by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 4, 2025
Julien Epaillard took a chance.
The Frenchman, who led after Thursday’s opening round of the Longines FEI Show Jumping World Cup Final, decided not to compete in what would have been a six-horse jump-off for Friday’s second leg of the championship in Basel, Switzerland. He wanted to save the strength of his horse, Donatello d’Auget for Sunday’s two-round final.
Julien Epaillard
But he didn’t have the hard data to assure that he would stay in the lead without participating in the tie-breaker, because the math was too difficult to do by hand. So he could only guess.
“It’s complicated to calculate this. So we take the risk,” he explained.
“It was not an easy decision. We think a little bit with the staff of the (French) federation.”
As it happened, he guessed right.
Marcus Fuchs, riding “my incredible unicorn” Leone Jei for the host country, won the class with “two risky turns.” But because the Swiss campaigner was tenth the first day, he is four points behind Julien in the overall standings. Julien figured it would be something like that, but couldn’t be sure when he withdrew from the tiebreaker.
A former European champion, Marcus was clocked in 40.77 seconds over a challenging jump-off course. Austria’s Max Kuhner with Elektric Blue P was second in 42.32, while Alessandra Volpi became the second U.S. rider of the show to make the podium. She was third on the clever mare, Gipsy Love in 45.78 seconds.
Gerard LaChat’s course.
Rather than spending the evening celebrating after his win, Marcus planned on going back to his hotel room to study the tapes of his rides and “see what I can improve on Sunday.”
Marcus Fuchs and Leone Jei.
Alessandra had said beforehand that she wouldn’t go all-out in the tiebreaker, with a thought process similar to Julien’s, that her mare needed to have reserves of strength for Sunday’s stringent test.
“It’s hard to catch these guys.. But I wanted to make sure she was in good shape for Sunday,” commented Alessandra, who trains with Markus Beerbaum of Germany.
“I couldn’t have asked for more. That’s what you dream of here,” continued Allessandra, praising her Silesian mare.
“It’s taken us a bit of time to get to know each other, because she is tricky and she really likes things the way she wants them, but I feel like now that we’re coming together as a combination, we’ve put in a lot of solid rounds, and it’s helped us build a lot of confidence and that’s paying off,” the Californian added.
Alessandra Volpi and Gipsy Love. (©ShannonBrinkmanPhotography/Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)
“She still tried her hardest. I knew a solid clear round could get you pretty far. I didn’t expect to be in such a great position. That lack of expectation has gotten us this far. We still have a job to do on Sunday, so stay focused.”
The USA’s Lilllie Keenan, who was third on opening night, had a rail in the first round to finish ninth with Kick On and is tied for fourth overall.
The biggest U.S. show jumping names, Kent Farrington, McLain Ward and Laura Kraut, aren’t competing in Basel. But U.S. Coach Robert Ridland is proud of the riders who are.
Alessandra Volpi enjoys the victory gallop. (©ShannonBrinkmanPhotography/Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)
“We sent a group over here, a young group, but one that we’re excited about. And now we’ve been on the podium both nights. Pretty good.”
Click here for a link to Friday’s World Cup dressage story.
Click here for results of second World Cup competition
Click here for World Cup standings after second leg
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 3, 2025
In the first leg of the Longines FEI Wold Cup Show Jumping Finals Thursday, the U.S. was on the podium courtesy of Lillie Keenan, who last month turned in two faultless rounds as the pathfinder for the winning American.effort in the Longines League of Nations/ Ocala.
The one-round speed segment of the three-part Cup competition in Basel, Switzerland belonged to France’s Julien Epaillard, known for his ability to beat the clock. He and Donatello D’Auge, a horse who “is like family to us” handled Gerard Lechat’s course in 60.30 seconds. Ben Maher of Great Britain finished just 0.13 seconds behind on Point Break, despite the handicap of riding with a broken foot. Lillie, aboard Kick On, was timed in 60.69 seconds.
“I left out (strides) in a few places that for sure were risky, but I knew my horse could do it,” Lillie said.
When there was a question, Kick On answered.
“He knew, `This is what mom says, so this is what we’re gonna do.’ I think that’s a testimony to the partnership and how special our sport is,” observed Lillie, ranked world number 28.
Lillie Keenan and Kick On in Basel. (©ShannonBrinkmanPhotography/Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)
While she had qualified for World Cup finals previously, Lillie didn’t go because she didn’t want to push it unless she felt she had a real chance.
Although she has been partnered with her son of Warrior only for 18 months, the horse has come a long way from the 2-star competitions he was jumping then.
