by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 29, 2025
How do dressage horses make it to the top of the game?
They gain experience through programs such as the Lövsta Future Challenge Developing Grand Prix Horse, which on Friday awarded the championship title in its finals to Jaccardo, ridden by Canadian Olympian Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu.
The 11-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding, who is at the upper age limit for the class at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, turned in a 72.500 percent test at the Wellington, Fla., venue. Jill Irving’s personable son of Desperado gives his rider “a sense of secure power.”
Brittany added that “Sometimes he’s a little bit cheeky, but what I need is to give him space and allow him to settle into the movement. I’m not putting too much pressure on him in the ring right now, I just want him to have a great experience so he’s ready for Grand Prix next year.”
Ashley Holzer, second in the Freestyle, helped Brittany, her longtime student.
Jaccardo and Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
Second place went to Marcus Orlob and the stallion JJ Glory Day, with 70.842 percent for a test performed in a snaffle, which is allowed under the rules.
“Unfortunately, he wasn’t happy with the flower boxes today, but I can’t be mad at him,” Marcus aid of the nine-year-old Danish warmblood. He has been riding the horse owned by Alice Tarjan for five years.
“I think he has all the elements to be a good grand prix horse. He’s spicy enough, but not stupid in the head, and he likes to work.”
The partnership will continue in national Grands Prix this year, looking toward international classes in 2026.
Kelly Layne, who found herself back in the saddle of Living Diamond when the horse’s young rider gave up the sport, finished third on 68.579. The former Australian Olympian now rides as a U.S. citizen. She also was third last year on the Hanoverian she co-owns.
Antonia Ax:son Johnson, proprietor of series sponsor Lövsta Stuteri got together with Swedish rider Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén a quarter-century ago. Their partnership has been a solid one, and Antonia trusts her opinion. When Antonia asked what was needed to develop top horses (jumpers as well as dressage) the series was born.
“At first we could hardly find anyone who wanted to enter, Antonia siad. “
“But today,” she pointed out, “we have a really strong tour,” which is active in the U.S., Sweden and the Netherlands. Eligibility begins for horses that are eight years old.
She explained, “Wellington is a place where we can give our horses, but also to others, an opportunity to grow and to learn at their own pace.”
During the innovative class, Tinne and judge Karin Pavicic told the audience what they thought of the horses.
“I absolutely love this combination,” Karin reported about Jaccardo to those watching.
“It’s super-exciting for the future in Canada,” she said.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 29, 2025
I always thought equestrian would be part of the 2032 Olympics in Brisbane, Australia, because that country excels in eventing, having won many medals in the discipline over the decades. They wouldn’t want to miss out on the possibility of such medals. And if you have eventing, you also have facilities for dressage and show jumping, since they are part of that sport.
Horse & Hound has reported that the equestrian facility at Toowoomba, about 78 miles from the center of Brisbane, has been proposed as the choice for the Games equestrian site. Equestrian Queensland and the Royal Agricultural Society of Queensland are joining forces to improve the venue so it could handle the Games.
That’s a good initiative, but nothing is certain at this point. The International Olympic Committee won’t decide what sports will be held at the 2032 Games until next year.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 29, 2025
Heartbeat is a character.
The Dutchbred son of Charmeur doesn’t like other horses, wears a hood with sound-dulling earpieces so he can sleep and has been a “bit of a project,” over the last three years, revealed his rider, Kasey Perry-Glass.
But it has all come together, as demonstrated Friday night when he won his second Grand Prix Freestyle of the season at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Fla., with a score of 75.915 percent. He danced to an original score by Tom Hunt that featured the sound of a heartbeat.
Kasey got help from Ali Brock, who rode with her on the 2016 Olympic bronze medal team.
“I can’t thank Ali enough; she knows how to coach. And she doesn’t ruffle feathers…making sure everyone’s on the same page. She’s been with Heart since the moment I got him,” said Kasey, who enjoys working with a “teammate.”
Adrienne Lyle, who rode with Kasey on the 2018 silver medal World Equestrian Games team, helped design her Freestyle. The riders have been working together since Debbie McDonald stepped away from teaching.
Heart previously was ridden by Dutch competitor Thamar Zweistra, which meant “he was crank and pull, so just to make him a small person ride has been a lot,” Kasey commented.
She rose to fame with Dublet, now happily retired to her family’s California farm, where he shares his pasture with a pony and a mini-donkey.
There were multiple times that Kasey was supposed to go to Europe to look for Dublet’s successor, but her mother-in-law, Jill Glass, kept getting sick.
Although she was in hospice, Jill didn’t want Kasey to cancel her trip.
“You have to go,” Jill told Kasey, who was reluctant to be away at such a difficult time.
“The day I left, she passed away, so to find a horse named Heartbeat…” Kasey said, noting she feels very close to the family of her husband, Dana Glass.
Heartbeat wasn’t a slam-dunk.
“Everything about him was a bit hot. His trot was so mechanical,” Kasey recalled.
