by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 4, 2026
The world’s number one-ranked show jumper, Kent Farrington, has won yet another grand prix — but this time with a new horse.
On Saturday at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, the U.S. star topped a field of 28 with a skillfully executed jump-off on Descartes, a horse he doesn’t know well but is figuring out fast. And fast he was in the six-horse tiebreaker, with a fault-free trip in 43.338 seconds that clinched victory in the $75,000 national grand prix over a 1.50 meter course designed by Oscar Soberon.
Recounting how he and his mount found each other, Kent said, “Francisco Pasquel called me and said he has an unbelievable horse in Mexico for me, and said I had to come and ride it. So, I flew to Mexico to ride the horse and here we are.”
Kent Farrington and Descartes. (Andrew Ryback Photography)
With limited mileage as a pair, Farrington kept his jump-off plan simple.
“He has a giant stride and a great canter, so I just trusted it and did my round,” Kent said.
That trust paid off as the 9-year-old Mexican-bred gelding galloped effortlessly around the short course, stopping the clock clear in 43.338 seconds to take over the top spot. Tracy Fenney was close, but not close enough, on MTM Apple in 43.970.
Descartes previously was ridden by Nikolaj Hein Ruus of Denmark. The horse’s best effort with that rider in 2025 came in April with a third-place finish at 1.35 meters in a Guadalajara 4-star competition.
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by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 26, 2025
Between the celebration of Christmas and new year’s eve champagne toasts, let’s take a few minutes to think about the people and horses who sadly left us over the last 12 months. They deserve our attention in a final salute, recalling their achievements and what they contributed to our world.
At the end of 2025, dressage lost several superstars, horses whose names bring instant recognition.
The U.S. dressage community mourned the death of Laura Graves’ Verdades at age 23 this month. Laura brought Diddy up from an unruly foal to a champion who teamed with her to be the only world number one-ranked combination ever in dressage for this country.
Along the way, the two triumphed over some devastating setbacks, but dedication to correct training set a fine example of what could be achieved with determination and love, as well as the help and advice of strong supporters.
Britain’s dressage duo of Valegro and Uthopia, in the same age demographic as Verdades, departed in November. Under the guidance of Carl Hester, the two horses helped put Britain squarely at the top of the global dressage hierarchy for the first time at the 2012 London Olympics. (Another member of the gold medal team, Mistral Højris, died at age 30 in March).
Carl rode Uti in front of a home crowd at those Games, while Charlotte Dujardin guided Valegro. The two horses were close companions, and Carl wanted them to end their lives that way rather than being separated when their health deteriorated.
Valegro and Uthopia
Influential show jumping stallion Indoctro died in April at the age of 35 after siring 4,335 horses registered with KWPN. The Holsteiner by Capitol out of a Caletto II mare had dressage offspring to his credit as well.
Also in what poet T.S. Eliot called the cruelest month, we lost Authentic at the age of 30. Beezie Madden’s mount,was her partner in taking two Olympic team gold medals in 2004 and 2008 for the U.S., as well as an individual bronze at the Games and double silver at the world championships. Bud was retired in 2009 and lived happily with Beezie and her husband, John, at their upstate New York farm.
Beezie Madden and Authentic at the 2008 Olympics.
And now we will reminisce, month by month, about the people who departed this year. We did individual obituaries about them as the year progressed, but you really understand the scope of the loss by seeing their names all in one place, for the same sad reason.
January: Stylish and effective show jumper and hunter rider Terry Rudd, driver Muffy Seaton and Paul Cronin. Paul was director of the riding program at Sweet Briar College from 1967 through 2002, but he also contributed to horsemanship in a wider perspective as an author. His 2004 volume, “Schooling and Riding the Sport Horse,” is a classic that covers the American forward seat riding system.
March: Michelle Bloch, a gifted writer who was a mainstay of the Capital Challenge Horse Show; announcer Mike Moran, three-time endurance world champion Becky Hart, hunter rider and judge Brian Flynn and dressage trainer Vera Kessels.
