by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 11, 2026
The fate of the Maryland 5-Star event really wasn’t in doubt since word surfaced late last year that financial issues were affecting the Sport & Entertainment Corporation of Maryland, which presented it.
But on Tuesday, the U.S. Equestrian Federation made it official, announcing that the facility at Fair Hill would not stage either the October 5-Star or the 3-Star that was also a part of its program for the last five years.
USEF “has been in regular communication with the Maryland Stadium Authority to support their ongoing discussions surrounding the future viability of the Maryland 5-Star. The current licensee, the Sport & Entertainment Corporation of Maryland, due to apparent financial concerns, will not host the CCI3*-L or CCI5*-L in 2026.”
USEF’s statement said it “is working with a new potential licensee for the CCI3*-L for 2026 and will share updates about the future possibilities for the CCI5*-L as soon as possible. The timeline and FEI requirements to host an event of this stature are published to support any efforts to pursue an application in the future.”
Yet on Wednesday, the Fair Hill Foundation called the decision not to hold the 5-Star this year a pause that “reflects confidence — not uncertainty. It is a proactive step grounded in responsible stewardship and a shared belief that the Maryland 5-Star deserves the time, leadership, and operational depth required to thrive for decades to come. The Foundation is confident in this direction and will continue to provide support through various means to ensure a strong return in 2027.”
Having the event skip a year and come back in 2027 could be a difficult strategy, since momentum would be lost and competitors likely would wonder about the viability of the 5-Star when they plan their schedules.
The foundation, however, states that the 2026 3-Star “will take place as planned, supported by members of a well‑resourced organizing group, including the very experienced Fair Hill International team, many (of whom) will be engaged in the next chapter of the Maryland 5-Star. This team ensures continuity for athletes, owners, and fans, while allowing thoughtful preparation for the 5-Star’s return. In coming days, there will be updates related to the CCI3-L plans for 2026.”
Entries for the 5-star have been relatively light for the last few years after a strong debut for the event. By the time autumn rolls around each year, some top event horses have wrapped up their season, whether because they have done enough for the year or are recovering from physical setbacks.
The calendar also hasn’t been the event’s friend, with France’s Pau 5-star scheduled for the week after Maryland, an easier trip for Europeans than crossing the Atlantic. Maryland also conflicts with another French fixture, Le Lion de Angiers, the Young Horse eventing world championships. And some have cited the debut of the U.S. Open of eventing, a lucrative 4-Star the week before Maryland, as another issue in the viability of the 5-Star on a crowded roster of dates.
Looking ahead to 2027, the Fair Hill Foundation said a leadership and organizational structure is “being assembled to guide the Maryland 5-Star forward. A highly capable, cross‑disciplinary team has been identified, and work is underway to finalize the framework that will support the event’s long‑term success. This approach allows future partners and sponsors to engage with clarity and confidence, understanding both the vision and the commitment behind the investment.”
In the view of the foundation, “The Maryland 5-Star was always intended to be more than a moment — it was meant to be a legacy. The Foundation views this period as an opportunity to honor what has been built while ensuring that the event becomes a world‑class 5-Star competition worthy of Fair Hill, Maryland, and the global sport of eventing.”
The spring Kentucky 5-star also has been running in one form or another since the late 1970s and is a solid fixture at the Kentucky Horse Park. But questions arose when a U.S. autumn 5-star was proposed, as to whether it could get sufficient support from competitors both in the U.S. and abroad so close to the end of a long season.
Also, since competitors can qualify for championships by their record in 4-star events, 5-stars may not feel as relevant as they once did. Not everyone is interested in taking on the sport’s ultimate challenge category. They are still a goal for some, however.
Caroline Pamukcu, who finished fourth in the 2025 Fair Hill 5-star with her 2024 Olympic horse, HSH Blake (and eleventh with HSH Tolan King), was a “huge fan”of the (Maryland) event.
“I think the 5-star is a really important part of our sport. Going 5-star really helps prep me and my horses for big championships,” she said.
Meanwhile, the U.S. Eventing Association has pledged support for the 5-Star and its future, stating it “has made the MARS Maryland 5- Star a focal point of our fall media coverage and has supported it both publicly and privately with the regulatory bodies of our sport, as well as with others in positions to positively influence the event’s long-term success.”
