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3
Tuesday, August 25 2020 / Published in Weekly Feature

Jake Nodar’s #Blessed Life: Horse Training and Entertaining

By Susan Friedland

Portraits by Anna Smolens

Three years ago, a bearded man in a nude leotard and platinum blond Cleopatra wig high-kicked, twirled and did the splits to a Sia song in his bedroom with a white miniature horse joining in the dance. The video clip of Jake Nodar and Tyrion — Jake’s white “unicorn” — went viral, airing on both TMZ and Fox News, and later a Danish company used it in an internet commercial.

Whether dressing in formal wear or a crazy outfit, Jake’s social media presence is quirky, fun and meant to put a smile on his followers’ faces. 

Jake, a professional horse trainer from Maryland, successfully balances careers as both an entertainer and horseman. He has starred on several reality television shows over the last decade, ranging from Discovery Channel’s “Naked and Afraid” series and “Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment” to the History Channel’s “Full Metal Jousting,” a show that resurrected lance-wielding knights on horseback. He also recently directed, choreographed and danced in Grammy-winning artist Zac Brown’s music video “Swayze,” which playfully gives a nod to 1980s workout videos.

Horses figure prominently on Jake’s Instagram feed, just like they did in his drawings as a child after he first met them across the fence near his home. However, there’s nothing traditional about Jake’s equestrian account. His posts are the 21st century version of the Sunday funnies with hilarious captions, unexpected visual humor and the hashtag #blessed. From roller-skating in a mullet wig and playing in a kiddie pool with Tyrion to running around an indoor arena in an inflatable Santa suit jumping crossrails or sporting a rainbow cape and helmet in celebration of Pride Month, Jake’s social media presence is quirky, fun and meant to put a smile on his followers’ faces. 

“I get so much joy out of the response from my followers,” Jake said. “I get to be absolutely ridiculous and it’s amazing the response that I get.” People frequently message Jake to tell him they’re going through a tough time and they specifically go to his page to be uplifted.

“I started using the hashtag #blessed mostly as a joke,” he said. “I would see social media models and influencers posting ridiculous photos of themselves, scantily clad while promoting the latest detox tea or workout program. The posts almost always included #blessed. I started using it on all my posts, especially the non-glamorous ones like ‘covered in manure #blessed,’ or ‘just lost 39 pounds starving in a jungle #blessed.’ I have used #blessed jokingly for years, perhaps as a way of letting people know I don’t take myself too seriously.”

Slow Track to Horsemanship

Jake and Tyrion, his white “unicorn,” appears in many of Jake’s photos and videos.

Much of Jake’s early equestrian education came from learning by doing. “I would ride back then and try not to fall,” he said. “I would read books and watch training videos — to say my riding was rough around the edges would be an understatement.”

His aunt had horses and Jake began riding around the age of 14 when he had the opportunity. Near the end of his high school years, his family traded in city life for a five-acre farm, and that’s when his passion took off. Jake’s first steed was purchased at an auction. He enthusiastically hopped on the horse in the auction pen and it flew into a gallop. Jake said he just knew, “This is the one!” 

A career in horses blossomed when he began volunteering at a horse rescue near his home, which turned into a barn manager position. Jake dove right in, taking care of 45 to 60 horses, several of them in critical care situations. The long hours and serious role was demanding, but periodically he played around with the horses after the work day. “I fell in love with them — seeing how forgiving these animals could be.”

Jake loves to entertain, and that shows up in his social media posts which also end with #BlessedLife.

In order to pursue a more formal equestrian education, in 1999, Jake attended John Lyons’ training program in Colorado. During that year, Jake was in the saddle eight to 10 hours a day, starting with basic round-pen work that led eventually to tempi changes and passage. Josh Lyons, John’s son, was Jake’s primary instructor and remains Jake’s equestrian role model to this day. “He’s such an incredible horseman; I love his way with horses,” Jake said.

