Saddle Up Podcast

About Saddle Up Podcast

Our podcast will explore the many experiences and vast history of the University of Rio Grande Valley (U.T. Pan American) athletic programs! Join us for the countless memories the guests will share reflecting on their time at the University. We can't wait for you to join!

Publisher

Matt Palmquist

Category

sports

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

16 Jan 2023

Latest episode

1 Oct 2026

Latest episodes

153 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   1 Oct 2026

   Chef Mark Sierra

   This week on The Saddle Up Podcast, G Garza and Matt Palmquist welcome Chef Mark Sierra, Army veteran, restaurateur, and founder of the Purple Heart Project of Texas, for a conversation about food, service, sacrifice, and building something bigger than yourself.Chef Mark is the owner of Compadres Hill Country Cocina in Boerne, Texas, a restaurant rooted in family recipes, Texas hospitality, and deep respect for those who have served. His path into the kitchen began when he was just 10 years old, learning to cook from his grandmother after she lost her sight. Years later, that foundation helped shape a career in the culinary world and eventually led him to open Compadres.But Chef Mark’s impact stretches far beyond the restaurant.In 2020, Mark and his wife, Dalia, started what would become the Purple Heart Project with a simple idea: provide a steak dinner to honor local Purple Heart recipients and Gold Star families. That gesture of appreciation grew into an annual gala and a nonprofit dedicated to recognizing combat-wounded veterans, supporting their families, funding scholarships, organizing community service efforts, and ensuring their sacrifices are never forgotten.Chef Mark has also helped spearhead efforts to recognize Boerne as a Purple Heart City and played a role in establishing a Purple Heart monument at Veterans Plaza, creating a permanent tribute to those wounded or killed in combat.In this episode, we talk about his military service, the journey from veteran to chef and business owner, the origins of Compadres, and why supporting veterans and Gold Star families has become such an important part of his life.We also explore the meaning of service after the uniform comes off, the responsibility of keeping the stories of America’s heroes alive, and how food, community, and gratitude can bring people together in powerful ways.Chef Mark’s story is a reminder that service does not end when military service does. Sometimes, it simply takes on a new form.

2. 

   18 Sept 2026

   Marsha Terry

   This week on The Saddle Up Podcast, G Garza and Matt Palmquist welcome Marsha Terry, a nurse, philanthropist, wife, mother, community advocate, and co-founder of Village in the Valley, for a conversation about service, family, purpose, and what it really means to build a stronger community.Marsha has spent more than 30 years as a Registered Nurse and earned a Master of Science in Nursing with a focus on Leadership and Management. Her career has been built around caring for people, but that commitment to service extends far beyond healthcare. She is also a coach, speaker, author, entrepreneur, and longtime advocate for helping others discover their voice and purpose.That passion helped lead to the creation of Village in the Valley, also known as ViVa. Founded in 2019, ViVa was built around the idea that “it takes a village to raise a child,” with a mission to elevate and unite the Black community while connecting cultures throughout the Rio Grande Valley. The organization focuses on three central pillars: culture, community, and commerce.Through ViVa, Marsha and her fellow founders have helped create community programs, cultural events, scholarship opportunities, educational initiatives, and service projects across the Valley. By 2025, the organization reported more than 120 members, thousands of dollars awarded in scholarships, and hundreds of Thanksgiving meals distributed to seniors across the RGV.In this episode, Marsha talks about balancing the many roles she carries, from healthcare professional and entrepreneur to wife, mother, and community leader. We discuss the importance of representation, mentorship, philanthropy, and why creating meaningful connections between people can have an impact far beyond any single event or organization.At the center of the conversation is a simple idea: real communities are built when people are willing to show up for one another.

3. 

   11 Sept 2026

   Abraham Garcia

   This week on The Saddle Up Podcast, G Garza and Matt Palmquist welcome Abraham Garcia, former UTPA Men’s Baseball player, for a conversation that goes far beyond the diamond.Abraham takes us back to his freshman season and one of the moments that has stayed with him ever since, hitting a home run against the University of Texas in Austin. For a young college baseball player stepping onto one of the biggest stages in the state, it was the kind of moment athletes dream about and a memory that still carries weight years later.But this episode is about much more than baseball.Abraham opens up about losing his father at a young age and how that loss helped shape the direction of his life. He discusses the important role his older brother, Bert Garcia, played in stepping up, providing guidance, and helping mold Abraham into the man he is today.The conversation explores brotherhood, family, resilience, and the people who step into our lives when we need them most. Abraham reflects on how the lessons he learned through adversity carried over into baseball, adulthood, and the way he approaches life today.We also revisit his time at UTPA, the teammates and experiences that made those years special, and what it meant to represent the Broncs while competing at the Division I level.It is an episode about a memorable home run, but more importantly, it is a story about family, perseverance, gratitude, and becoming the person others helped you believe you could be.------Follow G IG / @gghoops Follow Matt IG / @ptwist610 Welcome to **The Saddle Up Podcast**, the unscripted RGV show where real stories, sports, culture, community, and Vaquero pride all meet at the same table.Hosted by **G Garza and Matt Palmquist**, Saddle Up brings you conversations with former athletes, coaches, alumni, community leaders, entertainers, business owners, and difference-makers connected to **UTPA, UTB, UTRGV, and the Rio Grande Valley**. Every episode is built around honest conversation, good laughs, untold stories, and the people who continue to shape the Valley’s past, present, and future.Whether you are a UTPA alum, UTB alum, UTRGV supporter, Vaquero fan, RGV native, sports fan, or someone who loves authentic conversations, this episode is for you.Subscribe to **The Saddle Up Podcast** for more conversations with the people who represent the Rio Grande Valley with pride.**Find Saddle Up Podcast on:**YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Spotify, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, and Apple Podcasts.

Who has been a guest on Saddle Up Podcast

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Julie Shakin
• Leah Wise
• Kenny Gardner
• Tino Villareal
• Art Ormond

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

76,153

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Apple Podcasts (US)

5.0 / 5

10 ratings

Spotify

4.0 / 5

4 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 76 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

90

Social presence

0

YouTube

85

Engagement

71

Contact Saddle Up Podcast

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.

Questions about Saddle Up Podcast