Mississippi State University Equestrian Team

06/11/2026

🏆 Students competing at the IHSA National Championship submitted written stories on their experience at the show and what IHSA means to them.

📝 Mississippi State University's rider Lillie Reid reflects on competing at the 2026 IHSA National Championship, finding confidence through collegiate riding and making history one ride at a time.

🔗 Read the story featured in Horse&Rider https://brnw.ch/21x3gQZ

📸: Winslow Photography

Horse & Rider Magazine

05/29/2026

Horse and Rider Magazine featured an article by our very own, Lillie Reid. In it, she reflects on her years with the team and Mississippi State’s path to and performance at IHSA Nationals! Check out the full article here!

https://horseandrider.com/horse-life/a-historic-ihsa-nationals-finish-for-mississippi-state/?fbclid=IwZnRzaASFpvNleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZAo2NjI4NTY4Mzc5AAEeH4lho0rcn5e1Xvgy_3rVAxCNbb_b4VWdM_Lfw10l7X0O9_ayxuvLmhTA9V4_aem_N-aeSyK5NaAsU70alumylw

Mississippi State University rider reflects on the team’s journey from falling short at Regionals to earning a fourth-place at IHSA's National Championships.

05/21/2026

Congratulations to our graduating seniors! We are so proud of your growth and accomplishments and are happy to have been a part of your story here at Mississippi State. You will always have barn here in Starkville and a team cheering you on! Let’s see each of their plans after graduation and wish them all well in their next chapter of life!
Breana Souders - Move to FL and pursue a career in the equine industry.
Lillie Reid - Stay at MSU as she begins Vet School for her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine.
Claudia Pouncey - Intern with GreenPoint Ag, then transition to a role as Jackson County Arkansas 4-H Agent.
Parker Tigner - Work for one year before starting her Masters of Science in Motorsport Engineering at Oxford Brooks University.
Charlotte Hirst - Attend graduate school at Lipscomb University for her masters in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.
Grace Ehrenfeld - Pursue a career in her degree field of Wildlife, Fisheries, and Aquaculture.
Dennis Nunnally- Attend graduate school at MSU for Professional Accounting, then transition into a career in the Audit field.
Hannah Raddatz - Move to TX to specialize in Large Animal Medicine.
Claire Green - Attend Cornell University for her Doctorate in Veterinary Medicine.
Olivia Trotter - Attend graduate school at MTSU to pursue a Masters in Industrial-Organizational Psychology.
Natalie Ruha - Begin working for the Oktibbeha County Youth Court.

05/13/2026

Camp is quickly approaching! Sign up while there are still spots available!

05/12/2026

We still have a few afternoon session spots left! Contact [email protected] soon before the camp is full!

Your favorite summer camp is just around the corner! Our Bridle Up Bulldogs camp gives kids an introduction into the equestrian world and teaches them the basics of riding! For more info or to go ahead and register (limited number of spots) email Coach Glenn at [email protected]

05/09/2026

One week later and we are still riding the high from the 2026 IHSA National Championships! Year after year this team has continued to set program records and this year was no different. Before arriving at Tryon, the team already set records by qualifying more individual riders for Nationals this year than ever before as well as qualifying a team for Nationals for the very first time. In addition to 10 riders, we also loaded up 4 horses to travel with us! It was a huge week for MSUET with lots of placings and awards!!

Individual placings:
🥇 Hayley Pettus - National Champion in Individual Beginner Horsemanship
🥈Natalie Ruha - Reserve National Champion in Individual Open Horsemanship
⚪️ Natalie Ruha - Honorable Mention in the High Point Rider class
⚪️ Olivia Trotter - 6th in Individual Rookie Horsemanship
⚪️ Wren Algee - 6th in Individual Level II Horsemanship

Team Placings:
⚪️ Overall Team Placing - 4th
🥇 Reining - Makenzie Moore - National Champion
⚪️ Open Horsemanship - Natalie Ruha - 10th
⚪️ Ranch Riding - Breana Souders - 7th
🥇 Level II Horsemanship - Carrie Brigham - National Champion
🥉 Level I Horsemanship - Chloe Joiner - 3rd
⚪️ Rookie Horsemanship - Lillie Reid - Honorable Mention
⚪️ Beginner Horsemanship - Sarah Broyles - Honorable Mention

