April 29, 2020

We would like to take a few minutes to once again thank our wonderful seniors and wish them all of the best in the future. We were all saddened to hear that our 2019-2020 season was cut short due to COVID-19, but we were especially disappointed for our seniors. We have watched them work hard for several years, and we hate that it had to end this way!

Brittany Banks
Brittany came to us from Dallas, TX and her heart is almost as big as Texas! Brittany was a wonderful asset to our team and it was a privilege watching her grow from a newcomer to horsemanship and equitation into a serious competitor. Brittany served as treasurer during her senior year, which helped the team tremendously! Brittany always kept the team laughing and made the competitions even more fun! Brittany studied Animal Science while at UT and she plans to pursue a career as a veterinarian.

Kelsey Chapman
Kelsey was always one of the best team players on the UTET. Coming from Germantown, TN, Kelsey quickly became an integral part of the UTET. Her kind heart was always welcoming to new members, and she was an equitation queen in the hunt seat ring! When asked to move up to the Intermediate division to help the team, she quickly agreed and was a top contender in the division! Kelsey is an avid lover of the outdoors and plans to work as a park ranger with her degree in Wildlife and Fisheries Science.

Alex Hall
Although we only had the privilege of knowing Alex for one year, it felt much longer than that due to how involved he quickly became with the team! Alex is a native of Townsend, TN. As the winner of the Volunteer Spirit Award, it is safe to say that Alex always stepped up to help the team and set an example for other members. Alex majored in Engineering while at UT and is headed to Mississippi to learn how to fly for the Air Force.

Catherine Thoms
Where do we even start with this one?! Catherine has been an invaluable asset to our team over the last four years. Coming to us from Atlanta, GA, Catherine always put her whole heart into this team and was always a kindred spirit. Catherine served as treasurer during her sophomore and junior years, and as president her senior year. She came to be a serious competitor in both the Hunt Seat and Western! She plans to move back to Atlanta with her bachelor’s degree in Geography and work for a major company there.

Brianna Proulx-Walter
If there was a “biggest smile award”, this girl would have it! Brianna came to us all the way from Boxford, MA and was always very successful over fences and on the flat in the Hunt Seat ring! Brianna served as Hunt Seat Captain during her senior year and helped new members become acquainted with the show ring. Last year, Brianna advanced all the way to Nationals in the Novice Fences. Brianna plans on moving somewhere closer to home and working at a major sports facility with her degree in Sports Management!

Collette Zwinkel
This one is hard to let go of! Collette came to us from Ten Mile, TN as a transfer student last year to study Animal Science here at UT. Collette had never shown before she came to UT, but it would not take long for her to start bringing in the blues! Collette jumped all in and competed in both the Hunt Seat and Western Competitions. She qualified for regionals in both seats and finished in third place in both seats! Collette was the winner of our Senior of the Year award, which is telling of how great of a team member she was!