VideoWith the 2026 show season now underway, we’re featuring seven hunter riders who have proven their prowess in the show ring—and who we can expect to see more exciting results from this year. These noteworthy riders, ranging from their 20s to their 60s, are a combination of hunter stalwarts and up-and-coming talent. Their goals for 2026 differ, but all are committed to the lifelong process of learning to help their horses understand and enjoy their jobs.
We look at these top hunter riders’ winning records and learn about their favorite 2025 wins, what’s on their radar for 2026 and why they’re so passionate about the sport and their horses.
Michael “Mikey” Andrade
Age: 28
Home base: Wellington, Florida
Past major accomplishments: IHSA National Champion in Open Equitation Over Fences and Open Hunter Seat Equitation • Fourth in the 2022 WCHR Developing Pro Challenge at the Capital Challenge Horse Show • 3’3” Performance Hunter champion and 3’3” Green Hunters champion with Cali Blue PS at Tryon in 2022
Michael “Mikey” Andrade made his mark in the hunter ring with a bang from his early days in the saddle as gifted hunter and equitation rider. With his natural feel and a competition record built on substance and quality training, he continues to establish himself as a compelling young professional in the hunter world.
During his years competing with the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association (IHSA) while attending Centenary University, Andrade won an IHSA National Championship in the Open Equitation Over Fences after impressing judges with his ability to execute a technically demanding test that included counter-cantering fences and a lengthening of stride. He also claimed the IHSA National Championship in the Open Hunter Seat Equitation on the Flat—a rare double win that cemented his reputation as one of the most talented young equitation riders in the collegiate circuit.
After college, Andrade found his professional footing working for hunter trainer Sarah Scheiring in Wellington, where he had the opportunity to learn the nuanced craft of developing young horses and broadened his skills in both hunters and jumpers as he moved up the competitive ranks.
In 2022, Andrade generated buzz at the Capital Challenge Horse Show where he finished fourth in the World Champion Hunter Rider (WCHR) Developing Pro Challenge, a class that serves as a barometer of future talent where top up-and-coming riders go head-to-head. He again demonstrated his versatility as a rider at the 2022 Tryon International Equestrian Center where he competed with Cali Blue PS, who had previously been campaigned as a jumper. In the Holsteiner gelding’s first time in the hunter ring, Andrade piloted him to champion titles in the 3’3” Performance Hunters and the 3’3” Green Hunters.
Andrade had a successful 2025 season with top finishes in performance hunter classes and derbies, but he said winning champion in the $10,000 WCHR Developing Professional Challenge at Capital Challenge with
Forever Romance was a top moment. He attributes his success to what he’s learned from others throughout his journey in the sport. “Learning from great riders and horsemen has definitely helped me,” Andrade noted. “I also think my competitive mindset and always striving toward perfection contributes to my success.”
Andrade kicked off 2026 with top placings at the World Equestrian Center – Ocala Winter Spectacular Series and the HITS Ocala Winter Classic and continues to build his string of talented horses while refining the quiet, correct style that defines him as a rider. “I just want to keep improving as a professional and continue learning from great people,” he said. “And I love watching my horses learn and the bonds I develop with them and their owners.”
Andrade’s double IHSA national titles, experience working with leading professionals, top derby finishes, as well as his knack for bringing out the best in his horses make him a top young professional to watch.
Elizabeth “Liza” Towell Boyd
Age: 46
Home base: Camden, South Carolina
Past major accomplishments: Three-time winner of Overall World Champion Hunter Rider • Four-time recipient of the Best Child Rider Award at the Washington International Horse Show • Winner of more than 25 USHJA International and National Hunter Derbies • WCHR Professional Horseman of the Year (2013, 2017 and 2018)
Elizabeth “Liza” Towell Boyd has dominated hunter competition for the past two decades after growing up on her family’s Finally Farm in Camden, South Carolina, under the tutelage of her father Jack Towell, a respected hunter trainer and member of the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame. She made a name for herself while moving up the junior ranks, winning the Best Child Rider Award at the Washington International Horse Show a record four times and finishing second at the Washington International Equitation Finals.
After turning professional, Boyd went on to win more than 25 USHJA International and National Hunter Derbies and piloted Brunello to back-to-back USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships in 2013 and 2014. She also captured the WCHR Professional Horseman of the Year title in both 2013 and 2017 and was named Overall World Champion Hunter Rider (WCHR) three times.
