by Nancy Jaffer | May 5, 2022
The owners of Brannon Farm in Georgetown, Ky., north of Lexington are struggling with the loss of every horse in their barn as it burned to the ground about 1 a.m. on the morning of May 1. There were 25 horses killed in the blaze, along with dogs, cats and a goat. A lot of equipment also was destroyed.
When the fire department got there, the barn was “fully engulfed,” said Billy Jarrell, a family friend.
He said the stable was founded in the 1960s by Marie Brannon and her late husband, Sam, a horse trainer who is member of the United Professional Horsemen’s Association Hall of Fame. Their daughter, Nancy, is the trainer there, along with John McKeown. The stable focuses on saddlebreds and saddleseat riding. A lesson program, primarily for children, is the main part of the business.
It is believed the fire was sparked by lightning, but an official cause has yet to be determined, according to Jarrell, a U.S. Equestrian Federation licensed official.
He said the lesson horses were outside at the time of the fire, so they survived. A stable owner in Versailles, which also is in the Lexington/Fayette County metro area, has offered her facility so Nancy Brannon can continue the business, and may be able to resume work next week. Jarrell said people also are donating tack and other equipment.
Those who want to donate such items may contact Jarrell at 859-509-1503. He noted Nancy Brannon is overwhelmed by the support from the community.
A GoFundMe page was started to assist the Brannons and deal with costs not covered by insurance. Click on this link to donate.
by Nancy Jaffer | May 11, 2022
A memorial service will be held Tuesday May 17 at 11 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 404 North Alamo St., San Antonio, Texas for Helen Kleberg Groves, who was raised on the famed King Ranch.
An honorary lifetime trustee of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation, she died in San Antonio May 6 at the age of 94. Among her children is grand prix show jumper Dorothy (D.D.) Matz, the wife of race horse trainer and former show jumper Michael Matz.
Known as Helenita, she graduated from the Foxcroft School in Middleburg, Va., and attended Vassar College. She was passionate about ranching, fine horses, and family. She was a crack shot with her Colt pistol, often bettering the men around her and continued to be a keen and accurate dove and quail hunter into her nineties.
Helen Kleberg Groves
Helenita ranched her entire life, from overseeing King Ranch’s Buck and Doe Run Valley Farms in Chester County, Pa., to her own Silverbrook Farms in Staunton, Va., to Silverbrook Ranches in Texas, she focused on raising the best Santa Gertrudis cattle and Quarter Horses in the country.
She campaigned many champion cutting horses, including Miss Peppy Also and Pay 21. She was a skilled rider and loved competing across the country, winning many championship buckles and collecting limitless friends along the way. Known as the “First Lady of Cutting,” she was inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1998.
Thoroughbreds were also a lifelong passion. She led King Ranch’s Assault into the winner’s circle after his 1946 Triple Crown victory, and went on to breed, own, and race numerous horses that carried her rust and lavender silks throughout her life.
She co-bred and owned the champion filly Althea, who won the Arkansas Derby, as well as numerous other Grade I winners such as Serape, Free Drop Billy, and Hawkbill. Later in life, she could be found in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in August, enjoying the races and regaling all around her with her tales from decades past.
A lifelong learner, interested in numerous subjects including history, politics, the arts and the sciences, Helenita was a voracious reader with a steely memory. She enjoyed lunching with many of the prominent scientists from the institutions she supported, continuously expanding her broad intellect. She also was devoted to her strong corps of “Monday Night Ladies,” who are known to be the catalysts for much of the important charitable and political work done in San Antonio.
Helenita was a philanthropist, who took her service very seriously. She served as president of the Robert J. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation until 2020 and continued on the board until her death. Additionally, she served on the boards of educational institutions as well as the National Sporting Library and Museum, in Middleburg, Va.
Her knowledge and acumen as a rancher, horsewoman, and cattle breeder made her an indispensable member and leader on many boards, including the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, the National Cutting Horse Association and her beloved King Ranch, where she served as a director from 1956-1988, and where her influence was felt for the remainder of her life.
Predeceased by her ex-husband, Dr. John Deaver Alexander, and her second husband, Lloyd L. Groves. Helenita is survived by five children in addition to Dorothy: Helen C. Alexander, Emory A. Hamilton (Fred), John D. Alexander (Claire), Caroline A. Forgason, Henrietta K. Alexander. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Deaver, Cadell, and Robert “Berto” Alexander, Helen H. Cottingham (Charlie), James Forgason, Laird George, and Alex, Lucy, Robert, and Arthur Matz.
