Pain on view at the Barisone trial

by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 30, 2022

It was a difficult day at the Michael Barisone attempted murder trial in Morristown, N.J., as his former student, Lauren Kanarek, talked about her wounds, wiping away tears as she recounted the incident that led to her hospitalization for three weeks.

The anguish Barisone feels shows in his face, while he listens to the details of how his life unraveled during the proceedings before Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor.

Kanarek met Michael at a 2018 clinic and he invited her to come to his farm in Long Valley, N.J. to train so she could reach a higher level of the sport. But things turned toxic in 2019, Barisone was at his breaking point and a downward spiral ended in tragedy when Kanarek was shot two times at point-blank range.

To read my story about what happened in court today, click here.

Here are a few more photos:

Michael Barisone in court. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)

Lauren Kanarek uses a pointer to guide the jury’s eyes toward a portion of a photo in the courtroom as Morris County Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Schellhorn looks on. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)

The jury saw a photo of the scars left on Lauren Kanarek by two bullets.

Lauren Kanarek relives her shooting in front of the jury. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)

Depression and fear haunted Michael Barisone prior to the shooting

by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 29, 2022

Dressage trainer Michael Barisone was “in an almost catatonic state” in mid-summer of 2019 as he feared for the safety of those around him and his business, viewing threats posted on social media by a boarder/tenant and other harassment with such alarm that he wasn’t eating or sleeping, his former assistant trainer testified today.

Justin Hardin was on the witness stand at Barisone’s attempted murder trial in Morristown, N.J., where he was asked if Barisone was depressed in the days leading up to the Aug. 7 shooting of Lauren Kanarek.

“Extremely,” came Hardin’s reply, noting that for the first time in the 18 years he had worked with Barisone, the 2008 U.S. Olympic dressage team alternate was withdrawn and couldn’t run his Hawthorne Hill stable in Long Valley, N.J., as usual, not even bothering to ride.

Justin Hardin, who worked as assistant trainer at Barisone Dressage. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)

When the trial opened yesterday before Judge Stephen Taylor, Barisone’s lawyer, Edward Bilinkas, recounted a saga of harassment by Kanarek and her boyfriend, Rob Goodwin, citing recording of private conversations, the threatening posts and disruption of his client’s home and business. The attorney is pursuing an insanity and self-defense strategy against the charges faced by Barisone, which also include two weapon possession counts.

Kanarek, who began riding with Barisone in 2018, was living in the trainer’s house with her boyfriend, Rob Goodwin, a carpenter doing work on that structure and elsewhere around the property. But their relationship with Barisone and his girlfriend, Mary Haskins Gray, turned sour. Barisone wanted them out, and was moving to evict them.

To get away from the couple in the meantime, Barisone and Gray moved out of the home into a clubhouse adjacent to the indoor ring, and eventually into space at the stable. Finally, a desperate Barisone found himself on a mattress outside the barn when he wasn’t walking the property at night because of his security concerns.

Morris County Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Schellhorn asked Hardin if Barisone had struggles with anxiety and depression before the situation with Kanarek and Goodwin arose.

Mary Haskins Gray on the witness stand.

While Hardin answered yes, he noted that those conditions were “extremely worse” leading up to the day of the shooting, when two bullets fired at point blank range ripped into Kanarek’s chest, leaving her in critical condition.

Also on the stand today was Gray, quite poised during the early part of her testimony, but looking less composed while the questioning went on about texts exchanged between her and Barisone as things spiraled downward at Hawthorne Hill.

Looking up at her from the defense table was Barisone, with whom she had a romantic relationship beginning in 2015 as the two also collaborated on teaching riders and training horses.

Michael Barisone in court.

Barisone, unshaven and wearing a rumpled gray shirt with a striped tie, watched her intently, occasionally wiping his eyes, as he also had done during other testimony yesterday.

Gray discussed a series of photos of the stable and clubroom with Schellhorn. The championship coolers, ribbons and photos of winning horses on the polished pine-paneled walls spoke of achievement, a sad contrast to the current state of the man who had crafted such success through hard work and horsemanship.

When Schellhorn asked if the atmosphere at the farm had become toxic, Gray replied, “That’s an understatement. We were terrified of what it was building to and what was coming next.”

Focusing on the money it takes to run a top-class stable, Schellhorn drew out Gray on financial issues faced by Barisone, who estimated it cost $40,000 a month to keep his business going. That included monthly payments of $6,000 for the Long Valley property and $3,000 to pay the mortgage on a farm in Loxahatchee, Fla., near Wellington, in addition to all the usual freight for feed, the farrier, veterinary care, maintenance and the other charges horse owners know so well.

Gray also said Barisone told her it was “hard to feel good” after he “got clipped $965,000” in connection with his divorce from Vera Kessels.

Michael Barisone and his ex-wife, Vera Kessels. (Photo © 2009 by Nancy Jaffer

Both Barisone and Gray, as well as Kanarek and Goodwin, in turn complained about the other couple to the U.S. Equestrian Federation and SafeSport.

At the end of July, Barisone texted Gray and told her he wanted information on what Kanarek had done to people in the past.

