by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 19, 2025
Mary Alice Dorrance Malone, an innovator for U.S.dressage and the owner of Pennsylvania’s renowned Iron Spring Farm, died Monday at the age of 75.
She was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from KWPN-North American in 2025, a tribute to the impact she made on the sport horse community.
“It’s so heartwarming and exciting to see people enjoying the horses she bred. Her legacy is huge in the development of riders and dressage in this country. That was her intention; it wasn’t by accident. I think she really intended to help the country be a better dressage nation with her breeding program, and she did it in spades,” said Anne Moss, a close friend of Mary Alice’s and president of Dressage at Devon
“She had an incredible impact in the sport horse world locallly, but also nationally and internationally with the horses she bred and competed,” Anne pointed out.
While Mary Alice produced top horses for professionals, she bred not only for talent “but also for trainability for the amateur rider, which she was herself,” Anne pointed out. “What a gift for all the riders trying to learn to ride well.”
Mary Alice began her involvement with horses at the Bridlewild Pony Club in Gladwyne, Pa. In the early 1970s, she operated a successful boarding and training facility in Arizona, where she trained horses, coached young riders, and helped grow the equestrian community by founding the Tucson Dressage Club and the Saguaro Pony Club.
In 1976, she returned to Pennsylvania to found Iron Spring Farm in Coatesville. She began importing European warmbloods at a time when they were still largely unknown in the U.S. Through her efforts, American breeders and riders gained access to the world’s top sport horse bloodlines. Her pioneering work helped raise the standard for American sport horses and transformed the landscape of North American breeding.
Mary Alice was instrumental in importing some of the most influential KWPN stallions of the era, including Roemer, Winston, Sebastiaan, Consul, and Contango. Roemer, who excelled at both Grand Prix jumping and dressage, became one of the most recognized stallions in the country. To honor his influence, Mary Alice established The Roemer Foundation to support educational initiatives in dressage across the United States.
Mary Alice Malone and Rampal. (Susan Sexton photo)
She was also a pioneer in introducing Friesians to competitive dressage. At a time when the breed was rarely seen in FEI competition, Mary Alice became one of the first to import Approved KFPS Friesian stallions specifically for high-performance sport.
In 2001, Mary Alice imported the charismatic Goffert 369, competing him successfully through Fourth Level before turning the reins over to her trainer and friend Belinda Nairn-Wertman, who developed and showed Goffert 369 to success at Grand Prix. (Belinda also died this month, read about her here.)
Mary Alice also competed the Approved KFPS stallions Heinse 354, Erik 351, and Ulbert 390 at the FEI levels, helping to elevate the Friesian profile in international sport and earning admiration for her vision and horsemanship.
Mary Alice’s insight as a breeder was matched by her skill in the saddle. With Rampal, she earned a place on the U.S. Olympic shortlist and helped elevate the reputation of American-bred horses on the international stage. Another cornerstone of her legacy, Contango, achieved 33 Grand Prix wins and multiple championships.
Over the course of her career, Mary Alice had over 87 Grand Prix victories, including top honors at the Royal Dressage Festival and the USET Festival of Champions. The offspring of her stallions have gone on to win the FEI World Cup Dressage Final, compete in the Olympics and Paralympics, earn medals in World Driving Championships and achieve success at International venues such as Aachen, Hickstead and Spruce Meadows.
Equally committed to mare quality, Mary Alice built a foundation of excellence with mares who earned numerous titles and awards. Her breeding program produced standout mares like Andorra ISF and Persimmon ISF, both successful in competition and breeding.
Over nearly five decades, Iron Spring Farm bred more than 300 sport horses, many of whom became USDF Horse of the Year recipients, national champions, and international competitors. Among them was Judgement ISF, one of the most accomplished American-bred show jumpers in history, who won the $1 million CN International Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows and represented the U.S. on 10 Nations’ Cup teams and at the World Championships with rider Beezie Madden.
“Her knowledge and influence in the world of U.S. warmblood breeding was tremendous and she changed our lives when she bred Judgement ISF,” Beezie and her husand, John Madden, stated.
“She was the type of owner every horse wishes for, because she never second-guessed, giving them exactly what they needed in every phase of their lives. We always felt so honored that she believed in our program and entrusted us with “Judgey.”
Mary Alice also was one of the founding members of the Dressage at Devon Breed Show, helping to establish it among the most prestigious and influential dressage breed shows in North America. Her advocacy for breed quality and her leadership in the early years of the show left an enduring mark on generations of breeders and horse lovers alike. Dressage at Devon celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this September.
