Hometown: Ledyard, Conn. Birthday: 5/1/1988 Sport/Disciplines: Combined Driving, Dressage
Based at Maverick Hill Dressage in Ledyard, Conn., Jordan LaPlaca’s lifelong passion for animals in general and horses in particular have led him to becoming the equestrian he is today. LaPlaca has trained across disciplines throughout his life, from hunters, to jumpers, saddleseat, eventing, dressage, and combined driving.
After shifting his focus to dressage full time, the 2022 and 2023 dressage season saw LaPlaca develop both Gold Play, a 2015 Oldenburg gelding (Grey Flanell x Sir Donerhall II) that he co-owns with Nancy Hutson, and has produced himself from the age of four, and Show Time, a 2010 Oldenburg gelding (San Amour I x Davignon I), owned by Denise Sarnoff, through the small tour CDI1* competitions in Wellington.
2026 marked a breakout season for LaPlaca at the senior international level of dressage. He and Gold Play made their CDI3* debut at AGDF 5, earning a top five finish. They returned for AGDF 7 and earned their first win together in The Dutta Corp. Grand Prix CDI3*, finishing on a score of 68.913%.
LaPlaca and Gold Play were selected to The Dutta Corp. U.S. Dressage Team for the FEI Dressage Nations Cup USA CDIO3* in Wellington, Fla. In their senior team debut, they helped the U.S. to a team gold medal – the first on home soil in five years – and added an individual victory in the Grand Prix Special with a personal best score of 71.000%. He and Gold Play went on to represent the U.S. once again at the FEI Dressage Nations Cup Hagen CDIO4* in Hagen, Germany, marking their first competition abroad together. The pair posted the top U.S. score in the FEI Grand Prix and a new personal best score of 70.631%, which helped the team to a bronze medal ahead of the FEI Dressage World Championship in Aachen, Germany, later this summer.
When not in the saddle, LaPlaca is also passionate about dogs. He and his wife, Caitlin, have four Beagles, including a homebred named Scarlet who won 13” Beagle Best in Show at the Westminster Kennel Club and Best of Variety at the AKC National Dog Show in 2025.