WACO, Texas – UT Martin equestrian has recently suffered the loss of Flat horse 'Frappe' in December, a quarter horse gelding who was with the Skyhawk program for 16 years before retiring after the 2024-25 season.
The National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) posthumously thanks 'Frappe' for all he gave to the Association and its student-athletes, and extends its condolences to UTM's program.
The 24-year-old quarter horse was foaled by the Ohio State University Agri-Tech Institute in 2002. He spent his early years competing in various dressage shows in and around the state of Tennessee. Anna Hopla generously donated 'Frappe' to the UT Martin equestrian team in 2009-10. Since then, he has been a star in the Skyhawks' Jumping Seat barn, frequently being featured on the Flat roster and accounting for multiple MOPs across his career. In March 2024, he was named NCEA Horse of the Month, cited as being a "celebrity" in the community.
Head coach Kim Leiter Janes had this to say about Frappe in March of that year: "Frappe makes appearances at football games, on the quad, and at community outreach events. He has quite the fan base in Martin and brings joy to so many in the community. Whether he is showing off his award-winning smile, his amazing fist bump or just giving a child their first opportunity to pet a horse, Frappe is up for anything. We are so blessed to have him in our barn and cannot say enough good things about this amazing horse and what he has done for UTM Equestrian."
“Frappe was a horse like no other – he was a legend that went unmatched and he embodied the true spirit of UTM equestrian," said UTM assistant coach Caitlin Marshall. "His gentle nature and generous spirit created a legacy of endless happy memories and so many lessons learned. Frappe left hoof prints on the hearts of everyone he met. On a personal note, I was honored and blessed to have known, cared for, loved and been loved by Frappe. My husband and I had the privilege of retiring Frappe in March 2025 after he helped secure the Skyhawks their first ever Eastern College Athletic Conference championship victory. It was such a special moment that I will cherish for the rest of my life but it is the quiet moments that I spent with Frappe that I will miss the most. He spent his final days happy in a beautiful pasture next to his favorite pond, getting all the love he deserved. Frappe, your memory is a keepsake that I will never part with. I know you will continue watching over us all from that big pasture in the sky. We love you! #ForFrappe”
“Frappe was a Martin mainstay as the longest standing member of the team until last spring when he retired to be loved by coach Caitlin Marshall," said Skyhawk equestrian alumna Grace York (2019-23). "Frappe was the glue of multiple generations of Skyhawks. He was always the horse you knew would have your back, even if he didn’t have a flying lead change. You may have known him as Frappe, Frapstar, Pork Chop, or the horse afraid of the pigs in the Agricultural Pavilion. Frappe’s flat average was higher than any other consistent flat horses with numerous scores above 86 throughout the years. Frappe also was an educator as he helped teach head coach Kim Leiter-Janes’ horsemanship class on Monday nights to undergraduate students. He was always the life of the party with the youth of Martin as well at tailgates and “Trick or Trot”. If you knew UTM equestrian at all, you knew Frappe. May he be “smiling” at us with all of our other loved UTM equestrian horses in Heaven.”
About the NCEA
A non-profit corporation, the NCEA is a governing body to advance the sport of equestrian. The NCEA is responsible for the development and administration of equestrian rules and guidelines. Equestrian is subject to all NCAA policies and procedures in the same manner as other sports. In 1998, Equestrian was identified and adopted by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) and the Committee on Women's Athletics (CWA) as an emerging sport for women at the Division I and II levels.
NCEA competitions are in a head-to-head format, and schools may choose to compete as a single or dual discipline team (Jumping Seat and Western). Each discipline has two events: in Jumping Seat, Fences and Flat, and in Western, Horsemanship and Reining. Teams can have five riders per event, with horses assigned by random draw at the start of the competition. Riders from opposing teams compete on the same horse, and whichever rider receives the higher score earns one point for her team. The level of difficulty is demonstrated by the accuracy of the pattern and how the competitor uses the horse to the best of her ability.
To stay up to date all year long on all things NCEA Equestrian, follow the organization on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram: @NCEA_Equestrian and @ncea_eq.
- collegiateequestrian.com -