ALEJANDRA FRANCO: FATHER PAYS HEARTBREAKING TRIBUTE AFTER 20-YEAR-OLD RODEO ATHLETE DIES IN TEXAS ACCIDENT

ALPINE, TEXAS — The father of 20-year-old rodeo athlete Alejandra Franco has shared a heartbreaking tribute after his daughter died following a fatal accident during a college rodeo in West Texas.

Franco, a student-athlete at Tarleton State University, suffered serious injuries during a performance at the S.A.L.E. Arena in Alpine, Texas, on Thursday night, September 24, 2026.

She later died from those injuries.

Her sudden death has devastated her family, teammates, friends and the wider rodeo community, with those who knew her remembering a young woman whose smile, kindness and personality made a lasting impression on people around her.

A TRAGIC NIGHT AT THE RODEO

Franco was competing for the Tarleton State University rodeo team when the accident happened during the event at the S.A.L.E. Arena.

According to Tarleton State head rodeo coach Mark Eakin, the incident involved Franco and her horse in the roping box.

Officials have not released a detailed account of exactly how the accident unfolded or the precise nature of the injuries she sustained.

The event was part of the Southwest Region Rodeo hosted at the Sul Ross State University facility.

Sul Ross State University confirmed Franco’s death in a statement, saying the Tarleton athlete had died from injuries sustained during Thursday night’s performance.

“Our hearts are with her family, team and community at this difficult time,” the university said.

The remaining rodeo events continued through the weekend, with counselors made available to athletes dealing with the tragedy.

HER FATHER’S HEARTBREAKING MESSAGE

As the family struggled to process the loss, Franco’s father, Alejandro Franco, shared an emotional tribute to his daughter.

He described Alejandra as his “pride” and “joy,” remembering her not only as his daughter but as a source of happiness in his life.

“My beautiful Ale, my cute one, my little love, my girl,” he wrote.

“My soul hurts and my heart is broken since you left.”

He said he still could not understand how he would continue without her.

“You were and will always be my pride, my joy, my beautiful and kind girl,” Alejandro wrote, thanking his daughter for the love, laughter and hugs she had given him.

He said her memory would remain with him in his heart, memories, thoughts and prayers.

In another tribute, her father described Alejandra as the happiest, most positive and kindest person, saying she had a way of connecting with everyone because of her enormous heart and constant smile.

He also wrote that he was proud to be her father.

“You were the best thing that ever happened to me,” he said in the tribute, according to reports.

REMEMBERED AS A LEADER AND ATHLETE

Alejandra was more than a competitor.

At Tarleton State, she was also involved in the university’s Tarleton Transition Mentors program, a leadership role in which upperclassmen help incoming students adjust to college life.

Friends and fellow students said she was known for making people feel included.

NBC 5 reported that friends remembered her infectious smile, contagious laugh and willingness to make people around her feel welcome.

One friend described her as a “bundle of joy,” while another said Franco could make people laugh regardless of what they were going through.

Her role as a mentor also left a deep impression on those who worked with her.

Mackenzie Langley, who mentored Franco through the university’s transition program, said she had initially viewed herself as someone who was supposed to guide Alejandra.

But over time, Langley realized that the relationship went both ways.

Franco, she said, had also made a significant impact on the lives of the people who were supposed to be mentoring her.

“A TREMENDOUS PERSON”

Coach Mark Eakin said the loss was devastating for the Tarleton rodeo team.

He described Franco as a tremendous person, outstanding competitor and campus leader.

“Ale was more than just a rodeo student-athlete,” Eakin said in a university statement. “She was a cherished member of the university and a leader on campus.”

He said she had an incredible personality and knew how to make people feel welcomed and loved.

“Ale’s legacy at Tarleton State will live on through her memory and all the lives she’s impacted,” Eakin said.

Tarleton State President James Hurley also paid tribute to the student.

He called Franco a cherished member of the university community and said she had touched many lives through her smile, leadership, kindness and the love she shared with others.

THE RODEO COMMUNITY MOURNS

The Tarleton State Rodeo Team announced Franco’s death in a statement on social media.

The team said she had left behind a lasting impact on everyone who had the privilege of knowing her and asked people to keep her family, friends and teammates in their thoughts and prayers.

The National Intercollegiate Rodeo Association also expressed condolences to Franco’s family, teammates and the wider rodeo community.

During the Friday night event, attendees wore purple ribbons in Franco’s memory.

The arena also fell silent for a moment of remembrance.

A commentator told the crowd that although competitors represented different schools, they remained part of the same rodeo family.

“If one of us hurts, we all hurt,” the message said.

A PASSION THAT EXTENDED BEYOND COLLEGE RODEO

Franco’s connection to horses and equestrian competition extended beyond her college career.

According to reporting by The Dallas Morning News, she had previously competed in charrería, Mexico’s national sport, with the women’s riding team Escaramuza El Gran Chaparral.

Records show she competed with the group in national competitions in 2023 and 2024.

Her former teammates also mourned her death, describing her as a beloved member of their team.

For those who knew her, the tragedy therefore represents the loss of not simply a talented athlete but a young woman who had already built a life around competition, leadership, friendship and her love of horses.

DETAILS OF THE ACCIDENT REMAIN LIMITED

As of the latest reports, authorities and university officials had not publicly released a complete account of the accident.

What has been confirmed is that Franco was injured during Thursday night’s rodeo performance at the S.A.L.E. Arena and subsequently died from those injuries.

Her coach told WFAA that the accident involved Franco and her horse in the roping box, but further details about the sequence of events and her injuries have not been publicly disclosed.

That distinction is important as tributes continue to spread online.

The circumstances surrounding the accident should not be filled in with speculation while officials have not released additional information.

“SHE WAS THE LIGHT”

For Alejandra’s family, the details of the accident cannot change the reality they now face.

A daughter who was described by her father as his happiness and pride is gone.

Her friends are now left with memories of her laugh, her smile and the way she made people feel included.

Her teammates are carrying on with the rodeo season while mourning one of their own.

And her father is trying to find a way forward while holding on to the memories his daughter left behind.

Alejandro’s final message to his daughter captured the depth of the loss: he told her that she would live forever in his heart, his memories, his thoughts and his prayers.

Alejandra Franco was only 20 years old.

She came to the rodeo as a student-athlete.

She left behind a family, teammates and friends who say her presence changed their lives.

Now, the rodeo community is remembering her not only for the way she competed, but for the person they say she was when the arena lights were off — a young woman whose smile made people feel welcome and whose memory will remain with those who loved her.