Fulton, MO – Late autumn is traditionally a time of year when students in the William Woods University (WWU) Equestrian Studies (EQS) program put their education and training on the line against some of the nation’s best amateur equestrians, and the month of November 2024 has resulted in another round of big wins for The Woods.
Last week (November 11-16), William Woods EQS students competed at the prestigious United Professional Horsemen’s Association (UPHA) American Royal at Hale Arena in Kansas City, an event that brings in the very best Saddlebreds, Hackney Ponies and Road Horses from around the country. William Woods’ strong showing at the Royal came just a few days after EQS program at WWU racked up some impressive victories at another nationally-renowned horse show, the Color Breed Congress in Tulsa, Oklahoma:
Winners from William Woods at the American Royal included:
Amanda Rizzi ’26 (Clinton, N.J.) earned the Missouri/Kansas/Iowa 5-Gaited Pleasure Grand Championship and a reserve champion placing in the qualifying class riding Johnny Drum, and placed 4th in a competitive Missouri/Kansas/Iowa 3-Gaited Show Pleasure class on Destination Rio.
Sam Foote ‘27(Cape Elizabeth, Maine) was Missouri/Kansas/Iowa 5-Gaited Pleasure Reserve Grand Champion riding Ozark’s Big Mack.
Jillian Becker ’25 (Fredonia, Wis.) showed Mr. Park Avenue to reserve championship in the Missouri/Kansas/Iowa 5-Gaited Amateur, a 3rd place finish in the Missouri/Kansas/Iowa Amateur Championship and a 3rd place finish in the Missouri/Kansas/Iowa Tom Bass Memorial Gaited Stake.
Erin Mahoney ’26 (Readington, N.J.) earned two 4th place finishes in the Missouri/Kansas/Iowa 5-Gaited Amateur classes.
