by Nancy Jaffer | May 7, 2026
Wizard, the Oldenburg who was Adrienne Lyle’s mount for an Olympics and the World Equestrian Games, has passed away in retirement at age 27.
Adrienne Lyle and Wizard in the 2012 World Dressage Masters.
Adrienne, who went from Debbie McDonald’s working student to her assistant before going out on her own, paid tribute to the indomitable Wizard on social media, saying of the son of Weltmeyer, “Rest easy big boy. You were larger than life and I loved you, and your many opinions, fiercely.
“I will never forget the day Debbie first let me ride you in the jumper ring at River Grove. You were young and fiery and powerful, and I was in love. Because the Thomas family (who sponsored both Debbie and Adrienne) and the McDonalds chose to take a chance on a young girl from a farm in Washington State, my life was changed forever.
“Together, you and I learned the Grand Prix, became the U25 National Champions and went on to represent the USA at the 2012 Olympics and 2014 World Equestrian Games.
“You always kept life exciting and kept me laughing, while teaching me every day how to tame a dragon with love and patience. I hope Heaven knows what they are in for when you come charging through the gates.”
by Nancy Jaffer | May 7, 2026
What happens to race horses when their career at the track ends? That’s a question which is getting more attention these days — as it should.
There are opportunities for a new start in the show ring, pleasure riding and therapeutic work, among others. Sadly, not all possibilities are good ones. But when a horse finds a special vocation, that draws attention to the possibilities.
And Kelly, part of the New York City mounted police unit, is now the poster horse for that. The stalwart harness racing retiree, adopted through the Cream Ridge, N.J.,-based Standardbred Retirement Foundation, made headlines recently when he and his teammate, officer Kyle McLaughlin, galloped down West 72nd Street to apprehend a purse-snatcher.
Kelly and his partner, Detective Kyle McLaughlin
Kelly, who raced as EP Great Drive, was renamed in memory of a narcotics officer who died in the line of duty. The horse spent six months being retrained by SRF before heading to the New York department. McLaughlin, who was promoted to the rank of detective after the incident, said of his mount, “He’s got my back and I have his.”
Although Kelly is the smallest horse in the unit, he has great heart.
“He is a mush with everyone, but at the end of the day, don’t challenge him, because he will step up to the plate,” the detective said.
This summer, police horses working at the World Cup at the Meadowlands will include SRF horses adopted by New Jersey’s state police Mounted Unit. Many of these horses were rescued by SRF from the slaughter pipeline and given a second chance at life and purpose.
In recent years, 22 SRF horses have been adopted into police units. These horses need to be calm, able to handle noise, crowds, and traffic; load easily into trailers; enjoy interacting with the public; demonstrate intelligence and have good manners. Standardbreds, known for their affable disposition, fill the bill.
SRF relies on adoption donations to support the nearly 500 horses under its care and expense and to continue rescuing trotters and pacers from the risk of slaughter. While placement in law enforcement homes represents an outstanding outcome, many police units lack the budget to contribute an adoption donation at the time of placement. To learn more about SRF, click on this link.
by Nancy Jaffer | May 4, 2026
Sheila Tweedie, trustee emeritus of Mane Stream in Oldwick, N.J., passed away May 2.
For more than half a century, she had been involved with Mane Stream and its predecessor, Somerset Hills Handicapped Riders Club in Bedminster, N.J.
Trish Hegeman, Mane Stream’s executive director, said those involved with the organization are “saddened by the loss of Sheila Tweedie. A vital volunteer since our founding in 1972, Sheila served as a member of the board of directors from 1998-2014.
“We are grateful for everything she contributed to Mane Stream over the years, helping to ensure that hundreds of children and adults with special needs were able to access Mane Stream’s important programs.”
Mrs. Tweedie once recalled how she began her relationship with Mane Stream, which has a mission “to improve the quality of life for individuals with physical, developmental, emotional, and medical challenges through a diverse program of equine assisted activities, therapy services, and educational initiatives.”
Sheila Tweedie
She was waiting in her car for her son, Craig while he was volunteering at SHHRC, when its founder, Octavia Brown, knocked on her window.
