Doug Payne

Doug Payne belongs to an elite handful of riders with top-level competitive success across all three Olympic equestrian disciplines — eventing, show jumping, and dressage.

Doug and his wife Jessica, a five-star event rider in her own right, live with their two children, Hudson and Abigail, at their international training facility in Rougemont, NC — just north of Durham and within easy reach of Duke (25 minutes), NC State (40 minutes), and UNC Chapel Hill (35 minutes). Together, Jess and Doug specialize in developing talent in horse and rider alike.

Doug led the 2021 U.S. Olympic Team in Tokyo and helped the U.S. capture team gold at the 2019 Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, placing 4th individually. His résumé includes a USEF National 5* Championship title at the Kentucky CCI5*, along with countless wins and top finishes at every level, national and international.

In show jumping, he has claimed numerous National Grand Prix and FEI titles through CSI5*, plus top placings in National and International Hunter Derbies. In dressage, his winning record extends through Grand Prix — a rare trifecta of excellence matched by almost no one in the sport.

Beyond the show ring, Doug is a respected educator and author. With Jim Wofford, he produced the acclaimed instructional DVD ‘The Rider's Eye’. He has been featured in and contributed to numerous national publications and media outlets.

In demand as a speaker and clinician, Doug travels extensively throughout the year teaching show jumping and eventing clinics across the country, and has been a featured speaker and Master Clinician at national events such as the USPC Festival at the Kentucky Horse Park. He also hosts an exclusive in-house clinic series at his Rougemont farm, giving riders and auditors direct access to his training methods.

Doug held USEF Judge, Technical Delegate, and USEA ICP certifications for a decade before stepping back to focus on his competition schedule, and is a graduate "A" Pony Clubber. Off the horse, he holds a Mechanical Engineering degree from Rochester Institute of Technology and is an instrument-rated pilot.