Columbus, OH — The USTA is excited to announce the 2024 Standardbred Incentive Program winners, with more subdivisional winners than ever before. A total of 36 subdivision and 26 divisional winners are being recognized:
Carriage/Pleasure Driving
Division Champion – Ideal Kiss & Colleen Layton
Division Reserve Champion – Xing the Delaware & Kelly Conn
Dressage
Division Champion – Xing The Delaware & Kelly Conn
Division Reserve Champion – Bellsandwhistles & Samantha Farbee
Dressage Subdivision
Intro Champion – Bellsandwhistles & Samantha Farbee
Intro Reserve Champion – Martz Creek Lad & Susi Ally
English Flat
Division Champion – Xing The Delaware & Kelly Conn
Division Reserve Champion – Ubanji & Alexis Barros
English Flat Subdivisions
2 Gait Champion – Ubanji & Alexis Barros
2 Gait Reserve Champion – Who’s My Daddy & Audree Herrera-Symonds
3 Gait Champion – Xing The Delaware & Kelly Conn
3 Gait Reserve Champion – Hanover’s Miracle & Sasha Kononov
Hunter Under Saddle Champion – Mystical Man & Lucille Lockwood
Hunter Under Saddle Reserve Champion – Xing The Delaware & Kelly Conn
Games & Contesting
Division Champion – Never Say Sorry & Chelsea Chase
Division Reserve Champion – Metro’s Escape & Marcia Harmelink
Games & Contesting Subdivisions
Barrel Racing Champion – Never Say Sorry & Chelsea ChaseBarrel Racing Reserve Champion – Bali & Elizabeth Gray
Fun Champion – Rockababy & Michaela Schock
Fun Reserve Champion –Xing The Delaware & Kelly Conn
Obstacles/Trail Champion – Metro’s Escape & Marcia Harmelink
Obstacles/Trail Reserve Champion – Xing The Delaware & Kelly Conn
Timed Events Champion – Never Say Sorry & Chelsea Chase
Timed Events Reserve Champion – Keystone Sable & Nicole Ratledge
Halter
Division Champion – Metro’s Escape & Marcia Harmelink
Division Reserve Champion – Xing The Delaware & Kelly Conn
Handler Performance
Division Champion – Metro’s Escape & Marcia Harmelink
Division Reserve Champion – Don Dinero & Lily Kirin
Handler Performance Subdivision
Equitation Champion – Metro’s Escape & Marcia Harmelink
Equitation Reserve Champion – Pembroke Sparkle & Taylor Benson
Leadline Champion – Don Dinero & Lily Kirin
Leadline Reserve Champion – Xing The Delaware & Lucy Conn
Showmanship Champion – Metro’s Escape & Marcia Harmelink
Showmanship Reserve Champion – Beans Brother & Leslie McLaren
Western Horsemanship Champion – Metro’s Escape & Marcia Harmelink
Western Horsemanship Reserve Champion – Pembroke Sparkle & Taylor Benson
Over Fences
Division Champion – Crosby & Michaela Schock
Division Reserve Champion – Rockababy & Michaela Schock
Over Fences Subdivision
Hunter Champion – Mystical Man & Lucille Lockwood
Hunter Reserve Champion – Pembroke Sparkle & Taylor Benson
Hunter Hack Champion – Pembroke Sparkle & Taylor Benson
Hunter Hack Reserve Champion – Crosby & Michaela Schock
Jumper Champion – Crosby & Michaela Schock
Jumper Reserve Champion – Lightning Moon & Michaela Schock
Roadster
Champion – Gabe The Bear Dean & Duncan Huyler
Reserve Champion – Overandovervictory & Duncan Huyler
Three Phase
Champion – Parade & Brianna Touzjian
Reserve Champion – Rockababy & Michaela Schock
Trail & Endurance
Champion – Good Bet & Lindsay Toms
Reserve Champion – Felixthefrndlyfoal & Samantha Werksman
Western
Division Champion – Metro’s Escape & Marcia Harmelink
Division Reserve Champion – Pembroke Sparkle & Taylor Benson
Western Subdivisions
2 Gait Champion – Metro’s Escape & Marcia Harmelink
2 Gait Reserve Champion – Rock On Creek & Leslie McLaren
3 Gait Champion – Pembroke Sparkle & Taylor Benson
3 Gait Reserve Champion – Rockababy & Michaela Schock
Working Western Champion – Metro’s Escape & Marcia Harmelink
Working Western Reserve Champion – Beans Brother & Leslie McLaren
Fresh Off The Track
Champion – Bali & Elizabeth Gray
Reserve Champion – Lone Raider & Tallulah Hickey
War Horse
Champion – Gabe The Bear Dean & Duncan Huyler
Reserve Champion – Keystone Sable & Nicole Ratledge
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 2025 show season started December 1, 2024 and runs through November 30, 2025. New for the 2025 show season, SIP will start recognizing additional placings beyond champion and reserve for each division/subdivision. The parameters for recognizing are:
– If more than five participants in a particular subdivision, subdivision champion and reserve champion will be recognized
– If more than 10 participants in a division or subdivision, third and fourth place will also be recognized
– If more than 15 participants in a division or subdivision, fifth place will also be recognized
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<http://lifeafterracing.ustrotting.com/standardbred-incentive-program.cfm> 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.