Edited Press Release
Lexington, Ky.—Oct. 16, 2023—The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is pleased to announce the 32 participants for this year’s USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals, which will be held at the University of Findlay in Findlay, Ohio, November 9-12, and USHJA Adult Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals, which will be held virtually November 6-19.
Congratulations to the following members who will be competing:
| Horsemanship Quiz Challenge | Adult Horsemanship Quiz Challenge |
| Emily Bruss, of Bradford, N.H. | Karen Eisenhauer, of North Grafton, Mass. |
| Morgan Cialella, of Northville, Mich. | Lauren Ensor, of Newport, Ky. |
| Grace Clark, of Hacienda Heights, Calif. | Leah Feldman, of Irvine, Calif. |
| Evelyn Clark, of Crofton, Md. | Lindsey Gibbons, of Lexington, Ky. |
| Sova Coyle, of Longmont, Colo. | Kos Gilbert, of Ann Arbor, Mich. |
| Karlie Dennis, of Cochranton, Pa. | Rachel Hutchings, of Vacaville, Calif. |
| Meredith Denton, of Corydon, Ky. | Jaime Katz, of Monsey, N.Y. |
| McKenna Goodson, of Stanford, Calif. | Hannah Kent, of Marlton, N.J. |
| Alpine Griffin, of Ft. Collins, Colo. | Johannah Lindsay, of Kent, Wash. |
| Eva Hurlebaus, of Sarasota, Fla. | Lauren Obermeyer, of Oregonia, Ohio |
| Lakshmi Jeyanandarajan, of Irvine, Calif. | Emma Sanderson, of Fredonia, Wis. |
| Emma Kershaw, of Miami, Fla. | Amanda Siegner, of Andalusia, Ill. |
| Jocalynn Pages, of Baytown, Texas | Kristina Thakor, of Maple Grove, Minn. |
| Ruthie Ruhl, of Ocala, Fla. | |
| Claire Salter, of El Dorado Hills, Calif. | |
| Ariana Schneider, of Clarksville, Tenn. | |
| Lily Sonneborn, of Washington, D.C. | |
| Delaney Svensson, of Ann Arbor, Mich. | |
| Taya Wykert, of Thousand Oaks, Calif. |
The USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals is an in-person, multi-phase event that tests the top-scoring participants who advanced through Levels One and Two of the HQC online test. The competition consists of a written exam, horsemanship/identification exam and a practicum exam. Scores from the written exam and the horsemanship/identification exam will be combined, and the 10 individuals with the highest combined scores will compete in Practicum A on the second day of Nationals. Finalists ranked 11th-20th based on their combined scores will compete in Practicum B on the second day of Nationals but will not be eligible for prizes. Prizes will be awarded to the highest-scoring participants in each phase, as well as to the overall top finishers, and the top three overall finishers at HQC Nationals will also receive training grants to continue their equine education, supported by the USHJA Foundation.
Offered virtually, the USHJA Adult Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals is a multi-phase event that consists of a written exam, an interview and a final practicum that will require participants to demonstrate their mastery of horsemanship knowledge across a variety of topics. Prizes will be awarded to the highest-scoring participants in each phase, as well as to the overall top finishers.
The USHJA extends special thanks to USHJA Official Sponsors CWD, Nutrena and Parlanti; Educational Supporting Sponsor Spy Coast Farm and SmartPak; and Awards Sponsors Essex and Boy O Boy Bridleworks.
The Horsemanship Quiz Challenge is supported in part by grants from US Equestrian and the USHJA Foundation. To help support the HQC program, click here to make a charitable donation today.
Learn more about the USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge and USHJA Adult Horsemanship Quiz Challenge at ushja.org/HQC and ushja.org/AdultHQC.
About the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association
The United States Hunter Jumper Association, as the official Hunter/Jumper affiliate of the United States Equestrian Federation, is a competition-based sport organization that serves our members through educational programs, awards and recognition, communication, and rules. We provide a wide array of programs for all Hunter/Jumper levels, and we are mindful of the well-being of our equine partners. Additionally, we are committed to preserving the history of our sport, and through our Foundation, we support charitable and benevolent services. Learn more at ushja.org.
