by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 8, 2026
As the Winter Equestrian Festival officially got under way this week, it was an opportunity to look at what lies ahead through the end of March at the Wellington International showgrounds in Florida.
With a re-do over the last year, the facility has been spruced up, complete with a covered arena, a grass field, new footing, renovated FEI stables, dust reduction and many other improvements. It’s all been done under the watchful eye of Murray Kessler, Wellington International’s CEO.
Speaking Wednesday at a press conference to kick off the 12 weeks that are the heart of the season (last week’s show was simply a preview), Murray was very much about the big picture in terms of how things are progressing under new ownership (that for the most part still has the same players as a previous ownership).
He remembered when staging one $500,000 grand prix during the season was a big deal for 15 years or so. Now there are three $500,000 grands prix and a $1 million grand prix to wrap up with the Rolex Finale, which also serves as the USEF Open.
The abundance of prize money has attracted seven of the world’s top 10-ranked jumpers (Qatar is running a rich circuit at the same time that got a few of the others, such as world number two Scott Brash of Great Britain).
Fans turn out by the thousands for WEF grands prix to cheer on favorites such as McLain Ward.
WEF is “elevating the sport,” said Murray, who notes that even beyond show jumping the festival is improving conditions for every discipline, including hunters and equitation, as well as dressage and para dressage.
This year, the dressage components are still over at the Global showgrounds a short distance from the main facility, though there is hope they will be at the main showgrounds in 2027.
The presentation of the grand prix jumping features has been jazzed up with laser light shows and videos that command attention.
“It’s like going to Madison Square Garden,” Murray suggested.
An estimated 6,000 people are regulars at the Saturday Night Lights grands prix, but the 2025 finale (which offered $750,000 in prize money) drew 10,000 fans. Last year, WEF (not including dressage) was the number one sporting event in all of South Florida, with an economic impact of $536 million.
But its unique character doesn’t stop there.
“What makes Wellington different from any other facility in the world is that this is where people live,” said Murray, referring to the many equestrians who call the village home for five or six months of the year.
“We like to talk about (how) other horse shows are where champions meet (Devon’s motto), maybe 200 or 300 riders meet for five days. At Wellington, it’s where champions are made,” he continued, citing his daughter, Reed, who started in short stirrup at WEF and wound up at the Olympics, or Lillie Keenan, who also began in the short stirrup division and now is a pillar of the U.S. show jumping team.
Others who have built their careers at WEF include Liza Boyd, a top hunter rider who has been competing there since she was a kid.
“It really feels like home. We’re really lucky to be here and be a part of the family,” said Liza, who won the World Champion Hunter Rider Hunter Spectacular at the show last year. It’s an important class for moving forward into the rest of the year.
“I feel like we leave here with well-trained, exposed horses,” she said.
Thomas Bauer, who runs the dressage competition, is excited about week seven, when Germany’s Isabell Werth returns to compete at Global, something she hasn’t done since 2010.
He noted improvements include shade over the bleachers and an FEI lounge. They add luster to a venue where the highlights are the Friday Night Stars musical freestyles that offer a perspective on dressage for spectators new to the discipline, while drawing those who already are devotees of dancing horses.
Ben Ebeling, winner of the first USEF Open of dressage last year, said he is “so thankful for everything Wellington has given me and helped develop me into a nice rider and somebody who is fortunate enough to be able to be put in a position to win these championships.”
Thomas Bauer, Ben Ebeling, Liza Boyd, Murray Kessler
Like many of those competing in Wellington, Ben is aiming to qualify for the FEI World Cup Finals in Ft. Worth during April. A hopeful on the show jumping side is Laura Kraut, the top-ranked female show jumper in the world.
She’s pointing Tres Bien toward the World Cup, starting him up a little early to “get him organized” for a Cup bid.
“I’ve probably been coming to WEF longer than anyone,” said Laura, who first rode there in 1976 and remembers when Pierson Road, which runs between the venues, was dirt and dead-ended at South Shore.
Laura Kraut, the world’s top-ranked female show jumper, has been a WEF competitor for decades.
“I’ve really seen the evolution of it,” she said of WEF.
