SMU Athletics

Cathy Woosley Luse enters her second season on the Hilltop in 2026-27, serving as the Assistant Western Coach.

In her first campaign with the Mustangs, Woosley Luse coached the Reining riders to immense success, aiding the Mustangs to a season with three top-five ranked victories and five NCEA All-America selections. Being named a top-five seed at the NCEA Championships for the fourth consecutive season, the Mustangs finished the year at the NCEA Quarterfinals where they narrowly fell 11-8 to the 2026 NCEA National Champions, South Carolina.

The Reining riders secured nine MOPs in the 2025-26 campaign, earning the honor in all but two meets. 

Freshman Madison Rafacz found immense success in her debut season as a Mustang, becoming an NCEA First-Team All-American in Reining and the 2026 NCEA Reining Rider of the Year. The Ocala native went an unblemished 9-0-2 in her freshman campaign, collecting four MOPs and two NCEA Reining Rider of the Month honors along the way.

Prior to joining the Mustangs, Woosley Luse coached at the University of South Carolina. During her single season with the Gamecocks, she helped coach the team to a 2025 SEC Championship.

Woosley Luse's professional riding career is highlighted by an NRHA World Championship in the Open division, two AQHA High Point Honor Roll Reining Championships, and two All-American Quarter Horse Congress Reining Championships. NRHA Non-Pro riders under her instruction have accumulated over $1 million in career NRHA earnings.

An AQHA and NRHA Recognized Professional Horsewoman and lifetime AQHA member, Woosley Luse maintains AQHA Specialty and NRHA AAA carded judge status, regularly officiating top-tier events internationally, including the NRHA Futurity, European Futurity, NRHA Derby, 100 X Reining Events, The Run For A Million, and NRHA Youth World Reining Cup.

Throughout her collegiate career at Midway University, she earned multiple equestrian accolades including a national championship in Open Horsemanship and the IHSA High Point Western Riders.

A second-generation professional horsewoman, Woosley Luse brings in a vast amount of experience to the SMU Mustangs. Her father, Clayton Woosley is a National Reining Horse Association Hall of Fame inductee, guiding her as she grew up showing all-around and reining events on the AQHA, APHA, and NRHA circuits.