Sport

Ten Truths About Developing Young Jumpers For the Show Ring With Taylor Flury
Ten Truths About Developing Young Jumpers For the Show Ring With Taylor Flury
Developing young horses isn’t so much a process as it is an art form, and Taylor Flury would know. Flury has been bringing horses up through the levels for her... Read more...
'The More I Do This, The More I Realize There’s No Secret': How Nayel Nassar Gets Show Ring Ready
'The More I Do This, The More I Realize There’s No Secret': How Nayel Nassar Gets Show Ring Ready
Nayel Nassar and longtime mount Lordan are like an old married couple. Since 2011, the pair have circumnavigated the world together — and have picked up a few major wins... Read more...
Pack Like Edwina: Eight Things The Show Jumping Queen Brings to Every Single Show
Pack Like Edwina: Eight Things The Show Jumping Queen Brings to Every Single Show
Edwina Tops-Alexander is fully back in the swing of the life on the road that is par for the course for the world's top riders. This time around, she's balancing... Read more...
'I Can't Win With a Horse I Don’t Love': Eight Lessons Luciana Diniz Has Learned From Fit for Fun 13
'I Can't Win With a Horse I Don’t Love': Eight Lessons Luciana Diniz Has Learned From Fit for Fun 13
Ask Luciana Diniz about Fit for Fun 13 and chances are, she’s going to get a little gushy. After more than five years together, the 15-year-old Hanoverian mare has not only... Read more...
Seven Things Stephanie Holmen Has Learned From Peder Fredricson
Seven Things Stephanie Holmen Has Learned From Peder Fredricson
If you have big ambitions in the sport of showjumping, you may as well learn from the best — and they certainly don’t come much better than European champion and... Read more...
What It Feels Like to Move to Europe to Further my Career: Hallie Coon
What It Feels Like to Move to Europe to Further my Career: Hallie Coon
After a phenomenal first summer abroad, courtesy of the Karen Stives Endowment Fund Grant, I’m hopping the pond permanently and taking up residence in Marlborough, Wiltshire, England. Though I’m only 23, I... Read more...
Life Lessons From Anne Kursisnki, Kent Farrington, and Mclain Ward: 10 Ways to Become a Better Rider, Right Now
Life Lessons From Anne Kursisnki, Kent Farrington, and Mclain Ward: 10 Ways to Become a Better Rider, Right Now
It’s January, which means goal setting and resolutions are in full swing. With the U.S. outdoor show season kicking off in a big way – namely, the Winter Equestrian Festival... Read more...
'I Put a Lot of Value in Intelligence': Erin Characklis' Crash Course on Finding and Developing Young Horses
'I Put a Lot of Value in Intelligence': Erin Characklis' Crash Course on Finding and Developing Young Horses
With every new encounter, a first impression is made – that gut feeling or thought that is nearly impossible to undo, and sets the tone for the future of the... Read more...
Julia Tops: How I'm Balancing Being Serious About School With My Dreams of Riding Professionally
Julia Tops: How I'm Balancing Being Serious About School With My Dreams of Riding Professionally
When you’re in university, it’s inevitable for your calendar to get pretty crowded with classes, social life, and extracurriculars. Imagine adding competing at the CSI2* level to that schedule, and... Read more...
Win the Jump-Off: Leslie Burr Howard Teaches Us How to Master 'Faster'
Win the Jump-Off: Leslie Burr Howard Teaches Us How to Master 'Faster'
Whether you're an amateur or professional, show jumper or eventer, in the meter ring or the grand prix field, a few quick seconds can mean the difference between a winning round... Read more...
A Year In Photos: The Best NF.insider Moments of 2018
A Year In Photos: The Best NF.insider Moments of 2018
When it comes to photos, we all know they say more than words (one thousand, to be exact). 2018 was a monumental year for horse sport, and the photos have... Read more...
'I Would Sell Any Horse at Any Time': Ludwig Svennerstal Has Eyes on Tokyo, but His Strategically Built Business Comes First
'I Would Sell Any Horse at Any Time': Ludwig Svennerstal Has Eyes on Tokyo, but His Strategically Built Business Comes First
“... handsome, clever, and rich… seemed to unite some of the best blessings of existence.” This statement, the opening paragraph of Jane Austen’s classic novel “Emma”, could, at first glance, sum... Read more...
