Participants Selected for 2022 USHJA USHJA Gold Star Clinic - West

Lexington, Ky.—Jan. 12, 2022—The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is pleased to announce the selected participants for the 2022 USHJA Gold Star Clinic - West. This year's West clinic gets underway at Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, California, January 12-16, with Kirsten Coe and Schuyler Riley leading the mounted sessions.

Congratulations to the following riders on being selected to this year's West Coast clinic:

  • Emmeline Adamick, San Francisco, Calif.
  • Hannah Attar, Pasadena, Calif.
  • Emilie Bell, Lodi, Calif.
  • Amelie Bittar, Los Angeles, Calif.
  • Makena Bloebaum, Scottsdale, Ariz.
  • Zoie Brogdon, Los Angeles, Calif.
  • Betsy Checchia, Tucson, Ariz.
  • Tyra Cleary, Petaluma, Calif.
  • Giacomo Drago, Beverly Hills, Calif.
  • Reagan Gallagher, Scottsdale, Ariz.
  • Bree Garey, Houston, Texas
  • Avery Griffin, Austin, Texas
  • Zacko Hardin, New Cuyama, Calif.
  • Anna Kaczmarek, Sammamish, Wash.
  • Lauren Kolbe, Hidden Hills, Calif.
  • Vivian Koss, Monroe, Wash.
  • Valentina Lehner, Watsonville, Calif.
  • Rachel Loftin, Paradise Valley, Ariz.
  • Bobby Malmrose, Washoe Valley, Nev.
  • Viola Mitchell, Woodinville, Wash.
  • Katie Murray, Anaheim, Calif.
  • Julia Nickl, Palos Verdes Estates, Calif.
  • Andrea Schroder, Redmond, Wash.
  • Emma Scott, Conroe, Texas
  • Regan Shill, Paradise Valley, Ariz.
  • Elizabeth Simpson, Parker, Colo.
  • Rowan Smark, Laguna Niguel, Calif.
  • Emma Smith, Sammamish, Wash.
  • Tess Von Hemel, Oxford, Ohio
  • Scarlett Wallis, Royal Oaks, Calif.
  • Courtney Youell, Snohomish, Wash.

With Coe and Riley leading in the ring, Colleen Reed will oversee the horse care and stable management sessions in the barn. The clinic will also feature other educational presentations from top athletes and horsemen, including discussions on horse health, education about what to expect as a member of a competitive Jumping team, and information about international Jumping competition. 

The bicoastal Gold Star Clinics serve as the pinnacle of the USHJA Emerging Jumper Rider Program, which identifies Jumper riders who have the skill and desire to excel in the sport while educating them to become well-rounded horsemen. The East clinic returns to Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in West Palm Beach, Florida, February 9-13 with Anne Kursinski. Both clinic's mounted sessions will be on-demand on the USHJA Channel on Horse & Country.

Each year, individual medalists from the Markel/USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships and those from the Markel/USHJA Platinum Jumper Championships are invited to attend one of the following year's Gold Star Clinics. The top two riders from the USHJA Emerging Athletes Program National Training Session are also invited to attend, as well as any FEI age 12- to 14-year-old who has competed in the North American Youth Championship or USEF official Children’s Team with 4 faults or less in the current calendar year. Finally, a select number of Wild Card participants are invited each year.

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