Ranch horse team places fifth at Amarillo

By NCTA News

The Aggie Ranch Horse Team from NCTA in late April brought home a fifth place among college teams at national championships in Texas.

Eight Aggie students from the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture competed at the Hughes Ranch Trailers Collegiate Ranch and Stock Horse National Championships in Amarillo.

They placed fifth among the Division I teams, said Animal Science Professor and Coach Jo Hergenreder.

Nationals are the pinnacle for the Ranch Horse Team athletes.

“The show had 115 riders representing seven states and a total of 14 teams,” Hergenreder said. “Huge congratulations top the Division I champions, Texas Tech Ranch Horse Team, and Division 2 champions, Arkansas Ranch Horse Team.”

Prior to the two-day contest, Hergenreder and her students were able to visit the headquarters of the American Quarter Horse Association in Amarillo.  Competition was April 19-20.

“It was a privilege to compete with the best in this nation,” Hergenreder added. “We feel so very grateful for the chance to ride along with these teams.”

Riders competed in three categories:  Collegiate Non-Pro, Collegiate Limited Non-Pro, and Collegiate Novice.  NCTA highlights were:

Non-Pro:

Cauy Bennett of Elwood, Katy Sugar Lena: 3rd in Pleasure, 7th in Trail, 12th in the All-Around of round 1.

Ayden Long of Lebanon, Kansas, Peptos Seven Six: 9th in Cow Work 11th in the All-Around for round 1, 7th in Trail for round 2.

Connor Crumbliss of Fairfield, Blues Sweet Sofia: 9th in Trail, 16th in the All-Around for round 1, 10th in Cow Work for round 2.

Limited Non-Pro:

Macy Zentner of Cedar Rapids, Blue; Emma Hollenback, Ewing, JND Command Seeker; and Devry Bellomy, Keyes, Oklahoma, CD Booger Bar 3 competed in the largest division of the show with nearly 60 competitors.

Each made huge strides at this show, with Hollenback clinching a tie for 26th in trail in round 2.

Novice:

Jessica Burghardt of Fedora, S.D, PR Remake: tied for 14th in Cow Work in round 1.

Kirstin Cawthra, Benkelman, Oxbow Dynamite: tied for 18th in Reining, 19th in Trail for round 2.

Emma Yarolimek, Papillion, and Gwen Olberding, Falls City, assisted teammates as the ground crew, an essential part of the team’s success.

“The most noted win this week was how this team came together and the men and women that they showed each other they could be ... exceptional humans and even better horsemen and women,” Hergenreder added. “The future is truly bright!”

Seven Aggies plan to compete May 6 to 8 at the Slidin’ Daze Palooza in the Pines at Elbert, Colo.

For details on NCTA equine science or the Ranch Horse Team, see https://ncta.unl.edu/equine-industry-management or contact Hergenreder at jhergenreder2@unl.edu.

Part of the University of Nebraska system, the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture is a two-year institution with a statewide mission of preparing students for successful careers in agriculture, veterinary technology and related industries. NCTA is known for its affordable tuition, high job-placement rate for its graduates, and for the success of student teams in competitive activities including crops judging, ranch horse events, livestock judging, shotgun sports, stock dog trials, and intercollegiate rodeo. The college is consistently ranked as one of the best two-year schools in the nation.