Equestrian team ranked No. 1 in the nation

In just its fourth season as a varsity program, Baylor’s equestrian team moved into the No. 1 spot in the national rankings this week. Head coach Ellen White’s Lady Bears are 11-2 on the season, including a 5-1 mark against other Big 12 schools.

Equestrian, Baylor’s 18th varsity athletic program, is classified as an “NCAA emerging sport.” The sport is over halfway to the number of participating universities that it needs to become a full NCAA sport and hold an NCAA equestrian championship. The Big 12 features more participating schools than any other conference, as the Lady Bears face Kansas State, Oklahoma State and Texas A&M each season; the list of other schools offering varsity equestrian programs includes Auburn, Georgia, South Carolina, SMU and TCU.

Equestrian leads a long list of Baylor sports currently among the top 25; other top teams include baseball (No. 6), women’s basketball (No. 6), women’s tennis (No. 7), men’s tennis (No. 10), men’s track and field (No. 15), women’s track and field (No. 15), and softball (No. 24).

Sic ’em, Baylor equestrian and Baylor athletics!