Anne Moss, who bought her first warmblood (a Polish gelding named Cygnet) from Mary Alice when she was 16, rode with her friend every Friday before their weekly lunch date.
“She was always very supportive and encouraging, but also very hones,” said Anne.
“When we rode together in the indoor, she would often critique my riding, a little brutal, but honest. Then she would help me do it. She was a very private person and a very kind and just person. I think her intentions were always so good with the horses and the people she worked with,” added Anne, noting that many of the people at Iron Spring had worked there for decades.
“That says a lot about the leadership.”
Not without her lighter side, Anne said Mary Alice was known for the Halloween parties she threw. Anne and her husband had attended about 40 of them.
In the horse world, Mary Alice will be remembered not only for her unmatched contributions to equestrian sport, but in addition, for her lifelong commitment to excellence, innovation, and the horses she so deeply loved. She was also a strong advocate of preserving open space and agricultural land.
She is survived by her daughters, Mary Alice Malone Jr and Catherine, also an avid horse breeder; their husbands, and six grandchildren. Mary Alice is also survived by her brothers John Dorrance (Gundel) and Bennett Dorrance (Jacquie) and their children and grandchildren.
Mary Alice was the granddaughter of Dr. John T. Dorrance, the inventor of condensed soup and president of the Campbell’s Soup company from 1914-1930. Her father was John T. Dorrance Jr.,who chaired the Campbell’s company from 1962 to 1984. She was elected to the board in 1990.
Private services will be held by the family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Roemer Foundation, Mary Alice D. Malone Memorial Fund: 605 Main Street, Suite 212, Riverton, NJ 08077. Donations to the fund will be used to award grants to charitable organizations that support the sport and horses to which Mary Alice devoted her life.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 16, 2025
Team Great Britain reminds us today about the amazing tale of how Harry Charles replicated his father’s Olympic show jumping team gold medal performance, a little over a decade after Peter Charles stood on the podium in London. Since Harry has been in the news recently for his engagement to Eve Jobs, daughter of Apple’s late co-founder Steve Jobs, it’s only fair to focus on the athlete’s professional claim to fame.
But the Charles men aren’t just resting on their laurels. At the Flanders Foal Auction last weekend, Peter Charles secured the first offspring ever sold out of the grand prix mare HH Azur, once the celebrated mount of the USA’s McLain Ward, who took the FEI World Cup final title with her in 2017. She also was McLain’s mount for the silver medal team at the 2016 Olympics. The Cornet Obolensky colt, Côte d’Azur HH Z who sold for 88,000 Euros, will move to the Charles family’s Heathcroft Farm.
Harry Charles was 13 years old when he watched his father Peter win team show jumping gold at London 2012.
It was in that moment that he realized exactly what he wanted to do – abandoning a fledgling golfing career to focus on equestrian.
Even in his wildest dreams, though, he could not have imagined that he would match his dad in taking Olympic gold, and what is more, alongside Scott Brash and Ben Maher, who were also part of the team in London.
Harry Charles in Paris. (Getty Images)
In doing so, the Charles men are the first father-son combination to win Olympic gold for Team GB since 1948 – rowers Dickie and Charles Burnell (1908 Games) were the last to do it.
But Harry Charles must surely be the first to have won alongside his dad’s teammates, the triumphant quartet in London being Ben, Scott, Peter Charles and Nick Skelton, in a slightly different format (four team members, rather than the current three).
Harry said: “I was at Greenwich Park (for the 2012 Games); I was 13 when I watched these two boys (Scott and Ben). It’s pretty cool.
“They are both my heroes, guys I’ve looked up to since I started riding. To be on the podium with them, my inner, younger self is freaking out a little bit.
“My dad wanted me to be a golfer, so I was playing a lot of golf and riding a few ponies at the same time. I realized I was a lot better at riding a horse than swinging a golf club. So that was definitely the most pivotal moment.
“Before the competition, my dad said, `Enjoy it, whatever you do. You’ve worked hard to get here.’ And after he said, ‘Enjoy it, enjoy every minute of that ceremony, this will probably be the best moment of your life’ .”
Just 25 at Paris, Harry was the baby of the showjumping world – all the more remarkable when you consider that he was not even an Olympic newcomer, having made his debut in Tokyo.
There, Great Britain could only manage seventh, but this time around, they led from start to finish, despite Harry still mending a broken wrist he fractured in a fall three weeks earlier.
Ben Maher kicked things off with a fantastic performance on Dallas Vegas Batilly, scoring just one time penalty, as he was one of only two people to go avoid a knockdown, and the quickest of the two.
Harry then followed suit on Romeo 88, going clear despite clipping the tenth jump, as GB maintained a two-penalty lead over host nation France, one penalty to three.
