Nicholas Dello Joio is the 2010 recipient of the Maxine Beard Show Jumping Developing Rider Award. His selection is based on his past performances and future potential to represent the United States in international competition. Previous winners include Kent Farrington, Ashlee Bond, Hillary Dobbs, Brianne Goutal and Georgina Bloomberg.

As the award winner, Dello Joio will be credentialed and travel with the U.S. delegation to the Rolex FEI World Cup Finals in Geneva, Switzerland, from April 13 – 18, where he will observe the operations of an international championship, including the stabling area, veterinary inspections, schooling and walking the course with the U.S. Show Jumping Coach, George H. Morris.

In late 2009, Dello Joio posted two back-to-back Grand Prix wins at the Atlanta Fall Classics I and II (Ga.), an accomplishment he regards as his most memorable to date.

Dello Joio had a late start to his riding career at the age of 14. “I was travelling in Europe with my family when I decided I wanted to give it a shot. Nelson (Pessoa) was a good friend of my Dad’s [Olympian Norman Dello Joio] and lent me a pony to show in the children’s jumpers. Once I started showing, I was hooked. It was a lot of fun, and at the time I didn’t really know what I was doing so I would just go around as fast as possible—I won a lot of classes, and I fell off in a lot of classes.”

Dello Joio was recently selected for the 2010 Show Jumping International Young Riders Tour.