“We only took a step forward when he told me he could. He reminded me every time he went in the ring that he was ready,” commented Lillie, who is a protege of U.S. team anchor McLain Ward. He is on hand in Switzerland to help her.
Lillie’s bay stallion was purchased from Amanda Derbyshire and David Blake. Prior to Lillie getting him, the horse had only jumped in England, where he was bred, with one side tour to Belgium.
“He was not a standout as a young horse,” commented Lillie, but noted that wound up being a plus, because he wasn’t rushed.
He reminded her of her Young Rider horse, Super Sox, and that was a selling point.
“His markings were very similar,” she mused.
“There was something about the expression in the horse’s eye. I rode him and I felt this very strong bond, I felt like he was right there with me. There was something so reminiscent of SuperSox.
“I called my dad up and said, `He’s just like Sox, and we have to have him.’ I feel like the horse’s heart is really in the sport. I think everything he does is for me.”
The rest of the American contingent is far behind the leaders, which puts pressure on Lillie, but she doesn’t mind.
“In my opinion, pressure is a privilege,” she explained.
“The person that puts the most expectation on myself is me. And I know how special my horse is. I just want to do a good job for him and hopefully come away with a great result.”
The USA’s Katie Dinan, clocked in 64.76 seconds with Out of the Blue SCF, was in the money with an eleventh place finish. Allessandra Volpi and Gipsy Love of the U.S. were right behind in twelfth, tied with Germany’s Richard Vogel on United Touch S. Both were timed in 64.81 seconds.
No other U.S. riders finished in the top 20 of the class, which drew 39 starters.
World Cup action resumes Friday with a jump-off class.
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 4, 2025
As expected, Great Britain’s world champion, Charlotte Fry on Glamourdale, won the Grand Prix, the first leg of the Longines FEI World Cup Dressage Final in Switzerland Friday. Her score was 77.152, well ahead of the 74.848 turned in by Isabell Werth of Germany on DSP Quantaz. It was the twenty-sixth World Cup start for Isabell.
Riders must complete the Grand Prix to move on to Saturday’s Freestyle, the lone score that counts for the title in the Basel, Switzerland competition.
The only one of the three U.S. riders to break 70 percent was Adrienne Lyle on Helix, ninth of 17 entries with a mark of 72.565 percent. Adrienne said she was really happy with Helix.
“This is our first indoor ever, so his little heart was beating fast when we first came in,” she confided.
“He really settled down and was listening to me well. Another mistake-free Grand Prix; he’s just turning out to be a reliable guy in there and a great partner,” Adrienne said of the Dutchbred son of Apache, a horse she began riding little more than a year ago.
“He’s definitely becoming much more my ride. He wants to please and tries to do his best. To have him do a mistake-free Grand Prix is a testament to the fact he’s getting more secure. i don’t think we’ve tapped in at all to the limit of his potential.
“At home, the quality and brilliance is a little more than we’re able to put in the ring,” said Adrienne, adding, “It’s exciting to know it’s there.”
She goes in the arena walking on a loose rein, which is a contrast to the more active entrance by many riders.
“It might look a little bit odd to the public, but it really works.” she said, explaining it prevents Helix from getting his adrenaline going.
“Having a relaxed and happy athlete is the starting point and a priority,” she noted.
Looking ahead to Saturday, she added, “I’m excited to have him go in there and show off a little more of his stuff.”
Making the second finals start of his career, the USA’s Kevin Kohmann said of his mount, Duenensee, “It was amazing, my horse was amazing,” noting he and the Hanoverian had “never been in a stadium like this before. The people are sitting so close.”
He was fourteenth with a total of 69.130 percent.
“The highlight was the relaxation of my horse. My goal was to get my friend through the test, relaxed as possible, and set him up for tomorrow.”
First-time World Cup starter Genay Vaughn of the U.S. was last on Gino with a 62.978 percent, reflecting problems in the final passage and the one-tempis, among other issues.
“It wasn’t our best test, but i think it was a learning experience, i think i learned valuable things,” the California rider said.
click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 29, 2025
Heartbeat is a character.
The Dutchbred son of Charmeur doesn’t like other horses, wears a hood with sound-dulling earpieces so he can sleep and has been a “bit of a project,” over the last three years, revealed his rider, Kasey Perry-Glass.
But it has all come together, as demonstrated Friday night when he won his second Grand Prix Freestyle of the season at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Fla., with a score of 75.915 percent. He danced to an original score by Tom Hunt that featured the sound of a heartbeat.
Kasey got help from Ali Brock, who rode with her on the 2016 Olympic bronze medal team.
