AUBURN, Ala. – Members of the No. 1 Auburn equestrian team had a bunch of success not only with the team, but away from the Plains as well this past semester.
Junior Taylor Searles, the defending NCEA Horsemanship Rider of the Year, had a handful of top finishes on the national stage, starting with a fourth-place finish in Amateur Horsemanship at the annual American Quarter Horse Congress in October.
In addition, Searles was world champion in Amateur Western Riding at the AQHA World Show in December. She also came away with a Top 5 finish in Amateur Western Pleasure and was a finalist in Amateur Horsemanship. The Scottsdale, Ariz., product closed out her busy month with a fourth-place finish in All-Around Amateur at the world show.
Freshman Olivia Tordoff also had a busy fall and picked up a wealth of wins away from the Plains. At Congress, she was champion in 15-18 Equitation as well as 15-18 Hunter Under Saddle.
At the end of December, Tordoff competed at the Florida Gold Cost Horse Show and came away with a pair of circuit championships in Youth Hunter Under Saddle and Youth Equitation. She also finished first in Amateur Horsemanship.
The Powell, Ohio, native captured circuit champion in Amateur Hunter Under Saddle at the Florida Gulf Coast Horse Show in early January, while picking up wins in Youth Horsemanship.
Sophomore Peyton Hall also had success at the AQHA World Show, coming in sixth in Amateur Boxing.
Senior Kara Kaufmann and junior Deanna Green recently competed at the Fun in the Sun NSBA Horse Show, Jan. 6-12, in Florida. Green was named champion Amateur Western Horsemanship and took home reserve champion in Amateur Western Pleasure.
Kaufmann was the Novice Amateur Trail champion as well as reserve circuit champion in Novice Amateur Western Riding. She also picked up a Top 3 finish in Amateur Equitation.
In addition, recent graduate Blair McFarlin continued to have success in the field. She finished as the 2019 NRHA Non Pro Level 1 Champion in December.