Cowgirl Culture: Laura Brainard and Olivia Dorey

The Oklahoma State equestrian team was hot out of the gates to begin the 2021-22 season, and currently sits with a record of 4-1 as they await their next meet in February. The Cowgirls' strong start shot them up to the top spot in the NCEA Farnam Poll and has the team bursting with confidence.

Two important pieces of the Cowgirls' successful start and winning culture are Western assistant coach Laura Brainard and Jumping Seat assistant coach Olivia Dorey. Both Brainard and Dorey are in their third year on staff at OSU and have each guided multiple Cowgirl riders to All-American honors and Big 12 Rider of the Year awards. Last season, the pair helped OSU win the seventh Big 12 Championship in program history.

A unique element of the Cowgirl coaching staff is that Brainard and Dorey both individually compete outside of their team duties. There are a handful of coaches across the NCEA who still independently ride, but OSU is the only school in the country in which two coaches actively compete.

Brainard competes in Reining events and just recently purchased a three-year-old horse. Beginning in January, she intends to ride in the NRHA Derby competitions with aspirations of competing at the NRHA Derby in June.

Dorey shows in Jumper competitions and is currently hoping to purchase a new, high-level horse to ride in the future.

Both coaches plan to compete at least five or six times in a year, however, they are committed to putting the Cowgirls' team activities first and only competing during the offseason.

Riding individually has also helped the two in their coaching careers. They feel like they are better able to relate with the girls on the team, both athletically and personally.

Brainard believes she can help the team stay calm in high pressure moments, while Dorey thinks her experience gives her a great coaching perspective. While competing solo, the two are both able to take their personal feedback and pass that knowledge on to the Cowgirls.

"You can relate to them a lot more," Dorey explained. "I've found that really helpful in my one-on-one meetings with (the team)… It's easy to look back on my years of riding and my ups and downs and relate to them in that way and give them some guidance from my perspective."

The two are incredibly appreciative to Sanchez and the team for allowing them the chance to continue their dreams of competing and coaching. It's clear how special the culture at Oklahoma State is.

"Olivia and I are both really grateful for the opportunity to do what we do," Brainard said. "I think that not every program you can do that in… That freedom has allowed us to stay refreshed, but it has allowed the program to grow even more also."

Oklahoma State University Athletics

Related News

Related Videos