Returning home to the East Coast, Jake worked for a while at a hunter barn, but the adrenalin of eventing was more his style. Jake became a working student and gave lessons at Stephen Bradley’s eventing farm based at the time out of Hickory Tree Farms in Middleburg, Virginia.

“I liked Stephen’s way of teaching and was a working student for him, riding everything from just-broke 3-year-olds to three-star horses,” Jake said. “It was incredible.” 

Jake leaped wholeheartedly into eventing with a horse of his own. “I had a lovely Dutch gelding with a goofy personality,” he said. “He would clean up in dressage, but wasn’t brave at jumping preliminary fences.” Jake sold him to a dressage home and that was the end of his time eventing.

Becoming a Hunter-Gatherer

Jake has used #blessed jokingly for years as a way of letting people know he doesn’t take himself too seriously. He does take horse training seriously, however, and his clients can attest to his training skills and love for the horses.

A chance encounter in an online hiking forum led Jake to the world of reality TV survival shows. As an outdoor enthusiast, Jake would plan annual adventure trips such as a solo bike ride from Florida to California or camping with the Maasai people in Kenya. While researching a trip to Mongolia, a vague description for an Alaskan adventure caught his attention. After an email inquiry, phone call from a casting company and an overnight delivery of an audition video, Jake landed a spot on a new show, Discovery Channel’s “Out of the Wild: The Alaska Experiment,” which aired in 2009.

“The show gave us a three-day course on survival and two days of navigation training,” Jake said. Just like his early days as a horseman, Jake learned survival skills as he went along in the wilderness, although he had a foundation due to his family’s interest in the outdoors. “My dad has always been big into the outdoors: camping, fishing, hiking and leaving the city. My brothers and I would make our own flies for fly fishing. So I’m very comfortable in the outdoors.” 

Following his first survival show, Jake and 15 other horsemen from across the country battled with knight’s armor and lances in the History Channel’s “Full Metal Jousting.” One hundred riders from all disciplines auditioned and Jake was one of the finalists selected. 

“My first impression was Jake was a very serious person because he can be all business,” said James Fairclough, fellow jouster and professional show jumper. “But he’s one of the funniest people I’ve ever met, and an incredible rider. When he wants to have fun, it’s like a light switch turns on.” 

Although Jake was considered the show’s underdog, in the first round of competition he knocked a veteran dinner theater jouster to the ground in defeat. “I’m glad I got to experience jousting,” he said. “I do love trying any sport involving horses, but will be perfectly happy if I never have to don the 85 pounds of armor again.

“I was the last one chosen when teams were picked, and was pegged as the weakest link,” he continued, “but I showed them just how fierce I could be. I unhorsed my competitor, an 11-year jousting professional, and won my preliminary match, and then took out my friend, James, in the quarterfinals, advancing me to the semifinals. I was unhorsed twice during the semifinals, and that was my brief but successful jousting career.” 

Next, Jake appeared on several versions of the “Naked and Afraid” series, a show in which he had to survive in the wild for 21 days with no food, no water, no clothing and only one survival tool. In the Amazon Rainforest, Jake lost almost 40 pounds and had to survive by eating unthinkable living things including a tarantula and grubs. While shooting in South Africa for Season Two of “Naked and Afraid XL,” Jake and a team of 11 other alumni from the show faced starvation and the most dangerous wildlife on earth. Jake had to leave the show before the 40 days was up after eating fruit contaminated by monkey or bat urine: His eyes turned yellow and his liver started shutting down. Jake spent eight days in an African hospital followed by three months at home recuperating.

Even in the most dire of circumstances in the wilderness, Jake’s humor, grit and positivity shined through — qualities that have served him well in his training of both horses and their owners.

Cornucopia of Riding Disciplines 

With his varied background in hunters, eventing and starting young horses, today Jake trains his clients in what he calls “a cornucopia of disciplines.” Long-time client Dana Winslow said Jake’s influence has transformed her relationship with her young dressage horses.

