by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 30, 2024
Bret Parberry, once one of Australia’s top 20 bronc riders, will present Dressage at Devon’s popular Masterclass Sept. 26. But don’t worry, he isn’t going to be offering rodeo tips.
His expertise in dressage was demonstrated impressively when guiding Australia’s eventing team to lead the dressage phase at the 2012 London Olympics. He has also competed successfully, finishing tenth in dressage at the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games.
Bret Parbery (James Abernethy Photography)
His father broke and trained mounts for cattle horse sports. Bret did everything from Pony Club to Polocrosse before focusing on dressage. His eclectic background will enable him to offer pointers to a diverse group of demo riders at Devon, with practitioners of western dressage able to participate along those who ride in the more traditional English competitions.
Bret’s Performance Riders program has an online platform in which horse welfare is the top priority, with horse and rider development as his daily motivation. His training style could be called “Modern Australian,” combining “classical principles with a high-performance sports focus.”
This is the third year of Devon’s Masterclass. Previous instructors were Olympic medalists Sabine Schut-Kery and Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour.
Want to buy tickets? Here’s the link.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 4, 2024
The speculation about Salvino’s future is over.
The 17-year-old Hanoverian stallion who was a lynchpin of so many U.S. dressage teams will compete no more. He’s headed for a breeding career in Florida and Colorado.
Owned by Betsy Juliano and ridden by Adrienne Lyle, he had been a part of many successful international efforts, including the 2018 world championships silver medal squad in Tryon, N.C., then the Tokyo Olympics silver medal effort in 2021. In 2022, he was part of the sixth-place world championship team that qualified the U.S. for this summer’s Paris Olympics. He also placed sixth individually in the 2022 world championships and was named the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s International Horse of the Year as Adrienne was voted in as the International Rider of the Year.
Adrienne and Salvino competing in Wellington. (Photo © 2018 by Nancy Jaffer)
The last time he competed was in January 2023, when he won the FEI World Cup qualifier in Wellington, his fourth victory in a little over a month. Prior to that, he was absent from the arena for four months. Salvino was set to take part in the 2023 FEI World Cup Finals in Omaha until he popped a splint and was withdrawn.
Salvino’s long absence from competition made it seem unlikely he’d be a candidate for Paris, so Thursday’s announcement of his retirement was not unexpected.
Meanwhile, Adrienne is still pointing toward Paris, but with two new horses. She is showing Lars van de Hoenderheide and Helix, owned by Zen Elite Equestrian, with the idea of qualifying for the Games–even though she only got the ride on them earlier this year.
At the TerraNova equestrian center in Florida this weekend, she won both the 4-star Grand Prix for the Special and the Special with Helix. He was marked at 72.021 percent and 73.979 percent respectively in those classes.
Explaining the decision to retire Salvino, Betsy said he is “still quite fit and energetic, but Adrienne and I feel the rigors of the qualifying process, in addition to the leadup to the Olympics would not be in his best long-term interests.”
Adrienne pointed out, “There has always been a great deal of interest in Salvino as a breeding stallion. We feel it’s time to explore this as the next phase of his career. Salvino has far surpassed any expectations we ever had for him.
“This has been a very difficult decision to make, but more than anything we feel it is the right decision for him,” she added.
“He continues to be ridden at home; he loves to work and show the other horses how it should be done. He has given us so much, and Betsy and I are committed to making sure he keeps on living his best life.”
Adrienne Lyle at the 2022 Smartpak USEF Horse of the Year awards with Betsy Juliano, USEF President Tom O’Mara and Adrienne’s mentor, Debbie McDonald. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Writing on social media, Adrienne gave her thanks to Betsy and offered this tribute to Salvino: “You are the best friend, teammate and partner anyone could ever have, and you were an absolute warrior in the ring. You had my back every time we went down center line… if I was nervous you took the lead and showed me there was nothing to be afraid of… if I messed up, you picked up the slack and did it right anyway… if I doubted myself, you reminded me that we could make it happen, and when we turned up the final center line and I would whisper under my breath, “Take it home, buddy”… I could always feel you rise another foot off the ground and give it your absolute everything.