“It’s crucial in preparing and trying to have our horses up to the level that we need for international competition, she continued, contending that a lot of the U.S. Equestrian Team’s stellar show jumping record is due to the show’s “great jumps, great course designers and now, a lot of prize money.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 29, 2025
After five years, the Maryland 5-star three-day event at Fair Hill established itself as a well-respected fixture, attracting a healthy entry for its accompanying 3-star division, as well as good crowds for cross-country day tailgating and the show jumping finale, in addition to other competitions and activities.
But the number of horses competing in the featured 5-star itself has been lighter in its recent editions, down to 22 entries last October. While it brought in 32,000 spectators in 2025 and gained $18 million for the state’s economy, the event was projected at one time to have an impact of $30 million and 80,000 spectators..
The 2025 winner Felix Vogg, with Monica Spencer, runner-up, and Boyd Martin, third. (Photo © 2025 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Michael Frenz, executive director of the Maryland Stadium authority said initially of the Maryland 5 Star, “all involved are committed to maintaining the tradition and legacy of this important event.” But he did not reply when asked if that meant the 5-star would continue. He also did not respond to questions about the departures of Hasseltine and Newman, saying that was a personnel matter. The Sports and Entertainmen Corp. of Maryland, which ran the 5-star, now has no employees.
David O’Connor, the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s chief of sport, said last month he was “blindsided” by word that Hasseltine and Newman were gone.
“We don’t understand what happened, why everybody’s left. We’ve not been party to the conversations or given any heads up,” said O’Connor, the USA’s only Olympic eventing individual gold medalist (Sydney/2000).
“We’ll be calling there trying to figure out whether they are looking to continue. That would be a big question for the sport and for us. As of now, we don’t know if that’s their intention or they’re just replacing the staff,” O’Connor continued.
The 5-star is the discipline’s ultimate test, but “The number of 5-star horses has gone down kind of around the world,” O’Connor noted. Although Great Britain’s famed Badminton 5-star fielded 82 starters last spring, it no longer had a waiting list. And the USA’s other 5-star, Defender Kentucky, had just 34 starters.
“Is it great to have another 5-star? Absolutely,” O’Connor said.
“But we have to look at what’s happening worldwide.”
Caroline Pamukcu, who finished fourth in the Fair Hill 5-star with her 2024 Olympic horse, HSH Blake (and eleventh with HSH Tolan King), is a “huge fan”of the (Maryland) event. She explained, “We’re so lucky to have two 5-stars in the country. I love the event. I hope we will continue to have two 5-stars.
Caroline Pamukcu and HSH Blake in the 5-star.
“I think the 5-star is a really important part of our sport. Going 5-star really helps prep me and my horses for big championships”
Is the schedule too crowded? Pamukcu doesn’t believe that’s the case.
“When you do the schedule, you do whatever suits your horses. If you think the U.S. Open is better for you and your horse, you can do that. But then the great thing about our country is you can also pick a 5-star, if you think that would suit you and your horse. You pick and choose what’s best for you and best for your horse. That’s horsemanship.”
Maryland has attracted top riders from Europe over the years, including Oliver Townend, Harry Meade (now ranked world number one) and this year, Switzerland’s Felix Vogg, the winner on Cartania, who came to the competition with the help of a travel grant.
The 2025 MARS Maryland winner Felix Vogg on Cartania over the giant crab that has become a symbol of the event. (Photo © 2025 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
O’Connor called the Maryland fixture “a great weekend of eventing, with all of the things they have there. The 5-star is only one piece of it. You would hope it would be worthwhile for them to continue to run it. But I have no idea what their thinking is.”
Hasseltine told me at this year’s event that he was looking for a calendar adjustment for the 5-star after wondering, “How do we get back to having 40-plus 5-star (entries)?
There were 45 entries at the first Maryland 5-Star in 2021, but that was a different time, following the Covid shutdown, when the idea of participating in a brand new event was intriguing.
Hasseltine said he was seeking “serious conversations” with the U.S. Equestrian Federation and the FEI (international equestrian federation) “about logistics leading up to our event. Are we on the right calendar environment, are we sitting in the perfect space to make sure we can have bigger fields or grow our competition level?”
The USEF scheduled its first U.S. Open of eventing, a 4-star, at Morven Park in Virginia right before Fair Hill. And the week after the 5-star, there was another in Pau, France, that attracted top European talent. The juxtaposition of the events obviously concerned Hasseltine.
