Grace Bridges finished her fourth season as Baylor equestrian’s assistant Jumping Seat coach in 2024-25 after being hired in July 2021.
In the 2024-25 campaign, Bridges and her Jumping Seat athletes had a 7-4 record in Fences, dominating Minnesota-Crookston 4-1 and going on a six-meet win streak to finish the season. BU notably had a 3-2 Fences win over No. 2 TCU to help Baylor defeat the Horned Frogs on Senior Day. Under her leadership, the team also had a great season in Flat, going 6-4-1. Lauren Reid ultimately earned a spot on the All-Big 12 Flat Team, Madi Mitchell earned monthly Flat awards for both the NCEA and Big 12, and her Jumping Seat Bears earning a combined nine MOPs in both events.
Bridges and her Jumping Seat squad won the Fences event in six meets, tying in one, in the 2023-24 season, including a 5-0 sweep of No. 5 Georgia in January at home. Under her, the Flat squad also won their event in six meets, tying in two. The Bears had an overall record of 3-11 against their opponents on the season, with two Big 12 Rider of the Month awards, Lauren Reid in Fences and Madison Mitchell in Flat, both for January. The pair also earned NCEA Rider of the Month awards in their disciplines in March.
During the 2022-23 athletic season, Bridges assisted in the Bears’ 6-10 record and helped BU rank as high as No. 7 in the National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) poll. Baylor finished as national quarterfinalists after a narrow defeat to eventual dual national champion SMU, 10-8, in postseason play, and placed third at the 2023 Big 12 Championship after going 1-1 with a close loss to Oklahoma State, 12-8, and a dominating 16-4 victory over Fresno State.
Bridges was instrumental in guiding senior Dominika Silvestri to both National and Big 12 Flat Rider of the Year accolades, as Silvestri set the program record with 14 wins in her Flat season. Silvestri also joined Madison Mitchell (Flat), Annie Vorhies (Flat) and Maddie Vorhies (Flat) as all-conference performers from the Jumping Seat side of the roster. Additionally, Silvestri (Flat, First Team) and Mitchell (Flat, Honorable Mention) were tabbed as NCEA All-Americans, the second and third honorees during Bridges’ tenure at Baylor.
Of Baylor’s 12 combined national and conference Rider of the Month honors, which tied a program record, nine came on the Jumping Seat side under Bridges’ supervision. As part of her stellar season, Silvestri brought home five of those awards alongside A. Vorhies, M. Vorhies and standout freshman Lauren Reid.
In the 2021-22 season, Bridges helped the Bears to a No. 6 final national ranking and an NCEA Quarterfinals appearance. She assisted in BU’s 7-8 overall record and third-place finish in the Big 12 after Baylor went 1-1 at the 2022 Big 12 Championship. In her first season, Bridges’ Jumping Seat squad posted a combined 16-11-3 record after going 9-4-2 in Fences events and 7-7-1 in Flat contests.
Bridges helped train All-Big 12 and NCEA All-America Honorable Mention selection Caroline Fuller, who boasted one of the program’s strongest Jumping Seat seasons of all-time. The senior collected six Rider of the Month awards, which included two national honors from the NCEA and four Big 12 conference accolades, while tallying an 18-12 overall record and going 9-6 in both Fences and Flat, respectively.
A former standout student-athlete at Georgia, Bridges was a two-time All-SEC First Team selection in Flat. She compiled five Most Outstanding Performer rides and was part of two SEC Championship squads during her time in Athens. Additionally, she holds the NCEA record for individual Flat score in a single meet, with a 99.
A four-year letterwinner for the Bulldogs and three-time NCEA All-Academic First Team member, Bridges was a show rider at Beaver River Farm for a year prior to joining the BUEQ staff.
Bridges was responsible for schooling horses, facilitating exercises, providing care, grooming and horse preparation in addition to her training and riding duties at Four Season Farm, Carly Anthony Showjumping and Beaver River Farm. She also participated in course setting and designing, as well as time and barn management at various horse shows.
Originally from Eatonton, Ga., Bridges graduated with honors from UGA in May 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in business administration with concentrations in management and sports management.