USHJA On Course

In this episode, we are joined by equestrian and Miss California USA 2021, Sabrina Lewis. Sabrina is an avid rider, having participated in the USHJA Emerging Athletes Program in 2017, captained her IHSA team at UC Berkeley, and recently took to the Jumper and Equitation rings at her first rated show. Outside the saddle, she trades her tall boots for heels and was crowned Miss California USA in 2021. Her passion for public service has led her to work with the Compton Junior Equestrians and Best Buddies. Tune in to hear how ponies and pageants relate and how she got into both worlds.

This month we are wrapping up four months of highlighting all things USHJA. June is Equitation month and we are celebrating with a replay of one of our most loved episodes with equitation superstar Ellie Ferrigno. Originally recorded in September of 2020, right after she took third in the 2020 USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic - East, Ellie was an expert in the equitation ring during her junior years and has continued her success on Auburn University's NCEA team and in all three rings as an amateur. Whether you're hearing it for the first time or back for a re-listen, we hope you enjoy this special replay.

This month we are celebrating Jumpers with Zoie Brogdon, a young rider who is making her mark on the sport in more ways than one. Zoie got her start in the horse world through the Compton Junior Equestrians and now has a few 1.10/1.15m national championships under her belt. In 2021, she topped Zones 9 and 10's Markel/USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships, claiming individual gold, and took reserve champion in the USEF/USHJA 1.10/1.15m Children's Jumper National Championship at the 2021 Marshall & Sterling Insurance/USHJA National Championships. She ended the year as the 1.10/1.15m HOTY Champion in Zone 10. Join me as we talk about her love of Jumpers and how she is making strides toward bettering the sport both in and out of the saddle.

This month's guest is helping us celebrate Jumper Month, the third of four months that highlight everything USHJA has to offer its members, from education to equitation. Follow along on social media with #WeAreUSHunterJumper so you don't miss a thing.

Welcome back to USHJA On Course! This month we are celebrating all things Hunters with an episode featuring one of USHJA's latest champions, Geoffrey Hesslink. Geoffrey recently added another big win to his list of accomplishments in the Hunter ring when he won this year's $100,000 WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular. As a young professional, he has brought clients to great success in all three rings alongside his partner Brendan Williams and their co-founded Hesslink Williams LLC. Listen in as we discuss where he got his start, how he battles his show ring nerves, and what this WCHR win means to him.

This month's guest is helping us celebrate Hunter Month, the second of four months that highlight everything USHJA has to offer its members, from education to equitation. Follow along on social media with #WeAreUSHunterJumper so you don't miss a thing. Then join us on Instagram on Friday, April 29th at 6 PM Eastern Time as Bethany Lee of My Equestrian Style hosts  Amanda Steege and Augusta Iwasaki to answer your questions live. You just might win a special prize from our sponsors! Be sure to also listen to The Equestrian Podcast to learn more about these two top hunter riders.

Enjoy meeting multi-disciplined equestrian, Lizzy Traband, in this month's episode! Lizzy has participated in everything from trick riding to para-dressage to the Hunter, Jumper and Equitation rings. She is a past recipient of multiple USHJA grants, including the $25,000 Hamel Family Scholarship for Further Education Scholarship and the now discontinued Making a Dream Grant; is also a two-time Emerging Athletes Program National Finalist; was USHJA's Nominee for the USEF Youth Sportsman Award; and was named the USEF Junior Equestrian of the Year in 2016. After a successful collegiate career and a turn in Germany, she is now a young professional set on making her mark on the Hunter/Jumper industry. Tune in as we chat about her journey through the sport.

A multi-disciplined equestrian, Lizzy Traband has participated in everything from trick riding to para-dressage to the hunter, jumper, and equitation rings. She is a past recipient of multiple USHJA grants, including the $25,000 Hamel Family Scholarship for Further Education Scholarship and the now discontinued Making a Dream Grant. She is also a two-time Emerging Athletes Program National Finalist, was USHJA's Nominee for the USEF Youth Sportsman Award, and was named the USEF Junior Equestrian of the Year in 2016. After a successful collegiate career and a turn in Germany, she is now a young professional set on making her mark on the Hunter/Jumper industry. Tune in as we chat about her unique journey through the sport.

We're back and kicking off a second season with two guests from a collaboration like we've never done before! USHJA has teamed up with inventive equestrian apparel brand Free Ride Equestrian for a limited edition co-branded collection featuring co-branded sun shirts with SPF 50 protection, breeches with four-way stretch, uni-sex vintage style tees and more. In addition, a donation of 12% of the gross sales from the collection will benefit USHJA programs. Shop the collection now at shopUSHJA.org/FRE. 

Our guests, Katie and Raina, are the founders and designers behind Free Ride Equestrian. With apparel that makes riders feel comfortable and confident in and out of the saddle, these two strive to design the highest quality clothing for riders. Stay tuned as we chat with them about how Free Ride Equestrian came to be and what is in store for those shopping this unique new collaboration with USHJA.

Wren Blae Zimmerman is a Jumper rider who has a unique story. Diagnosed with Stargardt’s Macular Dystrophy, Wren is legally blind but doesn't let that stop her from her riding goals. With no recognized para-equestrian discipline for Hunter/Jumpers, she competes against able-bodied riders on her mission to change the perception about what those that are blind and visually impaired are capable of. Hear from her about how she persevered in the saddle and how we can further the sport for others with disabilities.

Thank you to Brian Bowman for the theme music.

Caitlin Creel is an amateur Jumper rider who used her voice to speak up about the rule change proposal put forward by the USHJA Joint Amateurs Task Force in late 2020. Caitlin's petition quickly caught the eye of Task Force members, fostering a pivotal conversation that helped lead to revaluation of the amateur rules as a whole. Now, Caitlin sits on the USEF Amateur Task Force with the purpose of reviewing the existing rules defining USEF amateur status. The future of the rules regarding amateurs is sure to change, and Caitlin can put her name down as a catalyst for what is to come. In this episode, hear from her about what sparked this passion for amateur representation and how those members are bettering the sport.

Thank you to Brian Bowman for the theme music.

An advocate for giving back to the equestrian sport, Rob Jacobs is the founder of the Robert Lawrence House of Opportunity, has long been involved with the USHJA Gochman Grant for USEF Pony Finals, and sits on the USHJA's Diversity and Inclusion Advocacy Committee. He is also a rider and trainer, recently relocating to California as the assistant trainer for Archie Cox at Brookway Stables. In this episode, hear more from him about how he is changing to sport for the better in a variety of ways.

Thank you to Brian Bowman for the theme music.