Jessie Weisinger, an alumna of and most recently the assistant coach at Texas A&M, joins the UC Davis staff as the university's first head women's equestrian coach on July 16, 2018.
"I am extremely grateful to UC Davis, Kevin Blue and [associate A.D.] Anissa Nachman for allowing me this opportunity," said Weisinger. "I have been fortunate to be at a great university these past four years, but am looking forward to building this new program and being a part of the vision and excitement Kevin has brought to the UC Davis athletic department."
"Our new equestrian program has tremendous potential given the strengths and traditions of our university, and we are thrilled that coach Weisinger will be leading us forward as we grow it," said Blue. "Her diverse experience in the sport, including her time as a national champion assistant coach and student-athlete at Texas A&M, makes her an ideal head coach to build our program."
Weisinger previously led Texas A&M's horsemanship squad and assisted head coach Tana McKay with the reining team during her tenure from 2014-15 to this past season. During that time, the Aggies captured the 2017 NCEA championship, becoming the first team ever to win a national title without the benefit of a first-round bye. Texas A&M beat its competitors by a combined 54-8 in four rounds of play that year. Weisinger guided three student-athletes to NCEA All-Championship Horsemanship honors in 2017, including the Most Outstanding Horsemanship Rider, Avery Ellis. A year later, the Aggies captured the NCEA reining event championship, edging Auburn in a thrilling tiebreaker for the national title.
Weisinger oversaw 20 head of horses for her horsemanship crew, securing the donations and leases for the Aggies. She also handled recruiting, event management and riding camps during her years in College Station.
"It is very exciting to have the newest NCAA equestrian team announce the selection of its new head coach, Jessie Weisinger," said NCEA National Advisory Board Co-Chair Tom O'Mara. "Congratulations to the entire UC Davis community for landing such an exceptional talent. Jessie was not just a successful NCAA equestrian assistant coach but was also an outstanding student-athlete as well. Jessie has such a deep and diverse equestrian background which makes her the perfect leader for the UC Davis equestrian team."
Prior to returning to her alma mater, Weisinger spent more than three years as an assistant trainer at the Guynn Training Center in Berthoud, Colorado. During that stint, she formed the Rocky Mountain Wranglers, a middle/high school team that competed under the auspices of the Interscholastic Equestrian Association. The RMW placed fifth and sixth at the IEA high school championships in 2013 and 2014, respectively.
Weisinger also worked at the Star of Texas Fair and Rodeo (2007-10), and the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (2005-07) before beginning her tenure at Guynn.
Originally from Corpus Christi, Texas, the former Jessie Highfill lettered at Texas A&M from 1999 to 2002. She was one of the original members of the school's equestrian program as well as a member of its first national championship in 2002. She continued to ride into her coaching career, earning the Rocky Mountain Quarter Horse Association Year-End Championship in Open Ranch Horse Pleasure in 2013. That year also saw Weisinger place in the top 15 at the American Paint Horse Association World Show, which in turn was a follow-up to her RMQHA Julie Fabrizius Memorial Rising Star Award in 2012.
As an example of its commitment to Title IX compliance, UC Davis announced the additions of women's equestrian and women's beach volleyball as its two newest varsity sports, effective the 2018-19 school year.
