Madison Thiel, a senior from Dublin Ohio, made a very tough decision last week as she decided to ride for the current SEC Equestrian Championship team, The University of South Carolina Gamecocks.

Madison had several great offers but, in the end, South Carolina won out as the senior decided that being close to her Ohio family and her sister in Athens, Georgia was very important to her. “My sister, Charley rides for the University of Georgia’s equestrian team. Although we will be competing against each other, we are also each other’s biggest fans. I will be cheering for her no matter what,” Madison says.

Madison, who currently wants to focus on a Broadcast Journalism degree, waited until the eleventh hour to make her decision as so many of the schools that she was considering had so many excellent things to offer.

“I considered Texas A&M and Oklahoma State University as well as USC. They too have great coaches, great facilities and great equestrian teams,” Thiel says. “South Carolina though, has a great Journalism school, a great equestrian team, great coaches and my sister will only be a few hours away. We are very close and that means a great deal to me.”

Thiel will go to South Carolina focused on riding on the horsemanship team, however, she has also had success in the reining pen and may compete in both while in Columbia.

Thiel was recently named the AQHA World Champion in Showmanship at the Built Ford Tough All American Quarter Horse Youth World Show in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Thiel has had years of success in the equestrian domain, competing from a very young age all over the country.