A lifetime of involvement with horses has become a passion for Nancy Pugh Later, who is breathing new life into a very old horse training tradition
	Nancy Pugh Later participated in a horse show at the age of six months and spent the rest of her childhood in the ring, competing in jumping, eventing and dressage. After graduating from high school, Later worked for U.S. Equestrian member Lendon Gray to develop her dressage and professional barn management skills. By the age of 24, she had won many awards, including accolades from the Grand Prix level. Later went on to work for Oded Shimoni, a top Grand Prix competitor, managing his business for 11 years and learning his training system; she also prepared his competition horses for the World Games and traveled with them to Europe. Later then trained in Germany with Ellen Bontje and Conrad Schumacher; she also participated in dressage competitions at world-class equestrian venues like Hickstead, Luxembourgh and Saumer. Later established Nancy Later Dressage Horses in 2002, offering top training, care and management for dressage and sport horses and Olympic-size arena, and Townsend, Mass., with 50 acres, indoor / outdoor arenas and spacious turn out. At both locations, Later trains students of all levels; past trainers include Olympians Ellen Bontje, Lendon Gray, Belinda Wertman and Jessica Ransehausen and current trainers include Olympian Michelle Gibson and international competitor Oded Shimoni. Competitive by nature, Later didn't let the devastation of 2005's Hurricane Wilma derail the mission of her Florida location. Later's boyfriend, Matthew Lavoie, taught her how to clear trees with a Bobcat and Later's desire to bring attention to dressage in the United States is of hurricane strength - quite impressive from one of "horse ballet's" best ballerinas.
From the supplement to the July 2007 Equine Journal, Mid-Atlantic & South, by Sarah Coble
It has been noted that Nancy Later never had an opportunity to be anything other than a competitive rider. But then, she never really wanted to. Born into a family of competitive horse enthusiasts, Later participated in horse shows before she could walk, in a lead line class on a pony named Chief Snooks. As a young rider, on a versatile half Arabian, she competed in a bit of everything: eventing, hunter/jumper, park, competitive trail before committing herself to dressage. “All my life my parents took us to the top equestrian events: Newport Jumping Derby, Madison Square Garden,” Later says now from her farm just outside of Wellington, Florida. “ I just couldn’t imagine jumping at that kind of level. With dressage, I knew I could take it all the way to the top.” Now a veteran FEI trainer, a Grand Prix competitor and a consummate, hands-on horsewoman who dedicates herself fully to the care and development of her horses, Later is ready to mount to the highest levels of her sport. “The first horse I purchased for the job wasn’t really made for it,” says Later of her first dressage horse, Maggie Renaud, an Appaloosa who had been broken in western, but with who she trained and competed through Prix St. Georges. “In the beginning it was a little bit of a struggle, but we were together from the time she was five until she died at thirty-some-thing” she says. “One of the reasons why I became so intrigued by dressage is that it’s very systematic- you lay solid, basic groundwork and then continue to build on that foundation all the way to Grand Prix. It’s a system that makes sense to the horse as well and inspires them to participate with you-a true partnership.” Immediately after secondary school, Later immersed herself in the competitive horse world, working under the tutelage of U.S. Equestrian Team members, Lendon Gray, two-time Olympian Jessica Ransehousen, and Belinda Nairn. In those years, Later made a splash with her debut, qualifying for international-level Prix St. George in 1984 and winning gold with Maggie Renaud for AHSA’s 3rd level at the Insilco Championships. With her horse, Ballotage, she became the New England Dressage Association’s champion at Prix St. George and Intermediaire 1 and reserve champion at dressage’s highest level, Grand Prix, for three consecutive years: 1986-1988.	