Show jumper Kyle King has long thought of Spruce Meadows, where the native Californian first competed as a 14-year-old, as a second home. That decades-long connection to the venue made his clear round and jump-off aboard Kayenne Z in the $5 million ($3.62 million USD) CPKC ‘International’ CSI5 Grand Prix on Sept. 7 an especially meaningful career milestone. King stood second on the podium beside winner Scott Brash, collecting $735,300 USD of the biggest purse in the show’s 50-year history.

King’s 10-year-old partner “Kaya” (Kannan—Alexsandria, Canezaro) had previously competed up to the four-star level in Europe before King took on the mare as a sale project in early 2025. It took only a few months of working with the Zangersheide before he realized that with every increasing challenge, Kaya got better. He made a plan to secure the mare, knowing he’d never had a horse quite like her, and moved her up to the five-star level in June.

“She’s impressive,” said King, 50, who now lives in Langley, British Columbia. “When you’re around her, you feel it. She’s got the ‘it factor.’ ” 

In Sunday’s grand prix, King felt the mare rise to the occasion once again, tackling one of the sport’s most demanding courses with her signature sense of ease.

“Honestly it felt like I was jumping a 1.20-meter course the other day,” he said. “You’re not looking at the jump cantering down to them thinking, ‘Oh, they’re big,’ when you’re on her. You really feel like you have this tremendous power underneath you—tons of ability, careful, smart. She’s got it all.”

We caught up with King to learn more about Kaya, whom his team lovingly calls “Big Momma,” and to learn more about his plans for the talented mare following their near-win at Spruce Meadows. 

Congratulations on your weekend. Can you tell me about the first round and the feeling of making the jump-off?

You know, when I walked the first round, everybody’s always so excited to see what’s going to be set out there in a class like that. We knew there would be something special. The first thing we kind of all noticed was the water jump with a pole in the middle of it. So, you know, it’s a 10- or 11-foot water jump and then, like, a 1.50-meter vertical in the middle of it. It was very intimidating looking. We don’t get to see that kind of stuff very often. So that was the first thing that got everybody’s attention, and it turned out to be a pretty good jump to jump. 

Then there was the skinny [before the open water]. It was a little bit of a question; some people were getting seven or eight to the water. When I walked it, my first instinct was to get the seven, which I thought would make the six, and then the five [to the next two fences] ride better for my mare. That’s what I ended up doing, and that worked out pretty good. That was about the time I kind of settled down. 

Kaya tried really hard. I got some really lucky rubs through the triple combination [which led into the last fence]. It was a great feeling, jumping the last jump, looking up and realizing you’re clean in a class like that. Those are the little moments you dream about. For sure, it was one of those moments—all these years and training build up to a moment like that. Then to be able to pull it off was pretty cool.

[Watch their second-round performance, which earned them a jump-off spot as just one of two riders with a single rail down.]

What did you think when you’re suddenly in a two rider jump-off with Scott Brash, the only person who’s ever won the Rolex Grand Slam?

Again, it’s one of those dream scenarios. That’s exactly what you dream up. I was pretty happy with myself—the way I conducted my head, anyway—through the whole thing. I was in a good zone. I was in there to compete, and I was going to win it. 

It was just down to us two. So I got on and they said [Brash] was heading up to the ring. I got ready and jumped; I just wanted to jump in the paddock, because I had just come out of the ring. They said he pulled a shoe. So then it was kind of like icing the kicker; I had to sit there for about five or six minutes—the longest five or six minutes of my life. But I kept it together. 

My wife [Emily King] was there, and I had Tiffany Foster on the ground. She’s been in that situation a lot, and it was really nice to have her kind of there on the ground just kind of helping me through. 

I stood in the in-gate and watched [Brash] go and saw what I needed to do. And, oh man, I thought I did it! I knew I was pretty quick on the rollback to the wall. That showed up just beautiful. And then I just caught a really good one coming around the end of the double. I knew I was ahead on time. I slowed down, got on her hocks to the planks to make the rollback [on the third to last fence] and just rubbed it behind. 

Watch King’s jump-off round, courtesy of ClipMyHorse.tv:

Honestly, I haven’t really had time to watch it. Obviously I ended up second, but like I said, it’s a career moment—what you dreamed about your whole life and to be lined up and have a seat at the table and walk in there, I was very proud of my mare’s performance and my performance.

I read that you do like to watch videos of your riding. What do you think it will feel like to watch this one?

Oh, it’ll be super exciting. I’m sure I’ll analyze it. Nick Skelton told me after that if I would have left that step out, I probably had a better chance of leaving that plank up. I’m kind of dying to watch that, because in my head, I was thinking about making the turn on the backside of it. You don’t want to go run at the planks either, but he’s obviously the master, and I’m kind of curious to watch that back and see.

Tell me about this mare. Where did she come from, and how did that partnership come together for you two?

I got super lucky. She was [ridden] by Ann Carton-Grootjans. Very good friends of mine for many years, Michael Korompis and Kirsten Rombouts, they’re partners in Europe, and they’re who I trust finding horses for me over there. I had gone over looking for a horse this time last, and they had taken me to Ann’s stables to try another horse.

I wasn’t in any position to try that mare; I was trying some younger horses. And then when I came back this winter, Michael called me and asked me if I’d be interested in taking Kayenne, and getting her sold in America.

