The jumping community always knew Robert Ridland as a great rider, but now they also see him as the brilliant, strategic mind guiding the U.S. Jumping Team to unprecedented success. Ridland brings several decades of international experience, both as a rider and coach, to the Chef d'Equipe position.

As an athlete, Ridland competed in the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games and won several grand prix competitions throughout his riding career. Ridland has been extensively involved in the governance of the sport, including several terms as a board member of US Equestrian and the United States Equestrian Team Foundation.

Ridland's vast experience as an international course designer helped shaped his analytical approach to the sport. He won the Course Designer of the Year Award twice while building the courses for the U.S. Olympic Trials and numerous international competitions. As an international official, he was the only American to have served as the FEI Technical Delegate for four FEI World Cup Finals. As a television commentator, he worked for many years as the color analyst for ESPN and CBS, as well as two stints for NBC at the Barcelona and Athens Olympic Games.

Since being named the U.S. Jumping Chef d’Equipe/Technical Advisor in 2013, Ridland has led the U.S. team to team bronze medals at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, and team gold at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, N.C. Under his guidance the team has medaled at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games, 2019 Lima Pan American Games, and most recently secured team gold at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. The U.S. Jumping Team has earned three consecutive team silver medals in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, and 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 

Karl Cook began riding at eight alongside his mother, Signe, and sister, Annie Laurie. What soon followed was a lifelong passion for horses. Between 2007 and 2009, Cook’s trajectory was that of a successful Junior/Young Rider competing in the FEI North American Youth Championships (NAYC) for three consecutive years, winning team and individual gold in 2007 and team and individual silver in 2008.

Based out of Pomponio Ranch South in Rancho Santa Fe, California, Cook has continued to produce top results throughout his professional career with the help of coach and mentor Eric Navet (France), competing in three FEI World Cup® Finals and multiple NetJets® U.S. Jumping Teams including at the 2023 FEI Nations Cup® Final in Barcelona. Ranking among Cook’s most notable Grand Prix wins are Hampton Classic 2022, American Gold Cup, $1 Million Coachella Cup, Major League Show Jumping Top Individual Rider in 2023, CSI5* Rolex Grand Prix of Rome in 2024, and winning Silver for Team USA at the 2024 Paris Olympics.

The 2024 season has been a strong showing for Cook and his string. With Caracole de la Roque, Cook took second in the prestigious Rolex Grand Prix in Wellington, Fla., before being named to the U.S. Jumping Team Short List for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The duo were strong in their Nations Cup competitions, and exceled in each of their Grand Prix classes, securing top honors in the Rolex Grand Prix of Rome CSIO5* in May and earning a second-place finish at the Rolex Grand Prix of La Baule CSIO5* in June. 

Cook and Caracole de la Roque were selected as the alternate athlete combination for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games. The pair ultimately competed on the team and helped secure the Team Silver Medal alongside teammates Laura Kraut and Mclain Ward.

Marilyn Little grew up riding at her family’s Raylyn Farms and began competing at the age of six. She found early success in the hunter/jumper discipline, competing in her first grand prix at just 16 years old. While she built a strong foundation in show jumping, Little expanded her career into eventing in 2010, completing her first CCI4* in 2012 and earning international recognition for her results at the highest levels of the sport. Her eventing accomplishments include multiple top finishes at major four- and five-star events, as well as a team gold medal at the 2015 Pan American Games.

In recent years, Little has re-established herself as a top competitor in international jumping. She was a member of the winning U.S. Jumping Team at the 2025 FEI Jumping Nations Cup Caledon CSIO3*, where she delivered two fault-free rounds aboard La Contessa. That same weekend, she and La Contessa claimed victory in the $90,000 Grand Prix of Caledon CSIO3*.

In 2025, Little and La Contessa earned a second-place finish in the Cabana Coast $62,500 FEI CSI5* and third place in the Major League Show Jumping Grand Prix of Toronto CSI5*. That same year, she also posted standout results at Old Salem Farm, including a second-place finish in the Old Salem Blue Diamond Cup CSI4* and a victory in the Old Salem Farm Welcome CSI4*.

