by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 11, 2023
The FEI has suspended Eric Lamaze, the 2008 Olympic show jumping individual gold medalist, for four years on a tampering charge. It’s in connection with an anti-doping rule violation when he ducked a test in 2021.
Lamaze, who served as the Canadian show jumping technical advisor last year, claimed for years that he has brain cancer. But the FEI stated he committed a human anti-doping rule violation “due to the submission of fabricated medical documents during an ongoing CAS (Court of Arbitration for Sport) proceeding.”
He was “deemed to have waived a hearing, admitted the violation, and accepted the proposed consequences because he did not respond to the charge,” according to the FEI.
Eric Lamaze and Hickstead after winning gold at the 2008 Olympics. (Photo © 2008 by Nancy Jaffer)
In the absence of mitigating circumstances, Lamaze received the suspension from Sept. 12, 2023 through Nov. 9, 2027. He was fined 15,000 Swiss francs and required to reimburse the FEI for its legal costs in the matter.matter.
Lamaze retired from riding in competition in 2022, citing the cancer, which he contended kept him from appearing in court. He has been sued by several owners who bought horses through him and has claimed in published reports that he has financial problems.
The rider has quite a tangled history, from the depths to the heights and back again. He missed two Olympics (1996 and 2000) due to prohibited substance positives. An independent arbitrator rescinding his lifetime ban from the sport paved the way for him to rise again.
In 2008, he did that in spectacular fashion, assuring the Canadian team of a silver medal at the Olympics in Hong Kong, then going on to take the historic individual gold in a jump-off aboard Hickstead.
There was mourning in equestrian circles and beyond in 2011 when Hickstead dropped dead after his round at the Verona, Italy show. At the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto that autumn, people wore black armbands in memory of the stallion.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 10, 2023
Just when the Wellington, Fla., Village Council should have gotten its first crack at evaluating the controversial development proposals from Wellington Lifestyle Partners Tuesday night, the applicant asked for a postponement after additional material was submitted involving reduced density impact.
On an hour’s notice, the first reading of the ordinance was put off. It now will be Nov.14, 15 and possibly 16. the dates already reserved for the second reading.
The meeting room was filled with disappointed people, some of whom had flown in, to attend the first reading of the application. Opposition to the development plans include concern about overcrowding and traffic, but most of all, losing the equestrian ambience of the Village.
“Staff supports this (postponement) request and recommends the request be approved to allow more time for staff to review the most recent modifications to the application and allow the applicant time to continue to address issues raised by interested parties and the community,” stated a Wellington website post from Village Manager Jim Barnes.
The Wellington Council meeting Tuesday night.
“This is one of the most important votes, if not the most important vote, in the history of Wellington,” emphasized Councilman Michael Drahos.
“So I do not want to rush it through. We’ve received a massive amount of information recently. We want to take time to digest that so I’m fully prepared to handle every aspect of this application. We’ve also had a lot of residents ask us to slow down and take a little bit more time as this information has been coming in lately.”
The councilman added, “So from my point of view, this was the prudent thing to do tonight, as much as it is frustrating. We want to get on with it, We want to vote, we want to decide Welllington’s future once and for all. Let’s do it the right way…so when it does come time to vote, we’re all ready to do that.”
The vote of the Village Council is the only decision that counts in terms of the Wellington North and South projects being accepted. Although the Equestrian Preserve Committee and the Planning, Zoning and Adjustment Board recommended against the proposals, they are simply advisory panels.
The changes to the proposals, however, are “significantly based on the board’s and committee’s comments, the comments that were made at the boards that did review this?” Mayor Anne Gerwig asked Barnes, who answered in the affirmative.
The applicant wants to build housing on the Wellington North parcel, which means that 96.17 acres would have to be removed from the Equestrian Preserve, part of 9,000 such acres in the Village. It requires a vote of four of the five Village Council members in order to remove land from the preserve, which is composed of showgrounds, polo fields and bridle trails.
There would be housing as well on the South parcel, but an extension of the Wellington International showgrounds is also planned for Wellington South. However, an application for the showgrounds expansion, which is not a Wellington Lifestyle Partners project, would have to be submitted and evaluated separately. That process has not yet begun.
