by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 11, 2025
The 2024 eventing Olympian, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a cross-country fall last August, “steadfastly keeps facing forward, even when the going is hard and frustrating,” reported her mother, Debby, who has been by her side during rehab, along with a host of family and friends..
“She is unfailingly kind and gracious to all the staff who interact with her. Everyone knows her and loves her beautiful smile. I am very proud of how Liz is handling an extremely difficult situation. Her progress has been on a steady upward track, and she keeps improving every day,” Debby said in a report of Liz’s progress from the U.S. Eventing Association.
Six months after the rider and the 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Shanroe Cooley had their accident at the American Eventing Championships in Lexington, Ky., “She’s back to being Liz,” Chris Desino of Ocala Horse Properties said.
Liz Halliday has always been upbeat, a trait that serves her well in rehab.
He and his brother, Rob Desino, have always been very active and involved owners in Halliday’s program, but their relationship is more than just a professional one. Those strong bonds have been a crucial part of her recovery process. Others supporting Liz incude her boyfriend, Mark William and the Ocala Horse Properties team,
“The support Liz and I have received and continue to receive from Liz’s wonderful group of friends has made a huge difference to both of us,” said Debby. “We will be forever grateful for their kindness and dedication. They have been beside us from the beginning and continue to show up.”
With Liz, 46, focusing on her rehab, her horses are receiving top-notch care at various facilities around the country, including her long-time five-star partner, Deniro Z, the 17-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding who is enjoying his retirement at her winter farm in Ocala, Florida.
“I showed Liz a video where Rob recently decided he was going to start hacking Deniro around the farm, and she got the biggest thrill out of seeing Deniro carting one of us around,” said Chris with a laugh.
“She is very trusting that we are doing the right thing by the horses so that she can be solely focused on her recovery now. The same way that she was so laser-focused on her training, she is just that focused on her therapies.”
Chris noted that even when her room is full of visitors, the minute a therapist steps into the room, Liz is at attention, ready to tackle whatever challenge lies ahead of her next in true form.
Liz Halliday in action on cross-country.(Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
“Liz has always been known for her grit, determination, and powerful work ethic,” explained Debby. “Those qualities are being tested as never before. She has shown a stoic tenacity that has served her well in the extraordinary effort required for recovery.
It’s that same energy and dedication that Liz channeled into her 2024 eventing season prior to her accident that helped her earn the title of the 2024 Bates USEA Lady Rider of the Year based on her impressive competition results for the second year in a row.
“She was really blown away with winning both the Lady Rider of the Year and the (USEF)International Equestrian of the Year, which is decided upon by a majority vote,” Chris said. “I told her, ‘You are one special person.’ I can’t wait for her to be able to pick up all of the magazines and articles and the thousands of text messages and emails she has received for herself and just see the amazing support she has gotten from everybody all over the world.
“Liz is the person that just puts her head down and works really hard,” he continued. “She didn’t ever really pay attention to everything that was going on around her. I think when she has a moment to focus on all of that, she is really going to enjoy seeing it.”
Looking back at where the year started, Chris and Debby shared just how impactful the 2024 season was for Liz and all of her owners and supporters.
“The craziest thing about last year was that it was the first time that we as owners and also Liz as a five-star rider had four horses who could be vying for a possible Olympic spot,” Chris shared.
“In years past, it was always just Deniro, and then it was ‘Monster’ [Cooley Quicksilver], so it was a massive change for us to go to these events and watch four of them go, because you had so many highs, and then the lows, but then the next horse would give you another high.”
At the beginning of the year, the whole team behind Liz sat down with her coaches Erik Duvander and Peter Wylde to discuss each horse and their plan for the year.
“We are very involved, but Liz has always controlled the future. She has great mentors around her that will guide her the right way,” Chris said.
Seeing the culmination of Halliday’s hard work over the past several years as she’s ridden and trained the majority of her horses from young ages to where they are now was nothing short of a thrill for everyone involved, especially after seeing it culminate with Halliday getting a spot on the U.S. Eventing Team at the Paris Olympics.