Honorary pallbearers will be Deaver, Cadell, and Berto Alexander, Helen Cottingham, James Forgason, Laird George, Alex, Lucy, Robert and Arthur Matz.
The family would also like to recognize the extraordinary care her caregivers provided late in her life, especially Araceli Sutherland, Flor Smith, Dominique Palomo, Julieta Chavez, Ana Cardoza, Stephanie Sutherland, Jessie Gutierrez, and Karel Hoffman.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the King High Historical Foundation, the National Sporting Library and Museum, or any of the charities Helenita supported throughout her life.
by Nancy Jaffer | May 4, 2022
Thoroughbreds are few and far between at the upper ranks of three-day eventing, ever since the steeplechase and roads and tracks elements were eliminated from the sport’s prestige competitions after 2005.
With the departure of the long format, where endurance was key, the heart exhibited by thoroughbreds on cross-country suddenly wasn’t quite as important as the ability to perform first-rate dressage and show jumping.
It was good news for the Europeans, who had long wanted to sell their warmbloods for eventing, but it meant that the horses once synonymous with the game were out of favor. The top 10 in the 5-star division at last weekend’s Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event included everything from a Hanoverian (eventual winner fischerChipmunk FRH) to a Selle Francais and several Holsteiners, but only one thoroughbred in that top group.
That was Phillip Dutton’s well-bred off-the-track mount, Sea of Clouds by Malibu Moon (A.P. Indy X Mr. Prospector). Sea of Clouds is owned by Sheikh Fahad Al Thani of Qatar, who raced him, along with Graham Motion who trained him at the track and his wife, Anita Motion, as well as Phillip and his wife, Evie Dutton. He started just twice in races, then made his debut in FEI competition during 2017.
Phillip Dutton and Sea of Clouds going cross-country at Kentucky. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
There were eight other thoroughbreds in the 5-star field of 45 who appeared for the first horse inspection. They finished 11th, 20th, 21st, 23d and 30th, in last place. Three were eliminated, two on cross-country and one in the final horse inspection.
Sea of Clouds was tied for 31st in dressage, but moved up to seventh after cross-country, one of just three horses who made the optimum time over Derek di Grazia’s exacting track. (Phillip has had 11 cross-country clears at Kentucky between 2008 and this year, more than any other rider.)
The other horses double clear on the 5-star cross-country were Michael Jung’s mount, fisherChipmunk, a Hanoverian who has a heavy dose of thoroughbred in his bloodlines, and Boyd Martin’s ride Tsetserleg, a Trakehner by Windfall whose dam, Wundermaedel, was a thoroughbred off the track.
The 11-year-old Sea of Clouds dropped three places in the final Kentucky 5-star standings after two knockdowns in the show jumping finale. His 10th-place finish was the highest for a thoroughbred in the 5-star.
Sea of Clouds going cross-country at the 2019 Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event in the 4-sart Long division. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
His performance encapsulates the pluses and minuses of a thoroughbred at the highest level of eventing. At Britain’s Badminton 5-star, which gets under way today, only 3.5 percent of the starters are thoroughbreds. Phillip is riding Z, a Zangersheide, at that competition.
So after Kentucky wrapped up, I asked Phillip if thoroughbreds still have a place in the sport at the highest level.
“The right one does,” he said. As he has noted, they are bred for galloping, a key for cross-country success where making the optimum time is so important, as time penalties can often be decisive in the placings.
But even so, “the dressage and show jumping have gotten so difficult that horses are getting bred especially for it,” Phillip pointed out, then added, “You can’t get a better cross-country horse than the thoroughbred.”
Sea of Clouds in the dressage at Kentucky. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
The trick, he said, is to find one who can move well enough for the dressage. That isn’t something in which Sea of Clous is a standout, and at Kentucky, he “got a little tense” as Phillip put it and kicked up his heels in the canter work to the point where the spectators went, “Oooh.”
(Amanda Pottinger of New Zealand found a thoroughbred who can handle the dressage. On the first day of the Badminton Horse Trials May 5, she stood seventh on a very respectable 25.9 penalties with the 16-year-old Just Kidding. He is by 2000 Kentucky Derby winner Fusaichi Pegasus.)
