Campus Equestrian: Zone 7, Region 2 Home Page

IHSA ZONE 7 - REGION 2

Since the fall of 2008 West Texas A & M University has won a Western Region Title one hundred percent of the time. And since the fall of 2016 West Texas A & M University has also won a Hunter Seat Region Title every time. One member of the Buffs who has competed hunter seat at the past two IHSA Nationals shows is Alexandria Woestman (on right). Seen here with her Mother at 2025 IHSA Nationals prior to placing ninth in individual novice equitation, the junior from Fort Worth, Texas was again ninth but in the individual limit equitation division at 2026 IHSA Nationals on May 1st.

Texas Tech head coach Tabatha Taylor (on left) has the distinction of having coached three different IHSA teams over the past three seasons! In 2023-24 Taylor was the head coach at St. Mary of the Woods College in Indiana, where she had been for multiple seasons. Then in 2024-25 Taylor became a coach at West Texas A & M University. And in 2025-26 Taylor became head coach at Texas Tech. On the right is Lexi Gann of the Red Raiders, a sophomore from Gunter, Texas who went on to place fourth in individual ranch riding in the first western class held at 2026 IHSA Nationals on May 1st. Texas Tech finished second to WTAMU in the Region 2 western team standings in Taylor's first season in Lubbock.

The Region 2 runner-up hunter seat team in 2025-26 was Tarleton State University. Coached by Michelle Mohr (on left), the Texans advanced one hunter seat and two western riders to 2026 IHSA Nationals, with Cohen McCarthy (on right) being the hunter seat rider. A sophomore from Weatherford, Texas, McCarthy just missed having two rides at Nationals. At Zone 7 Zones (which Texas Tech hosted) McCarthy was third in individual intermediate over fences on day one and second in individual intermediate on the flat on day two to reach Nationals in the latter.

A trip down Memory Lane: Oklahoma Panhandle State University qualified two riders to 2025 IHSA Nationals. The first of the two to compete was Mitchell Ullom (on left, with western coach Kacey Ward). Riding in the first western class of competition, the then sophomore from Santa Fe, New Mexico placed fourth in individual ranch riding. During the 2025-26 season Oklahoma Panhandle State was one of two teams to show western-only in Zone 7, Region 2 (or area 7-point-2 as it is officially known in western circles). Sam Houston State University shows english in Zone 5, Region 4 but is a member of area 7.2 when it is time to jog and lope. The University of Oklahoma showed english only within region 2 in 2025-26 and...

...North Central Texas College also rode western-only in area 7.2 this season. However this photo is yet another trip down memory lane, as it shows Riley Pirkle (on left) and head coach Hannah Gilmore of NCTC at 2025 IHSA Nationals. This photo of Pirkle (who was a graduating sophomore from Waco, Texas at the time) and Gilmore was taken only a few minutes after the photo of Ullom and Ward as both were entered in the same individual ranch riding class on May 2nd of '25. Pirkle was ninth in the division to close out her two seasons in Gainesville.

This 2025 Nationals photo of Texas Tech's Brooke Horton was taken all of four classes after the photos of Ullom and Pirkle on day one of '25 Nationals. At the time a junior from Irvine, California, Horton was the lone member of the Red Raiders to compete at '25 Nationals. Horton was fifth in individual beginner western horsemanship. Horton was also the first Texas Tech rider to compete at an IHSA Nationals event following the passing of long-time head coach Danica Jorgensen. Jorgensen, who had coached Tech since the fall of 2009, lost her battle with breast cancer on February 27th of 2025. Yet so passionate was Jorgensen about the team that she even helped her riders over the phone while live streaming Tech shows from her hospital bed earlier that February.

Hannah Minton (pictured) was another of the West Texas A & M hunter seat riders to compete at 2026 Nationals. A junior from Linville, Indiana, Minton may have been the first member of the Buffs either English or Western to compete that weekend, as she showed in individual intermediate over fences which was the second hunter seat class on day one of the '26 show. Minton previously won the division at Zone 7 Zones on March 28th to qualify.

