05/01/2026
✨️‼️Alumni in Action‼️✨️
Our alumni and community event is just 2 hours away!
Time to highlight another amazing alumni who has found great sucess after gaining a wide array of skills here at River Falls.
Linda Bird:
"Horses have always been the foundation of my career, and just about everything I’ve done professionally ties back to them in some way. For that, I give huge credit for that to my time at the University of Wisconsin-River Falls. I’m especially grateful to Larry Kasten and the other professors in the Animal Science Department. Besides providing solid academics, the school provided me the chance to compete on the show jumping and horse judging teams.
Teaching and training have been a huge part of my career path. After graduation I worked in the equestrian program at Chatham Hall Preparatory School in Virginia, coaching riders from beginner through advanced levels, training multiple horses daily, and taking students to shows, events, and foxhunts. I later taught in the Equestrian Studies program at Averett University, teaching subjects such as dressage, horse training, stable management, and equine lameness. I also served as Riding Director at a summer camp where I coordinated up to 100 lessons a day, organized shows and special events, and oversaw the full operation of the program.
I’ve also been very fortunate to have my own farms through the years, where I was able to continue breeding, training, and competing. Both of my daughters were active in US Pony Club (did they have a choice?) and we were all supported in these endeavors by my wonderful husband.
Through the years I competed across the disciplines, but mainly eventing and dressage. More recently, I’ve competed in Western Dressage as well. Partnering with my horse, Mocha, I’ve qualified for the World Show twice, ranked in the top 10 nationally, and won several year-end awards. I’ve also spent a lot of time continuing my education through lessons, clinics, and horse care workshops.
I feel the culmination of my career has been combining horses with therapeutic work. Several years ago I returned to college and obtained a degree in physical therapy, which equipped me to serve as director and instructor at Ridin’ High Therapeutic Riding Center in Tennessee. It has been fantastic to see people’s lives changed through the power and majesty of the horse.
In conclusion, I’m very grateful to the professors (and horses!) at River Falls who helped lay a strong foundation, for all my mentors and teachers along the way (including the equine ones!), and to the Lord for giving me so many great opportunities."
https://conta.cc/4cBrbNt
UWRF Colts In Training Alumni Event
