Naomi Blumenthal Memorial Training Grant Awarded to MacFawn

Lexington, Ky.—Dec. 11, 2025—The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is pleased to announce Angela MacFawn as the recipient of the 2025 Naomi Blumenthal Memorial Training Grant, which supports the furtherance of equestrian education.

"I am so excited to receive the Naomi Blumenthal Training Grant," remarked MacFawn. "I have recently started my journey to become a licensed official, and this grant will help me with the costs associated with traveling to shows to begin my apprentice judging."

MacFawn, of Blythewood, South Carolina, is the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association Zone 5 Region 3 president and head coach of the University of South Carolina’s IHSA team. A graduate of St. Andrews Presbyterian College in Laurinburg, North Carolina, she competed on both the IHSA and American National Riding Commission teams before serving as a Riding Fellow at Sweet Briar College in Amherst County, Virginia. She is now the head trainer at Three Fox Farm, where she has coached the University of South Carolina’s IHSA team to multiple top placings.

"I was fortunate to meet and get to know Naomi through the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association," MacFawn said. "Naomi had a passion for education and helping her fellow horsemen learn and grow in the industry. She was always working to give back to the industry, and I'm excited to honor her memory by continuing my education and being able to give back to the industry myself."

Created in partnership with the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association, The Professional Horsemen's Association of America, and Interscholastic Equestrian Association in honor of the late Blumenthal, the Naomi Blumenthal Memorial Training Grant awards $2,000 to at least one member per year. The grant can be used in any of the following areas:

  • Hunter/Jumper Licensed Officials Education as a judge, course designer or steward
  • USHJA Instructor Credential
  • Individually identified educational opportunities designed to advance professional equestrian-related business and horsemanship knowledge

For more information about the Naomi Blumenthal Memorial Training Grant, visit ushja.org/blumenthalgrant.

Photos: Courtesy of Angela MacFawn