A Texas college student died Thursday night after being involved in a horse-related accident during a rodeo competition, just weeks after celebrating her 20th birthday.
Alejandra “Ale” Franco, a member of the Tarleton State University Rodeo Team, sustained fatal injuries at the S.A.L.E. Arena in Alpine, Texas, university officials confirmed.
“The Tarleton State Rodeo Team is deeply saddened by the passing of our own, Alejandra Franco,” the team wrote on Instagram Friday. “Alejandra tragically lost her life yesterday, leaving behind a lasting impact on everyone who had the privilege of knowing her.”
Franco was taking part in the Sul Ross State University NIRA College Rodeo and was inside the roping box with her horse when the incident occurred, head coach Mark Eakin told WFAA.
Officials have not released further information about what led to the accident.
On the Stephenville, Texas, campus—about 70 miles southwest of Fort Worth—Franco was known for her work as a Tarleton Transition Mentor. In that role, she welcomed incoming students and was affectionately associated with the group’s “Mama, Daddy and Baby Ducks” tradition.
“Our hearts are absolutely broken with the news of Alejandra Franco,” Tarleton State President Dr. James Hurley said Friday. “Ale was a true Texan, a cherished member of our TTM and representing Tarleton State on the rodeo stage. She touched so many lives through her friendly smile, leadership, kindness and the love she shared with those around her.
“Her presence will be deeply missed, but the impact she made on her Texan family will never be forgotten. Our thoughts are with her family, our rodeo team and everyone who knew her. We will forever remember the light she brought to Tarleton State,” Hurley added.
Tarleton State, a school with 37 National Championship titles, had celebrated Franco’s birthday in an Aug. 25 social media post.
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Franco’s father, Alejandro, remembered his daughter as his “light” in an emotional letter posted on Facebook.
“The whole world loved you, my darling, and rightly so. Because you were special,” Alejandro Franco wrote. “You were the light… I want you to know that I’m proud to be your dad… That you were the best thing that ever happened to me. That every one of your laughs has stayed etched here, in my chest. Every long talk for hours and hours…
“Forgive me if I cry, it’s just that I don’t know how to go on without you. But I promise you something: I will honor your life by living the way you lived, with positivity, being good to people, helping the way you used to do… I love you forever, darling. I love you beyond the sky, beyond everything… Wait for me with your smile. One day we’ll hug again…,” he wrote.
Beyond her college rodeo career, Franco was part of Escaramuza Charra El Gran Chaparral, a respected women’s equestrian team based in her native Mexico.
“With deep sorrow, we express our most sincere condolences to the family of our companion (teammate) Alejandra Franco,” the team said in an Instagram post. “We wholeheartedly wish that you find the strength and comfort in these moments of pain. May she rest in peace.”
Friends and fellow competitors continued to honor Franco online, sharing tributes under the phrase and hashtag “Live Like Ale.”
In memory of Franco, the Sul Ross State University Rodeo team said it would distribute purple ribbons and encouraged fans attending Friday night’s event to wear Tarleton State’s signature color.
“Tonight a rodeo family is carrying a heavy heart,” an announcer said during Friday’s show, according to WFAA. “If one of us hurts, we all hurt.”
