Ryan Sims of the University of Findlay looked really happy when this picture was taken at 2007 IHSA Nationals, and Sims probably looked this happy again during Semifinals when he won team open reining and also advanced to 2008 Nationals twice on an individual basis.

DEFENDING NATIONAL CHAMPION FINDLAY CRUISES TO VICTORY

CANYON, TX – You might think that with a key graduation loss and the decision of another rider not to attend during the 2007-08 season that defending western national champion University of Findlay might slide down the ladder slightly. The results of 2008 Semifinals in Canyon, Texas show that either than ladder is very long or that the Oilers are just as good with a slightly different lineup. Findlay won outright, finishing ten ahead of host and runner-up West Texas A & M to advance to IHSA Nationals in Burbank, California May 8th through 11th.

Amanda McNally (intermediate), Ryan Sims (open reining) and Ryan Carte (beginner) won team classes for the Oilers, who scored 35 points overall. Findlay also dominated the individual placings, with six riders usurping seven of the 24 available ribbons that guarantee a trip to Nationals. Sims was third in individual open reining and fourth in individual open western while Andrea Shaffer won individual advanced and Rebecca Fournier won individual beginner. Findlay claimed the top two placings in the beginner western division as Spencer Zimmerman was the runner-up. The remaining two riders to advance did so out of the individual intermediate, where Heather Allenby was second and Kelly Harmon third.

Though Findlay did not score the most points of any western team across the three semifinal shows this season (Surprising St. Andrews Presbyterian College scored 39 at the semi which they hosted in Laurinburg, North Carolina), the Oilers scored 35 against a field of teams that one could argue was as strong if not stronger than what Findlay will face at Nationals. Four of Findlay's opponents were in the team competition at 2007 Nationals while Murray State had uppended Middle Tennessee State from last year's Nationals team competition during the 2007-08 regular season.

Reserve champion West Texas A & M was led by Errolynne Franck, a winner in team open western horsemanship. The Buffaloes helped their cause by not placing below fifth in any of the six team classes, something that only they and Findlay could claim. The race for third was very close, with Oregon State edging out Morrisville State by 20-19 for the final Nationals bid. Adrienne Smith led the way for the Beavers, winning the team advanced western division.

Other than Findlay's rampage the individual classes saw no more than three undergraduate riders from any one team advance. Morrisville State's Corey Hayes won the individual intermediate while teammate Todd Bednarek was fourth in individual open reining. Bednarek, whose father Mike is the western coach at Cazenovia College, spent the first half of the 2007-08 season with Findlay. Abby Knobbe of South Dakota State won individual open reining while teammate Trisha Smeenk was fourth in intermediate. Host West Texas A & M will be the only school from Zone 7, Region 1 with a western rider at Nationals, and the Buffaloes will need plenty of hotel rooms in Southern California. Not only did their team advance, but three individuals are also qualified. Whitney Agee was second to Knobbe in open reining while Whitney Fouts was third in individual open. Franck added a third in individual advanced to her team win. The Buffaloes also have the Region 1 individual AQHA Trophy winner in Shannon Lee (It is also possible that several of their hunter seat riders - and possibly a full team - could qualify on April 5th. Fouts could even find herself with the most rides of anyone at 2008 Nationals if things break correctly over the first weekend in April).

Oregon State graduate (and Zone 8, Region 4 Region President) Carrie Kolstad will ride twice at Nationals. Kolstad won the alumni reining while placing second to Middle Tennessee State alum Susan Shemwell in alumni western. Kolstad will be competing at Nationals for the first time since competing for the individual AQHA Trophy as a senior in 2004.

Bold Nationals Prediction: Findlay will be as good in Burbank as they were here today. It will take a superhuman effort from another team to outscore them. If you don't score 35 at the show in May then you will watch Findlay hold the Trophy for a second consecutive season.

