United States Eventing Association

Stars of the Interscholastic Eventing League Shot to the Top of the 2024 Leaderboards

The inaugural USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) Championships may have been the pinnacle for program members of the IEL last year, but that’s not the only exciting achievement that occurred in 2024. A total of 41 events offered IEL Team Challenges for over 360 program members, and in the end, a year-end leaderboard champion was named at every level from Starter through Intermediate. The following IEL members worked tirelessly with their clubs and on their own competitive journeys in 2024 to earn the title of Interscholastic Rider of the Year at their respective level. Join us in congratulating these up-and-coming eventers on their success!

Starter IEL Rider of the Year: Ashley Zupan

For the first time in 2024, USEA members competing at the brand new Starter level had the opportunity to earn leaderboard points towards year-end accolades, and Ashley Zupan of Annapolis, Maryland, did just that with her 19-year-old Mustang gelding, Al Capony. Representing the Area II Developing Riders Club, Zupan and Al Capony started gaining notoriety at the USEA IEL Championships at Stable View (Aiken, South Carolina) in May, where they finished fourth individually in their Starter division on a score of 30.7, anchoring their team’s third place finish in the Championship and gaining a barrage of fans.

Zupan and Al Capony went on to complete 12 Recognized Starter events throughout the 2024 season, competing in IEL Team Challenges hosted at half of those events. The pair helped the Area II Developing Riders claim two team challenges wins at the MCTA H.T. at Shawan Downs (Cockeysville, Maryland), where they again contributed the lowest finishing score to the team’s total, and the Full Moon Farm H.T. (Finksburg, Maryland) in June, which the team won on a very low combined score of 93.38.

As if that wasn’t enough for one season, Zupan also met several individual competitive milestones in 2024. Her and her trusted partner competed in their first USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Nutrena Feeds (AEC) and finished in the top 20 of the Starter junior championship. In addition, the duo won their second recognized event together at the Plantation Field Horse Trials (Unionville, Pennsylvania) in April with a double clear jumping effort, and they went on to collect three reserve champion titles at the Waredaca Farm H.T. (Laystonsville, Maryland) in August, the Marlborough H.T. (Upper Marloboro, Maryland) in September, and The Maryland Horse Trials at Loch Moy Farm (Adamstown) in October.

Beginner Novice IEL Rider of the Year: Raegan Hornfeck

Raegan Hornfeck of Alpharetta, Georgia, had a legendary first season with her new mount, Legendary Spots, a 10-year-old Pony of Americas gelding owned by her trainer, Halliea Milner, who helped her earn the Beginner Novice IEL Rider of the Year title in 2024. This eye-catching duo competed for the reigning champion Go With It Farm (GWIF) Groupies Club throughout the season and were members of the fourth-place GWIF Groupies Team A at the IEL Championships in May. Hornfeck and Legendary Spots contributed the best results to their championship team’s campaign, adding nothing to their dressage score of 32.8 over the two days of competition, and earning second place individually in their Beginner Novice Rider division.

After her success at the championships, Hornfeck competed at the AEC for the first time in the Beginner Novice Junior Championship, where her and Legendary Spots added just one rail in show jumping to their dressage score to finish in the top 10. Other season highlights for this pair include wins in the Junior Beginner Novice divisions at the Bouckaert Equestrian H.T. (Fairburn, Georgia) in May on a double-clear score of 27.4 and at the Poplar Place Farm October H.T. (Hamilton, Georgia) on a score of 29.3.

Hornfeck and Legendary Spots represented the GWIF Groupies at three IEL Team Challenges, earning team champion bragging rights at two of those events. At the Stable View Oktoberfest 2/3/4* and H.T., Hornfeck teamed up with Madison and Collins Zgutowicz to claim the win, then at the Poplar Place Farm October H.T., she and teammate Khloe Lovingood joined forces with members of the River Run Eventing Club to earn the top spot. Hornfeck contributed the lowest individual score to both of her winning teams.

