After deciding to sponsor a new championship in June, the SEC announced last week that Auburn will host the inaugural SEC equestrian championship in March 2013 at the Auburn Horse Center. It is the first championship added to the SEC since softball in 1997.
Equestrian coach Greg Williams, who initially started Auburn equestrian as a club sport, said as Texas A&M joins the division, the now-sanctioned tournament by the SEC is a great honor to the team.
"The teams are changing up a little bit with Texas A&M being added to the mix," Williams said. "I think what's most important to us is that it is now going to be sanctioned by the SEC- the recognition of being part of what many consider to be the best conference in the country..."
SEC Commissioner Mike Slive announced in June that an equestrian championship would be sponsored, but the located was not confirmed.
"I think we were really looking for a championship opportunity for the student-athletes that participate in the sport, and this will provide them the opportunity to compete for a conference championship now," said SEC Executive Associate Commissioner Mark Womack in a statement.
Of the nation's equestrian teams, the SEC has been the most successful. Auburn, Georgia, Texas A&M and South Carolina are the only teams to have won the National Collegiate Equestrian Association overall national championship.
Williams also said that despite the recent success of the equestrian team, the decision to choose Auburn as the host was most likely not based on its success.
"I think by the fact that it just recently was hosted at Georgia and South Carolina, I think just the normal rotation would be us," Williams said. "It's just normal fitting for it to be us in this rotation."
Senior Woman Administrator for Auburn Athletics Meredith Jenkins participated in voting on the championship during the SEC spring meetings, along with other representatives from the SEC.
"It has to go through the [athletic directors] and [presidents], the Senior Women Administrators vote on it first...and then it goes to the athletic directors and presidents," Jenkins said.
Jenkins said she is excited to see the first team hoist the championship trophy in March.
"I think the biggest thing about having this championship is that it really just gives the sport an opportunity to showcase the events, and the student athletes have an opportunity to win a championship on the SEC level which they are certainly very deserving."
As the first competition on Sept. 28 against Oklahoma State looms near, Williams said the offseason has been full of excitement.
"The offseason has been good," Williams said. "We've got a bunch of young [players] coming in; we're going to be a young team this year so we're pretty excited about it, but by spring we should be full tilt."
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