The Biggest Mistakes We're Making with Horses (And What to Do Instead): Supergroom Mel Borrego Shares Some Wisdom
The Biggest Mistakes We're Making with Horses (And What to Do Instead): Supergroom Mel Borrego Shares Some Wisdom
These days, Mel Borrego makes a living caring for some of the most elite equine athletes in the world. But while he’s always chosen to spend his time in the company... Read more...
‘She’s the Best Horse I Ever Rode’: Lorenzo de Luca and Irenice Horta’s Short but Sweet (and Wildly Successful) Partnership
‘She’s the Best Horse I Ever Rode’: Lorenzo de Luca and Irenice Horta’s Short but Sweet (and Wildly Successful) Partnership
n preparation for the WEG, Lorenzo had to make up for lost time with Irenice, a Stephex ride he took over in June after her former partner, Belgium’s Zoé Conter, who produced the... Read more...
'I Work Really Hard... I'm Not the Most Naturally Gifted Rider': Ashlee Harrison on Putting in the Work, Breaking Barriers, & Returning to the Show Ring
'I Work Really Hard... I'm Not the Most Naturally Gifted Rider': Ashlee Harrison on Putting in the Work, Breaking Barriers, & Returning to the Show Ring
Ashlee Harrison has broken a longstanding stereotype in the sport of show jumping: After stepping away from the industry for nearly a decade to pursue a degree and a business... Read more...
The Future of Horse Sport Is Coming: How Chio Aachen's Michael Mronz Is Leading the Charge
The Future of Horse Sport Is Coming: How Chio Aachen's Michael Mronz Is Leading the Charge
Horse sport is built around tradition – a rich, multi-faceted history runs deep through today’s current iterations of disciplines past. Much of our current-day sport centers around competition, and we... Read more...
Why 1986 World Champion Gail Greenough Celebrates Simone Blum and Female Horsepower Post-WEG
Why 1986 World Champion Gail Greenough Celebrates Simone Blum and Female Horsepower Post-WEG
When Germany’s Simone Blum cleared the last fence of the individual final at the FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Tryon, N.C., this past September, she made history becoming the first female show jumper to... Read more...
Life After ‘Catch Me’: Laura Klaphake Is Charging Forward With Big Goals
Life After ‘Catch Me’: Laura Klaphake Is Charging Forward With Big Goals
Laura Klaphake might just be the amateur rider’s hero. The 24-year-old German show jumper skyrocketed to the heights of show jumping in 2018, highlighted by a team bronze medal at... Read more...
‘I Can't Get Enough!’ Dressage Rider Lauren Chumley Gets Her Kicks on Cross-Country
‘I Can't Get Enough!’ Dressage Rider Lauren Chumley Gets Her Kicks on Cross-Country
By Lauren Chumley with Amber Heintzberger Professional grand prix dressage rider Lauren Chumley of Pittstown, N.J. spends many weekends competing in eventing, giving herself and her horses a fun “out... Read more...
Chameur and Georgina Have ‘Charmed’ Their Way Up the World Cup Rankings
Chameur and Georgina Have ‘Charmed’ Their Way Up the World Cup Rankings
Over the past few years, Georgina Bloomberg has exercised an admirable degree of patience. She knew the right horse to bring her back to the top levels of the sport... Read more...
One Horse, Big Dreams: Lindsay Douglass, Butterfly Tibri Z, and an Unbreakable Bond
One Horse, Big Dreams: Lindsay Douglass, Butterfly Tibri Z, and an Unbreakable Bond
Ask Lindsay Douglass to describe her horse Butterfly Tibri Z, and she is more apt to show than to tell. “You have to meet her,” she’ll say. Never has a... Read more...
A Gilded Year: Adrienne Sternlicht’s Path to the World Stage
A Gilded Year: Adrienne Sternlicht’s Path to the World Stage
America’s new ‘golden girl,’ Adrienne Sternlicht, has two feet firmly rooted on the ground – a natural groundedness that is increasingly impressive when you look at the lightning-fast trajectory of... Read more...
The Seven Most Important Jumping Stallions According to Frederik De Backer
The Seven Most Important Jumping Stallions According to Frederik De Backer
Avid show jumping fans know that there are some horses on the startlist you just can’t wait to watch in the ring. With his bombastic personality, mid-course bucks and double-barreled... Read more...
‘She’s Family’: Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Longtime Groom Anu Harrila
‘She’s Family’: Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Longtime Groom Anu Harrila
Two minutes may sound like a short amount of time, but when you're a show jumper racing against the clock, those precious seconds tick away faster than you can think.... Read more...
