Oklahoma State University Athletics
Cowgirl Equestrian Signs 2025 Class
November 14, 2024 | Cowgirl Equestrian
STILLWATER — Oklahoma State Equestrian officially signed 10 riders out of the class of 2025, head coach Larry Sanchez announced Wednesday.
"We are very excited about who we signed this year," Sanchez said. "They are a talented group of young ladies and we can't wait for them to get to campus next fall."
OSU's class includes riders from all over the country, and the Cowgirls are adding seven riders in Jumping Seat and three in Western.
The Jumping Seat signees start with Sophia Tabasso out of Malverin, Pa., who was also the first Cowgirl of this class to verbally commit to the program. As a 3'6 junior, Tabasso was a class winner at Devon and the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in 2024. She earned the Zone 2 Finals low junior jumper championship in 2024 and was the top qualifier and competed in the Dover and Maclay finals in 2023 and 2024. Tabasso has also found success in national tournaments as she placed seventh in the 2022 NCEA finals and tallied multiple national derby wins.
Taylor Landstrom out of Excelsior, Minn., won the 2024 NAL 1.35 JR/AM Final. In addition, she was a class winner and reserve champion in her age group at the Capital Challenge Horse Show and has placed high across many events in her career. She was a silver and bronze medalist for NAYC pre juniors and was a bronze medalist at the Zone Championships, and she also placed sixth at the Maclay Regionals and competed in the National Grand Prix.
Skylar Gurtis and Colvin Hall join the Cowgirls Jumping Seat squad from Florida. Gurtis most recently earned the 2024 Sportsmanship award at USET Finals East, and she finished eighth at the Maclay Regionals in Wellington.
Hall has achieved success in a variety of tournaments across the country. She acquired the 2023 Midwest Hamel Championship and was the Children's Jumper Champion at Penn National in 2022. Along with her winning, Hall has finished high in multiple tournaments over the years. She placed top-six at the Region Four ASPCA Maclay Regionals, top-10 at the Taylor Harris Finals in 2023 and 12th at the USET Devon in 2024.
Sydney Pifer also joins the Cowgirls from the east coast. Hailing from Charlotte, N.C., Pifer has qualified and competed in several major competitions. She placed top-12 at the Phase Three Jump Seat Finals and qualified and competed at the Maclay Finals. She placed top-four at the Open EQ Capital Challenge and at the National Hunter Derby Kentucky Summer Classic.
Staying on the east coast, Lauren Gee comes from Valdosta, Ga. Gee is the 2024 NCEA Finals East winner, and she qualified for and competed in the USEF Medal Finals. As a junior in 2022, she earned the Small 3'3 Youngers Reserve Championship at the Junior Hunter Finals.
The final Jumping Seat signee is in-state prospect Stella Shdeed from Oklahoma City. She has qualified and competed in several major competitions across the country. Most notably, she competed in the Gladstone Cup, Governors Cup, USHJA Jump Seat Finals, Maclay Regionals, Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunt Seat Medal Finals and New England Finals.
On the Western Side, OSU brings in three Reining riders.
The Reining signees are highlighted by Ava and Ayden Welman out of River Falls, Wisc., and Tyris Bowdle from Sherwood, Ore.
Ava is a 2024 NRHA North Central Affiliate Regional Championship Youth 14-18 Champion in 2023 and 2024. She's also a NCRHA Youth 14-18 Saddle Circuit Champion in 2024. In 2023, Ava secured a 2023 NRHA North American Affiliate Championships YOUTH 14-18 Champion and 2023 NCRHA Intermediate Non Pro, and Non Pro High Point Champion.
Ayden is a NCRHA Non-Pro Derby Level One through Four champion, as well as a Fall Fling Futurity Level One and Four champion. She's also secured a NCRHA Non-Pro Futurity Level One Champion. In 2024, she earned the NCRHA Intermediate and Limited Non-Pro Saddle Circuit title, and she placed top three in the TRFAM Rookie Shootout in 2021.
Bowdle was most recently crowned a CRRHA Level One and Four Non-Pro Champion in 2024. As a youth, she was also named the Low Roller Reining Classic Derby champion in 2024 and the Columbia River Reining Classic Non-Pro Derby champion in 2023. Bowdle won the High Roller Reining Classic youth championship, while winning the Cactus Reining Classic in back-to-back years in 2021 and 2022.
