by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 20, 2022
Barbara Isaac, one of the country’s pioneers in therapeutic riding, died Nov. 14 in Ormond Beach, Fla., at the age of 91.
The founder, with her husband, Hanen, in 1979 of the Handicapped High Riders Club which became Riding High Farm in Allentown, N.J., she was part of a group interested in learning about therapeutic riding instruction who gathered around Octavia Brown’s dining room table in the late 1970s.
Octavia, founder of the Somerset Hills Handicapped Riding Center (now Mane Stream in Oldwick) told those who came to her Bedminster, N.J., home everything she knew about the subject, in the days before NARHA (North American Riding for the Handicapped Association) was formed, and its successor, PATH International, wasn’t even a dream.
As Octavia recalled, Barbara “made it clear that she had been seeking something like this to put her heart into–and she did.”
Barbara devoted herself to Riding High’s clients and its growth. She also contributed to the development of therapeutic riding in the state and the country.
“Since more and more people in New Jersey were learning to be instructors and wanting to create programs, Barb suggested we create a state interest group and that was the birth in the early 1980s of HRH (Health and Recreation through Horses) of N.J., which served as a network and information resource for those providing equine assisted services,” Octavia stated.
Barbara Isaac, second from right, when Health and Recreation through Horses of N.J. received the Dominic Romano Community Service Award at Centenary University in 2013. With her, from left, were Mary Alice Goss, Joan Schneider, Gaye Collins, Octavia Brown and Liz Doskotz. (Photo courtesy Octavia Brown)
“We were the first state group under NARHA, and things just went on from there. Way more politically savvy than I was then, she contacted the New Jersey Horse Council and the New Jersey Equine Advisory Board for HRH to become a member. That opened the door to making the entire New Jersey horse industry aware of what we were up to, and they embraced us from then on,” said Octavia.
She recounted that Barbara “got herself on the board of the New Jersey Special Olympics and talked them into funding an annual statewide Special Olympics equestrian competition, as far as I know the first in the nation as a free-standing horse show.
“When the national Special Olympics were drafting guidelines and rules for national competition, the two of us went to Washington D.C. to meet Eunice Shriver (the sister of Jack and Bobby Kennedy) and persuaded her to offer horse show ribbons as well as the standard three Special Olympics medals, pointing out that this would be a horse show.
“She told us that having gone to Foxcroft (a private equestrian-oriented girls’ school), she perfectly understood why ribbons were important. That is in effect to this day. She also agreed that men and women, boys and girls of all ages should compete together, only divided by their equestrian skill level.”
Barbara went on to train future instructors at Riding High Farm, which became a PATH premier accredited program.
“It’s safe to say that while I may have introduced Equine Assisted Services to New Jersey,” continued Octavia, “it was Barb who made it respected and valuable to the movers and shakers in the New Jersey equine industry. She once said to me, `Sometimes, I feel like your pupil and sometimes like your mother.’ She taught me so much about politics, running an organization and influencing people, sometimes against their so-called better judgment, to follow her lead. Thanks to her dynamic leadership, we achieved so much in and for New Jersey.”
Barbara was a mentor to many, including Mary Alice Goss, founder of Special People United to Ride.
“She was very dynamic, very loving and very giving,” said Mary Alice, who did her practice teaching with Barbara before starting SPUR.
“She supported all of us, she helped anybody and everybody who showed an interest. If you came up to Barbara and said, `I’m thinking about starting a program,’ she started supporting you.”
Robyn Sturz, the executive director of Riding High, noted that Barbara was one of those people who made sure something got done, once she had an idea.
“Everyone jumped on the train with her for whatever the ride was going to be. She definitely was a strong-willed person and an icon in the industry. It rollar-coastered into what therapeutic riding is today.”
One of her interests was working with at-risk youth, which Riding High continues to do today, along with therapeutic and veterans’ programs, serving 95 people each week.
Barbara stayed involved with Riding High for decades. Even after retiring in 2005, she made it a part of her life for another 10 years, until she moved to Florida.
