‍From Campus to Competition

It’s no surprise to those familiar with Horse Spot that its founders are passionate advocates for equestrians pursuing collegiate riding careers. Michael Lenard, former captain of Northern Illinois University’s Equestrian Team, and his brother Christopher Lenard, an active competitor with the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s team, have deep roots with IHSA. In 2024, we proudly supported the IHSA Zone 7 Championship Finals. We are also supporting all Alumni Equestrian Events (AEE) along with the annual Alumni Tournament of Champions finals for students that want to continue showing post-college. As leaders in equestrian technology with an ethos of being engaged within our communities— we’re dedicated to empowering the next generation of riders. We understand that for many, those careers begin with their college equestrian team. Through 'Educated Rider,' we’re supporting aspiring equestrians find the mentorship and support they need from those who’ve lived the experience.

Introducing: Educated Rider

Educated Rider is a platform and service created by Raegan Rast to help equestrians in high school navigate the collegiate equestrian recruiting process. Raegan began riding at the age of eight years old and was a complete barn rat. Originally from Kansas, Raegan transitioned to online school and took advantage of the working student opportunities she had for various top sales barns which is where she found her passion for business and people.

Similar to today’s recruiting process, Raegan had to be creative in order to get noticed by the coaches and master her storytelling and personal brand. Texas Christian University recruited Raegan Rast to their team from 2017-2022, and she did not let them down. She graduated from TCU with a BBA in Marketing and MS in Business Analytics, as well as Big 12 Rider of the Year, 3x All Big 12 Rider of the year, 3x All Big 12 Team, NCEA All-American and hunt seat captain.

After graduating from Texas Christian University, and inspired from her time on the team, she sparked an idea to create an easier and more efficient way to navigate the collegiate equestrian recruiting process. As the sport continues to grow at the collegiate level, Raegan created a business that helps educate prospective student-athletes on the process, schools, and opportunities to pursue collegiate equestrian. Raegan started Educated Rider in fall of 2023 as the head of jumping seat recruitment and has recently added former TCU teammate, Maddy Buchanan to head the western recruitment.

Two Tailored Services

Educated Rider offers two distinct services: "The Classic" and "The Grand Prix," both designed to provide expert guidance and a head start in the recruiting process.

The Classic includes access to 15 educational video courses that walk through every step of collegiate recruitment from creating an NCAA ID to Camps & Unofficial Visits to Signing Day. With this package, members receive valuable resources like email templates, flat patterns, fence courses, and a comprehensive list of scholarships and grants. In addition, members will have the opportunity for one-on-one coaching sessions with Raegan.

The Grand Prix offers unlimited consulting with Raegan, allowing for personalized support throughout prospective student-athletes recruitment journey. This package includes assistance with crafting and reviewing emails to coaches, as well as strategic advice on organizing and presenting videos. A key feature of this package is a feature to the "Coaches Portal," where collegiate coaches can view profiles of prospective student-athletes and reach out to Raegan with inquiries. Members will also be among the first to hear about camp and clinic registration opportunities.

Both packages are designed to equip prospective student-athletes with the tools, resources, and personalized support to maximize your chances of recruitment success.

Dreams in Motion

Educated Rider has helped prospective student-athletes receive offers from Auburn University, Baylor University, Texas Christian University, Southern Methodist University, University of South Carolina, University of California Davis, University of Georgia, South Dakota State University, Fresno State University, and University of Tennessee Martin.

Horse Spot Supports Riders on the Rise

Horse Spot is excited to welcome the Educated Rider community to our platform by offering exclusive internship opportunities—giving students hands-on experience in both launching a SaaS startup and managing an equestrian business. We recognize that many will go on to pursue corporate careers, equestrian ventures, or even both. College is a transformative time, and we’re here to provide the skills, insights, and connections to help students shape their futures with confidence.

For anyone interested in learning more, students can email us at hello@horsespot.net

Get in touch with Educated Rider

https://educatedrider.com/

Picture Credits:
Andrew Ryback Photography and Megan Giese Media