Members of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Western Show Team and Hunt Seat Team competed at the IHSA National Championships May 3-6 in Harrisburg, Pa. The UWRF Western Show Team tied for 4th place overall in the team competition at nationals.
Notable placements by members of the Western Show Team include:
- Danielle Paulson (animal science major from Pine Island, Minn.) – National Champion in Team Reining, 3rd Place in Individual Reining (qualified to compete at Collegiate Event at the NRHA Derby, June 2018) and 5th Place in Team Horsemanship
- Sydni Loose (animal science major from Cedar Grove) – Reserve National Champion in Team Novice Horsemanship
- Kendyl Bennett (accounting major from Preston, Minn.) – 6th in Team Intermediate Horsemanship
- Sammy Abrahamson (agricultural education major from Minneapolis) – 7th in Team Beginner Horsemanship
- Jackie Bucher-Thayer (agricultural business major from Ridgeland) – 7th in Team Advanced Horsemanship
- Kaycee Hatch (animal science major from Racine) – Honorable Mention in Individual Novice
- Jennifer Lorenz (agricultural business major from Onalaska) – Honorable Mention in Individual Advanced Horsemanship.
“I am so proud of these young women and what they accomplished at the top levels of the IHSA competition,” said Janie Huot, coach of the UWRF Western Show Team and program assistant in the UWRF chemistry and biotechnology department. “I am even more amazed by their amazing attitudes of support and dedication to each other.”
One member of the UWRF Hunt Seat Team, Kenyan Gustafson (animal science major from Dundee, Ill.), also competed at nationals and placed 4th in Individual Walk-Trot-Canter Equitation. The coach of the UWRF Hunt Seat Team is Rachael Walker of Doubleshot Equestrian in Ellsworth.
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