Arielle and Dutch are on their way along two tracks

by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 19, 2023

Buying a weanling as a sport horse prospect is a long road. But the trip has been worth it so far for eventer Arielle Aharoni, who earned the best placing of her career with the multi-talented Dutch Times at the MARS Equestrian Bromont 4-Star Long in Canada this month.

She finished second, just a little more than a rail behind eternal Olympic medalist Phillip Dutton and the exciting Azure, as that mare logged her first FEI victory.

“I definitely had a couple of tears in my eyes,” Arielle remembered about her reaction to a very special accomplishment.

“I was a little bit in disbelief of how well we did. It definitely didn’t feel real. I knew it was in there, but I definitely didn’t think it was all going to be put together,” commented the recipient of a Bromont Rising Under 25 development grant in 2019.

Her mother, Christina Barna Aharoni, said, “We were thrilled. It will put her on the map a little bit. Sometimes you have to wait for the stars to align for that perfect result. And you know what, how do you beat Phillip? But we’ll take it.”

Christina and Arielle Aharoni with Dutch Times at home. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)

While Dutch’s Bromont ribbon was a milestone for Arielle, who finished 10th in that event last year, the 23-year-old Bedminster, N.J., resident is a long way from the finish line. The professional trainer is hoping to take her 15-year-old son of Good Times (by Nimmerdor) to the Land Rover Kentucky 5-star next year, and eventually ride on Nations Cup teams for the U.S.

That’s plural for a reason — “I have ambitions to make multiple teams,” said Arielle, referencing the inspiration of German superstar Michael Jung, who does it all. Dutch is a powerful show jumper, as well as an eventer.

Arielle and Dutch in May’s $50,000 Devon Arena Eventing competition, where they finished third. (Photo courtesy of Christina Aharoni)

Eventing and show jumping are in her sights at the moment. She admits, “dressage is not quite there yet but I’m thinking one day…”

Then she conceded with a smile, “We have to get a little bit more training in us.”

Arielle began sharpening that discipline this spring with respected trainer Heather Mason, who said, “I have been very impressed with her dedication to improving her dressage. It’s clear she works hard between lessons, and the hard work paid off at Bromont.” (Arielle was eighth in that phase.)

“She has a great relationship with her very talented Dutch. It’s nice to see a young professional training and riding their own horses up the levels.”

Erik Duvander, who is involved in training such top riders as Boyd Martin and Liz Halliday-Sharp, watched Arielle at Bromont.

“I am always talent scouting, and Arielle caught my eye a few years ago,” he said.

“The girl has grit!  And you can’t teach that. With a decent horse and perseverance, you can learn the rest. This is Arielle,” he said, and at Bromont, “she did a super job.”

Arielle focuses on getting around the cross-country courses safely when she events, and that’s how she handled the Bromont route laid out by Olympic course designer Derek Di Grazia.

Arielle going cross-country on Dutch Times at Bromont. (Photo XO Girl Productions)

“I never really go for time, I never really pushed the envelope,” she said, explaining her priority is getting around safely, while she knows exactly where she could have made up time if that had been her plan.

Based at Aharoni Equestrian on a scenic Branchburg, N.J., farm, where she oversees care of 14 horses, Arielle works closely with her mother, who selected Dutch as a brash weanling out of the glamorous palomino Alino Queen (by Michellino) at Lauren Efford’s Goldhope Farm in Pennsylvania.

“He was just full of himself,” recalled Christina, “and I said, `This horse is going to be a star’.”

Arielle chuckled as she remembered the reaction of her eight-year-old self when Christina got Dutch.

“I did every sport under the sun except for riding,” she reminisced, citing ice skating, taekwondo and playing soccer.

“I didn’t want to do the same sport as my mom. And then she bought Dutch and I was upset she didn’t buy me a horse and that’s how I got started. (Toby, her first pony, still lives in the Branchburg barn.)

Christina began riding at the old Claremont stable in New York City, where she was born the year after her parents emigrated from Ukraine. She continued riding on Long Island before she wound up teaching at Winterbrook in Montville, N.J. and evented a bit, even competing at the Essex Horse Trials in its heyday. She had some lessons with Marilyn Payne and knew Denny Emerson, Bobby Costello and others still prominent in the eventing world.

Christina broke Dutch, and then turned him over to Tik Maynard, who went on to ride him in FEI competition in 2014 and 2015, before Arielle took over.

A member of the Amwell Valley Pony Club, Arielle got her A ratings in dressage and eventing. She has taught at Pony Club camp as a give-back, under the theory, “they gave you a start, you have to give them a start.”

