IHSA Members Take Top Honors at Two USHJA National Programs

After attending her third MZ Farms/USHJA Emerging Athletes Program National Training Session, Scheffel emerged as the top athlete among 16 standout participants after four intensive days of riding and stable management.

"I’d consider myself a bit of a veteran at the National Training Session now," said Scheffel, of Paris, Kentucky. "It feels amazing to have finally reached the goal I set for myself.”

"My next step is to stay consistent and keep improving in every aspect of my riding," she said. "I don’t know exactly what my path is yet, but I think if I keep a positive attitude and keep moving forward, my path will find me. As for the training grant money, I’d love to use it for something special, maybe to go overseas for an internship or something that could really develop my riding skills further."

Returning Lead Riding Clinician and Olympian Joe Fargis, Stable Manager Clinician Colleen Reed, and the EAP Committee recognized Scheffel’s growth, horsemanship and tenacity, all qualities that ultimately earned her the title.

“The participants this week were all really good riders, all 16 of them,” said Fargis.

“When it came to naming a winner, it wasn’t just about who jumped the best,” Fargis continued. “It’s about their overall horsemanship, their habits in the stable, how they treat their horses, and their knowledge. The winner isn’t defined by just riding ability; it’s everything combined. This year, that person was Finley. She had a great three days and she deserved it.”

Encompassing horsemanship in and out of the saddle, Hallman-Luhn dominated the 2025 USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals. The competition took place alongside the MZ Farms/USHJA Emerging Athletes Program National Training Session.

“I’m super excited about this win,” said Hallman-Luhn, who represented USHJA Zone 9. She credits her success to consistent studying, teamwork, and her lifelong dedication to learning every facet of horsemanship, including textbooks and YouTube videos to hands-on barn work.

“After we won the IHSA Team Challenge, some of my teammates and I qualified for HQC Nationals,” she said. “We started study groups every weekend, which made all the difference. Studying with friends kept me motivated, and we bounced ideas off each other, watched old study sessions, and even asked our coaches and barn managers questions to learn more. I don’t think I would’ve studied as hard without them.” 

Taking a clean sweep of the competition, Hallman-Luhn earned the highest score across all three phases: the Practicum A Exam, Horsemanship/Identification Exam and Written Exam.

“This year’s Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals were fantastic,” said Cricket Stone, chairman of the USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Committee and also serves on the IHSA executive committee as treasurer. “Our winner, Ella Hallman-Luhn, was a standout from start to finish. She’s poised, knowledgeable and did exceptionally well across all three phases of the competition. Ella participated in the IHSA Team Challenge earlier this year as part of the winning Savannah College of Art and Design team, and she carried that same dedication through to this weekend.”