by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 23, 2026
The Friends of Lord Stirling Stable is running its final hunter pace Nov. 8. After more than 40 years of involvement with the Somerset County Park Commission’s stable in Basking Ridge, N.J., the organization that did so much for the facility is disbanding.
The Friends was started in the 1980s by women who rode together on Thursday mornings. They wanted to run some special events at the stable and met with the Somerset County freeholders (now called commissioners), who suggested they organize Family Fun Day and two other events.
Always going above and beyond, they wound up organizing five events. That was just the beginning. The group that started as an informal entity became a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization in 1984.
It not only has run activities such as the hunter paces and 5K runs, but the dedicated members funded many projects at the stable, including a “pony pavilion” where pony rides are held; a sprinkler system to keep dust down in the indoor arena; purchasing stall mats to reduce the cost of bedding and providing jumps, as well as new footing for the indoor arena.
The Friends of Lord Stirling Stable organization was involved in many projects. (Photo courtesy of FLSS)
Friends’ President Barbara Huber became involved with the group in 2019, shortly before the stable shut down for Covid and dispersed its horses. The Friends offered dog walks during that time, but when the stable reopened, the Park Commission didn’t want the group to keep its dog walk supplies in the indoor arena annex any longer. Huber said the Friends were told they were an outside organization, and if they could keep their supplies there, that set a precedent.
After that, “Every step of the way, it got more difficult,” said Huber.
She recounted that Carrie Springer, the commission’s administrator of leisure and community services, told the Friends’ president, “It’s a different age now in terms of the county parks. They want to know that each park is bringing in revenue.”
Huber said, “that means the park wants the FLSS (Friends) to pay ‘user’s fees’ for any activity we put on, and get permits requiring that we provide proof of insurance, get ADA compliant porta johns, and other add-ons. We used to be able to ‘piggy back’ using county-contracted porta johns. Now, a porta john rental cost is between $300-$500.
“So instead of being able to put on events for the benefit of the stable, we need whatever money we bring in to pay the bills (that) we require to operate. We were just kind of stymied.”
The disbanding of FLSS “is one of my great sadnesses. We worked so hard to find common ground with the Park Commission,” said Huber.
After years of meeting with commission personnel, “the suggestion was made that we should disband to eliminate our overhead costs and just volunteer to run stable-organized activities. The county has a great need for volunteers to run their activities and raise funds.”
Springer told her, “You can just fold and just volunteer and pass along the money.”
A 501(c)(3) can’t do that,” Huber responded.
“It was a skeleton group of us trying to run things, and we’re tired,” she said, estimating there are more than 40 members.
“We’ve done our bit; we tried very hard.”
The final pace for the Friends, which was scheduled for Sept. 27, was postponed to Nov. 8 because of the storm threat on the last weekend in September.
Dan Hayes, the park commission director, said he hopes those who belonged to the Friends “continue to volunteer for different events. The hunter pace is a program that is very much going to be taken over by the Park Commission.
Hunter paces have been a mainstay of the Friends of Lord Stirling Stable. (Photo courtesy of FLSS)
“Some of the other events they have done in the past, we can continue to offer them as programs and hope all the people who are interested in supporting and being volunteers, (will) volunteer. We have a way of registering volunteers so they can be covered by insurance. We hope we can continue to have a vibrant relationship with anyone who wants to volunteer. We’ll tap the people who care about the program to help us.”
Hayes added, “Somerset County is committed to our equestrian program. Since post-Covid, we have invested; we put a new barn up, we are rebuilding our herd, we are rebuilding our lesson programs. We have the trails. We’ll take advice and assistance from wherever it makes sense.”
The director added, “Members of the Friends I’ve met have done a great job and care about the stables and our programs, and that’s very much appreciated. I value the contributions they have made. Perhaps the organization will surface again as a solid source of fundraisers and advice for the stables.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 15, 2026
A highlight of the Kingsview Partners Dressage at Devon that runs through Sunday will be the Capital Square Masterclass this Thursday evening.
It offers a unique opportunity to learn from one of the world’s greatest – and most popular – trainers in the discipline, bringing Carl Hester from Great Britain for a special evening at the showgrounds on Philadelphia’s Main Line.
While Carl will be working one-on-one with a variety of riders, those in the grandstand can learn from how he offers pointers to a variety of clinic participants. They range from top Grand Prix riders Chris Hickey and Lindsay Kellock to Lehua Custer on a U.S.-bred Oldenburg and Kathrin Hain, who will be riding a Clydesdale. Carl offers insights that everyone, no matter what their level, can take away from how he trains each rider.
Click here for a link to buy tickets the Masterclass and Dressage at Devon.
Carl is fun and entertaining, while offering an education with his characteristic showmanship that shines. Even those who have no more equestrian ambition than taking a trail ride will get something out of his presentation, and enjoy themselves in the process. He is, after all, the man behind legends Valegro and Uthopia, among other equine stars, having proved many times over that he is a master at what he does.
