Anderson on national stage at horse show

Flathead High graduate Camas Anderson got involved in collegiate equestrian like everybody else, sort of.

In the fall of 2007, Anderson transferred from Flathead Valley Community College to the University of Montana in Missoula. With fond memories of riding horses as a kid, Anderson had a hankering to get back in the saddle, especially after hearing about a college equestrian team.

Then she had a chance encounter that probably wouldn't happen in many places besides Montana.

"I was like I can't find anything about this team," Anderson said. "Then one day there was horses on the Oval (on campus' and I was like I got to test this out."

Running into a herd of horses between classes ended up being a fateful encounter for Anderson. This week, the 20-year-old is competing at the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association National Championships in Murfreesboro, Tenn.

"I'm pretty excited to go to nationals because the horses there are just beautiful," she said.

Nationals begins today and run through Sunday, which is when Anderson will go up against 12 others in her class. She competes in the Western Horsemanship and will be judged on control and position of her horse.

Anderson is the team captain on the UM club team, a group of roughly 25 members that show throughout the year.

Anderson is the only UM club member to qualify for nationals this year after placing fourth in the novice class at the semifinals in Findlay, Ohio, at the end of March. Four students from The University of Montana-Western in Dillon round out the state's other riders to compete at nationals.

Anderson, who plans on graduating in 2010 with a degree in Applied Health Science, had to raise her own money for expenses for the trip while going to school full-time. It took a toll, but didn't squash the excitement, she said.

"I've been really busy with school and going around town getting local support, but today it kinda hit, 'Oh yeah. I better start thinking about packing and getting ready to go,'" Anderson said last week before flying to Tennessee.

The 2007 Flathead graduate grew up showing and riding horses in Nevada. Moving to Montana only increased her love of being around horses, she said.

When Anderson competes on Sunday, she'll be given a never-before-seen horse to ride. This can make the experience nerve-racking for some, but not Anderson.

"I used to get a little nervous, but it's a total thrill," she said.