The USEA has further supported the Maryland 5-Star by allocating the USEA Young Event Horse East Coast Championships to the event while helping fund the development of the YEH cross-country course through various terrain builds. The organization confirmed the those East Coast Championships will continue in the fall this year.
“We are committed to running the YEH Championships at Fair Hill if the CCI3*-L takes place on that weekend, subject to the USEF’s negotiation with the new licensee, and approval of the USEA Board of Governors,” said USEA CEO Rob Burk.
“However, we know there are a couple of other venues who would be eager and willing to host the YEH Championships, and we would be willing to relocate. But for the time being, we are committed to holding it on the same dates at the same venue, if that is possible.
“This championship is a premier showcase for the nation’s top young horses and consistently draws more than 75 horses (along with wait-listed horses due to the limited number of competition spots), as well as their riders and owners each year, drawing additional international attention to the event and making it a significant and highly visible feature of the Maryland 5-Star,” the USEA statement continued.
The organization has been a sponsor of the Maryland 5-Star by securing and funding multi-million-dollar competition liability insurance. It also has worked to bring new sponsors and partners to the event.
“We know that the Maryland 5-Star also generates substantial economic impact for surrounding jurisdictions. The state of Maryland can be incredibly proud of this event, and the work that all those involved have put in to make this a globally recognized competition in the Olympic sport of eventing.”
Attendance last year was 32,000, an 11 percent increase over 2024.
The future of the Maryland 5-Star, which was looking dicey after all the principals of the Sport & Entertainment entity departed late last year, became even more of a question in February, after the Maryland Division of Legislative Services discussed 2027 budget proposals before the state Senate Budget and Taxation Committee.
To insure that “new grants are not crowded out by large ongoing grants,” the department recommended that grants for the 5-star should be deleted for the next fiscal year, beginning July 1.
In November, it was projected that the state could have nearly a $1.5 billion shortfall for fiscal 2027. Maryland’s numerous financial issues include work involved with Pimlico and Laurel racetracks. The lottery fund backing stadium authority bonds is approaching its debt limit, and there is concern that the rebuild of Pimlico, home of the Preakness Stakes, could push it over the line.
Maryland Sports Authority Chairman Craig Thompson had said this year that “the plan is to move forward in October” with the 5-star. But neither he nor MSA Executive Director Michael Frenz, who is retiring in April, responded to requests for interviews. There was no information about who could organize a 2026 5-Star, who would be on their team and where the money would come from to fund it.
The five-year-old Maryland 5-Star had received approximately $3 million annually from the state. This event also got money for capital improvements on the under-utilized state-owned Fair Hill property. A tax filing from 2023 shows the event reported $7.6 million in expenses and $1.4 million in sponsorship revenue.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 10, 2026
TSF Dalera BB delivered Olympic, World Equestrian Games and European Championships dressage gold medals, as well as two World Cup titles under the guidance of Germany’s Jessica von Bredow Werndl. Now she has delivered something else this week, a filly named Dolce Vita BB.
Jessica called the filly “this little magic creature.” The dark bay filly, marked with a star on her forehead that may well predict her role in the future, is by the stallion Vitalis.
Jessica von Bredow Werndl with Dalera and filly. (Photo courtesy Jessica von Bredow Werndl.
It is interesting that Dalera carried her foal throughout the pregnancy and that no surrogate was involved, as is often the case with top-level mares. She will have a lot to teach her beautiful baby.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 4, 2026
Endo the Blind, an amazing sightless Appaloosa, has died at 26 after dealing with edema and other issues.
He had his eyes removed years ago after being diagnosed with recurrent uveitis, glaucoma and cataracts, but that never stopped him or his owner, Morgan Wagner. They had a special type of communication.
Though Endo could not see the world with his eyes, you could see everything you needed to know through his heart — and through the incredible love his owner had for him.
Some horses are more than horses. They are our partners, our teachers, and sometimes our heart horses.
Endo was deeply loved, and it showed in every step he took. His heart was big enough for three, and the impression he left on those around him will not be forgotten. And now he can see…
Read more about him at this
link
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 20, 2026
With the international number one- and two- ranked riders, as well as the defending champion, declining to make the trip across the Atlantic for the FEI Dressage World Cup, the competition presents an opportunity for less high-profile athletes and their horses to shine.