I think she got there kind of the middle of February. She’d been in quarantine for a month, so I put her in a couple 1.30-meter rounds. Didn’t think all that much. I’d seen some videos of her jumping some 1.50-meter classes, but the rideability was a little different, and I wasn’t totally sold on her. Then I moved her up to the 1.40 meters, and she was a lot better. Then I put her in a 1.45-meter class, and she was even better. 

Then I put her in a 1.50-meter class one night in really weird conditions: a windstorm, very spooky. I almost scratched, but I’m glad I didn’t because I learned a lot about her that night. She went clear and ended up really good in the jump-off. And then at that moment, I knew that I had something pretty cool. I was sitting on a really cool horse, and was trying to figure out how to secure her for my future for myself. 

One of my very good friends, Greg Tomb, stepped up and backed me on securing her for the future, and that was just done right before we went to Spruce Meadows. We went to Spruce, and she just kind of grew and grew and grew. We got second the Queen Elizabeth Cup, and then got ourselves invited to the [Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’]. We fought hard all week and got qualified, which it was not an easy task to even qualify for the grand prix this year. She then fought her way all the way into second place in the biggest grand prix in the world. That’s pretty cool. 

It seems like you have spent a lot of time at Spruce Meadows over the years. I’m wondering if there’s a familiarity with the venue that you think kind of helped you with this recent success.

Oh, one hundred percent. Spruce Meadows, I know very, very well. I’ve been coming up here since I rode in that ring when I was 14 for the first time, which, you do the math! That’s a long time ago. I know that ring very well, and I’m very comfortable in it. 

I’ve lived in Calgary for a lot of time, a lot of summers, and it does feel like home. I feel like I have a home-field advantage, and then I also show up there all summer. So I couldn’t have had a better training grounds to get ready for what we just did.

It’s so interesting to hear you say that the higher you raise the fences, and the tougher the conditions, the more the horse rises to the occasion. What in her personality do you attribute that to?

She’s just one of those special mares. I used to always get the mares and stallions that were difficult back in the day, but I haven’t had a really good mare in a while—and maybe never quite like this one. She’s very intelligent. She’s like a bull, very strong in her body, but very willing. 

What’s next? What are your goals with Kaya?

What’s next up is pretty cool. I caught a spot on one of the Major League Show Jumping teams, the Northern Lights. So I’m going to join up with the Major League five-star tour here starting in two weeks. I go back and do Connecticut, New York and then Tryon. 

So she gets a few weeks to recover, we go back, and we do one big five-star, and then a week off, and then two more big five-stars. She’s got a lot of work ahead of her, but she does need the miles at this level and some different venues. 

We’re going to be busy the rest of the season. I gave her a really big break after the summer series of Spruce, anticipating this big push. She had six weeks of downtime after Spruce Meadows in the summer, so she should be just right for this push.

The post Ringside Chat: Kayenne Z Is Spicing Up Kyle King’s Career appeared first on The Chronicle of the Horse.

Leaving home to follow horses runs in the family: Jeannie moved at 16 to work at a pony breeding farm on the other side of New Zealand. When Jeannie met Cook’s father, they moved to his family’s sheep farm where they raised three daughters and a handful of ponies alongside their wooly flocks.

Nicky was the only one of the children who truly caught the riding bug, though. She grew up showing, participating in Pony Club, and hunting in the winter.

“Real hunting, not American hunting,” Nicky said. “Our ponies did everything.”

After graduating from high school and spending some time in Canada, she completed a teacher education program, hoping for a job in a country school so she could stay on the family farm and continue riding for fun. When she couldn’t find a job locally, and she didn’t want to teach in South Auckland, she said, “I ran away to Ireland.”

“The family was super nice,” she said of working at Ballymacoll Stud in County Meath. “Their kids were our age, and there were a lot of Kiwis, and it was like a big family. We went on holidays and traveled around the country. I think I’ve been to every stud in Ireland.”

But life at a Thoroughbred breeding farm lacked the excitement that young Nicky craved. The job largely entailed turning out the mares and young horses and doing stalls before bringing them in, and it grew boring.

She interviewed for a teaching job at a school in Ireland but wasn’t offered the position. If she wanted to teach, she was told, she should try London, where there were more available jobs.

“I’m not really a city girl,” she said. “That just wasn’t going to happen.”

So she bummed about Ireland for a few more years, milking cows in Tipperary, nannying a bit, and working at a boutique with a friend, until an ad in Horse & Hound for an eventing groom caught her eye.

The ad sparked a memory she hadn’t thought of in years: Seeing Mark Todd and Charisma after the 1988 Seoul Olympics, when his team toured around his home country of New Zealand, celebrating his individual gold medal and team bronze. Nicky remembered talking to Todd’s groom, Helen Gifford, intrigued by her tales of the team’s travels around the globe.

“I’m a Kiwi,” she said, laughing. “We’re on the bottom of the world and so far away from everything. All we want to do is travel!”

She was offered that first grooming job, kicking off an unexpected career. For four seasons she was an eventing groom at various barns in Ireland, learning the trade in real time.

“At one of the first events I went to, I had to put in a fake tail for the dressage. I’d never done that before, and it fell out in the warm-up,” she recalled. “I heard a nearby big-league rider say, ‘Sack the groom.’ ”

But thankfully, she found a veteran groom at her barn who was willing to show her the ropes.

“I had an older, experienced groom who became my mentor,” she said, “and I picked up so much from her, and from watching others at all different barns.”

