by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 30, 2025
The Hunterdon Symphony is opening its 2025-26 season with Equestrian Orchestrations, a concert keyed to a theme of horses. It’s set for 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8 at Hunterdon Central Regional High School in Raritan Township, N.J.
The symphony’s concerts often are performed around a theme, and conductor Lawrence Kursar liked the idea for this one.
“It’s such a Hunterdon County thing,” explained orchestra manager Barbara Volkov.
“You can’t really turn around in Hunterdon County without bumping into someone who has a connection with horses. You can see horse farms everywhere here.”
She also noted it plays into next year’s celebration of the two hundred and fiftieth anniversary of the country’s founding.
“Back in the day, everybody had a connection to horses, because you were either plowing with one or riding on one or you had a cart and that’s how you got around. Everybody knew horses.”
Selections to be played by the excellent regional orchestra include Franz von Suppé’s Light Cavalry Overture, Aaron Copland’s Red Pony Suite, Eric Whitacre’s Equus and Ferde Grofé’s Grand Canyon Suite (if you’re looking for a connection to the theme on that one, remember that people ride down into the canyon on mules.)
The reception after the concert, which is free and open to all, will offer treats along the horse theme. How about oatmeal cookies and carrot cake.
For more information or to purchase tickets, click on this link.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 2, 2025
From his first round over the jumps to his last ride in front of the judges, JJ Torano dominated the finals of the ASPCA Maclay equitation championship at the National Horse Show in Kentucky on Sunday.
The 15-year-old ranked first after all 176 contenders had completed the initial round, stayed on top in the flat phase and was the best of 24 in the second round as well, ending up with a final score 93.46. He was the only rider whose final score broke into the 90s.
After a 7 a.m. start and nearly 11 hours of competition, the judges wisely saw no need for further testing when JJ completed a classic second-round performance on Favorite Edition Z, otherwise known as Eddie.
JJ Torano led all the way in the Maclay. (National Horse Show Photo)
JJ called the mount he has ridden for three years “a very proven horse. He’s been foot-perfect from the start. I can’t say enough about him. He can shine in those tests where they ask the big questions. I’m lucky to be sitting on him in a class like this.”
Jimmy Torano and Favorite Edition Z on their way to victory in the Maclay.
The routes set by Paul Jewell and Nancy Wallis, with input from judges Susie Schoellkopf, Jimmy Toon, Robin Swinderman Mitchell and Tony Sgarlata, tested accuracy and adjustability, but also allowed the riders who mastered the technical questions to demonstrate their style.
“My goal this year was really to make it a rider’s test, where they want to find the track and find the path,” Paul explained.
“If they find the path, keep the pace, they’re going to be fine.”
In her comments about the winner, judge Robin said, “He was extremely smooth throughout all the rounds, very solid in his flatwork.”
Judge Jimmy noted, “JJ is quite clever in keeping everything so even, and he’s so strong. He’s solid. There’s not much else you can say about him. He’s quite the man.”
JJ is the son of Jimmy and Danielle Torano, both show ring stars. He is coached by his father and the North Run team of Missy Clark, John Brennan and Maggie Gampfer.
JJ Torano with sponsor Cindi Perez, 2024 Maclay winner Taylor Cawley, Danielle and Jimmy Torano, Missy Clark, John Brennan and Maggie Gampfer.
The teen warmed up for his class by winning Saturday night’s 1.35 meter jumper competition with Good Mood Semilly, then taking third on Vitus K in the featured $100,000 1.45-meter grand prix behind big names Alessandra Volpi (Glamour) and Sloane Coles (Ninja JW van de Moerhoeve.)
So it’s no surprise what JJ, who won the Dover Saddlery/USEF Medal Finals last year, is looking forward to in the coming season.
“I have a couple of young horses, new horses I want to step up and keep going and build a relationship,” the Floridian said.
“So I’m excited for that. Maybe jump some bigger classes now that I’m old enough.”
JJ expressed gratitude for all the help he received.
“Obviously it’s been a great week. I rode a lot of different types of horses. I think almost every one of them was owned by a different person. So, first I’d like to thank the owners, my parents for all they do, and my trainers, Missy, John, and Maggie. It’s really a team behind me that can really make the success happen for me,”
It was the third time in a row that a child of a professional equestrians had taken the Maclay. Last year, I asked Jimmy Torano why the pro trainers’ kids are so good, and wondered if it was genetic.
