by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 24, 2026
Although seven-figure purchase prices for horses are all too common these days in both racing and showing, Saturday’s Pegasus World Cup Invitational at Gulfstream Park in Florida illustrates that it’s still possible to buy a winner for a price that doesn’t break the bank. And I find that encouraging.
Skippy Longstocking and White Abarrio after the finish of the Pegasus World Cup.
My two favorite racehorses, stablemates Skippy Longstocking and White Abarrio, finished 1-2 in the $3 million Grade I race. Both are seven-year-olds; I really appreciate that they have been able to keep racing and gain a legion of fans in the process. When racehorses retire at age three, it doesn’t help build a following for the sport.
Me with White Abarrio at Monmouth Park when he was a 3-year-old running in the Haskell.
White Abarrio is by an unfashionable sire, Race Day (Tapit), who stands at stud in the Republic of Korea for $5,000. As a yearling, White Abarrio, who is out of an Into Mischief mare, sold for a mere $7,000 as a yearling. He went for $40,000 as a two-year-old. Since then, the handsome gray winner of the Pegasus last year, has earned approximately $6.8 million.
Skippy, by Exaggerator out of a War Chant mare, sold for $15,000 as a yearling and $37,000 as a two-year-old. He has earned nearly $5,461,000.
The Pegasus was Skippy’s first Grade I victory. I hope we’ll be seeing him (and White Abarrio) back on the track again this year.They are an inspiration for people of limited means dreaming of having a horse who can win big. Racing needs its dreamers, as do all horse sports.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 25, 2026
With major competitions from coast to coast and abroad, the show jumping scene really heated up this week.
The richest grand prix in the U.S. was the $340,000 Brainjuice ACTIVE 5-star at the Desert International Horse Park in California, where Dutch rider Mathijs Van Asten and Hotspot’s time of 36.64 seconds took the honors far ahead of their rivals.
Mathijs van Asten and Hotspot (High Desert Sport Photo)
When he planned his round, Mathijs had his eye on world number one Kent Farrington with Toulayna, winner of the qualifying class last week.
“I know I have to take some risks because when Kent Farrington is behind you, then you know that it’s very hard because he’s very hard to beat,” said Mathijs, who was able to come through because of the close tie with the mount he broke in himself.
“So I tried to ride my own route and took some risks from the double to the vertical in the corner. I did one stride less than the rest, and I got a really forward distance to the last one. I think there I made my time.”
As it happened, Kent had a knockdown on the route designed by Colm Quinn and Alan Wade, winding up fifth, so second-place went to Callie Schott and Uricas v/d Kattenvannen, timed in 39.04 seconds for their clear round. Conor Swail, a regular at DIHP, was third on Casturano in 39.4 seconds.
At the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Fla., Lillie Keenan enjoyed her second big WEF win, taking the $215,000 NetJets 4-star with Fasther. A rollback early in the jump-off and a leave-out in the last line were the keys to her victory in 40.56 seconds. Second over the Peter Grant-designed course was Florida-based Irish rider Shane Sweetnam with Rural Juror SCF in 40.87 seconds.
“That final line was a risky moment, but I think it made the biggest difference,” said Lillie, who is mentored by six-time U.S. Olympian Mclain Ward, who selected her mount.
“He’s my heart horse—he has a fire inside of him; loves to jump, but he really loves to run,” Lillie said.
“We struggled a lot at first with rideability, but I have grown up with him; I trust him so much, and he tries so hard for me.”
On the previous weekend, she won the $50,000 Palm Beach Equine Clinic Grand Prix with Highway TN, who she has leased for the season. The horse has been ridden by Willem Greve of the Netherlands, but that rider is focusing on this summer’s world championships with other horses, which made Highway available.
Meanwhile, in Qatar where a new series is under way, British star Scott Brash had two major victories in the same show. He took the 1.50 meter class with Hello Folie, and the 1.60 meter test with Hello Mango.
