WTAMU wins 2nd national championship in 2 weeks; this time, in horse judging

Brandi D. Addison, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal
·2 min read

West Texas A&M University's Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences is bringing home its second national championship in two weeks. This time, the university's horse judging team won the nation's best in a competition in Oklahoma.

The team also took third in the American Quarter Horse Association World Championships.

West Texas A&M University’s horse judging team won the reining national championship following competition this weekend in Oklahoma
West Texas A&M University’s horse judging team won the reining national championship following competition this weekend in Oklahoma

“Ending the year with a national championship is truly extraordinary,” John Pipkin, Regents professor of agriculture, Paul Engler Professor of Animal Sciences, said in a news release. Pipkin is also director of WT’s Equine Industry Program in the Department of Agricultural Sciences in the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Science. The team completed an outstanding year with exceptional performances. Every team member has worked diligently and persistently for over a year to be prepared for these end of year competitions. I am so honored to have been able to work with them, and very proud of each one of them and how they pushed themselves to their absolute maximum.”

The five-member team won against 12 universities at the National Reining Championship, including leading competitors like Texas A&M University, Middle Tennessee State University and the University of Arkansas.

WTAMU students took four of the top five rankings in individual placings, which includes:

  • Lindsey Swain, a senior agriculture media and communication major from Vernon, who ranked first;

  • Samantha Faber, a junior equine industry and business major from Maple Park, Illinois, who placed second;

  • Haley Bucher, a junior equine industry and business major from Washington, Illinois, who placed third;

  • Addison Shireman, a junior animal science major from Argos, Indiana, who placed fifth; and

  • Koelle Brandenberger, a senior agricultural business and economics major from Corona, New Mexico.

In addition to the third-place overall team showing, the team also placed third in each of the separate categories, which includes halter, performance and reasons.

Shireman ranked seventh individually, scoring fourth in halter, 10th in performance and seventh in reasons. Bucher ranked 11th individually, with a seventh-place finish in halter and sixth in reasons.

The team also recently took third at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress in Columbus, Ohio.

This article originally appeared on Lubbock Avalanche-Journal: West Texas A&M wins 2nd national championship in 2 weeks