By the time Scott was up on Hello Jefferson, the equation was simple, leave all the rails in place, pick up at most two time penalties and Great Britain would be champions.
Like Harry, Scott clipped a fence, playing with the nerves of those watching, but most important, holding his own.
A second time penalty meant that Britain finished on two penalties, two clear of the USA in silver, with hosts France taking bronze on seven.
With this win, Ben (the 2021 individual gold medalist in Tokyo) joined dressage competitor Charlotte Dujardin and the late eventer Richard Meade (his son, Harry, is now world number one in that discipline) as the only equestrians to win three gold medals for Team GB.
With Peter in attendance supporting the team in Versailles last year, Scott admitted it was quite a surreal feeling to have now won Olympic gold alongside two generations of the Charles family.
The London 2012 team (top) Nick Skelton, Ben Maher, Scott Brash Peter Charles. The Paris 2024 team (bottom) Scott Brash, Harry Charles, Ben Maher.
He and Ben “feel a bit like the old veterans. Pete played a massive role, even here (Paris). It’s invaluable having him on our shoulder, giving advice. Having that mentor is really good for all of us.
“Harry is only 25 but he’s very experienced already. It’s amazing to have good riders coming up in our country and I think the future looks bright.”
Ben, meanwhile, had put Great Britain into the perfect position, and even after all he has achieved as a three-time Olympic champion, explained that days this flawless come few and far between.
He said: “I would probably say none of us could have done a better job today than we did. It’s not like we will go home and think we could do something better than we did and it’s very rare in our sport. Everything came together and it was just an amazing feeling.”
Just as had been the case 12 years before, Ben, Scott and a Charles stood on the podium celebrating Olympic gold.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 10, 2025
“When a correction takes too long, you miss a training opportunity.”
“Find a better frame and neck position before asking for a canter depart.”
“Your horse needs to learn to be less dependent on you — self carriage!”
“I never saw the benefit of keeping a horse too long at First Level.”
Those words of dressage wisdom were among many helpful comments delivered by Steffen Peters, the World Cup champion; Olympic, world championships and Pan American Games multi-medalist, in a clinic at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone, N.J.
Eight riders at various stages of training took the opportunity over the weekend for a critique from one of the sport’s greats, and a few dozen auditors showed up to listen as well.
Steffen’s observations in the clinic were always to the point, but delivered with tact and kindness.
Morgen Myrdal admitted that if she hadn’t audited a 2024 clinic given by Steffen in Warwick, N.Y., “I probably would have been too intimidated” to sign up for the one in Gladstone with her sturdy 14-hand Connemara, Irish Gate’s Oberon McDuff (known as Doc).
But after watching how Steffen handled the New York clinic Morgen realized, “He is very understanding. I knew that he could help me; there were a couple of horses that had similar issues” to what she has encountered with Doc.
Steffen offers tips to Morgen Myrdal and Doc. ( Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
She thought as she watched Steffen’s New York clinic, “I’m taking a lot of notes. If I could ride with this guy, that would be even better.” And that’s just how it turned out.
Born in Germany, Steffen rode with trainer Jo Hinneman, then came to the U.S. to work in 1985, establishing himself on the West Coast. The horse that arrived with him was Udon, a talented KWPN gelding his father had bought as a three-year-old. Udon was his mount when he rode in his first Olympics in Atlanta in 1996 as a naturalized citizen on the U.S. team. He would go on to ride in five more Olympics.
These days, Steffen is doing one clinic a month, in Europe and Australia as well as the U.S.
“I enjoy this,” said the Californian about being a clinician, “and it doesn’t always have to be finished Grand Prix horses. We saw here three or four horses that still need to be taught to be properly connected. If I can bring across a little inspiration, I’ve done my job.”
He emphasizes with the riders “the standard of energy and suppleness, that the horse truly moves easily forward from the leg, maintaining this inside the horse, instead of letting the energy go out the front door.”
Rebecca Bowden, a 17-year-old high school student, is a former hunter rider now focusing on dressage with her skewbald (spotted, or as the British say, coloured) 15-year-old RPSI (German) gelding, Sky’s the Limit GSF.
She acknowledged riding in front of Steffen was “a little bit intimidating at first, but I didn’t ride the first day, I just audited. Listening to how he was teaching other people was very reassuring. This is what I could expect and he’s calming to listen to, so I imagined riding would be similar.”
Rebecca Bowden and Sky’s the Limit GSF raised their sights after getting suggestions from Steffen. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
What was the most important thing she learned?
“To have higher expectations for both of us, to think of him (her horse) more as a partner and have more confidence in what we can both do,” Rebecca reported.
