Gute Represents Carolina Equestrian at NRHA Collegiate Reining Championship
June 29, 2017
OKLAHOMA CITY, Okla. – University of South Carolina rising sophomore Caroline Gute will represent the Gamecock Equestrian program at the 2017 National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Collegiate Reining Championship. The 12-rider event begins at 8 a.m. CT Friday at the Oklahoma State Fair Park.
“We’re excited for Caroline to represent our program at the NRHA Collegiate Reining Championship,” Carolina head coach Boo Major said. “She earned this opportunity after having a great collegiate season last year, and we’re eager to see how she does against the top collegiate reiners in the nation.”
Gute earned an automatic ticket to Oklahoma City after collecting 2016-17 NCEA first-team All-America accolades in reining. The Dublin, Ohio, native made history as the first Gamecock to win SEC Reining Rider of the Year laurels, and she was also the SEC Freshman Reining Rider of the Year and an All-SEC selection.
Gute went 10-3-2 in her freshman season, including an eight-match unbeaten streak from Sept. 23 — Feb. 10. She was 5-0 in SEC regular-season competition and earned victories at both the SEC and NCEA Championships.
The Gamecocks were last represented at the Collegiate Reining Championship in 2015, when alumnae Layla Choate took part in the event.
In addition to the four NCEA first-team All-Americans from 2016-17, the Collegiate Reining Championship features the top four finishers from the IHSA Western National Championship and four additional reining riders selected by the NCEA. Gute went 2-0-1 last season against fellow Collegiate Reining Championship participants.
The NRHA Derby runs for one week each summer in Oklahoma City and showcases the world’s best reining horses in the four to six year age range. 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 in Oklahoma City. For more information on this year’s Derby, visit www.nrhaderby.com.
2017 COLLEGIATE REINING CHAMPIONSHIP PARTICIPANTS
NCEA First-Team Reining All-Americans
Taylor Brown, Fresno State
Caroline Gute, South Carolina
Hannah Mitchell, Oklahoma State
Claudia Spreng, Georgia
IHSA Western National Championship Top-4 Finishers
Kristen Wesoja, Cazenovia College
Michelle McDowell, Grand Valley State
Lauren King, Middle Tennessee State
Mark Mowbray, St. Andrews University
Riders selected by NCEA
Julia Spreng, Georgia
Kendall Harper, Georgia
Jaci Marley, Texas A&M
Holly Lansidel, SMU
UP NEXT FOR THE GAMECOCKS
The Gamecocks open their 2017-18 season with a scrimmage on Sept. 22, 2017 at One Wood Farm, and they open the regular season a week later against defending NCEA national champion Texas A&M. Carolina hosts five regular-season home meets in 2017-18 and also welcomes the finest conference tournament in the nation to One Wood Farm March 23-24, 2018 as the SEC Championship rolls into town. For more information on the upcoming season, visit GamecocksOnline.com.