Boyd credits her derby success to her experience in the jumper ring. “I like to do jumpers at a certain level because it makes me a better hunter rider. Slicing the jumps a little tighter and going a bit faster in the time allowed gives me a competitive edge in the hunter ring,” she said. “But I’m good at hunters. I like being smooth and the derbies helped fill the gap that maybe I miss from the jumper ring and really helped me find my niche.”
When it comes to her skills in the WCHR classes, Boyd finds remaining relaxed is key. “If I can stay super calm and relaxed, it helps my horses relax,” she said. “I also just try to have fun and not put a lot of pressure on myself. Every year it changes a bit, so it always keeps you on your toes and is such a fun class.”
Boyd kicked off the 2025 season with a bang after partnering with her a mare, Ondine D’Orleans—a Belgian Warmblood whose sire, Vigo D’Arsouilles, carried Belgium to gold at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games™. The pair captured top honors at the $150,000 WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular at the Winter Equestrian Festival, the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at Wellington International and the $20,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at Tryon International. Boyd also rode Crooner Brimbelles Z to Reserve Champion honors at the prestigious USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship at Tryon International.
Boyd enjoys the challenge of figuring out exactly what kind of ride she needs to achieve a perfect jump with every horse. “You’re always working on yourself because the horse isn’t going to change. You can work on their weaknesses, but at the end of the day, I think you need to go into the ring and sort of adapt to them,” she said. “Horses are all individuals and have strengths and weaknesses, and when you’re in the show ring you want to meet them in the middle.”
In 2026, we’ll be sure to keep an eye on Boyd and Ondine D’Orleans, who as a former jumper brings extra power and scope to the hunter ring, as their partnership develops heading into WCHR week and the Derby Finals. Out of the show ring, however, Boyd most enjoys the process of developing horses for hunter competition.
“There’s never a dull moment when working with horses; you’re always learning. Every morning I wake up excited to do my job and become a better horse person,” she said. “That’s what keeps me so enthusiastic about the sport. We’re constantly learning and trying to get better.”
Victoria “Tori” Colvin
Age: 29
Home base: Wellington, Florida
Past major achievements: Winner of the Best Child Rider on a Horse award at Devon for four consecutive years (2011 to 2014) • Seven-time winner of the $100,000 WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular at the Winter Equestrian Festival • Winner of the 2017 Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship with Cuba • Winner of the same event in 2018 and 2019 with Private Practice and El Primero • Recipient of the 2019 Emerson Burr Award • 2020 National Show Hunter Hall of Fame Rider of the Year
Regarded as one of the most accomplished hunter riders in the U.S., Victoria “Tori” Colvin has already carved out a legacy for herself at 29 that most riders spend their entire careers chasing. Growing up immersed in the Wellington horse-show world, Colvin proved she possessed a natural gift for the sport from a young age and first turned heads at the USEF Pony Finals, where she claimed numerous championships before moving on to the junior hunter and equitation ranks.
As a junior competitor, she quickly became one of the most decorated young riders in the country, winning the Devon Horse Show’s Best Child Rider on a Horse award for four consecutive years from 2011 to 2014—a feat that had never been accomplished in Devon’s long history. She won the $100,000 WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular at the Winter Equestrian Festival a record seven times—four consecutive times as a junior from 2012 to 2015. Colvin also earned the remarkable distinction of receiving a perfect score of 100 in a hunter class aboard Dr. Betsee Parker’s Way Cool at the 2015 Upperville Colt and Horse Show, an honor that had been awarded only a handful of times and never previously to a junior rider.
In 2016, she turned professional and has since continued to be a dominant force at hunter competitions with unprecedented runs at the Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship. She claimed top honors at the championship in 2017 with Cuba, in 2018 with Private Practice, in 2019 with El Primero and in 2025 with Dicoblue PS—making her the only rider in the event’s history to have won the championship four times on four different horses.
Colvin was awarded the 2019 Emerson Burr Trophy at the U.S. Equestrian Federation Pegasus Awards for her excellence in competition, sportsmanship and dedication to the sport. She was also named the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame Rider of the Year in 2020 and earned the WEF Overall Hunter Rider circuit championship in both 2018 and 2019.