‘Just Enjoy It’: A Day in the Life of Nicola Philippaerts
‘Just Enjoy It’: A Day in the Life of Nicola Philippaerts
For 25-year-old Belgian rider Nicola Philippaerts, show jumping is in his DNA. His father, Ludo Philippaerts, enjoyed a long, illustrious career competing at four Olympic Games and three World Equestrian... Read more...
Erik Duvander: How I Coach the U.S. Eventing Team With a 'Growth Mindset' after Disappointment at WEG
Erik Duvander: How I Coach the U.S. Eventing Team With a 'Growth Mindset' after Disappointment at WEG
Professor Carol Dweck of Stanford University studies human motivation, delving into reasons why people succeed or don’t, and how having either a “growth mindset” or a “fixed mindset” affects performance.... Read more...
The Genn Family Is Show Jumping's Triple Threat
The Genn Family Is Show Jumping's Triple Threat
Wilhelm Genn has always been a man of hope. Fresh off a World Cup Qualifier win in Sacramento, CA, that hope is proving to be a smart thing to hold... Read more...
Hello, Number One: Laura Graves Has Made U.S. Dressage History
Hello, Number One: Laura Graves Has Made U.S. Dressage History
For the first time in history, a U.S. dressage rider is ranked number one on the world rankings: following her performance at the World Equestrian Games in Tryon in September,... Read more...
'I’ve Retired More Times than Cher': As Robert Dover Steps Down, He Wishes for Sustained Excellence in US Dressage
'I’ve Retired More Times than Cher': As Robert Dover Steps Down, He Wishes for Sustained Excellence in US Dressage
When the 2018 World Equestrian Games in Tryon end, Robert Dover will retire as U.S. Dressage Technical Advisor, a position he has held since 2013. It will not be the... Read more...
Kate Leggat Is Bringing Dressage to the Training Programs of Top Show Jumpers
Kate Leggat Is Bringing Dressage to the Training Programs of Top Show Jumpers
Kate Leggat might be the show jumper’s secret weapon.   Kate, 27, is contributing to the clear rounds of some of show jumping’s brightest young and established stars. A reiner turned dressage rider that’s... Read more...
5 Shows, No Problem: Lorenzo de Luca and Irenice Horta are Gunning for Gold
5 Shows, No Problem: Lorenzo de Luca and Irenice Horta are Gunning for Gold
Coming into the World Equestrian Games, Italy's Lorenzo de Luca and 10-year-old mare, Irenice Horta, had done exactly four shows together - the WEG rounding things out as lucky number... Read more...
Golden Girl Adrienne Sternlicht is Having The Best Week of Her Life
Golden Girl Adrienne Sternlicht is Having The Best Week of Her Life
Adrienne Sternlicht is living in a dream, at least for this week. The 25-year-old rider is a newcomer to the United States show jumping team, and aboard 10-year-old Bavarian Warmblood... Read more...
Erynn Ballard Talks Facing New Challenges at Her WEG Debut
Erynn Ballard Talks Facing New Challenges at Her WEG Debut
Erynn Ballard is not new to the sport of show jumping. A respected hunter and jumper rider with a thriving program, she’s now set her sights on something else: a team... Read more...
New Team, New Horse, No Problem: What Alberto Michan is Packing for the World Equestrian Games
New Team, New Horse, No Problem: What Alberto Michan is Packing for the World Equestrian Games
While change can be difficult for some, Alberto Michan is thriving on it. The two-time Olympic and World Equestrian Games veteran for Mexico changed nationalities to represent Israel this year.... Read more...
Isabell Werth, Charlotte Dujardin and More: Ringside Chats with the Best Dressage Riders in the World
Isabell Werth, Charlotte Dujardin and More: Ringside Chats with the Best Dressage Riders in the World
Emotions at the FEI World Equestrian Games are running high - and with good reason. This is one of the biggest competitions in the world, and there's a lot at... Read more...
Rain or Shine: Keeping Up with the Kiwis
Rain or Shine: Keeping Up with the Kiwis
With his World Equestrian Games debut as the New Zealand Eventing High Performance Manager, Graeme Thom is looking forward to seeing how the week plays out for his team of... Read more...
Lauren Kieffer Talks Her Little Horse That Can and How Things Are Looking for Team USA
Lauren Kieffer Talks Her Little Horse That Can and How Things Are Looking for Team USA
Lauren Kieffer has had the unique opportunity to work with her four-legged partner, Vermiculus, who she fondly refers to as “Bug”, from the day he was first backed. The pair... Read more...
