Michael Barisone

Michael Barisone is an American dressage rider, former Olympian, and trainer. He was a member of the United States dressage team for the 2008 Summer Olympics and later worked as a coach and clinician in dressage and eventing.

In August 2019, Barisone was charged with attempted murder after dressage rider Lauren Kanarek was shot at his training facility in Long Valley, New Jersey. In April 2022, a New Jersey jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity on charges related to Kanarek and not guilty on charges involving Robert Goodwin; he was also acquitted on weapons counts.

Equestrian career

Barisone competed in Grand Prix dressage. In January 2009, The Chronicle of the Horse reported that he won the Grand Prix Special at the Exquis World Dressage Masters in Wellington, Florida, riding Neruda with a score of 69.29 percent. The article reported that Barisone chose the Grand Prix Special rather than the freestyle, which allowed Dutch rider Anky van Grunsven to compete in the freestyle. State Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor ordered him held without release pending trial.

Psychiatric treatment and release

After the verdict, Barisone was committed for psychiatric evaluation and treatment.

Later litigation and eligibility status

In September 2025, The Chronicle of the Horse reported that Barisone had filed a federal lawsuit against the United States Equestrian Federation, alleging that the federation failed to act on earlier complaints he and others had made about Kanarek before the shooting. The article reported that Barisone remained suspended by SafeSport for allegations of misconduct and was ineligible to participate in USEF-recognized shows and activities.

In media

The case was covered in the CBS News program 48 Hours in an episode about the shooting of Lauren Kanarek.