by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 31, 2026
Adrienne Lyle finished in the lead on Helix over Germany’s Moritz Treffinger aboard Morricone Friday in the 4-star Grand Prix at the Neustädter Pferdesommer dressage show in Germany.
Riding her 2024 Paris Olympic mount, Adrienne earned 71.391 percent for her fourth win this year, the most recent of which was at Hagen, Germany on the weekend of July 4. Moritz was more than a point behind on 70.304.
Another American, Adrienne’s student Quinn Iverson, turned in a personal best of 69.37 percent with Gremlin 41 in fourth place. The only other U.S. competitor in the class, Meagan Davis, finished eighth with Toronto Lightfoot, marked at 67.804.
Although there is a large U.S. dressage contingent set to compete in Aachen, Germany, for next month’s world championships, Adrienne is not on the team, since she didn’t apply to be considered. She was the winner in May at the World Equestrian Center’s 3-star competition in Florida with Zen Elite’s Helix, a 14-year-old KWPN gelded son of Apache.
Another of Adrienne’s students, Katie Duerrhammer on Rosebank VH, was victorious in the 1-Star Prix St. Georges on a personal best of 73.775 percent. Adrienne had to settle for second on Hussman’s Top Gun with 71.765 percent.
UPDATE: On Saturday, in the Intermediate I, it was the same story. Katie had another personal best in first place on Rosebank with a score of 74.559 for the 8-year-old Swedish warmblood stallion., Adrienne was second on Top Gun (72.794). Her biggest loss of points with the son of Totilas was in the flying changes every three strides, where she received two marks of 4, two of 5 and one of 6.
click here for results in the Grand Prix. Click here for results in the Prix St. Georges. Click here for results in the I-1.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 20, 2026
The Jersey Fresh International three-day event was staged for the last time in 2021, after the U.S. Equestrian Federation did not grant the Horse Park of New Jersey event its usual 3- and 4-Star Long and 4-Star Short designations for 2023-2027.
The Tryon, N.C., Spring International, one of only six events in the U.S. to be awarded a 4-star Long, got Jersey Fresh’s traditional mid-May weekend.
Despite the loss of the FEI event, horse trials are held regularly at the park, but last weekend, it got a big vote of confidence, as several members of the U.S. team for next month’s eventing world championships took their final run there before heading to Germany.
Rather than holding a mandatory outing in one location for all team members, the riders were allowed to choose where they wanted to go for their pre-championships prep.
“We feel it was best for the riders to prep their horses with what they felt would be the best run,” said US Eventing Chef d’Equipe Leslie Law.
“I think we’ve got a great team. We’ve got some really good, experienced riders there now, we’ve got good horses. I’m looking forward to it.”
The arena footing at the facility in Allentown, N.J., is not the artificial material that is found at the “name” facilities, and the stabling isn’t fancy. But a footing expert was hired for Jersey Fresh to show how to maintain the rings with the footing they have.
Carol Kozlowski, a former president of the U.S. Eventing Association, observed after the Horse Park was dissed five years ago, “these riders get so wrapped up in footing and then go to Europe and you’re competing on grass.”
So to that end, Chris Barnard designed a show jumping course on grass for the weekend event, because at the world championships, show jumping will be on the turf. The cross-country was laid out by Morgan Rowsell, with Levi Ryckewaert, and David Taylor on his team.
“I thought they did a good job at the Horse Park,” commented Phillip Dutton, who won the Advanced Intermediate with his championships reserve horse, Denim, and was second on his team ride, Possante.
Phillip Dutton and Possante prepping for the world championships at the Horse Park of New Jersey. (Amy Dragoo photo)
“The footing was really good, and the course was not overly strong, but it (had) good little questions to practice on,” he commented.
“Generally, I feel the ground there is pretty good. It’s got a component of sand in it as well. I thought that it was pretty good conditions to have a last run.”
Dutton’s U.S. teammates, Caroline Pamukcu with HSH Blake and reserve rider Jennie Brannigan with FE Lifestyle also competed in the Advanced Intermediate. Additional participants included Australian squad member Sophia Hill with Humble Glory (in the Open Intermediate) and New Zealand’s Monica Spencer and Artist, who were members of the bronze medal-winning team at the 2022 FEI Eventing World Championships in Pratoni, Italy.
U.S. team member Boyd Martin was on hand, riding his Shanroe Cooley, an alternate for the squad. The horse competed in the Open Intermediate, but withdrew after dressage and stadium jumping, before cross-country.
click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 18, 2026
The U.S. Equestrian Federation announced it has hired a company to lead the process of looking for a successor to CEO Bill Moroney, who will retire at the end of the year.
