by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 29, 2026
The Premier Jumping League, set to debut in April 2027, has sold its first team for $50 million to race car driver Jason McCarthy and McCarthy Jumping League LLC.
UPDATE: At the same time, the PJL has received FEI Series Approval that formally sanctions the rules and regulations of the series, including competition formats, team formation structure, rider selection process, prize money distribution and other operational mechanics.
There will be $1 million in prize money available to riders on each 5-star weekend.
Neil Moffitt, CEO of the PJL said the league “is not seeking to reinvent jumping, nor to disrupt the existing ecosystem. Our objective is to present the sport in a way that protects its integrity, respects its heritage and creates great opportunities for everyone involved.
“This is about positioning jumping alongside other elite sports – not as a niche pursuit, but as a premier international sporting product capable of attracting major audiences, sponsors, broadcasters, commercial partners.”
Jason McCarthy; his wife, Newsha, and their daughter, Natalia, are all involved with horses. Still in the junior ranks, Natasha aspires to compete at the highest level of the sport. The family owns horse farms in Watermill, N.Y., and Wellington, Fla.
According to a league statement, Jason’s investment “represents an unprecedented valuation for a team in a newly established sports competition and underscores the confidence that sophisticated investors are placing in the PJL.”
McCarthy brings extensive investment and trading experience to the League, having held leadership ositions across the financial sector throughout his career. A graduate of MIT, McCarthy is the founder and managing principal of a proprietary trading firm active across a diverse range of domestic and international markets.
Race driver and investor Jason McCarthy
The PJL is working with the FEI as the it progresses through the series approval process. The PJL, with its global 16-team competition, is backed by McCourt Global and its executive chairman, Frank McCourt, who was a co-founder of the Global Champions Tour, an innovator in non-national team jumping.
The PJL “brings together the world’s top riders and horses to compete for the biggest prize pot in the discipline’s history,” $300 million guaranteed prize money across the first three years. It will be staged in 14 venues in North America, Europe and the Middle East. The League is designed to open the sport to new audiences while respecting its heritage.
The PJL, according to its statement, is committed to “the highest standards of horse and rider welfare.”
It combines “extraordinary athletic performance with premium entertainment, strengthened by the league’s partnership with Box to Box Films (the production company behind F1’s ‘Drive to Survive’), and supported by a free-to-view broadcasting model.
“Cutting-edge technology, radical transparency, and innovative team formats enhance the drama, intensity, and rivalry that define elite sport – unlocking the full potential of jumping, demanded by today’s global sports and entertainment marketplace, without compromising its core values.”
PJL’s objective is “to build a modern, commercially sustainable platform that elevates the sport, supports its athletes, and secures its future on the global stage. Jumping is primed for innovation. Historically, the sport has proved hard to follow, and growth has been hindered by repetitive formats and a lack of education for new audiences.”
Frank McCourt
The league bills itself as “a modern, fan-focused model that combines elite athletic performance with innovative formats, enhanced transparency, and best-in-class, free-to-view broadcasting.”
Commenting on his investment, Jason said: “Like Frank McCourt, our family’s journey into this sport began with my wife, Newsha, whose lifelong love of horses first introduced us to the equestrian world. Through her passion, we became fans of jumping and developed a deep appreciation for the extraordinary partnership between horse and rider.
“We believe strongly in the PJL’s vision – a league committed to the highest ethical standards,meritocracy, and elite competition, underpinned by a sustainable commercial model that attracts the world’s best riders and delivers fan experiences on par with the greatest global sporting competitions.
“We see enormous potential for the sport to grow its global audience while remaining true to the values that make it so special. We are confident the PJL will help realise that potential and drive meaningful growth for the sport we have come to love.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 30, 2026
In the wake of news that U.S. Equestrian Federation CEO Bill Moroney will retire at the end of the year after a decade in the post, the organization stated Tuesday that it is “committed to a thorough and deliberate search” for his successor.
A search committee of directors across a range of breeds and disciplines has been designated to reflect the perspectives of the federation’s community is reflected. The committee is in discussion with several nationally recognized executive search firms and will select a professional partner to support the search. The process will include feedback from a diverse cross-section of membership including amateur athletes, trainers and affiliate leadership, among others, to help define the priorities and qualities that matter most in the next leader.
