Gwin Rounds Out Staff with Cathy Woosley Luse
COLUMBIA, SC – Head Coach of South Carolina Equestrian Carol Gwin announced the latest addition to her staff on Tuesday, bringing in Cathy Woosley Luse as the Assistant Western Coach and Recruiting Coordinator.
“We are so excited to add a third coaching position to our team,” Gwin said. “Coach Luse will bring invaluable experience to our western team. The accolades behind her name speak volumes for the team we are trying to create. She will be a great complement for Coach Potts and we welcome her.”
A second-generation Professional Horsewoman, Woosley Luse brings in a vast amount of knowledge to the Gamecocks. 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. After her youth career, Woosley Luse attended Midway University, where she competed on their IHSA teams in both Hunt Seat and Western, placing in the top-10 at nationals over Fences, on the Flat, and won a National Championship in Open Horsemanship. Woosley Luse also won the prestigious IHSA AQUHA Cup High Point Western Rider.
After college, she pursued her professional horse training and judging career.
“I am honored an excited to join the University of South Carolina Equestrian Program and to be part of the coaching team with Coach Potts and Coach Duda under the leadership of Head Coach, Carol Gwin,” Woosley Luse said. “This is a fantastic opportunity to work with talented student-athletes and contribute to the rich tradition of excellence at USC. I look forward to building on the team’s successes and fostering a supportive environment where our riders can thrive both in and out of the arena.”
Career highlights include:
- NRHA World Champion – Intermediate Open, showing coast to coast in the U.S. and Europe
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Two-time AQHA High Point Honor Roll Reining Champion
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Two-time All-American Quarter Horse Congress Reining Champion
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NRHA Open Derby Finalist
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NRBC- Top 5 Limited Open
Professional Coaching Non-Pro Riders
- NRHA Futurity Non-Pro Futurity-Top 5 riders
- Multiple Non-Pro/Youth NRHA Top 10 World Standings
- Worked with Non-Pro riders whose combined lifetime earnings exceed $1 million in NRHA earnings
- -NRHA Non-Pro Derby Reserve Champion
- 2024 IHSA National Champion Open Reining (Wilson College)
- Zone 7 Region 2IHSA High Point Western Rider (NCTC)
- Multiple regional and Semi-Finals Champions in Horsemanship and Reining
- NRHA AAA status, worldwide
- Top NRHA events to include NRHA Futurity, European Futurity, Italian Reining Futurity, North American Affiliate Championships, 100 X, and Youth World Reining Cup