Novice IEL of the Year: Kendal Fansler

Kendal Fansler of Clarksville, Maryland, is no stranger to success. In 2023, Fansler made waves with her Iron Bridge Hound Pony Club by winning two IEL Team Challenges and personally racking up seven individual wins at the Novice level, including an champion title at the AEC. The 2024 competition season saw another incredible year of competition for her and her three mounts: Hedgrow Farms’ 13-year-old Connemara gelding, Delilah’s Boy, their 9-year-old Connemara mare, Elderglen’s Charlotte (Wildwood Hearne Topgun x Balmullo’s Jezebele), and their 19-year-old Andalusian gelding, Curioso (Nishkito x Bright Easy Jet). All three horses competed with Fansler at Novice level to help her earn her second consecutive IEL Rider of the Year title.

Fansler competed in six IEL Team Challenges in 2024, one of which she won with her teammate Emma Whitaker at the Fair Hill International August Recognized Horse Trials (Elkton, Maryland). Fansler contributed not just one, but the two best scores of the day for her team in the Novice Rider A and B divisions with Delilah’s Boy and Curioso, who each won their divisions respectively.

Throughout the year, Fansler and her herd won a total of nine events and came in second at an additional seven. Fansler returned to the AEC in 2024 to defend her title in the Novice 15 & Under Championship and ended up on the podium with both of her entries, Delilah’s Boy, who finished in second place, and Curioso, who claimed third. Finally, Fansler logged a personal best final score of 25.6 at twice last season at the Plantation Field May H.T. and The Maryland Horse Trials at Loch Moy Farm in July, both of which were won on their dressage score with her most steady partner, Delilah’s Boy.

Training IEL Rider of the Year: Marina Cassou

Ashley Zupan’s fellow Area II Developing Rider teammate, Marina Cassou of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, had a spectacular year competing two horses at the Training level to top the IEL leaderboard. Beatrice Cassou’s Castleturvin Mungo, a 16-year-old Connemara gelding, and Cooley Monsoon (Ramiro B x Declans Folly), a 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse, partnered with Marina on her way to the win.

Marina competed with her Area II Developing Rider teammates at three IEL Team Challenges, finding the ultimate success at two of them. With the help of her teammates and Castleturvin Mungo in both instances, Marina contributed to team wins at the Fair Hill International May Recognized H.T. and the Full Moon Farm June H.T. IEL Team Challenges. Castleturvin Mungo also logged an individual win with Marina in the irons in the Training Rider division at the Plantation Field May H.T. Not to be outdone by his barn mate, Cooley Monsoon and Marina had a record year, logging wins in the Training Rider division at The Maryland International & Horse Trials in July and the Fair Hill International Recognized H.T. in August.

Over the summer, Marina successfully defended her champion title at the AEC by winning the Training Amateur Championship at the Kentucky Horse Park, this year with Cooley Monsoon. Finally, Castleturvin Mungo and Marina completed their first FEI event at the Plantation Field International H.T. in September where they were second in the CC1*-S division.

Modified IEL Rider of the Year: Berkley Gardner

As a member of the East Coast Eventers IEL Club, Berkley Gardner of Leesburg, Virginia, earned the title of Modified IEL Rider of the Year with the help of Jenni Bickerstaff’s 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse mare, In Vogue (Future Trend x Ballymolloy Hollyhock). Gardner had a standout performance early in the season at the IEL Championships, where she claimed second place individually at the Modified level, anchoring the East Coast Eventers and River Mist Eventing scramble team’s tenth place finish.

Throughout the year, Gardner and In Vogue represented the East Coast Eventers in four different IEL Team Challenges, and their greatest success came at the Virginia Horse Center Eventing Fall challenge where they teamed up with members of the Deep Purple Eventing Club to take the win. The pair contributed the lowest individual score to their team’s total, and again earned the reserve champion title individually out of 18 competitors in the Modified Rider division. Other personal highlights from the 2024 season include a win in the Modified Rider division at the Virginia Horse Center Eventing Spring (Lexington) in May, where a double clear effort had the pair finish on a score of 27.8, and making their FEI debut at The Maryland International and Horse Trials in July, where they earned reserve champion in the CCI1*-S.