“Craig had told Octavia that I was a pediatric nurse and an equestrian, and she needed help, so I was drafted to be a substitute sidewalker. The next week, Octavia sent my son out to ask for help again.”
Mrs. Tweedie continued, “When winter came and lessons ended until spring, Octavia told us (volunteers Sandy Dota, Judy Marpet and Natalie Gallagher) that we needed to become official instructors before riding lessons started back up in the spring.”
The four women spent the next eight weeks at Octavia’s kitchen table, learning all the material provided by the North American Riding for the Handicapped Association (now PATH International).
One of Mrs. Tweedie’s favorite early memories of Mane Stream was the one-week summer program that SHHRC offered at the Hunterdon Developmental Center near Clinton, N.J.
“Each summer, we would trailer over two horses and we would give 20-minute rides for three hours, right along Route 78. There was a groundhog den underneath the mounting area, which also made things interesting,” she recalled.
“The whole setup was rustic but extremely rewarding. We were told by the caregivers and nurses that the residents were more aware and brighter in spirit after these short rides. And these benefits lasted for more than just the day. After providing this summer service for five years, the school was finally able to arrange transportation for their residents to attend weekly lessons at the SHHRC facility.”
A long-time instructor, Mrs. Tweedie joined the Mane Stream board and over the years, she held every officer position, including president. She remained an active board member until 2014. In addition to giving her time, Mrs. Tweedie and her husband, John, also supported Mane Stream through their donations over the years, helping to build the organization into what it is today. Shea co-chaired many fundraising events over the years, helping to raise much-needed funds and spread the word about Mane Stream’s programs.
In 1994, having outgrown its space, Mane Stream purchased its current home, a 12-acre farm. Mrs. Tweedie was part of the capital campaign to fund the new facility, as well as a key part of the crew who helped to bring it to life. She, along with many other staff and board members, picked up paintbrushes and hammers to help create the facility. As she says, it was a labor of love knowing that at the new farm, the organization would be able to serve more participants.
In addition to her volunteer work for Mane Stream, she was a long-time member of the Far Hills Borough Council, and also served on both the planning board and board of health.
In addition, she was a president of HRH of NJ (Health and Recreation through Horses of New Jersey). She also was the secretary and one of the founders of the National Fjord Horse Rescue Network. Mrs.Tweedie fell in love with Fjords through her work at Mane Stream and bred Fjords at her farm in Far Hills.
by Nancy Jaffer | May 6, 2026
A little more than a month after winning the $1 million Rolex US Equestrian Open Grand Prix and the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final, the USA’s Kent Farrington was promoted to world number one in the Longines rankings, overtaking Britain’s Scott Brash, who held the top spot for three months.
Kent Farrington and Greya.
“Of course, I’m incredibly excited to be back at world number one. It’s a great honor for me and my entire team, who make this possible with an exceptional group of horses,” said Kent.
“I’m truly grateful to ride such amazing horses and to work alongside such a talented group of people. With such a strong field of competitors, I look forward to the continued battles in the sport.”
He previously held the top spot for a year from May 2017, and then reclaimed the Longines world number one armband in May last year from Sweden’s long-time leader Henrik von Eckermann. Kent held onto it for nine months until relegated by Scott in February and now, with 3,511 points and his string of incredible horses peaking at just the right moment, he is back in charge.
Scott, who has headed the Longines rankings three times in a storied career that includes two Olympic gold medals, has 3,492 points, 19 behind of Kent and 254 ahead of Germany’s 2025 European champion, Richie Vogel, still third on 3,238. Tokyo 2020 Olympics individual champion Ben Maher of Great Britain, who was on the Olympic gold medal teams in London 2012 and Paris 2024 with Scott, is fourth with 2,966.
The only U.S. rider besides Kent in the top 10 is McLain Ward. Laura Kraut is one place behind him in eleventh, while their Olympic teammate, Karl Cook, is sixteenth.
by Nancy Jaffer | May 1, 2026
Horse show manager, competitor and author Marnye Langer views the equestrian world from a multi-dimensional vantagepoint. She is involved on a personal basis with running the Hansen Dam Horse Park in Los Angeles and staging eight U.S. Equestrian Federation Channel II Gold Coast shows there every year.
