Text © World of Showjumping

Great Britain’s Jessica Mendoza – usually based in Wellington, Florida, from October through April, and the other half of the year in New York – returned to Europe this summer in the run-up to the Europeans. “We came to Europe for three months, with five of my clients and 22 horses in total,” the 29-year-old explains to World of Showjumping.

With the 12-year-old mare In The Air (Air Jordan x Indoctro), Jessica – currently ranked 61^st in the world – finished 11^th at the 2025 Longines FEI Jumping European Championships in A Coruña, Spain. “I think it went better than I expected,” Jessica tells about her week at Casas Novas Equestrian Center. “In The Air is relatively new to this level; she had only done three five-star Grand Prix classes prior to the Europeans. I knew she was going to give it a good go, but I wasn’t sure she was quite going to perform and jump like she jumped. She jumped amazing all week and really exceeded our expectations. It is a great feeling, knowing I really do have a championship horse in her.”

To World of Showjumping, Jessica tells about the challenge – and joy – of competing at the highest level while training others, the pros and cons of being based in America, and the importance of surrounding yourself with good souls.

Jessica currently runs a business on her own in the States, but along the way her parents Sarah and Paul have had a huge influence on her career. Both of Jessica’s parents have been riders themselves, and Jessica started showing ponies at a young age. When Jessica started with 128cm ponies, she realized riding was what she loved most and wanted to do for a living.

“My showjumping career was kind of everyone's focus,” Jessica tells about her childhood and a move to the Netherlands – which was something that involved the whole family. “My parents are very involved. My dad has always trained me and been the one who has guided me on how to be a good horsewoman in the ring. My mom always helped manage the ponies and taught me all the ground stuff, what it takes to manage the barn, the horses and people that worked for us.”

Jessica made the move to the U.S. six years ago after living in the Netherlands with her family for five years. “For two seasons, I used to go to the U.S for January, February and March. After spending time here, I realized this is where I want to establish my business – and I haven't returned since,” Jessica tells. “This summer has been one of the first times campaigning in Europe again. My clients wanted to do that, so it worked out perfectly.”

“When I moved to America in 2020, that's when I went by myself. It is definitely different in the sense that I do it by myself and make all the decisions,” she points out. “I love running my own business, it's very rewarding. I do have a lot of people around me in the U.S. – whether it's the clients or the people that work for me – that feel like family. I don't feel like I’m alone in it; I have great parents, and a great support system in the U.S. as well.”

“I'm lucky right now to have four very nice horses,” Jessica tells about her current team. “Before, I've had a bigger string and less quality. I've narrowed it down to four now and it's much easier for me to be able to do that and to train. They are all Grand Prix horses, though in different ages. I have In The Air, who I did the Europeans with, and her brother Summerhouse (Guidam Sohn x Indoctro). I also have a very nice 9-year-old in Ascadina PP Z (Asca Z x Ginus), and my 13-year-old I-Cap CL Z (I’m Special de Muze x Air Jordan) who I did the World Cup Final with in 2024.”

Alongside her own riding, Jessica does a lot of training. “I have about six clients at the moment,” she tells. “Some go to college, some just ride, some have different hobbies. They come in and out and train with me in between of their own lives, and some of them end up being with me the whole time.”

“It’s definitely not simple,” Jessica says about combining her own competition career at the highest level with training other riders. “I would say I'm lucky enough that my clients are actually my owners as well, so that does make it a nice mix. Even though the training does take up a lot of time, it's also nice because my clients are just as invested in my riding and the horses as they are in their daughters. It does get busy with the training, especially when they reach the same level as me and I’m trying to warm up myself and look over my shoulder and train someone else. However, when they get to the same stage as me and compete in my classes, that's also something that I really enjoy.”

“It's really enjoyable to train people who have the right mindset and attitude, and I think it goes both ways,” Jessica tells about her philosophy when it comes to training. “I'll be very honest and realistic and by the time we get to the show, I'm not necessarily training them, I'm just warming them up to go in the class. One of the things I live by is that you've done all your work by the time you get to the show. I don't want to stress the girls out by over-training them in the warm-up and then sending them in the ring with a million different instructions. I like to keep that relatively simple; we have a plan, we walk it and we warm up. Obviously, if something needs changing or adjusting, we figure it out, but I try and keep the warm-up as simple as possible.”

“I find that I'm not such a mental rider, I don't overthink when I'm riding,” Jessica continues. “However, some riders have different mindsets; some overthink, sometimes some get nervous. I think that's also a huge part of training, making sure each girl's mindset is as good as it can be, so they're confident when they walk in the ring. That's something I really enjoy working on with them.”

“I have formed friendships with the riders I train, and their parents are like family to me. It's just a very nice, wholesome team we have around with the clients and the grooms. I aim for general positivity and having good people around me,” Jessica points out. “Feeling safe and being in a happy environment, where everyone wants what's best for each other, is what I want us to represent. I want my team to be enjoying the sport, not over-complicating everything.”

Surrounding herself with good people is important for Jessica, and she takes pride in having grooms that stay with her long-term. For the past four years, Lina Zetterman-Karlsson has looked after Jessica’s horses. “She looks after those horses like they were her own children – they are her priority. I could go away for a month, and not worry about a thing,” Jessica says.

“I find it very important to be able to give the horses the care they need and for them to come out of the stable as much as possible,” Jessica continues to tell about her outlook on the role of grooms. “I'll tend to normally have two grooms for four to five horses for myself, and then separate to that, the clients have their own squads. I think it's important that grooms have their own horses and their own space.”

