• Auburn Horse Center
• Media Guide
• Questionnaire
• Glossary
• Camps & Clinics
• NCEA
• Promotions
• Archives

Lisa Helfer Position: Associate Head Coach (Western) Alma Mater: Findlay (1998)

Lisa Helfer enters her fifth season as an assistant Western coach for Auburn.

In each of her first four seasons, Helfer has coached the western team to winning seasons, In 2010, after a 12-2 season, they were bracketed the #2 seed and in 2011 they were seeded #3 going into the National Championships. Helfer had coached top individual selections at the Varsity Equestrian National Championships as well. In reining she coached Julie Gibbs in 2008, Paige Monfore in 2009 and Lyndsey Jordan in 2010. In horsemanship, Helfer helped Indy Roper to her individual selection in 2010. In 2011, with the introductions of All -Americans, Helfer coached Indy Roper who was the only western rider in the country to earn 1st team All-American honors in both horsemanship and reining. In addition, she has coached riders at the NRHA collegiate reining championships every year. In 2008 - 10, Lyndsey Jordan competing, winning the prestigious event in 2009. In 2011, Helfer coached both Paige Monfore and Kristin Hansen.

Helfer has been working with and around horses for over 27 years. She graduated from the University of Findlay in 1998 with a B.S. in Western Equestrian Studies and a minor in Business Management.

While at Findlay she competed for the Western IHSA team as both an Open Horsemanship and Reining rider. After graduation she went on to train and coach both young and amateur riders. She has shown extensively in AQHA, NSBA, open and 4-H events, specializing in all-around competition. She has earned year-end awards in both the Ohio and Northern Ohio Quarter Horse Associations in Showmanship, Horsemanship, and Equitation classes. She has also competed as an amateur and been a finalist at the All-American Quarter Horse Congress.

She has judged both open and 4-H competitions. In conjunction, she is active with the 4-H youth and provides a number of clinics each year. Beyond training and judging, she has also spent five years as a reproduction specialist managing some of the top reproduction facilities in Ohio and Florida.

Before Auburn, Helfer was employed by Miami University of Ohio, where she was an instructor in the Department of Kinesiology and Health and the coach of the Western IHSA Equestrian team. During her two years as western coach she led the team to two regional championships, a zone reserve championship, a trip to the national semi-finals, and a top-ten finish at the IHSA Nationals. She also coached the regional high point western rider two years in a row.

Besides horses, Helfer has been playing competive ice hockey for the past 29 years. She has traveled throughout the USA, Canada and Finland playing on both women's and co-ed teams.

She is currently completing her master's in Adult Education and Sports Management.

She is the daughter of Lee and Carol Helfer, has two siblings and is the aunt of seven.

More Auburn Football Headlines

More Auburn Headlines

SEC Headlines