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Friday, May 04 2018 / Published in General

Abby O’Mara: From NCEA Equestrian Athletic Career to Coach at Texas A&M

Abby is the assistant coach at Texas A&M University.
Photo courtesy of Abby O’Mara

By Liza Goodlett

Abby O’Mara was a member of the University of Georgia’s Equestrian team before transitioning to the assistant coach position at Texas A&M University in 2017. Abby had a very successful hunt seat career at Georgia, including leading the Bulldogs to win the 2014 NCEA Championship. After graduating in 2014, she worked as a graduate assistant to the team for two years before transitioning to South Florida to work as an academic coordinator. An unexpected phone call came that ultimately landed Abby the coaching position at Texas A&M in 2017.

Abby, right, with her father, Tom O’Mara, and Georgia’s head coach, Megan Boenig
Photo by Liza Goodlett

When did you decide you wanted to coach?

It actually happened when I was a graduate assistant for Georgia in my second year. I was able to see the inside of the sport, work in the office and see how much goes into running a home competition. I definitely came to appreciate what the coaches do, not only with the horses but working with college athletes. I thought it was really cool to see that side of it. I told our head coach, Meghan Boenig, that I would love to coach at either Georgia or Texas A&M.

When did you find out about the coaching position at A&M opening up?

At the time, I had interviewed and applied to a lot of academic advising jobs. I got a phone call from Kimmy Saul, who is the director of operations at A&M, but it was a phone number I didn’t know. I didn’t answer it, so she left me a voicemail saying she had a question for me about Texas A&M. I had no idea what she wanted, but then my first thought was, Oh my gosh, are they looking for a coach?

She told me she’d been put in charge of finding their next hunt seat coach, and it was so weird how it all worked out. They flew me out two days later for an interview and offered me the job on the spot.

Abby talking to a student
Photo courtesy of Abby O’Mara

What has been the biggest difference between coaching and being a student-athlete?

I work with the student-athletes much more hands-on now. Obviously, when you are an athlete, you have friends on the team, but being a coach I get to learn so much more about all these riders. Their passion is so strong. I love being in the ring with them every single day, seeing how much hard work they’re putting in and how it’s coming out. Seeing those results is really cool.

How did you establish the respect with your athletes even though you are close in age?

There hasn’t been much of an issue: The first thing I told them when I came in was that I’ve been in your shoes and I’ve done everything you’ve done. I’ve had the struggles and the success, so I told them if they think there’s a day I don’t know what they’re going through, they’re totally wrong. I told them that from day one, and we’ve had a great open relationship with a line of respect. I love having such a great relationship with all of them.

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Tagged under: Abby O’Mara, college, ncaa, texas a&m

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Breeding season is underway at Iron Spring Farm! W Breeding season is underway at Iron Spring Farm! We're proud to offer exceptional modern Sporthorse stallions, with wonderful temperaments and quality gaits to North American breeders.
 
Among our stallions are Cum Laude and Kaiman. Cum Laude (Apache x Weltmeyer) is a winning FEI horse and sire of quality dressage horses, breed show champions, and offspring scoring 9.0s on gaits.
 
Kaiman (Dark Pleasure x Gribaldi) earned high scores at his stallion testing and in the young horse classes. He's also the sire of a Licensed Oldenburg stallion. Kaiman's first North American foal crop is arriving now and they are gorgeous!
 
If you're looking for top international bloodlines please check out our 2023 stallion collection, now available fresh, frozen, and by the dose.

Among our stallions are Cum Laude and Kaiman. Cum Laude (Apache x Weltmeyer) is a winning FEI horse and sire of quality dressage horses, breed show champions, and offspring scoring 9.0s on gaits.

Breeding season is underway at Iron Spring Farm! We're proud to offer exceptional modern Sporthorse stallions, with wonderful temperaments and quality gaits to North American breeders.

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❗️George Williams column❗️ The FEI World ❗️George Williams column❗️
The FEI World Cup Final in Omaha is coming up quickly. That means that it’s starting to heat 
up as the end of the qualifying period for both the Western European League (WEL) and the 
North American League (NAL) nears. I started to write this column before the Amsterdam CDI- W, and I was using the FEI Ranking List from January 15 as a reference. As I sit down to finish 
my column, I’m now looking at the results from Amsterdam. While the list of the top contenders 
for the WEL hasn’t changed, they’re definitely moving around on the ranking list. The WEL has 
three more legs, as they’re referred to: Neumünster February 16–19, Goteborg February 23–26, 
and ’s-Hertogenbosch March 9–12, and they could change things dramatically.
Looking at the top 12 athletes from the WEL as they were ranked on January 15, there are five 
from Germany, three from the Netherlands and one each from Great Britain, Denmark

➡️Read Georges's full column by clicking the link in our bio, and never miss an article by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine 🦄 

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Lisa Goldman-Smolen and Ivaro N strike gold in Gre Lisa Goldman-Smolen and Ivaro N strike gold in Great American $300,000 Grand Prix at HITS Ocala!! 🏆🥇

Crowds filled the stands at the HITS Ocala Grand Prix Ring on Sunday afternoon to watch the world’s top athletes compete in the Great American $300,000 Grand Prix. The day concluded with a thrilling five-horse jump-off featuring athletes 
representing four countries. In the end, it was Lisa Goldman-Smolen (USA) and Ivaro N who produced the only double clear effort of the day, claiming one of the biggest wins of her career. Scott Keach (AUS) and Noble De La Chapelle earned the second-place prize with the fastest 4-fault jump-off, while Aaron Vale (USA) and Obi Wan placed third as the day’s pathfinders.

“I'm still on cloud nine, I still can't believe it – I’ve used up all my luck for the year,” smiled Goldman-Smolen after her win. “I've been knocking on the door a long time in these bigger classes. I am so proud of my horse – he gave every ounce of effort.”

Sunday’s Great American $300,000 Grand Prix marked the conclusion of the 2023 HITS Ocala circuit. HITS CCO Joe Norick concluded, “We are so excited about the new HITS, with 2023 as the launch. New footing, many new arenas here, and a lot of our facilities across America are getting a lot of love and new footing. Our partnerships with Worldly Martin and others across America including our footing leader Bart Poles overseeing our operations – it really makes a big difference for us. Today is about Ocala and these three riders sitting next to me who supported us this entire winter. We want to be a proud destination for our exhibitors and our friends. We know we have to provide them a beautiful showplace to work from that's horseman friendly, and that's our go goal. 

Congratulations to all of the riders, horses, owners, and groom who participated in this prestigious class!!! 🎉
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It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is. It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is...

 ✨PF'S DIAMO BLUE✨
Diarado-Diamant de Semilly- Chacco Blue
17.0hh, Oldenburg International Hunter Derby/ Jumper Stallion
An outstanding Pedigree- Chacco Blue and Diamant de Semilly
WBFSH/ Rolex top ranking Jumping Sires 2017 thru 2022
Standing at Ryan Pedigo Sport Horses, in California

For more information, you can contact 
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🖥Ryan.p.f@hotmail.com
☎️(714) 357-2714

You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

@ryanpedigosporthorsespf_

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