She added, “You taught me that if you really believe in something, keep your head down and work until the rest of the world believes in it too. I am so glad I get to still greet your beautiful face every morning and saddle up for fun rides together, for years to come.”
Adrienne began competing Salvino internationally in March 2017. Previously he had been ridden in Young Horse classes by Spanish riders. Originally named Sandronnerhall, the son of Sandro Hit and a Donnerhall mare was rechristened when he came to the U.S. He was purchased in 2015 by a syndicate, of which Betsy was one of the original members. She became the sole owner in 2017.
In her social media post, Adrienne emphasized, “Betsy Juliano, none of this would have been possible without your vision, dream, dedication, and unwavering commitment to Salvino. I am so thankful for your amazing support! And to Debbie McDonald for the years of expert guidance and help. None of this would have been possible without such an amazing team.”
Adrienne Lyle and Salvino in the Grand Prix Special.
Salvino and Adrienne were always crowd favorites. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 30, 2024
In only her second international competition with Lars van de Hoenderheide, Olympic veteran Adrienne Lyle won the 3-star Grand Prix Special at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival with a mark of 73.192 percent on Saturday.
She bested the winner of Thursday’s Grand Prix, Endel Ots, who was second on Zen Elite’s Bohemian with 72.490 percent. Both horses are owned by Zen Elite’s Heidi Humphries.
Adrienne and Lars. (Photo © SusanJStickle.com)
Third went to Adrienne’s longtime teammate, Kasey Perry-Glass, back in action after a long absence from the international level with a 71.383 percent on Heartbeat W.P.
Marcus Orlob of Annandale, N.J., finished fourth on Jane, previously shown by her owner, Alice Tarjan. Their score was 70.830 percent.
Adrienne said, “I think it’s 10 weeks now that we’ve had Lars and this is the first full Special I’ve ridden through on him. I’m so incredibly happy at his energy and his honesty and his willingness. It seems like he’s starting to understand what I want and fight for me in there, which is really special in such a new relationship.”
Saying, “I was really happy with his piaffe/passage tour,” Adrienne added, “I got a bit braver to make the piaffe stay on the spot more and feel like I could trust that more. His canter tour is always super; he’s got super power and the changes are just a treat to ride.”
Adrienne observed, however, “just because we have a timeline” as she looks toward Paris, she is not planning to increase her horses’ work more than the usual four days a week maximum. She also rides Helix, second in the qualifier, for Elite Equestrian.
Heidi Humphries, the owner of Elite Equestrian “has such an amazing vision,” Adrienne noted.
Bohemian was ridden to fourth place in the Tokyo Olympics by Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup- Dufour. He subsequently had a Korean rider and then Endel took over late last year.
Endel Otts and Bohemian. (Photo © SusanJStickle.com)
Endel, who had not ridden in an international Grand Prix before Thursday, was marked at 72.761 percent in the Grand Prix qualifier, ahead of Helix (71.065). Adrienne was placed first by one judge in that class.
Adrienne, who is coached by her mentor, Debbie McDonald, also was third with Lars (70.652) in the qualifier.
In the Grand Prix, Bohemian had a problem in the two-tempis, with one judge giving him a mark of 2 and the other four judges marking him at 3, which brought his score way down. That was balanced by the fact that he had mostly 8’s in piaffe and passage. In the Special, his problems cropped up in the one-tempis, with marks between 4 and 6 from the five judges. The piaffe and passage continued to be his strong points.
“It’s all very surreal,” Endel said after his ride in the Grand Prix.
“You always see all the famous people like Adrienne Lyle and Kasey Perry and I am just thankful and happy to be in there with them and part of the group.”
He called Bohemian “a crazy cool horse.”
These horses will have to qualify if they are to be considered for a U.S. European tour, which is the precursor for Olympic selection. Although the Global festival ends this weekend, shows at TerraNova in Myakka City and the World Equestrian Center in Ocala are offering qualifiers next month.
In Saturday’s 4-star Special, Katherine Bateson-Chandler won with Haute Couture on 71.872 percent. Her coach, British star Carl Hester, came to the U.S. to train her for this show.
