Every December, we ask our talented Chronicle staffers to reflect back on the year that was and share the stories that were their favorites, either for the impression they made or the experience of writing them. Here’s what they had to say:
This story followed up on a New York Times article published in 2023, which reported on failures of equestrian helmet makers to design helmets that accommodate many Black riders’ hair styles. We wanted to know if, one year later, any of those companies had made good on their promises to make inclusive changes to their riding helmets.
Many of the Black equestrians I spoke to, including a therapeutic riding school instructor and equestrian podcast host, were eager to continue the conversation and keep pressure on those brands. I was happy to find that Chanel Robbins, a rider who had been prominently featured in the original article, had deepened her commitment to the cause, advocating for helmet inclusivity on her social media, and she was also collaborating with Tipperary on a visual helmet guide for properly fitting helmets to protective hair styles. We found that a few brands, including Tipperary, Back On Track USA and Charles Owen, had plans underway to respond to the needs of this often-overlooked demographic of equestrians. Reporting on this issue felt like proof positive that inviting diverse voices to the table has a real impact on access to the sport.
—Hannah Sherk
Where Have All The Eventing Volunteers Gone?
When emailing with eventing volunteer extraordinaire Jim Gehris for some background information for another article, he offered up an unsolicited pitch: the Chronicle should write about how difficult it’s become to recruit enough volunteers to run events. “I’ve been one for 20+ years and it seems that every year, it’s harder and harder to get folks out supporting the sport,” he wrote.
So we did. While the severity of the volunteer drought varies by region and by event, many organizers said it was a constant source of uncertainty and stress for them, and emphasized just how integral this unpaid labor is for maintaining accessibility to the sport.
A lot has changed in eventing since I first headed out of the start box on a pony in the early 1980s—the advent of approved helmets, safety vests and frangible pins; the addition of three new recognized levels; the demise of penalty zones and the long format—but one thing that has held constant is the friendly and welcoming atmosphere at most events and the spirit that everyone’s there to enjoy the common thrill of a good gallop cross-country.
As a kid, I put in a lot of hours jump judging and helping in the concession booth for my Pony Club’s local event, but our adult responsibilities and commitments can often get in the way of those “optional” responsibilities like volunteering. If you cherish the indomitable spirit of eventing, consider making volunteering more of a priority; it’s one of my personal goals for 2025.
—Erin Harty
US Wins Olympic Show Jumping Team Silver, Britain Gets Gold
Before show jumping started, the Paris Olympics hadn’t gone so well for the United States. One blip on cross-country kept the eventing team out of the medals, and then the dressage competition never really got off to the ground when the team’s first combination, Marcus Orlob and Jane, were eliminated for blood.
Show jumping was our last hope for a medal, and we’d sent a strong team to Paris—but it’s a fickle sport, and just because one country is the favorite doesn’t mean it will finish on the podium. The team competition proved that point: Brazil didn’t make it to the final after a rider was eliminated. Germany was the best on qualifying day, but couldn’t replicate the same performance on medal day. And two rounds into the final, the U.S. had seen good performances from Laura Kraut and Baloutinue (one rail) and Karl Cook and Caracole De La Roque (clear), but if McLain Ward and Ilex couldn’t deliver another clear, a medal would be unlikely.
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It’s a funny thing being a journalist at a championship like the Olympics. From our spot in the mixed zone, where the press talks to riders after their rides, we didn’t have a view of the competition. Instead we watched it on a TV, which was slightly delayed, so noise from the arena often let us know how the rounds went before we saw them on the screen. It was a relief when a cheer told me Ward had gone clear, when on the TV he was still two from home.
My friend Sally Spickard, who was covering show jumping for Practical Horseman, and I turned to each other in relief, saying, “We won a medal!” There were still two countries left, which would decide which color medal the U.S. won, and we joked with our counterparts from Horse & Hound not to get greedy—Great Britain already had three medals, and it was time to share. Ultimately it was silver for the U.S.—and perhaps the easiest story I wrote those two weeks, because writing about U.S. success is a lot more fun than writing about what went wrong.
—Kimberly Loushin
All King Edwards Horses Carry Many Big Fools
It’s a rich irony that I’m including this story, because it wasn’t one I really wanted to write. As the story itself mentions, I took it on thinking it’d be quick and easy, only to learn over time it was anything but that. As one “nope, sorry” email after another hit my inbox, I shared them with my colleague, our Executive Editor Lisa Slade, accompanied by increasingly dire warnings that this story wasn’t going to happen. “It’s a process story!” she responded brightly, with far more enthusiasm than I was feeling for the subject at the time.
But here’s a funny thing about writing: Sometimes, while the anticipation of doing it fills you with dread, once you sit down and start typing, the words come rolling out. As I wrote, I realized Lisa was right, and with each graph I warmed more to my tale. Researching this story gave me a taste of some fascinating people within the word of dressage (looking at you, Jeff Moore) and writing it made me want to share a bit of them with our readers.