Her knowledge of what are often termed “local” shows — whether affiliated with USEF, breed organizations, state and county associations or run independently — is both personal and broad-based. She warns that these shows are in danger of disappearing; indeed, too many already have gone that route, while others are hanging on by a thread. That isn’t just in California; it’s true across the country.
Since many people get their start with equestrian competition at these fixtures, losing them further imperils a future already threatened by high costs, horse farms lost to development and the draw of other activities and sports.
While a great deal of attention is paid to the top levels of equestrian competition, including this spring’s World Cup Final and August’s world championships, the ranks of those competing at such highlights eventually will need to be replenished by athletes who got their start somewhere. The Olympics is not anyone’s first show.
But expectations these days often are unrealistically elevated at every level — do riders jumping cross-rails at their first or second show need to do it on expensive state-of-the-art footing? And will they decline to attend shows that don’t offer it, or other luxe amenities?
Marnye, CEO of the Langer Equestrian Group, has thought a great deal about what can be done to improve the situation. She outlines her ideas in an essay that should have as wide an audience as it can get, and although she mentions the hunter/jumper world, the thoughts expressed apply to all breeds and disciplines. Pay particular attention to the message of personal responsibility — the more people who can find a role to play in broadening the base of the sport, the better. Here are her thoughts:
“They say variety is the spice of life.” In the hunter/jumper world, we repeat that idea often. We want options, flexibility and a full calendar of competitions to choose from. But if we’re honest, our actions don’t always match that sentiment.
Because when it comes time to enter a show, too many of us make the same decision: we go where it’s biggest, most convenient or most prestigious. And in doing so, we quietly undermine the very ecosystem that makes those choices possible in the first place.
If we want a future with options, we have to start acting like it.
SUPPORTING LOCAL SHOWS ISN’T CHARITY — IT’S SURVIVAL
Local shows are not just “starter” venues, stepping stones or landing pads for those tired of the financial and time demands of larger shows. They are the foundation of the sport.
Marnye Langer greets a happy young competitor. (Equine Clicks Photography)
They create true access for new riders. They give young horses the mileage they need. They allow amateurs, juniors and professionals to compete without the constant financial and logistical strain of travel. Most importantly, they build the pipeline of horses, riders, trainers and owners that sustains the sport at every level. And let’s be honest — not everyone is chasing the Big Eq or a national final. Some riders simply want a place to put their weekly work to the test.
When local shows struggle, the pipeline narrows. And when it narrows enough, it eventually breaks.
This isn’t theoretical. It’s already happening.
THE DISAPPEARING HORSE SHOW FACILITY
At the same time participation patterns are shifting, the physical places where we can even hold horse shows are disappearing. Rapidly.
Urban sprawl, rising land values and competing development pressures are pushing equestrian venues out of existence. What remains is a shrinking, fragile network of facilities—many of which are operating on thin margins, complex ownership structures or borrowed time.
Look at California. One of the largest equestrian markets in the country, yet viable horse show venues are increasingly scarce.
Many of the remaining facilities exist only because of:
- Land owned by municipalities, the state or universities
- Nonprofit operators barely holding things together
- Private ownership with uncertain long-term plans
- Major investment groups backing mega-facilities
Historically, fairgrounds supported a broad base of competition. But as the sport specialized, those venues fell out of favor and faded away through the 1990s and early 2000s. What replaced them? A handful of purpose-built facilities.
However, the only significant new facility that has emerged in the last decade (in California) is the Desert International Horse Park in Thermal. The rest of the facilities exist with infrastructure and design from several (or longer) decades ago. Some have been able to adapt to changing needs, the rest do their best.
Thinking about the California horse shows themselves, Del Mar National, Santa Barbara Horse & Flower Show and Grand National (aka Cow Palace), all once were central to the sport. Now they’re shells of their former grandeur or outright memories.
And their disappearance didn’t spark widespread alarm. No collective pause. No meaningful intervention.
That should concern all of us.
A FRAGILE ECONOMIC SYSTEM
Here’s the part that’s easy to overlook: most local show managers are not operating with large margins. Their businesses are highly sensitive to participation. A loss of even 15–20 entries can be the difference between breaking even and losing money.
