by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 20, 2025
The Dutch had a popular home win in the third leg of the Longines FEI League of Nations Rotterdam on Friday, as their 87-year-old Princess Beatrix looked on from a packed gallery.
The new Dutch chef d’equipe, Wout-Jan van der Schans, noted he had never won in Rotterdam as a rider, but was excited to enjoy victory in his first effort guiding the team at the venue, the site of the initial European Championships in 1957.
“I’m really proud of them, how they were fighting and riding and together as a team, we work really nice and good,” the chef said of his squad.
The Dutch team on the podium: Maikel van der Vleuten, Harrie Smolders, Wout-Jan van der Schans, Willem Greve and Kim Emmen.
The U.S team of Karl Cook, Alessandra Volpi, Aaron Vale and Laura Kraut stood third after the first round over the extremely challenging course designed by Bart Vonck of Belgium (in his League of Nations debut) and his team. With fences rising up to 1.62 meters and a water jump on an angle near the in-gate, it’s not surprising there were only two double-clear performances in the two-round class.
“The course was good today; fair for the horses but (they) had to work quite a bit and make a real effort to get a clear round. It was a tough course,” the designer observed.
One belonged to Maikel van der Vleuten (Beauville Z NOP) of the Netherlands, helping his team to its score of 10 penalties. The other was logged by Jeanne Sadran (Dexter de Kerglenn) of the second-place French squad (13 penalties). Britain was third on 16 penalties.
After the second round, where League rules call for only three riders to compete and no drop score, the U.S. wound up fifth with 19 penalties, one penalty behind Belgium. The USA’s Laura Kraut (Bisquetta) and Aaron Vale with Devon Grand Prix winner Carissimo 25, were fault-free in the second tour of the course, but their respective scores of 4 and 7 penalties respectively from the first round weighed down the effort.
Karl Cook, the pathfinder in the first round, dropped two rails with Caracole de la Roque to be the drop score there and left the arena shaking his head. He did not ride in the second round. Alessandra Volpi (Gipsy Love), the youngest rider on the team, was the only U.S. competitor fault-free in the first round, but she had two rails in the second.
In the overall League standings, looking toward qualifying for the finals in Barcelona this fall, the U.S. is tied for fourth with Belgium. The only other qualifier left in the calendar is St. Tropez in September.
Click here for results, and here for overall League standings.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 19, 2025
Mary Alice Dorrance Malone, an innovator for U.S.dressage and the owner of Pennsylvania’s renowned Iron Spring Farm, died Monday at the age of 75.
She was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from KWPN-North American in 2025, a tribute to the impact she made on the sport horse community.
“It’s so heartwarming and exciting to see people enjoying the horses she bred. Her legacy is huge in the development of riders and dressage in this country. That was her intention; it wasn’t by accident. I think she really intended to help the country be a better dressage nation with her breeding program, and she did it in spades,” said Anne Moss, a close friend of Mary Alice’s and president of Dressage at Devon
“She had an incredible impact in the sport horse world locallly, but also nationally and internationally with the horses she bred and competed,” Anne pointed out.
While Mary Alice produced top horses for professionals, she bred not only for talent “but also for trainability for the amateur rider, which she was herself,” Anne pointed out. “What a gift for all the riders trying to learn to ride well.”
Mary Alice began her involvement with horses at the Bridlewild Pony Club in Gladwyne, Pa. In the early 1970s, she operated a successful boarding and training facility in Arizona, where she trained horses, coached young riders, and helped grow the equestrian community by founding the Tucson Dressage Club and the Saguaro Pony Club.
In 1976, she returned to Pennsylvania to found Iron Spring Farm in Coatesville. She began importing European warmbloods at a time when they were still largely unknown in the U.S. Through her efforts, American breeders and riders gained access to the world’s top sport horse bloodlines. Her pioneering work helped raise the standard for American sport horses and transformed the landscape of North American breeding.
