by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 21, 2025
Verdades,who took Laura Graves to the world number one ranking for dressage, has passed away at the age of 23.
“I never thought this day would come. You were invincible,” Laura mourned on social media.
“Thank you for choosing me and being my friend for 23 years. I don’t know what a day looks like without you.”
Laura and Diddy in the 2017 World Cup finals. (Photo © 2017 by Nancy Jaffer)
A great equine talent bought as a foal off a video view by Laura’s mother, Freddie, he was not easy to deal with as he developed. But the foal nicknamed Diddy matured into a horse both Laura and the USA could count on.
His eccentricity included fear of fly spray, velcro, umbrellas and clippers. Yet persistence and patience paid off for Laura. It took time, a dislocated jaw and broken vertebrae for Diddy’s owner. But eventually, they meshed so well that they were one.
Piaffe and passage were classic in Diddy’s performances. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
“If I thought it, he did it,” she once told me.
Laura became a working student for Anne Gribbons, who would become the U.S. dressage technical advisor. Diddy either was sleeping or getting into trouble, as Laura put it, but she worked it out. Even when he broke his jaw in a 2011 stable accident, she took the time that enabled him to heal, get back to form and then exceed it.
Training with Debbie McDonald was a key to success, and Laura’s persistence with her beloved horse paid off. She was part of the 2016 Olympic bronze medal team, finished second in the 2017 FEI World Cup finals, won team silver at the 2018 World Equestrian Games and became the only American ever to rank number one in the world standings.
Diddy retired to a life of ease and love at Laura’s Florida farm in 2020.
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 19, 2025
it was the kind of winning Dressage Grand Prix Freestyle performance you’d expect from a world champion, and Charlotte (Lottie) Fry delivered in a big way at the London International Horse Show Friday on her magical partner, Glamourdale.
The British duo got marks of 10 across the board for music and interpretation of the music, the ride on “Glamourdale Airlines,” to tunes such as “Let’s Fly Away” and realistic-sounding announcements from a flight attendant (Lottie’s voice).
Glamourdale, a 14-year-old pitch black Dutchbred stallion who is light on his feet, secured a percentage of 96.240 in the World Cup Qualifier for the artistic aspect of his dance and 82.04 for the technical side to hit a total of 89.170 percent and get a standing ovation.
“This is one of Glamourdale’s best ever performances,” a thrilled Lottie said after reaching out to her fans as she galloped by on her victory lap.
“He loves the crowd here and the support was just amazing today, Glammie really rises to that. The crowd seemed to love our new freestyle (the music was familiar but the moves were fresh.) The way he felt today was just the most incredible feeling.”
Lottie and Glammie. (FEI Photo)
Lottie also won Thursday’s Grand Prix. But her compatriot Charlotte Dujardin, second in the Grand prix with Alive and Kicking, had a few mishaps in the freestyle to wind up fifth.
Charlotte Dujardin with Alive and Kicking.
The entrance portion of Charlotte’s ride was marred by a break in the piaffe, and piaffe problems came again at the very end of her ride. That left her on 79.230 percent.
The void was filled by another British rider, Lottie’s Olympic teammate Becky Moody on her homebred star, Jagerbomb. Their new festive freestyle was a perfect fit with the holiday mood of the show. The music was all Christmas favorite tunes. Not carols, but bright numbers including “Sleigh Ride” (complete with vocal); “All I want for Christmas” and “Jingle Bell Rock.”
The energy of the music was matched by Jagerbomb’s strong delivery, with the 11-year-old Dutchbred’s rhythm and elasticity getting marks from 8.5 to 9, but there was no question about the harmony between horse and rider. On that, they got marks of 9 from every judge except one, who awarded the duo 9.5.
“We tried to have a little bit of fun with the music,” said Becky.
“It was really cool. I’m incredibly lucky to have such a phenomenal horse, he has a heart of gold.”
Becky Moody and Jagerbomb. (FEI Photo)
Her total of 86.410 percent was more than respectable. It edged third-place Isabel Freese of Norway by a good bit, as she delivered a ride marked at 81.695 percent on Total Hope, a son of the legendary Totilas.