In addition to her win at the Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship, 2025 also saw Colvin take top honors at the $150,000 USHJA WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular at the Winter Equestrian Festival. She continued her winning ways into the 2026 winter competition season with a win at the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby during the opening week of the Winter Equestrian Festival aboard Golden Road and claimed the $150,000 WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular for a historic seventh time, riding Dicoblue PS.
In her program, Colvin develops young and inexperienced horses into top-level competitors and adapts her approach to each horse’s individual strengths and weaknesses to best elevate her hunter partners in the show ring. With several big shows still to come and the Derby Finals in Kentucky this August, Colvin is set for another landmark year and will be a top hunter to watch.
Kelsey Epperson
Age: 33
Home base: Bloomfield Hills, Michigan
Past major accomplishments: Winner of the 2022 $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby 3’ Open at World Equestrian Center (WEC) – Wilmington with Didgereedoo VDL • Winner of the 2022 $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby at WEC –Wilmington with Tulio • Winner of the 2024 $15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby with Incredible at WEC – Wilmington Winter Classic 7 • Winner of the 2024 $20,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby at the Great Lakes Equestrian Festival with Didgereedoo VDL • Winner of the 2024 $15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby at Spring Forward
After racking up a long list of derby wins in recent years, Kelsey Epperson has proven to be one of the most formidable hunter riders on the circuit. Based out of Hillside Farm in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan, her program is based on quality horsemanship and her ability to simultaneously develop multiple horses.
Her longest and most winning partnership has been with Dutch Warmblood Didgereedoo VDL, owned by Lashier Properties LLC. The pair first made waves at WEC – Wilmington during WCHR week in 2022, when Epperson piloted him to victory in the $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby 3’ Open, delivering a near-perfect handy round.
Around the same time, she was also developing Tulio, a talented Zangersheide gelding for LTJ and Company LLC. After an impressive run of seven second-place finishes in eight derby outings together, Epperson and Tulio finally broke through for their long-awaited first win at the 2022 $10,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby.
She continued to dominate the derby field in 2024 at WEC – Wilmington Winter Classic 7, where she and Incredible won the $15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby. Later in the year, Epperson secured back-to-back $15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby wins at Spring Forward, piloting four horses to first-, second-, third- and fifth-place finishes.
She kicked off 2025 by winning the $15,000 USHJA National Open Hunter Derby at WEC – Wilmington Winter Classic 6 with Didgereedoo VDL and then made history at WEC – Wilmington Winter Classic 10 by securing first, second and third place in the $15,000 Standlee National Open Hunt & Go Derby with Elliott, Didgereedoo VDL and Bernard. Epperson defended her winning ways at WEC – Wilmington Winter Classic 11, where she and Elliott celebrated back-to-back Hunt & Go Derby victories.
“Winning first, second and third at WEC – Wilmington was a really special moment with great owners in Danielle Leach, Sharon Lashier and Sarah Lothmann. I’ve had the opportunity to do many derbies over recent years with multiple horses,” Epperson noted. “Learning to ride under pressure, learning how each horse responds to certain situations, making many mistakes and taking a few wins all felt like it led me to that moment. There was a lot of trust from trainers, owners, grooms and especially the horses, and I could feel
that support.”
Another highlight of Epperson’s 2025 season was winning reserve champion in the $10,000 WCHR Developing Professional Challenge and receiving the Bill Rube Style of Riding Award at Capital Challenge aboard Laura Karet’s More Fun. “That felt like a huge accomplishment because it was on a horse I’d never ridden,” she said. “It also gave me the chance to work with Laura Karet and Tom Wright, along with my trainer Heather Irvine. That was a really fun night with a great team!”
Epperson contributes her success to surrounding herself with a savvy, supportive team, and above all the incredible horses she’s been able to partner with. “I’m grateful to have had a lot of people believing in me and supporting my obsession since I was little.” As we get further into the 2026 competition season, we can expect to see great things from Epperson and her string of top hunter horses, as she routinely enters four mounts in a single class with the goal of topping the leaderboard with each. She’s also renowned for introducing horses new to the derbies and coaxing out scores in the 90s.
