By Laura Scaletti
Portraits by Melissa Fuller
Walt Disney said, “All of our dreams can come true if we have the courage to pursue them.” For over 20 years, Jeff and Jessica Friedrich have had this quote hung in their home. It’s not just inspirational décor; it’s how Jeff and Jessica live their lives.
In 2020, the duo had a dream to create a world-class training center that could contribute to the development of horses and riders to represent the United States in dressage. While the pandemic halted much of the world, Jeff and Jessica got busy creating the facility of their dreams, Donato Farms in Wellington, Florida.
“By May 2020, the concept of getting involved in the ownership of a horse barn in Wellington arose,” Jessica said. “We thought about it and talked to our sons, Kyle and Jared. They thought it was a great idea as it would give Jeff something to be involved in outside of his work life in the insurance industry, it involved a sport that I’m passionate about, and it gave us an opportunity to support the USA dressage world on a different scale than we had ever been involved.”
Today, Donato Farms is not only the facility of their dreams, it’s also home to Sarah and Lee Tubman’s training operation and has played host for several USEF events.
First Impressions
It was in Aurora, Illinois, that Jeff and Jessica’s paths crossed, as they lived in the same apartment complex. “I would see Jeff on his apartment’s patio when I got home from work or the barn. He works out a lot, so he’d be standing there in a muscle shirt and bike shorts. I had no interest in meeting someone who appeared to be so impressed with himself,” Jessica chuckled. “Shows how first impressions can be so wrong!”
Jeff had also spotted Jessica as he went about his days. “I noticed her as she would leave and return from riding, wearing and carrying her equestrian gear. Despite my well-timed, occasional ‘peacocking,’ I didn’t think Jessica really noticed me until we were introduced by mutual friends one evening while hanging out at the apartment’s pool,” Jeff said.
Once given a formal introduction, they clicked and realized both had a shared interest in escaping from the hustle and bustle of corporate life. “I found out that the guy in the muscle shirt was truly a super-nice guy,” Jessica said.
Jeff was raised on a farm in northern Minnesota. “My knowledge of horses was limited, but I sure know how to bale hay, raise cattle and mend fences on what now appear to be relatively enormous pastures,” he said.
When Jessica invited Jeff out to the barn with her, it was a trip down memory lane to his farm days. By the time Jeff was in the picture, Jessica had been riding in a hunter-jumper barn since she was in fifth grade, owned a few horses and participated on the Illinois show circuit.
On one of Jeff’s visits to the barn, he had the opportunity to ride a spirited off-the-track Thoroughbred mare named Sissy. “Although I played sports, worked out, rode a motorcycle and was otherwise in good shape, I quickly realized that a very special skill was required to ride effectively, let alone with grace and some form of rhythm,” Jeff said.
Discovering Dressage
Like many horsewomen, Jessica took a break from riding, got married and started a family. However, when Kyle and Jared were in grade school, Jessica’s desire to be in the saddle returned. After 14 years, she was back at it with a horse named Frodo’s Journey at the hunter-jumper barn where she’d previously boarded.
“When my trainer retired, I decided to move Frodo to a barn closer to home. The new barn required two dressage lessons a week and that’s how my life in dressage began at the age of 46,” Jessica said. “I’m a very detail-oriented person, so I immediately fell in love with the precision of the sport and incredible partnership with my horse. I felt like we were dance partners listening to each other in the timing of the movements.”
Unfortunately, Frodo wasn’t as enamored with dressage as Jessica was, so Jeff bought Jessica a new partner, Seamus. It was with Seamus that Jessica entered dressage competitions and earned her USDF Bronze and Silver medals.
“All the stress in life melts away the moment that I start riding,” she said. “There’s just something so joyous and peaceful in working with my horse in the training of the movements and putting together a fluid and flowing test. I love that dressage is always a work in progress to that next step.”
As Jessica embraced a new discipline, Jeff also learned about dressage training theory and watched the partnership of Jessica and Seamus progress. “Although Jessica makes it look easy, I know it’s not. I’m so proud of her and all the riders for their dedication and perseverance, working through setbacks and tough days, to realize steady improvement towards their ultimate goals,” Jeff said.
Donato Farms
After looking at many prospective Wellington, Florida, horse properties to purchase, Jeff and Jessica eventually decided it made more sense to build new rather than buy an existing property. “My initial role at Donato was to convince Jessica that building versus buying was the way to go. Since I was the instigator to build, I ‘owned’ the process and was charged with design, permitting, scheduling, contracts, finance, completion dates—all the fun things. Jessica’s role was style—angles, colors, materials, etc.,” Jeff said.