Those who decided not to participate are focusing on this summer’s world championships in Germany with their top mounts. World Number One Justin Verboomen of Germany had a nice back-up to his top horse, Zonik Plus, but that understudy was sold. So no Justin.
In the days when Las Vegas regularly hosted the Cup finals in dressage and jumping, it always (except for its first presentation) sought a year without a world championship or Olympics. That assured the best competitors would have no other goals to distract them from participating in the Cup.
But even without the high-profile combinations, eight of the top 20 will be there, a group that includes exciting prospects to watch at the event April 8-11 in Fort Worth, Texas.
One will be the USA’s Christian Simonson. He is the top-ranked U.S. rider, ninth in the global standings, even though at age 23, he also still would be eligible to compete in the U25 ranks. He’s a student of three-time Olympian Adrienne Lyle, who in turn was a student of former U.S. chef d’equipe and Olympic, world championships and World Cup veteran Debbie McDonald.
Christian Simonson and Indian Rock.
Christian is sponsored by Florida-based Zen Elite Equestrian, which also is the sponsor of the Dressage World Cup organized by the Split Rock Show Jumping Tour. His mount, Indian Rock, formerly of the Dutch Olympic team, performs an inspirational freestyle to the musical themes from the Rocky movies. Because the horse’s nickname is Rocky, naturally.
Kevin Kohmann is the only other U.S. rider competing. He will be riding Dünensee. Although Ecuador’s Julio Mendoza Loor is not a U.S. citizen, he is a resident of North Carolina, so the Pan American Games individual gold medalist and Jewel’s Goldstrike will definitely get audience support from the home side.
The highest-ranked rider who will be coming from abroad is Great Britain’s Olympic team medalist Becky Moody with her homebred Jagerbomb. She’s number four in the world. Number five, Sweden’s Patrick Kittel — the 2024 Cup titleholder — will be on hand with Touchdown.
Kevin Kohmann and Dünensee.
What could be very interesting for the U.S. audience is a chance to watch Poland’s Sandra Sysojeva and the graceful Maxima Bella, only a 10-year-old and already an Olympic veteran. And doubtless even more interesting from a curiosity standpoint would have been Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin, once the queen of dressage, until she was suspended in 2024 for using a whip to repeatedly urge a student’s horse forward in a videotaped lesson several years before that.
But Charlotte, slated to ride the aptly named Alive and Kicking, dropped out a week before she was set to travel to Texas. Her countrywoman, Cup defending champion Lottie Fry, did not plan to compete.
Want to see the Cup in person?
Single-session tickets are available starting at $35, but there are special pricing and package opportunities available for groups of nine or more. To buy, contact Sydney at GroupSales@DickiesArena.com. Full ticket information is available online at https://www.fortworth2026.com/tickets, For more information, click here.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 24, 2026
It’s another first for the Essex Horse Trials. The U.S. Eventing Association’s Adult Team Challenge will be offered during the May 31 competition at Moorland Farm in Far Hills, N.J.
The finals of the Adams Horse Supply Adult Team Championships, from Starter through Modified divisions, will be held Aug. 25-30 at the American Eventing Championships, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. Click on this link for details. That competition offers an opportunity for those who always wanted to be part of a team.
Now they can organize their own, if they get their friends together and enter Essex. To learn more, contact Alissa Genovese at everydayequestrian@gmail.com.
After its successful reinvention as a one-day competition last year, Essex already has taken steps toward innovation by offering a Modified division, as well as an intercollegiate team challenge.
The event, which offers divisions ranging from Starter through Preliminary, is at a scenic venue best known as the home of the Far Hills Race Meeting.
The water obstacle on cross-country is always a popular tailgating spot at Essex.
Modified bridges the gap in fence height between Training and Preliminary, offering a more gradual increase. Modified fences have the same dimensions as FEI 1-Star.
The event, which also features a vendor village, is sponsored by Purina, Land Rover and Running S Equine Veterinary Services.
Individual and other corporate sponsors are also being sought for the event, which is a benefit for the Greater Newark Life Camp.
A $500 donation earns a tailgating spot by the water obstacle on the cross-country course. For $1,500, cross-country sponsors get two tickets to the sponsors’ tent and can have the name of their business or anything else on a fence. They also can decorate it if they like. Riders and spectators will vote on their favorite jump.
Essex has a printed program that offers advertising opportunities.
