United States Eventing Association

Seventeen-year-old Carolyn Rice, a high school junior from Johns Creek, Georgia, has spent the last 10 years riding at Willow South Riding School—the very place where she first sat on a horse. What started as a casual introduction quickly became a lifelong passion.

For 13-year-old Lila Apple, the pathway to eventing hasn’t always been easy. Self-doubt and confidence issues hindered her progress, but after partnering with a precocious and experienced Thoroughbred and a new trainer who helped her hone her skills, she’s thriving—and even has this year’s USEA Interscholastic Eventing League Championships (IEL) firmly in her sights.

Alison Eastman-Lawler has been an active part of the sport for 44 years—this past year was her toughest yet, as she battled breast cancer while running her two eventing facilities in Areas I and III, organizing countless schooling shows and clinics, and teaching close to a hundred students. But thanks to her close-knit barn family she’s heading into 2025 with a bright future.

For more than 50 years, Jane Cory has been an unsung hero of the sport. The Area II trainer, judge, and event organizer welcomed generations of riders of all levels to her family’s beloved Pleasant Hollow Farm in Coopersburg, Pennsylvania, ensured the success of multitudes of shows and horse trials each year, and shared her love of horsemanship to all her students. Because of her deep dedication to her role, and contribution to the sport of eventing, she was recently honored by the USEA with the Andrew H. Popiel Trophy, given annually to organizers for their tireless commitment.

On a pack trip in Wyoming’s Big Horn Mountains in 2018 with her family, Australia-born Zara Bewley encountered many memorable creatures—moose, mountain lions, and bears. But it was Sam, a stoic 4-year-old blue roan gelding she rode during the journey, who made the biggest impact on her life.

Just over a year ago, Arielle Aharoni’s world came crashing down when her long-time partner Dutch Times suffered an injury on cross-country at the MARS Maryland 5 Star within sight of the finish flags. Now, with “Dutch” safely on the mend, she has her sights set on a bright future with his full brother, Notorious, and other up-and-comers.

Since 2005, the USEA Young Event Horse (YEH) classes for 4- and 5-year-olds have showcased rising stars in the eventing world, and many graduates of the program have gone on to compete at the highest levels of the sport.

“Wow, I wasn’t expecting that. He is quite the athlete!” Such comments are fairly common for Jennifer Skinner to hear about her American Quarter Horse stallion Bullys Legacy (“Diggy”). Eleven years ago Skinner, a professional barrel racing and young horse trainer in Bryan, Texas, welcomed the bay colt into the world—he’d been the culmination of dream bloodlines, bred for a career in her industry.

When 15-year-old Sophia Lieberman first laid eyes on her dapple gray mustang Bear Necessities three years ago in Alabama, she had no idea what the future might hold for them. Lieberman and her mother, Dr. Alison LaCarrubba, DVM, were on the hunt for a new project pony, and the 14-hand gelding seemed like he might be a good fit.

Only a few weeks ago, 13-year-old Julitta “Adele” Bryant was convinced that a trip to this year’s USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds wasn’t in the cards for her. But the hard working teen from Ponce De Leon, Florida, was in for a major surprise, thanks to the incredible generosity of a close family friend and fellow eventer.