When the search partner is selected, the firm will establish a process for interested individuals to submit a letter of interest for the search team’s review. USEF will share those details in a follow-up communication. When the committee completes its work, it will bring its recommendation to the Board of Directors, which will make the final decision.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 25, 2026
Dr. Jack Lowe, a much-admired veterinarian who served the horse industry and Cornell University in a variety of important ways for decades, died Wednesday at age 91 after complications from a fall.
“He was one of the few people I know who loved his job every single day; the horses, all the animals and the people and lifelong friends. He absolutely loved life,” said his daughter, Stacy Lowe-Jonas, who characterized him as “a big teddy bear. He was still smiling the last day I saw him.”
She pointed out that Dr. Lowe’s death came while the Lake Placid, N.Y., horse show was going on. It was one of his favorite shows, Stacy noted, and he served as veterinarian there, as well as at the Sussex County show in New Jersey, where he handled that role for more than half a century.
A graduate of the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine in 1959, he received the Daniel Elmer Salmon Award for Distinguished Alumni Service, which honors veterinary graduates who have distinguished themselves in service to the profession, their communities or to the college.
“Jack has spent his entire professional career at the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine enthusiastically contributing to the teaching, research and service missions of the college for many generations of veterinarians and horse owners,” Dr. Susan Fubini, an associate dean, said at the time her received the honor.
Dr. Lowe first studied at Rutgers University for his bachelor’s in dairy science before coming to Cornell, where he earned an M.S. in veterinary pathology after obtaining his veterinary degree. He went on to complete an internship and residency in surgery at Cornell before becoming an assistant professor in 1963. He developed many milestone techniques still in use today.
“Jack has published landmark discoveries, and he was the go-to surgeon for many owners of horses and farm animals,” noted Fubini.
Dr. Lowe was a member of numerous veterinary associations, and for most, he also dedicated time as either an executive board member or president. Among these groups were the American Horse Shows Association, a predecessor of the U.S. Equestrian Federation. He served on the AHSA’s drug control committee for more than 40 years, during nine of which he was the chairman. In this role, he helped develop many of the drug control policies for the horse show industry.
He also originated and continues to work on the USEF’s Health Research Fund. His pioneering efforts earned him many honors, including the Horseperson of the Year Award from the New York State Horse Council. His many roles also included serving as director of the Cornell Equine Park for 13 years.
Jaclyn Brennan, Dr. Lowe’s granddaughter, remembered him this way on social media, “My grandfather was many things to many people. A father, a friend, a husband, an uncle, a world-renowned veterinarian, a horseman, a mentor, a colleague, and everything in between. Jack, Dr. Lowe, Doc… but to me, he was Papa Doc.
“Outdoorsman, hunter, fisherman, taxi, cheerleader, road tripper, babysitter, gardener, meat smoker extraordinaire, (terrible but enthusiastic) dancer, lover of western movies, Johnny Cash, and obscure music he would discover on thrift store tapes. Because of him, I have my name. Because of him, I have horses. Because of him, I have humor, logic, and the minor trauma of him giving me `the talk’ using completely medical equine terms in the front seat of his Lincoln on the way to Washington D.C.”
Stacy stressed how important being a grandfather was to Dr. Lowe.
“My kids were his world. He never missed a baseball game, a football game, a downhill ski race or a horse show. He was there for them.”
Dr. Lowe has asked that his body be donated to the Syracuse University School of Medicine, so it can help with the education of medical students.
UPDATE: A celebration of his life will be held July 25 from 4:30-8 p.m. at the Dryden VFW, 2272 Dryden Road (Route 13), Dryden, N.Y.
Sharing of memories and stories will take place from 4:30-6 p.m., with dancing to live music from the Tarps until 8 p.m. RSVP to CelebrateJack725@gmail.com or text 607-227-2538.
In lieu of flowers, Dr. Lowe’s family requests that gifts be made in his memory to the Jack Lowe Equine Health Fund. Contributions may also be sent via check (payable to Cornell University) to: The Jack Lowe Equine Health Fund, Cornell University, Box 37334, Boone, IA 50037-0334.
Dr. Lowe is survived by his wife, Joyce; his daughter and her husband, Hugh Jonas; Stacy’s brother, William Lowe and his partner (Melissa); granddaughter Jaclyn and her new husband, Dylan Brennan and grandsons Sterling Trevor Calale and Richard J. Calale III.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 26, 2026
It’s no surprise to see Laura Kraut and McLain Ward named Friday to the Icon Global squad for August’s world championships at Aachen. The veteran competitors both are, after all, Olympic team gold and silver medalists. Laura, 60, will be up on Bisquetta and McLain, 50, is set to ride one of his newer mounts, High Star Hero.
