Her reserve placing in individual open western horsemanship at Zone 7 Zones on April 9th advanced Texas Tech junior Robin Morris to IHSA Nationals (Photo Courtesy Jessica Bieber).

TEXAS A & M ROMPS IN STOCK SEAT WHILE OKLAHOMA STATE GETS IMPORTANT THIRD PLACE BID

(The following account of Zone 7 Zones was written by West Texas A & M team member Meghan Mackey, who also participated in the show, placing fourth in the individual intermediate on the flat.)

Fort Collins, CO - The Zone 7 Championship served as the last home show for the Colorado State University equestrian team. The team has been cut due to curriculum changes in the universities' equine science program (though we think they would make the best club team in the country if they pursue that route in 2005-06 - Editor). Though Colorado State may be dropping their equestrian team after this season, the rams went out in style Saturday, when they hosted Zone 7 Championships at the B.W. Pickett Equine Center in Fort Collins.

Western competition lead off on Saturday morning with Texas A & M University rider Katie Forest winning the Individual Open Reining class and then following up with team wins for the aggies in the Open Reining and Open Horsemanship. Defending National Champion Texas A & M went on to win four of the six Western Team classes, finishing the day as Zone 7 Champions with a ten point lead over reserve champion New Mexico State University. Because Zone 7 has only two regions but more than 500 stock seat riders, the reserve teams from each of these regions are invited to Zones, with the team which finishes with the higher score qualifying for the IHSA Nationals Stock Seat Team Competition. Though Colorado State had a chance to avert fourth place heading into the final western division, Oklahoma State University hung onto third, clinching the final Zone 7 Western Team bid to IHSA Nationals by a 25-23 score.

Both Region 1 Champion Colorado State and Region 2 Champion Texas A & M hunter seat teams were already guaranteed spots at Nationals. However the teams rode off for the Zone 7 Championship, which went to Colorado State by a final score of 52-44. The rams got off to a good start in the afternoon Hunter Seat show, with David Smith winning Team Open Equitation Over Fences. CSU rider Keir Brookes followed up Smith’s performance by putting down wins for her team in both Intermediate flat and fences competition. The rams went on to win six of the eight team classes.

From left to right: Katie Forest, Claire Adian, Christine Sceets and Equestrian Sports Information Director Chris Harrell of Texas A & M prepare to spend an extra night in the Denver area (photo courtesy Texas A & M Athletic Department).

A threatening winter storm kept things interesting in the Colorado Rockies for visiting teams well after completion of the show. Region 2 schools Oklahoma State, Texas A & M and Stephen F. Austin all flew in for the show and wound up stranded at Denver International Airport while as much as 30 inches of wet snow fell over Northern Colorado. "It started snowing about three hours before we were supposed to leave for the airport," said Texas A & M Equestrian Sports Information Director Chris Harrell. "It dropped about six inches in the three hours before we were going to depart. They more or less shut down the airport, so we spent all day at the Fairfield Inn by the airport before flying out on Monday afternoon." Schools that drove, such as West Texas A & M, loaded up and left Fort Collins as soon as the show was over and drove until midnight to get out of the path of the storm. Though Oklahoma State and Texas A & M managed to make flights home Monday afternoon after the airport re-opened, Stephen F. Austin didn’t make it home until Tuesday.

--Meghan Mackey

Zone 7 Zones Class-by-Class results, with the top two in each individual class advancing to IHSA Nationals in Sunbury, Ohio May 5th through 8th:

Individual open reining: 1. Katie Forest, Texas A & M University. 2. Katie Bohr, Oklahoma State University. 3. Kelli Younker, New Mexico State University. 4. Miranda Dickson, Colorado State University. 5. Kayla Elmenhorst, Oklahoma State University. 6. Meggan Hathaway, University of Colorado at Boulder.

Individual open western horsemanship: 1. Kayla Elmenhorst, Oklahoma State University. 2. Robin Morris, Texas Tech University. 3. Lindsay Childress, Oklahoma State University. 4. Shelly Kippur, Colorado State University. 5. Christina Wilder, New Mexico State University. 6. Bryn Wells, New Mexico State University.

Individual intermediate western horsemanship: 1. Lani Jurena, Texas A & M University. 2. Trina Schwertner, West Texas A & M University. 3. Tiffany Minton, Laramie County Community College. 4. Sarah Wallace, New Mexico State University. 5. Ashley Greer, West Texas A & M University. 6. Jill Marcoux, University of Colorado at Boulder.

Individual advanced western horsemanship: 1. Debbie Ramirez, Texas A & M University. 2. Mallory Vestal, West Texas A & M University. 3. Katie Lukow, Colby Community College. 4. Brandi Thomas, Oklahoma State University. 5. Meghan Waldo, Laramie County Community College. 6. Brandi Salestrom, Colby Community College.

Individual novice western horsemanship: 1. Kristina Leatherman, Colorado State University. 2. April Peck, Oklahoma State University. 3. Lauren Wilkerson, Texas A & M University. 4. Jami Shaw, Colby Community College. 5. Kelly Carr, West Texas A & M University. 6. Alexis DeKay, Laramie County Community College.

Individual beginner western horsemanship: 1. Allison Hufnagel, Oklahoma State University. 2. Heather Sowers, Stephen F. Austin State University. 3. Wendy Brown, Colby Community College. 4. Amanda Yancey, Oklahoma State University. 5. Jill Benavidez, New Mexico State University. 6. Savannah Feehan, Laramie County Community College.

