Interview With Semi-Finals Qualifier and Coach, Michelle Mohr

Coach Michelle Mohr 
Alumni Western Regionals Champion 

Full Name: Michelle Mohr

Coaching Discipline: Western

In which disciplines do you represent the IHSA Alumni Team for Tarleton?

- Western Horsemanship, Hunt Seat Equitation on the Flat, and Hunt Seat Equitation Over Fences

In which discipline did you qualify for IHSA Semi-Finals?

- Western Horsemanship for the IHSA Semi Finals at Black Hawk College in Galva, IL.

What is your favorite thing about your disciplines?

- My favorite thing about the Alumni divisions is that alumni can come back and compete while being able to mentor undergraduate riders at the same time. The Alumni have kind of "been there, done that" so we are more relaxed, and I think that attitude helps calm the nerves of the undergrads. Plus, the "back in my day" stories are always great!

How did you feel the morning of IHSA Semi-Finals? How did you mentally prepare yourself?

- The morning of Semi-Finals I really wasn't all that nervous. Because the alumni division is a lot more relaxed in that a team doesn't depend on us for points, I'm not in "danger" of letting anyone down but myself. I tend to get a bit quieter when I'm trying to mentally prepare myself for competition. At the IHSA semi-finals, I spent time on Black Hawk's gorgeous campus, and watched and cheered on the other Zone 7 Region 2 riders.

Is there anything you feel you could've done better in your rides?

- As far as my rides went, I do feel like I probably could have kept my horse a bit more collected on the rail. My pattern was better than my railwork, and I really collected  him up and made him work in my pattern. All the horses at Semi-Finals were very nice and no re-rides were granted all weekend.

How did the competition differ this year from last year at IHSA Semi-Finals?

Coach Michelle Mohr at Semi-Finals
8th Place in Alumni Western Horsemanship

- The competition this year was quite different. Instead of having Alumni at all three Semi-Final locations, only two out of the three hosted alumni. This meant that the class size was almost double the number of the competitors from last year. At the Illinois Semi-Finals we had the three-time Alumni Horsemanship National Champion, last year's Reserve National Champion, a former AQHA High Point Rider National Champion, and various other Top Ten National competitors (myself included). It certainly was a tougher crowd!

What were your expectations for yourself when you first started coaching the Tarleton State Equestrian Team?

- I set my personal expectations high when I became coach to include being dependable and prioritizing what the team needs. This included making sure that all practices took place without compromise unless there was a situation that could not be avoided. The Tarleton State Equestrian team relies on the coaches and it’s our commitment to be there for them. The only time practices were cancelled was when I was traveling with the Western team to IHSA shows and couldn’t be in two places at once!  

What were your expectations for the team when you first started as a coach?

- When I first signed on as coach in the Fall semester, I set my expectations pretty high for the team. I wanted to maintain a 2/3 retention rate from the Fall to Spring semester.  I knew it would be time consuming, but rewards would far outweigh the struggles. I expected a few growing pains since it was my first year in combination with the changes within the team, including practicing at the equine facilities rather than at private facilities. Because the coaches are not students at the university, the Equestrian Team advisers were extremely helpful in getting the coaches acquainted with any changes or rules at both the Equine Center and with Tarleton as a whole.

What is a goal that you have for the team in the next five years?

- In the next 5 years I would love for the team to have coaches hired and paid for by Tarleton State University with more riding classes offered as part of the curriculum. I would love for the team to do more recruiting on top of CPI, like the State 4H horse show, the AQHA and APHA world shows, and the State 4H roundup!

Coach Michelle Mohr and the TSU Western Team 

As far as the western side of the team, I'd like (through recruiting) to finally have a full team! The last regular show of the season was the first time the team had a Reiner in a few years, which put us 1 division away from having a full team (something I don't think the team has ever had since its inception).  I also hope that the western team can take home some team awards. Our region is very competitive in the western arena with powerhouse West Texas A&M University followed closely by Texas Tech University and North Central Texas College pushing us to improve at each show! We were 3rd place team a couple of shows even without a full team so I have high hopes for the future!

~ Editor: Jade St. Denis