As the equestrian of the family, Jessica leaned on her years of experience in a barn to ensure the layout of Donato Farms flowed well, was functional, was as safe as possible for horses and provided an elegant and welcoming atmosphere for the people. “Through the graciousness of many barns in the area, we were able to tour their facilities, talk to them about what the top riders and horses needed, and incorporate these elements and more into the facility, to make Donato Farms the barn it is today,” Jessica said.
“At certain moments, the building process felt a bit overwhelming—vision, decisions to be made, coordination, supply shortages and details, coupled with a fixed move-in date—but it was also rewarding to be able to start with a clean slate, limited only by our imaginations,” Jeff said. “The barn has been in operation since May 2022.”
It’s not just the design that makes Donato Farms special, it’s the people and horses who work out of the facility. “My favorite part of the facility is the team atmosphere and happy environment that has been created, along with Lee and Sarah Tubman, their Tubman Dressage staff and clients here at Donato Farms,” Jessica said. “Sarah and Lee have the same work ethic as Jeff and I and want the same wonderful environment for horses and people as we envisioned from the start of the project, so that truly is my favorite part of the facility.”
Jessica had followed Sarah on social media since Sarah had won a silver team medal and individual gold medal at the 2019 Pan Am Games. So when it came time to look for professionals to run their business out of Donato, Jessica and Jeff reached out to Sarah and her husband, Lee, who’s an esteemed judge, coach and trainer.
“Sarah’s riding abilities and training skills have always been impressive to me, but what initially caught my attention about Sarah was her true love of the horses and the joy on her face and in her voice when she was interviewed,” Jessica said. “The partnership with Sarah and Lee is a true gift, and we’re filled with such gratitude for this amazing team.”
Jessica currently has three horses in training with Sarah and Lee—Donatus, Goldwyn and RS Damon. “I never envisioned I’d have the chance to train with the likes of Sarah and Lee. I’ve found in them trainers who love the detail, have a positive approach and do everything correctly and methodically to improve horse and rider in an encouraging and correct training method,” Jessica said. “I’m looking forward to showing Goldwyn, whom I’m schooling Prix St. Georges and Intermediate I, this year. It will be my first time showing since 2019, when we were in Illinois, and I’m so looking forward to riding down that centerline again!”
Whether working with the Tubmans in the saddle or via Donato with Jeff, Jessica feels truly blessed for the partnership they’ve developed. “Sarah and Lee make having a barn so easy. The laughter and happy environment we share with them is pure joy,” Jessica said. “My dad always told me good people find good people. He was right!”
Supporting the Sport
From the earliest days of designing Donato Farms, Jeff and Jessica followed an outline of elements required by the USEF to enable their facility to benefit U.S. dressage. “We told them that our facility could be used as a training site for clinics if they were in need of a host barn,” Jessica said. “In Donato Farms’ inaugural year, we were proud to host two USEF developing rider and horse evaluations.”
Jeff loves how he can play a role in the development of our next generation of the U.S. Dressage Team. “It’s great being part of the journey to high-level competitions, even if it’s a small part. Without being in Wellington, I never would have imagined the combination of hard work, training, diet, strategy and good luck required to compete at the highest equestrian level,” he said.
“It’s an incredible amount of time, dedication and work that these riders and everyone involved put in to make Team USA the best it can be, so if we can help out by providing a facility in support of the team and its programs to develop horses and riders for Team USA, we are honored to do so,” Jessica said.
Sarah and Lee help coordinate the use of Donato with USEF sponsored programs, including the USEF Development Training Sessions conducted by Charlotte Bredahl in 2023.
As Jeff shares his farm to develop riders of the future, he’s aiming to saddle up himself one day. “I’m fortunate to have access to the perfect conditions, patient coaches and tolerant horses. The reins are in my hands, so to speak. I just need to get on the horse,” he said.
Looking toward the future, Jeff and Jessica hope they can continue to maintain high standards for a clean, safe facility that will offer a unique experience for all those who come to train there.
Even as an optimist, Jessica never imagined their lives would be where they are today, and it all started with a dream. She encourages others to be dreamers. “Never stop dreaming and envisioning what you would like to accomplish; don’t let the roadblocks that come up along the way deter you,” she said.
In addition to the one in Jeff and Jessica’s home, another Walt Disney quote hangs in their barn. It says, “You can design and create, and build the most wonderful place in the world. But it takes people to make the dream a reality.”
With a bright future ahead of them, Donato Farms hopes to continue to grow and support the dreams of Tubman Dressage and those who strive to be on the U.S. Dressage Team. “I believe that helping to make others’ dreams come true is what brings us true happiness in life,” Jessica said.
For more information, visit donatofarmsllc.com
Photos by Melissa Fuller, melissafullerphotography33.mypixieset.com