If Minton was not the first member of the Buffs to compete at '26 Nationals then it would have been Ashlynn Albaugh in team level I horsemanship on the other side of the Tryon International Equestrian Center indoor. Team level I was the second western class of the event, and the junior from Odessa, Texas went on to place second. So you ask why is Albaugh (center, with her parents) holding a ninth place ribbon? Because this is yet another 'trip down memory lane' photo from 2025 Nationals when Albaugh was ninth in team rookie horsemanship. A day after placing second Albaugh was fifth in individual rookie western horsemanship. West Texas A & M would add 45 more team points over six additional team classes to win the 2026 IHSA Nationals Western Team Competition by a 53-48 score over runner-up University of Findlay.

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The Zone 7, Region 2 Smorgasbord

Schools which competed in Zone 7, Region 2 during the 2025-2026 school year: New Mexico State University, North Central Texas College, Oklahoma Panhandle State University, Southern Nazarene University, Tarleton State University, Texas Tech University, University of North Texas, University of Oklahoma and West Texas A & M University.

Fall 2026 Show Schedule for Zone 7, Region 2

Saturday, September 26 New Mexico State University (Host) at the New Mexico State Equine Education Center, Las Cruces, NM 9:00AM WESTERN ONLY

Sunday, September 27 New Mexico State University (Host) at the New Mexico State Equine Education Center, Las Cruces, NM 9:00AM WESTERN ONLY

Friday, October 2 Texas Tech University (Host) at the Texas Tech Equestrian Center, Lubbock, TX Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY

Saturday, October 3 Texas Tech University (Host) at the Texas Tech Equestrian Center, Lubbock, TX Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY

Sunday, October 4 Texas Tech University (Host) at the Texas Tech Equestrian Center, Lubbock, TX Time TBA ENGLISH ONLY

Additional Fall Show Dates to come. Sam Houston State University from hunter seat Zone 5, Region 4 shows western in Zone 7, Region 2. All Times listed are Local Time. Show Schedule subject to change.

Recent Region 2 Team Champions

Hunter Seat:

1997 - ?????????????????????????
1998 - Texas A & M University
1999 - ?????????????????????????
2000 - Oklahoma State University
2001 - Texas A & M University
2002 - Oklahoma State University
2003 - Oklahoma State University
2004 - Texas A & M University
2005 - Texas A & M University
2006 - Oklahoma State University
2007 - Louisiana State University
2008 - Louisiana State University
2009 - West Texas A & M University
2010 - West Texas A & M University
2011 - West Texas A & M University
2012 - Louisiana State University
2013 - Louisiana State University
2014 - Louisiana State University
2015 - Louisiana State University
2016 - Texas Tech University
2017 - West Texas A & M University
2018 - West Texas A & M University
2019 - West Texas A & M University
2020 - West Texas A & M University
2022 - West Texas A & M University
2023 - West Texas A & M University
2024 - West Texas A & M University
2025 - West Texas A & M University
2026 - West Texas A & M University

Western:

1997 - Texas A & M University
1998 - Oklahoma State University
1999 - Oklahoma State University
2000 - Oklahoma State University (1999-
2000 IHSA Stock Seat National Champions)
2001 - West Texas A & M University
2002 - Texas A & M University (2001-02
IHSA Western National Co-champions)
2003 - Texas A & M University (2002-03
IHSA Western National Co-Champions*)
2004 - Oklahoma State University**
2005 - Texas A & M University
2006 - Texas A & M University
2007 - Southern Nazarene University
2008 - North Central Texas College
2009 - West Texas A & M University
2010 - West Texas A & M University
2011 - West Texas A & M University
2012 - West Texas A & M University
2013 - West Texas A & M University (2012-13
IHSA Western National Champions)
2014 - West Texas A & M University
2015 - West Texas A & M University
2016 - West Texas A & M University
2017 - West Texas A & M University
2018 - West Texas A & M University
2019 - West Texas A & M University
2020 - West Texas A & M University
2022 - West Texas A & M University
2023 - West Texas A & M University
2024 - West Texas A & M University
2025 - West Texas A & M University
2026 - West Texas A & M University (2025-26
IHSA Western National Champions)

* - 2003 Region 2 reserve team West Texas A& M
was eligible to compete at IHSA Nationals due to rules related to the number of Western riders in a zone and the number of teams allowed to advance to Nationals. West Texas A & M tied Texas A & M for the 2003 Western National Championship.

** - 2004 Region 2 reserve team Texas A & M was
eligible to compete at IHSA Nationals due to rules related to the number of Western riders in a zone and the number of teams allowed to advance to Nationals. Texas A & M went on to win the 2004 Western National Championship.

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Open Level Rider Standings

Team Standings

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