Ranch Horse Team Dominates Star of Texas Fair

Written by Sean Cleveland

While many party-hearty spring breakers were hitting the beach, Texas Tech University’s Ranch Horse Team was continuing its winning ride to the American Stock Horse Association National Championship Show, which will be held April 25 at the Texas Tech Equestrian Center.

Fresh off a strong March 5 performance at the first of the collegiate spring season’s stock horse shows in Abilene in which the Red Raiders’ Black and Red Teams finished first and second, respectively, the intra-squad teams switched places March 16 winning the Star of Texas Fair competition in Austin for the second year in a row.

Great Day

“It was a great day for us, as we once again had the Champion and the Reserve Champion Team and the top five individuals out of 44 contestants,” said Kris Wilson, Ranch Horse Team coach and an assistant professor with Tech’s Department of Animal and Food Science.

Texas A&M University, Clarendon College and Sam Houston University rounded out the ‘Top 5’ in team standings. Eleven four-person collegiate teams competed in the Star of Texas’ Ranch Pleasure, Ranch Trail, Reining and Working Cowhorse competitions.

The Red Raider Teams Included:

Texas Tech Red:

• Alicia Daugherty, a senior agricultural communications major from Alpine
• Ashley Hartzog, a senior animal science major from Farwell
• Jay Ray Sagaser, a freshman animal science major from Cotton Center
• Tyler Theiszen, a junior animal science major from McCook, Neb.

Texas Tech Black:

• Brianne Aucutt, a senior animal science major from Portales, N.M.
• Jennifer Richards, a senior psychology major from Rosenburg
• Robert Rivers, senior animal science major from Elgin
• Krystal Towle, a freshman communications major from Denton

Texas Tech garnered the competition’s top individual honors, including the overall champion, Alicia Daugherty, followed in order of placement by Sagaser, Aucutt, Towle and Hartzog.