by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 10, 2025
Laura Kraut’s victory on Bisquetta with the only clear round in the Rolex Grand Prix of Ireland Sunday was more than just a fantastic American triumph.
The fact that a 59-year-old grandmother captured the feature on the last day of the illustrious Dublin Horse Show was an accomplishment not only for a woman (just 19 females now have won the class since 1934) but more importantly, for someone who redefines statistically what it means to be a competitor in her prime.
She gives new meaning to that famous catchline from a 1971 hair color commercial, “You’re not getting older, you’re getting better!”
“I just can’t put into words how thrilling this is. This is one of the best shows in the world and to win it at my age, I’m pretty excited,” Laura enthused, as the crowd roared its approval of that thought.
The course designed by the masterful Alan Wade for the $582,000 class on the grass field at the Royal Dublin Society Showgrounds heightened the suspense minute by minute, as the best riders in the world toppled fences all around the 14-obstacle route.
A delighted Laura Kraut and Bisquetta finish their winning round. (US Equestrian photo)
The last line of a 1.55 high, 2-meter-wide triple bar five strides (or in one case, six strides) from an oxer-vertical double combination, with a big swing toward the final oxer caught 15 riders. It was a heartbreak for Mexico’s Eugenio Garza Perez, fault free on Contago until the last, only to topple a rail at the 1.53 meter high and 1.70 wide jump.
But faults were well distributed around the route, which meant no one could take any portion of it for granted.
As the first round neared its conclusion with no clears, it appeared there might be a jump-off of 11 4-faulters. Then came Laura, next-to-last in the order, on the 11-year-old Zangersheide mare by Bisquet Balou that she had been saving for this class.
Her perfectly judged and beautifully ridden effort drew a heartfelt reaction from the fans. All that was left to end the suspense was the appearance of Ireland’s Trevor Breen, whose brother, Shane, had won the trophy in 2019. Trevor’s attempt to make a tiebreaker was over early at the first fence of the 4ABC triple combination, guaranteeing Laura the highest spot on the podium.
“I have an unbelievable horse in Bisquetta. She was just spot-on and I didn’t mess it up for her, so here we are. This definitely goes in the record books for me. To come back this year and have this happen is just thrilling,” said Laura, who was overjoyed to claim her first Rolex watch as a prize, after finishing second last month in the Rolex grand prix at Aachen, Germany.
“I’ve been waiting to win one of these for a long, long time,” said Laura, the highest-ranked woman on the Longines FEI standings at number 18..
On a more serious note, she commented, “To win anything on an international stage like this when you’re representing your country, it just gets you. It’s what we live for, it’s what we work for. It’s just like a dream come true.”
Laura and Bisquetta at the Rolex wall.
Laura was coached by her partner, Nick Skelton, a five-time winner of the Dublin class before he retired.
“I had a good feeling this morning,” said Nick
“That mare’s been knocking on the door she’s a great mare. She’s really careful and she’s a real trier.”
That applies to Laura as well.
“She is 24/7,” Nick reported.
“If there’s a show tomorrow morning, she’ll be at it. She’s a workaholic and she deserved it.”
Asked for his opinion of the route, Nick said, “This is one of the great grands prix in the world. Alan Wade built a brilliant course; you needed scope, carefulness, rideability and he put it all in that one round and got a great result.”
As he reflected on the course he built, Alan said, ““I don’t think I’d have done anything different. The time was comfortable and you couldn’t say we were forcing them into mistakes. Maybe some will think we should have had 10 in the jump-off, but with lighter material you can get softer faults. Sometimes you get one or two go clear, or I’ve had it go all the way up to 17. It’s not an exact science and you have to be fair to the horses and the occasion.”
Nick Skelton, in the dark grey vest, and Robert Ridland, second from right, watch tensely as Laura jumps the course.
Second place went to the fastest 4-faulter, Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa with the Irish-bred Major Tom, who had a rail at B of the triple. Third was Ireland’s own Shane Sweetnam on James Kann Cruz, with a knockdown at the third fence, a 1.60-meter-wide oxer over a liverpool. There was speculation that if Shane had gone later in the start list, instead of second, he might have profited more from watching others ride.
But it’s interesting to note that in addition to the American victory, all three of the top finishers are based in the U.S.
