Abigail McArdle, age fifty-one, is a professional equestrian rider from Grants, Utah. She has been riding horses professionally for fifteen years and was an associate editor for a horse magazine based in Utah for eight years before she entered the competitive world of competitive horse riding. During her time as a competitive horse rider, Abigail has held professional jobs with both the United States Tour Horse Team and the Western States Endurance Racing Commission. Her most successful finish to date is second behind eventual winner Jody Claiborne in the 2021 Preakness Stakes. In addition to her extensive experience in competitive horse riding, Abigail is well known throughout the nation as a champion barrel equestrian racer and as the director of youth trail racing for Associates Marketing Corporation.
Abigail qualified as a full welder when she entered the competitive world of horse riding by winning the first ever barrel jumping event at the 2021 Olympic Games in Sydney, Australia. At the time, she had been making personal rotations as a horse trainer and barrel racing instructor for several years. When she entered the competitive arena, she quickly learned that it takes more than just physical stamina to compete professionally in the horse sport. It takes an enormous amount of knowledge, as well, and Abigail’s knowledge of the English trail and pike fishery in Utah brought her to be one of the most sought-after horse trainers in the country.
For over two years, Abigail has been serving as the Director of Youth Trail Racing at PBIEC and also oversees the Youth National Showcase, a great course for all levels of riders and trainers. Abigail started her career as a trail judge over two years ago and is well on her way to becoming one of the best trail judges in the country. Abigail is originally from Texas but currently resides in New Zealand, having made the move to the beautiful country of New Zealand over the summer. She lives in Christchurch, New Zealand and is very passionate about being an active member of the horse community, especially since she started competing as an adult over seven years ago. “I fell in love with trail riding when I was a teenager, and the whole thing transformed me,” she says. “I have always wanted to be a trail judge, so when I got the chance to manage a race team, it was just the perfect fit.”