Carl Hester
It is an incredible coup to get Carl for the Masterclass. Dressage at Devon’s new president, Nicole Del Giorno, explained it happened because Christina Morin-Graham, Anne Gribbons and George Williams “worked their Masterclass committee magic” to bring the respected trainer to Pennsylvania.
“We are ecstatic,” said Nicole, a trainer and competitor from New Jersey.
“The team literally hit it out of the park.”
Carl is the mastermind who guided Britain to Olympic dressage gold in 2012, at the Games in London, taking the country from nowhere in the international pecking order to the top of the standings.
Dressage at Devon’s Masterclass concept over the years has included U.S. Tokyo Olympic star Sabine Schut-Kery and Catherine Laudrup-Dufour, no stranger to being ranked as world number one. Having yet another outstanding clinician demonstrates the importance of this series at the six-day show, offering another golden opportunity for improvement and understanding of dressage.
The British gold medal team on the podium at the London 2012 Olympics: Carl Hester, Laura Bechtolsheimer, Charlotte Dujardin.
It all will all be interesting, but it’s not about just the elites. Carl will make the most of how he works with the participants. He is happy to help younger riders or even someone who is struggling with a particular issue. There may be many in the audience who have had to deal with something similar and who will welcome insights on how to cope.
Carl on Hawtins Delicato as Britain won team bronze in the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games.
Carl saluting the crowd at the 2012 Olympics in London, where he rode Uthopia as part of the gold medal team.
Dressage at Devon runs Sept. 22-27. It includes a breed show as well as a wide variety of performance classes. The competition is a World Cup qualifier, and offers the Grand Prix, Special and Freestyle at the highest level. For more information about the show and to buy tickets for other days, click here.
In addition to the competition and the Masterclass, Dressage at Devon has extensive shopping opportunities, and not only for equine-related items. There are chances to investigate intriguing jewelry, clothing and decorative pieces, in addition to the latest in horse clothing and tack.
The show, which marked its fiftieth anniversary last year, started 2026 with its new president and impressive additions to the board.
They include Ellin Dixon Miller, a past president of the U.S. Dressage Federation; Cara Kettenbach, a breeder who has played several key roles with the New England Dressage Association; Marie Kohles, an audit partner at Pricewatershouse Cooper who works with Seven Stars Equine Arts, dedicated to developing riders and horses for top sport, and James Peterson, a breeder of Friesian sport horses who is a former CEO of Mercury Financial.
Teresa Uddo and Lori Kaminski are co-show managers.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 20, 2026
A U.S. team with three-first timers competing in the last Longines League of Nations qualifier was not able to hang onto a tie for second place after the first round Sunday, winding up sixth in Saint-Tropez, France.
That edition of the four-part series appropriately went to the home country, scoring its second LLN victory this year on the back of Simon Delestre’s perfect trip aboard the 10-year-old Gaspard du Tillard clinching the French team’s opportunity to avoid a jump-off against Brazil (a country that is looking very strong. Read about a Brazilian’s Friday grand prix win at this link).
France had 4 penalties to 8 for Brazil and 8 for Belgium, which wound up third because that team’s composite time was a little more than a second slower than Brazil’s.
The French team of Antoine Ermann, Julien Epaillard, Nina Mallavaey and Simon Delestre with chef d’equipe Edouard Couperie.
The good news for the U.S., however, is that it made the cut in seventh place overall for the series to be among nine countries now qualified to face off next month in the LLN finals in Barcelona. The Americans, France, Germany, Brazil, Ireland, Belgium, Italy and host country Spain will be trying to unseat defending champion Great Britain there. Switzerland and the Netherlands did not qualify.
At Polo Club Saint-Tropez, “our number one objective was to get to Barcelona,” said U.S. Coach Robert Ridland.
The U.S. was at podium level after the initial round contested by 10 teams, but sank in the second over the same route. On the track laid out by 2024 Olympic course designer Gregory Bodo, the Americans in the second round did not have a single fault-free trip. In the first round, both veteran Laura Kraut (on the appropriately named Très Bien) and Paris Sellon in her LLN debut with Chad Blue PS were clear. (All these French connections!)
“I was really happy with the first round. Everybody rode well,” Robert said, noting “it was a tough course; not a slam dunk at all.”.
But in the second round, Laura had a rail, as did McKayla Langmeier with Riesling van de Gaathoeve, a mere nine-year-old. Paris ended with two knockdowns. Kristen Vanderveen had 4 faults in the first round on her brand new horse, Starbucks 27 (who hadn’t ever jumped a full 1.60 meter grand prix before Sunday.) She did not ride in the second round, because only three team members can participate in the second segment.
Kristen, Robert noted, has “never been on a Nations cup team (even one that wasn’t part of the LLN). That’s a wonderful horse. Horses love her. Pressure doesn’t bother her. There’s a horse, there’s a rider for our future.”
Speaking of the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics, which is particularly important because it’s in America, Robert noted that on the calendar, “We’re two years off from the Olympics.”
