Home Sport Equestrian SRU Western Equestrian Team Earns Top Honors

SRU Western Equestrian Team Earns Top Honors

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SRU Western Equestrian Team
SRU Western Equestrian Team

The Slippery Rock University Western Equestrian Team, coached by Tammy Braham of Grove City, earned high honors recently.

 The SRU team was named 2018 IHSA Region 5 High Point Team and Captain Aubrey Braham was named 2018 IHSA High Point Rider.

The team will advance to the national semifinals, in Reedsville, WV, and Aubrey will automatically advance to the IHSA National Finals in Harrisburg, PA, in May.

The SRU Western Team competed against tough schools in Region 5, such as West Virginia University, Clarion University, Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Grove City College, California University of Pennsylvania and Bethany College.

The title of High Point Team is the culmination of hard work, dedication, and success throughout the season, beginning in September.

The Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) was founded in 1967 on the principle that any college student should be able to participate in horse shows regardless of his or her financial status or riding level. IHSA currently has a membership in excess of 8,500 riders nationwide with a total number of 401 teams.

Western competitors ride in 5 levels of Western Horsemanship, based on the rider’s experience, with an additional level of Reining.

This is only the second time in history that Slippery Rock has been named Western High Point Team, the first time being in 2015. SRU has had the High Point Rider in the Region for the past 5 years, and this is Aubrey’s first time receiving this high honor.

Junior Aubrey Braham, transferred to Slippery Rock University from an NCAA Division I team in Delaware, and currently serves as the team’s 2018-2019 captain. Aubrey has an impressive athletic resume, with highlights including awards from the All-American Quarter Horse Congress, invitations to the AQHA World Championship Show, and many other national recognitions.

Tammy Braham created the SRU Western Equestrian Team and has been the coach for 9 years. In addition to SRU, she also coaches the teams of Clarion University and Grove City College. Tammy is a career horse trainer, an AQHA Professional Horseman, and multiple-carded judge, and has coached riders at a national level for over 30 years.

In addition to the SRU Western Equestrian Team earning a spot in the semifinals, the majority of the team members qualified individually for the IHSA Region 5 Championships in Alfred, NY. If the members are successful there, they will advance to the semifinals in West Virginia, with the ultimate goal being the national finals, to be held in Harrisburg, PA. While the postseason shows are held on the East Coast this year, the team routinely travels throughout the United States to compete.

Other team members to advance, both individually and as a team, include: Hanna Norman, Katie Rauenzahn, Kaylee Rea, Megan O’Hara, and Kristen Glenn.

For additional information, such as how to join or how to attend a show, please contact Aubrey Braham at ajb1051@sru.edu.