--Steve Maxwell

(More Canyon: Congrats to Blake Weiss of Rocky Mountain College on being the only undergraduate western rider from Zone 8, Region 3 to survive Regionals and Semifinals on an individual basis. Weiss placed second in individual western horsemanship...Zone 8, Region 3 will have their share of western alumni competing at Nationals, as College of Southern Idaho graduate Jeff Miller was third in alumni western while Becky Raven of the University of Montana Western was third in alumni reining...Though Zone 7, Region 2 high point western team North Central Texas College did not field a full western team at this weekend's show two riders from their region advanced. Kayla McCullough of Redlands Community College was fourth in individual novice while Scott Case of Southern Nazarene University was fourth in individual beginner...McCullough, Smith of Oregon State, Courtney Littlefield of the University of Washington and division winner Sarah McKee of Middle Tennessee State are the four novice western riders to survive the Canyon semifinal. This was the only undergraduate division, team or individual, in which no Findlay rider made the top five...McKee is the lone MTSU undergraduate rider to qualify for 2008 Nationals...Three riders from Zone 9, Region 3 punched their ticket to Nationals. Bailey Eisinger of St. Cloud State, who was already qualified in the individual AQHA Trophy division, won the individual open western to join the SDSU duo of Knobbe and Smeenk. One school that did not advance their team or an individual to '08 Nationals was Zone 9, Region 3 high point team University of Nebraska at Lincoln. Thus the Cornhuskers earn mention on this site as the best western team in the IHSA this season with no riders competing at Nationals. We say watch out for Nebraska in 2008-09 as they will be back in Murfreesboro! - Editor)

Class-by-Class Results from IHSA Semifinals in Canyon, Texas on March 29th and 30th, 2008. Riders who placed fourth or higher in the individual classes advanced to IHSA Nationals May 8th through 11th in Burbank, California:

Team Novice Western Horsemanship: 1. Jonathane Rogers, Morrisville State College. 2. Heather Allenby, University of Findlay. 3. Maria Cammack, University of Nebraska at Lincoln. 4. Kaci Sintek, Oregon State University. 5. Stephanie Hallgren, West Texas A & M University. 6. Hanson Holsteter, Murray State University. 7. Brooke Allen, Utah State University.

Team Intermediate Western Horsemanship: 1. Amanda McNally, University of Findlay. 2. Hayley McGuire, Oregon State University. 3. Rebecca Schmitt, Morrisville State College. 4. Rebecca Hart, West Texas A & M University. 5. Alix Benoit, University of Nebraska at Lincoln. 6. Alyssa Vieth, Murray State University. 7. Jessica Hunt, Utah State University.

Alumni Western Horsemanship: 1. Susan Shemwell, Middle Tennessee State. 2. Carrie Kolstad, Oregon State University. 3. Jeff Miller, College of Southern Idaho. 4. Erin Wheeler, Washington State University. 5. Becky Raven, University of Montana Western.

Individual Open Reining: 1. Abby Knobbe, South Dakota State University. 2. Whitney Agee, West Texas A & M University. 3. Ryan Sims, University of Findlay. 4. Todd Bednarek, Morrisville State College. 5. Alicia Wittwer, University of Nebraska at Lincoln. 6. Amber Tewell, Morrisville State College. 7. Shannon Lee, West Texas A & M University. 8. Katie Morehead, University of Findlay.

Individual Open Western Horsemanship: 1. Bailey Eisinger, St. Cloud State University. 2. Blake Weiss, Rocky Mountain College. 3. Whitney Fouts, West Texas A & M University. 4. Ryan Sims, University of Findlay. 5. Alicia Daugherty, Texas Tech University. 6. Joanna Dove, University of Washington. 7. Alicia Wittwer, University of Nebraska at Lincoln. 8. Keegan Greenlee, Mississippi State University.

