By Tori Kistler
Portraits by Kacy Brown
For Michelle Mercier, horses and riders aren’t so different. Both come to her a little green, a little uncertain, and both leave with confidence. “You get to watch them evolve into who they’re going to be,” Michelle said. “That’s probably my favorite part of the job.”
It’s the rhythm of her life: training young horses from their first jumps to international competition, while guiding University of Florida (UF) students from their first team dinner to national championships. Michelle does both with patience, perspective and a steady belief that success isn’t defined by ribbons or professional titles.
“That’s important to me,” she said. “It doesn’t really matter if my students want to be riding professionals—as long as they enjoy it. The thing that’s so special about the team, and my adult amateur clients, is they all share the love of horses. I try to help them achieve their goals and perform to the best of their ability, whatever that looks like. Not everyone wants to compete at the upper levels and that is OK! It doesn’t make them any less of a horse person.”
Michelle has had the privilege of working for and training with Olympic gold medalist Leslie Law and Lesley Grant-Law for the past 13 years. There, she gained invaluable experience riding horses at every stage of development—from green youngsters to seasoned competitors at the top of the sport. This education, almost a formula, of producing horses has helped her distinguish traits she desired in her own horses. Under their mentorship, Michelle absorbed a proven process for producing horses with patience, consistency and attention to detail. Today, she carries those lessons into her own program, applying years of commitment and practice to develop young horses into confident and capable partners.
Michelle lights up when she talks about her current string of horses. Her top partner, Shirsheen Fun For All, known as Gordie around the barn, successfully moved up to Advanced after multiple three-stars. She discovered him in Ireland as a 5-year-old, shopping on her own for the first time without her longtime mentors. “I had to take the seatbelt off and trust that I had all of the tools to know what I wanted in an upper-level prospect,” she said. “Gordie walked into the ring and it was love at first sight. Once I got to jump him, I knew he was the one. I didn’t know it then, but I’m so grateful now—he’s every bit as incredible a teammate as I imagined, and even more.”
Her younger horses, Lordendro, aka Dennis, and NDS Jackson, or Jack, are just starting to show their potential. Dennis, now 8, balked at his first cross-country fences in the U.S. “He didn’t understand the cross-country fences,” Michelle said. But with patient training, both Dennis and Jack successfully competed in their first two-star competitions in April.
“They’re all such individuals,” Michelle said. “Some may be upper-level horses, and some decide they’re happy as low-level packers. My job is to help them grow into the best version of themselves.”
That patience is the cornerstone of her program. She doesn’t expect perfection overnight. Instead, she looks for work ethic. “When I try a horse, I ask: On a cold, windy, rainy day, will I still want to ride this horse? With mine, the answer is yes. I look forward to riding them every day.”
Michelle speaks about her University of Florida students with the same pride she has for her horses. She’s led the UF dressage team for a decade and the UF eventing team for three years.
The dressage team riders compete on randomly drawn horses, which challenges their confidence and flexibility as riders. For the eventing team, Michelle acts more like a manager than a daily trainer, allowing students to continue with their personal coaches while she oversees competition readiness. She values the students’ current lesson plans and provides assistance in helping them reach their goals in a variety of ways that suit the individual needs of her team.
Her favorite stories aren’t of trophies but of growth. A senior who joined the dressage team for her final year set a goal to qualify for Dressage Seat Equitation. Together, she and Michelle put in long lesson hours. The student won the region and placed sixth at nationals. “She achieved her goal,” Michelle said, the pride clear in her voice.
And then there are the freshmen who arrive timid and reserved, only to be leading team cheers by the end of the season. “They come in so quiet and then by senior year they’ve grown into bold and confident riders and people. That transformation is the best thing to see,” Michelle said. “Often, it just takes a student knowing their coach truly believes in them. A little reassurance can go a long way.”
In 2024, UF won the Intercollegiate Dressage Association Spirit Award, recognizing sportsmanship and community. “We were more excited for the Spirit Award than our team ribbon,” Michelle said. That same year, she was named IDA Coach of the Year after parents and riders from other schools wrote in to nominate her. “What meant the most to me was knowing that others saw the kind of community we’ve built—a team that feels like family and a home away from home. I love the team dynamic because students are able to come together with different backgrounds, skill levels and beliefs, but at the end of the day they are a team and can support each other as such.”
This year, the UF dressage team finished second in the region and has three individual riders heading to the Intercollegiate National Championships this May. The UF eventing team is excited to compete in the USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships at Stable View, also in May.
Michelle treasures the fact that alumni stay in touch. Some have become professionals in the horse industry. Others have gone on to careers far outside the horse world, from aerospace engineering to teaching, but still send her updates and photos. “They never really go away,” she said. “I still hear from them years later.”
Michelle’s roots in the sport run deep. Growing up on her family’s farm, Hunter Oaks Equestrian Center LLC in Central, Illinois, she learned early what it meant to be a go-getter—teaching lessons, caring for horses and helping manage clinics and a recognized horse trials that ran for 15 years. That foundation instilled both work ethic and a love for every side of the sport, qualities she carries into her career today.
While many coaches step back from competing, Michelle is passionate about both. Her horses keep her sharp, her students keep her grounded, and each makes her better at the other. “I’m still in the middle of it myself,” she said. “That makes me a better teacher, because I know what the riders are feeling. Teaching makes me a better rider, because learning to explain something five different ways gives me new perspectives.”
That balance is not always easy. She runs her own farm, keeps a boutique program of horses and riders, trains and sells horses and travels to shows with her UF teams. But for her, it’s the right balance. “It’s more work, but it’s worth it,” she said. “Because the joy is in watching them—horses and riders—grow. Some will go on to the top, some won’t, but all of them can find joy in it. And that’s what matters.”
Michelle’s immediate goal is to gain experience at the Advanced level with Gordie while aiming for a four-star at some point in the future. For her students, she wants to keep building a program where they can set their own goals, whether that’s competing at nationals or simply finding confidence in the ring.
It’s Michelle’s perspective—rooted in patience, growth and a love for the journey—that defines her. Horses, students and even her own career keep evolving, and Michelle wouldn’t have it any other way. One day you’re the freshman who won’t speak, or the young horse struggling to understand the aids; then you’re challenged to grow, you find your stride and you become who you’re meant to be. “The world is bigger than the horse world,” she said. “If you hit a rough patch, take a trip, see something new—you’ll come back with a fresh perspective.”
Follow Michelle on Instagram @mmercierequestrian
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