Auburn Equestrian Thrives in the Arena - AuburnTigers.com - Auburn University Official Athletic Site

Auburn Equestrian Thrives in the Arena Junior and three freshmen have success in the arena.

Nov. 21, 2008

AUBURN- Auburn equestrian had a successful fall season finishing 3-0 and ranked No. 1 in the country in the Women's Intercollegiate Equestrian National Coaches Poll, but it was the success of four student-athletes in the arena that nobody really knows about.

Junior Kylie Miller and freshmen Anna Beck, Courtney Kobak and Grace Socha all competed in horse shows around the country this fall.

Miller, a native of Scottsdale, Ariz., competed in the 2008 World Championship Appaloosa Show in Fort Worth, Texas, where she placed third in the Amateur Western Horsemanship.

Beck, a native of Birmingham, Ala. and Kobak, a native of Medina, Ohio, both competed at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio. Beck was a finalist in Youth Western Pleasure 14-18 while Kobak placed eighth in Amateur Trail. The All-American Quarter Horse Congress is the world's largest single-breed horse show.

Socha, a native of Glenville, N.Y., competed in the Capital Challenge Horse Show in Baltimore where she placed first and fourth in the Small Junior Hunt Seat division and ninth in the Large Junior Hunt Seat division. The Capitol Challenge is one of the most prestigious indoor horse shows in the country, where all the top Hunt Seat horses and riders come to compete.

"It's important that they get to continue showing some on the outside because some still have horses that you just can't park in the closet," said Auburn Head Coach Greg Williams. "They're still living athletes (referring to the horses) that still need to be worked and competed on. We try to work hard to allow those opportunities, and in all these cases, they're showing at some of the biggest competitions in the country and all performed really well. The student-athletes are great representatives of the sport and Auburn, so we're awfully proud of them."