By Laura Scaletti
Portraits by Kacy Brown
When Jake Parker Wymard aged out of the Juniors and turned professional in 2019, he, his mother/business partner, Ginger Parker, and their business manager, Erika Sentz, agreed that it was a good time to rebrand. They changed the name of their current showing and training operation from Flower Farm to something that signified their new professional partnership, and Ashcombe Sporthorses, LLC was formed.
Ashcombe was meaningful as it was the name of Jake’s great-great-grandmother’s home and later where his great-grandfather had a hobby dairy farm. “It felt like the beginning of a new chapter when I joined the business, and taking on a new name that holds deep family meaning just felt like the perfect way to encapsulate that new start.”
Since then, Ashcombe has worked to expand, adding an Ocala, Florida, location to their initial York, Pennsylvania, operation. Jake’s passion for horses and the sport has not only brought Ashcombe success, but also solidified the family element to the business model.
“There isn’t any other way I’d want to be in this sport than with my mom. I cannot put into words how grateful I am to have a jumpstart in this business. Our Ashcombe team works really well together, as we have always been able to sense what each other needs,” Jake said. “The memories we have are priceless.”
Farm Raised
“Even before I started to ride, I learned a lot of values about horsemanship. My brother, Tom, and I learned patience rather quickly in our house, because our mom would start teaching early in the morning and wouldn’t finish until well after the sun went down every night,” Jake said. “We had the option to be in the barn with her, but I can’t say that was very appealing to us during the middle of winter in Pennsylvania!”
Jake’s favorite time in the barn growing up was foaling season. Ginger had a TV set up with a live camera feed in her room to watch the broodmares. Jake, Tom and Erika would huddle around the TV and wait for the mares to foal. “That was probably my first lesson in real communication with horses. The mares communicate differently before they foal, and the trust they have to let you handle their babies is something you can feel,” he said. “The most unique part of the experience is the way the other horses in the barn respond. They stay quiet and watch intently and respectfully.”
Although Jake spent many hours in the barn, he didn’t really think about riding. That perspective changed when Jake saw Ginger giving lessons to a boy his age. At first Jake was just happy to toss around a football in the yard with him. When Jake was 8 years old, he decided it was time to try a lesson himself. “Until then, I had always enjoyed the horses but viewed the riding aspect as my mom’s work, never something I would actually enjoy,” he said.
After that first lesson, Jake saw how challenging riding actually was and was eager for more. Specifically, he struggled with learning his diagonals when he posted the trot. “When I can’t figure something out, it’s all-consuming. One time, I tried getting on my first pony three times in one day to practice my diagonals. I made it through the first two rides and was caught later in the day tacking up for my third attempt,” Jake laughed. “Don’t worry, I was also very heavy-handed with the cookies, so my pony was more than happy to oblige!”
A year after he began riding, Jake went to his first local show where he competed in the walk-trot class. “The show was on a very cold winter morning and the roads were icy. I remember being so worried that we wouldn’t be able to show. I was just so excited, and waiting another week may as well have been waiting another year,” he said. “Fortunately, we made it to the show, where I didn’t win a single class, but still loved it!”
Even without any blue ribbons, Jake was hooked. He soon got his first pony, Secret’s Out, who not only became his best friend but taught him how to ride—and find his diagonals! Within a year, the duo went from the Short Stirrup to the Large Greens at USEF Pony Finals.
All In
That trip to USEF Pony Finals lit a fire within Jake; he wanted to go all-in and progress as a rider. “I had a taste of what the top of the sport was like and I wanted to be there,” he said.
It wasn’t until Pony Finals that Jake trained with anyone other than his mom. Jake believes working with other professionals was vital to his development as a rider. “As much as I would like to call myself a perfect student, I was a kid learning from his mom, and that wasn’t always easy. I would get frustrated when I couldn’t figure out how to do something she was telling me to do, and training with other professionals really helped me get over those humps,” Jake said. “Hearing things explained in a different way was very helpful.”
During his Junior years, Jake had the opportunity to work with a lot of great people. While he learned something from every lesson he took, Bruce Davidson, Andre Dignelli, Louise Serio and Kevin Babington truly changed Jake as a rider.
A timid rider in his early teens, Jake began working with Bruce. “He really taught me not to fear bigger jumps, not by making me jump them all the time but by grinding on my flatwork. We would spend an hour on flatwork and then jump for five minutes at the end of the lesson,” he said.
With his nerves no longer an issue, Jake sought out Andre to polish his riding. “My year with Andre and the Heritage team showed me how much the little details matter. They don’t overlook anything in their operation, and you learn to take on that precision and attention to detail while working with them,” Jake said.
At the end of his Junior career, Jake worked with Kevin Babington in the jumpers. Prior to arriving at Kevin’s, Jake had limited experience in the jumper ring. In less than two years, Kevin helped Jake take his two jumpers from the 1.10m classes to the 1.40m. “Kevin is probably the best coach I’ve ever worked with. He has so many great exercises to both help develop the horse and teach the rider to get out of their way. Under him, I really learned how to stay working with the horse through a challenge and never to work against them,” Jake said.
Although Jake worked with a who’s who of trainers during his Junior years, his favorite memories are when his mom was at the in-gate with him. “I learned an incredible amount from amazing people, but the truth is that I wasn’t comfortable riding in front of them. I put too much pressure on myself to please them instead of relaxing and just riding,” he said.