“Of course the highpoint for all of us was her competing at the Olympics in Paris,” said Debby. “It was a fabulous event in an amazing venue. Paris will surely be remembered as a top Olympics experience for all the equestrians who participated. The crowds were huge and enthusiastic and Liz rode beautifully on the wonderful Cooley Nutcracker. I remain so grateful that she got to have her Olympic experience. It was a goal she first stated at age 12, and so painfully missed in Tokyo 2021.”
“We were thrilled that she was on the team,” Chris observed, “and looking back on everything, we are very fortunate that she was able to compete there.”
Progress has been so great that she’s anticipated to graduate from the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago, considered the number one rehab hospital in the U.S. for stroke, spinal cord injury and brain injury, and make a move to her next rehabilitative facility. There she will continue to focus on her ultimate goal: going home and back to her horses.
“She misses the horses dearly,” said Chris, “but I know all of the support she has received helps her realize how much she is loved.”
As this phase of Liz’s recovery concludes and the next step begins, Debby is still eternally grateful for all of the love and support they have received along the way and continue to receive daily.
“The eventing community’s interest and outpouring of thoughtful messages has been quite overwhelming,” she reflected.
“I was very touched by how many people at all levels reached out to give us their support. Most of the top competitors at the AEC came to see her in the hospital, and we still have the winner’s check (from the Advanced Final) with the message to Liz handwritten on the back. Her room is decorated with cards and posters from riders from every level. We read many of the messages to Liz to let her know her community cares.
“I particularly loved the messages which began with. ‘You won’t remember me, but…,’ followed by a story of a lesson or other interaction some aspiring eventer had with Liz that especially helped or inspired them. It warms my heart to know how many people’s lives she has touched in a very positive way.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 10, 2025
Scrutiny on horse welfare, with social license to operate gaining traction, is prompting Denmark’s Blue Hors Stud to temporarily pause participation in dressage competition
In a social media post, Blue Hors noted, “Danish dressage sport is in a breaking time, when horse welfare, training methods and animal ethics are up for debate. The development is taking place from a deeply serious background, and it is decisive for the future of the sport.
“The debate has started a long-awaited effort to make clearer guidelines for the ethical correct use of horses in sport. The initiative is part of the Dansk (Danish) Riding Association’s new strategy “Sammen om Hestewelfærd” (Together on Horse Welfare, an update of the guidelines for the professional and ethically correct use of horses in sport), which also focuses on better education and changed competition ratings. We support the work of the association, so that together we can create a better and clearer framework for the future — in terms of horses, riders and sport.”
The new guidelines will cover how sport horses are trained and evaluated going forward.
The decision has no impact on Blue Hors’ daily activities and stallion shows will continue March 29. The only senior rider competing on behalf of Blue Hors is Nanna Skodborg Merrald. The stud recently downsized and moved its facilities.
Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Blue Hors Zepter. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Explaining its decision, Blue Hors’ statement elaborated, “As long as there is so much ambiguity as to what the correct ethical use of horses is, we have temporarily chosen to pause Blue Hors’ participation in dressage events.”
The post added that in three months, the stud will “assess whether a greater common understanding of horse ethics and sporting guidelines has been achieved, or whether we should extend the break from the event further.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 9, 2025
The multi-dimensional Brian Flynn, who excelled as a rider, trainer, instructor, judge, television commentator, horse show manager and announcer, died on Saturday. He was 77.
“He did everything. In our world, he touched all the bases and he hit a home run,” said Jimmy Lee, the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame president and Brian’s longtime friend, recounting how much Brian had done for the sport he loved.
As a rider, Brian was aboard national champions in 1981 and 1984. He ran numerous show, including St. Clement’s, the Pennsylvania National and the Arizona circuit.
Brian Flynn was a star competitor on the hunter circuit.
