by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 27, 2025
Aaron Vale, who had two major grand prix wins already this year at Devon and Upperville, was in the spotlight across the Atlantic on Sunday in Dinard France, taking the 500,000 Euro Rolex fixture on his stalwart Carissimo 25.
Dinard winner Aaron Vale and Carissimo 25. (Photo by McKenzie Clark for US Equestrian)
Many of the riders from this month’s European Championships tried their luck over the course designed by Jean-François Morand, albeit some with different horses. Top U25 rider Nina Mallevaey of France rode her championships mount Dynastie de Beaufour, but lost her stirrup partway through the tiebreaker and had to settle for third in 40.64. Harrie Smolders of the Netherlands and Mr. Tac made a good effort with 40.51 seconds
Aaron and the horse known as Ducky blew them away in 38.77, and then the rider was ready for his champagne.
“I just had to stay clear and go full throttle,” he said of his round, adding how impressed he was by the atmosphere at the showgrounds.
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 15, 2025
After 14 years of litigation, the U.S. Bureau of Land Management has encountered a judicial setback to its plans for eliminating wild horses from more than 2 million acres of public land in Wyoming, home to the Adobe Town, Salt Wells Creek and Great Divide Basin herds.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit found serious legal failings in the BLM’s concept. contending it acted arbitrarily and capriciously in adopting its plan, violating federal law by failing to consider a core requirement of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act. That is, managing wild horses and burros as part of a thriving natural ecological balance on public lands.
“This is a significant win for America’s wild horses and a meaningful check on BLM overreach. The court has made clear that the BLM cannot sidestep the law to appease special interests and eliminate wild horses from their rightful habitat,” said Suzanne Roy, executive director of American Wild Horse Conservation.
“Wild horses are meant to roam free, not be rounded up and erased from the landscape. We remain committed to fighting for the future of Wyoming’s iconic wild horse herds.”
Joanna Grossman, Ph.D., equine program director for the Animal Welfare Institute stated: “This ruling sends a clear message: the Bureau of Land Management cannot simply erase wild horses from the landscape because they pose an inconvenience to the agency. These animals are federally protected and must be managed humanely, not eliminated. The court’s decision upholds a key tenet of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act, setting a strong precedent for the protection of wild herds across the west.”
American Wild Horse Conservation (AWHC), the Animal Welfare Institute, Western Watersheds Project and their allies have secured a legal victory that delivers a major setback to the largest attempted eradication of wild horses in U.S. history.
“Public lands are suffering not from wild horses, but from the industrial livestock lobby’s corrosive influence. The BLM removes protected mustangs only to make room for cattle and sheep—subsidized at rock bottom fees—while ignoring the real ecological damage wrought by these domestic herds,” said Erik Molvar, executive director of the Western Watersheds Project.
“This ruling demands accountability and exposes who’s truly driving degradation on the range.”
The case challenged a BLM Resource Management Plan (RMP) amendment that would have eradicated wild horses from two Herd Management Areas (HMAs) by changing their status to Herd Areas (HAs) with population targets of zero, and slashed the population in a third HMA by over half.
In planning documents, the BLM repeatedly acknowledged that areas under consideration for its management plan contained adequate forage, water, space, and other resources to sustain wild horse herds and maintain a thriving natural ecological balance. The court found the agency acted arbitrarily and capriciously by failing to assess whether its decision was consistent with ecological balance—a central mandate of the Wild Free-Roaming Horses and Burros Act.
The ruling states that the BLM cannot “use the RMP process to skirt its Wild Horse Act obligations.”
However, it also leaves room for BLM to attempt to revise and potentially reinstate its plan, underscoring the need for continued oversight and advocacy.
The lawsuit was brought by American Wild Horse Conservation, the Animal Welfare Institute, Western Watersheds Project, wildlife photographers Carol Walker and Kimerlee Curyl and sociologist and author Chad Hanson. They are represented by the public interest law firm Eubanks & Associates, PLLC. Two other wild horse protection organizations each filed separate lawsuits in the case.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 21, 2025
At the age of 19, Mai Baum was still showing his class over the weekend at the Event at Rebecca Farm, winning the 4-star Short before taking a bow and retiring from competition in the same place where he won his first 3-star.
Mai Baum and Tamie Smith in the ring for the last time. (Shannon Brinkman photo)
With Tamie Smith aboard, the aptly nicknamed Lexus broke the Montana event’s dressage score record with 22 penalties, did a solo turn on cross-country so everyone could watch and turned in a show jumping double-clear to earn his final trophy.
