Nick Wagman Sets Sights on 2028 L.A. Olympics

In 2021, California-based Grand Prix rider Nick Wagman was close to qualifying for the U.S. Olympic team with his horse Don John but ended up traveling to Tokyo as a reserve. After the Tokyo experience, Wagman aimed for the Paris Olympics, but encountered challenges with Don John, a Dutch Warmblood, in maintaining peak fitness. Following 2022, the 51-year-old had to reassess his aspirations and started working with a new group of horses, with the 2028 L.A. Olympics now on his radar. After Tokyo, Wagman and Don John participated in another CDI competition in May 2022, where they secured second place twice.

A month later, they achieved a score of 74.783% at a national CDS San Diego Chapter Show, marking it as Don John's final competitive event. In 2022, Wagman received a new horse when Elizabeth Keadle purchased Belvedere, who had participated in the WCYH finals. The pair made their Prix St Georges debut in October 2024, recently placing second in the PSG (67.059%) and winning the Inter I (72.50%) at the CDN Dressage Affaire in Del Mar. Keadle's Heiline's St. Coeur also debuted in the U.S. in February 2023, achieving a third place in the PSG and fourth in the Inter I during the same event. Wagman also introduced Gepfer's Hanoverian Dance On, which was previously shown in Germany, at third and fourth levels in Del Mar, yielding scores of 70.657% and 64.473%, respectively. The closest horse to reaching Grand Prix is Keadle's Royal Discovery, who has been under Wagman's care since 2022. With the support of his sponsors, Wagman remains focused on his goal for the L.A. Olympics.