Family First

July 2, 2026

OSU defeats Texas Christian University 14-5 to claim its sixth straight Big 12 Championship, with Larry Sanchez crediting the team’s family-like bond and collective mindset for sustained success.

by Leigh Ann Matthews

Photos courtesy of Oklahoma State University Athletic Department

The Oklahoma State University Cowgirl Equestrian Team captured its sixth consecutive Big 12 Championship, defeating Texas Christian University 14-5 in the final matchup. Baylor University, OSU, California State University, Fresno and TCU competed in four events across two disciplines at the Pedigo-Hull Equestrian Center in Stillwater in March, with the top-seeded Cowgirls securing the conference title. The 2026 championship marks the 12th Big 12 title for the Cowgirls under Head Coach Larry Sanchez.

Sanchez was also honored for the sixth time in his career as the Big 12 Coach of the Year. Oklahoma State’s Emma Filiatreau received Reining Rider of the Year honors, while Ava Bush earned All-Big 12 recognition in reining and Bella D’Onofrio and June Roberson were named All-Big 12 selections in horsemanship.

The OSU Equestrian program continues to grow and excel under Sanchez and his coaching staff: Laura Brainard, associate head coach; Ashley Duda, assistant coach (Jumping Seat); Jody Brainard, reining assistant coach; and Kate Pollard, director of operations. The four events in collegiate competition are Jumping Seat Fences, Jumping Seat Flat, Western Horsemanship and Western Reining.

Sanchez commended his team for their ability to work together and for their bond, which he said is paramount to their success.

“We’ve adopted the term ‘family’ when we refer to our team, and the bond we have is much like a family,” he said. “Equestrian competition is very individual, but collegiate competition is all about the team. We don’t put individual accomplishments ahead of the team goals. Though we always welcome the individual achievements throughout the year, we focus on the team and what makes the team better.”

When recruiting students for the team, Sanchez explained they not only look for great riders, but also for kids that believe in the team mentality, have a selfless heart and can put others above themselves.

Team members ride multiple horses and saddles to prepare for competition. Sanchez explained that in the Big 12 Conference, schools use a “home-and-home” format in which the host school provides the horses for its home competition, then travels to the opposing school’s facility to compete on the other team’s horses.

“This home-and-home system balances out the home field advantage by having both teams host a competition on their home turf,” he said.

Even with this structure, the OSU team has won competitions on the road, and they have lost at home. He further explained that a rider from one school will compete directly with a rider from the other school on the same horse. Whoever scores higher on that horse wins the point for the team.

Half the riders from one team compete first on their horses, while the remaining riders compete second on their opponents’ horses.

“There’s really no rhyme or reason to riding first or second, but the order they compete on a particular horse can often make a difference in the outcome,” Sanchez said. “The first rider on a horse that’s full of energy has to deal with that energy, and often the horse settles down somewhat by the time the second rider competes. Alternately, a slower horse may give 100% to the first rider and only 50% to the second. Most riders prefer to be second because they know what they need to do to win after watching the first rider compete. Noncompeting riders warm up the horses, so those competing first only have the warm-ups to observe the horses.”

The Oklahoma State Equestrian program has anywhere from 55 to 60 head of horses at any given time. They are all seasoned show horses that have been donated to the program.

“We have some really nice horses in our program, but it’s apparent that some schools may be able to outspend others on purchasing horses for their team. With both teams competing on horses owned by both schools, all riders have a fighting chance to excel,” Sanchez said.

Random draws determine both the horse each rider will compete on and the opposing rider from the other school who will ride the same horse.

After winning the Big 12 Championship, the Cowgirls traveled to Florida to compete in the National Collegiate Equestrian Association Championship.

“The girls all rode really well, but we just didn’t score enough to qualify for the top 8 and to compete for the championship,” Sanchez said. “We had a great season and look forward to next year.”