He told me it’s because the youngsters are “around it every day, they’re living it, they’re breathing it.”
And they have the chance to ride so many different horses, Jimmy added.
The reserve champion, Parker Peacock, moved up from eleventh place to come close to the big prize.,Parker, a North Carolinian who rode Montverdi, is trained by Ken and Emily Smith. Her final score was 89.03.
Runner-up Parker Peacock. (National Horse Show Photo)
Third place went to the first person to venture out on course, Madison Ramsey, who also won the silver cup known as the Trailblazer Trophy for that achievement. The Florida resident, who is trained by Jen and Frank Madden and the Capital Hill team, as well as Bobby Braswell, rode Mac III after rising from sixth place. Her final score was 88.40.
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 1, 2025
Kristin Wasemiller-Knutson and Vashti, the combination that won the Open Grand Prix Freestyle at the U.S. Dressage Finals in 2021, did it again on Saturday night during the show at the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, Ohio.
“I could not have been happier with my ride; I didn’t care what the score was,” said Kristin, who rode to a Bugs Bunny operetta she edited herself, as well as well as designing the complex floorplan. Her efforts earned a mark of 72.25 percent.
“I wanted to use that music, and it took me years to try to get it the way I wanted it,” revealed Kristin. who was the runner-up in the Grand Prix on Saturday.
Vashti, who is by the pinto Friesian Sporthorse Nic, also sire of Jim Koford’s famous ride Adiah HP, was bred by Sherry Koella. She was at Finals to witness the cherished 17-year-old mare’s victory. Sherry likes to breed for color, and when Vashti turned out to be a bay and then became an orphan, Kristin and her mother, Dede Wasemiller took her in.
Kristin Wasemiller-Knutson and Vashti. (Susan J. Stickle Photo)
“We have been second several times in this class, so it was our goal to come back and win it,” added Kristin, who trains mostly with her mother and is based four miles away from her farm in Oklahoma City.
Jennifer Roth, who had 11 rides at the show, was the reserve after making a last-minute decision to contest the class when another competitor scratched. She and Barbara Lightner’s 12-year-old Lusitano, Imperador DR, earned 71.258 percent.
“I wasn’t even supposed to be in this class,” she explained. “The horse is an absolute machine and Kathy Rizzoni made him such a fun, upbeat freestyle. I was up there just dancing and singing, and when I hit that last line of ones, I thought, ‘Okay, I’ve done 15, let’s see how many more I can fit in.’ He was right there for me. That’s probably the most fun I’ve ever had doing dressage.”
Roth partially attributed her great performance to help from long-time coach Sharon Ridge and warm-up help from Jim Koford, and partly to her brand new tailcoat bought on the day.
“It must be good luck; I’m never taking it off,” laughed Roth, who has been riding the Lusitano only since the spring of 2025. “I was given the ride to just play around, and here we are. Jim’s been convincing me that it’s okay to be fancy. I tend to go with the safe seven, and he’s helping me figure out that I can go for more. It’s pretty cool.”
Josefine Parada, who was jetting off on her honeymoon Sunday morning, filled third place with a 71.125 percent ride on her own 14-year-old Floriscount gelding, Floyd.
Heather Mason has a record to be envied at the U.S. Dressage Finals, enjoying victory after victory at the show.
That hasn’t changed with a switch in venues, from the Kentucky Horse Park. It’s not just that she’s winning in the saddle; her students also are winning. And she had 28 entries to ride or train at the show presented by Adequan.
Her four-year-old Rock It P on Saturday won the First Level Open Freestyle with 77.241 percent, with a boost from a plus-80 percent mark from the judge at C. Heather’s music was from the mystery movie Enola Holmes, put together by Kevin Whitney.
The 17.3 hand (and still growing) Rock It (Grand Galaxy Win X Everdale) made a comeback from his Friday Training Level test, where he was distracted by the camera person.
Heather Mason and Rock It P at home. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
“Today he put on his bravery and was fantastic. It’s a very difficult floor plan, with bold movements and combinations because he’s an honest horse, which is lucky, because being so big it would be a problem if he wasn’t. I bought him as a foal, and he was only supposed to make 16.2 hands,” said Heather, who is based in Lebanon, N.J.
