“At the end of the day, I love my horses, I love winning, and you can do both,” says Caroline Pamukcu. The 30-year-old American eventing star spent the majority of 2022 studying under Olympian Pippa Funnell in England. But Pamukcu brought back much more than training advice from Funnell. One of her biggest takeaways was an ability to embrace her emotional nature while maintaining her competitive attitude—to prioritize her love of horses while also striving for greatness in the sport. Pamukcu has proven that since her time overseas, by claiming individual gold at the 2023 Pan American Games aboard HSH Blake, a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Mollie Hoff and Sherrie Martin.
But long before that, Pamukcu née Martin was recognized as a promising talent in U.S. Eventing. As a young rider, she earned numerous titles and championships, including individual and team gold medals at the FEI North American Youth Championships. She was named the U.S. Eventing Association’s Young Rider of the