Mary Alice was instrumental in importing some of the most influential KWPN stallions of the era, including Roemer, Winston, Sebastiaan, Consul, and Contango. Roemer, who excelled at both Grand Prix jumping and dressage, became one of the most recognized stallions in the country. To honor his influence, Mary Alice established The Roemer Foundation to support educational initiatives in dressage across the United States.
Mary Alice Malone and Rampal. (Susan Sexton photo)
She was also a pioneer in introducing Friesians to competitive dressage. At a time when the breed was rarely seen in FEI competition, Mary Alice became one of the first to import Approved KFPS Friesian stallions specifically for high-performance sport.
In 2001, Mary Alice imported the charismatic Goffert 369, competing him successfully through Fourth Level before turning the reins over to her trainer and friend Belinda Nairn-Wertman, who developed and showed Goffert 369 to success at Grand Prix. (Belinda also died this month, read about her here.)
Mary Alice also competed the Approved KFPS stallions Heinse 354, Erik 351, and Ulbert 390 at the FEI levels, helping to elevate the Friesian profile in international sport and earning admiration for her vision and horsemanship.
Mary Alice’s insight as a breeder was matched by her skill in the saddle. With Rampal, she earned a place on the U.S. Olympic shortlist and helped elevate the reputation of American-bred horses on the international stage. Another cornerstone of her legacy, Contango, achieved 33 Grand Prix wins and multiple championships.
Over the course of her career, Mary Alice had over 87 Grand Prix victories, including top honors at the Royal Dressage Festival and the USET Festival of Champions. The offspring of her stallions have gone on to win the FEI World Cup Dressage Final, compete in the Olympics and Paralympics, earn medals in World Driving Championships and achieve success at International venues such as Aachen, Hickstead and Spruce Meadows.
Equally committed to mare quality, Mary Alice built a foundation of excellence with mares who earned numerous titles and awards. Her breeding program produced standout mares like Andorra ISF and Persimmon ISF, both successful in competition and breeding.
Over nearly five decades, Iron Spring Farm bred more than 300 sport horses, many of whom became USDF Horse of the Year recipients, national champions, and international competitors. Among them was Judgement ISF, one of the most accomplished American-bred show jumpers in history, who won the $1 million CN International Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows and represented the U.S. on 10 Nations’ Cup teams and at the World Championships with rider Beezie Madden.
“Her knowledge and influence in the world of U.S. warmblood breeding was tremendous and she changed our lives when she bred Judgement ISF,” Beezie and her husand, John Madden, stated.
“She was the type of owner every horse wishes for, because she never second-guessed, giving them exactly what they needed in every phase of their lives. We always felt so honored that she believed in our program and entrusted us with “Judgey.”
Mary Alice also was one of the founding members of the Dressage at Devon Breed Show, helping to establish it among the most prestigious and influential dressage breed shows in North America. Her advocacy for breed quality and her leadership in the early years of the show left an enduring mark on generations of breeders and horse lovers alike. Dressage at Devon celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this September.
Anne Moss, who bought her first warmblood (a Polish gelding named Cygnet) from Mary Alice when she was 16, rode with her friend every Friday before their weekly lunch date.
“She was always very supportive and encouraging, but also very hones,” said Anne.
“When we rode together in the indoor, she would often critique my riding, a little brutal, but honest. Then she would help me do it. She was a very private person and a very kind and just person. I think her intentions were always so good with the horses and the people she worked with,” added Anne, noting that many of the people at Iron Spring had worked there for decades.
“That says a lot about the leadership.”
Not without her lighter side, Anne said Mary Alice was known for the Halloween parties she threw. Anne and her husband had attended about 40 of them.
In the horse world, Mary Alice will be remembered not only for her unmatched contributions to equestrian sport, but in addition, for her lifelong commitment to excellence, innovation, and the horses she so deeply loved. She was also a strong advocate of preserving open space and agricultural land.
She is survived by her daughters, Mary Alice Malone Jr and Catherine, also an avid horse breeder; their husbands, and six grandchildren. Mary Alice is also survived by her brothers John Dorrance (Gundel) and Bennett Dorrance (Jacquie) and their children and grandchildren.