Sometimes Cook’s only responsibility was to groom. But other times, she hacked horses out and even had opportunities to compete. 

“Looking back, I don’t know how I did it,” she said of the competitions where she was both groom and competitor. “I’d have half a dozen horses to groom, and I was eventing myself. It was a lot.”

Then tragedy struck. Nicky was working for 28-year-old Beijing Olympic hopeful Sherelle Duke of Ireland when Duke suffered a fatal fall on the cross-country course at the 2006 Brockenhurst Park Horse Trials (England). It shook Nicky to the core.

“It took me a long time to watch cross-country again,” she said.

Nicky thought she needed a break from the eventing world. She answered another ad for a show jumping position with Malaysian rider Syed Omar Almohdzar, who was living in Belgium and needed a groom for the Southeast Asian Games. Nicky was up for the adventure and traveled with the team for a month to Thailand.

Shortly after the SEA Games and the team’s return to Belgium, Nicky was hand-walking an injured horse in the indoor. It was Christmas Day, and she was chatting with her mom as she circled the ring. But suddenly the horse bolted, leapt forward then kicked back, breaking Nicky’s arm.

Casting the arm for six weeks was the prescribed treatment, but the bone didn’t heal as hoped. Two months later her arm was still giving her trouble, so she returned to New Zealand where she underwent surgery to put in supportive plate, followed by two months of rehab. 

While recovering, Cook searched for the next interesting position. She was itching to return to Canada, where she’d spent some time between high school and university.

“I applied for every single job in Canada,” she said. “But didn’t hear from anyone.”

That is, until she heard from Millar Brooke Farm, the home facility of Olympian Ian Millar and his daughter Amy Millar, now an Olympian too. Nicky took a position as Amy’s groom. When Ian’s former groom left after the 2008 Olympics, Nicky took over his horses.

“I did two [Florida seasons] with Ian,” Nicky said, “then ended up working for some other riders who needed grooming help at competitions.”

Those riders included Germany-based Irish rider Denis Lynch and his mount All Star 5, whom Nicky called “really special,” and whom she’d known and worked with as a young horse. But the travel and showing was getting to her, and she was starting to feel burnt out.

“So I took a home job at Mark Armstrong’s in England,” she said. “I refused to go to horse shows, but I kept everything fit and going at home.”

Nicky was also struggling with her old arm injury, as the plate was acting up. She returned to New Zealand to have the plate removed, and while she was stir-crazy in recovery from her second surgery, she interviewed to be a jet boat driver in Kawarau Gorge between Queenstown and Cromwell.

“I made it to the last two candidates” she said, “but they gave it to the other guy because he had more mechanical knowledge.”

Once the arm had healed, jet-boat-captain dreams aside, Nicky returned to North America and bounced around for a while, freelancing and grooming for different riders.

While in Wellington in early 2024, Nicky learned that Aaron Vale was looking for a show groom. Vale was excited about the possibility of bringing such an experienced and knowledgeable groom into his program.

“I knew that she had worked for lots of top people,” he said. “She’s been there and done it. From the beginning I just felt like I could trust her completely, and I have never felt like I had to be checking to see if she’d done this or that. I know that when I’m not there, she’s still doing things 100% how we want it, or sometimes even better than you’d actually do it yourself.”

Vale was making a run for the Olympics, so Nicky spent that summer in Europe with his team. Just recently, she returned from another overseas tour with Vale that included Rotterdam (the Netherlands), Aachen (Germany), Dublin and Dinard (France), where he and Carissimo 25 won the $582,280 Rolex Grand Prix Ville de Dinard CSI5*.

Nicky loves the adventure that comes with show grooming and doesn’t plan to stop anytime soon.

She’s learned something new about caring for horses at each of her stops around the globe, and she’s added those methods and tips to her ever-growing tool box to help her equine charges.

“I have seen so many different levels of turnout around the world,” she said. “And I truly believe that it’s best for horses to have as much as possible. When we travel now, I try really hard to make sure that the horses are out every day and look for places with turnout paddocks.”

“And I believe so strongly in getting horses out of the ring for their fitness work,” she continued. “We are close to some woods, and I love to take horses in there and do fitness, trotting around in there. When I ride them for fitness, I avoid the ring.”

Her final, and most important takeaway: “Anything you can do to keep them happy, you should,” she said. “You’re going to get a better performance in the ring from a happier horse.”

The post Nicola Cook Has Traveled The World With Horses appeared first on The Chronicle of the Horse.

Historically, Talent Search Finals competition has taken place over three days. This year, the first day will consist of the rider meeting, jog and a schooling class. The riding portion of the competition will be condensed into two days, with the flat and gymnastics taking place on the same day, with the jumping phase and work-off for the top four competitors taking place the following day.

The biggest change is to the flat and gymnastics phases. Previously, the judges had the flexibility to decide how to run the flat. Most years they utilized a traditional group flat class, however occasionally they used an individual test, similar to the National Collegiate Equestrian Association flat format, where riders perform specific movements in a set pattern. The specifications for 2025 call for the flat test to be performed individually. In that test, “each athlete will demonstrate a set number of flat exercises to prepare their horse for the gymnastic phase, which will follow directly after their completion of the flat.”

Though riders will remain the ring for both phases, they will still be scored separately.

