NCTA Ranch Horse Team Kicks Off 2016 in Black Hills

Curtis, Neb. – Nine collegians with the NCTA Ranch Horse Team competed strong in their 2016 season opener at the Black Hills Stock Show in Rapid City, S.D.
“We had a great warm-up event for our students and they did very well, with many riding our school horses from NCTA,” said Joanna Hergenreder, team coach and assistant professor of animal science at the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture in Curtis, Neb.
NCTA Aggie riders can show their own horses in the collegiate and open division contests although many use the horses from the NCTA equine program.  The campus is fortunate to have a heated, indoor arena for workouts.
“Most colleges do not start showing until late February, so getting to have one show under our belts before our regular points show season is critical in preparing the riders as well as the horses,” Hergenreder said.  The BHSS contest is open to all categories of riders including professional competitors.
The top-ranking NCTA competitor was Whitney Brown of Stratton, Neb., aboard Sadie.  Whitney was one of two women riding in the Rancher Division that included more than 30 competitors.  She earned seventh place with Sadie.
The NCTA Ranch Team competitors included: 
-        Whitney Brown, Stratton, Neb., on Sadie, 7^th place in Rancher Division.
-        Rio McGinley, McGrew, Neb., on Pretty Classy Hancock, Rancher Division.
-        AJ Pestello, Breckenridge, Colo., on Strait Delta Cutter, Rancher Division.
-        Drake Johnson, Thurston, Neb., on Smart War, Rancher Division.
-        Hanna Christenson, Ord, Neb., on NCTA’s Ima Squall, Ladies Rancher Division.
-        Morgan Schrank, Canton, S.D., on Buddy, Ladies Rancher Division.
-        Macey Novotne, Kearney, Neb., e on Bandito, Novice Division.
-        Makayla Forsythe, Garland, Neb., on NCTA’s Four Sieto Gill, Novice Division.
-        Courtney Leach, Lewellen, Neb., on Amarillo, Novice Division.

The first collegiate show of the 2016 season will be Feb. 20 at Colorado State University.  NCTA riders will be competing at Ft. Collins while other team members will accompany Hergenreder to Ft. Worth, Texas, for the National Reined Cow Horse Association events.
“We will attend the first-ever NRCHA Collegiate activities that are scheduled to run in conjunction with the Greatest Horsemen Competition,” Hergenreder noted. “We will not be competing, but going on foot. The students will have the opportunity to network and see the best in the business.”
This weekend, several NCTA students and a graduate, Pat Zochol of Alliance, will receive 2015 season awards from the Colorado-Wyoming-Nebraska Collegiate Stock Horse Association at a banquet in Colorado. 
Other Aggie Ranch Horse season events include:
-        Feb. 20 – CSU Collegiate Show, Ft. Collins, Colo.
-        Feb. 27-28 – NCTA hosts the Sherman Tegtmeier Reining and Horsemanship Clinic, at the LTC (indoor) Arena, Curtis-
       Mary 11-13 – NCTA Punch in Pink Spring Round Up, Kiplinger Arena, McCook
-      March 18-20 – Laramie County Community College Collegiate Show, Cheyenne, Wyo.
-      April 16-17 – NCTA hosts the Jeanne Mueller Barrel Racing Clinic, LTC Arena, Curtis
-      April 22-23 - National Collegiate Championship Show, Sweetwater, Texas
-              May 6-8, Northeast Junior College Showdown, Sterling, Colo.

For more information on the Ranch Horse Team contact: Joanna Hergenreder, NCTA assistant professor animal science and Ranch Horse Team coach, Jhergenreder2@unl.edu  or 308-367-5291(o).

Photo: The NCTA Ranch Horse Team includes, from left, Coach Joanna Hergenreder, Rio McGinley (McGrew), Dawson Fraass (North Platte), Whitney Brown (Stratton), AJ Pestello (Breckenridge, Colo.),   Macey Novotne (Kearney),  Drake Johnson (Thurston), Sheila Reichmuth (Leigh),  Makayla Forsythe (Garland), Morgan Schrank (Canton, SD), Brooklyn Becker (Beaver City), Judi Graser (Holdrege/Omaha), Jessa Lemon (Curtis), Clayton G’Schwind (Callaway),  Mariah Stamper (Falls City), Whitney Gimpel (New Underwood, SD), Courtney Leach (Lewellen) and Hanna Christenson (Ord). Not pictured is Carli Johnson (Hastings).