Mary Alice was the granddaughter of Dr. John T. Dorrance, the inventor of condensed soup and president of the Campbell’s Soup company from 1914-1930. Her father was John T. Dorrance Jr.,who chaired the Campbell’s company from 1962 to 1984. She was elected to the board in 1990.
Private services will be held by the family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Roemer Foundation, Mary Alice D. Malone Memorial Fund: 605 Main Street, Suite 212, Riverton, NJ 08077. Donations to the fund will be used to award grants to charitable organizations that support the sport and horses to which Mary Alice devoted her life.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 19, 2025
A two-year-old video reportedly showing Australian Olympian Heath Ryan striking a horse 42 times has led to the FEI (international equestrian federation) opening an investigation into the trainer’s actions after allegations of abusive training techniques.
“The scenes depicted are profoundly disturbing and stand in stark opposition to the core values of FEI horse welfare,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said.
Coordinating with Equestrian Australia, she emphasized the FEI will “thoroughly examine all the facts and determine further disciplinary action under the FEI Rules and Regulations. We are committed to ensuring that any behavior which puts horse welfare at risk is dealt with firmly and fairly.”
Equestrian Australia CEO Sam Jones said, “We know our community is keen for answers, but we would ask for patience, as the FEI rightly follows a thorough and fair process, in line with their policies and procedures.”
Ryan, 66, a 2008 dressage Olympian who coached his nation’s eventing team to gold medals at the Atlanta and Sydney Games, said the video was posted by a disgruntled former employee. Ryan characterized the whipping incident as a “rescue mission” for a horse named Nico, saying he “had the horse’s best interests as the sole consideration.”
Heath Ryan. (Equesstrian Australia photo)
He then explained that it was a a “life-and-death” situation for the horse and it was in fact saving the animal from the “knackery” (slaughterhouse).
“I have never ridden anything like it. I am so sad this was caught on video. If I had been thinking of myself, I would have immediately just gotten off and sent Nico to the knackery,” he said.
“That video was a life-or-death moment for Nico and of that I was very aware. I felt I genuinely had to try my very hardest to see if Nico would consider other options. Anyway, by the end of that initial ride, I did feel Nico was responding.
“I rode Nico for another couple of days and he responded very well and started to go without the use of excessive driving aids.”
Ryan commented that Nico “had always been a problem child and would just stop,” eventually resulting in the hospitalization of his rider at the time.
He contended Nico is now “thriving in a loving and competitive home with an exciting future.”
The FEI, which will provide no further comment while the investigation continues, asks anyone who witnessed the incident or who possesses relevant information or evidence to contact the FEI at welfare@fei.org.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 18, 2025
Fake saliva foam is no longer to be allowed in a horse’s mouth, as well as around it or the tongue. Marshmallow fluff is not the only substance that can cover a multitude of sins, including an open mouth in dressage. A new FEI rule will go into effect on an emergency basis July 1 to prevent administration of substances that mask what is going on in a horse’s mouth.
Word came out Wednesday from the FEI’s board meeting in Switzerland that according to rule 1004.4 “It is strictly forbidden to use any type of substance/product inside or around the horse’s mouth and/or tongue that may (i) imitate, induce or cause foaming; and/or (ii) coat or otherwise cover, or partially cover, the bit. The prohibition excludes the use of products permitted in
the FEI Tack App and the provision of permitted natural treats given in moderation.”
The penalty for violation? A Yellow Warning Card and elimination.
Horse welfare these days is job one, as it always should have been. For information on the Equine Welfare Strategy Action Plan discussed at the meeting, click on this very informative link.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 18, 2025
British course designer Alec Lochore will produce the eventing cross-country route for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics at Santa Anita Park, the FEI (international equestrian federation) announced Wednesday.
No stranger to the Games, Alec was the eventing manager at the 2012 Olympics in London, overseeing not only planning for cross-country at Greenwich Park, but also serving in the same role at the Tokyo Games in 2021. The 53-year-old official’s resume also includes experience at the FEI World Equestrian Games and the European Championships, as well as two terms on the FEI eventing committee.
