by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 15, 2026
On the same day that Bill Moroney made a surprise announcement that he will retire as U.S. Equestrian Federation CEO after 10 years in the job, three people were nominated as candidates to succeed Ingmar DeVos in the FEI (international equestrian federation) presidency.
That paves the way for a whole new dynamic in how horse sport is led both nationally and internationally before the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.
Moroney, 66, a founder of the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association, a USEF affiliate, explained in what he termed a “personal note” to the membership, “Horses have been my whole life. I spent over 30 years as a professional trainer and along the way, became involved in governance.”
He cited his start in leadership as co-chair of the Pony Committee for USA Equestrian (a USEF predecessor) before becoming the first president of USHJA and serving on USEF’s board and more than 17 of its committees. He called becoming USEF CEO in 2016 “the equestrian honor of my life.”
By offering his announcement now, the board has time to run a search for his replacement. He also pointed out that with USEF President Tom O’Mara’s term running through the Los Angeles Olympic cycle, it is best for the CEO and president not to change in the same time frame.
“Making this transition now keeps our leadership steady,” he said, adding, “I will be here and fully engaged in leading USEF through the end of the year, and we will continue to provide our programs, services, and competitions.”
While the top level of horse sports is doing well, at other levels, many have been priced out not only by the cost of horses that can be competitive, but also concerns that keeping a horse, running a barn and competing are out of reach for more and more people.
Last October, a petition calling for a vote of No Confidence in USEF leadership was filed with Change.org. It has 2,073 signatures.
It mentions a disconnect between leadership and members, stating, “USEF exists to serve its members, advance equestrian sport in the United States, and uphold integrity, fairness, and transparency. Sadly, the current leadership has failed in these duties. Under their direction, the organization has eroded member trust, alienated the equestrian community, and fallen short of the standards expected of a National Governing Body.”
The document added, “The time has come for USEF to return to its founding principle—that it exists to serve the members and the sport, not the other way around. Member participation must be central to all major decisions affecting governance, leadership, and the future of equestrian sport in America.”
The petition sought the replacement not only of Moroney, but also of Olympic eventing gold medalist David O’Connor, who serves as chief of sport; veterinarian Stephen Schumacher, director of drugs and medication, and Vicki Lowell, chief marketing and content officer.
Meanwhile, nominees for the FEI top job include Honorary Vice President Mark Samuel of Canada, chair of Regional Group IV (North America) and FEI Vice President from 2017 to 2024. Sabrina Ibáñez, of El Salvador, who would be the first person from a Latin American country to serve in the role if elected, joined the FEI in 1991 and served as FEI Director of Governance and Executive Affairs from 2011 until her appointment as FEI Secretary General in December 2014.
The other nominee is Chinese Taipei’s Jack Huang, who would be the first Asian president of the FEI if elected. He has served as chair of FEI Regional Group VIII (Asia and Oceania) since 2016 and has been FEI Vice President since 2019.
The new FEI president will be elected by the organization’s General Assembly on Dec. 5 in Jiangyin, China.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 14, 2026
Former FEI Dressage Judge General Stephen Clarke died this weekend at the age of 73 after battling cancer.
As fellow 5-Star judge Cesar Torrente commented, “It’s a very sad day for the dressage world. One of a kind. A true gentleman and an exceptional horseman. He will be missed, but hopefully his generosity and knowledge will be passed on to new generations. That’s what he would have liked.”
Olympian and judge Charlotte Bredahl noted, “He was always kind, but would always stand up for what was right and always with the highest level of integrity! He appreciated all the effort the riders put in and always wanted to encourage them and do right by them. He was always a voice of reason and always influenced our sport in the most positive manner. He had an amazing sense of humor and never took himself too seriously. He loved our sport, was a great friend and colleague to many and beloved by all.”