Emily Amon drove 90 minutes from South Jersey to audit the clinic. She is riding Second Level on her New Zealand sport horse and explained that she came because, “I want to take every opportunity I can to learn as much as I can, so when I saw this, I jumped on the opportunity to sit and learn. You can learn a lot by watching and listening. It’s super educational.”
The clinic was very well-organized by Lidiya Frumova of Tewksbury, N.J. A rider who is working toward her U.S. Dressage Federation silver medal on horses she has trained, she missed riding in front of Steffen because she is pregnant, though her energy level was high as she made sure everything ran smoothly.
Clinic organizer Lidiya Frumova with Steffen Peters. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
“All of the riders gave me wonderful feedback,” she said.
“They’re extremely happy with the progress they made with just one lesson and a lot of the auditors are asking if we’re going to be having another one of these.
“I’m hoping to get a date from Steffen for next year. We’re hoping also to do others,” she added, mentioning Kim Herslow (Steffen’s teammate at the 2015 Pan American Games) and respected judge Linda Zang.
Steffen, 60, who hasn’t been in a show since the Paris Olympics, told me when we chatted at the lunch break that “I’m 99 percent sure that I want to retire from competing.”
His last Grand Prix horse, Suppenkasper, retired after the 2024 Games.
However, he added quickly, “I’m not quite ready to say I’m 100 percent retired. Not quite yet. There’s that 1 percent of me that still says I’d love to give it one more shot for LA (the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics), since it’s at home.”
But he’s philosophical about what fate might have in store for him.
“Let’s face it: For 20 years, we had a really good run, so many wonderful horses that consistently did really well. We were blessed with a lot of sound horses. We never missed a major competition because of injury or lameness. I take a lot of pride in that.”
Steffen on Suppenkasper at the 2023 FEI World Cup Finals in Omaha. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
He thought a moment and added, “It’s been six Olympics, with a gigantic highlight (team silver) in Tokyo. It’s probably good enough.”
He had two horses with possibilities, but his wife, Shannon, took them over, as Steffen is dealing with neuropathy in his hands and feet.
“We’re optimistic I can make this more manageable, and I don’t think competing would help that,” he explained.
His treatment involves “daily contrast therapy, with hot sauna, and then a three-minute cold plunge in 40-degree water. The pain goes to zero, but unfortunately, it comes back. At least I can interrupt the pain cycle.”
We talked about how U.S. riders are faring on the international scene.
“Looking at America at the moment, let’s be honest, we are in a rebuilding time,” he pointed out. “There are clearly three/four team horses that we can see. On many occasions, the year before the Olympics, we get something together and produced a heck of a team.”
In order to do that, he said, “What we need to look for is again those training camps together, not just two weeks or three weeks, but those two months in Europe, competing together, being there for each other, building that real family feeling we had in Rio (the 2016 Olympics); we had it in Tokyo (2021), we had it on so many occasions.”
Before Paris, he noted, “we didn’t have the option to have too many people together. We were a little bit on different farms before Paris. Everyone knew that needs to change for the future.”
At the Paris Games, he finished fifty-first after his horse “got very nervous, very spooky. He’s seen more electric arenas, like the World Cup in Omaha.”
So Steffen was surprised.Then he pointed out, “They’re animals, it happened and I don’t think that defines his career or my career, it just can happen.
“When people ask me about Paris, what happened in Paris, let’s not sugarcoat that either, that wasn’t good.”
But he doesn’t dwell on it.
“I’ve learned to switch so quickly to all the good times we had. Someone asks me about Paris, I give a very detailed explanation, (then) my mind switches immediately to Tokyo.
“We have choices. We can either question what happened in Paris or we can say those other 20 years before, they were pretty darn good.”
With controversy these days about dressage training methods getting publicity, “it’s a challenging time in the sport,” he observed.
“Maybe it’s not the wrong time for me to take a break.”
Then he smiled and emphasized, “But again, the door is open.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 2, 2025
An eventing competition that nearly didn’t happen contradicted the skeptics with a memorable Sunday of sport at Moorland Farm in Far Hills, N.J.
“It was a total success,” declared eventer, trainer and Olympic judge Marilyn Payne, who rode in the first Essex in 1968 and was determined its 2024 edition wouldn’t be the last.
She stepped up to be the organizer, despite fears that the event wouldn’t attract enough competitors to break even. But 124 riders participated during the weekend and loved the experience, despite ground that was a bit squishy here and there due to torrential rain the previous week.
“I think they’ve done an absolutely great job handling the weather,” said Nicholas Hansen, who came from central Pennsylvania to win the Open Preliminary on Mr. Max.
