TCU Equestrian: The Proving Trail
TCU sent its seniors off in style, with a huge win over Baylor, 12-7 at Bear Creek Farms.
The TCU team honored its seniors, Kaitlyn Baker, Maddy Buchanan, Alexis Cook, Mattie Dukes, Jordan Guilmart, Olivia Parr, and Catherine Shurtleff, who walked through the the arena a final time following the meet's conclusion.
Beating the No. 8 Bears served as an apt way to honor a senior class legacy that is proving itself as one of the greatest in the 17-year history of the program. The win over Baylor was the group's 35th together in their four-year run in Fort Worth. Saturday's result also signified TCU's sixth home victory in as many tries, giving the program its first-ever undefeated home record.
TCU concluded the regular season with an 11-2 overall record and 4-2 mark in Big 12 play, guaranteeing the Horned Frogs a top-two seed in the Big 12 Championships (March 24-25) and their 16th all-time berth to April's NCEA Championships. As dominant as TCU has been in 2022-2023 – the Horned Frogs boast seven NCEA top-10 wins – Baylor owns the distinction of being one of just two teams to beat them (12-7 on Oct. 21 in Waco in the first-of-two meetings between the teams). Nevertheless, TCU ensured that vengeance would be theirs.
The meet began with Fences, with a first point earned by Ashleigh Scully, who tallied a score of 83.
Isabella Baxter followed in kind, scoring a 77 for TCU's second point.
The event was sealed by Ella Bostwick, who overwhelmed her opponent 80-72.
Despite TCU's success in Fences, Baylor managed a narrow victory in Flat. However, despite Baylor's 3-2 win, TCU won enough individual wins to broaden their lead from Fences.
Scully and Wynne Weatherly earned TCU's two points, with scores of 73 and 84, respectively. Her overall record now standing at 22-4 this season, Scully can boast the most wins of any Horned Frog.
Weatherly, a graduate student hailing from Charlotte, North Carolina, proved her goods as she went out with a win at her final meet. She received her second straight MOP at Bear Creek Farms, fourth in 2022-2023 and ninth in her five-year collegiate career.
The action moved to Reining, which TCU dominated 4-1. Shea Graham earned the first point for TCU, edging out her opponent 72.5-71.5.
Jessica McAllister further cemented herself as arguably the nation's top Western performer. She opposed Baylor's Madaline Callaway, who earned a score of 75. McAllister countered with a 76-point effort of her own in route to her ninth Reining victory and second MOP of her junior year.
Dukes matched her season-high score of 73.5, taking out Daisy Kaufman by one point. Dukes, from Weatherford, Texas, boasts an 11-1-1 Reining record this season.
Giorgia Medows, a fellow All-American alongside Graham and McAllister, claimed TCU's fourth-and-final Reining victory – her ninth of the year – via a 74.5-70.5 result over Andie Pratt.
Baylor needed all five remaining points to win, but the All-American duo of Meadows and McAllister quickly thwarted any prospects of a comeback. The Bears were awarded the first point in the discipline. Meadows then earned the meet-clincher on the following ride, besting Nadalee Vasquez 76-75. McAllister joined her in the win column for the second time with an identical score at the expense of Gabrielle Marty.
The last point earned for the Frogs was won by Payton Boutelle, who tallied a score of 74.
Next Up: TCU will train for three weeks before heading up to Stillwater for the Big 12 tournament. They will face either Baylor or No. 9 Fresno State in the first round of the two-day affair.
The 2022-2023 season will then conclude with the NCEA Championships from Apr. 13-15 in Ocala, Florida. The Horned Frogs are one-of-eight teams set to participate in the tournament.
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