When Dorothy “Dorrie” Douglas mounted MTM Pablo on Saturday ahead of the $100,000 Tipperary Equestrian Grand Prix at the World Equestrian Center—Ocala (Florida), she noticed that something felt different about the 11-year-old Hanoverian. Douglas would know: He’s one of her favorites among the horses she trains just down the road from WEC at MTM Farm. She’s brought along the gelding, owned by Davenport Farms, since he was just a “kind of spooky, over-jumping 7-year-old.” 

“I hacked him that afternoon and was like, ‘He feels good,’” she said. “But then, when I got on him that night, I said to somebody, ‘He feels unbelievable. Like, this isn’t normal.’ He clicked into another gear.”

“Pablo” (Perigueux—Celina, Contendro I) and Douglas went third in the jump off, tackling a course by designer Steve Stephens that included new obstacles like a waterfall and pond feature, complete with a floating alligator. But in spite of the big atmosphere, the duo kept in sync for their first grand prix class of 2024, laying down an unbeatable clear round in 42.18 seconds. 

“We have this weird thing,” Douglas said. “I know exactly what he’s going to do. I know exactly how I’m going to meet the jumps. I know exactly if I need a little leg, or need to slow down, and I think that’s because I brought him along, and because we’ve developed this relationship.”

In the awards presentation, Douglas and Pablo were joined by Mike McCormick and Tracy Fenney, the owners of MTM Farm where Douglas has worked since 2011. Fenney joined the celebration mounted on MTM Apple; the pair had chased Douglas and Pablo’s time and clinched second, just fractions of a second behind their lead (42.84). 

We caught up with Douglas to discuss her work with McCormick and Fenney at their new home base in Ocala, Florida. She talked about what it’s meant to bring this horse along in his own time, and what the sensitive gelding has taught her about confidence over their four-year partnership.

Can you tell me a bit about Pablo—how your relationship started and how it’s progressed?

He’s turning 11 this year, and I got him as a 6-, coming 7-year-old. We get a lot of horses. I work for Mike and Tracy and we do a lot of sales and a lot of showing. Luckily, [Pablo] has owners that—when we had the idea that he was going to be a little bit more than your average horse—there was no pressure to sell him. I could just kind of make him my own. 

We started off pretty slow. We did some 1.30-meter stuff, then it was really last year that he started stepping up into doing some of the bigger grand prix [classes]. First, he just did the welcome classes, and then I didn’t feel like he was ready [to move up]. Everyone’s like, “Oh, where’s Pablo?” and I’m like, “I’m just riding him in the field over the weekend.” I really took my time with this horse. It’s cool that now, since he’s more confident, he’s turned out to be such an unbelievable competitor. 

Watch Douglas’ winning jump-off round, courtesy of the World Equestrian Center.

Was there a moment where that switch flipped, and he went from being a young horse you were taking it slow with to this kind of competitor?

Definitely, when you bring horses along—we show at the World Equestrian Center a lot—they are exposed to a lot of things. I do think, even just around the barn, he’s a very, very sharp horse. Even when you take the blanket off his stall, he’ll kind of spook at that. He’s very aware of his surroundings. 

Sometimes, going into the ring, he’s a little funny, or he’ll be really aware of the jump crew—but there’s something about when he’s showing. I specifically remember doing a futures class two years ago. It was pouring down rain and I could barely see, but that didn’t faze him. So he’s a bizarre combination of careful and sharp, but so brave. 

When you have a horse come through your barn who, like Pablo, has this massive talent that you recognize, and there’s no urgency to get them sold or to move them along, what’s your philosophy in bringing up those young horses?

I definitely think that they all are different. It depends on their personality, and it depends a little bit where you’re showing. I was so protective of [Pablo], just because I do think under the lights Saturday night is such an intimidating atmosphere. But also, he’s had the opportunity to do some future classes and do some smaller grand prix [classes] to really get comfortable.

Also, I didn’t really have any expectations bringing him along, so that is a little bit of pressure off of us training him, for me as a rider and for him as a horse. It’s almost harder now, because you’re like, “Alright, well now we’re expected to do good,” where before, it was kind of nice that we never really had that much pressure.

You said he has a little bit of a following? People are interested in him?

Obviously, I’m biased, but he’s a beautiful horse. He’s by Perigueux, which is this French stallion that Eva Bitter showed a bunch, and he’s been really successful. A couple of people have bought horses by that stallion just because of Pablo. 

People will come up to me and say, “Oh, we just bought this foal. Maybe it will be a Pablo!” So it’s funny how this has become a thing. They all have beautiful little Arabian dishy faces. It’s a ridiculous looking horse—it’s not normal.

I know you move a lot between the jumper and the hunter rings. and I’m curious about switching mindsets between these disciplines and how that keeps you sharp as a rider?

