Three members of North Dakota State University’s Western equestrian team have advanced to semifinal competition, which will be held at the University of Findlay (Ohio) on March 19-20.

The three are Sarah Garrison, a junior from White Bear Lake, Minn.; Megan Haugen, a junior from Larimore; and Courtney Bolstad, a senior from Fergus Falls, Minn. They earned the right to compete in the semifinals during regional competition Feb. 21 at the University of Minnesota in the Twin Cities. The top two riders in each level are eligible to compete in the semifinals.

At regionals, Garrison was champion in novice horsemanship, Haugen was champion in intermediate horsemanship and Bolstad was reserve champion in intermediate horsemanship.

“The three riders moving on to semifinals are solid riders who had exceptional rides at regionals,” says their coach, Tara Swanson. “They will be practicing hard over the next few weeks, and I have no doubt they will make NDSU proud at semifinals.”

Two other team members also placed at the regionals. Darian Hiemer, a senior from Horace, took fifth in intermediate horsemanship, and Kaylee Bliss, a sophomore from Andover, Minn., placed fifth in walk-trot horsemanship.

The five riders were among nine team members who competed in regionals. The others and the level in which they competed were:

• Hailey Aagard, a senior from Wadena, Minn., novice horsemanship
• Caryn Meindl, a senior from Breckenridge, Minn., intermediate horsemanship
• Emily Harlow, a freshman from Stillwater, Minn., intermediate horsemanship
• Sheridan Heid, a freshman from Fridley, Minn., intermediate horsemanship

“I am really proud of the team this year,” Swanson says. “We started the year with 15 new riders and only 10 returning team members. We have a really young team, and they have grown so much over the year that I am excited to see what the next show season brings.”

NDSU Agriculture Communication - Feb. 26, 2016