USHJA Recognizes 53 New Credentialed Instructors in 2025

Lexington, Ky.—Jan. 14, 2026—The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is pleased to announce the 53 Credential Candidates who earned their USHJA Instructor Credential across five Live Workshop and Examination sessions held in 2025. All together, the program has credentialed 134 instructors across the country since launching in 2023. 

Congratulations to the following individuals who earned the credential:

Katherine Andersen, of Haughton,  La., Zone 7 Ali Barros, of Holliston, Mass., Zone 1 Melinda Baszczynski, of Des Moines, Iowa, Zone 6 Tara Best, of Toano, Va., Zone 3 Caroline Bixler, of Chanhassen, Minn., Zone 6 Rebecca Bradley, of Sparta, Mich., Zone 5 Jenelle Branom, of Winter Garden, Fla., Zone 4 Lynnette Burg, of Harpers Ferry, W. Va., Zone 3 Holly Butler, of Christiansburg, Va., Zone 3 Tiffany Campos, of Galesburg, Mich., Zone 5 Rylee Cass, of Rochester, N.Y., Zone 2 Gale De Rosa, of Gold River, Calif., Zone 10 Anne Donise, of Blairstown, N.J., Zone 2 Alexandra Doyon, of Chatham, Va., Zone 3 Sarah Dwyer, of Chesterland, Ohio, Zone 5 Erin Fitzgerald, of Delaplane, Va., Zone 3 Delani Franklin, of Cupertino, Calif., Zone 10 Christine French, of Red House, Va., Zone 3 Cassandra Good, of Purcellville, Va., Zone 3 Esther Goodrich-Puffer, of Mount Vernon, Ill., Zone 5 Angela Halligan, of Brandon, Iowa, Zone 6 Delaney Hamilton, of Brighton, Colo., Zone 8 Jolene Hasseler, of Bergen, N.Y., Zone 2 Gina Hennington, of Cazenovia, N.Y., Zone 2 Jordan Hobbs, of San Marcos, Texas, Zone 7 Taylor Holmquest, of Celina, Texas, Zone 7 Molly Hunt, of Princeton, Texas, Zone 7

Genevieve Kalmbach, of Las Vegas, Nev., Zone 10 Emma King, of Oceanside, Calif., Zone 10 Grace Krzyminski, of Old Town, Fla., Zone 4 Ellie Kurtz, of Seattle, Wash., Zone 9 Juan Lavieri, of Glastonbury, Conn., Zone 1 Jaime Lay, of Kings Mills, Ohio, Zone 5 Shane Ledyard, of Perkasie, Pa., Zone 2 Melissa Lesseg, of Edmond, Okla., Zone 7 Gloria Lott, of Bluffton, S.C., Zone 4 Carrie McCurrach, of Plain City, Ohio, Zone 5 Karen Merrill, of Kailua, Hawaii, Zone 11 Ryan Moore, of North Las Vegas, Nev., Zone 10 Shawdee Naimy, of Chattanooga, Tenn., Zone 4 Cindy Newberry, of Poolesville, Md., Zone 3 Carey Norland, of Creswell, Ore., Zone 9 Joanna Novakovic, of Geneseo, N.Y., Zone 2 Sarah Olmsted, of Federal Way, Wash., Zone 9 Hannah Paradis, of Huntington, Vt., Zone 1 Samantha Pierce, of Arvada, Colo., Zone 8 Amy Quinlan, of Waialua, Hawaii, Zone 11 Danielle Rizzo, of Honey Brook, Pa., Zone 2 Ruth Smith, of Enfield, N.H., Zone 1 Cassandra Steptoe, of Fairfield, Conn., Zone 1 Betsy Stojanoff, of Lincolnwood, Ill., Zone 5 Kathryn Volk, of Tucson, Ariz., Zone 8 Gloria Wahl, of Landisville, Pa., Zone 2

Five Live Workshop and Examination sessions were conducted in 2025 across five USHJA Zones. The first session was hosted by Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio, on May 12–13, with James Morris and Justine Betzler serving as examiners. As a participating college in the Credential's collegiate pathway, Lake Erie allowed students to complete the online learning modules through their existing Equine Studies undergraduate curriculum, then attend their hosted in-person session.

The second was hosted by Elvenstar, a USHJA Recognized Riding Academy in Moorpark, California, on June 16–17, and was led by Kay Altheuser and Stephanie Simmonds. The third session took place September 15–16 at Hillcrest Stables in Chittenango, New York, another Recognized Riding Academy, and was led by Morris and Terri Young. The fourth session was hosted by Stony Glen Stables in Celina, Texas, on October 13–14, with Amy Center and Boo Gonzalez serving as examiners. The final session was hosted by the Savannah College of Art and Design in Savannah, Georgia, on November 17–18 with Morris and Gonzalez overseeing the session.

Launched in 2023, the Instructor Credential is designed to offer education for riding instructors in a manner that is more comprehensive and well-rounded than ever before with an extensive online education and a hands-on practicum.

The online coursework includes expanded content in athlete wellness and safety, sports psychology, stable management, equine law and ethics, marketing and branding, learning styles, teaching methodologies, and riding theory that preserve the American Hunter/Jumper Forward Riding System. 

After successfully completing all 10 online courses and quizzes, candidates are eligible to register for the in-person Instructor Credential Workshop and Examination, where they observe, learn, practice, and collaborate on teaching and coaching techniques and methods. During the examination, candidates are tested on their teaching skills and provided individualized feedback. Upon successful completion of all prerequisite online courses, the workshop, and passing scores from two examiners during the live examination, candidates are awarded the status of USHJA Credentialed Instructor.

Registration for the USHJA Instructor Credential is open for USHJA members above the Outreach level who are 18 years of age or older. Individuals can register in their USHJA member account by signing in at my.ushja.org/login, selecting "My Programs" and clicking on the "Enroll" button next to "Instructor Credential".

To support members in their pursuit of personal and professional goals, the USHJA is pleased to offer grants to eligible USHJA Instructor Credential participants who complete the online coursework and attend a Live Workshop and Examination. The USHJA Instructor Credential Grant opens on April 1. Visit ushja.org/grants to learn more.  

To learn more about the USHJA Instructor Credential, including 2026 Live Session and Examination dates now open for enrollment and a directory of Credentialed Instructors, visit ushja.org/instructorcredential. 

Photos: Delia Beaupre Photography, MaryJo Peters/USHJA, SDH Photography