by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 20, 2025
Trainer/rider Nicole DelGiorno is concerned about why more children and young people aren’t riding dressage in the U.S., even as the hunter/jumper/hunt seat equitation ranks are crammed with kids.
A four-time North American Youth Championships medalist and board member of the Dressage Foundation, Dressage4Kids and Dressage at Devon, she began her learning process with the U.S. Pony Club. Nicole, whose specialty involves developing youth riders and young professionals, is a U.S. Dressage Federation Bronze, Silver and Gold medalist. She also has served as chef d’equipe for Children’s and Junior teams.
She took to social media to diagnose the problem, airing her thoughts on why more U.S. kids aren’t riding dressage. It goes without saying that it is important to have young people coming up through the pipeline so eventually they can represent their country at championships, such as the Olympics. The grassroots are key.
“My goal is to start the conversation,” Nicole told me. While some people do discuss the subject, she believes “it’s a matter of everyone coming together deciding what the right course of action is.” She mentioned that without reinventing the wheel, “There are so many great examples,” to provide inspiration, such as what the American Quarter Horse Association does for its kids.
While some USDF GMO’s (Group Member Organizations) offer age-appropriate schooling show competitions, Nicole noted that is “really dependent on your local GMO and how active and creative they are.” One bright spot in USDF’s Region 1 ((Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Virginia) is Lendon Gray’s Youth Festival for riders 25 and under, to be held Aug. 8-10 at the Horse Park of New Jersey. The only other similar festival, according to Nicole, is in Georgia.
Nicole, who is based in New Jersey, offers some intriguing insights. She contends “the recognized youth divisions in U.S. dressage are structured terribly, and that is definitively why we cannot get more kids in dressage.”
Nicole with her former student and current assistant, Quinn Ridgway, at the North American Youth Championships with Quinn’s family.
She illustrated the situation with this theoretical example:
“You are a non-horse parent with a 6-year-old kid that loves horses. You type `horseback riding lessons near me’ into a search engine and start investigating. Ninety percent of the programs that show up offer instruction in hunt seat equitation. Must be popular! You see that the highest-rated barn offers a summer camp and you decide to send your child. She loves it and starts making friends with the kids who ride at the barn. She begs for weekly riding lessons. She takes lessons one to two days a week until her trainer mentions that she is really getting quite good. She should start to compete.
“She does the leadline division and gets exposed to an environment like the Devon Horse Show. Dreams ablaze in her heart, she asks if she can have a pony of her own, but your family isn’t ready for that type of commitment.
`No worries,’ says the trainer. `You can lease our small pony.’ Then she ages out and you lease the medium pony…or the large pony… or the junior hunter.
“But at some point, your kid is getting quite good and the trainer helps you buy a competitive A-circuit equitation horse. Your daughter goes on to place well at several big championships, catching the attention of a noted trainer who offers to take her on as a rider. She goes on to become an assistant trainer, or to cruise happily around the amateur divisions. The End.”
Nicole observed that storyline involves, “Everything curated. Everything clear. Their goal is to not overwhelm parents, because there is real money in developing youth riders in hunter/jumper land and real milestones to attain from the time the kids are little. When that’s true, the trainers are happy and structure their programs to make parents and children happy.
“Now, let’s say your first call was to a dressage barn,” Nicole continued.
“Nine times out of ten, that conversation is going to go like this: `Hello! I am inquiring about riding lessons for my 6-year-old daughter.’ ….`Hi! Does she have her own horse?’ …`No, we don’t.’ `Sorry, can’t help you.’”
Nicole goes on to illustrate another scenario, in which the parent calls one of the 10 percent of dressage barns that can accommodate beginner children.
“Your kid takes riding lessons there for two years. In her third year, she might do some dressage schooling shows at Introductory Level. Your trainer may even take her to some unrated hunter/jumper shows because the format is easier, cheaper and she can get more ring time. Next year, your kid begs to show recognized at Training Level. At only 10 years old, she really does quite well on the barn’s lesson pony. She qualifies for Regional Championships.
Continuing, Nicole suggested, “When you arrive in the warmup for your first class, you see your child’s eyes widen to saucers. She rides over to her trainer and asks in hushed tones, `Is SHE in my class?’
