NDSU’s equestrian team ended the season with one member competing at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association's National Horse Show in West Springfield, Massachusetts.
The rider, freshman Nicole Anderson of Fergus Falls, Minnesota, received an honorable mention in the American Quarter Horse Association high-point rider class. She competed against 24 other high-point riders from each region throughout the U.S. The show was held April 30-May 3.
"Although Nicole did not make the top 10 in the placings, she had two solid rides," team coach Tara Swanson says. "It is a true testament of her ability and dedication to win the regional high-point title as a freshman. I expect great things out of her in the next three years."
Earlier this spring, eight members of the NDSU team competed in the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association's semifinal competition in Sunbury, Ohio. Four members qualified to compete in individual classes by finishing as the champion or reserve champion in regional competition at NDSU in February. The riders and their placings were:
- Anderson - reining, seventh
- Janna Rice, a senior from Maddock, North Dakota - open horsemanship, eighth
- Angie Norwig, a sophomore from Hampton, Minnesota - intermediate horsemanship, honorable mention
- Brogan Novak, a freshman from Fordville, North Dakota - beginner horsemanship, honorable mention
The NDSU riders earned the right to compete as a team at the semifinals by winning the high-point regional team title. The team finished the semifinals in fourth place overall. Riders representing the team and their placings were:
- Reining - Rice, third place
- Open horsemanship - Anderson, fourth
- Advanced horsemanship - Hannah Bucheger, a junior from Andover, Minnesota, eighth
- Novice horsemanship - Blaine Novak, a senior from Fordville, third
- Intermediate horsemanship - Courtney Bolstad, a junior from Fergus Falls, second
- Beginner horsemanship - Allee Lee, a sophomore from Lino Lakes, Minnesota, seventh
"This year's team was exceptional, with a good mix of returning and new talent," Swanson says. "It is a big feat for a university to be the high-point regional team and have the high-point rider in the region. This is a testament to the hard work and dedication the athletes put into being successful this year."
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