Mary Brown - Equestrian Coach

Photo by: Keith Kountz

Mary Brown

Title:
Assistant Western Coach
Email:
marybrown@mail.fresnostate.edu
Phone:
559-278-7918

Last updated July 26, 2023

Fresno State equestrian head coach Eric Hubbard announced the addition of Mary Brown to the Bulldogs' coaching staff on October 2, 2017. Brown is set to enter her seventh year as the Bulldogs’ western assistant coach in 2023-24.

2022-23
Brown led the horsemanship group in her sixth season as assistant coach in 2022-23. That group finished the season with a 20-37-2 record, with three total MOP honors. Senior Hannah Buijs led the horsemanship group as the veteran, finishing with a 5-7-0 record and two MOP honors. The group had two sweeps in back-to-back meets this season, vs Minnesota Crookston and Baylor.

2021-22
Brown again coached up the horsemanship crew as the Bulldogs western assistant coach in 2021-22. In the horsemanship, Fresno State had a 35-41-4 mark with seven MOPs earned. The Bulldogs had a core of talent on its horsemanship crew this season, having been led by long-time Bulldog Kameron Thorn who went 10-6 with two MOPs in her senior season. Emily Maul was second on the team with an 8-7 record with two MOP honors.

Two riders earned Big 12 Horsemanship Rider of the Month honors this season - Alex Krebs and Emily Maul.

2021
Brown continues to take the Bulldog western squad to new heights as the crew competed for another winning season in 2021. With no fall portion of the schedule due to the COVID19 pandemic, Brown and the coaching staff got the team prepared for the spring in a short turnaround time. The western squads combined for a 49-43-8 record this season. Reining led the way with a 25-21-4 mark while horsemanship was close by with a 24-22-4 record.

The horsemanship team was dominant all season long as it boasted experienced riders across the draw this season. The ‘Dogs were led by Kameron Thorn with seven wins and four MOP honors in the shortened season. Thorn earned All-Big 12 recognitions in 2021.

The 2021 reining corp was a younger group, but did not buckle under pressure. Four Bulldogs posted a six-win season this year, and two earned All-Big 12 recognitions. Lexee Padrick, a All-big 12 reining selection, was also a second team All-American in 2021. Padrick finished the season with a 6-4-1 record with two MOP honors.

2019-20
The 2019-20 season was another big year for the Bulldog western team as the squad totaled a 74-46-10 mark in their shortened season. The 2019-20 season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic. The team missed out on one final regular season meet, their first-ever Big 12 conference championship and the NCEA national championship.

Horsemanship was dominant with a 37-25-3 mark. The 'Dogs were led in wins by Nicole Campbell with nine, and Kameron Thorn and Hannah Way had seven each. In the Reining, Fresno State had a 37-21-7 record and were led by Bailey Alexander who was the only western 'Dogs to have a 10-win season. Alexander was named the Big 12 Reining Rider of the Year and was a first team reining all-american.

The reining squad finished the season as the second-ranked team in the nation while the horsemanship crew was No. 4.

2018-19
In her second season as Fresno State equestrian's assistant western coach in 2018-19, Brown proved to be a big contributor in the unit’s success. The western squads combined for a 57-67-11 mark as horsemanship led the way with a 33-31-4 record and reining put forth a 24-36-7 season.

Horsemanship was led by redshirt sophomore Nicole Campbell who was named the UEC Horsemanship Rider of the Year and NCEA Horsemanship All-America honorable mention with a 10-5 record and five MOP honors in her first year as a Bulldog after transferring from Oklahoma State.

Brown also coached a reining squad of juniors Paige Barton and Shea Gilson who finished with seven wins and one MOP each, and freshman Lexee Padrick who had a 5-7-2 record, one MOP and was named the UEC Freshman Reining Rider of the Year.

2017-18
In her first season (2017-18), Horsemanship finished with an overall 31-36-7 record behind junior Taeya Harle who garnered a 10-4-2 mark as one of two Bulldogs to have a 10 win season that year. Harle earned four MOP honors, the most in any event by a Bulldog in 2017-18. The Issaquah, Wash. native was named the 2017-18 UEC Horsemanship Rider of the Year and received NCEA Horsemanship All-America Honorable Mention.

Brown coached senior Rachel Williams in the Horsemanship arena to prepare her for the 2018 American Quarter Horse Association Horsemanship Challenge. Williams became the first Bulldog in program history to advance to the final round in the challenge. Williams posted a 7-8-1 mark in horsemanship with two MOPs in her senior season.

In the Reining arena, the 2017-18 ‘Dogs recorded a 27-41-2 mark. Sophomore Paige Barton led the team with a 10-4-1 record, the only other Bulldog to record a 10 win season other than Harle. Barton had a good run in her sophomore campaign, going undefeated for six consecutive meets. She earned three monthly honors in UEC and NCEA Reining Rider of the Month. At the conclusion of the season, Barton was named the UEC Reining Rider of the Year and a NCEA Ariat First Team All-America in Reining.

Prior to Fresno State
Prior to arriving at Fresno State, Brown competed and served as a student-coach at Baylor. The Kelseyville, Calif. native got her start in the sport from an early age thanks to her aunt Nancy Renfro, an American Quarter Horse Youth Association (AQHYA) trainer and professional horseman. Brown won the 2012 AQHYA Reserve World Championship at the Western Horsemanship World Championship in Oklahoma City, Okla. She also claimed the AQHYA World Championship in 2013 in Western Riding and Reserve and finished third in Horsemanship.

Moving on to her time as a student-athlete with the Bears from 2012-16, Brown competed in horsemanship and reining for four seasons helping Baylor capture the Big 12 Championship in 2015. At those Championships, she won the Big 12 Most Outstanding Player honors in horsemanship and went on to be an National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) National Academic honorable mention honoree as well as a second-team Academic All-Big 12 selection later that season.

Brown excelled in the classroom during her time in Waco garnering NCEA National Academic honorable mention and second-team Academic All-Big 12 honors as a sophomore in 2013-14 and as a senior in 2015-16, she earned NCEA Second-Team honors in horsemanship.

After she was done competing at the collegiate level, Brown moved on to the coaching ranks learning under the guidance of Baylor Western coach Cindy Walquist and helped Baylor capture the 2017 Big 12 Championship.

Brown was named the Baylor Athletics Western Rider of the Decade on April 23, 2020.