Applications Open for 2025 USHJA Gold Star Clinic

Annual Clinic To Be Held January 22-26 at World Equestrian Center - Ocala

Lexington, Ky.—Oct. 29, 2024—The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is pleased to announce that applications for the 2025 USHJA Gold Star Clinic are now open. Renowned riding clinician Nicki Shahinian-Simpson will lead participants at World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Florida, from January 22-26, 2025, with expert stable management instruction provided by Colleen Reed. Medalist and Wild Card applications close December 13, 2024.

Beginning in 2025, the Clinic will be hosted at a single location each year, alternating between the East and West Coasts. The annual Clinic serves as the pinnacle of the USHJA Emerging Jumper Rider Program, which provides education and guidance to Jumper athletes looking to advance to the sport's highest levels. Over the course of five days, participants will receive both mounted and unmounted instruction from Olympic-caliber clinicians, in addition to stable management education, horse health and nutrition sessions led by top veterinarians, and valuable insights into Show Jumping team competition and the Athlete Pathway.

Individual medalists from the Markel/USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships and Markel/USHJA Platinum Jumper Championships are invited to attend one Gold Star Clinic of their choice over the following two years. The top two riders from the MZ Farms/USHJA Emerging Athletes Program National Training Session are also invited to attend.

A select number of Wild Card applicants are also accepted each year from these identified groups in order as space allows:

Group A: Individual medalists in the USEF Junior Jumper National Championships; the FEI North American Youth Jumping Children’s (any rider that jumped a clear round), Pre-Junior, and Junior Championships; the USEF Pony Jumper Championship; and the top rider in each USHJA Jumper Classic Series level
Group B: Any athlete from the Zone Jumper Team Championships and Platinum Jumper Championships that successfully competed without elimination
Group C: Any athlete from the events listed in Group A that finished below the podium in the individual final of their specific championship
Group D: Zone Jumper Team Championships and Platinum Jumper Championships athletes who did not meet the above criteria

The USHJA thanks Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund for their support, as well as Official Sponsors CWD, Nutrena, and Parlanti.

To learn more about the Emerging Jumper Rider Program, visit ushja.org/emergingjumper. Find out more about the Gold Star Clinics at ushja.org/goldstarclinics.

Photos: Rachel Milewski/USHJA