Laura Kraut and Bisquetta.
At the same time, it’s refreshing to learn that some different and younger faces will be filling out the squad.
Marilyn Little, 45, a former show jumper who became an eventer and then a show jumper again, was named with La Contessa, a speedy mare who has made a mark in Nations Cup and the Longines League of Nations competition.
Marilyn Little and Contessa
Lillie Keenan, 29, representing the under-30 set, also has a quick mount, appropriately named Fasther. And Katie Dinan, 32, third in the FEI World Cup Finals during the spring, will be riding the reliable Out of the Blue SCF.
Katie Dinan and out of the Blue SCF
The U.S. did not medal in show jumping at the last world championships four years ago in Denmark, so the goal obviously is to correct that oversight.
McLain Ward and High Star Hero.
Missing from the squad is world number one Kent Farrington, who was shortlisted for the team. He always does what he thinks will suit his horses, as evidenced by the way he won April’s World Cup. He used Toulayna in the first leg, then the marvelous Greya in the next two segments, making sure not to overdo with the sensitive mare.
He explained on social media, “After giving a great deal of thought to this season and what I believe is the best long-term management for my horses, I have decided to withdraw from consideration for the World Equestrian Games. (it’s actually the World Championships not the WEG).
“Greya has already contested a championship on home soil this year, and we were fortunate enough to come away with the victory,” the rider wrote.
He has another promising horse in Descartes SR, but noted that while that Mexican-bred mount “has delivered some outstanding performances this season, I believe he is still developing and that a championship of this magnitude comes a bit too soon in his career.”
As usual, Kent is astute in planning and looking toward the future.
“With the Olympics on home soil in Los Angeles in 2028, I believe the right decision is to prioritize that goal and continue developing both horses with their long-term future in mind. This approach gives them the best opportunity for sustained success while allowing each horse to progress at the right pace,” he said.
Germany has announced its team, and there are a few surprises. As expected, European Champion Richard Vogel and United Touch S are part of the squad, along with Richie’s partner, Sophie Hinners (Iron Dames Singclair), Andre Thieme (DSP Chakaria) and World Cup Finals runner-up Daniel Deusser (Otello de Guldenboom).
The first reserve is Marcus Ehning with Coolio, while Olympic individual gold medalist Christian Kukuk and Checker have been relegated to second reserve.
Meanwhile, Brazil has a powerful squad lined up for the championships, and hired as its coach Franke Sloothaak. Franke hasn’t competed internationally since 2017, but the native of the Netherlands was on two Olympic gold medal teams when he rode for Germany.
So add Brazil to the list of nations with medal potential for the championships. Riding for that country will be a former world champion, Rodrigo Pessoa (Major Tom/Prins van’t Eigenio), Marion Modelo Zanotelli with McLain Ward’s 2024 Olympic silver medal ride, Ilex, or Dorette Old; Lucinia Diniz (Vergio du Deser); Yuri Mansur (QH Alfons San Antonio) and Stephan de Freitas Barcha (Dinozo Imperio Egipcio or Chevaux Primavera Imperio Egipcio).
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 30, 2026
The new FEI Horse Condition Task Force met Monday to discuss horse welfare issues, particularly the subject of blood on competition horses, for which rules differ according to discipline.
“There was broad consensus across the stakeholders that Horse Welfare sits at the center of the rules under discussion and that, while complex in some circumstances, current existing rules regarding serious cases of abuse are strong,” noted a statement from the FEI.
Participants included a broad range of representatives from across the international equestrian community, among them the FEI Board, technical committees, regional groups, the veterinary and athletes’ committees and national federations, among others. They are seeking a more harmonized approach to horse condition protocols, regulations and sanctions across all FEI disciplines.
FEI President Ingmar de Vos said he was encouraged “by the constructive approach in the lead-up to this meeting and confident that we are on the right path towards developing a sustainable, harmonized framework that serves both our horses and our sport.
“By working together in this way, we demonstrate that the FEI is capable of addressing complex issues through dialogue and consensus. That unity will further strengthen our sport and reinforce its place within the Olympic Movement.”
