A lifelong bond with the Texas A&M horse judging team
Tom and Donna Bigbee turn decades of mentorship and generosity into a legacy for future Aggies
For Tom Bigbee ’77, being a part of the Texas A&M Horse Judging Team wasn’t just a college activity – it was the beginning of a lifelong commitment to mentorship, community and giving back.
Tom and his wife, Donna, have spent decades helping students find the same confidence and camaraderie from the judging team that shaped his own Texas A&M University experience. Their latest step – a planned gift of real estate to the Dr. Gary D. Potter Horse Judging Endowment – will help ensure the team’s continued success for generations to come.
“What I got from my time on the horse judging team went far beyond ribbons or contests,” Bigbee said. “It gave me confidence, lifelong friends and a sense of purpose. That’s why Donna and I do what we do. Supporting the team now is a way of giving back and helping the next generation grow the way I did.”
A coach’s influence that never faded
Tom grew up in the Texas 4-H Youth Development Program. By the time he arrived at Texas A&M to major in animal science, he was already familiar with horsemen like B.F. Yeates and Gary Potter.
Yeates, the Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service state horse specialist at the time, and Potter, Ph.D., an equine science professor and the horse judging coach in the Texas A&M Department of Animal Science, helped co-lead the Texas 4-H Horse Program.
Bigbee’s Texas 4-H judging experience inspired him to join the Texas A&M Horse Judging Team as a sophomore. He joined a talented four-member team that traveled to competitions throughout the country with Potter. Many of his fondest memories came from those trips, not just during competitions but in the long hours spent on the road together.
“Dr. Potter always rode shotgun,” Bigbee reminisced. “He never drove. So, he trusted his life to four teenagers in a station wagon driving from College Station to Columbus, Ohio.”
That trip to Ohio in the fall of 1974 remains one of Bigbee’s favorite memories.
“We were the first team from Texas A&M to win the All-American Quarter Horse Congress, and we stopped by Claiborne Farms in Kentucky and met Secretariat, the Triple Crown winner,” Bigbee said. “It was a special experience. There are so many good memories and experiences that helped shape who I am.”
Support the next generation of champions
Gifts to the Department of Animal Science help Texas A&M students pursue hands-on learning and national excellence in programs like horse judging.
Giving back
After graduation, Bigbee stayed connected to the horse judging team while building his career. He first worked for the Arabian Horse Registry in Denver and then for the Paint Horse Association in Fort Worth. But it was his interest in flying that ultimately led to a 30-year career as a commercial airline pilot.
In those early years, his support came in small but meaningful ways. He volunteered his time, $100 donations to meet specific needs and often paid for the team’s dinner at contests.
Then in 2002, after his mother, whom he described as “quite the horse woman,” passed away, Bigbee decided to honor both her and Potter with a more substantial gift for the Texas A&M Horse Judging Team.
He approached the Texas A&M Foundation, where Glen Pittsford ’72, former vice president of planned giving, suggested creating an endowment. That conversation led to the establishment of the Dr. Gary D. Potter Horse Judging Endowment, marking the beginning of the Bigbees’ long-standing relationship with the Texas A&M Foundation.
“If you’re passionate about something that is a result of being an Aggie, you should support it,” Bigbee said. “The team gave me so much, and now it’s my turn to make sure other students have the same opportunities.”
Helping the next generation succeed
When Sarah Schobert Moriarty joined the Department of Animal Science as an equine lecturer and horse judging coach in 2020, former students immediately encouraged her to connect with the Bigbees.
“Several of them said, ‘Make sure you reach out to Tom. He’ll want to be a part of anything to support the team,’” Schobert Moriarty said.
After hearing about the program’s long-term needs to travel, entry fees, hotels and other expenses, the Bigbees quickly stepped in to help. Together, they strengthened the Potter Endowment and expanded its reach for students.
They also encouraged Schobert Moriarty to revive “Run for the Roses,” a livestreamed Kentucky Derby fundraiser benefiting the team. For the past two years, the event has been held at the Thomas G. Hildebrand, DVM ’56 Equine Complex in College Station.
“Tom and Donna just want to help good kids, however they can,” Schobert Moriarty explained, reflecting on how the Bigbees have also supported several students with scholarships over the years.
Each year, the Bigbees continue to treat the entire team to dinner after the American Quarter Horse Association, AQHA, World Show championship in Oklahoma City.
“They love to interact with the team and encourage them to give back,” Schobert Moriarty said.
Under Schobert Moriarty’s leadership, the team has regained its competitive edge. The team was the most winning horse judging team in the country for 2021, 2023 and 2024, earning national championships at the AQHA World Show in 2023 and 2024 and the champion team at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress in 2022 and 2025 – the same competition Bigbee’s team won in 1974.
Building trust and ensuring stability
For more than a decade, the Bigbees have planned their giving with leadership from the Texas A&M Foundation and the horse judging team.
Although they live in Oklahoma, the couple frequently visits Aggieland for events and volunteer activities. Two years ago, they bought a second home with the goal of spending more time in College Station.
When the couple updated their estate plans, they decided to include their College Station home as a planned real estate gift – one final and financially significant way to support the Potter endowment.
Schobert Moriarty describes the Bigbees’ gift as “historic” because it will create security and stability for the team for many years to come.
Reflecting on their support of the judging team, Tom and Donna explained how it was the relationships built over time that helped guide the various ways they could support the team financially.
For Tom and Donna Bigbee, supporting the horse judging team is about gratitude – to the people, experiences and the program that so greatly influenced their lives.
To learn more about planned real estate gifts and the various ways you can support student programs and activities, contact Jansen Merrill ’18, senior director of development at the Texas A&M Foundation, jmerrill@txamfoundation.com.
