When JJ Tate says we need to stay open to life lessons presented through horses, take note. When she says the discipline of classical dressage can be life-changing, listen up. Tate knows what she’s talking about. She’s lived those words.
Jessica Jo—“JJ”—Tate’s love affair with horses started early.
“I think it’s in my blood,” she says. “As a kid, from the backseat of the car, I would see horses in the field, and I wanted to run to them. I had Horse Illustrated posters on my bedroom walls.”
JJ Tate and Romeo steal hearts and 2nd place as reserve champions at the Developing Prix St. Georges in Wellington, Fla. Photo by Richard Malmgren
Starting Out
At 9, Tate began taking dressage lessons and got her first horse, a Saddlebred named Solo.
“Solo instilled in me what it’s like to be best friends with your horse,” she recalls. “Even now, as a professional working on becoming a world-class rider—that connection and why we do it—I always bring it back to what a wonderful horse Solo was. Horses gave me my self-worth. And for that, I will thank horses every day of my life by educating their riders to give back to these amazing beings. For me, that’s what dressage is about.”
Tate made her FEI (international-level) debut at just 16 years old, competes regionally and nationally, and won the Dressage at Devon World Cup Grand Prix in 2018 and the Global Dressage Festival CD14* Grand Prix Freestyle in 2020.
She humbly attributes much of her success to her cherished mentor since age 11: Charles de Kunffy, U.S. Equestrian Federation “S” dressage judge (retired) and author.
“I still ride with him online,” says Tate. “He has been this voice of reason, helping me bring out more than I ever thought was in my horses. Whatever it was, I would go through a session with Charles and he would build the horse up from the inside out by the rider outside in.”
Connected to Dressage
She says horses help us develop character and the discipline to be a good leader.
“I think it’s important that people get connected to dressage—correct, beautiful, classical dressage—because it’s a study of oneself and how that affects the horse,” says Tate. “I want to create something more beautiful in the horse by my presence in his life.”
She also allows the horse to hold us accountable.
“Horses are the mirror—not only of your body, but also your willpower and self-worth,” says Tate. “When you can get a 1,200-pound horse to do something simply by your breath, it’s amazing. Truly being in harmony with something that doesn’t speak your language and is built differently than you, that’s incredible. Nurture the spirit of the horse, never dampen it.”
Upbeat Teaching Style
Tate works with horses from green to Grand Prix. She provides short-term instruction in her hugely popular clinics (which fill up fast) and long-term training in person or via Team Tate Academy.
JJ Tate and Summersby savor a perfect fall day. Summersby, now a broodmare, is a Hanoverian Tate purchased as a 4-year-old and successfully competed all the way up to Grand Prix. Photo by Richard Malmgren
An exceptionally gifted trainer and clinician, Tate loves teaching. Puckerbrush Farm in Newburgh, Maine, was thrilled to host her again for a three-day clinic. Riders and auditors listened, watched, and laughed as Tate used every ounce of her being to teach, inspire, and commend the riders, artfully employing humor and personal experiences to introduce new concepts. She tailored her approach to each rider and horse. No one was made to feel inferior—or superior—to anyone else.
And when Tate smiles, you can’t help but smile back. Her upbeat approach to her personal and professional life, a rock-solid work ethic, and a history of making healthy lifestyle choices shine brightly.
Shocking Diagnosis
But sometimes, life throws an unexpected curve ball. Sometimes, it feels more like a boulder.
In 2021, Tate was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy.
“I won the Grand Prix on a Sunday afternoon, and by Tuesday morning, I got a call telling me I had cancer,” she recalls. “And I was like, What? This is in my body?! But I’m one of the lucky ones. It was slow-growing, not aggressive. As any near-death experience does, it really changed my perspective to being so grateful for what I get to do every day, the gifts I’ve been given, and my love for horses.”
Tate researched treatments, adopted a plant-based diet, and 10 days after her surgery, she tapped into the healing power of horses.
“I had to get back on a horse,” she says. “I just walked and was super careful because I still had one drain in. And I was totally scared. Will I ever ride as good as I did before? Is cancer going to come back and kill me? Do I need to do chemo and radiation?” (She was able to opt out of both.)
Two months later, she scored a 74.7 percent in the Grand Prix Freestyle at regional championships.
“[On a horse who was] tough to ride, a little strong, and I had no chest power left. It was the most incredible ride ever; a standing ovation. Everyone was crying at the end,” says Tate.
She also acknowledges the reality of discouragement.
“I always thought I’d go to the Olympics,” Tate muses. “I was going in for an MRI on the day my friend Steffen Peters and others were riding down center line at the Olympics. They were sending me beautiful messages. Your life can look so different. You think it’s going to be one way and then you’re like, I’m not at the Olympics—not that I was short-listed or anything—but I just always felt like I was going to do that.”
Take the Risk
Shifting focus and recognizing the greater power horses can help us connect to, Tate packed up her horses and spent the next two summers in Europe training.
“Life is short,” she says. “I’m going to do the thing and take the risk. And I’m bringing everyone along to share in the process. I think we become who we are through our struggles, helping each other navigate through those tough times—whether that’s a canter depart or a cancer diagnosis. And I have reason to smile every day when I walk into my barn and my happy horses are waiting for me.”
For more on Tate’s clinics and Team Tate Academy, visit www.teamtateacademy.com.
This article about JJ Tate appeared in the July/August 2025 issue of Horse Illustrated magazine. Click here to subscribe!
