The United States Equestrian Team Foundation presented the 2025 Whitney Stone Cup to the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games triple gold medalist Rebecca Hart at its Gold Medal Club reception held on Jan. 17, at the National Polo Center in Wellington, Florida.
The award acknowledges the para-dressage athlete as an active competitor whose consistent excellence in international competition and sportsmanlike conduct as an ambassador for the sport and for the USET Foundation exemplifies the highest ideals and traditions of the USET Foundation and the U.S. Equestrian Federation.

Hart, of Loxahatchee, Florida, rode Floratina, a 17-year-old Hanoverian mare (Fidertanz—Rubina, Rubin Royal OLD) owned by Rowan O’Riley, to a clean sweep of gold medals in Paris at the rider’s fifth consecutive Paralympic Games. She rode to a personal best score of 83.53% in the freestyle test to seal the triple.
“I am incredibly honored to be selected for this trophy,” said Hart, a Grade III athlete. “It is an incredible testament to just how far para-dressage has come as a discipline. I have loved helping to bring adaptive sport forward and hope to be able to continue to do so. It’s an honor and a privilege to represent the USET Foundation, USEF and my owners and sponsors on the field of play. I love having this platform to celebrate para sport and our success on the world stage.”
Prior to the 2024 Paralympics, Hart was partnered with another horse of O’Riley’s, El Corona Texel. The combination rode to impressive achievements including a silver medal and a bronze medal at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, North Carolina, and a team bronze medal at the 2021 Tokyo Paralympic Games.
ADVERTISEMENT
“I’d like to acknowledge my personal support team and the amazing horse owner and sponsor Rowan O’Riley,” said Hart. “We wouldn’t have enjoyed these results without her dedication not only to me but the entire discipline of para-dressage. Team success comes when we plan and work together, and Rowan was an integral part of that.
“When I first started in para, we didn’t have access to the support and programs that we do now,” continued Hart. “I love that we have been able to develop this program so much with the help of the USET Foundation. I have watched this discipline grow from a struggling fledgling sport into having the number one-ranked team in the world. The financial and structural support from the USET Foundation and USEF—on top of the huge amount of effort from sponsors, owners and my fellow teammates—are what made these results possible.”

Hart is focused on seeing the U.S. Paralympic Dressage Team on the top step of the podium again at the 2028 Los Angeles Paralympic Games.
“I want to see more para riders coming into high performance sport,” she said. “Disability is often considered a weakness, but it’s actually a strength. When we embrace our differences and change our perspectives, the entire community becomes stronger. My advice to any aspiring Paralympians is to figure out how to make your body work for you and find a solid support team, one that can think outside of the box. You can teach your horse a language that is unique to you and your abilities. Be organized and persistent in working towards your goals.”
The Whitney Stone Cup, which was presented to the team by the officers and directors of the USET, is given in honor of the late Whitney Stone, who served as USET president and chairman of the board, and who was instrumental in the creation of a civilian team when the Army retired from competitive horse sports after 1948.