Athletes Selected for 2026 USHJA Gold Star Clinic

Lexington, Ky.—Jan. 7, 2026—The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is pleased to announce the participants for the 2026 USHJA Gold Star Clinic, being held January 7–11 at the Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, California, and led by Nicole Shahinian-Simpson and Colleen Reed.

Congratulations to the following riders on being selected for this year's clinic:

  • Parker Abe, of Livermore, Calif., Zone 10
  • McKayla Brombach, of Wimberley, Texas, Zone 7
  • Honor Coulter, of Hailey, Idaho, Zone 9
  • Ava Grant, of Henderson, Nev., Zone 10
  • Julia Greenspan, of Encino, Calif., Zone 10
  • Natalie Kraus, of Goleta, Calif., Zone 10
  • Anna Le Grix, of San Francisco, Calif., Zone 10 
  • Anthony Pizzi, of Danville, Calif., Zone 10
  • Sarah Schemers, of Wilsonville, Ore., Zone 9
  • Sophie Smith, of Ketchum, Idaho, Zone 9
  • Elisabeth Stack, of Denver, Colo., Zone 8 

Over four days, participants will engage in an intensive, high-performance training experience. Mounted instruction with Shahinian-Simpson includes flatwork, cavalletti exercises, and gymnastics, culminating in a full course. With Reed, athletes will take part in an FEI-style jog as well as learn horsemanship and barn management practices.

Additional educational components include discussion about the Show Jumping Athlete Pathway and a review of Jumper rules. Participants will also learn directly from course designer Phil DeVita, mental skills coaching with Tonya Johnston, and hear from East/West Sports Medicine veterinarians Dr. Lori Bidwell and Dr. Duncan Peters.

Held annually on alternating coasts, the USHJA Gold Star Clinic represents the highest level of the USHJA Emerging Jumper Rider Program, which provides education and guidance to Jumper athletes looking to advance to the sport's highest levels. Invitations are extended to individual medalists from the Markel/USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships and Markel/USHJA Platinum Jumper Championships, as well as the top two riders from the MZ Farms/USHJA Emerging Athletes Program National Training Session. A select number of riders were also accepted through a Wild Card application process.

The USHJA thanks Supporting Sponsor Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund for their support, as well as Official Sponsors Herm Sprenger, Nutrena, Parlanti, and Stridefull. 

To learn more about the Emerging Jumper Rider Program, visit ushja.org/emergingjumper. Find out more about the Gold Star Clinics at ushja.org/goldstarclinics.

Photos: Terisé Cole/USHJA