St. Andrews Presbyterian College will host the national collegiate equestrian championships for the American National Riding Commission on April 15-19 in Laurinburg. Collegiate teams from across the nation are expected to compete at the championships.

St. Andrews has traditionally been highly competitive at the ANRC championships, winning the national title on six occasions. Most recently, St. Andrews won the title in 2007.

Seven riders have been named to the St. Andrews equestrian team. Kelsi Peterson, a senior psychology major from Colorado Springs, Colo., and Caroline Taylor, a junior business equine major from Vanceboro, N.C., both return from last year's team. Five additional riders were named to the team: Lindsey Gates, a sophomore from Santa Paula, Calif.; Audrey Hayden, a sophomore English major from Dumfries, Va.; Rob Jacobs, a sophomore politics major from Temple Hills, Md.; Alexis Stevenson, a senior psychology and business equine major from Jacksonville, N.C., and Alex Sonnenberg, a sophomore from Reston, Va.

"The team will train over the next two and a half months for the national championships," said Peggy McElveen, director of the St. Andrews Equestrian Center.

"Their workouts will be quite strenuous -- a very intense training program. For the actual competition, three will compete as a team while the other four will compete as individuals."

Riders compete in hunter seat equitation for the team and individual titles.

The championship consists of three riding phases judged on equitation and a written phase covering riding theory and stable management.

The purpose of the ANRC is to promote the highest quality of educated riding and related services within schools, colleges, and universities; and in public and private concerns. For more information on ANRC and on the National Championship, please visit the organization's Web site www.anrc.org.