No stranger to international competition, and a FEI "I" judge herself, Jessica Ransehousen has represented the U.S. in three Olympic Games (1960, 1964, and 1988) as well as in the 1959 Pan American Games. She served as chef d'equipe for the U.S. dressage team at the 1992, 1996, and 2000 Olympic Games, at the 1990 and 1994 World Equestrian Games, and at the 1991 and 1995 Pan American Games. Read more
Jessica has contributed to many equestrian organizations over the years. She is currently the USET's vice president for dressage. In this role, she served as the U.S. representative to the FEI World Cup Committee and helped bring a World Cup League to North America. She served three terms as chair of the AHSA Dressage Committee and was elected assistant secretary of the AHSA in 1997. She also chairs the USET Dressage Committee.
Jessica has earned numerous national titles, including USET National Dressage Champion in 1956 and 1957, and was a featured speaker at the 1996 USDF National Dressage Symposium and at last year's USDF convention. She was the first USET member to wear the leading rider's green armband at the prestigious international dressage competition in Aachen, Germany.
Jessica has trained and mentored numerous accomplished dressage and event riders. She trained her daughter Missy Ransehousen, now a successful event rider and trainer herself at the family's Blue Hill Farm in Unionville, PA. She coached dressage riders Dorothy Morkis on Monaco before the pair won team bronze at the 1976 Montreal Olympics; Todd Flettrich, 1992 NAYRC dressage individual gold medalist and now a successful FEI-level trainer and rider. Kerri Sowers, who won team silver and individual bronze at this year's NAYRC dressage competition, is a current dressage student. Among her event-riding students are England-based Ann Hathaway Taylor, who was short-listed for the 2000 Sydney Games; Darren Chiacchia, also short-listed for Sydney; and Pennsylvania based Aussie Phillip Dutton, who won team gold in Sydney abroad House Doctor.
On a personal level, Jessica loves dessert. She would rather have dessert and skip the rest of the meal. At the Olympic Games in Sydney, she found a little place near her hotel that made home-made cookies. She was a very good customer there during the entire trip.
You may not know that Jessica calls everyone 'Lovey.' During USET trips, she will come into the barn and announce, 'Lovey,' and everyone will turn around and look. The riders will tease her that she has to use the rider's names since nobody knows which 'Lovey' she is talking too. Now, everyone refers to Jessica as 'Lovey' too. Jessica is also a great mother to her grown children (Clayton and Missy). She managed to raise her family and still rider as a three-time Olympian!
She is very interested in travel and likes to understand the history and culture of the places she visits. Jessica is an avid reader, especially about women in history. She seeks out little book stores to find books that are out of the ordinary.
Jessica Ransehousen has been a shining star of American dressage for the past several decades. USDF is honored to induct her into our Hall of Fame.
Samuel J. Barish
USDF President
In recognition of her success in international dressage competition and her leadership of national equestrian organizations. She competed for the United States in three Olympic Games and at one Pan American Game, and won the USET National Dressage Championship twice. Ms. Ransehousen was the Chef d' Equipe for the US Dressage Team at three Olympic Games, two World Equestrian Games, and two Pan American Games. She served with distinction for many years as chairman of both the USET and AHSA Dressage Committees.