“Winning the grand prix at Dublin is on a par with winning the Aga Khan. We missed the Aga Khan,” said U.S. Coach Robert Ridland, referring to his team’s fourth-place finish Friday in the Nations Cup.
“This is one of the great trophies in sport and for Laura to do it on a day when there was only one clean was pretty amazing.”
Someone had texted Robert near the end of the class, expressing concern about the fact that no one had gone clean and noting, “the course is winning.”
Winner Laura Kraut with runner-up Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil, left, and Shane Sweetnam of Ireland, who was third.
But Ridland replied to the texter, “This is great, because it’s fewer horses for Laura to jump off against and zero horses to jump off against is as few as you can get.”
Commenting on Alan’s course, he said, “It was a rider’s course and had to be ridden correctly all the way around. No one problem was overly difficult or unfair, but there were a lot of places where you could have a rail.”
When he walked the course, he said, “I thought it was one of the best courses of the year. Alan is a master of using all the technical tests combined with his familiarity of the characteristics and slope gradients of the arena.
“Not all horses and/or riders are always on their game…Laura was. Not only did Bisquetta jump great, but Laura mastered the track to perfection. It indeed was a flawless ride.”
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 5, 2025
London. Vienna. Rome.
Liberty State Park?
How does a New Jersey park wind up on the same page of the Longines Global Champions Tour website with some of the world’s greatest cities that have hosted its show jumping competitions?
It’s all about the vista — because the park has a great view of the Statue of Liberty and New York skyline. A presence in the Manhattan area is important to the international jumping competition, which is why the GCT is scheduled to host a show at the park Sept. 19-21.
Among the many accomplished riders who are regulars at GCT competitions are Olympic multi-gold medalist Ben Maher of Great Britain; current individual gold medalist Christian Kukuk of Germany, world champion Henrik von Eckermann of Sweden and the USA’s Jessica Springsteen, who grew up in New Jersey,
The last time GCT was staged in the New York metro area, its show was a half-mile south of Manhattan at Governor’s Island, reachable only by ferry, a situation that made it inconvenient at best.
Liberty State Park and its vista.
Liberty State Park is easier to access, which means there is great demand for tickets to the competition. The Sunday, which features the grand prix, is a sellout except for some VIP opportunities, but tickets in both the covered and uncovered stands, as well as the lounge, are still available for the Friday and Saturday shows that also include 5-star jumping.
Six-person and eight-person tables in VIP for all three days are on sale at $16,633.50 and $22,178 respectively.
For tickets, click here.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 6, 2025
An investigation of allegations that dressage trainer/rider Cesar Parra “repeatedly and deliberately subjected the majority, if not all, of the horses he owned and trained to recurring and serious abuse over a number of years,” has resulted in a record suspension of 15 years from the FEI (international equestrian federation).
Parra, a native of Colombia who became an American citizen and competed internationally for both countries, had been the subject of disciplinary proceedings since May 22, 2024 on charges of abuse of horse, conduct that brings the FEI and/or equestrian sport and the FEI into disrepute and breach of the FEI Code of Conduct on the Welfare of the Horse.
“This case is deeply unsettling, not only because of the recurring nature of the abuse, but also because of the number of horses affect-ed,” FEI Legal Director Mikael Rentsch said.
“That such behavior came from a top-level athlete makes it all the more troubling. Our athletes are expected to represent and uphold the highest standards of horsemanship. Horse welfare is the foundation, not an add-on, of equestrian sport”
He noted, ““The investigation demanded significant time and resources due to the volume and complexity of the evidence, which had to be meticulously verified. The 15-year suspension sends a clear message that regardless of profile or position, those who violate the principles of horse welfare will face serious consequences.”
Cesar Parra on a victory lap. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Parra’s suspension, which lasts until 2039, when he would be 75 years old, is five years longer than the previous record of 10 years for the use of electric spurs by U.S. show jumper Andrew Kocher.
However, Parra said he will appeal his case to the Court of Arbitration for Sport, contending, “We need a better system that relies on facts. I accept some guilt, even though the reasons are questionable.”
He added, “But other stuff, it is …fabricated.” Parra suggested there also were some “false accusations.”
