OklahomaHorses Magazine July 2022

24 OklahomaHorses • July / August 2022 Lindsay Bippus Real Estate Broker / Owner 12342 E. 86th St. N. Owasso 74055 (918) 706-3857 dreammakerrealtyok.com RESIDENTIAL $900,000 • 14360 S Hwy 169, Oologah, OK 74053 3 bd • 4 ba • 2750-3000 sqft • MLS #2215591 VACANT LAND $900,000 • S Hwy 169, Oologah, OK 74053 49.45 acres • MLS #2215592 The Road Ahead Resources are limited for this young team while the foundation of sponsorships is built. “One of the things that Megan, Maris- sa, and I talk about is that we want to get enough funding that we could offer schol- arships to our members,” Walter said. “We would also like to grow our sponsorship so we can provide more resources for our members. Some schools have team horses for their members to show on, and we would love to do that in the future.” By having their own horses, more students would have the opportunity to compete on the team. Chapa also has a goal of providing transportation for the team members and their horses to future competitions. Because the team is a club rather than a National Collegiate Athletic Association sport, funding from the school is limited. “We’ve had some different donors and private businesses financially support the team, mostly to offset the cost of traveling,” Chapa said. “All the sponsors have been personally connected to the girls on the team, which I think is really special.” More than just funding, donations have come in the form of knowledge and time. Terry Stuart Forst and Robert Forst wel- comed the national team to their ranch to get in some extra practice just a few weeks before competing. “They worked the girls on cattle and boxing, which is the hardest for us to get done because we don’t have easy access to live cattle,” Chapa said. “I have zero expe- rience working cattle horseback, so that was an awesome opportunity for the girls to get one-on-one coaching to prepare for nationals.” After a successful first year, the team is optimistic about the future. With Chapa at the helm and a top-notch equine facility at the ready, the team is sure to attract enthu- siastic students who will continue to propel the team in the right direction. “From a recruiting standpoint, we have probably lost some equine students in the past because other universities offered a ranch horse team when we did not,” Chapa said. “It was a no-brainer to add it once we had the students willing to get it started. We have the tools and students to be com- petitive, and I’m looking forward to seeing where this club goes from here.” If you’re interested in sponsoring the OSU Ranch Horse Team, contact the OSU Foundation at https://osugiving.com or call 800-622-4678 . Through the generosity of equine professionals across the state, the OSU Ranch Horse Team practiced cow work and fine-tuned horsemanship before competing at nationals.