by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 1, 2025
The fiftieth anniversary of Kingsview Partners Dressage at Devon Sept. 23-28 has generated new vitality and excitement for a tradition that is far more than simply a competition.
It’s also entertainment, shopping and an opportunity for education, with a variety of possibilities for both riders and spectators, in addition to a multi-faceted breed show.
The competition and fall festival at the historic venue on Philadelphia’s Main Line has reached a half-century landmark that was far from a certainty when financial insecurity threatened its future.
Anne Moss, who took over as president three years ago, emphasized the importance of the board having implemented a strategic plan “to make the show an even better place for competitors, spectators, vendors and volunteers, and to work a little bit on the culture of the show.”
As she explained, “It started from within and really looking hard at ways we could better support each other on the committee and the management team and the board, and also with a huge focus on customer service for competitors and spectators, boxholders, volunteers and all of us, so that it would be a wonderful experience to be at the show at every level.
Anne Moss, president of Dressage at Devon. Photo © by Nancy Jaffer
“It’s a really joyful thing to work on the Dressage at Devon team. I’m not saying it wasn’t previously, but I think the focus was horse show and vendor village, and a little bit on the boxholders. We had to do more to show the boxholders and spectators our love and the competitors too, as one individual to another.”
Sarah Campbell, the show’s vice president of event operations (described by Anne as “my right hand”) called the venue “a magical place to come to and spend six days immersed in dressage, breeding and catching up with all your friends.
“The team we have pulled together over the years has worked really hard to revitalize it. It’s been a huge effort.”
Dressage at Devon once was a “must” for the top level of the discipline in the Northeast and beyond. Big name participants have been seen in the Dixon Oval over the years, including Anne Gribbons, Lisa Wilcox, Adrienne Lyle, Hilda Gurney, Lars Petersen and a combination that everyone remembers, the beloved floppy-eared Rocher and her rider, George Williams, former president of the U.S. Dressage Federation.
Board member Christina Morin Graham cited “the number of people the show has impacted over such a long time, literally generations of riders. The show has such an energy and I’m excited that it’s still able to deliver that for riders, spectators and enthusiasts.”
Christina Morin-Graham. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
But as the winter Florida shows grew in importance and people started going south earlier each autumn, Dressage at Devon became less of a key destination for riders. They determine their priorities amid an increase in the number of shows and changes in the calendar.
Efforts by the organizers and sponsors have played a big role in giving the show a leg up, but this year, Dressage at Devon also gets a boost in entries as a qualifier for the new U.S. Open for dressage, set for November in California.
In addition, the show is a qualifier for the April 2026 FEI World Cup Finals in Ft. Worth, Texas. That fixture is on the wish list for U.S. competitors seeking to match themselves against the best from around the globe, without having to travel abroad.
As a result, Dressage at Devon “has gained a whole lot more interest from competitors and that has filtered down to more interest from spectators, competitors and volunteers,” Anne said.
A fun attraction is the Friday night dance-off, with costumed riders showing their moves to music on creatively decorated horses. Who can forget Silva Martin winning the 2024 edition posing as a well turned-out hippie?
Dance-Off winner Silva Martin. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
This year, as a special event for the golden anniversary, riders and breed class competitors who are part of the show’s history will be included in a parade featuring “Legends of Dressage at Devon.” They are being invited back to the show to appear (horseless) in a Saturday night showcase. Those who have not been contacted but would like to take part should email Anne at annemoss380@gmail.com.
George Williams and Rocher from her Dressage at Devon retirement ceremony. (Photo © 2013 by Nancy Jaffer)
The Saturday night Grand Prix Freestyle always has been a highlight bringing in fans, but boosters know it takes so much more to attract the support that was needed to make sure the show not only hit its fiftieth anniversary, but also to keep it going beyond that.
Education is now a major feature, and introduction of the first Master Class with Sabine Schut-Kery four years ago has drawn a series of interesting clinicians (including Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour, the individual silver medalist over the weekend at the FEI European Dressage Championships in France.)
