“He has always tried to do the right thing,” Rose said of the 11-year-old Zangersheide (Chellano Alpha Z—Ula-La Sparkle Loma, Celano). “He has never once said, ‘Oh, I don’t really feel like that today,’ or, ‘Oh, I don’t want to do that.’ He always has his ears forward and [says], ‘What do you want me to do?’ ”

Gail Ellis of West Coast Equine Partners LLC owns “Cavaletto,” who competes in the high performance hunters and USHJA International Hunter Derby series with Nick Haness.

“He loves Nick and trusts Nick with his soul,” said Rose. “I mean, you can see [it] when they’re together. It’s so hand in glove; there’s never an argument. He comes through the turn, looks at the jump and says, ‘OK Nick, what do you want me to do?’ ”

That trust is a big part of what has made Cavaletto one of the most successful horses on the derby circuit. He won five international derbies in a row on his way to placing seventh in the Platinum Performance USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship held Aug. 15-16. He also topped the $100,000 WCHR/USHJA West Coast Hunter Spectacular (California) this winter and finished 11^th at the 2024 Platinum Performance USHJA International Hunter Derby Championship (Kentucky).

Both Rose and her assistant Gabby Gavalas emphasized what a great charge he is.

“He’s not hard to get to the ring, and he’s really easy just to handle,” Gavalas said. “Everything’s good about him.”

We sat down with Rose and Gavalas to hear more about what Cavaletto is like when the tack comes off.

• Rose said his personality has blossomed over his time in the barn. “At first he stood in the back of his stall when we got him,” she said. “He didn’t want to come talk to you. Not in a bad way, but he was just like ‘No, I’m good.’ Now he’s really happy and more social.”

• When Cavaletto came to the barn, he came with a trick: smiling on cue. He’ll happily do his trick for treats—and he’s not picky about those.

“He likes everything,” Gavalas said. “Carrots, bananas—with the peel off—and apples, he loves them.”

• Rose describes Cavaletto as one of the easiest horses to have in the barn.

“He’s easy on the crossties and easy for the boys to clip,” she said. “He’s not particular about eating; he just does everything right.

“He doesn’t fight, doesn’t kick, doesn’t act up, doesn’t pull back, never gives the [grooms] any trouble,” she added. “He’s just a nice horse.”

• The only thing that’s not perfect about Cavaletto, says Rose, is his feet. The team relies on farrier Tyler Talbert to keep his hooves, which require special TLC, in tip-top shape.

• Cavaletto loves his therapies and a relaxed routine. He gets treated with the Bemer blanket and occasionally gets MagnaWave at horse shows.

“He mostly happy hacks,” Rose said. “We just have to keep his body fit. He gets turned out regularly. For him it’s nothing stressful. He’s a very easy horse.”

• Cavaletto isn’t a typical gray. “I don’t think he’s a filthy one, and we’re very lucky he’s not inundated with melanoma. I think at this age, if he’s not showing it coming out now, knock on wood, we should be good.”

• Rose prefers having Cavaletto to be ridden rather than longed on horse show mornings to stretch his legs, so Gavalas throws a leg over when Haness can’t.

“You don’t have to [do a lot],” Gavalas said. “He’s so great to take on trail rides and stuff because he’s not spooky, he doesn’t look at anything. He has a great time being out on the track over there [at the horse show] or over where that grass field is. Just changing it up so it’s not always just riding [in the ring.]”

• At home his routine is similar.

“He doesn’t jump that much, because he so knows his job, and he doesn’t canter a lot either, because trotting is a much better gait to work on fitness and everything,” said Rose. “So he just stays good in his body and muscled up, and that’s all he needs to do.

“If you notice, he’s a little bit chubby,” said Rose. “Not fat, but I like them well-covered. To jump the size jumps he does he couldn’t really be conformation chubby. I think he looks great right now, and he has lots of muscle. I just want him to be pretty fit.”

• Cavaletto doesn’t have one dedicated groom. Christian, Gaspar and Javier Navarro, brothers who work for Rose, all take turns with him.

“They love the horses so much,” Rose said. “I don’t have to say, ‘Oh, go handwalk that one.’ I’ll be driving the golf cart, and I’ll see them out grazing one or handwalking one because they want to.

“They’re wonderful people,” she added.

• If he were a human, Rose said Cavaletto would be a gentleman.

“He’s very mannerly,” she said. “He’d be well spoken, well-educated and have the best manners ever.”

The post Behind The Stall Door With: Cavaletto Loma Z appeared first on The Chronicle of the Horse.

Mayzie, like her full brother Crystal Crescent Moon, whom Springer also rides, was bred by her owner Nancy Winter in Illinois, and Springer knew both when they were foals. The Connemara crosses (Catherston Dazzler—Ebony Moon, Mystic Replica), were part of Winter’s goal to bring the qualities she loves in Connemaras—agility, surefootedness and loyalty—to the modern event horse. Both have proved to be class competitors, with Mayzie making her first five-star attempt in June at Longines Luhmuhlen CCI5*-L (Germany) while brother “Tally” has competed through the three-star level.

“That was the dream of Nancy’s, to carry on with the line that she had going back [many years] and see if she could produce a sport horse, so this a dream come true for her,“ Springer said.

Springer took her time bringing Mayzie up the levels, spending lots of time at modified and preliminary to ensure the mare was solid before asking for a bigger challenge. Her patience was rewarded when, in her first season at advanced in 2024, Mayzie won the Bromont CCI4*-L (Quebec) and finished third at the Morven Park International CCI4*-L (Virginia). This spring she had top finishes at Pine Top (Georgia), Setters’ Run Farm Carolina International CCI4*-S (North Carolina) and the Cosequin Lexington CCI4*-S (Kentucky).