“I need every single person who has ever been screwed by Lauren, Rob and her dad. Farriers, vets, trainers. I ‘m going to get her a lifetime ban as a competitor,” he vowed.

On August 6, 2019, Gray shipped via UPS 756 pages of information along those lines to USEF counsel Sonja Keating. The shooting took place the next day.

Another discussion about the timeline centered around the SafeSport lifetime ban from the sport of hunter/jumper guru George Morris on the grounds of sexual misconduct involving a minor. The news about Morris, who had been a mentor of Barisone’s, came on August 5.

Two days later, a caseworker from the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency came to the farm to talk to Gray. It is believed that an allegation from Kanarek that Gray’s 11-year-old son had been abused by Barisone was the reason for the visit. There was discussion in court whether the prospect of being banned, after what happened to Morris, was the last straw. Shortly after the caseworker arrived, Barisone drove his pick-up truck to the house, talked briefly with Goodwin, and Kanarek was shot.

Another witness this afternoon was Ruth Cox, the owner of the pink and black Ruger handgun that was used in the shooting.

Ruth Cox and the Ruger.

Cox, who has a doctorate in marriage and family therapy, came to the farm Aug. 1, 2019 to see horses she co-owned with Gray that were in training.

Late one evening, Barisone asked to see the gun she kept with her for safety reasons when she was driving to New Jersey from her North Carolina home. He took it from her and she did not pick it up again until she lifted it today to show it to the jury.

More details on the problems at Michael Barisone’s farm as his trial continues

by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 31, 2022

Dressage trainer Michael Barisone’s state of mind in the days before the shooting of Lauren Kanarek was a focal point as his attempted murder trial entered its fourth day in Morristown, N.J.

His former student and tenant, who was shot twice in the chest on Aug. 7, 2019, said under cross-examination by defense attorney Edward Bilinkas that she never threatened Barisone or his girlfriend, Mary Haskins Gray. But when Bilinkas asked about characterizing her social media posts on the subject of Barisone, she conceded, “they could be perceived as threatening.”

Lauren Kanarek on the witness stand.

Was her intention to scare Barisone, Bilinkas questioned.

“Maybe at a point,” replied Kanarek, who also conceded she had written a text saying “Michael is scared,” and indicated to Bilinkas that Barisone was afraid of her father, a retired attorney.

Kanarek and her boyfriend, Robert Goodwin, lived rent-free at a farmhouse on Barisone’s Hawthorne Hill farm in Long Valley, N.J. They paid $2,500 in board per month for each of two horses, while Goodwin did carpenter work on the house and barn to cover the fees for other horses Lauren owned.

Things went sour between the couples during the summer, and the whole farm became embroiled in the toxic atmosphere.

Michael Barisone in happier days at his Hawthorne Hill Farm. (Photo © 2009 by Nancy Jaffer)

Goodwin said Barisone told the staff not to communicate with him and Kanarek. That boiled over when an employee didn’t respond to Kanarek’s concern about a dryer in the stable that wouldn’t turn off, which she saw as a fire hazard.

Kanarek and Goodwin sent a 1 and 1/2-page letter citing “a dangerous and illegal situation” to the Washington Township housing inspector (Long Valley is part of Washington Township) detailing what they saw as code violations.

The result? Township officials descended on the farm Aug. 6 and put up notices telling everyone to vacate the premises. There was a $5,000/day fine if everyone didn’t leave.

Robert Goodwin.

Barisone, sitting at the defense table, had his head in his hands when that topic came up. Bilinkas is pursuing an insanity/self-defense strategy in his defense of the 2008 U.S. Olympic dressage team alternate.

In his opening remarks on Monday, Bilinkas contended that Kanarek, her father and Goodwin devised a plan to destroy Barisone and drive him crazy.

The shooting took place after a caseworker from the state Division of Child Protection and Permanency visited Gray, who had two children. Why did the caseworker come? What allegations were made?

“Was part of your plan to destroy Michael Barisone to contact…DCPP?” asked Bilinkas

Kanarek said no, and added she had never contacted the agency.

But her phone yielded recorded searches for that agency’s number on two dates in July. On July 31, she “did not recall” searching for the agency’s anonymous hotline, adding “but it’s possible.” Then she said she did remember. Lack of recollection came up often in her testimony, until she was shown documentation.

At the same time, she mentioned that Barisone’s assistant trainer, Justin Hardin, earlier that year had “stolen” her phone at a restaurant. Citing his technological expertise, she said he had broken into her phone and it was possible he “may have been able to do things to my phone that I did not.”

On Aug. 7, Barisone asked the caseworker and Gray, who were meeting in his office, to leave. He had kept a pink and black 9 mm gun, the weapon used in the shooting, in the office safe. Moments later, he drove to the farmhouse where Kanarek was living and the incident unfolded.

Michael Barisone in the courtroom.

Goodwin, 42, took the stand later in the day. Like Kanarek, who had a history with heroin, Goodwin admitted to using drugs “anything I could do to get out of my anxiety” under direct examination by Morris County Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Schellhorn.