Visitation will be Nov. 27 6-8 p.m. and Nov. 28 9:30-10:30 a.m. followed by her funeral at Huber-Moore Funeral Home, Bordentown, N.J. Interment will follow at the Brig. Gen. William C. Coyle Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 350 Provinceline Rd., Wrightstown, N.J. Donations in her memory may be made to Riding High Farm, 145 County Road 526, Allentown, N.J
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 18, 2022
A horrific fall in a jump-off tragically put the brakes on professional rider Cassandra Kahle’s promising career last January. The following nine months have tested her, as she works to recover from a traumatic brain injury, focusing on therapy with the same determination she once applied to winning in competition.
Cass has never stopped pointing toward a comeback since she came out of a coma..
There was a moment while Cass was still in the hospital when her mother, Natasha Brash, tactfully asked, “What do you want to do, other than riding?”
Cass didn’t hesitate to respond.
“I don’t really know anything other than riding, I’ve done it my whole life,” she pointed out.
“I couldn’t come up with something else I felt as passionate about. I just knew I had to work at getting back to it.”
Cass and her physical therapist, Pete Marsicano, joined her mother on Zoom last night to fill in friends and relatives on how her recovery is going.
Cass can smile as she discusses her progress.
Pete, based at Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in Flanders, N.J., originally was working with Cass five days a week.
The sessions have been cut to three days a week as Cass gets better. She is back to riding at Redfields in Tewksbury Township, N.J., where she works for Emil Spadone, but notes it’s a slow process.
“There wasn’t really a thought about not getting back on,” she mentioned, while at the same time admitting, “I was nervous about getting back on.”
That was only the beginning. It was a start, yet the challenges continue.
“I can’t see a distance to a rail anymore,” she said with a smile.
“Any chance of seeing my spot like I used to; it’s gone.”
But just being on top of a horse is huge step for Cass, who was in a coma after her accident. Since she doesn’t remember the accident, or even the week before it, “In one way, I’m really fortunate,” she said. “because I have no actual fear.”
Progress has been slow, yet steady.
At the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, where Cass underwent therapy after getting out of the hospital, she learned how to stand and walk again.
When she came back to New Jersey and started going to Kessler at the end of May, it “jump-started my progress,” Cass recalled.
Knowing his patient was set on riding again, Pete set up a bolster in therapy, to simulate something that would have a relationship to a horse’s back. That enabled her to practice regaining her balance before getting into the saddle again. Pete even figured out a way for her to use an overhead weight bar, making the move equivalent to holding the reins on a strong horse without getting pulled out of the saddle.
Cass’s physical therapist at Kessler, Pete Mariscano.
“I’d have to hold my balance with my feet off the floor, so it was really like riding a strong horse with no stirrups. That really resonated with the feeling of riding and being able to hold my core and my balance and not get pulled over the fence. That was a big confidence booster,” said Cass.
“An exercise being as close to the actual task is beneficial,” Pete observed.
Natasha showed Pete how to give Cass a leg up on the bolster, because “mounting seemed like the biggest question.”
Once that got answered, it eased one of Cass’s worries.
“I hadn’t been emotional at all this whole time,” said Cass, but “just that feeling I was getting a leg up and swinging my leg over–oh my gosh, I just about broke down into tears. That was the closest I felt to getting back on a horse. And I was like, oh my goodness, this is actually real. I guess it’s going to happen.”
As Pete noted, “She’s been game for all of it, and that makes the whole PT process that much more effective.”
It was his experience working with stroke patients when he was in school the made him realize it was his life’s calling. With Cass, he is learning about horses, and on occasion he has even been spotted neighing and cantering around the clinic. They both believe a sense of humor and few laughs are a good way to smooth the journey.
Meanwhile, actually riding is a form of therapy in itself, Pete observed.
Cass at Devon when she was competing. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Cass has started to talk to a sports psychologist, who advised her to go from a fixed mindset to a growth mindset.
“That has helped me keep my positive attitude, because it’s easy to get hard on yourself and you’re learning to post all over again and you can’t keep your stirrups. It’s a rough road.”
Added Cass, “She has helped me see the other side of how hopefully I can learn from it and grow from it. Something that may have held me back before the accident, now is a good time to work on it and get down to the basics and overcome some of those issues.”
Sometimes, though, that’s easier said than done.
