Equestrian
- Title:
- Western Associate Head Equestrian Coach
- Email:
- mlantz@sports.uga.edu
- Phone:
- 706-310-2220
Georgia alumni McKenzie Lantz Breuker was named the Associate Head Equestrian Coach in July 2024. Lantz Breuker joined the coaching staff as Western Assistant Coach in June 2021.
After finishing the most successful Reining rider career in Georgia history, Lantz Breuker began her coaching career as a Volunteer Assistant for the Bulldogs in 2015. She then moved on to Fresno State and SMU before coming back to coach at her alma mater. While away she helped grow both the Fresno State and SMU programs to prevalence, including being named the National Collegiate Equestrian Association Western Assistant Coach of the Year following SMU's first-ever national championship finals appearance and Reserve National Champion finish in 2021.
Lantz Breuker coached the Horsemanship team to a 7-7-1 record and the Reiners went 7-6-2 in the 2023-24 season. The Bulldogs posted an undefeated 6-0 record at home while going 9-6 on the season and finished third at the SEC Championship. Georgia was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the NCEA National Championship. She coached junior Jillian Stopperich to a team-high 13 wins in route to being named the SEC Horsemanship Rider of the Year. Stopperich was also named to the NCEA Ariat All-America First Team in Horsemanship. Cadence Eger was tabbed SEC Freshman of the Year in Reining. Three additional Bulldogs were named to the All-SEC Reining Team, and Shelby Lynch received All-SEC Honorable Mention nods. Graduate Caitlin Lyons went 6-8-1 on the season in Reining and posted a 5-0-1 record at home. She was named SEC Scholar Athlete of the Year, received the SEC Brad Davis Community Service Award and was granted the NCAA Postgraduate Scholarship.
In her second season with the Bulldogs, Georgia went 5-8, finished third at the SEC Championship and then was eliminated in the quarterfinals of the NCEA National Championship to conclude the 2022-23 season. Lantz Breuker led the Bulldogs Horsemanship squad to a 7-6-1 record, while the Reiners went 3-9-2. She coached Stopperich to NCEA All-America Honorable Mention honors and ALL-SEC recognition in Horsemanship. Raegan Shepherd and Shelby Lynch received SEC ALL-Freshmen recognition during their rookie seasons.
In her first year as Western Assistant Coach for the Bulldogs, Lantz Breuker led Georgia’s Horsemanship squad to a 10-3-1 record while the Reiners went 6-7-1. Under her direction, junior Caitlin Lyons was named SEC Reining Rider of the Year. Jillian Stopperich was named SEC Freshman Co-Horsemanship Rider of the Year while Jax Bound was named the SEC Freshman Reining Rider of the Year. Additionally, Stopperich and senior Sara Lewis were named All-SEC for Horsemanship, while Lyons and Bound were recognized for Reining. Stopperich (Horsemanship), Bound (Reining), and Isabella Hehr (Reining) also received SEC All-Freshman recognition in their respective events. On top of those accolades, Lyons was named to the NCEA Second-Team and senior Courtney Blumer and freshman Jax Bound received Honorable Mention for Reining. Additionally, Bulldogs shattered records under Lantz Breuker’s watch. Sara Lewis broke an SEC Championship record in Horsemanship, scoring a 231 for her ride, which tied with Auburn’s Olivia Tordoff at the conclusion of the championship weekend. The previous high score of 225.5 was set in 2019. Jax Bound’s score of 219.5 is the best Reining score recorded in SEC Championship history. The previous high score was a 215.5, also set in 2019.
In her four seasons at SMU, Lantz Breuker helped coach the Mustangs to the program's first-ever United Equestrian Conference championship in 2018 and then again in 2019 and 2021. The horsemanship and reining squads had their best seasons in history during her first year at the helm. Her rider was the first at SMU to be recognized as an NCEA First Team All-America and be named NCEA Reining Rider of the Year. The following season, Lantz Breuker's reining squad advanced to the event finals at the NCEA National Championship. After COVID-19 cut seasons short, Lantz Breuker's squads ranked second for horsemanship and third in reining to finish the year. Rounding out her time at SMU in 2020-21, Lantz Breuker added two more NCEA Riders of the Year to her repertoire.
As a Bulldog, Lantz was a two-time NCEA All-American and SEC Rider of the Year. She has numerous All-SEC nods as well as NCEA and SEC Rider of the Month recognitions. As a team captain, she shined in the classroom with many selections to the UGA, SEC, and NCEA honor rolls as well as NCEA All-Academic recognition on top of being named a two-time UGA Western Most Valuable Player and a National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) Futurity Finalist. Lantz Breuker was appointed to the Non-Pro National Reining Horses Association committee and has established beneficial contacts in both the NRHA and American Quarter Horse Association.
The daughter of respected reining trainers from Michigan, Lantz Breuker is married to Chris Breuker. The couple welcomed a son, Riggins Matthew Breuker, in February 2021.