Volunteers are need to keep the event running. Go to essexhorsetrials.net to sign up or to obtain for more information about the competition and sponsorship.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 7, 2026
Sandwiched between a pair of riders clocked in exactly the same jump-off time, and slotted in before last-to-go Ben Maher, Darragh Kenny had not an instant to spare as he pursued victory in the finale of the $500,000 Bainbridge Companies Grand Prix Saturday night.
The U.S.-based Irishman was able to finish the tiebreaker with Eddy Blue in 41.77 seconds, good enough to beat Australia’s Thaisa Irwin on Hialita B and the USA’s Marilyn Little on Contessa, who both were second in the 5-Star with a mark of 41.92.
Darragh Kenny and Eddy Blue. Photo ©Sportfot
But even after knowing he had edged them, in order to find out whether he’d won, Darragh had to wait for the last to go. That was world number three-ranked Ben on the reliable Dallas Vegas Batilly.
Then at the third fence, an oxer over a liverpool, Ben’s mare threw her head up and stopped, half-rearing and opening her mouth. The British rider kept calm, turned her around and cleared the obstacle, but the suspense was over.
Darragh took the top honors, and the two women tied for second, as Ben finished last in the nine-horse jump-off over the course laid out at the Winter Equestrian Festival by Ireland’s Alan Wade (the 2028 Olympic course designer).
Marilyn Little and Thaisa Erwin tied for second in the Bainbridge Companies Grand Prix, behind Darragh Kenny.
Explaining where he made up the necessary ground in the Wellington (Florida) International arena, Darragh said, “I was able to do seven (strides)” from the first jump to the second obstacle.
“He has a massive, massive stride…so I was able to do one less, one to two, and that’s pretty much what did it. He jumped great. He’s such an incredible horse all the time, he jumps clear, he tries his guts out. I’m just lucky to be able to ride him.”
Daragh added about his mount, “He feels in brilliant form, he’s fresh, he’s great.”
The field of 41 included U.S. stars Kent Farrington on Greya and McLain Ward with High Star Hero, but each had a single fence down and failed to make the tiebreaker. Kent dropped a pole at the fourth fence from the end, and McLain had the vertical that was the B element of the triple combination.
Marilyn was fourteenth to go in the initial round, and the first to be fault-free, putting her as the lead off rider in the tiebreaker.
“I would have loved to have not gone first,” Marilyn said, but noted that with a line-up as stellar as in the Bainbridge, “all you can do is the best you can do.”
She called her mare “smarter than any horse I know. She’s probably smarter than most people I know.”
Thaisa was the first Australian to be on a 5-star podium at WEF since 2010.
“She is a difficult horse to manage on the ground and to ride, and I’ve taken a lot of time,” she observed.
The mare, owned by Mike Smith — who also owns McLain’s High Star Hero — “has taught me a ton of patience,” said Thaisa.
“But she gives me her heart every time.”
click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 8, 2026
Catherine Laudrup-Dufour and Isabell Werth were neck and neck in the 5-star Freestyle at the Herning, Denmark, show this weekend, in a battle of mares, with both scoring over 90 percent.
Cathrine had the edge on Mount St. John Freestyle, the 17-year old Fidermark daughter, earning an astronomical 90.465 percent, with marks of 10 across the board for music and interpretation of music — which included “My Heart Will Go on” from the movie “Titanic.” Three of the five judges gave the Dane and her Hanoverian 10s for degree of difficulty, with the dissenters offering a mere 9.9 and 9.8.
Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Mount St. John Freestyle.
Germany’s Isabell Werth was the only other competitor to break 90, earning 90.080 with Wendy de Fontaine, a Danish warmblood by Sezuan 2. Her across-the-board 10s came not only in the music category, but also for choreography. Her lowest marks were for collected walk, where she had two 6s and two 6.5s, in addition to a 7.
After the best Grand Prix of her life last week, Cathrine said that on Saturday, “I slowed down a bit…and it’s so rare to reach 90 percent. The win in itself means nothing, but to see such top-class sport in Denmark is absolutely fantastic.”
The third- and fourth-placed contenders scored above 80 percent, with Norway’s Isabelle Freese on Total Hope Old finishing on 81.885 and Daniel Bachmann Andersen of Denmark marked at 80.370 aboard Flash Gordon 37.
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 5, 2026
For a quarter-century, Challenge of the Americas has presented incredibly creative dressage as entertainment benefiting a good cause.