“The Talent Search focus group felt this format would be more consistent with what an athlete could see or experience in their day-to-day training and/or practice of the flatwork skills needed to best prepare and educate horses aiming to jump at the grand prix level,” said Erin Keating, USEF director of jumper development programs. “The flatwork phase is always the foundation for the gymnastics phase, which is an important skill in building fitness and rideability at the championship level. The overall judging criteria for Talent Search remains the same as in past years, with the judges looking to identify athletes best demonstrating the talent and understanding of the foundations of classic riding across all three phases.”

There will be no change to the final day of competition, which starts with the jumping phase, followed by a jog for the top four horses, then the top four athletes will swap horses and tackle a shortened course to determine the winner.

Another change this year mandates a jog for all horses the day prior to the ridden portions of the schedule. Previously only the horses competing in the final four were asked to jog.  

“We felt it was important to make the change to include an inspection with the ground jury and veterinarians prior to the start of competition, which is more in alignment with a traditional jumping championship format,” Keating said.

This year, the East Coast final will take place Oct. 3-5 at the USET Foundation Headquarters in Gladstone, New Jersey, and it will be judged by Chris Kappler and Caitlin Venezia White. The West Coast final will run Nov. 7-9 at Desert International Horse Park in Thermal, California, and will be judged by Jimmy Torano and Lillie Keenan.

The post Changes In Store For Talent Search Finals appeared first on The Chronicle of the Horse.

Celebrating 50 years of world-class equestrian competition in 2025, the Hampton Classic featured FEI CSI5* and CSI2* show jumping and USEF Premier hunter competitions with more than $1 million in prize money. For the show’s marquee five-star grand prix, course designer Nick Granat set a highly technical course featuring 17 total jumping efforts set at 1.60 meters for the 39 horse-and-rider combinations representing 14 countries. The first-round track proved to be quite the challenge as the class went on.

Kristen Vanderveen was the first to pass the test without fault aboard Bull Run’s Jireh, but it took another 17 trips before Mendoza, of Great Britain, guaranteed the spectators a jump-off. World No. 22 Shane Sweetnam, representing Ireland, was the only other rider to join them, riding James Kann Cruz.

“I knew today was going to be very difficult, and with the seated order based off Friday’s qualifier, that we had to wait for a clear round,” Granat said. “I was really pleased with the class and the jump-off. There is always pressure to have some clears; everyone wants to see a jump-off. I was happy we were able to give them one.”

Entering the jump-off first, Vanderveen and Bull Run Jumpers Inc.’s 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding took a risk while setting the time to beat in the tiebreaker course, but the final fence fell to put them on a four-fault score and leave the door open for their fellow competitors. Mendoza immediately followed with her double-clear score in 37.34 seconds aboard the 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare (Air Jordan Z—Selva, VDL Indoctro) she co-owns with Georgia Kipp, Kristi Mitchem, Mellissa Skowlund and Pernilla Amman, which ultimately secured her first FEI five-star win.

Watch Mendoza’s winning jump-off round, courtesy of ClipMyHorse.tv:

“It’s a pretty amazing win,” Mendoza said. “This is one of the best American shows. It’s truly amazing to be here and to win the Grand Prix. It’s always fun to go into the jump-off with the top three; you don’t have much to lose. I knew there was a bit of room where Shane could catch me, but my mare was perfect across the ground. She’s an incredible horse and had an incredible summer. She really found herself this year.”

Sweetnam and his and Gizmo Partners LLC’s 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding landed in second place with their faultless time of 37.90 seconds, dropping Vanderveen and Bull Run’s Jireh into third.

“I was very happy with my horse,” Sweetnam said. “He’s a very different horse (from Jessica’s). He spends a bit of time in the air and is a bit of a slower horse, so I did my plan close enough to what I thought would be enough to challenge. He jumped great. In hindsight, I could have taken a few more gambles.”

The victory also earned Mendoza the $20,000 Longines Rider Challenge for the CSI5* division, which awarded a $20,000 bonus and a second Longines timepiece. She finished the week with a total of 395 points. Sweetnam earned second with 355 points, while Skylar Wireman took third with 324 points. 

Prior to the Grand Prix, Israeli show jumper Daniel Bluman presented the talented 17-year-old Zangersheide gelding Ladriano Z to the competition ring for the last time for a retirement ceremony. Bluman took over the reins from Colombia’s Ilan Bluman in the winter of 2016, and the new partnership ultimately competed in the 2018 World Equestrian Games (North Carolina), 2022 World Championships (Denmark), 2023 World Cup Final (Nebraska) and 2024 Olympic Games (Paris), as well as two of Bluman’s three Hampton Classic Grand Prix victories (2017 and 2023).

Click here for complete results for the $400,000 Longines Hampton Classic CSI5* Grand Prix.

The post Video: Mendoza Closes 50th Hampton Classic With Her First CSI5* Win appeared first on The Chronicle of the Horse.

I’m helping people at a stage in their career where, in theory, they know how to ride. The technical basics of riding have been perhaps not mastered but definitely taught. I want to help them refine those skillsets to the highest levels that a particular rider can achieve. They also have to combine those technical skills with learning how to manage a competitive career, which are two quite different things.

The biggest challenge I see for riders making the leap from their young rider career to the top levels is in putting it all together. In all sports, it’s one thing to be talented; it’s another thing to be less talented and hardworking, gritty and determined. Those are all valuable qualities that will carry you so far, but now you have to combine those skillsets with abilities outside of riding that will help connect the dots to get you where you want to be. How do you create opportunities? How do you get mounted on good horses? How do you sell yourself to people so that they feel engaged and want to support your journey?