Arielle graduated from Bernardsville, N.J., High School in three years by filling in blank spaces in her schedule with courses. She immediately got a Young Rider grant to work with Phillip Dutton for a month, then moved on to a working student job with Boyd Martin for two years before starting her own business.

Although Arielle is definitely in charge, her mother plays a major role, even though she works as a visiting nurse.

“She cleans, she organizes, she yells at me when I’m on my horse to put my heels down,” said Arielle.

“If there’s a horse with a cut, she tells us how to deal with it. She’s like a vet who hasn’t gone to vet school. Usually she’s right. She knows way more than I do, so it’s, `Yes, mother’.”

While it was a big decision to leave Boyd and go out on her own, Arielle reflected, “I’m glad I took the opportunity. It’s a long process building your own business. I’m glad I did it young, so could rely on my mom a little bit.”

She noted her mother handled the situation in such a way that “I didn’t notice I was taking over.”

Arielle’s father, Yuval, who emigrated from Israel, works for Torsilieri Inc. in Gladstone, N.J. That’s the company for which he has cut the Rockefeller Center Christmas tree and put it up in New York City. But Arielle notes he pitches in with the horses, doing a bit of everything: “He knows how to groom, tack up a horse; he will feed, he’s quite handy, he fixes the fencing.”

Christina likes the fact that Arielle is involved with three disciplines, thinking that what she learns in each makes the others stronger.

Arielle hacking Dutch Times at home. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)

“On a whim,” as Christina put it, after Arielle got more into her relationship with Dutch, they went to Andrew Philbrick for lessons a year ago. Though these days he’s best known as the impresario of Princeton Show Jumping, Andrew also has been a rider and trainer.

Christina called that relationship, “The best thing that ever happened. That accuracy in show jumping pays huge rewards on cross-country. Dutch literally skips around the 4-star now like it’s a gymnastic. Andrew is very positive and that helps the rider’s confidence, which makes them ride better.”

Andrew called Arielle “a worker. She is not a dilettante of any kind and will get on a 3-year-old or just about anything that needs a ride.”

He mentioned she has ridden in FEI show jumping classes at Princeton. Her talent has been noticed in the right places and he thought there was a possibility the eventing team for this autumn’s Pan American Games could be on her horizon.

Christina noted the Aharonis have had offers for Dutch “that would make us financially solvent. And the answer is, ‘No thank you,’ because he’s a family member. All of our horses become family members.”

While Dutch is the lead player in Arielle’s band of horses, she has others who are coming along. A pair of 5-year-olds also came from Lauren. Notorious, a buckskin, is Dutch’s full brother. Veni Vidi Vici, also known as Pickle, is by Valentino out of Dutch’s half-sister. She hopes to get them to their first events by the end of the season.

Arielle with Notorious and Pickle. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)

Lauren believes in breeding all-around horses: “They can jump, they can think, they can move. And that’s what I think is so important.”

Then there’s Chumley, bought as a hunting horse for dressage rider Alice Tarjan, who named him after her friend, eventer and dressage rider Lauren Chumley. Arielle has evented Chumley, but feels his real strength is show jumping.

Arielle on Chumley at the 2022 Essex Horse Trials. (Photo © 2022 by Lawrence J. Nagy)

She also is involved with Fantom, who came to her from Andrew. She is looking for sponsorship to help support her relationship with that horse, a show jumper.

Andrew calls Arielle, “Extremely talented. She has determination and real talent and all I really needed to do was take someone that was really concentrating on cross-country and try to then educate her in the mind of a show jumper. She has the potential to ride for both teams. It’s not very usual, but she absolutely could do this.”

The Babington Benefit has become a special tradition for a special person

by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 16, 2024

The annual Kevin Babington Benefit is more than a fundraiser; it’s also a tribute to the inspirational show jumper whose spinal cord injury has not dimmed his spirit.

He was front and center in his wheelchair last week at Victoria McCullough’s Mida Farm in Wellington, Fla., to watch five hours of show jumping, followed by an evening reception at which he was the guest of honor. Dozens of friends came by to chat and share some laughs, enjoying a chance to see Kevin in a relaxed setting on a Tuesday, while they had a day off from the Winter Equestrian Festival.

Kevin represented his native Ireland in the 2004 Olympics, where he finished fourth. He was a fixture on the grand prix circuit until 2019, when a crashing fall at the Hampton Classic left him with an injury that made him a quadriplegic.

