It’s the waiting game for Lord Stirling Stable

by Nancy Jaffer | May 22, 2020

Today the state of  New Jersey has lifted pandemic-imposed restrictions on horseback riding, but that won’t mean the reopening of the lesson program at the Somerset County Park Commission’s Lord Stirling Stable in Basking Ridge.

A month ago, the park commission decided to cancel until the end of the year all programming which involves events, clinics, lessons and camps at a variety of commission facilities, including the stable. The reason is financial, with the commission citing the loss of revenue due to Covid-related closure of its golf courses during March and April, and limits on the number of players who could go out during part of May.

Of the approximately $9 million in revenue generated by the commission, approximately $6.5 million comes from golf.  Part of those proceeds pay much of the costs at the stable, which does not sustain itself financially. An estimate of revenue losses from golf just through the end of June came in at $2.5 million. In order to cope, $2.1 million in the commission’s operating budget was earmarked for cancellation.

The stable had a deficit of more than $500,000 in 2019, although economies made in running the facility brought that figure down from more than $700,000 12 years ago, according to an article by stable manager Marge Margentino. She was writing in the spring newsletter put out by Friends of Lord Stirling Stable, a volunteer group that supports the stable and the park commission’s efforts, along with the school horse retirement program.

Geoffrey Soriano, secretary-director of the park commission, said that while everything run by the Park Commission does not have to break even or make a profit, “the losses incurred at some of our facilities have caused the Commission to reconsider its business model.”

At the end of 2019, even before the advent of Covid, a downsizing decision for the stable was made. Marge noted in the newsletter that lesson registration at the stable was down 19 percent, part of a nationwide trend. According to statistics from the American Horse Council and the American Horse Publications association, since 2005 the equine industry as a whole has had a downturn, with fewer riders participating in pleasure and trail riding. Meanwhile, the state’s Covid-related prohibition of gatherings, such as pony parties, would hurt revenue as well.

After the cancellation decision, some horses were sent to be sold by Pond Hill in Vermont, the business from which they were purchased, some went into the retirement program and others were turned out on Lord Stirling’s pastures.

Lord Stirling’s lesson horses were put out to pasture before being dispersed for financial reasons.

This month, however, all the remaining lesson horses have been dispersed. One group went to Pond Hill, while others became part of the retirement program. The dispersal meant enough money was saved so employees on the staff of 12 did not have to be laid off. In addition to caring for horses, however, tight finances mean staff has to pitch in elsewhere by rotating out to different park commission facilities, where they do everything from planting flowers and weeding to other forms of maintenance.

In a letter explaining the situation that was sent this week to those who ride at the stable, Geoff stated that the decision to disperse the herd was made after much deliberation.

“Financially, there is no other option. The cost to maintain the remaining horses over the next seven months excluding labor, facility costs and utilities is more than $115,000,” the letter stated.

Including those items and equipment maintenance brings the total to just under $409,000, and it would have been even more expensive with additional costs if programming were to resume. An extra financial burden in the wake of Covid would have stemmed from the need to adhere to Centers for Disease Control guidelines and other government restrictions.

Five ponies remain at Lord Stirling–they are relatively low-cost to keep, and good ones are hard to replace. Boarders are staying and more will be taken in to fill the stable’s box stalls. Some of the retired school horses in the Friends program also are still at the stable.

Lord Stirling Stable has been honored by Rutgers as a Gold Medal Horse Farm for its dedication to environmental sustainability.

Although money has been set aside to purchase or lease horses in January, when lessons can start up again beginning with advanced riders to get the animals acclimated, questions remain about the stable’s future. (to learn more about Lord Stirling, click here)

“The Park Commission is responsibly and diligently looking at all options,” Geoff observed, noting a committee is examining alternatives for the stable, which could include having a private operator lease it.

There are eight county-owned stables in New Jersey in addition to Lord Stirling. They are located in Mercer, Gloucester, Essex, Bergen, Union, Passaic, Monmouth and Morris counties. Only Union, Somerset and Mercer have county-run lesson programs. Monmouth is limited to therapeutic riding and Gloucester is primarily an events-oriented facility with a private lesson purveyor, while the others are leased to private operators.

Asked whether the stable might close, Geoff responded, “Lord Stirling Stable has been in existence for over five decades.  As such, any permanent closure would only occur after all other prudent options have been completely exhausted.”

Anything run by government has increased expense because bidding for goods and services is required, and costs for employees are higher due to benefits and pensions. A privately run stable doesn’t have to go out to bid for items, and can buy and disperse horses any way it chooses. But according to state law, Lord Stirling’s horses may be purchased only through an auction or licensed dealer, both of which must have a New Jersey registration certificate.

Horses must be dispersed through those avenues or the retirement program, which has eligibility requirements for the horses it takes. Current riders in this instance, however, may be able to purchase horses from the dealer, but must wait to be advised of how to do that, according to the letter.