We visited Mayzie at Springer’s farm in Boyce, Virginia, to get to know the spunky little mare who knows no limits.

• Mayzie and Tally were born with a club foot, so they went to Linda Caddel’s farm in Georgetown, Kentucky, to be near some of the best podiatrists in the country. While neither needed special shoeing, they got regular trimming to make sure the club foot didn’t become an issue. Cathy Wieschhoff started them under saddle, and then Springer got them at the end of their 3-year-old year.

• Mayzie is an easy keeper, so Springer is careful with her diet, especially during spring and fall when the sugar levels are high in the Virginia grass. Mayzie lives in a dry lot and wears a muzzle while grazing.

“She has tied up in the past, not often, but the easiest thing we can do is keep her on analyzed hay and whatnot,” said Springer.

• In her early career, Mayzie could be quite spooky, but when she hit the three-star level, she really started to lock in and look for the next fence.

“There was something at the three-star level that she just loves her job, and she knows it,“ said Springer. “Especially the jumping: She knows when it’s cross-country; she knows when it’s show jumping. It’s really fun because she’ll shake like a horse going out foxhunting. She’s so excited to go.”

• Mayzie doesn’t get pre-rides in the warm-up ring for the jumping phases because she gets quite upset if she goes back to the barn without competing. She’s ready to her job right then and there.

That’s something Springer’s head groom Paige Ansaldi has to be mindful of when it comes to getting her ready too.

“That’s taken me definitely a long time, getting to know her at shows and finding her rhythm,” she said. “I feel like this year I’ve gotten to a better job of keeping her calm, especially before cross-country. Once I start tacking her up, she definitely knows it’s go time. So being able to relax all of her muscles and have her not to amped up, so she’s not stressing herself out at shows. … I feel like I’ve figured out somewhat of a routine with her, but I’m sure it’ll change next year, and she’ll prove me wrong.“

• While Mayzie doesn’t want to be left alone, she’s very protective of her personal space when it comes to other horses, and she’s very particular about which ones she wants around her.

“At Kentucky this year, I just had [four-star horse] Vandyke and her there, so every time he went out, someone had to just go and hand-graze her somewhere or walk her,“ said Springer. “She couldn’t just be left in her stall.”

But when one of Springer’s client horses needed to use the dry lot next to hers, she did not appreciate his company.

“He’d just stand there quietly and stare at her, and she was just like, ‘Do not look at me. I don’t care if you’re far away,’ ” Springer said. “She would like be pinning her ears and so [angry] that he was there.”

• While Mayzie might not love being left alone in the barn, she has no problem heading out on her own when it’s time to work.

“She’s so fiercely independent,” Springer said. “Never a million years would she ever act barn sour or never want to go out on her own. When you get on to do her job, she is so fierce and loves it. She’s just so catty and really smart. The stuff that makes her kind of challenging and difficult, they’re also the things that make her just so good. She will do [the job] for me all day long cross-country.”

• Just as Mayzie chooses which horses she likes to be nearby, she’s also particular about her people, but once you know her, you see more than the fierce competitor.

“She’s quite an opinionated mare, but I feel like once you spend enough time with her, you see that real sweet side of her,” Ansaldi said. “She’s not always just some fiery little girl that you see on cross-country. She’s actually very sweet and snuggly in the barn and very rewarding to work with. Honestly, she doesn’t give it to you, which I enjoy, so you know, once you get it, you’ve worked for it. She’s pretty solid citizen. She has that spice you kind of have to pay attention, but not too quirky in a bad way.”

• Continuing with the theme of “please respect my bubble,” Mayzie isn’t the type who looks forward to grooming, but Ansaldi has earned her trust.

“It’s a give and take with her,” she said. “You have to earn her trust when grooming her, and when she realizes you’re not out to get her, I’ve had days where she really leans into me and enjoys it.”

• Because she’s so small and has a short back, finding the right saddle wasn’t the easiest task, and before Robin Moore of World Equestrian Brands found just the right one, Mayzie could get a little back sore.

“She’ll do her job and try, but Robin was really committed to finding the best thing for her, and we just kept working through tons of it, so she’s got a saddle that she loves,“ said Springer.

• She’s pretty straightforward when it comes to bits. She wears a Neue Schule turtle top snaffle for dressage and show jumping, and for cross-country wears a three-ring bit with the rein on the snaffle ring with the same mouthpiece. For trot sets she often wears a hackamore.

The post Behind The Stall Door: No May Moon appeared first on The Chronicle of the Horse.

Since then “Jager” and Tatum have continued to be regular winners on both coasts, picking up good ribbons at Devon (Pennsylvania) this year and most recently winning champion in the small junior hunter division at the Oaks Summer Tour 2 (California).

Tatum, Pacific Palisades, California, and Jager paired up in Michigan last July. While the 12-year-old Oldenburg (Diarado—Chaccalou) had done well on the hunter circuit with riders like Isabelle Ehman and Lauren Gee before partnering with Tatum at Archie Cox’s Brookway Stables in Sylmar, California, once Tatum and Jager got together, he settled into a groove and blossomed.

“He was switching around riders a lot, and I think that was hard on his confidence, because he didn’t really have one person he could trust,” said Tatum, 16. “I think having one steady rider the whole time was really good for his confidence, and he got a lot happier when he knew who was riding him, and he could trust the person riding him.”

Still, it took about a month of consistent riding for Jager to realize Tatum was his only person and begin to trust her.

We visited Jager and Tatum at the Desert Circuit International Horse Park this spring to learn more about the gelding.

• While Jager is a dream ride in the show ring, he does get nervous warming up.

