Show ring great Rodney Jenkins has passed away

by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 6, 2024

A born horseman whose natural ability made him a legend, Rodney Jenkins was the ultimate winner in the days when he reigned as a dominant force on the grand prix circuit with his most famous mount, the equally talented Idle Dice.

The Red Rider, who had been in deteriorating health, passed away in his sleep at age 80 on Thursday in Glenwood, Md. The loss has been keenly felt around the equestrian community, where he was an idol. Many people remembered sitting ringside watching Rodney school horses as a way to improve their own technique, though who could match him?

The red-head grew up learning to ride by the seat of his pants in Orange, Va., where his father, Enis Jenkins, was a professional horseman. He became a huntsman, then went on to work for Gene Mische, who went on to be the country’s best known horse show organizer.

Rodney’s talent took him to the top of the sport, with victories everywhere from Madison Square Garden to Devon and all the other great shows. His honors included being American Grand Prix Association champion and American Horse Shows Association Horseman of the Year. After hanging up his saddle in 1989, Rodney turned to training racehorses. He was successful at that too, until he retired for good earlier this year. His best season at the track came in 2006, when his horses won $1.8 million.

But he will be most remembered for his ability in the show ring, a standout with the hunters as well as the jumpers. He had a great eye for a fence, and understood what a horse was thinking almost before the horse knew what it was thinking. If you had to sum it up in one word, Rodney was a horseman.

He also was a low-key and kind person.

Retired show jumper Melanie Smith Taylor has an especially warm place in her heart for Rodney, and her mind flashed back to their special connection when she learned of his death.

After the owners of Melanie’s 1984 Olympic gold medal mount, Calypso, went into bankruptcy, they sent the horse to Rodney to be sold. But Rodney dragged his feet and never showed Calypso.

It wasn’t just that the Dutchbred gelding didn’t happen to be Rodney’s type of ride; he knew Calypso had always been Melanie’s horse, and he didn’t want to see such a great athlete demoted to being a junior jumper or some other job unworthy of his record.

Melanie’s fiancée, polo player Lee Taylor, realized the only thing missing from her life was Calypso. So he went to Rodney and said he wanted to buy the great horse and retire him to his Tennessee farm—though he didn’t mention his connection to Melanie.

But she believes “Rodney read between the lines and knew he was coming home to me. Rodney made it happen.”

The horseman felt the brilliant show jumper should quit at the top of his game (the way Rodney himself would eventually end his showing career).

The deal went through, and Melanie was ecstatic when Calypso arrived at Lee’s farm for a long and happy retirement.

Another top show jumper, Bernie Traurig, reminisced about looking up to Rodney as his own career got under way.

He recalled in a social media post that, “As a young professional, Rodney was my mentor. I was a sponge for his education, learning anything I could soak in from his wisdom and ability. As much as possible, I would watch him school, teach at clinics, watch him show, learn how he managed his stable and what he fed his horses,” Bernie recalled.

“I was lucky to even sell him some very nice horses. I begged him to try Idle Dice as a 5-year-old when I was showing him as a hunter, and, well, the rest is history. He was arguably the best horseman and rider of hunters and jumpers in his heyday, and set the bar for us all.”

Show jumper Jimmy Torano compared Rodney to basketball superstar Michael Jordan in terms of the domination of his sport, and noted sadly, “We already missed seeing him at the shows. Now we will really miss him. He is a Legend. The Greatest of all Time.”

In addition to Harry Gill’s thoroughbred, Idle Dice, who won everything, from multiple victories in the American Gold Cup to the President’s Cup (four times), Rodney’s many show jumping partners included Number One Spy, also owned by Gill; The Natural, the first jumper to sell for $1 million, American Invitational winner Third Man and Czar, on whom he earned double silver at the 1987 Pan American Games.

Rodney missed the Olympics at the height of his career because only amateurs could compete in the Games and Pan Ams during that period. As a professional, he was ineligible until the rules were loosened and he was able to compete at the Pan Ams.

Rodney Jenkins, right, with 1987 Pan Am Games silver medal team members Greg Best, Katherine Burdsall and Lisa Jacquin (Karl Leck Photo)

A member of the Show Jumping and National Show Hunter Halls of Fame, he was also inducted into the Washington International Horse Show Hall of Fame when I caught up with him a few years ago. He reminisced about the days when he was riding, adding he hadn’t been on a horse since 2008. He still judged some shows–who could argue with his eye for a horse?

“I really miss the competition,” he admitted in his soft southern drawl

“I enjoyed showing, and when I didn’t, I quit. The horse show glitter is wonderful, but I see it’s going on great without me. They have some wonderful  riders out there.”

Rodney Jenkins and Idle Dice.

He told me he would look at show jumping on TV (no doubt while smoking his pipe), saying, “I love to watch a good horse jump, and there seems to be a lot of them.”

He was devoted to his wife of 26 years, Un Jin Jenkins, who rode in the 1988 Olympics representing South Korea and is now a prolific painter. The couple lived in Maryland with their two sons, Matthew and Ty. Rodney described them as “all-American boys” who participated in sports, but not riding.