“We’ve had our stumbling blocks that were really mentally tough for both of us, so it took a lot of regrouping,” said Katherine, citing “a big mountain to climb.” She is hoping to be invited compete with the U.S. contingent in Europe later this spring.
The mare was ridden in the Tokyo Olympics by the Netherlands’ Dinja van Liere. Haute Couture was purchased for Katherine by her friend, Jennifer Huber.
Click here for 3-star Special results.
Click here for 4-star Special results.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 30, 2024
The 5-star finale of the Winter Equestrian Festival was worth every penny of its $500,000 purse in excitement, as a nine-horse jump-off ended with Germany’s Christian Kukuk wresting victory in the Rolex Grand Prix from U.S. favorite McLain Ward by less than a half-second.
The Saturday night feature, playing to a packed house at Wellington International, featured a field of 39 riders who had earned their way into the competition as 13 weeks of showing came to an end. Guilherme Jorge designed a course where every fence tested, though an oxer/oxer/vertical triple combination, uncharacteristically early in the course at number four, took the biggest toll.
Christian Kukuk and Checker 47.
The jump-off course also presented a unique test, as the triple was cut to its B and C elements, after which riders had to make a rollback turn to a new fence, an oxer decorated with horseheads.
McLain, who has only been riding Ilex for seven weeks, made an incredibly neat approach to that obstacle, and went on to finish in 36.24 seconds on a partner who may well be carrying him at the Paris Olympics. But two riders later, Christian and the lovely gray Checker 47 somehow managed to squeeze through the finish line in 35.82 seconds.
Christian, who is part of the Ludger Beerbaum team, Christian said he believed in the jump-off, “If there is any chance for me, I have to have a really tight rollback to that oxer. That went really, really well and Checker tried unreal. Then I jumped out; okay, stay on the distance now you get. I did it. I was flying home. Incredible.”
This was Christian’s first time competing in Wellington, and he had been told how exciting the Saturday night grands prix are, especially the Rolex class.
Christian Kukuk blazing his way through the jump-off with Checker 47. (Photo © Sportfot)
“Checker was in unbelievable shape and he did his job today,” said Christian of the 14-year-old Westfalen gelding by Comme Il Faut 5, who earned $165,000.
“I am so proud of him and it really means a lot to win here the first time in Wellington and beating McLain in front of his home crowd.”
McLain Ward and Ilex.
Then Christian grabbed his blue ribbon in his teeth, raised his helmet over his head and enjoyed his victory gallop.
The third place on the podium went to Karl Cook of the U.S. who went a bit wide on the rollback with Kalinka van’T Zorgvliet and wound up with a time of 36.62 seconds.
Karl said his mare has “been energetic since day one and I think there’s something about her where she knows what the event is.”
McLain reported about his trip, explaining, “I didn’t leave much on the table,” with a blazing jump-off round, but he thought he may have lost a “a touch of time” when his horse bucked after the double. It was the first time he competed in a tiebreaker with the 11-year-old Dutchbred by Baltic VDL, previously shown by a Brazilian rider.
Click here for results.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 31, 2024
Former Virginia Horse Center CEO Glenn Petty joined Tryon International in March as general manager, equestrian operation.
He has been manager of the Gov. James B. Hunt,Jr. Horse Complex in Raleigh, N.C., and managed the all-breed and discipline North Carolina State Fair Horse Show for 24 years. beginning in 1983. He also has been executive vice president of the Arabian Horse Association.
Throughout his career, he and his wife Joan have maintained a residence in North Carolina where they own and operate Triangle Farms and Raleigh Indoors, an indoor hunter/jumper show circuit and the Duke Children’s Benefit Horse Shows.
“I am thrilled to join the Tryon International team,” Glenn said.
“In my short time here, I have quickly noticed the teamwork exhibited, not only among the equestrian staff, but restaurant workers, lodging staff, security as well as grounds maintenance all benefiting our wonderful exhibitors. Another thing I’ve noticed is the cleanliness of the grounds as well as the beauty of the center. The footing is great in all kinds of weather.”
