Kriti Mehrotra
On August 7, 2019, the world of equestrian sports came to a standstill as a former Olympian was arrested on two counts of attempted murder on his property. As explored in Netflix’s ‘Untold: The Shooting at Hawthorne Hill,’ Michael Barisone was accused of pulling the trigger on his then-trainee Lauren Kanarek and her then-fiancé Robert Goodwin. While they all survived the horrifying ordeal, Lauren sustained life-threatening physical injuries that required critical medical intervention. All of it has had a lasting impact on their mental health in one way or another, owing to the trauma involved.
Michael Barisone Was Once a Big Name Within the Equestrian Community
Michael Barisone was reportedly just a young boy growing up in New York when he first rode a horse. He fell so in love with the animal that he knew he wanted to be a horseman. He thus began riding much more seriously before deciding to participate in several competitions and events across the nation, where he really proved his mettle as a performer. He had recognized early on that jumping was not a skill he was great at, so he had willingly chosen to step into the sport of dressage because of the sheer beauty and creativity of it – he loved how it was almost like a dance.
Michael reportedly secured several US Dressage Foundation Junior and Young Rider medals, making his path to going professional relatively easier. In fact, by the time the 1990s rolled around, he had established such a name for himself through attitude and performance alone that the US team had no choice but to pick him for the national team in 1991. He subsequently also won more than a few major individual tournaments before helping his nation secure gold at the 1997 Nations Cup in England and then representing them at the 2008 Summer Olympic Games.
Michael always knew he was a great competitor, so he focused on the same at every platform to ensure he could perform to the best of his abilities. However, he also knew he was a better trainer, so not long after his Olympic stint, he poured all his passion into establishing his own dressage clinic. He built Hawthorne Hill at 411 Westmill Drive in Long Valley, New Jersey, less than an hour outside New York, determined to operate it as the nation’s best dressage training ranch. As he himself stated in the aforementioned show, he built more than half the “campus” with his own two hands, so it was indeed the product of his blood, sweat, and heart. He even did so while serving on the board of the US Equestrian Federation, making it clear he wielded significant influence and power within the industry.
Michael Barisone Never Denied Being the Triggerman in the 2019 Incident
Michael’s dressage clinic was thriving by the late 2010s, with his clients ranging from youngsters hoping to make it in the industry to professionals trying to hone their skills to wealthy individuals for whom riding was just a hobby. Thus, he evolved into the Operator and Overseeing Trainer, ensuring the entire business establishment ran smoothly and with adequate care, while also leading some sessions. Mostly, per his own account, he oversaw the training by his right-hand man, Justin Hardin, and by rider-turned-trainer as well as his then-girlfriend, Mary Haskins Gray.
However, things changed in the summer of 2019, as Michael had to become much more involved when a trainee named Lauren Kanarek repeatedly got into arguments with Mary. Little did anyone know the conflict would turn into a full-blown war between the two parties, according to court records, including everything from harassment accusations to police presence to official complaints to the Federation. In fact, while the trainer contacted the emergency services several times in the days leading up to the incident and called the Federation to lodge an official complaint against Lauren, she bugged their home and contacted the Center of SafeSpot in fear for her safety in more ways than one.
According to court records, Michael remembered going into his office on August 7, 2019, grabbing a 9mm handgun from the safe, and loading it, but he didn’t remember what transpired next. The experts on his defense team testified that he suffered a psychological break, which is why he has no recollection of his criminal actions, yet it wasn’t denied that he likely immediately drove to the home on his property where Lauren and her then-fiancé were living. After all, apart from the trainer-trainee relationship, Michael and Lauren also had a landlord-tenant agreement that had grown very tumultuous in the days leading up to the incident. Once at the couple’s short-term home, per the victims/survivors, he pulled out the weapon, shot Lauren twice in her chest at point-blank range, turned the weapon, and allegedly fired at Robert, who was not hit. He was subsequently arrested on two counts of attempted murder.
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Michael Barisone Was Acquitted of the Criminal Charges Against Him
When Michael Barsone eventually stood trial for the charges against him in early 2022, his defense team put forth the rarely argued claim of not guilty by reason of insanity. According to court records, they sought to show that the rivalry between him and Lauren had driven him to the breaking point, leading him to snap, but the prosecutors contended otherwise. His team claimed that her social media accusations against him and her indications of a war through chess pieces led him to believe she wanted to destroy him, prompting her to take actions she had never expected. In the end, in April 2022, the jury found him not guilty by reason of insanity. While this verdict acknowledges he shot at Lauren, it also determines he can not be held criminally responsible for it owing to diminished mental capacity at the time of the crime. It’s also imperative to note that he was entirely acquitted of the charges related to his allegedly shooting Robert.
Therefore, after the 2½ years Michael spent in prison while awaiting trial/the verdict of his trial, he was immediately released to the Greystone Park Psychiatric Hospital. His verdict had specified he needed to receive treatment, so he was admitted into the establishment at Parsippany-Troy Hills, New Jersey, where he remained until doctors cleared him in late 2023. From what we can tell, he was discharged in November 2023 under strict stipulations, including limits on alcohol/substance use, restrictions on firearm possession for a lifetime, and continued therapy sessions. This all came after Lauren and Michael had also confidentially settled a hefty civil lawsuit over breach of contract during their time together as trainer-trainee.
Michael Barisone Continues to be Tied Up in Legal Matters
Since then, as far as we can tell, Michael has parted ways with Hawthorne Hill in New Jersey for good and decided to relocate to Florida to start afresh. He resides there with his former client-turned-life partner, Lara Osborne, whose support throughout the trial and his stay at the psychiatric hospital was his motivation. There was a time when he even hoped to make a comeback into the equestrian world as a competitor so as to prove he was more than the incident, but things changed in late 2025. His desire was to get his life back and restore his reputation to its former glory.
However, in December 2025, the US Center of SafeSport placed a permanent ban on him on grounds of “sexual harassment and emotional misconduct.” Michael has since appealed the ban, but as of writing, he is ineligible to either compete or train across the nation. We should also mention that he is currently involved in a legal battle with the US Equestrian Federation, which he sued in the fall of 2025 for failure to prevent the 2019 bloodshed. He claimed the Federation had received enough complaints against Lauren by early 2019 to make her permanently ineligible, so he alleged their inaction led to the duo meeting and the shooting later on. The case remains active today.
