by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 19, 2022
If you want a deeper understanding of the Michael Barisone attempted murder case, there are two movies you should see.
One is Pacific Heights (1990), starring Michael Keaton as a tenant in an escalating dispute with his landlords that ended in violence. The other is the 1959 courtroom classic, “Anatomy of a Murder,” with Jimmy Stewart in the lead role as the lawyer for an accused murderer who said he did not remember the shooting and pleaded not guilty by reason of insanity. Both these films will ring a bell after watching the Barisone trial on the livestream.
The three-week trial in Morristown, N.J., offered as much drama as either of the movies because it was happening in real life. Thousands of people followed it closely, and many were not shy about voicing their opinions in a continuing dialogue on Facebook.
Michael Barisone in court. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
The result is that if you asked at random who is the USA’s best-known dressage rider, it wouldn’t be a member of the Tokyo Olympics silver medal team, or Laura Graves, the only American ever to top the world rankings in the discipline. Today there is only one answer: Michael Barisone.
He was charged with attempted murder in the Aug. 7, 2019 shooting of Lauren Kanarek, his boarder, tenant and student at Hawthorne Hill in Long Valley, N.J. Barisone was trying to evict Kanarek and her boyfriend, Rob Goodwin, after his relationship with the couple soured amidst thousands of posts on social media, having his conversations recorded and fearing for his life.
Despite the jury last Thursday finding him not guilty by reason of insanity with respect to the shooting of Kanarek, and an outright not guilty decision on the prosecution’s claim that he attempted to shoot Goodwin, Barisone still isn’t out of the woods.
He has yet to be transferred from the Morris County Correctional Facility in Morristown, N.J., to the Ann Klein Forensic Center in Trenton, where he will undergo evaluation to determine whether he is a danger to himself or the community, needs treatment or if he can be released under certain conditions. A hearing on the findings is set for May 17, though if his transfer is delayed, that could be pushed back.
Meanwhile, his expenses are mounting. His farm in Loxahatchee, Fla., continues to operate, but without him there to teach, it isn’t running at its full potential. His legal fees are not at an end, because he is being sued by Kanarek.
To help out, his partner Lara Osborne has started a Go Fund Me page at gofundme.com/f/help-michael-barisone-rebuild-his-life. It went active this morning. She said so many people had come to her wanting to help Barisone that she decided to institute the page. The goal at the moment is to raise $300,000. While others have helped out to this point, she is footing many bills herself.
Lara Osborne. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Lara, the owner of a tack shop business whose daughter, Jordan, was a working student for the trainer, explains her involvement with him this way:
“I stepped up to help a friend in need when others ran away. Over time, that friendship grew into much more. I am proud to say Michael Barisone is my best friend and my life partner.
“The past month has been sheer hell; I have watched the person that I love be torn apart, all of his mental health issues thrust out in the public for all to see, and all of his deeply private and personal fears exposed,” she stated on Facebook.
“But he survived, and the truth is starting to come out. Last Thursday, he was vindicated and now he can start the healing process and hopefully come home soon.Thank you too everyone that has been so supportive of Michael. He needs you all now more than ever.”
Michael Barisone, the alternate on the 2008 Olympic team of Debbie McDonald, Courtney King-Dye and Steffen Peters. (Photo © 2008 by Nancy Jaffer)
Those who wish to write to Barisone can do so via defense attorney Ed Bilinkas. Letters should be addressed this way: M. Barisone C/O Bilinkas Edward J., 415 State Route 10,STE #1, Randolph, N.J. 07869
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 15, 2022
Two-time Olympic eventing individual gold medalist Sir Mark Todd can go back to training racehorses after a ruling yesterday by the British Horseracing Authority that he should be suspended for four months, with two months deferred.
An interim suspension in February came after an outcry over a video showing him hitting a horse with a tree branch to convince it to go into a water obstacle during a clinic for eventers. He had been charged with conduct prejudicial to the reputation of racing in February, after the video emerged on social media.
Although the horseman issued an apology, his license was suspended in February pending an initial hearing on Mar. 24, which was adjourned due to legal issues. Panel chairman Brian Barker heard the case privately yesterday and explained “The appropriate sentence is one of four months suspension, with two months of that deferred for two months.
“That means that the eight weeks that he has already served is sufficient and that Sir Mark is able to operate under his license immediately and that further, providing that there are no transgressions” until June 14, that deferment will disappear.”
Judge Brian Barker, chair of the independent panel, said that the BHA and Sir Mark’s legal team reached a “common ground” for his punishment.
After analyzing the footage of the incident, Barker said that both parties agreed that the horse showed no “sign of fear or distress at any time” and that the well-being of the horse did not appear to have been “compromised”.