Other awards:
🌟 National Coach Sportsmanship Award - Head Coach Ashley Glenn
🌟 Inaugural National Team Sportsmanship Award - Mississippi State University

Notable horse placings:
🥇🥇 Nicky - owned by Taylor (Perry) Smith - Two top 5 finishes, both of which were National Champions
🥇 Chip - owned by Wren Algee - Two top 5 finishes, one of which being a National Champion
⚪️ Cupid - owned by the Browning Family - Top 5 finish
⚪️ Mo - owned by MSU - 7th

05/04/2026

FOURTH PLACE WESTERN TEAM AT 2026 IHSA NATIONALS!!!
Day 3 ended with a 4th place finish in the team competition for your Mississippi State University Bulldogs! It has been so rewarding to see our hard work pay off at the national level. This was our first time qualifying as a team for IHSA Nationals and we were blown away by the support we have received along the way. From parents to students to alumni to other teams we have truly felt your support and we thank you for it!
A full nationals recap post will be coming your way, but for now let’s look at some day 3 highlights!
🐾Wren Algee placed 6th in the Individual Level II Horsemanship.
🐾Natalie Ruha competed in the reining portion of the Back-on-Track High Point Rider class and finished in the honorable mention.
🐾Lillie Reid also rode to an honorable mention finish in the Team Rookie Horsemanship.
🐾Natalie Ruha preformed a quick outfit change to claim a 10th place ribbon in the Team Open Horsemanship.
🐾Head Coach Ashley Glenn received the 2026 National Coach Sportsmanship Award.
🐾 Following the example set by our Head Coach, the team also received the Inaugural National Team Sportsmanship Award.
🐾 The team concluded the 2025-2026 season as 4th in the nation!

05/03/2026

Day 2 of IHSA Nationals recap:
🐾 Breana Souders competed in the Team Ranch Riding and secured a 7th place finish.
🐾 Natalie Ruha rode for the Horsemanship portion of the High Point Rider class. This is one of two phases of this this class, so stay tuned tomorrow for final results.
🐾 Sarah Broyles was an Honorable Mention in the Team Beginner Horsemanship
🐾 Olivia Trotter claimed 6th place in Individual Rookie Horsemanship aboard our very own Nicky.
🐾 Our boy Nicky also had a National Championship ride piloted by a rider from the University of Findlay.

After the show, the team walked in the Parade of Teams and watched the Grand Prix. A few of our riders and coaches also threw a leg over the mechanical bull and let’s just say it’s a good thing we aren’t at the Mechanical Bull Riding National Championships! Check the comments for a highlight reel from our attempts!

05/02/2026

Day 1 of IHSA Nationals Recap:
The bulldogs came to play! All 5 of our riders placed in the top 3 today with 3 of those being National Champions!
🐾 Chloe Joiner kicked us off with a 3rd in Team Level I Horsemanship.
🐾 Natalie Ruha rode to a Reserve National Championship in the Individual Open Horsemanship.
🐾 Hayley Pettus claimed Mississippi State’s first (but not last) National Championship in the Individual Beginner Horsemanship.
🐾 Carrie Brigham wasted no time getting her hands on a National Champion title for herself in the Team Level II Horsemanship.
🐾 Makenzie Moore wrapped up the day with her own National Championship in the Team Reining.
Your bulldogs have laid down a solid foundation and we are excited to carry this momentum into Saturday and Sunday!!

05/01/2026

One last win to close out Day 1! Makenzie Moore spun, ran, and slid her way to a National Title in the Team Reining with a bold yet graceful ride! Makenzie’s has grown so much as a rider this semester and it is rewarding to see her hard work pay off!
Congratulations Makenzie!!

🎉 Congratulations to the NRHA Team Reining, Presented by NRHA and NSBA winner Makenzie Moore! Makenzie rides for Mississippi State!

🐴 Makenzie was riding Brutus from the University of Findlay!

📸: EQ Media

National Snaffle Bit Association NRHA - National Reining Horse Association Tryon International