COLUMBUS — On Saturday March 24 seven girls from the National Trail MVCTC FFA Chapter traveled to Columbus to participate in the Equine Management State preliminaries. The team received third place out of 166 teams.

The top four members whose score made up the teams total score were Holly Lawson (19th), Kelsey Matheny (50th), Mariah Lay (51st), and Sydney Miller (59th). The team will be advancing to the state finals on Friday April 27.

The team consisted of seniors: Holly Lawson, Mariah Lay, Kelsey Matheny, Sydney Miller, and sophomore: Haley Koehl, and freshmen: Peyton Cole and Kassie Walter.

The team has been working hard to prepare for this contest. The contest consisted of six different sections. The sections were tack identification, a written exam, two halter classes, a performance class, a hay class and five questions over one of the halter classes and five over the performance class.

Their score will follow them into finals as well as new aspects to the contest. The team will need to be able to judge one halter class and one performance class as well as give oral reasons for why they placed the way that they did. The team will also have to complete four practical application activities as a team and present their solutions orally to the judges.