While Brian was known for his sense of humor, he had his serious side too. The native of New England, the son of top rider Alice Stuart Flynn, was active in governance of his sport since the days of the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s forerunner, the American Horse Shows Association. He, served as chairman of the AHSA’s hunter committee.
“A lot of his ideas are part of his sport right now,” said Jimmy.
“We can’t thank him enough for what he did. He was a very, very special guy.”
He judged more than 1,000 shows across the U.S. and Canada, including some of the most prestigious. Along the way, he created many friendships that he held dear. He also designed courses for and managed hundreds of shows. Closest to his heart were the St. Clements Horse Show, the Children Services Horse Show, the Arizona Circuit, and the Pennsylvania National Horse Show.
Brian received recognition from the sport he loved, with an induction into the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame in 2013 and receiving the New England Equitation Championships’ Lifetime Achievement Award in 2017. In 2019, he was honored with the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
He is survived by his wife, Nancy; a daughter, Ashley Flynn Coressel (Paige) and a grandson, Graham.
His family will make arrangements to honor his life privately. Should friends desire, memorials may be made to Danny & Ron’s Rescue, Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center or the ASPCA.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 8, 2025
The younger set took over in the $500,000 Bainbridge Grand Prix Saturday night at the Winter Equestrian Festival, with 24-year-old Emilie Conter of Belgium earning her first 5-star victory. Great Britain’s 25-year-old Olympic team gold medalist Harry Charles was the runner-up, edging Swedish world champion and world number one Henrik von Eckermann.
Her 5-star victory brought instant fame to Emilie Conter, and had spectators clamoring for her autograph.
“I’m super surprised I won,” confessed Emilie, who bested Harry’s jump-off time of 43.33 seconds on Sherlock with her mark of 42.43 seconds aboard Portobello van de Fruitkorf.
Harry noted he was happy with second place, explaining, “I didn’t plan on jumping Sherlock in too many of the bigger classes under the lights; he’s still quite green at night, but tonight he jumped better than I could have hoped. I thought the course builder (Alan Wade) did a great job.”
grand prix; 6645, SHERLOCK, HARRY CHARLES; Sportfot
Henrik, 44 — two decades older than his chief rivals in the class — has been working on some issues in jump-offs with King Edward. He was a bit cautious in the tiebreaker and finished clear in 43.88 seconds for third place.
“I felt I needed to go two steps backwards and get a little more confidence again in it,” noted Henrik. Whatever position he is in, he’s used to handling pressure.
“I like to go in the ring and feel the pressure. The day I don’t feel the pressure it’s time to put the hat on the shelf, because the excitement is not there when it should be. I’m just so happy I have a horse like this and try to enjoy every round I have with him.”
Emilie, who rides for her family’s Stephex stable, noted she added strides with her mare twice in the jump-off.
Emilie Conter on her way to victory before a packed house.
“I wasn’t supposed to do that,” Emilie admitted, “but she was super quick off the floor. I think to the last line I made up some time. Every week got better with the mare, so she’s maturing. I saw a really long [distance] to the last oxer and I heard Helena (Stormanns, her trainer) scream ‘go get it!’, so I took it. I didn’t think it was going to be enough to beat these other riders, but I looked up and saw that I was in first.”
Discussing her 10-year-old mare, Emilie said, “When I first started riding her, she was a bit colder, but always had massive scope. When she was younger, she was not so impressed with the small jumps but now the bigger the fences, the better she jumps.”
Emilie is ranked 79th in the world, and third in the Under 25 category.
Seven entries from a field of 41 at Wellington International were fault-free. Big things were expected from world number two, Kent Farrington of the USA on Myla, but his current winning streak ended when he had a rail at the A element of the double that was the penultimate obstacle on the first-round course. He is only 29 points behind Henrik in the world rankings, and a win in the 5-star would have helped boost his standing.
No U.S. riders were on the podium for the 5-star, where Emilie Conter was the winner, Harry Charles (left) the runner-up and Henrik von Eckermann was third.