“I can’t thank Ali enough; she knows how to coach. And she doesn’t ruffle feathers…making sure everyone’s on the same page. She’s been with Heart since the moment I got him,” said Kasey, who enjoys working with a “teammate.”
Adrienne Lyle, who rode with Kasey on the 2018 silver medal World Equestrian Games team, helped design her Freestyle. The riders have been working together since Debbie McDonald stepped away from teaching.
Heart previously was ridden by Dutch competitor Thamar Zweistra, which meant “he was crank and pull, so just to make him a small person ride has been a lot,” Kasey commented.
She rose to fame with Dublet, now happily retired to her family’s California farm, where he shares his pasture with a pony and a mini-donkey.
There were multiple times that Kasey was supposed to go to Europe to look for Dublet’s successor, but her mother-in-law, Jill Glass, kept getting sick.
Although she was in hospice, Jill didn’t want Kasey to cancel her trip.
“You have to go,” Jill told Kasey, who was reluctant to be away at such a difficult time.
“The day I left, she passed away, so to find a horse named Heartbeat…” Kasey said, noting she feels very close to the family of her husband, Dana Glass.
Heartbeat wasn’t a slam-dunk.
“Everything about him was a bit hot. His trot was so mechanical,” Kasey recalled.
But “I tried him and we just clicked.”
The 12-year-old continues to develop, and his freestyle was a testament to how far he has come in his transformation.
Kasey Perry-Glass thanks Heartbeat for his winning effort. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
“There was a lot of power and a lot to contain, but I’m starting to be able to manage it,” said Kasey.
“Sometimes Heart tries to overpower me, but tonight he proved that he can keep the power underneath me. It’s about figuring out what works for him, but once I get in the ring, he’s a true showman and he stepped up.”
Kasey is hoping to go to Europe later this spring with a U.S. team tour.
She was second Thursday to Marcus Orlob and Jane in the Grand Prix qualifier, but Marcus opted to do the Special instead of the Freestyle. (to read story, click this link.)
The Freestyle runner-up by a little more than a point, scoring 74.840 for her ride to a Neil Diamond medley, was veteran Ashley Holzer on Hawtins San Floriana. The Hanoverian mare was developed in Britain by Carl Hester and Charlotte Dujardin.
There was a period of adjustment with a “made” horse for Ashley, who usually brings her mounts through the levels herself.
Ashley Holzer and Hawtins San Floriana. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I took her to Carl’s last summer and worked on trying to create a partnership. It’s really just in the last few weeks that I’ve started to feel that she’s speaking my language. She really tries so hard, and it’s special when you feel a horse start to become your teammate,” she reported.
Third in the field of 10 was Canadian Camille Carier Bergeron, an Olympic veteran like the others on the podium. She said of her ride aboard the Oldenburg mare Finnländerin, “That test was one of the times she’s felt the most relaxed and most connected with me; very accessible. The trot tour felt like a win to me, and the piaffe/passage.”
Despite some hiccups in the lead changes as her test drew to a close, Camille said, “I was really happy with her.” She was marked at 73.370 percent.
Janet Foy, head of the ground jury for the class, said of the officiating experience, “That was really fun for the judges. I’m a dancer (she competes in ballroom dancing), so there was a lot of great stuff going on in there. The top five or six horses were really special and did a great job.”
Click here for Freestyle results
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 29, 2025
How do dressage horses make it to the top of the game?
They gain experience through programs such as the Lövsta Future Challenge Developing Grand Prix Horse, which on Friday awarded the championship title in its finals to Jaccardo, ridden by Canadian Olympian Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu.
The 11-year-old Dutch warmblood gelding, who is at the upper age limit for the class at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, turned in a 72.500 percent test at the Wellington, Fla., venue. Jill Irving’s personable son of Desperado gives his rider “a sense of secure power.”
Brittany added that “Sometimes he’s a little bit cheeky, but what I need is to give him space and allow him to settle into the movement. I’m not putting too much pressure on him in the ring right now, I just want him to have a great experience so he’s ready for Grand Prix next year.”
Ashley Holzer, second in the Freestyle, helped Brittany, her longtime student.
Jaccardo and Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
Second place went to Marcus Orlob and the stallion JJ Glory Day, with 70.842 percent for a test performed in a snaffle, which is allowed under the rules.
“Unfortunately, he wasn’t happy with the flower boxes today, but I can’t be mad at him,” Marcus aid of the nine-year-old Danish warmblood. He has been riding the horse owned by Alice Tarjan for five years.