Heather’s total wins at the show mounted to four by the end of Saturday’s action. She was the first to go in the Intermediate I Open Freestyle Championship on Manuskript SCF and her 73.325 percent mark on the eight-year-old Jazz gelding was good enough for the title. Then she rode Rock It P again to take the First Level Open Championship with 73.194 percent.
Next for Rock It is a rest and maybe some jumping over the winter until serious work resumes in the spring.
Heather Mason and Rock It P rock their winning freestyle. (Susan J. Stickle Photo)
“I have to let Rock It’s body catch up; everything comes so easy for him, and he’s not stressed about the work but he’s still physically immature. He’s definitely a super horse, and I look forward to many years with him,” Heather said.
A Lusitano stallion was named Grand Prix champion for rider Jorge Arauz Friday night, topping a field of 14. Jorge and the “sweetheart” of a horse, London Do Vouga, earned 65.036 percent. The stallion is an inexperienced 11-year-old that just started competing at the highest level during the summer. It was only his third show at Grand Prix.
“It has been an amazing journey with this horse,” said Jorge, who works for Dulce Borjas at her Los Encinos Equestrian Hacienda in Magnolia, Texas.
“He came to us from Brazil three or four years ago as a kind of average horse schooling Second Level for Dulce to ride,” said Jorge.
A a native of Nicaragua, Jorge now rides for the U.S. He soon realized that London Do Vouga had the quality and talent for the upper levels, and in a few short years, he learned all the Grand Prix work. The stallion’s owner also earned her U.S. Dressage Federation silver medal on the horse 18 months ago.
Grand Prix winner Jorge Arauz and London Do Vouga. (Susan J. Stickle Photo)
“Honestly, we were very happy and humble to be here,” explained Jorge.
“We are new in this, so we had no big expectations, but we tried our best and the test went really well, his best so far. Obviously, there’s always room for improvement, but from his breed, the piaffe/passage are strong exercises for him. He’s a sweetheart.”
Jorge has trained with Rafael Soto, as well as riders from the Royal Andalusian School of Equestrian Art.
“Hopefully, we will get him to some CDIs next season in Florida,” he added, “and we would like to get him qualified for the USEF Grand Prix Dressage National Championship at WEC Ocala in May.”
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 28, 2025
There were several hot-button topics during the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s rule change webinar Monday, with more than 200 people on line during the three-and-a-half hour session. But one of the most intense reactions was to a proposal involving a 60-day provisional suspension not only for the trainer of a horse testing positive for “certain designated (prohibited) drugs,” but also the owner and riders.
A hearing would be available subsequent to the provisional suspension and time served during the temporary hiatus would be credited against any suspension imposed. These measures are intended “to reinforce accountability and deter violations, while ensuring due process and the continued confidence of all stakeholders in the fairness of the sport,” according to the language of the proposal.
USHJA President Britt McCormick explained, “these drugs they are talking about making an automatic suspension are substances that should never be in a horse. These are Class III and IV drugs, not your everyday NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatories) and not Robaxin. This is not a gotcha…if somebody does this, it’s found in the animal, you’re done for 60 days and I don’t see how anybody can argue with that.”
Including riders and owners in the suspension is designed to prevent suspended trainers from carrying on business as usual, even if they can’t come to the showgrounds;.
“This is one of those things we have to have a `no tolerance’ for, or else we’re never going to get past it,” added Britt, noting the new hair testing is part of the protocol on these forbidden drugs.
“We have to get behind the rules that will allow us to punish those people that are putting substances into the animals that should never be there, and it’s just that simple.”
However, a rumor that an euthanasia drug was being used to calm show horses turned out to be a lie that caused “a knee-jerk reaction” in drafting the rule, as one person on the call noted.
Meanwhile, the 60-day suspension concept is far from acceptable for some members.
Spencer Chapin, a horse show judge, spoke against it.
“This is such a group condemnation, and with no process. No one will ever catch-ride for anybody else again. You can’t make rules that are so arbitrary to say `60 days’ and the whole group is indicted,” he observed.
“Some kid is going to miss riding for 60 days and they had nothing to do with it. I don’t understand how process ceases to be important in enforcing rules.”
In many cases, comments made online about the rule were even more vehement in opposition. It was pointed out that catch riders do not usually know how the horse they are showing was prepared, and owners often are not present or involved with preparations.
Another concept that drew criticism was the “collapse rule.”
Britt explained it is designed “to give the Federation the ability to help a horse that has fallen for no apparent reason and that the animal receives the care it needs immediately.”