“It’s hard to keep a positive attitude at this stage. I’m ready to be right back to normal. I think I should be jumping and competing.”
Realistically, she added, “I’m a few months away from that. It’s time to dig in and push through and try to get back to feeling confident in my riding again. It’s a process.”
Her situation has helped her understand what her amateur students go through, “the issues and struggles they have,” and she hopes what she has gone through will help with the way she teaches them.
As she becomes fitter, things become easier. She is still working on posting trot with no stirrups.
“At first, it was half a lap each way and walk in between. Now I can trot for five minutes. That’s enough to keep you motivated and going the right way.”
Knowing that so many people care about her is crucial to her improvement, and looking ahead, she would like to find a way to help people in her position who don’t have that kind of support.
“It has made such a difference and given me comfort,” she explained.
“There could be dark times, you have to watch where you let your mind go. When I was in the hospital, coming in and seeing a new bouquet of flowers and a card really gave me the confidence that, `Okay, I can do this.’ There are no words how grateful I am for that support. It really made the difference.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 17, 2022
When you are spending time with your horses, it’s quite possible you are being watched, whether you’re showing, grooming, riding, training or engaged in some other activity. That’s the way it is when everyone has access to a digital video camera, and it can cause an issue with animal welfare.
For all the wonderful photos and videos of riders demonstrating their love and appreciation of their horse with a pat or a hug, it only takes one negative picture to set off critics of horse sport.
A rider showing appreciation for her horse helps the image of the sport. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Although you may be doing nothing wrong, a lot depends on how your actions are interpreted. There is great concern these days about “social license,” which means the way those who are exposed to equestrian sport–even if they know nothing about it–perceive and accept how animals are being treated.
It’s something that can go viral fast. Remember the outcry over what happened in the pentathlon at the Tokyo Olympics, when a coach punched a horse who had refused a jump? Pentathlon moved quickly to eliminate the equestrian portion of the five-part event (which also includes swimming, shooting, running and fencing) after it is held at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
But the incident also sparked comments from those with no knowledge of horse sport about how horses were treated in other disciplines at the Games. In today’s world, fewer people than ever are connected with horses, or in the larger picture, agriculture, as we grow increasingly urbanized and suburbanized.
At last weekend’s FEI General Assembly in South Africa, social license was a hot topic.
Roly Owers, CEO of the World Horse Welfare organization, explained “The idea behind social license is that we must be transparent, ethical and accountable for what we do. We must do right by our horses–and be seen to be doing so.
“If we are not,” he warned, “we risk losing our social license and face dwindling support, and potential intervention by outside regulation.”
The European Equestrian Federation, which participated in the meeting, cited “the importance for all stakeholders to understand the pressing needs for our sport to adapt and monitor the opinions of those around us.”
When remembering the need to do right by our horses, it is also important to keep in mind the omnipresence of digital cameras.
FEI President Ingmar de Vos stated, “There can be no complacency or reticence to change, to keep things as they are. Because the world is changing, the sporting, media and sponsorship landscapes are changing. And as a result, the way we present and manage our sports also have to change.”
That obviously will mean some new rules, sooner rather than later.
Dr. Natalie Waran, chair of the new FEI Equine Ethics and Welfare Commission, said, “there is change that needs to happen and we are here to develop a strategy, provide objective advice, make recommendations and then see how these recommendations can be put into operation.”
The commission’s first task was to obtain research about the current views of stakeholders and the wider public.
A survey involving research by the independent Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission had 27,710 people involved with horses responding. The most were from France, followed by the USA and Germany, but residents of 116 countries were queried.
Seventy eight percent of those answering the survey believed believed that welfare standards need improving, while 6 percent felt it is impossible to provide adequate welfare protection. Only 16 percent believed welfare standards are high.The majority of the respondents contend that horses frequently (46 percent) or sometimes (45 percent) enjoy being used in sports. The most respondents concerned about the welfare of horses in sport were veterinarians (87 percent) and leisure riders or drivers (84 percent.) Those least concerned were FEI board members (53 percent).
Key concerns were what happens in “the other 23 hours” that horses don’t spend competing, as well as tack/equipment, and training and riding practices.