The International Dressage Officials Club paid tribute to its former president The club statement says it all about this stellar judge and remarkable man:
“Stephen was, quite simply, one of the greatest gifts the sport of dressage has ever received. His passing leaves a stillness in our world that will take a long time to fill — and yet, if we listen carefully, we can still hear his voice: warm, measured, often wonderfully witty, and always pointing us toward what is right and good in this sport we all love.
Stephen’s journey with horses began as a boy growing up in a small Welsh village, where a neighbouring farmer’s ponies captured his imagination and never truly let go. He started judging in his early 20s, having become, as he put it, “fed up with everyone moaning about the judging” — a characteristically Stephen solution to a problem: rather than complain, step forward and be part of the answer.
He trained two winters with Ernst Bachinger at the Spanish Riding School, and with guidance from Jennie Loriston-Clarke and Ferdi Eilberg, his horse Becket went on to earn him selection as reserve combination for the British Dressage Team at the 1988 Seoul Olympic Games. As a rider, he won five National Championship titles and represented Great Britain in international competition throughout the 1980s. Even then, it was always, as he admitted himself, about the dressage.
The astute and respected Stephen Clarke.
Stephen Clarke was one of the most highly respected dressage judges in the world. As a 5* FEI judge, he officiated at countless international championships — including as President of the Ground Jury at the London 2012 Olympic Games and on the judging panel at the Rio Games in 2016, as well as numerous World Cup Finals, European Championships and World Equestrian Games. Athens 2004 was his first Olympic assignment, London 2012 his finest hour — presiding over a ground jury at the Games in his homeland, an honor he described as one of the proudest moments of his life.
To be on the judging panel when Totilas and Valegro broke the world records was, in his own words, “beyond exciting.” The privilege of awarding 10s for movements where you just cannot imagine how it could be better — that was the joy Stephen brought to his work every single time he sat behind the judging board.
He never shied from the difficult calls either. At the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, he made one of the toughest calls in a world championship — the disqualification of Adelinde Cornelissen when her horse bled from the mouth. It was correct, it was courageous, and it was entirely Stephen. He understood that integrity in judging is not a convenience — it is the foundation upon which the sport rests.
In 2013, Stephen was unanimously elected FEI Dressage Judge General, succeeding Ghislain Fouarge. The FEI’s own words at the time describe him perfectly: “a first-class judge and a natural communicator.”
He also sat on the FEI Dressage Committee for several years and was instrumental in putting together the FEI Judge’s Book — now considered the bible of modern judging. His efforts earned tremendous respect for dressage judges worldwide and contributed greatly to the reputation and profile of the sport. His goal, as he always said, was to ensure young judges have the opportunity to develop their education and skills. And he meant it — not as a statement of policy, but as a personal mission. He took time with every young official who crossed his path. He remembered names. He remembered horses. He remembered what it felt like to be new to this world, and he made sure no one felt alone in it.
As President of IDOC, Stephen brought the same qualities to our organization that he brought to everything: clarity of thought, generosity of spirit, and an unwavering commitment to doing things properly. He worked alongside colleagues including Maribel Alonso, Katrina Wüst and Hans-Christian Matthiesen in the Education Working Group, and his influence on the way we train and support officials across the globe cannot be overstated. IDOC is a better, stronger, more purposeful organization because Stephen Clarke led it.
Those of us lucky enough to know Stephen beyond the formal settings of competition and seminar know a different, equally wonderful dimension of the man. He ran a working pupils scheme at his Cotton Equestrian Centre near Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, and many of those young trainers have gone on to build outstanding careers of their own — a fact Stephen spoke about with immense, quiet pride.
He was quick to laugh, quicker still to listen. In any discussion — whether about a single movement in a test, the future direction of FEI judging policy, or the state of the sport over a glass of wine after a long competition day — Stephen brought the same qualities: a clear mind, an open heart and exactly the right words at exactly the right moment. Many of us will carry specific things he said to us, privately, at just the right time, for the rest of our lives.
In his final years, illness slowed him physically — but never in spirit. He remained in close contact with many in his circle, generous with his time, his warmth, and his thoughts, right to the end. That, too, was entirely Stephen.