April: Dr. Allen Leslie, 84, an FEI veterinary official and the U.S. Eventing Team veterinarian at the 1968 Mexico City Olympics. A lifetime rider, he completed the Tevis Cup endurance ride, competed in point-to-points and fox hunted.
Dressage trainer and author Charles de Kunffy, 88. His outstanding book, “Dressage Principles Illuminated,” is a distillation of the classical horsemanship tradition.
Lois Walter, a founder of Beval Saddlery who was always a guiding force and a welcoming presence there.
Lana DuPont Wright, 85, the first woman to compete in eventing at the Olympics. She also was involved with endurance and driving, while serving as co-president of the Fair Hill International event.
Eclectic horsewoman Lana DuPont Wright.
Trakehner breeder Tim Holekamp, whose Windfall and Tsetserleg were part of many U.S. eventing teams. He was very involved with the U.S. Eventing Association’s Young Event Horse program.
June: Hunter breeder Diana Dodge, international dressage competitor Belinda Nairn Wertman and Mary Alice Malone, 75. A pioneer in the importation of European warmbloods to the U.S., Mary Alice amassed an enormous record of success in a half-century of her efforts at Iron Spring Farm in Pennsylvania. Her horses took many honors internationally, and were seen everywhere from the Olympics and World Cup Finals to the Paralympics and driving championships.
In thoroughbred racing, Hall of Fame trainer D. Wayne Lukas, 89.
July: Cecile Hetzel Dunn, 89, who was involved with Arabians, Friesians, Andalusians and saddlebreds, spent decades working as a licensed official and volunteering with a variety of governing bodies. She was a mainstay of the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s board of directors.
Cecile Dunn accepted the USEF’s Lifetime Achievement Award from David O’Connor.
August: Mary Anne McPhail, 92, who was instrumental in creating the Florida dressage circuit that contributed to the discipline’s unprecedented growth in the U.S. She was devoted to the Dressage Foundation, where she was a volunteer committee member for more than 20 years, With her husband, Mary Anne established the Mary Anne and Walter McPhail Judge Education Fund to provide support for the U.S. Dressage Federation’s judge education initiative.
Mary Anne McPhail.
Linda Andrisani, an influential trainer and hunter judge who also was known for her fashion sense.
In thoroughbred racing, Ron Turcotte, 84, the jockey who guided Secretariat to the Triple Crown in 1973.
September: Coaching stalwart Dr. Donald Rosato.
October: Lu Thomas, 79, a trainer and rider who worked as a team with her husband, Butch, and was a key figure in the California horse hunter/jumper industry.
December: Adrienne Cotter, former executive vice president of the American Horse Shows Association.
Judith Hennessy, 89, the first woman to groom for the U.S. Equestrian Team, who went on to be a mentor for youth in 4-H programs. She shared her extensive horse care knowledge with the 4-H members to insure they knew how to take care of their animals the right way.
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 19, 2025
You may know her best as an interviewer and analyst on the live stream, but Jessica Kürten has just been appointed Horse Sport Ireland’s new High Performance Jumping Manager, succeeding Michael Blake.
One of Ireland’s most accomplished, and influential figures in international show jumping, Jessica brings an exceptional blend of elite competitive pedigree, advanced coaching expertise, leadership experience, and global governance insight to the role.
Jessica Kürten
A former world number two in the FEI rankings, Jessica is a dual Olympian who represented Ireland at the Atlanta Olympic Games in 1996 and at Athens in 2004. She was a key member of Ireland’s historic European Championship gold-medal winning team in 2001. She is also an Aga Khan Trophy winner for Ireland (at the Dublin Horse Show) and was a regular representative at World Cups and major championship events, earning her place as one of Ireland’s most successful and respected international riders of her generation.
Jessica said: “I am absolutely delighted to have been appointed as Ireland’s new High Performance Jumping Manager. Ireland has a strong track record in jumping and I look forward to working closely with all members of the team, with HSI and with all the other stakeholders to ensure that we put ourselves in the best possible position.
“I am hugely excited about our prospects for the World Championships next year and for the European Championships (2027) and Olympics in 2028.
