(Crookston, Minn.)- The University of Minnesota, Crookston Western Women's Equestrian team had a solid show at the IHSA Western Semi-Finals Competition at Cal-Poly, Pomona this past weekend. The Golden Eagles finished in fourth place overall out of eight teams. This was just a placing out of going to the National Horse Show.  Kaitlyn Tollefsrud (So, Hawley, Minn.) started the day placing sixth in the Advanced Horsemanship.  Anna Steen (So, Hanover, Minn.) took the Intermediate Class with a perfect pattern. Tandra Klein (Jr, Hazen, N.D.) took fifth place in the Reining Class out of a really good set of riders. In the Beginner Class, Lisa Schabo (Jr, Appleton, Minn.) had a solid performance earning the team a second place ribbon and five points.  A really tough group of Novice riders gave Kayla Krueger (Fr, Walker, Minn.) a tough run. However, she ended up placing sixth with her best ride of the year.  Last to go was veteran Amanda Peterson (Sr, Rochester, Minn.) in a really deep Open Horsemanship Class taking eighth place.

Individually, the riders did very well in their classes of 16 riders from across the country.  The Golden Eagles competed against riders from Ohio State University, West Texas A&M, Middle Tennessee State University, Stanford, the University of the Redlands, University of San Diego and St. Mary of the Woods among other tough opponents from across the nation.  Anna Steen continued having a fabulous show and qualified to go to nationals in the Beginner Horsemanship with a huge second place finish.  Additionally, Kaitlyn Tollefsrud came back to ride a super Novice Horsemanship Class and finished in fourth place giving her a berth at nationals.  Tandra Klein rode a super reining pattern and keeps improving as she ended up eighth overall individually.  Finally, Peterson ended up sixth in the Open Class with a very solid performance against some of the top riders in the country.  Peterson will advance to the National Finals as the American Quarter Horse Association (AHCA) Cup High Point rider from our region.

U of M, Crookston Western Coach Nicky Overgaard was pleased with the overall performance of the team.  "We did better than we did last year and I feel confident that the girls will continue to improve as they work towards that goal of going to the National Horse Show as a team," says Coach Overgaard. "These girls all rode the best they have all year and all I ask is that they learn from their mistakes and improve every ride and every show. I could really see the girls working through their nerves and stepping up to the plate and riding the best they could.  I am looking forward to taking these three girls (Anna Steen, Kaitlyn Tollefsrud, Amanda Peterson) to the National Horse Show to finish off a very successful year."

For more information, visit the Golden Eagle Athletics Web site at http://www.goldeneaglesports.com/.

The University of Minnesota, Crookston is a NCAA Division II Institution and a member of the Northern Sun Intercollegiate Conference (NSIC). The Golden Eagle Equestrian team is a member of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA).

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Photo Caption (Left to Right) - Anna Steen, Kaitlyn Tollefsrud, Amanda Peterson