Wellington North is the home of the Global Dressage Festival, which would move to the current Wellington International facility if the showgrounds expansion is approved. The additional acreage for the showgrounds would alleviate overcrowding, offer a stadium to showcase sport and include permanent hospitality facilities.
People were allowed to comment at the Council meeting, but they were warned that because the matter was not being taken up Tuesday, their comments could not go in the record or be considered by the Council next month when it deals with two items involving the projects that are legislative, and one that is quasi-judicial.
Wellington resident Richard Sirota took advantage of being allowed to speak, even though he couldn’t make an official comment.
Richard Sirota speaks to the Council.
A real estate developer, who was chairman for six years of the Battery Park City Authority in New York, said during his time in real estate and government, he had “never seen a process so anti-democratic as this. Normally, you couldn’t cancel a meeting on an hour’s notice. That’s implicitly giving a plus to the applicant.
“It’s supposed to be a level playing field…This to me is an unconscionable process. I’m saying nothing about what the zoning should be…I’m saying for process, you should all be embarrassed, because it implicitly says they control it, it’s not a level playing field.”
After concluding his remarks, he got a round of applause from the audience, who had expected to hear the Council discuss the proposals but will just have to wait some more.
Karen Holland got up to say she received a flyer from a new entity called, “Preserving Wellington,” noting the name is “very clever.”
It is putting forth the case for what the developer wants to do. Its website states: “Without New Investment, Wellington’s Equestrian Venues And Stature As The Horse Sport Capital Of The World Will Begin To Diminish.
Support The Wellington Equestrian & Golf Club Proposal.The modified plans will create a pathway for the showgrounds to double in capacity, preserve our equestrian lifestyle, invest in essential infrastructure, ease traffic challenges, and generate vital revenue for our Village – all without burdening taxpayers.”
But Holland said, “I kind of resent getting this in the mail.
“It doesn’t seem fair that the other side, which has a lot of money, is able to flood mailboxes, flood articles in the papers and just be out there and present something without people really getting an idea of what the other side is. My thoughts are, let’s put it to a vote and let people in the community decide.”
It was mentioned during the meeting, however, that Florida statutes prohibit submitting land use decisions to a public referendum.
Another group, Protect the Equestrian Preserve, has more than 7,000 people who don’t want the development.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 8, 2023
Luke Jensen was second last year in the Platinum Performance/U.S. Equestrian Federation Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East, but for 2023, the determined rider could not be denied the top spot.
The championship, which enjoys extra prestige because it is held at the historic U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone, N.J., drew 46 riders for three days of intense competition.
A working student for trainers Missy Clark, John Brennan and Maggie Gampfer at North Run, Luke’s junior days are behind him, but he picked the right way to end his equitation experience Sunday before going on to “step up to a higher level” and a career as a professional.
Luke Jensen and Calina M. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Riding at the USET Foundation made his victory even more important.
“I love coming to this facility,” explained Luke, saying he has “a great affinity for the history of the sport. I enjoy watching and trying to learn from what people have done before me. It’s very special to be successful here. It’s something I’ll never forget.”
Luke, who last year won the Dover Saddlery/USEF Hunter Seat Medal Finals, was second in the ASPCA Maclay and also owns a team silver from the North American Youth Championships, vied with Joe Craver, a Talent Search first-timer, for honors in the initial two phases, the flat and the gymnastics.
Joe, who rides with Stacia Madden at Beacon Hill, earned 91 points for each of the first two segments aboard Franco, while Luke was just a point away, on a score of 90 with Morgan Wilsberg’s Calina M, who is only seven years old but certainly was up to the challenge.
“She never didn’t answer the questions we asked,” said Missy, who initially heard about the mare from Christian Coyle and was so impressed she is in the process of buying her.
“I had a really good feeling about Luke’s partnership with Calina. Even though the mare is green and had never done equitation before joining our stable a month ago, I didn’t focus on that because it never entered my mind she wouldn’t do it,” Missy noted.
The gymnastics phase is often a deal-breaker for some riders in the Talent Search, but that was not the case this year. The course had been designed by judge Ronnie Beard and U.S. Show Jumping Coach Robert Ridland, who was supposed to judge but got sidelined with Covid after coming back from the Barcelona Nations Cup final by way of Paris to visit the Olympic venue at Versailles. He was replaced by his assistant, Olympic medalist Anne Kursinski.
