Junior captain, Kimberly Hewson Budnik, will represent Fresno State at the Winter Equestrian Festival next week in Wellington, Florida.
Feb. 2, 2011
FRESNO, Calif. -
Fresno State equestrian team captain, Kimberly Hewson Budnik, will be representing the Bulldogs at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida. The 2nd Annual Collegiate Equitation Challenge will take place next week and this will be the first time the Bulldogs have made an appearance at the event.
The tournament will be run in the Varsity Equestrian head to head, bracketed format with sixteen top collegiate riders from all over the country. Riders will compete over an equitation course with heights up to 3'6". Competition will start at 2 pm with all sixteen riders in the Preliminary Round. The eight winners will qualify for the finals in the evening, and the remaining eight will compete in a consolation bracket immediately following the Preliminary Round. The horses will be on loan from local professionals and unfamiliar to the riders. The winner of the Consolation Bracket will receive a trophy donated by Pierre and Martha Jolicoeur and the Champion will be presented a trophy sponsored by the South Florida Hunter Jumper Association.
"I am very happy for Kimmy and I know she will do great next week," said English coach, Julia Scrivani, who will be traveling to Florida with the junior.
Hewson Budnik has won five out of the six events she has competed in so far this season and she has an average competition score of 79.5. During her freshman year she earned three MVP honors against three different opponents and was also the Rookie of the Year recipient. She earned the only victory against defending national champion team Georgia at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships in 2009.
2011 Collegiate Competitors at WEF
Maggie McAlary (Auburn)
Kendra Vicary (Baylor)
Kayla Blair (Delaware State)
Kimberly Hewson Budnik (Fresno State)
Catherine Avolese (Kansas State)
Laura Bostwick (New Mexico State)
Samantha Elser (Oklahoma State)
Abbie Britton (Sacred Heart)
Megan Violand (South Dakota State)
Jordyn Pettersen (SMU)
Brooke Coleman (Texas A&M)
Victoria Lee (TCU)
Kacy Jenkins (UGA)
Kim McCormack (University South Carolina)
Caroline Cramer (University Tennessee-Martin)
Nellie Foosaner (University of Miami)
Scrivani and Hewson Budnik will leave for Florida next week and then they will travel straight to Texas to meet the rest of their team who will be in the middle of a three school competition trip.
"We Are Your Team!" The annual Best in the West Tournament will take place at the Student Horse Center on February 26 and 27. Mark it on your calendar and come see your Bulldog equestrian team in action! Admission is FREE!