Barker noted Sir Mark was “calm in his attempt to encourage the horse to drop into the water, having first satisfied himself that the horse was capable of doing so”, while adding that the use of a “light branch” instead of a BHA-approved whip was not appropriate.
“Those who are more likely to be in the public eye must expect a greater level of scrutiny by the public,” Barker said.
Although the whip can be used in British racing for the purpose of correction, there are limits on the amount of times it can be used.
After the hearing, the BHA stated, “As Sir Mark has himself recognized in public statements since the video emerged and in accepting that he was in breach of Rule (J)19, his behavior on this occasion fell short of the standard expected of all licensed individuals and ran contrary to the values of care and respect for the horse that underpin British racing.”
Sir Mark, who was knighted in 2013 for his service to equestrian sport, became dependent on racing for his livelihood after retiring from eventing for the second time in 2019.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 16, 2022
The gutsy mare On Cue, who took Boyd Martin to the first U.S. 5-star eventing win since 2008 with a win in the Maryland 5-star at Fair Hill last year, has been withdrawn from the Land Rover Kentucky 5-star.
“Cue pulled up a little sore in training and we’ve decided that it would be better to save her for another day,” Boyd explained.
Boyd Martin celebrates after his dressage test with On Cue at the Maryland 5-star last October. (Photo © 2021 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
“This is a heartbreaking call, as I really felt that she had a big chance of being very competitive this year.
As always, I’m grateful for Chris, Tommie, and TJ (Turner) for their support through the highs and lows with this magnificent mare.”
Fans will still get to see Boyd in action, as he will be riding Tsetserleg at the event.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 14, 2022
After being in jail for nearly three years and charged with crimes that could have kept him behind bars for decades, Michael Barisone today was cleared of two charges by reason of insanity and ruled not guilty on three others after being tried for attempted murder.
It might seem like the end of a long, difficult journey, but it’s not quite over yet.
Michael still faces a psychiatric evaluation at a hospital in Trenton, although the day may come soon when he can get on a horse again. But first, he will return to court for another hearing on May 17.
Read the story at this link and see the photos below.
A relieved Michael Barisone after the verdict. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
“We did it,” says defense attorney Ed Bilinkas and attorney Chris Deininger, who worked with him on the Barisone case. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Morris County Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Schellhorn and Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Alex Bennett are grim-faced leaving the courtroom after doing their best for the prosecution but failing to win over the jury. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Lara Osborne, Michael Barisone’s romantic interest, who said of the verdict, “I’m so relieved, and now he can start healing. That’s the most important thing.” (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
After the verdict is announced, Michael Barisone gets hands-on attention from attorneys Ed Bilinkas and Chris Deininger. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 13, 2022
More than four months after the U.S. Equestrian Federation decided not to renew the contract of eventing performance director Erik Duvander, the organization named Bobby Costello as the interim chef d’equipe and team manager for the discipline.
He will serve through the end of September, coordinating the team’s appearance at the world championships in Italy and handling preparations leading up to them.
Bobby competed as an individual in the 2000 Olympics, where he finished eighth. While continuing to teach, he has been active in governance and served as head of the USEF’s Active Athletes and Eventing High Performance committees.
Olympic multi-medalist Phillip Dutton and Bobby applied as a pair to split the technical advisor/chef d’equipe job in 2011. This time around, Phillip had been concerned about the lack of action on a replacement for Erik, and is pleased with the choice of Bobby.
So is Jennie Brannigan, another rider who competes internationally.
“Obviously, as the head selector he’s done a great job,” she said.
USEF never gave a reason why Duvander was dropped. He is still privately training many of the people he worked with on the team since he started the USEF job in the autumn of 2017. The top riders all have their own trainers.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 10, 2022
Arno Gego
Respected show jumping course designer, teacher and mentor, Arno Gego passed away at the age of 84.
The German master designed courses all over the world, but Aachen was his mainstay, where he laid out the routes for the 1986 show jumping world championships.
The Aachen CSIO paid tribute to him by saying, “He was a horseman through and through.”
An advanced show jumper himself, he devised challenges for horse and rider that made them better. Founder of the Aachen School of Course Design, he handed his knowledge and perspective along to others.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 10, 2022
Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs took the Longines FEI World Cup Show Jumping championship in Leipzig, Germany, today, with a two-horse approach. He rode Chaplin in the opening competition on Thursday, then switched to The Sinner for Saturday’s jump-off format. He was back on Chaplin, a Dutch warmblood stallion, this afternoon for the final.
Harrie Smolders of the Netherlands finished second on Monaco, while Jens Fredricson of Sweden came third with Markan Cosmoplit. Jens is the younger brother of Swedish superstar Peter Fredricson, who was on his country’s Olympic gold medal team last year.
The highest-placed American was McLain Ward on Contagious, winner of the second leg. One fence down in today’s first round, a two fences down in the second round with a time penalty put him seventh overall.
