Outside the SMU stables sits Callie, a young thoroughbred, who sticks his nose out of a stagnant trailer in curiosity. The gelding clumsily stumbles, revealing a soundness defect and the reason for his arrival on the Hilltop. Any trained rider can tell Callie is unfit for competitive riding, which is why his owner – currently deliberating the final details of Callie’s donation to the school’s equestrian program – is about to receive several hundred dollars in a tax write-off.
After winning their fourth-straight conference title, SMU’s equestrian team will vie for a national title on Thursday, April 14 in Florida.