Respondents indicated that in order for the future of the horse sport to be protected, it will be
important that above all, there is improved enforcement of existing welfare rules, as well as new welfare rules developed with an eye toward science and a required level of knowledge about equine welfare by those involved with horses.
A companion survey of the general public’s opinions about horses being used in sport had 14,273 respondents from 14 countries, but the numbers were scaled, so they could be weighted as 1,000 respondents per country. Nearly half of the respondents had had some experience with horses in the past (47 percent), while 27 percent had no experience with horses.
Asked whether they though horses enjoyed being used in sport, 47 percent believed they did sometimes, while 20 percent thought they never enjoy sports. The more experienced the respondents were with horses, the more they believed that they enjoyed being used in sport.
Those who have no experience with horses would have no way of knowing what equines do or do not enjoy, but again, this is simply a matter of how they perceive things–rather than being based on actual knowledge.
While 65 percent of the respondents were concerned about the use of horses in sport, only
35 percent had no concerns. Respondents were most concerned about endurance,
followed by eventing and carriage driving. They were the least concerned about
dressage.
Their biggest areas of concern were horse welfare (34 percent), followed by horse safety (32 percent) and then, at 9 percent, human safety and sustainability (8 percent). In terms of use of horses for leisure, 62 percent of the public had concerns.
To improve their confidence in sport horse welfare, 19 percent of the respondents would like to see or hear more about the daily care the horses receive. Another 18 percent wants
to know what happens to horses when they leave sport.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 17, 2022
European champion, reserve world champion, second place in the Longines FEI World Cup final and winner of the Grands Prix of Geneva, Zurich, Basel and Lyon, the gorgeous gray. Clooney 51 is saying goodbye to his fans next month.
Ridden by Martin Fuchs, this son of Cornet Obolensky owned by Luigi Baleri competed in two Olympics (Rio 2016 and Tokyo 2021) and won the the Rolex Grand Prix in 2019 at the Palexpo.
Just after the Olympics in August 2021, Clooney fell in turn-out and broke his shoulder. The efforts to save him for a happy retirement came to fruition. But his connections felt that what was missing from his career was a last lap to say goodbye to his many fans.
The Geneva, Switzerland, show was a natural location for this, since those involved with him are Swiss. It will happen on Sunday, Dec. 11 before the start of the Rolex Grand Prix.
“Clooney is the horse of my life, an extraordinary being. He has given me so much and it is with him that I have had my greatest successes,” stated Martin.
Martin Fuchs and Clooney. (Photo © 2018 by Nancy Jaffer)
“His accident was a terrible ordeal for him and for all my team, but in the face of it he proved what strength of character he has. Today, he is well and he deserves to have a ceremony that reflects his fabulous career and the genius that he is. Geneva was an obvious choice, as we had one of our most beautiful moments here when we won the Rolex Grand Prix.
“I am very much looking forward to this farewell, which promises to be very emotional, and during which I will be surrounded by the great Geneva public, my family, my team and my friends.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 16, 2022
The USEF’s national advanced single horse combined driving championship for 2023 will be held at the Horse Park of New Jersey in Allentown October 5-8 at the Garden State CDE.
All but one of the other national driving championships next year will be held in Ocala, Fla. They are the Advanced Ponies (Single, Pair, Four-in-Hand) and Advanced Pair Horses are set for the Spring Fling CDE February 23-26, along with all preliminary classes.
The Advanced Four-in-Hand for horses will be staged at the Live Oak International in Ocala, March 15-19.
All Intermediate Classes are set for the Tryon Fall CDE in Mill Spring, N.C., September 20-24.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 16, 2022
The Rutgers Equine Science Center has established a scholarship in memory of former Assemblyman Ronald S. Dancer, a champion of the New Jersey horse indsutry who died earlier this year.
He served the 12th Legislative District and was the deputy Republican Leader in the state Assembly. He had been a member of that body for 20 years. A horseman who was the son of the late Hall of Fame harness horse racing driver Stanley Dancer, he raced and trained harness horses professionally from 1968 through 1998.
Assemblyman Dancer was part of numerous equine-related boards and organizations over the years. He was director and vice president of the New Jersey Standardbred Breeders and Owners Association, director of the state Department of Agriculture’s Standardbred Sire Stakes Board of Trustees, a director of the U.S. Trotting Association Director representing New Jersey, and as a state horse racing commissioner.