Jeff Papows, who put on the benefit with Victoria for the Kevin Babington Foundation he chairs, said “The thing that affects me the most is to see a frantically busy community in the middle of a 12-week circuit drop whatever they’re doing and come together for Kevin. And not just Kevin, but Jonathon Millar and Alexis (Halbert) and David (Beisel) and Kim Prince and all the other people the Foundation has been able to help.”

Victoria McCullough and Jeff Papows. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)

Jeff noted the Foundation is connected with the Miami Project to Cure Paralysis and the Shepherd Center in Atlanta.

“It’s not just the financial assistance, it’s the research, the surgical interventions and the stem cells,” he explained.

“When an athlete has fallen and gotten hurt, getting them to the right place as quickly as possible makes all the difference in the world.”

Jeff added, “I just love to see the affection, particularly for Kevin. I know he looks forward to it (the benefit) all year. Even before his injury, he was probably one of the most beloved athletes on the circuit.

“I’m proud of the sport. Nobody works harder and nobody in my experience has been more giving. It’s incredibly important for Kevin’s family, because it keeps him immersed in the sport.”

Victoria also co-chairs the Silver Oak Jumper Tournament with Jeff.

“When Kevin was hurt, Jeff was like `That’s it. This is what we have to do.’ Then we realized there was no really good mechanism in show jumping to help people who could become paralyzed,” recounted Victoria.

“I am a donor at the Miami Paralysis Project and we have so much expertise. I thought, `We better share this with people, so they’re not lost when it happens.’ So the Kevin Babington Foundation to help him and anyone who’s in that position began.”

She wanted to use her beautiful grass field for jumping, and the benefit turned out to be the perfect occasion to do that for someone she respects.

Nicky Galligan competing under the palms over one of the beautiful fences at Mida Farm. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)

“Kevin will never quit. Kevin is getting better daily,” she maintained, adding she believes he will walk again.

A total of 36 horses turned out to jump on the grass beneath the palms over a colorful course laid out by Olympic course designer Leopoldo Palacios. The announcing was done by Frank Waters, who had been sidelined with several serious medical conditions himself, but bounced back to perform the job in his inimitable style.

The benefit, held for the third time, is a special occasion for Kevin.

“It means so much, it means more than you can imagine,” he said, thanking Victoria and Jeff for all they have done to put on such a lovely show and reception, where Lugano Diamonds was a sponsor.

Kevin was able to visit with many friends at the show. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)

“I’m so grateful for such an amazing event,” he continued, noting that the interlude provides an opportunity to relax and visit with friends.

At the Winter Equestrian Festival, he pointed out, “Everyone’s so busy it’s hard to catch up with them. So it’s nice to be able to spend a little time chatting with people here.”

Fellow Irishman Shane Sweetnam turned up with a mare named Unique to let her get experience on the grass and support Kevin, who he sees occasionally at the shows while he’s on the run between classes.

Shane Sweetnam and Unique on course as Kevin watches from the tent. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)

“The circuit is hard for everybody, we’re going everywhere all the time,” said Shane, noting it’s tough to be able to talk for more than a minute or two under those circumstances.

“There’s time here before and after the horses, there’s no rush. It’ s a nice, relaxed environment to chat and catch up.”

Dianna, Kevin’s wife, said of the benefit, “it definitely seems to do him a world of good, getting out. I’m so appreciative of everyone’s efforts. Because I’m so overwhelmed myself, I could never spearhead any of this. I feel a lot of this unfolds for me because of the absolute generosity and goodwill of others.”

She added, “I don’t have to ask Jeff or Victoria; it’s not like, `Can you brainstorm a new fundraiser?’ It’s happening because people get it and they are ahead of me. I contribute everything I can as it’s unfolding, but I’m not really the one who’s driving the boat. I’m keeping Kevin afloat.”

Kevin looks so much better than he did even a year ago.

He enjoyed seeing daughter Marielle compete over the fences, and confided his older daughter, Gwyneth, is now riding in Europe for dealer Francois Mathy.

Kevin watches daughter Marielle compete. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)

For his part, he said, “I’m still working on trying to get stronger and doing my PT (physical therapy) three days a week.

“I have an acupuncturist I go to who has really helped me a lot and I have a good massage therapist that I work with every week. There are a lot of new developments coming down the road that I’m signed up for. I’m working with a company in Switzerland called Onward. They have developed this chip in the brain and put another chip below where the injury was. They’re working in conjunction with the Miami Project, so I’m hopefully part of that.”

Kevin is determined to walk again.

“I have to believe,” he emphasized.

“I’m not going to give up hope. That’s for sure.”

Dutch Times is on the mend

by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 7, 2023

It started out as the ride of a lifetime around a top-level cross-country course at last month’s MARS Maryland Fair Hill event.

