Brains, bridles and breaking barriers
Department of Animal Science’s Haley Winkler ’25 named first female collegiate ranch horse competition MVP
The tension in the air thickened with anticipation as Haley Winkler ’25 and her teammate, Josh Nichols ’25, stepped into the middle of the arena at the 2025 Bridles & Brains Invitational Collegiate Ranch Horse Competition in Fort Worth. Only one award remained: the competition MVP.
After several seconds that felt like minutes, Nichols was announced as the MVP runner-up. Winkler, a Texas A&M College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Department of Animal Science student, immediately embraced her teammate before realizing that she was not only the 2025 Bridles & Brains competition MVP but also the first woman to win this award.
More than just riding
The Bridles & Brains competition, hosted at the Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, is a unique opportunity for students to showcase their riding skills and ability to advocate for their program and agriculture.
According to competition rules, four-student teams compete in a two-day event featuring timed ranch roping, timed ranch penning, ranch trail, ranch reining, a public speech presentation and a media interview. Unlike other ranch horse contests, this competition is exclusively for collegiate teams.
Awards are given to the top contenders in each category, as well as the highest-scoring overall teams. However, the MVP award is selected differently. Each participant casts one vote for a competitor from another team whom they believe performed the best.
“Forty college kids get a vote on who they think the MVP is,” Winkler said. “It’s pretty cool because it’s based on who really came out and showed well, who was a good sport, who was really nice or who was really handy.”
Winkler said she was honored to be the first woman to receive the award.
“To be the first female MVP, to be able to think that I am worthy and that I can stand with the best of them, is huge for the industry,” Winkler said.
From Cypress to college success
Winkler grew up in Cypress without a traditional agricultural background. However, she began riding horses at a young age and quickly fell in love with the sport. She later joined her local FFA chapter and competed in livestock and agricultural mechanics competitions. Winkler credits her FFA experience with igniting her passion for agriculture.
“Senior year came around, and I didn’t really know what I wanted to do,” Winkler said. “I was looking at Texas A&M. My brother was at Texas A&M, so I visited him and decided this was where I wanted to go.”
A major influence on Winkler’s decision was Texas A&M’s Ranch Horse Team. While in high school, she attended a horse show where she saw the team competing and immediately knew it was the perfect opportunity.
“I always wanted to ride in college, and this was a way I could actually do it,” Winkler said.
Now a senior animal science student, Winkler has competed on the Texas A&M Ranch Horse Team for four years. She and her horse, Preacher, have been together for eight years and she has worked with him constantly to ensure they were ready for tryouts. She said her time on the team has made her a better trainer and deepened her bond with Preacher.
Looking to the future
Now planning to attend graduate school focusing on animal nutrition and ranch management, Winkler said her goal is to work with producers in an Extension capacity or as a producer herself. She credits her experiences on the Texas A&M Ranch Horse Team with inspiring her to dream big.
“I think the main thing is just being willing to work hard and put in the effort because no matter how big the dream is, you can get there by working hard,” Winkler said.
High-impact learning experiences, such as competitive teams, are a cornerstone of the Department of Animal Science. Each student is encouraged to participate in one through study abroad, research projects, internships or competitive teams.
Winkler said her time on the Texas A&M Ranch Horse Team improved her college experience by giving her a place to connect with her teammates and create a support system while in school.
“To have these experiences that take you to different places and make you use your skills in different ways shapes who you are,” Winkler said. “There is a lot of learning done outside of the classroom.”
As Winkler reflects on her achievement, she is proud to represent Texas A&M and the Department of Animal Science. She shared that as a young girl, she always looked up to the riders at Texas A&M, and she hopes to be the same kind of inspiration to young women entering the industry.
“Cowboys have and always will be a critical part of the industry,” Winkler said. “But there are so many women coming into the industry who are worthy, handy and making a huge difference. Hopefully, people will start thinking of cowgirls also when they think of cowboys.”