“What we tried to do was make it so it wasn’t so trappy, so we could get a little bit of their style and how they would present things,” said Ronnie about the gymnastics, referencing some previous editions of the Talent Search.
“This time, the gymnastics were not so controversial, they were just very easily done. That actually made today (Sunday) much more important. It’s amazing how close a lot of the scores were.”
In the Sunday morning jumping segment, Luke moved up to a score of 94, but so did a fellow Texan and friend since childhood, Carlee McCutcheon, who had been marked at 85 in the first two phases.
Carlee McCutcheon and Chacco Star. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Carlee, a member of the famous reining family, does both sports but is focusing on jumping going forward.
“I’d like to do this at the highest level and I’m ready to go to work for it,” declared Carlee, whose mother, Mandy McQuay McCutcheon, won the USET’s Rolex Talent Derby when she was a teen.
Noted Carlee, who plans to turn professional, “just having a family that is in the horse business makes a huge difference. It’s a big advantage for me. They understand what I’m doing, they understand the ups and downs of it.”
Joe, a high school senior from North Carolina, had a 92 for the morning jumping and Amira Kettaneh of New Hampshire, who is headed for the University of South Carolina’s riding team, was marked at 92.5 with the grey mare, Gossip SA.
Luke’s total after three phases stood at 413, while Joe’s was just two points lower. Carlee was on 400.5 and Amira, 403.8.
The water obstacle on the jumping course stood on its own going into a line, so riders had to catch it just right, yet it was not the problem it often has been in previous Talent Search finals. The time allowed was snug, but fair, and you could say the same for the deciding Final Four rounds, with a 60-seconds TA.
“All three phases asked questions that were going to improve the riders who participated,” said Missy.
David Distler has been involved with the Talent Search since 1982 and managed it since 1986. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
The Final Four is the unique test that determines the top order of finish. It is modeled on the way it used to be done at the show jumping world championships, where the four best-scoring riders would take each others’ horses over the same course.
The world championships dropped the format, but it’s still alive and exciting at the Talent Search.
“To ride a horse for two minutes and prepare to jump a course, it’s tricky, but that challenge at the same time makes it my favorite part of the week,” said Luke.
All the riders, who started on a clean slate, did fine on the new, shorter course aboard their own horses. But when Amira switched to Carlee’s Chacco Star, she had a knockdown and a refusal, which added up to 8 jumping faults and 19 time faults.
Joe ran into trouble with Luke’s Calina M, also in the second round, having a knockdown at the third fence and a couple of tight approaches to wind up with a 4-fault total.
There were no other mishaps, but it was obvious that Amira, who rides with her mother, Leigh Kettaneh and Andre Dignelli of Heritage, would be fourth and Joe third, though he got a bonus when his mount, the perky gray, Franco, won the title of Best Horse of the finals.
Franco, the Best Horse of the Talent Search, and Joe Craver. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
So it was between Luke and Carlee, who is trained at Stonehenge by Max Amaya and T.J. O’Mara (a previous Talent Search winner).
There turned out to be just three points between them, with Luke finishing on 375 and Carlee on 372. The mistakes by Joe and Amira were expensive; Joe’s total was 324 and Amira’s 310.
Talent Search winner Luke Jensen, runner-up Carlee McCutcheon, third place Joe Craver and Amira Kettaneh, who was fourth. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Ronnie and Anne were pleased by the way the riders performed.
“Overall, the level of all them was higher than it’s been in the past. I thought it was wonderful to see everyone handle the water much better than ever before,” said Anne.
Judges Anne Kursinski and Ronnie Beard with DiAnn LAnger, Missy Clark, John Brennan and Luke Jensen. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I also thought that they’ve learned to make the time allowed a lot better. There used to be so many more time faults and now everybody was being very efficient. That’s very important in today’s world with show jumping.”
To that point, a single time fault kept the U.S. from qualifying for the Paris Olympics during the Nations Cup final last weekend in Barcelona, with the team’s last chance to make the 2024 Olypics coming later this month at the Pan American Games.
The purpose of the Talent Search is just what the name says; to recruit talent for U.S. teams going forward.
Robert Ridland, who was finishing his Covid quarantine at a hotel by the Newark, N.J., Airport, watched the Talent Search on the livestream.
