Life changes are nothing new for Greg Best, who will be involved in another big one next year.

Growing up in Flemington, he was a winner with ponies when I first met him. He went on to become a gold medalist at the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships before taking the U.S. Equestrian Team Talent Search title.

He emerged as a star grand prix competitor under the tutelage of former U.S. show jumping coach Frank Chapot. At the age of 24, Greg teamed with Michael Golden’s legendary New Jersey-bred Gem Twist for two Olympic silver medals in 1988,  then finished fourth in the 1990 World Equestrian Games, where Gem earned the Best Horse title.

But after a fall that injured his shoulder, Greg was ready to go in another direction–halfway across the world. In 1994, he started a new life in New Zealand, where he enjoyed the simplicity of that country’s equestrian scene (as compared to the way the sport is done in the U.S.)

He became a citizen and made his mark as a rider, then coached the Kiwis’ 2004 Olympic team. Greg; his wife, Kim, and their two children, Will,  3 and 1/2 and Pippa, 9 months, live on an 80-acre farm with a view of a scenic landscape that includes wineries.

But supporting his family means Greg, 51, has spent a lot of time away from New Zealand, doing 40 or 50 clinics annually.

“I’m really struggling with this whole thing of traveling for half the year. All of this is about family for me; the most important thing is my family. I recognized I needed to change something in my life,” Greg told me the other day.

He found the answer at Dana Hall, a girls’ private day and boarding school in Wellesley, Mass., where he has been a regular clinician for the last five years at the Karen Stives ’68 Equestrian Center. In 2017, Greg will be a trainer at the center, living in the U.S. with his family from May into November. That’s pretty much a down time for showing in New Zealand, where the seasons are the opposite of the U.S. Greg says the horses have their shoes pulled and live outside, with no blankets, for four months or so.

“New Zealanders,” he explained, “do things a bit differently, much the way we did things growing up.”

At the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Sweden, where Gem was named Best Horse.

He got a house through Airbnb and will move in next spring. Cookie DeSimone, who has been the school’s trainer in residence since the 1970s, will work full-time through December 2016, and then continue on a part-time basis.

The hope is that “there’s enough planning and preparation that’s gone into the program in the six months I’m there that the rest of the staff is going to be able to keep things ticking over,” said Greg, who called it “a work in progress” while noting he has no plans to remain in the U.S. year-round.

Even so, technology, from videos to Skype and Facetime, can fill in any gaps and keep him in touch with his students and staff.

Greg met several times with Dana Hall graduate Karen Stives, the eventing team gold and individual silver medalist at the 1984 Olympics, who died last year.  His aim, he said, is “to honor her legacy, Karen’s vision for the program and incorporate the ideas of myself and the rest of the staff to create something very special for the students.”

About 100 of them participate in the school’s program annually, and there are 45 horses in the stable, half of which belong to students, while the other half are school horses.

Students compete both during the school year and the summer in major shows, including HITS, the Vermont circuit, Lake Placid, the equitation finals and the fall indoor circuit.

Greg will be at the shows with the girls, but he also wants to put the emphasis on horsemanship; not just riding and showing, focusing on an overall knowledge of horses.

“Greg exemplifies the qualities that Karen Stives ’68 envisioned for our program, and we know she would have been very pleased with his addition to our staff,” said the center’s director, Sarah Summers.

In the last 10-12 years, Greg has gotten away from riding, but after four or five operations, his shoulder is better and he plans to get back to being a participant now.

“It’s not (that) I’m expected to ride, but it’s something I’m really wanting to do. I’ve got one shot at this left,” he commented.

Where it will take him remains to be seen.

“I’ve done the show stuff I want to do, but just knowing my competitive nature, I think I’d want to get back in the ring at some stage,” he said.

Greg Best, left, ringside when he coached the 2004 New Zealand Olympic show jumping team.

The big picture for his Dana Hall students, however, involves a lot more than winning ribbons.

“My approach is not about showmanship, it’s about horsemanship. That sums up my teaching in a nutshell. I want to teach these people how to ride, I want to teach them how to train horses. My goal is to educate these kids and inspire them to love the sport the way that I love the sport. I hope, in the process, that I create what we think of as successful riders.”

He emphasized, “I just want to do it the right way; I don’t want to take any shortcuts.”

