Wisconsin Ag Connection - UW-RF Equestrian Team Advances in IHSA Competition

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UW-RF Equestrian Team Advances in IHSA Competition
Wisconsin Ag Connection - 02/27/2017

One member of the University of Wisconsin-River Falls' western equestrian team qualified for the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Championships in May, while she and four of her teammates earned the right to compete at the IHSA semi-finals in March. The group competed in the final regular season show last week, where riders were able to acquire points toward qualifying for the regional finals held the following day.

UW-River Falls earned the reserve championship team during the regular season show. Autumn Kappers, an animal science major from Spring Valley, Minn., was high point rider winning both the open reining and the open horsemanship categories. Those points secured her the AQHA Cup for the year in this region. AQHA Cup riders advance directly to IHSA nationals and do not have to compete at semi-finals. The IHSA National Championships take place in Lexington, Kentucky.

The school had 10 riders competing in 11 classes going into the regional finals on February 19. Five team members earned the right to compete at semi-finals by finishing first or second in their category.

Kappers qualified in the open reining category. Ashley Gapinski, an animal science major from Ramsey, Minn., will be competing in beginner horsemanship. Mikayla Mack, from River Falls, who just completed her biology degree in December, will be competing in advanced horsemanship. Danielle Paulson, an animal science major from Spring Valley, Minn., will be competing in open horsemanship; and, Rachel Shamro, an agricultural business major from Hayward, will be competing in novice horsemanship.

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