New A&M-Commerce Equestrian Team Successful in Competition

The Texas A&M University-Commerce equestrian team, founded earlier this year, is comprised of students of diverse majors who practice regularly at the Equine Center to be a part of competitive events through intercollegiate associations such as the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).

The team can already boast successes of team members Meagan Gravelle (Equine Studies) and Channing Marley (Agriculture Science). Gravelle placed second in 2A hunt seat equitation walk, trot and cantor, and Marley earned third place in the same category at the IHSA show in Oklahoma, held in mid-October. Student riders participated under the guidance of Brooke Harris, equine supervisor and coach for the intercollegiate equestrian team and intercollegiate horse judging team at A&M-Commerce.

“This was the very first Intercollegiate Horse Show Association competition for us. We had two of our five hunt seat team members compete and were very excited about their performance in the classes as this was against some very tough schools. We will have our first western horsemanship show November 7-8 in Canyon, Texas, where we will have four students competing at various levels,” said Harris.

“The Equine Program at A&M-Commerce is receiving more attention through students' presence at Intercollegiate Horse Shows in several disciplines such as horsemanship, dressage, stock horse, and hunter/jumper,” stated Assistant Professor Petra Collyer. “Our ambitious students have shaped the equestrian team into a group of competitive riders with diverse interests, supporting each other through practice and during competition. We are proud of Channing and Meagan, and look forward to celebrating our students' successes along the way.”