Yet he’s playing it in terms of preparing as if “the Olympics are tomorrow. I think we’re in a good place, but we have a long way to go.”
A key element is bringing along horse and riders to the top of the game.
“Between now and the (2027) Pan American Games, we hope there’s a horse or two we can insert. We’re trying to beat teams that bring top professionals to the Olympic games. You don’t come there with a pea shooter.”
Only three riders can be on a team under Olympic rules. First and foremost at the moment are Kent Farrington, McLain Ward and Laura Kraut. But they need the right horses, and if something happens to any of those riders, good substitutes have to step up. That’s what occurred at the 2024 Paris Olympics, when Kent Farrington’s horse wasn’t able to compete and alternate rider Karl Cook was substituted. That effort resulted in team silver.
France showed its strength with style in Saint Tropez. Edouard Couperie, the French chef d’equipe, noted as one would expect, “To win at home is really, really special,” adding he likes the format of having only three riders in the second round. That enabled his squad to keep the Flying Frenchman, Julien Epaillard, in reserve with a fresh horse (Donatello D’Auge) in case of a jump-off, but due to Simon’s performance, he wasn’t needed.
“It’s a great team we all get along really well. I think every rider likes the pressure,” said Nina Mallavaey, who corrected her first-round mistake in the triple combination with a clear in the second on Destine to Be.
Antoine Ermann was the team’s only double clear, riding Floyd de Pres with great efficiency that paid off.
France’s Antoine Ermann and Floyd de Pres.
“My horse was super one more time. Such a nice horse, I’m really lucky to have him by my side.” said Antoine.
Simon, the anchor rider, observed, “Going last in that kind of competition with the possibility of winning for the team is very hard. But when you can make it, it is a fantastic feeling. We knew we had a strong team, but the course was really delicate and you could not make any mistakes. To win in front of your home crowd is fantastic.”
It’s interesting to note that at this show younger horses were demonstrating what they could do. Both Antoine and Nina’s horses are 10, while Simon’s is 11. And Brazil’s grand prix winner, Charly Heart, is also 10.
Click here for results of final qualifier. Click here for overall team standings.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 22, 2026
Do you have tack or horse-related items you no longer want? There are several opportunities in Hunterdon County, N.J., this autumn to motivate tidying your tackroom or closet by making donations of everything from saddles to equestrian collectables and riding clothes. Proceeds benefit organizations that offer therapy opportunities with horses.
Riding with Heart (https://www.ridingwithheart.org) at 639 Route 513 in Pittstown is having its sale Oct.10 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. and Oct. 11 from noon-3 p.m. Items can be dropped off Mondays through Fridays from 10 a.m.-3 p.m., and noon-3 p.m. on Saturdays. To email, contact tacksale@ridingwithheart.org.
The organization’s mission is to improve the quality of life for physically and cognitively challenged adults, children and their families, while also providing youth development through diverse equine-assisted programs.
Later in the season, Mane Stream, a leading provider of adaptive riding and therapy services, will hold its tack sale at 83 Old Turnpike Rd., Oldwick. It runs from 8 a.m.-1 p.m. Nov. 21.
Donations of new or gently used tack, riding gear, and equestrian-themed items are welcome. That includes not only bridles, saddles, blankets, tack boxes and outgrown boots and breeches, but also unique items such as equestrian jewelry, horse models or knick-knacks.
Proceeds benefit Mane Stream’s programs, including adaptive riding, therapy services that include counseling, summer camp, and also specialized initiatives, such as “Horses for Healing: Cancer and Parkinson’s Disease.”
Support for Mane Stream helps provide transformative experiences for children and adults with physical, developmental, emotional, and medical challenges.
Drop donated items at Mane Stream during office hours Mondays through Fridays. Pick-up of large donations is available upon request.
For questions or to coordinate a donation, contact Rachel Doyle at rachel@manstreamnj.org or call 908-439-9636. Visit www.ManeStreamNJ.org to learn more.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 16, 2026
When Dover Saddlery — the largest retailer of equestrian products in the U.S. — went out of business this summer, it left behind disappointed customers, unpaid vendors, empty stores and disillusioned former employees.
But Canada-based Greenhawk Equestrian Sport is swooping in to save the day, opening 10 U.S. stores this autumn in locations previously occupied by Dover. It’s starting with the Wellington, Fla., store scheduled for a late September or early October debut in the “Winter Equestrian Capital of the World.” The other stores should be open later in the autumn.
Ian Russell, Greenhawk’s CEO, said it was “always a plan” for his company “to enter into the U.S.”
Greenhawk’s original U.S. outpost, a wholly-owned 10,000-square foot subsidiary in Natick, Mass., was the “springboard” to a greater U.S. presence, as Ian put it.
“Then the Dover opportunity came,” he said.
Natick will continue operating, as stores are added in Branchburg, N.J.; Chantilly and Charlottesville, Va.; Ridgefield, Conn.; Aiken, S.C.; Dallas, Libertyville, Ill., Alpharetta, Ga. and Parker, Colo. There will be more U.S. stores opening in the future, Ian promised.
