Women have always been at the heart of the horse world: we make up the majority of riders worldwide and approximately 77% of riders in the United States alone. In honor of International Women's Day, we're highlighting a group of remarkable horsewomen (and mares) who've impacted the sport we love this year...
The U.S. Paralympic Dressage Team
When the U.S. equestrian teams headed to Paris, the women of para-dressage delivered the country's only gold medal, and they did it in record-breaking fashion. Rebecca Hart, Fiona Howard, and Roxanne Trunnell each posted scores of 77% or higher in the FEI Grand Prix Test B, securing the first-ever Paralympic team gold for the U.S. with a historic final score of 235.567, the highest in para-equestrian history.
Their success is a defining moment for para-dressage in the U.S., not only showcasing their brilliance as riders and their powerful partnerships with their horses but also bringing well-deserved attention to the para community and inspiring a new generation of adaptive athletes. Their gold medal isn't just a historic first; it's a statement that para dressage belongs in the spotlight.
The Role Models
Liz Halliday has long been among the most respected names in U.S. eventing, known for her competitiveness and dedication to the sport. Just weeks after her Olympic debut in Paris, she suffered a traumatic brain injury while riding at the USEA American Eventing Championships. As she navigates a long and challenging recovery, the eventing community has rallied around her — a testament to her influence as an athlete, leader, coach, and mentor. Named the 2024 USEF Equestrian of the Year, she was recognized for her competitive achievements and the strength, resilience, and determination that define both her riding career and the fight she now faces.
Laura Kraut, a six-time Olympian, made history in Paris by winning team silver with Baloutinue to become the oldest U.S. Olympic medalist in 72 years. She's also shaping the sport's future with Road to the Top, a nonprofit she co-founded with Katie Prudent that provides elite training, top horses, and competition opportunities to promising young professionals working toward a goal of riding for the team. As she balances her career with innovative mentorship, Kraut ensures that talent, not just wealth, still plays a role in who rises to the top.
Beezie Madden has set the standard in U.S. show jumping for decades. In 2022, she revealed a benign tumor diagnosis that affected her balance, leading her to step back from team competitions—but not from the sport. Still a force in the ring, she competes through the FEI 3* level with Nairobi, develops young horses, and, alongside her husband, John Madden, plays a key role in shaping U.S. show jumping's future by producing top horses and mentoring rising talent. Embracing this new chapter with the same grace, poise, and adaptability that define her riding, she continues to lead by example.
The Dreamers
Mirjam Dunkel is a Swiss horse trainer and the founder of Wildland Horsemanship, whose 2024 marked a bold transition—leaving Switzerland to build a new life in Colorado. She has spent years refining a connection-based approach to horsemanship, from training with top liberty trainers in Europe to rehabilitating over 100 young and traumatized horses. Through Wildland Horsemanship and her social media platforms, she shares her trust-based philosophy, offering insight into biomechanics, liberty work, and true partnership with horses. Her move to the U.S. brought both challenges and opportunities, proving that great horse(wo)manship is built on patience, resilience, and the courage to take the leap.
Cassandra Ogier has spent decades studying how horses mirror human energy and emotion. With a background in equine therapy and somatic coaching, she founded The Reflective Horse, a program that uses equine-guided experiences to explore self-awareness, healing, and personal growth. Her work focuses on presence, trust, and nonverbal communication, offering a different perspective on the human-horse connection. Cassandra's philosophy is a radical invitation to trust, soften, and meet life with open hands—just as horses do in a world that often pushes us toward control and rigidity.
Shukri Osman Muse is Somalia's first female equestrian, breaking through cultural barriers in a country where horseback riding has traditionally been the domain of men, and her dedication has quickly turned her into a strong rider in just a year on horseback. Riding through the streets of Mogadishu in an abaya and her signature cowboy hat and sunglasses, she's become a symbol of progress and change, challenging traditional gender roles and inspiring Somali women to pursue their dreams.
Emmie Sperandeo is a Western cinematographer and first-generation rancher whose work and wildly successful social media presence capture both the romance and reality of life with horses. She has documented her journey with remarkable transparency, from living in her trailer and working as a cowhand to recovering from a severe riding accident and building her homestead. Her recent property purchase in Montana marked years of hard work tempered by the heartbreaking loss of her beloved bison, Lucy. Through it all, Emmie has shown that with self-belief, grit, and a few good horses, you might make your dreams come true.
The Up And Comers
Anna Buffini was on the brink of history this year, aiming to become the first Black equestrian to represent Team USA at the Olympics. Though she ultimately didn't make it to Paris, she brought us all along for the ride on her social media, sharing the highs, heartbreaks, and hard lessons of elite dressage with rare honesty. Her openness about the emotional reality of top-level competition and her deep devotion to her horses have made the highest levels of the sport feel more personal and accessible, all while helping shift it toward a more diverse, inclusive future.