“I am humbled, honored and delighted to have been asked to design the cross-country track for the Olympic Games LA28,” Alec said.
“It will be a great challenge, and one which I am looking forward to immensely.
“I am fortunate enough to have been involved with the organization and planning of several Olympic Games, and each Olympics is unique and special. The Olympics is the biggest showcase that our sport — that any sport — has, and to be chosen as course designer is very exciting.”
According to FEI President Ingmar de Vos, Alec “was instrumental in advising the FEI on the cross-country feasibility at the LA28 equestrian venue at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia and we are confident that, in cooperation with Mike Etherington-Smith, he will design a course that challenges the world’s best while showcasing the heart of our sport to a wider global audience.”
Mike, a former chief executive of British eventing, laid out the cross-country at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was the longtime designer of the Kentucky 5-star.
Alec designs more than 50 courses each year, including for such well-known events as the Burnham Market CCI 4-star, as well as Houghton International and Barbury Castle, also 4-stars. He has also taken his talent abroad, working in India, Australia and Zambia.
In the U.S., he designed at TerraNova, east of Sarasota, Fla., where the November 2024 4-star Long was the country’s last major event of the year.
Santa Anita racetrack hosted the 1984 Olympic equestrian competition, with the exception of cross-country, which was on a golf course near San Diego, south of Los Angeles.
Santa Anita Park.
The facility’s selection at the LA28 equestrian venue was a surprise to many, since it seemed that Galway Downs in Temecula had the inside track for the competition under the decision that every phase of the competition had to be at the same location. But Galway, a frequent eventing venue, is further from Los Angeles than Santa Anita, which is in a more populated area close to many hotels, and it is felt that Arcadia would be cooler in July than Temecula.
There were questions about how cross-country could be held at Santa Anita. However, the track is set on 320 acres, and it has a lot of topography, as well as great view of the San Gabriel mountains.
A huge crowd watched at Santa Anita in 1984 when Mark Todd won eventing gold at the Olympics.
It is home to as many as 2,000 horses, with the exception of August, when the thoroughbreds move south to Del Mar so the track can work on maintenance. It also has a veterinary hospital that offers nuclear scintigraphy which utilizes small tracer amounts of radioactive molecules to diagnose diseases involving bone, soft tissues and vessels. It will need to house only 200 horses for the Olympic equestrian competition.
There is ample room for cross-country in the areas set aside for parking, as well as in the infield, where a 5-star grand prix was held last autumn and will be staged again this November.
Work on the Santa Anita cross-country track is scheduled to begin “in the coming weeks.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 17, 2025
Vanessa Coleman has been named chief competition and operating officer of Equestrian Events Inc., which supports the development of equestrian sports by staging sporting events at the highest level, including eventing’s Defender Kentucky 5-star.
EEI, which also presents the Cosequin® Lexington CCI4*-S and Kentucky International CSI5* show jumping competition on the same April weekend as the 5-star event, attracts nearly 90,000 spectators.
Vanessa, who has a bachelor’s degree in business from Lindenwood University in St. Louis, worked as an accountant, ran her own barn and organized a local horse trial.
Vanessa Coleman
She volunteered annually at the Kentucky Three-Day Event for her mother, who was the chief steward of horse inspection. In 2008, Janie Atkinson, director of the event at that time, asked Vanessa to help with the fixture, and she has been on staff ever since.
Vanessa, who had been senior director of competition for EEI since 2013, is responsible for overseeing all competitive aspects of its events, including coordination with contractors and volunteers. Before that, she served as director of ticketing and transitioned to lead sponsorship in 2012.
Vanessa, who tries to give back to the sport by volunteering and supporting other local events as much as she can, was an eventer most of her life and still owns two horses. She and her husband, Anthony, have a daughter, Alexa.
“Few people in our sport are as universally liked and respected as Vanessa,” said EEI Chief Executive Officer Molly Day.
