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 communications, marketing, and sponsor relations and also works with W. F. Young on brands including Absorbine.

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 the 20th Century Most Influential Horsemen, Bob Cacchione is mentioned as a beacon of the industry by most of the podcast guests.

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 holds both a Bachelor's and a Master's degree in Education from UVM.

Her role at the University allows her to bring together her formal training as an educator with decades of hands-on experience working with horses and riders. It is a rewarding blend of my passions for teaching, horsemanship, and supporting the next generation of equine professionals.

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 2019 YEDA Reserve National Championship Senior High Team. In addition to team successes, they have coached numerous YEDA individual National and Reserve National Championship riders in horsemanship and ranch riding. Additionally, the team's riders have secured IEA regional championships, high point championships, and national qualifiers. Many of their riders have gone on to compete in NCAA and IHSA collegiate riding. In 2020, the senior high team made history by achieving the highest score to date at the YEDA National Championship show, triumphing by over 10 points. McColley also operates McColley Quarter Horses with her husband at their home in Jonesville. There, she has helped riders and horses achieve significant success, including producing AQHA Level Three and Level Two World, Reserve and Bronze World champions, AQHA Congress and Reserve champions, AQHA Level One champions, PHBA World champions, and numerous year-end high point champions. Nichole holds a bachelor's degree in biology, as well as an Associate's degree in Equestrian Studies from the University of Findlay, where she competed on their equestrian team.

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 Equestrian Centre in England. After early experience in hunters and eventing, she dedicated herself to dressage in 1995 and has since competed successfully through Intermediate I, earning numerous local, regional, and national honors. She has trained with many top professionals, including Janet Foy, Heather Blitz, Walter Zettl, and Maryal Barnett.

With over 30 years of experience training horses and riders, Barbra is known for her patient, classical approach to developing confident, successful partnerships. She and her husband, Brian, own Brilliant Reflection Farm in Ortonville, Michigan, where she continues to teach, train, and compete with her Hanoverian gelding Leverado Lauries at Fourth Level and Prix St. Georges.

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 Nationals as her region's Cacchione Rider.