—Melissa Wright
Junior Derby Finals Competitor Savannah Embly Isn’t Afraid Of A Little Hard Work
The top of the hunter world is dominated by leg-up barns and professionals, so it’s always inspiring to speak to a junior competing at the highest levels who does all her own barn work. When Savannah Embly and I met at our scheduled interview time in the barns at the Kentucky Horse Park, she was finishing her chores but gamely dusted herself off for a few photos. While we sat in the stands to chat and watch the green horses compete in the Rolex Arena, I was struck by grounded she was by her routine of hands-on horse care. She often ships her show horse back to her family’s Lexington, Kentucky, farm for group overnight turnout after he competes, and she believes the time she spends taking care of her family’s 10 horses helps make her a better horseman and rider.
It’s easy to grumble about “kids these days” on the show circuit, but meeting Savannah was a great reminder that there are plenty of young riders doing things the right way.
—Mollie Bailey
Two Friends And Their 27-Year-Olds Make The Century Club
My editor had gotten a few messages from an eager reader with a pitch: His wife and her good friend were set to join the USDF’s Century Club, honoring horse-and-rider pairs with a combined age of at least 100 years. When I was asked to follow up on the lead, I learned that caller was just about the best “horse husband” ever. Ruth McCormick explained that her husband Larry, a pastor better known as “Friar Mack,” had never been a rider himself, but threw in his full support when Ruth took up dressage at 40 years old. He would travel to her shows, hosted a yearly blessing of the horses at Devon, and joined her on trips to Europe to watch international competitions. He’d even done some writing for the Chronicle in the past! Now navigating life with Parkinson’s Disease, he wouldn’t be able to watch Ruth’s century ride with her friend Dottie Minter, but he made sure it got the headline the horses and riders deserved. The story itself was such fun to report on, since Ruth and Minter were just my kind of horse people—friends who couldn’t gush enough about each other and the special horses they were taking on this historic ride.
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After this story was published, I found an envelope in my home mailbox with a button celebrating Ruth and Minter’s century ride. Inside was a note from Ruth that her husband had the pins specially made for the occasion. Friar Mack for horse husband of the century!
—Hannah Sherk
Editor’s note: If you love stories like this one, check out the “Longevity in the Saddle” section on our website for more.
Hart, Howard Kick Off Paralympics With Pair Of Golds
Let’s put this right out front: It’s not terribly professional to write news stories about one’s friends, because it opens a writer to accusations of bias. But almost 20 years ago, I met para-dressage rider Rebecca Hart when we trained together at Blue Hill Farm (Pennsylvania) with Missy Ransehousen, who at the time was the U.S. para-dressage team coach. Following Becca’s climb into international para-dressage and watching the other para riders who would visit Blue Hill to train made me a follower and fan of the sport for life. So this year, with the Paralympics happening and our budget not allowing a staffer in Paris for those Games, it was only natural I’d offer to write daily stories from afar.
With that disclaimer aside, flash forward to early September, when I stumbled from my bed to turn on NBC’s Peacock streaming service at o’dark thirty, ready to watch the first day of Paralympic competition and compile the rider interviews USEF was sending into a story for COTH.com. One of the first things I saw was Becca’s dressage test. She went late in her group, and entered the ring on Floratina knowing she’d have to score a personal best to win the gold medal that had eluded her through five Paralympic cycles, dating all the way back to when we rode together in Pennsylvania. So when she came out of the ring and saw the scoreboard indicating she’d done it, I burst into tears right along with her.
It was one of the greatest pleasures of my career to be able to write about that first gold medal—and the many others she and her teammates went on to win during their record-setting Games—after rooting for this rider who has persevered for decades to make her dream come true.
—Melissa Wright
Champion Eventer Fernhill Cubalawn Is Sparkling (Literally) In His New Job
When a video of former five-star eventer Fernhill Cubalawn playing leadline horse came across my Instagram feed, I knew I needed to find out the story behind it. I’d followed “Cuba’s” career back when Phillip Dutton was competing him, but once he’d stepped down, I hadn’t kept up with what he was doing. It was so much fun chatting with all of Cuba’s people to catch up on what he’d been up to the past few years, and many of their stories reminded me of a couple other special horses in my life who were excellent partners in the show ring, but perhaps more importantly, had a gentle side reserved for my friends’ children.
—Kimberly Loushin
‘An Amazing Physical Force’: Richard Spooner Remembers Cristallo
While I scrolling the depths of Facebook, I found a former groom’s post about the death of Richard Spooner’s once-in-a-lifetime partner Cristallo. My heart ached for Richard. I’d followed the two as they won a dizzying list of major classes, and even had the chance to say hello to Cristallo once at the 2015 L.A. Masters during a press tour of the FEI barns.
When I caught up with Richard, he was reflective, in his typically soft-spoken way, about his bond with the gelding and their storied career. It was an honor to get to walk down memory lane with him, talking about the horse who had literally changed his life. I’ve called a lot of riders after their former top horse die, but with Richard his memories were just as much about going on hacks in France and bonding in the barn during the gelding’s retirement as they were about the show ring. I hope all top competitors are just as beloved.
—Mollie Bailey
