By Annelise Klepper
Portraits by Emily Dunn
Brother-sister duo Zachary and Jacqueline Sherer have grown up sharing more than just DNA: They share their love of horses. The pair competed at the prestigious 2025 USEF Pony Jumper National Championships, held during Pony Finals in Lexington, Kentucky, traveling nearly 5,000 miles together from their mountainside home in Bend, Oregon. They ended with enormous success: 15-year-old Zach earned the individual silver medal, while 14-year-old Jacqueline helped to clinch the team silver for Zone 8/9. The siblings currently train at Some Day Farm in Bend, Oregon, under the tutelage of trainers Germaine Dougherty, Wendy Krohn and Emily Dunn.
How did you both get started with horses?
Zach: I’ve always been around horses. I was held up to pet my mom’s horse before I could walk. My first mount was Carrots, a 30-year-old miniature horse with dwarfism. I would ride him around our ranch. He was tiny—perfect for a kid…for the most part. I remember him bucking me off when I was 4.
Jacqueline: I have a view of our horses from my bedroom window; I can hear them from my bedroom when they whinny at night. Horses are an integral part of who I am. As an eventer herself, my mom could have taught me to ride. However, she found it important that I train in a program with professionals, so we started lessons at Some Day Farm when Zach and I were quite small.
Tell us about your competition experience before Pony Finals.
Zach: I first started competing with my large pony, Delta S Irish Storm, aka Irish, in the “Trot a Pole” division at our local USEF-recognized show, the High Desert Classic, in 2019. I continued riding Irish, moving through the levels in show jumping and eventing. I took her to the 2024 Pony Club Championships and Festival at the Kentucky Horse Park. Irish earned the Highest Placed Connemara award as well as the team gold in Advanced Show Jumping.
Jacqueline: Just like most kids, I got my start competing in local hunter-jumper schooling shows and the local Pony Club. In 2024, my brother and I traveled to the Kentucky Horse Park to compete at the U.S. Pony Club Championship and Festival. We were part of the gold medal team in Advanced Show Jumping. Unfortunately, my lovely medium pony, Jedi Mind Trick, was 24 years old and only 13.1 hands, so I had to lease a large pony to compete at Pony Finals.
Jacqueline, you were riding a pony that was new to you. What was that like?
Jacqueline: My trainer, Germaine Dougherty, was helping me search for a large show-jumping pony to lease. She found three, and we settled on one named Diarado des Cibaudes, who had competed well the previous year at the championships. After the lease pony arrived at Some Day Farm, I only had a very short time to learn to ride him before my qualifying shows. Thankfully, he was a great show-jumping pony and perfect in the show ring.
How do you balance education with the demands of an equestrian schedule?
Zach: Jacqueline and I both attend in-person high school. I’m a sophomore, she’s a freshman. I know that many equestrians attend online school, but I definitely prefer public school. It’s much more engaging and interactive than online learning. It’s definitely difficult to make it to competitions during the school year, but we always have access to quality training at Some Day Farm that sets us up for success throughout the year.
Jacqueline: Being in a classroom and seeing my friends is really important to me. Going to in-person school does make going to some horse shows during the school year nearly impossible, so we try to make up for that by showing extensively during summer vacation. I also do track and field in school in the spring each year, which is excellent for my riding. My favorite track events involve running and jumping, of course!
The trip from Oregon to Kentucky is quite an undertaking. Tell us about that journey.
Jacqueline: We live just about as far from Lexington as you can be in the lower 48. Making the trek was a lot of work! We broke up the drive into four days, giving the horses a chance to stretch their legs each night. All in all, we went almost 5,000 miles! Thankfully, it wasn’t too hot during our travels, and our ponies were excellent travelers and arrived feeling ready to compete.
What was it like competing in the Pony Jumper National Championships?
Zach: It was an incredible experience, one I’ll always remember. It really felt like the Olympics, but just for Junior U.S. equestrians. This year, instead of 13 riders, there were 139 entries, so that was a huge increase in competitors. The Large Pony division had over 70 competitors—by far the most competitive Pony Jumper National Championship in many years. If you have one rail or one time fault over the three days of jumping rounds, there is no way to place well. You have to ride perfectly in every round.
Jacqueline: There was a field of about 70 ponies and their riders in my Large Pony division, which meant it was extremely competitive. I knew I was up for a tough three days! I was surprised when I found out my brother and I were placed on different teams. I knew it was going to be competitive because my brother is a great teammate.
Zach, tell us about that decisive jump-off round.
Zach: In the end, of the 70 or so that started in my division, only 15 riders had clear rounds the whole competition, including me. The jump-off was very competitive. A bunch of clear, fast times were laid down. I came into the ring knowing it wasn’t going to be easy. We put together a fast and clear round, and we received the silver individual medal. When the National Anthem played when I was on the podium, it was so surreal.
What made this competition so special for both of you?
Zach: I am so grateful to my trainers, especially Germaine, who believed in me and taught me over many years. I am grateful for my family, who have always supported me over the years. I was grateful to Irish, who brought me to the top. I was also grateful to the USEF for the new changes to the Championship that made it an amazing and positive experience. Most importantly, this competition showed me how important it is to keep working toward my goals.
Jacqueline: I was lucky enough to be placed with amazing teammates, so I’m happy with how things worked out because we finished with the team silver medal! The competition kicked off from the USEF headquarters at the Kentucky Horse Park. We received welcome letters signed by U.S. show jumping legends like Laura Kraut, McLain Ward, Kent Farrington and Aaron Vale to cheer us on. It was so touching to feel the support from the USEF and these U.S. Olympic riders!
What are your goals moving forward?
Zach: I want to keep progressing in the levels with my horse Calypso de Blondel, as well as perfect my skills on Irish. Someday, I plan to compete in Grand Prix show jumping and upper-level competitions. I plan to attend college after high school, then go to medical school.
Jacqueline: It’s my ultimate goal to compete in a show jumping Grand Prix. In the meantime, I’m focused on improving my dressage so I can be more competitive overall in eventing. One day, I dream of owning my own farm where I can rescue horses and other animals. Career-wise, I want to become a doctor like my parents. I would love to find some way in my life to encourage other young people to get involved with horses and follow their dreams.
Do you have any advice for other young riders who hope to compete at this level?
Zach: I’ve found it to be so important to stay committed to my goals and to stay focused on what I want to accomplish. Maintaining balance in your life is also important. I took a small break from riding to join my high school wrestling team, and that allowed me the freedom to try something new and use that as cross-training in my equestrian career. Both wrestling and riding have taught me that resilience builds positive results.
Jacqueline: Taking every opportunity to learn through experience (clinics, lessons, competition) is the most successful way to prepare yourself for competition and to improve your skill set. It’s important not to be afraid to try new things, make new mistakes and test the waters in different disciplines. I keep it fun! I love Pony Club mounted games and trail riding, but I always come back to jumping. I know that’s where I love to be.
Photos by Emily Dunn Photos, unless noted otherwise
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