Joanie Morris, the competition manager for Fair Hill, last fall was announced as the CEO of the Aiken Horse Park Foundation in South Carolina. Her departure had nothing to do with the other changes involving the 5-star.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 11, 2026
John Layton has been named the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s 2025 USEF Combined Driving Volunteer of the Year award, something well-deserved for the amount of time he gives to the sport.
He is president of the Gladstone Equestrian Association Gladstone Driving, and trains young drivers at his Tailspin Farm in Juliustown, part of Springfield, Burlington County, N.J.
John Layton in action; he competes when not volunteering. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
John was honored for his generosity and commitment to the discipline, according to USEF.
“His dedication has been instrumental in promoting the sport for youth drivers and the continued development of the sport in the Northeast,” the award announcement stated.
“I was kind of surprised,” said John, noting “it’s a nice award, I was happy to get it.”
He has been instrumental in giving combined driving a lift, particularly in the Northeast. One of the ideas that boosted improvement was the driving derby series he conceived. Derbies were held in five different locations last year.
He presented one at the Horse Park of New Jersey, one at Gladstone and one at the Delaware-based DelMarva driving club, (the Mar stands for Maryland, the Va for Virginia). Brandywine Valley Driving Club in Pennsylvania also staged one, and another was held at My Lady’s Manor in Maryland.
John said the derbies brought seven new people into the combined driving ranks. For what is a relatively small sport in the U.S., that constitutes a significant number.
“I think in the mid-Atlantic to the Northeast, it’s growing,” said John about combined driving.
That area, once a vibrant driving region, lost drivers who moved south or passed away. Driving also is not an inexpensive discipline. But the derbies make it more affordable, in terms of money and time.
“How do you know if you like it (combined driving) until you try something small?” he asked.
“The derby is cheap, it’s fun, it’s easy access, it’s entry level — coming in where you do the cones and the obstacles together. if you want to be there for a half-hour you can leave. You’re not stuck there.”
It’s held on a cross-country course. John explained a driver goes through Cones 1 through 5, then takes on obstacle one. Next are Cones 6 though 10, with obstacle two after that.
“Then Cones 11 through 15 and then the finish. that’s your run,” John explained.
“You get two runs; the fastest score wins.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 9, 2026
He did it again. Christian Simonson earned his second Personal Best score of the week at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, taking Friday night’s World Cup freestyle qualifier with a total of 81.445 percent on the steady Indian Rock.
Christian Simonson enjoyed yet another personal best at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival.
Their performance to themes from the Rocky movies (Rocky is the stallion’s nickname for obvious reasons) wowed a packed house in Wellington, Fla., with spectators giving him a score of 83.213 percent. The victory means Christian has earned one of the three North American berths for the FEI World Cup Final to be held in Ft. Worth, Texas, during April.
Christian, 23, had a personal best of 76.043 percent in Thursday’s Grand Prix. He is coached by Olympic veteran Adrienne Lyle under the banner of Zen Elite Equestrian, which owns Rocky. The horse was ridden in the Paris Olympics for the Dutch team by Emmelie Scholtens before Christian took over the reins with incredible success.
His freestyle’s degree of difficulty was rated more than 9 by all five judges, and he earned many other 9s for choreography, music, sublime renderings of passage, two-time change and the right pirouette. After his final halt, he seemed both overwhelmed and overjoyed, putting his hands over his eyes as the glory of the moment struck him.
Christian Simonson has an emotional moment after his marvelous Grand Prix Freestyle.
“It was a really emotional day for so many different reasons,” Christian said.
“Being in Florida, I always watched Friday Night Lights and hoped one day i would get to do that,” he commented about his debut with Rocky in the arena under those lights.
“That was one part of today. Another part was the gratitude to be able to ride such an amazing horse. That in itself made me so emotional. And the other part was just thinking of Adrienne and our team and so much support. I felt so much gratitude and love for everyone. i just felt like the luckiest person ever.”
As for Rocky, Christian said, “He is the most special, special guy. i don’t have enough words to say how much gratitude I have for him.”
Californian Genay Vaughn, who rode in the World Cup Finals last year with Gino, finished second on that mount with a score of 75.790 percent. Ashley Holzer aboard Hawtins Floriano was third with 75.010 percent.
Click here for Freestyle results
In the Grand Prix Special Saturday, Marcus Orlob and his 2024 Olympic mount, Jane, seemed to have tamed her tendency to spook and delivered a smooth test marked at 74.681 percent. He also won the Grand Prix for the Special last week.