He said it “looked great, and succeeded in doing exactly what its purpose has always been…to seek out potential riders for future international teams.”
On Sunday, he “judged” while watching the competition on his laptop.
“I ended up with exactly the same Final Four riders and in exactly the same order as Anne and Ronnie pinned them. And Anthony (D’Ambrosio) did an excellent job as the technical delegate. Overall, it was a great Talent Search Final!”
Missy, whose students now have won the Talent Search eight times, appreciated the judging, noting “the whole event was overseen by two of the best. I really thought all three phases asked questions that were going to improve all the riders who participated here, whether they won or didn’t.”
Discussing Luke, she said, “he’s very understated. His compassion and genuine love for the horses always comes shining through, because the horses all respond to him in such a positive way.” He’s such a hard worker, she noted, that sometimes in the evening she has to tell him it’s time to go home.
Another of Missy’s working students, Callista Smith, won the Hollow Brook Wealth Management Sportsmanship Award.
DiAnn Langer, Callista Smith and Hollow Brook Wealth Management CEO Alan Bazaar. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Callista finished last in the Talent Search because her horse wasn’t quite right when he came out of the stall Sunday mornning, so she scratched. But she spent the rest of the day helping other riders.
“I can’t say enough about how awesome she is,” said Missy.
“She’s an incredible human being, the hardest worker, has the best attitude and disposition, is a wonderful student a complete team player and is always appreciative. She’s truly one in a million.”
The Talent Search Finals West in California last month went to Camilla Jerng, trained by Susie Schroer.
Click here for complete results of the Talent Search.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 6, 2023
They’re getting the band back together again.
Three pillars of 21st century U.S. show jumping–McLain Ward, Laura Kraut and Kent Farrington — have been named to the must-do squad for the Pan American Games in Chile this month. The fourth member is Karl Cook, whose recent record has been impressive, capped by a victory in the American Gold Cup last month. Lillie Keenan will be the reserve rider.
McLain Ward and Contagious. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
The U.S. has a chance to be one of the three teams that finish well enough at the Pan Ams to qualify for the 2024 Paris Olympics. Last weekend, the U.S. narrowly lost its attempt to beat Brazil at the FEI Nations Cup Final and secure the only berth available from that competition for the Olympics.
Laura will be on Dorado 212, the same horse she rode at the Final in Barcelona. At age 57, she will be the oldest person on the U.S. team in any sport at the Pan Ams. (Phillip Dutton, the 60-year-old eventer, is not competing in Chile.The eventers are already qualified for Paris, so the Games offer a chance for less-experienced riders to get mileage.)
McLain will switch off Callas, the horse he took to Spain, and instead be aboard his number one, Contagious. He will be the only five-time Olympian in any sport in the U.S. contingent.
Kent, who rode with McLain on the bronze medal squad at the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games team, will be riding Landon. And Karl has the very talented Caracole de la Roque as his ride. Lillie’s horse is Argan de Belliard.
Defeat by a single penalty in Barcelona Oct. 1 was frustrating, but U.S. coach Robert Ridland is focusing on the Pan Ams. With Brazil having qualified in Barcelona, the USA’s most likely competition for one of the three Olympic qualifying spots figures to be Mexico and Canada. Argentina is also a possibility.
“We’ll give it our all in the Pan Ams. We’re sending a good team and we’ll go from there,” said Robert.
U.S. show jumping coach Robert Ridland. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
“We’re going to be fighting for the gold, I hope. Regardless of the Olympic spot, we’re not going down there to get a bronze and slip into the Olympics.”
No matter how good the team that competes, however, “what you’re mostly worried about is the unforeseen happening,” Robert pointed out.
“All you need is one horse colicking, if the hay is bad or something, or another steps on a stone or a rider gets Covid. All of a sudden, you’ve got two riders or whatever. Stranger things have happened.”
So what else could be a problem?
“You can have a spur mark. A microscopic particle of blood. You’re eliminated,” he noted.
“Aside from that, I think we’re sending some pretty good horse/rider combinations down there. If they all stay sound and no one trips over a crowbar and breaks their collarbone, we should on paper be one of those three teams” that qualify for the Games.
In Sunday’s final round of the competition in Barcelona, the U.S. had a total of 9 penalties, one more than Brazil. If they each had collected 8 penalties, the U.S. total time of 253.47 would have beaten Brazil’s 253.82.
