Caption: TCU Equestrian Team riders, Courtney Chown and Kelsey Huffman, Photo courtesy of Victoria Lee

You’ve probably heard of the NCAA All-American status being used to recognize exemplary players who compete in sports like basketball, football or even soccer, but in horsemanship?

This is the first year that the NCAA Varsity Equestrian Program has chosen to acknowledge outstanding student athletes with the infamous All-American status in their four recognized classes of Equitation on the Flat, Equitation Over Fences, Horsemanship and Reining.

Earlier this year, the Varsity Equestrian Committee had the tough job of selecting four riders in each event to receive the All-American status, as well as additional recipients of the Honorable Mention All-American designation.

There were several AQHA/APHA regulars who were chosen to receive either the All-American or Honorable Mention for the 2010-2011 season. A few names you might recognize include: Courtney Chown (TCU), Lauren Halvorson (Oklahoma State), Indy Roper (Auburn), and Johnna Letchworth (University of S.C.), who were named All-American Equestrians in Horsemanship; Kelsey Adams (Texas A&M), Maggie Fortune (University of S.C.), Carey Nowacek (Texas A&M), Katie Lisabeth (Texas A&M), and Maria Salazar (UGA), who received Honorable Mentions in Horsemanship; and Indy Roper, who also received All-American status in Reining.

TCU Equestrian Team riders, Courtney Chown and Kelsey Huffman, celebrate at a TCU meet. Photo courtesy of Kelsey Huffman

We caught up with one of the first recipients of the All-American award in Horsemanship, Courtney Chown, to get her reaction to this exciting news.

Chown is currently in her junior year at Texas Christian University and has competed on the TCU Horned Frog’s Equestrian Team for the past two years. During that time, she has earned eight MVP awards since beginning as a freshman in 2008.

In addition to being named an NCAA All-American in Horsemanship, Chown is currently undefeated for the 2010/2011 season with a 9-0 record. She will be heading to the Varsity Equestrian National Championships next week as the No. 2 ranked horsemanship rider in the country.

“This All-American award is definitely a first for me,” Chown says. “And my coach, [Gary Reynolds], said that only one other girl at TCU has ever been undefeated in Horsemanship, and she is now our Assistant Coach, Kindel Huffman.”

“When we go to the National Championships, they take the top 12 teams. They also have an individual competition, where they rank riders individually, but the last two years they took that away, so they have started this NCAA All American Equestrian award. This is the first year for it. I just found out about it officially last week.”

Chown is no stranger to the winner’s circle, having grown up showing on the AQHA circuit and at major events such as the All American Quarter Horse Congress.

“It’s hard to remember when I actually started showing,” she says. “When I was younger, I remember showing at the Congress in Walk-Trot, when I was eight. Then, I was Reserve in Showmanship when I was 11 in 02′. I won the Horsemanship in 05′, was Reserve in Horsemanship in 07′ and was Reserve in Horsemanship in 08′.”

“I started out doing western pleasure, but never stuck with that because it wasn’t enough for me. I also did some showmanship. I remember when Jenny Jordan used to lease stalls at our place and she was out there all the time doing showmanship. I was like her little shadow, I followed her around and she helped me a lot.”

Although she has found considerable success in the AQHA show pen, Chown is first to note that competing on a college equestrian team is a completely different experience. In fact, the switch proved to be a little difficult at first.

TCU Equestrian Girls, Photo courtesy of Kelsey Huffman

“My dad has taught me so much, but when I first went to school, it was a completely different way of riding, so I struggled a bit,” she says. “That is one reason why I am thankful to be on the team, because I knew his one way of training and riding, but this has been a good opportunity to learn other ways of doing things.”

“I am very thankful for the opportunity to be on a team. I’ve gotten to show and ride everyday and keep having goals related to horses, otherwise I don’t know if I’d still be showing, since I don’t compete in AQHA events anymore.”

One of the most obvious differences between regular AQHA competition and college equestrian events, is that student athletes often compete with horses that they have never had the opportunity to ride before the event. But for Chown, this keeps the competition exciting and gives her the opportunity to hone her skills on many different types of horses.

“It’s definitely challenging,” she says. “When we have a competition at home, you compete on your team’s horses, so you are considered to have a home field advantage. But when you go away, you will more than likely be riding a horse you have probably never been on before, unless you rode it in a meet with them one or two years ago.”

“I actually like going to away competitions more. Sometimes, you get to know a horse so well that you over analyze what you are doing. There is something about going away to compete that I really enjoy. So much happens so fast. You have a chance to look at the horse, watch it warm-up, and then you get four minutes to try it out. Sometimes it works well, and sometimes it doesn’t. It’s kind of fun really.”

If she had to give just one piece of advice to exhibitors who might be considering joining an equestrian team, Chown says she would emphasize that riders really need to have a deep love of horses, as well as a love of the competition itself.

“It’s really about having a love of horses,” she says. “It’s all about figuring out what a horse needs and trying to find a balance between making it obey and having it trust you. You can’t teach a horse everything in just four minutes, and I have to remind myself that sometimes.”

Courtney and her mother, Carrie Chown, at a recent meet.

Chown would like to thank her mom, Carrie Chown, father, Tom Chown, and her grandparents for all of the support they have given her throughout the years, as well as Robin and Jenny Frid for always being there through thick and thin.

An official award presentation for the All-American and Honorable Mention awards will take place at the upcoming 2011 Varsity Equestrian National Championships, April 14-16, in Waco, TX. On behalf of the Equine Chronicle, we would like to extend our congratulations to Chown and all of the other recipients of this prestigious award.