Top 5 Female Equestrians You Need to Be Watching
The equine industry has some incredibly talented women. These female equestrians are making significant strides forward in the industry. Regardless of what discipline you ride, it is always inspirational to see another rider excelling personally and in the saddle. In honor of National Women's Day, we've put together a list of female equestrians that should be on your radar.
Mareike Harm
Changing a traditional men’s sport, Mareike has been climbing the ranks of the FEI Driving World Cup™ athletes and is the first woman ever to compete in the event. Mareike finished third at the Leg 4 qualifier in London after beating out four driving teams, including one led by a multiple World Champion winner. She is known within the ring for her speed, precision, and communication with her horses.
Follow her on Instagram or Facebook.
Stacy Westfall
In 2006, Stacy became the first and only woman invited to compete in the Road to the Horse Colt Starting Competition. After winning the Road to the Horse, Stacy went on to win the Quarter Horse Congress reining freestyle on a black mare named Whizards Baby Doll “Roxy,” which she did brideless and bareback and ended up dedicated to her late father. The video of her incredible ride went viral and resulted in a guest appearance on The Ellen Degeneres Show. Both Stacy and Roxy were interviewed at the studio!
Check out her website or follow along on Instagram or Facebook.
Anne Kursinski
Anne has demonstrated her talents and won almost every major competition, including being a five-time Olympian, a two-time Pan American Games medalist, two-time American Horse Show Association Horsewoman of the Year, and a Show Jumping Hall of Fame inductee. She is a strong female equestrian athlete advocate and was at the forefront of the #metoo movement.
Anne is an incredible role model for young equestrians. She was one of the first riders to wear a chin strap on her helmet and share the dangers of traumatic brain injuries for horseback riders. While it wasn’t well met at first, she knew it was essential to educate horseback riders on safety and potentially reduce the severity of a fall.
Explore her website or follow along on Facebook or Instagram.
Rebecca Hart
Rebecca Hart competed in her first para-dressage competition in 1998. After facing many challenges during this competition, including a new horse that was not trained to respond to commands given by a para rider, Rebecca didn’t let this experience deter her. She was born with hereditary spastic paraplegia and found new legs with horses. Rebecca struggled after retiring her horse Norteassa after the 2008 Para Olympics but was renewed when she met two new horses, El Corona Texel (Tex) and Fortune 500.
Follow her journey on Facebook or Instagram.
Amanda Staalsoe
Amanda is a Danish vaulter, healthy living advocate, equestrian coach, and physiotherapist. She started vaulting in 2008 when she got too big for ponies and didn’t feel ready for bigger horses. Now, Amanda shares her training sessions on social media, primarily Instagram and TikTok. Viewers are impressed with Amanda’s skills and talent, and we wouldn’t be surprised to see her in more competitions soon.
Find her website here or check out her Instagram and TikTok.
Happy National Women's Day, now get out there and ride!