Parra noted, “I can see a suspension, I can see okay, excessive whip, whatever. I agree, things have to change bit.”
But in terms of the offenses with which he is charged, he maintained, “that’s something you see three months, six months, a year, a year and a half. Fifteen years, I think, is exaggerated.
“I feel very sad and remorseful. Okay, there is stuff I should have not done I did, passion to help a client with a horse. Now one of the horses in question is winning everything in Mexico. He was tough.”
Parra said he invited representatives of the USEF and FEI to inspect the horses in his barn, but they didn’t come. So he asked the Palm Beach County Sheriff’s Department to take a look.
“They were aware of the issue and they came. They didn’t find anything.”
The investigation into Parra’s conduct, launched in coordination with the U.S. Equestrian Federation, involved a review of video and photographic material, as well as multiple witness statements. In addition to the suspension, he was fined $18,589 and ordered to pay more than $12,000 in legal costs.
Parra had been based in New Jersey and Florida. His New Jersey farm was sold and the operation in Jupiter, Fla.,is for sale. He rode for Colombia at the Pan American Games in 1999, the Olympic Games in Athens in 2004, the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in 2002 and 2006, and the FEI World Cup™ Final in 2005.
After his 2008 switch in nationality, he rode for the U.S. at the 2011 Pan American Games and FEI World Cup™ Final in 2014.
Cesar Parara in 2021. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
According to the FEI General Regulations (Article 164.6) during a suspension, the person cannot take part in any competition or event and/or in any activities related to any competition or event, as an athlete, support personnel and/or official or in the organization of any competition or event under the jurisdiction of the FEI or any competition or event under the jurisdiction of a national federation in ac-cordance with the statutes or in any FEI and/or national federation-related activity. Persons are entitled to train their own horses at their own facilities or at private facilities.
When USEF received horse welfare complaints against Parra in early 2024 and he was provisionally suspended in February of that year, the Federation did not have a rule allowing it to take action on welfare issues outside of sanctioned competitions. So USEF referred the matter to the FEI, which did have a rule allowing it to undertake an investigation. Since then, the USEF board passed GR838, which expands the Federation’s jurisdiction to unethical treatment that occurs on or off the grounds of a Federation competition.
“As a federation, we have strengthened our rules to ensure we are within our jurisdiction to pursue disciplinary action for behavior and actions endangering horse safety and welfare, both on and off competition grounds. Parra’s documented and repeated behavior has no place in our sport, and we will ensure the enforcement of the FEI Tribunal’s decision. We appreciate the FEI’s diligence and expertise in pursuing this matter,” said USEF CEO Bill Moroney.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 8, 2025
Despite a bravura performance from McLain Ward and Callas, the U.S. just missed the podium in the Dublin Horse Show’s Nations Cup, where a victory would have meant its second year in a row taking the coveted Aga Khan trophy.
McLain was one of only seven riders to go double clear Friday over the course designed by Alan Wade for the eight-country lineup at the jam-packed Royal Dublin Society showgrounds. But the victorious Dutch had three riders achieve that double-clear mark of success. Their fourth rider on an inexperienced horse was the drop score in both rounds, so they were able to finish with zero penalties.
Harrie Smolders leads the way in the Dutch victory gallop.
Even with a marvelous final clear trip from new European Champion Richie Vogel on Cloudio, the Germans settled for second on 4 penalties, with former world champion event Sandra Auffarth leaving all the rails in place on Quirichi H during both her outings, following a fall in the warm-up area before her first round.
The Irish had a 4-fault total in a slower time than the Germans to take the remaining spot on the podium. But what was exciting for that team was double-clears from their young riders, Tom Wachman (Tabasco de Toxandria Z) and Seamus Hughes Kennedy (ESI Rocky). There’s the show jumping future for that nation right there.
The Netherlands’ Wout Jan van der Schans, in his first season as chef d’equipe, appropriately wore both a traditional Dutch orange tie and a broad smile as he celebrated his team’s second major triumph of the summer.
The stands in Dublin are always packed for the Nations Cup.
“We were the whole week planning to win the Aga Khan this year,” said Wout Jan, who also helmed a Longines League of Nations victory in Rotterdam during June.
“We did it with three double-clear rounds. What can you have better?”