But “I tried him and we just clicked.”
The 12-year-old continues to develop, and his freestyle was a testament to how far he has come in his transformation.
Kasey Perry-Glass thanks Heartbeat for his winning effort. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
“There was a lot of power and a lot to contain, but I’m starting to be able to manage it,” said Kasey.
“Sometimes Heart tries to overpower me, but tonight he proved that he can keep the power underneath me. It’s about figuring out what works for him, but once I get in the ring, he’s a true showman and he stepped up.”
Kasey is hoping to go to Europe later this spring with a U.S. team tour.
She was second Thursday to Marcus Orlob and Jane in the Grand Prix qualifier, but Marcus opted to do the Special instead of the Freestyle. (to read story, click this link.)
The Freestyle runner-up by a little more than a point, scoring 74.840 for her ride to a Neil Diamond medley, was veteran Ashley Holzer on Hawtins San Floriana. The Hanoverian mare was developed in Britain by Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin.
There was a period of adjustment with a “made” horse for Ashley, who usually brings her mounts through the levels herself.
Ashley Holzer and Hawtins San Floriana. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I took her to Carl’s last summer and worked on trying to create a partnership. It’s really just in the last few weeks that I’ve started to feel that she’s speaking my language. She really tries so hard, and it’s special when you feel a horse start to become your teammate,” she reported.
Third in the field of 10 was Canadian Camille Carier Bergeron, an Olympic veteran like the others on the podium. She said of her ride aboard the Oldenburg mare Finnländerin, “That test was one of the times she’s felt the most relaxed and most connected with me; very accessible. The trot tour felt like a win to me, and the piaffe/passage.”
Despite some hiccups in the lead changes as her test drew to a close, Camille said, “I was really happy with her.” She was marked at 73.370 percent.
Janet Foy, head of the ground jury for the class, said of the officiating experience, “That was really fun for the judges. I’m a dancer (she competes in ballroom dancing), so there was a lot of great stuff going on in there. The top five or six horses were really special and did a great job.”
Click here for Freestyle results
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 27, 2025
Things were pretty quiet at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival on Thursday afternoon in Wellington, Fla. No one was in the stands, there were only a few people along the rail and the VIP area was peaceful.
But the wind ruffled the canvas on the tents around the ring, so when Jane made her entrance for the 4-star Grand Prix, she reacted.
The mare reared before she got close to the entrance of the arena. Remember Fury from the old TV show? She did a pretty good imitation.
As usual, however, her rider, Marcus Orlob, was on the case. Unflustered, he got her going, went down centerline and put in a winning test.
True, it wasn’t the sensitive mare’s best effort, but it was her third victory this season. Her talent is undeniable and when she pays attention to business, she shows some spectacular moves.
But then there are the distractions.
The Dutchbred daughter of Desperado spooked in the canter half-passes, getting uncharacteristic marks of 3’s and 4’s. The other mishap occurred in the flying change between the pirouettes, with three 4’s and a 5 along with a 7 (everything depends on vantagepoint from where a judge is sitting.)
The scores strengthened as the test drew to a close and she was awarded 8’s for her definitive passage down the final center line. Marcus and Jane were the only ones among 13 entries to break 70 percent, finishing on 70.630 percent, though two judges graded the performance at 71.413.
“I was actually disappointed a little bit, but somehow proud of her. Compare the entrance to the performance it was not that bad. Once she’s in the ring, she usually starts to settle. I think the good horses are a challenge,” said Marcus.
Look at the synchrony that Jane is showing in passage. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I would like for her to go in the ring and feel calm and she keeps breathing. That’s my goal. She’s a fantastic horse. She’s just afraid.”
She’ll be seen again Saturday in the Special.
Why not the featured Friday Night Lights Freestyle, I asked Marcus.
“I didn’t want to start right away giving her too much atmosphere,” he explained.
“I think to do right away the lights with that many people, it’s too early for her brain, so I wanted to take it a little bit more easy on her. I have to be careful I don’t completely scare her. You see how she acts up around the ring. She’s afraid and stands up. I don’t want to give like a complete rodeo show here to the people.”
He’s been taking her over to the busy Winter Equestrian Festival down the street to get her accustomed to the buzz, where she doesn’t have to perform a test and he can desensitize her without an audience.
A native of Germany who is a U.S. citizen, Marcus began competing Jane for her owner, Alice Tarjan, who felt the mare needed a stronger rider. Marcus, who has been Alice’s trainer, made the Olympic team in Paris. But Jane spooked when entering the ring as she tried to follow another horse out and cut herself. The tiny scratch showed up on a white leg and she was disqualified under the blood rule.
Now his goal is to be among the six U.S. riders who will go to Europe this spring and he hopes to be chosen for the team that will compete at Aachen. That’s important, because it will be the venue for the world championships in 2026.
