Doug Payne, a respected equestrian and Olympic eventer, has recently been spotted spending more time in the show jumping rings at Wellington International. Known for his versatility and dedication to the sport, Payne has achieved success across disciplines, including representing the United States at the international level in eventing. With his analytical approach and strong horsemanship, Payne’s focus on show jumping highlights his ability to excel in new challenges, further establishing him as a dynamic and accomplished athlete in the equestrian world.
Can you share how your journey with horses began? What first sparked your interest in riding?
You know, we were lucky enough to grow up with it. We grew up in New Jersey, about 10 minutes from Gladstone. My mom had a training business that primarily focused on dressage and eventing, so we basically grew up in Pony Club and came up through that system.
My mom has been involved in horseback riding for a long time. She judged at the Rio and Hong Kong Olympics for eventing. We were incredibly fortunate to be exposed to a lot of highly qualified instructors through Pony Club. One of them was Sally Ike, who was right there and ran jumping for the team for quite a while. We had a whole group of people who were pretty influential early on. It was a very diverse upbringing in that sense.
We did Young Riders and all of that sort of thing until we went to college. Growing up, the deal was that we had one horse until we went to school. After that, we had to sell whatever horse we had and manage things on our own from that point forward.
His life story between horses and work:
I have a degree in mechanical engineering and initially thought I’d pursue something in that field while riding recreationally. After graduating, I attended RIT (Rochester Institute of Technology) in Rochester, New York, which ran a co-op program. It was a five-year program, during which we completed five co-ops starting in the second year. Two of my co-ops were with a forensic engineer, where I worked on accident reconstructions, and I absolutely loved it.
To enter that profession, there were two main pathways. The first was to earn a PhD to build a resume strong enough to be admitted as an expert witness in court. I didn’t want to stay in school that long. The second option was to go through the state police, join their investigative unit, and eventually qualify to be admitted in court or branch off independently.
That process involved three rounds of psychological testing, physical tests, and other requirements. Unfortunately, when I applied, the state went bankrupt and delayed the academy's start date. I wasn’t willing to just sit around and do nothing, so I moved on to other opportunities.
So I started riding, you know, more and more, and got to the point where I was making more or less what I would have made starting there. I figured, you know, I'm going to regret not trying this later in life and haven't looked back since.
What inspired your transition to show jumping?
I did my first national competition when I was 18, and I didn’t do my fourth until I was around 29. It just takes time to rebuild and develop a whole group of horses. You make the most of what you can with what comes through the door. We’re very lucky. Pretty early on, I had one horse that was kind of special. My niche really became riding tricky horses.
We had one that was a jumper prospect, but at the time, he was just doing crossrails because nobody could stay on him. The owners sent him to us, and he actually ended up becoming my first grand prix horse. That kind of planted the seed for what we’ve been doing since then.
We’ve created a pathway to develop horses for top sport. We’ve tried to buy at least one weanling a year. If we can do more, great; if not, that’s fine too. Along the way, there’s always a random influx of other horses at various points in their careers. That model was very successful for eventing.
Then, about six or seven years ago, for a whole list of reasons, we decided to focus solely on jumping-bred horses. We stuck with eventing until our current crop of event horses started phasing out. Now, the time has come to fully transition. We’ve got a string of younger horses coming up, and everything is falling into place. The last couple of event horses we have are for sale, and they’ve been kind of our headline horses.
Some people think we just flipped a switch, but it’s actually been a long time in the making. I’d say it’s been about seven years since we committed to this plan. Right now, among our current clients, I think we’ve got one eventing rider left, but everyone else we’ve picked up along the way is either focused on the jumpers or similar disciplines.
Was there a particular moment or influence that guided this decision?
Now we're exclusively focused on jumping. I’d say we’ve been consistently competing in FEI classes with a few horses for the past five years. It’s been demanding, though—we’ve spent over 40 weeks a year on the road [between eventing and show jumping], since we also had a full string of five-star event horses. Honestly, in that sense [of now only doing show jumping], it’s a bit of a relief. Things have slowed down a bit, and we can focus purely on the jumping horses now, which we really love.
