Jan. 15, 2014

COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina head coach Boo Major has announced the signing of Madison Butehorn (Naples, Fla./Seacrest Country Day School) to a National Letter of Intent to join the Gamecock equestrian team for the 2014-2015 season. Butehorn will ride with South Carolina’s hunt seat team.

“Maddie is a very talented rider and we’re excited to have her join us for next year,” Major said. “She has shown at all the major shows and her back-to-back top-10 finishes at the Southeast Maclay Regionals is impressive because of how competitive of a region that is. We think Maddie is going to be a great addition to our team.”

Butehorn trains at Castlewood Farm with Alan Korotkin and Susan Tuccinardi.

Butehorn has qualified for and competed at the Pessoa/USEF Hunt Seat Medal Finals and the ASPCA Maclay Finals in 2012 and 2013. In 2013, she finished sixth at the Southeast ASPCA Maclay Regionals, and in 2012, she finished eighth. Also in 2012, Butehorn was the South Florida Hunter Jumper Association year-end champion in the 15-17 equitation division.

She competed successfully in the equitation and jumper divisions at the Winter Equestrian Festival in 2012 and 2013. Last year at WEF, Butehorn earned top ribbons in the Equitation and Children’s Jumper divisions, while also winning the championship in the 15-17 Equitation division during the seventh week of the competition.

Her parents are Bob and Cindy Butehorn, and she has a sister, Jessica Butehorn. Her father Bob is the men’s soccer head coach at Florida Gulf Coast University. In his six seasons guiding the Eagles, Butehorn has led FGCU to three Atlantic Sun regular season championships (2010, 2011, 2012) and two Atlantic Sun tournament championships (2011, 2012).

A senior at Seacrest Country Day School in Naples, Fla., Butehorn is a member of the National Honor Society, Spanish National Honor Society, and Key Club. Butehorn signed with the Gamecocks over the University of Georgia.