We’ve always said, “Good riding is good riding, no matter what ring you’re in.” It’s about finding the jumps and still sticking with your technique. I actually feel like sometimes I get more wound up doing the hunters just because everything does have to be so—quote unquote—perfect and effortless, where at least in the jumpers you can kind of make a last-minute decision and make it work. 

When you do the jumpers, if you’re a little bit not straight, or if you come off a lead, or if you accidentally do a different number of strides, you can still be clear and it’s OK, where in the hunters, you can’t do that. You have to do this certain amount of strides, and you have to do the leads before the corners. It’s just a little bit of a different feel. But [in jumpers] you definitely do have to remind yourself to move away from the jumps. 

I just watched the video [of the jump-off] and I’m like, “How did I ride like that? Jesus.” I’ve been trying to make myself do that. It’s really a crazy feeling when it all kind of comes together. 

What is it like to be training alongside Tracy and then also competing against her?

We definitely push each other. Even when we do other classes with each other, I feel like I’m always chasing her. I’m always like, “Tracy, how do you seriously ride this fast?”

She’ll say things to me like, “Dorrie, run to the jumps.” I feel like I always want to be a little bit of a control freak and find the jumps, almost as a default. So it’s cool having that in my mind, even in the jump-off, instead of planning and setting them up so much, I just make myself ride away to the jumps and then you hope something shows up. Hopefully what does show up is a stride or two less than what other people are doing. 

I’m really trying to ride faster and smoother, and it’s from [Tracy and Mike] always pushing me. Even in a 1.20-meter or 1.30-meter class, they’re always the same way. Obviously, it depends on where the horse is at in its training, but they’re like, “Go ahead and leave out a stride, and if you make a mistake, you make a mistake.” They’ve never once said to me, “Protect whatever place you’re in.” They’re like, “No, try to win. This is why you do this, right?” It’s cool that I feel like Pablo and I have learned to do this kind of [riding] together. 

I know you all moved from Texas to Ocala this year, and I’m wondering what factored into that decision and how it’s been playing out?

We couldn’t be happier living here. It happened a little bit by accident. I think if you asked Mike and Tracy that a couple years ago, they could never imagine not being in Texas. But honestly, with how many show opportunities there are here now, it just seemed like the right move. 

We’ve been showing at WEC—there were a couple of weeks in November, there were a couple of weeks in December, and then HITS [Ocala] will start next week also. So really, [the decision to move] was based on: we can do more shows, be at home, have one farm, and make the most out of our time, because we have a whole string of young horses. It’s nice that we can literally drive five minutes to either venue.

We’re just in the first month of 2024 and you’ve already won this grand prix class. I’m wondering, what are you hoping is in the future for yourself and for Pablo?

I feel like I’m getting a little bit more push to do some three-stars. Maybe that could be the next step for us, and we see where that goes. 

People will mention that to you, and on one hand, you’re like, “No, I’m just happy winning $100,000 grand prix [classes] and I can sleep in my own bed.” Then you’re like, “Well, maybe I should try and do a couple other things?” So I don’t really know; that’s all a little bit up in the air. But I’ll show this week and then make another plan for the circuit. 

[Pablo is] at that point where I feel like he can do anything, honestly. He’s such a cool horse. It’s also nice that, even after the class, they’re already on the trailer and they’re going back to the farm, and then they’re turned out first thing Sunday morning. That’s also a part of the reason why we live here, so that they can [show] and then they can go home and be horses. I think that keeps them sane and keeps them wanting to perform. 

It seems that you, Mike and Tracy are really in sync, and I’m wondering what you think makes your partnership with those two work so well.

I’ve worked for them for a while now. It’s become more of a family thing than just me working for them. To me, this business bringing horses along is really all about the people that you’re around. I don’t want my own business, and I don’t want to just do this by myself. For me, it’s kind of about doing it together and seeing all the horses succeed, whether it’s in the grand prix ring or with their new owners. We all feel this sense of pride to see MTM horses do well, no matter what level they’re competing at. 

Is there anything else you want to add?

I made this comment to somebody the other day: “It’s kind of interesting how horses come into your life, and what you learn because of those horses.” I recently said to Tracy that I used to be a bit scared or nervous with spooky horses in general. But now, that doesn’t scare me anymore. 

I understand that when a horse is spooky and sharp, you actually want that, as long as they’re brave to the jumps. With the whole progression of how Pablo used to be versus now, I have more understanding that when you get another horse that’s similar to that, they’re easier to bring along. You just understand that type better. 

I’m now less intimidated by some of the younger, sharper jumpers because of [Pablo], where a couple of years ago I’d be like, “Oh, they’re spooking!” and Tracy would say, “That’s a good thing.” But I didn’t quite understand that. You think about horses that you had before, and you think, “I wish I had that horse now, because this horse has taught me so much.”