An American and Canadian team is “making this happen,” he advised.
“Our contribution is, at most, seeing this opportunity and then jumping on it as quickly as we could, putting the structure together and then largely handing it over to a really accomplished team.”
Greenhawk CEO Ian Russell with the company’s president, Gary Millage.
That includes many people who worked for Dover, which means that customers may feel at home when they walk into a Greenhawk store at a former Dover location. (The company bought all the fixtures from the Dover locations, and will use the same color palette, but they did not buy any of the inventory.)
Greenhawk has a similar brand supplier profile to Dover, and Ian expects Greenhawk will hire more than 200 employes.
As he noted, “If you have the right people on the team, then a lot of the pieces fall together a lot easier and you have people who know the industry, so you’re not having to reinvent the wheel.”
They also understand horse sport and the consumer dynamic. Greenhawk rehired a segment of Dover management, which included personnel from the head office. But that wasn’t all.
“Very important was the store management,” Ian emphasized.
“That was the motivation for moving really quickly.”
Ian’s father, Gordon Russell, started Greenhawk in a 20-foot trailer with two employees at an Ontario, Canada, racetrack 42 years ago. From that low-key beginning, it became Canada’s largest equestrian retailer, with 50 corporate and franchise sites. It also owns Bark & Fitz, a specialty pet retailer.
Dover was publicly traded before Webster Capital acquired it in 2015. Promus Equity Partners bought it in 2022, but expected growth did not come, and in April, the company went to a liquidator, Gordon Brothers, as final sales emptied the stores. Employees were looking for their next jobs while customers scouted for other places where they could be fitted for helmets or boots, buy equipment for their stables, pick up tack and get assistance from experienced advisors.
“I’m super grateful for the response from the trade, from the supply chain,” Ian reported about the reaction to Greenhawk’s move.
“A lot of excitement, thank goodness, because that was a big opportunity being lost for the industry — those channels at the ground level to the consumer,” he said, referring to the Dover stores.
“You’ve got to make it a destination for the passionate rider, whether they’re an amateur or a pro or novice, or maybe they’re just showing up at the barn to watch a rider on their dressage horse. It’s that whole life cycle. The commonality between all those individuals is passion. If you’re not in the equestrian world, I don’t think you really get it.”
He is determined that the passion will be reflected in Greenhawk’s stores and personnel.
“When you love something, it’s more fun to go to the store,” Ian pointed out.
He believes in “mirroring the passion of the sport with the passion of Greenhawk. The most important person in the mix is the customer.”
The company’s initiative is good news for so many in the industry. There was disenchantment and even heartbreak as a result of Dover’s departure after a half-century of being a go-to brand on which people had come to rely.
James Paolino, who had been director of retail at Dover, wrote on Linked In, “Over the last three years, as leadership changed, so did the culture. What had once been a positive, collaborative environment became increasingly toxic. Decisions became increasingly disconnected from key players, communication and discussion became not existent, and the organization began to feel different. People were frustrated and valid concerns ignored.”
Haley McIsaac, who worked in the creative department at Dover for eight years, called the end of the company “a profound loss,” saying it “was not expected.”
Last spring, employees received a 60-day warning that they could lose their jobs, something required under Massachusetts law, and that was a time of turbulence for them.
“We knew the company was for sale, but we did not expect the sale to go to a liquidator,” said Haley, who is also a professional photographer and is looking for a job as a digital image specialist.
“What we knew as Dover and who we knew as Dover was not the group that made this decision,” the Massachusetts resident said as she commented on the company’s fate.
Speaking about the friends she made at Dover, Haley observed, “People really put care into their work and cared about the brand more than just a job, because so many of us are horse people. We felt we were contributing to an industry that is meaningful to us beyond work. I think that’s why this was kind of traumatic.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 11, 2026
The topic of whether equestrian sports can remain in the Olympics has come up frequently in recent years. Along with a crowded schedule and new sports lobbying for inclusion, it’s also a cost issue.
Eventing, requiring a cross-country course, is particularly expensive in terms of both building a route and the amount of space needed . And then there’s the necessity among all disciplines for stabling and exercise facilities that contribute to a large hoofprint.
This week, there was a new wrinkle, as Australian Sports Commission CEO Kieren Perkins raised the issue of the Games’ long-term sustainability, with Brisbane 2032 on the horizon. His thoughts? Some traditional Olympic sports “have no modern relevance whatsoever.”
He declined to name those sports, but there is plenty of lobbying for sports with “modern relevance,” such as surf lifesaving (really!) and netball (huh?) And they are far from the only ones.
The 2032 Games competition program is still in the planning stages, but I had figured equestrian would be safe, since Australian eventers have won many medals over the decades. However, with 36 sports in the LA 28 Games, that’s expected to be an all-time high, which won’t be repeated. For comparison, it’s 10 more sports than London 2012.
International Olympic Committee President Kirsty Coventry warned, “We can’t continue to just get bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger, bigger.”