Let’s see what they come up with next…
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 11, 2026
The new version of Wellington International will be as much a showcase as it is a showgrounds.
The finishing touches are being put on the expanded and upgraded host of the 2027 Winter Equestrian Festival, the world’s longest horse show. Dressage competition will share the revamped location with the centerpiece hunters and jumpers, who have occupied it mostly on their own for the last 14 years.
An additional 98 acres added to the once-crowded facility offers space for construction of the site’s first covered arena, new stabling, installation of the grass field, and addition of more rings both for competition and exercise, as well as facilities geared to spectators for dining, shopping and viewing the competition. Permanent restrooms, including those located by the barns, in the show office and the VIP area, will be another welcome improvement, along with shade structures offering shelter from the bright sun.
The new covered arena.
There will be an international dressage arena measuring 250 by 350 feet, with covered seating for 3,000, as well as two dressage rings for national dressage competition. While the jumpers “will be close,” they won’t be on top of the dressage horses, as they were at the showgrounds in the days before nearby Equestrian Village became a venue for the discipline.
Having a total of 215 acres will afford much more parking than there has been at the main grounds, with institution of a golf cart shuttle system for those seeking to skip a long walk between the North and South sections of the property. There also will be dedicated rider shuttles between the barns and the rings.
Wellington International President Michael Stone by the new grass field.
Meanwhile, having three entrances and exits, to the showgrounds, instead of one bottleneck access route, also should ease the traffic jams that have become a standard frustration as cars leave after a major competition. While the current Pierson Road entrance will remain, two other entrances will be available from Gracida Street on the other side of the property.
The enlarged facility was required to be open by 2028 as part of a deal to enable construction of Wellington Lifestyle Partners’ luxury housing development on what was the former Adequan Global Dressage Festival grounds, which have been in operation during the winter months at Equestrian Village since 2012.
Michael Stone and Mark Bellissimo when the Adequan Global Showgrounds was under construction in 2011.
The work on the expanded main showgrounds is being finished early, however, and will be ready for a soft opening later this year.
“We’re really excited to get going,” said Michael Stone, president of Wellington International, noting the expansion “means we have way more space.
Plantings will beautify the showgrounds as they grow.
“One of the criticisms we’ve always had is that we don’t have enough space; too many horses on a small footprint.
“But now we’re doubling the footprint. Even though we’re bringing over dressage, it only takes up a relatively small amount (of acreage). We have all these new rings and bridle paths and parking to enhance the experience,” he observed.
The abundant parking is particularly important for dressage, since many of those who compete are in “show and go mode,” heading back to their farms after competing, rather than stabling on the grounds, as most of the hunters and jumpers do.
The lack of space and parking made for a situation “that people have been justifiably critical of over the years,” as Michael pointed out. The first year the expanded grounds is in operation, he acknowledged, will be a bit of a learning experience, as competition manager and chief operating officer David Burton works on coordinating everything, a project which already is under way. The idea is a schedule that insures someone won’t be showing on the South grounds and then five minutes later have to appear with another horse on the North grounds.
One of the large exercise rings.
“We’ll refine it as we go along for the hunter/jumper side. The dressage side is pretty straightforward, with a lot more room for warm-ups. It’s a much better venue for dressage,” Michael contended.
Although WEF and other shows at the site draw riders from all over the Western Hemisphere, Europe, the Middle East, Asia and Australia, the facility is no longer one of a kind, as it was in its early days.
Florida has become the epicenter of showing in the U.S. during the winter. Not only has the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, four hours to the north gotten a share of the spotlight with its 5-star hotel, restaurants and shopping, but TerraNova, another newer development three hours west of Wellington, also has a modern facility that is an attraction.
Crowds jammed the stands for the featured 2026 Rolex US Open $1 million grand prix at Wellington International.
“We clearly have a lot of competition,” Michael observed.
But he quickly added, “We welcome competition, because the better the competition, the better we will become.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 9, 2026
At the Devon Horse Show, all the attention is on the champions of the moment; those who win the hunter derby, the division titles, the leading rider honors.
But for one evening each year, after the hunter classes at the show have ended, there is a gathering to offer accolades and share memories. Those who have made a lasting impression on the sport over the decades are honored at the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame’s annual dinner. Since 1995, the names added to the Hall’s roster have included scores of legends.
