From Oregon to Kentucky: Pony Club Siblings Showcase Sportsmanship and Resilience at the USEF Pony Jumper National Championships

By Sage Argent, USPC Content Creator

For siblings Zachary and Jacqueline Sherer, the 2025 USEF Pony Jumper National Championships, held in early August during the USEF Pony Finals at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky., were more than just a competition—they were a testament to resilience, sportsmanship, and preparation, all hallmarks of the Pony Club program. Pony Club members Zachary, 15, and Jacqueline, 14, used what they have been taught in Pony Club over the past six years to make the most of their experience. Zachary’s journey was especially poignant as he overcame multiple challenges before finding success on the podium.

Both siblings are currently a C-1 Horse Management, C-1 Eventing members of High Lakes Pony Club in the Oregon Region.

Prior to the championships, Zachary had been competing on the West Coast for several years in Show Jumping and Eventing on his pony, Delta S Irish Storm (aka, Irish). Irish is a bay Connemara/American Sport Pony-cross mare.

He knew he wanted to bring Irish to a national-level event before he got too tall to ride her. When he heard about the USEF Pony Jumper National Championships, he knew that was the event he wanted to compete at.

“My trainers—Wendy Krohn, Germaine Dougherty, Catherine Cruger, and Emily Dunn at Some Day Farm in Bend, Ore.—fully supported us,” he said. “We qualified in June 2024.”

But first would come their first USPC Festival. Both siblings would compete on the same Show Jumping team in the 2024 USPC Festival National Championships.

Hauling on Their Own

The Sherer siblings would haul their ponies roughly 5,000 miles round trip to the Kentucky Horse Park from their home in Oregon and back. They navigated soaring temperatures from summer’s hottest month and long days—all without the help of professional grooms or a horse transportation company, which many competitors use at such a high level of competition. It was just them, their ponies, and their parents helping them haul.

“We planned our route in advance and stayed at horse motels each night,” Zachary said. “It was a four-day haul, but we did our best to keep the ponies comfortable and happy.”

The siblings give credit to their Pony Club experience to manage the demanding logistics of the trip. “Every rally teaches you to balance competition, pony care, and inspections,” Jacqueline said. “That practice was invaluable.”

Zach offered the following tips for long-hauling. “One thing we do which I feel is important is bringing our own hay so the ponies do not have a change in their diet during the trip,” he said. “We also prioritize keeping them cool and keeping them hydrated. Every two to three hours, we stop to offer them water and mist them with cool water from a water bottle sprayer in addition to sponging with water.”

Irish, along with Jacqueline’s mount for the event, a 25-year-old pony named Winter Solstice, arrived in Kentucky in July 2024 for the USPC Festival National Championships. Jacqueline and Zach, who rode on the Carolina/Oregon/Sunshine scramble team, would end up winning in Show Jumping in the Standard Junior Advanced Division, with their team taking second in Horse Management. In addition, Irish was awarded American Connemara Pony Society High-Point Award, which is one of the special breed awards USPC offers at Festival.

The plan had been to stay in Kentucky until the USEF Pony Finals, which was scheduled for three weeks after the USPC Festival. However, unexpected news of Zachary and Jacqueline’s grandfather becoming hospitalized due to an illness changed the family’s plans and they had to return back to the West Coast. Sadly, their grandfather passed away during the long journey home, making it a low moment for the family.

However, Zach, and his family, opted to return to the Kentucky Horse Park for his possibly one-and-only shot at Pony Finals, feeling that his grandfather would have wanted him to compete, but the challenges wouldn’t stop there for Zach and Irish. Unfortunately, the pair didn’t do as they had hoped in 2024. Zach would end up retiring in his second round after a fall on a course where unfortunately every rider before him had also fallen.

“As it turns out, I wasn’t the only one finding it difficult,” he said. “Only two of the four teams finished (completed) the competition, and the silver-medal team finished with 52 total faults.”