“I have been involved in equestrian sport for 40 years, and I will bring all of my experience to fostering a collaborative and successful culture within the Irish team.”
HSI Chief Executive Denis Duggan,said: “Jessica Kürten is one of the most iconic figures in Irish jumping, and her record speaks for itself. A former world number two, dual Olympian, European champion and Aga Khan winner, she brings unrivaled experience as an elite athlete who understands exactly what it takes to succeed at the highest level.
“Her combination of competitive excellence, coaching expertise, leadership experience and international governance knowledge will further strengthen Ireland’s position on the world stage.”
Since stepping away from competing, Kürten has remained deeply connected to elite sport. A HSI Level 3 Coach, she is widely recognized for her technical expertise, performance insight and ability to develop riders across youth, development and senior levels. Her advanced coaching qualifications, combined with her first-hand experience of championship environments, position her uniquely to lead Ireland’s High Performance Jumping program through the next World Championship cycle and forward to the Olympic Games in 2028.
Jessica served as team manager of the Prague Lions in the Global Champions League for three years, overseeing high-performance athletes and support teams in high-pressure international environments. In addition, she currently acts as Athlete Representative on the FEI Board, contributing to international governance, athlete welfare and high-performance policy, giving her an exceptional understanding of the global jumping landscape.
Highly regarded worldwide as a broadcaster and expert analyst, Jessica has also built a respected media career, offering insightful commentary at major international events. Her communication skills, tactical understanding and ability to articulate complex performance concepts will add further strength to the role when representing Irish jumping on the world stage.
In her new position, Jessica will be responsible for the planning, delivery and performance of Ireland’s senior jumping program, working closely with athletes, coaches and support teams to build on Ireland’s recent international success, while strengthening the pathway from youth and development squads through to senior Nations Cups and championships.
Duggan noted: “On behalf of Horse Sport Ireland, I would like to thank Michael (Blake) for his dedication, commitment and passion for Irish sport, and to wish him every success in the next chapter of his career.”
Horse Sport Ireland expressed confidence that Jessica’s experience, insight, international standing and leadership will provide continuity and momentum, while also bringing a fresh, forward-looking perspective to the High Performance Jumping program at a pivotal point in the Olympic and championship cycle.
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 21, 2025
It has been an incredible year for the low-key world number one Justin Verboomen of Belgium and his fabulous Hanoverian stallion Zonik Plus, with victories at Aachen and the European Championships. On Sunday, the duo finished their year in the same style, with a personal best score in the freestyle at Frankfurt to edge Danish powerhouse Mount St. John Freestyle with world number three Catherine Laudrup-Dufour riding.
Both horses were graded at more than 90 percent, but Zonik’s splendid mark was just a touch better at 91.195 percent, versus the Hanoverian mare’s 91.085 percent. The crowd went crazy applauding for Justin’s one-handed passage down centerline to his final halt.
Third place went to Germany’s eternal Isabell Werth, the world number two, on Wendy de Fontaine, further back at 87.165 percent. That normally would be a spectacular score and a winning one, but the two powerhouses at the top of the class are in a category that belongs to them.
The idea of the competition was to face off the discipline’s top 12 against each other, but among the missing were British riders Lottie Fry (Glamourdale) the world number five, and Becky Moody (Jagerbomb), world number five, were otherwise engaged at their home competition, the London International. They finished 1-2 there, but Lottie did not make it into the 90 percent range, though she came close. Read about it at this link
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by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 22, 2025
Show jumping often is called a lifetime sport. No one takes that more seriously than John Whitaker, who spent decades as a mainstay of the British team and is still going at age 70.
When the London International Horse Show drew to a close Sunday, John found himself in the five-horse jump-off of the Turkish Airlines Grand Prix, trying to beat the fault-free, 32.59-second mark of Ireland’s 20-year-old Tom Wachman, half-a century his junior and winner of the FEI’s 2025 Rising Star award.