Now layer that reality onto a broader ecosystem:
- Many facilities rely on show rentals to survive
- Show managers rely on entries to operate
- Trainers and riders rely on shows to justify keeping horses in work
- Third parties—vets, feed stores, farriers, tack stores, grooms – all rely on shows as an important part of their income
Remove one piece, and the rest begin to wobble.
In many cases, a single show series supports a significant portion of a facility’s annual operating income. If that series disappears, the facility may not be far behind. When a facility goes, it doesn’t come back. And it’s even worse for those who also have horses boarded there.
Land doesn’t revert to horse use. It gets developed. Permanently.
THE RISK OF CONSOLIDATION
As smaller operators struggle, larger, better-capitalized entities inevitably step in. On the surface, this can look like progress. There’s more investment, more polish and more visibility.
But there’s a trade-off.
When competition among show organizers disappears, so does balance. Pricing power shifts. Opportunities consolidate. And the sport becomes less accessible, not more.
We have to ask ourselves a hard question: Do we want a system defined by broad participation and opportunity or one dictated by a small number of dominant players? Because if current trends continue, that choice may be made for us.
YOU CAN’T COMPLAIN ABOUT LOSING CHOICES IF YOU DIDN’T SUPPORT THEM
This is where the “paradox of choice” becomes real in our world. We say we want options. We say we value local shows. We say we worry about the future of the sport. But if we consistently choose not to support those shows by bypassing them for perceived convenience or prestige, then we are actively contributing to their disappearance.
And once they’re gone, they’re gone.
There is no quick rebuild. No easy replacement. No developer waiting to turn a housing project, golf course or soccer field back into a horse park. It’s just not going to happen.
A CALL TO ACTION
Supporting local shows isn’t about nostalgia. It’s not about resisting progress. It’s about recognizing that the health of the sport depends on a functional, layered ecosystem that includes entry-level opportunities, mid-tier competition, top-level events and the facilities that make all of it possible.
If we want more people to enter the sport—and more importantly, stay in it—we need places for them to go. A variety of places and shows that meet riders where they are in terms of their ability, time and finances. If we want to preserve opportunity, we need to support it where it lives.
That means:
- Entering local shows, even when it’s not the most glamorous option
- Valuing proximity and sustainability alongside prestige
- Understanding that every entry is a vote for what survives
Because in the end, the future of horse showing won’t be decided by what we say we want. It will be decided by where we show up.”
Those who wish to contact Marnye may reach her at this email: marnye@langershows.com.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 30, 2026
Nina Bonnie, a pillar of the Kentucky Horse Park who served as its chairman and founded the Kentucky Horse Park Foundation in 1985, was voted into this year’s class of the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame. She was a foxhunter and also highly successful with hunters in the show ring.
The others selected by voters are California hunter/jumper trainer Archie Cox, who is also a steward, judge and clinician, and New Yorker Andre Dignelli, perhaps best known for his successful equitation students, but also skilled in training hunters and jumpers. He won the U.S. Equestrian Team Talent Search finals, and was a Pan American Games medalist.
The historical committee voted to induct the Rigan and Frances McKinney family of Lexington. Ky. The two horse inductees are Catch Me and Lone Star. The Horse Show Of The Year is Devon and the Derby Of The Year is Derby Finals.
The Hall of Fame dinner is May 27 at the Merion, Pa., Cricket Club.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 28, 2026
Canada’s longtime show jumping Olympic medalist and chef d’equipe, Tom Gayford, died over the weekend at age 97.
He rode on Canadian teams for nearly 30 years, beginning in the 1940s until the 1970s. At the 1968 Olympics in Mexico, he was on the show jumping squad that won Canada’s first gold medal in the sport’s most important competition.
Ten years later, he became the Canadian team’s chef d’equipe, continuing in that role until 1996. He was inducted into both Canada’s Sports Hall of Fame and the Canadian Olympic Hall of Fame, as well as the Jump Canada Hall of Fame, as both a coach and rider.