“Glenn comes with a tremendous amount of experience as we ask him to oversee our equestrian operations, across all disciplines, lead our efforts in continuous improvement of our horse show facilities, improve our bio-security processes and procedures and pursue additional shows in equestrian sport for our facilities,” said Tryon Equestrian Partners Carolinas Operation President Sharon Decker.
“With our team, Glenn will ensure that the championships which continue to grow at our facility have the best and safest competitor and guest experience possible. As we host both IEA and IHSA National Championships this spring, Glenn’s leadership paired with our team, will bring an extraordinary experience to Tryon.”
Petty has served on numerous boards and committees of USEF, USHJA and AQHA throughout his career. He has chaired the North Carolina Hunter Jumper Association, the North Carolina Horse Council and the North Carolina Thoroughbred Breeders Association, as well as the North Carolina State College of Veterinary Medicine board. He chairs USHJA’s Competition Management Committee and serves on the American Horse Council’s Show and Competition Committee.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 28, 2024
They call it “the best weekend all year,” and one of the things that makes the Defender Kentucky
Three-Day Event live up to that title is, of course, the horses and riders that will be competing in Lexington next month.
Plenty of big names are signed up for the 5-star, including world champion Yasmin Ingham of Great Britain with Banzai du Loir and world number one Oliver Townend, another Brit, with his newest star Cooley Rosalent.
Oliver Townend and Cooley Rosalent. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
But that mare is also cross-entered at Britain’s 5-star, the MARS Badminton Horse Trials competition, to be held in May, a week later than Kentucky. That’s the same tactic that is being used by, among others, the USA’s Boyd Martin, the world number three who has Tsetserleg and On Cue slated for both. (Obviously these double-entered folks have to make a choice of one event or the other.)
One you’ll want to watch in the 5-star is David O’Connor’s Phelps, an off-the-track thoroughbred (remember when they dominated eventing?) who was a sensation last year at the MARS Maryland 5-star. He will be ridden by Mia Farley.
A number of U.S. riders are playing it cool, opting for the 4-star that runs with the 5-star. They include last year’s Kentucky 5-star winner, Tamie Smith with Mai Baum, and Will Coleman, who has Off the Record and Chin Tonic going.
With the Paris Olympics coming up just three months after Kentucky, it’s important to know that cross-country there will be at the 4-star level. That means some riders don’t feel the need to test their horses in a 5-star before such an important competition.
Click here to see Badminton entries, and here to see who’s lined up for the Kentucky 5-star. To find out about Kentucky 4-star entries, click on this link.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 28, 2024
The U.S. list of show jumpers for next month’s FEI World Cup Final in Saudi Arabia is set, with Devin Ryan of Long Valley, N.J., in the group of five on Eddie Blue. The two were a sensation at the 2018 finals as virtual international unknowns who finished second. They went on to be part of the U.S. gold medal team at the FEI World Equestrian Games that year.
Devin Ryan and Eddie Blue jumping at WEC Ocala last week. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Kent Farrington, a double medalist at the Pan American Games last fall is also making the trip to Riyadh. The Floridian is bringing two mares, Greya and Toulayna.
Others who qualified are from California. They are Skyler Wireman (Tornado), Jill Humphrey (Chromatic BF) and Sophia Siegel (A-Girl).
The dressage World Cup qualifiers have been known for several weeks. They are Ben Ebeling (Indeed), Kevin Kohmann (Duenensee), and Anna Marek (Fayvel), Ebeling is a native of California, but all three are based in Florida
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 26, 2024
The loss of boutique shows, the “crazy expensive” cost of showing, reporting horse abuse, and of course, social license to operate were among the topics at the most recent Town Hall in a series offered by the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association. The Zoom format enables members to air their concerns—and in some cases, suggest possible solutions.
Held monthly, the Town Halls don’t necessarily generate answers, but they can be a first step toward getting them.
Audrey Petschek, a realtor who lives in New England, stated during the Monday forum that the big box shows have bought out many dates. The one- and two-week shows that remain in her area “are really suffering,” she contended.
“People set up shop at HITS (Saugerties, N.Y.), for example, and just stay.”
HITS in Saugerties, N.Y., has undergone massive renovations that make it even more of a destination for competitors. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
On the other hand, moving from show to show is expensive, she pointed out, noting “even setting up a tack room display takes time and money. It all adds up fast and trainers are looking for the easiest way and the most cost-efficient way to show and do business.”