It calls for having the horse leave the showgrounds for seven days, which was seen by commenters as impractical in many instances, such as if a stable’s personnel were 500 miles from home and did not know a place where the horse could be taken in the area of the show.
“Even if the language is not perfect, the intention is correct,” said Britt.
He believes the rule is designed to put a burden on the owner.
“You want the owner to know the horse collapsed…and get it to the appropriate veterinary location. How many of these do we see a year? Maybe two?”
Vanessa Brown said if her horse collapses, “I don’t want the horse taken out of my care,” noting the people who know the animal can recognize abnormal signs, which is important to insure it gets the best care.
“This shows so little faith and paints us as criminals and animal abusers. Honestly, I’m sick of being treated like that. It’s a very small percentage that are very bad actors, and the rest of the membership is being painted this way. It’s not just hurtful, it leaves a terrible taste in our mouth,” she emphasized.
There have been concerns about horses being over-jumped and over-shown, so tables have been drafted to define the possibility of limits on the number of times ponies, hunters, jumpers and equitation mounts can compete at a show.
Other topics included a discussion about allowing mules in hunter classes, and bitless bridles in hunter classes as well (though not necessarily on the mules!)
But here’s the context on the mules, and it makes sense:
“Since 2004, mules have proven themselves in multiple USEF disciplines—dressage, endurance, combined driving, and most recently, jumpers in 2022. Hunters are the natural next step. Dressage set a precedent for successful subjective scoring of mules and horses in the same classes, allowing judges to apply the same standards without any additional training. Research shows that mules competing under horse-specific medication rules have no competitive advantage. Mules are already subject to the USEF Equine Drug and Medication Guidelines in all other USEF disciplines that permit them.
“USEF’s restriction on hunter mules limits access to the sport at unrecognized and local levels of competition, so allowing some level of participation within USEF will encourage growth within the sport, especially in the grassroots where mules would most likely compete. Identifying restrictions at the upper levels will then protect and preserve the historical tradition of show hunters valued by traditionalists.
Finally, it is worth mentioning that there has been large member support for the inclusion of mules in hunter competition, and it is notable that the USEF affiliate approved a similar proposal in the past. USEF’s restrictions on mules limits access at the unrecognized shows and lower levels so allowing mules in these classes and competitions will encourage sport growth among the grassroots.
Hunters celebrate and focus on a strong partnership between equid and rider, good training, and form over fences. Mules are very capable over fences and have proven their versatility, stamina, and athleticism in many sports. These characteristics make mules well-suited to the hunter discipline, and it’s time for USEF to welcome them into a broader base of USEF membership and supporters. USEF has an opportunity to create more accessibility for mule owners and encourage participation, fun, and the spirit that lives within many people within the equestrian industry.”
To see all the proposals, click on this link. Comments may be made with USHJA until Oct. 31. The rule changes will be discussed at the USHJA’s annual meeting in December, and then go to the USEF for action at its mid-year meeting in June 2026.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 31, 2025
Two New Jersey riders, who often have been winners at the U.S. Dressage Finals, continued their success as the competition moved its full schedule to a new venue, the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, Ohio.
Since the competition there this week is in several indoor arenas, participants were able to avoid the cold and rain that are prevalent in November in Ohio and neighboring Kentucky, where the competition presented by Adequan was held previously.
Lauren Chumley of Pittstown and Leeloo Dallas won the Intermediate II Open Championship with 68.48 percent to top a class of 14 starters. The combination won the Prix St. Georges title at the 2023 Finals and the Intermediate I Freestyle last year, so there has been a measurable metric of their progression.
“This is Leeloo’s first year at I-2, and I’ve had some really good and some not-so-great rides,” said Lauren about her efforts with the nine-year-old mare (Gaspard De La Nuit DG X Negro).
“She’s never naughty, but she’s green at this. She’s only been doing this level for, like, 30 seconds. She was good in the test, but she was amazing in the warm-up, so that was a feeling of what’s to come. I can’t wait until I can have it all in the ring.”
Lauren has trained Leeloo Dallas up the levels herself since buying her sight-unseen as a foal from her breeder Racheal McKinney in Arizona. Initially, she couldn’t afford her, but when her price was reduced, she was able to cobble together the funds.
“When she arrived, I realized I’d never asked how big she was,” Lauren recalled.
“She’s a hair under 16.1 hands now, which is actually fine as I’m not that tall.”