Another top U.S. rider, McLain Ward, was back this week after a month off for a spinal injury following a fall. He also did not make the jump-off after having two rails down with his Olympic mount, Ilex, as feisty as usual, putting in a big buck after the first fence.
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by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 6, 2025
Talented writer, website designer and book publisher Michelle Bloch died Monday March 3 of breast cancer. She was 55.
Michelle had been a pillar of the Capital Challenge Horse Show since 1996, designing the program and prizelist and writing its daily update during the show.
Michelle Bloch at the Capital Challenge Horse Show. (Tricia Booker photo)
“It’s a big loss,” said Oliver Kennedy, the show’s manager and co-founder, said of her passing.
He noted that whenever Michelle was presented with a concept, “she ran with it and made it amazing. Whatever you asked her to do, she figured it out and did it,” he added, saying she always gave “150 percent.”
She was the “keeper of knowledge” for the show with statistics, figures, photos and winners from the past 31 years.
A successful competitor during her time in the junior ranks, Michelle taught riding and kept horses at her Branchville, N.J., farm, but eventually focused on writing and designing.
Tricia Booker, co-founder of the Ink Horse book publishing venture with Michelle, noted her friend loved nature and hiking, but was “as comfortable in a city as in the middle of nowhere.”
Michelle was an intern at the Chronicle of the Horse in 1991 when Tricia was an editor there, and went on to write many freelance articles.
“Throughout my 25-plus years at the Chronicle, Michelle was one of the writers I counted on to always provide accurate and well-written articles,” Tricia remembered.
“When they arrived in my inbox, I’d sigh with relief knowing I could relax and just enjoy the story rather than having to do a rewrite. Michelle always met the tight deadlines of our weekly magazine, and her creativity and beautiful way with words made her work stand out among the rest.”
The two went on to work together at the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s In Stride magazine.
“She became much more than a freelancer to me; she was my collaborator,” said Tricia, who admired Michelle’s fashion sense that was part of her flair.
At In Stride, “Although she didn’t have a title on the masthead, she should have had one,” Tricia observed.
“We spent countless hours on the phone discussing article ideas, people to interview, industry trends, horse care topics, the importance of continuing education and so much more. I lost count of the number of American Horse Publications Awards her articles received, but it has to be in the double digits.”
Public relations executive Jennifer Wood, who worked with Michelle at Capital Challenge, noted how helpful her friend was when she launched Equestrian Businesswomen and played a major role in making it successful.
“From the start, she provided her design services and her creative eye to design the logo, build the website, make all the graphics, and bounce around all the ideas for the original 2019 Summit,” Jennifer recalled.
“She continued to support EQBW through the founding of the Equestrian B2B podcast, of which she was guest on the 26th episode about “How to Be Creative and Keep Creativity Consistent” and on Episodes 63 and 51, when she helped recap the 2024 EQBW Networking Brunch and 2023 Saratoga Women In Business Spectacular.
Michelle’s written work can be seen at her website, Writersbloch.com, and on Substack.
In one piece, she elaborated on the painstaking process of putting words together to achieve what she wanted them to mean.
“And then, when it is finally complete,” she stated, “the sun shines and the birds sing and voila, I have written… Past tense.”
Michelle is survived by her parents, Phyllis and Wolf Gstattenbauer; her husband, David Bloch, and their daughter, Abigail. Those wishing to make a donation in Michelle’s memory should contribute to the charity of their choice that most reminds them of her, orThe National Parks Foundation (nationalparks.org)
A celebration of life for Michelle will be held on March 30 from 2-4 p.m. at The Conservatory at the Sussex County Fairgrounds. Online condolences may be offered to the family at www.fergusonfuneralhomesnj.com
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 4, 2025
What a remarkable group! The legends who gathered for the annual Show Jumping Hall of Fame dinner in Wellington, Fla., over the weekend have an incredible list of glittering achievements in the sport.
The Hall at the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association Wheeler Museum honors these stars, both human and equine, with more deserving giants of the discipline added every year.
