WESTON – D.C. Everest equestrian teammates Katie Hoppe and Neah Zimmermann, under the guidance of Coach Brenda Bartender, earned second place at this year’s state competition with 115 points, D.C. Everest Area School District announced this week.
The horses – Rona, who is ridden by Katie, and RJ, who is ridden by Neah – also earned second place honors.
During the event, Katie and Neah, who have been riding horses together since they were in fourth grade, acquire points for each event. On the first day of competition, the DCE team competed in ranch riding, dressage, hunter hack (jumping) and English riding, executing a solid performance that put them in the middle of the competitive field.
On Sunday, the duo competed in speed day — the team’s specialty. Throughout the day they earned top-three finishes in events such as poles, barrels and speed-and-action. They ended the day with the two-man relay, their strength, and earned their best career finish to secure second place at state.
Photo: Left to right is RJ (Neah’s horse), Neah Zimmermann, Katie Hoppe, and Rona (Katie’s horse).