If you think back to all the great thoroughbred jumpers (remember Idle Dice and Jet Run?), that phase shouldn’t be an issue.
In addition to his 10th-place ribbon, Sea of Clouds won the Thoroughbred Incentive Program award at Kentucky.
Oh, and in case you’re wondering, a sea of clouds is an overcast layer of clouds, as viewed from above. Great name.
by Nancy Jaffer | May 1, 2022
A memory from the 1984 Olympics that has stuck with me was French show jumper Pierre Durand walking out of the ring in Los Angeles with a bridle in his hand after Jappeloup refused and he fell off, along with the bridle. It was a sad picture, but at the 1988 Games in Seoul, Pierre regained his stature by winning individual gold on the same horse.
My reason for this little trip down memory lane was what happened to Doug Payne this weekend at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day as he came off, along with the bridle, when Starr Witness (who had been leading the 4-Star Short division) took exception yesterday to the first element of the challenging three-part Park Question obstacle on cross-country.
But while it took Pierre four years to recoup, it only took Doug one day. This afternoon, he moved up from a fifth-place tie after cross-country to third on Quantum Leap with one of only six double-clears in a field of 30 that show jumped over a Steve Stephens-designed course in the 5-Star division at the Kentucky Horse Park.
Doug took the national 5-Star championship with 38.4 penalties as the highest-placed American in the event, which was especially impressive since he was 25th after the dressage phase. And I should remind you he was also the highest-placed U.S. rider at the Tokyo Olympics, where he was 16th on Vandiver.
Doug Payne was the top American in the Kentucky 5-star aboard Quantum Leap. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
I didn’t bother leading off this story by saying that Germany’s Michael Jung won the competition on fischerChipmunk FRH, because that was a foregone conclusion, barring a disaster of Biblical proportions. He led from start to finish in taking his 11th 5-Star victory, and his 20.1-penalty score was the lowest ever for an event at that level. In the record books, he is tied with Sir Mark Todd (now retired and training race horses) for the number of wins. The leader is Britain’s William Fox-Pitt with 14 victories.
No American has won the big prize at Kentucky since Phillip Dutton did it in 2008. Now Michi has won four times at Kentucky, just one behind Bruce Davidson’s record of 5.
Michael Jung was all smiles after a clear show jumping round on fischerChipmunk FRH. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I had a really great feeling in the warm-up, and it makes you a bit more relaxed, but the pressure is on,” said Michi, who is thinking about riding for the German team at the world championships in Italy this summer.
“I tried to stay really concentrated and focused with this horse. He’s amazing,” the rider continued, noting he enjoyed each phase on the 14-year-old Hanoverian gelding, thanking the owners for buying the horse and keeping him available for the German team.
Jung makes everything look effortless, but there’s plenty of work behind his success.
“Of course, you always try to do your best, that’s why you wake up every morning and go to stables in minus 20 degrees, and in the rain, and in the heat,” Jung said.
“It’s a very special moment for me, and I have to give thanks for my whole team in the background — helping train the horses and bring the horses to this level. And big thanks to the fischer group so that we can keep this horse in Germany and make it so that I’m allowed to ride such an amazing horse.”
Boyd Martin, the top American last year and in 2019, was second going into show jumping with his Olympic mount, Tsetserleg, but told me yesterday he had no illusions about overtaking Michi and Chip, since they had two rails and a few time penalties in hand. Sadly, Boyd wasn’t able to keep his runner-up position, dropping a rail in the triple combination and at the next-to-last fence in the Rolex Stadium, where 22,185 people were riveted as they watched the action.
Boyd wound up fourth, behind Michi, Doug and Yasmin Ingham, a 24-year-old British competitor from the Isle of Man, who was the youngest rider in the competition. She and Banzai du Loir had no jumping faults, but accumulated 2.8 time penalties while leaving the rails in place for a total of 31.7 penalties.
Yasmin Ingham of Great Britain was delighted with the efforts of Banzai du Loir in the 5-star. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
A thrilled Yasmin never lost her poise, saying of her Selle Francais, “He has exceeded all expectations.I have all the confidence in this horse. He was very professional all weekend, and it was amazing to pull it together for all three phases at such an incredible event.”
Not that getting to Kentucky in the first place was easy.
“It was tough to get to the flights and with all the traveling, but I wouldn’t take it back for the world,” she said.
“We’ve been treated so well, so a huge thanks for all the volunteers that make this happen. I’m very thankful to be here.”