Marcus Orlob and Jane. ( Photo ©Centre Line Media)
Describing his ride, Marcus said, “On the first [extended trot] diagonal, she had her ears up and I said ‘Go!’ and then I thought, ‘Whoa, this is way too much engine.’ But she settled nicely.” He rides the mare for her owner, Alice Tarjan, and has training help from Christine Traurig, the chef d’equipe of the US Dressage Team.
“Unfortunately, we had a little bobble in the ones (one tempi changes),” he said, referring to the mishap that brought him marks of 5 across the board.
“But then the other ones on the center line were good. I’m happy for the horse to have a drama free test and hopefully it continues that way. I try to keep things really busy for her, and it’s slowly paying off. We don’t have a magic weapon, it’s just time, consistency and giving the horse trust.”
Click here for Special results
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 3, 2026
Diane Crump, the first woman to ride professionally as a jockey in U.S. pari-mutuel races, succumbed to brain cancer Jan. 1. She was 77.
Six jockeys protested and refused to ride in her 1969 racing debut, where she was protected by security guards. But she persisted.
Another of her “firsts” was being the first woman to ride in the Kentucky Derby in 1970, a year after her debut at the track. She finished fifteenth of 17 on Fathom, but a precedent was set. However, another woman did not ride in the derby until 14 years later. Diane would win 228 races before retiring at age 50 in 1998. The jockey went on to a new career buying and selling horses in Virginia.
Following her groundbreaking lead at the track were women who went on to great achievements as jockeys. They included Julie Krone, Rosie Napravnik and Donna Barton Brothers.
Speaking to the Thoroughbred Daily News a few years ago, Diane reflected, ” I think I rode a good race and I had the potential to be a really good rider. I never got to show it because I was never put on a top horse. I won races on horses that paid $100, horses that were 99-1. I beat top riders coming down to the wire. You need to ride a certain amount of horses to get proficient at it. It took longer for me because of how few horses I got to ride. That my biggest disappointment.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 6, 2026
People are waking up to major crises throughout the horse industry and wondering how to handle them.
You read it on social media; you hear about it when you’re at the horse show, or getting coffee at spots in Wellington, Ocala, or Lexington; anywhere near locations that attract riders, trainers, horse owners, grooms and others associated with horse sport.
The cost of showing and horse-keeping is not sustainable across the board these days. Are there solutions for those who aren’t wealthy or sponsored?
And in the bigger picture, are there places to go for those who yearn to start riding? Many facilities offering programs for beginners and non-horse owners have shut down under economic or land development pressure. Where will the base of the sport come from now?
Canadian stable owner Jenna Rogerson has been well aware of the situation, not only from her personal experience, but also from what others are going through.
“In our area, there’s been numerous farms that are shutting their riding schools down completely. I’ve been getting two and three times as many calls weekly as I used to for lessons,” the Ontario resident said.
At her Skyland Stables, she noted, “I don’t offer a riding school. We have a competitive show program. So unfortunately, it’s not a service I provide. People ask me where they should go. It’s difficult to refer them, Even places currently operating have long waiting lists.
“With the current economic climate in Canada and the U.S. I think it’s going to become worse,” she predicted.
So Jenna turned to Facebook in late December, starting a post called Equine Industry Solutions that seeks answers from those actively involved, rather than people sitting behind a desk in an office somewhere.
The photo accompanying Jenna’s post makes a powerful statement about a major problem. The picture came from a friend of Jenna’s who had a riding school for more than 20 years, and also runs a show program. The shot (featured above) shows a bunch of empty saddle racks that are for sale.
“At first, I thought nothing of it,” said Jenna about her initial glance when her friend put the photo on line. Then she noticed each saddle rack was leaning against a wall beneath labels that read “school horse number three” and “school horse number 4.”
“I realized it was all the racks from her riding school closing down,” Jenna recounted.
She felt prompted to share that photo
“It did have a big impact for sure,” she said.
Thousands of people now are paying attention to her posting that seeks solutions. Trainers, barn operators and riding school instructors from across Canada and the U.S. are telling their stories, either on the Facebook site or in emails to Jenna, who has worked as a professional with her own business since 2008. A nationally certified coach who has managed horse shows and clinics, she’s a 39-year-old mother of two girls who is reaching out to help.
Those posting often are offering ideas and suggestions for how they try to solve their challenges. People give advice about ways of handling the problems they face as they attempt to keep their businesses going.