“I think he has all the elements to be a good grand prix horse. He’s spicy enough, but not stupid in the head, and he likes to work.”
The partnership will continue in national Grands Prix this year, looking toward international classes in 2026.
Kelly Layne, who found herself back in the saddle of Living Diamond when the horse’s young rider gave up the sport, finished third on 68.579. The former Australian Olympian now rides as a U.S. citizen. She also was third last year on the Hanoverian she co-owns.
Antonia Ax:son Johnson, proprietor of series sponsor Lövsta Stuteri got together with Swedish rider Tinne Vilhelmson Silfvén a quarter-century ago. Their partnership has been a solid one, and Antonia trusts her opinion. When Antonia asked what was needed to develop top horses (jumpers as well as dressage) the series was born.
“At first we could hardly find anyone who wanted to enter, Antonia siad. “
“But today,” she pointed out, “we have a really strong tour,” which is active in the U.S., Sweden and the Netherlands. Eligibility begins for horses that are eight years old.
She explained, “Wellington is a place where we can give our horses, but also to others, an opportunity to grow and to learn at their own pace.”
During the innovative class, Tinne and judge Karin Pavicic told the audience what they thought of the horses.
“I absolutely love this combination,” Karin reported about Jaccardo to those watching.
“It’s super-exciting for the future in Canada,” she said.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 27, 2025
Things were pretty quiet at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival on Thursday afternoon in Wellington, Fla. No one was in the stands, there were only a few people along the rail and the VIP area was peaceful.
But the wind ruffled the canvas on the tents around the ring, so when Jane made her entrance for the 4-star Grand Prix, she reacted.
The mare reared before she got close to the entrance of the arena. Remember Fury from the old TV show? She did a pretty good imitation.
As usual, however, her rider, Marcus Orlob, was on the case. Unflustered, he got her going, went down centerline and put in a winning test.
True, it wasn’t the sensitive mare’s best effort, but it was her third victory this season. Her talent is undeniable and when she pays attention to business, she shows some spectacular moves.
But then there are the distractions.
The Dutchbred daughter of Desperado spooked in the canter half-passes, getting uncharacteristic marks of 3’s and 4’s. The other mishap occurred in the flying change between the pirouettes, with three 4’s and a 5 along with a 7 (everything depends on vantagepoint from where a judge is sitting.)
The scores strengthened as the test drew to a close and she was awarded 8’s for her definitive passage down the final center line. Marcus and Jane were the only ones among 13 entries to break 70 percent, finishing on 70.630 percent, though two judges graded the performance at 71.413.
“I was actually disappointed a little bit, but somehow proud of her. Compare the entrance to the performance it was not that bad. Once she’s in the ring, she usually starts to settle. I think the good horses are a challenge,” said Marcus.
Look at the synchrony that Jane is showing in passage. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I would like for her to go in the ring and feel calm and she keeps breathing. That’s my goal. She’s a fantastic horse. She’s just afraid.”
She’ll be seen again Saturday in the Special.
Why not the featured Friday Night Lights Freestyle, I asked Marcus.
“I didn’t want to start right away giving her too much atmosphere,” he explained.
“I think to do right away the lights with that many people, it’s too early for her brain, so I wanted to take it a little bit more easy on her. I have to be careful I don’t completely scare her. You see how she acts up around the ring. She’s afraid and stands up. I don’t want to give like a complete rodeo show here to the people.”
He’s been taking her over to the busy Winter Equestrian Festival down the street to get her accustomed to the buzz, where she doesn’t have to perform a test and he can desensitize her without an audience.
A native of Germany who is a U.S. citizen, Marcus began competing Jane for her owner, Alice Tarjan, who felt the mare needed a stronger rider. Marcus, who has been Alice’s trainer, made the Olympic team in Paris. But Jane spooked when entering the ring as she tried to follow another horse out and cut herself. The tiny scratch showed up on a white leg and she was disqualified under the blood rule.
Now his goal is to be among the six U.S. riders who will go to Europe this spring and he hopes to be chosen for the team that will compete at Aachen. That’s important, because it will be the venue for the world championships in 2026.
When Marcus has Jane’s attention, he’d like to work on getting “the neck a little bit out and softer again. And I think the piaffe/passage will be more expressive, softer through the body. I get the changes a little bit softer. But now I have a little bit the emergency grip that she doesn’t spook, that I keep her a little bit more conservative with me.”
He does feel it all can happen when she gets desensitized and trusts him.
Second place went to Kasey Perry-Glass on Heartbeat, marked at 68.022 percent. She figures to be the favorite for the freestyle.
Click here for results
