PRESS RELEASE

West Palm Beach, Fla.—– Dec. 22, 2017 —–The United States Hunter Jumper Association is pleased to announce the 26 athletes who will participate in the first USHJA Gold Star Clinic, featuring lead clinician Richard Spooner, who will be supported by multiple high performance athletes and top industry professionals. The four-day intensive mounted and unmounted clinic will take place Dec. 27-30 at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in West Palm Beach, Florida. 

The following riders qualified to participate in this clinic either by earning an individual medal at one of the USHJA Zone Jumper Team Championships held earlier this year or by being accepted as a wildcard applicant:

Supporting lead clinician Richard Spooner at the East Coast Clinic is a world-class line up of USEF High Performance athletes Kirsten Coe, Anne Kursinski, Callan Solem and Hardin Towell who are donating their time to help educate and inspire Show Jumping’s future athletes. In addition to High Performance athletes, the following top industry professionals will serve as workshop clinicians: USEF Youth Chef d’Equipe DiAnn Langer, Bill Leggett, USEF High Performance farrier; Brenda Mueller of M4Marketing and Chicago Equestrian; Colleen Reed, expert stable manager; Ed Smith of Athletes Advantage; Steve Stephens, world class course designer; and Dr. Geoff Vernon, USEF 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 one of two Gold Star Clinics being offered this year. The second will be held on the West Coast and is scheduled for January 18-21, 2018, at the HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California.

The clinics are part of the USHJA Emerging Jumper Rider Program, which was launched earlier this year in conjunction with 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.

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, LEGISequine, Omaha Equestrian Foundation, The Ridge, Mike Schultz, Tom Struzzieri, and the USHJA Foundation. This program was developed and is led by the dedicated volunteers of the USHJA Emerging Jumper Rider Task Force: Larry Langer, chair, Diane Carney, Missy Clark, David Distler, Marnye Langer, DiAnn Langer and Jimmy Torano.

The Gold Star Clinics will be live streamed and available on demand at EQSports.net, beginning Dec. 28. USHJA members are eligible for a 50 percent discount on their subscription when they subscribe.

Media interested in covering the event may complete a media credential.

Learn more about the Zone Jumper Team Championships at ushja.org/zonejumper. Learn more about the Emerging Jumper Rider Program at ushja.org/emergingjumper.