It’s interesting to see how far dressage has come since Totilas’ heyday 15 years or so ago. Many horses now exhibit a style that seems more natural and well-balanced, as opposed to relying on getting points with a blatantly manufactured showy front end. The eyes on dressage since the advent of social license to operate also have encourage a kinder approach to training.
A case in point is the current world number one, Zonik Plus, who is competing this weekend in Frankfurt in the world top 12 competition. Belgian rider Justin Verboomen took his time with the Hanoverian stallion (another black superstar) he bought as a coming three-year-old and patient training paid off, He won the Grand Prix at the German show with a score of 81.587 percent.
In case you’re wondering, there were no U.S. riders either in London or Frankfurt. They’re in Florida, where the season soon will start in earnest.
Click here for London results
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 18, 2025
Dressage World Champion Charlotte (Lottie) Fry may have won the Grand Prix on the aptly named Glamourdale at the London International Horse Show Thursday, but much of the crowd’s attention also was on runner-up Charlotte Dujardin aboard Alive and Kicking.
Charlotte Dujardin on Alive and Kicking.
It was Charlotte’s first appearance in the Excel Centre in two years. Until July 2025, she had been serving a suspension imposed by the FEI after video emerged of her hitting a student’s horse with a longe whip during a lesson.
Relishing the cheers of the audience when she appeared, Charlotte said it was “a real buzz” to be back in the spotlight, competing at the top of the sport once again.
“Just going back in that arena, there is something so special about riding here, it is incredibly special. Going around the edge and having so many people shout `go on, Charlotte,’ it was very emotional,” she said, after putting in a test on the 11-year old Westfalian mare that yielded a mark of 76.544 percent.
On her longtime Dutchbred partner, Lottie was well ahead of Charlotte, scoring at 80.783 percent for a test that highlighted the 14-year-old Dutchbred stallion’s fluid movement and broad reach in the extended trot and canter. Only one of the five judges failed to give Lottie a score over 80 percent, but her total was not a personal best. She’s used to stratospheric scores.
Charlotte Fry on Glmourdale
The class was a total victory for the Brits, with Becky Moody in third-place on her homebred Jagerbomb, an 11-year-old Dutchbred who secured a total of 75.043 percent. Becky looked quite glamorous in her spangled brown tailcoat.
A lost shoe in the warm-up affected her preparation for the class, cutting the time she had available to get ready as it was replaced. An error behind with a slow change in the one-tempi’s affected her score.
The awards presentation for the class was made under a giant Union Jack that said it all about the dominant nation.
On Friday, the competitors will ride in the freestyle for points that go toward securing a place in the FEI World Cup Final, to be held in April in Ft. Worth.
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 12, 2025
At a non-competition gathering of equestrians — case in point, the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s annual meeting — the array of issues feels daunting. Even days starting with 7 a.m. sessions hardly seem long enough to tackle them.
From horse welfare and a new hunter division, to safety issues and allowing mules in hunter classes, the abundance and range of topics was overwhelming.
But conventions like USHJA’s in Orlando, Fla., this week are designed to deal by making everyone aware of the challenges while considering solutions in an effort to move the sport forward.
“We are a participation-based organization,” said USHJA President Britt McCormick, who believes that even in the age of Zoom video conferencing, there’s a benefit for getting industry representatives together in person for discussion, debate and rewriting rules as necessary.
The range of USHJA’s responsibilities is far-reaching.
“We touch everything from the affiliate level to the Outreach level to the high performance hunters, high performance jumpers and equitation,” Britt outlined, then mentioned education safety, and horse and human welfare.
The meeting format encouraged conversation and “is getting more inclusivity, more people are stepping up, more people are speaking. The community is coming together. This is why we don’t go virtual. We are a lobbyist, but as the national affiliate, we are also an advocate for each group.”
The mission of USHJA, according to Britt, is “anything we can do, from membership to licensed officials to competition to try to make things better for the members. That’s been the driving force.”
USHJA President Britt McCormick.
He told the more than 177 members attending that his goal was “to get feedback from you on where we’re going, how we’re getting there and why we’re doing what we’re doing. ”
The Texan added, “Trying to make everybody happy is almost impossible, but I think we’re doing a pretty good job.”
Those who made the trip to Orlando certainly were not shy about having their say; lining up at the microphones to express their concerns, as opposed to sending an email or making a phone call.
