Ranch Horse Team wins at McCook; next up in Texas

By NCTA News

Hosts of the recent Punchy in Pink Spring Roundup in McCook rode away as collegiate champions of their annual ranch and stock horse contest.

The Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture Ranch Horse Team won among four colleges.

Jo Hergenreder, NCTA professor and coach, deemed the 2022 Spring Roundup show a huge success.

"This year was as smoothly run as any we have hosted thus far, all in all due to the students’ efforts and all of our supporters such as Slidin Daze Enterprises and the AQHA,” Hergenreder said of two stock horse member entities.

The agriculture students, many of whom are equine industry management majors, hosted the three-day contest for open class and college divisions in reining, cutting/herd work, ranch trail, ranch riding and versatility ranch horse conformation.

Versatility Ranch Horse is an American Quarter Horse Association program. Members qualify for national points in sanctioned contests such as the NCTA Spring Roundup.

Over 100 exhibitors entered more than four classes, with most entering six throughout the weekend. Proceeds from entry fees and donations went to the Punchy in Pink campaign of the Working Ranch Cowboys Association.

The NCTA Aggie placings at Punchy in Pink were:

Cauy Bennet, Elwood, on Katy Sugar Lena ended as the Collegiate Non Pro All-Around Champion with 1^st places in trail class and pleasure, and 4^th place in both reining and cow work.

Cauy also competed in the Collegiate Limited Non Pro on his younger mare, Easy Street Lady, finishing 7^th in the All- Around with 4^th in trail, 5^th in both pleasure and cow work, and 7^th in reining.

Connor Crumbliss, Fairfield, on Blues Sweet Sofia was 4^th in the All-Around of the Collegiate Non-Pro division. He

Was 2^nd in cow work, 3^rd in reining, and 5^th in pleasure and trail classes.

Ayden Long, Lebanon, Kansas, aboard Peptos Seven Six finished 3^rd in the Collegiate Non Pro All-Around.

Ayden also competed on his younger gelding, Ima Royal Highbrow, in the Collegiate Junior Horse Division and finished 3^rd in reining and 1^st in cow work.

Macy Zentner, Cedar Rapids, and her gelding, Blue, were 5^th in Collegiate Limited Non Pro All-Around placing 8^th in trail, 12^th in pleasure, and riding well in both reining and cow work.

Devry Bellomy, Keyes, Oklahoma, and CD Bar Booger 3 made huge strides in building the gelding’s show experience, said Hergenreder.  They placed 12^th in reining, cow work and pleasure.

Emma Hollenback, Ewing, and JND Command Seeker, made improvements in their second, finishing 8^th in the All-Around of the Collegiate Limited Non Pro, with 1^st place on cow work and 3^rd in reining.

Kirstin Cawthra, Benkelman, on Oxbow Dynamite, competed in Collegiate Novice and finished 6^th in the All-Around with 1^st in trail, 4^th in pleasure, 6^th in reining, and 12^th in cow work.

Gwen Olberding, Falls City, and I Make It Look EZ, also competed in Collegiate Novice. They were 13^th in the All-Around with 11^th in trail, 12^th in both reining and pleasure, and 14^th in cow work.

Casey Podsobinski of Curtis, and Dixie Darlin, were Collegiate Novice, placing 15^th in the All-Around with 11^th in trail, 14^th in reining, and 15^th in cow work.

Eight of these students will compete April 19 and 20 at Amarillo, Texas in  the National Intercollegiate Ranch and Stock Horse Association Championships.

The academic year ends with NCTA graduation on May 5. Some Aggies will continue to compete through the summer including the Slidin’ Daze Palooza in the Pines at Elbert, Colorado on May 6 to May 8.