The Fresno State equestrian team earned a second-place finish at the 2019 United Equestrian Conference Championships with a 14-2 loss to top-seeded Southern Methodist University in the championship finals this past weekend, according to a Fresno State Athletics news release.
The loss earns the ‘Dogs a second place finish in back-to-back years after falling to the Mustangs in similar fashion in the final round of 2018, 13-3.
The No. 3-seeded Bulldogs advanced to the UEC Championship round with a 9-7 win over the No. 2-seeded Delaware State in the semifinals on Friday.
First up was equitation over fences and horsemanship, as the Mustangs took an early 7-3 lead at the half after sweeping the fences competition and taking horsemanship, 3-1.
Redshirt sophomore Nicole Campbell earned the Bulldogs’ only point in the first half with a 150 (74.5+75.5) to 149 horsemanship win.
Along with the win, Campbell went 2-0 in her horsemanship rides at the UEC Championships, bringing her season total to nine wins in the event this season.
Despite the win from Campbell, SMU was able to take a clean sweep in the reining event and took equitation on the flat, 3-1, to close out the meet.
Redshirt junior Brooke Nelson picked up a Bulldog point in the flat with a 137 (69+68) to 136 win in the event. Nelson was also a perfect 2-0 in her flat rides at the UEC Championships.
With the loss, the Bulldogs fall to 5-8 and will finish their season with a meet on March 30 before they compete in the National Collegiate Equestrian Association championships in April.
While in Tennessee, the Fresno State equestrian team was honored by the UEC at the conference banquet held on Thursday evening. The Bulldogs had four different riders earn conference awards for their performances during the 2018-19 season.
Campbell was named the 2018-19 UEC Horsemanship Rider of the Year.
She has earned a 7-4 record in horsemanship and was chosen as Most Outstanding Performer four times, according to Fresno State Athletics, becoming the only Bulldog in program history to be named UEC Rider of the Month on three occasions in both the same season and in the same event.
Campbell also earned a spot on the All-UEC horsemanship team, presented by Weakley County Farmers Co-Op.
The awards kept rolling in as the ‘Dogs swept the western titles with two freshmen named Freshman of the Year for the 2018-19 season.
The win marks the first time that Fresno State has had two freshmen honored by the conference in its five-year stint with the UEC.
Brooklyn Moch was named Freshman Horsemanship Rider of the Year after earning a 5-2 record, while picking up horsemanship rider of the week and horsemanship rider of the month in October for her outing in her first collegiate ride.
Moch also joins Campbell on the All-UEC Horsemanship Team.
Lexee Padrick was named Freshman Reining Rider of the Year with a 5-4-2 mark in the event this season.