`Yes, my dear, SHE is.’ Your eyes slide over to the 21-year-old rising professional riding her client’s young horse, who appears to be the second coming of Glamourdale. The class commences. Your kid rides her heart out on her lesson pony (you had tried to find something nice for her to lease for this year, but no luck finding a quality seasoned dressage pony for lease). Still, even with her best test of the year, she places third to last with a 62 percent. The young pro wins with a 74 percent. Not because your kid isn’t great and skilled for her age, but because there is a chasm in terms of experience and physical ability between a 10-year-old and a 21-year-old.
Nicole DelGiorno with her former student Quinn Ridgway, who is now her assistant. (Photo by Priceless Equine Productions)
“This is what it is going to look like for the next few years until you buck up and buy a pony for her to do FEI Children’s or Ponies (probably from Europe, because that’s the only place to reliably find a competitive pony that’s actually been shown and proven by a kid). Sure, you could aim at Dressage Seat Equitation Medal Finals, which has a 13 and under division… if you have one of the few 10-year-olds who can ride First Level inside out and backwards, and you can find a size-appropriate mount for her to do it on.”’
She suggested splitting Youth Division classes at Second Level and below according to the rider’s age, noting it wouldn’t cost more than few extra sets of ribbons.
For Dressage Seat Equitation, her idea is a Walk-Trot Equitation class aimed at beginner riders with an Introductory skill set; Walk-Trot-Canter aimed at novice riders with a Training Level skill set and then Advanced Equitation.
It “would keep the current standards for riders with a First Level skill set and feed into the Dressage Seat Medal Finals.” Nicole also would like to see a Pony Division split according to size.
To read more of her suggestions, click here.
The problem, as Nicole sees it, is that “In general, we do NOT provide the Disney experience to families like the hunter/jumper community does. We do not structure our divisions to give kids appropriate milestones (Why not have an equitation class that is just Walk/Trot like they do in hunter/jumper land? Why can’t we get out of our own way and reward correct basics without making the kids do leg yield, zig-zags and counter-canter and three changes of lead through trot on the diagonal?)
“Because the way our youth divisions are structured is so challenging, no trainer really wants to structure their business around it. It’s a bad gamble that will almost assuredly result in a ticked-off parent and a disappointed kid. Much easier to help adult amateurs…pursue their medals.”
She emphasizes what is at stake for the discipline: “We want to see more kids riding dressage. We want to see better horsemanship and depth at every level of the sport. Then where is the space for younger riders to compete, learn and connect with their peers? Where are the milestones for them to aim toward?”
Nicole riding at Yeguada Susaeta. (Photo by Maria Ruiz Fernandez)
Nicole feels it’s crucial to address these issues, mentioning the concept of a USDF task force that could examine the subject and come up with ideas.
“Until we have an outlet for these young kids to showcase their skill and test their ability in classes that are structured fairly, I think we are going to continue scratching our heads and wondering, `Where are the dressage kids?’ ”
Anyone who thinks they have answers and wants to continue the conversation Nicole started may contact her at nicole.delgiorno@gmail.com.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 13, 2025
About 30,000 or so people go to the Far Hills Race Meeting in New Jersey’s Somerset Hills each October, enjoying an occasion that is social as well as sporting.
The Far Hills Race Meeting, with roots in the early 20th Century, always draws a big crowd. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
But who among the steeplechase fans these days has any idea that the glitzy tailgating opportunity, with its abundance of champagne, bountiful buffets, sleek thoroughbreds and silver trophies, came from far simpler origins in the early twentieth century?
Barry Thomson, a historian and author who grew up in the Somerset Hills, laid out the evolution of the race meeting as part of a recent lecture about the rich history of equestrian pursuits in the area. It is the home of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation, the Essex Horse Trials and the Essex Fox Hounds, as well the scene of the 1993 World Pairs Driving Championship.
Historian Barry Thomson. (Photo © 2025 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
After the Civil War, horses gained a role different from their traditional use, as equine recreation became an important pastime for members of the new, wealthy upper class, who modeled themselves on British gentry. They rode, drove coaches and carriages, went foxhunting and played polo.