The excitement of show jumping has been an integral part of the Olympics, and this photo of McLain Ward and Ilex in Paris 2024 shows why.
“But if the Olympic movement actually does grasp the challenge they have and recognize that while there are some traditional sports that we love dearly, they have no modern relevance whatsoever, and there are others that have earned and need a more prominent position in the Olympic movement, if that’s the case, I think we’ll be fine,” said Perkins.
So where does that leave equestrian sport? And don’t forget we’re in the era of needing public approval, otherwise known as social acceptance to operate. World Horse Welfare’s fifth annual YouGov poll shows 24.4 percent of adults in the United Kingdom reject horse sport entirely, up from 19.5 percent when the survey began in 2022. (There is no equivalent poll in the U.S.)
However, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) is, as you might hope, on top of the Olympic situation.
The FEI is aware of the comments regarding the sports program for Brisbane 2032, said a spokesperson for the organization, emphasizing no specific sports were identified as irrelevant “and there is no reason to assume that the comments (by Perkins) were directed at equestrian sport or eventing.”
Tom McEwan of the British Olympic team on JL Dublin at the Paris Games 2024 (photo Jon Stroud Media)
The IOC is undertaking a thorough review of the Olympic program as part of its Fit for the Future initiative. All disciplines included in the program for the LA Olympics will be considered as part of this process, based on objective criteria including popularity, universality, broadcast revenue, and cost and complexity. These criteria were proposed by the IOC Olympic Programme Working Group, of which outgoing FEI President Ingmar De Vos is a member.
“The FEI is confident in the place of equestrian sport within the Olympic Movement. Jumping, dressage and eventing have a long and successful Olympic history, a strong global following and continue to evolve to meet the expectations of modern sport. Equestrian also has the unique distinction of being the only Olympic sport in which men and women compete against each other on equal terms in the same competition and this is a powerful demonstration of gender equality that is fully aligned with Olympic values,” the spokesperson noted.
“Looking ahead to Brisbane 2032, Australia has a particularly strong equestrian tradition. Its eventing team won three consecutive Olympic gold medals between 1992 and 2000, with eight-time Olympian Andrew Hoy a member of all three teams. Australia also claimed individual Eventing gold at Barcelona 1992 through Matt Ryan and Kibah Tic Toc and, most recently, individual silver at Paris 2024 through Chris Burton and Shadow Man.
“Preparations for Brisbane are also progressing positively. An FEI delegation comprising the FEI President and Secretary General recently visited Toowoomba in Queensland, which is being considered as the venue for the Olympic and Paralympic equestrian events. The visit was very productive and reinforced the constructive engagement between the FEI and the relevant Australian authorities,” the spokesperson continued.
Dressage star Isabell Werth of Germany at the 2024 Olympics with Wendy de Fontaine.
“The FEI firmly believes that all three equestrian disciplines have their place on the Olympic program and remains confident about their future as part of the Games. We will continue to engage closely with the IOC and Brisbane 2032 as the process moves forward.”
The IOC is expected to announce its decision regarding the Olympic program for Brisbane 2032 in the first quarter of 2027.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 8, 2026
Air vests have grown exponentially popular among riders, seeking a way to protect themselves if — or rather, when — they fall off.
Trainer Jimmy Torano began wearing one after his friend and client, Daryl Portela, was badly injured in a 2020 fall.
A year after Daryl’s accident, Jimmy recounted, “We had talked about her wearing a vest and it never materialized and she had that bad fall and I said, `We’re ordering them.’ From that day forward we wear them in every class.
“In the old days, we didn’t wear seat belts, we didn’t wear helmets,” Jimmy pointed out.
Now, of course, we can’t imagine life without those items.
“Change is hard. This is my choice. Everyone’s got to make their own decision, and this is mine,” Jimmy said.
It also has been the decision of many others. A prominent example is Laura Kraut, an Olympic medalist and high-profile regular on the U.S. show jumping team, whose omnipresent vest is visible in the way it blends with her jacket.
While some riders may feel safer with a vest, U.S. team physician Mark Hart pointed out there are pertinent questions about them that have yet to be answered.
Every rider can fall, even the world’s best.
He chairs the Equestrian Safety Vest Working Group, which is doing much-needed research on the subject.
Dr. Hart spoke recently during a U.S. Hunter Jumper Association Town Hall, along with Dr. Michele Hollis, chair of USHJA’s safety committee.
Many are “wondering what data is behind this? Are they (the vests) really safe? What injuries do they prevent?” Hart said.
The working group wants to create something similar to the Virginia Tech helmet rating system, which would help people make educated judgments about buying a vest. At present, there are no international certification standards for safety vests, unlike the situation with helmets.
“We need real science, we need real data. It does not exist,” said Hart.
“We have to go back to square one.”
However, as he noted, “It soon became apparent this wasn’t a U.S. problem; it was a worldwide problem.”
For that reason, he pointed out, it made sense to think internationally and have the FEI create the Equestrian Safety Vest Working Group.
Jimmy Torano’s son, JJ, wears an air vest.
