WT Horse Judging Team Wins Third Reserve Championship of Season

Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, cchandler@wtamu.edu

WT Horse Judging Team Wins Third Reserve Championship of Season

CANYON, Texas — The West Texas A&M University’s Horse Judging team took home another reserve championship—their third of the season.

The team came in second at the National Cutting Horse Association Judging Contest, held Nov. 21 in Fort Worth.

This season, the team earned reserve championships in October at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress in Ohio and Nov. 11 at the American Quarter Horse Association World Show.

“The NCHA Futurity is one of the most unique contests our students get to compete in. It’s as close as you can get to the real judges’ exam,” said Dr. Christy Petry-Adams, coach and clinical assistant professor in the Department of Agricultural Sciences in the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences. “This contest pushes them to think, see and judge like true professionals. We are incredibly proud that four of our students earned a spot in the Top 10 and had the rare opportunity to judge a set of live horses on the arena dirt.”

Overall individual rankings included:

Madilynn Campbell, a junior animal science / pre-vet major from Big Cabin, Oklahoma, second;

Ethan Hendrix, a sophomore animal science major from Piedmont, South Dakota, fifth;

Nathan Allison, a junior equine industry and business major from Guthrie, Oklahoma, seventh;

Kurtlee Smith, a sophomore equine industry and business major from Athens, ninth; and

Saul Flores, a junior equine industry and business major from Hereford, 16th.

The WT team came in second behind Missouri State University and ahead of such rivals as Clarendon College, University of Tennessee and Middle Tennessee State University.

The team also is coached by assistant coaches Rylee McKinney, a graduate student in animal science from Brady; Simone Allen, a graduate student agriculture from Lebanon, Tennessee; and Lyndi Starr, a graduate student in agriculture from Mount Vernon.

WT’s horse judging teams are one of the ways the University is responsive to regional needs, as set out in the University’s long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the historic One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which reached its initial $125 million goal 18 months after publicly launching in September 2021. The campaign has raised more than $175 million and will continue through 2025.

About West Texas A&M University

A Regional Research University, West Texas A&M University is redefining excellence in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor’s and master’s degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The University also is home to the Panhandle-Plains Historical Museum, the largest history museum in the state and the home of one of the Southwest’s finest art collections. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men’s and women’s athletics programs.

Photo: The West Texas A&M University Horse Judging team took home a reserve championship Nov. 21 at the National Cutting Horse Association Judging Contest. Pictured are, from left, Assistant Coach Lyndi Starr,  Assistant Coach Rylee McKinney, Saul Flores, Nathan Allison, Madilynn Campbell, Ethan Hendrix, Kurtlee Smith and Head Coach Dr. Christy Adams.

—WT—