So in the second half of the nineteenth century, as Barry pointed out during his presentation at Bedminster’s Clarence Dillon Library, horses gradually went from being simply a utilitarian method of transporting people and goods or playing a role in agriculture to becoming prestigious mainstays of sport.
The Somerset Hills was a farming area that underwent major change beginning in the 1870s, when it became accessible via passenger trains, making it easy to go from New York and Newark to Bernardsville, and by 1890 with access to Far Hills and Peapack & Gladstone, which was then a part of Bedminster Township.
According to Barry, with the advent of convenient train travel, the thinking of the upper class ran, “We want country estates, let’s go out there. We can get there easily.” Also important was the fact that the region hadn’t been compromised by heavy industry. So magnificent estates such as Natirar, now a county park, and banker C. Ledyard Blair’s Blairsden, still in private hands, sprouted throughout the area.
(Barry will be giving more historical lectures this month. They are at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church on Main Street in Gladstone Feb. 20 at 7 p.m., which is free of charge, and Feb. 23 at Pendry Natirar in Peapack. That talk, which is about Natirar, is a luncheon fundraiser with a $150 admission fee, co-hosted by the Historical Society of the Somerset Hills. Click on this link for more information.)
Coaches that were refined versions of British mail and stage coaches were popular with the wealthy, who enjoyed drives from New York City in the days before bridges and tunnels, putting the horses and vehicles on ferries as they headed to Blairsden. They didn’t always make the round trip on the coaches, however, with passengers sometimes opting for the easier route of taking the train back to the city.
A four-in-hand of the Somerset Hills gentry. (Photo courtesy of Barry Thomson)
The popularity of the coaches set the stage for the Gladstone Driving Event, which gained international fame in the 1980s and 1990s under the direction of Finn Caspersen, former chairman of the U.S. Equestrian Team, whose advocacy of combined driving brought competitors from overseas to Gladstone.
The late Lou Piancone kept the Somerset Hills’ tradition of carriage driving into the 21st Century. (Photo © 2013 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
James Cox Brady in 1917 built the memorable stable that once housed his many coaches and horses. It now is the headquarters of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation. For years, it served as a training center for the country’s Olympic riders, and today is the scene of various competitions, including the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East.
The magnificent stable built by James Cox Brady offers an impressive backdrop for competition. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Fox hunts enjoyed increasing popularity beginning in the 1870s, due to links with other horse sports, steeplechase racing and polo. The Essex Fox Hounds had their roots in Essex County, where there once was open land along the banks of the Passaic River before the city of Newark grew.
It was a drag hunt, with a scent laid down for hounds to follow. The Montclair Hunt became known as the Essex County Hunt as it moved to West Orange in the search for more acreage.
The hunt, complete with horses, hounds and equipment, had been purchased in 1890 by Charles Pfizer Jr., whose father was a founder of the well-known pharmaceutical company. He renamed it the Essex Hunt, which moved to Maplewood before finally leaving Essex County and then going to Morris County and finally Somerset County. In 1916, it settled in Peapack, where its stables and clubhouse remain. It gained a measure of extra fame in the 1980s, when Jackie Kennedy and her children would ride with the hunt.
The Essex Fox Hounds meet in 1917. (Photo courtesy Barry Thomson)
As Barry pointed out, having a good relationship with farmers “is an obvious concern for any foxhunting organization, because horses and hounds can unintentionally do great damage to crops, as well as scare the farm animals.”
To thank farmers for permission to ride over their property, the Essex County Hunt in 1884 started a tradition of races for farmers with a half-mile flat race at Newark’s Waverly Park, now part of Weequahic Park. The purse was $50, and it was open only to farm horses owned by farmers. Essex kept the tradition going as it moved. By 1903, the specification emphasized the race was for horses “other than thoroughbreds” working on a farm.
The Essex Fox Hounds took over its first farmers day race meeting October 1914 at its Peapack clubhouse. It offered a lunch followed by six horse races, including a quarter-mile fixture for farmers from Somerset, Hunterdon and Morris counties.
By 1919, lunch and entertainment for the farmers moved to the Far Hills Fairgrounds, which also was home to a horse show, gymkhana and fair featuring a flea circus and strolling gypsy singers. The horse races were held across the street at Grant Schley’s Fro Heim, another impressive estate. The races of the current century still are run over basically the same course at what is now known as Moorland Farm.
