Behind the Scenes of the Western Equestrian Team

Although Braden Reece (Senior, Agribusiness; Cutler, IN) doesn’t compete, the Western Equestrian Team would be lost without his dedication. When he joined the team as a sophomore, Braden began by hauling the horses to their veterinary visits, bringing them to and from the horse barn at the start and end of the year and transporting the horses and show supplies to and from the shows.

During the last two years, he has become the barn manager. Braden determines the quantity and quality of hay, coordinates hay delivery and manages storage logistics. As the team handyman, he also repairs stall fans, hay elevators, gates and even other team members’ cars! Every fall, they travel all over the state from Valparaiso to New Castle to Bloomfield to Terre Haute. He hopes the team will travel this year to semi-nationals and nationals, which will be held in Texas and North Carolina!

Braden’s favorite team activities involve the shows. He shared, “Whether it be celebrating a win in a class for a new member of the team, going out to eat as a team, bonding and swapping stories, playing funny games or sitting around a campfire, the camaraderie with the team has always led to fun times!”

When thinking about the team’s impact on his time at Purdue, Braden stated, “Joining the team has greatly improved my college experience. Some of my best memories from Purdue include times spent with the team. It taught me to branch out and socialize with all sorts of new people from different walks of life that I would have otherwise never met. I have made many friends on the team, many of whom will be lifelong. My senior year roommates are even a couple of my friends from the team, who all decided to live together. Getting to take a break from campus and go to the horse barn and shows has also been greatly helpful in balancing schoolwork and life at Purdue.”