Mya Poulos spent the 2025 season doing what she does every year: mapping out her competition schedule, trusting her horses and her plan, and putting in the work. Throughout last year’s season, she logged a remarkable 17 runs with her top three horses at the CCI2* level which was more than any other competitor in the USEF National Championships League and emerged as the YETI/USEF CCI2* Eventing Amateur National Champion. What makes the accomplishment even more special is that she did it as a full-time student, balancing online college coursework with the demands of managing multiple horses and a demanding international competition schedule.  

A Championship She Almost Didn't See Coming  

Upon asking Poulos when she decided to chase the national title, she chuckled. "I didn't really know it was a thing, at first," she admitted. It wasn't until after events like the Bouckaert Horse Trials and the Event at Terranova that she noticed her name appearing near the top of the USEF Eventing National Championships League leaderboard across multiple divisions. "I was like, ‘Oh, what is this? I'm leading it!’" she recalled. "I thought it was really cool. The League was new to me." Rather than obsessing over standings week to week, Poulos took a measured approach. "Leaderboards are so hard," she explained. "One week you can be winning, and then the next week you're in last." So, she kept her head down, focused on her horses, and let the results speak for themselves. By year's end, those results added up to a national title. The championship was earned across competitions with her horses Bob Chaplin, DHI Rock Dancer, and Cornfire, each bringing their own personality and challenges to the partnership.  

The Amateur Balancing Act  

Like many amateur athletes across all disciplines, Poulos balances her ability to build a high-performance equestrian career alongside a real academic life. She is currently pursuing her bachelor's degree through an online program; a structure she deliberately chose to preserve both pursuits. "I know some people go in person," she said. "I give them kudos, but for me, I just know my horses. I feel like I would be letting them down if I wasn’t around."  
 
This discipline didn't happen overnight. From eighth grade through senior year of high school, Poulos split her time between winters in Florida for competition and spring and summers at home in Illinois to maintain friendships and attend school in person. Her parents were firm: a sense of normalcy mattered. "In hindsight, I'm so glad my parents made me do what I did," she reflected. "Going home was so nice — I got to have a high school experience, hang out with my friends, and still focus on the horses." After high school, she took an even bolder step: moving to England for two years at age 17 to train with some of the sport's top coaches, including British legend, Chris Bartle. Though persistent rainfall led to many event cancellations for the 2021-2022 competition season, she came away with something arguably more valuable than results: a deeper understanding of horsemanship, international training methods, and her own resilience. "The training was definitely invaluable," she said. "It gave me so many new ideas and perspective on things I didn't know due to my age and experience."  

The Horses Behind the Championship  

Behind every successful athlete is a team and horses with their own stories. For Poulos, that cast of characters includes Cornfire, a 2013 German Sport Horse gelding (Colestus x Cynthia) she has had since he was five years old. He's brilliant across the cross-country course, but Poulos explained that he is difficult on the flat — so much so that multiple top coaches over the years suggested she sell him. She never did.  "We have such a partnership. He's like my child," she said with a laugh.  

Then there is DHI Rock Dancer, a 2016 Westphalian gelding (Rock Forever I x Lauria), that Poulos described as a horse of extraordinary talent who can sometimes let that talent work against him. "He's so talented that he overthinks a lot of things," she said. "He and I are quite similar that way." The plan for this season is simple: let him tell you what he's ready for. Bob Chaplin, a 2011 German Sport Horse gelding (Cashell x Maypool Silver Seal), purchased during her time in England, rounds out the string. An experienced horse with strong opinions, he has taught her as much as any coach has.  

Guiding this group is coach Leslie Law, whom Poulos credits as a transformative presence. "I swear Leslie can speak their language," she said. "Having him in my corner has been a massive game changer." Her groom, Gregory Warwick, is equally essential. "If I didn't have him, I don't think I could do what I do."  

Eyes on the Three-Star and Beyond  

This season, Poulos is stepping up to the CCI3* level with both Bob Chaplin and Cornfire, with one of the pair targeting a CCI4* in the spring or fall. DHI Rock Dancer, after a confidence-building year, is expected to join them at the three-star level by autumn. And yes, she will be keeping an eye on the National Championships League standings, this time from the start. "I'd love to win it again, or win the three-star," she said plainly. The longer-term goals are everything you'd expect from a competitor of her ambition: a spot on the U.S. team, a Nations Cup, a five-star, and someday, she dreams of an Olympic medal.  

"I think that's everyone's dream," she said. "But it's so important to have great people around you. There are so many highs and lows in this sport that having everyone in your corner is everything." For amateur athletes trying to thread the needle between career, education, and competitive riding, Mya Poulos is a compelling example of what focus, flexibility, and the right team can produce. With a national championship, a degree in progress, and a string of horses pointed at the highest levels of the sport, her story is just getting started. 

 
USEF Eventing National Championships League 
 
The USEF Eventing National Championships League is an initiative that moves away from single-event national championships for each of the levels to create a more meaningful and accessible format for the U.S. eventing community. Through the incorporation of results from all USEF-licensed FEI competitions in the U.S., the new format eliminates geographic barriers and rewards season-long achievements. Athlete’s final scores are cumulative of their three best scores of the season, with one long format being required for the CCI2*-CCI4* championships. 

The participation period for 2026 began on October 15, 2025 and runs through October 11, 2026, with the final competition being held at Morven Park International & Fall Horse Trials on October 8-11. Attendance is not mandatory at the final competition, but recognition of achievements will be done at the Morven Fall International and Horse Trials in 2025-2027. 

Find the current USEF Eventing National Championships League leaderboards here.