Released December 4, 2008
STILLWATER, Okla. – Oklahoma State University’s Horse Judging Team took top rank as the American Quarter Horse Association Senior World Champion.
Fifteen teams competed in the senior college division and OSU won by 20 points. Places for the team include first place in the Halter, Reasons and Overall; and second in Performance.
“As a coach and mentor, my greatest reward was helping these young ladies achieve their goals while watching them grow into mature, well-rounded individuals,” said Steven Cooper, team coach and animal science associate professor. “They have achieved success at the highest level of competition by winning the ‘Super Bowl’ of all judging contests. To have the opportunity to work with such a talented and passionate group of students has truly been an honor, and one I will not soon forget.”
The team judged 12 classes, which included four halter and eight performance classes. The classes each include four horses. Contestants place the horses from first to fourth and present oral reasons on their placings for the selected classes. The horses judged in the contest were provided by World Show exhibitors.
The AQHA World Championship Show is an event for American Quarter Horse exhibitors around the world who must qualify for the event by earning a predetermined number of points to earn the right to compete in each of the classes representing halter, English and western disciplines. More than 3,400 entries from the United States, Brazil, Canada, Germany, Italy and the United Kingdom competed at this year’s event.
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Contact: Katie Reim, 405-744-6792, katie.reim@okstate.edu
