Team Champions of Three NRHA/IHSA Western Semi-Finals
Top Western teams and individuals are IHSA National Championships-bound.
Gladys, Va. – March 20, 2025 – The Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) held its Western Semi-Finals, sponsored by the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA), March 15-16. The three events were hosted by the Black Hawk College (Galva, Illinois), West Texas A&M University (Canyon, Texas) and the members of Zone 3 hosted at Dream Park of Gloucester County (Logan Township, New Jersey).
NRHA/IHSA Western Semi-Finals are the qualifying events to determine which Western teams and individuals will compete at the IHSA National Championship at Tryon International Equestrian Center in North Carolina, May 2-4. The top five individuals from the two-phase Back On Track High-Point Western Rider division, the top four individuals from all other divisions and the top four teams from each Semi-Finals advanced to the National Championship roster.
NRHA/IHSA Western Semi-Finals, Hosted by Black Hawk College
At the Black Hawk-hosted Semi-Finals, judges Lynda Danielson (Streator, Illinois) and Karen Weis (Moberly, Illinois) presided over the event.
The host team, led by coach Rebekah Irish, took the Semi-Finals team championship with 34 points. Black Hawk College was the 2022 IHSA Western Team National Champions. The reserve honors went to Albion College, coached by Nicole McColley, with 31 points. The Middle Tennessee State University team, the 2023 and 2024 national champions coached by Head Coach Ariel Higgins, finished third with 26 points, and Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, led by Sarah Kenderdine, was fourth with 21 points. These four teams all punched their tickets to the IHSA National Championship.
“I had a phenomenal group of people to really make it all come together,” Irish said about hosting the event. “The team, the other coaches, stewards, horse providers and members from my region that assisted made the event come together nicely.”
Of her winning team, Irish shared, “This group might be the most energetic team I’ve ever coached! Their teamwork, their dedication–they never gave up. It was all the way to the end.”
The Black Hawk team’s Regional Championship was only a few weeks before NRHA/IHSA Western Semi-Finals. “They were still dialed in and ready to go,” Irish said. “My goal was to keep the team in a good frame of mind and to keep their confidence up.”
Irish raved about the horse providers that included Middle Tennessee State University, St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Murray State University, Albion College, Adrian College, Western Kentucky University and a youth organization called Dusty Boots. “I am so grateful for the village it takes to bring this together,” she said.
Black Hawk College’s Calen Braden repeated her 2024 Semi-Finals first-place slot in the Open Horsemanship. She will be joined by second-place finisher Carli Kerns from Albion College at the National Championship. Third-place finisher Kyley Pelfrey from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College and fourth-place rider Lexie LaLone from Ferris State University will also make the trip to Tryon.
IHSA member athletes rocked the NRHA Individual Open Reining, with Middle Tennessee State University’s Kenlee West nabbing a tie-breaker win over Black Hawk’s Braden, in second place. Sliding and spinning her way to third was Anna Laning from Purdue University and Abigail Bleichner from the University of California, Davis, was fourth. All qualified for the IHSA National Championship.
Braden made Black Hawk College proud by clinching the championship of the two-phase Back on Track High-Point Rider. Bleichner earned reserve champion honors for the University of California, Davis.
In the popular NRHA Individual Ranch Riding, Kyley Pelfrey from St. Mary-of-the-Woods College earned the win, with second going to Morgan Ekstrom from Murray State University. Oregon State University’s Sophia Cheslock was third and Sarah Costa from College of the Sequoias rounded out the top four.
NRHA/IHSA Western Semi-Finals, Hosted by West Texas A&M University
The AQHA treated attendees of the Semi-Finals hosted by the West Texas A&M University to a tour of their Amarillo headquarters. The University of Findlay team, coached by Spencer Zimmerman, took the overall team win with 39 points. Hosts West Texas A&M, coached by Tabatha Taylor, took the second spot with 28 points. The Jessica Bugbee-led Colby Community College squad was third with 21 points and Midway University, with coach Caitlin Halliwell, was fourth with 20 points. All top four teams are National Championships-bound. Rebecca Halvorson (Guthrie, Oklahoma) and Holly Hover (Cave Creek, Arizona) officiated the Texas Semi-Finals.
The University of Findlay won the trophy and IHSA National Championship Western Team honors in 2001, 2005, 2007, 2009, 2010, 2018 and 2019.
“It was a great experience for us to go there and ride some unfamiliar horses,” Zimmerman said. “Tabatha (Taylor) had everything planned out, from the horse warmups on Friday, to get our tour through AQHA headquarters done on Friday.”
Zimmerman complimented the horses at the West Texas A&M-hosted event. “The horses were great. I was fortunate enough to be on the horse selection committee and you know, I watched the horses all go. They had brought in some great horses that were really matched in their skill levels and and their styles.
“Saturday, we got right to competition, and our riders did well,” he continued. “They got to use their tools, techniques and skills to get to know those horses to the best of their ability.
The University of Findlay team had their Regional Championship the week before, then their spring break began.
“I was very impressed with our students that gave up their spring break and alter their plans to stay in Findlay and ride to be prepared,” Zimmerman said. “Then they were ready and organized to travel off to Texas, in such short notice. I think that they trusted that they were prepared for Regionals and they have been working to be prepared all season, so they didn’t need to cram in that last week.”
Zimmerman thanked the staff at the University of Findlay for their support, in particular Director of Equestrian Studies and Reining Coach Meri March and gave a shoutout to IHSA Hall of Famer and former University of Findlay Head Coach Cindy Morehead.
