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A childhood dream became a reality for former Polk County student Emma Gurley at the 2025 Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association National Championship.

Competing in her final collegiate event, the Emory & Henry University senior rode to victory in the Horseware Ireland Team Intermediate Equitation Over Fences championship aboard the university’s mount, Romeo.

Gurley’s championship performance earned a score of 90, securing the national title at the Tryon International Equestrian Center. The achievement represents the culmination of a journey that began years ago when Gurley, as a third-grade student, wrote a note declaring her dream of winning a national championship horse show.

The national championship highlighted a strong season for Gurley, who also placed seventh in the Intermediate on the Flat (Team) competition at nationals. Her performances contributed to Emory & Henry securing sixth place in the overall IHSA National Finals Team standings.

Prior to nationals, Gurley demonstrated exceptional skill at the Zone 4 Finals, earning Reserve Champion honors in Intermediate Over Fences (Team) and a third-place finish in Intermediate on the Flat (Team). These results helped propel Emory & Henry to a Zone 4 Reserve Champion Team designation.

Gurley’s championship marks a fitting conclusion to her collegiate equestrian career, which has progressed from those early aspirations penned as an elementary school student to the highest level of intercollegiate competition.