Salter Tops 2024 USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals

Sweet Briar, Va.—Nov. 12, 2024—Veteran competitor Claire Salter demonstrated her resilience and deep knowledge to claim victory at this year's USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals. Hosted at Sweet Briar College in Sweet Briar, Virginia, the competition took place from November 8-10, alongside the MZ Farms/USHJA Emerging Athletes Program National Training Session.

"This is my fifth year at the HQC Nationals," remarked Salter, 19, of El Dorado Hills, California. "I had hoped to return this year to get more experience and I enjoyed meeting all of the new people. I'm so honored and thankful to have won."

Salter’s motivation for competing is fueled by the sense of camaraderie among participants, the opportunity for continued learning, and the chance to build strong bonds with horses through horsemanship education.

Reflecting on her experience, Salter shared, "I love the connections that I have made. The things that I love about this program and what brings me back every year are the people, the event coordination, all the seminars, and the education. It's great to learn and build horsemanship knowledge every single year and I love it so much."

HQC Nationals and the EAP National Training Session are more than just competitions for Salter—they’re a unique platform to meet industry professionals and peers who share her passion for horsemanship. "HQC and EAP Nationals have just been such a great opportunity to meet so many industry professionals and like-minded individuals," she continued. "I have made so many peers and friends from this program. I still talk to people that I met during my very first year here, so it's worth the experience if you are interested in coming."

Despite a busy college schedule, Salter dedicates time to study and apply what she learns from the HQC Nationals and the USHJA Horsemanship Quiz study guide to continually improve her horsemanship skills.

"Horsemanship is the foundation of our sport," Salter expressed. "I think it's so important to spend as much time as we can in the barn grooming the horses, taking care of them, picking out their stalls, and just doing everything to really build a bond with our equine partners."

Although Salter is a seasoned competitor familiar with the format, competing at the national level can still bring nerves. To stay focused, she relies on music and connects with fellow participants for support. "I like to listen to music just to help myself relax," she explained. "But honestly, just talking to all of the other contestants, making sure that everyone is feeling good and ready to go hypes me up and gets me focused."

For aspiring participants, Salter offers advice: "For anyone who wants to get involved, I definitely recommend studying, using the Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Study Guide and just not being afraid. It's totally worth the experience if you're thinking of doing it. You're going to learn so much here, and every year you'll just get more and more confident. My biggest advice is to just be confident in what you know, say as much as you can in your practicum. The judges want to know everything that you learned throughout your studying."

"We finished a great weekend with 17 participants," stated Terri Young, Chair of the USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Program. "They ranged in age from 12 all the way up through college seniors. Our winner Claire has been a multiyear participant. She has a strong background, she came back determined and focused to improve on all of her areas, and she's very well rounded."

"Claire is just so enthusiastic and open-minded," continued Young. "She asks a lot of questions and I think that sense of curiosity is something that helps to be successful in this program."

As the HQC Nationals winner, Salter received a suite of prizes, including an Essex Classics show shirt, a SmartPak gift certificate, an internship with Spy Coast Farm in Lexington, Kentucky, and a $2,000 training and education grant from the USHJA Foundation. Her peers also selected her for the Sportsmanship Award, and she was presented with an additional SmartPak gift card.

In second place, Lily Sonneborn, 15, from Washington, D.C., improved on her 2023 fourth-place finish. Sonneborn earned the highest Written Exam score, placed third in the Horsemanship/Identification Exam, and held the third-highest Practicum A score. Her awards included a handwoven belt from Boy O Boy Bridleworks, a SmartPak gift certificate, and a $1,500 training and education grant from the USHJA Foundation.

Taking home the bronze, Taya Wykert, 16, from Thousand Oaks, California, achieved the second-highest Horsemanship/Identification Exam score and the highest Practicum A score. She was awarded a handwoven belt from Boy O Boy Bridleworks and a $500 training and education grant from the USHJA Foundation.

The HQC Committee also honored Emily Bruss, 12, from Bradford, New Hampshire, with the Developing Horsemanship Award as the youngest participant. She received a SmartPak gift card.

Throughout the event, participants had the chance to learn from expert presentations, including sessions with Danny and Keli Warrington of LandSafe Equestrian on safely falling from a horse, Dr. Alyson Ainsworth on equine lameness, and Jennifer Fessler on equine biomechanics. They also observed the MZ Farms/USHJA EAP National Training Session, featuring clinicians Joe Fargis and Colleen Reed.

This enriching experience not only celebrates the achievements of dedicated young equestrians but also reinforces the value of horsemanship as a lifelong foundation in the equestrian sport.

Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals Results

The USHJA thanks Official Sponsors CWD, Nutrena, and Parlanti; Educational Partner Spy Coast Farm; Supporting Sponsors Smartpak and Essex Classics; and Award Sponsor Boy O Boy Bridleworks. The Horsemanship Quiz Challenge is supported in part by grants from US Equestrian and the USHJA.

For more information about the USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge, visit ushja.org/HQC

The fifth annual Adult Horsemanship Quiz Challenge will be taking place virtually again this year from November 20 to December 8. The competition will consist of a written exam, an interview, and a final practicum that will require participants to demonstrate their mastery of horsemanship knowledge across a variety of topics. Prizes will be awarded to the highest-scoring participants in each phase, as well as to the overall top finishers.

Photos: Rachel Milewski/USHJA