The process involves members of the industry relying on each other, rather than large organizations or governing bodies, to find ways that can make their businesses work.
“Ideas can get shared and hopefully, help each other out. I don’t know how far we’ll go with it, but we can try. It’s a little bit organic at the moment,” said Jenna.
Jenna Rogerson
She has some sessions pending with lawyers who are lobbying for different tax strategies that can help horsemen and women.
“I don’t exactly know what will come of it yet and maybe nothing; but maybe great things. But it’s a step in the right direction (rather than) doing nothing.”
There has been discussion about riding schools like those overseas with a club structure. However, in that regard, “too many cooks in the kitchen was one phrase that came up. It’s not a common way that we applied in North America previously,” Jenna pointed out.
“I don’t know if that’s something that would come to fruition in regard to more of a community-based program.”
She noted, “There were discussions about turning to more non-profit organizations so that donations are possible; school horses can be donated, a little more access to affordable horses than we have traditionally found.”
Jenna has a virtual-based side business called The Next Stride. She has worked with professionals and done business reviews for them. She also helps riders virtually if they are located in more remote areas where coaching is harder to find.
“The Next Stride bridges the gap between where clients are now and where they want to be next—providing clarity, accountability and a proven framework to achieve sustainable improvement. It’s applicable to riders or equine business owners,” Jenna explains.
In the process of doing that, she noted, “The same weaknesses seemed to come up with every equine business owner I helped. They were under-charging and operating in the red every month, while losing money in areas they didn’t even know about. Some (are) even considering selling or closing.”
As she pointed out, “If businesses close down and there’s suddenly a mass of available horses, what’s going to happen to them? That’s going to be a big problem.”
Here’s part of the issue: “There’s a lack of business education within our industry for people operating businesses.”
On the plus side, the Facebook site also includes “people who do have businesses, who are certified accountants. They’re providing spreadsheets They’re providing different financial insights. It’s allowing more access to education and resources. I think that in itself is going to be very helpful.”
She mentioned someone on Facebook who offered a spreadsheet for a businessperson to enter profit and loss.
“You can put your own numbers throughout it and see where your business is sitting. Where are you making money, where are you losing money? As simple as that sounds, many people don’t do that.”
Simply pinning down the numbers “can start educating people on where their businesses need to change.”
Looking at other Facebook postings from professionals, under-charging seems to be a constant theme that puts professional stable operators at a huge disadvantage in terms of keeping their operations going.
The cost per lesson has to go up in order for many of the businesses to survive. From Jenna’s perspective, she has found what she called two conflicting sides; one involves those making a living and supporting their families with a horse business, while others are creating access to horses and more availability for people of varying economic status to be able to ride.
“That’s a goal for their business, even if it’s a loss to themselves,” said Jenna.
Ontario Equestrian reached out to her to try to understand some of the key talking points people have mentioned on her page, in case there are any initiatives with which they can help.
Her eventual plan, which she has yet to formally announce, is to create a panel for the U.S. and Canada. It would have representatives from various disciplines, including western and hunter/jumper, as well as riding for the disabled, non-profits and trainers from show barns. Then people who are within the group can go to those representatives to bring up concerns.
As things get more organized over the next month, Jenna envisions, “those panels could move forward and speak to the larger governing bodies, like Equestrian Canada and USEF. It’s important to me that it’s people who are willing to work as a group and ideally have some business background.”
Although she has yet to formally announce it, the approach would be more person to person, than person to organization. As Jenna noted, “the organizations have so much red tape.” That can make it difficult for them to react quickly. And she noted that since Equestrian Canada has government funding, it can’t lobby the government for changes.
“So we can be more forward-moving and in your face if we want change, especially if we’re representing a large chunk of the industry who need changes.”
Jenna added, “I don’t know how open the organizations will be to hearing us,” but she’s optimistic. The trainer pointed out that the organizations don’t have the ability to speak to these people “the same way we can openly in our groups.”
She is forthright about her effort, noting, “I’ve never started up some type of organization on my own.”
There really isn’t a choice for Jenna, though.
“If I’m not going to do it, who is at this point? I’m hoping I get somewhere with it and can make some meaningful change, or at least provide avenues that will down the road lead to some changes that people need.”
