As the National Governing Body for Equestrian Sport, US Equestrian trains and funds members of the United States Equestrian Team for major international events. It also fosters growth in the sport by helping and encouraging young riders to achieve their potential.
US Equestrian rider-and-horse duos participate in various national and international events throughout the year. Here is a look at some recent results for American riders and selections for upcoming events.
Team Announced for 2023 FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Riders & Juniors
The 2023 FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Riders & Juniors is scheduled for September 2 in Castelsagrat, France. US Equestrian announced on June 29 that Avery Betz-Conway, Alex Shampoe, and Meghan Wert will represent the US in the annual event, a four-gate race that covers 120 kilometers. Betz-Conway, a 17-year-old native of Kingsland, Georgia, is already an accomplished rider despite her age. She was the 2021 USEF Endurance CEIYJ1* Reserve National Champion and won four events in 2022, including the 120-km Ride in the Low Country CEIYJ2* and the 100-km Broxton Bridge CEIYJ1* ride. She’ll be riding RAS Istanbul, a 2011 Arabian gelding, at the 2023 FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Riders & Juniors.
Shampoe, riding a 2011 Arabian mare Fine Cut Gold in France, is a 21-year-old native of Colorado Springs, Colorado. She finished 14th in the 2021 FEI Endurance World Championship for Young Riders & Juniors in the Netherlands and earned the Brunjes Junior/Young Rider Trophy in 2018. She has won two endurance events with Fine Cut Gold. Wert, 17, will be riding the 2015 Anglo-Arabian Gilted Gold in France. The talented junior endurance athlete won the 120-km Celebration CEIYJ2* and the 120-km Spring Ride in the Low Country CEIYJ2* in 2022.
Land Rover US Eventing Team Finishes Second in Germany
Multiple US Equestrian teams were in action at the SAP Cup CCIO4*-S at CHIO Aachen in July and the Land Rover US Eventing Team scored the best result with a second-place finish. Germany finished first with a team total of 104.9 penalties, while Great Britain finished third with 136.6 penalties. American Tamie Smith, riding the 2006 German Sport Horse gelding Mai Baum, recorded an individual third-place finish.
Phillip Dutton and 2008 Zangersheide gelding Z started the competition for the Americans and finished sixth overall on a 38. Liz Halliday-Sharp, riding 2012 Swedish Warmblood gelding Miks Master C in his Aachen debut, went next and finished fifth overall with a total of 36.50. Other team members Dan Kreitl and Will Coleman finished in 35th and 38th place, respectively.
NetJets US Jumping Team Finishes Fourth in Germany
The NetJets US Jumping Team was also in action in Germany, finishing just off the podium in fourth place in the Mercedes-Benz Jumping Nations Cup CSIO5*. Switzerland finished first with a competition-low four faults, while Great Britain and Belgium finished in second and third with eight faults each. The Americans, led by Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland, had 12 faults through two rounds.
McLain Ward, riding 2008 Holsteiner mare Callas, had the best performance for the US team, producing a clear effort with no faults in the first round to secure the team’s entry in the second round. Devin Ryan, Natalie Dean, and Laura Kraut also put in solid performances for the Americans.
“We always aim for the podium, and we just missed it here, but these are eight of the top teams in the world and I think overall we were quite encouraged,” said Ridland. “McLain’s double clear was a masterpiece, and for Natalie, it was a great performance for her as well. This is the big stage and on a Thursday night in Aachen, there’s never an empty seat in the house.”
Dressage Team Eighth in FEI Dressage Nations Cup
Although the result wasn’t as positive for the Dutta Corp. US Dressage Team at the FEI Dressage Nations Cup CDIO5* in Aachen, it was a valuable learning experience for each of the team members. The Americans finished eighth with a total team score of 422.609. Germany, led by individual champion Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, took home first place with a score of 468.285. Denmark (460.097) and Great Britain (459.756) finished in second and third place, respectively.
Anna Buffini, who anchored the American team, recorded a team-best score of 70.553 percent. Susie Dutta, Sarah Tubman, and Alice Tarjan also competed for the US. Christian Simonson of Ventura, California, had the best dressage performance in Aachen, recording his first podium result with a third-place finish in the FEI Young Rider Freestyle test. It was the last Young Rider competition for Simonson.
Young Riders Claim Grand Champion Titles
At the national level, junior riders Clara Propp and Aedan Mooney took home the top prize of grand champion at the 2023 Adequan®/USEF Junior Hunter National Championships – East. Propp, a native of New York City, won the 3’6″ division for her third consecutive title riding the 2013 Oldenburg mare Arabesque, who earned the Best Mare award for the second consecutive year. Mooney, along with the 2015 Westphalian mare She’s All That, was the wire-to-wire 3’3″ champion in the Large Junior Hunter 16-17 section.