In autumn of 2024, Zach went to two Novice-level Eventing competitions—Aspen Farm Horse Trials and Spokane Sport Horse Annual Fall Horse Trials. However, he took time off from riding during the winter to wrestle for his high school. He had a growth spurt of a couple of inches, and wrestling workouts increase his strength and stamina.

Zach then heard about possible changes to the USEF Pony Jumper National Championships format and discussed qualifying again with his trainers. He and Irish went through the qualification rounds with ease. Jacqueline had also been riding a leased pony named Diarado des Cibaudes, a 12-year-old Selle Francais pony, whom she qualified on.

At the end of July 2025, the family loaded both ponies and all of their gear for the four-day haul across the country from Oregon to Kentucky again.

Pony Jumpers Reflection

The USEF Pony Show Jumping Nationals is landmark event for junior equestrians from all over the United States. This year saw a tenfold increase in entries from previous years and featured 139 competitors.

Zachary could only describe his experience as unforgettable.

“This year felt like the Olympics for junior U.S. equestrians,” he said. “Instead of 13 riders, there were 139 entries. They even split the event into two championships based on pony height.

The Large Pony division attracted more than 70 entries, said Zach. “By far the most competitive Pony Jumper Championships in many years and by far the most challenging competition I’ve ever faced,” he added.  “To place well, you had to ride perfectly in every round,” Zachary said. “One rail or one time fault over three days meant you were out of contention.”

Jacqueline praised the format changes that made the championships more accessible. “When I found out that USEF was changing the format, I was thrilled,” she said. “Last year, the courses eliminated most of the already small pool of ponies. The fences were maxed out and very difficult.”

She noted that the previous format tested pony scope more than the ability of the rider, making it near impossible for many to compete at the national level.

“With the addition of smaller divisions and more reasonable fence heights, the championships became a test of rider skill,” Jacqueline said. “It gave more young riders the chance to represent their zones and brought in more competition.”

Jacqueline said the improvements made a podium a true achievement. “It wasn’t just a prize for showing up,” she said. “It was a prize earned through hard work.”

The siblings both ended up as silver medalists—Zach as an individual out of 72 large ponies, and Jacqueline as a team silver medalist for Zone 8/9, along with Zone teammates Lillian Thomas, Zahara Henderson, and Elin Uhrig, who aren’t in Pony Club. Zach jumped clean though all six phases of competition, and Jacqueline jumped clean in four out of five rounds.

“This competition showed me how important it is to keep trying, to keep working towards your goals,” said Zachary. “Resilience builds positive results. Stay humble, but pursue excellence. Stay committed to your goals. Always look for the positive in any situation. Stay focused—the podium is up for grabs again next year. Go for it!”

Some Day Farm added their congratulations on a social media post. “We are incredibly proud of the poise, skill, horsemanship, and sportsmanship these two young riders demonstrated at Pony Finals,” read the post. “These kids supported their teammates, maintained their composure under pressure, and cared for their ponies from pre-dawn to dusk every day. They are a class act in every regard!”

Sibling Sportsmanship

Something the siblings didn’t anticipate was being placed on separate teams. Both siblings were surprised that they couldn’t compete together. However, that didn’t deter them from supporting each other throughout the competition.

Jacqueline and Zachary emphasized the importance of teamwork. “We help each other as we need it, whether we’re on the same team or not,” Jacqueline said. “We both want each other to be successful.”

“We pretty much just stayed together supporting one another as if we were on the same team,” added Zach. “I appreciate her friendship and camaraderie, and I am thankful for her companionship, unwavering friendship, and insight. After my sister’s team was on the podium for the Team Silver Medal she whispered to me, ‘Now it’s your turn!’ Her belief in me helped me believe in myself.”

Jacqueline shared how their experience in Pony Club made the difference for them. “Sportsmanship is a core value of Pony Club,” she said. “Ribbons and medals feel nice to get, but what matters most is enjoying the competition and doing your best.”

After all, we’re all in it to enjoy the horses and the competition. It’s something the Sherers have learned at a young age.