At Junior Hunter Finals in 2018, Jake showed their homebred Fiorello FF. The duo finished second in the classic on day one. The next day, they had an unfortunate rail at the last jump in the handy, but that didn’t dampen Jake’s spirits. “My mom had put me in the ring, and it was our best round, minus the rail. Regardless, it was still my favorite memory. I was finally competing against everyone I felt like I had previously had to chase,” Jake said. “I was able to just relax and not overthink.”
Going Pro
If you asked Jake what he was going to be when he was growing up, he’d likely have told you he was going to be a lawyer or a doctor. He also would have been lying. “My parents met in law school and prioritized education when I was growing up. I don’t think the goal was ever for me to become a professional rider: it was for me to pursue my passion while maintaining good grades,” Jake said.
As a result, Jake attended school full time while pursuing riding in his free time. While he was able to get away from school for chunks of time, Jake saw his peers progress in the ring while he was back in the classroom, and put unnecessary pressure on himself. “I wish I could tell myself back then that it was going to be OK. Other kids progressing faster and winning more ultimately made zero impact on me as a rider. I was developing in a way that worked for me, I just couldn’t see that yet,” Jake said.
Jake decided to make the leap and become a professional at 18. “Where a lot of kids are burned out at the end of their Junior career, I was hungry for more. I wanted to finally dive in headfirst and make the sport a priority,” he said. “I knew this was going to be my life.”
Jake spent the winter working with Louise Serio at WEF after turning pro. “She really helped me learn the ropes of being a professional. She’s an amazing horsewoman and person, and I value her friendship,” he said.
When he first stepped into the show ring as a professional, it took a minute to be truly comfortable showing in the same classes as the people he grew up idolizing. “I felt inferior, mainly because I was. Knowing that other people know more than me has been my best attribute as a rider and has kept me learning and growing in the right direction while gaining confidence instead of arrogance,” he said. “I think the only way to be truly comfortable in a big environment is to consistently be in it.”
Throughout his equestrian journey, Ginger has been Jake’s rock. “I have struggled a bit with self-confidence, but she has always been proud enough of me for both of us. When you have someone like that by your side, you have no choice but to see your dreams and chase them,” he said.
Having a “rock” and now two family farms to call his own has been a massive benefit for Jake. “The culture of young professionals is to bounce from farm to farm chasing opportunities. We own both our farms, which gives me a spot in which to grow and invest. On the bad days and the good, I’m always working on projects to improve the farms, which is so rewarding,” Jake said. “Whether it’s building jumps or fixing a tractor, any problem or solution is something I can take ownership of.”
Horses First
At Ashcombe, the horses mean more than any ribbon could. “It doesn’t matter if we own them or if someone in our program does, they’re all treated the exact same. Each horse gets individualized care, which I think has translated into getting the best results from our horses because they feel better and are able to perform,” he said. “Even if that wasn’t the case, it wouldn’t change our approach.”
Jake is a firm believer that horse happiness is key. If they aren’t happy, they can’t perform at their best and it’s not fair to ask something of the horses that they aren’t able to do. This holds true for Ashcombe’s sale horses too. “With all our sales, we make sure that the horses aren’t going to a home unless they are a genuine fit. There are no salesman tactics; either it works or it doesn’t, and we have no desire to force it. The money behind the sport can blind people to the fact that these are animals; their care is our number one priority,” Jake said.
In the saddle, Jake uses the communication skills he observed during foaling season. “Growing up on a breeding farm where I was riding and breaking young horses taught me the importance of creating a bond. The more the babies learned to trust me, the faster they developed,” he said. “When I would try to push their progress by building the jumps too fast or pushing the flatwork, it would never end well. I’m so grateful for that background in my life because it has become how I teach as well.”
Developing young horses brings Jake great joy. A team effort, Jake and barn manager Erika Sentz put the first rides on the horses while Ginger helps on the ground. Once they are steadily flatting under saddle, Jake takes over. “We find ourselves laughing until our stomachs hurt most days when we work with the babies. They’re filled with personality, and the way they express themselves keeps things fresh,” he said. “If I have a lot of stressful things going on, the young horses are where I can reset and just have fun.”
Jake’s biggest accomplishment is the success of Ashcombe’s homebred horses. “Witnessing a horse’s birth, helping it stand for the first time, being the first person to sit on it, jump it, show it and then compete at the top of the sport is something I take a lot of pride in,” he said. “Of course, it’s not just me; the whole team at Ashcombe is equally involved, which in a lot of ways makes the accomplishments bigger.”
At the end of the day, Jake puts his morals and reputation above all else. “Reputation means everything in this world. Regardless of any peer pressure or potential benefit I could gain. If I feel something is wrong, I won’t do it,” he said. “I would love to win at the top of the sport and grow our farm, but as long as our reputation is that we care for and love our horses, I think we will have done well.”
As Jake brings along some exciting young horses in the coming years, he’s hoping to build his client base with owners as well as Junior and Amateur riders. “I can honestly say that the fire I felt when I first turned professional has never gone away. Building a business with my family and opening a new farm in Ocala has been a dream come true,” he said. “I’m excited to see what the future has in store and feel ready for wherever it takes us!”
For more information, follow Jake on Instagram @jakeparkerwymard and Ashcombe Sporthorses @ashcombesporthorses and on Facebook. Visit their website at ashcombesporthorses.com
Photos by Kacy Brown, kacybrownphotography.com
