UW-River Falls Western Show team members advance to nationals

RIVER FALLS - Seven members of the UW-River Falls Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Western Show Team are advancing to the IHSA National Championships May 3 - 6 in Harrisburg, Pa.

UW-River Falls earned the right to advance as a team to nationals after they tied for second/third place overall at semi-finals in Hamburg, N.Y., March 17 - 18. Individual riders who placed fourth or better in individual categories at semi-finals also qualified to compete.

Additionally, Danielle Paulson, who earned 100 points for the year in open reining and open horsemanship and was named the AQHA Cup Champion for Zone 7 Region 3, advances directly to nationals to compete in the National AQHA Cup Championships.

The seven UWRF riders competing in team and individual categories at nationals include:

• Samantha Abrahamson (agricultural education major from Minneapolis) – Team Beginner Horsemanship
• Kendyl Bennett (accounting major from Preston, Minn.) – Team Intermediate Horsemanship
• Jackie Bucher-Thayer (agricultural business major from Ridgeland) – Team Advanced Horsemanship 
• Kaycee Hatch (animal science major from Racine) – Individual Novice Horsemanship
• Sydni Loose (animal science major from Cedar Grove) – Team Novice Horsemanship
• Jennifer Lorenz (agricultural business major from Onalaska) – Individual Advanced Horsemanship
• Danielle Paulson (animal science major from Pine Island, Minn.) – Team Reining, Team Open Horsemanship, Individual Reining and AQHA Cup

For more information, email janie.huot@uwrf.edu.