“He’s pretty traffic shy, so it’s hard to have a proper warm-up—especially when there’s a lot of people around—because I’m constantly alert,” said Tatum. “I try to keep him calm. I have to be very aware of my surroundings so I don’t put him in a situation that would make him nervous. It’s a lot of just being cognizant of what everybody else is doing.”

He does wear a red pompom on his browband, but Tatum said that other riders don’t always notice that.

“If someone comes at him head-on, he’ll spin,” she said. “I’ve stayed on when that’s happened once, and I’ve fallen off once. I’ve been pretty good at preventing it. The one time he spun and I fell off [was because] I got trapped; I couldn’t go anywhere. That was at Washington, and I got back on, went in the ring and got second.”

• Cox rides Jager at 6:30 a.m. every day at a horse show.

“I am a person of routine, and I think the most successful horses are too,” he said. “He needs to be very fit. He’s a very quiet horse, and he’s very lazy by nature. So when it’s my time with him, I like to keep him marching right along.”

• Tatum describes Jager’s personality as very sweet—but there’s a caveat.

“He’s not very polite,” she said. “He’s very obnoxious. When he wants attention, he makes it very obvious, and he attacks you with his lips. He doesn’t bite, it’s little love nibbles.”

•Jager gets several therapies to keep him at the top of his game. His favorite by far is when it’s time to meet with body worker and equine massage therapist Kimm Crandall.

“He really likes it, just yawning the whole time, and he closes his eyes,” Tatum said.

• When it comes to treats, Jager appreciates the usual carrots and apples as well as iced horse cookies and German Minty Muffins. Then there’s the favorite snack he shares with countless elementary school students.

“I’ll bring him applesauce cups, and he licks it out of the cup,” Tatum said. “He does not like Red Vines or graham crackers. I tested those out the other day, and he was like, ‘No. No, thank you.’ ”

Champions at the Washington International are awarded cupcakes to take home, and Tatum said Jager was a big fan of those too.

“He had a cupcake at Washington, and he was very happy about [that],” she said. “He started smiling with his champion ribbon.”  

• Jager can be a slowpoke to handwalk.

“He wants to go behind you and put his head on your shoulder,” Tatum said.

• If he were a person, Tatum said, Jager would be a people pleaser.

“I feel like he’d be pretty nervous, like a fast talker and willing to please everybody but not really knowing how,” she said. “He’d want to be friends with everybody, and they might think he’s weird.”  

The post Behind The Stall Door With: Jagerbomb appeared first on The Chronicle of the Horse.

“The first month, I would call Casey, and she was like ‘Oh God, what now?’ ” said Boyd. “[I’d say,] ‘She’s great to ride, but everything in between has been a nightmare. She’s breaking down her stall, she paces, she weaves, she rears, she kicks, she bucks in the stall.’ ”

Boyd’s father, Jack Towell, founder of the family’s Finally Farm in Camden, South Carolina, lived next to the barn, and he would hear “Ondine’s” antics. When she got antsy, he’d come out in the wee hours of the morning to handwalk her in his bathrobe.

By working with Anzalone—and thanks to some trial and error of her own—Boyd figured out how to keep the 11-year-old Belgian Warmblood (Vigo D’Arsouilles—Coco Chanel Z, Carthago), co-owned by Neill Sites and Finally Farm, happy and settled.

Boyd and Ondine paired up midway through the Winter Equestrian Festival (Florida) in 2024, and in a way the mare became a successor to Boyd’s three-time Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships (Kentucky) winner Brunello.

“I had lovely horses that I did in the derbies for years after Brunello, but they were client-owned, or they had another job with kids or whatnot,” said Boyd. “So it’s really fun to have [my] own one again. My dad said to me last year, ‘You’re getting a little old. You need one last good one.’ And I said ‘No, you’re getting old, Jack.’ I’m 45—I hopefully have some more years.

“I know what he meant,” she continued. “Not only is she mine, but she’s the family horse. She’s like Brunello was to our family. My girls love coming to watch her go. [My daughter] Adeline is a typical 10-year-old; she’ll say, ‘Mom, you’re good again.’ ”

Boyd and Ondine hit the ground running with a 3’6” green hunter championship in their first show out. The mare turned heads at last year’s derby finals when she placed second out of 91 in the classic round, then solidified her spot in the spotlight when she won the $150,000 USHJA/WHCR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular (Florida) during Week 6 of this year’s WEF, capturing her first USHJA international hunter derby win three weeks later.

We caught up with Boyd and Ondine to find out what the mare is like outside the show ring.

• Boyd admitted that she wasn’t convinced the first time that Anzalone said that Ondine likes a certain feng shui in her stall, but now she’s a believer. Her haynet has to be below her fan, and her buckets have to be close by so that she can dunk her hay (she likes to stick her head in her water up to her jowl).

”She’s actually really messy and dirty,” said Boyd. “She’s not like a girly girl. She would be a total tomboy.”

• Another thing that helped Ondine settle into her stall? A new neighbor, none other than Brunello, who moved right across the aisle from Ondine when they’re at home in Camden.

“He used to throw fits in his stall too,” said Boyd. “I don’t know if he had a talk with her, but then all of a sudden, the behavior completely changed. Once we got the feng shui in the stall in that way, and we got him across from her, I think he was like, ‘Get over yourself. You’re not the queen here.’ ”

But with Brunello retired—he’s 27—he wasn’t heading on the road with Ondine, and when she’d go to horse shows the team was starting all over again. They finally found a new neighbor and stall that would make her comfortable without Brunello while showing in Aiken, South Carolina, where they compete frequently. But then that horse colicked and died, sending them back to square one with Ondine amidst their grief over losing the horse.

