Inaugural Bridles & Brains Collegiate Event Becomes a Hit
PHJ release by: Steven Hayes
History was made February 3-4, 2022, when the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, the American Paint Horse Association and Stock Horse of Texas joined forces to produce the first-ever Bridles & Brains Invitational Collegiate Ranch Horse Competition.
What were the events? Collegiate ranch horse teams competed in six events:
- Public Speech. Teams had 2-5 minutes to present their university’s stock horse program.
- Ranch Penning. Individual riders had 90 seconds to pen a numbered cow from the herd in a timed format.
- Ranch Roping. Individual riders had 90 seconds to rope a numbered cow from the herd in a timed format.
- Ranch Reining. Competitors performed a ranch reining pattern and were scored based on their abilities to correctly perform the maneuvers.
- Media Interviews. Teams were interviewed as if they were speaking on a TV segment and judged based on the quality of their answers and public-speaking skills.
- Ranch Trail. Competitors performed a ranch trail pattern and were scored based on their ability to correct maneuver through the obstacles.
Nine collegiate teams participated in the inaugural event, which took place over a two-day period. Topping the field and taking home the grand prize of $3,000 was the Texas Tech Ranch Horse Team – Red.
Results:
- Texas Tech Ranch Horse Team – Red ($3,000)
- Clarendon College Ranch Horse Team ($2,000)
- Texas Tech Ranch Horse Team – Black ($1,000)
- West Texas A&M Ranch Horse Team ($500)
- Texas A&M Ranch Horse Team
- Tarleton State University Stock Horse Team
- University of Arkansas Team
- North Central Texas College Equine Team
- Weatherford College Ranch Horse Team