Creative thinking can help devise solutions to issues like these and other perennial problems.
In an interview on Tuesday about the Town Halls and their mission, USHJA President Mary Knowlton noted, “From USHJA’s perspective, we are always trying to foster interest in and breathe some life into some of these smaller shows.”
An example she gave involved the North Carolina Hunter Jumper Association, which runs one show a year and found itself facing two U.S. Equestrian Federation mileage exemptions that enabled shows to run against NCHJA in 2023.
“They were terrified because this is their one show. They use it to fund their scholarship program for their riders and their big banquet. Some of the bigger shows sort of horned in.”
Mary got a panic call from NCHJA, asking “What do we do?”
She replied, “You get really busy talking to your people who have shown with you for years and make it really clear to them that supporting you is necessary if they want to see you continue.”
It worked.
“They did that and actually had a good, strong year,” she reported.
The rise of the fancier shows tends to leave people with high – if unrealistic—expectations for their own competition experiences.
As Mary noted, “People have to be willing to have a more generous standard toward these one-time shows.”
The World Equestrian Center in Ocala, which hosted the FEI Longines League of Champions last weekend, brought in riders from Europe and South America for a stellar competition with a 5-star hotel as a backdrop. The venue has set a remarkable standard, and the question is, how do other shows keep up with something on the order of a WEC?
“The answer is, they can’t, really,” said Mary.
The atmosphere of the World Equestrian Center Ocala isn’t replicated elsewhere. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
(Riders at the elite Winter Equestrian Festival have even complained about conditions at Wellington International three hours south of Ocala, as they compared the facility where they are riding with WEC.)
Mary acknowledged that while rising costs are an industry-wide concern, questions about such matters are the province of management rather than USHJA itself. But she advised that Glenn Petty, who heads USHJA’s Competition Management Committee, could handle queries about management practices. He can be reached at glenn@trianglefarms.com.
The Town Hall format allows people to get their voices and issues heard.
“Most people feel unheard,” said Mary. She permits participants to write in questions during the Town Hall as “anonymous attendee,” which enables “real feedback” from those who are hesitant to put themselves out there by name.
“We get a chance to hear a lot of ideas and then test those ideas a little bit and then come back and refine them through that lens, which is super helpful.”
At the same time, she mentioned, “It’s a way for us to disseminate information. One of the comments that comes back is, `I feel better-educated after being on the Town Hall.’ That’s huge.”
She added, “I very much appreciate hearing people’s point of view.”
USHJA President Mary Knowlton
This month’s Town Hall had 124 participants at one point.
“So many people’s opinions are pouring into this hopper. People like DiAnn Langer, who heads the Commission on Equine Welfare, are listening. (The commission will make a report to the USHJA board in May.)
“They’re getting to understand how people think, and how could we mold a solution?”
On the subject of horse abuse, amateur rider Tamara Doloff of Maryland, who has experience as a horse show mother, expressed concern about a proposed U.S. Equestrian Federation horse welfare rule, “brought on by the social license to operate issue.”
The rule would enable the organization to discipline those involved in horse abuse incidents, even if they happened elsewhere than at a sanctioned show. The USEF board will vote on the rule in June.
“I’m concerned about USEF’s ability to take action against someone outside their purview,” she said. Issues Tamara mentioned are how to define abuse, if parents or trainers could be held liable for actions of their children and whether an animal rights organization could overwhelm USEF with complaints.
She also asked, “If someone is caught on camera in the presence of another person abusing a horse and they don’t report it, is the observer now subject to sanctioning?”
Steward Cricket Stone noted there are many things going on at shows that are “not doing the sport any good.” They include the presence of boxes for sharps that are overflowing with needles by the end of the week, longeing done so improperly that horses are injured and cantering horses in the warm-up rings until they are huffing and puffing.
Debbie Bass, a member of the USEF hearing committee, said she thinks expanding the jurisdiction of USEF involving horse abuse is “the most empowering rule change” for owners and riders, enabling them “to have a further say about what they see in the care of their horses.”
