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. 

Keenan was a standout rider from the start of her career, sweeping the USEF Hunter Pony National Championship in 2007 and 2008, and winning the 2011 $100,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals at just 14 years old. She went on to claim top equitation titles, including the 2012 North American Junior Equitation Championship and the 2013 USEF Hunter Seat Medal Finals and ASPCA Maclay Finals. As a jumper, she earned team gold at the 2012 and 2013 North American Youth Championships and won the $125,000 Grand Prix at HITS-on-the-Hudson. Her success earned her the 2013 Junior Equestrian of the Year title. 

She was selected for the U.S. Jumping Team at the Rome Nations Cup CSIO5*, helping secure fourth-place finish aboard Argan de Beliard. Later, she won the $200,000 Kubota CSI5* Grand Prix in Toronto with Kick On, followed by victories in the $200,000 MLSJ CSI5* Team Competition and $1,000,000 MLSJ FEI 5* Team Final to close out the year. 

In 2025, Keenan was selected to the U.S. Jumping Team for the LLN Ocala CSIO5*, where her double clear with Argan de Beliard contributed to the team’s victory. She represented the U.S. with Kick On for the FEI Jumping World Cup Finals in Basel Switzerland. In their debut for the team, Keenan and Kick On helped the team secure victory in the Rome Nations Cup CSIO5*. Keenan represented the United States at the CHIO Aachen CSIO5* with Argan de Beliard, producing the only double clear to secure the team’s top podium finish. She concluded a successful season as a selected member of the U.S. Jumping Team for the Spruce Meadows Nations Cup CSIO5* with Argan de Beliard. Keenan and Argan de Beliard produced the most clear rounds of any combination representing the U.S. Jumping Team in 2025, leading to Keenan’s selection to accept the prestigious Whitney Stone Cup in recognition of their outstanding performances.  

Adrienne Sternlicht moved through the pony and junior hunter divisions to turn into a serious competitor on the international grand prix circuit. Although her first passion was riding, she took a break during high school and returned while attending Brown University. In 2016, Sternlicht began her partnership with Cristalline and started to train with U.S. Olympic double gold medalist McLain Ward.

In May 2017, Sternlicht made her Nations Cup debut with Cristalline at the FEI Nations Cup™ CSIO4* Coapexpan in Mexico, where they helped the U.S. team win the silver medal. Since then, she has been a member of several Nations Cup teams and collected numerous individual top placings, resulting in her selection to the WEG 2018 NetJets U.S. Show Jumping Team Short List. Following her selection to the short list, she placed second in the $250,000 Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon, won a CSI5* class during Knokke Hippique, and was part of the U.S. team for FEI Jumping Nations Cup Ireland, where she placed fourth in the Longines International Grand Prix of Ireland. Named to the WEG Tryon 2018 team, she and Cristalline aided the U.S. team in their historic victory, bringing home the gold medal for the U.S. for the first time in 36 years.

In 2020, Sternlicht started the year with a CSI4* win at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Fla. aboard Just a Gamble before being selected to represent the U.S. Jumping Team for the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Wellington CSIO4*, where she helped the team secure gold. In 2021, Sternlicht was part of FEI Nations Cup teams in Sopot, Poland, and Rotterdam, The Netherlands, with Benny’s Legacy.

Sternlicht started off 2022 with a win in a CSI3* at the Winter Equestrian Festival in January riding Lafayette Van Overis, followed by a win in the CSI5* with Benny’s Legacy at WEF in February. She traveled to Europe for the summer season and where she was part of the U.S. team at the Mercedes-Benz Jumping Nations’ Cup of Aachen CSIO5* in June. In July, she and Benny’s Legacy earned a win at the Grand Prix of Valkenswaard CSI2*.

In October of 2023, Sternlicht and Benny's Legacy won the Open 1.40m Jumper Championship at Equus Events Tryon in North Carolina. 

 

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.