A few weeks ago, SMU equestrian coach Carol Gwin commissioned an art director for a small project. The NCAA championships were approaching, and if the Mustangs were going to leave Ocala, Fla., with their first title, they were going to need a proper championship logo.
“Just to have in our back pocket,” Gwin said slyly.
Putting the cart before the horse? Maybe. But Gwin long had confidence that this SMU team, ranked No. 1 heading into the final tournament, could win a national championship.
The Mustangs met Gwin’s expectations this past weekend, beating Baylor, TCU and ultimately Auburn in the final.
The win was the first national championship for equestrian in school history and SMU’s ninth overall for the school in any sport. It was also the first national title won by a team not from the Big 12 or the Southeastern Conference, dating to the National Collegiate Equestrian Association’s creation in 1998.
“I’ve always kind of been the bridesmaid and never the bride in this,” Gwin said, citing a runner-up performance in 2021 and other close finishes. “It’s really quite fun to experience all the excitement for my team. I’ve been here nine years at SMU and built a team pretty much from the ground up, and it’s really the cherry on top to see these girls thrive.
“We’ve really developed a powerhouse, but we just hadn’t won the big one.”
To win the big one, SMU had to beat second-ranked Auburn, the only team that defeated the Mustangs in the regular season. The way that unfolded says a lot about this year’s SMU team, which Gwin decided wouldn’t have a conference schedule.
“We just went out on a limb this year and said, we’re Notre Dame,” Gwin said, referring to the Fighting Irish football team’s lack of a regular conference schedule.
To start the season, they faced reigning champion Oklahoma State and won 10-9.
The craziest decision Gwin made, however, came with what ended up being SMU’s toughest test of the year. The Mustangs went on an SEC tour the last weekend of February, facing South Carolina in Columbia, Georgia in Athens, and Auburn on three consecutive days. SMU won the first two but lost to Auburn 15-5.
“You’ve got to play a schedule that will, one, get you qualified, and two, prepare your kids,” Gwin said. “That’s kind of my strategy and we’ll continue that strategy.”
SMU’s performance at the national championships cemented that for Gwin. The Mustangs started slow against Baylor and trailed by one heading to the fourth and final event, horsemanship. Each event has five one-on-one competitions between athletes who ride the same horse. Against Baylor, SMU won four of the five to advance to the semifinals.
Gwin said the quarterfinals were a good reality check for the Mustangs. They responded with a lopsided win over TCU, setting up the rematch against Auburn. Despite how the previous meeting went, Gwin had a message for her team the night before the final.
“There’s going to be a lot of noise, a lot of adrenaline, a lot of people,” she recalled saying. “You just have to keep your head down and do your thing, because you’re definitely the best team here. And that’s what they did.”
Gwin said on Monday that there hasn’t really been a moment to celebrate, but she has taken a moment or two to recognize the significance of how far the program has come.
Building the program from the ground up started with upgrading the saddles and adding jumps. She then channeled South Carolina women’s basketball coach Dawn Staley. Formerly an assistant equestrian coach at South Carolina, Gwin had the chance to watch Staley turn her team into a national power.
One key element, she noticed, was building a fan base. Gwin remembers crowds that barely crept into the double digits when she first arrived. This year, the Dallas Equestrian Center drew anywhere from 500 to 1,000 fans, she said.
“Sold-out food trucks,” Gwin said of the atmosphere. “So we really have some momentum.”
Ultimately, though, building a national champion in any sport starts with the personnel.
“I probably receive 2,200 emails from recruits for nine to 10 spots per year,” Gwin said.
The team has nearly 40 athletes representing over 20 states and one from Canada.
“It’s a complete effort,” Gwin said about a team that featured nine NCEA All-Americans this year. “It’s not, ‘Oh, I bought the most expensive horse and here I am.’ No, it’s a hands-down, huge team effort.”
On Twitter: @JoeJHoyt
