United States Eventing Association

Kendal Fansler, Claire McMillan, Emma Whitaker, and Olive Dumais have been riding together for more than two years through their membership in the Iron Bridge Hounds Pony Club. Together, the teenagers have tackled Pony Club rallies, the intimidating Pony Club tradition of Quiz, and more. But this weekend, they’re tackling one of their biggest obstacles yet—the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) Championship.

Debbie Hinkle has long been a staple of the eventing community in Area VIII. While she hasn’t spent her entire life on a farm, she first started riding farm horses and volunteering at farm shows.

Suzannah Cornue’s Korbin has always stood out in the show ring, thanks to his bright blue eye, bald face, and chestnut pinto coat. However, what really makes this pinto gelding one of a kind isn’t how he looks, but what he’s been through.

Strange as it may seem to some die-hard eventing fans, not everyone seeks out horses in their lives. Sometimes, the horse world chooses the equestrian. And that’s exactly what happened to this month’s VIP Volunteer Laurie Hogan. Hogan has two main passions in life—volunteering at horse trials and jam sessions with a group of local musicians.

Freshman year of college is a time of transition. Between being away from home and learning how to take care of yourself, there’s a lot on your plate. More so for Florida State University student Kani Schram, who found herself with a burgeoning eventing team hoisted upon her when the previous team captain needed to step down.

Area X may not be known as a hot spot for eventing—but there’s more than enough action to keep volunteer Brian Murphy busy. Murphy first started volunteering after he needed something to do while he supported his wife when she competed on the weekends.

“This guy has been through a lot." According to Ava Vojnovic, that was Olympian Boyd Martin’s reaction upon seeing her horse, LH Clean Slate at a clinic last month. He hit the nail on the head. Since 2022, “Slate” has struggled with a multitude of injuries that kept him out of work for just under three years. It all started in 2022, when Vojnovic and Slate started having difficulties under saddle that kept ending up with Vojnovic on the ground.

Spectators could be forgiven for thinking they were seeing double during the victory gallop in the Novice Junior 15 & Under division at the 2024 USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Nutrena Feeds. Two identical flea-bitten ponies were galloping around, second- and third-place ribbons streaming in the breeze, under the command of 13-year-old Kendal Fansler of Clarksville, Maryland.

Nazila Hejazi and her 20-year-old Missouri Fox Trotter mare, Tessa, may have made for an unconventional pair at the USEA Area VI Championships, held in October at Galway Downs (Temecula, California) but they didn’t let that hold them back. It’s uncommon to see a horse in their twenties still competing in eventing, and even more rare for a gaited horse to compete in a jumping sport.

Veterinary pathologist Susan Hart has been trapped in an “always the bridesmaid, never the bride” loop on the USEA Volunteer Incentive Program (VIP) Volunteer Leaderboard since 2022. After two years of chipping away at the leaderboard, 2024 was finally her year to proverbially walk down the aisle. With a total of 691 and a half hours, Hart topped the leaderboard to become the 2024 USEA Volunteer of the Year, sponsored by Mrs. Pastures, and win the first gold medal in USEA VIP history, which is awarded for achieving over 2,000 lifetime volunteer hours.