No U.S. rider had a fault-free trip on Sunday. McLain Ward and Callas, the only American pair clear on Thursday, had a rail, as did Karl Cook with Kalinka van ‘T Zorgvliet. Devin Ryan on Eddie Blue, subbing for Jessica Springsteen who rode Thursday and had a knockdown, logged eight penalties to be the drop score. Laura Kraut collected a single time fault with Dorado 212 for exceeding by a mere 0.62 seconds the 87-second time-allowed over Santiago Varela’s course.
“If any of three things could have gone our way,” mused Robert, explaining the “what ifs” of how the team could have pulled it out.
He cited, “McLain’s rub at 13C (in the triple that was the next-to-last fence on course), no one even heard it, it was so light. If it had stayed up, that would have done it. Same thing for Karl Cook (at the same fence). If either one of those had left that jump up or if Laura had been a half-second faster, any one of those three, not all those three, and we would have beaten Brazil. It was a good fight to the finish. It just didn’t work out our way.”
Referring to having Devin ride in the final round, Robert explained, “I wanted to bring in a fresh horse on Sunday.”
“It wasn’t a negative against Jessie. We weren’t good enough on Thursday. I wanted to do something different. You have to go with your instincts. My instinct coming down here was to send five ready, fresh horse rider combinations.
“Unless something really unusual happened on Thursday, I wanted to use all five (during the show). You can’t do that in the Pan Ams. There your reserve is a spectator.”
The Barcelona squad wasn’t the normal four plus one team, he said, noting in that case, he generally sends a young rider as the plus one.
“Here, the stakes were high enough that I wanted to send someone going well,” he continued, explaining he felt Devin had done that at the Hampton Classic on Labor Day weekend, and at Aachen before that.
In Barcelona, “it only was going to work if he jumped clean. If he just duplicated what Jessie did with 4, that wouldn’t have made any difference.” What was needed was a clean or for “the time fault to go away.”
The final was won by Germany, the only country to go fault-free. France was second, followed by Belgium, Brazil and the U.S. in fifth. Switzerland, without some of its best horse/rider combinations, was sixth. Britain (which had won the first round, finished seventh) and Ireland was eighth.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 7, 2023
Kate Conover’s name was probably the least well-known to the general public among the six competitors who vied for the $25,000 World Championship Hunter Rider Professional Finals title at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in Maryland. But it was the Ocala, Fla., woman who came out on top, over Shelley Campf, Nick Haness, Geoffrey Hesslink, Brady Mitchell, and Leslie Steele.
Three two-person judging panels presided over the competition, in which riders were aboard a horse of their own choosing during the first segment.
The four riders with the best scores–Kate, Geoffrey, Brady and Shelley–returned for the Final Four on equal status, with no penalties. Each was on a horse unfamiliar to them, and all the riders took turns jumping these mounts.
It was the first Pro Finals for Shelley, Brady and Kate, while Geoffrey’s debut in the class was in 2020.
Kate’s final total was 355.33. Brady was runner up with 352.99, Shelley finished third on 341.15 and Geoffrey fourth on 259.32.
Champion Kate Conover and her supporteres. (Photo by Shawn McMillen)
Explaining she had made the class a goal, Kate said, “My brother passed away in January, and I kind of just changed my focus to riding for my family.
“My mom really loves it, so I know she’s watching. I know I made her really proud, and I know my brother is watching. I made this a focus, and I wanted it. I wanted it not just for me, but for my family, and I couldn’t be more ecstatic that it actually happened.”
Kate has long experience on different horses, reaching back to her pony days.
“When I was a kid, and my whole life, I never really had the same horse or pony all the time, so it’s a lot of experience of just trying to make a relationship very fast,” she explained.
“I think it’s that experience of riding them all differently, taking what you have in the moment, and doing the best you can. Every horse you don’t ride the same.”
Geoffrey, who had a rail down that prompted him to withdraw in that round, said, “It wasn’t my night tonight, and that’s okay. I find it an honor to be in this class, and I think Kate is one of the most beautiful and most amazing riders, so I could not be happier for her,” he said.
This was the second year in a row that a first-timer took the win, after Nick earned the title in 2022.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 7, 2023
The 5-star CSI Greenwich Grand Prix was called off Saturday in the face of torrential rain that led to wet conditions at the Greenwich Polo Club in Connecticut.