The board signed an agreement with Korn Ferry, an executive search and leadership advisory firm, to support the search. Korn Ferry has experience recruiting chief executives for national governing bodies and sports organizations. It will be working with the USEF search committee to manage the process.
Interested in the position? Click here to read the job description. It’s not for the easily intimidated!
If you want to apply for the job, or recommend someone for the position, contact USEF@kornferry.com.
To find out what the job involves, read our interview with Bill that ran earlier this month. Click here for the first part and here for the the second part.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 19, 2026
A little more than two months after Cherie DeVaux became the first woman trainer to win the Kentucky Derby (then went on to become the second trainer of her sex to to take the Belmont Stakes in June with Golden Tempo) Lindsay Schultz produced a record of her own Saturday, as a female trailblazing winner at the fifty-ninth running of the Grade I Haskell Stakes at Monmouth Park.
The first woman to train a Haskell victor, Lindsay is in charge of Baby Vino, the runaway winner of the Haskell’s prep race, the Pegasus last month. In the Haskell, the 3-year-old son of Vino Rosso overtook Preakness winner Napoleon Solo to win the New Jersey track’s $1 million feature, a win-and-you’re-in for October’s Breeders Cup.
Lindsay started taking riding lessons in fifth grade, and worked at barns in order to continue her involvement. She enrolled at the University of Louisville, which has an Equine Industry program, then went on to do everything from hot walking to prepping yearlings before starting her own stable.
Prior to the Haskell, Lindsay had never trained a horse that ran in a Grade I race. She is local to Monmouth in the summers, which made the victory even sweeter.
“Hopefully, there will be more to come,” Lindsay said to the Thoroughbred Daily News after her trip to the winner’s circle.
“It’s huge for our stable. It’s a really big deal. It’s so great for this horse. From the moment he started working, we just loved this horse, and to really show what he has is what we do it for.
“What’s even better,” she told Matt Shifman of Horse Racing Nation, “is that I’m the first female to win the Haskell and there was the first female to win the Derby and there was a first female to win the Belmont (Jena Antonucci in 2023). I think it’s just great that women like Kathleen O’Connell and Linda Rice have been around. They really opened it up for us.”
As she noted proudly about Baby Vino (bred in Kentucky by another woman, Lisa Parks), “This horse can make a run from anywhere. We thought the way it set up there would be a lot of speed and he’d sit behind it. But there wasn’t as much speed as we thought.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 17, 2026
Andre Thieme has bowed out of the German squad for next month’s world championships, after DSP Chakaria, his normally reliable mare, showed some hesitation at the water jump during last weekend’s Falsterbo, Sweden, show.
“I noticed in Falsterbo that Chakaria is currently not jumping the water ditch with the confidence she normally shows. In the interest of my horse and the team, I have therefore decided to waive a start at the world championships. We don’t want to take any risks and will now work quietly on giving her full confidence back at the water.”
It’s too bad for the Germans — among the favorites for the team gold medal — since Andre and his horse in 2024 won the Rolex grand prix at Aachen, the venue where the championships will be held.
Andre Thieme and DSP Chakaria after winning the Aachen grand prix two years ago.
Marcus Ehning, no stranger to top sport, will ride Coolio to take Andre’s place. The first reserve is now 2024 Olympic individual gold medalist Christian Kukuk with Checker. The Germans do not lack depth.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 14, 2026
The Ryan C. Fairclough Memorial Award has been established to recognize those whose dedication helps make New Jersey’s Sussex County Farm & Horse Show possible each year.
Ryan, who passed away in May, was the grandson of Dr. Robert Rost, the guiding spirit of the show for decades, and his wife, Joan. Ryan’s parents are Robin Rost Brown and James Fairclough.
The award honors a young worker who best exemplifies the values by which Ryan lived — hard work, determination, integrity and pride in a job well done. Ryan believed that a person’s true character is revealed by how they work when no one is keeping score. This award celebrates those who quietly lead by example.
Beginning this year at the show, which runs July 31-Aug. 8 at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta, one recipient will receive a $1,000 award annually for the next five years. Each season, a new recipient will be selected, ensuring that five deserving individuals are recognized over the life of the award.
The award is open to workers age 25 or younger, including grounds crew members, staff, seasonal workers and volunteers. Nominees will be considered based on their reliability, determination, pride in their work, character, and the positive influence they have on those around them.
Nominations may be submitted to bkinney@stateshuttle.com; the deadline is Aug. 6. They can come from anyone who has witnessed a candidate’s work first-hand, including supervisors, coworkers or members of show management. Each year’s recipient will be selected by the Fairclough family in partnership with the leadership of the Sussex County Farm & Horse Show, and recognized during the fair in front of their fellow workers.
For questions, contact Becky at (973) 222-7326.