He saluted the perfect performances of Kevin Jochems (Camilla van de Helle) and William Greve with the magnficent Grandorado TN N NOP) but the chef had special words for his anchor man, Harrie Smolders (Mr. Tac). If Harrie had toppled a rail, there would have been a three-way jump-off among those who eventually wound up on the podium. But the Dutch claimed the gold trophy free and clear.
“With Harrie, he’s such a cool head, you can build on him,” Wout Jan said. It was the third time his nation had taken the title; the other wins were 1999 and 2010.
“It was way too long ago that we won here, so we had to change that,” said Harrie.
“We had some horses that were jumping incredible, so it came all to us today.”
Harrie Smolders, the man of the hour for the Dutch.
For the U.S., which finished on 8 penalties, Aaron Vale — winner of two major grands prix since May with Carissimo 25 — was on Styles for a clear in the first round, but 8 penalties in the second as rails fell at the two final fences.
Alex Matz, son of Olympic veteran Michael Matz, had a rail on his initial trip and a foot on the tape at the water in the second round with Ikigai. Laura Kraut, the highest-ranked woman on the Longines standings at number 18, was clear in the first round with Tres Bien Z but dropped the back rail on the triple bar three fences from the end of the course.
U.S. Coach Robert Ridland looked at the big picture and called it “a good day, just not a great day, just missing the podium.
“I was okay to be right behind the Irish in Dublin, but only if they won! So it’s their fault, that they were third.”
McLain Ward and Callas. (US Equestrian photo)
Putting the class in perspective, he noted, “We had two young horses in their first Nations Cup (Styles and Tres Bien) and they proved to be more than up to the task…two promising horses for the future. Alex Matz in his first major Nations Cup was solid, and of course, McLain does what McLain does.”
Click here for team results and here for individual results
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 8, 2025
Matt Morrissey, who has worked in show management with his father, Michael Morrissey and late uncle, Gene Mische, has been named general manager of the Desert International Horse Park. He is also a founder of the Major League Show Jumping series.
The facility previously was led by CEO Steve Hankin, who was bought out by the venue’ s three other partners last month. (to read that story click here)
In announcing Morrissey’s appointment, the Horse Park statement said he “will provide strategic leadership and will reinforce DIHP’s commitment to providing world-class competition as the premier equestrian destination on the West Coast.”
The facility hosts 19 weeks of competition from October through April. The show management team of Pat Boyle, Phil Devita, Ashley Keeler, Skyler Brittner, Lori Hill, David Runk, Duncan Peters and Joe Wilson will stay in place.
“This team’s extensive experience in producing world-class equestrian events and their deep understanding of what makes venues successful will be invaluable as we continue to build the equestrian sport on the West Coast and provide opportunities for our athletes to compete at the highest levels,” said DIHP partner Jeremy Smith..
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 5, 2025
Mary Anne McPhail, a visionary who did so much to boost dressage in the U.S., has died at the age of 92.
“She was incredible; worked tirelessly to promote and support a sport that was not well-known,” former U.S.. Dressage Federation President Ellin Dixon Miller said on social media.
“The growth of dressage that occurred during her lifetime can, to a huge extent, be attributed to her. Mary Anne was instrumental in creating the Florida circuit. It created multiple shows at the international level, encouraged Europeans to come to us, and the best of the U.S. to unite and compete in one location.”
Mary Anne McPhail, doing what she enjoyed.
Devoted to the Dressage Foundation, where she was a volunteer committee member for more than 20 years, Mary Anne and her husband established the Mary Anne and Walter McPhail Judge Education Fund to provide support for the U.S. Dressage Federation’s judge education initiative.
“Mary Anne was one-of-a kind when it came to wisdom, kindness and generosity. Her impact on U.S. dressage has been profound throughout many years because she was never afraid to think big,” said a statement from the Dressage Foundation.
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The U.S. Dressage Federation noted, “Mary Anne’s legacy will live on through all who knew and loved her, and through her generosity of spirit that will continue to positively impact and benefit the dressage community for years to
come.”
She also backed top riders Robert Dover and Olivia Lagoy-Weltz when they were involved in international competition.
