Back row, left to right: Chelsie Huseman, equestrian coach, Sydney Reynolds, Brooke Mareth, Aubrey-Ann Gilmore, Chelsea Landes, Caitlyn Dunsmore, Andi Nichols, Jenalee Nies, Evie Gates, Taylor Shoemaker, Katie Weldon
Front row, left to right: Mandie House, Emily Akins, Mackenzie Baxter, Bailey Forester, Britani Di Santi, Taylor Clark, Whitney Force, Kelsey Matthews, Bree Oyler
Miami, Oklahoma –
The equestrian team from Northeastern Oklahoma A&M College (NEO) traveled to Blackhawk College in Galva, Ill. Nov. 23 and 24 and came home with two more individuals who qualified for the Regional show in March.
Jenalee Nies, a sophomore majoring in agriculture, pointed up from Advanced to Open. For the first time in the history of the NEO equestrian team; a freshman member, Bailey Forester, qualified for Regionals after just one semester of competition.
“It is a major feat for a rider to get qualified for Regionals in just one semester. Bailey’s success can be attributed to her remarkable ability to get the best performance from any type of horse she rides,” said Equestrian Coach Chelsie Huseman.
At this point, NEO has qualified five riders, four sophomores and one freshman.
The equestrian team took Reserve High Point Team on Saturday and High Point Team on Sunday with a resounding win by eight points. Currently NEO is tied with Blackhawk College for the region’s high point team.
“Our team is very impressive. Everyone has to do well to succeed as a team, and these riders have proven they are willing to do just that,” Huseman said.
Sophomore rider, Caitlin Dunsmore, was the reserve high point rider for Sunday’s show. This recognition is only for Open riders and is an accumulation of the rider’s reining and horsemanship rankings. Dunsmore placed fourth in reining and second in horsemanship to earn her that honor. This was Dunsmore’s first show to be in the Open division as she had pointed up from Advanced back in October.
The equestrian team has three more regular season shows; one is in February and one in March before the Regional show. This year’s Regionals are hosted by Missouri State University on March 9th.
The weekend’s results are as follows: