AUBURN, Ala. – A pair of Tigers in Ali Fratessa and Terri-June Granger were selected to compete in the Collegiate Reining Championship as part of the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Derby, June 21, at State Fair Park in Oklahoma City.
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.
Fratessa automatically qualified for the event and will represent the NCEA after earning All-America honors during her senior season. The Wheelock, Texas, product finished her final campaign on the Plains with an 11-6-2 overall record, earning All-SEC recognition as well.
Granger, who also competed in the event last year, was selected by the NRHA. The Dothan, Ala., native also had an 11-6-2 overall mark on the year as a sophomore, picking up a key tie vs. Georgia in Auburn's run to its sixth national championship.
The selection is the first for Fratessa and second for Granger (2018). They join 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.