WACO, Texas – The National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) has announced the inaugural Hall of Fame class, released Wednesday.
 
The principles of leadership, integrity, personal sacrifice, significant and lasting contributions to the NCEA and/or material support to a beloved cause are ingredients of individual greatness. To recognize and honor such individuals who have gone over and beyond these things in regular support of the NCEA, the Hall of Fame was established.
 
The honorees must have made great and/or unusual contributions in support of the NCEA in personal time, effort, performance, and/or material and services over and above all ordinary expectations of the average supporter. Honorees were identified in three distinct categories: athletes (Legacy 2000-2007; Current 2008-2017), coaches, and special contributors. 
 
“In 2023, current NCEA leadership engaged in a plan to recognize those individuals who made outstanding contributions to the NCEA and helped to establish the strong foundation upon which now stand,” said executive director Dr. Leah Fiorentino. “The purpose of this designation is to celebrate inductees who have done so much to advance the sport of Equestrian through the support of the NCEA. We would like to thank them for their leadership and the best way we know how to do this is with the Hall of Fame recognition. I have always been appreciative and impressed with their contributions as the Executive Director. My heartfelt congratulations to the honorees and thank you to them for all their work. I look forward to their continued involvement!”
 
The NCEA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony will take place at the NCEA Championships in Ocala, Florida, on Friday, April 19. See below for information on purchasing tickets for the dinner.
 
The inaugural NCEA Hall of Fame Class includes of two student-athletes, two coaches, and two special contributors.
 
Texas A&M’s Quincy Cahill Allen and Baylor’s Samantha Schaefer will be recognized in the athlete category. Coaches Tana McKay of Texas A&M and Greg Williams of Auburn will be honored in the coaching category. The two special contributors selected were the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Tom O’Mara and Baylor’s Nancy Post.
 
Cahill Allen was a member of the Aggies’ roster from 1999-2002, competing in Reining for Texas A&M. She placed first in every competition but one in the 1999-00 season, claiming seven out of 10 High Point Rider awards for the season. In the 2000-01 season, she had collected 54 points, 12 more than the next-highest competitor. Her point total alone would have placed her ahead of half the teams in A&M’s region.
 
Schaefer, a Fences and Flat rider, competed for Baylor from 2011-15. At the end of her collegiate career, she earned 22 MOPs in Fences with an all-time regular season record of 36-4-1. She finished on the Flat with a 33-7 record and 15 MOPs. The most decorated rider in Baylor’s history, she helped the Bears earn their first Hunter Seat National Championship title as a freshman in 2012. While finishing classes in her fifth year, she helped student-coach the Baylor program.
 
McKay has been with the Texas A&M program since its inception in 1998, a co-creator of the program as a graduate student in equine science then brought on as co-head coach a year later when it became a fully funded varsity sport. She was then named head coach in the inaugural season, 2000, after helping establish and organize the team. The veteran has led the Aggies to 12 team and discipline national championships and three NCEA Team National Championships, coaching 56 NCEA All-America honorees. 
 
Williams founded Auburn’s equestrian program in 1996 and elevated it to varsity status in 2002-03. He boasted a career record of 203-65 over his tenure, becoming Head Coach Emeritus to the program in the 2023-24 season. Williams led the Tigers to six National Championships, six SEC Championships and three Southern Equestrian Championships. He’s mentored a staggering 122 All-Americans and nine NCEA Riders of the Year.
 
O’Mara has been a passionate advocate for women’s equestrian for the past 20 years, to the Georgia program but also the NCEA. He has served the NCEA in numerous capacities, including as a member of the NCEA National Advisory Board and as the Director of Development. He has also served on the USEF’s Board of Directors and has held leadership positions, currently as President and Chairman of the Board through 2024. O’Mara worked with the USEF, AQHA, NRHA and APHA to continue supporting NCAA Equestrian. He’s been on the frontlines of furthering the sport and working toward NCAA Championship status.
 
Post was instrumental in bringing equestrian to Baylor’s campus in 2005 and served as the sport supervisor for the program throughout the implementation and advancement of the program. She served the NCEA as the Championship Manager for 15 years in a row, fostering a strong relationship with the City and County, even defraying the cost of the Extraco rental for the tournament. Post was instrumental in the NCEA’s partnership with the AQHA and continues to serve on NCEA committees and help with the operations of the championships.
 
2024 Hall of Fame
Quincy Cahill Allen – Student-Athlete – Texas A&M
Samantha Schaefer – Student-Athlete – Baylor
Tana McKay – Coach – Texas A&M
Greg Williams – Coach – Auburn 
Tom O’Mara – Special Contributor – USEF
Nancy Post – Special Contributor – Baylor 
 
Tickets
Tickets for the NCEA Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony are for available for purchase at $125, a table purchase includes eight seats. Tickets can be purchased via check made out and mailed to Dr. Leah Fiorentino, 3076 Painters Walk, Flagler Beach, FL 32136 or via Venmo - @Leah-Fiorentino-1.
 
Please direct all inquiries regarding the 2024 NCEA Hall of Fame to Dr. Leah Fiorentino  (director@collegiateequestrian.com).
 

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About the NCEA
A non-profit corporation, the NCEA is a governing body to advance the sport of equestrian. The NCEA is responsible for the development and administration of equestrian rules and guidelines. Equestrian is subject to all NCAA policies and procedures in the same manner as other sports. In 1998, Equestrian was identified and adopted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Committee on Women's Athletics (CWA) as an emerging sport for women at the Division I and II levels. 
 
NCEA competitions are in a head-to-head format, and schools may choose to compete as a single or dual discipline team (Jumping Seat and Western). Each discipline has two events: in Jumping Seat, Fences and Flat, and in Western, Horsemanship and Reining. Teams can have five riders per event, with horses assigned by random draw at the start of the competition. Riders from opposing teams compete on the same horse, and whichever rider receives the higher score earns one point for her team. The level of difficulty is demonstrated by the accuracy of the pattern and how the competitor uses the horse to the best of her ability.
 
To stay up to date all year long on all things NCEA Equestrian, follow the organization on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @NCEA_Equestrian and @ncea_eq.