Copy by Chip Chandler, 806-651-2124, [email protected]

CANYON, Texas — West Texas A&M University’s horse judging teams thundered into a top position at two recent national competitions.

The team was named reserve champion at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress judging competition Oct. 12 in Columbus, Ohio, finishing just 21 points behind champion team Texas A&M University.

The WT team ranked second in all three categories—halter, performance and reasons.

Trenton Hammerand, a junior agribusiness major from Epworth, Iowa, ranked second overall, second in performance and fourth in reasons. Marty Kacsh, a junior animal science / pre-vet major from Evergreen, Colorado, ranked third overall, fifth in halter and reasons, and third in performance.

The team also was named reserve champion at the American Paint Horse Association Collegiate World Championship Oct. 1 in Fort Worth, tying in points with Black Hawk College–East Campus, which got the edge in a tiebreaker.

The WT team ranked second in performance and reasons and seventh in halter.

Kacsh ranked third in performance and fifth in reasons and overall.

“These are really outstanding performances by the team,” said Dr. John Pipkin, Regents professor of agriculture and director of WT’s Equine Industry Program. “They have been working hard for over a year to prepare, and represented WT exceptionally well in the competition. They are a tremendous group of students to have the privilege to work with—a group of winners.”

Other team members include Jennica Dannehl, a junior equine business major from Bertrand, Nebraska; Lauryn Harris, a senior equine business major from Tatum, New Mexico; Anya Katz, a senior equine business major from Spring; Shanna Marquart, a senior equine business major from Fredericksburg; Jillian Melendez, a senior equine business major from Boerne; and Anna Wilhelm, a junior equine business major from Shannon, Illinois.

Thirteen teams with 65 athletes competed in the contest, including teams from Oklahoma State University, Texas Tech University and others.

The team’s final competitions of the season are Nov. 2, 3 and 5 at the American Quarter Horse Association World Championship in Oklahoma City.

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

That plan is fueled by the historic, $125 million One West comprehensive fundraising campaign. To date, the five-year campaign — which publicly launched in September 2021 — has raised more than $110 million.

Photo: West Texas A&M University’s horse judging team recently was named reserve chamion at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress competition. Pictured are team members Trenton Hammerand, from left, Lauryn Harris, Jennica Dannehl, Anya Katz, Shanna Marquart, Anna Wilhelm, Jillian Melendez and Marty Kacsh, assistant coach Makenzie Knipe and coach Dr. John Pipkin. Not pictured is assistant coach Maggie Murphy. (Photo courtesy Shane Rux)