2025 USHJA Young Jumper Championships Highlight Promising Show Jumping Talent

Williamsburg, Mich.—Sept. 9, 2025—The fifth annual USHJA Young Jumper Championships took place September 2-7 during the Traverse City Tournament of Champions, drawing over 80 entries. Top Jumper prospects vied across five championship divisions for a share of $75,000 in prize money and the coveted Best Young Horse title.

4-Year-Old Championship

Matthew Le Master began the week winning the 4-Year-Old Final on Thursday aboard Kristina Photakis' Princeton MK (Emerald van't Ruytershof x Mae Mobley RR). After scoring the blue ribbon in Wednesday's First Qualifier, the American-bred Belgian Sport Horse jumped his second clear round to finish in the top spot. 

"Princeton MK is a homebred gelding," said Le Master of Austell, Georgia. "He is out of my mare, Mae Mobley RR, and by a Grand Prix stallion. He was born on our farm, and we broke, trained, and developed him ourselves."

Princeton MK's owner and breeder, Kristina Photakis, also took home the Young Jumper Grooms Award, and the 2021 gelding won the Best U.S. Bred Horse award. Firestone 2000 Z (For Pleasure x Lady D van't Roosakker), a 2021 Zangersheide stallion ridden by Taylor Flury and owned by Aliboo Farm, Inc., grabbed the reserve honors, as well as the Overall Style Award. Le Master also partnered with Kathy Kubackak's Tum Tum van't Reevediep Z to finish in third place.

"[The USHJA Young Jumper Championships] are important because they encourage people to develop and invest in young horses from the U.S., and they help support our breeding programs," Le Master continued. "[To prepare], all we did was our normal routine, just worked the horses and did our chores."

5-Year-Old Championship

After three rounds of competition, Flury of Columbia Falls, Montana, rode HFF Cha-Ching Z (Chacco Blue x Hiamant van’t Roosakker), a 2020 Warmblood mare, to the 5-Year-Old Championship as the only pair to finish fault-free out of 11 combinations. Her clear rounds in the First and Second Qualifiers set the stage for the championship. Flury also guided Thor Z (Tangelo van de Zuuthoeve x Venus), a 2020 Zangersheide stallion, to the Reserve Championship. Both mounts are owned by AliBoo Farm, Inc.
"My focus has always been on developing young horses," remarked Flury. "These horses are like my family, and we want them to enjoy their job. I love this format for the 5-year-olds because they grow every day. Thor Z, the horse that I was second on, is a better horse because of the Championship."
Sarah March, HFF Cha-Ching's groom, was awarded the Young Jumper Grooms Award. Papaya PCM (Billy Congo x Elanita), owned and ridden by Oliver Close of Boulder, Colorado, and bred by Paige McWhinney, was awarded Best U.S. Bred Horse.

6-Year-Old Championship

To wrap up the 6-Year-Old Championship, Hayley Barnhill and Timebreaker (Pommerol de Muze x Olivery) sped to the championship title. The 2019 Belgian Warmblood gelding owned by Barnhill Enterprises, LLC, jumped clear all week and finished second in the Second Qualifier. Chris Pratt, of Royal Palm Beach, Florida, and Ordina HL (Harley VDL x Kallista HL), owned by Take the High Road, LLC, were the only other pair to jump clear in the Final, leading to a jump-off where the 2019 KWPN mare secured reserve.
"I haven't had Timebreaker very long, but since I've had him, he's been amazing," said Barnhill, of Collierville, Tennessee. "He always wants to win, and I just have to try not to do too much and stay out of his way. Everybody should know how good [Timebreaker] is."

Bit O' Luck, a 2019 Warmblood gelding owned by Bridge Brook Arms, received the Best U.S. Bred Horse award, while the Young Jumper Grooms Award was given to Marcos Martinez, Timebreaker's groom.

"For me, I do a lot with young horses, and the work is very rewarding, but it's not always showcased," added Barnhill. "It's great to come to the [USHJA Young Jumper Championships] after you've been working all year and be able to show off what a great horse you have."

7-Year-Old Championship

Following three days of competition, three combinations finished the week on zero faults, resulting in a jump-off to determine the 7-Year-Old Championship. Scarlett (Comme il Faut x Nauwsika van de Pereboom) and Pratt proved to have the best time in the jump-off to claim the championship. Francisco Salazar groomed the 2018 Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Take the High Road, LLC, to earn the Young Jumper Grooms Award.
"Scarlett came to us in March and has had a lot of clear rounds. She's so smart, clever, careful, and she's such a great competitor," gushed Pratt. "For her, I'm really excited for the future. Having a championship like this to aim for throughout the season, and knowing your horse needs to be at a certain level, makes all the difference. It's really important for young horse development to have benchmark goals like this."
Rachel Long of Horseshoe Bend, Idaho, piloted Valencia (Vallado x Ondina), owned by Michael Kvistad, to the reserve position. The 2018 Hanoverian mare, bred by Alisa Lask, also received the Best U.S. Bred Horse award.

8-Year-Old Championship

Five combinations jumped off for the 8-Year-Old Championship title after finishing the week on four faults. Martini VDL (Harley VDL x Zapatero VDL), owned by Abrahamson Equestrian LLC, shot to the top with Kady Abrahamson, of Georgetown, Kentucky, in the irons. Less than a second behind the duo, Silvester van't Ameldonk Z (Solid Gold Z x Chipie van' Tameldonk Z), owned by VDM Sport Horses, and Caroline van der Merwe collected reserve honors.
"We got Martini as a 7-year-old at the 2024 WEF Sporthorse Auction. Martini's amazing; we brought him here last year," commented Abrahamson. "He didn't touch a rail all week and jumped incredibly. He got a little green at the water jump, accounting for our four faults."

Abrahamson also piloted Nicole Carter's Rhumba JW-Van de Moerhoeve (Di Cantero van ter Hulst Z x Olleke Bolleke JW VD Moerhoeve) to finish third overall. Martini VDL, a 2017 KWPN gelding, and Rhumba JW-Van de Moerhoeve's groom, Annie Ricigliano, received the Young Jumper Grooms Award.

"This Championship really helps bring out the good in the young horses," added Abrahamson. "They can show off what they can do and go into the fall season ready to move up. Martini will get a break to enjoy the Kentucky fall, and we'll hopefully start stepping him up over the winter because I think he's ready."

Additional special awards were presented at the conclusion of the Championships.

• Leading Owner - Take the High Road, LLC
• Leading U.S. Breeder - Alisa Lask
• Leading Young Jumper Rider - Chris Pratt
• Leading Young Jumper Trainer - Chris Pratt
• Breeder's Cup Perpetual Trophy, donated by DiAnn Langer and Red Top Farm - Godfried Storme

The USHJA Young Jumper Championships serve as the national championship for young Jumpers in the United States, allowing talented prospects to be showcased by Owners, breeders, and riders have shown their horses at the national level. The competition offers separate Championships for 4-, 5-, 6-, 7-, and 8-year-olds. Four-year-olds compete in a Style and Jumping Championship, which includes a First Qualifier and Final set at .90-1.00m. Five- through 8-year-olds compete over a three-round format that features First and Second Qualifiers and a Final set from 1.20-1.45m based on each age section. 

The USHJA extends a special thanks to the Traverse City Horse Shows team for hosting the Championships. The USHJA also thanks Official Sponsors Herm Sprenger, Nutrena, and Parlanti, and Supporting Sponsor Grayson-Jockey Club Research Foundation.

For more information about the USHJA Young Jumper Championships, visit ushja.org/YoungJumper.

Photos: TCHS/Megan Giese Media and TCHS/Sam Garvin Photography