WTAMU Ranch Horse Team
About the Team
The WTAMU Ranch Horse Team represents the University in and out of the arena. Since 2010, the team has competed at collegiate ranch horse shows sponsored by the National Intercollegiate Ranch & Stock Horse Association (NIRSHA), Stock Horse of Texas (SHTX), National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA), and the Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo. Team members show in the Versatility Ranch Horse classes: Ranch Riding, Ranch Trail, Ranch Reining and Cow work, as well as roping and sorting. Teams build communication skills by competing in Team Speech and Team Interviews at the Ft worth Stock Show Bridles & Brains contest.
Awards
Team
- NIRSHA Div. I National Champion Team 2025, 2026
- SHTX World Champion Div. I Collegiate Team 2023
- NRCHA Collegiate Challenge Champion Team 2024, 2025, 2026
- Multiple NIRSHA, SHTX World Div. I Reserve Champion Team awards since 2020
Individual
- 8 SHTX World Champion or Reserve Champion riders since 2021
- 9 NRCHA Collegiate Challenge Champion or Reserve Champion riders since 2021
- 9 NIRSHA Collegiate National Champion or Reserve Champion riders since 2021
- 2 NIRSHA Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Outstanding Freshman recipients:
- 2021 Ilda Corrales, 2026 Avery Turner
- 2 NIRSHA National Championship Kris Wilson Top Hand Award recipients:
- 2025 Cutter McLaughlin; 2026 Parker Ralston
Meet the Coaches
Head Coach Lance Baker is a Professor of Animal Science and the Equine Program Coordinator. Coach Baker took over the leadership of the team in 2020. He is a licensed judge for AQHA (VRH Certified), NRCHA (2A rating), RHAA and SHTX. He has judged numerous AQHA Open and VRH World Championship shows. He can be contacted by email at lbaker@wtamu.edu.
Coach Sidney Dunkel grew up on a ranch in Archer City, TX. As a youth she showed horses and cattle and competed in horse judging. She attended Texas Tech University and competed on the Ranch Horse Team, winning multiple National and World Championships. Sidney also earned AQHA VRH World Championships and Reserve World Championships in both the Youth and Amateur divisions. She then earned her M.S. degree in Animal Science at the University of Arkansas, serving as the assistant coach of the Ranch Horse team, which won National and World Championships. Sidney has served as a coach for the WT team since 2024. She can be contacted by email at sdunkel@wtamu.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are horses provided for the student to use?
Team members are expected to provide their own horse.
2. How are prospective team members selected?
The coaches will first evaluate videos of the student and the horse on which they will compete. Prospective student team members should send videos of the four primary classes, Ranch Riding, Ranch Trail, Ranch Reining and Cow Work up to 12-24 months prior to their planned enrollment date at WT. The coaches will assess the competitiveness of the horse and rider, and if successfully evaluated, the student will be invited to campus for an official tour and interview with Coach Baker, Coach Dunkel and selected team members.
3. Are there scholarships available?
The WTAMU Department of Agriculture awards hundreds of thousands of dollars in academic and activity-based scholarships each year. The Ranch Horse Team scholarship is growing and several sophomore, junior and senior team members are awarded these scholarships.
4. Are team members expected to raise money to offset show and travel expenses?
Yes. Team members raise personal sponsorship monies that pay for their show entries, stalls and shavings. This money is donated through the WT Foundation, and is tax deductible to the sponsor/donor. Expenses covered by the team include: travel to and from the shows; team meals while traveling; feed for practice cattle; tack stalls at shows; etc.
5. What does the practice schedule look like?
The team practices 2-3 times a week during the year. Monday and Tuesday afternoons are used for dry work, reining, and cow and flag work. These practices are held at private facilities in the area. Wednesday practices are for the entire team and are held at the WT Horse Center. Trail and Ranch Riding are emphasized on Wednesdays.
6. What are the eligibility requirements?
All riders must be a full time student at WTAMU, and must maintain a 2.0 cumulative GPA to compete for SHTX and NIRSHA. Other WT academic standards must be also met for the student to travel. Team members have a total of 5 years or eight semesters of eligibility to compete.
7. What does the show schedule look like?
The team travels to 3-4 shows in the fall: SHTX show in Bryan, TX; NIRSHA Collegiate only in Ardmore, OK; and SHTX World Championships in Abilene, TX in October of each year. In the spring, the team competes in SHTX shows in Bryan and Lubbock, TX; and the NIRSHA Collegiate National Championships in Amarillo, TX. Select team members also compete at the Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo Bridles & Brains contest as well as the NRCHA Collegiate Challenge.
Follow the Team
Instagram: @wtranchhorseteam