He was ridden in the victory gallop by his owner, Alex Ahearn, who also did the honors in the retirement ceremony, where he received a wreath of flowers. Mai Baum was the first U.S. horse since 2007 to win the Kentucky 5-star when he triumphed there in 2023, making him an instant hero who will be missed.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 17, 2025
Calling on all his experience and the courage of his mare, Great Britain’s Scott Brash powered through a nightmare moment when he lost his left rein before the troublesome triple combination at the Longines European Show Jumping Championships Thursday.
As he was just a few strides from the obstacle, his rein went astray, and it appeared he would have to circle and re-approach.
But the Olympic team gold medalist didn’t hesitate, and neither did the plucky Hello Folie. They kept going and cleared the vertical/oxer/oxer line-up in a breathtaking moment on their way to a clear round at the competition in Spain./”
“I just managed to gather up the rein at right time,” Scott said, “but I was very deep coming in and asked her to jump and she responded so well. What was nice was that line didn’t feel great, but she settled down and jumped home very well. I think that shows how confident she is with me and what a great partnership we have, so hopefully we’ll be in a great place tomorrow,” he said.
Explaining what happened, Scott said, “My mare jumped unbelievable…She jumps high behind and sometimes snatches a little bit, so I lost my rein and we were lucky just to get to the triple.
“What a spirit and fight she showed to jump through what was a very testing triple anyway,” he said of the 10-year-old Selle Francais (Luidam X Diamant de Semilly).
“Her attitude’s amazing. She wants to do the job and that makes life easy for me.”
Scott Brash and Hello Folie with reins. (British Equestrian/Jon Stroud Media)
Their performance was vital to keep day one leader Britain in front of Germany on the second day of the show, since Scott’s teammate, Matt Sampson, had two refusals at the last element in the triple and was eliminated, becoming the drop score, since only the best three scores count–and the other team members all were fault-free.
Chef d’Equipe Di Lampard joked when asked about Scott’s feat, “I think he was saying to Matt, actually, `I can do this one-handed. What’s the matter?’ ”
The team race is a tight one. The Brits need some luck to stay ahead of Germany with perfect rounds from each of its riders, because the margin between them is only 0.23 penalties. On their heels are the Belgians, just 0.42 back. Ireland is further away, another 3.78 penalties behind.
On Friday, the top 10 teams of the 18 that started Wednesday will return for their finals. Sweden, the reigning European championship squad, just made the finals in tenth place. After its victory in its home Rolex Nations Cup in Falsterbo last weekend, its two star riders — Henrik von Eckermann and Peder Fredricson — were not part of its team at the Europeans.
Fifty riders will be competing, since individuals are also included, with their final set for Sunday at Casas Novas in A Coruña. Following the decision of overnight leader Daniel Coyle to drop out and save Legacy for next month’s Dublin Horse Show (read about it here), Germany’s Richard Vogel with United Touch S (0.1 penalties) moved into the lead, with Donald Whitaker and Millfield Colette (0.67) in second place for Britain.
“United jumped in great shape. He gave me the feeling he was very collected today and every much with me,” said Richard.
“It’s always a bit easier if you have a horse like United and you can trust his quality and his enormous stride and scope. That gives you obviously a lot of security.”
Donald Whitaker of Great Britain and Millfield Colette (British Equestrian/Jon Stroud Media)
For his part, Donald said of his 12-year-old gray mare by Cornet Obolensky, “I’m delighted. She jumped amazing again. She tries her heart out every time.
“She means the absolute world to me. When you go in the ring, she never gives up. I don’t always have to be perfect, she helps me out there. She’s unreal. She’s one in a million.”
Click here for the individual standings and here for the team standings.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 10, 2025
For the first time since 2019, horse racing will be held at the Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area in Maryland, best known over the last four years as the home of a 5-star eventing competition.
On Labor Day weekend, the turf track inside the Fair Hill Special Event Zone will reopen to racing. The card will be held Aug. 30, following the completion of an infrastructure modernization project. The sand-based turf course of Kentucky bluegrass with a state-of-the-art irrigation system has been in development for years.
The first course of its kind in Maryland, Fair Hill helps Maryland maintain its status as an equestrian destination by hosting major horse shows and racing events, as well as other recreational opportunities.
“The historic investments we’re making to ensure the future of horse racing in Maryland are also promoting work, wages, and wealth in communities across the state,” said Gov. Wes Moore.
“At Fair Hill, we’ve completed track and venue upgrades to usher in a new era of turf track horse racing in Cecil County. Our multifaceted approach will support Maryland’s tourism and agricultural economies, promoting prosperity for years to come.”
The 2024 Maryland 5 Star generated more than $15 million in direct spending for the state economy, more than $530,000 in local tax receipts, and $23.5 million in total business sales in the state.
