Some lucky calves were sporting T-shirts of different Texas Tech student organizations this weekend during the Tech’s Rodeo Association’s 52nd Annual National Intercollegiate Rodeo.
The 2001 Rodeo Queen Courtney Stephens said 36 student organizations participated in the calf-dressing contest. Each student organization selected a three-member team, which competed to see who could dress a calf in their organization’s T-shirt in the fastest time.
“We hope to start a tradition this year by incorporating student organizations, so they can compete in the Tech rodeo,” said Stephens, a junior public relations major from Roanoke. “The Texas Tech rodeo team dreamed up this event to let other Tech students come and compete, so they might understand what we love about this sport.”
B.J. Hill, a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha team, said it was fun to chase a calf around an arena trying to put a T-shirt on it.
“Instead of being serious about everything, this lets us cut loose and have fun,” said Hill, a freshman psychology major from Dimmitt.
Justin Sicking, a member of the Beta Theta Pi pledge team, said the calf-dressing contest sounded like fun, so his fraternity sent more than one team.
“This is a great opportunity for Beta to participate in other aspects of Tech life,” said Sicking, a freshman business major from Lindsay.
Organizations competing in the calf-dressing contest ranged from fraternities and sororities to graduate students to agriculture organizations, said past Rodeo Queen Dee Frazier.
‘We were trying to reach out to all students at Tech,” said Frazier, a junior special education major from Midland. “Some students are intimidated to come (to the rodeo) because they think it is only for cowgirls and cowboys.”
Frazier said students had to follow certain rules for the calf-dressing contest.
After the calf was turned out, she said it had to be moved across the chalk line, which was about 10 yards from the start. She said the T-shirt had to be put over the calf’s head and on its front legs. The students then had to drag the calf 25 yards to finish line.
Dustin Dean, a graduate student in animal breeding and genetics from Jacksboro, is a member of the Graduate Student Association, which won the first section of the calf-dressing contest on Friday night. He said he thought the calf-dressing contest is a great addition to the rodeo.
“First of all, (the calf-dressing contest) brings lots of campus attention to the rodeo,” Dean said. “Everybody on campus, no matter what your major, can be a part of the Tech rodeo.”
Will Harper, a graduate student in meat science from Wetumpka, Ala., was also on the winning team. He said he teaches some of the members of the Tech rodeo team and has class with some of them.
“The calf-dressing contest is a way that we can show our support for (members of the rodeo team,)” Harper said.
Kim Guay, who received her doctorate degree in equine science, was also a member of the Graduate Student Association team.
The Future Farmers of America B-team won the second calf-dressing section on Friday night with a time of 33.45 seconds.
FFA member Brad Proctor, a senior agriculture education major from New Deal, said he had a blast participating in the event. He said his team had a strategy, though, going into the event.
“We got (the calf) as close to the finish line to get him dressed,” he said. “Once you get the momentum, keep it going.”
Proctor’s teammates included Josh Gandy, a junior agriculture education major from New Home, and Will Winter, a senior animal business major from Idalou.
“We always try to support anything the Ag college does,” Proctor said.
Saturday night’s winners were Keith Legsos, Camron Phillips and Andy Renaudin of Sigma Alpha Epsilon.
All winning teams received T-shirts, and the overall winner will be presented with a plaque at the organization’s next meeting.
The overall calf dressing contest winners were Brandon Patschke, Nathan Jordan and Stuart Sutton of Pi Kappa Alpha. They won the Thursday calf-dressing competition with a time of 32.3 seconds.
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