Dec. 14, 2010
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina head coach Boo Major has announced the signing of Katherine Schmidt to a national letter of intent to join the Gamecocks for the 2011-2012 season. Schmidt will be competing with South Carolina’s Hunt Seat team.
“Katherine will be a great addition to our hunter seat roster,” Major said. “She has taken the year off in order to concentrate on competing and she has done extremely well at all finals this year. I know she will continue to improve her riding in the spring and will be someone to watch in the fall of 2011.”
An accomplished rider, Schmidt trains with Darren Graziano, Andre Dignelli, Laena Romond, and Patricia Griffith. Schmidt has qualified and competed at the USEF Talent Search Finals as well as the ASPCA Maclay Finals. Ranked in the Top-15 in the Rygate National Equitation Rankings, some of Schmidt’s many highlights include:
2010
– Reserve Champion at the New England Equitation Championships
– 5th Place at the USHJA Hunterdon Equitation Cup
– 8th Place at the George Morris Excellence in Equitation Classic
– Top ribbon at the Devon Horse Show in Equitation
– USEF Pessoa Hunt Seat Medal Finals
2009
– Top ribbon at the Devon Horse Show in Equitation
– USEF Pessoa Hunt Seat Medal Finals
2008
– USEF Pessoa Hunt Seat Medal Finals
2007
– 6th Place at Marshall and Sterling National Childrens Medal Finals
2006
– 1st Place, FW-PHA Childrens Medal Finals
Not only is Schmidt a gifted equestrian, but she also has excelled in the classroom as well. As a senior at Ridgefield High School in Ridgefield, Conn., Schmidt made Honor Roll every quarter during her high school career. She also earned the ranking of Excellence in Studio Art and English II.
Born in Ridgefield, Conn. to Michael and Paula Schmidt, Schmidt has two sisters, Carol Ann, 20, and Chloe, 15, both of whom ride competitively. Schmidt plans to major in Business in the Darla Moore School of Business at South Carolina, which has been ranked No. 1 or No. 2 for 20 consecutive years by the U.S. News and World Report.