Finally former barn manager Randi Button figured out a key to the problem: Ondine was, at least in part, wanting attention from Boyd or Towell when she was fussy in her stall. That meant Boyd had to stop paying attention to her when she paced or kicked and let Button or the grooms take care of it.

“Randi was probably the one that really fixed her, because Randi said, ‘Stop treating her like she’s made of glass. You and Jack need to stay away from her stall, and it’s fine,’ ” Boyd recalled.

• Ondine eats senior feed mixed with alfalfa pellets and Renew Gold as well as Platinum Performance GI and Platinum Performance Vitamin E. She’s also on Regumate and some holistic herbs to help with her “marish” moments.

• Boyd tries to keep Ondine from getting too engrained in an exact routine.

“When you get to a horse show, you might be showing at 5 o’clock, you might be showing at 8 o’clock,” she said. “She sort of works around my schedule. Sometimes she gets turned out in the morning, sometimes she’ll get ridden and then turned out all afternoon. It kind of depends on the weather.”

• To that end, Ondine doesn’t have one specific groom. Boyd worried that if she got too attached to one specific groom and that person got sick or couldn’t be there, Ondine would get unsettled.

“I always have [assistant rider] Olivia Murray at the ring with me,” she said. “She knows exactly where I want my saddle, for example. I think a lot of riders are like this; before a derby we get nervous. You’re nervous, and you’re a little snappier, and you want everything a little more particular, and she knows exactly, like, how to adjust my stirrups the way I show her for a derby, and my schooling area routine.”

• Co-owner Neill Sites, whom Boyd has known since she was a teenager, is an enthusiastic supporter, but she has bigger priorities than just winning.

“When we bought her, she’s like, ‘I have one rule: This has to be fun. You know, if it doesn’t go great here or there, we’re not going to get mad. We’re going to have fun,’ ” said Boyd. “That was so nice because when you have an owner like that, there’s zero pressure.”

• Body worker Cathy McEnroe works regularly with Ondine, doing a lot of lasering to keep the mare in top form.

“She calls her a laser junkie,” Boyd said. “When we first got her I said to Cathy, ‘Be careful. You know, she’s probably not going to let you do her stifles.’ And she would try to kick Cathy, and she was really particular. But now she’s like, ‘Bring it on.’ She loves it.”

• Despite Ondine’s particularity about many things, Boyd said in other ways she’s very straightforward and easy.

“I’ll take her out in hunt country by myself and a deer will jump by, and she couldn’t care less,” she said. “She’s very much like Brunello in that way. She’s very safe; she’s very sturdy. You could take her out in the woods on a cold day, and she’s awesome and super brave.”

• Ondine would rather spend time riding in a field than a ring, so Boyd tries to limit ring time as much as possible.

“We definitely try to switch it up between Olivia and myself,” said Boyd. “Olivia will do a really forward gallop in the field one day, and then the next day maybe a trail ride. Then one day I’ll do cavalettis or gymnastics in the ring.”

Hunter trainer Andrew Lustig, who has a background in dressage, often trains Boyd on Ondine. He’ll throw a leg over the mare as well.

“He’s so different from Olivia and I,” Boyd said. “I think she’s like ‘Whoa, what’s he doing? He’s making me do all this lateral work and fancy dressage work.’ I think she really gets a kick out of him.”

• Lustig regularly reminds Boyd that there’s always room for improvement.

“I used to send him the videos, but now he looks them up,” she said. “The first week we got down [to the 2025 Winter Equestrian Festival] I was so excited. I was like, ‘She got an 89!’—and he’ll list all the things I did wrong. Not in a bad way, but it’s like he just wants us to keep improving.”

Lustig’s background in dressage has made Boyd even more cognizant of making sure the mare has good self-carriage and is using her hind end, even when they’re having an easy day.

“Even on days we only trot, it’s quality over quantity: lengthening, shortening, stretching,” she said.

• Boyd called an animal communicator about Ondine last year, who told her that that mare keeps an eye on all the other horses.

“She worries about everybody in the barn, and if there’s a sick horse or a worried horse, she’s very attuned to it,” she said. “She’s the mother hen; she’s taking care of everybody.”

The post Behind The Stall Door With: Ondine D’Orleans appeared first on The Chronicle of the Horse.

Originally ridden by his owner Cynthia Davila, Fayvel transitioned into Marek’s program full-time in 2023 after Davila sustained a neck injury and needed to take time off from riding. The gelding quickly proved himself a talented competitor, and the pair has since gone on to earn wins on major international stages, including securing their spot at the 2024 FEI Dressage World Cup Final in Saudi Arabia.

With all his quirks and talents, Fayvel has given Marek some incredible career highlights. But one stands out, a show at Kronberg (Germany) where the pair scored a personal best of 73.13%.

“I came out of that ride knowing it was that good. That’s such a cool feeling—to walk out and know it was as good as it felt,” she said.

Now as an integral part of Marek’s program, Fayvel continues to prove that he’s more than just a Grand Prix horse: He’s truly one of a kind. But at home, Fayvel is just another member of the barn—one with plenty of personality and a few quirks of his own.

A Social Fellow

Despite his professionalism in the arena, Fayvel has a habit that never fails to make Marek laugh.

“Every time I take him into the show ring, he throws his head up and screams,” she said. “It’s like he has to let everyone know he’s here.”

He’s also incredibly aware of his surroundings.

“If anything changes in the arena, he notices,” Marek said. “He’s not super spooky, but if a bucket moves, he’s going to let you know.”

Fayvel thrives on having company, whether it’s horses in the same ring or a distant neighbor calling out.

