Athletic Equestrian: Riding In College Podcast

Jochen Schleese is a Certified Master Saddler, internationally recognized saddle fitting expert, author, and founder of Schleese Saddlery Service and Saddlefit 4 Life®. After his own riding career was cut short due to his horse suffering saddle-related injuries, Jochen dedicated his life to improving equine welfare through proper saddle fit and ergonomics. For more than 40 years, he has educated r...

Joining the podcast are members of the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD) equestrian team, fresh off an impressive performance at the IHSA National Championships. Representing the program are Head Coach and Equestrian Director Ashley Henry, Assistant Coach Sammy Perlman, and several standout student-athletes who earned multiple national titles, top-10 finishes, and championship honors acros...

The University of Lynchburg , one of the top programs in collegiate equestrian, talks about their recent NCEA National Championship win. Under the leadership of  Phillip Williamson , the Hornets have built a nationally recognized program with multiple championship titles. Joining him are standout student-athletes Kristin Palmer , Stella Patenaude , Amaya Bellfield , and Maddy Rubin , all of whom h...

is the Head Riding Coach and Associate Professor of Physical Education at Washington and Lee University. With more than 30 years of experience in the equestrian industry, he has coached nationally competitive collegiate riders and programs at Albion College, Randolph College, and Cornell University. A Virginia native, Mitchell has also served as Director of Jumper Programs for the U.S. Hunter Jump...

grew up in Nicaragua, where she trained in Jumpers and Dressage. She went on to compete in the IDA at Otterbein University, earning B.S. degrees in Marketing and Psychology in 2020. After interning with the IEA Marketing Office during college, Montana joined IEA Marketing full-time following graduation. She has since relocated several times and is now based in Denver. She has served as a Youth Boa...

Carrie grew up at United States Military Academy at West Point, where her father served as Officer in Charge of the Cadet Riding Team. That early connection led to a lifelong relationship with the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA). After a career in marketing and communications Carrie moved to Wellington, Florida and later founded EQ Media. Today, her firm manages IHSA's communication...

Rennie Dyball  is the author or co-author of more than twenty books, including the award-winning SHOW STRIDES series, GOOD BOY, EDDIE, and THE ADHD FIELD GUIDE FOR ADULTS. She is a freelance editor, a college essay coach, and a lifelong horse lover who competes in the adult hunter and equitation divisions. In college,  Rennie  rode on the Penn State IHSA equestrian team for four years, serving as...

Celebrate the 200th episode of the Riding in College Podcast with IHSA founder Bob Cacchione. Follow along as he shares how he started the association with just six schools and a dozen riders and how it expanded in the years since. The concept was simple but revolutionary: eliminate the need for riders to own horses and provide mounts at each competition in a catch-ride format. Honored as one of t...

a Senior Lecturer in the Department of  Animal  and Veterinary  Sciences  at the  University of Vermont . She began teaching riding at my family's farm in Charlotte, Vermont while she was in high school, and—with the exception of several years dedicated to raising my children— She has been teaching, coaching, and training ever since. Her background is rooted in the hunter/jumper industry, and she...

McColley's tenure with Albion Equestrian began in August 2024. For the last 12 years, McColley, together with her husband, Travis, has been serving as the coach for the McColley Equestrian Team.  The McColley Equestrian Team has achieved significant success at both IEA and YEDA competitions. They clinched the 2018 and 2020 YEDA National Champion Senior High Team titles, as well as claiming the 201...

Camryn Lubner, from Southampton, New Jersey (a small town about 40 minutes outside Philly) and graduated from the University of South Carolina in May of 2024. She was on their IHSA team for all four years, competing in Open Flat and Fences throughout her career and attending Nationals in 2022, 2023, and 2024. She have been riding and showing horses ever since she could walk and have had the privil...

Barbara is a United States Dressage Association Bronze Medalist with Distinction, Silver Medalist, and Bronze Freestyle Bar recipient. She is currently pursuing her Silver Freestyle Bar and has one score toward her Gold Medal. A lifelong equestrian, Barbra earned her B.S. in Equine Studies from Centenary College and holds a British Horse Society Assistant Instructor Certificate from Porlock Vale E...

