Raegan Comeaux is a USHJA Credentialed Instructor, a USEF Licensed Official ("r" hunter and equitation), and the founder and CEO of EMES-Equine Mastery Education System. Raegan has been riding, training, and showing horses since the age of 8. After earning her degree in Animal Science with a specialty in Equine Science and minors in English and Marketing, she spent 34 years building her training facility from 30 untamed acres to the 148-acre elite training facility it is today. She remains passionate about creating positive change in the hunter/jumper industry to ensure the safety, wellbeing, and education of riders and horses alike.

Raegan specializes in partnering riders and horse lovers with the ideal mounts. She then molds the partnership through one-on-one instruction to be the best that they each can be. Raegan's students have been competitive on a national level for the past 25 years and have traveled to compete in prestigious horse shows like Capital Challenge, Devon, Pony Finals, Junior Hunter Finals, the Pennsylvania National Horse Show, the Washington International Horse Show, the USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Championships, and the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships.

When Raegan isn't integrating all the best information into EMES, or training horses and riders, or judging hunters and equitation as a USEF Licensed Official, she loves spending time with her husband and children, riding her young horse, wakeboarding and slaloming, gardening, reading, and cheering on the New Orleans Saints!

Through EMES, Raegan wanted to offer the hunter/jumper world the opportunity she didn't have growing up: the ability to learn, train, and advance no matter their location. To find out more about Raegan, you can read about her career, visit her EMES coach's profile, or reach out to her directly at [email protected].

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 riders, trainers, veterinarians, and saddle professionals worldwide, authored bestselling books on saddle fit, and pioneered innovations in adjustable, gender-correct saddle design that have transformed the industry.

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 across team and individual competition. SCAD continues to showcase the depth, talent, and excellence that have made the program one of the nation's premier collegiate equestrian teams.

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 have helped contribute to the Hornets' success through their talent and determination.

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 Jumper Association and remains active in collegiate equestrian leadership through the IHSA. In 2025, he received the IHSA Lifetime Achievement Award in recognition of his longstanding contributions to the sport.

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 Board Advisor since 2021 and helped develop the IEA Team Captains Campaign and Region Captains programs.

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.