Lauren is “endlessly grateful” to her coach, Michael Bragdell, who finished fourth in the same class.
Lauren Chumley and Leeloo Dallas. (Susan J. Stickle photo)
The venue earned high praise from Lauren.
“The decorations are incredible, and they’ve created a super atmosphere here. I’m just wondering what the pumpkin budget is as I think I’ve seen about 3,000 of them,” she laughed.
“I love that everything is indoors because it’s been pouring with rain. Plus, the footing is phenomenal.”
Since coming to prominence with Finals wins, Leeloo Dallas has attracted some hefty offers from potential purchasers.
“I’m not wealthy and this money would change my life, but I don’t care; she’s not for sale,” Lauren emphasized.
She called her test, “a perfect end to Leeloo’s first season at I-2. She put in a solid albeit green test and really tried her little potato heart out for me today and it was good enough for the neck ribbon. Thank you, my little Perfect Princess Potato Muffin, you make this life worth the extraordinary continued struggle.”
Lauren also won the Intermediate I freestyle on Belafonte with a score of 68.242 percent.
Heather Mason of Lebanon, N.J.,who has earned many titles at this year-end championship over the years, rode to another on the eight-year-old Manuskript SCF. She earned the Prix St. Georges Open honors with 70.392 percent.
Manuskript, who along with another horse was the youngest in the class, had the only score over 70 percent. Manuskript (Jazz X Krack C).
Heather also coached a multiple winner, Christina Morin-Graham. In the Intermediate II Adult Amateur Championship, Christina’s 66.961 percent performance on her 15-year-old Oldenburg mare, Mondlicht, was just what she needed for her first Finals win, with the reserve champion finishing nearly five percentage points less.
Christina, who has eight championship class rides, bought Mondlicht five years ago from Germany and was advised that she would not make a Grand Prix horse.
“They said she was too hot for the one-tempis and wouldn’t be able to do the piaffe/passage,” explained Christina, who topped the same class at the Region 8 Championships on her mare (Sarkozy X Ravallo).
“I was happy to have her as a Small Tour horse, but over the years, we’ve done a lot of growing together, and here we are doing Big Tour,” she pointed out proudly.
Christina Morin-Graham and Mondlicht. (Susan J. Stickle Photo)
A week before leaving on the nine-hour journey to WEC from her home in Malvern, Pa., Mondlicht pulled a shoe and had a slightly swollen leg. Christina, who works full-time as a partner in a private equity firm, decided to give her a full week off, only schooling the day before the championship test.
“I got on yesterday, and she felt super,” noted Christina.
“She loves getting ridden; she loves work. I adore her, though she’s definitely an alpha mare and very opinionated. You have to get her on your side and then she really gives you her best.”
The very busy Christina had another win on Friday in the Intermediate I Adult Amateur class on Ici de la Vigne, with a score of 66.912 percent. In the Amateur Grand Prix that day, she also was tops with DSP Dauphin on 68.696 percent and was second with Mondicht (66.920).
In the Third Level Open Championship, Coloradan Taryn Anderson, was first to go in the Third Level Open Championship, and her 71.625 percent on seven-year-old Figardo proved unbeatable.
Figardo, owned by Taryn’s mother, Tammy, gave Taryn “a magical ride” to win with the day’s highest Finals score.
“He warmed up kind of tight in this big atmosphere, so I didn’t know what to expect. I went in the ring, and he was just so lovely,” said Taryn.
“Everything I asked him to do, he was right there, and his back was soft. He gives me a magical feeling, and it was a magical ride. I could think about each movement, and it felt like ‘Ta-da!’”
Figardo (Fürst Wilhelm X Fürst Piccolo) was found by Anderson’s friend Jenny Wetterau as a four-year-old, and she has produced him through the grades with help from her Colorado-based trainer Petra Warlimont and Florida-based trainers George Williams and Lars Petersen.
“He’s super special to me because he was only walk, trot, canter when I got him. I put all the movements on him, and he’s the first one that I feel I’ve brought along and been successful with it. I’ve had horses before, but we made mistakes, and I learned a lot. Now, I feel like I’m starting to understand how to make a grand prix horse,” she said.
Coupled with his athletic ability, Figardo’s unflappable nature has helped him flourish.
“We have our own farm, and I take him out in the field. I can hack him by himself and train him on the hills,” she continued.
“He’s a happy-go-lucky guy.”
