WACO, Texas – The National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) has announced the March Standout Student-Athlete and Horse of the Month awards as voted on by the NCEA Selection Committee, released Thursday.
 
Georgia’s Camboro is celebrated as Horse of the Month while Delaware State’s McKenzie Elkins earns the Student-Athlete of the Month honor.
 
Standout Student-Athlete of the Month
Every month the NCEA recognizes student-athletes for their accomplishments in the ring, however the NCEA would like to highlight athletes on their outstanding performances outside of the ring, including academics, philanthropy, outstanding attitude, and embodiment of an ideal teammate.
Name of Student-Athlete: McKenzie Elkins
School & Year: Delaware State, Senior
Hometown: The Woodlands, Texas
Major: Pre-Vet
Highlighted Accomplishments: 
McKenzie Elkins is a senior student-athlete and pre-veterinary student with a 3.4 GPA and a steadfast dedication to her academic and athletic pursuits. She has been on the Dean’s List for three consecutive years, honor roll as well, demonstrating her commitment to excellence in the classroom. Alongside her rigorous studies, McKenzie has contributed countless service hours, reflecting her passion for animals and community service. McKenzie’s resilience, discipline, and compassion make her a standout candidate for veterinary school and a role model for her peers.
 
Coach’s Comments:
“McKenzie Elkins is a senior student-athlete whose resilience and work ethic set her apart. Despite being in physical therapy from previous surgeries, she never misses a lesson and remains fully committed to her team. McKenzie goes above and beyond, stepping up to care for horses when icy roads prevented others from helping, even holding horses in 4-degree weather for the farrier. She ensures the horses are well cared for, allowing starting roster riders to travel to various barns for practice when the home rings were frozen. With only two full-time coaching staff, the team relies heavily on McKenzie’s organizational skills. She takes responsibility for essential tasks such as managing travel nutrition orders, creating itineraries, coordinating merchandise orders, and maintaining farrier schedules. McKenzie’s dedication, dependability, and leadership make her an invaluable asset to her team, embodying the true spirit of a student-athlete.”
 
Horse of the Month
This highlight is focused on an outstanding horse, not just one that gets high score every meet or an “MOP horse” but one that shows heart and represents the values of its respective school.
Name of Horse (Barn & Show Name): ‘Cam’, Camboro
Discipline: Fences
School: Georgia
Donated By: Richard Thomas Jordan
Highlighted Accomplishments: 
Camboro did not score below an 80 in the month of November. He scored a 95 in Fences and a 93 at the SMU meet. He also scored an 89 and 87 when Georgia competed against No. 2 Texas A&M. Last weekend when Georgia competed against No. 1 Auburn, he recorded scores of 81 and 88.
 
Coach’s Comments:
"Camboro is a new horse to the Georgia program and was donated to the team just last year," Jumping Seat Assistant Coach Anna Becker said. "Camboro started his collegiate career on the more nervous side and has since flourished and gained so much confidence in his new job. He is always happy to see you, and always has his ears up when going around the jump course. He was the highest scoring fences horse during the double meet weekend, and he did not score below an 87 last week throughout two meets. We are so grateful to have such a kind and special horse as a part of our team!"
 
About the NCEA
A non-profit corporation, the NCEA is a governing body to advance the sport of equestrian. The NCEA is responsible for the development and administration of equestrian rules and guidelines. Equestrian is subject to all NCAA policies and procedures in the same manner as other sports. In 1998, Equestrian was identified and adopted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Committee on Women's Athletics (CWA) as an emerging sport for women at the Division I and II levels. 
 
NCEA competitions are in a head-to-head format, and schools may choose to compete as a single or dual discipline team (Jumping Seat and Western). Each discipline has two events: in Jumping Seat, Fences and Flat, and in Western, Horsemanship and Reining. Teams can have five riders per event, with horses assigned by random draw at the start of the competition. Riders from opposing teams compete on the same horse, and whichever rider receives the higher score earns one point for her team. The level of difficulty is demonstrated by the accuracy of the pattern and how the competitor uses the horse to the best of her ability.
 
To stay up to date all year long on all things NCEA Equestrian, follow the organization on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @NCEA_Equestrian and @ncea_eq.