But on Friday, it gave its last glittering performance in Wellington, Fla., after raising more than $3 million for breast cancer research over the decades.
Why stop when everyone appreciates what it offers?
“You know when you know; it’s time,” explained founder Mary Ross, who is at the heart of an attraction that has engaged hundreds in a labor of love and charity.
“I have literally enjoyed every minute of it. I’ve made a lot of good friends and we raised a lot of money for breast cancer.”
Even the horses wore costumes with this group. (Photo ©susanjstickle.com
However, she pointed out, “I’m not getting any younger and it’s quite a large event.”
Mary added with a smile, “I have a good core of people who help me out, and they’re not getting any younger.”
The concept premiered in 2002 with three horses at a Palm Beach Dressage Derby luncheon.
“It was in memory of my mother, Jean Cruse, who died of breast cancer,” Mary said.
“I think she would have loved it. She didn’t ride, but she loved the horses.”
And her presence is still felt.
“She’s in charge of the weather. So far, she’s done a great job, so I think she’s liking it.”
Remembering how COTA began, Mary got the idea after seeing a pas de trois on TV.
“People said, `You’ll never get the riders, because it’s their busy season. They won’t have the time.’ ”
But the skeptics were wrong.
As Mary noted, “The first people I asked said yes.”
They were Betsy Steiner, who went on to take part every year; Patrick Burssens and Linda Alicki.
“Terry Gallo came on as the choreographer. Other people came and said, `We want to ride.’
“It grew. It was the riders who made it grow. It was the community wanting to get behind the breast cancer research. Everybody knows somebody who had breast cancer. so the support was there for it and off we went. Wellington is about the only place you could pull this off, you have so many Grand Prix riders and their horses in one location.”
Precision and style always were hallmarks of the quadrilles. (Photo ©susanjstickle.com)
Ruth Poulsen was at that initial luncheon, and played a role in COTA’s growth.
While “it has become the event of the season, it’s a huge amount of logistics and the time it takes for Mary. I totally understand it coming to an end,” Ruth commented.
“I’m sad to see it end, because it’s a very important fundraiser for me. My mom had breast cancer. I have been honored and humbled to do it and I know Mary feels the same.”
There have been “whispers” that COTA may not be gone forever.
“Maybe something else will come, and change is sometimes good,” mused Ruth, a professional trainer who has been the coach/choreographer and music editor for Team Winged Foot.
A variety of costumes has been part of COTA’s appearl. Photo © Susan J. Stickle.com)
“I think the horse community has been amazingly supportive. Inside and outside the horse community, I don’t know anybody who hasn’t been touched by breast cancer in some way, either their family or themselves.”
The benefits of COTA have gone beyond its fundraising achievements.
“It’s a rare opportunity to have so many dressage riders working together,” Ruth pointed out.
“I have made some of my very best friends over these years with my different teams, and getting to know people who are my colleagues I might not have gotten to know so well.”
She pointed out that although time is gladly given, sacrifice is involved in being part of the COTA effort.
“It’s hundreds of hours worth of work during your biggest season. During December-March, I don’t have any spare time.”
Those who get involved with organizing teams have to figure out who can ride with each other and who can sustain the pattern.
“You’re basically doing a freestyle for six horses at a time,” said Ruth, noting that dressage otherwise is an individual sport. Outside of COTA, horses only work with other horses in an arena during warm-ups.
While the end of the tradition is sad, “It just feels like it’s the time. We want to have a real blowout this year.”
Tigger Montague, meanwhile, “would like to see it go on in a new way. It’s the one thing that really brings the dressage community together in Wellington. That part is so important, because we get so tied up in our own little worlds.”
If it does continue at some point, she observed, “it is time to kind of change the format. We’re having a hard time getting riders now because they’ve already done it. It not only takes a lot of time, it takes a different skill set you have to develop to ride in a quadrille. You have to think differently as a rider, you can’t just think about your (own) horse.”
Then there’s “the timing, the music; there are a lot of factors. It’s a very hard thing to do well.”
Tigger, who has been making musical freestyles since 1990, majored in theater arts and film during college, an appropriate background for dramatic equestrian presentations.
She sees the COTA experience as “an expanded version of a Kur, working together as a team and not letting personalities get in the way.”
Her role is multi-faceted, including being a coach, choreographer and overseeing the music. Biostar, Tigger’s company, has been a sponsor for one of the quadrilles that she coaches.