Samantha Rothman is the Assistant Trainer and Professional Rider at Stonehaven Farms.  She has been coaching the University of Toledo IHSA Team since the 2021-2022 season along with our farm's IEA Team. She graduated from Lake Erie College with an Equine Teacher Trainer Major and showed in Open Fences and Flat for my 4 undergraduate years. During her freshman and junior year she advanced to IHSA N...

Jamey Mroz, a dynamic leader in the field of mental performance and leadership development. Jamey is an Adjunct Instructor at Boston College in the Sports Administration Masters Program teaching Sports Psychology. Outside of teaching Jamey primarily works as an Executive Coach specializing in mental skills, culture and leadership development. Applying sports psychology and performance concepts to...

Savannah Mannes  grew up in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan where she was  a  working student for Greg Crolick throughout her junior career. As  a junior, she competed in the Junior Hunters, Equitation and Jumpers. Savannah then went on to attend Cazenovia College where she was captain on their IHSA equestrian team. Earning top accolades in the Open Divisions and Cacchione Cup standings, such as two Op...

Michael Lenard  is a co-founder of Horse Spot, where he serves as CFO and leads the Sales and Customer Success efforts. With nearly two decades of experience in horse show management, Michael brings a deep understanding of the industry. He has managed USEF competitions, is an experienced show secretary, and recently earned his USEF 'r' Jumper Judge license. He's also a lifelong hunter/jumper compe...

Ifa Simmonds is an equestrian fitness and performance coach with over a decade of experience. He is the founder of the Equestrian Fitness Academy (EFA), created to help riders build strong, balanced bodies in and out of the saddle. He helps equestrians improve core strength, balance, and mobility through functional, rider-specific fitness programs. At the core of his training process are four key...

Founder of College Ready and a Certified Educational Consultant, helps families secure top-tier college admissions without debt. A bestselling author, international speaker, and host of Parents, Is Your Teen College Ready?, she combines insider admissions knowledge with financial strategy to create clear, personalized plans. With 17+ years of experience and the proven success of guiding her four c...

Trigger warning: This podcast deals with topics including abuse, slaughter and euthanasia. Listen in as Christina Keim discusses her meticulously researched book and her interviews with industry experts, including veterinarians, lawmakers, welfare advocates, and shelter workers, and reviews published data to help separate unwanted horse facts from fantasy. And perhaps most importantly, she showcas...

Started riding at age 5 in Lakewood, WA, and began showing in Hunters and Equitation before discovering a passion for jumpers in middle school. In high school, she competed in a variety of English and Western events but ultimately returned to rated Hunter/Jumper shows. She attended Cazenovia College, competing in Hunter Seat, Western, and Dressage, and later served as Western team captain. After g...

Kate Roncarati Paul is the head coach of the Northeastern University Equestrian Team and has led an IEA team since 2018—both heading to nationals this year. She began as a working student and competed primarily on the local circuit before studying equine science at Mount Ida College, where she captained the IHSA team. After college, she worked under her former coach, Julie Chandler (Kelly), and re...

Lindsay  Shaw began riding at the age of 8 with an ever growing passion for the sport and horses.  Lindsay  attended the Grier School, having the top Interscholastic Equestrian program in the country, from 8th -12th grade and competed in USEF, USDF, and IEA shows with her team. She attended Emory & Henry University in 2020 and competed at IDA and IHSA shows. While at Emory & Henry,  Lindsay  earne...

Adaline Hanes is a full time student at Johnson and Wales University in her junior year, she is perusing a degree in Equine Business Management with a specialization in Equine Assisted Services. She is also a student assistant at the Johnson and Wales Equestrian Center and serves as a Team Captain of the IHSA Team. Madison Adams is a senior at Clemson University and a Level I Horsemanship rider on...

T he Black Hawk College Equestrian Team won the 2025 IHSA Nationals Western Team Championship held in May in Tryon, NC. Head Coach  Bekah Irish is joined by her team riders that competed at the 2025 IHSA Nationals.

T he Purdue University Equestrian Team won the first IHSA Nationals Hunt Seat Team Championship in their history at the 2025 Nationals held in May in Tryon, NC. Head Coach Kathryn Kraft is joined by both her team and individual riders that competed at the 2025 IHSA Nationals.