“It’s really disappointing of course. I thought Contagious jumped great and unfortunately, he stumbled or lost his footing in the combination and fell through B and after that when you’re focused on winning, not much else matters,” said McLain.
“It’s a sport of variables and he took a funny step and jumped too low, which isn’t a normal mistake for him, but you know that’s a part of the sport and it’s unfortunate when it happens in that moment.”
“Both of my horses are fantastic,” said Martin, who stands third in the overall global rankings this month.
Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Show Jumping Final winner Martin Fuchs takes his victory gallop on Chaplin in Leipzig, Germany (FEI photo)
“Chaplin is such an unbelievable fighter. I’m just so happy to have a horse like that.”
He added, “I must say, I thought I would be second again, with Harrie and McLain coming after me. I’m very delighted with this win,”
He followed in the hoofprints left by Tinka’s Boy and his uncle, Marcus Fuchs, the 2001 winner. Tinkas Boy died earlier this year at age 33.
Hunter Holloway was the next-best from the USA on Pepita con Spita, finishing 16th.
The dressage title not unexpectedly belongs to Olympic champion Jessica Von Bredow-Werndl of Germany with Dalera BB, scoring 90.836. It didn’t quite match her score from the Tokyo Games, but who would quibble with any mark over 90 percent?
Jessica is pregnant (will her baby’s name be inscribed on the trophy as well?) and she will not be able to ride for her country in the world championships this summer as a result.
In second place, Catherine DuFour on Vamos Amigos was quite a bit further back, with 86.164 percent. That’s not a score to be sneezed at either, however, especially since it was a personal best for the Danish rider.
The world’s most decorated dressage rider, Isabell Werth of Germany, finished on the podium in third with Weiheigold OLD. She had been shooting for her fourth Cup title, but a mark of 85.921 kept her from that ambition. Her mare was retired in a ceremony immediately after the competition.
The highest-placed U.S. dressage rider was Ashley Holzer, in her first championship representing the country since she became a citizen. She formerly rode for Canada. Her score of 75.532 on Havanna 145 put her ninth.
The other American contender, Anna Buffini, wound up 12th of 17 starters in her international championship debut. Her total on FRH Davinia La Douce was 74.011 percent,
This was the first Cup final since 2019. Both 2020 in Las Vegas and 2021 in Gothenburg, Sweden, were cancelled due to Covid.
In 2023, the Cup comes back to the U.S. for the first time since 2017 and it’s in the same city, Omaha, Neb. It will include jumping, dressage and in a new twist for an American final, the championship in vaulting as well.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 31, 2022
HITS has received a majority investment from Traub Capital Partners, and will continue to operate as HITS Shows with its team in place led by CEO Tom Struzzieri, who will also maintain a significant stake in the business.
“We are proud to partner with HITS, a clear leader in the equestrian event world,” said Brian Crosby, Managing Partner of Traub Capital Partners.
“HITS’ legacy and expertise align with TCP’s philosophy and approach, and we believe we are uniquely positioned to actively support them in their strategic growth plans.”
“TCP is the ideal partner for HITS as they have a history of backing companies in the sport enthusiast industry as well as expertise in the aspirational and lifestyle categories,” said HITS CEO Tom Struzzieri.
“Our new partners will provide us with strategic capital investments and will ensure that our exhibitors and their horses are supported to the highest degree.”
The investment by TCP will allow HITS, with its 40-year history, to make improvements to all five venues with the goal of not only investing in the facilities and infrastructure, but also in elevating the level of service and hospitality.
HITS operates five venues; 46 weeks of sanctioned Hunter/Jumper competitions; six weeks of Dressage events; and 65,000 horses expected to compete in 2022. Based in Saugerties, N.Y., HITS is a national company producing horse shows in Ocala; Culpeper, Va.; Wayne, Ill, East Dorset, anVt and Saugerties.
Traub Capital Partners is a New York-based strategic private equity firm specializing in building value in consumer companies using its unique combination of investment, strategic and operational expertise as well as a culture led, engaged approach. The fund targets investments in companies with revenue between $50 and $250 million.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 31, 2022
Eric Lamaze, the Canadian Olympic show jumping gold medalist has retired from competition due to his health issues, but will continue to serve as technical advisor and chef d’equipe for his country’s show jumping team.
Eric, who has been battling brain cancer since 2017, last competed at the CSIO5* Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ tournament in Calgary, where he anchored the Canadian team to victory in the $600,000 Bank of Montreal Nations’ Cup in September.
Eric Lamaze after winning gold in the 2008 Olympics.(Photo © 2008 by Nancy Jaffer)
He then took a step back from competition to focus on his health, not knowing his last competitive appearance would be on home soil at his favorite venue, where he is the all-time leading money winner with career earnings exceeding $6.7 million.