Assemblyman Ronald Dancer and Karyn Malinowski of the Rutgers Equine Science Center.
He worked to ensure the sustainability of the equine industry in New Jersey, sponsoring the legislation authorizing the state leasing of Meadowlands and Monmouth Park Racetracks to the private sector, and advocating for the state budget line-item grants that have been made to the Rutgers Equine Science Center over the years.
Assemblyman Dancer was also a veteran of the U.S. Army, and an avid supporter of the Equine Science Center’s research into equine assisted activities for veterans with PTSD.
In 2021, he was awarded the “Spirit of the Horse” award by the Rutgers Equine Science Center. This award recognizes persons whose lives have been impacted by their involvement with horses and who continue to give back to horses and the equine industry.
“For his incomparable work as a horseman, legislator, colleague, and friend of the equine industry,” said Karyn Malinowski, founding director of the Rutgers Equine Science Center, “We are proud to announce the Assemblyman Ronald S. Dancer Memorial Scholarship, in recognition of his steadfast commitment to the equine community, education, and giving back to those in need.”
The scholarship will be given to an undergraduate student majoring in Animal Sciences with an equine emphasis, who has dedicated their time through service and leadership, just as former Assemblyman Dancer did throughout his entire career.
Further information about the establishment of the memorial scholarship will be provided in the coming weeks on the Equine Science Center’s website.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 15, 2022
The U.S. Equestrian Federation is advising competitors who intentionally under-perform in a class not to do it.
It might occur when someone is put in a class to fill it so that points count, and they need to make sure another exhibitor will place ahead of them. USEF has received reports of such behavior in the past, but recently, the frequency has increased.
The federation does not condone this behavior, and cautions members to refrain from engaging in any activity that deliberately affects the outcome of a competitive effort through Intentionally losing a class.
Actions against the basic tenets of sportsmanship and fair competition are violations of the USEF Code of Conduct, which prohibits behavior or actions detrimental to the image and reputation of the sport. The code explicitly mandates that all constituents “model fair play, respect, and the highest levels of sportsmanship.”
Deliberately under-performing in a horse show class is also considered competition manipulation, which is strictly prohibited under USEF’s recently adopted Prevention of Manipulation of Competition Policy. This has become more of an issue with the proliferation of sites where people can earn money betting on the outcome of a class.
Competition manipulation occurs anytime an athlete intentionally under-performs or loses on purpose. Even when money or another form of tangible benefit is not at stake, some form of advantage is always sought. Some may argue that manipulating an outcome by under-performing can be considered a virtuous effort in situations where a rider is instructed to “help” a barn colleague by intentionally losing a medal class so their barn mate can take home the top ribbon and qualification points.
However, intentionally losing a class and not providing your best effort in competition is unsportsmanlike; it is disrespectful of your fellow competitors and the officials, as well as supporters and fans of equestrian sport. When a competition is manipulated, there is nothing left to win for anyone; it renders sport meaningless and demoralizes those athletes who are competing with integrity and sportsmanship.
USEF competitors, as well as their support personnel, must refrain from engaging in any of these competition manipulation activities. By consciously and willingly under-performing in a class to affect the results or by instructing a competitor to do the same, you are engaging in activities that fall under the definition of competition manipulation.
Those activities are considered a violation pursuant to General Rule 702.1.d in the USEF Rule Book. These activities are clear violations of both the USEF Code of Conduct as well as the Prevention of Manipulation of Competition Policy and may be subject to action, which could result in an official warning, censure, fine, suspension, or other penalties set forth in General Rule 703.
USEF’s Code of Conduct also states that those bound by it are responsible for reporting violations. Licensed officials are obligated to report willful under-performance by a competitor or other tactics designed to “throw” a class so USEF can investigate the matter.
USEF acknowledges that willful under-performance can be difficult to definitively identify and is rare; most exhibitors invest their best effort when competing. However, if you witness an obvious, willful, and intentional manipulation of competition (i.e., blatant disregard for class conduct and specifications by never attempting to perform the required gaits or failing to follow a judge’s instructions), you should report the incident to USEF by emailing disputes@USEF.org.