Individual open equitation over fences: 1. Stephanie Glass, Texas A & M University. 2. Paige Hortman, Oklahoma State University. 3. Alex Ansteth, Colorado State University. 4. Marilee Carroll, Texas Tech University. 5. Krystal Mack, New Mexico State University.

Individual intermediate equitation over fences: 1. Claire Manatt, New Mexico State University. 2. Ann Marie Reubin, Texas A & M University. 3. Lindsay Collins, Colorado State University. 4. Kyle Nehring, Colorado College. 5. Erica Palomo, Texas A & M University. 6. Mandy McNally, Oklahoma State University.

Individual novice equitation over fences: 1. Lindsey Bradshaw, Colorado State University. 2. Mary Beth Ede, Oklahoma State University. 3. Keir Brookes, Oklahoma State University. 4. JoAnna Pazderny, West Texas A & M University. 5. Alyson Pennington, Texas A & M University. 6. Sarah Wallace, New Mexico State University.

Individual open equitation on the flat: 1. Stephanie Glass, Texas A & M University. 2. Alex Ansteth, Colorado State University. 3. Krystal Mack, New Mexico State University. 4. Lindsey Gillette, Colorado College. 5. Lindsey Parker, Oklahoma State University. 6. Ciearra Vinson, West Texas A & M University.

Individual walk-trot equitation: 1. Laryn Burns, Oklahoma State University. 2. Erika Friess, Colorado State University. 3. Karrie Kehr, Oklahoma State University. 4. Mary Shaver, Texas A & M University. 5. Cassie Peters, Colby Community College. 6. Deirdre Kinkel, Colorado State University.

Individual walk-trot-canter equitation: 1. April Peck, Oklahoma State University. 2. Ashlean McKenna, Texas A & M University. 3. Erin McDonald, Oklahoma State University. 4. Kristi Peters, New Mexico State University. 5. Lauren Tonoli, University of Wyoming. 6. Jennifer Campbell, Colorado State University.

Individual intermediate equitation on the flat: 1. Erica Palomo, Texas A & M University. 2. Marie Baird, Oklahoma State University. 3. Liz Minnerop, Colorado College. 4. Meghan Mackey, West Texas A & M University. 5. Nina Waldrop, Colorado State University. 6. Kyle Nehring, Colorado College.

Individual novice equitation on the flat: 1. Michelle Woolschlager, Oklahoma State University. 2. Lindsey Bradshaw, Colorado State University. 3. Cory Johnson, Oklahoma State University. 4. Christina Wilder, New Mexico State University. 5. Sarah Wallace, New Mexico State University. 6. Ashley Lewis, Southern Methodist University.

Team open reining: 1. Katie Forest, Texas A & M University. 2. Kelly Younker, New Mexico State University. 3. Katie Bohr, Oklahoma State University. 4. Shevin Schwartenberger, Colorado State University.

Team open western horsemanship: 1. Katie Forest, Texas A & M University. 2. Bryn Wells, New Mexico State University. 3. Kayla Elmenhorst, Oklahoma State University. 4. Shelly Kippur, Colorado State University.

Team intermediate western horsemanship: 1. Amanda Yancey, Oklahoma State University. 2. Kate Toomey, Texas A & M University. 3. Megan Ritger, Colorado State University. 4. Katie Dorman, New Mexico State University.

Team advanced western horsemanship: 1. Christine Sceets, Texas A & M University. 2. Tyler Krause, Colorado State University. 3. Samantha Riordan, New Mexico State University. 4. Elizabeth Moe, Oklahoma State University.

Team novice western horsemanship: 1. Claire Adian, Texas A & M University. 2. Nicole Blizzard, Colorado State University. 3. Sarah Wallace, New Mexico State University. 4. Lindsey Welsh, Oklahoma State University.

Team beginner western horsemanship: 1. Nicole Peck, New Mexico State University. 2. Katrina McLeod, Texas A & M University. 3. Laryn Burns, Oklahoma State University. 4. Katie Ryan, Colorado State University.

Team open equitation over fences: 1. David Smith, Colorado State University. 2. Stephanie Glass, Texas A & M University.

Team intermediate equitation over fences: 1. Keir Brookes, Colorado State University. 2. Kate Henion, Texas A & M University.

Team novice equitation over fences: 1. Tiffany Nunan, Colorado State University. 2. Laura Hansen, Texas A & M University.

Team walk-trot equitation: 1. Katrina McLeod, Texas A & M University. 2. Julie Ruttinger, Colorado State University.

Team open equitation on the flat: 1. Alex Ansteth, Colorado State University. 2. Stephanie Glass, Texas A & M University.

Team intermediate equitation on the flat: 1. Keir Brookes, Colorado State University. 2. Ann Marie Reubin, Texas A & M University.

Team novice equitation on the flat: 1. Laura Hansen, Texas A & M University. 2. Emily Scott, Colorado State University.

Team walk-trot-canter equitation: 1. Whitney Rader, Colorado State University. 2. Kathryn Dickson, Texas A & M University.

Hunter Seat Team Totals: 1. Colorado State University 52. 2. Texas A & M University 44.

Stock Seat Team Totals: 1. Texas A & M University 38. 2. New Mexico State University 28. 3. Oklahoma State University 25. 4. Colorado State University 23.