A longtime host and executive director of the Palm Beach Dressage Derby, she lived in Loxahatchee, Fla., and Michigan, where she founded the Mary Anne McPhail Dressage Chair in Equine Sports Medicine at Michigan State University.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 1, 2025
So what’s next for California’s Desert International Horse Park and its former CEO Steve Hankin, who parted ways this week?
Three partners in the venture bought out Hankin and his wife, Lisa. The couple was the fourth partner in the group that six years ago purchased a long-term lease on 240 acres where the HITS Thermal show had been held previously.
The Desert International Horse Park show will continue, and there are plans for a major expansion and development in years to come at another property just down the road.
Palms and mountains provide the backdrop at Desert International Horse Park. (Photo DIHP)
The break-up raised questions, however, because the show had developed into an incredibly successful fixture, attracting a following not only in the West, but also drawing prominent riders from the East Coast and Europe.
Hankin would say only that, “Whether the partners got along or not is not relevant to the people in the industry. It’s obvious we didn’t and the partnership failed. I think it’s disappointing for the industry that it did. I think what was accomplished in the last five or six years was really remarkable.”
But the details of the break-up aren’t important to those who come to the shows, he pointed out.
“What they care about is that we built something that wasn’t there before, we raised the level of the sport and that we cared about horses,” said Hankin, mentioning he got more than 100 messages after word was out about his departure.
Riders such as Kent Farrington came from the East to compete at DIHP. (Photo DIHP)
Hankin also will be missed by Michael Stone, president of Wellington International, which hosts Florida’s Winter Equestrian Festival.
“I was very disappointed to see he was going,” said Stone.
“He was really a leader to make change and elevate the level in California, which ultimately helps everybody. The higher the level, everybody gets better. You don’t sit on your laurels.
“Having him there was definitely beneficial for the sport in general,” Stone pointed out, noting he and Hankin worked closely when Covid hit.
“We had to come up with ways of being able to get back open as fast as we could. With the EHV (Equine Herpes) outbreak, we worked on that closely too. Good to have a like-minded person on the West Coast really driving the standards out there.”
As for Hankin’s future, he will stay in both the industry and California, his home for 11 years.
“I’m 100 percent not done,” said Hankin, who plans to move on with other projects.
Meanwhile, the remaining DIHP partners, Jeremy and Christina Smith, Rob Meadows and Catherine Harvey, are pursuing a vision of their own on 640 acres that will host the horse show and a development, part of a package called Thermal Ranch. But the show will continue to be called Desert International Horse Park.
It all starts with the leadline. (Photo DIHP)
The new land is being used to grow carrots at the moment and the project is still in the approvals process with the city and county.
“We have no interest in pushing it hard until it’s being built,” Jeremy Smith said about the project, located a short canter from the present facility. The best case scenario would be for the showgrounds to open in October 2029.
“It’s a big project, but we think it’s the future of show jumping on the West Coast,” he continued, adding that it will be 30 percent larger than the current showgrounds.
“We really want to build a permanent home for the horse park that is sustainable, to own your own facility and control your own destiny,” said Smith, who has been in the crafts business and now can add the word “developer” to his resume.
“It’s $100 million to build a show and do it right,” he said, explaining the only way to make the books balance is by constructing homes, hotel rooms and commercial opportunities in and around it as well.
That means “taking a big swing and having a big enough show to make it work.”
He pointed out that while the lease on the current showgrounds is long term, “in 20 years, if it (the land) were needed for anything else, there would be no place to go because development would have happened around it. Where development happens, horses always get pushed out.”
The current facility is aging with “old infrastructure…a hard beast to keep going,” said Smith, who cited all the benefits of a purpose-built venue. The layout for stables and rings will be convenient, and an indoor arena that can host FEI World Cup qualifiers is also part of the vision.
Harvey mentioned that on the current property “The way it’s lined up, you have tractors in the same aisle ways as horses and bicyclists and golf carts We would like to line things out in a much safer way, where those two don’t overlap; have a more efficient use of space and really create a proper center where your grand prix arena and grand hunter arena are and everything else revolves around it.”
That would be “as opposed to our (current) property, it’s (the rings) at one end and the barns are at the opposite ends of the property and the grass field is even at the farthest end of the property.”
The new acreage “would give us more space to do whatever needs to be done,” Harvey said.