We have two kids, Hudson and Abigail, who are five and seven. Jess and I think it’s such a great age—they’re so much fun. We try to expose them to as much as possible. Life on the road can be pretty challenging in that way, so if we can slow things down a little, I think it would be great.
The jumping calendar is also so much more flexible. With the eventing calendar, you’ve got two five-star events you can do domestically, or you have to travel abroad. But even then, a horse is only going to do two a year, and with the lead-up competitions, you’re really locked into a set schedule based on what’s available. It’s not like show jumping, where you can go to a four-star at ten different places on a frequent basis. That kind of flexibility just isn’t possible with event horses.
How have you been enjoying your time in the show jumping world?
I’ve been very, very lucky, and I don’t regret a moment of it. We’ve had the chance to travel the world, compete in the Olympics and Pan American Games, and take on so many incredible challenges. Last year, I did my first five-star in show jumping, and it’s been a brand-new challenge—completely fresh.
In many ways, it’s extremely motivating. Good riding is good riding, no matter the discipline. There’s always something to learn, and I absolutely love it. It’s been great.
What stands out to you as the biggest differences compared to your experiences in eventing?
The sheer number of people involved in show jumping is so much larger. From a business perspective, it’s honestly a lot easier. We’re very lucky to be based just north of Durham, NC, where there are about 12 colleges within an hour. That makes it easier for people to compete at a high level while managing a more restrictive schedule.
Eventing is far more time-consuming on a week-to-week basis. On the jumping side, it’s wonderful because many riders have aspirations outside of the sport but can still be successful and compete at a high level. That setup doesn’t work as well in eventing.
Do you have a favorite horse you're working with right now?
Quantum Leap. He’s done five stars and was the USEF Five-Star Champion at Kentucky a couple of years ago. He has a home for life—he’s like a third child to us.
Another one is Quintessence. He was 6th in the 1.50m last week. We bought him as a four-year-old, so he hasn’t been with us as long as Quantum, but they’re the same age. His retirement plan is pretty set—when the time comes, Jess, my wife, will take over riding him. She’s competed through five-star eventing and done some mini prixes, but I think she’d like to do more. For sure, Quintessence is her horse for life.
What do you look for when looking for quality show jumping horses?
We generally buy quite young, so we look for the best breeding possible to get tendencies and characteristics that could lead to success. A very good hind end is critical—you can improve the front end, but the hind end is much harder to improve.
We also look for the most intelligent horses we can find. That’s harder to evaluate, but the super-successful ones are sharp and adaptable. They can handle changing situations and learn quickly.
What personal or professional goals are you working towards in show jumping? Are there milestones or competitions you’re particularly focused on?
We’re focused on refining and improving for the long term. I would love to ride on a team in show jumping—that’s definitely a goal. I think we already have some horses here that could step into that role.
We also have two incredibly exciting young horses—a five-year-old and a six-year-old. The six-year-old is out of the same dam as Quintessence and is showing a lot of promise. The five-year-old is an El Dorado we bought as a two-year-old, and he’s probably the most careful horse I’ve ever ridden. I’m really excited to see what they’ll do in the coming years.
One of the amazing things about Wellington is that everywhere you look, you can learn something. If you pay attention, it’s like getting a free riding lesson from some of the best horses and riders concentrated in one place. It’s a very special environment.
Do you have any advice for riders who are currently focused on one discipline but are interested in branching out and trying others?
All of the very best riders and most successful people I’ve met—whether in business, riding, or sports—became comfortable putting themselves in uncomfortable situations. You have to be honest with yourself and willing to expose your weaknesses in front of others to get better.
If you always protect yourself and never show what you need to work on, it’s very hard to improve meaningfully. Don’t be afraid to step out, make mistakes, and learn from them. Everyone makes mistakes, even the very best in the world.
Michael Jordan, for example, held the record for the most missed shots for years, yet he’s still considered one of the greatest players of all time. You have to take the shots to get better. Without a doubt, you’ll miss a few, but over time, you’ll continue to improve if you’re willing to put yourself out there.
Visit here for additional information on Doug Payne: https://pe3s.com/
