All American Horse Challenge

11/04/2024

A heavy decision was made that this weekend's 2024 All American Horse Challenge has been cancelled. It's been a rough year and we lost too many competitors. We are looking to schedule again in the spring or summer, instead, in hopes to bring those numbers back up. 💪

We want to thank the competitors who did try out this year though. We watched you riders work hard to prepare and know you'll keep training for the next one. 😎 We also really appreciate the support we've received from our volunteers, our judges: Jessica Wegener and Matt Sheridan, and especially the sponsors, who will contribute again for the 2025 year! 🙏❤️

Once we pick a new date, please help us get the word out! 🏇🎉 We'll see you then!

10/01/2024

We are extending our deadline for entries to Oct. 15th!! Signing up is easy by clicking the link below 👇

Also, those that have already signed up, please send in your bios and portrait picture asap! Thank you!

08/28/2024

Starting the 2024 All American Horse Challenge will be the dressage tests and this year our judge is Jesseca Hutchings Wegener!

Jesseca is based in Norco, CA. Having the opportunities as a young rider to explore many different styles of riding and competition, it has always been her belief that diversity is key to good horsemanship. With an array of Regional and National Championship wins and titles in Cutting, Dressage, Western Dressage, Cowboy Dressage, Hunter/Jumpers, Working Equitation and Ranch Riding. Though she has had great success as a rider and horse trainer, she really has a passion for teaching. Her coaching of Amateur riders has helped propel some of them to Championship success at these National levels as well. She is an inductee into the Horse Town USA Hall of Fame as a trainer, and currently also serves as their Vice President and promoter of their High school equestrian scholarship fund. A practicing judge and clinician in multiple disciplines throughout the USA.

08/27/2024

Meet your Ranch Riding and Trail class judge for the 2024 All American Horse Challenge ....

Matt Sheridan is a 5th generation horseman with multiple championships in Versatility, Ranch & Cow Horse events. Matt has coached amatuer riders to their own championahips as well. He's been featured in Western Horseman including television, radio and podcasts. He has over 37 years experience training, showing and judging a variety of breeds and events.

07/16/2024

Right off the bat, the English riders are coming in strong for this year's 2024 All American Horse Challenge Pro division rider Jess Phoenix and his Morgan, Nite, are excited to join us! And we love seeing new riders pushing their horsemanship because that's what it's all about!

Jess Phoenix has over 34 years of experience riding, training, and showing horses of all types in a variety of English riding disciplines. Jess competed in the Colorado Hunter Jumper Association show circuit from 1990-2000 in Hunters, Equitation, and Jumpers. In college, she competed in Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association Equestrian events at the NCAA Division III level for Smith College, where she placed in the Top Ten riders in the Region under the coaching of IHSA legend Sue Payne. This experience included riding unfamiliar horses after a brief warmup period, and taught Jess the versatility needed to train a variety of horses. Also during college, she worked as a riding instructor at the renowned Camp Robin Hood in New Hampshire where she taught horsemanship, riding fundamentals, and advanced riding and jumping to a cohort of talented students.

Jess began acquiring Thoroughbred racehorses directly from racetracks and the slaughter pipeline in 2002. Since then, she has retrained dozens of ex-racehorses for new careers and happy lives after their race days ended. She has trained and competed in both the United States and Australia. Jess was selected to compete in the 2012 Mongol Derby, the world’s longest horse race that follows the legendary postal routes created by Genghis Khan. She is a USHJA credentialed instructor and has a training barn in Lakeview Terrace, California.

Nite was born free in the mountains south of Tehachapi, California. He is 14.2 hands of spicy wild pony. He spent his early years in an offshoot band of what are known as the Oak Creek Wild Horses. These horses are suspected to descend from the Morgan breeding stock of Roland Hill, and have been feral for decades. Nite's band has zero human contact, and if he hadn't taken over a herd of cattle belonging to a local rancher he would have remained running wild. A long series of events brought him to Jess, where his talent in the jumper ring was discovered. Nite qualified for the US Hunter Jumper Association National Finals in Las Vegas, NV in 2023 with his junior rider Hayden, and he has successfully completed against (and beaten) some of the finest horses in the world at Desert International Horse Park. His favorite activity is bossing everyone around.

07/16/2024

Entries are coming in fast! We would like to introduce a new team this year in the Select division: Monica Whitmer and Louie.

Monica Whitmer has been the owner trainer and manager of Sweetwater Ranch in Lancaster, California, for the past 38 years. She has competed in a wide range of programs from dressage and hunters to carriage driving and most recently ranch riding. She has coached students at all levels and been a 4H horse project leader for 15 years.

Her 19 yr old homebred spotted warm blood named Sweetwater’s Alleluia was born at the ranch and represents a third generation of Monica‘s horses. He has also competed in a variety of events: traditional and western dressage, hunters/jumpers, ranch Riding, gymkhana and Trail. Currently, he has been working as a lesson horse.

Monica and Louie are eager to partner together again to prove that you’re never too old to be good at a little bit of everything.

The 2024 All American Horse Challenge is off to a great start! 🇺🇲 Let's go, Monica and Louie!

07/14/2024

Here we go! Applications are now open! can visit www.allamericanhorsechallenge.com for easy sign up!

Hosted by the Yucaipa Equestrian Center 13273 California St. Yucaipa, CA 92399 (909)295-8242 www.yucaipaequestriancenter.com

06/30/2024

We are excited to announce this year's All American Horse Challenge will be hosted by the Yucaipa Equestrian Center! www.yucaipaequestriancenter.com

Save the date, November 9th & 10th! Deadline to enter will be Oct. 1st and applications will be posted in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!

All types of equestrian activities happen at Yucaipa Equestrian Center... see what we have to offer!

12/10/2023

We're riding in the Norco Light Parade with some of our contestants 🐎

12/09/2023

Ready to rock the Ranch Riding event!

12/09/2023

Getting the course pattern down and trail tips with Bill Cameron!