The 2025 Thursday night Master Class will be conducted by Germany’s Ingrid Klimke, a German medal-winning eventer and dressage rider (she was on the gold medal team at the European Championships last week) who is the daughter of the legendary Olympic dressage gold medalist, Reiner Klimke.
Ingrid Klimke, right, with the European Championships gold medal winning team.
She’s a great attraction not only for dressage riders, such as Silva who has signed up (and whose eventer husband, Boyd Martin, also has ridden in the Master Class), but also obviously for eventers — a number of whom are based near Devon — looking for tips to improve their dressage phase.
One is the well-traveled Jennie Brannigan, a five-time U.S. eventing team member, who wasted no time applying for the class.
Jennie Brannigan cross-country with FE Lifestyle. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I jumped at the chance,” said Jennie.
“It’s really exciting for me to be a part of that. It was just a no-brainer. To ride in the Dixon Oval is such an amazing experience. How can you turn that down?
At the same time, she noted another motivation, saying, “Dressage is my weakest link.” She’s looking for some insights from Ingrid, someone Jennie describes as “lovely” after meeting her in Europe.
A lecture series, headlined by Dr. Hilary Clayton speaking about harmony between the horse and rider in the barn and the arena, also will feature a number of other experts and updates by staff from the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center. To learn more, click here.
Also on the education front, dressage and musical freestyle judges from around the country will be receiving training at the show, under the auspices of the U.S. Dressage Federation.
Last year’s Dressage at Devon Grand Prix Freestyle winner Kevin Kohmann with Dünensee (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Sarah, like Anne and Christina, is a dressage rider. She competed at the show with her homebred Hanoverian, Bailamos, in 2023 and finished as the top amateur in her Fourth Level class. Christina and Anne both are riding in the show this time, so these key organizers are well-connected through their horses.
There was concern that the show, which at one point was out of money, might not celebrate its fiftieth. As Sarah noted, the big question was, “Can we make it?”
But the show achieved a milestone when it moved into the black by earning $5,000 last year.
An anonymous donor has offered a $50,000 matching gift if the show gets $50,000 in contributions. That benefit would be a huge step for the financially fragile fixture, which costs $1 million to run, while the cost of renting the showgrounds increases regularly as well.
Those who wish to donate and insure the show will continue can go to the donation page at the website, or click directly on this link.
“It’s still a huge challenge to do a budget on a horse show; you have no idea who is going to come spectator-wise, competitor-wise, sponsor/vendor-wise,” said Anne.
“At least we’re doing better. It will be the biggest Master Class attendance so far. The focus we’ve put on education has been a hit with spectators, too.”
While finances obviously are still an issue, the show is making progress.
“I think we have its nose pointing in the right direction,” said Anne.
“We are so excited to be an important stepping stone for high-performance riders and for spectators thinking about becoming high- performance riders. One of the biggest joys I have as president of Dressage at Devon is seeing the talent come to the show, and how it flourishes and grows afterwards.”
The show is seeking volunteers to help, whether it’s for a few hours or several days.Special needs are for assistance with the Dressage Explorers for kids on Sunday, and general/floater volunteers on Tuesday and Wednesday, Sept. 23 and 24, during the day.
Volunteers will receive an entry ticket, a parking pass and food on the day they help. There’s also special swag, including a commemorative fiftieth anniversary T-shirt. Click here to sign up.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 6, 2025
Saturday was British Day in several ways at the Spruce Meadows Masters.
The designation was made long before the hard-fought BMO Nations Cup took place this afternoon, with Sophie, Britain’s Duchess of Edinburgh, as the honored guest.
Sophie, Duchess of Edinburgh, with Spruce Meadows’ Linda Southern Heathcott. (Spruce Meadows Photo)
But the British team didn’t get a freebie in the competition because of the honor, and had to fight for its first victory in the class since 1996 at the show in Calgary, Alberta, Canada.
The question of who would take the towering trophy came down to Britain’s final rider, the last to compete in the class. That was Donald Whitaker (nephew of former British team mainstays Michael and John), and his dependable mount, Millfield Colette.
Before Donald entered the arena, Richie Vogel of Germany, who won the European championship last month, had just dropped a rail with Cloudio at the last of 12 fences on course, giving his nation a total of 4 penalties over two rounds. Three Germans had gone clear in the first round, so he didn’t have to ride at that point.
