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Chef

Robert Ridland

Hometown: Irvine, Calif. Birthday: 11/7/1950 Sport/Disciplines: Jumping

The show jumping community always knew Robert Ridland as a great rider, but now they also see him as the brilliant, strategic mind guiding the NetJets Show Jumping team to unprecedented success. Ridland brings several decades of international experience to the U.S. Show Jumping. As an athlete he competed in the Montreal 1976 Olympic Games and won several grand prix competitions throughout his riding career. Ridland has been extensively involved in the governance of the sport, including several terms as a board member of US Equestrian and the United States Equestrian Team Foundation.


Team Leader

Lizzy Chesson

Hometown: Gladstone, N.J. Birthday: 4/3/1977 Sport/Disciplines: Jumping

Lizzy Chesson has been deeply rooted in international equestrian sports for many years. As a groom for her mother, she was part of two World Championship Driving teams. At the age of 22, Chesson was selected to drive a pair of horses in the World Pair Championship in Hungary. Chesson is a graduate of Columbia University where earned a degree in Art History. She began working for US Equestrian in 2006, first in the Show Jumping department as an assistant to then Managing Director Sally Ike. She was then promoted to Managing Director of Jumping in 2013.


Competitor

Lillie Keenan

Hometown: New York, N.Y. Birthday: 10/4/1996 Sport/Disciplines: Jumping

Lillie Keenan had a phenomenal youth career, winning team gold at the FEI North American Youth Championship in 2012 and both team and individual gold in 2013. She was also a standout equitation rider and won numerous titles in that division, including the USEF Hunter Seat Medal Finals and ASPCA Maclay Finals in 2013. Since then, Keenan has represented the U.S. on several Nations Cups teams, including as a member of the team that took bronze at the FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Final in Barcelona in 2016. She was also part of the winning team at Spruce Meadows in 2017 aboard Fibonacci 17. She piloted Super Sox as part of the all-female team that won the Aga Khan Cup at the Dublin Horse Show in 2017.

 

Argan de Beliard

Nickname: Argan Owner: Chansonette Farm Groom: Corentin Tual Gender: Gelding Breed: Selle Français Disciplines: Jumping Sire: Mylord Carthago Dam: La Belle Normande Foal Date: 5/20/2010

Keenan debuted her partnship with Argan de Beliard early in 2022, with the pair producing impressive results in just their first few outings together. The pair were a part of the NetJets® U.S. Jumping Team for the Wellington CSIO4*, where they were the only combination to prouduce two clear efforts for the team.


Competitor

Brian Moggre

Hometown: Flower Mound, Texas Birthday: 8/7/2001 Sport/Disciplines: Jumping

Brian Moggre began riding at a young age and found success early in his junior career, including a junior individual bronze medal at the 2016 FEI North American Youth Championships, a young rider team gold medal at the 2017 NAYC, and team gold medals in 2017 and 2018 at the USEF Junior Jumper National Championships/Prix des States. In the equitation arena, he was the 2018 Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal National Champion and ASPCA Maclay Finals Reserve Champion. Moggre’s FEI grand prix wins include the FEI Jumping World Cup qualifiers at Live Oak CSI3*-W and the National Horse Show CSI4*-W with MTM Vivre Le Reve in 2019. Moggre was part of the winning U.S. teams at the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Wellington CSIO4* in 2020 with MTM Vivre Le Reve, as well as in 2021 and 2022 with Balou Du Reventon.

 

Balou du Reventon

Nickname: Balou, Lou, Louise Owner: Ann Thompson Groom: Lesley Leeman Gender: Stallion Breed: Oldenburg Disciplines: Jumping Sire: Cornet Obolensky Dam: Georgia Foal Date: 1/24/2006

Balou du Reventon, ridden by Brian Moggre and owned by Ann Thompson, had one of the most successful years of his jumping career in 2021, representing the United States in multiple international competitions and being short listed to the U.S. Jumping Team for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. The Oldenburg stallion has had successful results with several international riders, but no success has come faster than with Moggre in the irons.


Competitor

Jessica Springsteen

Hometown: Colts Neck, N.J. Birthday: 12/30/1991 Sport/Disciplines: Jumping Olympic Years: 2020

Jessica Springsteen was a member of the silver medal-winning U.S. Jumping Team at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo. She amassed numerous top results in her successful youth career, capturing the young rider team silver medal and the young rider individual bronze medal at the 2010 North American Youth Championships, along with a win at the 2008 ASPCA Maclay Finals. In recent years, she has been selected to several Nations Cup teams, including the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Wellington CSIO4* and CHIO Aachen teams in 2021 and the FEI Jumping Nations Cup of Knokke Hippique in 2022.