We will miss him at the arena. We will miss him in the seminar rooms. We will miss him at the table after a long day, when the best conversations always seemed to happen. We will miss his laughter, his precision, and his extraordinary ability to make everyone around him feel both valued and challenged to be better.
The sport of dressage is immeasurably richer for everything Stephen Clarke gave it over so many decades. We are immeasurably richer for having known him.
Our thoughts go to Julian Sebire, Stephen’s partner for more than 40 years.
Stephen — thank you. It was a privilege and an honour.
On behalf of the International Dressage Officials Club
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 14, 2026
We already ran a short obituary last month for Jean Lindgren, but she was someone who deserved much more. Her son, Baylis Greene, did just that, writing one for the East Hampton Star, where he works. This is worth reading, whether you knew Jean, or just wished you had.
“In the 1970s, Jean Lindgren would proudly point out that she was the first woman carpenter on the South Fork. She had the shoulders and biceps to match, too.
This was after a stint teaching nursery school at the Hampton Day School in Bridgehampton, where she met Anthony Hitchcock, a science teacher with whom she would go on to work an array of odd jobs, at a time here when it was far easier to get by that way. This involved building greenhouses, in an elaborate process of gluing and clamping to bend wood supports, done in a barn behind their rented farmhouse in Bridgehampton, catering, notably the wedding of the sportswriter Mike Lupica, with attendees ranging from Don Imus, the radio host, to Donald Trump, and writing a series of guide books to country inns and historic hotels.
The job that wound up truly lasting, however, came about when Ms. Lindgren and Mr. Hitchcock took over the logistics for a small local horse show at the Topping Horse Farm in Sagaponack. As this area became more popular, more of a destination, more characterized by celebrity, so did the show, which in 1977 came to be known as the Hampton Classic, first at Dune Alpin Farm in East Hampton and then on 65 acres in Bridgehampton. The two ran it as a benefit for Southampton Hospital until 2005.
Ms. Lindgren, who lived in Sagaponack, died of heart disease on May 27 at Peconic Bay Medical Center in Riverhead. She was 85.
The Hampton Classic may have been fancy, but the co-executive directors, who were not riders themselves, made certain to allow for the equestrians and fans from the area, introducing Local Day and accommodating Bridgehampton families like the McCoys and the Brennans with tables in the Grand Prix tent.
In many ways the face of the show, working with participants and registrants, the aggrieved and the entitled, Ms. Lindgren was invariably cheerful and charming, with a sense of humor that could defuse any misunderstanding.
Born on March 4, 1941, in Tenafly, N.J., the eldest of four children of Robert Lindgren, a commercial illustrator, and the former Ruth Jaster, she grew up across the New York border in Suffern, where the family had a horse rescued on its way to becoming mink food and an old jalopy she learned to drive before she was a teenager.
She attended Mary Washington College in Virginia but left before graduating, and later married Peter Greene, whom she knew from Suffern High School. They had two children. The marriage ended in divorce, but not before they moved to Sag Harbor in 1969.
In the mid-1970s, in Bridgehampton with Mr. Hitchcock, whom she would marry in the 1990s, the two were known for their volunteer work, particularly with the local historical society and the Black community of the Turnpike, at one point installing a small steeple atop the Baptist church, which led to a story they liked to tell of the difficulty of compound angles.
In later years, after the Hampton Classic, Ms. Lindgren continued to work as a secretary on the horse show circuit, from Westchester County to Ocala, Fla., to Indio, Calif., and she and Mr. Hitchcock began to vacation here and abroad, to France every spring, to Maine at the end of every summer.
Painting was one of her pastimes, and her children and grandchildren always looked forward to the cartoons she would draw for their birthday cards. She enjoyed mystery novels, watching “Jeopardy!” and “Antiques Roadshow,” shopping trips with her granddaughters, and baking, especially Christmas cookies.