Far Hills Fair poster. (Courtesy of Barry Thomson)
But things have changed since the days of what were then known as “the hunt races.” Many people call today’s annual steeplechase in Far Hills the “hunt,” which the preceding history effectively shows is a misnomer, since the word refers to the races’ initial sponsor, not the event.
The races for farmers, their horses and $50 purses are long gone. The card of top-class competition at the Far Hills Race Meeting, set for Oct. 18 this year, includes flat racing and tests over hurdles, with $700,000 offered in purses in 2024.
The race meeting also has a gloss. In addition to coveted hillside parking spaces passed down through families, innovations have been hilltop tents (with the biggest going for $30,000) and a section known as The Hunt Club, with a DJ, mechanical bull and a mobile cigar lounge for a $50 ticket price.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 17, 2025
It’s a month from St. Patrick’s Day, but the Irish had plenty to celebrate about show jumping over the weekend. The country’s team in Abu Dhabi won the first leg of the 2025 Longines League of Nations and Irish riders took the top four places in the FEI World Cup qualifier in Ocala. There’s a country with some depth.
The winning Irish team in Abu Dhabi: Michael Pender, Jason Foley, chef d’equipe Michale Blake, Denis Lynch, Trevor Breen (Photo ©FEI / Martin Dokoupil)
The squad of Dennis Lynch (Vistogrand), Trever Breen (Highland President), Michael Pender (HHS Los Angeles) and Jason Foley (with the first round drop score of two time penalties on Chedington Hazy Toulana) did not have a rail down in either round of the Cup, to finish 8 penalties ahead of the runners-up from the United Arab Emirates.
The U.S.team finished tenth of 11 countries and did not make the cut for the top eight to contest the second round. The U.S. riders were there to gain experience with only one veteran, Lucy Davis, in the line-up.
You’ll see a different, stronger contingent for the U.S. in the next leg of the League when it moves to Ocala in March.
Click on this link for results.
Meanwhile, Cian Connor didn’t make the trip to the Middle East, focusing on the World Cup qualifier with Bentley de Sury. Timed in 36.62 for the jump-off, he was double clear, like the Irish riders who followed him in the order of finish.
Cian O’Connor and Bentley de Sury winning in Ocala. (Photo by Shannon Brinkman)
Shane Sweetnam just missed the top spot on James Kann Cruz by 0.19 seconds. The top U.S. rider was Alise Oken, sixth on Gelvera. Click here for complete results.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 11, 2025
Controversial Olympic show jumping individual gold medalist and former Canadian chef d’equipe Eric Lamaze has been suspended until September 2031, following a decision from the Court of Arbitration for Sport in his human anti-doping case.
In March 2022, Lamaze received a formal notice of an FEI disciplinary charge for “evading, refusing or failing to submit to sample collection by an athlete” in June 2021 in Valkensward, Netherlands, in connection with the FEI human athlete anti-doping rules.
While CAS proceedings continued, Lamaze submitted forged medical documents stating he suffered from brain cancer, which led to a four-year ineligibility period imposed by the FEI, starting in September 2023.
The CAS panel in turn found Lamaze guilty of the anti-doping rule violation and imposed an ineligibility period of four years, beginning in 2027 and consecutive from the end of the FEI suspension. Lamaze was fined 15,000 Swiss francs ($16,424), and ordered to pay the costs of the arbitration proceedings as well as 12,000 Swiss francs ($13,139) to the FEI as a contribution towards the legal fees. Lamaze was disqualified from all of his results at FEI competitions from June 5, 2021 to March 30, 2022.
It was far from his first dramatic brush with the rules. Lamaze was banned from the sport for life after missing both the 1996 and 2000 Olympics when he tested positive for cocaine metabolites. But the ban was reversed in September 2000 by an adjudicator who said cited “exceptional circumstances.”
Eric Lamaze on his gold medal victory gallop at the 2008 Olympics. (Photo © 2008 by Nancy Jaffer)
Lamaze’s fortunes soared at the 2008 Olympics, where his performance on Hickstead earned him individual gold and team silver, the high point of his roller coaster career. But another low came in 2011, after he finished his round on Hickstead at the Verona, Italy, show, when the horse walked out of the ring and dropped dead with a ruptured aorta. Weeks later, Hickstead was mourned at the Royal Winter Fair horse show in Toronto, where people wore armbands in the horse’s memory.
