LCC Ranch Horse Team sees success, sets sights on growth
The horse programs at Lamar Community College (LCC) in Lamar, Colo. have earned a reputation as some of the best educational opportunities for equine majors in the nation.
LCC’s Ranch Horse Team has gained momentum in the past couple of years and recently wrapped up a particularly successful fall season.
As ranch horse versatility grows in popularity throughout the region, the program is recruiting more riders who are looking to join the community and make their mark on the discipline.
About the program
The LCC Ranch Horse Team has grown from a volunteer-run program to collegiate competitive status since it was first started by Savanna Mauch and Kelli Gaines in 2022.
Gaines and Mauch continue to volunteer with the team alongside Head Coach Cole Bennett, who joined the staff in 2024.
Bennett’s experience as a competitor and judge in the versatility ranch horse industry has contributed to the program’s growth, alongside the efforts of Mauch, Gaines and a team of hard-working students.
The goal of the team is to help students sharpen their ranch horse versatility skills to compete at the collegiate level and build community in the equine program.
Team information
The LCC Ranch Horse Team is a funded athletic program offering scholarship opportunities for students and a chance for members to grow their knowledge of the equine industry daily.
Membership on the ranch horse team is open to any LCC student with riding experience and an interest in the discipline.
“We have a wide range of students on the team,” Mauch notes. “There are some who have never shown before, bring their horse from home and work hard to gain skills and experience, and we have some who have grown up showing and are really competitive at all of the shows we go to.”
Many of the members are studying under LCC’s horse program, and Bennett notes the ranch horse team is a great blend of knowledge and practical application.
“The ranch horse team is really good for LCC,” says Bennett. “It ties into our Horse Training Management Program and our Equine Business Management Program, and the students really benefit from the team aspect of competing.”
Team practices are held five days a week, and members compete in roughly three to four shows in both the fall and spring. Classes include reining, cow work, ranch trail and ranch riding.
Shows are organized by the Colorado, Wyoming and Nebraska Stock Horse Association (CoWN); Stock Horse Association of Texas (SHTX); Slidin’ Daze and the National Intercollegiate Ranch and Stock Horse Association (NIRSHA).
LCC team members have made their mark on a variety of invitational shows.
Not every member participates at every show, but all members attend practice and are given the opportunity to work towards a spot on the travel roster, which ranges from four to six competitors across the open, limited and novice competitions depending upon the show division.
Unique opportunities
In addition to competition, members of the LCC Ranch Horse Team enjoy a variety of unique opportunities including one-on-one coaching, chances to practice real-world cow work and opportunities for financial aid.
The team’s smaller size makes it possible for Bennett to devote individual attention to students working to sharpen specific skills in addition to larger team practices.
For riders of all levels, the team is a great platform to practice skills which will serve members even after graduation whether or not they continue to show competitively. Clinicians are brought in as often as possible to provide additional perspective.
In addition to weekly practices, students are allowed the opportunity to work cattle in ranch settings on Mauch and Bennett’s respective cow/calf operations.
Unlike many collegiate teams, LCC is able to cover a portion of show entry fees and lodging for riders on the points team.
An additional highlight is access to LCC’s state-of-the-art equine facilities, including Vitafloor, Magnawave and Solarium therapy technology.
“Any member of the ranch horse team gets free use of all the therapy equipment for our team horses to keep them feeling good and sound,” Bennett explains.
Since the equipment is managed by students and supervisors in the Equine Business Management programs, this perk is also a way to form community with other LCC students.
“Everybody’s pretty close knit here at our equine facilities,” Bennett notes. “The students put in a lot of work, time and effort, but they get a lot out of it too.”
Goals and growth
Following a successful fall season with top-three finishes at several shows, the LCC Ranch Horse Team is continuing to set their sights on growth and big goals.
“The success of this program has kind of proven itself over the past year and a half,” Bennett says. “We’re growing and getting better.”
“We’ve got good kids and good horses who are willing to put the work in and listen,” he continues. “We just need to keep recruiting.”
Bennett has goals of increasing LCC’s competitive edge for seasons to come, and Mauch says a good attitude and desire to learn are key components to the program.
“The biggest thing is how hard students want to work and what their goals are,” Mauch says. “If they have goals of making progress, we’re willing to work with them.”
The spring season is set to kick off Feb. 4-5, 2026 at the Bridles and Brains Invitational in Fort Worth, Texas.
In the meantime, the team is actively recruiting more riders. Those interested are encouraged to visit the program’s website or get in contact with Bennett for more information.
Grace Skavdahl is the editor of the Wyoming Livestock Roundup. Send comments on this article to roundup@wylr.net.
