Columbus, OH — With exponential growth in the Standardbred Incentive Program from its inaugural year, the USTA is proud to announce the winners for the 2023 show season.

2023 SIP Division Champion Wisenheimer & Jenny Melander. Creek Dreams Photography.

If a division or sub-division had at least five horse/rider (or driver) combinations, Champion and Reserve Champions were placed:

Carriage/Pleasure Driving
Champion – Good Bet & Lindsay Toms
Reserve – Last Man Down (Ronin) & Katrina Lomax

Dressage
Intro Champion – Wisenheimer & Jenny Melander
Intro Reserve – Slippery Slope & Shannon Wilson

Division Champion – Wisenheimer & Jenny Melander
Reserve – Jambalayabar Man (JB) & Helene Gregory

English Flat
2 Gait Champion – Wisenheimer & Jenny Melander
2 Gait Reserve – Pembroke Sparkle & Taylor Ferguson

3 Gait Champion – Xing The Delaware & Kelly Conn
3 Gait Reserve – Pembroke Sparkle & Taylor Ferguson

Hunter Under Saddle Champion – Hanover’s Miracle & Sasha Kononov
Hunter Under Saddle Reserve – Wisenheimer & Jenny Melander

Division Champion – Wisenheimer & Jenny Melander
Division Reserve – Pembroke Sparkle & Taylor Ferguson

Gaited
Champion – No Real Surprise (Prise) & Linda Smith

Games & Contesting
Barrel Racing Champion – Never Say Sorry (Penny) & Chelsea Chase
Barrel Racing Reserve – Railroad Lane & Elizabeth Miller

Obstacles/Trail Champion – Metro’s Escape & Marcia Harmelink
Obstacles/Trail Reserve – Xing the Delaware (George) & Kelly Conn

Timed Events Champion – Never Say Sorry (Penny) & Chelsea Chase
Timed Events Reserve – Fork (What the Fork) & Taelor DeVine

Division Champion – Metro’s Escape & Marcia Harmelink
Division Reserve – Never Say Sorry (Penny) & Chelsea Chase

Halter
Champion – Metro’s Escape & Marcia Harmelink
Reserve – Slippery Slope & Shannon Wilson

Handler Performance
Equitation Champion – Metro’s Escape & Marcia Harmelink
Equitation Reserve – Pembroke Sparkle & Taylor Ferguson

Leadline Champion – Don Dinero & Lily Kirin
Leadline Reserve – Dream On Dream On & Heidi Cleary

Showmanship Champion – Metro’s Escape & Marcia Harmelink
Showmanship Reserve – Wisenheimer & Jenny Melander

Western Horsemanship Champion – Metro’s Escape & Marcia Harmelink
Western Horsemanship Reserve – Fork (What The Fork) & Taelor DeVine

Division Champion – Metro’s Escape & Marcia Harmelink
Division Reserve – Don Dinero & Lily Kirin

Over Fences
Hunter Champion – Pembroke Sparkle & Taylor Ferguson
Hunter Reserve – P H Powerplay & Katelyn Buda

Jumper Champion – Crosby & Michaela Schock
Jumper Reserve – Lightning Moon & Michaela Schock

Division Champion – Crosby & Michaela Schock
Reserve – Lightning Moon & Michaela Schock

Roadster
Champion – Gabe The Bear Dean & Duncan Huyler
Reserve – Overandovervictory & Duncan Huyler

Three Phase
Parade (Merlin’s Magic) & Brianna Touzjian

Trail & Endurance
Champion – C-O-To Bluegrass & Hannah Kerr
Reserve – Lord Gaga (Three Ravens Floki) & Jesslynn Peters

Western
Pleasure 2 Gait Champion – Fork (What The Fork) & Taelor DeVine
Pleasure 2 Gait Reserve – Pembroke Sparkle & Taylor Ferguson

Working Champion – Metro’s Escape & Marcia Harmelink
Working Reserve – Slippery Slope & Shannon Wilson

Division Champion – Metro’s Escape & Marcia Harmelink
Reserve – Fork (What The Fork) & Taelor DeVine

Fresh off the Track – Dream On Dream On & Heidi Cleary

War Horse – Wisenheimer & Jenny Melander

The Standardbred Incentive Program was launched in May of 2022 and is designed to recognize the participation and achievements of Standardbreds off the track. The current 2024 show season runs Dec. 1, 2023 through Nov. 30, 2024. More information about the Standardbred Incentive Program, the various disciplines recognized, tutorials about how you can enroll and more can be found on this page of the Life After Racing section of the USTA website.

Since 1996, the Standardbred Equine Program has worked with owners of off-the-track Standardbreds to educate the general public about the many disciplines Standardbreds excel at once they are retired from racing. For more information about the SEP at the USTA, visit LifeAfterRacing.ustrotting.com.