When Marcus has Jane’s attention, he’d like to work on getting “the neck a little bit out and softer again. And I think the piaffe/passage will be more expressive, softer through the body. I get the changes a little bit softer. But now I have a little bit the emergency grip that she doesn’t spook, that I keep her a little bit more conservative with me.”
He does feel it all can happen when she gets desensitized and trusts him.
Second place went to Kasey Perry-Glass on Heartbeat, marked at 68.022 percent. She figures to be the favorite for the freestyle.
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 15, 2025
It’s been more than five very long years since show jumper Kevin Babington had a life-changing accident when his horse fell with him in a grand prix.
A spinal injury that paralyzed the Irish Olympian from mid-chest down has meant he can’t walk, use his hands or at this point, even cough effectively – leading to his hospitalization for pneumonia for two weeks.
As of March 25, he finally came home after a tough battle.
“His spirit is undeniably resilient,” Kevin’s wife, Dianna, said on social media.
“I have never met anyone so tough, mentally and now physically. Thank you to all for your prayers and support.”
Obviouslly, his situation has not dimmed Kevin’s spirit or determination to carry on. He is eager to be teaching lessons again at his home stable in Loxahatchee, Fla. He also has been available to do consulting work for those seeking his expertise with horses.
Dianna and Kevin on the porch of tvheir home, Kevin’s teaching vantagepoint. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
There’s always a struggle, but the bright light is that he is not alone. In addition to his wife and daughters Marielle and Gwyneth, there are many who rally for his cause time and again. They will be involved with a major event this Sunday, March 30, at Erica Hatfield’s EyeCandyland Farm in Wellington, Fla. It’s Kevin’s Rockstars Lip Sync Fundraiser, offering creative and zany entertainment that draws the equestrian community as both participants and audience.
The event benefits the Kevin Babington Foundation, which raises funds and generates support not only for Kevin, but also for other show jumpers who sustain spinal injuries. In addition to providing financial assistance the foundation’s mission includes educating riders, trainers and show organizers about safety measures designed to reduce the risk of serious injuries which can occur while riding.
For past Lip Syncs, big name riders, including Olympic gold medalist Nick Skelton of Great Britain, Ireland’s Darragh Kenny and the USA’s Heather Caristo got their acts together to show their creative side. This month’s show will feature the singing janitor, Richard Goodall, who won the 2024 season of America’s Got Talent.
“His heart, humility, and spirit perfectly represent our foundation. I knew we had to get him to perform,” said Foundation Chairman Jeff Papows.
Commenting on Kevin’s condition, Jeff said, “We have seen the incredible support and love pouring in at this time. The doctors have been doing a great job in managing Kevin’s condition and are working to get him back home as soon as possible.”
While Kevin can’t have visitors at this time, click here to get a form on which you can send a note to Kevin wishing him well. Jeff noted Kevin is determined to see the Lip Sync, always a highlight for him.
“We try to make sure people want to come every year, because they’re getting something for their money,” Dianna noted about the event.
Kevin and Mark Q after victory at Devon nine years ago. (Photo © 2016 by Nancy Jaffer)
Last year, Kevin suffered a setback when the ramp to his van failed, his wheelchair crashed to the ground and he hit the back of his head. He will need spinal surgery, as well as having a hip replaced.
“This is a stark reminder that this is not something that gets fixed,” Dianna observed, noting other equestrians have problems with which the foundation is helping.
“This is an ongoing medical tragedy. There’s always another shoe that’s about to drop, and it’s not just him. This is not something where we throw money at it and fix it and walk away. This is ongoing. There will be future recipients.”
Dianna said if she outlives Kevin, she will continue working with the foundation. She is one step removed right now, wanting to make sure there is no conflict of interest, but is involved in the Lip Sync and other events.
“I want people to come and participate, if not this year, next year. It is for Kevin and everybody who has come after him, and will come again after him,” said Dianna, noting “It’s a constant battle.”
Kevin is a good teacher who understands show jumping from a variety of perspectives. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
People can purchase a table to be part of the evening, or simply donate to the foundation. The need continues.
“This is never over,” is the way Dianna put it.
Click on this link to purchase tickets or tables for a very special cause.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 23, 2025
Vera Kessels, a much admired dressage trainer, rider and effective clinician, died March 22 of ovarian cancer.
A native of the Netherlands with ties to the horse-dealing Hendrix family, she moved to the U.S. in 1995 with her Dutchbred horse, Dotato. They started showing a year later and continued through Dressage at Devon in 1998. Other mounts with which she had success included Urbanus and Jane Suwalsky’s Whitman.
Vera Kessels, who always shared her sunny smile. Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Vera married U.S. dressage rider Michael Barisone, who began showing Dotato in 1999, and the two ran the Hathorne Hill training stable in Long Valley, N.J. The couple later divorced.
She was a respected teacher. As trainerEliza Puttkamer Banks put it in a tribute on social media, “I owe where I am right now and the confidence I have, to Vera. One of the most outstanding supporters of our sport from the center of the ring, always keeping correct training and understanding of the horses as sport. We have lost one of our shining lights.”
