Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirl Equestrian Signs Ten
December 02, 2011 | Cowgirl Equestrian
Dec. 2, 2011
Oklahoma State Equestrian Signs Ten
STILLWATER, Okla. - The Oklahoma State equestrian team signed ten athletes in the fall signing period.
Maggie Botkin
Maggie Botkin is a resident of Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. She received her competitive start in the jumpers where she earned multiple championships and year end awards in the SFHJA, the PBCHA as well as circuit championships during the Winter Equestrian Festival. She is now also focusing her efforts on the equitation, competing successfully in the USEF Medal, WHIS and ASPCA Maclay divisions. She works with trainers Alan Korotkin and Susan Tuccinardi of Castlewood Farms in Wellington, Florida as she prepares for her final junior year of competition.
Maggie is the daughter of Steve and Sally Botkin and will graduate from Westminster Academy this spring.
Rebecca Buchanan
Joining the OSU Equestrian Team this coming fall is Oklahoma native Rebecca Buchanan. Rebecca will graduate from Edmond North High School this spring and is the daughter of Christy and Bryan Buchanan.
Rebecca has long been known in her home state as a top equitation rider and a versatile talent. She has earned multiple championships awards in the equitation, hunters and jumpers and this past year has qualified for major Big Equitation finals including USEF Pessoa Medal Finals, the USEF Talent Search (West) Finals and Washington International. She has also been accepted into and completed USHJA's Emerging Athletes Program, Levels I and II.
Rebecca's family owns and operates Cadence Equestrian Center in Edmond, Oklahoma where Rebecca plays an integral role in its development of young horses.
Emma Butchard
OSU is proud to include Emma Butchard on our roster next year. Emma will come to Stillwater from Wellington, Florida where she established her riding career. Starting in the hunters, Emma quickly found success in the Equitation and Jumper Ring. She recently concluded her final year as a junior rider where she qualified for all of the major Equitation indoor finals. She also has earned multiple year end titles within the South Florida Hunter Jumper Association and has competed abroad earning a Reserve Champion finish at the Friendly International Jumping Competition in Jamaica.
Emma is the daughter of Robin and William Butchard and will graduate from Saint Andrews School in Boca Raton, Florida this spring.
Emily Hartley
A native of Norco, California, Emily Hartley will join the cowgirls next fall. After starting in the pony divisions in California, Emily quickly gained respect for riding talent. She began catch riding at that time and has continued into the present for some of the nation's top trainers. Her riding has taken her all over the country to some of the most prestigious horse shows, including WEF, Flintridge, the Oaks Blenheim, St. Louis Festival, Lexington, Vermont Festival, and Capital Challenge amongst others. She has campaigned several horses in the Equitation, Hunters and jumpers for industry notables including Micaela Kennedy, Missy Clark, Zazou Hoffman, Kristy Miller, and Natalie Rae Medlock amongst others.
Emily will graduate from Norco High School this spring where she is an honors student and is the daughter of Beth and Bruce Hartley.
Olivia Hupy
Olivia Hupy hails from Ridgefield, CT. She has been riding for 11 years and has focused on equitation for the past four. She has qualified for the Maclay Finals in 2008, 2009, 2010 and 2011 and qualified for the USEF Hunt Seat Medal and USEF Talent Search in 2009, 2010 and 2011. In 20010, Olivia placed ninth at the prestigious New England Equitation Finals and just recently earned third place honors in the same event for 2011. She currently trains with Walter Timmy Kees of Burr Associates.
Olivia will graduate this spring from Ridgefield High School as an honors student and is the daughter of Jerry and Jeanene Hupy
Paris Nottingham
Signing with the Cowgirls for horsemanship is Paris Nottingham of Lawrence, Kansas. Paris is currently serving as a Region 8 Director and is the Community Service Chairman for the AQHYA. She has been an active member in the Kansas Quarter Horse Youth Association and has served as Secretary, Vice President and President. Paris has a Top Ten placing at the AQHYA World Championships and has 4 Top Ten placing's at the All American Quarter Horse Congress.
