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Here you can find our archive of stories from Equestrian Weekly, our once-a-week look at affiliate news, international competition, amateur profiles, horse care tips, and more. You’ll also find stories from the USEF Insider, a twice-monthly email newsletter packed with features about USEF people and programs, including our drugs and medications program, regulations, and competitions departments.

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Cisy Zhou’s Journey to Jumpers

by Raelyn Baker/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | July 30, 2026

With multiple podium finishes at Capital Challenge, Pennsylvania National, Devon, WIHS, and USEF Pony Finals, Cisy Zhou is well known amongst pony competitors. However, in the past year, the 11-year-old rider from New York, N.Y. has expressed her growing interest in the jumper ring and will be one to watch out for. In the saddle since she was 3, Zhou has taken to riding as fish takes to water, and now finds herself excelling in the hunters, equitation, and jumpers. Attending the Gotham

Sophia Ayers Hopeful Path to Senior Teams Defined by Her Love of Horses

by Raelyn Baker/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | July 30, 2026

Like many young athletes, Ayers can speak to the magnitude this championship has had not only on herself, but others as well. “The thing about NAYC is that I’ve made so many friends and getting to show somewhere different is amazing,” she said. “I'm so excited; you really can’t top the team experience; I really do love it.” Last year, Ayers assisted the Zone 4 winning team to gold and finished seventh in the individual competition in a division

Meet Interscholastic Athlete of the Month: Sophia Goetz

by Danielle Henson/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | July 30, 2026

For Sophia Goetz, a 17-year-old from Windsor, Colo., the path to being in the saddle began at age six and took shape with her first lesson horse at nine. It was a green start which quickly turned into an all-consuming passion. Sophia and Mickie (Photo courtesy of the Goetz family) "They keep you honest," Goetz said of horses. "You can't fake your way through a run, and you can't force that kind of raw power." Goetz's early years in the sport were shaped by a small,

Where Does the Money Go at US Equestrian?

by Natalie Voss | July 29, 2026

When we announced increases in USEF membership, horse recording, and other fees (the first in more than eight years) last fall, members had a lot of questions — and a lot of frustrations. One of the most common questions we got was where money goes at US Equestrian. In a series kicking off today, we’ll try to make the answer to this question easier to understand. ©Leslie Potter/US Equestrian Per USEF bylaws and US Olympic and Paralympic Committee (USOPC) requirements, the

USEF Mythbusters: Where Does Money Come From for Top Level Equestrian Sports Teams?

by Natalie Voss | July 29, 2026

As the national governing body for all levels of equestrian sport – not just the Olympic levels of equestrian sports – we get a lot of questions from members who wonder whether their hard-earned membership fees are paying for an upper-level rider to send their horse to a faraway European destination to contest a high performance event like a championship. ©Andrea Evans/US Equestrian The term “high performance” encompasses US Equestrian’s programs dedicated to

A Coaches’ Registry, Lite Competitions for Eventers, and Overuse Data: Topics from US Equestrian’s July Listening Session

by Kimberly Loushin | July 29, 2026

As part of US Equestrian’s July Listening Session , we presented three topics for feedback: a trainer/coach registry, an expansion to the USEF Lite Program for eventers, and data on overuse in hunter/jumper competition. US Equestrian Chief of Sport David O’Connor and CEO Bill Moroney were joined by Bec Braitling, a five-star eventer and USEA ECP level V certified eventing coach, and USEA CEO Rob Burk. If you missed the session live, you can catch a replay here . Coaches’

Meet Iniesto: An Andalusian Built for Family, Fire, and Grand Prix Dreams

by Danielle Henson/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | July 29, 2026

Some horses make an impression because of what they accomplish in the arena. Others leave an impression because of who they are when they walk back through the barn aisle. For Katie Nayak (Tucson, Ariz.), her partner is special because he is both. Technically, Nayak’s horse is named Iniesto, a 2013 Andalusian gelding (Dimarts x Euro V), owned by Pamela Farthing. But that name is rarely used. Katie Nayak and Iniesto (©Teri Miller, Courtesy of the Nayak family) “I call him

Meet Numero Valentina Z: Ellington Vasan’s Dainty Pocket Rocket Ready for Take Off at NAYC

by Danielle Henson/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | July 28, 2026

At just 14 years old, Ellington Vasan is heading into the 2026 Gotham North/FEI North American Youth Jumping Championships presented by USHJA with a new partner, a change in division, and a story that's come together in a matter of months. Vasan (Los Altos Hills, Calif.) is moving up to the Pre-Junior Jumpers this year after a successful debut at NAYC last year in the Children's Jumper division aboard Bling vd Duvelshoeve Z, where she earned a Children's Jumper team silver medal as

The Journey From NAYC to the US Equestrian Open: How Youth Championships Played an Important Role in Ben Ebeling’s Career

by Isabelle Whiteside/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | July 27, 2026

In 2017, a young Ben Ebeling stepped atop the podium at the FEI North American Youth Championships, celebrating team gold alongside teammates Christian Simonson, Aleyna Dunn, and Ava Bingley. Nearly a decade later, Ebeling has established himself as a competitive professional U.S. dressage athlete, earning multiple victories at the international levels and making history as the inaugural US Equestrian Open Dressage Final Champion with Bellena. From L to R: Ben Ebeling, Aleyna Dunn, Ava

Sadie Severson and Prost: Cheers to Friendship

by Raelyn Baker/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | July 26, 2026

Prost is German for “cheers,” but if you ask some, it is used as a more meaningful way to signify gratitude and friendship, and to Sadie Severson, the name Prost means exactly that. Growing up, her love of horses stemmed from the frequent trail rides she had while spending time at her grandparents’ small farm in the “Hawkeye State” of Iowa. It took a bit of convincing to visit the local western barn near her family's home, and at the age of 11, her parents

A Full Circle: How Texas Me LF Helped Kim Stevenson Find Her Way Back to the Sport She Never Stopped Loving

by Isabelle Whiteside/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | July 24, 2026

Kim Stevenson describes herself as a “horse crazy girl,” having been obsessed with them from an early age. Every Christmas, her favorite present was a renewed subscription to the Arabian Horse World magazine. She would tear out pages and cover her bedroom with photos of her favorite horses. Stevenson (left) and one of her sisters (right) | Photo provided by Kim Stevenson “Most girls my age had posters on their wall of popular music artists or celebrities on their

A First Time for Everything: Stella Fryer and Rock Hill

by Raelyn Baker/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | July 23, 2026

Stella Fryer was in the right place at the right time when Rock Hill walked into her life. “Rocky,” who was previously ridden by another junior in her barn, was up for sale, which presented Fryer with the opportunity of a lifetime. Having never ridden him before, she took to the derby field at Sonoma Horse Park in Petaluma, Calif., for their first outing and returned home winner of the modified Hunt-and-Go Derby. With it being the middle of the show season, Fryer decided to lease