 

RMF Zecilie

Nickname: Zecilie Owner: Rushy Marsh Farm LLC Groom: Josie Eliasson Gender: Mare Breed: Holsteiner Disciplines: Jumping Sire: Acolord Dam: Tiziana I Foal Date: 3/12/2007

RMF Zecilie has been a mainstay in Jessica Springsteen's string since for nearly four years, with the pair making their debut in 2018. The duo have produced top results at the CSI5* level and in team competition and were a part of the winning NetJets U.S. Jumping Team in the FEI Jumping Nations Cup USA in 2020.


Competitor

Adrienne Sternlicht

Hometown: Greenwich, Conn. Birthday: 5/9/1993 Sport/Disciplines: Jumping

Adrienne Sternlicht was a member of the NetJets® U.S. Jumping Team for the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 riding Cristalline, where she helped the team secure the gold-medal, the first team win at the event in more than three decades. She has been part of several Nations Cup teams, including representing the the NetJets U.S. Jumping Team at the FEI Jumping Nations Cup Wellington CSIO4* in 2019 with Toulago, the gold-medal winning team at the 2020 FEI Jumping Nations Cup Wellington CSIO4* with Just a Gamble, in 2021 at Sopot, Poland, and Rotterdam, The Netherlands, with Benny’s Legacy, and in 2022 at CHIO Aachen with Cristalline.

 

Cristalline

Nickname: Stella Owner: Starlight Farms 1 LLC Groom: Ema Chapman Gender: Mare Breed: Bavarian Warmblood Disciplines: Jumping Sire: Cristallo 1 Dam: Mona Lisa Foal Date: 3/15/2008

Cristalline was a member of the gold medal-winning U.S. Jumping Team at the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018 with Adrienne Sternlicht in the irons. She has also been part of several FEI Jumping Nations Cup Teams with Sternlicht, including the gold medal-winning team at the CSIO4* in Langley, Canada, and the silver medal-winning team at the CSIO4* in Coapexpan, Mexico, both in 2017.


Competitor

McLain Ward

Hometown: Brewster, N.Y. Birthday: 10/17/1975 Sport/Disciplines: Jumping Olympic Years: 2004, 2008, 2012, 2016, 2020, 2024

McLain Ward is a five-time Olympian, including a team silver medalist at the Tokyo 2020 and Rio 2016 Olympic Games as well as team gold medalist at the Beijing 2008 and Athens 2004 Olympic Games. He was also a member of the gold-medal winning NetJets U.S. Jumping Team for the FEI World Equestrian Games Tryon 2018, as well as a WEG Normandy 2014 team bronze medalist, and WEG Aachen 2006 team silver medalist. Ward is a Pan American Games Toronto 2015 individual gold and team bronze medalist as well as Guadalajara 2011 team gold medalist. In 2017, he was the champion at the FEI World Cup Jumping Final. In 2022, he was the winner of the Turkish Airlines – CHIO Aachen CSIO5* Grand Prix and the RWE Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia – Aachen CHIO CSIO5* Grand Prix riding Contagious. In 2023, Ward helped the U.S. Jumping Team earn team qualification to the Paris 2024 Olympic Games aboard Contagious, where they secured team gold and individual bronze at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile. Ward debuted both Callas and Ilex as potential horses for team selection ahead of the Olympics, with his sixth straight selection coming in July, confirming Ilex his mount for Paris 2024.

 

Contagious

Nickname: Poussin Owner: Beechwood Stables LLC Groom: Virginie Casterman Gender: Gelding Breed: Deutches Sportpferd Disciplines: Jumping Sire: Contagio Dam: For Mary Foal Date: 3/28/2009

Contagious was part of the silver-medal winning U.S. Jumping Team at the 2020 Olympic Games in Tokyo, ridden by McLain Ward. Ward began his partnership with Contagious in the fall of 2018, taking the reins from Reed Kessler. Kessler and Contagious competed extensively throughout Europe during their partnership with much success, and Contagious did not miss a beat when transitioning to Ward's stable. The duo racked up numerous top results, including wins in FEI CSI3*/4*/5* competition across the world, highlighted by wins at the RWE Prize of North Rhine-Westphalia and the Turkish Airlines-Prize of Europe at CHIO Aachen in 2022.