Tailgaters cheered on Open Preliminary winner Nicholas Hansen at the water complex. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I think they did as well as they could have with the ground and as always, they put on a pretty well-run show. I have to say it was really cool to see so many spectators, especially around the water (complex). It was great to see the community came around and supported the show so much.”
Marilyn faced quite a task in her quest to make sure that Essex could run. She correctly figured the way to insure it happened was to downsize from a two-venue, two-day fixture to a one venue, one day event at scenic Moorland Farm in Far Hills,N.J., home of October’s popular Far Hills Race Meeting.
I asked Marilyn’s daughter, competitor Holly Payne Caravella, who was second with Quality time in Open Training, how she reacted when her mother took on the daunting task of making sure Essex survived.
“She’s so good at that stuff. It comes naturally to her,” Holly observed matter-of-factly.
While Marilyn was optimistic about how the event would run, she commented as Essex wrapped up, “It was way better than I thought. It was so exciting to see all the riders come out and have such a fabulous time. The hundreds of spectators enjoyed watching the horses and going to the trade fair. The tailgating was packed and they all were cheering every time a horse went through and the riders just loved it.”
After spending thousands of hours on perpetuating Essex, she committed to doing it all again next year, “as long as all my helpers will do it with me. I have a fantastic team. I could not do it without all the great volunteers I had,” she emphasized.
“It was muddy, but we dealt with it,” Marilyn commented, noting how volunteers moved the show jumps after each division to make sure they were out of the muddy tracks.
To avoid a muddy area originally planned for dressage, that segment was moved to a dry corner of the property across from the train station where the choo-choo whistle caused no problems. (Photo © 2025 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
The competitors liked the way the cross-country and stadium jumping tracks, both designed by Morgan Rowsell, worked out on the all-grass terrain.
The busiest rider at Essex, Ryan Wood, said, “They did a great job working with what they had and it was as good as you could have hoped for.”
Ryan won the Open Training division with the Optimist, an Irish import from Cooley farm who will be coming up for sale soon. and was also third in that section with Cooley Versace who is “looking like he will be a top-class horse.”
In the Open Preliminary, he was fourth with KHH Cooely and sixth with Cooley Maestro.
A native of Australia now based in Pennsylvania, Ryan is no stranger to Essex. He took the $20,000 Preliminary title on Ruby in 2018 when Essex (which has had its ups and downs) re-emerged on the scene after not having been contested since 1998.
Ryan Wood with his prizes and a painting of his 2018 Essex winner, Ruby. (Photo © 2025 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Ryan came up to New Jersey from competing Saturday in the Maryland Combined Training Association Horse Trials with four horses. He withdrew them from that event before cross-country noting, “It was pretty wet down there,” since the facility was lacking the extra day to dry out that Essex enjoyed.
Asked why he was aboard so many horses, Ryan replied straight-faced, “I was riding for an owner who puts a lot of pressure on me.”
Open Training winner Ryan Wood on The Optimist. (Photo © 2025 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
That would be his wife, the former Lillian Heard, who is pregnant. Funnily enough, Nick, the Open Prlim winner, got the ride on the Dutch-bred Mr. Max because his wife, Hanna, also is pregnant.
The horse’s owner, Marsha Nahra, bought the Dutch-bred mount for Hanna, but since March, Nick has been keeping the 8-year-old chestnut gelding going until after the baby arrives. Then Hanna is looking at building toward a 3-star event in the spring.
“I thought the show jumping looked really challenging today, and he made it look effortless,” she said of her once and future mount.
An “A” Pony Clubber, Nick evented through the 3-star level, but hasn’t done any “real eventing” for nine years. He’s better-known as a dressage rider, having won triple gold in that discipline at Young Riders on a horse he got through Lendon Gray, and also did the Under-25 grand prix.
He and his wife have a training and sales business, Roaring Creek Farm, where he handles the dressage side of things and Hanna deals with the jumping.
But as Nick observed, “It’s a nice breath of fresh air to just be able to run and jump and not worry about the dressage work.”
The decision to focus on the lower levels and add the Starter division to the Essex program paid off. Starter was very popular, drawing two sections of riders. Olivia Hickok, who won the A section, wore a shirt to match her horse’s name, Huckleberry. He was adorned with a lightning bolt on one flank and stars on the other.
Olivia Hickok and Huckleberry. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
Although the Somerset Hills Pony Clubber has competed at novice level, Olivia dropped her Morgan/Standardbred cross down to Starter because he is 19 years old.