John couldn’t quite manage it, dropping a rail with Equine America Unick de Francport, to finish fourth in 35.39 seconds. Although Tom took the top prize, John did collect a gigantic silver trophy as the top-placed British rider, which certainly was some consolation.
John Whitaker got a trophy as the highest-placed British rider in the Turkish Airlines Grand Prix.
Tom, who dominated the Young Rider ranks before moving on to the open competition, was clocked in 32.59 second for his clean round on the well-named Do It Easy, a 12-year-old Selle Francais who had been his second-string horse.
Tom Wachman and Do It Easy.
The gelding, by Vigo Cece, is owned by Coolmore Show Jumping, an offshoot of Coolmore Stud, the world’s largest thoroughbred racing breeding operation. Tom’s great-grandfather, trainer Vincent O’Brien, guided the likes of racing icons Sir Ivor and Nijinsky. His grandparents are billionaire John Magnier and his wife, Sue, while Tom’s father, David, also trained racehorses and his mother, Kate, was an eventer.
Do It Easy is “a very versatile horse. You can do a grand prix or a speed class. Any day you want him, he’s so reliable, said his rider.
Canada’s Kara Chad had the unenviable task of going first in the original 35-horse field, but she had the comfort of riding her special mount, Igor GPH, over yet another clever course designed by Alan Wade. The 2028 Olympic course designer is a master of using the time allowed to help determine the outcome even with a route that has challenges of distance, height and width.
In the first round, the eleventh of 13 jumping efforts was topped by a plank. Rush there to make the time, and the plank would come down, as several riders found to their regret. Three riders collected time penalties and five elected to retire.
Kara was undeterred by being the pathfinder in both rounds, explaining she and her horse, “know each other inside and out.”
Her 33.64 mark in the tiebreaker was good enough for second, edging ahead of Austria’s Max Kühner, winner of the FEI World Cup qualifier the previous night with EIC Cooley Jump the Q, Max was on a different horse for the Turkish Airlines class, Greece 5, clocked in 34.14 seconds. The class was worth 110,000 Euros ($129,442).
Turkish Airlines Grand Prix winner Tom Wachman, center; runner-up Kara Chad, left and Max Kuhner.
While on the podium, Tom commented about his mount, “He’s a brilliant horse. We thought this class would suit him, he’s been in great form the last couple of weeks.” The rider, trained by Irish Olympic medalist Cian O’Connor, thanked his team for their help in his success.
Cian described Tom this way, “Grit, determination, belief and an outstanding work ethic are all qualities that he has in abundance. I feel privileged to work so closely with him.”
No U.S. riders competed at the London show, which a delightful holiday fixture, featuring a traditional appearance of Santa with his team of white ponies. There were exhibitions that included a Hungarian military drill team, Shetland pony races and dog agility among a host of classes.
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by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 22, 2025
Explosion W got a salute worthy of a remarkable show jumper who had won 16 5-stars and individual Olympic gold. as he retired with Ben Maher aboard at the London International Horse Show on Sunday night.
A final gallop around the arena for the retiring Explosion W. (MARS photo)
A sold-out arena cheered him and 6,000 glow sticks were waved in tribute to the Dutch-bred equine hero. Escorted by a troupe of Santa’s elves, Explosion was garlanded with a wreath of carrots and apples. A reward close to the horse’s heart was the tub of carrots he got center ring, and the elegant chestnut didn’t hesitate to grab some.
Explosion W gets a welcome retirement present–carrots. (MARS photo)
Ben, who owns the horse with Charlotte Rossetter and Pamela Wright, said about the son of Chacco-Blue, “Explosion has been the horse of a lifetime. I always knew he had something special, an incredible will to win and a presence that captured everyone’s attention.
“We have shared some unforgettable moments together and it feels right to celebrate his retirement in front of a home crowd at the London International Horse Show.”
Explosion’s last competition was La Baule, France, in June 2023, when he was injured and did not finish his round. But before that, there were so many triumphs that he truly deserved the accolades rolling out for him as he left the spotlight.
Ben emphasized, “There are no words to explain him. He touched so many lives, in so many ways. He helped me achieve my goals and dreams.”