Here is a link to the Facebook post.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 2, 2026
The long-running legal drama connected with dressage trainer Michael Barisone continues, nearly four years after he was found not guilty by reason of insanity on an attempted second-degree murder charge involving the 2019 shooting of a tenant at his farm.
Last week, he decided to appeal a decision by the U.S. Center for SafeSport that would make him permanently ineligible to be on the grounds of U.S. Equestrian Federation licensed, endorsed or sponsored competitions. It supercedes what was previously a temporary suspension. SafeSport stated the reasons for the new sanction as “sexual harassment; emotional misconduct and violation of national governing body policies/bylaws.”
However, SafeSport’s notice of the penalty stated it was not final and subject to appeal.
Meanwhile, a November lawsuit which amended a previous complaint filed by Barisone’s lawyer, Steven Tarshis, against the U.S. Equestrian Federation contended USEF had failed in its duty to Barisone by not taking action against Kanarek when he informed the organization that she was threatening him. The lawsuit also includes information about three women, one of whom was not a USEF member, who got harassing messages from Kanarek. The lawsuit stated no investigation was undertaken by the Federation when the women reported Kanarek’s actions.
That “clearly violates USEF’s Governing Documents, including published rules and member protection standards,” Barisone alleged in his lawsuit.
“USEF failed to take appropriate action, initiate required procedures, or enforce its disciplinary mechanisms, thereby breaching its obligations to protect the Claimants (the three women) and the Plaintiff, and maintain a safe and ethical equestrian environment.”
The lawsuit contends “the inescapable fact is that had the USEF met its legal obligation under the SafeSport Act and/or its Governing Documents, the only reasonable conclusion one could reach is that Kanarek’s Temporary Suspension would have summarily been imposed upon her by the USEF and an investigation would have commenced leading to the wealth of irrefutable evidence of her habitual violation of the SafeSport Code of Conduct and the Governing Documents of the USEF which, without a doubt, would have led to a more permanent sanction or lifetime ban imposed upon her in 2018, or at the latest, early 2019.
“Such sanctions would have become public knowledge and would have prohibited, under the SafeSport Code, other USEF members, and professionals, including the Plaintiff, from engaging in any professional equestrian activities with Kanarek, including her training.”
But in a motion to dismiss the lawsuit, USEF termed it, “the latest chapter in the on-going, ill-fated saga by which Plaintiff Michael Barisone seeks to hold others accountable for his attempted murder of Lauren Kanarek.”
USEF cited previous suits by Barisone against “more than one dozen disparate individuals and entities” including Kanarek and her immediate family.
A psychiatrist testified during Barisone’s 2022 trial that Barisone felt threated by Kanarek and her boyfriend, fearing he would be killed and wanting to defend himself. When Kanarek, who was also a student at Barisone’s farm in Long Valley, N.J., was asked during the trial whether she was bent on destroying him, she answered, “at some point, yes.”
The Federation termed as “pure speculation” Barisone’s contention “that the USEF’s alleged failure to refer earlier complaints about Ms. Kanarek to the U.S. Center for SafeSport would, ‘without a doubt,’ have resulted in the imposition of sanctions upon, or a lifetime ban against, Ms. Kanarek that, in turn, would have required Plaintiff to terminate his relationship with her before it reached its boiling point and he shot her.”
The USEF contended that “Because there is simply no ‘connective tissue’ between the USEF’s alleged responsibility to suspend and/or report Ms. Kanarek to the U.S. Center for SafeSport (a responsibility which did not exist) and Mr. Barisone’s decision to shoot Ms. Kanarek, this action should be swiftly dismissed with prejudice, and allowed to take its place alongside the numerous other legal challenges Plaintiff has desperately filed arising from his shooting of Ms. Kanarek.”
Tarshis, who has until Jan. 23 to file a response to the USEF motion to dismiss, noted in an interview that “the cause of the insanity seems to always be overlooked, that she drove him crazy. The campaign of terror that she wreaked upon him for well over a year that caused (him) to be insane.
“This lawsuit is very simple; under the governing documents of an NGB (national governing body of a sport), does an NGB have a responsibility to protect one of its members…(from) a known, perceived and well-documented danger that has been presented to them over and over? That is what this case is about.”
He added, “the incidents where there are confrontations between members are unfortunately not a rarity. It happens a lot. You’re telling me you as a governing body for my sport doesn’t have an obligation to protect me? Where do I go, if not to you?”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 2, 2026
On the Chinese calendar, the Zodiac sign of the horse is considered lucky, promising opportunities for growth, prosperity and achievement.