Lamaze, 56, who announced his retirement from competition in 2022, has been the defendant in several lawsuits involving horse sales.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 18, 2025
The Rutgers University Equine Science Center series of free online seminars continues at 6:30 p.m. Feb. 25, with the final installment focusing on equine health and welfare.
Featured topics are “Health & Management of U.S. Senior Horses,” presented by Dr. Alisa Herbst of Rutgers, and “Evaluating Pain in your Horse while Riding,” from Dr. Kris Hiney, Oklahoma State University.
To register or get an overview of the program’s offerings, click here
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 4, 2025
The reins were loosened a bit on dressage trainer Michael Barisone Tuesday, as a judge gave him permission to conduct clinics further afield than he had been permitted to travel since being charged with second-degree attempted murder nearly six years ago.
The 2008 U.S. Olympic team alternate, Barisone was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the 2019 shooting of Lauren Kanarek, a tenant at his farm who also trained there. Barisone said he doesn’t remember the incident, which left Kanarek hospitalized after taking two bullets in the chest. The shooting occurred during a confrontation with Kanarek and her boyfriend, Rob Goodwin, who had been at odds with their landlord.
After time in psychiatric institutions following the 2022 verdict, Barisone was allowed to live in a private home in New Jersey beginning in 2023. Last August, Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor permitted Barisone to go back to his farm in Loxahatchee Florida, but he was not cleared to drive there or go to any states other than Florida or New Jersey. Taylor was concerned because Kanarek was based at a farm near Barisone’s place.
Tuesday’s ruling in Morristown, N.J., was the latest in a series of Krol hearings, held to judge the progress of a criminal defendant who has been confined to a psychiatric institution following a verdict of not guilty by reason of insanity.
Barisone has done some teaching at his Florida farm, but one of his attorneys, Edward Bilinkas, told the judge that his client had requests from people in Texas and Indiana to give clinics, which would enable him to earn some money and “be able to get on with the rest of his life.”
Taylor said Barisone can do the clinics in those and other states, but must give the court a month’s notice that he intends to travel for such occasions. He also gave Barisone permission to drive his truck and a trailer from New Jersey to Florida, but an order prohibiting him to have contact with Kanarek and Goodwin remains in effect.
Tuesday’s hearing lasted approximately an hour, with much of the time taken up by testimony from Dr. David Landry, the Florida clinical psychologist with whom Barisone has met 10 times. Landry was seen on a screen in the courtroom, speaking via Zoom from West Palm Beach.
Dr David Landry on Zoom in the courtroom of Superior Court Judge Steven Taylor, as attorneys Chris Deininger and Ed Bilinkas watch with Michael Barisone. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Asked to describe his patient’s demeanor, Landry said, “Overall, Mr. Barisone presents as cooperative, pleasant, easily engaged. Very talkative in session.
“At times, he can be animated,” Landry continued saying “He is appropriate” and has not exhibited erratic behavior.
“I have not noticed any psychotic symptoms,” added Landry, who was questioned about Barisone’s situation by Morris County Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Schellhorn.
Of Barisone, Landry noted, “He has not demonstrated any delusional thinking…he consistently presents oriented, aware of his surroundings and cooperative with treatment overall.” The psychologist said he has not seen any signs of depression, traits of personality disorder or delusional thinking.
Asked by Schellhorn about a “historical” diagnosis of delusional disorder, Landry said that is a chronic condition which can go into remission. He mentioned another previous condition, that he and Barisone had discussed the feeling of being persecuted “and the resultant events that occurred.”
But he observed, other than that and the previously diagnosed persistent depressive disorder that is in remission, Barisone does not have any new conditions. While Landry does not believe Barisone is a danger to himself or others, and has “demonstrated ongoing stability,” he recommends that Barisone should remain in treatment with him.
Since returning to Florida, Barisone has spent most of his time working on maintenance at his property, where his fiancée, Lara Osborne, and trainer Justin Hardin have been among those holding down the fort.
“They’ve been winging it for five years and thank God, they kept everything together,” Barisone said.
