The Fresno State equestrian team will host their fifth annual Best in the West tournament this weekend at the Studnet Horse Center.
Feb. 21, 2011
FRESNO, Calif. -
The Fresno State equestrian team will host their annual Best in the West tournament
this weekend at the Student Horse Center. The Dogs recently returned
from a trip to the south where they competed at the Winter Equestrian Festival
(WEF) in Florida and took on SMU and TCU in Texas. Junior captain Kimberly
Hewson Budnik took sixth place in the WEF Equitation Challenge and the team
defeated SMU and lost by one against the Horned Frogs. The Bulldogs spent
the President's Day weekend practicing and gearing up for their annual tournament
where they will host No. 5 TCU, No. 6 University of South Carolina, and
No. 8 Baylor. The tournament will be run in a head to head format where each
of the teams will be competing against each other until one of them is named the
"Best in the West". The Dogs will compete all day Saturday and Sunday and it
is open to the public. There will be a silent auction and delicious food cooked
and provided by the Saddle Club.
Complete Release in PDF Format 
Best in the West Tournament History
The Bulldogs have hosted and won four straight Best in the West tournaments
at the Student Horse Center. Their first tournament in the 2006-07 season, the
Dogs hosted and defeated South Dakota State, Delaware State, SMU, TCU, and
University of Tennessee-Martin. The second year of the tournament the Dogs beat
TCU and University of Tennessee-Martin. The third Best in the West tournament
consisted of TCU, South Dakota State, and University of Tennessee-Martin and
the Dogs rode to victory once again. The Bulldogs earned their fourth tournament
victory during the 2009-10 season, when they welcomed TCU, University
of Tennessee Martin and Sacred Heart to the Student Horse center.
Looking Ahead
After the Best in the West tournament, the Dogs still have two more head to head matches before they travel to the Varsity Equestrian National Championships. For their final road trip, the Bulldogs will head to Tennessee to take on UTM on March 12. The final home competition will be held at the Student Horse Center on March 26 when the Dogs take on No.1 Texas A &M. The Varsity Equestrian National Championships will be held in Waco, Texas on April 14-16.
Saddle Club
Fresno State's Saddle Club is the booster program for the women's equestrian
team. The Saddle Club is a fan based organization established to increase the
enthusiasm for Fresno State equestrian and to enhance the student-athlete
experience. For information on how to join the Saddle Club contact graduate
assistant Brenda Donat at 559-278-4116.
"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!