She also praised the new venue.
“I love it,” she said. “I haven’t been to Finals for years, but I remember getting drenched in the rain. When I heard Finals was going to be at WEC, I really wanted to come. I’m very much impressed; the decorations and the shopping are awesome, and the footing is perfect.”
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 31, 2025
It wasn’t a personal best, but Belgium’s Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus kept a narrow margin over Becky Moody and Jagerbomb from Great Britain to take the dressage freestyle at the Equita Lyon show in France on Friday. The class is a qualifier for the FEI Dressage World Cup Final, which will be held in Ft. Worth next April.
Justin didn’t match the score from his European Championships individual gold medal ride, earning 87.075 percent highlighted by an artistic score of 92 percent, with his 9-year-old Rheinlander stallion flowing effortlessly to gentle background music. The picture was marred only by mistakes in the tempi changes (he was scored as low as a 5 for the changes every stride), but the rest was buoyed by individual marks of 10 for choreography, music and a textbook canter pirouette right.
Freestyle winner Justin Verboomen on Zonik Plus at Lyon, France, and runner-up Becky Moody on Jagerbomb.
Modest and soft-spoken as always, Justin said the feeling was amazing in his Thursday Grand Prix, where he set a personal best for that test.
“Today he was maybe a little bit tired and I did some mistakes, but he was still really good” said Justin after his freestyle.
“Step by step, I think it will improve and improve and improve,” Justin suggested, noting he wasn’t “really used to” an atmosphere like the packed house he encountered in Lyon.
As he continues to develop his horse, who he purchased in Portugal when the colt was two-and-a-half, Justin said, “The only thing I want is really to improve the suppleness and his confidence in the ring.”
Becky’s ride on her 11-year-old homebred gelding was presented to a medley of Beatles tunes, most appropriate considering her country of origin. The judges thought so too; Becky and her Dutchbred mount got three marks of 10 for music and its interpretation.
“I was smiling all the time,” Becky said about her test.
“The crowd here was amazing. I’m so lucky to ride Jagerbomb, I always enjoy riding him. He is very consistent, has an incredible temperament and is very trainable. He makes my life easy, but you can always have a good or bad day. In the Grand Prix, I was a bit frustrated with myself, not with Bomb. Today everything felt super.”
Third place went to another Belgian rider, Larissa Pauluis, with Flambeau, on 79.560 percent.
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 24, 2025
Lu Thomas, a pillar of horse sport in Northern California, has passed away after years spent battling cancer. She was 79.
Equally successful in the jumpers and the hunters, she and her husband, Graeme (Butch) Thomas, were a formidable training combination. Their best-known students included Gail Greenough, world show jumping champion in 1986, top trainer Carleton Brooks and Karl Cook, now a pillar of the U.S. team.
Butch and Lu Thomas
The couple’s son, Guy, rode in the FEI World Cup finals, as they both did, and also competed on the New Zealand Olympic team (Butch is a native of New Zealand.) In September, Guy won the Morningstar Sport Horses Grand Prix in Sacramento, with both his parents present.
In 2018, Lu and Butch, received the Sacramento International Horse Show Lifetime Achievement Award; three years before that, they earned the USHJA’s Lifeetime Achievement Award. They always worked as a team..
Lu and Butch Thomas receiving their Lifetime Achievement Award. (McCool Photo)
Jimmy Lee, president of the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame, called Lu “an extremely talented rider.
“She showed many top horses at the highest level of competition. Lu was not only a brilliant hunter rider, but she did it with style and class. She was a very special person in and outside of the ring who set a great example of how it should be done, particularly for the youth in our sport to emulate.”
This week, Lu’s husband, offered a tribute to her:
“After four days of Lu’s passing, I’m finally game enough to give my insight on our lives together. She was the kindest, easiest woman a guy could live with- we’ve been married 54 years and 10 months, and I don’t remember ever having an argument. We must’ve had, but they were too small to remember.
“Not only a fantastic wife and my best friend, but a brilliant rider. She made every horse better. She could ride a hunter better than anyone in the country, but so humble she never thought she was any good. When I quit riding the jumpers, she said, “Can I try them?” She then became Rookie of the Year at age 59. She won many Grand Prixs and went to Geneva World Cup Finals.