Arielle Aharoni, at age 23, was in her first 5-star competition on Dutch Times, a horse her mother, Christina, had bought as a weanling.

Now 15, Dutch had developed into a superb athlete who won show jumping classes, but whose heart was really in eventing. He finished second in June’s 4-star Long at the Bromont event in Canada, so a 5-star was the logical next step.

The Maryland course laid out by renowned Scottish designer Ian Stark had been upgraded in his third year on the job. The optimum time was tight (only one of the competitors would be able to beat the clock) and the hilly terrain posed its own challenge, That was in addition to the various tests ranging from a sunken road to the Crab Water with a beady-eyed replica of the crustacean as one of the elements.

Arielle Aharoni and Dutch Times on course at the Maryland 5-star. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)

When Arielle neared the end of the 28-obstacle course, Dutch continued to cover ground as if he owned it.

“It was kind of a perfect round. I never felt him get tired,” she recalled.

“He was dragging me around. There was nothing he could have done any better. He never said no.”

Then they reached what Arielle called, “the last really difficult combination,” the Fair Hill Roller-Coaster and Drop. It was so close to the end that from the next fence, the Table, number 26, “you could literally see the finish flags.”

But as Dutch negotiated the Drop, “on landing, he never put his right front down, that was pretty terrifying, it was downhill, he was at full speed on three legs,” Arielle remembered.

“It took forever to pull him up, you know, gravity; you’re going straight down a hill. I’m in distress. I’m crying, pulling him up. There were people rushing to the scene.  He’s not an easy horse to deal with when he’s all amped up like that.”

She didn’t know what had happened to him—could it be a broken leg? Please no.

After she was able to stop Dutch, the people who came to help put a cast on him and loaded him into the ambulance to bring him back to stabling.

A preliminary scan showed a rupture of the superficial digital flexor tendon. Following initial treatment, Dutch went back in the trailer and headed straight for the University of  Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, one of the country’s most highly regarded veterinary hospitals.

A later scan revealed, thankfully, that there was no involvement of the deep digital flexor tendon or suspensory ligament.

Arielle and her mother learned blunt force trauma is required in order for a tendon to rupture.

So how did it happen?

They speculated that when Dutch lost a shoe, possibly at the Foxcatcher Ditch hedge before the Roller Coaster, it might have flown off his right front hoof and hit his leg above his boot. Or he could have banged the leg on the back of a fence.

“It’s not anybody’s fault,” said Christina. “It’s just unlucky.”

Christina Aharoni makes sure Dutch gets plenty of personal attention. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)

The shock of the injury understandably shook Arielle.

“I was pretty much ready to quit riding–you know, I don’t have my friend,” she explained.

“I love the other horses, but this is the horse that made things happen for me. I wasn’t prepared at all to never do that (cross-country) with him again.”

But she does have other horses who need attention, and kept on going. Arielle rode two of them at the Waredaca, Md., Classic Three-Day Event and Horse Trials last month, finishing second and third in Open Preliminary on Littlebitadominic and Chumley. Now she hopes those horses can be promoted to Intermediate.

Meanwhile, Dutch’s most recent scan shows the tendon already is filling in a little bit. Christina noted the prognosis is “the nine-month standard tendon rehab.” However, the Arharonis reference the fact that Dutch bowed a tendon on his left front eight years ago when he had a different rider, and the vets didn’t have hope that he would be eventing again. He came back anyway.

At the moment, Dutch’s right leg is bandaged. He’s on hand-grazing and stall rest, with other horses in Arielle’s Branchburg, N.J., stable taking turns keeping him company in the next stall. Dutch amuses himself by tossing around his lead rope and trying to get his blanket, which is placed strategically out of his reach on the bar in front of his stall.

Hand-grazing is on Dutch Times’ schedule these days. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)

People have reached out with inquiries and supportive comments. Boeringer Ingelheim Animal Health sent along a case of Surpass, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that relieves pain and inflammation.

“It’s much appreciated,” said Christina.

Dutch will be going to the Aharonis’ farm in Ocala after Thanksgiving for more R&R in a friendly climate. The warm weather and limestone roads will help his healing process. After that, what he will do remains to be seen.

“He probably is not ready for retirement,” said Arielle.

“We have to hope for the best and give him something to do for the next three or four years until he starts to kind of age out.”

Possibilities include dressage, show jumping, low-level eventing or perhaps just being a mount for Christina, since she was the one who selected him all those years ago. One thing is for certain, though, said Arielle: “He’s staying with me for the rest of his life.”