He noted he had played the leading role in the farm’s operation, but then “one day I’m gone, and they had to figure everything out, and they did.”
Barisone waited a month after he arrived in Florida before getting on a horse again, but once he was back in the saddle, it felt as if he had never been away — although he admitted to being a little sore for two days after not riding for so long.
Michael Barisone finally was able to get back on a horse in Florida. (Photo courtesy Lara Hausken Osborne)
Barisone is excited about a 9-year-old Dutchbred named Kordaat that he owns and is continuing to train. He eventually wants to show the horse, but has been on an interim suspension since May 2022 for “allegations of misconduct” from the U.S. Center for SafeSport, an organization “committed to ending abuse in sports,” and he is not allowed to be on the grounds of licensed shows. Such suspensions last until a formal investigation ends and there is a final decision on a case.
Barisone’s next Krol hearing is scheduled for Sept. 9.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 8, 2025
What a difference a year makes.
Adrienne Lyle, the top-ranked U.S. dressage rider at number 23 on the world standings, earned a personal best with Helix of 80.325 percent to win the Grand Prix Freestyle Friday at the Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Fla.
She only started riding the horse for Zen Elite Equestrian in January 2024, but was able to be the best U.S. dressage rider at the Paris Olympics. There was still a lot that needed to be done, however, with Helix (Apache X Jazz) and Adrienne has been busy doing it, spending time training and polishing the 13-year-old gelding.
Adrienne and Helix performing their freestyle. (Susan J. Stickle Photo)
“That is, hands down, the best feeling he’s ever given me,” said Adrienne of her ride to music arranged by Terry Gallo.
“He was able to replicate the work that I’ve been getting at home—the lightness, harmony, and self-carriage. Tonight, he was able to take that into an electric environment and stay relaxed and in his own balance. It felt effortless and I didn’t have to push for anything. To feel that kind of confidence from him is really exciting.
“When I saw the score, I was so excited. It’s not many times in your life you’re going to see an 80 percent; it’s a huge thrill,” she observed.
Adrienne has clinched one of three North American spots for April’s FEI Dressage World Cup Finals in Switzerland. Other riders are still qualifying for the remaining places, but her score cannot be surpassed.
Click here to see all results
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 7, 2025
What do you know about the behavioral medications your horse receives for issues including anxiety, aggression, sleep deprivation and other conditions?
You should tune in to a Feb. 18 Cornell University webinar being given by Dr. Katherine Anderson from 6-7 p.m. Eastern Time. An assistant clinical professor with the Cornell Duffield Institute for Animal Behavior, she will discuss when medications might be appropriate for your horse, which drugs to consider (and which ones to avoid), and how they work. Register using this link.
If only Tine Magnes of the Belgian Olympic eventing team had that kind of information before last year’s Paris Games. Her horse, Dia Van Het Lichterveld Z, tested positive for trazodone, an antidepressant used to treat depression and anxiety in humans, which is a prohibited substance under the rules of the FEI (international equestrian federation).
The matter was resolved with a settlement and Tine was disqualified from the Games. The decision meant her score did not count and that Belgium had to forfeit its fourth-place finish in the Games. It also meant the U.S. moved up from seventh place to sixth with the Belgian team off the board.
The Belgian team vet recommended Tine use Relax Pro, deemed to be the source of the substance, twice on her mount.
While the decision of the FEI Tribunal that handled the case stated Tine normally uses a very limited number of supplements,“being on the Olympic Team, she relied on the expertise and guidance provided by the Team’s infrastructure, hence she relied on the advice of the Team Veterinarian…”.
The FEI cited the “failure” of the team vet and the Belgian Federation in the matter, noting Tine “showed no reckless behavior,”
Tine said on social media that she can “Confirm with lifted head and declare that I have never deliberately used doping.” She noted that the package of Relax Pro said “doping free.”
The rider was penalized with a fine of 4,000 Swiss francs ($4,256 U.S.) and suspended from Sept.3-Nov. 3 2024. Tine also agreed to be part of an education campaign on the risk of using supplements. Those who register for the Cornell webinar can get similarly useful information on the subject.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 3, 2025
A team gold medal and individual fourth place in eventing at the Pan American Games, along with the best U.S. finish in the discipline at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics, all have made Doug Payne crave more international team experience.
