Press release from USET, edited by World of Showjumping

The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation presented the 2026 Whitney Stone Cup to U.S. jumping athlete Lillie Keenan at its “Aachen” benefit on January 16, 2026, in Wellington, Florida.  

The Whitney Stone Cup, which is awarded annually, acknowledges Keenan as an active competitor whose consistent excellence in international competition and sportsmanlike conduct as an ambassador for the sport and for the USET Foundation exemplify the USET Foundation’s and US Equestrian’s (USEF’s) highest ideals and traditions.

The Whitney Stone Cup, which was presented to the Team by the Officers and Directors of the USET Foundation, is given in honor of the late Whitney Stone, who served as President and Chairman of the Board of USET, and who was instrumental in the creation of a civilian team when the Army retired from competitive horse sports after 1948. Keenan was quick to acknowledge Stone’s role in shaping modern horse sport.

“He was an exemplary individual and instrumental in making jumping into a team sport,” she said. “To look to the future and present your best self, you have to honor everything that came before. That includes your standard of turnout and how you conduct yourself. When you put on that red team coat, expectations are high because of what those before you achieved.” 

Keenan, a Harvard graduate, came up through USEF High Performance Programs, earning her stripes in equitation and hunters.

“I’m proud that I followed the traditional path as a junior,” she said. “It’s a great way to come up the ranks and get to the top level. I recently participated in the USEF Horsemastership Training Series, and it was a full-circle moment: the first time I did it I was 13, and this year I was a clinician. To be able to grow through the program like that is pretty awesome. I followed the system, and I like to think I proved its value. It shows that all the effort and donations to the USET Foundation make a difference, because the program works.

“I also want to acknowledge the team around me, including my parents, McLain, and my head groom, Cory Tual, as well as the team behind the scenes of USA Jumping, headed up by Robert Ridland and Lizzy Chesson. They are what really make it possible for us to do all this. Thanks to them, and all my horses too. They are all represented in this award.”

“I didn’t think I’d even be in contention with the caliber of the previous recipients — I was in awe to win,” said the 29-year-old from New York, New York, who was also the recipient of the USET Foundation’s Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy in 2015. “I hope I’m still quite early in my career with lots more to achieve for the U.S. team, so to already have recognition for my contribution is really surprising and motivating.”

“Winning the Whitney Stone Cup brought to mind that when I was a little girl, I watched the big grand prix classes on Saturday nights and wondered if I’d ever be able to jump that big,” said Keenan. “I didn’t have the innate self-confidence to jump at that level, but I knew my goal was to one day be someone that a trainer or a parent would tell their student or daughter they should watch. When I was young, there were so many people I’d run to the arena to watch — now I get to ride on teams with them. It hit me that I could now be one of those people who stand as an example, and that feels really special,” she continued. “It’s about more than just how you ride. It’s your values, it’s how you carry yourself, and it’s how you run your business — it’s everything.”  

At the beginning of 2025, Keenan, who trains with three-time Whitney Stone Cup recipient McLain Ward, committed to prioritizing Nations Cup competitions in the lead-up to the 2026 World Championships in Aachen, Germany, and the home Games of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

“When I started with McLain seven years ago, he stressed that championship and team medals are the most important, and I’ve tried to follow in his footsteps, so that’s what we’ve focused on. It’s awesome that there’s recognition after a year like that. We see who wins all the big grand prix classes, which matters a lot, but without a team, you don’t get to go to championships.”