The horse’s high profile presence as the Zodiac poster animal for 2026, following the Year of the Snake (’nuff said), offers a stage for considering what we can do for horses, beyond what horses can do for us in terms of competition, work, earning power and yes, prestige. The Year of the Horse also is a good time to give the public a positive view of the importance of horses, and showcase the way we treat them when we do it right.
We are seeing many innovative concepts on the welfare front. Let’s not rein in the possibilities. This is a perfect time to focus on equine care, giving horses priority. Why not approach them in a different way, thinking of their needs before your own?
British scientist Marian Dawkins believes animals should have a choice about what they prefer. That could mean more time turned out or a different type of feed. Her approach requires careful observation to see what horses want. She also suggests studying consumer demand. How hard will your horse work to get something? If the horse tries very hard to get something, that would demonstrate they really want it. Start thinking about things from your horse’s perspective, delving into an equine viewpoint.
There are five varieties of the Zodiac horse: wood, water, metal, earth and fire. That last, as intimidating as it may seem, is the one we have this year (the Chinese new year doesn’t begin until February, but why not get an early start?) So let’s use that fire horse (the featured image on this page) as the symbol for fueling a renewed commitment to equine welfare.
Part of the Year of the Horse should involve finding a way for those who would like to ride a chance to do so. That will strengthen the base of the sport in the process. It’s worth the effort, because as less people have experience with horses, the more chance there is for misunderstanding. That can give a leg up to those who don’t believe horses should be used for work, sport, or even ridden.
Unfortunately, as costs rise, lesson barns disappear, so it will take lots of creative thinking to find a way that lessons and riding experiences can be available. Some very good people are working on that now. In the coming weeks and months, I am confident we will be hearing many interesting ideas on how to make everything on the equestrian front better.
The more experience the public has seeing well-cared for horses, the more sympathetic people will be to enabling the continuation of horses as a key element of our society. That can only help with issues such as farmland preservation, preventing restrictions on farming and breeding, or even having land set aside for trail riding.
So how about a creative new year’s resolution: Do your best to make 2026 truly be the Year of the Horse. It can be a time in which we achieve not only a better life for horses, but also present a better understanding of what they mean to us and our civilization.
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 31, 2025
As the new year gallops toward us, let’s take a little half-halt to look back on 2025 and see where we’ve been, before we turn our attention to where we’re going.
At the high end, the wealthy who want to participate in horse sports are doing just fine, as you would expect. But it’s a different story not only for those aspiring to the highest levels of sport without a bankroll, but also for almost anyone else seeking significant equestrian involvement. Where are the backyard stables, as well as facilities that cater to beginners or trail riders? They have disappeared, or often seem to be in the process of doing so.
Concerns over the cost of showing — and indeed — even of keeping horses, have dominated thoughts in 2025 as never before. The worries rose to new levels and seem destined to continue on that course unless some answers are found. Don’t expect one solution, however. There are unique ways to handle the situation for different segments of the equestrian sports population. New groups, such as the United Dressage and Jumping Club, are putting forward alternative concepts, trimming cash outlays while avoiding the sport’s governing bodies. And now there’s even a new U.S. Equestrian Trainers Association.
Thoroughbred racing also is having well-publicized troubles. It is interesting to see how a group in Florida is trying to find a way forward in that state, where the future of the state’s largest track is under threat. Whether it’s showing, horse-keeping or racing, many need to focus and contribute their thoughts.
On the controversy front, enactment of a new international rule concerning blood on show jumpers in competition will not end the conversation about this difficult subject among other disciplines. In the era of social license to operate, horse sport has to worry about public acceptance, as well as what’s right for the horses.
In September, the U.S. Equestrian Federation released a set of horse welfare guidelines under the title, “Protecting Horses.”
Some high-profile abuse cases also were resolved in 2025. U.S. dressage rider Cesar Parra was suspended for 15 years “for violating principles of horse welfare,” resolving accusations that received massive publicity and comment. In another abuse case, it was a 20-month suspension for eventer Andrew McConnon after a public outcry.
In happier news on the competition front, dressage has a deserving new number one, modest Belgian role model Justin Verboomen, who carefully brought along Zonik Plus from an untrained two-year-old to a superstar earning scores over 90 percent. He is the European Champion and has his eye on the 2026 world championships.