One year, she did a quadrille inspired by the Broadway show, “Hamilton.” The show’s facebook group posted the last 30 seconds of the quadrille on line and got 99,000 likes.
Precision is an important part of having six riders perform as one. (Photo ©susanjstickle.com)
Another quadrille called, “Time: Past, Present and Future,” had riders create a choreographic clock, with a pony as the second hand.
“Dressage isn’t only for the big warmbloods. We need to be a sport that’s inclusive. Galvinizing the community is a very powerful thing, because the vibration is so positive and uplifiting.”
With the help of trainer Kelly Soleau, she even has included a quadrille that involves jumping.
“It brings the jumper crowd in,” she noted.
Terry Gallo noted that expansion of the rider base for the event speaks to the importance of the movement. So many people are willing to volunteer their time to make this happen.
“Quadrille is a very unique thing. Everyone is used to seeing individual freestyles. When you’re on a team, it’s very reminiscent of what you might see in the Spanish Riding School.
Pink is properly prominent at COTA. (Photo ©susanjstickle.com)
“It’s a new way of looking at the sport, very entertaining. You don’t have the same restrictions you would in a standard freestyle. We can use any music we want; there’s costuming, so the entertainment value is very high, which is a big draw as well.”
Also part of the appeal is the fact that it’s a way to help.
“We don’t often get the opportunity to volunteer for something this worthy. To have the opportunity to give back, both for the sport and the cause, has personally been very important to me.”
As the world has gone from analog to digital during COTA’s span, she noted, “My team has been with me for over two decades…that is huge dedication. I will personally miss the creativity involved. Mary and I have grown friendships from this that are very deep.”
COTA has been honored with the naming of The Play for P.I.N.K. Challenge of the Americas Award by the Breast Cancer Research Foundation in conjunction with Play for P.I.N.K. The grants have been presented to Dr. Benita Katzenellenbogen from the University of Illinois, whose groundbreaking research focuses on metastasis, treatment and tumor biology.
Play for P.I.N.K. (Prevention, Immediate diagnosis, New technology, Knowledge), or PFP, is a 501(c)(3) grassroots organization dedicated to raising funds for breast cancer research through sporting and lifestyle events.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 3, 2026
An emotional evening filled with smiles, tears and riveting stories made precious memories at the Show Jumping Hall of Fame’s annual induction gala.
The gathering Sunday at the Wellington National Golf Club was sold out, an indication of its importance to the sport and those who play a part in it, whatever their role.
The guests got what they came for, poignant salutes to inductee Lee McKeever and well-chosen words from Debbie Dolan Sweeney, the owner of equine inductee Albany, a thoroughbred whose career included an Olympic gold medal.
Also featured were the presentation of the International award to Ireland’s Kevin Babington and a tribute to Mary Mairs Chapot, a female Olympic show jumping pioneer.
Lee, the sport horse manager and advisor to Olympic multi-medalist McLain Ward, was overcome with the significance of the moment as he made his acceptance speech. Many in the room who had benefited from his expertise and counsel over the years cheered his heartfelt remarks.
Baylee, Erica and Lee McKeever; Mclain, Lauren and Madison Ward.
“I’m more comfortable behind the curtain than I am in front of the microphone,” Lee told the crowd.
He then recounted arriving in the U.S. from Dublin 36 years ago and going to work for McLain’s father, Barney Ward, at Castle Hill Farm in New York.
He’s still there.
Of Barney, Lee said, he “gave a kid an open door that changed my life.”
As for being voted into the Hall, he commented, “It’s a dream I’ve imagined, but one built on the backs of great horses and a family I built along the way. It’s a huge honor, and I’m incredibly grateful.”
He gave credit to the horses, commenting, “they gave us everything in the ring and I take great pride in giving them everything in the barn. The horses have been my greatest teachers.”
Lee said that while the Olympic medals and other international honors have been important, he explained, “the win that probably meant the most to me was watching my daughter, Baylee, win the North American Young Rider Championship.”
Lee, who also was the FEI groom of the year in 2018, cited his wife, Erica, as his “rock” and McLain, “a true best friend.”
McLain, who introduced Lee at the ceremony, called him his right-hand man and best friend. The foundation of the friendship was formed early. The rider recalled how as a kid, he would sleep on the floor of Lee’s room when things went sideways in his home.