“Vanessa has played an integral role in the Kentucky Three-Day Event achieving its position of worldwide prominence, and EEI is incredibly fortunate to have her as a key member of our team.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 17, 2025
Veterinarian Mike Fugaro received the Governor’s Award from the New Jersey Equine Advisory board, part of the organization’s activities during the state’s month of the horse to recognize outstanding individuals. Dr. Fugaro owns and operates Mountain Pointe Equine Veterinary Services in northwestern New Jersey.
Dr. Michael Fugaro.
He was the resident veterinarian and a tenured full-professor at Centenary University, and taught as a visiting instructor at Rutgers University in the Animal Science Department. Other positions he has held have been with the state Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health and the state Racing Commission.
The Morris County resident also has been president of the state Association of Equine Practitioners, an advisory board member for the Rutgers University Board for Equine Advancement and an admissions committee member for University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, from which he graduated.
Other award winners include Karl, the New Jersey Sire Stakes Award /Horse of the Year; the Standardbred of the Year honors went to Sig Sauer and who else but the brilliant racehorse Book’em Danno could have been Thoroughbred of the Year.
Katharina Boucke is the Youth Horse Person of the Year, the Superior Horse is Lightning Moon, Mark Mullen took Breeder of the Year and Standardbred Pleasure Horse of the Year is Slippery Slope.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 17, 2025
Four competitors who rode in the 3-star Hagen, Germany, dressage show this month have been named to the U.S. team for July’s 5-star competition at Aachen. Kevin Kohmann, winner of the Grand Prix and Special at Hagen, will be riding Diamante Farm’s Duenensee.
Kevin Kohmann and Dunensee. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Kevin, tenth in the FEI World Cup Final in April, will be joined on the squad by Olympic medalist Kasey Perry-Glass on Diane Perry’s Heartbeat WP, Ben Ebeling with Anne Romney’s Bellena and Jennifer Hoffman on Joppe Partners’ Joppe K.
Marcus Orlob, who went to the Olympics with Alice Tarjan’s Jane, will ride as an individual with the mare in the 4-star at Aachen. He also will be in the 1-star with Alice’s stallion, JJ Glory Day. Kevin rides in that division as well with Diamante’s Scala, fourth in the Prix St. Georges and I-1 at Hagen.
Aachen takes on even more than its usual importance because it will be the venue next year for the world championships in every discipline except endurance, making it practically a reprise of its spectacular 2006 presentation of the World Equestrian Games.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 16, 2025
Team Great Britain reminds us today about the amazing tale of how Harry Charles replicated his father’s Olympic show jumping team gold medal performance, a little over a decade after Peter Charles stood on the podium in London. Since Harry has been in the news recently for his engagement to Eve Jobs, daughter of Apple’s late co-founder Steve Jobs, it’s only fair to focus on the athlete’s professional claim to fame.
But the Charles men aren’t just resting on their laurels. At the Flanders Foal Auction last weekend, Peter Charles secured the first offspring ever sold out of the grand prix mare HH Azur, once the celebrated mount of the USA’s McLain Ward, who took the FEI World Cup final title with her in 2017. She also was McLain’s mount for the silver medal team at the 2016 Olympics. The Cornet Obolensky colt, Côte d’Azur HH Z who sold for 88,000 Euros, will move to the Charles family’s Heathcroft Farm.
Harry Charles was 13 years old when he watched his father Peter win team show jumping gold at London 2012.
It was in that moment that he realized exactly what he wanted to do – abandoning a fledgling golfing career to focus on equestrian.
Even in his wildest dreams, though, he could not have imagined that he would match his dad in taking Olympic gold, and what is more, alongside Scott Brash and Ben Maher, who were also part of the team in London.
Harry Charles in Paris. (Getty Images)
In doing so, the Charles men are the first father-son combination to win Olympic gold for Team GB since 1948 – rowers Dickie and Charles Burnell (1908 Games) were the last to do it.