Those are the things that have a lot to do with who makes it to the top. I get frustrated when I hear a lot of rhetoric about the idea that if you’re not a billionaire, you can’t make it. And then I look at the top 10 riders in the FEI Longines World Rankings, and none of them come from that background. If you go down the world rankings, there are a few very wealthy people. I’ve had enough experience with people who come from very affluent backgrounds to know that that comes with a whole different set of challenges, which aren’t always that easy.

Riding well, being a better horseperson, and learning how to compete are all givens for getting to the next level. But there’s also the aspect of managing a career—finding sponsorship, finding owners, creating opportunities—that’s so essential.

Take Chances

Kent Farrington and I talk all the time about how for many years we never missed a five-star grand prix. That’s not because we always had the biggest sponsors or best horses of our lives in those moments. We made it a priority to be in those classes. At times, we bought horses ourselves to keep us at the top level, or we’ve talked to people and said, “Can you send me that horse, or let me work on that horse? I think I can make it better.” We scrapped to find a mount. A lot of people sit back and think, “I’m talented; people will give me horses to ride.” That’s not how it happens.

I can’t tell you how many riders I’ve had come to work for me whose main concern is their living accommodations and what brand of car they’ll be driving. I’ve been lucky enough that things have worked out very well for me, but that’s been 35-plus years of grinding at it and thanks to a lot of opportunities along the way from a lot of people. I never chased the economics of it. That comes with success, and that’s a nice perk. But the focus shouldn’t be on financial success; it should be on getting the opportunity to ride top horses.

You can’t have success if you’re not competing. I always wanted to know, “How am I going to be in the grand prix next week with a competitive horse?”

When you take a job as a second or third rider at a big stable, flatting horses, you get a nice paycheck every week, and that’s very safe. But people who take the risks are the ones who are going to create good opportunities for themselves. Sometimes that feels really unsafe, and it’s uneasy territory, right? But you need to be willing to take educated, smart risks if you want to really succeed. Some people say, “Oh, I’ll do anything for it,” but then actually find out they won’t really do anything for it.

Be Resilient

Our sport can be very difficult, challenging and heartbreaking, with horses getting injured or not performing, or getting injured yourself. But, to some degree, if this is going to be your career, you need to accept that the challenges are part of it. Sometimes it feels like the bad luck comes in runs, but you have to keep putting one foot in front of the other, looking for the next opportunity.

Frustration can come from anything, if you allow it to dominate your outlook. I happen to focus on thinking that one step sideways will maybe lead to three steps forward, and they’ll be steps that I probably wouldn’t have taken otherwise. Maybe that’s something that’s just a little bit internal in me. Maybe it’s a confidence that’s been built because things, to some degree, have worked out for me. But that mentality also probably played a role in things working out. When I missed getting a horse or a horse was injured or an opportunity didn’t come to fruition, I believe something else positive came about in its place.

I think that across the board, when you see people who have been successful in any walk of life, you notice that they don’t get overwhelmed by the setbacks. They just accept them as redirections. You have to digest them. You have to learn from them. And then you have to wake up the next day and go after the next opportunity.

Build A Village

There are some realities that have evolved as the sport has grown. I think a top rider has to have a knowledgeable, strong team in the barn backing them—barn manager, veterinarian, farrier, grooms and more. I look at other sports teams, and there was a time when the coach also played, in addition to being the strength trainer and the infield trainer and the first base coach and all the other different roles. And that’s evolved, right? Now there are experts supporting the team, from medical personnel to strength training to game logistics. Our sport is no different.

The growth of the sport at the highest level has made it somewhat impossible to be the well-rounded horsepeople that the generation before were. I cannot shoe my horses, feed my horses, groom my horses, train my horses, fundraise the sponsorship dollars, interact with the clientele and compete at the Olympic level. Something has to give. What you see in the very successful big operations now is riders who have a thorough understanding of horse care, but who then surround themselves with the best people for each expertise. The riders are engaged and involved with all the decisions, but they allow those experts to do what they know best.

The idea that the only way to be successful is if you start in the morning mucking stalls and drive the truck to the show and braid your horse isn’t realistic. There’s nothing wrong with any of that, but when riders are aiming for the very top level, they have to prioritize their time wisely. They need to manage their responsibilities, and, in turn, manage people around them. That’s what leadership is. I have often said that the generations that I learned from were better all-around horsemen than I am. They knew horses better.

That knowledge is enormously important and to be respected, but I choose to trust the experts on my team to have that expertise, leaving me the time to focus on other priorities.

Develop As A Human Being

I continue to learn through these experiences with young riders, as well as from my own experiences in the sport and in life. Being a successful rider is definitely one part of it, but living a rewarding life as a human also has a lot to do with success.

I’ve been privileged to work with young riders at an incredible time in their life. They can really focus on the sport, but they also should be really focused on developing who they are as a person. I very much respect that I get to be a large influence on a pretty influential period in their life. At the end of the day, most of these young riders are pretty exceptional. I’ve grown tremendously as a person by being around them, and probably also as a competitor.

Anybody that I’ve had influence over, I always push them to work on every single possible asset that could improve them as a competitor and as a person. As I push them to go after all of these things, I share with them very openly what my journey has been. I think most of them are very surprised that it’s not what they think it is from watching from the outside.