Olivia, an extremely poised 15-year-old high school sophomore from Tewksbury, N.J., said of her Essex experience, “I love this event. It’s a great local event for family and friends to come out to watch. I love the tailgating part of it, so much support, the shops and everything.”
For the second year in a row, Olivia received the Golden Nugget Memorial Trophy for the Pony Club member under 18 who had the lowest number of penalties. Coincidentally, the trophy is given by her trainer, Clarissa Wilmerding.
The other special award, the Jean and Eliott Haller Perpetual Trophy for Horsemanship, awarded in memory of the Essex founders, went to Adelaide Reist, a Starter competitor who never gave up with Firecracker, a horse who offered a bit of a challenge.
Julia Cutler riding Marilyn’s Rock Me Mama won the Adult Amateur Best Score Award in winning the Beginner Novice B Rider section with 30.3 penalties.
Leeci Rowsell, daughter of course designer Morgan Rowsell and his wife, Virginia, won the Novice B Division with Corstowns Espresso Martini. She got some helpful hints from Alice Tarjan, best known as a dressage competitor. (Photo © 2025 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Essex offered a chance for people to get together with others involved with equestrian sport, or just horses in general. The volunteer pool came from that group. At the water complex, Beth Groblewski was a fence judge, something she has been doing since she stopped competing at Essex after the first two years it was held at Moorland.
“I volunteered because I live right up the road,” said Beth, who runs Fox Bend Farm.
“Now that I’m not competing any more, I give back. It takes a lot of volunteers to keep it going,” she said.
Tailgaters were lined up all along the area with a view of the water. Sponsors had tents where they welcomed guests, alongside those from local groups such as the Somerset Hills Pony Club and Tewksbury Trail Association.
Guy Torsiliei, who runs the Far Hills Race Meeting with Ron Kennedy, hosted Fox News star Jesse Watters and his family. Jesse moved from New York to Bernardsville and became part of the Somerset Hills Community. He enjoys skeet shooting at Moorland and is becoming a regular at Essex.
Jesse Watters and daughter Gigi, 3, with Guy Torsilieri in the tailgating area.. Photo © 2025 by Lawrence J. Nagy
“I haven’t ridden a horse yet, but one of these days I’ll get up there and try not to fall off,” Jesse told me.
Presenting sponsors for Essex were Pure Insurance and Land Rover of Parsippany, a full-service dealer of luxury brands that is expanding its involvement. Other sponsors included Kienlen Lattmann Sotheby’s International Realty, Hunt’s End Farm, Hewitt Home Heating, Purina Animal Nutrition in conjunction with Somerset Grain & Feed and Sergeantsville Grain & Feed, and Corcoran Sawyer Smith real estate.
Dr. Greg Staller’s Running ‘S’ Equine Veterinary Services sponsored the riders’ tent that were also open to horse owners and grooms. Marilyn noted donations of more than $20,000 helped keep the event running, with individual supporters contributing.
Essex gives back beyond the equestrian scene, benefitting the Life Camp in Pottersville, which provides an enriching summer day camp experience for 300 youths daily for six weeks during July and August. Campers between the ages of 6 and 13 come from the greater Newark public school system, as well as from Newark Charter School Programs.
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by Nancy Jaffer | May 30, 2025
Devon was packed wall-to-wall with spectators, from the ringside blue benches and the fans in the jammed standing-room-only area behind them, up to the box seats. There were enthusiastic visitors in every nook and cranny that would permit even a mere glimpse of the Dixon Oval.
Thursday night was the $226,000 Sapphire Grand Prix, a must-attend for many families from Philadelphia’s Main Line, even with parking at $80 a car. The class is a tradition like no other in the U.S. You can compare the enthusiasm level with that encountered at the Dublin Horse Show or Aachen.
Even if Devon is the only horse show these folks attend, coming once a year — every year — has given them a certain degree of familiarity with the sport and its players.
Number one on their hit parade is McLain Ward; the class is named after his late, great mare, twice a winner of the class. As McLain cantered into the arena on Callas, the crowd roared a welcome even before his name was announced. And when he collected 4 faults for a rail at the final fence, unlucky number 13, there came a high-decibel roar of sympathy.
He had flown in from Europe to compete at a show for which he feels a special affinity, and when it ends this weekend, he’ll fly back to ride for the U.S. team in France. But he always makes a point of riding at Devon.
As it happened, designer Anderson Lima’s course yielded a jump-off of six riders, not all of whom were familiar to most of those in attendance. But they still cheered and clapped.
McLain Ward and Callas. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
Four of the next generation of show jumpers made the cut from the starting field of 25, but the honors went to the veteran Aaron Vale, age 56, and the high-flying Carissimo 25. Though Aaron has competed at the show in the past, he is not a regular like McLain, who has won the grand prix 12 times. Yet Aaron quickly won over the crowd, and he loved it.