“Jake believes you should always treat your horse as you would treat your best friend,” Dana said. “With this attitude, as training evolves, your horse actually does become your best friend. My filly is sweet but I simply was horrified and a little afraid when I started lunging her on my own. I had difficulty controlling her exuberance. Jake took over and training returned to the fun it should be. He knew just what needed to be done to control the ‘airs above the ground’ and they became a humorous challenge to address instead of a danger to life and limb.”

With a gift for training horses, Jake found it difficult to hang on to one of his own for very long (they sold quickly), so that desire to have a horse of his own led him to the world of minis. First he bought his white stallion, Tyrion, then later a brown miniature mare named Baroness In The Buff. “Having been naked on television, her name sealed the deal. Her barn name is Buffy,” Jake said.

When asked if he ever considered pursuing a full-time career in entertainment, Jake said he would miss horses too much. He appreciates being able to have a foot in both worlds. In 2020, there are some changes on the horizon for Jake as he plans to relocate to Georgia with his miniature horses to “start up a tiny farm with tiny animals.” 

One of Jake’s favorite quotes from John Lyons summarizes his view on training horses. “John said something along the lines of, ‘There are only two emotions that belong in the saddle: patience and a sense of humor.’” It’s evident that Jake Nodar possesses both in spades. “At the end of the day,” he concluded, “I really do live an incredibly #blessed life.” 

Follow Jake on Instagram @jakemnodar and on Facebook at jakenodarofficial

Photos by Anna Smolens, Purple Horse Designs, www.purplehorsedesigns.com

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Tagged under: equestrian style, fashion, instagram, Jake Nodar, september, unicorn

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❗️George Williams column❗️ The FEI World ❗️George Williams column❗️
The FEI World Cup Final in Omaha is coming up quickly. That means that it’s starting to heat 
up as the end of the qualifying period for both the Western European League (WEL) and the 
North American League (NAL) nears. I started to write this column before the Amsterdam CDI- W, and I was using the FEI Ranking List from January 15 as a reference. As I sit down to finish 
my column, I’m now looking at the results from Amsterdam. While the list of the top contenders 
for the WEL hasn’t changed, they’re definitely moving around on the ranking list. The WEL has 
three more legs, as they’re referred to: Neumünster February 16–19, Goteborg February 23–26, 
and ’s-Hertogenbosch March 9–12, and they could change things dramatically.
Looking at the top 12 athletes from the WEL as they were ranked on January 15, there are five 
from Germany, three from the Netherlands and one each from Great Britain, Denmark

➡️Read Georges's full column by clicking the link in our bio, and never miss an article by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine 🦄 

#horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #horseriding #equine #pony #pferd #equestrianlife #horselove #dressage #horselover #instahorse #love #cheval #showjumping #horselife #photography #nature #pferde #horseofinstagram #caballo #riding #horsebackriding #pferdeliebe #caballos #horsepower #horsephotography #instagram #Sidelinesmagazine
Lisa Goldman-Smolen and Ivaro N strike gold in Gre Lisa Goldman-Smolen and Ivaro N strike gold in Great American $300,000 Grand Prix at HITS Ocala!! 🏆🥇

Crowds filled the stands at the HITS Ocala Grand Prix Ring on Sunday afternoon to watch the world’s top athletes compete in the Great American $300,000 Grand Prix. The day concluded with a thrilling five-horse jump-off featuring athletes 
representing four countries. In the end, it was Lisa Goldman-Smolen (USA) and Ivaro N who produced the only double clear effort of the day, claiming one of the biggest wins of her career. Scott Keach (AUS) and Noble De La Chapelle earned the second-place prize with the fastest 4-fault jump-off, while Aaron Vale (USA) and Obi Wan placed third as the day’s pathfinders.

“I'm still on cloud nine, I still can't believe it – I’ve used up all my luck for the year,” smiled Goldman-Smolen after her win. “I've been knocking on the door a long time in these bigger classes. I am so proud of my horse – he gave every ounce of effort.”

