Laura Persons took over as the Mustangs’ Jumping Seat Coach after 15 years of experience in the horse industry.
In Person's second season on the Hilltop, she helped guide SMU to a historic season. The Mustangs finished the year with a program-best 13-1 record and won the program’s first NCEA National Championship. Persons helped mentor Augusta Iwasaki, Madigan Eppink, Emma Engel and Hensley Humphries to All-America status.
In Person’s first year as the Jumping Seat Coach, SMU added its fourth consecutive ECAC Conference title and finished No. 3 in the final NCEA poll of the season. The Mustangs were 11-7 on the year and 4-1 in the conference. At the NCEA Championships in Ocala, Florida, SMU took down No. 1 Auburn in convincing fashion 12-8 in the quarterfinals. Persons helped
Taylor Madden earn the nod as a first-team all-America selection in the Flat and NCEA co-Rider of the Year, along with freshman
Elli Yeager earning second-team honors in Fences. Person's first season saw Hensley Humphries be named as the ECAC Freshman of the Year honors.
Persons arrived at the Hilltop following a successful stint at the Dallas Equestrian Center. Her top students have gone on to earn top-10 finishes at Junior Hunter Finals, Championships and Circuit Championships in the High Junior Jumper division at WEF, Team Gold at the NAYRC in Traverse City, Michigan, and a spot on the Young Rider's Nations Cup team for the United States for the upcoming finals.
Persons started showing on the national "A" circuit when she was seven years old and has competed in and won at many of the premier horse shows in North America, including Indio, Ocala, Spruce Meadows, Culpepper, the Olympic Park in Atlanta, Great Southwest Equestrian Center, The Colorado Horse Park, the Kentucky Horse Park, and Tryon International Equestrian Center.
Standout career finishes for Persons include winning the Duncan Ross' Associates Stake Class in Spruce Meadows, Canada in 2000 as well as having multiple wins in the Large Junior Hunters at HITS Winter Circuit. Persons also developed numerous young hunters and jumpers that have won multiple year-end awards in both the zone finals and national finals.
In 2006, Persons moved to Houston and worked as an assistant for Tony Font before starting her own training business in Austin.
As the owner and head trainer at Serendipity Farms Austin for 13 years, Persons ran the hunter jumper training program, overseeing operations, training and staff for 50 horses. While competing with numerous young prospects in both the hunter and jumper arenas to national awards, she also amassed a resume of successful students. Persons' students have been successful at a national level, earning top-10 placings at events such as $50,000 USHJA International Derbies, and Zone 7 year-end awards, and Pony finals.
Persons has spent over 15 years teaching and training both riders and horses. Throughout her career, Persons has been privileged to study under and work with some of the nation's top riders and trainers, including Peter Pletcher, Nona Garson, Anne Kursinski, Chris Kappler and Bernie Traurig.
Persons earned a bachelor's degree in economics from Cornell University. She has two sons, Buck and Quin, who live with her in Dallas.
