Vote Now for 2025 USEF Horse of the Year and Equestrian of the Year Awards
by US Equestrian Communications Department | 12/15/2025
Lexington, Ky. – US Equestrian is pleased to announce the 2025 Horse of the Year and Equestrian of the Year nominees. The International and National Horses of the Year will be announced at the 2025 SmartPak/USEF Horse of the Year Awards Dinner on Saturday, Jan. 17, and the International and National Equestrians of the Year will be announced at the 2025 Pegasus Awards Dinner on Thursday, Jan. 14, at the 2025 US Equestrian Annual Meeting in Louisville, Ky.
Horses of Honor and Equestrians of Honor are nominated by their USEF affiliate organization or USEF breed or discipline committee, and the finalists are selected by the USEF Awards Committee. The final Horses of the Year and Equestrians of the Year are determined by member voting.
Voting is open now through 11:59 p.m. ET on Dec. 31. Click here to vote now. Please note that you must be logged in to your USEF account to vote. After submitting your selections, you will receive an email asking you to confirm your vote. You must confirm your ballot in order for your votes to count!
With her bold heart and unmistakable presence, Bisquetta has emerged as one of international show jumping’s brightest stars. The 11-year-old Zangersheide mare, owned by Cherry Knoll Farm and affectionately known as “Biscuit”, has become a cornerstone of Laura Kraut’s top string, delivering exceptional performances throughout 2025 on the world’s most prestigious stages.
Earlier in the season, she and Kraut finished second in the Rolex U.S. Equestrian Open Grand Prix CSI5* during the finale of the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Fla., setting the tone for an extraordinary year. Bisquetta appeared on multiple Nations Cup and Longines League of Nations teams with Kraut and helped deliver wins for the U.S. Jumping Team in Rome, and Aachen. Her defining moment of the season came in the Rolex Grand Prix of Ireland CSIO5* in Dublin, where she produced the only clear round of the day to secure a historic victory.
Often described by Kraut as brave, careful, and endlessly willing, Bisquetta embodies the athleticism and heart required of jumping’s top talents. Her partnership with Kraut continues to inspire and elevate U.S. equestrian sport on the world stage.
Owner: Kent Farrrington LLC
Her incredible technique and trademark tenacity have made Greya one of the most consistent and accomplished mares, not only in Kent Farrington’s string, but in the world. Greya played a monumental role in Farrington’s journey to world number one this year, as he consistently praises her winning mentality and unrelenting athleticism in the ring. Together, the pair have been nearly unstoppable in top competition, securing six FEI Grand Prix CSI5* wins just in 2025, matching Farrington’s reputation to rise to the occasion in major moments. The pair finished inside the top 12 on more than 15 different occasions and look to be far from peaking in their partnership, with Greya just turning eleven this year. Greya continues to set the standard for top international 5* jumping horses and has solidified herself as one of the top horses in history with her record-breaking performances in 2025.
Owner: Jacqueline Mars
Larcot Z, affectionately known as “Larco,” emerged as one of the standout eventing horses of the 2025 season. The 2013 Zangersheide gelding joined Lauren Nicholson’s string in 2023, forming a partnership that has since excelled across all three phases. Larco is owned by Jacquline B. Mars and cared for by longtime groom Sally Robertson.
The 2025 season was a landmark year for the duo, featuring podium finishes at six events, including two CCI4* victories. They opened the season with a strong sixth-place finish in the CCI3*-S at the Tryon International Three-Day Event, followed by a commanding win in the CCI4*-L at MARS Bromont in June. Their momentum continued at the Nations Cup in Arville, Belgium, where they triumphed against a field of 103 starters, showcasing remarkable athleticism and consistency. Their performance was pivotal in securing the Defender U.S. Eventing Team’s silver medal. Throughout the season, Larcot Z and Nicholson delivered clear rounds at three FEI CCI3* and CCI4* international events.
Heading into their third year together, the duo has laid the foundation for even greater achievements ahead, positioning them as leading contenders on the international eventing stage.