“If I’m riding him alone, he’s considerably more nervous,” Marek said. “But if there are six horses in the ring, he’s totally fine.”

And when another horse gets chatty, Fayvel feels compelled to have the last word.

“If he hears another horse call—even from the next farm over—he has to call back,” Marek said.

Lucky Charms And Superstitions

Fayvel’s show success might have a little extra luck on its side.

“Cynthia was horrified when I started showing him in these little chicken charm spurs,” Marek said with a laugh. “She told me, ‘You cannot show in those.’ And I was like, ‘Oh yes, I can.’ ”

After a successful first show with the chicken spurs, the chicken theme continued with a tack number holder—another item Cynthia was convinced wouldn’t make it into the show ring. “Now it’s tradition,” Marek said.

And then there are the socks. 

“I bought these ridiculous Santa Claus socks,” she said. “The first time I wore them, I won a Wellington freestyle with him. Now they’re my lucky socks.”

A Routine That Keeps Him Happy

Fayvel’s day-to-day schedule isn’t anything flashy, but Marek believes that keeping him as close to a “normal” horse as possible is what helps him thrive.

“He goes out in the field around 3 or 4 in the afternoon and stays out all night,” Marek said. “I think that’s really important for their soundness, both mentally and physically.”

In the mornings, Fayvel comes in for breakfast before his daily ride.

“He gets worked in the late morning, and then he goes back outside for the night,” Marek said. “It’s simple, but it works.”

A Competitor With A Big Heart

Fayvel is not just talented—he’s willing.

“He’s the kind of horse that you can just keep asking for more and more, and he’s like, ‘Yep, I got it,’ ” Marek said.

His ability to handle pressure is what makes him so special.

“He’s been a horse where his owner has been able to learn on him while he’s learning, which I think is rare,” Marek said. “They did their first Grand Prix together—her first Grand Prix, his first Grand Prix. That takes a special horse.”

The post Behind The Stall Door With: Fayvel appeared first on The Chronicle of the Horse.

In the high-performance world of para-dressage, where precision and partnership reign supreme, one newcomer has trotted straight into the spotlight. Meet Diamond Dunes, the 12-year-old Hanoverian gelding (De L’Or—Wibella, Wolkentanz) who is redefining what it means to be a champion. Owned by Hof Kasselmann and Dressage Family LLC and piloted by Fiona Howard, “Dunes” has become an undeniable force in the arena—and an absolute character in the barn.

Despite being a relatively new duo, Fiona and Dunes shot to stardom by clinching three gold medals at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, helping the U.S. win its historic first team gold in para-dressage as well as earning individual glory in the Grade II Grand Prix freestyle and individual tests.

Their success didn’t stop there. In 2025, they represented the United States at the CPEDI3* during the Adequan Global Dressage Festival (AGDF) 9 show, leading their team to victory and smashing the FEI Grade II Grand Prix Freestyle world record with a score of 83.26%.

Beyond his jaw-dropping scores and world-class performances, Dunes has a personality as big as his talent. Let’s dive into the quirks that make him truly one-of-a-kind:

The Tongue Of Champions

If sticking out one’s tongue was an Olympic sport, Dunes would take home another gold. When he’s feeling bored—or just plain cheeky—he lets it flop out of his mouth and waves it around like a victory flag. 

“In Paris, he was just hanging his head over the stall door, tongue flapping around,” Fiona recalled with a laugh. “He makes everyone laugh. That tongue reaches to his ear!”

Not A Horse’s Horse

Dunes isn’t exactly a social butterfly—at least, not with other horses. While he’ll tolerate their company, he’s largely unimpressed. That is, except for two pint-sized Quarter Horse mares living at a neighbor’s farm who seem to have stolen his heart. Meanwhile, he completely ignores his barn mate, fellow Paris Paralympic triple gold medalist Floratina.

“He walks straight past her, but those 13.2-hand ponies?” Although Fiona reminds him he’s a gelding, it’s still a total love affair with those little ladies. 

Devoted To His People

Dunes doesn’t just like people—he chooses them. Once you’re in his inner circle, you’re in for life. But earning his trust takes time. 

“He was super skeptical of his farrier at first,” Fiona recalls. But then Dunes realized the farrier always has treats, “and now he just stands in the crossties.” If he trusts you, he’ll follow you anywhere—even past the scariest of obstacles.

The Lap Horse

Despite his big, powerful frame, Dunes has the soul of a lap dog.

“If I sit in his stall, he just puts his head in my lap and stays there,” Fiona said. And it’s not just her—he recently walked up to Floratina’s rider, Rebecca Hart, while she was on her scooter and plopped his head in her lap, demanding attention. Who needs personal space when you’ve got a 1,200-pound cuddle bug?

A Snack (And Drink) Enthusiast

Carrots? Yes. Apples? Absolutely. Your iced tea? Also fair game.

“You have to be careful with iced teas,” Fiona warned. “He’ll drink them out of the cup.” 

If you have a snack in your hand, just accept that you’re obligated to share. 

The Dance Floor Is His Domain

For Dunes, music isn’t just background noise—it’s fuel.

“He’d rather go around with music blasting at full volume than in silence,” Fiona said. Without it, he’s distracted, but as soon as the beat drops, he locks in and delivers. His freestyle choreography—originally meant for Fiona’s other horse, Jagger—ended up suiting Dunes so perfectly that people thought it was designed just for him.

Unshakable Confidence

When Dunes stepped into the stadium at the Palace of Versailles, Fiona wasn’t sure how he’d react. He had only competed in three shows before the Paris Paralympics, and they’d only been a team for 10 months. But Dunes? He strutted in like he owned the place—er, palace. 

