USHJA Announces Gold Star Clinic - West Participants

Mounted sessions with clinician Katie Monahan-Prudent available for free auditing


Thermal, Calif.—Jan. 14, 2019—TheThe U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is pleased to announce the 24 athletes who will participate in the 2019 USHJA Gold Star Clinic -West, featuring lead clinician Katie Monahan-Prudent. The clinic will be held Jan. 17-20 at AON HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California. 

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 or by being accepted as a wildcard applicant:

1.10/1.15m Section

  • Grace Belmont, Watsonville, Calif.
  • Elisa Broz, Freedom, Calif.
  • Stella Buckingham, Los Angeles, Calif.
  • Lauren Flather, Rancho Santa Fe, Calif.
  • Zacko Hardin, New Cuyama, Calif.
  • Erin Nichols, Yorba Linda, Calif.
  • Lola Stern, Malibu, Calif.
  • Olivia Williams, San Francisco, Calif.

1.20/1.25m Section

  • Claire Archer, Atherton, Calif.
  • Lexi Burdon, Los Altos Hills, Calif.
  • Maud Christal, Santa Barbara, Calif.
  • Hannah Ellerbrock, Escondido, Calif.
  • Linda Fotsch, Sausalito, Calif.
  • Natalie Gerst, Los Altos, Calif.
  • Jerra Mays, Hemet, Calif.
  • Allyson Meister, Seal Beach, Calif.
  • Sydney Mondorf, Bend, Ore.

1.30/1.35m Section

  • Amelie Bittar, Los Angeles, Calif.
  • Mackenzie Carreras, Chandler, Ariz.
  • Sloan Elmassian, La Canada, Calif.
  • Rachel Long, Horseshoe Bend, Idaho
  • Lindsay Sceats, Menlo Park, Calif.
  • Jasmine Talley, Orange, Calif.
  • Sydnie Young, Loomis, Calif.

Joining Monahan-Prudent to lead mounted and unmounted instruction is a world-class line up of industry professionals: Kirsten Coe, supporting clinician and high performance athlete; Will Simpson, high performance 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; Martin Otto, renowned FEI 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. Auditing of the mounted sessions led by Monahan-Prudent is free and open to the public.
This is the second Gold Star Clinic being offered this year. 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: Booth Show Jumpers, Dave Burton and Equestrian Sport Productions, Diane Carney/Telluride, Desert Horse Park, Jim Brandon Equestrian Center, Publix, The Ridge, Roberts Family, Brandon Saxton, Mike Schultz , Tom Struzzieri, Linda Wirtz, and World Equestrian Center. 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.