Preliminary IEL Rider of the Year: Harper Padgett

2024 saw two eventers from the West Coast of the U.S. finish at the top of the IEL Leaderboards, and the first is Harper Padgett of Woodinville, Washington, who represents the Powerpuff Girls Club. Harper piloted three of Leonie Padgett’s horses to success at the Preliminary level last year, including Captivate (Cunningham x Dorothy’s Cabin), a 15-year-old Holsteiner gelding bred by Kathleen Benedict, Cooley Copresenter (Zavall VDL x Elodie), a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, and Cooley Starship (Cobra x Simona), a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding.

Padgett competed at the Preliminary level five times in 2024 before all three of her mounts moved up to the Intermediate level later in the season. She competed in two IEL Team Challenges at The Event at Rebecca Farm (Kalispell, Montana) and the Virginia Horse Center Eventing Fall, where she teamed up with members of the Rachel Lawson Eventing Club to earn second place in the final team standings. Perhaps Padgett’s biggest personal achievement of 2024 was earning her spot at the 2024-2025 USEA Emerging Athletes U21 Program (EA21) National Camp in Ocala, Florida, just a couple of weeks ago after standing out at the West II Regional Clinic at Aspen Farm (Yelm, Washington) over the summer.

Finally, Padgett collected two wins at the Preliminary level in March at the Ocala Winter II H.T. (Florida) on Captivate and Cooley Copresenter.

Intermediate IEL Rider of the Year: Hanni Sreenan

Finally, Hanni Sreenan of Hood River, Oregon, took home the final IEL Rider of the Year title at the Intermediate level. Sreenan competed with Amy Haugen’s 18-year-old Hanoverian gelding, Ebenholtz (Ehrentusch x Levantine), with much success throughout the year. The gelding, who was bred by Gestut Lewitz, took home wins in the Open Intermediate divisions at Twin Rivers Spring International (Paso Robles, California) in April and the Inavale Farm H.T. (Philomath, Oregon) in June with Sreenan in the tack. The pair also saw success in FEI competition when they earned a second place finish in the CCI3*-S at the Spokane Sport Horse 10^th Annual Fall H.T. (Washington) later in the year.

Sreenan was also selected to participate in the USEA EA21 Program, riding alongside Padgett at the West II Regional Clinic at Aspen Farm in August. She represented the Inland Northwest Eventers IEL Club, who fielded winning teams at the Spokane Sport Horse Spring H.T., The Event at Rebecca Farm, and the Equestrians’ Institute H.T (Cle Elum, Washington).

Congratulations to all the IEL members on another exciting year of team competition! IEL Club representatives, don’t forget to renew your IEL Club membership with the USEA and submit your updated rosters to Jennifer Hardwick at [email protected] by Feb. 15. The IEL Club membership is $75 per year, or complimentary if the group is registered with an ECP certified coach. Also, mark your calendars for the 2025 USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina, on May 2-4!

About the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL)

In August 2020, the USEA Board of Governors approved the creation of the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League (IEL) as an official program of the USEA. The mission of IEL is to unite junior riders who are in the 5th—12th grade and provide a supportive community through which students can continue to pursue their riding interests. A group of junior members in the 5th—12th grade who share a common bond, such as the same barn, school, Pony Club, or other connection, can register with the USEA as an IEL Club. The second annual USEA Interscholastic Eventing Championship will be held alongside the USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina, on May 2-4, 2025. Click here to learn more about the Interscholastic Eventing League.

The USEA would like to thank Bates Saddles, Horse & Country, Kerrits, Nunn Finer, Sidelines, U.S. Equestrian, WeRideTogether, and World Equestrian Brands for sponsoring the USEA Interscholastic Eventing League.