Back to Doug. Today was a sorrow as well as a joy (which seems to encapsulate the ups and downs of the eventing experience ) because it was the last time he will compete on his Olympic mount, Vandiver.
The horse had a stop on cross-country and two rails today. Quinn, as he is known, will now compete at the Preliminary level with Doug’s groom, Courtney Carson, before perhaps going on to a young rider.
“He’s not a horse who will be very happy out in the field. He wants to keep doing it. He loves it,” said Doug, who had been hoping for a “strong top 10 finish” with him and thought Quantum would be lower in the rankings.
Doug Payne and Quantum Leap in action during the show jumping phase. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
He was happy Quantum’s co-owner, Susan Drillock was at the horse park.
“She hasn’t been really seen him compete very often. For her to be here to see this is beyond special.”
At the same time he was feeling sadness about Quinn, he didn’t let it dominate his performance.
“You have a job to do. There’s always ups and downs. I’ve always found a way to compartmentalize if something goes wrong, put that past and move to the next. Quantum deserved my full attention and focus.”
In the 4-Star Short, leader Dan Kreitel couldn’t bring his first place standing home, after his horse Carmango, showed resistance at the beginning of his round, then dropped two fences and accumulated time faults to drop him to fourth.
The touching story of how his wife had cancer, his infant daughter barely survived and he tried to juggle that with his work in real estate and training his horse had made an impact on everyone who heard it.
Phillip Dutton, second on Quasi Cool, noted that the other riders’ sympathy was with Dan.
“One part of the sport that’s not fun, is that we all wanted Dan up here,” said Phillip, referring to the table at the press conference where the top three riders in each division are seated.
“He’s such a great guy and I hope we see a lot of him and his horse in the future.”
Liz Halliday-Sharp moved up to first place from second with a perfect trip aboard Cooley Quicksilver to end on 29.7 penalties.
This photo illustrates the challenge 4-star combinations such as Liz Halliday-Sharp and Cooley Quicksilver faced over Steve Stephens’ demanding course. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I couldn’t ask for more from him, he rose to the atmosphere and I didn’t expect that many spectators for the 4-Star,” said Liz, who turned in a double-clear.
“It was wonderful to have crowds back. The course was great, well-designed and it made you think about the lines. The time was tight, there’s a lot to see in that arena and you never know what the younger horses might do, but all in all, it was a really great day and I’m thrilled for the owners, team and horses.”
Phillip was further back on 38.6 penalties with his ex-racehorse, saying, “A lot of this sport is all about the dream, and there are a lot of disappointments, but he looks to have the makings of a great horse.”
James Alliston, a native of Great Britain who recently became an American citizen like his wife, Helen (who is the owner of his horse, Paper Jam) finished third with 43.4 penalties and just 0.4 time penalties.
The horse had done only two Advanced competitions prior to heading East from California.
“But he’s very brave naturally, so I was hoping I wasn’t being stupid. I’m very happy, he’s a good show jumper normally but this is a whole thing with the crowds and the long course, so I’m really happy with him.”
“It’s a dream to come and do this,” added James, who at one time worked for Bruce Davidson.
NBC is airing its program of the event at 1 p.m. on Saturday, May 14.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 19, 2022
The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association announced that an email “phishing” scam has targeted some members with messaging that appears to originate from USHJA. The organization is providing guidance on what can be done to protect against this.
The email to which USHJA was alerted was sent with the subject line “charity campaign” from an @ushja.com address, which is not a legitimate USHJA email account. These emails are fraudulent and should be considered malicious. If you have received this email or something similar, take these steps:
• Do not click on any links in the email
• Report an email like this to ftc.gov or by forwarding to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org
• Mark the email as SPAM with your inbox provider
Also, USHJA wants you to know the following about emails it sends out:
• We will always include our physical address in emails we send. This is located at the bottom of the emails.
• We will always provide a way for you to opt out of receiving communications from us, though we hope you won’t opt out. You can manage what emails you receive from us at the bottom of every email we send, under “Manage Preferences.”
• We will always disclose a sponsor relationship if we are sending an email on behalf of a sponsor, and it will still come from us.
• We will never solicit you for funds related to another individual member. As a 501(c)3, we are not permitted to raise funds for an individual.
• We will never ask you to provide credit card or social security numbers via email.
• We will never solicit donations or payment through a third party payment service such as PayPal, Venmo or Zelle.