A big project for USHJA involves revamping and reforming hunter and equitation judging.
By the end of April, it is expected task forces will come up with a plan for education “so we can have a clean start and best practices in place by December 2026,” Britt said. The concept is to “get training consistent across every part of the judging, from applicant to Big R.”
USHJA is the largest affiliate of the U.S. Equestrian Federation. The Federation’s CEO, Bill Moroney, and president, Tom O’Mara, were on hand to address a concern that has become a frequent topic on social media: Whether show horses are being overused. That’s important for many reasons, with animal welfare and social license to operate at the top of the list. This is an ongoing project for USEF, as it digs deeper into the subject and gets more relevant numbers.
At this point, the USEF defines overuse as a noticeably observable decline in performance, physical capability, movement or mental well-being that can be combined with resistance, exhaustion and decline in jumping style, among other factors.
The Federation honchos came equipped with charts and diagrams, as well as an explanation of why it will take a while to come up with both an answer to the question of whether overuse is widespread and then, if necessary, what to do about it. Bill cautioned that the public might believe horses are competing in shows more than the statistics demonstrate their actual level of activity .
The USHJA board disapproved a rule proposal that would have limited the number of over-fences classes in which a horse is allowed to participate during the course of one day.
The Federation CEO cited the dark side of social media, which means it’s necessary to deal with “a lot of assumptions that get made out there that become urban legends and actually are chipping away at our ability to enjoy equestrian sport.”
USEF statisticians dealt only with numbers from USEF shows, not unrecognized fixtures. Bill also cautioned, “We have no information on what your warm-up routines are,” or what activities the horses is involved in on non-competition days.
The USEF staffers found that the maximum number of classes in 2024 logged by hunters competing at heights of 3 feet and below was 348; for those jumping over 3 feet, it was 265. In terms of competition days, the maximum in the first category was 14 appearances in the ring, and seven in the second category.
Jumpers competing in 1.10 meter and below classes were in an average of 27 classes per year at a rate of one class per day. However, this group recorded maximums of 39 classes per competition and 258 for the year.
For 1.15 to 1.35 meters, the average jumper competed in 25 classes for the year, at the rate of one class per day. The average jumper competing at 1.40 meters and above competes in 26 classes per year, at a rate of one class per day.
While the average competing hunter may be attending between five and 10 competitions per year, there are horses appearing at double or even triple that rate. However, it was pointed out they represent less than 2 percent of all competing hunters and jumpers.
Dr. Steve Schumacher, the USEF’s chief veterinary officer, answered questions about drug testing. He told his audience that if they had problems during the testing process, they should contact USEF. The right people can be reached at 1-800-633-2472 or by email, medequestrian@usef.org.
At a meeting of the Safety Committee, it was noted that there still is no confirmed data on whether the inflatable vests that are so popular either help or harm those wearing them. The USEF has raised money for research on the subject, but Tom O’Mara explained the price is in the high six figures for an effective study on the subject.
Among the rules passed by the board was a vital one requiring every show to have an AED (automated external defibrillator) in working order. The device can restart the heart when it has stopped.
Will Haselden, the father of 14-year-old Ryan Haselden whose heart stopped while she was competing in a jumper class, was emotional telling the story of his daughter’s traumatic incident during the meeting. He praised Fox Lea Farm in Venice, Fla., where the incident occurred, for having an easily accessible AED that saved his daughter’s life, and noted the importance of providing the device at every show.
The board voted in favor of adding a 3-foot, 3-inch green hunter conformation division to the rulebook. Those speaking in favor of the addition think it boosts the horsemanship aspect of judging horses in terms of what should be looked for in competition prospects.
Rules passed by USHJA need to be voted on by the USEF board at its mid-year meeting in 2026 to become effective.
The board needs to have more discussion on a rule that would enable video review in hunter classes; the Hunter Working Group wanted it available only for major faults, and at the judge’s discretion.
Oh, and what about those mules? Having already earned the right to compete in eventing, jumpers and dressage, they will be able to add hunter classes to their resume, as the USHJA board voted in their favor. Although director Glenn Petty recalled an incident at a North Carolina show where ponies scattered when a mule approached, as director Charlotte Robson pointed out, mules already are on the showgrounds in the other divisions.
