TALLULAH — Emmy-Lu Marsh was vacationing in Italy this summer when she caught a glimpse of home and decided her future.

“When we went to Italy this summer I saw someone in the Corps in the middle of Italy. It was crazy that I’m in a foreign country and seeing someone in the school that I’m going to go to,” Marsh said.

“The Corps” is the Texas A&M Cadet Corps, and Marsh is now a proud member.

On Wednesday, the Tallulah Academy senior made good on the commitment she made a year ago when she signed with Texas A&M’s equestrian team.

A couple of other schools recruited Marsh after she committed to Texas A&M in the fall of 2017, but she said she never really wavered on her initial decision.

“After a year of talking, after a year of many, many decisions, it’s great to finally sign and make a definite decision on where I’m going to college. I did have a choice between this and Georgia, but A&M was the one that just felt like home and I decided this was the best place for me to go,” Marsh said. “Whenever I visited there the first time it was always pretty much Texas A&M.”

The Aggies are ranked No. 2 in the country this season and are two-time defending National Collegiate Equestrian Association national champions. More than signing with a top-tier program, however, Marsh said the school’s proximity to home and atmosphere were its biggest selling points.

“I’ve already met pretty much every girl on the team, and they’re all excited and I’m excited just to go and live there and be a part of it,” she said. “The coaches are really nice and believe in me. And then the school and all the traditions and the Aggie network and family. Aggies help Aggies, so I’m glad to be a part of that.”

In equestrian events, riders and their horses perform precision routines. Marsh’s specialty is reining, where riders guide the horses through a set pattern and earn or lose points according to how they perform.

Marsh has won the national championship in her age group four times. This summer, she finished first in ranch riding and second in reining at the Versatility Ranch Horse World Championship.

College equestrian is, however, a different animal — no pun intended.

College riders use their school’s horses rather than their own, and change mounts often. To prepare for the next level, Marsh has been doing the same in her other competitions.

“I’ve got two really good horses that are really preparing me for college life and the college horses. Most of the horses there aren’t seasoned show horses. They’re donations. Every horse is different from the next. All the horses that I’m riding now are really preparing me for that,” Marsh said. “You ride pretty much a new horse every day, so you have to be able to adjust very quickly. If you’re showing, you have to show horses from other schools so you have to be able to be very adjustable.”