“It’s a lot more fun when someone comes and watches you do this,” he said.
“I do this every day at home by myself, with just four or five people watching.”
Aaron Vale and Carissimo 25 enjoy their victory gallop. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
Aaron enjoyed the advantage of going last in the draw, so he had a little time to see how the course rode. Ireland’s perennial team rider Shane Sweetnam was slotted first in the tiebreaker, producing a very professional effort in 34.29 seconds on the 9-year-old Corian van Klapscheut Z, who was jumping in his first 4-star grand prix.
Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam was second in the grand prix. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
While Shane noted his mount is naturally fast, he didn’t push the Zangersheide gelding, who was at the show to gain experience.
“I knew I was quick enough, but I knew I could be caught,” said Shane, who was happy with his horse.
“You ask him to do it and he does it quite well.”
Anderson Lima designed a course with lots of challenges for the grand prix. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
Speaking about his preparation for the jump-off, Aaron reported, “I went up in the stands to watch Shane in person.” Aaron’s Holsteiner has a big stride and is “a bit of a slow mover, so time allowed is a bit of an issue sometimes.
“Going later with him really gives me a chance to watch and see where I can leave a stride out and cut a turn and whatnot. If I can get moving early, that puts me in a groove with him.”
Getting an in-person overview of the ring is important.
“You get a better judge of things than on the TV screen,” Aaron explained.
“I wanted to see the strides he (Shane) did. I kind of had my plan and I watched him and then I tracked everybody’s time behind that.
Aaron Vale and Carissimo 25 were flying high at Devon. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I figured if I could do eight strides from one to two and two to three, which I ended up doing, I thought that would really kind of get me in a rhythm where I was able to just kind of coast the rest of the way in.”
He noted, “There was maybe one stride less available to the last fence, but I was able to peek at the clock as I was coming out of the in-and-out. It looked like I was up far enough that I could just take the eight strides and still make it.
“My only concern was when he (Carissimo) got there, he was a little slow. He jumped real high and spent a little time in the air, and I was like, `Oh no, that might have done it, the height.’ But it was good enough.”
He was clocked in 33.70 seconds, which did the trick and earned the approval of the crowd. Aaron’s warmth reaches out to people, whether he is on a horse or just walking around the showgrounds. He;s a friendly, folksy guy, whose business is called “Thinks Like a Horse,” and he does. A native of the Ocala, Fla., area, at one time he was best known for his record in that region. But since getting together with Carissimo in 2023, he has become a world traveler and a regular on U.S. teams.
When Carissimo came up for sale “he showed up at my barn. I didn’t even really know it. He’s a super talent, tons of ability,” said Aaron.
“We’ve had some really big results. I’m just trying to find more consistency.With his ability, I feel like we should be having this result almost every week. As you develop a partnership and you find some tricks to the training and communication, maybe we’ll get there. We’re in this position more often.”
Aaron Vale listens to the Star-Spangled banner being played for his win, with ownership group members Don and Nancy Stewart standing by. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
Aaron was fifth in line for the Paris Olympic squad (only three competed) in 2024, rode on the U.S. team that won the Aga Khan trophy at the Dublin Horse Show after the Games, and then finished third in the prestigious grand Rolex Grand Prix of Ireland at that venue.
Third place at Devon went to Alex Matz, whose father, Michael, was often a winner in the Dixon Oval during the twentieth century before switching careers to becoming a successful race horse trainer.
As Alex noted about Devon’s special meaning to him, “It’s my hometown show, it has one of the best atmospheres of any shows we have in the States.” He was timed in 34.69 seconds with Ikigai.
Alex Matz and Ikigai. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
“My dad won this grand prix a lot, so I try to use any wisdom that he passes on,” said Alex.
Aaron chimed in, saying cheerfully, “I saw him discussing some angle he (Michael) wanted him to take to a warmup fence.”
Alex replied a bit sheepishly, “I didn’t do that. I spaced out and I did something else.”
His father was a fan of Ikigai, a Dutchbred stallion, when Alex tried him in Europe, and urged Virginia McNeil to go over the pre-arranged budget to purchase him. The chestnut turned out to be a great buy; Alex was leading international rider at Toronto’s Royal Winter Fair last year.
The under-30 set was represented not only by Alex, but also by Alexandra Worthington on De L’oiseliere in fourth place, followed by Chloe Reid, who had a rail down with Crossover 4 and Baylee McKeever on Formidable, experiencing a run-out before finishing the course. It was the first 5-star for Baylee, the daughter of Lee and Erika McKeever, pillars of McLain’s stable.
