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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 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

“He Was Not Bothered at All by Being at an Auction House”

by Debbie Elliot | July 17, 2026

When she visited a livestock auction in December 2019, Kristen Spendlove’s plan was to sell tack that was no longer used at the therapeutic riding center where she worked as an instructor. However, fate intervened in the form of an Appaloosa with kind, soft eyes sticking his head out of a stall waiting to be auctioned. Hamilton stood out at the auction; photo courtesy of Kristen Spendlove “He was so friendly and so inquisitive. He was not bothered at all by being at an auction

Inside FAULTLESS: How a New Docuseries Aims to Bring Show Jumping to a Mainstream Audience

by Danielle Henson/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | July 14, 2026

A new reality series is set to give show jumping the "Drive to Survive" treatment, and U.S. athletes are front and center. The series premiered officially on June 23, 2026, on Roku, with a global Amazon Prime rollout expected by early August. FAULTLESS, in partnership with ROLEX, follows the riders, horses, and behind-the-scenes operations of the show jumping world, filmed largely around Spruce Meadows' landmark 50th-anniversary season. The series is the brainchild of brothers Ben Asselin

Dr. Wendy Rice: Equestrian and Psychologist

by Raelyn Baker/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | June 29, 2026

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

From Paris to the USEF Eventing Young Riders Championships: Meet Figaro des Premices

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

Before he became a teacher for a driven young rider, Figaro des Premices was an Olympic-experienced horse with a resume most eventers spend a lifetime chasing. He had seen the biggest stages the sport has to offer. Then, he found his way to Reese Dellangelo, a rider who got her first pony in 2020 and did her first event not long after, and the two of them got to work building something new. Dell'Angelo and Monte at the 2026 USEF Eventing Young Riders Championships (©US Equestrian)

Meet Unmarked Bills: Anna Rose Erickson’s Confident Cuddle-Bug Who's Done It All

by Danielle Henson/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | June 27, 2026

Anna Rose Erickson wasn't looking for a five-star horse. She was looking for something she could afford, a horse that would help her earn her Pony Club A, and maybe, if things went well, take her a little further than she'd been before. What she got was Unmarked Bills: a bay Thoroughbred with a five-star resume, an enormous ego, and absolutely no interest in being anyone's backup plan. Talley and Unmarked Bills at the 2019 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event (©Shannon

How Horses Give New Life to Alzheimer's and Parkinson’s Patients

by Debbie Elliot | June 26, 2026

Equine-assisted services have become a popular and effective way to support people with physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral challenges, including PTSD, anxiety, depression, autism spectrum disorder, grief, and substance-use recovery. Photo courtesy of Kindle Hill However, incorporating horses to help older people suffering from Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson’s, dementia, or those who have suffered traumatic brain injuries, is less common. “I believe the geriatric

Teamwork and Sisterhood: Grooming at the USEF Eventing Young Rider National Championships

by Isabelle Whiteside/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | June 25, 2026

When twin athletes, Shannon and Ashley Zupan, representing Area II, arrived at Loch Moy Farm on Thursday morning, it wasn’t with their saddles in hand or their competition gear neatly packed. Instead, they stepped into a different but equally significant role, cheering on their teammates, lending a hand wherever needed, and soaking in every moment of the experience. The Zupan sisters are returning to the USEF Eventing Young Rider National Championships for a second consecutive year to

Meet Modelo: Caroline Light’s Little Bay Horse

by by Raelyn Baker/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | June 25, 2026

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,

Meet Katelyn Smith & HSH Henry: An Ambitious Young Rider and a Horse Unlike Any Other

by Danielle Henson/US Equestrian Communications Dept. | June 25, 2026

For Katelyn Smith, the road to the 2026 USEF Eventing Young Rider Championships began not in the competition arena, but at a small lesson barn down the road from her Marietta, Georgia, home. She was inspired by a group of school friends who convinced her to start taking lessons with them and give riding a try. What started as a once-a-week lesson gradually grew into a passion that has shaped her life ever since. HSH Henry (Photo courtesy of Katelyn Smith) Smith spent time in the hunter/jumper