Athletes Announced for 2025 MZ Farms/USHJA Emerging Athletes Program Regional Training Sessions

Lexington, Ky.—May 23, 2025—The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is pleased to announce the more than 160 athletes accepted to participate in the 2025 MZ Farms/USHJA Emerging Athletes Program Regional Training Sessions to be held between June and August. Over five days, these athletes will participate in mounted flatwork, gymnastics exercises, and coursework with top clinicians led by Linda Allen, Jeff Cook, Karen Healey, Cynthia Hankins, Vinton Karrasch, Candice King, Nicole Shahinian-Simpson, Callan Solem, and Julie Winkel. Chris Eadline, Jennifer Fessler, Tracy Forman, Colleen Reed, and Nanci Snyder will lead stable management sessions.

 

Congratulations to this year's athletes:

  • Olivia Airgood of Mars, Penn.
  • Eden Albelda of Oak Hill, Va.
  • Lucy Angolano of Shelburne, Vt.
  • Avalon Anslyn of Basalt, Colo.
  • Dominic Arnold of Pensacola, Fla.
  • Elliette Baker of Versailles, Ky.
  • Caroline Barclay of Roswell, Ga.
  • Ella Berberian of Laguna Beach, Calif.
  • Eloise Bird of Roanoke, Texas
  • Ava Blackstock of Littleton, Colo.
  • Anna Grace Boteler of Catawba, Va.
  • Mia Bradley of Zephyrhills, Fla.
  • Jane Braum of Upper Arlington, Ohio
  • Caroline Brown of Coal Valley, Ill.
  • *Brandon Bullard of Sophia, N.C.
  • Cambrie Byford of Decatur, Texas
  • *Anneliese Cabral of Ashburn, Va.
  • Megan Carey of Centennial, Colo.
  • Lulu Carney of North Sutton, N.H.
  • Addison Carter of Acworth, Ga.
  • Adriana Castro of Cumming, Ga.
  • Lia Cato of Waverly, Ala.
  • Addison Cheetham of El Dorado Hills, Calif.
  • Ella Clark of Valdosta, Ga.
  • Evelyn Clark of Crofton, Ms.
  • Sarah  Cook  of South Lyon, Mich.
  • Peyton Cosentino of Lincoln, Calif.
  • Makenzie Cox of Cumming, Ga.
  • Alexandra Creger of La Canada, Calif.
  • Ryleigh Crisafulli of West Chester, Pa.
  • Zerui Daoran of Frankfort, Ill.
  • Tabitha-Ann Dearing of Lindale, Texas
  • Fiona Delaney of Carlsbad, Calif.
  • Gretel Demartin of Boulder, Colo.
  • Anna Denicholas of Longmont, Colo.
  • Rose Destito of Shelburne, Vt.
  • Reese Dorsey of Parkton, Md.
  • Anna Duncan of Sandy, Utah
  • Calista Edel of Boulder, Colo.
  • Dallas Elliott-Schultz of South 
    Beloit, Ill.
  • Emmie Esplin of Diana, N.Y.
  • Brooke Fanning of St Augustine, Fla.
  • Doris Farmer of Murillo, Ontario
  • Brielle Fischer of Seabrook, Texas
  • Chloe Foor of Granite Bay, Calif.
  • Catherine Frost of Cincinnati, Ohio
  • Evelyn Galasso of Charlotte, N.C.
  • Raines Gammon of Washington, D.C.
  • Mary Kate George of Hickory, N.C.
  • Karina Ghoul of Northridge, Calif.
  • Simi Gibson of Denver, Colo.
  • Ellie Goodfriend of Wimberley, Texas
  • Natalie Gordon of Hideaway, Texas
  • Isabella Gravina-Budis of Charlotte, Vt.
  • Lily Groff of Littleton, Colo.
  • Sadie Guillory of Lafayette, La.
  • Allison Gulas of Lake Orion, Mich.
  • Jane Harrigan of Middleburg, Va.
  • Reagan Harris of Lone Tree, Colo.
  • Jalyn Hazelaar of Williamsburg, Va.
  • Charlotte Hess of Bolton, Mass.
  • Samantha Hieb of Littleton, Colo.
  • Isabella Hoefler of Morrison, Colo.
  • Kailey Hoisington of Spotsylvania, Va.
  • Destan Holbrook of Taylor, Mich.
  • *Avery Houser of Raleigh, NC
  • Anna Huard of Howell, Mich.
  • Madelyn Huson of Boxborough, 
    Mass.
  • Shelby Irwin of Great Falls, Va.
  • Gwendolyn Isaacs of Castle Rock, Colo.
  • Charlotte Jacobs of El Dorado Hills, Calif.
  • Jocelynn Johnson of Falls Church, Va.
  • Hailey Johnson of Mooresville, N.C.
  • Alyson Jones of Groveland, Fla.
  • Amy Jurkiewicz of Ocala, Fla.
  • Kipley Kagan of South Hamilton, Mass.
  • Abigail Karl of Mundelein, Ill.
  • Wren Kelly of Carbondale, Colo.
  • Teagan Kennedy of Eliot, Maine
  • Megan Kibler of Ocala, Fla.
  • Acey Krael of Kapolei, Hawaii
  • *Kathleen Kramer of New Braunfels, Texas
  • Riley Kretschmer of Lake Orion, Mich.
  • Bayleigh Lansdell of Kakabeka, Ontario
  • Madeline Laplante of South Glastonbury, Conn.
  • Antonia Lawrence of Vancouver, Wash.
  • Emily Leischner of Elmhurst, Ill.
  • Hunter Lewis of Denver, Colo.
  • Nieve Leyne of Macon, Ga.
  • Susanna Locklear of Cape Charles, Va.
  • Grace Luby of Ashburn, Va.
  • Averee Lutz of King of Prussia, Pa.
  • Nicole MacFarlane of Santa Barbara, Calif.
  • Lucy Mackowiak of Westerville, Ohio
  • Maeve Maloney of Milton, Mass.
  • Magnolia Marchand of Carbondale, Colo.
  • Lyndi  Matthews of Dublin, Ohio
  • Hadley McAllister of Park City, Utah
  • *Elizabeth McCook of Edmond, Okla.
  • Megan McEwan of Austin, Texas
  • Cleo McIntosh of Tarzana, Calif.
  • Molly  McKeon of Laguna Niguel, Calif.
  • Olivia McKinstry of Vernon, Conn.
  • Marli McMullen of Apollo Beach, Fla.
  • Courtney Mechis of Thunder Bay, Ontario
  • Lillian Meurer of Sedalia, Colo.
  • Lyla Middleton of Golden, Colo.
  • Abigail  Miller of Carefree, Ariz.
  • MaryHunter Millet of Hillsborough, N.C.
  • Dana Mogensen of Spokane, Wash.
  • Jaden Myers of Cave Creek, Ariz.
  • Hannah Nus of Littleton, Colo.
  • Jenna O'Day of High Point, N.C.
  • Brooke O'Malley of Los Angeles, Calif.
  • Jack Painter of Hilliard, Ohio
  • Shea Pearson of Davie, Fla.
  • Jessie Perrott of Ridgefield, Wash.
  • Victoria  Phelan of Bradenton, Fla.
  • Cristina Pinnow of Winston-Salem, N.C.
  • *Caitlin Pirri of Cumberland, R.I.
  • Ellie Poulin of Barre, Mass.
  • Sophia Prion of Sunnyvale, Calif.
  • Jillian Puthoff of Reno, Nev.
  • Kathryn Reinschmidt of Belmont, Calif.
  • Sofia Richardella of Fair Oaks Ranch, Texas
  • Abigail Ringuette of Unionville, Conn.
  • Lainey Risley of Castle Hayne, N.C.
  • Brooke Rubio of Milton, Ga.
  • Alexandria Saint-Dennis of Ortonville, Mich.
  • Lauren Satola of Fulton, Md.
  • Sophia Scammahorn of Lansdale, Pa.
  • Emily Schafer of Loxahatchee, Fla.
  • Finley Scheffel of Georgetown, Ky.
  • Summerlyn Schlanger of Martindale, Texas
  • Lily Schmitt of Chapel Hill, N.C.
  • Kyra Schulz of New Smyrna Beach, Fla.
  • Hamden Schweid of Centennial, Colo.
  • Jackie Sculco of Basalt, Colo.
  • Stella Shdeed of Oklahoma City, Okla.
  • Ruthie Siltman of Ocala, Fla.
  • Miracle Smillie of Delaware, Ohio
  • *Cari Smith of Atlanta, Ga.
  • Carson Smith of Chesapeake, Va.
  • Sadie Sonneborn-Malecki of 
    Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
  • Kendall Stephens of Newnan, Ga.
  • Molly Stout of Monkton, Md.
  • Maelee Taylor of Guthrie, Okla.
  • Huntlee Taylor of Guthrie, Okla.
  • Kira Thornton of Aldie, Va.
  • Lauren Trembath of Chapel Hill, N.C.
  • Katy Vale of Sarasota, Fla.
  • Lilly Vargas of Culpeper, Va.
  • Ashley Vaught of Zionsville, Ind.
  • Chloe Warren of Santa Ana, Calif.
  • Hannah Watts of Snowmass, Colo.
  • Maya Wehbe of Temecula, Calif.
  • Samantha Wells of Paris, Ky.
  • Ellie Welte of Dublin, Ohio
  • Jessica White of McKinney, Texas
  • Olivia Wiatr of Chicago, Ill.
  • Avila Williams of Newbury Park, Calif.
  • Carly Williams of Efland, N.C.
  • Clara Wright of Park City, Utah
  • Finley Yaekel of Pittsford, N.Y.
  • Natalie Zalewski of Vienna, Va.