She added, “It not only empowers, but also obligates them to speak up if they see horse abuse.”
Being obliged to report takes the onus off an owner who sees something that’s unusual or abusive and maybe historically they would not have responded because “it’s just too hard’ and “it’s my trainer.
“But if you’re in fact obligated to report…it puts it in a whole other power dynamic. It gives cover to the witness of `an injustice to the horse,’ ” Debbie mentioned.
“It gives them more eyes on the problem, it gives them more advocates. It does include things like over-showing a horse, which we’ve all witnessed. With this rule change. I would be empowered to say something because, oh my gosh, I have to say something. It is cover to come out from behind the curtain and adjust the power struggle in favor of the horse.”
She noted that USEF does due diligence and “the hearing committee doesn’t see anything unless it’s been pre-vetted.”
As well as dealing with big-picture items, people have a chance to bring localized concerns to the Town Hall. That’s what Betsy Checchia from Zone 8 did, with an issue about the contiguous zone rule enabling riders to show outside their home zone to accumulate points for a zone award. She noted that in her zone of Utah, New Mexico, Colorado and Arizona, the first two states no longer have rated shows, and attendance at shows elsewhere in the zone is dwindling, as people show in the contiguous zone states of California and Texas. She mentioned as a possible solution the idea of only counting points earned at shows in a zone, as opposed to those awarded in contiguous states.
What side of the issue people are on, however, depends on where in the country they’re located. For instance, Allison Fisher of Maryland in Zone 3 likes showing in Pennsylvania, which is Zone 2, because it is closer to her home than some other locations in her zone.
Zone 6 also has a wrinkle because Wisconsin does not have rated shows, so people go to Illinois in Zone 5 to compete.
In 2025, USHJA will be responsible for handling zone points, and one suggestion was to award double points for ribbons earned in a rider’s home zone to encourage showing there, rather than in a contiguous state. Zones can come up with their own criteria for how points will work.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 25, 2024
A little more than two years ago, professional rider Cassandra Kahle of Redfield Farm suffered a TBI (traumatic brain injury) when her horse fell during a jumper class at HITS Ocala’s Post Time Farm.
On Sunday, the last day of the 2024 winter series there, she returned to the ring where she had her accident and rode around a small course built so she could chase her demons by clearing those fences.
After her fall, she was in a coma for 18 days and had lost her ability to walk and talk. She recovered only after endless physical therapy and extreme determination, with her mother, Natasha Brash, always at her side to help.
Handling that special course at HITS was an incredibly emotional moment, not only for her, but also for her family, friends and fans at ringside who knew what she had been through, and what it took to bring her back to her life’s work.
Cassie at Devon several years before the accident. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Her employer, Emil Spadone of Redfield, was among those who had helped the 31-year-old native of British Columbia along the way.
On her Facebook page, she recounted what it was like to return to the scene of such a life-changing event and conquer her demons.
Cassie explained, “I have been struggling and find myself at a loss for words to warrant the gravity that this post deserves.”
She thanked announcer and judge Matt Brayman for his support, and the team at HITS “for organizing this incredible momentous moment for me. I have dreamt of the day I could return to the show ring since my fall two years, one month and 25 days ago.
“But I have had the goal of this particular class and this particular moment for the past five months. Since I set this goal, I have had this burning desire inside me that I knew I had to complete it.”
Cassie and her supporters. (ESI Photography)
She continued, “I can talk about the struggle and work I have done every day to achieve this moment, but that is another story. What feels important in the moment now is to simply say thank you. First of all, to the team at HITS and what you did for me was so much more than what I had hoped this moment would be. At the end of the last day of the 10-week circuit, a .65-meter course was built in the stadium where I had my fall. It has been my personal goal to overcome such a traumatic event but also to change the way I look back at the ring that has symbolized my home base for the past 10 years. I did not want my last ride in that ring to be a tragedy.”
“When I stepped through the ingate and saw the crowd that had gathered to support me and heard Matt’s voice announce my name and my longtime partner’s name, Pyrenes De Louzes, like so many times before, a realization came over me that was singular to that moment. I couldn’t be nervous because I had already won.
