Many parents lead by example to teach and inspire their kids to develop grit, focus, perseverance and other qualities important to a good life.
Not many parents do that by making an adult-age decision to go for a spot in the Olympics. Especially in a sport they took up only a few years ago.
Jessica Higgins, (nee Besseling) is that parent. Born in the small European country of Luxembourg, “Jessy” grew up riding horses. She built a solid foundation in dressage and competed successfully in show jumping up to the 1.35-meter division.
After moving to the United States at the age of 23, she didn’t ride for nearly 20 years. Her daughter, Gia, inspired Jessy to get horses back into her life and to build a family life around them.
Jessy’s Olympic quest is based at the family’s Heartland Hideaway at their home ranch property in Riverside County’s Murrieta. She’ll pursue her competitive goals while giving equal attention to guiding clients toward their personal development goals and helping their horses in various ways.
Jessy took up eventing only three-and-half years ago. And that is the discipline in which she’s striving to become Luxembourg’s first Olympic contender.
Under her recently launched “Lucky Lux” campaign, Jessy is soliciting syndicate members and has set her sights on an individual spot in the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles.
Some things are in her favor — Luxembourg has very few event riders, so there’s little competition from her native country. And Los Angeles is relatively close to the Luxembourg-United States dual citizen’s home, so the costs to get there would be relatively low.
Biggest Cheerleader
She also has considerable horsemanship skills and savvy and a mother’s determination to set an awesome example for her daughter. Jessy admits her 15-year-old daughter, Gia, thought she was crazy at first. “But now she’s my biggest cheerleader.”
“I want to show her that when you want to go for something, there is daily work and consistency that comes from working on daily goals.”
Some things are not in Jessy’s favor — Luxembourg is part of the International Equestrian Federation’s EEF regional group. This group has 42 national federations, most of which will likely have individual candidates also vying for Olympic places. And even though the next Olympic location is close, having the right horse and enough funds to prepare and qualify are big hurdles for any hopeful.
A Happy Return
Jessy is grateful to Gia for bringing her back into the horse world. Since briefly studying to be an equine physical therapist, Jessy earned an international business degree and left horses behind. She excelled in various business development realms, inspired along the way by the motivational coach and author Tony Robbins.
In 2014, Jessy, her husband Joe, and the then 4 year old Gia, moved from coastal Los Angeles to Murietta. “I wanted to make sure Gia could walk outside and enjoy a farm life,” Jessy explains. “Versus the town house life.”
Tapping into Jessy’s experience working with “problem” horses, she and her family decided to rescue some horses and build their family herd. Four years ago, Gia wanted to start competing. To help pay for that, Jessy took on some challenging horses and began a small training business.
One of the horses that came her way was Finnegan. They started together at Senior Novice in early 2023, and rose up to Open Modified in March of 2024, when a rotational fall set them both back substantially. Jessy’s injuries were limited to bone bruises, but it took her about a year to feel at ease on cross-country again. Finnegan competed again, but not with his once-clear potential.
As Gia progresses in her interest and skills, Jessy puts all her efforts into expanding their ranch into Heartland Hideaway, where Gia is an essential participant in the unique endeavor’s success.
Horse Power
This past spring, Jessy found what she thought was a true Olympic prospect in the UK. Along with 2024 Olympic experience, he was bred in Luxembourg. The vet check, however, didn’t go well.
Jessy’s Olympic hopeful now is the recently acquired Ogue Verdi, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse imported earlier this year for a junior eventer. “When the horse was put up for sale, my friends Erin (Kellerhouse) and Nick (Cwick) said, ‘This is a horse for Jess. She likes the quirky ones.’” Ogue has 3* experience, but Jessy plans to take time approaching that level together. “I think he needs a couple of months of trail riding, of breathing and of regaining his self-confidence.”
Letting horses be horses is an approach Jessy adopted as a young horsewoman. A happy, relaxed horse is most likely to realize its competitive potential, she asserts.
Jessy and Ogue got off to a great start at last weekend’s schooling event, logging 25 dressage score and clear show jumping and cross-country rounds at Training level.
The Coconino Horse Trials in Arizona and Shepard Ranch are on the agenda, along with late-August and fall outings at the American Eventing Championship at Galway Downs. International competitions at Twin Rivers and Galway Downs in the fall are hoped-for waypoints on their Olympic pursuit.
Jessy gets expert advice in every phase. She regularly visits Kathleen Raine for dressage, jump schools with Edgar Pagan and tunes up cross-country with Erin Kellerhouse.
Already A Win
Whatever the outcome of Jessy’s Olympic quest, getting back into horses has already delivered dividends in the form of a happy, engaged and enterprising child.
Gia started competing in the hunter/jumper world, then switched to eventing where she’s excelling. The young rider and Extra Stellar won and finished third in the Junior Training Rider division at Galway’s horse trials earlier this year. She helps ride several of the horses Jessy works with at home and is thriving in her own business cleaning tack, bathing and exercising horses. With the flexibility of a home-school schedule, Gia recently branched into helping people buy and sell horses, too.
Gia is an integral part of Heartland Hideaway, too. A vacation spot for horses and their humans, the program offers experiences customized for a range of needs and preferences. Two Airbnb cabins on site enable visitors to come with their horses. They can get training help from Jessy or take long relaxing trail rides on their own. Horses who need a holiday, some problem solving or specific training can stay as long as needed.
“It truly is a special place where horses and riders can be more holistic,” Jessy explains. “Heartland Hideaway is a place where horses can be quirky and misunderstood and where they find their voice and strength.”
A Theraplate machine, RevitaVet tools and a PEMF blanket are among the physical therapy modalities at Heartland Hideaway. “Training wise, time on the trail is an essential component for the overall health and well-being of the horse,” she adds.
Instantly Hooked
“I was instantly hooked on the eventing community,” Jessy reports. “When we got to our first show at Galway, everybody was smiling, everybody was caring for their own horses and loving on them. There were 11-year-olds taking out their own horses and 70-year-olds, too! Everybody asked us if we needed help.”
The Higgins family is now immersed in the eventing community’s famously supportive world. Jessy is fully committed to her Olympic pursuit, yet, regardless of the outcome, she has found where she belongs – “with my horses, my family and the eventing community.”
For more information and to support Jessy’s Lucky Lux campaign, visit this site. Or check out her GoFundMe page to make a much-appreciated donation.
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