The University of Kentucky Wildcats. USEA/Annan Hepner photo
The University of Kentucky has claimed top honors at the 2025 USEA Intercollegiate Eventing Championship, held this weekend at Stable View in Aiken, South Carolina. With 10 teams and 36 entries, they not only secured the title of “School with the Largest Presence” once again, but also rode away with their second national championship title, adding to their 2021 victory. Their winning team, the Kentucky Wildcats (made up of Callia Englund,Sarah Ertl, Macy Hale, and Emerson Padgett) dominated the championship finishing 11 points ahead of second place with a total score of 77.76.
For Callia Englund, this year’s Intercollegiate Championships marked not only a major competitive milestone, but an emotional goodbye. The 22-year-old senior at the University of Kentucky wrapped up her collegiate eventing career with a dream ending, winning her Novice division aboard her 6-year-old Irish Sport Horse, Fernhill Celtic Flight, jumping clear all weekend and finishing on her dressage score of 26.9 (final score of 25.555 post-division factor).
“This was his first championship, but my fourth and by far the best one,” Englund said. “He just turned six on Monday, and he’s already such a solid competitor. He slayed the dressage, took care of me in show jumping, and really proved he’s ready to move up. I’m just so proud of him.”
Crossing the finish line was more than just the end of a round, it was the final ride as a collegiate rider. “I came across the finish line and saw one of my teammates right there, and I just started crying,” Englund said.
Though her time on the University of Kentucky Eventing Team is wrapping up, Englund, who is also this year’s team president, says the program has left a lasting mark on her. Leading a group of over 80 members and managing 40 horses at this year’s championship, she helped guide the team through months of preparation, all while competing in her own final year.
Callia Englund and Fernhill Celtic Flight. USEA/Annan Hepner photo
“People think more members makes it easier, but it is challenging,” Englund explained. “We knew right after last year’s champs that we wanted to level up, and I think me and the other officers really exceeded our goals. It’s been amazing to help lead a program that so many riders come to University of Kentucky specifically for. I knew since I was a freshman that I wanted to help run this team someday—and seeing how far we’ve come, how much this program has grown, and how many young riders look up to us now, it’s honestly one of the most rewarding things I’ve ever done.”
“It’s been an amazing experience,” she concluded. “I’m so sad to be leaving the program—but this weekend was unbelievable. My horse won his division and UK won the whole thing. I couldn’t have ended it on a better note.”
Emerson Padgett and MSH Giant Jac’Ka. USEA/Annan Hepner photo
The freshmen on the Wildcat’s championship team, Emerson Padgett and MSH Giant Jac’Ka, ended their championship debut as the anchor performers of the team, jumping double clear and finishing on her dressage score of 22.6 (total of 20.34 post division factor). Riding her 9-year-old Selle Francais gelding Jack, the public health and biology major closed out a dream weekend with a win—something she hadn’t expected so early in her collegiate career.
“I’ve heard the team talk about champs all year, so I was really excited to come,” Padgett said. “It completely exceeded my expectations. The team atmosphere, Stable View — everything was amazing. It’s so beautiful here. He likes to strut his stuff, so dressage is always fun with him, but my favorite phase was probably cross-country. I could hear my team cheering me on the whole time, and he felt super confident out there. It was just so fun.”
Macy Hale and Dr. Hart. USEA/Veronica Green-Gott photo
Also in the Training division, Macy Hale and Dr. Hart, an 18-year-old Thoroughbred gelding she leases from Madison Temkin, finished on a total score of 31.86 (post difficulty factor) after receiving a 29.8 for their dressage test, one rail in show jumping and 1.6 in time faults from cross-country.
Originally from Washington State, Hale is a 19-year-old sophomore studying communications with a minor in criminology. Eager to grow as both a rider and a leader, she moved east to attend the University of Kentucky, drawn by its large and active eventing team. Dr. Hart, a seasoned advanced-level eventer with Madison Temkin, now enjoys competing at the lower levels. For Hale, the championship is about more than just competition—it’s about community, camaraderie, and the joy of supporting her team.
“He was the best boy ever and had his game face on,” Hale said. “I am so proud of him and he took care of me, especially since we were the only ones on our team out there in the complete downpour during cross country. For this championship, I loved getting dressed up and cheering on our teammates.”
Rounding out the team in the Preliminary division, Sarah Ertl on Redwood Quality, Cassandra Ertl’s 7-year-old Warmblood gelding, had a double clear performance on cross-country and ended on a final score of 36.64 after the division difficulty factor was calculated.
The 21-year-old sophomore has brought Redwood Quality along since he was three, and she is experiencing firsthand the challenges and triumphs of developing a young horse from the ground up. This year, the pair tackled the Preliminary level, navigating new obstacles together and learning valuable lessons in the process. Ertl, who’s used to horses that drive the ride, is growing into her role as the one building their confidence.
“We definitely had some new questions and obstacles to answer and take on this weekend, but we both learned a ton,” Ertl said. “The biggest thing was the spookiness in dressage and I was worried it was going to impact our cross-country, but on Saturday he came out with a really good attitude and the spookiness was not there anymore.”