Michel Vaillancourt, a former Canadian team member and 1976 Olympic individual silver medalist now best known as a course designer, offered this tribute:
“Coach Tom, as we called him, was the chef d’equipe when I came on the scene in the mid-’70s. I will always remember the way he embraced me as a newcomer. He was always willing to share his knowledge with anyone who cared to listen. We certainty had great successes together, including the Pan Ams in 1975 and 1979, many indoors, Olympic and the alternate games in 1980, where as a team, we won the gold.
“All of us riders had tremendous respect for the man. To me, he was a legend, someone I looked up to. Tommy and his dear friend, Jimmy Elder, who was my captain for most of my team appearances, had a unique way of creating a bond between us. Tommy understood the importance of team spirit. All for one and one for all was the motto.
“Tommy was my coach for most of my biggest riding accomplishments, and I am proud and honored to say he was a close friend of mine. RIP my dear friend, I’ll see you on the other side.”
Visitation will be Friday May 1 from 2-4 and 6-8 p.m. at the Humphrey Funeral Home, 1403 Bayview Ave., Toronto. Everyone is invited to attend and bring their photos and stories.
A private family funeral will be held at a later date.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 27, 2026
The big winners at last weekend’s Defender Kentucky 5-Star appropriately dominated headlines about the historic three-day event, but it’s important to recognize there are many other under-the-radar feel-good stories that also deserve your attention.
One of the most inspiring is the tale of Corvett, better known as Barry, who took his final bow at the level with an impressive ninth-place finish on 40.9 penalties, up from twenty-first in dressage.
Barry enjoys the distinction of having completed a 5-star at every venue in the Northern Hemisphere. Pretty special for a horse that couldn’t get sold, who no one but Emily Hamel could ride properly when the Holsteiner first came on the scene.
The Kentucky Horse Park is where the unicorn started his 5-star career, in 2021. His best 5-Star finish was a very respectable seventh place at Maryland in 2024.
He earned his final 5-star ribbon on his nineteenth birthday at the Horse Park’s biggest competition. While you won’t see him in any more three-days, perhaps he’ll be coming out as a show jumper or in arena eventing. After all, he demonstrated he’s still very fit.
Emily Hamel and Corvett at the Owl Hole. (USEA Photo)
His devoted rider said before cross-country (where he collected only four time penalties) “I really want his last one to be good” — and it was.
Afterwards, she noted, “I did hear some people cheering us on. I know you’re supposed to be focused, but I did hear some cheers, which helps,” Emily said.
Her feisty mount also was free of jumping faults in the final phase, collecting just 0.4 penalties for going slightly over the time allowed.
The Kentucky competition, presented by MARS Equestrian, was the 5-Star debut for another grey gelding and 21-year-old Braden Speck, the youngest rider in the competition. He finished a proud twentieth on his Connemara cross, BSF Liam, moving up from twenty-seventh in dressage.
Braden Speck and HSF Liam. (USEA Photo)
“We made a couple of mistakes along the way, but you know what? We persevered, we got through and that’s what matters.,” he said.
After he lost three horses – one to an aneurysm, another to colic and the third to a tendon injury — Braden became inspired by the veterinarians who cared for them and decided to become a veterinarian himself. He will attend vet school at the University of Pennsylvania.
He got his horse through Annie Goodwin, who died in 2021 after a cross-country schooling accident, yet another tragedy he endured in his short life.
Asked how Annie would have reacted to him finishing in the top 20 with Liam, Braden said, “I think she’d be laughing right now. It means so much that she’s looking out for me. I’m sure she’d be loving every second of watching us go around. I’m glad we were able to do it for her.”
The Wofford award, given to an up-and-coming rider in memory of the late, great Jimmy Wofford, went to Alexander Conrad who rode the thoroughbred Malibu Preacher to nineteenth place, moving up from twenty-eighth after a very lively dressage test.
As always at a big competition, Alexander was wearing his grandfather’s World War II dog tags. The rider believes they have kept him safe, just as they kept his grandfather safe. His grandfather, with whom he was very close, passed away when Alexander was in college. But prior to that, he helped his grandson buy “MP” six years ago.
The dog tags also keep Alexander’s grandfather with the rider during competition, and after finishing cross-country with no jumping penalties, Alexander said, “I bet he’s pretty happy.”