In NRHA Individual Reining, the judges’ top pick was North Dakota State University’s Haylie Maro. The second-place prize went to Sidney Hawk from the University of Findlay. Haley Mertz, also from the University of Findlay took the third-place finish and Eva Johnson of Oklahoma Panhandle State University was fourth.
In Individual Open Horsemanship, Miami University of Ohio’s Makenna Noon, earned the top podium finish. Hailey Hanson from the University of Minnesota was the second-place finisher. Helene Keiser from host school, West Texas A&M University was third and Faith Barbonus from the University of Findlay took fourth. All punched their tickets to Tryon International.
Faith Barbonus from the University of Findlay earned the Back on Track High-Point Rider Championship, with host team West Texas A&M University’s Kelene Keiser taking reserve honors.
In NRHA Individual Ranch Riding, Riley Pirkle from North Central Texas College topped the class. North Dakota State University’s Hannah Strong earned the red ribbon and Sophie Karney from Missouri State University took home a yellow ribbon. Mitchell Ullom from Oklahoma Panhandle State University was fourth.
NRHA/IHSA Western Semi-Finals, Hosted by Zone 3 in Logan Township, New Jersey
The IHSA 2016 and 2017 Western Team National Champions, St. Andrews University, coached by Carla Wennberg, won the Semi-Finals hosted by Zone 3 at Dream Park of Gloucester County with 41 points. Western Coach Andrew Wolf and the Delaware Valley University team were second notching 26 points. State University of New York-Oswego and coaches Dan & Jill Bergstresser qualified their team by earning 24 points and Wilmington College led by Coach Betsie Moore, also earned 24 points and will progress to the IHSA National Championship Horse Show at Tryon International. Gretchen Mathes (Harwinton, Connecticut) and Jonathan Meilleur (Hamburg, Pennsylvania), judged the event.
Wennberg praised Bryan Bradley, Zone 3 Chair and manager of the New Jersey Semi-Finals, on producing the show. He had thoughtful gifts for the attendees and presented special prizes to horses. “He made everyone happy,” she said.
“Bryan got six regions to bring horses,” said Wennberg whose team also brought four horses. “We had a lot of horses and the selection committee did a brilliant job of making the horses as even as possible.”
On her team strategy for the competition, Wennberg said that they lightly schooled their horses in the arena and they spent time mentally preparing. On Saturday morning, the St. Andrews University team were the first on site and practiced their patterns on foot.
“This team has great dynamics and that’s another reason we’re successful,” Wennberg said. “We hold each other up and we’re there for each other. Everybody that’s on this team are all in. Sunday morning–it just tickles me–we were there at 5 a.m., and the team (members) that weren’t showing took care of the horses. We just divide and conquer. We were the first ones there. It was as quiet as a mouse.”
Wennberg said she spoke with a lot of different coaches during the competition and they shared the different teaching tactics. “I got some new ideas, which was wonderful,” she said. “I know as a judge what I want to see a little different and a little better. But I told them (the team) this week they’ve got to get school back in order and get their lives back in order, then we start again next week!”
Chase Summerville, from St. Andrews University, topped the Individual Open Horsemanship division, finishing in front. Second place went to Maegan Pearson from Wilmington College. Both Lili Evans from Mount Holyoke College and Penn State University’s Natalie Totten, finishing third and fourth, will also compete in NRHA Individual Open Reining at the IHSA National Championships.
In NRHA Individual Open Reining, St. Andrews University’s Summerville took another blue ribbon. Mount Holyoke’s Evans earned red ribbon honors. Ryan Stiles, from the State University of New York – Morrisville, was third, and Brook Wolfinger from Delaware Valley University was fourth.
Pearson from Wilmington College earned the Back on Track High-Point Western Rider championship with Mount Holyoke’s Evans as reserve.
In the NRHA Individual Ranch Riding, North Carolina State University’s Savannah Lindsay took the win. Natalie Totten from Penn State University was second and Alice Dann from Alfred University earned third. Georgia Southern University’s Katelyn Ramey took the fourth-place prize.
Congratulations to all the NRHA Western Semi-Finals winners and many thanks to title sponsor NRHA and all of the IHSA sponsors who help to support IHSA events. All of these riders and the top five from the Back On Track High-Point Western Rider, the top four from each division and the top teams, along with the winners from the eight IHSA Zone Championships, coming up in early April, will converge on Tryon International May 2-4 for the IHSA National Championship Horse Show.
ABOUT THE IHSA
The Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) welcomes all genders at all riding levels and offers individual and team competition in hunter seat equitation, Western horsemanship and reining at more than 400 member colleges and universities. Membership in IHSA means college students can participate in horse shows regardless of their experience or financial status. Students compete from beginner through advanced with suitable, provided horses, eliminating the expense of horse ownership.
Founded in 1967 by Bob Cacchione, it is the oldest and largest intercollegiate equestrian organization with 10,000 members in 47 states and Canada. IHSA college and university team participation is represented through a variety of programs, including varsity athletics, academic departments and club sports. IHSA offers valuable hands-on experience and professional development in multiple facets of the equine industry. Many IHSA teams participate in service projects, giving back to their communities. Through the IHSA, students enhance their college experience and develop the tools that help build successful careers.
For more information, go to IHSAinc.com or contact media@IHSAinc.com.
Media Contact:
Carrie Wirth
EQ Mediacarrie@eqmedia.agency