Mr. Hitchcock survives her, as does a stepdaughter, Abigail Hitchcock of Brooklyn; two sons, Ryder Greene of Portland, Ore., and Baylis Greene of Noyac; a daughter-in-law, Julie Greene, and three grandchildren, Penelope, Griffin, and Bennett Greene. She also leaves a sister, Patricia Lindgren of Cold Spring, N.Y.
A celebration of her life is scheduled for Aug. 6 from 6 to 8 p.m. at Long Beach in Noyac, N.Y.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 9, 2026
London Olympics 2012 show jumping course designer Bob Ellis has died at the age of 79 after a short illness.
Course designer Guilherme Jorge, who worked with Bob in London, called him “a great horseman, a great course designer and a great friend. His leadership and the way he looked after his team is something that I will always remember.”
Bob was a rider who began building courses in the 1990s under the mentorship of Jon Doney. He stopped riding in 1993, concentrating on course designing and achieved the FEI’s O status, enabling him to design courses at some of the world’s major competitions.
The crowning achievement of his career came at the London Olympics, where he created a series of iconic courses featuring fence designs that showcased Great Britain to a global audience.
He will be remembered not only for his outstanding contribution to the sport, but also for his ready smile and infectious sense of humor.
U.S. judge David Distler recalled, “I had the privilege of working with Bob on a number of occasions. Each time I came away with a greater understanding of courses, thanks to the generous sharing of his knowledge.
“One of the very best to ever lay a rail, a true genius, with a wonderful sense of humor. A mentor to so many.”
A statement from British Showjumping said Bob’s “distinctive style, creativity and ability to challenge competitors while always prioritizing horsemanship earned him international recognition and respect.
“Throughout his career, Bob was admired not only for his professionalism, expertise and eye for detail, but also for his warmth, humor and unwavering passion for the sport. He inspired generations of riders, officials and fellow course-designers, many of whom benefited from his guidance and mentorship.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 7, 2026
A week after Caroline Pamukcu was first and second in the Open Preliminary at the Essex Horse Trials, that prep paid off as she rode the same horses to top the 4-Star Long at the MARS Bromont event on Sunday.
The order of her mounts’ finish was reversed this time, though, with Essex runner-up HSH Double Sixteen, a thoroughbred, taking the top prize and She’s the One coming second. Both horses were free of jumping faults on cross-country, but each had two rails in stadium. Double Sixteen finished on 47.5 penalties while She’s the One accumulated 13.6 time penalties on cross-country.
Another U.S. rider, Tracey Bienemann was third with 57.9 penalties on Venezuelan River.
Caroline said her mounts, “Both of them are just fabulous horses, and I’m just so happy for the owners – they deserve it. They’ve been with me since day one, so it’s just great to do well for them, and do well for the horses.
She noted ” ‘Six’ was fabulous all weekend. There’s so much more improvement that can be done, but again, remember, they’re both 11-year-olds, and I think they both have bright futures. Their cross-country rounds were immaculate. They’re just absolute machines, but again, [there’s a] lot more work [that] can be done – the dressage and the show jumping – and even with the cross-country, I can fine tune some things. But I’m so happy because I felt confident this weekend. So that’s the biggest thing – the biggest takeaway.”
The cross-country courses were designed by Derek di Grazia, who also does the Kentucky 5-star, and Jay Hambly.
The 3-Star Long went to Canada’s Colleen Loach, while the 2-StarLong was a wire-to-wire win for Lucienne Bellissimo and Dyri. In the 4-star Short, old friends Phillip Dutton (Denim) and Boyd Martin (Fetiche des Rouges) were 1-2.
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 4, 2026
As keeping horses has become increasingly pricey, the amount competitors pay for showing on top of that has developed as a major economic issue. There is a tendency to blame the shows for over-charging, intimating that competitions are making huge profits off the exhibitors. But such accusations generally come from people who have no idea what it takes, or costs, to put on a show. They have no idea of the profit margin (if there is one) realized by competitions, particularly the smaller shows serving the all-important base of the sport.
