Georgia Equestrian coach Meghan Boenig on Tuesday announced that Michelle Fulcher, a talented and accomplished Western rider, is transferring into the Bulldog program and will be eligible to compete in the coming 2010 season.

Fulcher, from Stockbridge, Ga., spent the past year attending Georgia Perimeter College. She is a 2008 graduate of Union Grove High School in McDonough.

“We’re very excited that Michelle has decided to join our program,” Boenig said. “We’ve been following her career for several years now. She has the dedication, maturity and Bulldog spirit that will enable her to become a successful rider at this level. We think Michelle will be a great addition to our corps of Western riders.”

Fulcher has earned a slew of honors during her career as a junior rider. Twice she’s been a Quarter Horse Congress champion, in both Horsemanship and Equitation. She is also a two-time Dixie National champion, with Superior ratings in American Quarter Horse Association shows in Showmanship, Equitation, Hunter Under Saddle and Western Pleasure.

Fulcher joins three other Western signees that will join the Georgia program as freshmen in August: Melanie Galbraith of Rocky Mount, N.C.; Becca Haaland of Edmond, Okla.; and Maria Salazar of Portland, Ore.

- Georgia Sports Communications