This time it was the turn of Olympic team gold medalist Laura Kraut, who is still going strong at age 57 and competed in the Nations Cup the night before the dinner.
Laura Kraut and Baloutinue. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Buddy Brown’s versatile ride, the late Sandsablaze, was also inducted. A champion equitation horse and hunter before becoming an Olympic show jumper, this thoroughbred showed the ability and mettle of his breed–all too often overlooked today as warmbloods dominate the sport.
Sandsablaze and Buddy Brown (Hall of Fame photo)
Also honored at the dinner was Mario Deslauriers, a former U.S. team member who now rides for Canada. He received the International Award. Pancho Lopez, a great groom and manager who taught many others to excel in those professions, was a member of the 2023 Show Jumping Hall of Fame class. He wasn’t able to attend last year, so he accepted the honor at the dinner for the class of 2024.
Hall of fame members gather for a photo after last weekend’s installation dinner. (Hall of Fame photo)
Can you identify all the people in the photo? In the back row are Pancho Lopez, Norman Dello Doio, Peter Doubleday, Robert Ridland, Linda Allen, Anne Kursinski, David Distler, Michael Matz, Anthony D’Ambrosio, Dr. Dan Marks.
Seated are Margie Engle, Laura Kraut, Katie Monahan Prudent, Mary Mairs Chapot, Melanie Smith Taylor, Jane Clark, Leslie Burr Howard, Beezie Madden.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 4, 2025
In case you hadn’t noticed last year’s FEI World Cup finals in Saudi Arabia, or last month’s Longines League of Nations leg in Abu Dhabi, the Middle East is playing an ever-larger role in high-level non-racing equestrian sport.
Now a 10 million Euro (U.S. $10,541,000) tour, the largest equestrian sporting event in the region, has been announced by the Qatar Equestrian Federation and the Al Shaqab facility. Doha already hosted top show jumping, but this will be the largest equestrian sporting event when its 10 international events run Jan. 1-April 4, 2026.
It starts with the HH The Father Amir Tour, including four new five-star championships over four weeks. That will be followed by: HH The Amir’s Sword Festival, CHI Al Shaqab, Longines Global Champions Tour and Doha Equestrian Tour 2026. Although show jumping is hte focus, plans also call for inclusion of dressage and para-dressage competition.
Bader bin Mohammed al-Darwish, president of the Qatar Equestrian Federation, and vice-chairman of the Organizing Committee for International Equestrian Championships – Qatar 2025, said: “The events (in the new Qatar Equestrian Tour 2026) will make the global equestrian calendar full of competitions that will further enhance the status of Qatar as a sports capital and an ideal destination to host the largest and most important international equestrian tournaments, and a meeting place for the exchange of different cultures for horse lovers and equestrian.”
He added, “We believe that our sports facilities, where the season’s competitions are held, will be the focus of the world’s attention, and will contribute to accelerating and enhancing the growth of equestrian sports at the regional and global levels.”
The ultimate goal?
“We aspire to be the world’s premier destination for equestrian sports, and to continue to provide a role model in hosting major sporting events, especially in the field of equestrianism.”
The organizers are implementing “the highest levels” of security and safety measures in all sports facilities.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 2, 2025
Versatility, commitment and pure ability all have served jumper rider Skylar Wireman well, but that combination of assets was never better illustrated than by her achievements during February.
Still eligible for Under 25 classes, the young professional made her U.S. international senior team debut against the exotic backdrop of Abu Dhabi, where coach Robert Ridland rode a camel in the parade of participating countries at the Longines League of Nations’ 2025 opener. With only a single rail down there, Skylar –the youngest rider in the entire competition — proved she belonged in the heady company of top international team competition.
Then, as the month ended, the 20-year-old switched gears to focus on style while taking the $100,000 Pro Equitation Challenge on home turf in California at the Desert International Horse Park. Its catch riding test played to her strengths and secured the victory.
