Justine joined the Sweet Briar College Riding Program in fall 2020. Before coming to Sweet Briar, Justine was the director of riding at the University of Lynchburg and developed their NCEA and IHSA programs. Her background is in showing hunters and jumpers and fox hunting.
Justine grew up in Pittsburgh, Penn., where she began riding and establishing her background in hunters, jumpers, equitation and fox hunting. She rode at the collegiate level for the University of Alabama where she was on the university’s inaugural IHSA team and scrimmaged against NCEA programs. After college, she worked as groom and focused on bringing along young horses.
In 2017, Justine joined the equestrian staff at the University of Lynchburg where she was the assistant coach. That year, the team placed 3rd at the ODAC championships and had the rider of the year and the Cacchione Cup rider for the region, who finished 8th at nationals. In 2018, she became the head coach at Lynchburg and had a rider finish 10th in the open fences division at IHSA nationals. She also coached the 2018 ODAC Scholar Athlete. In 2020, Betzler coached the inaugural NCEA team for the University of Lynchburg and became the director of riding.
Betzler is a U.S. Equestrian Federation “R” judge (hunters/jumpers/equitation) and involved in the American National Riding Commission.