By taking responsibility for their actions, fulfilling their duty to report misconduct, always providing their best effort while competing and practicing good sportsmanship, USEF members can collectively protect the integrity of equestrian sport and ensure a fair competitive experience for everyone.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 15, 2022
The mascots of the 2024 Paris Olympics have been announced, and they are….two hats. Not berets, which might first come to mind when thinking of a French chapeau. The honor instead goes to Phyrigian caps, to be called the Phryges, for short. The Phyrigian cap was a symbol of liberty during the French Revolution (and you know how that turned out.)
Here they are, the Paris 2024 Olympic mascots.
So why this incredibly odd selection, though in recent years, mascots have not been sensible and cute choices such as Amik, the beaver that was the rep of the 1976 Olympics in Montreal, or Hodori, the tiger from Seoul 1988.
According to Julie Matikhine, brand director of Paris 2024, the most important attribute for a mascot is “meaning.” Cuteness is no longer sufficient.
“We are absolutely not in an approach of symbolizing through an animal or finding the famous designer that could have an idea instead of us. Meaning comes first each time Paris 2024 is designing or creating something,” commented Julie, who said the Games wanted “a mascot with something to say.”
“To be honest, at one time we even considered that perhaps it was better not to have any mascot rather than have a mascot with no precise purpose or meaning.”
The respective Olympic mascots for Paris 2024 embody the idea of liberty “but in a cuddly way.”
Yikes.
What’s wrong with something cute that could be found in nature, such as the duck-billed platypus, kookaburra and an echidna (spiny anteater) from Sydney 2000? Many mascots were stylized, such as the 1992 Barcelona mascot Cobi,a Pyrenean mountain dog with human clothes and characteristics, and that is imaginative, rather than wacky.
The caps’ predecessor in Olympic mascot weirdness was Whatizit, later known as Izzy, the symbol of the 1996 Atlanta Games. A “product of information technology,” it was considered an unusual mascot because it was not an animal, a human figure or an object. Obviously, it started an unfortunate trend.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 15, 2022
Kay Meredith, a founding member of the U.S. Dressage Federation, has died in hospice.
The president of USDF from 1977-82, the native of West Virginia was a mentor to many, and her Meredith Manor gave riders a leg up in the discipline.
Kay Meredith
She was the 1979 American Horse Shows Association Horsewoman of the Year, and awarded the USDF Lifetime Achievement Award in 2004.
An innovator who was instrumental in the growth of USDF, she rode internationally–becoming national Grand Prix champion in 1982–and was a USEF S judge. She also was in the USDF Hall of Fame, and an author in her spare time.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 13, 2022
Irish rider Daniel Coyle got some good advice from his countryman, Conor Swail, before heading into the jump-off of the $250,000 Longines FEI World Cup at the Royal Winter Fair last night.
After Daniel asked whether his main intent should involve going for a clear round or “do I need to be quick as well?” Conor told him “you need to be fast,” and it paid off in a victory at the Toronto competition, where it was an all-mares game in the tiebreaker.
Two weeks ago, Daniel had taken the slower approach in a class and it didn’t work, “so tonight I was hungry for more,” he noted.
Daniel Coyle pulled out all the stops with Legacy to secure his win at the Royal. (Photo © 2022 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
“There wasn’t a whole lot you could do in the jump-off,” observed Daniel, referring to the difficulty in getting a fast time because of the way it was laid out, with an extreme rollback to the next-to-last fence, a vertical, and then a long run to the final obstacle, the Longines oxer.
He saw the distance early to that last fence, and while that sort of gallop is something that he hadn’t done much with his mount, Legacy, “she went all the way.” The Zangersheide he rode certainly was up to the challenge of covering ground for Daniel, who was clocked in 37.02 seconds.
Another Daniel, Bluman, followed him in the tiebreaker on the durable Gemma, but an early rail put the Israeli rider one placing down, in a slower time of 39.21.
The tiebreaker was led off by a favorite of the sold-out house, Tiffany Foster, who got support as the only Canadian with a chance to win after the initial round. The tenth of 21 riders to compete, she was the first to leave all the fences standing with Northern Light.