The “Races at Fair Hill” event will be hosted by the Sport & Entertainment Corporation of Maryland in partnership with the Cecil County Breeders Fair, sanctioned by the National Steeplechase Association and the Maryland Racing Commission.
Maryland Department of Natural Resources Secretary Josh Kurtz said. “The reopening of the turf track is just one part of DNR’s goal to promote Maryland’s equine heritage and support rural economies. It will be great for the community and it will help bring more world-class events to Fair Hill.”
Racing at Fair Hill was last held in 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic. The pause enabled time for construction and time to allow the new turf to mature.
The Kentucky bluegrass is a dense grass with horizontal rhizomes that provide support for racing horses. It recovers quickly after races are held. The track is engineered with modern drainage and rootzone systems to support consistency and durability during high-performance use.
Designed to enable a wide range of equine disciplines to train and compete at Fair Hill, the one-mile course will accommodate flat racing, steeplechasing and eventing.
“The collaboration between all the significant stakeholders to bring racing back to Fair Hill is a defining moment of our intentions from the onset of pursuing a bid and helping to redefine and reimagine a track and infield for the future of equestrian event competitions,” stated Terry Hasseltine, president and chairman of the Sport and Entertainment Corporation of Maryland.
“We’re excited to be part of bringing racing back to Cecil County,” said Jeff Newman, senior vice president of events for the Sport and Entertainment Corporation of Maryland.
“The event on Saturday, August 30 will be a free, family-friendly open house, and we encourage everyone to come out and celebrate the return of live racing to Fair Hill over Labor Day weekend.”
“The Fair Hill Foundation enthusiastically supports the return of racing to this storied racecourse,” said Charles C. Fenwick Jr., President of the organization, a nonprofit dedicated to supporting equine activities at Fair Hill.
“First and foremost, the Foundation wants to thank those who have given generously over the past six years. Their patience has been extraordinary and is very much appreciated. We also wish those involved as both participants and operators the very best.”
Once a Du Pont family estate, Fair Hill has a rich history in equine sports and is home to Cecil County Breeders, the National Steeplechase Association, and Fair Hill International, the nonprofit that helps to manage horse events at the site. The natural resource management area also holds a number of opportunities for youths and families, including the Cecil County Fair, 4-H programs, and Pony Club activities.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 16, 2025
The British moved ahead ahead in the team competition as the Longines European Show Jumping Championships got under way in Spain Wednesday, but it was Daniel Coyle of Ireland who was at the head of the class individually with Lothlorien Farm’s Legacy.
Daniel Coyle and Legacy at the European Championships (FEI/Benjamin Clark)
However, after his victory in the first leg, Daniel decided not to continue on Thursday.
“She’s already done all these championships and I want to try and see whatever is still in there for the next thing,” he said. Her form had not been consistent recently, so he was not part of the Irish team.
The way it worked over the 1.50-meter route laid out by 2024 Olympic co-course designer Santiago Varela Ullastres, who tested speed and handiness, four seconds were added for having a fence down. Scores are multiplied by a coefficient of 0.5 to give everyone a starting penalty. The leader in the individual contest, is on zero and the others are tagged with the difference in penalties between their score and the leader at Casas Novas in A Coruña.
” The plan was coming here with her coming into form and it looks like that happened. She’s a fantastic mare,” said Daniel, who is a co-owner of the horse.
Just behind Daniel’s tally with a mere 0.01 penalties was Germany’s Richie Vogel on United Touch S and now the leader, followed by Donald Whitaker of Great Britain with Millfield Colette, 0.67. Daniel was clocked in 73.93 seconds, a mere 0.03 ahead of Richie. Donald’s time was 75.27, leaving him with 0.67 penalties.
Donald noted of his mare, “It always feels amazing when you ride her because she goes in there like a panther, she knows what she’s doing and she wants to win – I think almost more than I do.”
He is very proud of being on the British squad, noting, “The team element to it is massive because you’ve got the likes of Scott Brash and Ben Maher, who have literally done everything in the sport, and they’re on your team. So you have to get your chest out a little bit and make sure you don’t make a mistake,” he explained.
“Obviously, you don’t want to disappoint them, but it’s also a good feeling of representing your country.”
Donald’s team is on 3.96 penalties, with only the best three scores counting. Hard to believe that three-time Olympic medalist Ben Maher had the drop score with Dallas Vegas Batilly. Second on 4.19 is the German powerhouse of current Olympic gold medalist Christian Kukuk, Sophie Hinners and veteran Marcus Ehning. Belgium is third with 4.61.
Click here for individual standings after Wednesday (and remember Daniel Coyle has dropped out.) Click here for team rankings.
