My equestrian journey began at the age of 9, and since then, I have found fulfillment from training and competing with my equine partners. In 2019, my family established Equidae Farm, a boarding and training equestrian facility in Snohomish, Washington. With the unwavering support of my family and my beloved horses Kingston, Kaboom, and Vaden, I have competed in nationally recognized equitation, hunter, and jumper divisions, with the occasional foray into dressage and cross-country schooling events on the West Coast. With the support of countless mentors throughout my years of riding, from 2019 until 2023, I jumped fences from 3′ to 3’6” in the equitation and hunter divisions. I excelled particularly in flat equitation classes and equitation medals. In my final competition as a junior, I won the 2023 Split Rock Portland & OHJA junior, amateur, and professional flat challenge out of 60 competitors.
In 2022, I joined the Sharkey Farm IEA team, where I successfully learned the art of catch riding horses to prepare for my future on an IHSA team in college. With my IEA team, we clinched the overall champion title at the national finals in 2022 and secured sixth place in 2023. In 2023, I joined the Creidmount Saddle Club dressage IEA team, where I was the zone high point in the varsity intermediate division. With the Creidmount Saddle Club’s support, my IEA dressage team captured 8th place at the national finals in 2023.
In 2023, I began my first year at the Savannah College of Art and Design, joining their award winning equestrian team. My freshmen year I attended American National Riding Commission ‘ANRC’ finals, placing third overall individually and was on the reserve champion team in the novice division with SCAD’s horse Frank. Sophomore year I returned to ANRC finals with SCAD’s horse Quinn and won overall individual novice champion and was on the champion novice team. At SCAD I am working on my BFA in Production Design with a minor in Museum Studies. I frequently compete in IHSA and the Tournament of Champions series through the East Coast with my team. I am very grateful to my coaches, mentors, and professors in college that have been a key part to my academic and athletic success at SCAD.
Collegiate Riding Highlights
- 2025 IHSA Academic First Team
- 2025 IHSA Nationals hunt seat team 3rd overall
- 2025 USHJA/IHSA Team Horsemanship Championship First Place
- 2025 IHSA Nationals team intermediate flat qualifier
- 2025 IHSA Nationals individual limit flat 9th overall
- 2025 ANRC novice individual grand champion
- 2025 ANRC novice team grand champion
- 2025 IHSA Zone 5 individual limit flat champion
- 2025 IHSA Zone 5 Region 5 individual limit flat champion
- 2024-2025 IHSA & TOC 7 limit flat career wins
- 2024 ANRC novice individual 3rd overall
- 2024 ANRC novice team reserve champion
Amateur Riding Highlights
- 2025 USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge National overall champion
- 2025 Oregon Hunter Jumper Association Children’s/Adult 3′ Medal finals grand champion
- 2025 Zone 9 qualifier for Ariat adult medal finals
- 2024 WSHJA state adult equitation 3’ champion
- 2024 WSHJA state large hunter 3′ champion
- 2024 WSHJA medal 3’ year end reserve champion
- 2024 Evergreen Classic no stirrups flat equitation challenge reserve champion
Read more about my experience at the 2025 USHJA Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Nationals below.
Equestrian Volunteerism
- Washington Hunter Jumper Association (WSHJA) Junior Board Mentor 2023-Current
Under-18 Career Highlights:
- 2023 WSHJA state equitation medals 3’3” – 3’6” reserve champion
- 2023 Split Rock Portland & OHJA junior, amateur, and professional flat challenge winner (out of 60 competitors)
- 2023 IEA nationals hunt seat team 6th overall (Sharkey Farm)
- 2023 IEA nationals dressage team 8th overall (Creidmount Saddle Club)
- 2023 CPI invitational advanced highpoint rider (2’9” flat and fences class winner) & horsemanship test winner
- 2022 & 2023 IEA Zone 9 champion hunt seat team (varsity open flat rider)
- 2023 IEA Zone 9 champion dressage team (varsity intermediate test and flat rider)
- 2023 IEA Zone 9 dressage varsity intermediate test and flat regular season-high point rider
- 2022 IEA nationals hunt seat team champion (Sharkey Farm)
- 2022 IEA Zone 9, Region 1 sportsmanship award recipient
- 2022 IEA nationals team varsity open flat equitation class winner
- 2022 WSHJA state 17& U 3’ & equitation medals 3’3” – 3”6”champion
- 2021-2022 NHS Hamel finals qualifier
- 2021 WSHJA state 17& U 3’ equitation & state equitation medals 3’3” champion
- 2019 USHJA 3’ excellence in equitation champion zone 9
- 2017-2023 USEF Interscholastic Athlete letter recipient
Ella Luhn 