But his best effort was needed in the second round after Olympic champion Christian Kukuk toppled a pole at the first element of the triple combination. Once both rounds were completed, the Germans found themselves on a total of 4 penalties and Richie commented that he thought he overrode the liverpool obstacle.
But Richie’s score meant that if Donald could go fault-free for Britain, the title would belong to his nation.
Donald Whitaker and Millfield Colette
Donald was, as British Chef d’Equipe Di Lampard described it, “steely cool” in delivering the hoped-for outcome on his lovely gray mare.
Di included the other members of the squad, Joseph Stockdale, Matt Sampson and 2021 Olympic individual gold medalist Ben Maher in her praise, saying, “The spirit of this team is second to none. It’s fantastic and it’s come together so well this year. To have the win here, I’m so proud of them all.
Ben Maher of Great Britain on Enjeu de Grisien. (Spruce Meadows Media/Mike Sturk)
How important was it to take the title again for the first time in nearly three decades?
“It was huge,” she emphasized.
“Prior, it was won several times by the British, year after year. We do take a little stick from home for not following on. Finally we’ve come together and done it.”
She was confident her anchor rider could deliver.
“Donald has been in that position before for us this year. The progress he has made throughout the year in that position, I was happy he was last.”
Donald Whitaker and Millfield Colette, partners in triumph. (Spruce Meadows Media/Mike Sturk)
While there was undoubtedly immense pressure on Donald, with a crowd of more than 25,000 on hand to watch and celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of the show (not to mention the presence of a member of the royal family) he relished the chance to demonstrate what he and the dynamic mount could produce.
“It’s kind of everything you always dreamed of doing, really,” he said.
“Spruce Meadows, last to go to win it. It’s kind of a fairy tale in your head sometimes.”
How did he handle it?
“Just tried to stay relaxed,” he commented.
The British team: Ben Maher, Joseph Stockdale, Chef d’equipe Di Lampard, Matt Sampson, Donald Whitaker (Spruce Meadows photo)
The route for the class was laid out by Spruce Meadows’ perennial course designer, Leopoldo Palacios, who did not put pressure on the riders with a tight time allowed. But the clever arrangement of fences meant that faults were well-distributed, though the water jump fronted by a wavy wall that confused some horses drew plenty of penalties.
Eleven riders collected faults there, but even the first fence took its share of errors. It was the Austrian obstacle flanked by standards that resembled mountains and with a panel of musical notes, calling to mind the movie, “The Sound of Music.”
The vertical-vertical-oxer triple combination under the trees also caused its share of heartbreak as the afternoon wore on and shadows lengthened.
The first round drew 11 nations, with six coming back for the second round.
The U.S. was tied with the Germans on 4 penalties before Aaron Vale was the last to go for his team. He had 4 penalties in the first round with Styles, but that wasn’t the drop score, since 21-year-old rookie Elena Haas had two rails on Claude.
It appeared Aaron really didn’t have to ride a second time, because there was no way a even a fault-free trip could displace the Brits. But Coach Robert Ridland sent him out, explaining that ties other than for first place are broken by cumulative times of the top three scores in the second round.
So Aaron raced against the clock.
“When he went in, we still had a chance to be second if we could get a faster clear,” Robert explained.
“Bottom line — we weren’t going to concede second place.”
But as it turned out, Germany claimed the runner-up spot because it was timed at 232.56, while the U.S. wound up third on 234.34, even though Aaron delivered a quicker trip than his teammates, all of whom were clear, as he was.
It’s been quite a summer for the U.S. team, with podium finishes across Europe and a victory at the all-important Aachen show, at the venue which will host the 2026 world championships.
Robert was pleased with his crew, noting both Aaron and Laura Kraut (Tres Bien) “had young horses who were spectacular today. Pathfinder Lillie Keenan (Argan de Belliard) “has proven to be a double-clear machine” with that score in March at the League of Nations in Ocala, as well as Rome and Aachen, in addition to Spruce.
Lillie Keenan of the USA and Argan de Belliard.