“It’s with great sadness that I am making this decision,” said Lamaze, 53, who is based in Wellington, Fla., and Brussels, Belgium.
“There’s a part of me that feels really upset that I’ve been battling cancer with the hope of riding again and I’m crushed that that won’t be the case. I’ve always said that I will retire under my own terms when the time is right. The situation with my health has forced me to make the decision earlier than I had envisioned, but the silver lining is that I still have the will to win and can contribute to the Canadian team and the sport I love through my new role as chef d’equipe,” he said.
“Now I have to turn my focus to giving my knowledge back to my fellow riders,” continued Lamaze. “I’ve always loved teaching and preparing horses and riders for major championships. I will give these riders every opportunity I ever had myself and I have great ideas for the future. I want every Canadian rider to know that their dreams are my dreams, too. When they win, I win.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 5, 2022
Stanny Van Paesschen, who represented Belgium at the Olympics and managed medal-winning showjumping teams internationally, will take on the technical expert role for British Equestrian and British Showjumping.
Several new roles have been developed following a full program review and feedback from stakeholders to enhance the support team headed by Performance Manager Di Lampard to take showjumping through to Paris in 2024 and beyond.
In his new role,, Stanny will provide support for the Performance Manager around selection and preparation, as well as helping riders work toward key performances. The Nations Cup Chef d’Equipe, whose primary responsibility will be for teams contesting the European Equestrian Federation Nations Cup series with Di Lampard overseeing the FEI Nations Cup teams, has been named as Tony Newbery, an Olympic rider who has worked with Britain’s prolific youth championship teams.
Performance Director Richard Waygood explained; “The spectacular individual gold medal winning performance of Ben Maher riding Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright’s Explosion W captivated many at Tokyo last year and kept Britain amongst the world’s leading showjumping nations.
“However, our showjumping teams haven’t featured on the top of the podium in recent championships, and we want to redress this. Within the World Class Program, we took time to reflect on the Tokyo cycle, considering input from a wide range of stakeholders. These new appointments reflect our philosophy of continuous improvement, always seeking to evolve.
“We have a great deal of talent in our showjumping ranks and are committed to developing a support network and structure which nurtures and develops those combinations. Di Lampard has done a sterling job managing a complex showjumping program and calendar, and now with the support of Stanny as Technical Expert and Tony’s role as Nations Cup Chef d’Equipe, she can lead the teams much more effectively.
“For our showjumping team, this year is about securing Olympic qualification at the World Championships in August, earning a place at the FEI Nations Cup Final in Barcelona and keeping our place in Europe Division 1 of the FEI Nations Cup. I firmly believe that this new structure, with these key appointments in place, gives us a real chance of achieving those aims to put us on a positive pathway to Paris.”
Stanny is based near Brussels at Hof ten Bos, which he’s called home with his wife Béatrice for over 20 years and where they run a successful training and breeding establishment. His son, Constant, is the fifth generation of the Van Paesschen dynasty to ride at the top level as a regular rider in the Global Champions League. Stanny’s CV as a rider is remarkable, having ridden at the top level from 1975 before retiring in 2005, having amassed 300 international victories and represented Belgium in three Olympics, including a bronze medal in Montreal.
His attention then turned to training and he has had medal success with teams at Olympic Games, World and European Championships, Asian Games and South American Games. He helped the Belgian senior squad to eight championship medals, before then supporting the Saudi Arabian teams, including a historic team bronze at London 2012. More recently, he’s worked with the riders from Mexico to claim two team gold medals and a number Nations Cup victories.
Stanny’s initial focus will be around building relationships with the riders and team support staff, while being introduced to their owners and grooms. May will be his first opportunity to be at competitions, and he’ll attend Windsor CSI5* and be on duty in Rome CSIO5*.
As a rider, Tony Newbery was competing in the elite ranks from the age of 19, going on to be a member of many victorious Nations Cup teams and earning a place on the Olympic squad for Montreal in 1976.
He was also non-travellng reserve for Los Angeles in 1984. Through the mid-1980s, Tony’s focus turned to training and he has made a name as an internationally renowned coach and manager. Time in the Middle East and Asia saw him help a number of riders develop to compete on the world stage, before focusing closer to home in his current role of Chef d’Equipe for the British Showjumping Junior and Young Rider squads, which he’ll continue with alongside this new role, as well as coaching the riders on the World Class Programme Showjumping Performance Pathway.
Tony’s role focuses mainly on the European Equestrian Federation Nations Cup series (previously the FEI Europe Division 2) while Performance Manager Di Lampard will continue to have oversight of the teams in the FEI Nations Cup series. The EEF Series is an ideal opportunity for combinations to gain the experience needed to bridge the gap from the youth ranks into senior competition at three- and four-star level, then to five-star and championship teams. He’ll oversee the teams at Lisbon in May, then on to Madrid.