“He was like, ‘Look at me!’ ” Fiona recalled. “I never felt nervous because he gave me so much confidence. He fights for his person, no matter what.”

A Walk To Remember

Dunes’ ground-covering walk is one of his biggest strengths. But his trot? That’s an acquired taste.

“When I first rode him, it was so uncomfortable,” Fiona admitted. “I wasn’t sure how I was going to manage it.” 

But as their partnership grew, so did his trot—it transformed into a beautifully rideable gait. Now, anytime someone new gets on him, they immediately comment on how uncomfortable it is. Fiona just smiles and tells them, “Give it time.”

From his goofy antics to his gold-medal performances, Diamond Dunes is more than just a champion; he’s a character. His journey with Fiona Howard proves that talent, trust and a little bit of tongue-wagging can take you all the way to the top. And as they continue their meteoric rise, one thing is for sure: Dunes will always do things his way—one goofy grin at a time.

The post Behind The Stall Door With: Diamond Dunes appeared first on The Chronicle of the Horse.

“Cam” arrived at Davidson’s stable in early 2020 having competed through training level. With Buck in the tack, Cam swiftly moved up the ranks, jumping clear rounds in each of his starts that season and capping it off with a fifth-place finish in the Hagyard Midsouth CCI3*-L (Kentucky), where he finished on his dressage score. He moved up to advanced the next year, and has now completed six five-stars. In 2024, he jumped clean at the Defender Kentucky to finish sixth and then earned his best five-star finish—fourth place—at that year’s Mars Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill.

But beyond his cross-country boldness and competition record, Cam is a horse of quirks and routine—a combination that makes him beloved by his team.

A Home Life Built On Routine

“Cam’s pretty simple, really,” Davidson said. “He’s the ultimate worker. He just tries. But he’s got some quirky little habits, too.”

Among them? A very specific route to turnout.

“Every day when you take him out to the paddock, he stops in the same exact spot and looks at the same rock—every time, both going out and coming in,” Davidson said. “And every day, the [feed] cart goes out the door, and he has to stop and watch that, too.”

His groom Keira Nightingale sees the same thing.

“Whenever he goes out, he’ll always stop right at the corner—just stops for about five seconds,” she said. “We’ll be like, ‘Come on, Cam, we’ve gotta go,’ and then he’ll come. Guaranteed, he’ll stop there.”

While those quirks amuse his team, they’re far from a deal-breaker in the saddle.

“He’s spooky in weird ways at weird times, and you’re never exactly sure why,” Davidson said with a laugh. “But he’s unbelievably honest. You think you’re on a great stride, and he might spook, and you’re suddenly on a different one—but he’s careful, and he wants to get it done.”

Even though Cam may have a moment here or there, Davidson is used to it.

“You just don’t get upset. If you get upset, he’ll get upset,” he said. “There’s no point. He gets over it pretty quick.”

A Barn Favorite With Boundaries

“He’s got good manners in the stable,” Nightingale said. “He gets out of the way when you walk in. He’s very polite—but he’s also not the cuddly type.”

Cam likes things done his way, especially when it comes to tack.

“You’ve got one shot with his noseband,” Nightingale said. “He gets fed up if you mess with it too long. He’s like, ‘Come on, let’s go to work.’ ”

And while he might enjoy a head scratch from time to time, it’s always on his terms.

“Some days he loves the attention, and other days, not so much,” she said.

Despite his occasional aloofness, Cam enjoys a good routine.

“He comes in around 7 a.m., gets breakfast, then gets groomed,” said Nightingale. “He’s usually the first horse Buck rides, around 8:30. Then he gets a bath, some lunch at 11, dinner at 3, and turnout for the night around 4.”

A Thoroughbred With Heart (And Hair)

As an off-track Thoroughbred, Cam has some typical sensitivities—like needing extra care when doing up the girth—but in other ways, he’s remarkably relaxed. Davidson’s farm has a track around the jump field, but it doesn’t trigger racing memories for Cam, as it does for some other Thoroughbreds.  Nightingale appreciates his calm attitude around it.  

“You’d think with the track here, he’d be raring to go,” said Nightingale. “But he doesn’t look at it and think he’s a race horse again. He’s really level-headed.”

• One place he shines? The forelock department, particularly considering he’s a Thoroughbred.

“He’s got a cool head of hair—especially his forelock,” she said. “Most Thoroughbreds don’t have that.”

• Cam’s even-tempered nature and honest way of going have made him a barn favorite—and an exciting partner for the future.

“He really tries,” Nightingale said. “He wants to please.”

What’s Next?

At 14, Cam continues to be a top contender in Davidson’s program. With each season, he’s gained experience and consistency—and his team knows there’s still more to come.

“He’s gone from training level to five-stars in just a few years,” said Davidson. “And he just keeps getting better.”

Whether it’s through a quiet nod to a rock on the way to turnout or rising to the occasion on cross-country day, Cam proves that a good horse isn’t just about talent—it’s about heart, habit, and the people who believe in him.

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Some horses have talent. Some have presence. And then there’s Floratina—a mare who exudes regal confidence, unparalleled skill, and a touch of delightful quirkiness.

Floratina, known affectionately as “Flora,” is a 17-year-old Hanoverian mare (Fidertanz 2—Rubina, Rubin Royal OLD) with a resume as dazzling as her personality. Owned by Chloe Gasiorowski and ridden by Rebecca Hart, Flora made a historic debut at the 2024 Paris Paralympic Games, where she and Hart dominated the Grade III Individual Test, Grade III Freestyle, and Team event, bringing home three gold medals for the United States. Flora also has the unusual distinction of winning not only Paralympic gold but Pan American Games gold, as well, having been a member of Canada’s winning 2019 dressage team in Peru with former rider Lindsay Kellock.