The fixture began in 2021 as one day of 2- and 3-star show jumping competition.
“Our vision is to host a European-style show focused on international sport,” said rider/entrepreneur Kent Farrington, explaining at that time why he came up with the idea for the show. He was its honorary president this year.
For 2023, Greenwich developed into a four-day feature that also included a leg of Major League Show Jumping team competition. The $650,000 5-star grand prix, scheduled for Sunday, was to be the highlight of a show that attracted such big names as McLain Ward, Nayal Nassar and Margie Goldstein-Engle.
Saturday’s competition was called off because of the soggy conditions on the grass field and elsewhere on the grounds, but organizers assured ticket holders that the Sunday grand prix would be held.
Howeer, on Saturday morning, the Brant family, Major League Show Jumping and FEI officials discussed the situation with organizers and made “the difficult decision to cancel the event due to unprecedented and ongoing rainfall in the region. We have arranged to immediately refund all ticket purchases.
“The Greenwich area has experienced eight inches of rain accumulation, leading to flooding in the week leading up to CSI Greenwich. With the additional rainfall yesterday and the further expected rain and flood watch presently in effect, the conditions on the ground will not be up to our standards to host a high-level international competition with the safety and of horses and riders being at the forefront.”
But things could be different next year.
“Going forward,” said a statement from the show, “the team at CSI Greenwich, the Brant family, and Major League Show Jumping are committed to having a world-class venue and event here in Greenwich and will be investing in new infrastructure for (the) venue, including adding upgraded stabling and an all-weather sand arena.”
That all-weather arena is important for an outdoor show, since there is no time of year when the weather can’t be a factor.
The day wasn’t a total loss for Polo Club founder Peter Brant, however. He may not have grand prix luck, but he had racing luck. His Gina Romantica beat In Italian at Keeneland to win the Grade I First Lady Stakes.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 3, 2023
Who could have predicted this?
In an incredibly happy twist of fate, an iconic New Jersey stable property that seemed destined for a housing development has been purchased to continue as a home for horses.
It gets even better. Top jumper rider/trainer Brianne Goutal-Marteau and her husband, real estate developer Romain Marteau, are refurbishing the former Essex Equestrian Center (aka Suburban Essex, Montclair Riding Academy) with an eye toward preserving its heritage and making it a top-class facility.
In December, it seemed like the end of the line for the double-decker stable, which dates back to the early 20th Century. Owner Larry Hall announced its imminent shutdown, saying the school horses would be rehomed.(Click here for a link to the original story)
As for the property’s future, it seemed there was only one answer.
It is in an R-1 (residential) zone. The minimum lot size is 80,000 square feet per lot for potential single-family homes. So more housing appeared to be in the cards for already well-developed West Orange Township.
The exterior of the equestrian center.
But there were no buyers, and Romain kept his eye on the parcel. He made a deal and in September, it was purchased from R & L for $1,150,000, according to public records.
The 100 stalls are being trimmed to 60, enlarged and improved for the horses’ comfort. Brianne’s clients will have between 20 and 40 horses on site in the spring and the fall. In the winter, she operates out of Wellington, Fla., and in the summer, at Two Trees, the property she and her husband own in the Hamptons.
At least one, or perhaps two, trainers are being sought to take the other stalls on a permanent basis, so the stable is occupied year-round.
A native of New York City who still lives in Manhattan with her husband and their children, Brianne discussed the attraction of the former Essex Equestrian Center on Woodland Avenue.
And no surprise, it is that well-worn real estate axiom: “Location, location, location.”
Brianne, who won all the major equitation championships as a junior, commuted as a teenager from the city to Colts Neck, N.J., in Monmouth County to ride with Stacia Madden and Max Amaya at Beacon Hill. It was not a short trip.
Brianne had been looking “since I can remember” for a place that was commutable from the city. I could never really find it.”
When her husband learned of the stable, he asked Brianne if she’d ever heard of it.
“Of course I’ve heard of that place,” she told him.
The stable is 15 miles from the Holland Tunnel. It was best known as a lesson barn, a home away from home for many horse-crazy kids. Although it hosted shows over the years and had many riders who competed, it couldn’t really be called a show stable.