“And finally,” Robert added, “Elena was outstanding in her first major 5-star Nations Cup and rode a picture-perfect second round under immense pressure.”
By the way, Robert rode on the USA’s winning Nations Cup team at Spruce Meadows in 1986. So he doesn’t just talk a good game.
In keeping with the festive anniversary of the show, horses were given dress sheets with a giant 50 emblazoned on them, and Britain’s Household Cavalry made an appearance complete with gold braid and smart uniforms.
Click here for results.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 31, 2025
From relatively unknown to two European Dressage Championships gold medals in less than two months — Belgium’s Justin Verboomen and Zonik Plus have enthralled us with a seemingly impossible story.
For the second time in three days, the 9-year-old black Hanoverian and the man who selected the horse seven years ago in Portugal showed true mastery of their art as they won the freestyle Sunday with their miraculous connection at the title meet in Crozet, France. The combination showed it would be a force to be reckoned with by posting a freestyle victory at Aachen in July. (Click here to read about his first gold medal at the championships)
The freestyle winner and his horse have a special connection.
Justin’s mark of 89.964 percent in the championships’ freestyle was just 0.143 percent ahead of silver medalist Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour from Denmark (89.821) on the lightly campaigned Mount St. John Freestyle, who did not show at Aachen. Each of the top two had one big mistake that they made up on the joker line, but their excellence overall was unquestionable.
Justin and Zonik pirouette. (FEI photo)
Germany’s super-duper star Isabell Werth wound up with bronze on Wendy de Fontaine (88.046) after an incredibly determined ride as she sought to better her bronze from Friday’s Grand Prix Special. It was the twenty-ninth European Championships medal and the fifty-fifth overall for the sport’s most decorated rider.
European Dressage Championships freestyle winner Justin Verboomen gives as good as he gets with champagne on the podium from Catherline Laudrup-Dufour and Isabell Werth.
After his ride, Justin, 38, said, “I wanted everyone to feel the emotion, and to keep the connection with my horse.”
His error was breaking into canter steps in the trot half-pass, but aside from that, the two impressed with their connection.
“His strength is that he always wants to show his very best. If I don’t make mistakes, he doesn’t either,” the Belgian commented about the horse he trained through the ranks.
Asked about her mare, who had a whoops in the two-tempis, Cathrine said, “She was amazing again today. It was so close, but I think this is what the sport is about. Even though it comes with a little bit of disappointment right now, we’ve seen amazing sport here.”
Cathrine, who placed first in the team competition last week, told Isabell, “you always look so hungry every time you go in.”
Isabell, who commented on the “incredible standard” of the competition, was complimentary of her mare, saying, “I love to compete, I love to present the horse in the best way. She gives really her heart today. It made me really proud. In the end, 1 percent more or less, it’s more luck than performance in the freestyle. I can live with that for sure.”
The order of finish in the freestyle was the same for the top three in the Special. Justin’s golds were the first ever in the dressage championships for his nation.
The emotionally overwhelmed winner, when he managed to get out a few word after his score was announced, said of Zonik he was “so proud of my horse, he’s so young,” noting that the fact that the stallion is “always attentive to me is his greatest quality.”
This is more than a partnership; it’s a mind meld of human and horse. The duo garnered 14 marks of 10 in their test, ridden to an entrancing instrumental musical compilation. Four of the seven judges scored Justin at more than 90 percent.
Overall, the quality of the performances at Jiva Hill Stables was fantastic, elevating the state of the art even well down the ranks from the podium finishers.
Looking ahead to the 2026 world championships less than a year away, it will be interesting to see how the U.S. riders will fare at that competition in Aachen. They have 11 months to prepare, and they will need every minute of it.
The display of excellence at Crozet was stunning, and Britain was not far off the pace in the freestyle with Becky Moody and Jagerbomb. They finished fourth in their European Championships debut on 86.982 percent with a ride to a Beatles medley. One judge put her at over 90 percent.