Greg believes in imparting knowledge that can help the students learn how to train their horses so they can go on and train other horses and continue to be successful five, 10 or more years down the road, not just for a few weekends here or there.

He will be giving clinics at the center in August and October 2016. Riders outside of the Dana Hall community are invited to participate. Registration information is available on the school’s website, www.danahall.org.

John White of Stillwater and Hoboken has been competing with his team of striking gray Czech Kladrubers for six years at Devon, and last week finally clinched the show’s ultimate reward in his division by taking the coaching championship. He wound up with a two-point edge over Paul Martin’s team.

“The horses have been excellent,” John said.

“I’m very happy with that and I’m very happy with all the people that have helped us.”

Meanwhile, Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station, who has collected many Devon honors over the years, earned another Saturday night as she took the Leading Lady Jumper Rider title for the Carol Hofmann Thompson trophy. Her name also is on the trophy from 2014.

In the final class, the $50,000 Idle Dice stake, Laura was second to McLain and Tina with Quointreau Un Prince, and third on Thornhill Kate.

“This is one of our favorite horse shows, and I think this is one of the most important shows in the country,” said Laura.

“They really raised the bar this year with added prize money and making it an FEI competition. To be the leading lady rider here is certainly very prestigious, and I am so proud to win the trophy that is donated by Carol’s family. She was a great friend to us. I’m really thrilled to have won it again.”

To read more about the Devon Horse Show, see my “postcard” report on the web site of Practical Horseman magazine.

Did you miss Rolex Kentucky last weekend? Couldn’t make it to Badminton this weekend? There’s another chance to see top-notch eventing this spring, and it’s close to home.

Building on the success of last year’s competition, this week’s Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event is continuing its progress at the Horse Park of New Jersey in Allentown, Monmouth County, with offerings for fans and families as it seeks to broaden its base.

Such major players as Buck Davidson and Boyd Martin (both of whom rode at Kentucky and Badminton), Kim Severson and Jessica Phoenix are among the large number of entries in the CCI 2- and 3-star as well as 2- and 3-star CICs offered at Jersey Fresh. The event is a selection trial for the Rio Olympics this summer.

Jersey Fresh, the Horse Park’s premier competition, is elevating its status in 2016.

“I’m hoping we can jump forward again this year,” said Brendan Furlong, whose B.W. Furlong and Associates veterinary practice boosted the event in 2015 with a $25,000 sponsorship. This year, that has grown to $30,000, while Brendan’s son, Adam, has gotten a number of smaller sponsors, including Zoetis and Merial.

Brendan believes that could be “the beginning of something where they can come in and get a title sponsor out of it.”

Tailgating at the biggest water obstacle has been a major hit at Jersey Fresh over the last few years, and this year it’s been so popular that a second area was opened up to accommodate demand.

“If we can keep on bringing people in, we can generate public interest and public awareness of it,” said Brendan.

As was the case last year, the cross-country course designed by John Williams will run past the members’ tent in the main ring, while the trade fair has been expanded and moved to an area near the grand prix arena.

“It was time to rethink the location and set-up of the trade fair from prior years,” said Dan Wunderlich, chair of the Jersey Fresh organizing committee.

Boyd Martin, a Jersey Fresh regular, will be competing there again this week.

“JFI has evolved into one of the most recognized three-day events in the county. We are committed to having all aspects of our event be first-class and, by moving the trade fair to a prime and more accessible location, we are assuring that everyone can enjoy a wide range of experiences amidst the excitement of the competition.”

It’s also an opportunity to buy, buy, buy, from Dubarry boots; bridle accoutrements and jewelry to match at Browbands with Bling and saddles from Devoucoux, as well as items from Quilted Horse Design, Svetlana Designs and The Fabulous Horse, among many others.

There will be more food vendors than in the past, including Fork in the Road’s food truck and Pretzelphoria.

Meanwhile, the state Equine Advisory Board will sponsor the New Jersey Equine & Agricultural Expo Saturday and Sunday from 10 a.m.-3:30 p.m. It features displays by 4-H, Pony Club and other organizations. Children will be offered a free Breyer horse they can paint and take home, and pony rides also will be available.

On Sunday, the Zoetis Pony Chase will provide entertainment with racing Shetlands racing over hurdles.

Admission to JFI and the Horse Park of New Jersey is free on Wednesday for the first horse inspection and the start of dressage; Thursday, when dressage continues and Friday, when dressage wraps up.