John French
Age: 64
Home base: Wellington, Florida
Past major accomplishments: Four-time recipient of the World Champion Hunter Rider (WCHR) title • Inducted into the Show Hunter Hall of Fame in 2020 • Winner of the USHJA WCHR Professional Finals (2000, 2006, 2011 and 2016) • 2012 recipient of the WCHR Lifetime Achievement Award • Winner of the inaugural USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship in 2009 • Winner of the 2023 Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship, the 2023 $100,000 WCHR Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular and the 2023 WCHR Professional Challenge • 2023 USEF National Equestrian of the Year
A stalwart of the sport, John French has been producing and piloting talented horses to success in the hunter ring for more than four decades. The rider, trainer and clinician, who owns and operates John French Hunters in partnership with Kent Farrington, LLC, is renowned for his uncanny calm and collected manner under pressure, as well as his unique ability to establish genuine partnerships with his mounts.
“You need to be able to feel what each horse needs, whether it’s confidence or patience, or maybe the horse needs help understanding his job and needs a stronger ride,” he said. “I want to get in my horse’s mind to figure out what he needs, because my job as a trainer is to help him enjoy and understand his job. You need to give horses the right amount of praise and support depending on what they need. You also you need to know when to stop and not push them.”
French is a four-time recipient of the World Champion Hunter Rider (WCHR) title and claimed victory at the USHJA WCHR Professional Finals in 2000, 2006, 2011 and 2016. He won the WCHR Lifetime Achievement Award in 2012 and was inducted into the Show Hunter Hall of Fame in 2020. But one of his most celebrated wins was in 2009, when he and Rumba won the inaugural USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship.
Beyond the hunter ring, French’s résumé extends into the jumper world. He qualified for two FEI World Cup™ Finals, competed at the Las Vegas World Cup Finals in 2003, was second alternate for the 2004 Olympic team and represented the U.S. on Nations Cup teams at prestigious venues, including Hickstead and Dublin.
In 2023, French celebrated three major events on three different horses, all of whom he produced, including besting a field of 83 competitors to win the Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship, topping the $100,000 WCHR Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular and claiming his third consecutive WCHR Professional Challenge win.
Fast forward to 2025, and French delivered one of the season’s most memorable performances at the Marshall+Sterling/USHJA National Championships where he claimed the first tricolor of the week riding Valentino BF. He went on to add the Green Hunter Championship and Grand Green Hunter honors with Valentino BF that same week, demonstrating his legendary ability to catch ride unfamiliar horses and immediately unlock their potential.
French attributes his longtime success to his constant desire to learn more. “As a horseman, I’m always trying to learn from others, whether it’s professional riders, grooms, vets or farriers,” he noted. “Never think you know everything because horses will always teach you something new every day, and other people might teach you to do something differently that’s even more beneficial.”
French started the 2026 competition season off with multiple top-finishes at the Winter Equestrian Festival and continues to prove his longtime talent for developing and bringing out the best in his hunter horses.
“I don’t base my success on what I’ve accomplished as far as winning. To me, success is being able to do what I love most,” he said. “I also think success comes from the fact that I’m not afraid of change and am always trying to make new opportunities for myself.”
Nick Haness
Age: 38
Home base: Temecula, California; Traverse City, Michigan; and Wellington, Florida
Past major achievements: Recipient of the 2019 USEF Emerson Burr Award • 2019 and 2024 USEF National Equestrian of the Year • Reserve champion at the 2019 USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships with Verdict • First- and second-place finishes on Crowd Pleaser and Reese’s at the 2019 $50,000 Stal Hendrix Green Futurity Finals at the HITS Saugerties Championship • Winner of the 2022 World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Pro Final at Capital Challenge
Nick Haness has dominated the U.S. hunter circuit in recent years, becoming one of the sport’s most successful professionals. Known for his exceptional talent in Handy Hunter classes—earning him the nickname “Handy Haness”—he’s achieved unprecedented success in the World Championship Hunter Rider (WCHR) Spectacular series.
“It’s a fun challenging class that really makes you strategize, and not knowing your horse adds a whole different level of difficulty,” Haness said about his WCHR success. “Normally you want to know your horse well because the last round is a handy class with tight turns, a hand gallop and trot jump. So, you really have to bring your handy skills to the ring and be bold to navigate the course.”
After a self-funded successful junior career where he enjoyed the process of learning how to produce his own horses, Haness started his training and sales business at Hunterbrook Farms in Temecula, California, in 2009. Over the next several years, he achieved multiple top placings in the hunter divisions including back-to-back wins in the 2012 and 2013 WCHR Handy Hunter Challenge and championships in the 2016 First Year Green divisions at Devon and the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. As a prolific catch rider, he’s also renowned for completing 30 to 60 rounds a day at major competitions.