Individual Advanced Western Horsemanship: 1. Andrea Shaffer, University of Findlay. 2. Tatum St. Pierre, State University of New York at Cobleskill. 3. Errolynne Franck, West Texas A & M University. 4. Janie Talbot, Western Washington University. 5. Laura Sadeki, Murray State University. 6. Leigh Ann Skurupey, Laramie County Community College. 7. Kristen Swankie, University of Findlay. 8. Sammi Shields, Utah State University.

Individual Novice Western Horsemanship: 1. Sarah McKee, Middle Tennessee State University. 2. Adrienne Smith, Oregon State University. 3. Courtney Littlefield, University of Washington. 4. Kayla McCullough, Redlands Community College. 5. Kelsey Horner, University of Nebraska at Lincoln. 6. Adam D'Agostino, University of Findlay. 7. Bryanne Baker, North Central Texas College. 8. Josie Norwood, West Texas A & M University.

Individual Intermediate Western Horsemanship: 1. Corey Hayes, Morrisville State College. 2. Heather Allenby, University of Findlay. 3. Kelly Harmon, University of Findlay. 4. Trisha Smeenk, South Dakota State University. 5. Heather Dremmam, Morrisville State College. 6. Shantel Besel, Rocky Mountain College. 7. Matti Shamlin, Middle Tennessee State University. 8. Andrea Tomlinson, College of Southern Idaho.

Individual Beginner Western Horsemanship: 1. Rebecca Fournier, University of Findlay. 2. Spencer Zimmerman, University of Findlay. 3. Alyssa Vieth, Murray State University. 4. Scott Case, Southern Nazarene University. 5. Amanda Hes, West Texas A & M University. 6. Crystal Hall, Middle Tennessee State University. 7. Karrie Kleiwer, Oklahoma Panhandle State University. 8. Alyssa Jorgenson, North Dakota State University.

Team Open Reining: 1. Ryan Sims, University of Findlay. 2. Ashley Kelkenberg, Morrisville State College. 3. Whitney Agee, West Texas A & M University. 4. Morgan Roberts, Murray State University. 5. Chelsea Leatherwood, University of Nebraska at Lincoln. 6. Sammy Shields, Utah State University. 7. Brooke Sproull, Oregon State University.

Team Open Western Horsemanship: 1. Errolynne Franck, West Texas A & M University. 2. Alicia Wittwer, University of Nebraska at Lincoln. 3. Katie Morehead, University of Findlay. 4. Ashley Kelkenberg, Morrisville State College. 5. Brooke Sproull, Oregon State University. 6. Sammy Shields, Utah State University. 7. Morgan Roberts, Murray State University.

Team Advanced Western Horsemanship: 1. Adrienne Smith, Oregon State University. 2. Adam D'Agostino, University of Findlay. 3. Ryan Eberlein, West Texas A & M University. 4. Austin Fleming, Utah State University. 5. Maggie Peitzmeier, University of Nebraska at Lincoln. 6. Sam Erwin, Murray State University. 7. Laurabeth Werner, Morrisville State College.

Team Beginner Western Horsemanship: 1. Ryan Carte, University of Findlay. 2. Rachel Hilton, West Texas A & M University. 3. Melissa De Young, Murray State University. 4. Justin Bubenik, Oregon State University. 5. Brian Booth, Utah State University. 6. Maggie Holub, University of Nebraska at Lincoln. 7. Craig Smith, Morrisville State University.

Alumni Reining: 1. Carrie Kolstad, Oregon State University. 2. Claire Winterscheid, Oregon State University. 3. Becky Raven, University of Montana Western.

Final Western Team Totals, with the top three teams advancing to IHSA Nationals May 8th through 11th in Burbank, California: University of Findlay (High Point Team) 35; West Texas A & M University (Reserve) 25; Oregon State University 20; Morrisville State College 19; University of Nebraska at Lincoln 16; Murray State University 10 and Utah State University 7.

(Special thanks to Laura Wilder for her help in gathering these results - Editor)