USHJA Announces Participants for Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals and Adult Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals

Lexington, Ky.—Oct. 16, 2023—The U.S. Hunter Jumper AssociationRMilewski-05578 (1) is pleased to announce the 32 participants for this year’s USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals, which will be held at the University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio, November  9-12, and USHJA Adult Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals, which will be held virtually November 6-19.

Congratulations to the following members who will be competing:

Horsemanship Quiz Challenge

  • Emily Bruss, of Bradford, N.H.
  • Morgan Cialella, of Northville, Mich.
  • Grace Clark, of Hacienda Heights, Calif.
  • Evelyn Clark, of Crofton, Md.
  • Sova Coyle, of Longmont, Colo.
  • Karlie Dennis, of Cochranton, Pa.
  • Meredith Denton, of Corydon, Ky.
  • McKenna Goodson, of Stanford, Calif.
  • Alpine Griffin, of Ft. Collins, Colo.
  • Eva Hurlebaus, of Sarasota, Fla.
  • Lakshmi Jeyanandarajan, of Irvine, Calif.
  • Emma Kershaw, of Miami, Fla.
  • Jocalynn Pages, of Baytown, Texas
  • Ruthie Ruhl, of Ocala, Fla.
  • Claire Salter, of El Dorado Hills, Calif.
  • Ariana Schneider, of Clarksville, Tenn.
  • Lily Sonneborn, of Washington, D.C.
  • Delaney Svensson, of Ann Arbor, Mich.
  • Taya Wykert, of Thousand Oaks, Calif.

Adult Horsemanship Quiz Challenge

  • Karen Eisenhauer, of North Grafton, Mass.

  • Lauren Ensor, of Newport, Ky.

  • Leah Feldman, of Irvine, Calif.

  • Lindsey Gibbons, of Lexington, Ky.

  • Kos Gilbert, of Ann Arbor, Mich.

  • Rachel Hutchings, of Vacaville, Calif.

  • Jaime Katz, of Monsey, N.Y.

  • Hannah Kent, of Marlton, N.J.

  • Johannah Lindsay, of Kent, Wash.

  • Lauren Obermeyer, of Oregonia, Ohio

  • Emma Sanderson, of Fredonia, Wis.

  • Amanda Siegner, of Andalusia, Ill.

  • Kristina Thakor, of Maple Grove, Minn.

The USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals is an in-person, multi-phase event that tests the top-scoring participants who advanced through Levels One and Two of the HQC online test. The competition consists of a written exam, horsemanship/identification exam and a practicum exam. Scores from the written exam and the horsemanship/identification exam will be combined, and the 10 individuals with the highest combined scores will compete in Practicum A on the second day of Nationals. Finalists ranked 11th-20th based on their combined scores will compete in Practicum B on the second day of Nationals but will not be eligible for prizes. Prizes will be awarded to the highest-scoring participants in each phase, as well as to the overall top finishers, and the top three overall finishers at HQC Nationals will also receive training grants to continue their equine education, supported by the USHJA Foundation.

Offered virtually, the USHJA Adult Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals is a multi-phase event that consists of a written exam, an interview and a final practicum that will require participants to demonstrate their mastery of horsemanship knowledge across a variety of topics. Prizes will be awarded to the highest-scoring participants in each phase, as well as to the overall top finishers.

The USHJA extends special thanks to USHJA Official Sponsors CWD, Nutrena and Parlanti; Educational Supporting Sponsor Spy Coast Farm and SmartPak; and Awards Sponsors Essex and Boy O Boy Bridleworks.

The Horsemanship Quiz Challenge is supported in part by grants from US Equestrian and the USHJA Foundation. To help support the HQC program, click here to make a charitable donation today.

Learn more about the USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge and USHJA Adult Horsemanship Quiz Challenge at ushja.org/HQC and ushja.org/AdultHQC.

Photo: Rachel Milewski/USHJA