Sunday’s Great American $300,000 Grand Prix marked the conclusion of the 2023 HITS Ocala circuit. HITS CCO Joe Norick concluded, “We are so excited about the new HITS, with 2023 as the launch. New footing, many new arenas here, and a lot of our facilities across America are getting a lot of love and new footing. Our partnerships with Worldly Martin and others across America including our footing leader Bart Poles overseeing our operations – it really makes a big difference for us. Today is about Ocala and these three riders sitting next to me who supported us this entire winter. We want to be a proud destination for our exhibitors and our friends. We know we have to provide them a beautiful showplace to work from that's horseman friendly, and that's our go goal. 

Congratulations to all of the riders, horses, owners, and groom who participated in this prestigious class!!! 🎉
📸 @esi_photography 
#horseshow #horses #horse #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #horseriding #horselove #horsestagram #instagram #showjumping #equestrianlife #equine  #horsebackriding #dressage #horselife #pony #of #horserider #horseshoe #horsemanship #horseshowlife #riding #instahorse #horseaddict #horseofinstagram #sidelinesmagazine
It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is. It's #STUDSunday and today's featured stallion is...

 ✨PF'S DIAMO BLUE✨
Diarado-Diamant de Semilly- Chacco Blue
17.0hh, Oldenburg International Hunter Derby/ Jumper Stallion
An outstanding Pedigree- Chacco Blue and Diamant de Semilly
WBFSH/ Rolex top ranking Jumping Sires 2017 thru 2022
Standing at Ryan Pedigo Sport Horses, in California

For more information, you can contact 
🖥Ryanpedigosporthorses.com
🖥Ryan.p.f@hotmail.com
☎️(714) 357-2714

You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

@ryanpedigosporthorsespf_

#stallion #horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #equine #dressage #pferd #equestrianlife #mare #hengst #horseriding #instahorse #cheval #pferde #equinephotography #horselove #dressagehorse #pony #horselover #caballo #foal #quarterhorse #aqha #arabianhorse #sidelinesmagazine
Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses Annette Longenecker wasn’t just born into horses—in a way, she was born into her career. She grew up in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania, where her parents ran a farm. Her mother taught, and her father had a jump business and then created one of the first horse show software programs: Ryegate Show Services, Inc.

Riding all her life, Annette spent many years as a groom and loved it, but knew it wasn’t what she wanted to do as a career. After she finished college, Annette’s father recruited her to help process entries at Ryegate. Since her father, Lloyd Longenecker, founded it in 1981, Ryegate has provided show management and office staff for some of the largest shows in the country. Now, Annette has taken over from her father and directed the company as it focuses on managing memberships and rankings for organizations such as the North American League, WIHS Championships and Equitation, Rolex/USEF Computer Ranking and National Medal Series (THIS NCM and Ariat NAM). Ryegate also provides scoring software for use with video walls, and production teams for hunter and jumper shows.

“Besides running Ryegate Show Services and its various organizations, I can be found in the show office, running a scoreboard or judging jumpers at most shows,” Annette said. “I love getting to wear a few different hats at the show.”

When she’s not busy at a show, Annette lives in Annville, Pennsylvania, with her “fur-baby,” Maggie Mae, and enjoys spending time with her many godchildren. Though she doesn’t currently own any horses, Annette rides when she can at Rolling Acres Farm with Patty Foster, Ashley Foster-Worthington and Mary Lisa Leffler.

Read this month unbridled with Annette Longenecker by clicking the link in our bio. Never miss a story by subscribing to Sidelines Magazine! 🦄
📸Photo by Sheryl Sutherby

#horse #horses #horsesofinstagram #equestrian #horseriding #equine #pony #pferd #equestrianlife #horselove #dressage #horselover #instahorse #love #cheval #showjumping #horselife #photography #nature #pferde #horseofinstagram #caballo #riding #horsebackriding #pferdeliebe #caballos #horsepower #horsephotography #instagram #Sidelinesmagazine
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