Justin Verboomen enjoys a special link with Zonik Plus.
Great Britain’s Scott Brash defied the odds with Hello Jefferson to win the world’s richest (and most difficult) show jumping grand prix, the $5 million (Canadian) CPKC International, on top of gaining attention for a brilliant comeback when he lost his reins for a moment in the European Championships. He went on to win the International Jumper Riders Club top 10 competition in December.
A change of venue for the 2028 Olympic equestrian competition was announced, which meant the hosting will be done by Santa Anita racetrack, where McLain Ward won the grand prix in November against the magnificent backdrop of the San Gabriel mountains.
Santa Anita
For U.S. high performance, this was a year without major international championships — the Olympics were in 2024, the world championships are in 2026 and the Pan American Games in 2027. But jumper riders distinguished themselves anyway; Kent Farrington ended the year as world number one, Laura Kraut is the world’s highest-ranked female jumper rider at number seven and Karl Cook won the grands prix of Rotterdam, Netherlands, and Falsterbo, Sweden.
In the dressage rankings, Christian Simonson was the highest-ranked U.S. rider at number 15, making an enormous leap from number 151. Boyd Martin was world number two in eventing, while Cosby Green clinched the tenth spot.
A landmark of 2025 saw the new USEF Open competitions in the Olympic disciplines make their debut in Virginia, California and Florida.
As is often the case these days, children of professional equestrians took major equitation titles. JJ Torano, the 2024 Dover Saddlery/USEF Medal winner, added the ASPCA Maclay to his collection. He’s the son of show jumpers Jimmy and Danielle Torano. Olivia Sweetnam, the daughter of Irish show jumper Shane Sweetnam and his wife, Ali Sweetnam, won the Dover Saddlery/USEF Medal.
Milestones during the year included the fiftieth anniversary of Dressage at Devon, and the hundredth of Union County, N.J.’s Watchung Stables, happily bucking the trend that has closed so many lesson facilities.
Ben Ebeling gives a thumbs up during Dressage at Devon’s 50th anniversary.
The Winter Equestrian Festival showgrounds in Wellington, Fla., got new life after a complete refurbishment, with more to come, after its former owners bought it back.
Several key people left leadership positions in 2025. Karyn Malinowski, the founding director of the Rutgers Equine Science Center took a well-deserved retirement. Desert International Horse Park made headlines at the end of July with the sudden departure of CEO Steve Hankin, whose leadership had given a new identity to the former HITS Thermal, Calif., facility. And the CEO of the Maryland 5-star event departed, as did several others connected to that competition. (Read more at this link.)
Horses who retired included Explosion W, British rider Ben Maher’s 2021 Olympic individual gold medal show jumping mount, and Tamie Smith’s ride, Kentucky 5-star winner Mai Baum.
Mai Baum.
New Jersey’s Essex Horse Trials, a competition that has had plenty of ups and downs during its long history, returned as a one-day fixture with great success. Trainer and judge Marilyn Payne was determined to keep it going, despite fears it would not be held again.
Moorland Farm is a special venue for the Essex Horse Trials.
As always, we take extra time to think about the special people and horses we lost during the year. Click this link to read a story about those who passed away over the last 12 months. If you want more detail on the year gone by, click on the “previous columns” link on the masthead of this website and scroll through our coverage. You can do the same with the On the Rail archives.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 2, 2026
Ian Balding, the British trainer of the great Mill Reef among many top-class horses, has died at the age of 87.
A social media post from Park House Stables called him, “A wonderful family man, a hugely successful racehorse trainer and a brilliant sportsman.
He was champion trainer in 1971, the year when Paul Mellon’s homebred Mill Reef won the Derby, Eclipse, King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes, and Prix de l’Arc de Triomphe.
A second-generation trainer and a successful rider over jumps as an amateur, in 2002 he passed the Park House Stables license to his son, Andrew, now a multiple Classic-winning trainer in his own right.
His daughter, Clare Balding, is a broadcaster and author.
In a tribute to her father on Instagram, she said, “My Dad was one of a kind. Fearless, funny and charming, he was an all-round sportsman, a great trainer and a beautiful horseman. He loved his dogs, his horses and his family – probably in that order. He shared with me his passion for sport and taught me to be brave enough to chase a dream, even if it seemed impossible. We’ll miss him so much.”
