Randolph-Macon College will seek a new leader for its successful Equestrian program upon the departure of Dana Lesesne, who helped launch the program nearly 15 years ago. Lesesne and her husband David, who served as RMC’s long-time Vice President for Enrollment and Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid at RMC and departed last September, are relocating to be near their families in South Carolina. Lesesne has served as the program’s director since 2010.

“It’s been a lot of work to start a program from scratch, and to see it take off and thrive,” Lesesne said. “To be able to introduce so many more students to all that Randolph-Macon has to offer has been really exciting and rewarding.”

The program started competing in Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) events in 2010 with five student riders, a number that tripled within two years and has continued to grow to nearly 70 students today. In 2018, several RMC donors enabled the College to acquire Coventry Farm, now known as the RMC Equestrian Center, where the program has been located since 2015. This first-class facility, located a short drive from RMC’s campus, features two large outdoor arenas, an indoor arena, and a barn with 35 stalls, giving riders everything needed to succeed.

Today, RMC Equestrian riders are split evenly between IHSA and Eventing teams. The Eventing team competes in the United States Eventing Association and earned a third-place ranking in 2021. Caitlyn Giese ’24 continued the program’s success with the 2022 IHSA Novice Flat national championship.

“We are grateful for Dana’s tremendous vision for Equestrian at RMC and her many years of hard work on behalf of our students and our College,” RMC President Robert R. Lindgren said. “The combination of RMC’s outstanding educational experience coupled with the opportunity to ride in college has attracted a wide range of students from across the country.”

“I think the best part of the job has been getting to work with these students and see where they go from Randolph-Macon and all that they can achieve,” Lesesne said. “The goal was to provide them another level of experience at Randolph-Macon that would enhance their college experience and send them out into the world as more well-rounded people, and I feel like that has been our track record.”

Lesesne will facilitate a transition of leadership through the end of the spring semester. Head Coach John West, who has been a part of the program since 2015, will assume the lead operations role for the program and the barn.

“RMC Equestrian offers students the ability to utilize a fabulous facility and top-notch training, in addition to building cohorts of high-achieving graduates,” Lindgren said. “Indeed, Dana has laid the strong foundation for an even more successful program for years to come.”