Talented Competitors Lead Teams Into NCEA Championships

As 2024 collegiate equestrian season concludes in Ocala, here are 10 riders to keep an eye on.

Championships will be earned this week as the National Collegiate Equestrian Association (NCEA) closes the 2024 season at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Fla. The action starts April 18 and concludes on April 20, with champions being crowned. (Check out some of the big storylines heading into the championship by clicking here.)

From Power Five, Division I juggernaut programs to small, Division III schools, the field features an array of talented student-athletes eager to shine on college equestrian’s biggest stage.

Here are 10 riders who could have a major impact on how things play out. 

Riders to Watch: Western

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Isabella Tesmer, Auburn: For the second straight year, Tesmer is an All-American, and for good reason. After being honorable mention last spring, Tesmer was a first-team selection in 2024 thanks to a 13-1 overall record and three Most Outstanding Performer accolades. The senior was also named the SEC Reining Rider of the Year. 

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Nya Kearns, SMU: Kearns’ prowess in horsemanship continues to be unstoppable. The senior earned her fourth first-team All-America honor this spring after going 12-1. With one season of eligibility left to go, Kearns has already set the program record with 22 Most Outstanding Performer recognitions along with an all-time record of 44-7-1 thus far. 

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Mattie Dukes, TCU: No other Horned Frog in program history has earned more All-American honors than Dukes. The graduate student nabbed first-team horsemanship honors this spring, a year after being named the 2023 NCEA Reining Rider of the Year. It was the fifth time Dukes has secured All-American accolades, a TCU record. Dukes was also selected as Big 12 Horsemanship Rider of the Year.

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Jillian Stopperich, Georgia: Stopperich has been a strong competitor since joining the Bulldogs in 2021. This season, she took things to an elite level. The junior finished 12-2, earning first team All-America honors. She was also named as the SEC Horsemanship Rider of the Year, giving Georgia its first SEC Rider of the Year honor since 2016. Over three years, Stopperich has compiled a 28-9-1 record. 

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Mattie Gustin, Texas A&M: Gustin burst onto the scene this year. After only competing in two exhibitions her first two years on campus, the junior finished with an 8-3-1 overall record, earning first-team All-America honors in reining. She was the only Aggie to make first or second team All-America this year. Gustin was also selected for All-SEC honors as well. 

Riders to Watch: Jumping Seat

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Augusta Iwasaki, SMU: Talk about an encore. As a freshman, Iwasaki went 11-1, earned All-American honors in fences and was named the NCEA Championships Most Outstanding Performer in fences. A year later, Iwasaki earned first-team All-American honors in fences again with an 8-4 record and five Most Outstanding Performer honors over the course of the season. The stage won’t rattle her – Iwasaki also represented the United States at the International Federation for Equestrian Sports Youth Nations Cup in Belgium back in September. 

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Ava Stearns, Auburn: The grad student is one of the most decorated NCEA athletes of all-time after earning her seventh and eighth All-American honors this year. Stearns went 10-2 on the flat (first-team) and 8-3-1 in fences (second-team), with three combined Most Outstanding Performer honors. Last year, Stearns was named to the NCEA All-Championship team in both fences and flats and in 2022 she was recognized as the NCEA Flat Co-Rider of the Year. 

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Fallyn Belcastro, Lynchburg: If the Hornets are going to win a third-straight single discipline title, Belcastro will be the tone setter. Along with earning Old Dominion Athletic Conference Fences Rider of the Year, the junior was an honorable mention All-American in both jumping seat events, going 5-1 on the flat and 5-2 over fences. Belcastro is one of four Lynchburg athletes to earn honorable mention All-America status, marking the first time the program has featured All-Americans since joining the NCEA in 2020. 

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Ashleigh Scully, TCU: Scully earned her third straight first-team All-American honor as a fences competitor after going 9-3-1 overall. It was the fourth time Scully has earned some sort of All-American status. She was also selected as the Big 12 Fences Rider of the Year. Last season, she was the NCEA Co-Flat Rider of the Year and a first-team All-American in both flat and fences. 

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Isabelle Mesiarik, Sweet Briar: Perfection. That’s the standard Mesiarik set for herself this season, shining as a fences competitor for the Vixens. The junior went 7-0, helping Sweet Briar to a 7-2 overall record and the No. 2 seed in the single discipline bracket for the NCEA Championship. After getting upset in the finals of Old Dominion Athletic Conference Tournament by Lynchburg, Mesiarik and Sweet Briar are seeking redemption in Ocala.