Click here for results of the Brain Juice Grand Prix
Click here for results of the NetJets Grand Prix
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 23, 2026
A New Jersey thoroughbred gelding was named 2025’s Champion Male Sprinter at racing’s Eclipse Award ceremonies in Palm Beach this week.
Book’em Danno, by Bucchero our of the Ghostzapper mare Adorabella, raced for a New Jersey-based partnership of friends and business acquaintances called Atlantic Six Racing.
Book ’em Danno winning at Saratoga. (Photo © 2025 by Mathea Kelley)
“In this sport, you need a lot of luck, a lot of dedication, and an exceptional horse,” said Atlantic Six’s managing partner, Jay
Briscione noted. “Tonight we celebrate all three.”
Characterized by his owners as “the horse of a lifetime,” he was bred by Gregory J. Kilka and Bright View Farm. The 5-year-old who won three high profile stakes at Saratoga last year is the all-time leading New Jersey-bred earner with more than $1.8 million to his credit. He is the first New Jersey-bred Eclipse Award winner since Open Mind, the champion 3-year-old filly in 1989.
Book’em Danno has been trained by Derek Ryan, who said the success is due to the horse’s competitive nature.
“He doesn’t have a pedigree, he’s not a pretty mover. He’s just a racehorse.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 20, 2026
Olympic eventer Liz Halliday, who suffered a traumatic brain injury in a 2024 fall, has returned to her base in Lexington, Ky., after many months of working hard at rehabilitation.
She posted about her progress on social media, saying, “This is the most important update I’ve given you since my accident happened! After spending 16 months in hospitals and two different rehab facilities in Chicago and Dallas, I finally returned HOME to Lexington just before Christmas.
Liz Hallliday is home.
“It’s hard to describe all of the emotions you experience when you walk through the door to your own home for the first time in so long … joy, gratitude, and a sense of pride that all of the hard work I have done over the past 16 months has brought me to this point.
“My recovery journey is far from over. I’ve converted my office into a home gym and am working on getting stronger every day. I am still committed to my weekly therapy sessions to continue working on my speech and regaining more mobility. And I am continuing to ride at a local facility, which has been so beneficial in my recovery.”
She added, “I am excited to continue to improve, and I am so grateful to you all for cheering me on throughout this recovery journey. I still have a long way to go, but I’ll never give up, and I’ll never stop fighting.”
Her horses were sent to several riders to campaign, most notably Boyd Martin, who won the first U.S. Open of eventing last October with Miks Master C, a mount he characterized as Liz’s “top hopeful.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 13, 2026
It’s back to the drawing board yet again for the proposed Isla Carroll development in Wellington, Fla., which eked out a 3-2 approval from the Village Council on first reading Monday night.
But both Mayor Michael Napoleone and Councilman John McGovern, who reluctantly voted in favor of the plan, indicated they would not vote for it on second reading next month without changes to make the project more in keeping with requirements of the municipality’s Equestrian Overlay Zoning District.
The original plan for the property presented last year called for using the 24-stall stable on site for animals that included rescue horses and offered a wide-ranging group of disciplines, from endurance to jumpers, that was wildly unrealistic. After the Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board indicated it would reject the project, it was withdrawn.
It returned as a Planned Unit Development with forty 0.43-acre homesites, a country club with a gym, restaurant and pool, and a polo field, one of two located on the property at the moment. A 31.22-acre club/equestrian amenity pod would have 17.24 acres devoted to equestrian facilities. (The deteriorated 24-stall stable would be torn down.)
Under an agreement between property owner Frank McCourt, one of the founders of the show jumping Global Champions Tour, developer Discovery Land Company and the U.S. Polo Association, the latter would pay a $1 annual fee for a 45-year lease of the field (with a 10-year renewal option).