In 1992, she entered into a partnership with World Equestrian Games Competitor, Oded Shimoni, as manager, then subsequently a rider and trainer, as well as attending personally to the care of Shimoni’s competition horses, gaining recognition among her peers for her unflagging commitment to the wellbeing of the horses. It was during this time period that Later qualified for the 1995 U.S. Olympic Festival and was short listed for the Pan Am Games with Wickenden, her Thoroughbred gelding, who would also make the U.S. Equestrian Teams’ prestigious Developing Horse List. Later continued her assiduous care of both Shimoni’s horses and her own gelding, Berlin, during an intensive training and competition campaign all through the 1998 World Equestrian Games and the 1999 European Championships. After the Shimoni partnership, Later and three horses went twice to Germany for additional training, as she had with Berlin, who she had campaigned successfully through Intermediaire and trained to Grand Prix. “Yes, I’m partial to the Germans,” says Later, who presently owns three German Warmbloods: an Oldenberg Grand Prix mare named Alexis-D, a Hosteiner by Hidden Creek Limerick, and an imported European Hanoverian by Fair Game. “In this sport, the Germans have such a long history with dressage horses, and their approach is very systematic and scientific. Of course there are good horses in every breed. But number for number, I believe German Warmbloods have the best qualities to do the job.” In 2004, Later returned from Europe to find her parents, David and Mickey Pugh, downsizing for their Rhode Island farm. It was their retirement that inspired them to buy “a little place in Florida,” a 10-acre farm in Loxahatchee called Heartwood South, where Later boards, trains and develops superior dressage horses for a select clientele. She continues her own training with Olympic medalist Michelle Gibson. For several months in the summer, Later and her horses migrate north where they board and train at Dorothy Demis’ facility in Townsend, Massachusetts. But Later’s got here eye on the really big show: the Olympic Games. “So far, everything I’ve done is with my own resources- and my parents’, who’ve been fantastic. Now, I think I’ve got what it takes to take it to the next level, I have so many people who believe in my excitement and dedication, and my integrity. And for that, I’m going to need corporate sponsorship.” Sponsorship will support two goals. The first is to continue furthering training the competitive Grand Prix career of Alexis-D, Later’s Oldenberg mare. The second intention is to purchase and campaign a horse toward the 2010 World Equestrian Games and ultimately the Olympics. “I’ve had great success with horses that might not have been other trainer’ first choice,” says Later. “I could take a less expensive horse and maybe make the team and maybe not. But it would be more of a sure thing to invest more in the horse,” says Later. Perhaps it’s Later’s unswerviving positive attitude as well as her talent with horses that give her the competitive edge in a sport defined by the subtlest nuance of physicality and attitude. “I can’t speak for other riders and trainers, only myself,” she says. “I know that the horses in my barn are very comfortable and happy and willing to do the job. I’m not the kind of rider that walks into the barn to a horse that’s already been tacked up and taken care of by someone else; by biggest pleasure is working with them and finding out what makes them tick, what keeps them happy. I want to remain honest and true to the horses and the sport. You know, I watch Isabel Worth, who just won the World Cup in Las Vegas. It’s obvious that she loves her horses; it’s fun to see that at the top of the sport. I really enjoy seeing good horsemen be successful.”
ABOUT NANCY PUGH LATER
	Nancy Pugh Later has been around horses her entire life. She has competed at the Grand Prix level in the United States and Europe and is a bronze, silver and gold medalist with the United States Dressage Federation (USDF). She owns Nancy Later Dressage Horses and is currently competing her own mare, Alexis-D, in the Grand Prix level, while also competing horses for others. Later has had four horses with the United States Equestrian Team (USET) Developing Horse List which has enabled her to participate in USET sponsored training clinics, symposiums and compete in USET Championships. Later spends eight months each year in Florida and the other four months in Massachusetts. Later conducts dressage clinics in Virginia, Wisconsin and New York and hosts clinics with other top international trainers at her locations in Florida and Massachusetts. She has also appeared in The Chronicle of the Horse, Horsemen's Yankee Pedlar, Practical Horseman, The Northeast Equine Journal and Dressage Today.

