Phillip Dutton has helped a remarkable number of horses and riders reach the top ranks of eventing over the years, but it was a poignant reunion between two of them that the Olympian orchestrated at a local schooling show which got the horse world talking most recently.

Two graduates of Dutton’s True Prospect Farm—Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill Competition Director Joanie Morris, who first connected with Dutton as a teenaged working student, and Z, his former world championship and Olympic partner—cantered steadily around a 2’11” show jumping course in a video shared recently on Dutton’s social media.

The video documents a homecoming of sorts for both horse and rider: For Z, a return to competition after a lengthy rehabilitation following an injury at the 2023 Pau CCI5* (France) that forced his retirement from eventing, and for Morris a return to the Chester County, Pennsylvania, area that helped propel her into a multi-faceted career in the sport.

Those involved said Z’s new partnership with Morris felt like kismet, as they both enter a new stage of their lives. The connection felt even more special given Z’s history with Morris’ late husband, show jumping trainer Richard Picken. 

In late 2023, Dutton announced Z’s retirement, explaining that it wasn’t in the best interest of the Zangersheide gelding (Asca Z—Bellabouche, Babouche VH Gehucht Z) owned by David and Patricia Vos, Ann Jones, Suzanne Lacy, Caroline Moran, Thomas Tierney, and Dutton’s wife, Evie Dutton, to return to the intense training required at the top level. The gelding had sustained a significant injury on the cross-country phase at Pau that October.

Z joined Phillip’s string 11 years ago, as a 6-year-old, and quickly rose through the levels. Together, they represented the United States at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games (North Carolina) and the 2021 Tokyo Olympic Games. The gelding notched five top-10 placings at the CCI5* level over his career and became a fan favorite along the way.

“He had a pretty significant suspensory injury, so he needed plenty of time to heal if he was going to have a good life afterward,” Phillip said. “Z spent the winter after his injury rehabilitating at Furlong’s Soundness Center in New Jersey. From there, we brought him back very slowly. We started by just legging him up, and eventually he reached the point where he could begin flatwork and some small jumping.”

Around the time Z began easing back into work, Morris returned to live in Kennett Square, Pennsylvania, after years spent in Kentucky working various roles within the sport, including almost a decade spent as U.S. Equestrian Federation’s managing director of eventing. 

“I was a working student for Phillip when I was 18 and have been in and out of his program ever since,” Morris said. “I’d lived here before, so I already had a lot of friends in the area, and it’s closer to my parents in Maine. It felt like a good place to land and made sense for my career change.”

Morris recently leased out her own CCI2* partner, Pioneer Archibald, after a busy travel schedule made it difficult to ride him regularly. 

“Archie loves to work and go to events,” she said. “I leased him to a fabulous kid in Kentucky, and she just did her first prelim with him.”

That opened the door for Morris to ride at True Prospect again, where Phillip asked her to ride Z. 

“In April of this year, I let Phillip know I’d love to come over—there’s typically not a shortage of horses over there that need to be ridden,” Morris said. “Luckily, [Z] was able to return to some low-level work around that time. Z has the best owners who gave him everything he needed for a chance to come back.”

From the start, the partnership felt special because of her late husband’s connection to the horse. Picken had been a fixture on the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s eventing and show jumping circuits, earning respect as a top coach and trainer, and had been an influential figure in Phillip’s career with horses including Z.

“When Phillip first asked me to ride Z, I appreciated how special he was to him and how much Richard thought of him—we’ve all been through a lot together,” Morris said.

“Joanie’s been part of our team on and off for probably 25 years,” Phillip said. “The timing worked out perfectly for her to take Z over. It’s a truly special partnership, as her late husband was a friend and coach who helped me a great deal with Z early in his career. In a way, it feels like Richard is still overseeing things from above.”

Picken was Phillip’s go-to show jumping coach and worked with him at events. He started working with Z around the time the horse was moving up to the advanced level. 

“Z has always been a fabulous jumper—it just came naturally to him—and Richard loved that horse,” Morris said. “He did a ton of work with him on the show jumping phase.” 

Morris still recalls some of Picken and Z’s time together, such as a video that resurfaces on her TikTok. 

“The video is of Richard putting Z in the start box at the Kentucky Three-Day,” Morris said. “He did the same for another of Phillip’s horses, Mighty Nice, because they could both be pretty excited at the start. The video is just Richard hanging on for dear life—it always makes me smile. He loved developing all kinds of horses, but Z was special to him. Even after Richard passed in 2022, it felt like his influence was still there. The fall after he passed, Z jumped the most beautiful clear round at [the Maryland 5 Star at Fair Hill, where he finished fourth]. He had matured significantly—his rideability and composure continued to improve.”

While Morris knew Z had a reputation for getting excited at events, she said he’s been wonderful to ride at home. 

“He’s quiet and really sweet,” Morris said. “I started riding him here and there, then we added in a little jumping. When I’m in town, I get to play around with him, and it’s worked out well—it’s been a lot of fun.”

“Z was always a bit hot and nervous, so it’s nice to see him relaxing and mellowing out now,” Phillip said. “Joanie’s done an excellent job with him.” 

Recently, while Morris was in town, Phillip suggested she take Z to his first competition—a local schooling show—since 2023.

“Phillip asked if I wanted to compete with him at Lanefield Farm, and I said, ‘Sure—what level?’ ” Morris said. “He told me just to show jump around in the novice and see how he was. I didn’t really know what to expect, but if it was stressful for him or if he got too worked up, then we would decide whether it was worth continuing. He doesn’t need that kind of pressure in his semi-retirement life.”

Fortunately, Z appeared to enjoy his return to the show jumping ring with his new partner.

“He was so cute,” Morris said. “I was mostly worried about the warm-up because it’s small, and there were green horses everywhere. I thought it might be a little much for him, but he handled it well. When we went into the ring, he puffed up like he’d grown a hand, and I laughed and told him, ‘Buddy, look at the size of these jumps.’ You can see in the video how happy he was. 

“He never felt wound up, and he just seemed to enjoy himself,” she added. “Afterward, people recognized him and came over to pet him. He really loved the whole experience.”

While they are taking things one day at a time, Phillip added that Z will likely remain in the jumper ring only. 

“I think Z’s future is for Joanie to continue riding him—or maybe someone else down the line—and enjoy him at the lower levels for the next couple of years,” he said. “I don’t really want him to event again, though, because he used to get so wound up on cross-country. I think that could risk him re-injuring himself, so keeping him in show jumping is the better option.”

Z’s comeback resonates not only with the people he’s closest to but also with the many people he touched throughout his career.

“Phillip works harder than anyone, and Z is a testament to that,” Morris said. “But Z’s one of those horses who’s touched a lot of people—his group of owners, the people who care for him every day, and the fans who followed his long career. When Phillip posted that video, I couldn’t believe the responses. People were just thrilled to see him looking well, and that meant a great deal to them. Horses like Z create those connections, even for people who’ve only ever seen him gallop by at the Kentucky Three-Day or Maryland 5 Star. That’s what makes his return to the show ring so special.”