But he’s going in a different direction as he turns 44 this month, having moved out of eventing to focus on grand prix show jumping.
“It’s been a process the last seven years,” he explained, talking about competing in two disciplines simultaneously. Last year at the Defender Kentucky 5-star, for instance, he rode his eventing horse in the afternoon and other mounts in the jumpers at night.
Doug Payne’s prowess cross-country was notable, but he’s moving on to top-level show jumpingl.
Quantum Leap, his entry for that 2024 5-star, was fifteenth after cross-country, but withdrawn in the second vet check. He has what Doug called a hock that could be tricky after cross-country. Third in the 2022 Kentucky 5-star, where Doug was the highest-placed U.S. rider, Quantum “doesn’t owe me a thing,” he said.
“With his welfare in mind, I figured it was probably best to step him back from 5 star eventing.”
He may lease the horse for a few years. But if his children, now ages five and seven, “want to ride at some point, he’d be the absolutely perfect one. But he’s got a home for life, he’s the most genuine creature there is.”
Doug and Quantum Leap when he was the highest-placed U.S. rider at the 2022 Kentucky 5-star.
And as that special horse steps down, Doug is stepping up in his other discipline.
“The jumping, I love it, jumping big fences is as much, if not more, fun than anything else I’ve done. It’s a brand new challenge, completely fresh. I would like to make a (show jumping) team in the future. Without a doubt, it’s a goal of mine.”
In order to pursue it, he has wrapped up his eventing career and put his focus on the painted rails, though he did compete in a dressage Grand Prix with his Pan Am Games mount, Starr Witness.
“I don’t know if there will be a whole lot more of that, but for sure, it’s great experience,” he said.
The eclectic horseman, who also pilots his own plane, pointed out that when he was growing up, the idea was to “make sure you can to go to any discipline and not be tagged as an outsider.”
He comes from an eventing family. His mother, Marilyn Payne, is a trainer and competitor who has been an Olympic judge. His sister, Holly Payne Caravella, also is an eventing trainer and rider.
Doug grew up eventing at his home in New Jersey, where he is seen here a few years back with his father, Richard; mother, Marilyn, and sister, Holly Payne Caravella.
Doug, who competed in his first show jumping grand prix in 2022, noted his “headliner right now is a horse called Quintessence. He did three 5-stars jumping last year.”
The 14-year-old Holsteiner, who finished sixth in a 1.5 meter classic at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington last month, evented up to Preliminary as a six-year-old before switching to jumping full time.
“He’s uber careful, he won the 6- and 7-year old finals and a $100,000 grand prix. It was more than I could have ever imagined he would do,” Doug recounted.
Doug pointed out that he and his wife, Jessica, have “never been in a position where we could go out and buy going horses, so we relied a lot on development of younger horses. Six or seven years ago, we started buying more for jumping than eventing, a long-term plan of this happening. It worked pretty well in eventing, and we’ll see if we can’t make it happen here as well.”
He has a six-year-old half-brother to Quintessence, and Europa PVF, a 5-year-old Westfalen by Eldorado, is “probably the best horse I’ve ever had. Then there’s “ a great weanling” coming along. At the same time, Starr Witness is pregnant with Europa’s foal.
“They’re both extreme talents,” Doug pointed out, so his show jumping future seems to offer plenty of potential for him to develop.
At the same time, he emphasizes, “I don’t regret a moment of eventing.”
There were several tragedies in eventing in 2024, including British rider Georgie Campbell’s death after a cross-country accident and Liz Halliday traumatic brain injury in a cross-country fall.
While he’s not leaving the sport because of the danger, Doug acknowledged, “It’s an inherent risk. It can happen anywhere, but certainly your odds are up when the jumps don’t fall down, or slowly fall down. Looking back on it, I was pretty impressed I never got an ambulance ride from an event. It’s something I was pretty proud of, actually.”
He noted, “I’ve been on the USEA (U.S. Eventing Association) Safety Committee for eight years and had a front row seat to every accident analysis in this country. It’s certainly a concern. I’ve always really worked extremely hard to make sure whatever I’m riding I completely trust,”
Still, he pointed out, “You can get hurt doing anything. I know all the organizations are doing as much as they can to reduce the risk.”