The 12-member scientific panel of international experts includes not only physicians, but also biomechanical engineers and representatives from other disciplines and sports, such as horse racing, downhill skiing and motocross, along with some biomechanical experts involved in automotive safety.
There are several focus groups; for instance, a rider advisory panel surveys why riders wear a vest, or why they don’t, and deals with their concerns. As Hart noted, issues with the vests could be that they don’t allow a sufficient range of motion, or that those wearing them can’t tuck and roll in a fall because the vests inflate (which is the point of any protection they provide).
The manufacturers’ focus advisory group includes people who have technical expertise as to what they can produce, and what they can’t.
Hart noted different national federations around the world are helping obtain vital information. The scientific panel had input from other advisory panels about what knowledge will be needed.
Laura Kraut’s safety vest is visible in this photo.
A first step for research is “getting a very comprehensive video analysis of falls and what actual injuries are happening worldwide,” according to Hart.
Eventing, a discipline in which cross-country falls are a regular occurrence, has the best data base; the hunter/jumper sport doesn’t have it to the same degree, Hart pointed out. The videos are vital because they can be used to create computer models showing the forces involved in falls and what particular injuries result.
Serious falls are a rare event, so researchers have to learn as much as they can with data from those incidents. A drop box is being established where videos depicting falls can be deposited. All information will be kept anonymous. Hart urged widespread participation.
“We all as members can contribute to this project to make everybody safer and help our sport.”
That’s especially crucial in the atmosphere of social license to operate that has the public’s eye firmly fixed on what happens in equestrian sport.
Hart notes several research papers about the effects of vests are contradictory or did not reach a conclusion. An independent audit from the FEI found fence-related factors account for less than 10 percent of the variability in horse falls.
A wider analysis from the University of Melbourne and the University of Sydney found that riders wearing air jackets had 1.7 times the odds of serious or fatal injury — with the authors explicit that causation was not established and confounders were likely.
According to a 2016 crash study, air jackets reduced predicted severe chest injury risk from 94 percent to 81 percent, while still concluding fatal injury remains highly likely when a horse lands on a rider.
“When we’re dealing with a 1,000 kilogram animal at speed, at heights, we are not going to make this 100 percent safe; just like we drive cars every day, there’s going to be accidents,” Hart pointed out.
“But can we reduce the severity of the injuries when a fall inevitably happens?”
It is not only air vests being examined, but also traditional foam body protectors, which eventers wear under their air vests.
“It’s going to be an incremental process. We’re always going to be working to make riding safer for the horses and the athletes. Are safety vests going to help everything? No,” Hart said.
But there are other things that can be done in the interests of safety. In terms of decreasing severe injuries, with more than protective gear to be considered. Hart noted a number of factors involved with prioritizing prevention, including Minimum Eligibility Requirements for riders and horses before moving on to the next level, as well as focused training and in eventing, frangible fences that fall when struck by a horse’s hooves or legs.
Questions or comments on the subject can be directed to medical@fei.org
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 18, 2026
There were only two in the jump-off for the 5-star grand prix at Saint-Tropez, France, on Friday, as the other 41 competitors were stumped along the route laid out by a team whose leader was 2024 Olympic course designer Gregory Bodo.
Marlon Modolo Zanotelli was the easy winner on Charly Hart, a 10-year-old son of Cornet Obolensky, who handled the jump-off in 43.30 seconds.
“I am super happy with Charly. I think she is an amazing horse,” said the victor, who produced her.
Marlon Modolo Zanotelli and Charly Hart.
The runner-up, Mark McAuley of Ireland on Rossi vd Heffinck — a nine-year-old by another great sire, Diamant de Semilly– handled the route in 44.85 seconds.
Third place went to 16-year-old veteran King Edward, in his best finish this year. He was ridden, as always, by former world number one Henrik von Eckermann of Sweden, who had two penalties in the first round for exceeding the 79-second time allowed.
The top American finisher was Kristen Vanderveen on Bull Run’s Jireh, seventh with a rail down in the first round. The only other U.S. starter, Laura Kraut, was eliminated on Dorado.
The action heats up again Sunday in the last of the Longines League of Nations qualifiers before the final in Barcelona next month. Both Kristen and Laura are on the U.S. team, along with Paris Sellon and McKayla Langmeier. Click here for grand prix results.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 13, 2026
It looked as if the quest for the Rolex Grand Slam was all over for world number one-ranked show jumper Richie Vogel, when United Touch S clipped a rail from the next-to-last fence in the second round of the world’s richest grand prix Sunday, after the pole splashed into the liverpool beneath it. The German’s disappointing score was 4 penalties.
But then the next rider to go in the 12-horse second round in Calgary, Alberta, Canada at the Spruce Meadows Masters, Ireland’s Daniel Coyle on Farrel, had two rails down from that dangerous double, leaving him on 8 penalties. And the final competitor, Lillie Keenan of the U.S., toppled the B element of the CPKC double with Fasther.