Beyond the medals, the accolades and her undeniable talent, Flora is also a benevolent queen who knows exactly what she wants in life. And if anyone understands her quirks best, it’s Hart.

“She just has this amazing work ethic and fantastic temperament. She knows she’s a queen, but she’s a benevolent queen,” she said with a laugh.

Of course, no true queen is without her quirks. Flora isn’t just an exceptional athlete, she’s also a stuffed animal enthusiast, a musical connoisseur and a rather selective socialite. Here’s a glimpse into the winning mare’s charmingly eccentric world:

The Artistic Touch

Move over, Jackson Pollock—Flora is an abstract expressionist in her own right. Every meal, she uses her nose and her rather squishy feed to create a new impressionistic masterpiece on her stall wall. 

“She likes to leave me a new painting every meal,” Hart said. “I’ll clean it off, and she’s like, ‘Oh, a fresh canvas!’ ” 

Who needs a spotless stall when you can have equine art?

Lambie, Her Loyal Companion

Flora has an emotional support sheep.

She doesn’t go anywhere without Lambie, her cherished stuffed lamb. Whether traveling by plane or trailer, or simply standing in her stall, Lambie is always within reach. If he goes missing? Expect a diva-level meltdown. 

“Rowan O’Riley found a silly little stuffed animal,” Hart said. “Flora took one look and was like, ‘Mine. My baby.’ So Lambie became Flora’s.” 

A Mare With Rhythm

Flora is incredibly musical; she listens to the beat and naturally moves with it. Hart swears Flora “interprets” the music and adds her own flair to their “Driving Miss Daisy”-themed freestyle, arranged by Marlene Whitaker. 

“She just feels the music,” Hart said. “She knows when an extension is coming—she turns up the volume on her own.”

Only The Finest Treats

Flora is no ordinary snacker—she’s a queen who demands royal delicacies. 

While competing at the Paris Paralympics, she enjoyed a freshly picked apple from the Palace of Versailles—because, as Hart put it, “What else would a Parisian gold medalist deserve?” 

She also relished bespoke sugar cubes shaped like stars and Eiffel Towers, lovingly made by Hart’s sister. “I have no idea how my sister made them,” Hart said, “but Flora loved them.”

Selective Friendships

Flora doesn’t do casual acquaintances, even with Hart’s other horses. She loathes Fortune 500, another of Hart’s para-dressage horses, with a fiery passion. 

“I put them together thinking they’d be friends, because they’re both chill,” Hart recalled. “Nope. Flora was like, ‘Absolutely not.’” 

However, she’s wildly attached to her bestie El Corona Texel, Hart’s medal-winning mount from the 2018 World Equestrian Games (North Carolina) and the 2021 Toyko Paralympics. 

“He’s the only one she tolerates,” Hart said. “She’s not a social butterfly, but once you’re in her circle? She’ll fight for you forever.”

Turnout And Hack-Out Queen

Flora’s kingdom extends as far as she wants it to. Unlike some top competitors, Flora doesn’t see the white boards of the dressage ring as the borders of her kingdom. She loves leisurely hacks, taking in the sights, inspecting mysterious piles of “stuff,” and simply enjoying life as the queen of her domain. 

One of her most memorable hacks? A stroll through the gardens of Versailles, where she confidently surveyed her new kingdom. 

“Michel Assouline [U.S. Paralympic coach and high-performance consultant] was so stressed about it,” Hart recalled with a laugh. “He was like, ‘Please, please be careful.’ And I said, ‘She needs this. She’ll be fine.’ And of course, Flora loved it.”

A Secret Softie

Flora may have an air of royalty, but beneath her elegant exterior is a cuddle bug—just on her own terms. By day, she keeps up appearances, but during night check, when no one else is around, she quietly asks Hart for wither scratches and affection. 

“She’s not overtly affectionate during the day,” she said, “but at night, she’s like, ‘Hey, I love you.’ It’s our little ritual.”

The Barn’s Leading Lady

Flora has claimed the best stall in the barn—a barn outfitted with all primo, deluxe stalls—and she knows it. Hart jokes that a red carpet would not be out of place leading up to her stall door.

“She walks in and is like, ‘Yes, this is my house,’ ” she said. “She would absolutely appreciate a red carpet.”

Confidence Like No Other

Perhaps what makes Flora truly special is her unshakable confidence. She thrives under pressure, never shying away from big moments. When she walked into the packed stadium at the Paris Paralympics, she didn’t hesitate—she soaked in the energy and performed like she was born for it. 

“She walked in and was like, ‘Yes, I’m back. Finally, I’m back,’ ” Hart recalled.

Flora is a mare who knows her worth, loves her music, cherishes her stuffed lamb, and demands the royal treatment—and honestly, who can blame her?

Flora, we bow to your excellence. 

The post Behind The Stall Door With: Floratina appeared first on The Chronicle of the Horse.

Since the moment he came to Emil Spadone’s Redfield Farm last February, Four Aces has proven to be a level-headed amateur hunter mount and, simultaneously, a brilliant international hunter derby competitor.

Owned by Marita Zuraitis, “Ace” has been racking up top placings in the derby ring with professional Brian Feigus and in the amateur-owner ring with Casey Zuraitis.

Most recently, Feigus and the 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Acodetto 2—Haamoon, Leonid) won back-to-back Florida derbies, topping the $80,000 Mars Equestrian USHJA International Hunter Derby at the World Equestrian Center—Ocala on Feb. 28 and following that with another win in the $40,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby at HITS Post Time Farm on March 14.