“I was riding the most important horse of my career through the gate where my life had so changed, with a crowd of the most amazing supporters backing me. To the team at HITS, I thank you.
“To everyone who was there and to everyone who has offered their support one way or another over this long journey, my gratitude is forever yours. To my family for flying out to be here with your unwavering support so you could be there to experience this with me, I am filled with so much love for you. To Emil, Darby and Maari, thank you for caring for my Pie so he was ready to carry me to another major victory. To my boyfriend Willem, thank you for being my lighthouse and lighting my way on this journey. And to the Pie. I have wondered what I would do when we landed off the last jump and crossed the finish line, would I pump my fist in the air? Would I cheer?”
Actually, she simply hugged her horse’s neck.
“The only feeling I had was a heartfelt gratitude and a knowing that it was all for you. You have seen me through thick and thin, taught me the ups and downs of the game and what it takes to be a true horsewoman and a good sport. We experienced my lowest lows in competition but you also carried me to my most precious victories. Thank you, Pyro. for being my horse. I can’t imagine a more beautiful moment to wish you a happy retirement.
And so, one book of my life is closed and it is time for another to open.”
Cassie Kahle has a special smile. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Cassie had cited what Matt Brayman wrote, so here it is: “Sometimes we get to remember why we do what we do. I remember judging a class a couple years ago when Cass had her accident. I remember thinking nothing but `get up, Cassie. Get up.’
“That moment will never leave me. I quit judging for a month or two after that, but never stopped following her story. Every day. `Get up, Cassie, get up.’
“I don’t mean to compare my struggle with hers. I’m a millionth, at best, of the struggle and the fight she’s endured. I’m not sure there’s anyone I admire more following the road back. And the courage this lady showed coming back in the ring where it all happened. And here I was judging it again.
“Cassie, I can’t comprehend the work, the courage, the persistence it took for you to do what you did today. I’m not going to lie. Going across the ring in that area (fence 3) stopped my breathing, stopped my heart. I didn’t think it would be as emotional as it was. I had a great speech planned but couldn’t speak after word three or so. But in the end, it was all worth it.
“Understand in the end you not only chased your demons, you chased all our demons. Thanks for your will, thanks for your work, thanks for being you.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 28, 2024
The long-awaited debut of three potential U.S. Olympic dressage horses with their new riders in an international Grand Prix ended Thursday with them topping the class of 21 starters at the Adequan Global Equestrian Festival.
Zen Elite’s Bohemian, who was ridden to fourth place in the Tokyo Olympics by Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup- Dufour, led the qualifier for the Grand Prix Special in Wellington, Fla., with Endel Ots aboard.
Endel Otts and Bohemian. (Photo © SusanJStickle.com)
Endel, who had not ridden in an international Grand Prix previously, was marked at 72.761 percent, ahead of two-time Olympian Adrienne Lyle on Helix (71.065). She was placed first by one judge.
Adrienne, who is coached by her mentor, Debbie McDonald, also was third with Lars van de Hoenderheide (70.652). All three horses are owned by Heidi Humphries of Zen Elite.
The only other horse to be marked in the 70 percent range was Adrienne’s longtime teammate, Kasey Perry Glass, on Heartbeat WP (70 percent).
Bohemian had a problem in the two-tempis, with one judge giving him a mark of 2 and the other four judges marking him at 3, which brought his score way down. That was balanced by the fact that he had mostly 8’s in piaffe and passage.
He blamed himself for the mishap, saying he should have warmed up for 10 minutes less.
“It’s all very surreal,” Endel said after his ride.
“You always see all the famous people like Adrienne Lyle and Kasey Perry and I am just thankful and happy to be in there with them and part of the group.”
He called Bohemian “a crazy cool horse.”
These horses will have to qualify if they are to be considered for a U.S. European tour, which is the precursor for Olympic selection. Although the Global festival ends this weekend, shows at TerraNova in Myakka City and the World Equestrian Center in Ocala are offering qualifiers next month.
Marcus Orlob of Annandale, N.J.., was 13th in the Grand Prix with a score of 64.478 percent on Jane, previously shown by her owner, Alice Tarjan
Click here for results
