Meg Pellegrini has emerged as one of eventing’s rising talents, building a reputation of consistent results over the past several years. Her momentum was further validated earlier this year when she was named to the 2026 USEF Eventing Development 25 Program. Pellegrini now plans to compete in the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S, a US Equestrian Open Eventing qualifier.
Raised in Oklahoma, Pellegrini was the first in her family to develop an interest in horses.
“No one else in my family was horsey,” she said. “My mom says I just woke up one day and decided horses were my thing. I just remember always wanting to be around them.”
Her path took a more defined shape after her family moved to California in 2014, where she joined her local Pony Club and discovered her love of eventing. “I started eventing and never looked back,” she said. “I rode out West for about seven years before we decided to see what the east coast was about.”
While competing at the 2020 USEA American Eventing Championships in Lexington, Ky., Boyd Martin, who had coached Pellegrini a few times on the West Coast, suggested she connect with Lillian Heard.
“We went to Boyd’s farm in Pennsylvania and met Lillian,” Pellegrini said. “She was incredible and I knew right away it was the right fit. Not long after, we packed our things and moved to PA.”
Under Heard’s coaching, Pellegrini developed steadily through the levels, earning podium finishes in multiple CCI2*-S and CCI2*-L competitions, before moving up to the CCI3* level. By 2023, she was ready for another step forward, this time in Ocala, Florida, where she met Will and Katie Coleman.
“I met Katie through a friend,” Pellegrini said. “I had a couple lessons with both [Will and Katie], and it just felt right. I knew pretty quickly I needed to move to Florida and see where the path would lead. It was terrifying, but I'm glad I did it.”
The relocation soon led to a new partnership. In 2024, Will Coleman’s longtime mount, Dondante, was stepping back from his five-star career and needed a new role. Coleman suggested Pellegrini take the reins.
“Will thought it would be a great opportunity for me to lease Dondante and gain more mileage at the three-star level,” Pellegrini said.
Before competition could begin, Pellegrini focused on rebuilding Dondante’s fitness and forming a connection with him. “We spent the summer bringing him back, which gave me the chance to get to understand him from the ground up,” she said. “It took some time before we really got to know each other, it wasn’t until we started jumping that we really clicked.”
Dondante’s owners, Team Rebecca and Four-Star Eventing Group, were instrumental in supporting Pellegrini and “Al” from the beginning. “They were all for it,” Pellegrini said. “They always put Al first and wanted to do what was best for him. I’m so grateful for their support.”
The duo made their debut in March of 2025 at the Bouckaert Equestrian Horse Trials, steadily building experience at the CCI3* level and returning in the fall to secure a podium finish. Later in the year, they stepped up to the four-star level, notching a top ten finish at the Event at TerraNova.
“2025 was a rebuilding year for all of us,” Pellegrini said. “Balancing multiple horses; Falcon, Cooley Wish Upon a Star, and then adding Dondante, pushed me to grow. I had to build my confidence and balance riding each of them.”
By the end of the season, Pellegrini started to set her sights on the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S. Much of the decision, she says, came from Dondante himself.
“Al is really the superhero of it all,” she said. “He was able to take me around the four-star level and made it feel so easy. I didn’t think it was possible for a horse to skip around the four star until I met him.”
Dondante brings experience to their partnership, having competed at the Defender Kentucky Three Day Event CCI5*-L in 2021 and 2022, where he and Coleman earned a top ten finish. His familiarity with the bluegrass track gives Pellegrini an extra boost of confidence.
“He knows the Horse Park better than I do,” she said. “He’s been around this level more times than I can count. It’s a dream to do this with a horse of his caliber and at this level. He’s such a good horse for me and I love him so much.”
As she prepares to compete alongside Coleman, who also has entries in both the four and five star, Pellegrini is carrying forward one of his core philosophies.
“Will always says to be a student first,” she said. “It's something I’m really trying to embrace this weekend. We may be riders, and in Will’s case at the top of the sport, but at the end of the day there is still so much we can learn from our horses, other athletes, the grooms, etc. That mindset really sticks with me, and I admire Will for it.”
Pellegrini will compete alongside many of her fellow Development 25 Program athletes in the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S. These athletes attend training sessions together throughout the year and lean on USEF Eventing staff for support and guidance. 2026 will mark Pellegrini’s sixth consecutive being named to the program.
“It’s been a career highlight to surround myself with people in the program,” she said. “Leslie Law and the rest of the USEF team are all there to support us and keep our eyes on the target. They're always in our corner and willing to show us the way to success.”
Designed to identify and develop future team athletes, the USEF Eventing Pathway Programs seeks to create an environment where U.S. athletes learn how to prepare and be successful at championships. Key factors of this program include strategic planning, talent identification, utilization of resources, and routine evaluations and coaching.
“I am so grateful to be included in this program,” she said. “It’s helped me continue moving forward and visualize what I want my eventing career to look like. I would not be in Kentucky this year without it.”
Pellegrini will head down centerline with Dondante this weekend, marking a milestone she will never forget.
“Kentucky really feels like our moment,” she said. “It’s going to be great. Al looks amazing, I feel confident, and I'm just excited to get out there and do it.”