Race for Education: Middle Tennessee State University’s Horse Judging Team Sweeps the Quarter Horse Congress

he Middle Tennessee State University’s (MTSU) horse judging team won all three divisions and the overall top award at the American Quarter Horse Congress (AQHC) horse judging contest held in Columbus, Ohio, October 14. The oldest and largest national breed contest saw twenty one senior college teams, thirteen junior college teams and forty youth teams compete for awards in conformation, performance and oral reasons divisions at the world’s largest horse show. The MTSU team members were seniors Brittany Lehman and Kristen Chandler along with juniors Megan Hephner (Race for Education), Samantha Cobb and Patrick Davis. The team was coached by Dave Whitaker director of the MTSU Horse Science Program.

With over one hundred individual competitors in the senior college category, the MTSU team walked away with individual honors by all five members. Lehman earned first place awards for the most points in performance judging and fifth overall score. Chandler placed in the top ten in every division and finished the day third overall. Hephner placed in the top five in reasons and conformation judging and was fourth overall. Cobb talked her way to the first place in the oral reasons division while Davis was sixth in performance judging.

Colorado State’s team earned reserve overall honors and Kansas State was third. The MTSU team will compete in their final contest of the year November 18 in Oklahoma City during the World Quarter Horse Show.