Carly Cantor wins 2025 AEGT Title
- aegtusa
- Apr 18
- 3 min read
April 18th 2025.
American Equestrians Got Talent (AEGT)’s Grand Finale Gala was held at the Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club, Ocala, Florida on Saturday, April 12th, 2025.
The Grand Finale showcased eight Golden Ticket winners from our live auditions in Wellington and Ocala. Also included two wild card winners competing for the grand prize of $10,000, $5,000 and $2,500.
The celebrity judges were Matt Varney from Ocala Horse Properties, Charlotte Jorst, Kastel Denmark Founder, Matt Martin from Marketmoor LLC , Amina Bursese from Tequila Scenario and Hanna Hildmann from Sport Innovations LLC. Margaret Swanson and Nicho Meredith were mistress and master of ceremonies
The evening kicked off with a touch of patriotism from Rabecca Martínez, who stunned the audience with a powerful a cappella rendition of the United States national anthem. Her performance set the tone for the night. Next up, Emma Claire Stephens transported the audience to the magical world of Disney with Into the Unknown from Frozen.
The surprise act of the evening came from magician Jimmy Rook, who mesmerized everyone with a mind-blowing prediction trick in which he revealed the exact date and time of the current moment. Then came Ocala local Rob Good, who wowed the audience with a powerful southern rock/country version of Drowning by The Red Clay Strays, earning enthusiastic cheers.
Next, Carly Cantor delivered a stunning performance of the pop-soul classic “And I Am Telling You I’m Not Going” by Jennifer Holliday. Her vocal strength and emotional connection did not go unnoticed by the judges.
The first half of the night closed with musical theater flair, thanks to Allison Aldrich, who impressed with her rendition of Defying Gravity from the Broadway hit Wicked.
The energy remained high in the second half. Darby Walker lit up the stage with a vibrant and dynamic version of “Dog Days Are Over by Florence + The Machine”. The judges were unanimous: five perfect tens.
Up next, Harmony Good, last year’s runner-up, sang “Amazing Grace” to the tune of “The House of the Rising Sun” by the Animals. She delivered a soulful performance of Amazing Grace, accompanied by her father on guitar. JR Apollon followed with a unique combination of saxophone and vocals singing Sway by Michael Bublé.
The evening came to a spectacular close with Heather Durand, who delivered a powerful and passionate rendition of You and I by Lady Gaga.
A Champion Defined by Perseverance: Carly Cantor
The final result was clear: Carly Cantor became the American Equestrians Got Talent 2025 champion.Her victory is the ultimate example of perseverance. Local from Wellington, Carly first joined AEGT in 2019 at just 10 years old. Since then, she has appeared in every final, securing second place in 2023 and third in 2024. This year, her dedication and talent were finally rewarded with the title.
The silver position went to Harmony Good, making a repeat appearance on the podium with her standout performance. After a three-way tie for third place, the judges awarded the bronze to Rob Good, completing a double triumph for the talented Good family.
There were great auction items including AVIAR Saddle, VIP Packages for AGDF, WEC Jumping, art selections and dressage lessons with Olympic Riders to name a few.
Proceeds from this event will benefit the United States Equestrian Federation Emerging Athlete Program for Dressage, USEF Dressage Training Series -East Coast Presented By Zen Elite Equestrian Center, Lendon Youth Dressage Festival Midwest, Florida Youth Dressage Championships and the FEI North American Youth Championships..
AEGT was created by Robert Dover, six-time US Dressage Olympian. Discover Dressage, founded by Kimberly Van Kampen Crook, has supported the event since 2018.
Special thanks to all who have supported this event and this great program supporting the future stars of US Dressage.
About Discover Dressage
Discover Dressage, founded by Kimberly Van Kampen Crook is a 501c3, which supports and underwrites American Equestrian Got Talent. For more information about Discover Dressage, a Florida 501c3 nonprofit organization, go to www.discoverdressage.com. For more information about USEF’s Emerging Athlete Program for Dressage, go to www.usef.org.
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