Brianne Aucutt-Hight, a senior animal science major, was selected Friday as the third area person to serve as the Masked Rider, mascot of Texas Tech University.

A Clovis student was selected Friday as the third area person to serve as the Masked Rider, mascot of Texas Tech University.

Brianne Aucutt-Hight, a senior animal science major, said she is realizing a childhood goal in donning the rider’s mask.

 Aucutt-Hight has ridden, trained and shown horses from ranches to rodeos throughout New Mexico and Texas, and competes on Texas Tech’s Ranch Horse Team. She also holds two rodeo queen titles: Pioneer Days Rodeo Queen and Eastern New Mexico State Fair Queen.

As a child, she said her parents went to a Red Raider football game and brought her back an autographed card from the Masked Rider.

“The Masked Rider represents a great Texas Tech tradition and I am honored to have been selected for such a prestigious position,” she said in a press release.

As the Masked Rider, Aucutt-Hight will travel through the Southwest making appearances to promote Texas Tech’s spirit at athletic events, parades, rodeos and other functions, the release said.

Ashley Hartzog of Farwell traveled more than 13,000 miles to more than 155 appearances during her stint as mascot in 2008-2009.

Kevin Burns of Texico served as the Masked Rider before Hartzog.