I am checkered by vulnerabilities, insecurities, missteps and mistakes, but yet I found a way to try to overcome most of them and live a successful life and have a successful career. I think that sharing that experience allows them to open up and say, “I’m in a tough spot here,” when they need to.

Vulnerability is really where you grow. I also try to open people’s eyes to the different tools that will help, like sports psychology, physical training, and finding some balance in your life.

A stalwart of the U.S. jumping team for decades, McLain Ward, 49, won team gold medals at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games and team silver at the 2016, 2021 and 2024 Games. He also earned team gold at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games (North Carolina), team silver at the 2006 WEG (Germany) and team bronze at the 2014 Alltech WEG (France). Ward also won the 2017 Longines FEI World Cup Final (Nebraska) and has spent time atop the Longines FEI World Show Jumping Rankings. He operates his family’s Castle Hill Farm in Brewster, New York.

This article originally appeared in the July 2025 issue of The Chronicle of the Horse. You can subscribe and get online access to a digital version and then enjoy a year of The Chronicle of the Horse. If you’re just following COTH online, you’re missing so much great unique content. Each print issue of the Chronicle is full of in-depth competition news, fascinating features, probing looks at issues within the sports of hunter/jumper, eventing and dressage, and stunning photography.

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Born in 1952 in Camargo, Ohio, Bold Minstrel was by Thoroughbred stallion Bold And Bad out of Wallise Simpson, who was the result of a test breeding of an unknown mare to a young Royal Minstrel. William “Billy” Haggard III purchased Bold Minstrel as a 5-year-old.

While Haggard never had any formal training, he competed at the highest levels of sport. From steeplechasing to show hunters to eventing, Haggard proved himself over and over again as one of the top riders of his time.

William Haggard and Bold Minstrel.

Topping out at 16.3 hands, the stunning gray was such an easy keeper that he was affectionately called “Fatty.” Bold Minstrel’s career actually began in the hunter ring, and his stunning looks and lovely jump garnered him dozens of ribbons in the conformation divisions across the country, including a reserve championship at the National Horse Show (New York). Eventually, though, Haggard switched his focus to eventing.

In 1959, Haggard and Bold Minstrel tackled the Pan American Games in Chicago, Illinois, and helped the U.S. team win the silver medal in addition to placing ninth individually. Four years later, they were sixth individually in São Paulo, Brazil, and clinched the team gold. Between those two Games, Haggard still campaigned Bold Minstrel in the hunter ring.

William Haggard and Bold Minstrel showing in the hunters at Devon. The pair competed successfully in the hunters in addition to eventing. Jimmy Ellis Photo

While it seemed like the pair would be a shoo-in for the Olympic Games in Tokyo the following year, the selectors did not include them on the team. However, when J. Michael Plumb’s mount, Markham, had to be euthanized on the flight over, Haggard loaned Bold Minstrel to the veteran rider.

“Michael Plumb, as can be imagined, was at a tremendous disadvantage having to compete in the Olympic Games after only riding the horse for two weeks before hand,” wrote teammate Michael Page in the Nov. 20, 1964, edition of The Chronicle of the Horse. “However, from the excellent dressage ride on the first day, to the ‘must’ clear round to protect the medal on the last day over a trappy jumping course, Plumb and Bold Minstrel never once shook the confidence placed in them.”

Michael Plumb and Bold Minstrel in the show jumping at the 1964 Olympic Games.

Since Bold Minstrel was only 12 after his first Olympic Games, where he helped the team earn silver, Haggard decided to continue to campaign him. However, as the horse had already reached the highest levels of two sports, he loaned him to Bill Steinkraus.

Steinkraus rode the gray gelding in numerous international show jumping events between 1964 and Bold Minstrel’s retirement in 1970. They won more than a dozen major competitions, including the Grand Prix of Cologne (Germany). In 1967, they also set two puissance records at the fall indoor shows, jumping 7’3” at the National Horse Show.

Bill Steinkraus and Bold Minstrel.

“It takes something special to make me wear a white tie and tails to a horse show, but the old Garden was special,” wrote Jimmy Wofford in the April 2008 issue of Practical Horseman. “I was willing to dress up like the Phantom of the Opera to watch quality show jumping. It was even more special when Bill Steinkraus came out of the corner next to me on his way to a 6-foot 7-inch puissance wall. With his uncanny eye for a distance, Bill saw a steady seven strides to a deep distance. This is just what you want when you are about to jump a big puissance wall. Unfortunately, Fatty saw a going six, grabbed the bit and opened up his stride. The book will tell you that you can’t jump that big a fence from that big a stride, but Fatty left it standing, much to Bill’s relief.”

Bill Steinkaus rode Bold Minstrel in the 1967 Pan American Games in show jumping, where the gelding won yet another team silver medal. They also set several puissance records in that same year. Budd Photo

Bold Minstrel competed in his third Pan American Games in show jumping in Winnipeg, Manitoba, that same year and, again, earned the team silver. That medal solidified Bold Minstrel’s epic career, making him the only horse to have medals in three Pan American Games and one Olympic Games in two disciplines.

Bold Minstrel continued to compete well into his late teens and eventually retired in 1970 at 18 years old. That year, he won three times at Lucerne (Switzerland) and won the Democrat Challenge Trophy at his old stomping grounds, the National Horse Show. After he retired from competition, Haggard took him home to his farm and foxhunted him.

Bill Steinkraus showing Bold Minstrel. 

