NCAA EMERGING SPORTS

COLLEGE EQUESTRIAN FOR WOMEN

In 1998, equestrian was named an emerging sport by the National Collegiate Athletic Association. Many people within the horse industry joined together to help advance the sport to full NCAA championship status. In order to reach NCAA Championship status there must be forty schools that sponsor equestrian as an NCAA sport at Division I and II level.

At the moment there are twenty three 23 universities and colleges that sponsor equestrian as a varsity sport and more are added each year..

Universities compete in a head to head format, where each team is required to ride the same horse and judges’ scores are compared across horses. The host college provides the horses and tack at every competition.

The format includes hunt seat equitation on the flat and over fences, western horsemanship and reining.

A Varsity Equestrian Championship is held every year among universities and colleges that compete at the varsity level. Because equestrian has 2 unique disciplines, this event has a national champion in each of 3 areas; Overall, Western and English.

The NCAA has allowed the Sport of Equestrian fifteen scholarships. Availability of and requirements for scholarships vary for each University.

The following colleges sponsor Equestrian:

Division I
Auburn University
Baylor University
Brown University
California State University–Fresno
College of Charleston
Cornell University
Kansas State University
New Mexico State University
Oklahoma State University
Sacred Heart University
South Dakota State University
Southern Methodist University
Stephen F. Austin University
Texas A&M University
University of Georgia
University of South Carolina
University of Tennessee at Martin

Division II
Pace University
Stonehill College
University of Minnesota, Crookston
West Texas A&M University