Caroline Martin Pamukcu, second in the 5-Star on HSH Blake, revealed her interesting backstory while discussing her decision to make horses her career, even before she had finished high school. Her parents had put down a non-refundable deposit for her junior year at boarding school ,just before she made a life-changing trip to the North American Young Riders Championships in 2013.
Caroline Martin Pamukcu and HSH Blake. (USEA Photo)
After winning team and individual gold, “I was enjoying it so much,” she said, that she decided not to go back to school but take classes on line instead.
“I remember my dad was absolutely furious,” she mentioned.
“But I told him,`I promise you I’ll do horses and be good at it and make your money back.’”
Instead, the 2024 Olympian noted cheerfully, she has just spent money, whether it belongs to her father, the owners of her horses or her husband. However, she has a successful sales business, so she is paying her way.
She called Young Riders a “turning point” after learning there that “Eventing was such a team sport…it’s bigger than just me, it’s representing your country. That was the day I decided to do this as a career. Thank God it kind of worked out.”
Five-Star winner Will Coleman took a different role on the ground during the dressage competition, having been “suckered” into working with the dedicated Pony Clubbers who march in synchronized style to open and close the white gate to the ring.
Will Coleman in gate-closing mode.
“Give those Pony Club girls credit; that job is not easy,” Will revealed.
“It’s a lot of choreography and really carrying yourselves well out there,” he continued, citing the need for “military precision” in the process.
“I was pretty impressed. That was kind of fun. The girls were great coaches, they knew their jobs. They were able to cover up for my, uh…I think I felt more nervous about moving the board out of the entrance than I did about actually riding my tests. It was fun, they were cute kids.”
And their leader “was not afraid to tell me what to do.”
Liz Halliday watching the action at the Kentucky Horse Park.
One of the most feel-good stories was the return of Liz Halliday to the arena. While she did it on foot, rather than on a horse, everyone was so happy to see her on the scene once more.
“I am overjoyed and so grateful to finally be back in the sport I love,’ she stated.
Liz, you’ll remember, suffered a traumatic brain injury in a cross-country fall at the Kentucky Horse Park a month after riding on the U.S. team in the Olympics. She has spent the time since then in hospitals and rehab facilities.
Liz, who just sold her Ocala farm, has others riding her horses as she continues working at getting stronger, with an eye on competing in Para Dressage.
At Kentucky, she watched Boyd Martin guide her Olympic mount, Cooley Nutcracker, to eleventh place, finishing with a double-clear in show jumping.
All our coverage of Defender Kentucky is on this website. Find stories on the main page and in the On the Rail section, or go to the Previous Columns link on the front page to find others.
Click here for the 5-star results
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 26, 2026
Moments after winning the Defender Kentucky 5-Star Three-Day Event on Diabolo Sunday afternoon, Will Coleman said “I wake up most days and I feel like a pretty lucky guy, but I feel extraordinarily blessed today, not just for this horse, but for the opportunity to ride here at this event and to represent all the people who made something like this happen for a rider like myself.”
Still a bit stunned at how his efforts of many years paid off in big way before a stadium packed with thousands of fans, he observed, “It’s an incredible moment, I’ve dreamed about it, but now that it’s here, it still feels a little bit surreal. Today, I feel a little bit extra lucky, I guess.”
Will obviously is humble as well as hard-working, so it’s important to emphasize it was more than luck that earned him the top honor at the USA’s only 5-star eventing competition this year. The key ingredients were skill, dedication and determination to achieve something that – in hindsight — seemed destined to be. At some point.
He had been hovering on the brink of victory with Diabolo, who was competing in his first 5-Star. Will describes the mount he imported from Australia three years ago as a horse who “has a real conscience. I always feel like Diabolo wants to do his best.”
That gives Will “tremendous peace of mind, knowing he will come in and really try for you.”
The pairing wasn’t quite fault-free in the show jumping that wrapped up the competition at the Kentucky Horse, adding 0.8 time penalties over the Guilherme Jorge-designed course to their dressage score of 27.3 penalties, which had held up through a double-clear trip on cross-country.
