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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

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,

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

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

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

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

Jacqueline Schatzberg has been immersed in the horse industry for as long as she can remember. As the daughter of top show photographers, Howard and Megan Schatzberg, horses have always been a central part of her life. Growing up ringside and behind the scenes at horse shows, it was only natural she would find her own place in the sport. Today, she is an active competitor within the Arabian, Morgan, Hackney, and Saddlebred communities, balancing a busy show schedule with a growing list of

Kelly Kraegel grew up in Southern California with little connection to horses, her only exposure coming from a neighborhood pony ride that came through for photos. Today, she is a respected trainer and owner of Cottonwood Creek Ranch in Oklahoma City, instructing future horse lovers with a focus on Morgans and American Saddlebreds. Back to the Beginning For her seventh birthday, Kraegel received riding lessons at a local ranch, an experience that would ultimately shape her future career.

It’s not often you're able to merge your professional career and equestrian lifestyle, but Dr. Wendy Rice is one of the few who found a way to do it and is doing it well. Like many young equestrians, Dr. Rice was a true “barn rat” growing up and was grateful for the opportunity to sit on anything handed to her. She had her first lesson on a palomino named Willing at Lake Bryn Mawr Camp in Honesdale, Pennsylvania, and three lunge line lessons in the summer of 1978, which

Caroline Light started her show morning how she normally spends it, feeding her gelding Modelo, a banana, still in its peel. 2026 marks Light’s first time attending and competing in the USHJA Amateur Hunter Championships at the picturesque Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky. The Evington, Virginia native is basking in this milestone opportunity with the horse of her dreams right alongside her. Having grown up on a beef cattle farm, Light has always been surrounded by livestock,

There is a reason Grier Van Rooyen's barn nickname for Oswald van de Leeuwerk is "Ozzy." The 2014 Belgian Warmblood (Indouglas van het Bevrijdthof x Persinaa), owned by Calogera Borrello, has a rockstar personality as big as his jump. Van Rooyen and Oswald van de Leeuwerk (©US Equestrian) Van Rooyen grew up around horses from the start. Riding runs in the family as her mother rides, and Grier was in the saddle by age four. She grew up in Wyoming where she and her mother spent time in

The moment 12-year-old Caden Nolt swung his leg over the newly minted off-the-track Thoroughbred; he knew it was meant to be. Since the beginning of their partnership, the pair have paved the way for fellow Thoroughbreds competing within the hunter discipline and continue to outshine fellow competitors in the ring. Caden and Gio (Photo courtesy of the Nolt family) It’s not most parents’ dream to give their child a Thoroughbred that had only finished racing three months prior, but