Luanne Leonard was named co-head coach of NCEA riding at Bridgewater College in Oct. 2023.
In the 2024-25 season, the Eagles finsihed the season with a 3-7 overall record and made it to the semifinals in the ODAC Head-to-Head tournament. Willow Wright, was named ODAC Co-Rookie of the Year and earned a spot on the All-ODAC listings.
Stepping into the new co-head coaching role, Leonard joins the program after spending the last several years coaching HR Windy Springs in the IEA (Interscholastic Equestrian Association) at the middle and high school level. Prior to her time there, she spent several years coaching at Clover Grove. She guided that team to a pair of National Reserve Championships, including the most recent one in 2019.
Leonard won the 1978 Cacchione Cup as a senior at Penn State. She won the national championship after just her second year of collegiate riding and has been a coach nearly ever since. She has been an instructor since 1982.
She holds a Graduate "A" certification from the United State Pony Club in which she is a board member and a past president. In addition to her career in riding, Leonard taught fourth grade at Augusta County Public Schools for over 20 years before retiring in 2022.
Leonard, a 1978 graduate of Penn State, holds a degree in animal production. She got her start working at The Ridge Farm in New Jersey working with former Olympian Nona Garson following graduation.