* Indicates a Stable Management trainee. 

The USHJA extends its gratitude to the 2025 Regional Training Session hosts Albion College, Colorado Horse Park, Elvenstar Farm, Fox Lea Farm, Midway University, Mount Holyoke College, Paso Robles Horse Park, Sweet Briar College, Texas Rose Horse Park,  and Tryon International Equestrian Center. A complete list of Regional Training Session dates, locations, and clinicians can be found here.

New in 2025, one athlete from each of the Regional Training Sessions will be selected by their peers to receive the EAP Sportsmanship Award sponsored by YETI. The award recipient will receive a custom EAP YETI tumbler. Also at each Regional Training Session, one participant will be selected as the Taylor Harris Insurance Services Athlete of the Session. The athlete will be awarded a $500 cash prize and a certificate of recognition provided by Taylor Harris Insurance Services. Selected by the clinicians, this award will be awarded to a participant demonstrating high discipline, determination, and dedication. All regional participants will also receive a saddle pad and accessory tote from supporting Sponsor Schneiders.

Following the Regional Training Sessions, 16 Regional Training Session participants and a select number of stable managers will be invited to attend the National Training Session held this November at Midway University in Midway, Kentucky, on November 6-9. At the conclusion of the session, one rider is named the overall USHJA EAP National Champion based on their performance in the riding and stable management sessions throughout the week, earning a $3,000 grant to be applied toward the cost of advanced training with an approved trainer. The Champion and Reserve Champion are also offered the opportunity to participate in a USHJA Gold Star Clinic within the next two years.

Learn more about the MZ Farms/USHJA Emerging Athletes Program at ushja.org/EAP.

Photo: Kristin Lee Photography