National Horses of Honor
Owner: Amanda Delgado
No one expects to find a future world champion in a pasture littered with horse skeletons, but that’s what happened to horse rescue volunteer Amanda Delgado in 2015. Abandoned, starved, and distrustful of humans, the mare who would come to be known as Athenian Lady showed a resilience and spirit that could not be broken, despite all she had been through. Initially deemed aggressive and unadoptable, Delgado wasn’t ready to give up on her. Their partnership began with a long, patient journey of building trust and love.
By 2019, “Athena” had fully transformed from an abandoned rescue case into a champion in the western dressage arena. She earned her first world champion titles that year at the Pinto World Championship Show and has continued to be a success and inspiration ever since. In 2025, she earned three world championships and three reserve world champion titles at the WDAA World Show. In her career, she has earned three USEF Horse of the Year awards in western dressage and has garnered numerous WDAA high score awards.
Athena is an ambassador for equine welfare causes worldwide including the ASPCA’s Right Horse program and Brooke USA. In 2024, she was immortalized as a Breyer model and the Breyerfest Celebration Horse for that year’s “Against All Odds” theme. She has built a massive fanbase and shown the world what a rescue horse can do.
Owner: John & Stephanie Ingram, LLC
Dicoblue PS, known fondly as “Blue,” became a standout on the International Hunter Derby circuit in 2025. Partnering with Victoria Colvin, the 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding won the Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship, and also picked up key wins at the Hampton Classic, Great Lakes Equestrian Festival, Aiken Charity Show II, WEC, and WEF. The international hunter derby win was a historic one for Colvin, making her the only rider to win the title four times with four different horses.
Tom Wright trains Blue and says he’s known for a quiet, polite temperament, which was essential in the hunter derby championship, as it was his second time under the lights and Colvin was injured in the warm-up before the class from a fall off another horse.
Owned by John & Stephanie Ingram, LLC, Blue has also partnered with John and Nick Haness during his breakout season.
Blue started out as a jumper and made the switch to the hunter ring after Colvin noticed his consistency, movement, and careful turn of foot.
“He always loves to go in and compete,” Colvin said of Blue. “He just wants to do well. He’s a trier.”
Owner: Silicon Valley Ranch, LLC
Charming, personable, and a joy to be around, Graycliff Tony Hawk GCH epitomizes the best traits of the Morgan Horse breed.
The 2011 bay gelding is sired by the renowned stallion Graycliff Tony GCH and out of Graycliff Ballo Bella. He is owned by Sharon Boyce-Bender of Silicon Valley Ranch LLC in Saratoga, California. Tony Hawk was trained by Tom Tornatore, who sadly passed away on November 30, 2025, at age 61.
Tony Hawk won his first two World Championship titles at the Grand National & World Championship Morgan Horse Show as a two-year-old, and continued that success by winning additional World Championship titles at ages three and four. Tony Hawk is also the most decorated Morgan horse in the Amateur Park Harness division, boasting a record-setting six Amateur Park Harness World Championship wins.
In 2015 and 2018, Tony Hawk was named the Morgan Open Park Harness World Champion, a title that represents the pinnacle of achievement in the division.
At 14 years old, Tony Hawk was almost undefeated during the 2025 show season. His numerous accolades included victories at the Carousel Charity Horse Show, Silicon Valley Horse Show, and Morgan Medallion Regional. He capped off the season with a triumphant return to the Grand National & World Championship Horse Show, where he secured another Amateur Park Harness World Championship title.
International Equestrians of Honor
Tracy Bowman began riding at an early age and spent much of her childhood overseas as her father was in the Air Force. She went on to work at an international competition stable in the U.K., and became a Certified Instructor with the British Horse Society. She returned to the U.S. and opened her own competition barn in 1984.
Having been a member of the U.S. Para Driving Team at every World Championship since 2018, Bowman is now the most decorated U.S. Para Driving athlete in history.
She added to her many accolades in September 2025 by winning her third consecutive Individual medal at the FEI Para Driving World Championships. Beyond her personal accomplishments, Bowman helps to develop the sport and supports newcomers as a member of the USEF Driving Sport Committee.