So all was not lost for Richie, because Lillie’s error triggered a six-horse tiebreaker of the 4-fauters from six nations, all that remained of the starting field of 39 in the $5 million (Canadian) CPKC International Grand Prix presented by Rolex.
The original group, which included seven of the world’s top 10 jumper riders, was whittled down to 12 for the second round. That involved the seven fault-free competitors, one rider with a single time fault, and the four fastest 4-faulters. All faults carried over from the first round to the second round and then the tiebreaker, which is why there was no participant with a totally clean slate, unsullied by penalties. Last year’s class, won by Great Britain’s Scott Brash, also featured a jump-off of 4-faulters, but there were only two of them in 2025.
World Champion Steve Guerdat of Switzerland led the way in the jump-off for this year’s edition of the class on a fast, fault-free trip in 42.25 seconds with Albfuehren’s Iashin Sitte. That put his total for the day at 4 penalties, counting his knockdown in the first round.
Steve was followed by Great Britain’s Ben Maher on Enjeu de Grisien. Ben was injured in a fall from a different horse in Saturday’s Nations Cup, but bounced back despite a broken right collarbone to take his chances in the featured class — even though his wife, didn’t want him to compete. Perhaps he shouldn’t share the $1.5 million (Canadian) first prize with her…
Ben Maher and Enjou de Grisien. (Rolex Grand Slam/Ashley Neuhof)
His perfect jump-off trip was clocked in 41.40 seconds. In the end, it would be good enough to win when added to his 4 faults from the first round, but not before four more riders had their turn. One of them was Richie.
Sadly, his second chance of the day at getting the 1 million Euro bonus for the Grand Slam did not work out, with the B element of the CPKC double hitting the ground on the shortened course designed by Leopoldo Palacios and Anthony D’Ambrosio. Not only did the European champion lose the class, finishing fifth, he also lost a chance to claim the elusive Rolex Grand Slam, which has been won just once.
That was 11 years ago; no one since Scott did it in 2015 has been able to win three Rolex Major grands prix in a row to claim the title. Scott, number three in the world, finished seventeenth on Sunday after a slow 4-fault trip in the first round on Hello Jefferson.
Last to jump in the tiebreaker was Lillie, who gave her aptly named mount, Fasther, a kiss on the neck before heading out on course.
Lillie Keenan at the iconic Dutch bicycle jump from the 1994 World Equestrian Games in the Hague.
Having knocked down a pole in the second round, she returned to be fault-free in the jump-off, but was 0.45 seconds slower than Ben. That put her in the silver medal spot on the podium. Not bad — she was sandwiched in the standings between two Olympic individual gold medalists. (Steve was 2012; Ben 2021).
“I am a little disappointed in myself,” said Lillie, always the perfectionist, blaming herself for her rail in the second round.
Ben Maher with Lillie Keenan and Steve Guerdat on the podium.
“I know my horse could have won today, but I am extremely proud of him,” she noted about the 16-year-old KWPN gelding she has worked with for eight years.
“It was a long day, hard-fought, but to be second to Ben Maher is pretty awesome.”
The class took nearly five hours to run, on a day that included the region’s first frost of the season and a dose of rain. But the stellar level of competition made it sparkle for the crowd wrapped in blankets, parkas, scarves and hoodies who filled the stands around the immaculately prepared grass field.
“Incredible day,” said Ben as he absorbed the fact that he had triumphed after three grueling rounds.
“I’ve been coming to Spruce Meadows for many years; never had too much luck in the grand prix. Enjeu, he’s always loved this arena, but never had a chance on Sunday. I thought the chance had slipped away with the one down (in the first round.”
Ben realized a longtime dream with Enjeu when they won the CPKC International. (Photo courtesy Ben Maher)
“I came back around and I got a second chance and he did everything for me,” Ben continued, praising his 12-year-old Selle Francais.
“This sport, one day you’re on the floor; the next day you could be winning. It was an unfortunate mistake yesterday (Saturday) and i paid for it. It was a long night; I came very close to not riding today. I’m very happy we won.”
The first-round course for the CPKC grand prix.
U.S. Coach Robert Ridland noted Lillie “Just barely missed winning the grand prix. She’s a fierce competitor ever since she won the Maclay finals quite a few years ago. She’s a tremendous talent.”
What was his reaction when he saw the scoreboard timer after her ride?
“My first thought was probably what her first thought was: Damn — she almost won. She’s out there to win, not to be second. I thought she had him. She rode exactly the ride they planned going in,” he said, referring to her mentor, McLain Ward, who finished twelfth on High Star Hero. Lillie noted McLain was with her “every step of the way.”
“She got fairly beaten by a great ride,” Robert added graciously.
“She laid it down just like she wanted to — to be second in the biggest prize money event in our sport is not too shabby.”
Reflecting on how the class went, Lillie felt in the jump-off, “I should have been faster to the third jump. I left out a stride from one to two, which was my plan.
But then, she noted, “I didn’t push through the rollback.” Her horse, she added, was “phenomenal.”