Nancy started her riding before she could walk. Both parents, Mickey and David Pugh were riders and owned horses while they grew up. At six months old Nancy was already competing at the Devon Horse show in the lead line class on her pony Chief Snooks. Through out her childhood she had the opportunity to ride and compete many different horses in all aspects of horse sports. Nancy's parents are avid horse enthusiasts, exposing Nancy, her sisters and brother to the top competitions on the East Coast, including jumping, eventing and dressage. From early on Nancy decided to pursue a career in horses, during high school she fell in love with dressage.
After High School Nancy went to work for Lendon Gray to learn dressage and was also introduced to the professional barn management skills she now knows are a very important part of a top competition stable. Nancy went on to work for Belinda Nairn (Wertman) and Jessica Ransehausen. By the age of twenty four she already had many awards and was competing at the Grand Prix level. Her enthusiasm for the sport was still growing strong and after spending some time teaching and managing her parents farm in Rhode Island, Nancy decided to go back to a learning atmosphere and joined Oded Shimoni's business in Centreville, Maryland.

Nancy started out with Oded managing his business and learning his training system, as time progressed she trained and taught a well. Nancy and Oded were partners for eleven years. During this time she had the good fortune to travel to Europe, where she continued her training and made acquaintances with many top people in the sport. Nancy also had several very successful competition horses and made the USET developing horse list. Being on this list created the situation that she could participate in training clinics with top European and American dressage trainers. In addition Nancy was able to train in Europe as well as manage Oded's horses while he was on the European circuit. The time Nancy spent in Europe gave her extensive exposure to top dressage, this has fueled her desire to excel in this sport. "Being behind the scenes at these big shows is fantastic", Nancy tells us, " getting to know the top riders and watching the schooling and competing is so exciting for me, I really want to be part of it."

In 2002 Nancy went out on her own and developed Nancy Later Dressage Horses. Nancy's business strives to provide top training, care and management for Dressage Sport Horses. In 2002 Nancy returned on her own to Europe for training and to compete. With Alexis-D, Nancy competed in such great horse shows as Saumer, Hickstead and Luxumburgh. After spending the winter in Florida, making money to pay the bills, Nancy returned to Europe again, this time to train with Ellen Bontje in Germany. Alexis moved into the grand prix and Nancy spent the summer and into the fall competing at national horse shows and learning from Ellen. In 2004 Nancy's parents sold their Rhode Island Farm and bought Heartwood South in Loxahatchee Groves, FL. Now Nancy Later Dressage Horses has a home, 10 fabulous acres, 15 stalls, top quality Olympic size dressage arena with mirrors and turn out paddocks. Nancy trains and teaches in Florida eight months of the year. For the hot summer months Nancy Later Dressage Horses travels to Settlement Farm, owned by Dorothy Demis, in Townsend, MA. Heartwood South has hosted training clinics with Olympic competitor Steffen Peters, International competitor Katrin Bettenworth and Nancy receives regular training from her current instructor, Olympic competitor Michelle Gibson. During the past four years every horse that Nancy has competed has brought success in the arena. Nancy can take horses from lower levels into the FEI ranks, she has had success in the FEI young horse classes, training junior and young riders, as well as creating successful partnerships with difficult horses. "I enjoy working with horses that are talented of course, sometimes I get a super opportunity because I will get a horse that has a lot of talent but was previously misunderstood. Truely naughty horses are not for me, I get real enjoyment out of horses that enjoy doing this sport," Nancy says.

For Nancy it is clear that horses are her passion. She has unlimited energy to spend on their training and care. Everyday is spent training and learning to care for the horses better. Nancy's dedication to the sport of dressage is unyielding. Her desire to compete in the top level is stronger than ever. In addition to her own competition goals, she also is excited about the growth of dressage in America. The horse shows in Europe are really geared for spectators, to bring dressage into the mainstream and make the horse shows more entertaining is another goal Nancy has.

Except for the time spent going to grade and high school in eastern Connecticut near her Rhode Island home, Nancy has spent her entire life immersed in the horse world. As soon as school was finished she began her horse education in earnest by becoming a working student, first with frequent United States Equestrian member Lendon Gray, then Belinda Nairn and Jessica Ransehousen, two-time Olympian.

Her first big-league competition year was in 1984 when she rode Diamond, owned by Belinda Nairn, for the silver medal winning team at the Young Rider Championships. The same year, she qualified with Diamont for the international-level Prix St. George and her own horse Maggie Renaud for the American Horse Shows Association 3rd level - which she won - at the Insilco Championships. With her horse, Ballotage, she was New England Dressage Association champion at Prix St. George and Intermediaire I, and reserve champion at Grand Prix, the highest level of dressage, in 1986, 1987 and 1988.

Ms. Later qualified for the U.S. Olympic Festival in 1995 with her Thoroughbred gelding, Wickenden. The pair were also short listed for the Pan Am Games in 1995.

In 1996, she was on the gold medal winning team in the Can-Am Challenge and Wickenden made the Developing Horse List compiled by the United States Equestrian Team, which is the body for international contests. She made the list again in 1997 and 1998, each time with two horses, one owned by a customer and the other being her gelding, Berlin, which she campaigned successfully through Intermediare II and trained to the Grand Prix. With another customer's horse, she was Prix St. George champion in the Northeast United States.

In addition to taking Berlin for additional training in Germany in 1998, she took care of the horses that her business partner Oded SHimoni took to Europe for intensive training and competition on the World Equestrian Games in 1998 and the European Championships in 1999.

For the 2000 competition season in Florida and New York she has been winning at the AHSA Third and Fourth Levels with eight-year-old gelding Katinko which she bought with her parents in Holland in 1999.

Ms. Later also holds the United States Dressage Federation silver and bronze medals.

Nancy's Recent Accomplishments