Isla Carroll is adjacent to the National Polo Center, which can handle overflow parking. NPC has polo matches on Sunday afternoons; Isla Carroll would host matches on Friday evenings. The agreement gives USPA scheduling control of the polo field during every polo season, as well as control of tournaments and training on the field, which it will maintain.
If the property were subdivided today without the polo plan, it would permit 40 homesites at a minimum of two acres each.
McCourt, a resident of Wellington for more than 10 years, told the council, “When I bought Isla Carroll, I had no idea what I was going to do with it. What I did know was that I did not want to see another soulless subdivision in my community…that wouldn’t benefit the equestrian sport.”
Frank McCourt speaking at the meeting.
Prior to voting, McGovern said, “To me, there’s not common equestrian amenities. I don’t know how we can have an equestrian development that doesn’t have horses. For me, the way this project would be improved into what I think is an equestrian development, would be for example…if there were five farms plus the homes, that would start to move us in a direction of this being an equestrian development. What would a polo community actually look like? We’re still sort of left with a polo field and country club.”
He added, “I don’t feel like there’s a full community buy-in as to what either the community gets, or what the residents are going to actually get here.
“For us to approve an equestrian development, it has to be about the residents who are going to live in it And then how those residents and how that equestrian community is going to become symbiotic into the equestrian portion of Wellington.
“Every resident board that has looked at this has found it to be woefully insufficient,” noted the councilman, referring to the Equestrian Preserve Committee and the Planning, Zoning & Adjustment Board, both of which rejected the plan.
In voting no, Councilwoman Maria Antuña said, “The project sounds more like a resort-type project. I don’t feel this is truly what the equestrian represents for the equestrian community.”
Also voting no was Councilwoman Amanda Silvestri, who said “if we approve a project like this, I believe it would change the essence of Wellington forever.”
Deputy Mayor Tanya Siskind voted in favor of the plan, saying the project “could continue to grow the sport of polo in Wellington.”
The Council heard from dozens of residents, both pro and con, either by public statements during the meeting or via cards that stated their preference and in some cases, their thoughts.
Sarah Goos, a member of the Equestrian Preserve Committee, is not in favor of the project.
Speaking during the meeting, she expressed concern that residents would get tired of the noise from the polo matches and the odor of manure, with the possibility that public access to polo matches eventually would be limited. She had witnessed a situation like that in Long Island’s Hamptons.
On the other hand, Goos continued, “Two-acre lots are highly desirable in Wellington and well-suited for equestrian farms. This amount of land allows for a residence, private barn, paddocks and a riding ring. Exactly what the zoning is intended for.
“McCourt and Discovery could still maintain the polo field and build fewer homes, if the polo field is truly significant to them, as they say. What they are proposing is a non-equestrian country club, which does not meet the criteria of the LDR (land development regulations).”
Robin Parsky, a prominent owner of show jumpers, said she wants to be very supportive of the project because “this is about enhancing a big, beautiful grass field, which is exactly what we want to have here in Wellington and will be very beneficial to the equestrian community as a whole.”
She also mentioned that Discovery is “quality” and “user friendly, family friendly, equestrian friendly…they know what they’re doing.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 19, 2026
The U.S. Equestrian Federation and the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation are handing out honors with a look back to 2025.
It’s no surprise that Kent Farrington’s illustrious Greya received the USEF’s SmartPak/International Horse of the Year title. Kent, the world’s number one-ranked show jumper, owes that standing in large part to Greya, who had 15 top 12 international finishes last year. They ended the season with a victory in the Geneva, Switzerland, 5-star grand prix.
Kent Farrington and Greya.
“She has been fantastic all season. She’s a very special horse and I’m honored to receive this award,” Kent said.
A rescue horse was named SmartPak/National Horse of the Year by USEF, with the story of Athenian Lady an inspiring one about what can be achieved with loving care and determination.
The starving mare had been abandoned when she was discovered by rescue volunteer Amanda Delgado in 2015, who took on a horse that had been categorized as unadoptable.