But it did not go as well for her country’s world champion, Lottie Fry on Glamourdale. She was tenth with 79.579 percent for her imaginative ride on “Glamourdale Airlines,” as the voice of a “flight attendant” (Lottie herself!) announced the take-off and landing. The tunes included “Come Fly With Me,” but the first part of the “flight” was a bit rough, as her opening halt was not square and the black stallion scooted with his hind end during passage.
As her teammate, Carl Hester (seventh on Fame, 81.029 percent) remarked, the noise level in the arena felt rather high. Lottie’s music played quite loud, which put her mount on edge, particularly at the start.
The championships marked the last time the Netherlands’ Dinja van Liere will be showing Hermes, the 13-year old Dutchbred stallion who has been her partner. She finished thirteenth on 77.781 percent.
“Hermes has been great the whole week. We wanted to give it all today. It was a difficult ride, because it was our final one. I can’t say much more now, but I am sure he will have a great future ahead of him,” Dinja said sadly. The horse is not supposed to retire, but plans for him aren’t being revealed at this time.
The first time France has hosted the championships was historic. The team at Jiva Hill on the edge of Switzerland,with a backdrop of the Jura mountains, did a fabulous job even with having limited time to prepare after the original venue dropped out.
Click here for results.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 23, 2025
Lana Lobell was a picturesque landmark farm known around the world for the standardbreds it produced. The horses, used for harness racing, were bred and trained at the Bedminster, N.J., facility. A number won such prestigious races as the Hambletonian, held during this era at the Meadowlands in northern New Jersey.
But the farm came on hard times, with bankruptcy declared in 1989. Various plans for it fell through. Now, however, it is on track for a new identity in conjunction with the Fiddlers Elbow Country Club, also once part of an estate, that is located just down Rattlesnake Bridge Road.
The plan doesn’t include anything to do with horses and indeed, the vast decrepit stables will be torn down. Permission is being sought to replace it with an “event barn” for club events, weddings and similar activities.
The old Lana Lobell stables. (Photo © 2025 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
But the big attraction is the relatively well-preserved mansion on the property, with its welcoming entrance hall, balconies, a classic wood-paneled library and a circular staircase worthy of Tara from “Gone with the Wind.”
Green fields, which will be planted with wildflowers, stretch out in scenic fashion from the back portico of the building, adding to the country ambience.
The back portico of the mansion. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
Ken Donovan, the president and a trustee of Fiddlers Elbow, knew exactly what he wanted to do with the building after he vacationed in England’s Cotswolds region.
The Cotswolds have been mentioned a lot recently in equestrian circles because it was there this summer that British show jumping gold medalist Harry Charles married show jumper Eve Jobs — daughter of Apple co-founder Steve Jobs and his wife, Laurene Powell Jobs.
As Ken recalled, earlier this year, when he and his wife were “hanging out at a Cotswolds manor house, I had this weird feeling come over me:`This reminds me of something.’ ”
What it reminded him of was the mansion presiding over Lana Lobell, because he was familiar with that property. When he inquired about the farm’s status, he learned it was coming up for auction in three days, and wasted no time taking action.
“We were the winning bidder,” said Ken.
The sign says it all. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
Lana Lobell was purchased in May 2025 for a bit more than $5 million from Bank of America, which acquired ownership in a mortgage foreclosure sale last year.
Bedminster Mayor Larry Jacobs said the township is eager to see “the property put into someone’s good use and to see something great happen there and to restore the property, restore the fence, restore the fields. It’s been in a poor situation for a number of years. We look forward to its improvement.”
The farm has quite a history. According to a volume of “New Jersey Country Houses: The Somerset Hills” series by W. Barry Thompson and Jack Turpin, the property originally was known as the Field Farm, owned by brothers Hendrick and Jeremiah Field, who fought in the American Revolution.
In 1926, the prominent Schley family bought the land and built their 23-room Georgian-style home, reminiscent of the type of house found on a Virginia plantation. The bricks and roofing shingles came from John D. Rockefeller Jr. They were the same type he was using in the restoration of Williamsburg, Va.
Ken Donovan at the main entrance to the mansion. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
In 1976, the farm was bought by a corporation controlled by Boris Leavitt, a Russian immigrant, and his wife, Sophie. The couple, who started the standardbred stable, were pioneers in the catalogue business after World War II. They promoted their wares from a small chain of shops under the name Lana Lobell.