As Smith noted, “Being able to build a brand new modern facility that’s perfect for horses as well as guests who can actually come and watch and is safe all around, it will be a breath of fresh air and a dream for all of us.”
Having homes around a showgrounds is a model that started in Wellington, and was done in a more modular way at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Fla., and TerraNova, east of Sarasota, Fla.
“We’ve learned a lot over the years and we’re still learning,” said Smith, who envisions people living so close they can take a golf cart over to the venue “and socialize around the horse show instead of just going home at night.”
Socializing is a big part of DIHP’s charm. (Photo DIHP)
The current facility will still be used after the new one is built, but it can have offerings beyond hunter/jumper competition.
Options are dressage, western, low-level hunters and jumpers with no braiding, “the possibility of three day shows with lesser entry fees. How do we lower the bar to have people come in and try it out?” said Smith.
“We’ve got to make it (showing) as accessible as possible, knowing that’s it still expensive,” he commented, pointing out that growing the base is key to keep the sport strong.
The partners aren’t seeking another CEO, but they haven’t made a decision yet about who will be heading up the team at the park.
“I think Steve did a lot and I think asking anyone to do his entire job isn’t necessarily what we want to do,” Smith said.
“We’ll split that up a little bit. There’s enough for a couple of people in there. I’ll take a lot of the business end of it with the team. We all like to be involved in the business. You don’t buy a horse show for an investment, you don’t build a horse park for an investment.
“You do this because you want to be involved in it and you like the business and you enjoy this. We want it to be fun. It’s really exciting for us. But we have no intention of jumping in and running everything.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 7, 2025
A property in Sussex County, N.J. has been quarantined after one horse developed highly infectious equine herpes myeloencephalopathy (EHM).
The horse, a 20-year-old mare, developed acute clinical signs Aug. 3, and was euthanized. A week earlier, another horse on the property had similar neurological signs and was euthanized without diagnostic testing. EHM, often deadly, is the neurologic form of Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1) infection.
The remaining horse on the premises are under quarantine and being monitored. No horses from the property, which is in an undisclosed location, have been moved, making the risk of disease spread very low.
“The department took swift action to prevent the disease from spreading to other horses by enacting a quarantine, which stops movement of horses in and out of the properties and puts in place preventive measures to contain the virus,” said state Secretary of Agriculture Edward Wengryn.
The EHV-1 organism spreads quickly from horse to horse and can cause respiratory problems, especially in young horses and spontaneous abortions in pregnant mares. The neurologic form of the virus can result in death. The incubation period of EHV-1 is typically two to 10 days.
Clinical signs include respiratory disease, fever, nasal discharge, depression, cough, lack of appetite, and/or enlarged lymph nodes. In horses infected with the neurologic strain of EHV-1, clinical signs typically include mild incoordination, hind-end weakness/paralysis, loss of bladder and tail function, and loss of sensation to the skin in the hind end.
The virus spreads readily through direct contact with infected materials. The virus is endemic in the country and although highly infectious, it does not persist in the environment for an extended period and is neutralized by hand soap, alcohol-based hand sanitizers, and sunlight. The virus does not affect humans and other domestic animals, except for other Equidae and Camelids (llamas and alpacas).
The NJDA Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory is available to assist veterinarians with the EHV-1 testing. For contact information, go to the lab website: www.jerseyvetlab.nj.gov. Owners should consult with their veterinarian prior to taking any action, as the clinical signs of infection with the neurological form of EHV-1 (EHM) are common to many other diseases. EHM is a reportable disease in New Jersey. If an owner has a horse exhibiting neurologic signs or suspects Equine Herpes, they are directed to call their veterinarian immediately.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 31, 2025
The man who led the Desert International Horse Park in its transformation as a California venue to be reckoned with has been bought out of the partnership that purchased the venue six years ago.
In his farewell statement Wednesday night, DIHP CEO Steve Hankin said, “it is with considerable sadness that we, Lisa (his wife) and I, are announcing the end of our involvement with the Desert International Horse Park. It took a lot of people to get to where we are today. We have an incredible team and I owe all of them an enormous thanks. That thanks extends to not only to the individuals that make the show happen in the office and at the rings that you see every day, but also the extended teams that are essential to doing what we do so well.”