Schuyler Wireman on her way to winning the $100,000 Pro Equitation Challenge (High Desert Sport Photo)
It was only a little less than one year ago that Skylar had her introduction to a major championship at the FEI Show Jumping World Cup Finals in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
“It was my first FEI show out of the country; my first show internationally was the World Cup Finals,” she reflected, still seeming to be a bit amazed.
“It was a great takeaway, being able to watch so many of the top 10 in the world.”
In an imposing, unfamiliar setting, she was clean and fast with her 10-year-old Tornado (Diarado X Chacco Blue) to finish tenth in the first round and earn the admiration of other countries’ chefs d’equipe. In the second round over bigger fences, however, lack of mileage for horse and rider showed. With four rails down in that leg, Skylar wisely decided not to contest the even more difficult third phase.
As she explained at the time, “Tornado is inexperienced at this level and having studied our round on Thursday and talked extensively to my coach and many others whose opinions and experience I have high regard for, I will not risk his welfare or his future in the sport by asking Tornado to jump a course he might not be quite ready for.”
Smart. That’s Skylar.
The experience overall benefited Skylar and her mount, however.
“I came home with an even better horse than I went with. He really learned a lot there, as much as I did. It was a huge growing week for us.”
They proved that by jumping four clear rounds in a row at Thunderbird in British Columbia upon their return.
She noted that before Riyadh, “if he was impressed, he’d kind of hurl himself over the jumps, rather than opening up and following through behind.”
He finally figured it out over the big fences in Saudi Arabia.
When they came home, “he had a whole new hind end. He found the shape of his body and a true correct bascule over the jumps,” said Skylar.
She has always had to work for what she got. Her mother, Shayne Berridge-Wireman, acts as both her trainer and her groom when necessary, and together they make things happen from their base in San Diego County, Calif. Being women going to the Middle East last year for the first time may have seemed a bit intimidating at first, but as Shayne noted, everyone was very nice and they felt welcome. In Abu Dhabi, where the hotel staff was the friendliest they had ever encountered, the U.S. group even visited a mosque.
The team visits a mosque in Abu Dhabi. Skylar Wireman is fifth from the right. (Photo courtesy Lizzy Chesson)
“We were more comfortable coming to the Middle East because we had done it once. We knew what to expect and how it works, so it was a lot less stressful in the preparation,” Shayne said.
Skylar’s work ethic has made her a standout, and she caught the eye of Olympic team gold medalist Peter Wylde during the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s Emerging Athletes Program finals when he was 14 in 2019.
“She had really good instincts as a rider,” recalled Peter, noting Skylar had also impressed in the stable management portion of the competition.
It can be hard to evaluate someone in the EAP, because they are on borrowed horses, some of which are easy and some of which aren’t, he commented.
But “every time there was a problem situation, Skylar’s reactions were correct,” he said.
“She had the most appropriate instinct of what to do when it wasn’t going the right way. As an athlete, she has incredible body control,” he continued, noting she had also been a gymnast.
She didn’t win the final, because of a mistake in the last line of the ride-off, but her talent had made its mark with him.
Skylar and her mother had asked after EAP if Peter could work with them, but at the time, he was too busy. And then Covid hit. With everything shut down, he had the time to give Skylar.
Skylar and her mother Shayne Berridge-Wireman with Coolio 23. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Peter invited the Wiremans to his base in Wellington, Fla., where they stayed in his guest house. He was sharing a stable with international show jumper Lauren Hough, who let Skylar ride one of her jumpers in addition to a hunter being trained by Peter. Mark Phillips, the former U.S. eventing chef d’equipe, was also on the scene and gave Skylar flat lessons.
“Everybody’s like, `This kid is really good.’ It cemented in my mind that she was as talented as I thought she was when I saw her at the EAP,” Peter said.
She’s been busy accumulating honors. Skylar was the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Junior Rider of the year and topped the 2020 Platinum Performance/ USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals West at age 15.
