Portraits by Sophia Donohue
International show jumpers Nick Dello Joio and Jess Mendoza are never in one place for too long. The duo spends their lives in constant motion, traveling from one destination to the next as they compete at top events across the globe. Even their friends don’t know where they are at any given time.
Amidst all the countries, airports, ever-changing time zones and horse shows, they’ve mastered the art of making a lot happen wherever they land. Nick and Jess recently started their Llangollen Equine Retirement in Upperville, Virginia. Further south in Wellington, Florida, Jess runs her own Triple M Farms and Nick operates Wembley Farms with his Olympian father, Norman Dello Joio.
Nick and Jess are proof that the right partnership can make everything a little stronger. However, how that partnership began is a tale of two stories. If you ask Jess how they met she will give you the straightforward version. “There’s no big romance story behind it. We were both working and competing in the industry and simply found our way to each other over time,” she said.
Ask Nick the same question and the story is a bit more entertaining. “After running in the same circles for years, during the COVID lockdown, I asked Jess to paint me a flamingo for my sister’s birthday. Jess is a talented artist,” he said. “I never got the flamingo. Did get a date, though!”
That date turned into forever in 2025, when Nick and Jess got married at a small, intimate ceremony at the Dello Joio’s house in the Florida Keys—and then again during a big destination wedding in England—a tribute to their combined American and English roots.
Horses have always been woven into the fabric of Jess’ family life. “My family has always been involved with horses. I grew up riding ponies in England, and my parents were incredibly supportive from the beginning. My dad was my trainer, while my mum took on the roles of groom and manager, and they both came to every show,” she said. “Horses were very much a family affair for us.”
As Jess got older, her family relocated to The Netherlands. It was there that she eventually started her own business she had dreamed of creating since she was 6 years old. “I knew from a young age I wanted to make a career in the horse industry. By the time I was 16, I was certain it was what I wanted to do and had already started figuring out how to turn my passion into a profession by training clients and building a business around the sport,” Jess said.
With her father as her primary trainer growing up, Jess supplemented her equestrian education by working with numerous professionals representing different disciplines. “I never had one single coach. I’ve always enjoyed learning from different people and taking pieces of knowledge from a variety of sources and experiences,” she said.
This exposure helped Jess develop the skills to achieve some incredible milestones throughout her career. “Representing Great Britain has been one of the greatest honors. I was part of the British Olympic Show Jumping Team at the Rio 2016 Olympic Games, competed at the European Championships in Aachen in 2015, and most recently finished in the top 10 individually at the 2025 Equestrian Championships in La Coruña, Spain,” Jess said.
Six years ago, Jess began traveling to the United States each year to compete in Wellington during the season from January to April. It was in Wellington that she met Nick. “After COVID, I made the decision to move to the United States permanently, establish my business there and continue building my career,” she said.
Despite being the son of two equestrians, with his father winning an Olympic bronze medal when Nick was 3 years old, Nick followed a very different timeline than Jess in getting captivated by horses. “I rode here and there as a kid for fun, but the spark to pursue riding more came from riding horses on the beach when we vacationed in the Bahamas,” he said.
That obsession led Nick to want to ride more when they returned home from vacation; however, it was another trip that cemented Nick’s equestrian future. While competing in Europe at Valkenswaard one summer, Nelson Pessoa gave Nick a pony jumper.
“It was a pony trying to do the horse strides in the United States. I used to fall off all the time,” Nick laughed.
Undeterred, Nick kept at it. “I certainly didn’t have a fabulous Junior career like many other professionals. I think I did a one in the two-stride at the USET Finals and had Missy Clark telling me to change my diagonal at another one of the equitation finals,” he said.
While in college, Nick decided he wanted to make a career out of horses. “I think I had just enough information and experience and knew I wanted to make a life out of it,” he said.
That decision led him back to Wembley Farms, where he now works alongside his parents at their thriving business. Together with his father, Nick trains a group of clients from all levels in the jumper and equitation rings while also developing horses and competing himself.
When describing their personalities, Nick admits he and Jess are very different. “It’s a good balance. We each bring what the other lacks. This helps us complement each other in terms of decision making, planning, problem solving, etc.,” Nick said.