The silver medal winner noted, “I am incredibly grateful to the team around me, because I show quite a bit, and to have any success at this level is thanks to everyone behind the scenes who makes it possible.” Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 12, 2026
The conclusion of the BMO Nations Cup at Spruce Meadows Saturday was not really a surprise, as the German team built on the world show jumping championship it won last month in Aachen to take another splendid victory.
The squad’s talent translated across the Atlantic Ocean to Canada, where Germany finished on a mere 4 penalties to take the BMO Cup for a record twelfth time.
But the other podium placings were in doubt until the end, while the action offered its share of unexpected drama throughout the afternoon.
In the first round, defending Cup champion Great Britain led on 2 penalties, with Germany second on its 4, Ireland third on 8 and the U.S. fourth on 16. But things did not go Britain’s way in the second round, and the unsettling climax was 2020 Olympic individual gold medalist Ben Maher’s fall at the first fence, after Catelly ran through it. Happily, neither horse nor rider was injured, but it was a shocker for the crowd lining the berms and grandstands around the vast turf field in Calgary.
Britain wound up fourth on 26 penalties, behind Ireland, which rose to second with 17 penalties from fourth after the first round, and Belgium, fifth in the first round, but going on to claim the third podium spot on 21 penalties.
The U.S., fourth in the first round, ended up fifth on 46 penalties without a fault-free trip during the afternoon. Anchor rider McLain Ward did not take part in the second round, because anything he did could not improve the team’s placing. A total of nine teams took part in the first round, with six qualifying for the second round over the same course.
Another surprise was seeing Germany’s anchor rider, world number one and European Champion Richie Vogel, ride Cloudio in the second round after his country already had clinched the title. Why bother, you ask.
The answer: Although he already was fault-free in the first round and the team didn’t need another score from him in order to win, a second clear would boost his points in the world standings. It was not to be, however, since a rail at the last fence, the Swedish butterflies oxer over a liverpool, came down.
It made no difference in Germany’s score because Richie’s teammates, Sophie Hinners, Daniel Deusser and Jörne Sprehe, all were fault-free in that round, and only the best three scores count. The team was the same as the victorious Aachen squad, with the exception of Jörne subbing for Marcus Ehning.
The winning German team with Chef d’Equipe Otto Becker: Jörne Sprehe, Daniel Deusser, Sophie Hinners, Richie Vogel. (Spruce Meadows Media/Dave Chidley)
“It was a tough course,” said German Chef d’Equpe Otto Becker, a comment echoed many times as the class proceeded.
“I’m totally proud and happy. It’s something special to win here at Spruce Meadows,” Otto concluded.
The course was laid out by Spruce’s perennial designer, Leopoldo Palacios, who had a doozy of a test on the line from fence nine. the oxer painted in Ireland’s colors, four strides to the blue and white vertical/oxer/vertical BMO triple combination, with one stride between its elements.
The “tough” course.
In the first round, that line was responsible for 22 faults, and some involved more than just falling rails.
Britain’s pathfinder, Jessica Mendoza — who had only 4 penalties in the first round when a block toppled from the Normandy wall, fence number two — assessed the scene after watching other competitors ride. It took 18 trips until Sophie Hinners scored the first double-clear.
“It’s clearly a tough course,” Jessica said.
“It was a little bit of a bloodbath out there.”
The home team suffered the worst luck.
Nikki Walker had the B element of the triple down, and then a refusal at C. When she came back, she fell off as her horse refused in the combination.
Prior to that, Kyle King, a dual U.S./Canadian citizen making his debut on the Canadian team with Kayenne Z, crashed through the famous Dutch bicycle fence, then had a difficult approach to the next jump, turned away and left the ring after the horn blew.
With only two members remaining from the four-member squad, Canada was out. Although Amy Millar did start, she had a refusal at the triple and retired.
“It sure wasn’t our best day,” said chef d’equipe Ian Millar, who rode on many winning teams at Spruce Meadows.
“Reasons are excuses and so you’re not going to get either from me. I’m just going to say our horse/rider combinations weren’t good enough today and we’re going to fix it in the future.”
Discussing the course, the 10-time Olympian said, “I think the triple BMO combination today caused an unintended amount of trouble.”
Richie Vogel and Cloudio mastered the BMO triple.
Citing the grade of the ring’s surface, he commented, “the horses are actually working their way up a hill. It was a visual and it was a bit of distance issue and horses just didn’t figure it out. The second round, they came back, and by and large, jumped it so much better because they knew what it was at that point.” Click here for results
The excitement isn’t over at Spruce Meadows. The world’s richest grand prix, the $5 million (Canadian) CPKC ‘International’, presented by Rolex, is slated for Sunday. Richie Vogel is in line to become only the second person to take the Rolex Grand Slam if he can win the class.
The format of the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping is simple: anyone who wins three major Rolex grands prix in a row receives the Rolex Grand Slam trophy and a 1 million Euro bonus on top of the class’s prize-money. If that same rider then continues their success by winning a fourth Major in succession, they will be rewarded with an additional 1 million Euro bonus.