But the building had “beautiful bones and original parts,” as Brianne put it, and once her husband looked at it, he saw the potential was evident while “trying to keep it as original as possible.”
The indoor arena at the stable will be getting new footing.
In addition to work on the building itself, footing is being replaced in both the indoor and outdoor ring and the limited turnout is being transformed into 10 paddocks, probably measuring 40 by 60, after clearing away underbrush. A house on the property also is being rebuilt.
There are many possibilities to what will happen when the stable opens for business, which likely will happen in May.
“This checks a lot of boxes for us. In the fall and spring training, I’d like to always be doing more,” said Brianne.
Quality will remain a priority as the couple gets to know the property.
“I want to make sure it stays really high-end and a great place for horses. We have a major goal of keeping it true to its foundations and not changing too much of the structure. A lot of the time, it’s a lot cheaper to knock something down and build it new, but that’s definitely not what we wanted to do. We’re trying to restore it to its former glory.”
What else will happen in addition to having a place for Brianne’s clients is still up for discussion
“It could be a very nice place for a couple of operations,” she mentioned. “The goal is to have one person who’s there all year and then figure out the rest of it. I think everything is on the table. There is a lot of room for creativity.” She has thought about a therapeutic riding program, which the stable hosted previously.
“I would love to see what the community interest is first. It’s very, very open,” she commented.
“We bought it because it’s something that really excites us and works for us and is very convenient for us. We have a very deep attachment to history and we want to restore it to what it was. I’m very interested in the community outreach and desires.”
Romain noted, “We want a certain standard in the way the place is kept and the way the business is run.”
He said the community has been both welcoming and excited, noting “It’s great.”
Brianne and Romain are interested to hear from trainers and others who have an interest in what’s happening at the facility, which will be getting a new name. They can be reached at info@bgrmdev.com.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 3, 2023
Dressage at Devon is a one-of-a-kind horse show, a unique celebration which this year elevated its offerings with additional exhibitions and learning opportunities to reach a bigger, more varied audience. The organizers put in an incredible amount of work to make it a creative multi-dimensional happening, and they succeeded.
There was a time when Devon was the goal of many top riders in the autumn. But now it’s competing with regional shows, the Florida circuit, a different calendar and a new migration pattern that has evolved over the years since it was a “must” destination. So it needs some added attractions to insure it remains relevant.
But its core attraction has never changed. Everyone who has ridden in the Dixon Oval under the lights rhapsodizes about how special it is. Some compare it to what they encounter in Europe, with the crowds and a heightened since of excitement. It’s a special opportunity conveniently located in a suburb of Philadelphia.
Marcus Orlob, who won both the 1-star FEI Prix St. Georges (72.010 percent) and the 1-star FEI Intermediate I (73.725) with Alice Tarjan’s stallion, J.J. Glory Day, said his biggest goal for 2023 was to show at Devon “because of the electric atmosphere.”
Marcus Orlob and J.J. Glory Day. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
He’s preparing to do the Intermediate II next year, and after that “this horse I think, has the talent to go all the way.”
To the Olympics?
“Probably,” he smiled.
Alice also was a double winner with Jane, taking the 2-star FEI Intermediate A (71.814 percent) and the 2-star FEI Intermediate II (71.088).
Jane was bouncing around waiting for the awards ceremony, which Alice attributed to an abundance of tension for a horse who hasn’t been shown much recently.
Alice Tarjan and Jane (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Asked for a comment on her mare’s performance, Alice said with a laugh, “it’s a work in progress. She’s here for the experience.” And in the ring, anyway, “She’s always a good girl.”
Horses showing in the same venue week after week, as they do in Florida at the Global Dressage Festival in Wellington or at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala get used to those surroundings, which can take the edge off. If they move on to foreign shows or championships, however, they will have to adjust to a new experience in a short amount of time. Dressage at Devon offers good practice for that, with not only the competition, but also the bells and whistles of the trophy presentation ceremony and victory lap.
Kim Herslow had a good ride at Devon on Elvis HI in 2021, but it took her until this year’s edition of the show to take that victory lap after collecting her ribbon. She and the horse’s co-owner, Ailene Cascio, finally got their moment in the winner’s circle after a frustrating journey.