“Lu spent her life worrying about others. She looked after her son, Guy, incredibly. And she always said to me – “I have three sons: Ilan Ferder, Mark Laskin and Guy. I have two daughters: Callie Layland and Natalie Dean.” She never stopped looking after them. She never made an enemy, she gave everyone the benefit of the doubt. If someone said something rude about her, she’d say, “They didn’t mean it.”
Lu loved animals- she’d be out in the stall bandaging Cody at 9pm because she wanted to be sure it was done properly. She’d say “They’re good to me, I’ve got to be good to them.”
From dogs, to horses, to humans- she enriched the lives of everyone she knew. From the bottom of her heart, Lu cared.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 26, 2025
Nearly 50 years after she made her debut on a pony at the Washington International Horse Show, Laura Kraut won its marquee President’s Cup Saturday night for the second time.
Aboard Tres Bien, she took on the Nick Granat-designed course with a key decision early in the route.
“I didn’t think that seven strides was possible from fences two to three, but Lillie Keenan did it right before I went, so I thought, ‘I’ll see how I jump fence two and give it a go,’ ” Laura reported.
“He grew wings to do that, because it was very far away, and I can’t believe he did it,” she said.
“Then, I just went as quick as I could go with him. He’s a handy horse. It was one of the reasons why I thought it would be good to bring him indoors, and he just tries really hard.”
Laura Kraut and Tres Bien at Washington (Shawn McMillen Photo)
She went through the timers in 40.83 seconds to top the eight-horse tiebreaker.Her closest rival was Ireland’s Daniel Coyle, second in 41.14 on Incredible.
Laura’s sponsor, St. Bride’s Farm, bought Tres Bien from British show jumper Tim Gredley, who also sold Imperial HBF to Michael Smith, a sponsor of Laura’s U.S. teammate, McLain Ward.
The $340,000 grand prix was a qualifier for next April’s FEI World Cup Final in Ft. Worth, Texas, and Laura, who turns 60 next month, hopes to be there. The Cup win gives her a leg up.
Washington has always been a “must” stop for Laura.
“I’ve come to Washington for many, many years, and I really feel like it’s one of the goals of the year, particularly in the United States, for everyone — jumpers, hunters, and equitation,” she said. “I hope that it stays that way. I think it’s a goal that every rider should look to work towards,” she said.
Daniel won the Leading International Rider title, while Laura was Leading Lady Rider. Tres Bien was the champion open international jumper.
The WIHS Equitation honors went to Olivia Sweetnam, while JJ Torano was second
Click here for results of the grand prix and here for results of the equitation.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 26, 2025
Boyd Martin and Cooley Nutcracker moved up from tenth place to third as the season’s last 5-Star event ended at Pau on Sunday.
New Zealand’s Tim Price won with the Dutchbred Jarillo, going from fourth in dressage to third after cross-country. He was then double-clear over the show jumping course designed by Yann Royant for the French event and finished with 30.9 penalties.
Great Britain’s Tom Jackson, thirty-first after dressage with Plot Twist B, improved his standing to eighth following a double-clear aboard the Irish Sport Horse on cross-country. He had no penalties in the show jumping to wind up second on 33.2 penalties after quite a climb through the ranks.
Boyd logged just 0.4 time penalties to make the podium aboard Cooley Nutcracker. His mount is the horse Liz Halliday rode in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Boyd took over part of her string of horses after she suffered a traumatic brain injury in a cross-country fall in August 2024. Liz was on the phone cheering for her horse and its rider as they show jumped.
Tenth after both dressage and cross-country, Boyd rose with 33.9 penalties in total. It was his second third-place finish in a row. He had the same result last weekend in the Maryland 5-Star with Commando 3. The second-best American was Cosby Green, eleventh with Highly Suspicious (39.7).
But Emily Hamel of the U.S. and Corvett set a record as the only horse-and-rider combination to complete all six of the 5-Stars in the Northern Hemisphere. (There is only one 5-Star in the Southerrn Hemisphere). Corvett, an 18-year-old Holsteiner by Corrido, was forty-second in dressage, and clear of jumping penalties with only 7.2 time penalties on cross-country to rise to twenty-fifth.
In show jumping, he produced one of only 10 clears to move up another 11 places to end in the fourteenth spot.
Sarah Bullimore of Great Britain, in first place after cross-country with 5-star debutante Corimiro, dropped to fifth, just 0.1 time penalties behind Tim Price and Happy Boy (34.2) after toppling a pole in show jumping and collecting 0.4 time penalties. Sarah wrapped up on 34.4 penalties.
