A Cannon County woman will be one of four riders from Middle Tennessee State University’s equestrian program who have qualified for the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association nationals The event is begins today in New York.
The riders, all horse science majors, are competing in Open Reining, Intermediate Horsemanship and Beginner Horsemanship in Western categories at the New York State Fairgrounds Expo Center.
All riders have advanced to the nationals by having high finishes in the regional held at MTSU’s Miller Coliseum in February and a semifinal held in Ocala, Florida, in March.
MTSU’s participants include:
• Mary Catherine Wade, a junior from Memphis, who will compete in Open Reining.
• Jenna Seal, a senior from Mississippi, who also will contend in Open Reining.
• Kailey Vande Kamp, a senior from Gallatin, who will be a contender in Intermediate Horsemanship.
• Kaylee Hayes, a junior from Woodbury, who will compete in Beginner Horsemanship.
“The semifinals are a pretty competitive event to prepare them for nationals,” Herrin said.
Wade earned Reserve Champion status at the regional, with Seal placing third in Open Reining. Hayes and Vande Kamp also were Reserve Champions.
Including horse science, MTSU has more than 300 combined undergraduate and graduate programs. The School of Agriculture is one of 11 College of Basic and Applied Sciences departments.