But Harry Charles must surely be the first to have won alongside his dad’s teammates, the triumphant quartet in London being Ben, Scott, Peter Charles and Nick Skelton, in a slightly different format (four team members, rather than the current three).
Harry said: “I was at Greenwich Park (for the 2012 Games); I was 13 when I watched these two boys (Scott and Ben). It’s pretty cool.
“They are both my heroes, guys I’ve looked up to since I started riding. To be on the podium with them, my inner, younger self is freaking out a little bit.
“My dad wanted me to be a golfer, so I was playing a lot of golf and riding a few ponies at the same time. I realized I was a lot better at riding a horse than swinging a golf club. So that was definitely the most pivotal moment.
“Before the competition, my dad said, `Enjoy it, whatever you do. You’ve worked hard to get here.’ And after he said, ‘Enjoy it, enjoy every minute of that ceremony, this will probably be the best moment of your life’ .”
Just 25 at Paris, Harry was the baby of the showjumping world – all the more remarkable when you consider that he was not even an Olympic newcomer, having made his debut in Tokyo.
There, Great Britain could only manage seventh, but this time around, they led from start to finish, despite Harry still mending a broken wrist he fractured in a fall three weeks earlier.
Ben Maher kicked things off with a fantastic performance on Dallas Vegas Batilly, scoring just one time penalty, as he was one of only two people to go avoid a knockdown, and the quickest of the two.
Harry then followed suit on Romeo 88, going clear despite clipping the tenth jump, as GB maintained a two-penalty lead over host nation France, one penalty to three.
By the time Scott was up on Hello Jefferson, the equation was simple, leave all the rails in place, pick up at most two time penalties and Great Britain would be champions.
Like Harry, Scott clipped a fence, playing with the nerves of those watching, but most important, holding his own.
A second time penalty meant that Britain finished on two penalties, two clear of the USA in silver, with hosts France taking bronze on seven.
With this win, Ben (the 2021 individual gold medalist in Tokyo) joined dressage competitor Charlotte Dujardin and the late eventer Richard Meade (his son, Harry, is now world number one in that discipline) as the only equestrians to win three gold medals for Team GB.
With Peter in attendance supporting the team in Versailles last year, Scott admitted it was quite a surreal feeling to have now won Olympic gold alongside two generations of the Charles family.
The London 2012 team (top) Nick Skelton, Ben Maher, Scott Brash Peter Charles. The Paris 2024 team (bottom) Scott Brash, Harry Charles, Ben Maher.
He and Ben “feel a bit like the old veterans. Pete played a massive role, even here (Paris). It’s invaluable having him on our shoulder, giving advice. Having that mentor is really good for all of us.
“Harry is only 25 but he’s very experienced already. It’s amazing to have good riders coming up in our country and I think the future looks bright.”
Ben, meanwhile, had put Great Britain into the perfect position, and even after all he has achieved as a three-time Olympic champion, explained that days this flawless come few and far between.
He said: “I would probably say none of us could have done a better job today than we did. It’s not like we will go home and think we could do something better than we did and it’s very rare in our sport. Everything came together and it was just an amazing feeling.”
Just as had been the case 12 years before, Ben, Scott and a Charles stood on the podium celebrating Olympic gold.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 13, 2025
Former U.S. dressage team member Belinda Nairn (Baudin) Wertman died Thursday after a battle with cancer. She would have turned 70 on Friday, June 13.
A respected trainer, the Reddick, Fla., resident was reserve with Alegria on the U.S. squad at the 1984 Olympics and competed on the team with Christopher in the 1988 Games. The native of New Zealand and her husband, Bill Wertman, ran a training, breeding and sales business. She rode and trained for Iron Spring Farm from 2003-2009.
As her friend Monica Drohm wrote on social media, “I could write a book about everything we shared and experienced, our moments of crying and laughing, our similar views on horses and on correct riding, our deepest feelings and so on, the special relationship she had with her dogs and not to forget her donkeys, the dedication she had for her students and her tireless efforts to teach people to ride well.”