Without a base, nothing can be built. If equestrian competition is seen as being only about the elite upper levels, that can hurt more than the sport’s image in the era of social license to operate. Such a perception also can discourage those who feel showing — viewed as a goal after all those lessons — is out of their price range. As a result, they may not continue to ride and go elsewhere for their exercise.
What does it cost to put on a horse show? Marnye Langer, who runs the Langer Equestrian Group shows in California, has produced a piece explaining the business model. Here is an edited version of what she wrote:
Horse shows are extraordinarily expensive to produce, even before a single ribbon is handed out. That is something many exhibitors – and increasingly, policymakers – fail to fully appreciate.
The public conversation around the U.S. Equestrian Federation channel system and the future of competition often assumes there is a large amount of fat built into horse show pricing. The reality is quite the opposite, especially for smaller shows. Margins are frequently thin, costs are largely fixed and many of the expenses exhibitors dislike most are not profit centers at all. They are simply mechanisms to cover operational necessities or pass through costs collected on behalf of associations.
Take staffing: A horse show requires an enormous workforce to function safely and professionally. Labor costs extend far beyond judges and course designers. They include office personnel, ring crews, maintenance teams, jump crews, in-gate staff, parking attendants, hospitality workers, and security. Those positions exist whether the show runs three days or five, three rings or five.
And importantly, these are not optional expenses.
A hunter/jumper competition cannot simply decide to eliminate EMT coverage, forego insurance or skip licensed officials because entries are down. Most of the core operating costs remain fixed regardless of the competition’s size or designation.
The same applies to venue costs. Facility rental, footing preparation, utilities, manure removal, tents, stalls, generators and equipment rentals represent substantial line items that do not meaningfully decline simply because a show is categorized differently under a channel framework. In many cases, regional competitions actually face higher proportional costs because they lack the economies of scale available to larger circuits.
Even when a horse show operates at a facility under the same ownership structure, the venue itself is not free. Someone still pays for footing maintenance, equipment, utilities, staffing, insurance, paving, landscaping, manure removal and ongoing repairs. This is also true for farms that host smaller local competitions. Rest assured, they have invested substantial money into making those properties functional for horse shows.
This is an important point because there is a persistent assumption that facility-owning show managers somehow operate without meaningful overhead. They do not. In many cases, horse show revenue is what keeps the facility itself financially viable.
Another uncomfortable truth: Ancillary revenues matter tremendously.
Exhibitors often view feed, shavings, office fees, nomination fees and sponsorship programs as excessive add-ons. In reality, those categories frequently determine whether a competition survives financially. Particularly for smaller and mid-level competitions, sponsorship revenue is limited or nonexistent. That means operational sustainability falls heavily on entries, stalls and associated exhibitor fees.
And even then, profitability is far from guaranteed. Weather disruptions, lower-than-expected entries, rising insurance costs, labor shortages, fuel prices and facility fee increases can erase margins quickly. A competition that appears “busy” from the outside is not necessarily financially successful.
This is why the assumption that (regional) Channel 2 competitions automatically create a lower-cost environment is so problematic.
The USEF channel system largely adjusts classification and prize money requirements. It does not materially reduce the overwhelming majority of production expenses that drive horse show economics. All the “things” still have to happen. Judges, course designers and EMTs still need to be hired. Rings still need dragging. Footing still needs maintenance. Insurance premiums do not suddenly shrink because a show is labeled “regional.” The list goes on.
If anything, smaller competitions often face a more difficult economic equation. They have fewer entries over which to spread fixed costs, less sponsorship support and less leverage when competing for labor and vendors against major circuits.
That reality matters because regional and mid-level horse shows are foundational to the sport’s ecosystem. They are where riders develop, trainers build businesses and new participants enter the industry. If those competitions become financially unsustainable, the long-term impact extends far beyond a single horse show’s balance sheet.
The concern is not simply whether some shows will disappear. It is whether the sport can maintain a healthy competitive middle class at all. Because once regional competitions vanish, rebuilding that layer of the industry becomes extraordinarily difficult.