Update May 31: As the show ended, Aaron Vale was named Leading Open Jumper Rider and Carissimo 25 the Leading Open Jumper.
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by Nancy Jaffer | May 29, 2025
It was a morning of peaks and valleys at the Devon Horse Show on Thursday for Colin Syquia and Jennifer Hannan, as the couple shared a wide range of emotions.
There were smiles for Colin’s victory with Front Page in the show’s $50,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, and tears as Jennifer’s beloved mount, Mindful, was given a farewell ceremony in the same arena.
But as she wiped her eyes, Jennifer noted the way it happened was “actually a double high, so great for Colin to win today” and “for Mindful to retire that way.”
Front Page, a Belgian warmblood, moved up from seventh place in the classic first round, earning a mark of 101from one of the two sets of judges, followed up by a 100 in the second round, the handy. The derby was a major goal for Colin, as Front Page is shown primarily in the amateur division by his owner, Cynthia Sulzberger. She’s a member of the family that publishes the New York Times; hence, her horse’s appropriate name.
Colin Syquia and Front Page. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
Front Page, who was champion in the second-year green hunters at Devon two years ago, “loves this venue. like I do. It’s iconic. You feel the energy. It makes you want to perform better. It’s a special place,” said Colin.
Referring to the historic trophies on display at the showgrounds, he noted, “If you’re lucky enough to have your name and your horse’s name engraved on that trophy, it’s immortalized.”
He said he and Front Page “have gained a great relationship.” He didn’t focus on every single class in the run-up to the derby, instead opting to get him stronger and looser. “So in the end, he’s fresh and happy.”
The horse knows when a competition is special.
You might not even notice him at an ordinary show, Colin said but “When he comes here, Kentucky or the National, he just grows a hand, he’s alert, his jump is electric.”
The next goal Colin has with the horse is the finals of the Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship in Kentucky this summer. There he will meet up again with Hunt Tosh, a three-time winner in Kentucky, who settled for second at Devon with the Wheeler family’s Cannon Creek, and Michael Britt-Leon, third Thursday with Mark Dorfman’s well-behaved stallion, Prime Time. Like Cannon Creek, he is a Holsteiner.
The leader after the first round, which drew 31 starters, was Four Aces, ridden by David Wilbur. But the momentum didn’t last and that combination wound up ninth after the top 12 came back for the handy round.
“It was a great course today I thought, both rounds,” said Hunt, noting he had a rub in the first round.
“It was a great atmosphere we all have a good time in the schooling area and watching each other go. Every great hunter, I believe, has a story behind it at Devon.”
People who have horses at the level of the top performers in the Derby “start planning their careers and their show schedules around Devon,” Hunt mentioned.
Michael felt like “a little bit of an underdog coming out” because the horse is new for him since last fall, when he rode him at the indoor shows. But he said Prime Time is “very, very mellow…you know he’s going to get to the other side of all the jumps.”
Since this was their first derby together, he had “low expectations and just wanted to have a nice smooth round today.”
He said the course designed by Alan Lohman offered many possibilities.
“The jumps were large and there were definitely a lot of questions on the course that you could kind of make your own and keep it exciting,” said Michael, admitting to being “a bit of a ham,” adding he felt Hunt and Colin had the same inclination.
Mindful, a 21-year-old Hanoverian who could be 10 if you judged by his well-kept looks, was surrounded by friends as his saddle was removed for the last time and replaced with a blanket of white roses.
Jennifer Hannan wipes away her tears as she leads Mindful out of the arena after his retirement ceremony. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
His owner, Selma Garber, and former rider, Kelley Farmer, were on hand to wish him farewell for his retirement in Rhode Island. He will be turned out with his buddy, Olympic Fire, another hunter, and get plenty of his favorite treat, Publix iced oatmeal cookies.
Mindful’s former rider, Kelley Farmer, and his owner, Selma Garber, were on hand at his retirement. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
He was imported from Europe as a jumper, and ridden by Canadian Jay Duke. He switched to the hunters and was an immediate success. Jennifer started riding him 10 years ago.
“He’s really sound and he’s great, but he’s 21 years old,” said Jennifer, explaining the decision to retire him.
Then she added quickly, “He’s still spry and very happy.”
At age 20, Mindful won a hunter derby at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Fla. But at the beginning of their relationship, it took some time for Jennifer to connect with him.
The first year, she got bucked off regularly, and then realized “I was going to learn from him. We ought to look inside our horses and figure out what makes everything tick.”
Jennifer added she is, “Grateful for an incredible experience with him. He has changed my whole career.”