Among them are riders, trainers, breeders and organizers who are well-known today, such as Rodney Jenkins, Leo Conroy, Sallie Wheeler and Diana Dodge. Less contemporary, but equally respected, are the likes of Peggy Augustus, Junie Kulp, Hope Montgomery Scott and Gordon Wright, as well as so many others who made their mark over the generations. Induction into the Hall ensures a place in a pantheon of greats who will never be forgotten because of their contributions to the sport.
As master of ceremonies Scot Evans observed, the hunters are “where it all begins” for so many international riders.
“That’s the American system.”
The Hall, founded by Carol Maloney, is chaired by trainer Jimmy Lee, who is assisted in running the organization by Kathy Gilbertson. As Scot noted they are “the two people who are keeping this together.”
Nina Bonnie, one of the 2026 inductees, is an achiever in multiple ways. They include a winning record in the show ring on horses she bought young and made herself. Beyond that, she has served horse sport and the Kentucky Horse Park.
Nina Bonnie with her sons, Shelby and Robert.
Always gracious and personable, she came by her sense of duty not only as a personal obligation, but also as a heritage. This spring, she followed her late mother, Mrs. A.C. Randolph, into the Hall. Mrs. Randolph bred and trained show horses, as well as race horses and field hunters. She served as master of the Piedmont Fox Hounds for more than 40 years, and her grandsons also became masters of foxhounds.
Nina, who was married to the late Ned Bonnie, was introduced by her sons Shelby and Robert at the dinner. In addition to being a top amateur rider, she served as chairperson of the Kentucky Horse Park and started its foundation.
“I’ve had a wonderful time. I love what I’ve done at the horse shows and I hope all of you all continue to do it for a long time. It’s a great sport,” she told those at the dinner.
Nina continues to ride, currently enjoying a former steeplechaser who has become a pleasure mount.
Humor always has a place at the dinner if the speaker handling an induction lets their wit shine through. When Don Stewart is doing the honors, it’s really a roast, and you know it always will be good for more than a few laughs.
Don said that because Archie’s father and stepmother would be on hand at the dinner, the honoree wisely suggested “don’t be too rude.”
Archie is originally from Long Island in the Locust Valley area, where he trained with Cynthia Williams (who was on hand at the dinner) and was “surrounded by upper crust, entitled, wealthy snobby neighbors,” Don related with a smile, noting he did “dodge the `Locust Valley Lockjaw’ accent.”
Mentioning that Archie graduated from Drew University with a degree in political science, Don suggested that had he chosen that line of country for a career, he probably would have been a success in it because “he can argue like no other.”
After a stint training in New Jersey, Archie moved to California for a job with Karen Healey and wound up staying. After opening his own Brookway Stable, he went on to train the winners of 53 national high score awards. Some of his most notable students, as cited by Don, were Olympian Lucy Davis and Stephanie Danhakl “winner of everything.”
Archie chuckled as Don stepped away and he took the microphone, “I think that went pretty darn well compared to how it might have gone…”.
Archie Cos with Scot Evans and Jimmy Lee.
Of his philosophy toward horses, he said, “Let them be as good as they can. I’ve had great horses and great owners and I look forward to quite a few more years doing this.”
The most emotional speech came from Andre Dignelli, best known for his equitation training success. His brother and business partner in Heritage Farm, Michael Dignelli, introduced him at the dinner. The two have always been a team.
Michael and Andre Dignelli.
Andre, who was near tears several times during his speech, told of getting started with no money but with an abundance of determination.
“We had a lot of love and not a lot of anything else,” he recounted about growing up with very caring parents.
“We had a makeshift little barn in the backyard, a couple of off-the-track thoroughbreds we got out of a local Pennysaver. We’d go to local horse shows. We would take in all the free lessons.” That meant watching their “heroes,” such as Rodney, Leslie Burr and Katie Monahan and picking up on what they saw.
“We would go home and jump garbage cans and learn how to braid,” he remembered.
While many doors were closed to Andre, Hall of Fame member Judy Richter opened her door.
She was generous but also no-nonsense, and he worked hard at her Coker Farm.
“I was terrified of her.” he admitted. She was the key to his future, and they grew to understand each other.
“If you want to keep a horse out back in the tractor shed, there’s a place for you here,” she advised, before giving him his biggest breaks. He went on to ride a junior jumper owned by her son in the 1985 USET finals.