Most of the 128-acre property, 122 acres, has been preserved for agriculture or agricultural uses. But something that is not agriculture-related can be done within the balance of the tract.
So the manor house will become a club with a farm-to-table restaurant and serve as a guesthouse with overnight accommodations supporting Fiddlers Elbow. Members will have access to both facilities.
The property is getting a name change to Oxbow Farm, after a bend in the Lamington River that looks like an oxbow. Fiddler’s Elbow is also named after a bend in the river, which is stocked so guests can participate in fly fishing.
A farm store will be the only place on the property open to the general public. Most of the acreage will be used for growing lavender, hay, sunflowers and “tons and tons and tons” of vegetables. There also will be some animals on the property; goats, sheep, Highland cattle, ducks and chickens.
Ken’s son, Tommy, who handles the environmental and green initiative at Fiddlers Elbow, will be heavily involved and many from the horticulture staff will be at the farm, along with additional employees.
Though there had been a suggestion that part of the farm, with its white-fenced pastures, could be a home for retired horses, Ken noted his company isn’t familiar with the horse business and felt that wasn’t a realistic use.
“It’s not what we do,” he pointed out.
He did, however, note, “We’d be crazy not to have some sort of homage to the horses who were there,” but what that will be has not yet been determined.
He quickly added, “We love horses,” noting his father had racehorses. Equestrian themes can be spotted throughout the house. A carved fox head above one fireplace, for instance, is flanked by Currier & Ives-style depictions of a farm on one side and a hunting scene on the other.
The fireplace decoration with an equestrian flair. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
The mansion is being refurbished but Ken noted that “the house, for not being fully occupied for a long time, is in really good shape. They don’t build houses that way anymore.”
Work has begun on the rooms in the manor house and Ken hopes they will be ready by next summer, although plans eventually call for an expansion that will yield a total of somewhere around 30 rooms, if the township approves.
Show horse trainer Rachel Rosenthal Bellard of Heronwood Farm in Bedminster, recalled working for Lana Lobell in 1986. At age 18, her job involved helping to get yearlings ready for the sale in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
“My job was to drive this old Jeep around the track with a horse attached to the gate behind it. I had to watch the horse in the rearview mirror and make sure it wasn’t cantering, (it needed to be) either trotting or pacing. Craziest horse job I’ve ever had. We then took 110 horses to Harrisburg. Amazing experience!,” she remembered.
“I am so pleased to hear that this property will not be parceled out and developed. I can’t wait to see it brought back to life. Even if it’s not going to be a horse farm, I am so happy to know it will be used for agricultural purposes.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 29, 2025
Justin Verboomen delivered on the promise he showed when he wowed the crowds at Aachen last month, as he took Belgium’s first European Championships dressage medal, earning gold in the Grand Prix Special on Friday in Crozet, France.
The rider was brought to tears as he left the arena after his flowing test marked at 82.371 percent seemed to put him on the brink of a win, even with such stars as Germany’s Isabell Werth (Wendy de Fontaine) and Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour (Mount St John Freestyle) still to come.
A moment that captures the intensity of Justin Verboomen.
“I cannot believe what happened in this arena,” he said, after confessing he was speechless in the drama of the moment.
“I just couldn’t believe it. He is only 9 years old,” a stunned Justin said of the black Hanoverian stallion by Zonik NOP that he found in Portugal as a 2-year-old.
“He has so much to learn, I have so much to learn,” he continued, noting “I had a lot of pressure before I put on myself.” It was, he added, “difficult to handle and manage.” Of his horse, he commented, “he did an incredible job.”
Justin Verboomen was moved to tears after his wonderful ride on Zonik Plus.
Justin got four 10s for his pirouettes, one for piaffe and one for passage, and so many 9s that I stopped counting them, except for one 9.5 for general impression.
Justin and Zonik Plus in action. (FEI Photo)
Cathrine, who was first in the team competition that ended Thursday, finished second on 81.687 percent after a mistake in the one tempis when her mare “knocked her one leg” and was marked at 3.7.
“Other than that, I had an amazing ride in there.”
