Equestrian News: 19 Year Old Rising Star Is Set to Compete in Senior Nations Cup Alongside Pan American Champions

The emerging talent in the world of equestrian sports, Zayna Rizvi is taking phenomenal strides at the young age of 19. Born and raised in Wellington, Florida, she recently received the 2024 Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy. Starting her training at North Run with well-known coaches, John Brennan and Missy Clark at the mere age of 10, she has come a long way.

The young equestrian has been making major strides in her sport and has already proven herself as a great regional competitor. With two gold medals at the 2021 Youth Continental/Regional Championships under her belt, Zayna Rizvi is now making her second move to snag a natty honor. Moreover, she will be jumping right in the heat of the competition against the USA’s best equestrians who have already aced the Pan American Games.

Equestrian Rizvi looks forward to enriching team experience at the Senior Cup

USA Jumping and US Equestrian made a joint post on Instagram, unveiling its stars for the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Wellington CSIO4* in Wellington, Florida. The list includes the names of America’s Pan Am Champions Karl Cook, Laura Kraut, and McLain Ward, along with the young Zayna Rizvi. The 19-year-old spoke to US Equestrian in an interview and spoke about competing in the home turf tournament.

According to Zayna Rizvi, “This is a huge honor for me to be able to ride alongside some of the best riders in the U.S., so I’m very excited to learn a lot from them.” She also talked about the takeaways from past events, especially the Three Star Nations Cup in Spain and Portugal this past fall wherein she talked about the dynamics of the team. Cherishing the camaraderie, she adds, “Having a team means that you have people to rely on.” Geared up with these thoughts, Rizvi will compete in the Nations Cup tomorrow.

Schedule of WEF Week 8 event

The national jumping event kicked off on 28 February and will reach its conclusion on 3 March. Part of the eighth week of the Winter Equestrian Festival, the CSIO4* competition will include the Nations Cup on March 2. Following this, Zayna Rizvi will take on  The Grand Prix event on 3 March, available for streaming on USEF Network.

Rizvi has represented the US in junior and young rider divisions. She has achieved top rankings in the FEI North American Youth Championships and Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Final. She also made her senior Nations Cup team debut in 2023, competing on the international stage. Now, with the upcoming event, she is ready to earn yet another feat alongside top equestrians this week.

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