WACO, Texas – University of Tennessee at Martin standouts Lexi Bailey and Emma Schaefer were each rewarded for their incredible 2023-24 seasons today as the Skyhawk duo achieved National Collegiate Equestrian Association Ariat All-American status. Bailey was named to the All-American reining first team while Schaefer was named All-American reining honorable mention.
These two become just the 15th and 16th Skyhawks to bring home an All-American award in school history. Bailey is one of three UT Martin riders to accumulate All-American first team accolades in reining (joining Noel Meadows in 2019 and Hannah McDonald in 2021) while the pair of Bailey and Schaefer are only the fifth and sixth riders in program history to receive All-American honors in reining in any capacity.
To become a NCEA Ariat All-American, a rider must have a 67 percent or higher winning percentage (excluding ties), compete in a minimum of 67 percent of the team’s NCEA-qualifying regular season meets and have an adjusted NRS score of 90 for fences, 85 for flat, 80 for horsemanship and 75 for reining.
Bailey follows up an All-Eastern College Athletic Conference reining campaign with today’s prestigious award as the junior from Union Mills, Ind. was one of five riders to claim NCEA Ariat All-American first team honors in reining. She compiled a 7-1-4 record during the regular season which included an unbeaten streak (7-0-2) over her final nine appearances spanning Oct. 13 through March 1. Six of her regular season victories came against nationally ranked opposition (including back-to-back wins over No. 2 Auburn on Oct. 13 and No.1 TCU on Oct. 27) while she also added a seventh win over a ranked team – and eighth triumph overall – with 71.25 points in the March 27 ECAC Championship finals against UC Davis. In that meet, she brought home her team-best third MOP of the season (additionally winning top honors with 71 points against Baylor and a career-high 74.5 points against Delaware State on Nov. 18). She was crowned as the ECAC Reining Rider of the Week on Nov. 20.
A senior from New Virginia, Iowa, Schaefer was one of three riders to earn NCEA Ariat All-American honorable mention accolades in reining. The 2023-24 ECAC Reining Rider of the Year produced an 8-3-1 regular season record and added her team-best ninth victory in the ECAC semifinals against South Dakota State on March 26. She went unbeaten (7-0-1) over an impressive eight-meet spurt from Oct. 12 through Feb. 10, dialing up all of her team-best three MOP’s in that span (69.5 points against South Dakota State, 70.5 points against No. 5 Georgia, 71.5 points against No. 8 Delaware State). She also boasted head-to-head wins over her counterparts from No. 2 Auburn (Oct. 13) and No. 1 TCU (Oct. 27) during that stretch – accounting for six victories over ranked opponents on the season. Her career-high tally occurred during the fall finale, reaching 73 points on Nov. 18 at Delaware State. She was a three-time ECAC Reining Rider of the Week (Oct. 16, Oct. 30, Feb. 12) and was also the ECAC’s Reining Rider of the Month in October.
Together, the tandem of Bailey and Schaefer helped UT Martin earn a NCEA top-10 ranking in all 18 polls while nabbing its fourth straight ECAC reserve championship under head coach Kim Leiter in 2023-24.