Cathrine Laudrop-Dufour of Denmark and Mount St. John Freestyle, runner-up in the Special. (FEI Photo)
Isabell won her twenty-eighth European championships medal by taking bronze with a score of 79.027 percent. In her case also, the one-tempis were responsible for her failure to break 80 percent, with several marks of 5 there.
“I realized how difficult it would be,” Isabell said of the Special.
Isabell Werth and Wendy de Fontaine, third in the Special (FEI Photo)
“I know I’m not on this serious level i need to be to be so safe and confident to go to the canter work,” she added.
The changes are “still on the way to get it really easy and confident. Sometimes, a little mistake when she’s not really with me. That we have to sort out. The rest was really super.”
In her first senior Championships, German rider Katharina Hemmer finished fourth with Denoix PCH, owned by Nancy Gooding of the the U.S. and German trainer Hubertus Schmidt. What a shame that lovely Denoixl isn’t competing for the USA.
But Katharina did a wonderful job with a fluid test, in which the piaffe and passage each were well-balanced, front and hind. The entrancing performance that earned 78.678 percent had German coach Monica Theodorescu wiping tears from her eyes.
Katharina’s European Championships debut was a special experience for her.
“It’s not so often you can really enjoy your ride, active in the test, because you are so focused. But this time I felt Denoix was so focused and he wanted to do everything right and I could really enjoy it during the ride,” Katharina explained.
“He tried his best. I felt so proud during the ride that he’s giving his all for me. I was very, very delighted.”
Click HERE for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 25, 2025
Not only is she a wonderful rider and trainer, three-time Olympian Adrienne Lyle also is a top class coach, whose many strengths were on display at the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions over the weekend with victory after victory.
She won the Developing Prix St. Georges title with Hussman’s Topgun, a dynamic son of the late, great Totilas, earning 72.549 and 73.425 percent in her classes. Adrienne feels the need to log another year of developing work for this big, talented horse before he’s a CDI championship candidate.
“He’s definitely not one that you will put any external time constraints on, because he’s ready when he’s ready,” she explained.
Adrienne and a be-ribboned Topgun. (USA Equestrian photo)
Her students also dominated their competition at the show in Illinois. Christian Simonson became the youngest person (he’ll be 23 on Tuesday) ever to win the national Grand Prix Championship with a sweep of all three classes.
His freestyle with Indian Rock, the 2024 Olympic mount of Emmelie Scholtens from the Netherlands, was close to the 80 percent stratosphere on 79.430 percent.
Looking ahead to the highlight of 2026, the FEI World Championships at Aachen, Adrienne said about Christian and Indian Rock, “We’re definitely not ruling that out. The reason we came to this (the championship) was that he needs to go step by step up the ladder. I’ve always been very careful about not letting him jump into things too soon; making sure he did all the proper steps.
Christian Simonson and Indian Rock. (California Dressage Society photo)
“I thought doing his first national Grand Prix championship was a very important step. He handled it all amazingly, as he always does. The goal for next year is to do the Grand Prix CDIs and see where that takes him.”
Christian also rode Fleau de Bain, a stallion who is the former mount of another Dutch rider, Adelinde Cornelissen, to win the U25 Brentina Cup with a 72.820 percent freestyle. That competition has special meaning for Adrienne because it is named after the favorite mount of Debbie McDonald, who was her mentor. Needless to say, Christian was the first person to take the Grand Prix and Brentina Cup titles at the same show.
“Anything that he is interested in, he is like a sponge. He wants to learn everything and absorb everything,” said Adrienne, who won the Brentina Cup when she was starting on her career path.
“We are not trying to prove anything to anyone. We are all very humble students of the craft, and if you enter with that kind of mindset, your mind is open to absorb and learn. Christian always comes with such great insights and great questions. You could tell his brain is constantly working to unlock every little bit of knowledge he can about this sport.”
Christian Simonson had several victory laps. (USA Equestrian Photo)
Both his horses and Topgun are owned by Heidi Humphries of Zen Elite Equestrian Center.
Adrienne described Heidi as “the engine that drives the machine. She is so incredibly supportive” even of horses she doesn’t own that are trained by Adrienne.