Elvis was second in both the 2021 Intermediate I and I-1 freestyle to Cesar Parra on Belle Ami. But as part of an agreement with the FEI (international equestrian federation) connected to an “Equine Controlled Medication Rule Violation” involving Benzocaine, Belle Ami was disqualified late in 2021.
Kim missed being able to ride victory passes on Elvis in front of the crowd two years ago (Parra got that honor). Disqualification didn’t happen until months after the show. Even then, there was a long delay in receiving the redistributed prize money. While that finally came this summer, the big moment in the arena and the ribbon were not part of it.
But Devon made good on the ceremony in this year’s edition, with Kim, Ailene and Elvis in the ring at last to get their photo op.
Elvis HI’s owner Ailene Cascio with presenter Paul Eason and Kim Herslow on Elvis HI at their long-delayed victory ceremony. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
The trophies that accompanied the victories already had been engraved with the names of Parra and his mount, but they went back to the engraver after the show was notified of the FEI decision. The word “disqualified” now stands next to their names.
“It was nice to see; to get some credit for what Elvis did back two years ago. It was nice for Ailene too, she’s been on this journey with this horse longer than I have. To see her get that credit is a wonderful thing,” said Kim.
As Ailene noted, “It makes me happy that our sport is clean; that the recognition is going where it should go and people aren’t getting away with things. And Dressage at Devon stepped up and made it right.”
(Cover photo is Adrienne Morella on the 26-year-old Arabian King’s Ransom)
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 2, 2023
The Babington Benefit Horse Show Sunday at Duncraven in Titusville, NJ, was a huge success, raising $20,000 for the injured grand prix show jumper. Kevin, who is paralyzed from the middle of his chest down after a 2019 fall in competition, has enormous expenses, but friends and others who know his reputation have pitched in to help.
Kevin at home in Loxahatchee, Fla., with his wife, Dianna. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Today he posted this thank you on social media:
“When I woke up this morning I had to pinch myself when I looked at the post from the Babington benefit horse show yesterday. How does one go about thanking all the special people who put this together?
New Jersey and Pennsylvania have been a huge part of my life and career, and five years on, to see the support from local barns and trainers that come and support is incredible. I was based out of Duncraven almost 25 years ago. Tim Fedor and his family offered the facility for the first few benefit shows, and now to see the Stout Family willing to continue this tradition is wonderful. What they’ve done with the facility is incredible. Congratulations to them and continued success.
This is not your typical horse show. It is run totally by volunteers with the support of many sponsors from the area. The last four years have been a big adjustment for me and my family, but when I see something like this it makes my journey so much easier. I am going to add Jenn Cassidy’s post with a list of most of the volunteers, but like Jenn said, there are too many to list so i apologize if I miss anyone.
Kevin Babington on Carling King at the 2004 Olympics. (Photo © 2004 by Nancy Jaffer)
Nancy Wallis,
Julie Koveloski, and
Jennifer Cassidy work on this year round and from what I saw from the show yesterday, there wasn’t a stone left unturned. It was special for me to see a bareback flat class with so many entries. Riding bareback was something I loved to do when I rode, so it’s extra special to see this being part of the benefit show. A very heartfelt thank you to everyone and I hope all the riders had a great day. Love to all from myself, Dianna, Gwyneth, and Marielle.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 6, 2023
The National Horse Show in Lexington, Ky., will hold a reception in memory of trainer Larry Glefke Nov. 1 at 5 p.m. in the Riders’ Lounge. The horseman, who had suffered a stroke, died Sept. 15 at the age of 76.
The native of Michigan was a top hunter/jumper rider in the 1960s and ’70s before going on to become a trainer. He rode for Kenny Wheeler at Cismont Manor Farm, where his mounts included Bridegroom and Showdown. Moving on to Virginia, he rode for Bucky Reynolds and others, earning Horse of the Year titles in the process. He also became a racehorse trainer in the 1980s, logging a 41 percent win/place/show percentage.
He went on to run Lane Change Farm with his partner, Kelley Farmer. When the hunter derbies started, they had great success with such horses as Mindful and Point Being.
In addition to Kelley, he is survived by his son, Mike Glefke, daughter-in-law Anna Lisa Glefke, and grandchild Paul Lawrence “Law” Glefke, as well as his brother, Michael C Glefke, and his wife Bonnie K Glefke; two nephews and two grand-nephews.
