Friday, September 20, 2024 – 10 a.m. CT
SMU at TCU
Bear Creek Farms – Burleson, Texas
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Defending back-to-back national champion SMU Equestrian is set to begin its season with a road meet against TCU on Friday at Bear Creek Farms.

The contest between the crosstown rivals is set to begin at 10 a.m., and is the first collegiate meet of the season nationally.

Last season, the two programs split the regular season matchups before facing off in the NCEA National Championship, which the Mustangs won 12-7. SMU leads the all-time series 14-13, but is seeking its first win at TCU since 2021.

BACK TO BACK
The Mustangs are set to begin the 2024-25 campaign as the defending back-to-back national champions, marking the ninth and 10th national titles for SMU Athletics. SMU is the third school to win back-to-back national titles, joining Auburn and Georgia.

EXPERIENCE RETURNING
The Mustangs return 28 riders from last season's NCEA Championship squad, including two All-Americans in Augusta Iwasaki (Fences) and Nya Kearns (Horsemanship). Iwasaki and Kearns both earned NCEA Rider of the Year honors in their respective divisions. Kearns' honor marks her second NCEA Rider of the Year accolade, also taking it home in 2021, while Iwasaki claimed her second consecutive Rider of the Year honor. In addition, SMU has four riders entering their fifth year of eligibility, as Kearns joins Shelby Clausen, Chalyce Head and Hailey Johns.

NEW RIDERS ON THE BLOCK
SMU welcomes eight new athletes for the 2024-25 campaign, all freshmen. The incoming class hails from eight different states and have already received high accolades during their prep career. Five of the freshmen compete in the western discipline, while three will see action in jumping seat.

THE KEARNS ERA
Brad Kearns is entering his first year as the head coach of the Mustangs after serving as an assistant for the previous three seasons. As an assistant, Kearns coached two National Championship winning teams, 10 All-Americans and was named the 2024 NCEA Western Coach of the Year. Kearns' daughter, Nya, is a member of the team and looks to build off an already incredibly successful career.