As he left the Rolex arena, with a score of 28.1 penalties, Will took his feet out of the stirrups and seemed relaxed, despite waiting to see how things would go for the leader in the standings, New Zealand’s Monica Spencer on Artist.
She had been in the same position last October at the Maryland 5-Star, but had two rails down in show jumping there, which put her in second place at that competition.
This time, it didn’t go as well. She enjoyed only a one-rail margin and the option of a time penalty or two over Will, but in the end, she didn’t come close to the podium. Her “spare” fence vanished at the fourth obstacle, the horsehead oxer, and it was downhill from there, with toppled poles at the liverpool and the B element of the triple combination. She wound up seventh with 36.7 penalties on her thoroughbred, a star in dressage and cross-country. Show jumping needs work.
Will got not only a sterling silver trophy, but also the $130,000 victor’s share of the $400,000 prize money as the payoff for his faith in Diabolo.
“I knew he’d get there, his route was unique,” mused Will, noting his last 4-Star Long was two years ago.
He and his wife, Katie; the horse’s owners “and all people involved all had a high opinion of this horse and felt like he had a high ceiling,” Will reported.
“He struck me as a winner the first time I laid eyes on him. The horse has a real eagerness to him.”
Will knew he was capable of big things “if we could channel it the right way.”
There were many disappointments along that way, not the least of which was the possibility of being on the 2024 Olympic team which didn’t happen when the horse came up with a hoof abcess before the Games. Obviously, they bounced back.
“Every time I’ve been in a rough patch, I’ve always found a way to become a better person and a better horseman,” said Will. “Those kind of down spells have been what helped me become a better version of myself. I always look back on those with a tremendous amount of gratitude.”
He also observed that “Winning a 5 -Star is one of the hardest things to do, if not the hardest, in equestrian sports. I feel like we all deserve the win.”
Just as the weekend’s 4-Star Short winner Tamie Smith enjoyed a unique double, also having been victorious in the 5-star in 2023, Will achieved a similar feat but with the same horse. Diabolo took the 4-star in 2024, while Tamie rode two different horses to her record. So we had a double-double at this event. (Read about the 4-star at this link, or go to the second feature on this page.) Or depending on how you look at it, we could say Will had a triple at Kentucky, because he won the 4-Star in 2025 as well with Off the Record.
It’s worth noting that prior to Tamie’s win three years ago, the last U.S. rider to take the 5-star at Kentucky was Phillip Dutton on Connaught. in 2008. This year, at age 62, he finished eighth with a double-clear in the show jumping on Possante.
Will had only a half-penalty margin over second-place finisher Caroline Pamukcu, who did make the U.S. Olympic team with HSH Blake, her best friend and the namesake of her baby daughter.
Third place went to Great Britain’s David Doel, like Caroline, double clear in the show jumping. He rode the speedy Galileo Nieuwmoed, who, like Will’s horse, made the time on cross-country. His total was 30.8, so everything was close at the top, with less than a one-rail penalty separating the three best.
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 17, 2026
Kevin L Hennessy, Patricia Diamond Hennessey, Stacy Hennessy and Gerry Rushton are inviting friends and admirers of Judy Hennessey to attend a celebration of life for the late 4-H leader July 26 at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone, N.J.
Everyone who considered Judy a friend or family is invited to the 2:30 p.m. gathering. Organizers need to get a rough count of who will be on hand, so those who are coming should email judycelebrationoflife@aol.com to let organizers know the number of people in their party.
Judy, who died in December at age 89, was a dedicated 4-H leader in Somerset County, N.J., for 45 years, She passed on her knowledge of horse care to so many children who, as a result, grew up learning the right way to do the best for their animals. In 2016, she was named New Jersey Horseperson of the Year.
Judy had a varied work life. She was the first female groom to go overseas with the U.S. Equestrian Team (her favorite team horse was the tall and impressive San Lucas, Frank Chapot’s Pan Am Games medal mount).
The Bridgewater resident helped Jim Wiebe when his saddlery business was in Oldwick, assisted veterinarian Dr. John Walsh and until shortly before she passed away, worked alongside her dog, Mollie, at Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center in Hunterdon County.
