Continuing Missouri State University’s two year run of being the high-point western rider for the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association’s (ISHA) Zone Nine’s Second Region, Valerie Craft finished the year by placing ninth in the American Quarter Horse Association Cup (AQHA) at the ISHA National Championship held in Murfreesboro Tennessee. Jenny Ford was edged out of the ribbons in the alumni over fences division, finishing eleventh.
In the first phase of the Western High-Point competition Craft, a senior in animal science, placed eleventh. The first phase, known as rail, has the rider take the horse through a course at a walk, trot, and canter (sometimes called “lope”). Craft gained ground in the second round of competition by finishing seventh in the reining phase. This phase has the rider and horse perform a series of maneuvers, often while at high speed, such as circles, spins, and stops. Her combined efforts led to a ninth place finish out of twenty-two competitors and earned her a ribbon and a top-10 jacket.
In equitation over fences, Ford’s competition, the score is based upon a judgment of the rider as they make the jumps, not the horse. Things like appearance, ability to control the animal, and body positioning determine the score.
2009 built upon Missouri State’s Equestrian Team’s great showing in 2008. Then the team had Kelsey Ragsdale qualifying for the AQHA Cup in the individual reining event, where she took ninth. The team also featured Codi Burris who was the reserve champion (second place) in alumni reining and the champion in alumni western horsemanship.