The 2021 USHJA Annual Meeting, presented by Equicore, was held virtually December 4-10 and featured board and committee meetings, a State of the Association presentation from President Mary Knowlton, the Evening of Equestrians Awards, educational sessions and more. Click the links below to read more:

The 2021 USHJA Annual Meeting, presented by Equicore, featured the Evening of Equestrians on Saturday, December 4.

USHJA President Mary Knowlton, of Freehold, New Jersey, received the William J. Moroney Visionary Award, which honors individuals who are inspirational, influential and integral to furthering the Hunter and Jumper disciplines.

Nine President's Distinguished Service Awards were presented by Knowlton this year, acknowledging the outgoing Chairs of the Zone Committees and thanking them for their service including Zone 2's Mark Leone.

For 2021, Judy Richter, of Bedford, New York, received a Licensed Official Emeritus Honorary Distinction Award.

The recipients of the inaugural USHJA Naomi Blumenthal Memorial Training Grant were announced during the State of the Association on Sunday, December 5 during the 2021 USHJA Annual Meeting, presented by Equicore. Denise VanPatten and Nora Hanlon are the recipients of the grant this year, which was created in honor of Naomi Blumenthal to support the furtherance of equestrian education.

"Receiving this grant is very humbling based on the fact that it is dedicated to Naomi Blumenthal and therefore giving me the chance to honor her memory and keep her legacy alive," VanPatten said. "In doing so, I hope to find a way to bring equestrians together with professional horsemen that have been praised for both their standards of humanity and classical teaching methods."

“I'm honored to be one of the first recipients of the training grant in Naomi Blumenthal's name," Hanlon said. "Naomi was so generous to both the USHJA and the IHSA. In using these funds to obtain my judge's license, I plan to also give back to the industry that has given me so much reward."

The USHJA is helping members Know Before You Show with a simple guide of rule changes taking effect for the new competition year. Click here for a comprehensive list of rule changes that were approved in 2021 for the 2022 competition year and here for the complete 2022 USEF Rulebook.

Click here to view important rule changes effective December 1, 2021, for the 2022 competition year that affect Hunter/Jumper competition.

The first year of the Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Regional Championships wrapped up after five championships were held across the country. North, North Central, South, South Central and Southwest regions saw champions crowned throughout the year.

Amanda Steege, of Califon, New Jersey, and LaFitte De Muze, owned by Cheryl Olsten, topped the North Championship, July 6-11 at the I Love New York Horse Show in Lake Placid, New York. Jean Sheptoff, of Littleton, Massachusetts, and her own Camillo VDL took reserve.

Twelve new champions were honored as the Platinum Performance/USHJA Green Hunter Incentive Regional Championships expanded from five to six competitions in 2021.

The East Championship took place at the Brandywine Summer Series II, July 6-11, in Devon, Pennsylvania. Patricia Griffith of Wellington, Florida, and Lexi Maounis’ Cesandro were named champions in the 3’0”/3’3” section. Michael Britt-Leon, of Alpharetta, Georgia, and Kelly Sims’ Power Play took reserve. John French, of Wellington, Florida, took the top two spots in the 3’6”/3’9” section aboard Ashland Farms' Cassario 8 and Kent Farrington LLC/Marnell Sport Horses’ Babylon.

The USHJA Recognized Riding Academy Program acknowledges lesson programs, riding facilities, equestrian schools, and other types of educational equestrian programs that emphasize horsemanship and sportsmanship, promote safety, and offer introductory hunter/jumper lessons. Learn more.

Interested in joining the program? Applications are coming soon.

Are you new to the sport and looking for a reliable facility that focuses on horsemanship and safety with a written curriculum? Click here to view the listing of USHJA Recognized Riding Academies.

The USHJA Zone 2 Facebook page features important information, photos, upcoming events, news articles and more for our members.

The ANRC National Equitation Championships are an invitational team competition for

college, junior, adult amateur, and ANRC alumni teams that join ANRC.

No need to qualify! Everyone is welcome to join ANRC now through 2022.

New this year, organizations may enter multiple teams in each division. Learn more.