Cal State Bakersfield. Fresno State took the High Point Honors both days of the show scoring 22 and 33 points respectively.
The Bulldogs have had four riders qualify for the regional finals already this season. Seniors Kalli Bowles and Heather Hogancamp, along with junior Dana VanDerGiessen and sophomore Michaela Mathis, have qualified for finals.
"I have a number of riders who are on the verge of qualifying," said McGee. "Some I am holding back to keep them competing at the level they are at."
Incorporating a little scoring strategy now may not be such a bad idea. McGee will need to be ready for the remainder of the season with some of her best riders ready to compete. The hard part of the schedule is still to come. Without having yet competed in any of the four NCAA shows, the Bulldogs are just getting warmed up. The reputation of the team has opened doors for them to compete with some of the best teams in the nation. In December they will be on the road to South Carolina and in January they compete in the Tournament of Champions in Kentucky. The team has the opportunity to face off against Oklahoma State, not only on the road but at home also. Getting the chance to ride against such an acclaimed team at home is a great opportunity for the `Dogs.
"We are very excited about getting Oklahoma State out here," McGee said. "It is a huge feather in our cap to get them to come to us. Between the show against Oklahoma State, the NCAA tournament and the IHSA regional finals, our home schedule is very electrifying."
Last year, McGee guided her team to Reserve regional champions and led eight individuals to the 2000 International Horse Show Association National Finals. McGee served as an FEI steward at the equestrian venue for the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta. In 1998, she was chosen to serve as an administrative assistant to the director for the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event featuring Olympic caliber horses from throughout the world.
The `Dogs will have to ride strong into a season of fearsome opponents. They will have to rely on their deep pool of talent to bring down their ferocious opposition. McGee is very confident about the upcoming season despite the heavy odds. She knows her riders have it in them to challenge even the strongest of opponents.
"Most of our experience is with club teams. Getting a chance to take on some Division 1 schools have us all excited," McGee said. "We are looking at some tough schools, but I know we can be tougher."
