Chris Mitchell. Photo by Christian Palmer
Gladys, Va. – Jan.20, 2025 – The Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) leadership proudly honored Chris Mitchell with the prestigious IHSA Lifetime Achievement Award during the IHSA board meeting in January 2025. The IHSA Lifetime Achievement Award is a testament to the unwavering dedication Mitchell has shown the organization since he was a collegiate equestrian himself.
“This is a remarkable moment in my life,” Mitchell, head hunter seat coach at Albion College, said. “This award means the world to me as I have been involved with the IHSA my entire life,” he continued, noting that he even attended the debut IHSA National Championship at Stony Brook University. “I have been a rider and a coach in the IHSA and truly believe in the mission of the IHSA.”
Mitchell’s mother, Mary Jane Mitchell, was a trainer and IHSA coach since 1968, and founded the IHSA program at Pace College in Pleasantville, New York. Chris would go on to serve as an assistant coach and instructor at Pace early in his coaching career.
“That is where I feel I learned this love of coaching and teaching people riding skills,” he said. “And hopefully, life skills.”
Chris joined the Albion equestrian coaching staff in September 2022. Before then, he worked at the U. S.Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) as director of jumper programs, was head coach at Randolph College (Virginia) for a seven-year period, after a 13-year tenure at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Prior to Cornell, Mitchell was an instructor and trainer at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Scarborough, New York, Lion Hill Farm in Easton, Connecticut, and Sacred Heart University. He has regularly had students successfully competing at the IHSA national level.
“Chris Mitchell is a very deserving winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award,” said IHSA Executive Director Peter Cashman. “His family has been involved in the IHSA since the beginning. His mother is a well-known judge. Chris grew up in the IHSA as a rider through college and then as a coach. He's coached in probably four different colleges. He's been on the board. He's been a vital member of our IHSA National Championship group, running the ingate effectively for 15 to 20 years. This is a very well-earned award."
Chris Mitchell. Photo by Tricia Booker / USHJA
Chris joined the Albion equestrian coaching staff in September 2022. Before then, he worked at the U. S.Hunter Jumper Association (USHJA) as director of jumper programs, was head coach at Randolph College (Virginia) for a seven-year period, after a 13-year tenure at Cornell University in Ithaca, New York. Prior to Cornell, Mitchell was an instructor and trainer at the Sleepy Hollow Country Club in Scarborough, New York, Lion Hill Farm in Easton, Connecticut, and Sacred Heart University. He has regularly had students successfully competing at the IHSA national level.
“Chris Mitchell is a very deserving winner of the Lifetime Achievement Award,” said IHSA Executive Director Peter Cashman. “His family has been involved in the IHSA since the beginning. His mother is a well-known judge. Chris grew up in the IHSA as a rider through college and then as a coach. He's coached in probably four different colleges. He's been on the board. He's been a vital member of our IHSA National Championship group, running the ingate effectively for 15 to 20 years. This is a very well-earned award."
Chris recalled one of his favorite memories as an IHSA coach; leading some Randolph College riders to the National Championship competition. “[We were] at Harrisburg (PA) in 2014 when we had two riders competing in Intermediate Flat and Limit Flat,” Chris remembers. “My first rider, Meaghan Hynes rode beautifully to a third-place finish. This was the best placing any rider from Randolph has ever had. In the very next class, Limit Flat, Anne Martin rode to the win and made herself the first and still only national champion in school history. That was such a great memory.”
He is a long-time member of the IHSA board of directors, leading the Hall of Fame committee. He can’t be missed as the starter at the ingate for each IHSA Nationals.
“All of my years with the IHSA have been special, and I thank Bob [Cacchione] and the entire IHSA for this wonderful award,” Chris said.
Mitchell will be officially recognized for this honor at the 2025 IHSA National Championship to be held at Tryon International in North Carolina, May 2-4.