Carlee McCutcheon Selected to CSIO3* Nations Cup at Vejer de la Frontera
The U.S. Jumping team for CSIO3* Vejer de la Frontera
Road to the Top rider Carlee McCutcheon has been named to represent the United States at CSIO3* Vejer de la Frontera, marking her first career senior Nations Cup team selection.
McCutcheon will make her senior team debut and don her first pinque coat just after her 20th birthday. The Aubrey, TX native recently contributed to a team gold medal for the U.S. Young Rider Team at the FEI Youth Nations Cup Finals in Lier, Belgium, where she was the anchor rider aboard the 14-year-old Oldenburg mare, Aralyn Blue.
"Being part of the Road to the Top program has been nothing short of transformative. It's given me access to opportunities I never imagined possible: top coaching, international competition, and the financial support needed to focus fully on my development as an athlete," McCutcheon said.
McCutcheon was among the first riders selected to the Road to the Top program, and she has spent the last 16 months learning under the tutelage of three-time Olympic medalist, Laura Kraut. McCutcheon was partnered with Aralyn Blue at the end of the 2024 season, and the pair finished second in the U25 Finale Grand Prix at the 2025 Winter Equestrian Festival. Over the course of the summer, they added a CSI2* Grand Prix win to their resume at Lier.
"I am beyond thrilled with Carlee's progress. She has always been a phenomenal rider, but her maturity and horsemanship skills are growing by leaps and bounds," Kraut said. "I feel confident that Carlee is ready to represent the United States as a senior team member, and I am also confident that she will make all of us very proud."
Through a most generous donation from Ann Thompson, Aralyn Blue was recently acquired by Road to the Top, making the mare's partnership with McCutcheon more permanent.
"It's such an expensive sport. The horses that can help riders move up to the top level are very expensive horses and very hard to find," Thompson said. "For me, it has been so rewarding to see Carlee [succeed]...It really has been an honor, and working with Road to the Top has been wonderful.
"It's super rewarding to be able to help [riders] make their dreams come true," she added. "In the future, if we want the U.S. continue to get medals, it's going to have to be a group effort."
Carlee McCutcheon and Aralyn Blue at the 2025 Winter Equestrian Festival. Photo by Catie Staszak Media, Inc.
Katie Prudent, a prominent figure in show jumping as both a former athlete and coach, founded Road to the Top in 2024. The organization aims to reduce the financial barriers for young professional equestrians, offering them education and opportunities to compete in international-level events on U.S. equestrian teams. McCutcheon's team selection marks an important milestone in the program's growth.
"Carlee has had a meteoric rise to success this year," Prudent said. "We are so proud of Carlee and so thankful to Ann Thompson for this opportunity that she's given Carlee by [sharing] her wonderful five-star Grand Prix horse."
"Since joining Road to the Top, I've grown immensely, not just in the saddle, but as a competitor, teammate, and future representative of our country. I'm especially grateful to Ann Thompson for the opportunity to ride Aralyn," McCutcheon added. "This kind of generosity is what makes dreams attainable for young riders like myself!"
The CSIO3* Nations Cup at Vejer de la Frontera will take place Friday, Oct. 24, part of the Andalucía October Tour at the Dehesa Montenmedio. Competition can be watched live at ClipMyHorse.tv.
Road to the Top is honored to have Katie Prudent, Laura Kraut, and Beezie Madden as trainers who donate their time and talent to build the next generation of American equestrian leaders. To learn more about Road to the Top, visit RoadToTheTop.org.