Jessica Ransehousen is retiring from her position as United State Dressage team Chef d'Equipe. Fourteen years in service, Ransehousen has seen the U.S. Dressage Team win three team bronze medals at Olympic Games in Atlanta, Sydney and Athens.

Jessica Newberry Ransehousen rode one of the first dressage tests ever judged in the United States. At the age of 15, she competed against six adult male competitors in the international Prix St. Georges in Canada, and won the top honor. At ages 18 and 19, she was named USET National Dressage Champion in 1956 and 1957.

With the Trakehner stallion Forstrat, she competed at several international competitions including Aachen where she finished second in the Grand Prix. They competed at the 1959 Pan Am Games where she placed fifth overall and earned the team silver medal. At the age of 21, Jessica competed in the 1960 Olympics in Rome and placed 12th individually. Four years later, she and Forstrat competed at the 1964 Olympics in Tokyo in which they placed 14th individually and the U.S. team placed fourth. After a 24-year absence from the Olympics, Jessica was returned to represent the United States at the 1988 Seoul Olympics with the Dutch stallion, Orpheus.

Jessica was selected to serve as Chef d'Equipe for the United States team at the 1991 and 1995 Pan American Games, the 1990 and 1994 World Equestrian Games, and the 1992, 1996, and 2000 Olympic Games. An FEI "I" judge, Ransehousen is currently the Vice-President for dressage of the U.S. Equestrian Team. She served three terms as Chairperson of the AHSA Dressage Committee and was elected Assistant Secretary of the AHSA in 1997.

A new American Dressage team chef d'Equipe will be appointed at the beginning of 2005.

Photo copyrighted: Mary Phelps