While she didn’t win one of the major indoor finals, finishing second in the Medal and the Washington after working with Andre Dignelli, Peter noted that McLain Ward and Beezie Madden went up to Skylar and said, “Don’t worry. We didn’t win a finals either.”
Explaining his involvement, Peter said, “I feel like she’s exceptionally talented. They have a very low budget and I know it’s going to get better at some point and they already have gotten some money behind them. Skylar works as hard as anybody to get where she’s gotten so far.”
She and her mother make their budget work by pitching in with their own braiding, transport, grooming and stall cleaning . The budget also determines their choice of shows.
“We have to go where she has a shot of paying back the entries,” said Shayne, explaining their financial strategy.
In the spring of 2023, Skylar took over the ride on Tornado, known as Tomato around the barn. He was going to be a jumper for top hunter competitor Nick Haness, but he gave Skylar the ride after breaking his wrist.
She had success with Tornado in the jumpers, despite being sidelined for six weeks with a lacerated liver she suffered when another horse stepped on her after a fall. Nick enabled her to keep Tornado until November of that year, when a group of friends and family were able to purchase the Swedish warmblood for her at the 2023 Las Vegas National on the Thursday, just before she rode in the World Cup qualifier two days later. She was eighth there and then went on to the Cup qualifier in Fort Worth, Texas, where she won and earned points to qualify for Riyadh. Skylar is also hoping to make the cut for this year’s Cup finals in Switzerland next month.
What makes her so good?
“She consistently sees the confident forward distance and is able to get the horse to that distance,” said Peter, who doesn’t charge fo his work with her.
“I call it pro bono,” he said.
“He’s so easy to work with,” said Shayne, noting that even though she is her daughter’s trainer, she defers to Peter “because he knows so much more than me.”
For her part, Skylar commented, “to have someone with such knowledge and expertise helping me is really amazing, and for him to do it all because he wants to.”
From Peter she has learned, “finesse and (that) small things can really make a big difference.” He has also mapped out a show schedule that enables her horses to be at their peak when it really counts.
And he introduced her to Boyd Martin, the Olympic eventer he helps, who aided her in getting a Purina sponsorship. She is also grateful for help from Mary Jo and Todd Kaplan, who own one of her horses, Karen.
Looking back on Abu Dhabi, Skylar mentioned the special dynamics of an all-female team, and noted they did some fun things, such as camel riding and falconry on a desert adventure tour.
Skylar and Tornado in Abu Dhabi.
But they were all business for what mattered most. Skylar noted that her time on a Major League Show Jumping national team in the U.S. had been good experience for riding for her country in Abu Dhabi. But being part of the U.S. squad in the Longines League raised the stakes.
“It adds an element of pressure knowing that your team is relying on your round. You have to be really on point and it takes a lot for all the stars to align for everyone to have that perfect round to end up on top,” Skylar emphasized.
Shayne recounted that Robert Ridland defused tension by giving the team a pre-game pep talk, saying that while they were a little bit the underdogs, “We’re going to ride California strong and for the fires,” referring to the blazes that devastated the southern part of the team members’ home state recently.
“It was a great pleasure working with Skylar at her first CSIO 5-star,” said Lizzy Chesson, the USEF’s managing director of show jumping.
“She is an extremely hard-working, talented and dedicated young woman who really maximized her experience in Abu Dhabi. Her curiosity and desire to learn was remarkable. I truly hope she continues to find backers within the sport that help her achieve her potential.”
When the team didn’t qualify for the second round, “Everyone was disappointed, but everyone was grateful for the experience,” said Skylar, noting the U.S. squad did have the second-fastest first round time of all 11 teams. The riders rightly considered that an achievement.
And at her next team event, she will be able to bank on her first experience.
“It’s a whole different animal to put on that pink coat for a team event versus the World Cup, where it’s every man for himself,” she explained. “I like the team, I like the pressure, it’s well-suited for me.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 1, 2025
The U.S. Show Jumping Team took its tenth victory in the $150,000 Nations Cup in Wellington, Fla., Saturday night. The only all-female squad in the competition accumulated a mere 5 penalties, and the margin was so good that anchor rider Laura Kraut didn’t even have to go in the second round.
