Lexington, Ky. - US Equestrian proudly congratulates the recipients of the 2025 USEF Endurance Year-End Awards. These awards celebrate and recognize the exceptional achievements of our endurance athletes and horses throughout the 2025 competition season. For detailed descriptions of the 2026 awards program, click here. 

Top Ten National-Ranked Senior Athletes 

Awarded to the top senior athletes on the national athlete ranking list 
 

• Heather Davis - Maggie Price Endurance Excellence Award recipient for being the top nationally ranked Senior Rider 

• Cheryl Van Deusen 

• Nathalie Weemaels 

• Nicole Wertz 

• Alex Shampoe 

• Mollie Quiroz 

• Anastassia Savini 

• Tom Rajala 

• Claudie Gaspa-Ward 

• Evelyn Baig 

  

Top National-Ranked Junior/Young Rider Athletes 

Awarded to the top Junior/Young Riders on the national athlete ranking list 
 

• Uma Kraskin - Brunjes Junior/Young Rider Endurance Trophy recipient for being the top nationally ranked Junior/Young Rider 

• AnnaMaria Clarke 

• Vanessa Erickson 

• Avery Betz-Conway 

• Jax Beloberk 

• Lila Reeder 

• Ansley Conway 

• Meghan Wert 

• Aubrey Muthard 

 

Endurance Athlete of the Year Award – Heather Davis  
Awarded to the rider with the highest number of points between the annual athlete ranking lists 
 
Heather Davis (The Plains, Va.) earned the 2025 Endurance Athlete of the Year Award following an ambitious season that was highlighted by international competition across multiple continents and top ten championship results. Competing consistently at the FEI level, Davis exemplified exceptional horsemanship and strategic riding. 

Davis opened her 2025 FEI season with a decisive victory at the Broxton Bridge Ride in the Low Country, winning the CEI2* 120km aboard HM Kaiser Milo. She continued her campaign in South America and Europe, completing a series of FEI rides at the CEI2* and CEI1* levels in Uruguay and Portugal, including solid finishes at CEI Loma Azul, CEI Punta del Este, and a CEI1* victory at Estremoz (POR) aboard SM Mi Anay. The pair also competed at the CEI2* (ESP) where they finished in second place with only 1 second between them and the first-place finisher. Stepping up to the sport’s most demanding distances, Davis successfully completed the CEI3* 160km at Barroca d’Alva (POR), finishing fifth against a strong international field. 
 
The pinnacle of Davis’s season came at the 2025 FEI Endurance Pan American Championships in Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil, where she and HM Kaiser Tesla, a 2016 Anglo-Arabian gelding owned by Haras Paso Manzanero, delivered a standout performance. The pair finished ninth overall individually in the Senior Championship, marking Davis’s first top ten finish at the championship level and a significant milestone in her international career. 

 

Endurance Horse of the Year Award – Tru Beau Sardi  

Awarded to the owner of the horse ranked first on the annual national horse ranking list 
 

Tru Beau Sardi, a 2013 Arabian gelding (Trussardi x Precious Beaunita+), is owned and bred by Cheryl Van Deusen (New Smyrna Beach, Fla.)  Campaigned throughout the USEF competition year in a demanding FEI schedule, Tru Beau Sardi delivered top performances from 100km to 160km, beginning with a victory in the CEIYJ2* 120km at the Broxton Bridge Ride in the Low Country (S.C.) with Ansley Conway, before stepping up to complete the  CEI3* 160km at Fun in the Sun (Fla.) with owner Cheryl Van Deusen.  
 
He continued his strong season with a win in the CEIYJ1* 100km at the Scenic Spruce Creek Spring Fling (Fla.) and a second-place finish at the Broxton Bridge Let’s Have Fun Ride (S.C.) with Sofía Alvarez Camas, followed by a third-place finish in the CEI1* 100km at the Fall Ride at Biltmore (N.C.) with Clarke Martin, and closed the year with a third-place finish in the CEI3* 160km at Broxton Bridge Fall Rides (S.C.) under Van Deusen.  

  

Endurance Best Condition Season Award – Highh Tops  

Awarded to the owner of the horse ranked first on the annual national best condition standings 

 
Highh Tops, a 2018 Arabian mare (Vangogh FPA x Edelika), is owned by Samantha Ellis (Newcastle, Calif.) and bred by Debra Lemmons. Competing across four FEI endurance events during the USEF competition year, Highh Tops met and exceeded all eligibility requirements, finishing her first FEI season with a 100% completion rate and consistently demonstrating superior recovery, soundness, and condition at veterinary inspections. At all four events, Highh Tops was awarded Best Conditioned Horse within her division at  the competition. 

 

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