Going all-in on the jumping has given Doug a chance to use his time differently.
For Doug Payne, show jumping now is much more than what he used to do as the last phase of an event. (Photo © by Lawrence J. Nagy)
“With the kids, it has freed up our schedule. We’re on the road 40 plus weeks a year. The kids just turned 5 and 7 it will free up time and allow us to do a whole lot more.
“The eventing schedule is so rigid,” he pointed out. With jumping and the plethora of shows from which to choose, “there’s so many more options we never had a chance to explore before. Now we can.”
He likes what he’s found in the show jumping ranks.
Payne Equestrian Sport Service & Sales has “An army of very competent people willing to help,” and cited South Carolina trainer Andrea King (like Doug, a native of New Jersey) for giving pointers while he pursues his new objective.
“I grew up from Pony Club eventing; the perception was always `stuck up show people.’ Our experience has been the opposite. It’s been open, accepting,” Doug related.
He pointed out, “Eventing is very difficult because of few opportunities to prove yourself. If it goes wrong, that’s all somebody talks about for the next however long.”
By contrast, in show jumping, ““You could win another grand prix tomorrow. People are more willing to take a shot and make a mistake. There are so many opportunities to compete and to vie for a top result somewhere.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 31, 2025
With several high-profile issues in the last year or so, dressage has been targeted in discussions about horse welfare.
Olympic gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin’s suspension after a video of a whipping incident is the most publicized scandal, but concern over blue tongues and suspensions involving prominent trainer Andreas Helgstrand are others that hurt the discipline’s image.
A strategic action plan for dressage will be developed by a new FEI Working Group chaired by former U.S. Dressage Federation President George Williams. The panel is “aimed at establishing a clear vision, realigning objectives, and creating actionable plans to enhance Dressage at all levels.”
One of the group’s first tasks will be a comprehensive review of the current state of dressage. The working group will also evaluate feedback from stakeholders and categorize suggestions into well-defined focus areas for targeted action. A focus will be prioritizing equine ethics and wellbeing, with the Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Action Plan serving as a guiding framework for key initiatives.
The group will work on creating a repository of relevant scientific research, consulting with veterinary experts to create an accessible information resource for stakeholders. Rule revisions will be proposed with immediate attention on partial updates for 2025 and the 2026 full rules revision for dressage.
The working group will report regularly to the Dressage Technical Committee, the FEI Board, and relevant stakeholder groups to ensure transparency and collaboration throughout the process. The first presentation will be made to the FEI Sports Forum on March 31.
“Dressage should be built on balanced, ethical training resulting in freedom of movement, ease in transitions, and harmony between horse and rider, with no place for tension or resistance,” FEI Dressage Director Ronan Murphy said.
“Our focus now is to embed these principles in the FEI Rule Book and ensure they are applied consistently in training and competition, always putting horse welfare first.
“The Working Group’s task is to turn these ideals into everyday practices, prioritizing the well-being of horses as we move forward with future proposals and format changes.
“The Working Group was carefully selected not only for their expertise, but also for their profound understanding of dressage. This diverse group represents a cross-section of the community, ensuring a broad range of perspectives. Their collective knowledge and vision will be instrumental in shaping a strategic plan that not only addresses the current challenges in the sport but also ensures the well-being of our horses, incorporates stakeholder feedback, and positions dressage for long-term success.”
In addition to Williams, who is the U.S. Equestrian Dressage Youth Coach and High Performance and Pathway Development Advisor, the working group will include Monica Theodorescu, Germany’s first female dressage coach and a medalist at the Olympics and world and European championships, as well as a two-time FEI Dressage World Cup™ champion.
Other members are Raphael Saleh of France, president of the dressage ground jury for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games; Britain’s Gareth Hughes, with more than 60 national and international titles; six-time Olympian and former FEI Dressage World Cup™ champion Kyra Kyrklund of Finland, vice-president of the International Dressage Riders Club.
Also named to the panel are Klaus Roeser, chairman of the German National Federation Dressage Committee, and veterinarian Lise Berg, associate professor at the University of Copenhagen’s Department of Veterinary Clinical Sciences.
