WTAMU Ranch Horse Team
About the Team
The WTAMU Ranch Horse Team represents the agricultural program of West Texas A&M University in and out of the arena. Since 2010, the team has promoted the horsemanship skills required on a working ranch through collegiate ranch horse shows of Stock Horse of Texas (SHTX), the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA), and the National Intercollegiate Ranch and Stock Horse Association (NIRSHA). The members are required to show in ranch pleasure, ranch trail, rein work and cow work.
Awards
- 2024 NRCHA Collegiate Challenge Champion Team
- Home to 2024 NRCHA Collegiate Challenge Non Pro Champion - Cutter McLaughlin
- Home to 2024 NRCHA Collegiate Challenge Novice Reserve Champion - Camry Mangum
- 2024 NIRSHA Division I Reserve Champion Team
- Home to NIRSHA Non Pro Champion - Cutter McLaughlin
- Home to NIRSHA Novice Champion - Camry Mangum
- 2023 SHTX World Show Division I Champion Collegiate Team
- 2023 NIRSHA Collegiate Division I Reserve National Champions
- Home to the 2023 NIRSHA Reserve National Champion Non Pro - Cutter McLaughlin
- Home to the 2023 NRCHA Intercollegiate Celebration of Champions Non Pro World Champion - Cutter McLaughlin
- Home to the 2022 SHTX Non Pro Reserve World Champion - Cutter McLaughlin
- 2022 SHTX World Show Division I Reserve Champion Team
- Home to the 2022 NIRSHA Reserve National Champion Non Pro - Gracie Bricker
- Home to the 2021 SHTX Limited Non-Pro World Champion - Kirsten Wood
- 2021 NRSHA Collegiate Division I Reserve National Champions
- Home to 2021 Limited Non-Pro World Champion of NRCHA Intercollegiate Celebration of Champions - Lauren Waymire
Meet the Coach
Lance Baker is a Professor of Animal Science and the Equine Program Coordinator at WTAMU. With a background in rodeo and colt starting, he judged collegiately under Dr. John Pipkin, then went on to coach and earn his M.S. and Ph.D. under Dr. Don Topliff and Dr. David Freeman at Oklahoma State University.
Coach Baker has been at WTAMU since 1995. He took over the leadership of the Ranch Horse Team in the spring of 2020. He is a licensed judge for AQHA (VRH certified), NRCHA (2A), RHAA and has judged numerous SHTX shows. He can be contacted by email at lbaker@wtamu.edu.
Frequently Asked Questions
1. Are horses provided for the rider to use?
Team members are expected to compete on their own horses.
2. How are prospective team members evaluated?
Coach Lance Baker will evaluate videos sent to him by the interested student as early as 12-24 months prior to the student enrolling at WT. Rosters are often set up to a year in advance. Coach Baker will assess the competitiveness of the horse and rider in the division in which they will compete. The prospective student should send videos of the four classes (Ranch Reining, Ranch Trail, Ranch Pleasure/Ranch Riding, and cow work) on the horse they will be riding at WT (videos of previous AQHA/APHA VRH or SHTX competitions/classes are a good starting point). Email videos to Dr. Baker at lbaker@wtamu.edu.
Following a positive evaluation, prospective team members are then invited to campus for a University tour and an interview with Coach Baker, Assistant Coach Sidney Dunkel and the team.
3. Are there scholarships available to compete on the ranch horse team?
WTAMU Department of Agricultural Sciences awards hundreds of thousands of dollars in Academic and Activity-Based Scholarships to their students, and WTAMU awards many “automatic” scholarships to transfer students who qualify based on grades. WTAMU also provides numerous academic-based scholarships to incoming Freshman students. A recently established Ranch Horse Team Endowment provides a limited number of scholarships to established/returning team members.
4. Does the team pay for show expenses?
Some expenses are covered by the team, and others by the student. Expenses covered by the team include: travel to the shows and entry fees to FWSS&R and NRCHA Celebration of Champions. The team travels in a sponsored RHT trailer, as well as the Equestrian Team trailer (6 horses each). Fuel, rental of the University-owned trucks, etc. is covered by the team, as well as tack stalls and meals while traveling. Student members raise private sponsorship funds to cover their entry fees and stalling expenses during the year (up to 6 shows). The funds raised are tax deductible and sponsors’ names and/or logo are prominently placed on each student’s individual stall banner at the shows.
5. What do practices look like?
The team practices 2-3 times a week throughout the year. One practice is held at the WT Horse Center on Wednesdays. Horse Center practices consist of trail, pleasure, reining, and flag work. Cow work and reining practices are held on Monday and Tuesday evenings at a private facility. The team will also occasionally hold additional practices on weekends when not at shows.
6. What are the eligibility requirements for being on the team?
Team members must be full-time students at WTAMU, maintain at least a cumulative 2.0 GPA, and must be passing all classes in order to travel. Grade checks will be required before traveling to each show. Students who are graduating may be enrolled in fewer hours during the semester they are graduating. Team members have a total of five years or eight semesters of eligibility to compete.
7. What is the show schedule?
The team travels to 3 shows in the fall semester: SHTX Bryan, TX; NIRSHA Collegiate Show, Ardmore, OK; and SHTX World Championship Show, Abilene, TX. In the spring, the team travels to two SHTX shows (Bryan, TX & Lubbock, TX) as well as the NIRSHA Collegiate National Championship. There are also other competitions for selected members of the team, including Bridles & Brains Invitational Collegiate Ranch Horse Challenge at the Ft. Worth Stock Show & Rodeo and the Collegiate division of the NRCHA Celebration of Champions.
Follow the Team
Instagram: @wtranchhorseteam