“Winning that class changed my life, It was the first time I actually felt `seen,’ ” he told his audience. Andre went on to ride another of her horses to a team bronze medal at the Pan Am Games in 1991.
The trainer, who survived kidney cancer with a transplant from his husband, noted, “The most rewarding part of my job has been the hundreds of students I have taught and mentored. They have stood on the podiums as my students and my alumni from Pony Finals to the Olympics Games and everywhere in between.” (His former student, Tori Colvin — who won the USET class in 2015 — was honored at the Hall dinner as Lady Rider of the Year. And another former student, Kent Farrington, was ranked number one internationally in June).
The McKinney family was recognized for its long history in the horse world. Rigan McKinney, a famed steeplechase jockey and trainer, owned and operated the Stony Point horse farm in Lexington, Ky. One of his daughters, Tamara McKinney, a star U.S. skier, was also an accomplished rider as a junior.
The McKinney family reviewing their photos at the dinner.
Her step-sister, Laura, became the owner of Stony Point, and in between working with her race horses, rode hunters, as did her mother, Frances McKinney. Laura’s sister, Ouisha, an equine artist specializing in wool and earthenware, also is involved with the farm.
Horses have their own place in the Hall, and two were inducted for 2026. They are Becky Gochman’s Catch Me, ridden by Scott Stewart (a boxed Breyer model of the memorable Holsteiner was on every table) and Betsee Parker’s Lone Star, ridden by Hunt Tosh, who spoke about how much that special horse meant to him.
Aside from the inductees, many other awards (such as the one that went to Tori) are presented at the Hall dinner. Betsee, whose California Love was Regular Conformation Hunter of the Year and Horse of the Year, got the Owner of the Year trophy and Scott Stewart, California Love’s rider, took the tricolor as Gentleman Rider of the Year. John French was Trainer of the Year.
Betsee Parker plants a kiss on Scott Stewart.
Wunderkind J.J. Torano was named Hunter Seat Equitation Rider of the Year. But that title is an understatement when looking at his achievements. He rode in the hunter derby at Devon, where he was a winner in the jumpers, and he also won a jumper class at Upperville the following week.
JJ Torano in the hunter derby at Devon.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 16, 2026
Ronnie Beard, who trained some of the USA’s greatest hunters and show jumpers, died Tuesday.
Jet Run, Southside and Springdale were among the many horses with which Ronnie was associated over his decades in the industry. The riders he worked with included Katie Monahan, Bernie Traurig, Buddy Brown, Robert Ridland and Melanie Smith, among others.
Ronnie “knew how to do all the right things,” said Robert, who rode Southside in the 1976 Olympics.
At the Caine family’s lavish Winter Place Stables in Maryland during the 1970s, Ronnie assembled a group of horses and riders who became legends. That talent was so impressive it could have made up two Olympic Nations Cup teams, reminisced Robert, now the U.S. show jumping coach.
Ronnie trained both the first and second place winners in the 1981 Volvo World Cup Finals, Michael Matz with Jet Run and Donald Cheska on Southside. He started with both those horses from the age of four.
“Ronnie was a great ambassador for our sport. He was a wonderful horseman, a guiding light for Winter Place Farm in their heyday. An all-around good guy,” said Jimmy Lee, chairman of the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame, into which Ronnie was inducted last year.
Jimmy recalled that at the beginning of his career, Ronnie was in the Reston, Va., area and rode locally. But he always had an eye for a fine animal.
“He knew nice horses,” said Jimmy, who hired Ronnie to work at his Belcort Farm in Virginia.
“He drove the van, he took care of the horses; we all did everything, and he did too. There wasn’t anything Ronnie couldn’t do.”
Although Ronnie was a skilled rider, he felt his future belonged more to training than time in the saddle. When he won the hunter championship at the Keswick, Va., show with Gozzi, he decided to end his riding career on that high note and turned to bringing along horses and riders. Jimmy arranged for Ronnie to get the trainer’s job at Winter Place.
While that facility was known for its decor, Ronnie always emphasized, “it was a lot more than chandeliers,” referring to the massive, glittering light fixtures in the indoor ring, for which the stable became famous.
Ronnie Beard with Robert Ridland and Kathy Kusner.
“He set the gold standard for hunters and jumpers there,” Robert observed.
“He was the heart and soul of Winter Place.”
Melanie came to Winter Place when the Caines bought her mount, Mississippi Mud.