“As much as I like to have good clients and good people around me in general, it's very important that we have very good grooms as well,” Jessica says. “At the end of the day, the grooms are the ones you walk to the ring with, and I think it is hugely important to be able to get confidence from the person you're doing that with. That’s something I've always really prioritized; having a good soul to go to the ring with – there is nothing better. I think that's very important for my clients as well, to have a team around them that celebrates the successes and shares the disappointments.”

“I think everyone struggles to find good people,” Jessica points out. “One thing we pride ourselves on is that when we've had a good person, they have stayed for a long time. Before Lina, Duncan was with us for nine years.”

“I think the top end of the sport is in Europe and that's been very clear since being here,” Jessica tells about the differences she sees between the different continents. “In Europe, you can go to a different show every week; you could do five summers there and not do the same show twice. In America, that's a little more limited; there are several shows you go to when you tour around, but you go to the same venues.”

“As far as the business and prize money go, I think that's where it's really different,” she continues. “As a rider in the States, you can fund your whole life solely on prize money, even if you're doing the three-star levels. You don't have to be doing five-star shows to be earning top money. Also, business wise for clients, you don't really get the same level of clients in Europe as you get in America. In America, you have a lot of people always looking to have a trainer. These are two differences I find, along with owners: I've personally been more successful with my owners that I found in America, they're just more keen to get involved. However, that doesn't mean that someone else wouldn't have that in Europe.”

Additionally, FEI regulations regarding requirements towards organizers of international events are very different for America and Europe. “That is definitely a big difference,” Jessica points out. “To start with, if you do a five-star in Europe, your entry fees and hotel are paid for, as well as your groom’s accommodation. An entry fee for a two-, three-, or four-star in Europe is between 440-605 Euro per horse. In comparison, an entry fee in America for a five-star is between four and five thousand dollars. If you bring three horses to an American five-star show, you're looking to spend around 10,000 to even enter.”

“However, there is huge difference in prize money. If you go to a two-star in Europe, you probably got one, maybe two ranking classes of 28,000 Euros, while in America you've got probably one ranking of 28,000, one of 60,000 and then you've probably got a Grand Prix somewhere between 80 to 100,000 – for a two-star. It is a huge, huge difference in the money you can win. The level of competition is tough though, and you're going to have at least 10 to 15 riders in any class that are world-class, and you've got to pay more entry fee and risk that to be able to get the reward.”

After having been part of the British championship squad in the past with Spirit T (Tornado x Carnaval Drum), Jessica returned to team duties this summer with her wonderful In The Air.

“I've always loved being a part of teams,” Jessica tells. “Nations Cups are something that I always love doing, I think there's nothing better than a team win. For the last few years, I haven't travelled to Europe, so any Nations Cup I've done would have been in Wellington or Ocala. This summer, I've been able to do more since we came to Europe. I did St. Gallen, Deauville and Hickstead and then the Europeans. It wasn't necessarily the plan that I was going to do the Europeans this summer. I knew I had a good chance, and the more I jumped here, the more I realized that In The Air really has a shot – and that was very exciting.”

Jessica found In The Air in the fall of 2023. “I tried her and her brother Summerhouse; and we ended up buying them together,” Jessica tells. “I tried Summerhouse first and since I really liked him, I was told there was no need to try In The Air. However, I just wanted to sit on In The Air to see how I would feel. As I went to jump my first jump, she stopped. She's still like that to this day; if I get on her at home, and try to do a one meter vertical, she'll stop. She is just so sharp and spooky that I need to start with a canter pole first, do a cavaletti and build up slowly – she's so careful. When you go in the ring, she'll jump any jump and she's one of the bravest horses I've ridden.”

“When we bought the two, we were thinking that Summerhouse was going to be the better horse. However, In The Air ended up stepping up quicker,” Jessica explains. “Originally, my plan was just to keep rolling with some five-stars and do a few Nations Cups every now and then. Now, I think I can consider her for some big five-stars, and if there's a championship next year and she's still looking like she could do it, I think that's a great plan. The possibilities that she's opened up for me seem endless.”

Jessica sees many similarities between In The Air and her previous championship horse Spirit T. “Spirit was one of my first horses, and she ended up being one of the best I've had,” Jessica tells. “We bought her to be a junior horse and didn't necessarily think that she was going to be a five-star Grand Prix horse. She ended up taking me to my first senior championships. I think there's a lot of similarities with the two, In The Air and Spirit. They are both little mares that you might not say have the biggest scope, but they have the biggest hearts. I think that along with a lot of talent, that's what really counts. They believe in themselves, and when you have those big jumps in front of you, that's such a great quality to have.”

“I don't necessarily always want to find a ready-made Grand Prix horse,” Jessica continues to explain about the process of searching for horses. “I very much enjoy finding a horse that's just below that level or just a few years younger, that I can form a partnership and grow with, and end up doing it all. I think it's more rewarding when you don't have such huge plans, when it sort of all falls into place because the horses are good enough, not because you're forcing it to happen.”

Jessica is not one to make grand plans and blindly run after them. Instead, she likes to see how the horses develop and aim for short-term goals. “I sort of take it in stages,” she explains. “In the beginning of this year, I had a short-term plan, and when I did Ocala, I had in the back of my mind that maybe there is a chance for the Europeans. Then all the clients wanted to go to Europe, so I planned to do some Nations Cups.”

“I always like to think at least six months ahead and see what I would like to do, and then think about what I need to do to make that happen. If it happens, great – but I’m not putting so much pressure on myself that I end up devasted if it does not materialize. I prefer keeping my expectations flexible and making tentative plans that can change depending on how the horses are feeling. However, ultimately, there's always an end goal.”

27.8.2025 No reproduction of any of the content in this article will be accepted without a written permission, all rights reserved © World of Showjumping.com. If copyright violations occur, a penalty fee will apply.