Two TCU Equestrian Representatives Named to NCEA Distinguished Alumni Class of 2026
1/26/2026 3:00:00 PM | Equestrian
Jada Taylor earns business recognition, Madyson Buchanan selected under Young Alumni
WACO, Texas – The National Collegiate Equestrian Association announced its 2026 Distinguished Alumni on Monday, which included former TCU riders Madyson Buchanan and Jada Taylor.
Buchanan was selected as a Young Alumni honoree, while Taylor earned the recognition under the Business category.
The awards, which began in 2016, are presented to women who, after the completion of their undergraduate degree at an NCEA-sponsoring institution, have made significant contributions in a professional field.
Distinguished Alumni are recognized in eight categories including Business, Community Engagement, Education, Equine Industry (Rider/Trainer/Coach), Equine Industry (Medical/Pharmaceutical), Health Sciences/Services, Media & Communication, and Young Alumni. Distinguished Alumni are separated from their institution for at least six years prior to nomination and are recognized as distinguished in the following areas: academic success, athletic success, outstanding service contributions, and post-graduate success.
TCU has now had 17 Distinguished Alumni honorees all-time. Taylor has previously been recognized under the Young Alumni category in 2021. The 2026 class represents the sixth consecutive year a Horned Frog has earned a spot on the prestigious list.
While at TCU, Buchanan was a four-year starter for the Horned Frogs in Reining while also earning multiple academic honors throughout her career. She also was the President of SAAC, playing an active role in the student-athlete community.
Since graduating, she has had a very successful career as a young alumnus. After holding an internship with Nike and a manager role with Paradigm Boats, she got very involved with Educated Rider. In this role she helps guides aspiring collegiate equestrian through the recruiting process using personalized websites, resumes and outreach strategies.
She also currently works for US Neuro, helping growth marketing initiatives though content creation and brand unification.
Taylor was a standout student-athlete at TCU, being named to the Dean's List all four years while also earning spots on numerous All-Academic teams. She also was selected to participate in the prestigious Nike Internship program prior to her senior year.
She now is a marketing leader, working for several different consumer brands. She began her career at Outdoor Voices, and has since founded Jada Taylor, LLC, a boutique marketing consultancy which helps brands grow on social media. Taylor is currently Senior Marketing Manager at Tandy, LLC, where she helps build brands and enhance engagements for multiple name brand companies.
This marks Taylor's second selection to this prestigious list, previously earning a spot under the Young Alumni category.
Buchanan was selected as a Young Alumni honoree, while Taylor earned the recognition under the Business category.
The awards, which began in 2016, are presented to women who, after the completion of their undergraduate degree at an NCEA-sponsoring institution, have made significant contributions in a professional field.
Distinguished Alumni are recognized in eight categories including Business, Community Engagement, Education, Equine Industry (Rider/Trainer/Coach), Equine Industry (Medical/Pharmaceutical), Health Sciences/Services, Media & Communication, and Young Alumni. Distinguished Alumni are separated from their institution for at least six years prior to nomination and are recognized as distinguished in the following areas: academic success, athletic success, outstanding service contributions, and post-graduate success.
TCU has now had 17 Distinguished Alumni honorees all-time. Taylor has previously been recognized under the Young Alumni category in 2021. The 2026 class represents the sixth consecutive year a Horned Frog has earned a spot on the prestigious list.
While at TCU, Buchanan was a four-year starter for the Horned Frogs in Reining while also earning multiple academic honors throughout her career. She also was the President of SAAC, playing an active role in the student-athlete community.
Since graduating, she has had a very successful career as a young alumnus. After holding an internship with Nike and a manager role with Paradigm Boats, she got very involved with Educated Rider. In this role she helps guides aspiring collegiate equestrian through the recruiting process using personalized websites, resumes and outreach strategies.
She also currently works for US Neuro, helping growth marketing initiatives though content creation and brand unification.
Taylor was a standout student-athlete at TCU, being named to the Dean's List all four years while also earning spots on numerous All-Academic teams. She also was selected to participate in the prestigious Nike Internship program prior to her senior year.
She now is a marketing leader, working for several different consumer brands. She began her career at Outdoor Voices, and has since founded Jada Taylor, LLC, a boutique marketing consultancy which helps brands grow on social media. Taylor is currently Senior Marketing Manager at Tandy, LLC, where she helps build brands and enhance engagements for multiple name brand companies.
This marks Taylor's second selection to this prestigious list, previously earning a spot under the Young Alumni category.
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