On Saturday, May 9th over 100 juniors and seniors tried out for spots on the Pearce Mustang Stampede Country Western dance team. Sponsors Caroline Vanderslice and Steven Anthony are excited to announce the 34 members of the 2009-2010 Mustang Stampede.

Congratulations to upcoming seniors Halie Aikin, Fred Barajas, Stephen Boyd, Molly Cain, Wade Caston, Hunter Holder, Rachel Moss, Mallary Presley, Amelia Rainey, Kim Retzch, Ryan Ponce De Leon, Courtney Snyder, Angie Steindorf, Brooks Vehslage, Connor Wenning, Miles Wheeler, and upcoming juniors Taylor Ahlfinger, Dani Austin, JD Brown, Joey Demith, Leslie Deramus, Blake Durant, Spencer Frank, Stephanie Fleming, Addison Fogel, Paige Green, Ashley Lantz, Logan Marx, Danesion Mills, Mac Morse, Clay Rawlinson, Katie Rumsey, Haley Simmons, and Natalie Zachary.

Members of the Mustang Stampede team will perform at pep rallies, official school events, and various community events throughout the year. Join the Mustang Stamped for a boot scoottin’ good time at their first 2009-10 performance on Wednesday, August 26th at the Back-to-School Kick-off Cookout! To book a performance at local, state, or national venues, email Caroline Vanderslice at This email address is being protected from spam bots, you need Javascript enabled to view it or cell 469.593.5243.

Pearce’s 2008-09 Mustang Stampede country western dance and stunt team took their boot-scootin’ to Austin and San Antonio March 28-30. Thirty members of the team performed under a brilliant blue sky Saturday at the Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo Fairgrounds in Austin where they were cheered by an enthusiastic crowd of cowboys and cowgirls, both young and old.

After their performance on an equally sunny Sunday afternoon, the Stampede was the talk of the San Antonio Riverwalk. Duded up in their red shirt tops and denim bottoms, they had the Riverwalk crowd at the open-air Arneson Theatre at La Villita Historic Arts Village oohing and ahhing at the flips, lifts and twirls with 60 boots stomping and flying in harmonic rhythm to the country western music.

Monday was the climactic performance at the state capitol in Austin. The group was first treated to a private tour of the capitol. Richardson area legislators Rep. Angie Chen Button and Rep. Carol Kent personally guided the group on a behind-the-scenes view of the capital and the Texas House of Representative chambers. Later in the morning when the legislative session convened, the Pearce Mustang Stampede was honored by a Texas House of Representatives resolution read on the House floor which recognized the Mustang Stampede captains Victoria Smith and Michael Overby, lieutenants Barrett Gold, DJ Holloway, Joy Simmons, Nathan Reisman and Katie Hartley along with members Amelia Rainey, Alexa Swords, Maya Calleros, Mallary Presley, Rachel Moss, Allison Kirkland, Kim Retzsch, Molly Cain, Hope Hefner, Halie Aikin, Angie Steindorf, Rachel Cole, Tyler Barrett, Johnny Windley, Jake Fogel, Matt Supan, Wade Caston, Jack Carlton, Fred Barajas, Randall Platten, JP Van Voorhees, Stephen Boyd, and Connor Wenning who sat in the gallery overlooking the House session. In the gallery with the Stampede were Richardson ISD School Board Trustee Kim Caston, JJ Pearce High School Principal Karen Neal, and Stampede sponsors and Pearce teachers Caroline Vanderslice and Steven Anthony.

At lunchtime Monday, a huge audience on the floor and balconies of the capitol rotunda enjoyed the Stampede’s high-flying, high-energy dances. The crowd was audibly awed by the boys swinging the girls with their red hair ribbons just inches above the Texas-themed terrazzo rotunda floor, or by balancing them high in the air with just one arm. It was said the smiles on the Texas governor portraits which line the walls of the rotunda grew a little bigger after the performance.

Each Mustang Stampede member is an exceptional high school student. In order to be a member of Mustang Stampede, students must have a specific grade point average and obtain excellent recommendations from their teachers. Stampeders are selected after a dance and stunt audition before a panel of experts with ballroom dancing, cheerleading and drill team expertise. The team consists of 16 couples, all juniors and seniors at JJ Pearce High School. They practice daily and perform at many events each year while also being involved in varsity sports, theater, choir, school musicals, honor societies, school clubs and volunteering for their community and churches.

2008-2009 PHS Mustang Stampede Team Members

JJ Pearce High School is proud to announce the 2008 Mustang Stampede an outstanding country western dance team. The Stampede’s school sponsors are Family and Consumer Science teacher Caroline Vanderslice and JJ Pearce High School Science teacher and coach Steven Anthony.

Each Mustang Stampede member is an exceptional high school student. In order to be a member of Mustang Stampede, students must have a specific grade point average and obtain excellent recommendations from their teachers. Stampeders are selected after a dance and stunt audition before a panel of experts with ballroom dancing, cheerleading and drill team expertise. The team consists of 16 couples, all juniors and seniors at JJ Pearce High School. They practice daily and perform at many events each year while also being involved in varsity sports, theater, choir, school musicals, honor societies, school clubs and volunteering for their community and churches.