There were many who wondered why Steve would want to get so involved in making the former HITS Thermal a destination for not only West Coast riders, but also East Coast and European stars.
His answer was simple: “Because it has always been about the sport.”
He cited the passion he and Lisa shared that has always been grounded in a love for horses and a desire to help build the sport, at all levels, for everyone.”
McLain Ward, a member of DIHP’s Major League Show Jumping team, paid tribute to the former CEO on social media, saying, “Steve you did an incredible job and brought the world of Showjumping to the desert!”
Because of DIHP’s success, Steve’s departure is a bit of a headscratcher. But on the same evening as his farewell, the venue announced a change in ownership as of that date.
“The current ownership group, consisting of the Smith, Meadows, and Harvey families, has completed the acquisition of the remaining ownership interest formerly held by Steve and Lisa Hankin.
“We are deeply grateful to Steve and Lisa for their vision, leadership, and unwavering commitment over the past six years. Under their guidance, DIHP has evolved from a venue in need of significant transformation into a world-class destination for equestrian sport.
“Their efforts, particularly during the unprecedented challenges of the human and horse crises of the last five years, were instrumental in establishing the Horse Park as a premier venue enjoyed by trainers, exhibitors, vendors, and spectators from around the globe.
“We thank Steve and Lisa for their dedication to our mission and their many contributions to elevating the sport on the West Coast. Their impact on DIHP and the equestrian community will be lasting.”
So why did it happen? A deeper explanation will have to wait for another day.
No new CEO was named in the ownership group’s statement, which continued, “Looking forward, the ownership group remains committed to building on this strong foundation. The current staff — who many of you know and work closely with — are already hard at work preparing for the upcoming season. We’re excited to share more updates soon, including new improvements to the facility and developments shaping the future of DIHP.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 29, 2025
Cecile Hetzel Dunn was an ecumenical horsewoman, whose efforts benefited a variety of breeds, from Arabians to Friesians, Andalusians to saddlebreds.
She spent decades serving the entire horse industry, working as a licensed official and volunteering with a variety of governing bodies. Cecile was a mainstay of the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s board of directors. She served as a founding member of that panel after the organization succeeded the old American Horse Shows Association.
A recipient of the federation’s Lifetime Achievement Award, she died Saturday at the age of 89.
Cecile Hetzel Dunn and the USEF’s David O’Connor.
Cecile rode a pony on her family’s Arabian farm before she could walk and became a skilled competitor who went on to devote her life to equestrian sport and education.
After graduating from Stephens College in Missouri, she worked at Northwestern State University to develop its equestrian studies program. She returned to Stephens as a professor and director of their Equestrian Department.
Moving on to Salem International University, she developed its Equine Careers and Industry Management degree program, as well as a horsemanship teaching certification program. As a professor and coach, she inspired young equestrians by helping them set realistic goals and guiding them.
She went to her first AHSA convention in the late 1950s (she wasn’t quite sure of the year) at the posh Breakers hotel in Palm Beach.
“I thought I was in fairyland,” she said, recalling how her eyes lit up when seeing the jewels and sparkling floor-length gowns worn at the social events that once were a key part of the convention in a very different era.
Those were the days when it was “100 percent” about who you knew. For instance, she told me that after a saddlebred trainer for whom she worked wanted her to judge a horse show, he simply called a friend at the AHSA office and asked that Cecile be given a judge’s card–even though she had no training in that area.
The only question asked was whether she was 21. When her age was confirmed, Cecile got her card.
Things are different today, of course, and Cecile served17 years on USEF’s Licensed Officials Committee, among other committees that furthered the mission of the federation. She officiated for 49 years, working as a steward as well as a judge. Among the judges’ cards she held were those for Andalusian/Lusitano, Connemara, Friesian, National Show Horse, Welsh and Western.
Cecile also was a founding member of the Arabian Horse Association and served as the Region 6 Director and on various AHA committees.
She was married to the late Norman Dunn, who also was active with USEF. They are survived by two daughters, Martha Rattner and Merri Murdock-Krehl.
In lieu of flowers, Cecile’s family has requested that donations be made to the Arabian Horsemen’s Distress Fund in her memory. For information, go to: https://www.horsemensdistressfund.com/