Continuing their strong form into 2026, Little and La Contessa opened the Winter Equestrian Festival season with a podium finish in the CSI3* Grand Prix during Week 1.

Callie Schott came as a young professional under the tutelage of John and Beezie Madden, producing young horses and competing at the national and international levels.

In 2022, Schott won the $37,200 Tbird Grand Prix CSI2* with Teddy Z at Thunderbird Show Park. With Ironix, Schott won the $10,000 Maritime Travel Cup CSI2* at Spruce Meadows 'North American' Tournament. Schott partnered with Garant to win her first CSI5* grand prix of her career, the $216,000 MLSJ CSI5* Grand Prix of Traverse City during the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival. Schott tallied another win with Ironix CSI2* Kubota Canada Qualifier at the Ottawa Equestrian Tournaments.

Schott began 2023 with top-10 placings with Garant at the Winter Equestrian Festival. The pair were third in the $145,100 Grand Prix of Traverse City CSI3* and the $145,100 Agero Grand Prix CSI3* during the Traverse City Horse Shows.

In 2024, Schott made her senior team debut at the Longines League of Nations™ Abu Dhabi with Garant, helping the NetJets^® U.S. Jumping Team to a sixth-place finish in a highly competitive international field. Schott and Garant were second in the $62,500 LeMieux Grand Prix Qualifier CSI4* at the World Equestrian Center - Ocala. The pair earned a third-place finish in the $330,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix CSIO5* during the Longines League of Nations Ocala. 

Schott and Garant were short listed for the 2024 Paris Olympic Games and represented the U.S. Jumping Team in the FEI Longines League of Nations Netherlands CSIO5* in Rotterdam. 

McLain Ward was introduced to riding before he could walk and has a competitive prowess which only continues to increase with age. In 1990, Ward became the youngest rider ever to win both the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Medal Finals and the USET Talent Derby at age 14. After turning pro, he quickly became the youngest rider to reach the $1 million mark in earnings in 1999, at the age of 24. 

Ward is a six-time Olympian, including as a member of the gold-medal-winning U.S. teams in Athens 2004 and Beijing 2008 with his longtime mount, Sapphire. With HH Azur, he was part of the U.S. team that took silver at the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Ward was also a team silver medalist at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games riding Contagious and most recently earned team silver once again, this time aboard Ilex at the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.  

He was a member of the gold-medal winning NetJets® U.S. Jumping Team for the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018 riding Clinta, WEG Normandy 2014 team bronze medalist with Rothchild, and a WEG Aachen 2006 team silver medalist with Sapphire, and represented the U.S. in 2022 in Herning with Contagious. As a Pan American Games athlete, Ward was a part of the gold-medal team in Guadalajara 2011 riding Antares F, as well as aboard Contagious at Santiago 2023, where the pair helped the team secure their Paris 2024 qualification. 

In 2025, Ward was selected to the U.S. Jumping Team for the LLN Ocala CSIO5*, where he and Ilex contributed to the team’s top podium finish. He went on the compete for the U.S. in the Rome Nations Cup CSIO5* on Imperial HBF and La Baule Nations Cup CSIO5* on Ilex. He was named to the winning U.S. Jumping Team for the CHIO Aachen CSIO5* with Imperial HBF and second place finishing team at the Falsterbo Nations Cup CSIO5* with High Star Hero. A highlight of 2025 was Ward’s win aboard High Star Hero in the FEI Jumping World Cup Qualifier CSI5* at Santa Anita.  

Ward began 2026 as a selected member of the U.S. Jumping Team for the Wellington Nations Cup CSIO4*, where he and Jordan Molga M contributed to the team's victory.  

Ward resides in Brewster, New York, with his wife, Lauren, and their two young daughters, Lilly and Madison.