Showjumping, a thrilling equestrian sport combining grace, power, and precision, offers an exhilarating experience for both riders and spectators. Equestrian has been an Olympic sport since 1900, and the only one that involves two athletes: horse and rider. Modern showjumping is extremely expensive, with Olympic caliber horses costing millions of dollars. The financial burden is too great for most young professional riders.
Road to the Top aspires to identify, train, and support talented young American riders who have the ability and ambition to ascend to the highest levels of showjumping. We mitigate the boundary of wealth, providing riders with education and opportunity to vie for international caliber events on U.S. equestrian teams.
Applicants to Road to the Top will be vetted by our Athlete Advisory Committee, consisting of Olympians Katie Prudent and Laura Kraut and international riders Margie Engle and Schuyler Riley. If accepted to the program, they will be mentored by top level showjumping trainers with lessons in riding, horse management, and business strategies. Road to the Top participants will be provided with horses to compete at major venues at a variety of levels.
Showjumping on the World Stage
The United States has a rich and successful history in international level showjumping. In Olympic competition, the U.S. Equestrian Showjumping Team has won 12 team medals and 10 individual medals. International events, such as the World Equestrian Games, Pan American Games, and World Championships are part of the prestigious, hotly contested stage for the world’s best riders. The iconic symbol of the red coat worn by USET members is a beacon of excellence on podiums all over the world. The future of American showjumping success depends on talent, opportunity, and training.
Athlete Selection Advisory Committee
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Katie Prudent
Founder of Road to the Top, elite level rider and coach.
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Laura Kraut
Four time Olympian (including 2024), three time medalist, acclaimed international rider.
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Margie Engle
American Grand Prix Association Rider of the Year ten times, former Olympian, and multiple Grand Prix winner.
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Schuyler Riley
US Showjumping Team rider with competitive finishes at FEI Jumping World Cup Finals, Spruce Meadows, Hampton Classic, and Upperville.
Board of Directors
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Katie Prudent
Katie is a Olympic team member, three time American Invitational winner, USET Whitney Stone Cup winner., and a member of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame. A trainer of countless international level horses, Katie has also trained accomplished riders such as Olympic gold medal winner Beezie Madden, Olympian Reed Kessler, Kim Prince, Elise Haas, and Alison Firestone Robitaille. With husband Henri, she operates Plain Bay Farm in Wellington, FL and Middleburg, VA.
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Donald Stewart
An accomplished rider and trainer, Don has produced numerous champions in the hunter, jumper, and equitations rings. His long list of successful former riders and assistant trainers is testament to his impact on the sport. A respected USEF hunter/equitation judge and member of the Show Hunter Hall of Fame, Don has been involved with governance at the USEF and USHJA for decades. He and his wife, Nancy, reside in Ocala, FL.
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Mike Smith
An accomplished equestrian and supporter of the sport, Mike brings a lifelong love of horses, a deep understanding of the challenges faced by young equestrians, and a commitment to the future of American showjumping. Mike and his wife, Wendy, reside in Marshall, Virginia
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Philip Richter
Richter is a competitive amateur jumper rider as well as the Treasurer of the USET Foundation. He is the Chairman of the Lake Placid Horse Show and sits on the Board of Directors of the USEF. Richter is the President and co-founder of Hollow Brook Wealth Management, a financial services firm in Katonah, NY.
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Evelyn Treacy
Born in London and raised in Hong Kong, Evelyn Liu Treacy is a lifelong animal lover, and has been involved in the equestrian community for over 20 years. Evelyn has spent many years fund raising for National charities. and looks forward to helping RTTT grow to its maximum potential. She is a nationally ranked competitive ballroom dancer, her interests include animals, needlecrafts and foreign literature. She and her husband, Michael reside in Wellington, FL and Needham, MA.
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Laura Kraut
Four time Olympian and multiple Olympic medal winner, Laura Kraut is one of America’s most successful showjumping athletes. Laura has an extensive resume as a coach and mentor to many riders, including Jessica Springsteen, Alise Oken, and Julie Welles. In 2025, Laura was elected into the Showjumping Hall of Fame. She resides in Wellington, Florida when she is not traveling abroad.
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Lenore Rees Brown
Lenore is an experienced sales, marketing, and public relations professional with a passion for horses and equestrian sport. She currently serves as Director of Sponsorship and Retail Sales at Wellington International. She and her husband, James, reside in Wellington, Florida.
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Sissy Wickes, Executive Director
Wickes is a lifelong rider and trainer, USEF hunter/equitation judge, former magazine editor, and freelance writer. She is on the Board of Directors of the Retired Racehorse Project and President of the Board of Directors at Hill Top Preparatory School. Sissy and Her husband, Tim, reside in Wellington, Florida and Chadds Ford, Pennsylvania.
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Grace de la Gueronniere, Chief Operations Officer
Grace is a lifelong hunter/jumper rider and an attorney. She provides provides a broad range of legal services including consultation for equestrians ranging from riders and trainers to horse owners, facility owners, and business entities. Grace resides in Wellington, Florida.
Meet the Riders
In the inaugural year of the Road to the Top Foundation, we accepted two riders into the program: Carlee McCutcheon and Trent McGee. Carlee is currently in Europe with Laura Kraut and her team, while Trent is based with Katie Prudent and the Plain Bay Farm contingent competing throughout the U.S. Both young riders are learning from the masters of the sport through rigorous lessons, competing horses at various levels, and hands on care and management of high level horses.
Carlee McCutcheon
Carlee is a 19 year old rider from Aubrey, Texas. She had great results in the hunter, jumper, an equitation rings as a junior, winning both the 2023 USEF Medal and ASPCA Maclay finals. She was a gold medal winner in the NAJYC Jumper Championships and competed in the Youth Nations Cup Finals. She aspires to “make my way up the pathway to represent the USA at the highest levels of the sport.”
Trent McGee
Trent is a 22 year old rider from Granada Hills, California. He has competed successfully at the Grand Prix level in his home state, with grand prix wins at Blenheim Equisports and Desert International Horse Park. He was a top ten finisher in a FEI 2* qualifier in 2023. Trent’s goals are “to reach the FEI 4* and 5* levels within the next few years, and become a consistent, reliable rider for the US team in Nations Cup classes.”