Although she would go on to win team gold at the 1984 Olympics with Calypso, Melanie recalled that in the early 1970s, “I was kind of a nobody then. Ronnie really gave me a wonderful opportunity.”
He sent some lovely horses her way, including Jet Run, a budding superstar she took from Preliminary/Intermediate to Grand Prix.
“The Winter Place era was such a magical time,” she recalled. “Ronnie had a tremendous eye for a good horse. Horses are the best teachers, and he allowed me to do what I felt was right. We stayed friends through the years after that.”
Sue Ashe often judged shows with Ronnie, who had been suffering heart issues. As she talked about her friend, she mentioned his great sense of humor. Sue recounted the time that he and U.S. Olympic show jumper Kathy Kusner went to the National Horse Show ball in Manhattan. Ronnie was in a tuxedo; Kathy wore a dress he made for her out of the curtains that had been hanging her hotel room, a la Scarlett O’Hara in Gone with the Wind.
“He was a great horseman and a wonderful, wonderful person,” Sue said.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 19, 2026
Just 0.07 seconds made the difference between first and second place in the Dutch leg of the Longines League of Nations Friday, as Great Britain’s Harry Charles carried victory for his team with a 31.18-second trip on LT Holst Freda. That put him narrowly ahead of a 31.25-second effort by the USA’s Marilyn Little on the speedy La Contessa in a three-way jump-off.
At the end of two rounds, three teams were equal on 8 penalties, necessitating the tie-breaker. Switzerland’s Jason Smith, who did not ride in the first round because his three teammates were clear and he could not improve the Swiss score, appeared in the second round and had a rail over the course laid out by designers led by Bart Vonck. Despite the knockdown by Jason and Picobello van’t Roosakker, the number 254 ranked rider in the world, was selected by chef d’equipe Peter van der Waaij to be the flag-carrier for the finale. His horse, after all, was relatively fresh, having jumped only one round. His time of 31.64 for a clear trip proved just off the mark, putting his squad third.
Harry only has had Freda for six weeks, and this was the mare’s first major competition with him. Even so, he led off strongly on the 12-year-old New Zealand Warmblood. Like Marilyn, he was triple-clear under pressure.
“To walk into an atmosphere like that is so impressive. I’m very proud of her and so lucky to have her,” Harry said of his “incredible” mare.
“She finds everything so easy.”
As quick as she always is, Icon Global U.S. team anchor rider Marilyn just couldn’t catch Harry. But she has been a valuable member of the team each time she rides for the U.S., and could well be looking at a slot on the American squad for August’s world championships at Aachen.
She was double clear in the first two rounds, as was teammate Karl Cook with Caracole de la Roque. Karl was first to go in the competition because the U.S. was ranked last in the overall LLN standings, and countries go in reverse order of rank. Since he couldn’t see anyone go before he started, Karl had no idea of how tight the time allowed would be. But U.S. Coach Robert Ridland knew Karl and his mare could be clear and speedy, as they were.
Katie Dinan finished 8/0 with Out of the Blue SCF for the U.S., while Callie Schott had 8 penalties with Garant and did not appear in the second round.
The U.S. was sixth after the first round and Britain seventh, but that all “changed in a hurry” as Coach Robert put it, after the second round, when first-round leader Netherlands sank to fifth.
“It almost looked like we weren’t going to make the second round at one point,” Robert recalled.
“We really needed Marilyn’s clear in the first round and all of sudden, we’re in the second round, and that’s when that format gets great. It’s so dynamic without a drop score in the second round (where only three of four team members can compete). You can really move up the standings if you’re good and somebody ahead of you can plummet if they have a bad round.”
He also pointed out that for spectators, the second round is easy to watch, because there is no math to do in regard to a discard score.
“We started the day at the absolute bottom of the standings, and kept climbing up the ladder. It was kind of fun,” mused Robert.
The runner-up spot in Rotterdam was meaningful for the U.S. in terms of the LLN series, because it boosted the country from last place to seventh overall of the 10 teams that contest the series. In the previous LLN outing in Ocala during March, the U.S. did not even qualify for the second round, when it fielded a completely different team.
The U.S. team in Rotterdam: Coach Robert Ridland, Callie Schott, Marilyn Little, Katie Dinan, Karl Cook.
The top countries qualify for October’s LLN final in Barcelona, and there is only one more preliminary match for accumulating points, St. Tropez in September.
