Nancy Jaffer
EQUESTRIAN SPORTS
NEWS AND FEATURES
FROM NEW JERSEY AND BEYOND
Recalling the best (and worst) of 2025
As the new year gallops toward us, let's take a little half-halt to look back on 2025 and see where we've been, before we turn our attention to where we're going. At the high end, the wealthy who want to participate in horse sports are doing just fine, as you would...
Will the Maryland 5-star event continue?
After five years, the Maryland 5-star three-day event at Fair Hill established itself as a well-respected fixture, attracting a healthy entry for its accompanying 3-star division, as well as good crowds for cross-country day tailgating and the show jumping finale, in...
Remembering those who said farewell in 2025
Between the celebration of Christmas and new year's eve champagne toasts, let's take a few minutes to think about the people and horses who sadly left us over the last 12 months. They deserve our attention in a final salute, recalling their achievements and what they...
Youth takes the prize in London show jumping grand prix
Show jumping often is called a lifetime sport. No one takes that more seriously than John Whitaker, who spent decades as a mainstay of the British team and is still going at age 70. When the London International Horse Show drew to a close Sunday, John found himself in...
A fond send-off for retiring Explosion W
Explosion W got a salute worthy of a remarkable show jumper who had won 16 5-stars and individual Olympic gold. as he retired with Ben Maher aboard at the London International Horse Show on Sunday night. A sold-out arena cheered him and 6,000 glow sticks were waved in...
A battle of the dressage titans
It has been an incredible year for the low-key world number one Justin Verboomen of Belgium and his fabulous Hanoverian stallion Zonik Plus, with victories at Aachen and the European Championships. On Sunday, the duo finished their year in the same style, with a...
A new leader for the Irish show jumping team
You may know her best as an interviewer and analyst on the live stream, but Jessica Kürten has just been appointed Horse Sport Ireland's new High Performance Jumping Manager, succeeding Michael Blake. One of Ireland’s most accomplished, and influential figures in...
We’re not the only ones…
The survival of struggling national-level jumping show circuits, the places where riders can improve their skills at less cost than on the international level, is a global concern. It was a topic last week at both the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association's annual meeting in...
Adrienne Cotter passed away
Adrienne Ann Cotter, a former executive vice president of the American Horse Shows Association, died Friday. She is survived by her husband, Martin, and two children, Ian and Rhea. For decades Adrienne was a staple in the horse community on Long Island and...
Rocky rocks it at WEC dressage
The winning Grand Prix Freestyle presented by Christian Simonson and Indian Rock Friday night at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala was performed to music with a double significance. The tunes were from the Rocky movies, obviously appropriate since the 12-year-old...