Mia Farley is among the most gifted young event riders in the U.S., known for her bold, precise riding and partnership with off-the-track Thoroughbred Phelps. In 2024, she had the biggest year of her career, going double-clear at the Defender Kentucky CCI5*-L before taking on the grueling Defender Burghley CCI5*-L. She has also been refreshingly candid about the financial realities of competing at the highest levels without deep-pocketed sponsors. Her journey is a reminder that talent alone isn't enough to succeed in this sport—but with tenacity, resourcefulness, and the right horse, you can rewrite the playbook.
Felicia Wallin, groom for Richard Vogel's United Touch S, has been integral to the horse's success this year, which includes a 5th-place team finish at the Paris Olympics, winning the Rolex Grand Slam at CHI Geneva, and victories at the Longines FEI World Cups in Stuttgart and Lyon. When Vogel travels, Felicia takes United on forest hacks, which Vogel credits for keeping the horse motivated and enjoying his training. (And Vogel has said that, given the choice, United would always choose Felicia over him, a testament to her profound relationship with the horse.) In a sport where grooms are often the unsung heroes, Felicia reminds us just how crucial their role is and that great horses are created not just by their rider but by the care and dedication of their entire team.
Skylar Wireman grew up riding with her mother, Shayne Wireman, at their family-run training business in California, where she developed a work ethic that's propelled her to the top of show jumping at just 20 years old: even as she competes on the world's biggest stages, she still hauls, grooms, and manages her own horses. In 2024, she made her senior championship debut at the FEI Jumping World Cup Final in Riyadh, finishing 10th in the opening round with her young horse, Tornado. After a tough second day, she decided to withdraw, prioritizing Tornado's long-term development over the prestige of finishing. It was a choice that reflected not just maturity beyond her years but the kind of horsemanship that defines truly great riders.
The Mares of the Year
Caracole de la Roque traveled to the Paris Olympics as the U.S. Jumping Team's alternate with rider Karl Cook, and when called up to compete, they delivered in style. She jumped clear in the qualifier, helping push Team USA into the final round, where another fast, fault-free performance secured a team silver medal. Their Olympic success capped a season that included victory in the Rolex Grand Prix of Rome CSIO5* and a runner-up finish in the Rolex Grand Prix of La Baule CSIO5*, earning Caracole de la Roque the title of 2024 USEF International Horse of the Year. Known as a fierce competitor and a sensitive ride, she reminds us that great mares may play by their own rules — but when the stakes are highest, they're who you want on your team.
Maxima Bella, ridden by Polish rider Sandra Sysojeva, made an impression at the Paris Olympics as the youngest dressage horse entered — at just 8 years old, she was two years younger than any other entry. Purchased off a video when she was 4, Maxima Bella was "difficult" early on, but Sandra built a relationship with the Oldenburg mare by just having her stand beside her as she taught students. From there, the mare's incredible aptitude for dressage became clear, and in 2024, the pair not only became fan favorites in Paris but capped off the year by winning both the Grand Prix and Grand Prix Freestyle at the Salzburg CDI5* in December with personal best scores. The best horses are never simple, but Maxima Bella demonstrates that trust, creativity, and patience truly pay off.
TSF Dalera BB, ridden by Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, retired in 2024 as a four-time Olympic gold medalist, a two-time World Cup champion, and one of the most influential horses in modern dressage. Dalera's career was defined by elegance, precision, and the undeniable harmony she shared with her rider, built on trust, understanding, and an almost telepathic sense of communication. Dalera steps into retirement not just as a decorated competitor but as a once-in-a-generation mare who redefined what is possible in dressage.
The Horsewomen of Los Angeles
When devastating wildfires tore through the Los Angeles area in January, the city's equestrian community mobilized in force to protect its horses. Carla Jo Bailey, who played a key role in the 2018 Woolsey Fire equine evacuations, spent weeks as a volunteer organizer at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center (LAEC) evacuation site, working closely with LA Animal Services to manage an ever-changing situation and ensuring that every displaced horse had shelter, food, and care in a time of chaos. Chloe Carabasi and Maddy Haim spent the initial days of the fires crisscrossing LA County, hauling horses to safety together. As evacuees arrived at LAEC, both stepped up in the days and weeks that followed, with Maddy taking time off from her paid job to coordinate the growing volunteer force, while Chloe worked on site daily to pitch in with horse care and exercise.
For some, the fires meant not just evacuations but total loss. Professionals Cha Cha Jago of Jigsaw Farms and Sharon Gray of Eaton Dam Stables lost their barns and businesses but successfully brought every horse in their care to safety and have faced the aftermath of the fires with remarkable resilience. All of these women are a testament to what horse(wo)manship really means: showing up for your horses, your friends, and your community when it matters most.
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Each of these individuals remind us that the horse world isn't shaped by just skill or competition, but by the vision, resilience, empathy, and community-building that women bring to the arena. These qualities will ensure equestrian sport continues to thrive and evolve, growing stronger with each generation of women who lead with passion, purpose, and heart.