USHJA Announces Gold Star Clinic-East Coast Participants
Clinic offers unmounted and mounted instruction at fence heights of 1.10/1.15m, 1.20/1.25m and 1.30/1.35m
West Palm Beach, Fla.—Dec. 19, 2018—The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is pleased to announce the 21 athletes who will participate in the annual USHJA Gold Star Clinic-East Coast, featuring lead clinician Richard Spooner. The four-day intensive clinic will take place Dec. 26-30 at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in West Palm Beach Florida.
The following riders qualified to participate in the clinic either by earning an individual medal at one of the 2018 USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships held earlier this year, or by being accepted as a wildcard applicant:
1.10/1.15m
Maya Aryal, Fairfax, Va.
Heidi Crappell, Youngsville La.
Eileen O'Leary, Montverde, Fla.
Mackenzie Robards, Baton Rouge, La.
Sheila Sadighi, Essex Fells, N.J.
Darian Smith, Villanova, Pa.
Sydney Stephenson, Youngsville La.
1.20/1.25m
Mia Albelo, Coral Gables, Fla.
Allyson Blais, Boca Raton, Fla.
Stephanie Dixon, Ringoes, N.J.
Erin Ecclestone, Boca Raton, Fla.
Jennie Edwards, Jacksonville, Fla.
Cameron Parke, Marietta, Ga.
Cameron Tague, Cream Ridge, N.J.
Madeleine Wilson, Austin, Texas
1.30/1.35m
Katlynn Butler, Mechanicsville, Va.
Greer Campbell, Charlotte, N.C.
Cathleen Driscoll, Elk Mills, Md.
Caitlyn Epperson, Houston, Texas
Addison Reed, Mechanicsville, Va.
Cayman Szegda, Marietta, Ga.
Joining Spooner to lead mounted and unmounted instruction is a world-class line up of industry professionals: Anne Kursinski, Olympic gold medalist and elite athlete; DiAnn Langer, US Equestrian Youth Chef d'Equipe; Bill Liggett, US Equestrian High Performance farrier; Brenda Mueller of Marketing4Equestrians; Colleen Reed, leading stable management expert; Steve Stephens, renowned course designer; Jean-Yves Tola, renowned sport horse breeder and executive director of the Studbook Selle Français North America; and Dr. Geoff Vernon, US Equestrian team veterinarian.
The four-day clinic will include horsemanship, stable management, mounted instruction and additional education from these top athletes and horsemen, and riders are organized into three sections based on fence heights of 1.10/1.15m, 1.20/1.25m and 1.30/1.35m. Access the full schedule here.
This is the first of three Gold Star Clinics being offered this year. The USHJA Gold Star Clinic-West Coast will be held at HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, Calif., and is scheduled for January 16-20, 2019, and the USHJA Gold Star Clinic-Central will be held at the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, Ohio, April 16-20, 2019.
The clinics are part of the USHJA Emerging Jumper Rider Program, which uses the USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships, to identify Jumper athletes who have the skill and desire to excel in the sport. Individual medalists from the USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships received the designation of Gold Star Emerging Jumper Riders, regardless of age, and are invited, along with their coaches and parents, to attend one of these clinics.
The USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships are offered at 1.10/1.15m, 1.20/1.25m and 1.30/1.35m and provide riders with a competitive team experience and an opportunity to earn Zone Horse of the Year points in their respective jumper sections. The Championships are held by zone and consist of both team and individual competition.
New for 2019 is the addition of the Platinum Jumper Championships to the Emerging Jumper Rider Program. These new championships are open to juniors, amateurs and professionals competing at the 1.40/1.45m level, and will be held as overlay classes with special 1.40/1.45m open classes and grand prix classes held at the American Standard typically offered during the same competition hosting a USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championship.
The USHJA Emerging Jumper Rider Program serves as the entry point for the Show Jumping Athlete Pathway, a joint USHJA-US Equestrian effort that identifies and nurtures Jumping athletes as they advance through the sport to enhance future success for Olympic and international teams representing the United States.
USHJA extends special thanks to the following individuals and organizations helping make these clinics possible: Desert Horse Park, George's Jumps, Jim Brandon Equestrian Center, World Equestrian Center, The Ridge, Mike Schultz and Tom Struzzieri. This program was developed and is led by the dedicated volunteers of the USHJA Emerging Jumper Rider Task Force: Larry Langer, chair, Jeff Campf, Diane Carney, Matt Cyphert, David Distler, Kim Land, DiAnn Langer, Marnye Langer and Sandra Ruiz.
Media interested in covering the event may complete a media credential.
Learn more about the USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships at ushja.org/zonejumper. Learn more about the USHJA Platinum Jumper Championships at ushja.org/platinumjumper. Learn more about the Emerging Jumper Rider Program at ushja.org/emergingjumper.