Ireland was second with 12 penalties, but its chef d’equipe, Michael Blake, got even with U.S. coach Robert Ridland by dousing him with the celebratory bottle of champagne presented during the awards ceremony. Belgium was third on 17 penalties.
Both Ireland and Belgium had one rider each eliminated in the first round, so they had only three competitors to go in the second, run over the same course as the initial effort in the International Arena at the Wellington International showgrounds. Teams from nine countries competed, but the rules called for only eight returning in the second round, so Israel finished ninth.
As usual, Robert gave less-experienced riders a chance to get Cup mileage in this competition. Carly Anthony on Heavenly W was one of only three people in the class to go double-clear.
Carly Anthony was double-clear for the U.S. with Heavenly W. (Sportfot photo)
Robert celebrated woman power.
“What we really like is American girl power beating Irish boy power,” he said with a chuckle.
The U.S. team: Laura Kraut, Natalie Dean, Robert Ridland, Carly Anthony and Charlotte Jacobs (U.S. Equestrian)
The pressure was on Charlotte Jacobs as last to go with Playboy JT Z.
“I knew my horse jumped great in the first round, so I just wanted to repeat that performance,” she said, adding only a single time fault in the second round to her clear trip in the first.
Also on the team was Natalie Dean with Acota M, clean in the first round and a single rail in the second.
The lineup of countries for the Nations Cup (Sport fot photo)
This was Laura’s ninetieth Nations Cup outing, but her first with Tres Bien Z. She had the drop score, when there was a problem at teh one-stride combination after the water jump. Although they cleared the obstacle on a second try, the mishap and time faults made her the drop score.
But as always, the 2008 Olympic team gold medalist had an upbeat comment.
“This was incredible,” she said.
“From the beginning, when Robert told me who the team was, I was really pumped. These are three amazing riders who have been on fire now, not just recently, but working for years to get here. The way they rode the first round was textbook and just so impressive,” she observed.
“To come back the second round and do the same — I’m grateful to them for being the great riders and tough competitors they are.”
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by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 28, 2025
It’s no surprise.
Robert Ridland, who guided the U.S. to its only equestrian medal at the 2024 Olympics, has been signed to a new four-year contract as show jumping team chef d’equipe and technical advisor that takes him through the 2022 world championships and the 2028 Olympics in his native California.
“During my time with the U.S. Jumping program, our teams and combinations have produced tremendous results at Championships and it’s important we keep the momentum moving forward into this next quad,” said Robert, who likes to be called “coach.”
“I’m very proud of the development and growth we’ve seen in our programs and am committed to continuing that success over the next four years as we head into the home 2028 Olympic Games,” he said, as his contract was announced Friday.;
Robert Ridland has been an effective leader of the U.S. show jumping team. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
An Olympic rider himself, Ridland will still be working side-by-side with the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s managing director of show jumping, Lizzy Chesson as they develop team programs, performance and strategy.
The post Paris review process looked at all aspects of the programs, including the role of the Chef d’Equipe and Technical Advisor. This process included participation of U.S. Jumping Team athletes with a broad range of team experience, as well as program staff, and key stakeholders. Ridland will continue to work alongside Managing Director of Jumping, Lizzy Chesson, and together they will oversee the management and advisement of the team programs, performance, and strategy.
“We look forward to supporting Robert Ridland and the team in their initiative of continuing to produce sustained success across the pathways in this next quadrennial,” said USEF CEO Bill Moroney.
Under Robert and Lizzy’s direction, the team has produced top international championship results including three team Olympic silver medals (2016, 2020, 2024), two team bronze medals and team gold at the Pan American Games (2015, 2019, 2023), as well as team bronze and team gold at the FEI Jumping World Championships (2014, 2018), alongside numerous Nations Cup podium finishes.