“There have been some really difficult moments,” McLain admitted.
“We’ve had some challenges that we have overcome and we have had some great, glorious triumphs.
“But for me, the true story of what makes Lee’s story and his career so phenomenal is everything in between those moments. It’s the hard work and the grit and the determination that saw us through some of those times.
“He’s had my back at every turn, he’s been by my side at every victory and been there for me at every dark moment.”
Members of the Hall of Fame Back row; Lee McKEever, Laura Kraut, Leslie Burr Howard, Beezie Madden, Norman Dello Joio. Middle row: Peter Doubleday, Michael Matz, Robert Ridland, Linda Allen, David Distler, Steve Stephens. Front row: Anne Kursinski, Margie Engle, Melanie Smith Taylor, Katie Monahan Prudent, Mary Mairs Chapot. (Photo © 2026 by Nancy Jaffer)
Debbie Dolan Sweeney flew in from a family reunion in California to tell everyone about Albany, who was foaled in Oklahoma in 1975. She noted he was a two-time Horse of the Year, and the 1984 Mercedes that came with the honor is still running.
She identifies Albany with courage, explaining he jumped the demanding American Invitational with Joanne Kovacs as a seven-year-old, then went on to the gold medal team at the 1984 Olympics with Leslie Burr Howard.
When she learned Albany was going to be inducted, she though of “the joy she brought to our family as newcomers to show jumping. We were blessed to be part of his career. And thank you to Leslie Howard and Bruce Burr for seeing his potential and inviting the Dolan family along for the ride.”
Debbie pointed out that the same year Albany reached the pinnacle of the sport at the Olympics, she earned her first grand prix win on him. She offered thanks to all who had helped, including David Snyder, his Olympic groom and Dr. Rick Mitchell, his veterinarian. She also spoke about “two people integral to team Albany, my mother and father,” Charles and Helen Dolan.
“Albany was the spark for a four-decade love of horses.”
The journey included the World Cup, world championships, Olympics, Pan Am gold and multiple Horse of the Year honors. Among Debbie’s many victories with Albany was the 1989 Ladies Show Jumping Championship in Great Britain.
“Over all that time, it wasn’t ambition, awards or recognition that drove them,” she said, referring to her parents.
“It was a desire to give…because they wanted to make you smile. They wanted to make you happy. They did this for you, not themselves. Albany started it all. Thank you, Albany, for the memories, the lessons and the inspiration that lasted decades after your illustrious career.”
Marty Bauman, David Snyder, Debbie Dolan Sweeney, Leslie Burr Howard, Peter Doubleday.
Kevin Babington, another Irish immigrant, addressed the guests from his wheelchair. Six years ago, a fall in a grand prix damaged his spinal cord and left him paralyzed.
His time as a show jumping star was over, along with his ability to walk and move on his own. But he has continued to fight, and remains part of the scene by teaching and staying in touch with all his friends and supporters.
Kevin Babington with Dianna Babington and their daughters, Marielle and Gwyneth.
He told everyone at the dinner that he was proud of finishing fourth in the 2004 Olympics with an Irish flag on his jacket, “but it was on an American-owned horse (Carling King) and I will never forget that. I would like to say thank you to everybody. It’s a very special moment for me. I’m very honored.”
Mary Chapot, a member of the Hall’s Class of 1992, is a native of California who made history by riding in the Olympics when women were permitted to compete in show jumping at the Games for the first time in 1964, the year after she won double gold at the Pan American Games on her brilliant Tomboy.
Mary, who also rode in the 1968 Olympics, married her teammate, Frank Chapot. Their daughters, Wendy Chapot Nunn and Laura Chapot, are top-notch riders.
Laura Chapot, Mary Chapot and Wendy Chapot Nunn
They read a speech that she wrote, which began: “Dream, believe, achieve; words that i have tried to follow when I can.”
She recounted that her first horse was a $300 off-the-track thoroughbred. Mary took lessons at the Flintridge Riding Club and cared for her horses in a backyard barn. Scouted by U.S. Equestrian Team Coach Bertalan de Nemethy as part of a nationwide screening trial, she was invited to the team headquarters in Gladstone, N.J., for training. Then she rode with the team at the Washington International Horse Show, where President John F. Kennedy and his wife, Jacqueline, were in the box seats.