The daughter of David and Jeanne Nottingham, Paris was recognized as a Kansas Honor's Scholar. She will graduate from Baldwin High School in the spring and is on the Principal's Honor Roll (4.0). She serves as the President of the National Honor Society for Baldwin High School and is the Team Captain for her high school volleyball team.
Kaci Jo O'Rourke
Cowgirl signee Kaci Jo O'Rourke brings an extensive horse background to OSU growing up on a horse ranch in Castleton, Vermont. She has competed in the AQHA and the NRHA. In the Northeast Reining Horse Association, she was the year end 13 and under Rookie Champion as well as the Youth 14-18 year end Champion. She was the year end Reserve Champion Youth 14-18 in the Eastern Pennsylvania Reining Horse Association. This year, Kaci won the Carolina Classic Derby in the Youth 14-18 and won both days in the Youth 14-18 at the NRHA Derby in Oklahoma City. She has 2 Top Ten placing's at the All American Quarter Horse Congress. Kaci has also been Top Ten in the national standings for the NRHA in the 13 and under division and 3 times in the Youth 14-18 division.
She is a senior at Fair Haven High School, has played basketball and is a member of the National Honor Society. Kaci is the Team Captain for the Pond Hill Equestrian Team where she competes in the IEA reining, horsemanship, and hunter seat events. She was 5th in the reining at this past years IEA National Championships. Kaci is the daughter of Harry O'Rourke and Linda Balestra.
Ty Paris
Hailing from Delta, Ohio, Ty Paris will bring a wealth of experience to the horsemanship side of the Cowgirl roster. Ty is the daughter of AQHA Judge Beckey Schooler and Joe Paris. She will graduate in May from Lenawee Christian School and is an active member in the National Honor Society.
With an already impressive show record, Ty was recently named the Reserve All-Around Champion at the 2011 All American Quarter Horse Congress. She was a World Champion in 2007 at the NSBA World Championships and a 2011 Reserve World Champion at the AQHYA World Championship Show. In 2010, she won the AQHYA year-end High Point in Hunt Seat Equitation.
Justine Peters
Joining the Cowgirls in the reining next fall is Justine Peters, a senior at Leyton Public School in Dalton, Nebraska. Justine has been showing horses since the age of four and started showing reining horses seven years ago. She is a 5 time AQHA Youth World qualifier and was a finalist in 2011. Justine is a three time World Champion in the ABRA and IBHA in Youth Reining. She finished in the top ten in the AQHA year-end high point race in Reining in 2009 and AQHA Top Ten in Youth Working Cow Horse in 2010. She is currently second in AQHA in youth reining for 2011. Justine was the High Point Youth for 2010 Rocky Mountain Summer Slide and won the Kyle Wood Memorial trophy. She has had numerous year-end high point awards for the Central Plains Reining Hose Association and the Nebraska Youth Quarter Horse Association in reining and working cow horse.
Justine holds a 4.0 GPA and has maintained that for her four years of high school. She is in the National Honor society and participates in varsity volleyball, basketball, track, cheerleading, show choir, and speech. She was named to the Nebraska State Athletic Association Academic All State Team in volleyball and basketball. Justine is the daughter of Dennis and Renee Peters.
Amy White
Amy White is currently a high school senior from Belvue, KS. She has grown up in the horse industry as her family owns and operates Vermillion Valley Equine Center also in Belvue. She got her start riding ponies and qualified for Pony Hunter Finals as well as competing in USEF Pony Medal Finals. A versatile rider, Amy also has competed at the American Eventing Championships earning top ten finishes in 2007 and 2010. She has qualified for the USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals, ASPCA Maclay Finals and USEF Medal Finals. She recently won the Hunter Derby at the Tulsa Holiday Finale. She continues to catch ride as well as show her Hunter "Vermillion's Hero" in the Junior Hunters.
Amy is the daughter of Ann and Michael White and will graduate from Wamego High School this May and is a Kansas Honor's Scholar.
