Markel/USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships and Markel/USHJA Platinum Jumper Championships Crown North Region Winners
Traverse City, Mich.—June 24, 2025—More than 55 Junior, Amateur, and Professional athletes gathered at the Traverse City Spring Horse Show from June 18-20 to compete in the Markel/USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships and Markel/USHJA Platinum Jumper Championships. Featuring height sections from 1.10m to 1.40m, the events offered team and individual competition as riders vied for top honors in the North Region.
Zone Jumper Team Medalists
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1.10/1.15m Junior Team GOLD: Calypso SILVER: Jet Run BRONZE: Balbuco |
1.10/1.15m Junior Individual GOLD: Orly Antevy | Higgins | Zone 4 SILVER: Ivy Lampert | Ilian Solier | Zone 6 BRONZE: Avery Roper | MTM Unexpected | Zone 5 |
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1.10/1.15m Amateur Team GOLD: Idle Dice SILVER: Snowman BRONZE: The Natural |
1.10/1.15m Amateur Individual GOLD: Kara Krushel | iDream | Zone 2 SILVER: McKenna Nilsson | Coille Moire | Zone 9 BRONZE: Ann Stalzer | Rearcross Quality Cruize | Zone 5 |
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1.20/1.25m Junior/Amateur Team GOLD: Authentic SILVER: Sympatico BRONZE: Sapphire |
1.20/1.25m Junior/Amateur Individual GOLD: Jean Mclaren | Pearl of Grey VHL | Zone 5 SILVER: Allie Rae Hayes | Poker Face Van‘t Hagenhof | Zone 5 BRONZE: Anleigh Ahlert | Mademoiselle-A | Zone 2 |
Platinum Jumper Medalists
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1.30/1.35m and 1.40/1.45m Team GOLD: Touch of Class SILVER: Gem Twist BRONZE: Untouchable |
1.30/1.35m and 1.40/1.45m Individual GOLD: Stephen Foran | Idool | Zone 5 SILVER: Izzy Beisel | Diaz Barbotiere | Zone 5 BRONZE: Estella Bonanni | Lilly Pezy | Zone 5 |
"It’s a great opportunity—not only for young riders but for the three of us who are Professionals—to bring our young horses and ride the international tracks in a team format," said Platinum Jumper Team Gold Medalist Kindness, of Goshen, Ohio, of the Championship model.
The USHJA sends a special thank you to Chef's d'Equipe Caroline Mercier, Bethany Parins, and Lindsay Yinger for their leadership and support throughout the Championships.
The Zone Jumper Team and Platinum Jumper Championships are part of the USHJA Emerging Jumper Rider Program. The Program serves as the entry point for the Show Jumping Athlete Pathway, a joint USHJA-US Equestrian effort that identifies and nurtures Jumping athletes as they advance through the sport to enhance future success for Olympic and international teams representing the United States.
The Markel/USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships are open to Junior and Amateur riders at the 1.10/1.15m and 1.20/1.25m levels, while the Markel/USHJA Platinum Jumper Championships welcome Juniors, Amateurs, and Professionals at the 1.30/1.35m and 1.40/1.45m levels. Participants are recognized as USHJA Emerging Jumper Riders and USHJA Platinum Jumper Riders, respectively, with individual medalists recognized as Gold Star Emerging Jumper Riders or USHJA Show Jumping Platinum Athletes.
“It’s an incredible opportunity to be able to participate in a championship as an Amateur,” said 1.10/1.15m Amateur Zone Jumper Team and Individual Gold Medalist Krushel, of New York, New York. “As a Junior, I missed out on those opportunities, so to be able to do it in this part of my career is something very special.”
Individual medalists and their trainers will receive invitations to one USHJA Gold Star Clinic of their choice within two years, featuring four days of mounted and unmounted instruction from top clinicians and industry experts. The clinics rotate coasts annually, with the 2026 event to be held at Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, California, from January 7-11 with instruction from Nicki Shahinian-Simpson.
The remaining Zone Jumper Team and Platinum Jumper Championships for the South Region (Zones 3, 4, and 7) will take place July 16-20 at Tryon Summer VI in Mill Spring, North Carolina. The West Region (Zones 8, 9, and 10) events will follow, with the Zone Jumper Team Championships set for October 15-19 at Temecula Valley National Fall III in Temecula, California, and the Platinum Jumper Championships concluding the series October 30-November 2 at National Sunshine I in Thermal, California.
The USHJA extends thanks to the team at Traverse City Horse Shows and Morrissey Management Group for hosting these Championships. The USHJA also thanks official sponsors Herm Sprenger, Nutrena, and Parlanti; title sponsor Markel Insurance; and supporting sponsor Essex Classics.
For more information about the Markel/USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships, visit ushja.org/ZoneJumper. For more information about the Markel/USHJA Platinum Jumper Championships Program, visit ushja.org/PlatinumJumper.
Photos: Megan Giese Media and Sam Garvin Photography