“Show jumping is a game of extreme highs and unfortunate lows, but boy, is it worth it if you have the desire and work ethic to make it happen,” she wrote.
“I want to end with my wish for all. If you have a dream, go chase it. If you feel hope, don’t waste it. Tomorrow is undecided Never take a single success for granted. Enjoy, appreciate and get on to the future. The story is yours; go write it.”
2025 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Series Rider of the Year JJ Torano, center, with Mary Bauman, the Hall’s executive director and its chairman, Peter Doubleday.
The evening was one to cherish. Seeing so many legends in the room was both inspiring and heart-warming for everyone who was a part of it.
Expressing his gratitude for those who keep the gala going, McLain said, “It is incredibly important to our sport that we honor our heritage, that we remember the greats who have led the way for us in the sport. And it’s important that we don’t let these things die out.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 3, 2026
Karl Cook is a thinker, with meticulous attention to detail that has been a key element of his career in grand prix show jumping.
An example is what he did after winning the $200,000 4-star JTWG grand prix on Candy at the Winter Equestrian Festival last weekend.
Karl and Candy on the way to victory.
Even with the victory lap and trophy presentation wrapped up, the Californian still was analyzing the way he edged Ireland’s Darragh Kenny on Collibelle Hero Z by a mere 0.85 seconds. So Karl walked back into the ring to examine his tracks.
“The last line was eight or nine (strides), but the eight was a tall ask,” Karl recounted about the end of the tiebreaker route.
Musing on the way his mare jumped the next to last fence, he revealed, “I actually went to look at my landing prints. I was far to the right of the standard. I wasn’t planning to have that much of an inside line, and that made the eight not that big of a deal.”
That single stride also gave him the victory, his first in a grand prix with the Swedish warmblood. He is both patient and determined in figuring out how to produce a horse’s best performance.
“It’s been a long two years that we’ve had her. It’s not been a straight road. It’s been challenging for me to understand her, and her to understand me,” he said.
“It’s like any relationship. You build and you build, and a lot of times, it feels like you’re on a plateau and nothing’s really changing.
“What happens then is you have a steep climb…and all of a sudden, it changes. That’s just our work we’re doing every day, finding little things we can do better, little adjustments to our flatwork, how we approach the fences.”
Finally it all paid off.
Candy gets her reward of horse candy (carrots)
Assessing the abilities of Candy, formerly ridden by Shane Carey of Ireland, Karl observed, “She has a lot of power, that’s her big strength. It’s just figuring out how you can let that power shine. She’s not one of those naturally quick jumpers…you have to walk your course accordingly…and ride her to her strengths.”
It was completely in character that after the grand prix, he was still mulling what happened in Saturday night’s Nations Cup, where he was clear in the first round on his number one mount, Caracole de la Roque. In the second round, however, he had a rail at the first element of the triple combination.
It was a pattern that too often happened in Nations Cups; clear in the first round, 4 faults in the second.
“I need to work on that,” he said.
On Saturday, he and Caracole “were getting a little bit chesty, really driving forward, especially after water (obstacle). I made my adjustment, she did the adjustment well (but) she didn’t take a step to do the jump. I tried to prepare (the) A (element) a little bit more, slow her down, set it up.”
But as she left the ground, he realized immediately, “It wasn’t the takeoff i was hoping for.” So that’s something to keep thinking about for next time.
Whatever happens, Caracole, his 2024 Olympic team silver medal partner, “is obviously the number one. I can’t imagine one being above her.”
But having a grand prix less than 24 hours after the Nations Cup “opens it up for an opportunity for a horse like Candy. In a format like this, some people use their Nations Cup horses” (Karl’s teammate McLain Ward, did that to finish fourth with a rail down.)
Karl, however, chose to go with Candy. The grand prix was “stressful because it was significantly bigger than what we jumped in the past. This is by far the biggest we’ve ever done with her. It’s not just double clear, but how she jumped. I think it will make us rethink some things.”
Karl and Candy with their ribbons.
Karl flew back to the West Coast after leaving Wellington. He will jump Foxy de la Roque — you guessed it, yet another mare — in a 4-star at Thermal to finish off the season there.
So: “mares, mares, mare?,” I said to him.
He replied, “All mares; not a rule. I seem to get better results with mares instead of trying to fix it with something that isn’t working. You go with what works.”
Click here for results