In addition to her pivotal role in the driving community, Bowman is an influential figure in the world of eventing as the owner and head trainer of Kismet Farms in Martinez, California, a full-service equestrian center where she develops riders up to the CCI5* level. Kismet Farms also has a riding school lesson program, and hosts USEF competitions and USEF Developing Driver Training Sessions.
Reigning as the number one ranked jumping athlete in the world, Kent Farrington has once again displayed his dominance and composure in 2025, topping an unprecedented eight different CSI5* Grand Prix events alone this year. Under Farrington’s guidance, nine different horses notched top five finishes in FEI competition, with Greya leading the way with six wins to her name this season. Farrington represented the U.S. Jumping Team the world’s most prestigious team events including La Baule CSIO5*, CHIO Aachen, and Falsterbo CSIO5*. In Aachen, Farrington continued his winning ways, including a podium-topping performance in the Turkish Airlines-Prize of Europe CSIO5* aboard Myla. In total, 2025 saw Farrington finish inside of the top ten in FEI competition on 74 different occasions.
A stalwart for the Defender U.S. Eventing Team, Boyd Martin concluded another strong and consistent campaign in 2025, earning top five finishes in 24 FEI events aboard a string of 13 different horses. Martin finished all three entries inside of the top ten at the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event CCI5*-L, including a second-place finish aboard Commando 3. The pair returned on the same form later in the year to notch a third-place finish in the MARS Maryland Five Star CCI5*-L. Martin then took his talents overseas to finish third in the Pau CCI5*-L, this time aboard Cooley Nutcracker, demonstrating incredible consistency and poise at the top international events in the world. Martin also topped the inaugural US Equestrian Eventing Open Final aboard Miks Master C, at Morven Park, marking his seventh international win of the season.
Representing the Defender U.S. Eventing Team, Martin and Commando 3 finished fifth overall and helped the team notch their third consecutive second place finish in the CHIO Aachen CCIO4*-S. Martin currently sits in second in the FEI Eventing World Rankings, having accumulated 537 points in 2025. He sat atop the world rankings in the month of May, marking the first time in nearly two decades a U.S. eventing athlete was ranked number one in the world.
National Equestrians of Honor
Allyson Nord Wandtke’s forty-year commitment to the Morgan horse breed is a testament to her enduring passion and dedication. Competing exclusively as an amateur, Nord Wandtke consistently demonstrates a high level of skill and possesses a record of accolades that rivals many professionals. Her 2025 campaign reinforced her standing among the sport’s elite. At the Grand National, Nord Wandtke and her equine partners delivered remarkable results, claiming her 11th Amateur English pleasure World Championship aboard DRHF Imagine That, in addition to securing a World Championship title with SSLLC Extreme Waze. Further, she earned a Reserve World Championship title with CN Restless Love for her mother, Cindy Nord. Beyond the ring, Nord Wandtke’s sportsmanship and dedication to the community are second to none. She is a tireless supporter of all exhibitors, enthusiasts, and the Morgan horse breed itself. Nord Wandtke exemplifies true sportsmanship on and off her horse even on challenging days and is known for personally welcoming enthusiasts back to the barn to meet her World Champions. With a life vested in the horse industry, she continues to prove year after year that she is an indispensable figure in the Morgan horse community.
The Morgan breed is known for its versatility, and lifelong Morgan exhibitor Amanda DuPont has masterfully showcased that versatility as an exceptional all-around equestrian. Her 2025 show record includes champion and reserve champion titles at the national and regional level in Western pleasure, English pleasure, park harness, and pleasure driving.
But DuPont is truly a force to be reckoned with in the highly competitive Morgan Hunter Pleasure division. At the Morgan Grand National and World Championship Horse Show, she was Reserve World Champion Hunter Pleasure Ladies with Cingate Starstruck, Reserve World Champion Hunter Pleasure Stallions & Geldings with Derawnda Lincoln, World Champion Futurity Hunter Pleasure 3 Year Old with Windward’s My Mania, and National Champion Hunter Pleasure Mares with JY Seraphic.