Feigus is quick to credit Ace’s rider at home, Erin Carey, who’s worked for Spadone for six years. We caught up with Carey at Redfield Farm’s winter base in Ocala to learn more about Ace.

• When Ace arrived from Stal Hendrix in the Netherlands, he had some 1.45-meter jumper experience but wasn’t quite quick enough to excel in that ring. He’d also been gelded recently.

“He’s always been a very brave horse but also very curious,” Carey said. “He’s very smart. He’s always very intrigued by his surroundings. When we first got him, the hardest thing was to get him to not look around everywhere. Like, keep your eyes on the prize! He’s always given us the vibe that he’s dependable and honest and sweet. That part has been consistent from the second he got here until now. He’s always been a quiet horse.”

• Whether he’s in Florida or at Redfield’s New Jersey base, Ace has a pretty laidback routine. 

“He loves the field, so he’ll go outside for as long as he wants,” Carey said. “He goes on the walker for his fitness. He really loves to eat. He spends his whole day sleeping, eating and going outside.”

• He’s the same, no matter how much time he’s had off, with a cute bark but no bite. 

“You can give him a month off and get right on him, and he’s not going to do anything,” Carey said. “He’s a squealer: If he’s fresh he’ll squeal a little bit, like for a lead change, but in general, he’s super sweet and quiet.”

• His favorite therapies are cryotherapy, laser and a Bemer blanket, all thanks to bodyworker Alex Lee, who comes before bigger classes to get him feeling his best.

• He knows his people. 

“His relationship with his owner is great,” Carey said. “He’s so smart. He knows who you are. He knows the difference between [all of us]. He loves the Zuraitis family because they shower him with treats and food and tell him how pretty he is all the time. He just knows. He’s totally spoiled.”

• He also knows when it’s time to step up. 

“He loves Brian,” Carey added. “We’ve been told that by an animal communicator. He likes to win, is what they said. He knows when Brian rides him, it’s for an occasion—something special. You can see it in the horse. I’ll flat him around in the schooling area before he goes in the ring, and then you put Brian on, and he walks totally differently. He just knows.”

• He loves cheese pizza. “He loves anything he can put his mouth on. He’s not picky, and he’s very food motivated. But it’s funny how much he loves pizza,” she said.

• His groom, Welner Vasquez, keeps him looking his best. 

“He loves his horses, and he takes such good care of them,” Carey said. “He has a lot of pride, and he takes care of all the other horses I manage. He builds a relationship with them and cares about them and doesn’t get frustrated.”

The post Behind The Stall Door With: Four Aces appeared first on The Chronicle of the Horse.

Ducky got his nickname from the collection of rubber ducks that live on the dashboard of owner Debbie Smith’s Jeep. (Trading rubber ducks is a tradition among Jeep owners.) Since Smith purchased him in 2023, the gelding has amassed an impressive collection of his own waterfowl-themed gear, including:

• A duck-patterned saddle pad used during training sessions at home.
• A stuffed duck toy that lives in his stall at all times as his unofficial mascot.
• Duck charms hang from his tack and halters. 
• Stall door decor, including a duck charm at all times. 
• Duck number pins, keeping the theme consistent even at shows.

Even groom Nicola “Nicky” Cook and the team get in on the theme.

“We wear duck earrings, duck socks, and even have a few duck-themed good-luck charms when we’re at shows,” she said. “It’s become a fun tradition. Ducky is definitely a horse with a brand.”

Paired with Vale since July 2023, the 12-year-old Holsteiner gelding (Cascadello—T-Clintissma, Clinton) owned by The Carissimo Group and bred in Germany by Sport A Media S.R.O., has captivated audiences with his breathtaking style and impressive scope.

Their partnership reached a high point at the 2024 RDS Dublin Horse Show (Ireland), where they played a pivotal role in securing the U.S. team’s victory in the FEI Nations Cup CSIO5* and were third in the Rolex Grand Prix of Dublin CSIO5*. For Vale, who was the traveling alternate for the U.S. Olympic team in Paris, Dublin was the culmination of experience gained competing in Italy, Sweden and France earlier in the year.

“He’s always been a good horse,” Cook said. “But he’s come on leaps and bounds, and we’re just so proud of how far he’s come.”

Home at Thinkslikeahorse in Williston, Florida, Ducky settles into his routine under the watchful eye of Cook, and while he’s a serious competitor in the ring, he has plenty of personality behind the scenes.

Aloof, Independent And Occasionally Quirky

• When Cook first started working with Ducky, he wasn’t the friendliest horse in the barn.

“He was very aloof,” she said. “He wasn’t mean, but he liked his own space.”

Over time, he’s become more sociable. “Now, he’ll come over to play with us and then decide he’s had enough and just walk away,” Cook said.

• He prefers to watch the world go by from his stall. “He loves having his door open so he can just hang out and take everything in,” Cook said. “He’s just very aware of his surroundings.”

A Simple But Sweet Routine With Plenty Of Naps

• Ducky has traveled extensively, competing across Europe and the U.S. While some horses struggle with travel, Ducky isn’t one of them. He adjusts well to new environments and is a seasoned pro when going to new places. 

“He has slept his way around every single country,” Cook said.

After arriving at a new show, he sleeps for the first few days to settle in.

“If he’s not flat-out sleeping, something’s wrong,” Cook joked.

• Turnout is a priority. Ducky spends most mornings outside relaxing before he is ridden. Vale typically rides him last, giving him plenty of paddock time.

• His favorite treats? Watermelon.

“He absolutely loves it,” Cook says. “I give it to him a lot when we’re traveling.”

• Ducky also loves his treat ball filled with carrots, which hangs in his stall for entertainment.

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