Strong spring season start for Tech Ranch Horse Team
Building on its high-profile performance at the inaugural American Stock Horse Association National Championship Show last semester, Texas Tech University's Ranch Horse Team turned in a dominating performance at the first of the collegiate spring season's stock horse shows last week.
The Red Raiders began their season March 5 in Abilene with a strong outing by both of its teams, TTU Team Black and TTU Team Red. The teams finished first and second, respectively, over seven collegiate teams from across the West and Southwest. New Mexico State University, Clarendon College and Laramie County Community College rounded out the top five teams in the standings.
"The reason we have so much success is the hard work and dedication of our students," said Kris Wilson, the team's coach and an assistant professor in Tech's Department of Animal and Food Sciences. "I believe we truly have the hardest working, most talented students in the country."
Individual Honors. Several individual Tech riders rode to victory, earning multiple honors in the two categories. Alicia Daugherty, a senior agricultural communications major from Alpine, earned Reserve Champion honors in the Non Professional Division, while Jay Ray Sagaser, a freshman animal science major from Cotton Center, reined in fifth in the division.
Separately, Will Wallendorff, a junior animal science major from Hedley, was the Novice Champion with Adam Schwalm, a sophomore animal science major from Plano, earning the division's Reserve Champion distinction. Dusty Burson, a sophomore animal science major from Silverton, placed fifth in the division.
Tech's Ranch Horse Team members include:
Novice*
"Adam Schwalm, a sophomore from Plano
"Cooper Cogdell, a freshman from Silverton
"Dusty Burson, a sophomore from Silverton
"Luke England, a sophomore from Winters
"Will Wallendorff, a junior from Hedley
*Riders with less than two years experience showing ranch/stock horses
Limited Non Professional*
"Zack Burson, a senior from Silverton
"Kara Kraich, a senior from Akron, Colo.
"Kelsey Lieurance, a freshman from El Paso
"Krystal Towle, a sophomore Mass Communications major from Denton.
"Will Boedeker, a senior history major from Quitique
*An intermediate division for those with more than two years experience showing ranch/stock
horses
Non Professional*
"Ashley Hartzog, a senior from Farwell
"Jenn Richards, a senior psychology major from Rosenburg
"Alicia Daugherty, a senior agricultural communications major from Alpine
"Jay Ray Sageser, a freshman from Cotton Center
"Brianne Aucutt, a senior from Portales, N.M.
"Tyler Theissen, a junior agricultural business major from McCook, Neb.
* An advanced division for those with extensive, though non professional, experience
showing ranch/stock horses
Several more competitions are on tap this spring, with the final event of the season being the 2009 ASHA Collegiate National Championship on April 25 at the Texas Tech Equestrian Center. "We're proud of all that we have accomplished this year and with the improvement we've made since the fall, but all of this is just a stepping stone to our goal of winning the first national championship," Wilson said.
Written by Sean Cleveland
CONTACT: Kris Wilson, coach, Texas Tech University Ranch Horse Team and Assistant Professor, Department of Animal and Food Sciences, (806) 742-2805, ext. 236 or k.wilson@ttu.edu
Davis College NewsCenter
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Address
P.O. Box 42123, Lubbock, Texas 79409-2123, Dean's Office Location:Goddard Building, Room 108 -
Phone
(806)742-2808 -
Email
kris.allen@ttu.edu