It’s the end of an era.
The Garden State Horse Show is heading this spring to the Asbury showgrounds run by Nona Garson and her partner, George D’Ambrosio, as the former Junior Essex Troopers who ran it with devotion for decades step aside from its management for good.
“It’s been an honor to be a part of this tradition” said Tim Cleary, who joined Troop in 1967 at age 10 and 1/2, then went on to manage the show for 33 years.
The show’s license has been transferred and it now will be called the Garden State Horse Show at the Ridge at Riverview, the name of Nona and George’s showgrounds in Warren County. It will be held April 29-May 3, with a pre-show the weekend before.
The Garden State Horse Show, which spent a year at the USET Foundation, is moving to a new location this spring. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
The Junior Essex Troop ran as a military-style organization for boys that had its own farm in West Orange. At one time, the organization presented the largest junior show in America. It became an open show in 1972, known for its fun and challenging outside course, which involved crossing a stream and going up and down a hill.
“It’s a horse show I’ve been going to since I was a little kid. I grew up there,” said Nona. Recalling galloping down “the mountain” and splashing through the water, she estimated she had been involved with the show for 50-plus years.
Nona Garson and George D’Ambrosio. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
She and George are “really excited about it,” appreciating the chance to host a show with such a long history that it is number 145 on the roster of the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s 2,300 recognized competitions.
The troopers proudly wore their uniforms, taking care of the horses at the farm while relishing aspects of military life, including marching and riding with the organization’s well-known drill team, building an unshakeable camaraderie. Though the Troop disbanded as an active equestrian organization in the late 1980s, the former troopers enjoyed an annual reunion putting on the show, doing everything from announcing to management and serving as jump crew.
After the West Orange farm was sold in 1983, the show moved to Chubb Park in Chester and then to the Sussex County fairgrounds in 1987, where it became New Jersey’s largest horse show.
At every location, the former troopers, worked tirelessly to stage it. But handling everything was getting harder as the men got older. After the troop stopped functioning as an active equestrian operation, there wasn’t a legacy of younger people to bring up through the ranks, who could keep the show going in band of brothers style.
Troop alumni made their show an annual reunion. (Photo© 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Garden State last year relocated to the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone, where it occupied just one ring, compared with the eight it utilized at its previous home in Sussex.
That followed a similar move in 2016 by the Monmouth County Horse Show when it transferred to the Somerset County location, but the concept didn’t work as well for Garden State as it did for Monmouth.
Tucker Ericson, who guides Monmouth at the Team, ran Garden State in 2019 but estimated about half of the exhibitors at the troop show were different from the Monmouth competitors.
While Monmouth’s highest U.S. Equestrian Federation rating is B on several days, Garden State had a double-A rating for hunters and included Level 4 jumpers as well, highlighted by a $25,000 grand prix.
With only one ring, the show had to run nine days to include everything, and as Nona mentioned, it’s a quite a commitment to stay at one show for that long.
Tucker pointed out, “A one-ring horse show is very hard to break even. If not for the sponsors and the trainers supporting hospitality, then these shows can’t exist. It’s critical for that support to pull this off.”
When Tucker, who works in insurance, took a new job, he no longer had time for Garden State. At that point, it was obvious a big change was inevitable. Nona and George, who also run the highly succesful Turf Tour in Wellington, Fla., seemed to those involved with the show like the right management team to take over.
“We thought they were the best possiblity for continuing a show that was more in line with the way the Garden State Horse Show has been conducted, which was from the lead line to the grand prix riders, the expanse of talent and capabilities, not just an elite show,” said Rodney Seelig, who has served as Garden State’s chairman.
Nona anticipates this year’s show will have four or five rings. She and George are working on trying to get sponsorship for a $50,000 grand prix.
The troop organization will continue, but what it will do–aside from a reunion at this year’s fixture–is still under discussion.
“The show has been an all-encompassing operation of the organization for so many years,” said Rodney, pointing out that now, there is finally some breathing room and time to weigh whether troop alums should focus on giving scholarships or other philanthropic pursuits.
Whatever happens, none of those involved will ever forget their experience with the troop or the show.
The Garden State group at Sussex.
“My fondest memory of the whole time was working with such a good crew of people,” said Tim.
“When you are fortunate enough to be part of a great team, it’s one of the most rewarding experiences you can have in life.”