General admission tickets for Saturday and Sunday are $10 per person. Children under 12 are admitted free of charge, as are 4-H and FFA members with ID; Pony Club members (with pin), and military members and their dependents with ID. Seniors 65 and older are admitted at a discount of $5 per person.

The Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event/Horse Park of New Jersey is a 501(c)(3) not-for-profit, charitable and educational organization that relies on sponsors, volunteers and members to sustain operations. Further information is available at jfi3d.com, or about the Horse Park, at horseparkofnewjersey.com.

Rolex Kentucky is the Western Hemisphere’s only 4-star event, and one of just six in the world, so it’s always difficult.

But throw in a day of rainstorms and the cross-country phase becomes even more testing. No one made the 11-minute, 15-second optimum time yesterday on the course designed by Derek di Grazia, who also will be laying out the routes for the 2018 World Equestrian Games and the 2020 Olympics.

It takes experience to know how to handle a situation like the one riders faced at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington this weekend. With 64 horses competing, the ground became difficult as both the competition and the rain continued.

“Horses that ran earlier in the day had different going than the horses at the end of the day. I was shocked at how much the footing changed. It deteriorated quite a bit,” said Sinead Halpin, who operates a stable in Long Valley. Even so, she moved up with Manoir de Carneville from 18th after dressage on Friday to 11th following cross-country.

The question is, if the ground had been better, could he have risen higher in the rankings? Tate, as the Selle Français is known, has finished as high as third place at Rolex. He enjoys quite the resume, having been an Olympic alternate in 2012 and part of the U.S. effort at the World Equestrian Games in France two years ago.

“I was really happy with him, but I would have loved to have run earlier in the day,” commented Sinead,  who went on course with her chestnut Selle Français at 1:36 p.m., more than three and one-half hours after cross-country began at 10 a.m.

Rolex leader Michael Jung of Germany, who has Olympic, world championship and European championship gold medals to his credit, started on course at 11:36 a.m. He was only two seconds over the optimum time with Fischerrocana FST, but no one was any faster.

Interestingly, Holly Payne Caravella, who operates a stable in Chester, went at 10:24 a.m. on the thoroughbred Never Outfoxed, and her effort that collected only 2.8 time penalties (which means she was a mere 7 seconds slow) boosted her from 67th after dressage to 19th. She was tied with two other women for the best time by an American.

Santino put in a good effort for Holly Payne Caravella on cross-country.

“I think the Olympics are something you don’t plan on. You say, `Yeah, it would be great,’ but you start ticking off the boxes on the way to the Olympics and if they work, they work, and if they don’t, they don’t. Honestly, the horse is 16 years old and he’s a beautiful, wonderful horse and I’ve been looking to get to Rolex, and if Rolex works out, great.”

Holly is part of a well-known eventing family. Her mother, Marilyn Payne, is judging in Rio, and her brother, Doug, also competed at Rolex, where he stands 25th on Vandiver, moving up from 50th after dressage.

On her second horse, Santino, Holly was 15th after dressage and looked as if she stood a good chance of moving up, considering the way the thoroughbred, who went at 1 p.m., was handling the course. Then she ran into trouble at the new water jump.

“He hung his stifles on the ‘in’ of the water, and I got knocked forward and almost came off. I tried to save him, but by the time I picked up to save it, I was headed right toward the crowd, so there was no way of getting back to the corner (the second element),” she recalled.

“I had to circle back to do the option on the corner, so I crossed my tracks and picked up 20 (penalties) to get back to the option. It was a total shame. I rode a bit aggressive; I should have been more patient. It’s nothing related to him. It was totally my fault.” Because of the crowds and roping, there was no way for her to turn back without crossing her tracks. So Santino dropped 26 places to 41st.

Asked about the footing, she said. “It definitely deteriorated. On the galloping lanes I was trying to look for good ground, moving a little left or right The take-offs were pretty good, but a couple of the landing spots, I felt them maybe stumble on landing on the back side of the jump, it was getting a little thick. But it didn’t seem to be bothering him.”

The event ends today with stadium jumping. It will be an opportunity for some riders to recoup, and others to drop further in the standings. The prediction is for more rain, but luckily, it is run in an arena on all-weather footing, so the ground shouldn’t be a factor.

I’m still drying out from cross-country, but I’ll be back in the weather again so I can update tomorrow night to tell you how the Jersey girls fared.