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Dean to compete in AQHA national event
OKLAHOMA CITY -- A championship event showcasing 16 of the top collegiate equestrian riders this week will feature Putnam County native Emily Dean.
The 2010 Greencastle High School graduate and 2014 Purdue alum will represent Purdue in the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA) Collegiate Horsemanship Challenge, beginning on Wednesday, Nov. 19.
Mounted on unfamiliar horses, the competitors are only afforded four minutes of warm-up time before they ride for the challenge championship.
Dean is one of eight student-athletes representing the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association, having earned her spot by placing third in the IHSA National Championship in May.
The other eight competitors will be drawn from the National Collegiate Equestrian Association.
The challenge preliminaries, held in conjunction with the AQHA World Championship Show in Oklahoma City, will be in the Performance Arena at State Fair Park on Wednesday.
The top four riders after preliminaries will be invited to the finals of the competition the evening of Thursday, Nov. 20. The collegiate championship will start before the junior ranch horse pleasure finals in the Jim Norick Arena.
Not only will the 16 riders be competing for their schools' honor and glory, but also for the title of the AQHA Collegiate Horsemanship Challenge champion and a championship plaque custom-designed by Award Recognition Concepts, AQHA's trophy company.
For more news and information, follow @AQHAnews on Twitter, watch the AQHA Newscast and visit www.aqha.com/news.