'I have a broken soul': father of rodeo athlete Alejandra Franco, 20, killed in freak horse accident says he has 'lost everything'

From the Newshound archive · first published 27 September 2026 · last updated 28 September 2026.

Alejandra Franco, a 20-year-old breakaway roper at Tarleton State University, died after being injured in the roping box during the 81st Annual Sul Ross College Rodeo in Alpine, Texas on Thursday night. Her father Alejandro posted a heartbroken Facebook tribute saying he does not know how he will go on. Coach Mark Eakin confirmed she was struck by her horse in the roping box, though the precise sequence of events has not been released.

Franco was also a Tarleton Transition Mentor, handpicked to guide new students through orientation — university president James Hurley called her 'a true Texan' who touched countless lives.

The weekend's rodeo events continued as scheduled, with attendees wearing purple ribbons and observing a moment of silence in her honour.

'You were the best thing that ever happened to me,' her father Alejandro wrote, adding: 'Wait for me with your smile. One day we'll hug again.'