One on One at WEG With Ludwig Svennerstaal: Team Sweden, Tough Courses, & Being Prepared
One on One at WEG With Ludwig Svennerstaal: Team Sweden, Tough Courses, & Being Prepared
As the eventing portion of the World Equestrian Games prepares to get underway, the top athletes from around the world are kicking things into high gear. Noëlle Floyd Editor in... Read more...
Lynn Symansky and Donner Head to WEG and Prove Thoroughbreds Have Serious Heart
Lynn Symansky and Donner Head to WEG and Prove Thoroughbreds Have Serious Heart
Just two weeks shy of the ten-year anniversary of their first horse trials together, Lynn Symansky and her off-track Thoroughbred Donner will canter down centerline at the Tryon International Equestrian... Read more...
WEG-Bound Riders on What's on Their Minds Leading up to Tryon
WEG-Bound Riders on What's on Their Minds Leading up to Tryon
There may be a tropical storm brewing, but equestrians are a force of nature too. Determined to brave the weather and lay down the best rounds of their lives, five... Read more...
Orangetheory and Lady Anthems: How Kasey Perry-Glass Is Getting Ready for WEG
Orangetheory and Lady Anthems: How Kasey Perry-Glass Is Getting Ready for WEG
Aboard her striking black Danish Warmblood gelding Goerklingaards Dublet, Kasey Perry-Glass has done the USA proud: in addition to participating in many Nations Cups for Old Glory, the pair was... Read more...
What WEG-Bound Paul O’Shea and Skara Glen’s Machu Picchu Are Packing for Tryon
What WEG-Bound Paul O’Shea and Skara Glen’s Machu Picchu Are Packing for Tryon
Skara Glen’s Machu Picchu is named after the stunning Incan citadel in Peru, but the 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding won’t be visiting his namesake anytime soon. The bay is instead... Read more...
Lucky Socks and a Book of Zen: Inside Adrienne Lyle's Prep for WEG 2018
Lucky Socks and a Book of Zen: Inside Adrienne Lyle's Prep for WEG 2018
After the retirement of her 2012 Olympic and 2014 World Equestrian Games partner, Wizard, some wondered what the future would hold for Adrienne Lyle. But with 8-year-old Salvino, a 2010... Read more...
Spencer Smith Is Pushing His Limits, and Finding Big Opportunities Come With Boldness
Spencer Smith Is Pushing His Limits, and Finding Big Opportunities Come With Boldness
Spencer Smith has learned to always answer his phone - you never know who might be on the other end of the line, after all. Smith, still a veritable young... Read more...
The Insatiable American Eventers: Erik Duvander Dishes on the Road to WEG
The Insatiable American Eventers: Erik Duvander Dishes on the Road to WEG
Eventers like speed, right? Try this one on for size: last October, less than a year before the start of the 2018 World Equestrian Games at Tryon, the United States... Read more...
A Closer Look at the Willowdale Steeplechase
A Closer Look at the Willowdale Steeplechase
On a foggy morning in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, jockeys clad in vibrant silks, eager children leading fuzz-covered ponies, and excited onlookers decked out in a juxtaposed mix of weathered rain... Read more...
My Stuff: Edwina Tops-Alexander
My Stuff: Edwina Tops-Alexander
Edwina Tops-Alexander spends her days juggling her business, her athletic goals as one of the top show jumpers in the world, and now, being a mother to one-year-old daughter, Chloé.... Read more...
Everything You've Ever Wanted To Know About Georgina Bloomberg
Everything You've Ever Wanted To Know About Georgina Bloomberg
When you Google the name Georgina Bloomberg, one of the first results that pops up is her Wikipedia page – the subtitle: “Michael Bloomberg’s daughter.” But if you've seen how Georgina... Read more...
Discussion: what does the equestrian community need the most?
Discussion: what does the equestrian community need the most?
We want to get down & dirty and hear all the deets on what you’re hungry for. We like to think big, so we pose this question: what does the... Read more...
Wish You Were Here: CHIO Aachen Needs to Go On Your Bucket List
Wish You Were Here: CHIO Aachen Needs to Go On Your Bucket List
First of all: I love to travel. I particularly love Europe. I'm pretty sure I was accidentally born in the wrong country (although my penchant for matcha lattes and Whole Foods might... Read more...