With a show record that stretches back to her first-ever leadline class at age 2 and includes disciplines ranging from jumpers to Western dressage and saddle seat, DuPont now shares her experience and enthusiasm with her students at Windward Farm in Pennsylvania. There, she has coached students to more than 75 world and national championship titles and has helped to build a future generation of versatile equestrians.
Daniel Geitner is celebrated for his lifelong dedication to horses, exceptional versatility, and distinguished presence in the hunter ring. His horsemanship reflects a lifetime in the saddle, beginning with foxhunting and evolving into a successful collegiate career at St. Andrews College. Over the years, Geitner honed his craft under the guidance of some of the sport’s most respected professionals, including Aaron Vale and Andrea King.
In 2025, Geitner captured both first and second place in the USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship Challenge Round aboard Aeronautic and Walk The Moon. His season featured numerous victories from green hunters to international derbies.
Geitner operates DFG Stables in Aiken, S.C., alongside his wife, Cathy, and their two children, Wyatt and Lilly. The farm, home to nearly 70 horses, serves athletes and horses of all levels, from ponies and green hunters to elite derby contenders.
Beyond ribbons and accolades, Geitner’s influence on equestrian sport is defined by his unwavering commitment to horsemanship. He sets the standard of integrity and skill that inspires everyone who shares the ring with him or watches from the sidelines.
James “Jim” Hitt has built a reputation as a competitor, educator, and official within the Arabian community.
Hitt has owned and operated Gambel Oaks Equestrian Center in Elizabeth, Colo., for three decades, specializing in Arabian and Half-Arabian horses in Western and English pleasure, reining, trail, and cow horse competitions. Hitt emphasizes horsemanship and care to empower his amateur and junior students to be active partners with their horses.
As a competitor, Hitt enjoyed success in 2025 with Legacy Black Sabbath, National Champion Arabian Trail Horse (Open) and M Gettin Er Dun, National Champion Half Arabian Ranch Trail (Open).
Hitt is also an experienced competition organizer. He is the former manager of the AHA Region 8 Championships, and current manager of multiple Colorado Arabian Horse Club events. He is an “R” Arabian judge, and a NRHA licensed judge and brings his expertise to local clinics and 4-H shows.
Hitt has served on numerous committees, he is the past director of Region 8 for AHA and received the President’s Award in 2013 and 2020. Hitt was instrumental in creating the Level Program, which evens the playing field for amateur riders, and drafting the Working Western Rules.
Carriage driving competitor Shannon Price-Heald has become an icon of the sport on the Arabian circuit. Her Half-Arabian gelding, Evorglens Entourage, was originally intended to be her dressage partner. Soon after bringing him home, Price-Heald developed medical limitations that restricted her from riding, but with the encouragement of her friend, Wendy Gruskiewicz, she and Evorglens Entourage shifted to the sport of carriage driving. This new discipline suited the pair exceptionally well, and they’ve found success ever since.
At the 2025 Arabian Sport Horse National Championships, Price-Heald won four national champion titles: Carriage Pleasure Driving Working, Turnout, Reinsmanship, and Scurry Obstacle. Price-Heald and Evorglens Entourage also secured top-ten finishes in the Drive & Ride, Double Jeopardy, and Timed Obstacle championships, proving to be a formidable pair across all facets of the Carriage Pleasure Driving sport.
A lifelong Arabian enthusiast, Price-Heald serves the industry as a USEF licensed steward, a region 16 Arabian Horse Association Delegate, and a member of the board of directors for the Arabian Horse Association of New York.
As the manager and trainer of Alabama-based Ted Carson Arabians, Ted Carson is one of the most sought-after handlers of Arabian halter horses. His record speaks for itself. In 2025, he won 18 regional championships and three regional reserve championships. At the U.S. National Championships, he showed horses to three reserve national champion titles and six to national championships. He adds these titles to his impressive lifelong record of more than 52 national champions and 31 national reserve champions.
In addition to his competition record, Carson gives back to the industry, serving as a national and regional Arabian judge. He has been active on the Arabian Horse Association’s Education/Evaluation Commission, providing his expertise on halter horse presentation.