“From a young age, I fell in love with the adrenaline I got from jumping a horse. It’s like my moment of freedom from everything else in life,” Haness said. “Just being on a horse’s back and jumping the course as a team to put together a perfect hunter round is a moment of pure bliss. When you and your horse are truly in sync, there’s nothing else like it.”
In 2025, Haness continued to prove his exceptional handy-hunter talent after taking top honors at the WCHR Professional Finals for the second time following his first win in 2022. Last year’s competition season also saw him and Cavaletto Loma Z surge to victory at the Platinum Performance USHJA International Hunter Derby Regional Championship at Traverse City and the USHJA International Hunter Derby at Desert Circuit Week 9.
Haness attributes his success to his constant desire to improve. “I’m always trying to figure out how to do everything better from being educated on the best horse care and management and keeping my horses healthy and happy to learning how to produce that perfect hunter round. The journey is a long one and there are always a lot of ups and downs,” he said. “Rome wasn’t built in day, and it can take years to master a craft like this. At the end of the day, it’s all about the horses, and I am blessed and humbled to do what I do. That always keeps me motivated.”
For Haness, 2026 looks a little different than his previous competition years, which he typically spends in Temecula and Traverse City. He’ll be spending more time in Wellington working with two up-and-coming junior riders and plans to partner with a new grand prix horse and compete in some jumper divisions. Whether he’s sailing through the green incentive finals, showing off his handy-hunter prowess or working to produce a new horse, Haness most enjoys the process.
Crystal Young
Age: 49
Home base: Ocala, Florida
Past major accomplishments: Winner of the 2023 Green Hunter 3’ Stake at WEF 7 with MTM Nonchalant • Second-place finish in the 2023 $15,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby Open at the Equus Events Tryon Spring 3 • Winner of the 2024 Performance Hunter 3’3” Championship at the Ocala Winter Finals • Winner of the Green Hunter 3’3”/3’6” Championship at the Mid Spring Concours • Winner of the 2024 $10,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby at WEC – Ocala
In recent years, Crystal Young has made a name for herself as a top up-and-coming hunter contender through her remarkable success with MTM Nonchalant. The pair celebrated a win in the 2023 Green Hunter 3’ Stake at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) Week 7 and a second-place finish in the 2023 $15,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby Open at the Tryon Spring 3. In 2024, Young and the 11-year-old KWPN gelding took top honors at the Performance Hunter 3’3” Championship at the Ocala Winter Finals, the Green Hunter 3’3”/3’6” Championship at the Mid Spring Concours and the $10,000 UF Veterinary Hospital USHJA National 3’ Open Hunter Derby at World Equestrian Center (WEC) – Ocala.
Young says MTM Nonchalant, owned by Adelle Alletto, is one of the most unique horses she’s ever partnered with. At home, she focuses on keeping the gelding mentally relaxed and confident, noting that he thrives on consistency and understanding his job.
“He is elegant and naturally expressive in the ring, but what truly sets him apart is that he wants to win. He has a competitive spirit that you can feel,” she said. “When he walks into the ring, he knows exactly what he’s there to do—and he does it with presence and heart.”
Young and the gelding maintained their competitive edge during the 2025 competition season with a fourth-place finish in the $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at the Tryon Spring 3, a first-place finish in the Green Hunter 3’6” at WEC – Ocala Summer 6 and a second-place finish in the Green Hunter 3’6” Championship at WEC – Ocala Summer 9. But the defining moment of their 2025 season came at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show where the duo claimed reserve champion in the Green Hunter 3’6” division.
“Winning a tri-color there was something I never imagined for myself,” Young said. “That show carries such history and prestige, and to stand there with that ribbon felt surreal. It wasn’t just about the result—it was validation of years of dedication and belief in my system.”
Young attributes her success to her mom as well as the strong horsewomen who shaped her as a rider from the beginning of her journey, including Beth Batel, Ann Schear, Nikki Fry, Anne Kursinski and Carol Thompson. “They believed in producing complete horsemen and women—not just riders for one ring, and they instilled in me a respect for every facet of the sport,” she said. “From fox hunting and hunter paces to hunters, jumpers, dressage and cross country, I was taught that true horsemanship comes from versatility and foundation.”
In recent years, she’s received guidance in the hunter ring from Mike McCormick, Don Stewart and Brian Feigus. “Their insight and refinement have helped elevate my program in meaningful ways. And I’m incredibly grateful to Brian for his support as a trainer and a friend,” Young said.