“For Heidi, they are all in the family, the barn family,” Adrienne observed.
“She has contagious enthusiasm. She has such a die-hard belief in her riders and horses through good times and bad times. Heidi’s done a fantastic job of allowing us to develop a pipeline. We’re not just looking six months or a year ahead and trying to scramble into a spot.”
Adrienne just got the ride on Zen’s newest horse, My Vitality, who is only eight. She doesn’t know if he’ll be ready for the championships, but she described him as “incredibly smart, an incredibly rideable horse.”
She appreciates the decision by the U.S. Equestrian Federation to hold the 2026 Grand Prix championship as part of the selection process for the world championships as a stand-alone at Ocala’s World Equestrian Center in May, rather than during the Dressage Festival of Champions, which has so many other divisions.
Adrienne noted the USA’s top Grand Prix horses often don’t appear at the Festival because they have just come off a European tour. Running their competition as a standalone is important, in her view.
“I think this will make it that the top horses are going head-to-head in the national Grand Prix championships,” she suggested.
In addition to everything she does with the horses, Adrienne also keeps busy as a mother with her daughter, Bailey Da Silva, who is about to turn two and already is sitting bareback on horses when she isn’t hugging or kissing them.
But Adrienne never loses focus on her work. Among others she coached to the top of the rankings at the Festival was Katie Duerrhammer, who won the Seven-Year-Old Championships at the Festival with Kylie Lourie’s Rosebank VH, who took both classes.
When Katie clinched the title, Adrienne said, “That was really a special moment. She made me cry, which is very few and far between. I’m not a crier. But she has been working so hard with that stallion and had two of her most beautiful tests. She rode so soft and so harmonious. You could have heard a pin drop.”
Katie Duerrhammer and Rosebank VH. (USA Equestrian Photo)
She was proud that in the heat of the moment, Katie was “giving him still the same soft ride he needed. It’s hard not to push a little harder when you’re under that kind of pressure.”
And then there’s Quinn Iverson, who won the Developing Grand Prix with longtime supporter Billie Davidson’s Oldenburg gelding, Gremlin 41. She earned 72.03 percent.
Quinn Iverson and Gremlin 41. (USA Equestrian Photo)
Quinn, who started as a working student for Debbie and Adrienne, has trained Gremlin for several years.
“She’s done an incredible job with him. I think he’s a super talented horse,” observed Adrienne, adding, “I think he could be on the radar to be a contender for next year (the championships shortlist) possibly too.
“It might be a little bit too soon, but our goal for next year is to get him into the Grand Prix CDIs. I’d love for him to go to Europe.”
Adrienne called Quinn, “an incredible rider. She’s one of those naturally gifted people with a super feel of the horses and the way to read horses. She can ride anything, she can get along with anything. She’s a very gifted trainer.
“I trust her to make the right decisions. That’s really exciting for me, because my goal is to bring up people who are not just good competition riders but who first and foremost are good trainers and can produce horses. We’re trying to pass Debbie’s system and knowledge to the next generation.”
It’s quite a team effort.
Christian describes his success as a reflection of the “incredible support from Adrienne and Zen,” as well as grooms Hugo Saldivar and Marina Lemay.
“Whatever Adrienne tells me to do is where I go,” Christian emphasized.
His horses have “almost the same type of character, “they’ll go through fire for you and try their hearts out.”
Each, of course, is different to ride.
Felix, as Fleau de Bain is known, is smaller than Rocky and has been Christian’s mount for 18 months. He “is like a piaffe passage machine.”
Rocky, who Christian has ridden for eight months, is “so incredibly elastic…he has incredible lateral scope and capability.”
Will we see Christian at the FEI World Cup finals and FEI World Championships next year? Could be.
When he was 13, Christian disclosed, “I wrote all of my biggest goals in a notebook. One was a Pan Ams (he already has ridden on the gold medal team in the Pan American Games), one was a WEG (World Equestrian Games, now world championships), one was an Olympics. That would be just unbelievable if it happened, Let’s keep our hooves crossed and see how it all goes.”
Click here for results
