July 16, 2025

SVSU student places sixth in nation at IHSA equestrian championship

Seated astride a horse she’d met just hours earlier, Morgan TerBush rode to a sixth-place finish in the Beginner Western Horsemanship event at the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association National Championship Horse Show in Mill Spring, North Carolina, in May. TerBush, a cell biology, molecular biology and biomedical sciences major from Clio, represented Saginaw Valley State University at the competition, which featured the top collegiate riders in the country.

TerBush advanced to nationals after a season of strong performances, including a second-place finish at regionals in Midland and a fourth-place finish at the semi-finals in Galva, Illinois.

“It felt amazing to represent SVSU at the national level, coming from a small university and making it that far and competing against these large universities from all over the country,” she said.

TerBush joined the equestrian team, which is a club sport, after transferring into SVSU her sophomore year. “I am very thankful I did. I met the most welcoming and supportive team and coaches,” she said. “My teammates are very encouraging and will push you to do your best.”

To compete at nationals, riders are assigned horses at random. “You never know what horse you are going to ride until the draw,” TerBush said.

TerBush began riding as a child and has been active in equestrian for more than a decade. “I ride because it is the most freeing and connecting experience you can come by with an animal,” she said.
For more information about the SVSU equestrian team, visit https://www.svsu.edu/campusrecreation/clubsports/equestrian-stock/