Growing up on the Texas Panhandle, horses weren't a hobby — they were how work got done. My family has been ranching in West Texas for four generations, and I was horseback before I could really walk. What started as ranch utility turned into a deep love for horsemanship — and eventually into a passion for reined cow horse.
I compete in the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA) and Stock Horse of Texas events. Reined cow horse is one of the most demanding disciplines in western performance — it combines the precision of reining with the athleticism of cutting and the teamwork of working cattle in the fence work. There's nothing like it.
Reined cow horse is a long-game discipline. Here's where I've been and where I'm going.
The National Reined Cow Horse Association governs the highest level of cow horse competition in the world. I compete in amateur divisions, working toward my first major event wins.
Disciplines: Snaffle Bit Futurity prep, Hackamore classes, Limited Open
The Stock Horse of Texas association is one of the best regional organizations in the state. Great competition, great camaraderie, and a perfect training ground for young competitors.
Focus: Youth and Amateur classes
My goals are to continue developing my horses through the snaffle bit and hackamore stages, qualify for major NRCHA futurities, and eventually compete at the open level.
Long-term goal: NRCHA World Finals competitor
In reined cow horse, it takes years to develop a horse. Here's who I'm developing.
My main competition horse is a versatile cow horse prospect with natural athleticism and cow sense. We've been developing our partnership over the last several years — learning the reining pattern together and building toward serious cow work.
Breed: Quarter Horse • Discipline: Reined Cow Horse
On the family ranch, horses are still working animals. I maintain and develop ranch horses alongside my competition horses, which keeps me grounded in the practical side of horsemanship that started everything.
Ranch work • Sorting cattle • Day-to-day ranch operations
Being a full-time student at Texas Tech while maintaining horses and competing is genuinely hard. There's no shortcut. But it's also incredibly rewarding — and I believe being horseback makes me a better student, and vice versa.
I'm studying Ag Education because I want to teach. Whether that means high school ag, university extension work, or something I haven't thought of yet — I know I want to help the next generation of students connect with agriculture the way I have.
My minor is in Ag Business or Ag Communication (still deciding — both are valuable). Running this website is also part of that education: learning digital marketing, content creation, and affiliate monetization as a real-world application of Ag Communication principles.
The College of Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources at TTU has been a perfect fit. Strong faculty, hands-on curriculum, and a community that gets it.
The Texas Panhandle shaped who I am. Flat land, hard work, and horses as far back as anyone in my family can remember. That doesn't leave you.
5 AM barn time. 8 AM class. Study during lunch. Training in the evenings. Shows on weekends. It takes a system — and I'm still refining mine.
Part personal brand, part affiliate income experiment, and part real-world Ag Communication project. Learning by doing.