While phishing scams are common in today’s environment, there are steps you can take to help avoid them:
• Beware of emails with major typos or formatting issues
• Don’t trust unsolicited email
• Be cautious of email attachments
• Be sure your antivirus software is up to date
• Install a personal firewall and keep it up to date
• Configure your email client for security
by Nancy Jaffer | May 12, 2022
Did you miss watching the Land Rover Kentucky 5-star three-day event? Or did you enjoy watching it so much you’d like to see highlights again?
NBC television will be presenting the event Saturday May 14 at 1 p.m. Eastern time. Tune in to watch the masterful riding of superstar Michael Jung and the technique of his amazing mount, fischerChipmunk FRH. Cheer on Doug Payne, the highest-placed American rider and enjoy the opportunity to see competitors from around the world.
Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk master cross-country. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Commentary by Olympic gold medalist Melanie Smith Taylor will offer insight into the action as one of the world’s toughest competitions unfolds. Enjoy seeing the beauty of the Kentucky Horse Park in the spring as a bonus.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 28, 2022
There was a big announcement at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event’s welcome party, held at the Fasig-Tipton sales facility in Lexington last night. After the Kentucky hot browns, shrimp salad and fried artichokes were passed around, came word that Janie Atkinson will be installed in the U.S. Eventing Hall of Fame at the organization’s annual meeting this autumn.
Janie is the former longtime director of the event (back when 4 stars was the highest rating and the long format with its steeplechase and roads and tracks phases was still in use.) These days, she’s an active volunteer, putting flags and obstacle signs on the fences and doing whatever else needs to be done in the way of chores.
Would she ever think of skipping the event?
“Not while I’m still cooking,” she insisted.
Mike Cooper of EEI, U.S. Eventing President Max Corcoran, Kentucky Horse Park Commission Chairman Alston Kerr, an emotional Janie Atkinson and Jane Beshear. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Jane Beshear, Kentucky’s former first lady and mother of current governor Andy Beshear, has known Janie for decades and is well-versed in her contributions to the event and the development of the horse park.
“Janie took this event from just an infant to where it is today,” said Jane Beshear.
“She was the voice of eventing all over the country; people know Janie Atkinson and what she’s done for the event world everywhere. She loves the sport,she knows it inside-out and she’s not afraid to voice her opinion.
“That’s what made her such a great leader in this sport, not only for Equestrian Events (EEI, which puts on the event), but really worldwide. She without a doubt deserves to be in this Hall of Fame of eventing,” continued Jane, who has served on the horse park commission.
After the 1978 eventing world championships put the new horse park on the map, Jane recalled, the event was struggling for few years–until the arrival of Janie.
As Jane put it, “She came in and put her foot to the grindstone and really just continued to build and build and build. Her influence is where we are today.”
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by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 18, 2022
There’s another championship on the equitation scene. The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association will be offering a Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic for amateurs in 2023.
It will be run along the same format as the version open to juniors. It’s a three-round class combining the precision of equitation and handiness of hunters over a course set at 3 feet.
It will be open to any active USHJA amateur member who has placed first, second or third in adult equitation classes in the age group equitation at 2’9” or higher, 3’3” Adult Jumping Seat Medal, Taylor Harris Insurance Adult Medal class and the Ariat National Adult Medal class. Qualifying classes begin June 1, with the inaugural Classic being held in 2023 at a date and location to be announced.
For more information and program specifications for the USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic for amateurs and the USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic, presented by Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry College, visit ushja.org/Gladstone.
by Nancy Jaffer | May 4, 2022
The Langer Equestrian Group is asking equestrians to contact the Los Angeles City Department of Recreation and Parks before Thursday morning May 5 to express their concern about having equestrian competition and boarding continue at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.
The recreation and parks staff is recommending to the commissioners that the current management and operation of LAEC be terminated in the next 90 days and a new operator, ASM Global, be brought in as an interim operator.
LAEC has reached out to remedy LEG’s previous frustration with LAEC, and Dale Harvey of West Palms has joined LEG in bringing hunter/jumper shows back to LAEC last year. The combined effort included approximately $500,000 in horse show facility improvements in 2021 alone.
Marnye Langer of LEG has researched the proposed operator, and found that although it has stadium and amphitheater experience, she has not been able to determine whether that involve any substantive horse experience.
