AUBURN, Ala. – Members of the No. 1 Auburn equestrian team found a wealth of success away from the Plains this past semester.
The Western crew was busy at the annual All American Quarter Horse Congress, Oct. 2-28, in Columbus, Ohio. Picking up big wins was sophomore Taylor Searles and 2019-20 signee Olivia Tordoff.
Searles, a Scottsdale, Ariz., native, added another championship to her resume, taking home the 15-18 Youth Western Pleasure title. She was also named the reserve youth all-around champion at the month-long event. In addition, Searles took home sixth in both 15-18 Youth Horsemanship and Trail.
Tordoff, of Powell, Ohio, was awarded five titles at Congress, upping her total to 18 championships at the annual event over the last seven years. She earned the 15-18 Horsemanship and 15-18 Equitation titles as well as three crowns in Hunter Under Saddle – 15-18 Hunter Under Saddle, NYATT Hunter Under Saddle and Maturity Non-Pro Hunter Under Saddle.
Current freshman Emma Brown also found success at Congress, taking home reserve champion in 15-18 Trail. The Zanesville, Ohio, product also took eighth in 15-18 Showmanship. In addition, Brown most recently won the Florida Gold Coast Quarter Horse Circuit championship in 14-18 Trail held Dec. 28-31 in Tampa. She also took home reserve champion in 14-18 high point in the four-day competition.
Junior Kara Kaufmann of Belvidere, N.J., earned fifth in Novice Amateur Western Pleasure at Congress. At the beginning of December, Kaufmann also added a handful of wins to her resume at the Georgia Classic. There, she captured three circuit championships in Novice Amateur Western Pleasure, Amateur Western Pleasure and Amateur Horsemanship.
Sophomore Deanna Green also competed at Congress in Western Pleasure, finishing sixth in the amateur category. The Pilot Point, Texas, native added that to her fourth-place finish in Amateur Pleasure at the AQHA World Show (Nov. 1-17).
A pair of Reining riders in freshman Peyton Hall and 2019-20 signee Boo Kammerer also had success this fall.
Hall, of Shreveport, La., competed at the AQHA World Show, finishing 28th in Junior Ranch Riding. She also had success at the Mississippi Quarter Horse Association Fall Classic in September, taking home second in Youth Ranch Riding.
Kammerer had success at the Tulsa Reining Classic, taking home third in the USEF Young Rider category. She also came in the Top 15 in Futurity. The Mount Sterling, Ky., product finished the fall as a NRHA Futurity Finalist and in the Top 10 in NRHA Futurity Youth.