Tiffany Foster and Northern Light. (Photo © 2022 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
That plucky Swedish warmblood was a fill-in for Tiffany’s top mount, Figor, who is recovering from an injury. But even though Tiffany took it slow, Northern Light already had given all she had in the first World Cup of her career, and wound up with two rails down and a time penalty in 44.23 seconds to finish third.
Speaking about his first-round route, course designer Michel Vaillancourt said, “We had some silly little rails, we could have had a few more clear.”
Only two U.S. riders, Laura Kraut on Calgary Tame and Kent Farrington with Landon, made the top 10, finishing eighth and ninth respectively with four faults, as McLain Ward lost his bid with Callas for a tenth win in the class.
Michel conceded he would have liked to have five or six in the jump-off for the audience who filled every seat in the coliseum. Even so, they got their money’s worth of excitement.
The course designer, who was the 1976 Olympic individual silver medalist, made his Royal debut as a rider at the age of 15 in the open jumpers, 53 years ago, so few know the show as well as he does.
He noted there’s a big difference “between performing in front of a sold-out packed house that encourages you to go, versus hardly anybody in the stands. It’s a special, special event for sure.”
Canadians were a bit frustrated because they could have had one more to cheer for if Ali Ramsay, who rode after Tiffany, had not logged a time fault with Bonita VH Kezershof Z after keeping all the rails in place in the first round. Ramsay earned the Canadian national championship the first week of the show, an honor that also gave her an entry to the FEI weekend.
For Daniel Coyle, it’s been a hard week, with “one down, one down, one down.”
Legacy is owned by Ariel Grange, who is based locally “and that’s maybe why I was trying so hard to get something to happen, and nothing was. From the first fence forward tonight it was real difficult. It seemed like you were always turning. It wasn’t simple at any point.”
The mare came from 2000 Olympic individual gold medalist Jeroen Dubbeldam of the Netherlands, who is training Daniel. They made it to the world championships last summer, where the Irish qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics “but no medals,” so Daniel said, “I want to keep going.”
Like many riders, he is shooting for next April’s Longines FEI World Cup Finals in Omaha.
Daniel Bluman is now leading the North American League for the finals, despite “too many seconds.” He has never been to the finals, and plans to go only if he has two horses who are up to the task.
Daniel Bluman and Gemma. (Photo © 2022 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Tiffany, who wound up as leading Canadian rider, said every rider she talks to considers the Royal “their favorite show in North America,” citing the energy the crowd imparts.
Daniel Bluman, Daniel Coyle and Tiffany Foster. (Photo © 2022 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
The bubbly equestrian’s fond memories of the show include winning the Canadian medal finals and Jump Canada class in her youth. For financial reasons, she couldn’t compete very often, so the opportunity came about because her trainers paid for her to ride at the Royal and a client groomed for her.
Despite not winning the Longines class, she did realize one ambition at the show, sitting next to the whip on one of the coaches in the Pemberton Green Meadows division, renamed in tribute to a Canadian who was a pillar of the driving sport.
Tiffany Foster realizes her dream. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Tiffany had mentioned to Cawthra Burns, whose family had ridden at the Royal for generations, that her dream was to ride on a coach at the Royal.
“We can make that happen,” said Cawthra.
The rider looked incredibly glamorous, and when I asked what she had done to herself, she laughed and responded, “I brushed my hair,” then admitted she had gotten it done at a salon. She wore Cawthra’s jewels and fluffy wrap as she accompanied John White on his coach, which won Friday night’s class.
Coaches are only one part of what makes the Royal what it is. The variety in the type of competition ranges all the way from hackneys to the six-horse hitches in the draft division. Seeing an arena filled to the brim with brilliantly turned out Percherons, Clydesdales and Belgians is a something to be remembered for a lifetime.
What a magnificent sight, the six-horse draft hitches. (Photo © 2022 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
The exhibitions are always special, and this year it was the Royal Canadian Mounted Police, in their scarlet tunics, who thrilled the crowd with their precision on the black Hanoverians specially bred for that purpose.
The Royal is unlike any show in this hemisphere; the closest comparison would be the London International (formerly Olympia). If you ever have the chance to see the Canadian competition, take it. You’ll be thrilled.