(To read about the USHJA’s Evening of Equestrians, click on this link.)
An often-expressed concern is the age of those in leadership, with many having been involved for decades. There were members of a slightly younger contingent being seated in key roles, but looking further ahead for a fresh take, Kameron Berry 15, and Isabella Pan, 20, have their eyes on becoming part of the governance scene. They attended with help from the Alvin Topping governance grant.
Kameron Berry and Isabella Pan.
“I really like seeing the point of view from all the different people,” said Kameron, who attends an online school, leaving him flexibility for barn time at Bee Cave Riding Center in Texas.
“You’ll think you’re on one side and then you’ll hear the other side and you’ll switch. It’s very fun to see where you fall at the end of it,” he pointed out.
“I think there should be a lot more young people coming into this, because we are the next generation to take this over Anyone can sit on a horse, but you also have to know the business side of it.”
Isabella, 20, a North Carolina State veterinary school student, was happy to be “part of the conversations” at the meeting, “learning how policies are made as well as being able to ask questions. The community in USHJA and USEF is so welcoming and so open. I’m grateful for the opportunity to be able to sit in and listen.”
Three friends in their 20s also made an appearance. Judging from their enthusiasm, they may well find themselves on USHJA’s board of directors at some point. They are Johanna Moseley, 27, a professional from Louisiana who came up through the USHJA ranks and is the mother of two; Emily Goodman, a 22-year-old amateur and Caroline Ritter, 27, who runs a stable in Naples, Fla. Caroline nicknamed herself “the sponge,” because she soaks up knowledge at opportunities like the USHJA meeting.
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 14, 2025
He wasn’t going to make the same mistake twice.
The world’s number one-ranked show jumper, Kent Farrington, was a brilliant combination of determination and precision aboard Greya to win the 1.2 million Euro ($1.4 million U.S.) Rolex Grand Prix in Geneva, Switzerland on Sunday and start on the road to the elusive Rolex Grand Slam.
Kent was very distressed Friday when he finished second on Toulayna to Britain’s Scott Brash in the International Jumper Riders Club top 10 competition, and blamed himself for the loss while noting how beautifully his mare had handled the challenge.
“Today was better riding. Thank God,” said Kent.
“I was so upset the other day. I thought my horse jumped incredible, so I was out for revenge today. Super happy with the results. Greya is an incredible horse,” he said of the 11-year-old daughter of Colestus, who is his match for ability and fortitude.
Kent and Greya, the mare who was victorious in seven 5-star grands prix this year, were determined to win in Geneva.
In the eight-horse tiebreaker, the American was fighting to beat the time of U.S.-based Irishman Shane Sweetnam on James Kann Cruz, clocked in 41.39 seconds. Kent claimed the 400,000 Euro ($469,000 U.S.) top prize with tight turns and brilliant foot speed, staying ahead of his rival all the way to finish in 40.04 seconds. Thibeau Spits of Belgium was third with the Zangersheide stallion Impress-k Van’t Kattenheye Z in 42.21 seconds.
Rolex Geneva Grand Prix winner Kent Farrington with second-place Shane Sweetnam, left, and third-place Thibeau Spits.
“I was worried about this one,” Kent admitted, but he played it perfectly.
“A great finish for my year. I’m super proud of my horse and my team,” he said.
Shane, who noted he keeps finishing behind Kent, realized that even if he had put in his ideal round, he couldn’t have beaten the winner. But the Irishman was pleased that after having been third and fourth in the class in previous years, he was pleased to have moved up to second on his Irish-bred mount.
Swiss designer Gérard Lachat and Olympic course designer Gregory Bodo of France laid out the route in the Palexpo Arena.The view was a winter wonderland, with Christimas trees on course, decorative gift-wrapped presents next to one jump and even a reindeer along a side of the arena.
The clock was a factor in how the course rode, with the first three of the 40 contenders having penalties for failing to make the 74-second time allowed. A total of 12 riders accumulated time faults. Slowest of the clear jumping rounds belonged to the USA’s Lille Keenan on Fasther, who had two time penalties to finish thirteenth. The only other American in the class, Kyle King, was thirty-eighth on Kayenne Z.
Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam and James Kann Cruz.
Next up on the Grand Slam circuit is the Dutch Masters in March, followed by Aachen and Spruce Meadows. Only one rider, Scott Brash, has ever won the Grand Slam by taking all four. He was the Geneva Grand Prix winner in 2014 to start his streak. As the winner of the Spruce Meadows grand prix in September, he would have been halfway to another grand slam had he won Sunday. But he didn’t even make the jump-off after having two fences down in the first round with Hello Folie and finishing thirtieth.
This was the second time that Kent has won the Geneva grand prix. He also was victorious in 2017 on Gazelle. Only two other Americans have won the class; McLain Ward on HH Azur in 2022 and Katie Monahan Prudent on Belladonna in 1999.
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 12, 2025
World number one-ranked show jumper Kent Farrington of the USA was concise in commenting on his performance after losing the Rolex International Jumping Riders Top 10 Final by 0.16 seconds to Great Britain’s Scott Brash on Friday night.
“The horse jumped to win tonight and the rider rode to lose, so that was not good,” Kent said ruefully of his second-round trip in Geneva, Switzerland’s Palexpo arena aboard Toulayna.
Continuing to beat himself up, he commented, “That was stupid riding.”
It cost him a third victory in the class that always attracts the sport’s stars and this time included two Olympic individual gold medalists and the European champion.
Kent Farrington, wearing the world number one armband, and Toulayna.
Last to go, Kent had the advantage of watching Scott’s 45.63-second effort on Hello Chadora Lady, a 14-year-old daughter of the famous Chacco Blue.
“I thought I matched his round early,” mused Kent, noting Scott’s horse “is a bit quicker across the ground. I saw everybody knocking down the second-to-last vertical (the black and blue IJRC fence) so I tried to play it a little easy there.
“I probably needed one less (stride) to the last,” which was the Rolex oxer.
Of Scott’s effort, Kent observed, “He just caught me by a whisker.” The American was clocked in 45.79 seconds on his intrepid 11-year-old Zangersheide mare.
Scott Brash and Hello Chadora Lady on their way to victory.
Scott, who collected 170,000 Euros (nearly $200,000 U.S.) after his precision trip, said, “I’m absolutely delighted, and delighted for the mare. I always had this class in mind for her.”
In 2014, Scott took the IJRC title and then became the only rider ever to win the Rolex Grand Slam.
It also bears mentioning that the Olympic team double gold medalist won the world’s richest grand prix, another Rolex feature, at Spruce Meadows in September over a course that was remarkable for its difficulty.
He noted Chadora is the type of alert contender who “just wants to get on with it.” So “it’s a balance, letting her get on with it but still listening to me. She was absolutely incredible. She was amazing.”
The podium in Geneva: winner Scott Brash, center; runner-up Kent Farrington, left and third-place Richie Vogel.
European Champion Richie Vogel of Germany was third on the aptly named gray stallion, Cloudio, despite being faster than the top two, finishing in 44.24 seconds. That was because he carried over 4 faults from his first trip, but was able to rise from eighth place in the initial round to reach the podium in the second, after those who had been ahead of him either had rails or a slower time.
“I’m very happy with Cloudio’s performance tonight,” Richie commented.
“It’s his first time in Geneva. The way he felt home in the arena tonight was absolutely amazing. I was very disappointed after the result in the first round, where I had a clear misunderstanding while approaching fence 10 ending up with a pole down”.
The course, put together by Swiss designer Gérard Lachat and Olympic course designer Gregory Bodo of France, featured several fences higher than 1.60 meters. But the real demand of the second round was in its twists and turns, particularly at the sixth of 10 fences, a vertical flanked by Christmas trees that demanded a sweeping approach which could not be cut too close. Ben Maher, Britain’s 2021 Olympic individual gold medalist, fell off there when Dalls Vegas Batilly stopped on the angle.
The Top Ten class has unique appeal.
“I think it’s just great to be here and to be part of the Top 10 class. And I think if you run this class 10 times, you’ll probably get 10 different results. It’s just amazing,” Scott said.
Kent was the only American in the line-up. Although Laura Kraut and McLain Ward qualified for the class, both instead stayed in the U.S. to win at Desert International Horse Park in California..
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