Hometown: West Palm Beach, Fla. Birthday: 12/1/1981 Sport/Disciplines: Jumping

Marilyn Little grew up riding at her family’s Raylyn Farms and began competing at the age of six. She found early success in the hunter/jumper discipline, competing in her first grand prix at just 16 years old. While she built a strong foundation in show jumping, Little expanded her career into eventing in 2010, completing her first CCI4* in 2012 and earning international recognition for her results at the highest levels of the sport. Her eventing accomplishments include multiple top finishes at major four- and five-star events, as well as a team gold medal at the 2015 Pan American Games.

In recent years, Little has re-established herself as a top competitor in international jumping. She was a member of the winning U.S. Jumping Team at the 2025 FEI Jumping Nations Cup Caledon CSIO3*, where she delivered two fault-free rounds aboard La Contessa. That same weekend, she and La Contessa claimed victory in the $90,000 Grand Prix of Caledon CSIO3*.

In 2025, Little and La Contessa earned a second-place finish in the Cabana Coast $62,500 FEI CSI5* and third place in the Major League Show Jumping Grand Prix of Toronto CSI5*. That same year, she also posted standout results at Old Salem Farm, including a second-place finish in the Old Salem Blue Diamond Cup CSI4* and a victory in the Old Salem Farm Welcome CSI4*.

Continuing their strong form into 2026, Little and La Contessa opened the Winter Equestrian Festival season with a podium finish in the CSI3* Grand Prix during Week 1. The pair were selected to represent the U.S. Jumping Team in the Wellington CSIO4* where they helped the team top the podium with a double clear effort. The pair followed their stellar performance with a podium finish in the Week 9 CSI5* Grand Prix at WEF, one of their top finishes as a combination to date. They followed up with another second place finish in the MLSJ $750,000 Grand Prix CSI5* in Monterrey, Mexico. 

The pair were selected to the 2026 U.S. Jumping Team Short List for the FEI Jumping World Championships, and produced top results for the team at both the Rome CSIO5*, where they finished fourth in the Grand Prix, and then went on to help secure a a podium finish for the US Team in the LLN Nations Cup at CSIO Rotterdam. She was the anchor rider and delivered a double clear which forced a jump off where Little and La Contessa delivered another clear and speedy round to secure an exciting 2nd place.