June 7, 2018
AUBURN, Ala. – Rising sophomore Terri-June Granger of the Auburn equestrian team was selected to compete in the Collegiate Reining Championship as part of the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Derby, June 28, at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City.
"Terri-June had an incredible freshman season here and this is a great honor for her," head coach Greg Williams said. "She has the ability to quickly adjust to all types of horses so she will be a great one to watch at the Derby this year."
Every year, the NRHA holds the championship at the Derby and gives some of the top NCEA Reining student-athletes a chance to compete on one of the biggest stages in the Western Reining world. The winner of the championship receives the Morrison Bronze trophy.
The competition will feature 12 of the top collegiate riders with four representing the three collegiate associations – NRHA, the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) and the National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA).
Following a random draw to determine which horse they will ride, the riders will take part in an ultimate catch ride competition where the participants will compete on horses they've never ridden before.
Granger automatically qualified for the event and will represent the NCEA after earning First Team All-America honors earlier this year. In addition to the national recognition, Granger was named the SEC Reining Freshman Rider of the Year and was placed on both the All-SEC and SEC All-Freshman teams.
The Dothan, Ala., product finished tied for first on the team with 13 wins on the year in the event. That total set a new Auburn single season wins record.
Granger is the fifth Tiger in program history to be selected for the collegiate competition. She joins Lyndsey Jordan (2009, 2010), Indy Roper (2013), Stephanie Rucci (2014) and Blair McFarlin (2016). Jordan won the event in 2009, while McFarlin took home the trophy in 2016.
The NRHA Derby runs for one week each summer in Oklahoma City and showcases the world's best reining horses. Thousands of spectators, exhibitors and horses attend the event each year. The Derby is one of two major events presented by the NRHA each year. For more information, visit www.nrhaderby.com.
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