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Neb. tech students earn equine awards

NCTA Ranch Horse team winners from Curtis, Nebraska, with 2015 Colorado-Wyoming-Nebraska Stock Horse Association year-end awards presented last weekend are, from left Drake Johnson, Thurston; Hanna Christenson, Ord; Makala Forsythe, Garland, and Patrick Zochol, NCTA alumnus of Bennington. Photo by J. Hergender, courtesy NCTA

Curtis, Neb. – Four Aggie ranch horse athletes rode to victories during their 2015 collegiate season with the Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture.

The NCTA foursome was joined by coach and animal science assistant professor Joanna Hergenreder for the 2015 Awards Banquet of the CoWN Stock Horse Association. The group represents ranch horse students and competitors from Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska.

NCTA students earning awards were:



Patrick Zochol, team alumnus formerly of Alliance, Neb., finished 2015 as Reserve Champion Collegiate Non-Pro Overall. He also was Reserve Champion in Pleasure, Top 5 in Trail Class, Top 5 in Reining, and Reserve Champion in Cowhorse (all in the Collegiate Non Pro). Zochol graduated in May, 2015, and is now an assistant trainer with Sherman Tegtmeier Performance Horses at Bennington.

Makayla Forsythe, Garland, Neb., was Reserve Champion Collegiate Novice Overall riding an NCTA horse called Four Sieto Gill. Makayla was also in the Top 5 for Pleasure, Champion in Trail Class, Top 5 in Reining, and Reserve Champion in Cowhorse (all in the Collegiate Novice).



Hanna Christenson, Ord, Neb., placed in the Top 5 Overall for Collegiate Limited Non-Pro riding an NCTA horse, Ima Squall). Hanna finished in Top 5 Pleasure, Top 10 Trail, Top 10 Reining, and Top 10 Cowhorse.

Drake Johnson, Thurston, Neb., also finished the year in the Top 5 Overall for the Collegiate Limited Non-Pro, with Top 5 Pleasure, Reserve Champion Trail Class, Top 5 Reining, and Reserve Champion in Cowhorse.

Next competition for the Ranch Horse Team is Saturday at Colorado State University, then the NCTA Punchy in Pink Spring Round Up March 11-13 in McCook.

More information is available at ncta.unl.edu or see University of Nebraska-NCTA on Facebook.

–Nebraska College of Technical Agriculture