By 2019, Athena was transformed into a western dressage world champion. In 2025, she earned three world championships and three reserve world champion titles at the Western Dressage Association of America World Show. She has earned three USEF Horse of the Year awards in western dressage and many WDAA high score awards during her career.
Athena is an ambassador for equine welfare causes worldwide, including the ASPCA’s Right Horse program and Brooke USA. In 2024, she was a Breyer model and the Breyerfest Celebration Horse for that year’s “Against All Odds” theme. She has shown the world what a rescue horse can do.
“When I first started working with Athena, I had this wild idea that she could be a World Champion. I was told I was crazy and it would never happen,” said her owner.
Athenian Lady
“I want to encourage [everyone] to have a look at rescue horses standing in a desolate pasture or in a kill pen. You might be looking at your next partner. You might be looking at a World Champion. You might be looking at the next USEF Horse of the Year. But most importantly, you may be looking at your best friend.”
To learn about the USEF’s Equestrians of the Year, click here.
The USET Foundation also honored a group of those who have made their mark in horse sports. Its Whitney Stone Cup went to Lillie Keenan, a regular on the country’s show jumping teams. She was selected as an ambassador for the sport and for exemplifying the foundation’s “highest ideals and traditions.”
In accepting the award, Lillie said, “I didn’t think I’d even be in contention with the caliber of the previous recipients — I was in awe to win.” The 29-year-old New Yorker’s name joins those of McLain Ward, Michael Matz, Debbie McDonald and so many other great U.S. stars of the sport engraved on the trophy.
“I hope I’m still quite early in my career with lots more to achieve for the U.S. team, so to already have recognition for my contribution is really surprising and motivating,” commented Lillie. She made her senior Nations Cup debut in 2014 at just 17 years old and went on to become a key member of the U.S. Jumping team.
Eventer Cassie Sanger was presented with the Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy for a junior or young rider in an Olympic discipline who exemplifies the U.S. Equestrian Team’s ideals of sportsmanship and horsemanship.
Riding Redfield Fyre, the 21-year-old competitor finished in the top 20 in both the Kentucky and Burghley 5-star events last year.
“I was really surprised when I found out I had won the Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy,” said the Delaware resident.
“I know it’s such an honor to join the list of talented athletes who have received it before me. It feels really special to be thought of in this way, especially because this is not just an eventing award; it covers all the Olympic disciplines. It’s really special to be in there with all these other riders.”
The USET Foundation’s R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award went to Akiko Yamazaki, best known by the public as the owner of such top dressage horses as Ravel and Suppenkasper. But she also serves as co-chair of the foundation’s Pathway to the Podium campaign, with an eye toward the 2028 Olympics.
Akiko has been “a lead donor and steadfast advocate for the USET Foundation’s mission, with particular impact in the dressage and vaulting disciplines, where her support has helped advance athlete development and international excellence.”
The R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award is awarded in memory of its first winner in 2015.
“It is a true honor to be recognized along with past recipients who have contributed so much to equestrian sport in the U.S.,” said Akiko, a dressage Grand Prix competitor herself, who is respected for her dedication to advancing U.S. equestrian sport at the highest level, particularly through her long-term collaboration with U.S. Olympic dressage athlete Steffen Peters.
“It is a nice way to recognize and celebrate the long journey my team had with Steffen as our rider with my horses, which included participation in the past five consecutive Olympic Games, all the World Equestrian Games and World Championships in between, and multiple World Cup Finals. The award really belongs to my team.
“Horses and horse sport are my lifelong passion,” she emphasized
“I was bitten by the bug when I was six years old, inspired by my mother, who was an equestrian. I was very fortunate to be able to support riders and teams who could participate at the highest level of the sport, which introduced me to a world beyond my own riding. Now, my daughters are high performance equestrians in dressage and vaulting,” noted Akiko, who also supports USEF clinics at her California stable.