She and MTM Nonchalant kicked off the 2026 season with a bang, winning the Green Hunter 3’9” – FP at the WEC – Ocala Winter Spectacular I and the Performance Hunter 3’6” – Handy at the WEC – Ocala Winter Spectacular II. Young is excited about what the future holds for her career with the gelding and is grateful to the Alletto family for giving her the freedom to produce him in the way she believes is best.
“Special horses like MTM Nonchalant require patience, time and trust in the process. Having owners who understand that development isn’t rushed—but carefully built—has meant everything to me,” she said. “Ultimately, my success comes from consistency, discipline and a deep
respect for the horse. The foundation always comes first.”
Bonus: Young Riders on the Rise
Taylor Ashe Cawley
Past major accomplishments: Winner of the 2024 Winter Equestrian Festival Equitation Championship • Reserve champion at the 2024 USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic – East • Winner of the 2024 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals – East • 2024 Kip Rosenthal Memorial High Score Equitation Award recipient
As the daughter of grand prix show jumper Molly Ashe Cawley and trainer Chris Cawley, Taylor Ashe Cawley was born into an equestrian family. The 18-year-old has proved she has the right stuff to create her own legacy as a top hunter/jumper contender. In 2025, Cawley dominated the PBIA North American Junior Equitation Championships at Capital Challenge, topping a field of 125 riders and earning the title of Best Equitation Rider, as well as adding the ASPCA Maclay Final to her record. As Cawley kicks off 2026, we look forward to seeing more of her technical brilliance and composure under pressure.
Parker Peacock
Past major accomplishments: 2025 Small Junior Hunters Champion at Capital Challenge • 2025 Maclay Regionals Champion • 2025 Kip Rosenthal Memorial High Score Equitation Award recipient
Parker Peacock began her competitive career in the pony ring and has proven her versatility in hunter, jumper and equitation classes. In 2025, she finished as reserve champion at both the Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Final and the ASPCA Maclay Finals, won the Maclay Regional Championship, placed fifth at the USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals – East, was Grand 3’6” Junior Hunter Champion at the Junior Hunter Finals, won the 16-year-old age group equitation at Capital Challenge and finished fourth at both the WEF Equitation Championship and the Gladstone Equitation Championship. After Peacock kicked off the 2026 season by winning the WEC Premier Equitation Cup in Ocala with Montverdi, the sky’s the limit.
Madison Ramsey
Past major accomplishments: Region 10 ASPCA/NHSAA Maclay Championship title at the ESP Florida State Fall Horse Show in Wellington • Member of USHJA’s Emerging Athletes Program
Following Madison Ramsey’s impressive win at the Region 10 ASPCA/NHSAA Maclay Championship title aboard Danny Boy at the ESP Florida State Fall Horse Show in Wellington, she delivered a string of victories in 2025. One of those wins included the 3’3” Large Junior Hunter 16-17 section at the 2025 Adequan®/USEF Junior Hunter National Championship – East at the Kentucky Horse Park with MTM Enchanted. At the same event, Ramsey received the Montserrat Perpetual Trophy for earning the top overall score across all 3’3” sections after winning both the classic round and the handy round in her section. After her recent wins, we look forward to watching her in 2026.
Faith Schuttemeyer
Past major accomplishments: Winner of the 2023 Taylor Harris Insurance Services National Children’s Medal Finals at Capital Challenge • 3’6” Large Junior Hunter 15 & Under Champion at the 2025 Junior Hunter Finals
Faith Schuttemeyer has proved her prowess in both the hunter and equitation rings. She saw a dynamite 2025 competition season, racking up top placings as the 3’6” Large Junior Hunter 15 & Under Champion at the Adequan®/USEF Junior Hunter National Championships – East aboard Paisley Park. Next, Schuttemeyer finished fifth in the USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic – East with Patronus. The pair was also victorious in the $5,000 USHJA Junior/Amateur National Hunter Derby at the Bluegrass Classic. With Atlas, she topped the leaderboard at the $10,000 USHJA National 3’ Junior/Amateur Hunter Derby at WEC – Ocala. After kicking off 2026 with a number of top finishes at WEF, we look forward to watching this 16-year-old continuing her winning ways in the hunter ring.
This article originally appeared in the Practical Horseman Spring 2026 Special Issue.