The jumping community always knew Robert Ridland as a great rider, but now they also see him as the brilliant, strategic mind guiding the U.S. Jumping Team to unprecedented success. Ridland brings several decades of international experience, both as a rider and coach, to the Chef d'Equipe position.

As an athlete, Ridland competed in the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games and won several grand prix competitions throughout his riding career. Ridland has been extensively involved in the governance of the sport, including several terms as a board member of US Equestrian and the United States Equestrian Team Foundation.

Ridland's vast experience as an international course designer helped shaped his analytical approach to the sport. He won the Course Designer of the Year Award twice while building the courses for the U.S. Olympic Trials and numerous international competitions. As an international official, he was the only American to have served as the FEI Technical Delegate for four FEI World Cup Finals. As a television commentator, he worked for many years as the color analyst for ESPN and CBS, as well as two stints for NBC at the Barcelona and Athens Olympic Games.

Since being named the U.S. Jumping Chef d’Equipe/Technical Advisor in 2013, Ridland has led the U.S. team to team bronze medals at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, and team gold at the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon, N.C. Under his guidance the team has medaled at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games, 2019 Lima Pan American Games, and most recently secured team gold at the Santiago 2023 Pan American Games. The U.S. Jumping Team has earned three consecutive team silver medals in the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games, and 2024 Paris Olympic Games. 

As a junior rider, Spencer Smith competed at the FEI North American Youth Championships in 2012 and 2013 riding Skara Glen’s Voltan H and was the winner of the 2014 Pessoa/U.S. Hunter Seat Medal Finals. He competed as part of the winning U.S. Young Rider Team Nations Cup team riding IV Ever at WEF in 2015 where the pair also won the CSIOY Grand Prix.

Smith had a breakout year in 2018, representing the NetJets U.S. Jumping Team for the first time in the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Rome CSIO5*. That same year he won the first major Grand Prix of his career in the $132,000 Horseware Ireland Grand Prix CSI3* aboard his Selle Français gelding, Theodore Manciais. The pair went on to collect several more top placings in major international competition in 2018 and and 2019, including a win for the Massimo Dutti Trophy at the Global Champions League in Madrid. 

Spencer Smith represented the U.S. at the 2021 FEI Jumping Nations Cup Final CSIO5* in Barcelona, Spain, with Quibelle, where the pair were in impressive form. Later that year, Smith and Theodore Manciais marked another CSI5* win, earning a victory at the GCT/GCL CSI5* competition Samorin, Slovakia.

In 2022, Smith started the year off strong, winning the $140,000 Southern Arches Grand Prix CSI3* at WEF aboard Ayade Hero Z. Smith was selected to the short list for the 2022 FEI Jumping World Championships and represented the NetJets U.S. Jumping Team at CHIO Aachen and the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Ireland CSIO5*.

After taking over the ride on Keeneland in 2024, the pair have become one of the most consistent combinations for the U.S. Jumping Team representing the United States in the 2024 FEI Longines League of Nations St. Gallen CSIO5*, FEI Jumping Nations Cup Dublin CSIO5*, and the FEI Longines League of Nations Jumping Final CSIO5* in Barcelona, Spain. In Dublin, the duo's double clear helped push the U.S. to the top of the podium against an incredibly competitive field. 

Smith’s parents own and operate Ashland Farms, a hunter, jumper, and equitation stable with locations in Lexington, Ky., and Wellington, Fla.

Adrienne Sternlicht moved through the pony and junior hunter divisions to turn into a serious competitor on the international grand prix circuit. Although her first passion was riding, she took a break during high school and returned while attending Brown University. In 2016, Sternlicht began her partnership with Cristalline and started to train with U.S. Olympic double gold medalist McLain Ward.

In May 2017, Sternlicht made her Nations Cup debut with Cristalline at the FEI Nations Cup™ CSIO4* Coapexpan in Mexico, where they helped the U.S. team win the silver medal. Since then, she has been a member of several Nations Cup teams and collected numerous individual top placings, resulting in her selection to the WEG 2018 NetJets U.S. Show Jumping Team Short List. Following her selection to the short list, she placed second in the $250,000 Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon, won a CSI5* class during Knokke Hippique, and was part of the U.S. team for FEI Jumping Nations Cup Ireland, where she placed fourth in the Longines International Grand Prix of Ireland. Named to the WEG Tryon 2018 team, she and Cristalline aided the U.S. team in their historic victory, bringing home the gold medal for the U.S. for the first time in 36 years.

In 2020, Sternlicht started the year with a CSI4* win at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Fla. aboard Just a Gamble before being selected to represent the U.S. Jumping Team for the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Wellington CSIO4*, where she helped the team secure gold. In 2021, Sternlicht was part of FEI Nations Cup teams in Sopot, Poland, and Rotterdam, The Netherlands, with Benny’s Legacy.

Sternlicht started off 2022 with a win in a CSI3* at the Winter Equestrian Festival in January riding Lafayette Van Overis, followed by a win in the CSI5* with Benny’s Legacy at WEF in February. She traveled to Europe for the summer season and where she was part of the U.S. team at the Mercedes-Benz Jumping Nations’ Cup of Aachen CSIO5* in June. In July, she and Benny’s Legacy earned a win at the Grand Prix of Valkenswaard CSI2*.

In October of 2023, Sternlicht and Benny's Legacy won the Open 1.40m Jumper Championship at Equus Events Tryon in North Carolina. 

 

Aaron Vale has numerous Grand Prix wins and represented the U.S. in Nations Cups and FEI World Cup™ Finals. 

In 2022, Vale rode Elusive in the FEI World Cup™ Finals in Leipzig, Germany, finishing in 20th place. Vale and Prescott won the $75,000 Lugano Diamonds Welcome CSI4*-W at Split Rock Fort Worth. 

In 2023, Vale began the year with three wins on I.Adermie R 4: the $40,000 1.45M CSI3* Speed and $40,000 1.45M CSI3* Two Phase Special at the World Equestrian Center (WEC) Ocala Winter Spectacular and the $55,000 CSI4* Longines Grand Prix Qualifier at Live Oak International. He racked up four wins over the summer at WEC Ocala with Cristo Beech, Elusive, and I.Adermie R 4. Vale closed out the year with a win aboard Carissimo 25 in the $226,000 BrainJuice Holiday II CSI4* Grand Prix presented by BrainJava. 

In 2024, Vale began the year by representing the NetJets^® U.S. Jumping Team at the Longines League of Nations™ Abu Dhabi CSIO5*-LLN with Carissimo 25. He rode Prescott to the win in the $100,000 MARS Equestrian Grand Prix CSI3* at WEC Ocala.

Vale manages Thinkslikeahorse, a full-service training facility in Williston, Fla., with quality jumpers, hunters, and equitation horses.