Justin Bethel Joins Missouri Military Academy as Equestrian Coordinator

Missouri Military Academy (MMA) announces that Justin Bethel has joined the Academy as the equestrian coordinator. In this role, Bethel guides middle and high school cadets through the rewarding experience of working with horses, fostering character development, responsibility and essential life skills.

“Training, caring for and riding horses instills a sense of accomplishment and pride,” Bethel said. “Before any successful ride, cadets must groom and tack their horses — a process that teaches the importance of attention to detail, preparation and patience.”

Bethel's equestrian experience includes six years as a horse-riding instructor and farm hand at Shiloh Christian Children's Ranch. Bethel is currently pursuing a degree in Christian education at Central Christian College of the Bible and has served as the youth minister at Southside Christian Church since 2020.

The MMA equestrian program provides cadets with an opportunity to build confidence, empathy and resilience through their connection with horses. Cadets learn the fundamentals of horsemanship, including saddling, mounting, walking, trotting, cantering and galloping. They practice these skills on MMA’s 288-acre back campus, where cadets develop relationships with the horses, riding the same one each day. The 5 horses — thoroughbreds and fox trotters — are members of the MMA family, and many have worked with more than 50 cadets.

As equestrian coordinator, Bethel will lead MMA’s summer equestrian camp program. With three sessions scheduled for 2025 (June 16-19, June 23-26, and July 7-10), MMA offers a half-day equestrian camp for boys and girls. Campers enjoy 2.5 hours of instruction each morning, which consists of daily trail rides through MMA’s back campus and learning different western horsemanship techniques, such as saddling, mounting, walking and galloping, along with other important horse management skills like safety, grooming and handling.