New Members for 2025 Board of Governors Announced

The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. Official Press Release

March 5, 2025 (Lexington, KY)—The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. (USPC or Pony Club) announced the election of the current slate of the USPC Board of Governors, who were all confirmed at the 2025 USPC Convention, held January 22-26, 2025, at the Grand Traverse Resort and Spa near Traverse City, Mich. The new slate included five new Board of Governors members and four new Advisory Committee members.

The following individuals were welcomed as new members of the USPC Board of Governors:

Rob Burk, of Columbia, Md., is the Chief Executive Officer of the United States Eventing Association, Inc. (USEA). He is an alum of Morgan Territory Pony Club in the Middle California Region, although he started as a member of Fresno Pony Club. He earned his B in Eventing and his H-A in Horse Management. He is also a Pony Club parent and was inducted into the USPC Academy of Achievement in 2018.

As an Intermediate/CCI2* athlete and former intercollegiate coach, Burk brings an exceptional mix of business and leadership accomplishments paired with real-world experience.“Much of my career has been in a somewhat unique position with executive-level equine industry experience,” said Burk. “As the CEO of the USEA and previously as the Executive Director of the Maryland Horse Industry Board, a statewide governmental commodity board within the Maryland Department of Agriculture, I have financial, administrative, management, marketing, media, communications, membership, development, and other relevant experience of use to USPC.”

Eben Haber, of Cupertino, Calif., earned his B in Eventing and his H-A in Horse Management, and is the District Commissioner of Saratoga Pony Club in the Middle California Region as well as Vice Regional Supervisor of that region. He is also an alum of Jericho Forest Pony Club in the Central New England Region.

He started volunteering again with Pony Club when his daughter was old enough to join and has been active ever since.

While his daughter is now an adult, Haber continues to volunteer and serves as a Chief Horse Management Judge, as well. His favorite thing about Pony Club is the focus on care and respect for horses. In addition, Haber also holds a British Horse Society Intermediate Instructor certification. He is a senior software engineer at Couchbase, Inc., and lives with his wife, Sheri.

Sarah Pence, of Spring Hill, Kan., is another alum of Pony Club from Horse and Hound Pony Club with a B in Eventing and an H-A in Horse Management. She is the current District Commissioner of the club and the Regional Supervisor from the Midwest Region. Pence owns a private barn, loves caring for senior horses, and has experience with adopting and rehabbing horses in need.

She comes from a Pony Club family, with brother Michael as a C-3 Eventing and H-B Horse Management alum, and her mother, Margi Pence (Hall) is a Life Member who has also been a participating member, Board Member, Vice Regional Supervisor of the Midwest Region, and a 2018 USPC Founders Award recipient. Continuing the tradition, Sarah Pence’s young children are now in Pony Club.

“I absolutely love that Pony Club builds an amazing community of exceptional equestrians,” said Pence. “As a former youth member, the friendships and experience I gained truly helped shape my life in meaningful, continuing, and unwavering ways. As an adult and leader, I’ve grown increasingly appreciative of how the Horse Management skills gained in USPC make its members much better providers and stewards for the horses and ponies they love. And as a Pony Club educator and mom, I delight in watching friendships, role models, and support systems grow from shared passion and interest.”

Marissa Redmond, of Windsor, S.C., is the current Chair of the USPC National Youth Board and is a college student at the University of South Carolina Aiken. Originally, a local trainer recommended Pony Club as a way for her to get more involved with horses and to learn how to properly care for them. She joined in 2019 and is currently a member of the Aiken County Pony Club with her C-2 in Eventing and H-B in Horse Management. She has been an assistant barn manager for a 40-horse boarding barn in Arizona; a working student for Morgan Batton, a 3* eventer in Aiken; and she has ridden for many professionals in eventing, dressage, and foxhunting.

“I would love to work towards a change in the involvement of the upper-level members,” said Redmond, who would like to see young adult members staying involved and being engaged, particularly in working with new USPC members.

Stony Yakovac, of Lava Hot Springs, Idaho, is an alum from Magic Valley Pony Club in the Intermountain Region with a B in Eventing and an H-A in Horse Management. Yakovac also has a daughter who has been a member of Pony Club throughout her youth years and another who is still actively participating with a club. His wife, Teresa, is the Regional Treasurer for the Intermountain Region, and she was the Joint District Commissioner of Portneuf Valley Pony Club for 10 years. He is also a local Examiner and instructor. He is currently a freelance design engineer.

The Executive Committee will continue with Jennifer Sweet moving into her fourth year as USPC President, Deb Kirsch as First Vice President, Jan Whitehouse as Vice President of Activities, Sarah Andres as Vice President of Instruction, Rae Birr as Vice President of Regional Administration, Shelley Nevins as Secretary, and SueAnn McClelland as Treasurer. This slate for the Executive Committee was introduced in 2024.

In addition to the Executive Committee and the new members above, the following are also current USPC Board of Governors members:

Lorelle Carpenter, Mentor, Ohio
Lorelei Coplen, Carlisle, Pa.
Terry Foreman, St. Joseph, Ill.
Sali Gear, Virginia Beach, Va.
Jocelyn Hunt, Easton, Md.
Sedate Kohler, Madison, Wisc.
Lori Pickett, Chesapeake, Va.
Heather Rosenker, Basye, Va.
Eric Seto, Simpsonville, Ky.
Sue Smith, Eastham, Mass.
Asia Thayer, Wauna, Wash.
Bo Varnado, Ramona, Calif.

The following individuals were welcomed as new Advisory Committee members:

Lydia Eilinger, of Alpharetta, Ga., who just retired from the Board as her tenure as National Youth Board Advisor ended;
Jessica Flores, of Woodside, Calif.;
Donald “Hoot” McLean, DVM, of Waganer, S.C., who just retired from the Board; and
Allison Thomas, of Altoona, Fla., who was recently USPC Treasurer and who also just retired from the Board.

Also retiring from the Board are Therese “Terry” Anderson, of Brookville, Md., and Ray Ingandela, of Lutz, Fla. The United States Pony Clubs would like to thank all for their years of service on the Board. In addition, USPC would like to thank the following individuals for their time on the Advisory Committee: Emily Harris, of Lynch Station, Va., and Barb McMorris, of Harrington Hills, Ill.

The United States Pony Clubs has been a volunteer-based organization since its inception in 1954 and encourages alumni and others in the horse industry to engage with the organization as volunteers. Learn more about volunteering on our Volunteer Opportunities page on the website or email [email protected].

About The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. — The United States Pony Clubs, Inc. (USPC or Pony Club) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit educational organization that builds the foundation of teamwork and sportsmanship through riding, mounted sports, and care of horses and ponies, while developing and enhancing leadership, confidence, responsibility, and a sense of community in its youth and adult members. USPC is proud to offer instruction and competitive opportunities in 11 competitive disciplines through hundreds of clubs and centers across the United States. USPC’s educational standards continue to be instrumental in curriculum development for schools, universities, equestrian professionals, and organizations across the United States. Many of the nation’s top equestrians, including Olympic team members, as well as successful business professionals and leaders in a variety of fields, have roots in Pony Club. For more information, please visit www.ponyclub.org.