COLLEGE STATION—Texas A&M head coach Tana McKay and hunt seat coach Caroline Cramer have added four signees—Patricia Garrett, Mackenzie McGehee, Catherine Stafford and Ellie Williams to the Aggie roster.
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"The caliber of these student-athletes, not only in competition, but in academics and life in general is outstanding," Aggie head coach McKay said. "These are the type of young ladies we need in our program to continue to be among the very best in the country."
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Garrett is from Victor, New York. She won the Marshall and Sterling Junior Medal Finals at Saugerties, NY in Sept. of 2014. She placed ninth at the Region 1 Maclay Regionals and placed Top 12 at the Maclay Finals. She was the winner of the 3000 USHJA National Hunter Derby and finished third in Maclay at Devon. Garrett was selected the best child rider at Old Salem and placed second overall WIHS in Lake Placid, NY, two weeks in a row and was the Champion 15-17 Equitation at WEF.
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"We are very excited that Patricia will join our squad as one of the newest members of the recruiting class," Coach Cramer said. "She has a lot of experience with the equitation and has been very successful. We are sure she will be a tremendous asset to our team."
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McGehee is from Jacksonville, Florida. She qualified and competed in the USEF Medal Finals in 2013, 2014 and 2015. She qualified and competed in the Maclay Finals in 2013 and 2014. In Grand Prix placings in 2014, she finished 10th in $25,000 Brownland Farm Fall I and placed 11th and 12th in $25,000 Brownland Farm Fall II. She placed fourth in NAL Low Junior Jumper Finals in 2014. She was the high Junior Jumper Circuit Champion and Reserve Circuit Champion at KITS Ocala Winter Series in 2015. A Zone 4 Junior team gold at FEI North American Junior Young Rider Championships in 2015 and qualified and competed in WIHS Equitation Finals this year. Part of Zone 4 Team bronze at Prix des States in Harrisburg this season.
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"We are so excited to welcome Mackenzie to the team," Coach Cramer said. "She excels in each arena she shows in. I am excited and anxious to see all that she will bring to our team."
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Stafford is from Worthington, Ohio. In 2014 she finished 10th at the Maclay Regionals and earned a first-place finish at the OHJA Finals and posted a fifth-place finish at the THIS Finals. So far in 2015, she placed first in 1.35 GP, took second in Pessoa and fifth at Maclay. Stafford placed third in the National PHA at Lake Place and took seventh in High Child/Adult Classic at Capital Challenge.
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"I am so excited to have Catty join our team in the fall," Coach Cramer said. "She has a large amount of show experience and I am sure will have a great impact on our team."
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Williams is from Woodbine, Maryland. She is the third Williams sister to ride for Texas A&M. Her oldest sister Emily rode for the Aggies from 2009-13 and her sister Hannah is currently on the Aggie roster. Hannah was a Freshman All-SEC rider in 2013.
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Ellie has top placings the past three years in the Maryland Medal Finals as well as the Virginia Medal Finals. She was the winner of the prestigious Amy Ylvisaker Reistrup Equitation Challenge this year. She earned a ribbon at Devon and WEF the past two seasons. She was the Reserve Champion at Old Salem in the hunters and the Reserve Champion in the Zone 3 Children's Jumpers in 2014. Champion in the Children's Jumpers at Upperville as well as top placings in the Zone 3 Tad Coffin Equitation Classic in 2013 and 2015.
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"I am thrilled to welcome the next Williams' sister to our team," Coach Cramer said. "This is a historic time for our team to have a full family of sisters as Aggie Equestrians. Following in her sister's successful footsteps we are eager to see what awaits Ellie as she continues the family tradition in Aggieland."
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The Aggie equestrian team is ranked No. 4 overall in the country and will open the spring portion of the schedule on Jan. 30 against Georgia at home in the Hildebrand Equine Complex.
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"The caliber of these student-athletes, not only in competition, but in academics and life in general is outstanding," Aggie head coach McKay said. "These are the type of young ladies we need in our program to continue to be among the very best in the country."
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Garrett is from Victor, New York. She won the Marshall and Sterling Junior Medal Finals at Saugerties, NY in Sept. of 2014. She placed ninth at the Region 1 Maclay Regionals and placed Top 12 at the Maclay Finals. She was the winner of the 3000 USHJA National Hunter Derby and finished third in Maclay at Devon. Garrett was selected the best child rider at Old Salem and placed second overall WIHS in Lake Placid, NY, two weeks in a row and was the Champion 15-17 Equitation at WEF.
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"We are very excited that Patricia will join our squad as one of the newest members of the recruiting class," Coach Cramer said. "She has a lot of experience with the equitation and has been very successful. We are sure she will be a tremendous asset to our team."
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McGehee is from Jacksonville, Florida. She qualified and competed in the USEF Medal Finals in 2013, 2014 and 2015. She qualified and competed in the Maclay Finals in 2013 and 2014. In Grand Prix placings in 2014, she finished 10th in $25,000 Brownland Farm Fall I and placed 11th and 12th in $25,000 Brownland Farm Fall II. She placed fourth in NAL Low Junior Jumper Finals in 2014. She was the high Junior Jumper Circuit Champion and Reserve Circuit Champion at KITS Ocala Winter Series in 2015. A Zone 4 Junior team gold at FEI North American Junior Young Rider Championships in 2015 and qualified and competed in WIHS Equitation Finals this year. Part of Zone 4 Team bronze at Prix des States in Harrisburg this season.
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"We are so excited to welcome Mackenzie to the team," Coach Cramer said. "She excels in each arena she shows in. I am excited and anxious to see all that she will bring to our team."
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Stafford is from Worthington, Ohio. In 2014 she finished 10th at the Maclay Regionals and earned a first-place finish at the OHJA Finals and posted a fifth-place finish at the THIS Finals. So far in 2015, she placed first in 1.35 GP, took second in Pessoa and fifth at Maclay. Stafford placed third in the National PHA at Lake Place and took seventh in High Child/Adult Classic at Capital Challenge.
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"I am so excited to have Catty join our team in the fall," Coach Cramer said. "She has a large amount of show experience and I am sure will have a great impact on our team."
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Williams is from Woodbine, Maryland. She is the third Williams sister to ride for Texas A&M. Her oldest sister Emily rode for the Aggies from 2009-13 and her sister Hannah is currently on the Aggie roster. Hannah was a Freshman All-SEC rider in 2013.
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Ellie has top placings the past three years in the Maryland Medal Finals as well as the Virginia Medal Finals. She was the winner of the prestigious Amy Ylvisaker Reistrup Equitation Challenge this year. She earned a ribbon at Devon and WEF the past two seasons. She was the Reserve Champion at Old Salem in the hunters and the Reserve Champion in the Zone 3 Children's Jumpers in 2014. Champion in the Children's Jumpers at Upperville as well as top placings in the Zone 3 Tad Coffin Equitation Classic in 2013 and 2015.
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"I am thrilled to welcome the next Williams' sister to our team," Coach Cramer said. "This is a historic time for our team to have a full family of sisters as Aggie Equestrians. Following in her sister's successful footsteps we are eager to see what awaits Ellie as she continues the family tradition in Aggieland."
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The Aggie equestrian team is ranked No. 4 overall in the country and will open the spring portion of the schedule on Jan. 30 against Georgia at home in the Hildebrand Equine Complex.