For season-long coverage of Oklahoma State Cowgirl Equestrian, visit okstate.com and follow @osuequestrian on X and on Instagram.
"We are very excited about who we signed this year," Sanchez said. "They are a talented group of young ladies and we can't wait for them to get to campus next fall."
OSU's class includes riders from all over the country, and the Cowgirls are adding seven riders in Jumping Seat and three in Western.
The Jumping Seat signees start with Sophia Tabasso out of Malverin, Pa., who was also the first Cowgirl of this class to verbally commit to the program. As a 3'6 junior, Tabasso was a class winner at Devon and the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in 2024. She earned the Zone 2 Finals low junior jumper championship in 2024 and was the top qualifier and competed in the Dover and Maclay finals in 2023 and 2024. Tabasso has also found success in national tournaments as she placed seventh in the 2022 NCEA finals and tallied multiple national derby wins.
Taylor Landstrom out of Excelsior, Minn., won the 2024 NAL 1.35 JR/AM Final. In addition, she was a class winner and reserve champion in her age group at the Capital Challenge Horse Show and has placed high across many events in her career. She was a silver and bronze medalist for NAYC pre juniors and was a bronze medalist at the Zone Championships, and she also placed sixth at the Maclay Regionals and competed in the National Grand Prix.
Skylar Gurtis and Colvin Hall join the Cowgirls Jumping Seat squad from Florida. Gurtis most recently earned the 2024 Sportsmanship award at USET Finals East, and she finished eighth at the Maclay Regionals in Wellington.
Hall has achieved success in a variety of tournaments across the country. She acquired the 2023 Midwest Hamel Championship and was the Children's Jumper Champion at Penn National in 2022. Along with her winning, Hall has finished high in multiple tournaments over the years. She placed top-six at the Region Four ASPCA Maclay Regionals, top-10 at the Taylor Harris Finals in 2023 and 12th at the USET Devon in 2024.
Sydney Pifer also joins the Cowgirls from the east coast. Hailing from Charlotte, N.C., Pifer has qualified and competed in several major competitions. She placed top-12 at the Phase Three Jump Seat Finals and qualified and competed at the Maclay Finals. She placed top-four at the Open EQ Capital Challenge and at the National Hunter Derby Kentucky Summer Classic.
Staying on the east coast, Lauren Gee comes from Valdosta, Ga. Gee is the 2024 NCEA Finals East winner, and she qualified for and competed in the USEF Medal Finals. As a junior in 2022, she earned the Small 3'3 Youngers Reserve Championship at the Junior Hunter Finals.
The final Jumping Seat signee is in-state prospect Stella Shdeed from Oklahoma City. She has qualified and competed in several major competitions across the country. Most notably, she competed in the Gladstone Cup, Governors Cup, USHJA Jump Seat Finals, Maclay Regionals, Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunt Seat Medal Finals and New England Finals.
On the Western Side, OSU brings in three Reining riders.
The Reining signees are highlighted by Ava and Ayden Welman out of River Falls, Wisc., and Tyris Bowdle from Sherwood, Ore.
Ava is a 2024 NRHA North Central Affiliate Regional Championship Youth 14-18 Champion in 2023 and 2024. She's also a NCRHA Youth 14-18 Saddle Circuit Champion in 2024. In 2023, Ava secured a 2023 NRHA North American Affiliate Championships YOUTH 14-18 Champion and 2023 NCRHA Intermediate Non Pro, and Non Pro High Point Champion.
Ayden is a NCRHA Non-Pro Derby Level One through Four champion, as well as a Fall Fling Futurity Level One and Four champion. She's also secured a NCRHA Non-Pro Futurity Level One Champion. In 2024, she earned the NCRHA Intermediate and Limited Non-Pro Saddle Circuit title, and she placed top three in the TRFAM Rookie Shootout in 2021.
Bowdle was most recently crowned a CRRHA Level One and Four Non-Pro Champion in 2024. As a youth, she was also named the Low Roller Reining Classic Derby champion in 2024 and the Columbia River Reining Classic Non-Pro Derby champion in 2023. Bowdle won the High Roller Reining Classic youth championship, while winning the Cactus Reining Classic in back-to-back years in 2021 and 2022.
For season-long coverage of Oklahoma State Cowgirl Equestrian, visit okstate.com and follow @osuequestrian on X and on Instagram.
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