“This gray horse gets my vote as the greatest horse of the 20th century,” wrote Dennis Glaccum in the Dec. 24, 1999, issue of the Chronicle, where Bold Minstrel was named one of the most influential horses of the century. “He stands heads and tails above any other horse I have observed in my lifetime.”

In 2011, COTH writer Coree Reuter embarked on a quest into the attic at the Chronicle’s office. While it’s occasionally a journey that requires a head lamp, GPS unit and dust mask, nearly 75 years of the equine industry is documented in the old issues and photographs that live above the offices, and Coree was determined to unearth the great stories of the past. Inspired by the saying: “History was written on the back of a horse,” she hoped to demystify the legends, find new ones and honor the horses who have changed the scope of everyday life. This article was originally published Feb. 2, 2011.

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The following athletes have been selected to represent the U.S. jumping team and are listed in alphabetical order.

• Elena Haas (Oakland, California)
• Lillie Keenan (New York City)
• Laura Kraut (Royal Palm Beach, Florida)
• Aaron Vale (Williston, Florida)

Competition Information

The ‘Masters Tournament’ will begin Sept. 2. The BMO Jumping Nations Cup CSIO5* will start at 11 a.m. local time (1 p.m. Eastern) Sept. 5. The week will conclude with the CPKC International Grand Prix on Sept. 7, for which Spruce Meadows has boosted the prize money to $5 million (CAD) to celebrate the venue’s 50th anniversary. The grand prix will start at 1 p.m. local time (3 p.m. ET). Click here for more details.

The post USEF Announces Team For FEI Nations Cup Spruce Meadows CSIO5* appeared first on The Chronicle of the Horse.

“Traverse City in the summer is an incredible place for championship sport. The mild temperatures, ample space, and vibrant local community make it a prime destination,” said Matt Morrissey, event director of Traverse City Horse Shows. “We’re proud to welcome back the continent’s best young athletes and provide a world-class stage for an important step in their careers.”The competition will include the FEI Jumping North American Youth Championship and FEI Dressage North American Youth Championship. The FEI Jumping North American Youth Championship for children, pre-junior, junior, and young rider categories provides the opportunity for athletes in these age categories to compete against their peers in a championship format similar to that of international senior championships. In each age category, the competition is held over the course of multiple days and features both a team competition, with teams fielded by United States Hunter Jumper Association zone, and an individual competition.

The jumping portion of NAYC features four FEI-recognized divisions:

• Children’s championship (ages 12–14; fence heights up to 1.25 meters)
• Pre-junior championship (ages 14–16; fence heights up to 1.30 meters)
• Junior championship (ages 14–18; fence heights up to 1.40 meters)
• Young rider championship (ages 16–21; fence heights up to 1.50 meters)

Similarly to the jumping championship, the FEI North American Youth Dressage Championship is the premier dressage competition in North America for children (ages 12-14), juniors (ages 14-18), young riders (ages 16-21) and U25 riders (ages 16-25), offering riders in these age groups an opportunity to compete on teams based on their United States Dressage Federation region.

To learn more about the facilities, grounds and hotel information, click here.  For questions regarding the 2026-2027 FEI North American Youth Championships, contact Erin Keating, USEF Director, Jumping Development Programs, at ekeating@usef.org.

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An NAYC medal has been a long time coming for Zone 10’s Skylar Wireman (Bonsall, California), but this week, she earned two—both gold—aboard 9-year-old Holsteiner gelding Barclino B (Constanzehof’s Barcley—La Siena B, Lasino), owned by Wireman Investment Group.

Wireman, who ages out of her NAYC eligibility this year, had her 2021 and 2023 appearances at NAYC cut short due to injury, and she was chosen as the alternate in 2022. Last year, she placed in the top 10 after an unfortunate foot in the water obstacle in the individual final. 

“To come in with the horse that I’ve only had for a year now is amazing. It’s been a long time coming, so it feels good to win it my last year,” she said. “Jumping that last jump, I was thinking about what my Chef [d’Equipe Mike Endicott] said to me as I went in: ‘Finish what we came here to do.’ As I came to the last jump, it was the most incredible feeling knowing that I just won my second gold medal of the week.”

Wireman also anchored Zone 10 to a team gold medal on Friday before jumping four clear rounds to take individual gold.

 “Every time we ask him to step up, he rises to the occasion,” she said of Barclino B. “This is my first time doing a Nations Cup format event with him, but he was very brave, and I was pleased with how he was right there with me for every round he did this week.”

Alexa Elle Lignelli (New York City) earned her second silver medal of the week with her own Xo Zadora, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare.

“For me, I had to get through the little things going on in my head, keep my cool and trust my horse and stay connected to her,” the 18-year-old said about her mindset heading into Sunday’s fifth and final round. “As soon as I jumped that first jump, I felt I had followed through with my plan.

“I love representing my country,” she continued. “To have the platform at NAYC where we feel prepared going into nations cups abroad and know that we have the capability to win, it’s just a great springboard for many things.

Sixteen-year-old Olivia Sweetnam (Wellington, Florida) took the bronze medal aboard Epic, a 10 year-end-old Anglo European gelding.

“I had the rail down [in the final round], and it was my rail,” she said. “My horse performed amazingly, and I learned so much this week. I think this whole week is a learning experience. In every round, I like to remind myself that the sun will always come up tomorrow, no matter if I have two down or if I jump clear. There are always bigger things in the future and at some point, it will be over so I might as well do my best in the moment.”

