Jacob Arnold has much to celebrate on his 32nd birthday, Valentine’s Day. Yesterday, he achieved a medal-worthy result at the FEI/USEF Grand Oaks Spring Fling in Weirsdale, Florida.

Cover photo ©picsofyou.com Grand Oaks Spring Fling 2025

In front of a panel of International judges, Arnold scored 38.84 (75.7%), driving the new FEI 3* Dressage Test for Pair Horses and Ponies.

“It was a much cleaner test than at Terra Nova (FEI Combined Driving Event) ” said Arnold, noting this was just the second time he had driven the test in competition. “I’m getting more comfortable with it. I especially like the transitions; my horses excel in the downward transitions and collected and extended trot, which was rewarded today.”

Driving his elegant pair of black KWPN horses, Kenji and Kenzo, Arnold credits his impeccable turnout and successes to his support team: Sonja Williams, Colton Parker, Kiri Parker, and his fiancée, Hayley Anderson. Their support allows him to effectively manage his time, even during busy competition week, to coach his sixteen students.

Balancing Act

At Grand Oaks, he is coaching sixteen clients and has prepared each one for their dressage test, conducting group course walks of the marathon obstacles. Fitting in his ride time and getting the best FEI Score of his career was just one part of the first day of the competition. The second FEI Combined Driving Event of 2025 is essential for the USEquestrian calendar to earn critical points toward qualification criteria for World Championship Teams and advancing through the levels. With a limited number of FEI Driving Events on the US calendar, each show counts.

Arnold was pleased with the good results his students produced on day one of the competition for the Combined Driving Event: Kathy Thomas in her second Intermediate Test with first place in a large division 46.80, Canadian Tina England with a 49.27 in her first Intermediaire 1*, and Carole Precious with her Advanced Single Horse 3* scoring a respectable 56.77

His skills as a trainer have developed after several summer seasons in Valkenswaard, Netherlands, with his mentor, multiple World Champion Boyd Exell. In his earlier years, as a working student at Team Chardon in the Netherlands, Bram Chardon recalls Jacob “showing the most promise as a talent for the future as anyone we have worked with.”

From Hermitage to JA Combined Driving

Arnold worked for Hermitage Farm in Louisville, Kentucky, from 2016 to 2023 as lead trainer and assistant to owner Steve Wilson. They were teammates in two Driving World Championships, Lipica, Slovenia, in 2017 and Drebkau, Germany, in 2019.

When Wilson retired from Driving Sport in 2023, Arnold established  JA Combined Driving. His horses, Kenji V (KWPN 2015 by Emilano) and Kenjo (KWPN 2015 by Crescendo Hb) were joined by Night Hawk (KWPN 2018 by Exalted Effect), which he purchased from Ron and Debbie Eagan.

The need for quality trainers, coupled with the sport’s resurgence in the US, quickly led to a full schedule of clients and clinics; Arnold is based in Paris, Kentucky, from April to November, and the Grand Oaks Resort in Weirsdale, from December to March.

Pair Dynamics

In the sport of combined driving with pairs, a competitor is allowed to enter and use three horses. The driver then can choose which combination works best for dressage, marathon, and the third phase, cones.

The veteran Kenji has earned a well-deserved promotion, remaining the perfectly balanced black Dressage horse paired with Kenzo. Night Hawk has stepped up as Kenji’s marathon partner.

Known for his lively antics at the vet inspection, Kenji is more relaxed and less energetic at home, but something clicks in his head when he is in show mode. “At home, they don’t drive well together as a pair, “ commented Arnold, “but when they get to a show, they feel like different horses.”

Even when “home” in the winter is The Grand Oaks Equestrian Resort, they can tell the difference when the show begins. “They see the change, hear the announcer and the music, and know what’s about to happen,” said Arnold.

What the Future Holds

Arnold will also compete at Live Oak International In Ocala, Florida, March 12-16, fine-tuning his medal-worthy pair.  If all goes well, he will head to Valkenswaard, his base with Boyd Exell, and then travel to Beekbergen, the Netherlands, for the FEI World Driving Championships for Horse Pairs on August 20-24, 2025. But his time away will be shorter than in previous years. Despite the time spent at Exell’s being some of the best training experiences as a driver and trainer Arnold could want, leaving his business means leaving his income behind to compete for Team USA.

Jacob Arnold’s FEI Performance Data

The Right Stuff – Sponsorship and Promotion

This financial burden, combined with the demands of running a business, makes securing sponsorship crucial for athletes like Arnold to compete at the highest level. The challenge for most US  equestrian Combined Driving athletes is the astronomical expense of traveling with horses and equipment by plane to Europe. That is just one element; leaving a thriving business with students and horses needing his attention is another. Arnold also gives back to his sport as a US Equestrian Driving Committee member and a US Equestrian Board of Directors Athlete Representative.

While Combined Driving is not an Olympic Sport, it draws large audiences worldwide who are fascinated by the dynamics of all Driving sports. Jacob Arnold’s longevity and consistent results from an early age have attracted the attention and respect of those in the sport who understand what an athlete needs to excel. Sponsorship support is key to reaching big goals; he has all the right stuff.

Jacob Arnold’s dedication, talent, and commitment to his sport position him for continued success.

Happy Birthday, Jacob,

From Mary and Wayne