USHJA Recognizes 40 New Credentialed Instructors in 2024

Lexington, Ky.—Dec. 6, 2024—The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is pleased to announce the 40 Credential Candidates who have earned their USHJA Instructor Credential in the program's second year.

Four Live Workshop and Examination sessions were hosted in 2024, including two hosted by USHJA Recognized Riding Academies. James Morris of West Brookfield, Massachusetts, and Streett Moore of Owing Mills, Maryland, were the examiners at the session hosted by Chatham Hall, in Chatham, Virginia, over April 22-23. Hill Country Riding Academy, also a Recognized Riding Academy, in New Braunfels, Texas, hosted the May 20-21 session, which was led by Morris and Cricket Stone of Gladys, Virginia. Morris and Mary Knowlton of Green Cove Springs, Florida, led the Oldfields School session in Sparks Glencoe, Maryland, over June 10-11. The final session was led by Kay Altheuser of Calabasas, California, and Amy Center of Tallahassee, Florida, in Pleasanton, Virginia, at Maddox Family Farm. 

Congratulations to the following individuals who earned the credential:

  • Savannah Anderson of Clover, S.C.
  • Giulia Bradley of Wagener, S.C.
  • Amber Burk of Eagle, Idaho
  • Jamie Cheney Cowley of Livermore, Calif.
  • Raegan Comeaux of Haughton, La.
  • Angela Cornes of Fort Wayne, Ind.
  • Andrea Correll of Los Altos Hills, Calif.
  • Kathryn Davidson of Plano, Texas
  • Ella G Eavers of Middlebrook, Va.
  • Sayoko Eleftheriou of Albuquerque, N.M.
  • Karen Fong Donoghue of Conifer, Colo.
  • Alexandra Fredal of Sweet Briar, Va.
  • Morgan Fullam of Southampton, N.Y.
  • Kathryn Gay of Chatham, Va.
  • Erin Grampp of Spotsylvania, Va.
  • Ellen Gregory of Columbus, Miss.
  • Karen Hamdan of Lauderhill, Fla.
  • Madison Hart of Eureka, Mo.
  • Victoria Hartson of Shortsville, N.Y.
  • Lauren Hipps of Burtonsville, Md.
  • Meghan Humphreys of Flora, Miss.
  • Christina Hutton of Gloucester, N.C.
  • Emily Johnston of Wake, Va.
  • Brittany Jones of Madison, Miss.
  • Natalie Kopp of Lovettsville, Va.
  • Kelsey Langsdale of Menlo Park, Calif.
  • Francesca MacAlister of Fort Myers, Fla.
  • Ashley Anne Mason of Oakland, Iowa
  • Erin Mccaffrey of Pennington, N.J.
  • Sarah Miller of Sweet Briar, Va.
  • Sharon Murdoch of Stewartsville, N.J.
  • Ahna Phelps of Hardeeville, S.C.
  • Amy Phillips of Parkton, Md.
  • Katie Rice of Troutville, Va.
  • Alexander Shokat of Chagrin Falls, Ohio
  • Alison Svenningsen of Exeter, R.I.
  • Kaci Sykora of Austin, Texas
  • Ptolemy Tassone of Exeter, R.I.
  • Annie Tworoger of Miami Beach, Fla.
  • Nancy Unger-Fink of Southwest Ranches, Fla.

Launched in 2023, the Instructor Credential is designed to offer education for riding instructors in a manner that is more comprehensive and well-rounded than ever before with an extensive online education and a hands-on practicum.

The online coursework includes expanded content in athlete wellness and safety, sports psychology, stable management, equine law and ethics, marketing and branding, learning styles, teaching methodologies, and riding theory that preserve the American Hunter/Jumper Forward Riding System. Course delivery is comprised of reading material, videos, webinars, and PowerPoint presentations.

Each course ends with a short quiz that requires a passing score of 80%. Quizzes may be taken as many times as needed to achieve a passing score, and there is no set timeframe for the completion of online courses.

After successfully completing all 10 online courses, candidates are eligible to register for the in-person Instructor Credential Workshop and Examination where they will observe, learn, practice and collaborate on teaching and coaching techniques and methods. 

During the live examination, candidates are tested on their teaching skills and provided individualized feedback. Examiners score candidates utilizing a standardized rubric that includes categories for safety, structure and organization, professional conduct and the candidate’s ability to detect and correct errors.

Upon successful completion of all prerequisite online courses, the workshop and passing scores from two examiners during the live examination, candidates are awarded the status of USHJA Credentialed Instructor.

Registration for the USHJA Instructor Credential is open for USHJA members above the Outreach level who are 18 years of age or older. Individuals can register in their USHJA member account by signing in at my.ushja.org/login, selecting "My Programs" and clicking on the "Enroll" button next to "Instructor Credential". 

The Instructor Credential replaces the previous Trainer Certification Program. Current Certified Trainers are eligible to participate in the new Credential at a discounted rate through 2025, after which point their certification will expire. 

To learn more about the USHJA Instructor Credential and see a directory of Credentialed Instructors, visit ushja.org/instructorcredential. 

Photos: SDH Photography, Cady Voyer Creative