Harry rode with Olympic individual gold medalist Ben Maher, also on a new horse (Catelly). Ben was a member of the 2012 gold medal London Olympic team with Peter Charles, the father of Harry, and Harry’s sister and teammate, Sienna Charles. Harry bred Sienna’s mount, Chawton.
The fourth member of the British team in Rotterdam, Jessica Mendoza, had 8 penalties in the first round with Summerhouse and did not advance, as only three riders from each squad are allowed to compete in the second round.
The runner-up spot in Rotterdam was meaningful for the U.S. in terms of the LLN series, because it boosted the country from last place to seventh overall of the 10 teams that contest the series. In the previous LLN outing in Ocala during March, the U.S. did not even qualify for the second round, when it fielded a completely different group of horses and riders.
The top countries qualify for October’s LLN final in Barcelona, and there is only one more preliminary match to go, in St. Tropez in September, where points can be accumulated.
Click here for class results. Click here for team standings overall.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 19, 2026
Kingsview Partners Dressage at Devon’s Masterclass Sept. 24 offers a unique opportunity to learn from one of the world’s greatest – and most popular – trainers in the discipline, bringing Carl Hester from Great Britain for a special evening at the showgrounds on Philadelphia’s Main Line.
Carl is fun and entertaining while offering an education with his characteristic showmanship that shines. Even those who have no more equestrian ambition than taking a trail ride will get something out of his presentation, and enjoy themselves in the process. He is, after all, the man behind legends Valegro and Uthopia, among other equine stars, having proved many times over that he is a master at what he does.
Carl Hester
It is an incredible coup to get Carl for the Masterclass. Dressage at Devon’s new president, Nicole Del Giorno, explained it happened because Christina Morin-Graham, Anne Gribbons and George Williams “worked their Masterclass committee magic” to bring the respected trainer to Pennsylvania.
“We are ecstatic,” said Nicole, a trainer and competitor from New Jersey.
“The team literally hit it out of the park.”
Carl is the mastermind who guided Britain to Olympic dressage gold in 2012, at the Games in London, taking the country from nowhere in the international pecking order to the top of the standings.
Dressage at Devon’s Masterclass concept over the years has included U.S. Tokyo Olympic star Sabine Schut-Kery and Catherine Laudrup-Dufour, no stranger to being ranked as world number one. Having yet another outstanding clinician demonstrates the importance of this series at the six-day show, offering another golden opportunity for improvement and understanding of dressage.
The British gold medal team on the podium at the London 2012 Olympics: Carl Hester, Laura Bechtolsheimer, Charlotte Dujardin.
The riders participating (click here if you want to apply for a ride in the Masterclass) will be from a variety of levels, with horses representing a variety of breeds. It will all be interesting, but it’s not about just the elites. Carl will make the most of how he works with the participants. He is happy to help younger riders or even someone who is struggling with a particular issue. There may be many in the audience who have had to deal with something similar and who will welcome insights on how to cope.
Carl on Hawtins Delicato as Britain won team bronze in the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games.
To buy a ticket for the Masterclass, which is good for admission to the show all day, click on this link. Bargain early bird pricing is in effect only until July 15.
Carl saluting the crowd at the 2012 Olympics in London, where he rode Uthopia as part of the gold medal team.
Dressage at Devon runs Sept. 22-27. It includes a breed show as well as a wide variety of performance classes. The competition is a World Cup qualifier, and offers the Grand Prix, Special and Freestyle at the highest level. For more information about the show and to buy tickets for other days, click here.
In addition to the competition and the Masterclass, Dressage at Devon has extensive shopping opportunities, and not only for equine-related items. There are chances to investigate intriguing jewelry, clothing and decorative pieces, in addition to the latest in horse clothing and tack.
The show, which marked its fiftieth anniversary last year, started 2026 with its new president and impressive additions to the board.
They include Ellin Dixon Miller, a past president of the U.S. Dressage Federation; Cara Kettenbach, a breeder who has played several key roles with the New England Dressage Association; Marie Kohles, an audit partner at Pricewatershouse Cooper who works with Seven Stars Equine Arts, dedicated to developing riders and horses for top sport, and James Peterson, a breeder of Friesian sport horses who is a former CEO of Mercury Financial.
Teresa Uddo and Lori Kaminski are co-show managers.