Rodney, who also had three children from a previous marriage, Blythe, Robert and race horse trainer Patrick Jenkins, enjoyed staying in one place instead of constantly being on the move as in his horse show days.

“It’s the best time of my life,” he said with a smile. “God is good to me.”

A memorial service will be held at noon Jan. 7 at Tycoons in the Laurel Park clubhouse in Maryland.

Dujardin formally penalized for “abuse of horse,” other charges

by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 5, 2024

Charlotte Dujardin, the former dressage heroine, was penalized Thursday by the FEI with a year’s suspension for a horse-whipping incident captured on video and publicized just before the Paris Olympics, when it gained worldwide attention and notoriety.

Britain’s multi-medalist from three other Olympics had voluntarily suspended herself in July after revelation of the video, ending her nation’s possibility of a team gold medal at the Games. She and Imhotep were replaced on the squad by newcomer Becky Moody with Jagerbomb. The team wound up with the bronze, keeping Britain from a sweep of all three equestrian team gold medals, as it won both the eventing and show jumping titles. Dujardin’s mount, Imhotep, had been regularly scoring over 80 percent in the Grand Prix and the Special used for awarding team medals at the Games.

Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep.

After an investigation into Dujardin’s case, the FEI initiated formal disciplinary proceedings, citing three charges: abuse of horse, conduct that brings the FEI and/or equestrian sport and the FEI into disrepute, and breach of the FEI Code of Conduct on the Welfare of the Horse.

The gravity of the offense was balanced by the FEI with “relevant mitigating circumstances,” which included Dujardin’s prior clean disciplinary record and her voluntary withdrawal from the Paris 2024 Olympic Games.

The FEI imposed a fine of 10,000 Swiss francs (U.S. $11,341) and is giving her credit for time served.  That means her suspension will end July 23, but it is uncertain what the future holds for her in the sport. Until the end of the suspension, she is prohibited from participating in all activities related to competitions or events under the jurisdiction of the FEI or her national federation.

Meanwhile, she announced on Thursday she is pregnant with her second child, who is expected in February.

The video that came out on social media showed Dujardin aggressively hitting her student’s cantering horse with a longe whip, prompting the animal to kick out several times. The video was taken during a lesson at a private stable and made public for an anonymous client by a Dutch attorney.

Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep at the 2023 European Championships, where they won individual bronze.

“What happened was completely out of character and does not reflect how I train my horses or coach my pupils, however there is no excuse,” Dujardin stated on social media in the wake of the video.

“I am deeply ashamed and should have set a better example in that moment,” she said.

“I am sincerely sorry for my actions and devastated that I have let everyone down, including Team GB, fans and sponsors.”

Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro at the 2012 London Games, where they were double gold and led Britain to its first ever Olympic dressage medal.

On Thursday, she posted a message on Facebook saying, “I fully respect the verdict issued by the Federation for
Equestrian Sports (FEI), released today. As the federation has recognized, my actions in the video do not reflect who I am and I can only apologize again. I understand the responsibility that comes with my position in the sport, and I will forever aim to do better.

“This has undoubtedly been one of the darkest and most difficult periods of my life, and I would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who has supported me during this time. To those of you who have sent messages, emails and tried to reach me to check in on how l am – thank you. Every kind word truly has made a difference, more than you’ll ever know.

“What I was unable to share at the time is that I am currently pregnant, with my baby due in February. This was planned well before the Olympics and something my partner, Dean, and I have been excited about for a long time.

At the moment, the energy I have is focused on Dean and our daughter Isabella, and we are all very much looking forward to the arrival of our new family member.”

Dujardin’s scandal came as horse sport has been focusing on “social license to operate” and seeking the acceptance of the public with an image that emphasizes equine welfare.

FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said. “It is regrettable that this case has put our sport in the headlines for all the wrong reasons, especially during a critical time leading up to the Olympic Games.”

She added, “These significant sanctions send a clear message that anyone, regardless of their profile, who engages in conduct that compromises the welfare of the horse will face serious consequences. We believe this outcome reaffirms the FEI’s commitment to equine welfare and to its role as guardian of our equine partners.”

Meanwhile, the FEI has other cases pending that involve allegations of abuse. They include dressage rider Cesar Parra and eventer Andrw McConnon.

Jim Eyre, chief executive of British Equestrian commented about Dujardin’s matter; “We are confident that this has been a thorough disciplinary process and thank those involved for their professional approach.

“The welfare and ethical treatment of horses has always been a priority and no one involved in our sport should be in any doubt that we expect the highest standards at all times. We will continue to work with our member bodies tirelessly to uphold the integrity of our sports through enforcement, education, and advancement in our knowledge.”

Jason Brautigam, chief executive of British Dressage, stated: “We stand united with the FEI in taking a zero-tolerance approach to any breaches of our equine welfare policies – and this case has proved that these disciplinary processes work, regardless of the status of the individual concerned.

“We launched the Charter for the Horse last year and remain totally committed to upholding these standards.  Working closely with our colleagues across the Federation, we will continue to collectively put the health, care and wellbeing of the horse at the heart of everything we do, and proactively demonstrate that equestrian sport is conducted in an ethical and responsible way.”