“While several facilities are listed on their website, including Del Mar Fairgrounds, I cannot determine the direct equestrian connection. I have reached out to ASM by phone, email, and through their website and never received a response,” she said.
She has asked that comments be shared with the commissioners before Thursday morning “if you want to see horse shows and horses continue at LAEC. They need to hear all voices, not just the loud dissenters. The management of LAEC may have things to work on, but they want to operate a quality boarding and event management place for horses and the people who love them.”
Emails should be sent to RAP.Commissioners@LACity.Org. Reference Board Report 22-114 LAEC in the subject line of the email..
by Nancy Jaffer | May 5, 2022
As the International Omaha annual horse show got underway this week at the CHI Health Center, the Omaha Equestrian Foundation looked toward next year to announce that the FEI World Cup™ finals 2023 will offer a tribute to the horse’s regional tradition and cultural impact, with the Native American heritage as part of the event’s theme and program.
The foundation is seeking to broaden community understanding of Native American history with its initiative at the show April 4-8, 2023. The finals feature not only show jumping and dressage, as was the case in 2017, but also vaulting, which is gymnastics on horseback.
Beginning in 1723, horses transformed the Great Plains region tribes’ hunting tactics, inspired artistry, strengthened transportation routes and expanded their health and wealth. Plains tribes with roots in Nebraska include the Omaha, Northern Ponca and Santee.
“Where we’re standing here in Omaha was the site of a societal transformation 300 years ago — horses changed our way of life on the Plains,” said Steve Tamayo, a traditional Sicangu Lakota artist who founded the Bluebird Cultural Initiative.
“As we celebrate the horse’s majesty and grace at the renowned FEI World Cup Finals, we’re excited to use the international platform to share authentic stories about the horse’s lineage in this region and its cherished place within our people’s history.”
Tamayo consulted on the design of the FEI World Cup™ Finals 2023 first promotional poster, which presents a thematic template for the event by depicting two triumphant horses from two different eras and alluding to their ancestral linkage. The marketing campaign was created by Turnpost Creative Group in Omaha under the guidance of Stuart Lundgren, principal and creative director.
The horse on the left side of the poster has dressage braids, an English bridle and a purple and white competition ribbon. The horse on the right has a white circle painted around its left eye to commend its keen vision — and it has stripes painted across its nose and feathers attached to its mane, features representing valor and courage in battle.
The poster also includes symbolic cultural references within its multi-colored background stripes — horse hoof imprints and four-direction sun emblems are positioned between rhythmic waves and the legendary thunderbird.
“Just as we honor horses today for their achievements in a world-class competition event such as the Final of the FEI World Cup, our indigenous relatives of the Plains decorated and adorned their horses and told a dozen different stories with regalia and symbols,” Tamayo said.
“The markings explained all of the deeds and achievements carried out by the horse, a valued and respected member of the tribe.”
In addition to the competitions, the FEI World Cup™ Finals 2023 will include shows, exhibits and demonstrations, VIP amenities and on-site shopping. Links to Native American culture, designated and designed under the counsel of Bluebird Cultural Initiative, will be incorporated within each auxiliary entertainment element.
“We are thrilled to again serve as the host site for this prestigious event, and we are honored to collaborate with Bluebird Cultural Initiative as we progress through the planning stages,” said Omaha Equestrian Foundation CEO Julie Boilesen.
“The world will be watching in 2023, and we recognize the opportunity to enrich the event experience by showcasing horses’ regional history and impact on Native American culture.”
Next year marks the second time that Omaha will serve as the host for the FEI World Cup™ Finals. More than 52,000 spectators, representing 38 countries and all 50 U.S. states, were in attendance in 2017.
The FEI World Cup™ Finals 2023 stands to build off the 2017 success as the Vaulting Final makes its North America debut. Vaulting, a visually exciting equestrian discipline that intertwines the acrobatics of gymnastics with showmanship, joins Jumping and Dressage as the three events at FEI World Cup™ Final.
“The FEI is eagerly anticipating the FEI World Cup Finals’ return to Omaha in 2023. Horses are part of the cultural heritage of regions around the world, and we’re honored to recognize their legacy and influence on the Great Plains Native American tribes,” said FEI President Ingmar De Vos.
“The Finals in 2017 were a resounding success, and we’re certain Omaha will yet again provide a memorable experience for competitors and spectators at the Finals next year.”
New features are in development for the 2023 event and will be announced as they become available at www.OmahaEquestrian.org.