Philippa Ammann And Zarina De Vidau Take Junior Gold

Philippa Ammann, 18, led the junior category from day one at the 2025 NAYC. Partnered with Zarina De Vidau, a 14-year-old Spanish Sport Horse more (Diamant De Semilly—Carina XXXVII, Coeur De Nuit) mare owned by Temple Equestrian LLC, she won the individual qualifier on Thursday before jumping perfect rounds on Friday and Sunday to secure the individual title.

“There was definitely extra pressure to go clear,” said Ammann, who represented Zone 4 as an individual. “We had a lot of amazing riders, but my horse was so amazing. She had so much energy for the last day, which was nice. Honestly, I just try to stay out of her way. She’s so good, and she knows what she’s doing; she was super.”

After her NAYC success, Ammann will soon attend the University of Miami studying business. In the competition arena, she trains with Great Britain’s Jessica Mendoza.

Silver medalist Campbell Brown (Fayetteville, Arkansas) sat barely inside the top 20 after the opening round of competition. She and Colina Z rallied, however, and moved up to the podium with four clear rounds.

“I was a little disappointed with my first round,” the 18-year-old said. “I didn’t come out as strong as I hoped to, but I knew if I was consistent the rest of the week, that anything can happen in a competition like this, so I just focused on riding my plan.

JJ Torano (Wellington, Florida) also made a substantial climb in the standings on the final day of competition. He sat 13th with Lyon 50 coming into the final day, and together they climbed 10 spots to finish with the bronze.

“I didn’t think I was going to end up here today,” said Torano, 15. “I knew these were probably going to be the two toughest and biggest rounds, but I trust my horse, and I knew he could do it. After I jumped the first round, I thought, ‘Alright, maybe we have a chance.’ ”

For full results, click here.

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This year the schedule will be shaken up by changes to the pony jumper schedule thanks to an overhaul of the division. Those ponies will still compete in the Claiborne Ring, but the timing and divisions have changed. While the prize list includes small, medium, large and 1.05-meter categories, in practice there are now only two pony jumper divisions: small/medium and large. Both divisions will compete over three days; small/medium start on Wednesday, and larges start on Thursday.

The balance of the competition schedule for hunters and equitation remains similar to that of previous years, and as always there are loads of other events going on. Participants can decorate a golf cart for Thursday’s parade, check out the USHJA model clinics, which take place Tuesday and Wednesday mornings, and sign up to take the Emerson Burr Horsemanship Written Test; the hands-on final is on Friday.

Who: Check out the qualifying lists for the regular hunter ponies, green hunter ponies and the Marshall & Sterling/USEF Pony Medal Final.

When: Competition runs Tuesday to Sunday, Aug. 5-10.

Where: The Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington. The hunters compete in the Rolex Arena, the jumpers compete in the Claiborne Ring, and the Marshall & Sterling/USEF Pony Medal Final takes place in the Alltech Arena.

Competition Schedule (all times Eastern): Here’s the competition schedule, which includes schooling times and some additional events.

Tuesday

Rolex Arena:
11 a.m. Medium pony hunter model and under saddle, then small green pony model and under saddle

Wednesday

Rolex Arena:
6:45 a.m. Small pony hunter model and under saddle, then medium pony hunter over fences, then small green pony hunter over fences

Claiborne Ring:
7 a.m. Pony jumper jog, then pony jumper training session, then small/medium pony jumper phase I

Thursday

Rolex Arena:
6:45 a.m. Medium green pony model and under saddle, then large green pony hunter model and under saddle, then regular small pony hunter over fences

Claiborne Ring:
7:30 a.m. Phase I large pony jumper, then small/medium pony jumper team rounds 1 and 2

Friday

Rolex Arena:
6:45 a.m. Large pony hunter model and under saddle, then medium green pony hunter over fences, then large green pony hunter over fences

Claiborne Ring:
7:30 a.m. Large pony jumper team rounds 1 and 2, then small/medium pony jumper farewell class, then small/medium pony jumper individual championship

Saturday

Rolex Arena:
8 a.m. Large pony hunter over fences

Claiborne Ring:
9 a.m. Large pony jumper farewell class, then large pony jumper individual championship

Sunday

Alltech Arena:
7 a.m. USEF Pony Medal Final (mediums go first, then larges, then smalls)

Other events: Check out times of events taking place outside the show ring here and here. Highlights include a USEF Town Hall focusing on horse and pony safety and welfare at 3 p.m. Tuesday in the covered arena classroom. (The town hall will not be livestreamed.)

Competitors can register to participate in a U.S. Hunter Jumper Association model clinic, with sessions at 7:30, 9 and 10:30 a.m. Tuesday, as well as 7:30 a.m. Wednesday. USHJA sponsors a mental skills class at 9:30 a.m. Thursday in the covered arena classroom, as well as a course walk clinic at 9 a.m. Friday in the covered arena and a judge’s perspective clinic at 10:15 a.m. Friday in the covered arena.

How You Can Watch: USEF Network powered by Clip My Horse.TV will stream the competition. A USEF membership is required to watch.

How You Can Follow Along: The Chronicle will be on site bringing you news and photos. Be sure to follow along at coth.com and on Facebook and Instagram @chronofhorse. See the Chronicle’s coverage of USEF Pony Finals in the Sept. 26 issue of the magazine.

Useful Links And Information:

Competition schedule
Hospitality schedule
The USEF Pony Finals website
Results

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