Teamwork: What Really Makes the Difference
The members of the University of Kentucky Eventing Team who attended this year’s USEA Intercollegiate Championship. USEA/Annan Hepner photo
For most of the year, eventing is a deeply individual pursuit—early mornings, solo workouts, and countless quiet hours spent at the barn. But at the USEA Intercollegiate & Interscholastic Eventing Championships, that all shifts. Riders from across the country come together not just to compete, but to cheer each other on and across the board, riders say that it’s an experience unlike any other.
“This experience is pretty unique,” Ertl explained. “There’s so many riders, so many horses, the barns are buzzing, there’s so much atmosphere. You ride out and you can see your teammates—your supporters—on the rail, and that gives you a little bit of pressure, which can be stressful, but it’s also super motivating.”
While the pressure to perform is real, Ertl says the fun of competing alongside her University of Kentucky teammates outweighs the nerves. “We are here to have fun, ultimately—and we do have fun—but we’re also pretty competitive. It’s not a nasty competition. It’s very supportive, it’s very rambunctious. We push each other, and it makes it super fun.”
That sense of camaraderie is a rare thing in such a tough, individual sport—and it’s not lost on Sarah. “It’s easy to go through the year just focusing on yourself and your horse,” she explained. “But being here reminds you of all the support that is out there. I think, ‘Now I want to go cheer other people on more at other shows!’ This sport is hard—you cannot do it alone.”
For team president Englund, this year’s championship was about more than just results but the exhilarating team spirit that was present around Stable View.
University of Georgia celebrates when the Arch Rivals were named reserve champions. USEA/Veronica Green-Gott photo
“This event shows people that this sport doesn’t have to be so serious all the time,” Englund said. “Yes, you should still be competitive, but you can also have fun and support other people. USEA does a great job creating this environment. Since I was a freshman, I’ve seen how much this program has grown, not just in numbers, but in energy. Between IEL and Intercollegiate, it’s really exciting to see so many young riders coming into the sport and already thinking about the future. We’ve even had girls come up to us this weekend saying they’ve been UK fans for years. One girl’s dad reached out last year and we went to cheer her on at show jumping. She was so happy. Stuff like that is what makes this event so special. In my opinion, it’s the people and the organizations you join that make your college experience what it is.”
More than just a competition, the event offered a glimpse into the future of the sport, something that Ertl who hopes to ride professionally, finds especially meaningful.
“It’s inspiring to see so many young riders and kids doing this championship, especially with the IEL and high school divisions,” she said. “In the industry, sometimes I look around and I see mostly older professionals and think, ‘Where is the future coming from?’ But this—this is it. These are the future pros, the future leaders. It’s so important for kids, college students, and high school students to have this experience if we want the sport to grow.”
And as for her team?
“I’ve never cheered so hard in my life,” Ertl said with a laugh. “It’s so fun. I’m honestly surprised we all still have voices.”
Earning the reserve championship was the three-rider team from the University of Georgia, the UGA Arch Rivals comprised of Devon Tresan, Katlyn Parker, and Ansley Carroll. With only three riders, this team didn’t have a drop score to bank on, but all Tresan, Parker, and Carroll put in top performances all throughout the weekend, with only one rider adding a rail in show jumping to their dressage score, for the team to finish on a cumulative score of 89.54.
Third place honors went to the Auburn University War Eagle team which consisted of Lara Roberts, Elle Snyder, Sarah Beth Slaughter, and Katerina Midgley. They finished on a team score of 90.88.
Bulldogs Bring the Spirit: University of Georgia Wins 2025 USEA Intercollegiate Spirit Award
University of Georgia took to the podium to receive this year’s Intercollegiate Spirit Award. USEA/Annan Hepner photo
The USEA Intercollegiate Spirit Award is presented to the college team that best embodies enthusiasm, sportsmanship, and team pride throughout the championship weekend, often through coordinated outfits, creative decorations, and high-energy support for fellow competitors. Teams are evaluated based on various activities, including barn and cross-country jump decorations, participation in the Hobby Horse Combined Test, presentations at the College Fair, and overall team spirit and supportiveness. The University of Georgia took home the popular award, with Texas A&M placing second and the University of Kentucky rounding out the top three.
For University of Georgia senior and team president Katlyn Parker, the recognition was the culmination of four years of dedication, leadership, and unshakable Bulldog pride.
“We are actually so stoked. This is the big coveted award for the colleges, for sure. Some may even argue it’s more important than the actual championship,” Parker laughed. “We’ve been working so, so hard all year, especially this past month, balancing horses, finals, and pulling off our Spirit Award plans. I have to give a massive shout out to our social chair, Nina Braun because she organized the majority of it and had the best ideas.”
“Everyone really showed out this year,” Parker continued. “Our people were cheering at every single one of our team members’ rides, even when it was crazy in the middle of the day, even when they had just gotten off a horse themselves. And it wasn’t just for our own team. I saw our girls cheering on everyone from other teams. I didn’t have to tell them to do that, they just did it. That’s the kind of character this team has, and the sportsmanship has left me in awe. This is definitely the most special team I’ve ever been on. Honestly, this has been more fun than graduating. I’m just so happy and so proud.”
Read more Intercollegiate coverage here.
Read IEL coverage here.
Stable View Local Charities H.T. + USEA Intercollegiate/Interscholastic Championships (SC): [Website] [Scores]