When Bilinkas asked Goodwin whether he had used crack, the judge did not permit him to answer the question. Kanarek said earlier in the trial that she has been sober for several years but Goodwin admitted to some relapses while living in Long Valley, though he said he never took drugs while at the farm.

Goodwin said as August 2019 began, Barisone was “making life difficult at the farm for us to want to stay.” Barisone was trying to evict the couple.

Prior to that week, Goodwin said he had hoped “to salvage the relationship. Ultimately, we would (have) kind of liked to work something out.”

A new ID for WEF HQ

by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 26, 2022

Rebranding is a strategy used to update messaging after a business reorientation, to make the brand more relevant to new markets and new audiences, or to showcase the brand under a new parent company.

That should give you the context to understand why as of this evening, the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center that we have known since 2006 is now Wellington International, in Wellington, Fla.,  the municipality that bills itself as “the winter equestrian capital of the world.”

To recap, PBIEC was bought last year by the Global Equestrian Group, whose CEO is Andreas Helgstrand, an Olympic dressage medalist, while Olympic show jumping medalist Ludger Beerbaum is a co-owner.

McLain Ward against the backdrop of the old signage at the International arena. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)

Palm Beach is one of the world’s most prestigious destinations, so the change in name raised some questions for me, especially since very often, when I look up Wellington on the Internet, I get results listing Wellington, New Zealand. So here’s the answer from the folks who made the decision:

“While the history and status of Palm Beach is recognized, appreciated, and contributed greatly to the previous venue name, Wellington International looks to move forward and continue to bring the Wellington name greater prominence in Florida, the U.S., and around the world. Wellington is now a destination for thousands of equestrians every year and is a reputable name in its own right.”

The rebranding is visible as of tonight in the letters on the bridge above the International arena. In effect, it serves notice that the facility, which has hosted the Winter Equestrian Festival since 1989, will be undergoing major changes.

The new name of the WEF facility was revealed when the white cover was dropped tonight.

Michael Stone, president of Wellington International, said, “We are committed to ‘Setting New Standards’ for our venue, as well as for equestrian sport, guest experiences, entertainment, and innovation.

“While equestrian sport is and will continue to be the main focus at Wellington International, future plans include the versatility to host an assortment of events to broaden horizons outside of the main horse show weeks.”

Alex Matz clearing the new Wellington International fence on Cashew. (Sportfot photo)

Andreas had promised great changes to the venue, originally known as the Palm Beach Polo Equestrian Club. The winter shows started at Palm Beach Polo in a far more modest setting under the guidance of  the late Gene Mische, who grew the WEF concept exponentially.

He had first seen the Palm Beach Polo property when it was nothing but a lot of palmetto, growing in a field about 40 minutes from Palm Beach. He recalled William Ylvisaker, the developer who started the facility, had painted a picture of a fabulous venue that would offer not only polo, but also magnificent horse shows.

Gene’s first reaction was to wonder whether the entrepreneur “was smoking something,” as the two stood talking among the scraggly plants. But the dream did become amazing reality in a setting that had people flocking to buy homes, show their horses and play polo (even Britain’s Prince Charles showed up there for a match.)

The facility was bought in 2006 by a group led by Mark Bellissimo, which made major changes and did a lot to move it forward. I was talking with Mark shortly after the purchase and mentioned the contributions of Gene in starting the enterprise. Mark noted that while an innovator must be given a lot of credit for starting something, it often requires someone else to take it to the next level. And that is where Andreas and company have come in.

They made some improvements already, with many more on the way. Recently, McLain Ward and I talked about what is happening.

“The changes made so far are things that are hard to see, like the changes of footing in a number of rings and some underground drainage and things that have been let go or not done properly in the past,” McLain told me.

“I hear of great things to come, which will be great for the sport. There’s no shortage of competitors and business and opportunity here. If there’s anywhere in the world that can support a huge investment, it’s Wellington.”

An aerial view of the showgrounds.

McLain, who has talked a bit with Andreas, said of the new owners, “I think they know what they’re doing. They have a good feeling of what the highest standard is. Like everything, it takes a bit of time. I think we’ll see major changes by next year and I think in the next few years it will be completely transitioned.”

An architect’s view of the planned VIP pavilion.

As he pointed out about Wellington International, “It needs to be a world class facility. It’s been let go, it’s been run down for the better part of six to eight years. It’s a tired old house. I’d like to see them develop some of the land in the back, less for real estate, more for the sport, because we’re on a postage stamp here. I know there’s a lot of talk about developing the parking and stabling to more permanent facilities.”

I wondered what pioneers of the sport would think of its current incarnation.

“You can’t imagine not only where Wellington has gone, but the horse business and the sport,” said McLain.

“They set the groundwork and the stage for us to go in that direction. This is a big sport and big industry. The business factor has changed, not just in the running of events. It’s the horse business in general; the level of the business and the numbers, not only in volume, but also in dollar amounts. In 20-30 years it’s exploded. It’s a healthy industry and it’s nice to be part of a healthy industry.”

Want to know more about Andreas? Click here to read a story I did about him and his stable for Horse Sport earlier this month.