EL RENO, Okla. – The West Texas A&M equestrian team has qualified again for the IHSA National Championship as it won its third-consecutive National Western Semi-Finals Championship on Sunday evening in El Reno, Okla. The Lady Buffs topped the overall field of eight teams and had five individuals qualify for nationals in six events as well.
 
The show was held on Saturday and Sunday, March 21-22 in El Reno. The top three teams now move on to the IHSA National Championship competition while the top four individuals in each class move on. The Lady Buffs have won Western National Championships twice in the program's history and finished fifth overall last season. Nationals will be held on April 30-May 3 in West Springfield, Mass.
 
WT won the championship decisively with 37 points. Clemson finished second with 22 points followed by the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in third with 17 points who edged Kentucky (fourth, 17 points) in the tiebreaker. Rounding out the teams were Sacred Heart (fifth, 14 points), Grand Valley State (sixth, 13 points), Rocky Mountain College (seventh, six points), and Slippery Rock (eighth, six points).
 
"What a team and what a year so far," exclaimed head coach Amanda Love. "WT won nine of the 12 events at the IHSA Western Semi-Finals this past weekend with competition from across the country. The dedication of this group is commendable and it had a huge pay off in this championship. Qualifying a full western team and six individual events is a testament to the talent, effort and dedication of WT Equestrian. Beyond that we would like to thank the sponsor for this past weekend, the National Reining Horse Association and all our supporters that made this win possible."
 
WT was represented in team competition by:
 
William Wright, Reining – placed 1^st
Kinzee Shull, Open Horsemanship – placed 1^st
Maggie Lanham, Advanced Horsemanship – placed 1^st
Kayla Reeves, Novice Horsemanship – placed 1^st
Jori Wendt, Intermediate Horsemanship – placed 1^st
Madison Heacock, Beginner Horsemanship – placed 5^th
 
The top-four individuals from each class advance on to the National Championship. Individual placings for WT can be found below:
 
William Wright, Individual Reining (Champion)/Open Horsemanship (Reserve Champion)
Mandie House, Open Horsemanship (Champion)
Kinzee Shull, Advanced Horsemanship (Champion)
Angela Bradley, Advanced Horsemanship (Reserve Champion)
Megan Pirtle, Novice Horsemanship (Qualifier)
Mallory Leach, Novice Horsemanship (6^th place)
Cana Fitzgerald, Beginner Horsemanship (Champion)
 
Equestrian competes in both Western Horsemanship and Reining during Western competitions.  Equestrian offers five levels of Western Horsemanship and riders are placed in a specific level based on their accomplishments in their youth show career. Horsemanship is judged on the riders' ability to show and negotiate a pattern on an unfamiliar mount. Riders draw their horses at random, mount and are allowed no warm-up.  A rider is expected to ride the horse to the best of that animal's ability and show it as if it was their own. They are judged on correctness of pattern as well as overall horsemanship position.
 
In Reining, the pattern is more complicated and faster paced to involve sliding stops, spins and circles at the lope, showing a speed transition. Teams are awarded points based on placement of individual riders. The team with the most points at the end of the show wins.
 
WT will be back in action next Sunday, March 29, as qualifying individuals will compete in the Hunt Seat Zone Championship which will be held in Madison, Wisc.
 
Be sure to follow 'West Texas A&M Equestrian Team' on Facebook for additional updates leading up to the IHSA National Championship.