The Stock Horse Team, an opportunity to develop horsemanship skills

BY COPELAND WELCH / Managing Editor

Kaylee Berry, a member of the Tarleton State University Stock Horse Team, has been an avid lover of horses since she was seven.

Berry got her start in the rodeo industry when was 12, but quickly began looking for more excitement and came across the stock horse industry about six years ago.

Berry began her college career at Stephen F. Austin (SFA) and transferred to Tarleton her junior year.

Her horse, Smart Boonatic Doc (Boon), is six years old and she has had him for the past four years. She got Boon while still attending SFA, but finding the help she needed at the university was difficult. 

Berry has found a trainer, Lavert Avent with LA Performance Horses at Tee Cross Ranches – Horse Division, that has helped her develop her skills and work better with her young horse. 

“Trying to find help and somebody who was educated enough to help me with a young horse was hard, it set me back and right now we should be a lot further than we are,” Berry said. “Transferring here has helped me a lot and I finally found a good trainer that has been helping me a lot and Bobby of course has helped me drastically.” 

The Stock Horse Team is more of an individual sport that is competed in as a team. The goal is to show the versatility of the horse. 

There are four different divisions riders can compete in on the collegiate level, novice, intermediate, limited non-pro and non-pro. Additionally, there are various patterns, including Ranch Reining, Working Cow Horse, Ranch Trail and Ranch Pleasure. 

The Stock Horse Team has 15 riders that show for the spring semester.

Berry values the friendships and support system she has created through the stock horse team. 

“We’re all very supportive of each other,” Berry said. “We go and we watch everybody, and we help out like if someone needs help or anything like that everyone is pretty willing to help out and we take what they give, and we apply it. It’s a very supportive group and we’re all pretty good friends.” 

Berry described The Stock Horse Team coach, Bobby Walton, as an uplifting leader. 

“Bobby is very supportive,” Berry said. “She is very sweet, she’s very encouraging and she’s a pretty good leader. We had a meeting yesterday and she let us kind of handle the meeting and sometimes she’ll say ‘Hey y’all you didn’t think of this, this could be a problem.’”

The Stock Horse Team has sponsors that help the team with funding things like hotel stays, entry fees and stalls. 

These sponsors include Cery Performance Horses, Cooper’s Country Store, Erath County Farm Bureau, Gin Ranch Construction, Hayden Real Estate, Higgin’s Horse Ranch, Lone Star Hardware Sales and Service, Melody Mountain Ranch, Rocking 2K ranch, Royal Threads, Stephenville Pipe, Taylor Feed, The Hay and Feed Ranch, The Good Contractor List, Vicar’s Cattle and 7V Ranch. 

For students interested in joining the Stock Horse Team a mock show is held to serve as team tryouts at the start of each semester.

Berry hopes to continue competing in stock horse competitions after she graduates from Tarleton. 

Kaylee Berry and Smart Boonatic Doc (Boon) competing at the Brazos County Expo Center in Bryan, Texas. 

Photo courtesy: Kaylee Berry