The leader after dressage, Cannavaro, who was second following cross-country, was not re-presented after going to the hold box in the final horse inspection. Bubby Upton’s ride for Great Britain is 18 years old.
Oliver Townend’s great campaigner, Ballaghmor Class, finished twenty-first after a frangible pin penalty on cross-country and a difficult show jumping round. Another 18-year-old, this horse had three rails in the final segment to end on 50.3 penalties.
Click here for results.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 24, 2025
Barns, stables and related agricultural buildings have a distinctive tale to tell, wherever you can find them. They may be landmarks. Or perhaps they are hidden in plain sight; you just have to discover their charm.
A variety of these iconic structures will be on the Peapack & Gladstone, N.J., Historic Preservation Committee’s Barn Tour Nov. 15 (rain date is Nov. 16), highlighted by a visit to the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation’s stable.
The interior of the USET Foundation stable.
At the end of the tour, historian Barry Thomson will offer a talk about the landmark building, erected by financier and horse breeder James Cox Brady at Hamilton Farm in 1917.
During its era as a team training center, the USET stable was a base for some of the country’s most famous Olympic horses and riders. The trophy room will be open to visitors so they can see horse show ribbons from around the world and photos of competitors, such as show jumping medalists Frank Chapot and William Steinkraus
The USET Foundation stable still is the venue for competitions, such as the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search.
This is the first time since 2008 that the committee has offered an opportunity to visit these types of buildings in the Somerset County borough.
Admission is free. Those who want to take the self-guided tour must register at Liberty Park on Main Street, starting at 10:30 a.m., where they will receive a map and a route guide to the various stops. It will be available in print and a digital version.
The main part of the tour, which begins at 11 a.m., goes through 2 p.m. The opportunity to see the USET Foundation stable runs 2-4 p.m., with Barry’s talk taking place at 2:30 p.m.
Historian Barry Thomson will give a talk at the USET Foundation stable.
Margery Schiesswohl, the Historic Committee’s chairman, has worked for 30 years at Gill-St. Bernard’s School in Gladstone, where she is director of alumni relations. She takes special pride in knowing the history of the school and the property around it.
“That’s what got me interested into digging into the broader history of the town and connecting some of the dots,” Margery said.
“I like to know where we came from, so I can better understand where we’re going.”
She wants people to enjoy a new insight they can take from the tour.
“I hope that people walk away with a better understanding of the fundamental foundation of our community, which was farming and agriculture. It was a community of business and growth and people.”
Tour-goers will be “hearing stories about not just the structure, but imagining the people who lived here. It wasn’t a museum. It was a community,” she pointed out.
The Tiger family was one of the pillars of that community, where John Jacob Tiger bought a farm in 1862. His son, Ellis Tiger, was a co-founder of the Peapack-Gladstone Bank.
The five-level Tiger lower barn, which once housed dairy cows, will be on the tour. Its posts and beams are American chestnut, a now-extinct variety of tree. It was constructed before Tiger purchased it, as there is evidence that it was rebuilt and expanded around 1855. The cows are believed to have grazed in fields across the street that are now part of Natirar, a county park.
The barn is owned by Stephan Yelenik, the lead person on the barn tour subcommittee. He called the tour “a real juxtaposition between working farms and the Gilded Era” from a historic standpoint.
“The overriding message we want to send is you’re going to get to see some fancy stuff and some working stuff, and some fancy stuff that was working.”
Discussing his barn, he said, “Everybody drives past it every day, coming and going from Peapack & Gladstone. I don’t think there’s anybody who doesn’t know our barn and saw the renovations through the years,” said Stephan, who has owned the property for 21 years.
The old Tiger barn on Main Street in Peapack.
He rescued what had been a structurally unsound building and spent six years restoring it. Now it’s so sound that he believes, “it will be there for another couple hundred years.”
A second Tiger barn on the tour is on Mendham Road. At one time, it was a tack shop run by Doris Tiger Studer. Later, Tom Rossiter had his classic cars “stabled” there.
Another familiar name in the area is Melick. Andrew Mellick Jr. (who spelled his name with two L’s) wrote the classic account of local rural life in the 18th Century, published in 1889, “The Story of an Old Farm.” His farmhouse, now a private residence, is not on the tour.
The old grist mill.
However, the neighboring mill barn, alongside Peapack Brook, and its corn crib will be one of the stops.
