WT Equestrian Team Wins National Championship

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

CANYON, Texas - West Texas A&M University's Western Seat equestrian team is the national champion following a weekend competition at the 2026 Intercollegiate Horse Show Association finals.

"We could not be prouder of the 2026 WT Equestrian Team," said Dr. David Lust, professor of agricultural science and head of the Department of Agricultural Sciences in the Paul Engler College of Agriculture and Natural Sciences. "This team has consistently performed at the highest level throughout the season. Winning at the national level takes extreme focus, mental preparation and confidence, along with great teamwork. Coach Lori Jaixen and all the team members are proud Buffs who exemplify the best of WT through their dedication, skill and enthusiasm."

After a back-and-forth battle across the three-day contest, the WT team won by five points.

Helene Keiser, a senior animal science major from Gothenburg, Nebraska, was named the champion team open horsemanship rider, reserve champion in team reining, and eighth in individual reining.

Marina Carroll, a junior nursing major from Grand Junction, Colorado, was third in team ranch riding. Peyton Podmolik, a junior animal science major from Pella, Iowa, was seventh in the "Back on Track Highpoint Rider" contest.

Violet Hodgson, a junior agricultural media and communication major from Geneseo, Illinois, was the champion in team rookie horsemanship.

Charli Wells, a sophomore animal science / pre-vet major from Holdredge, Nebraska, was reserve champion in team level 1 horsemanship and fourth in team level 2 horsemanship. Ashlyn Albaugh, a junior equine industry and business major from Odessa, shared the reserve championship in team level l1 horsemanship and also placed fifth in individual rookie horsemanship.

Caoimhe Benn-Rothstein, a senior animal science major from Peyton, Colorado, was seventh in individual level 2 horsemanship. Kaylen Langhofer, a junior animal science major from Plains, Kansas, was sixth in team beginner horsemanship. Kaitlyn Evans, a senior mechanical engineering major from Valley View, was 10th in individual open horsemanship.

Ashton Hollingsworth, a senior equine industry and business major from Fort Worth, was the first Western Seat recipient of the IHSA Quiet Champion Award, given to riders for their outstanding efforts to support their team and program outside the arena.

In the Hunt Seat competition, Lexi Woestman, a junior marketing major from Fort Worth, was ninth in limited flat. Hannah Minton, junior animal science major from Lynnville, Indiana, also competed in intermediate fences.

The contest was held May 1 to 3 at the Tryon International equestrian center in Mill Spring, North Carolina.

Such competition is one way in which WT creates in its students a commitment to being self-reliant, courageous, resourceful and part of something larger than one's self, as laid out in the University's long-range plan, WT 125: From the Panhandle to the World.

That plan is fueled by the One West comprehensive fundraising campaign, which raised more than $200 million dollars, the largest such campaign in Texas Panhandle history.

About West Texas A&M University

West Texas A&M University is a Regional Research University in Canyon, Texas, on a 342-acre residential campus, as well as the Harrington Academic Hall WTAMU Amarillo Center in downtown Amarillo. Established in 1910, the University has been part of The Texas A&M University System since 1990. WT boasts an enrollment of more than 9,000 and offers multiple options for students to graduate and succeed: 66 undergraduate degree programs, including eight associate degrees; and 44 graduate degrees, including an integrated bachelor's and master's degree, a specialist degree and two doctoral degrees. WT recently earned a Carnegie Foundation classification as a Research College and University. The Buffaloes are a member of the NCAA Division II Lone Star Conference and offers 16 men's and women's athletics programs.

Photo: West Texas A&M University's Western Seat equestrian team is the national champion following May 1 to 3 competition at the 2026 Intercollegiate Horse Show Association finals. Pictured are, from left, Ashton Hollingsworth, Peyton Podmolik, Violet Hodgson, Kaylen Langhofer, Kaitlyn Evans, Ashlynn Albaugh, Caoimhe Benn-Rothstein, Marina Carroll, Alexandria Woestman, Charli Wells, Hannah Minton, Helene Keiser and Coach Lori Jaixen.

-WT-