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241 N. Grant Street
PO Box 1108 Canby, OR 97013 Phone:
503.266.6831 |
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| Brooks, Texas A & M equestrian team, shine at competitions |
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 | | Submitted Photo | | Tonna Brooks, left, and two of her Texas A & M teammates receive their awards at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships in New Mexico. |
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COLLEGE STATION, Texas — The Texas A&M equestrian team recently completed its seventh season as a varsity sport this past month. The team has blossomed from an original squad full of walk-ons into a program drawing talent from all across the nation. The Aggies are now actively recruiting riders from all around the country but have already found a riding hot spot: the state of Oregon.
Texas A&M has just three riders from the Beaver state on its current team of 56 athletes, however the success of those three has been disproportionately large, particularly after the conclusion of the 2005-06 campaign.
One of those riders leaving her mark on the Aggie record books is Canby native Tonna Brooks, who just completed her freshmen year. Brooks has arguably been Texas A&M’s top western rider this season, an impressive accomplishment on a squad that has captured four different team national championships in western riding in the past five seasons.
Brooks, who was a home school student and member of Canby High School Equestrian Team during her high school years, was the Aggies’ star in varsity competitions this past season, a format that Texas A&M will compete in exclusively beginning in 2006-07.
She posted a 5-1 record in head-to-head competitions at the 2006 Varsity Equestrian National Championships (VENC) held in Albuquerque in April, helping to lead A&M to a third-place finish. With Brooks taking the lead role, the Aggies set a VENC record for team points scored in their win over the University of Georgia in the bronze medal match.
After her successful run at the VENC show, Brooks was one of four riders selected to compete at the National Reining Horse Association’s Collegiate Reining Championship.
Brooks took third, with a 217, in the competition two weeks ago in Oklahoma City, ranking second among all female competitors.
Brooks also earned a second place finish in the team reining division at the IHSA National Championships earlier in the month, scoring five of the team’s 16 points en route to a third place finish for the Aggies.
“It was exciting to get the team on the board and get them revved up for the rest of their classes,” Brooks said. |
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