Jess believes their shared understanding of the sport helps solidify their relationship. "Our relationship works really well, whether we’re together every day or spending time apart. Being professionals in the same sport means we both understand the sacrifices, travel schedules and commitment required to succeed," she said. “We’ve always shared similar goals and expectations, which makes the distance much easier.”
Although the duo is always on the move pursuing their individual goals, the reality is that they don’t spend as much time apart as many people assume. “If I’m in Europe for a few months, we make an effort to see each other whenever we can fit in a week together,” Jess said.
“We typically don’t spend too much time apart. She’s gone for a portion of the summer, but realistically it’s never more than a three-week gap in seeing one another. I usually go over there on horse-buying trips a few times over the summer,” Nick said. “We both know each other’s individual and joint goals and support them to the fullest.”
“Because we both live the same lifestyle, it creates a level of understanding that makes those challenges easier to navigate. It’s great to have someone who understands every aspect of your life and can help with both personal and professional decisions,” Jess said.
When it came time to ask Jess to marry him, Nick had a plan to beat his flamingo portrait request that started the relationship—though it ended up even better than he could have hoped. It started on a trip to England in November 2025, when Nick’s buddy and British racehorse owner Tim Gredley couldn’t attend the Cheltenham races—and had Nick and Jess step in as “owners” in his place. “We ended up winning the big race and were on TV, took interviews and did the champagne toast,” Nick said. “Little did they know it was my first time ever at a race and I had no idea what I was answering. Pretty sure I did 10 out of 10.”
The following day, November 24, Nick and Jess went foxhunting with a large group. “It was my first time ever and an unforgettable experience,” Nick said. “That night we stayed at the beautiful Estelle Manor, and I proposed after dinner. It was an amazing two days!”
The weddings that followed surpassed the proposal. Nick’s sister officiated the first celebration in the Keys in October 2025.
The next month, the couple hosted an elaborate three-night celebration in England featuring a traditional English pub welcome party, a black and white masquerade ball, hosted by Nick’s parents, and a formal white-tie wedding reception. Mark Hacker, father of Nick’s student Cristian and the couple’s friend, married them in England.
"It was a whole thing. I think what made the English wedding so great is that the people who came really committed to having a fun vacation as well as joining us for our special occasion. A lot of the guests tied it into a Euro vacation, which really put everyone in good spirits,” he said.
Nick and Jess didn’t let their wedding adventures end in England. They honeymooned in Tokyo, which was the experience of a lifetime.
“The highlight for me was visiting the fish market and the live tuna auction. We had to be there at 4:30 a.m. It wasn’t open to the public—luckily a client gave that private experience to us as a wedding present,” Nick said. “Jess claims she went along with it for me, but it was 100% an experience we will remember forever. It was pretty special.”
Having developed horses to compete at the highest level, Nick and Jess realized that the conversations about what happens to those horses once their careers end often come later than they should. After seeing a real gap in the market for quality retirement care in the United States, Nick and Jess opened their first business venture together, Llangollen Equine Retirement.
At Llangollen, Nick and Jess aim to provide a sanctuary to the horses who have given us everything. “Not everyone has the land, facilities or time required to care for a retired horse, and we wanted to create a place where owners could feel completely confident about their horses’ futures,” Jess said.
As international competitors, Nick and Jess understand that retirement isn’t simply turning a horse out in a field and hoping for the best. “We believe that retirement isn’t one-size-fits-all and every horse deserves a program tailored to its needs. What makes Llangollen unique is that we approach retirement care from the perspective of professional horse people who have spent our lives caring for sport horses,” Jess said.
Jess’ favorite part of their joint venture is knowing they are creating something that truly benefits the horses. “We’re also preparing to expand into rehabilitation and layup services. That means Llangollen won’t just be a place for horses at the end of their careers; it can serve as a place for horses that need time off in the middle of their careers, or young horses that need a period of development and management,” she said. “We see it as a long-term resource for horse owners at many different stages.”
“This is our first year and we’re thrilled with the progress,” Nick said.
Though this is their first business venture together, Jess would eventually love to have more together. “We’re incredibly fortunate to make a living doing something we’re passionate about,” she said. “Horses have shaped both of our lives, and we’re excited about the future, both individually and together.”
Follow Jess and Nick on Instagram @jessmendozashowjumper and @nickdellojoio
Photos by Sophia Donohue, sophiadonohuephotography.com, unless noted otherwise
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