Sadly, there are ever-fewer places in the country today where people can learn to ride, or be involved with equestrian sports if they don’t have a horse. Lord Stirling has developed a community of devoted riders, many of whom have been part of its program for years.

Trail rides have been part of the fun at Lord Stirling.

“What we’re doing for members is to try and keep them encouraged,” said Nancy Brown, president of the Friends, which has 150 members and access to mailing lists that can bring in volunteers as needed.

“We’re trying to keep our organization intact.  We’re trying to look at increasing our online fundraising,” she said, noting an online gift auction will replace the facility’s holiday festival at the stable. It is the group’s largest fundraiser, benefiting the school horse retirement program.

As Marge noted, the riders aren’t the only ones feeling a loss.

“It’s been a very tough emotional time for the staff,” she explained.

“They spend eight hours a day, seven days week with these horses.”

Reopening at last–to some extent…

by Nancy Jaffer | May 20, 2020

The good word for New Jersey stables that have been stalled in pandemic lockdown is that as of Friday, May 22, Gov. Phil Murphy is lifting coronavirus restrictions on horseback riding, along with a number of other recreational activities such as tennis, which easily lend themselves to social distancing.

And this is the first day that all 50 U.S. states have reopened, though many are in different stages of the process at the moment. The timing is good, with U.S. Equestrian Federation-recognized shows set to start June 1 after a nationwide shutdown of such competitions that began March 23.

It’s time to get going with competition again. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)

Not every show on the calendar will be held, however. You have to remember, that to paraphrase Winston Churchill in another context, this is not the end of pandemic-related problems, and probably not even the beginning of the end. But it is the end of the beginning. Thank goodness.

The Eastern States Dressage and Combined Training Association’s Memorial Day Dressage Show, which would have been a highlight of this weekend, has been postponed. Holly Cornell, ESDCTA’s president, is hoping that time for it may be added to the organization’s Summer Days show, now slated for July 16 and 17.

Summer Days has been scheduled for the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone and is another competition that remains up in the air–as so much is at this point–until we see where the Covid restrictions are going.

The importance of shows like Summer Days has been increased with word today that September’s Dressage at Devon has been cancelled. Look in the On the Rail section of this website for details.

The June 5-7 Windy Hollow Hunt dressage show, slated for Sussex County, is another Covid cancellation, with organizers hoping things will be more settled in July so they can hold their next show.

Katie Benson at Briarwood Derby Day. (Photo © 2018 by Nancy Jaffer)

July’s Briarwood Derby Day, always a fun competition for a good cause, has been cancelled. It was founded a decade ago by Katie Benson in memory of her husband, Jack, who died of cancer. The competition has raised more than $275,000 for Hunterdon Regional Cancer Center, and Katie assures us it will be back next year.

On the bright side, hunter paces are starting up. Windy Hollow has one scheduled for May 31 at 10 Dekay Road in Vernon, the Monmouth County Hunt has moved its June 14 pace to June 28, while the Amwell Valley Hounds plan to hold theirs on June 6 at Horseshoe Bend Park in Kingwood Township. Here’s a note, about something you probably will see often. There won’t be a portable toilet at this pace, by order of Kingwood Emergency Management, because under Covid standards it would have to be cleaned every time it was used. But don’t you have a manure bucket in your horse trailer?

The Horse Park of New Jersey is staging a soft opening, with barrel racing tentatively set for the holiday this Monday, but no outside spectators will be allowed and only 10 people can gather at a time for the competition.

Adam Furlong, president of the park’s trustees, said unmounted individuals can come to the park for walks on foot starting this Friday, but with social distancing and no groups.

Private groups of less than 10 people for lessons and training with anyone who holds a Horse Park professional membership can be scheduled, along with some cross-country schooling days, although trustees are still working on details about what measures are needed in terms of holding competitions as they consult with government officials. Adam is hopeful that eventually the 10-person cap can be raised “to bring a greater sense of normalcy.” Meanwhile, the park trustees are continuing to update and refine the facility’s Covid policy as they try to make the dollars work.

“The Horse Park runs on a slim margin in a good year,” said Adam, noting, “We’ve been aggressive in trying to reduce expenses and overhead while we’ve been closed.” But he added it will take time to firm up finances in the wake of early cancellations, including April’s Four Seasons show and May’s signature Jersey Fresh International eventing fixture.

Although the park applied for federal payroll protection funds, the money has not been received and employees had to be furloughed. That means the park is looking for volunteers to help board members do maintenance, everything from mowing the grass to various tasks involved in sprucing up.

“The trick from here,” said Adam, “is going to be allowing events to return so we can bring our employees back as quickly as possible and operate with new guidelines and protocols, which are obviously going to have their own financial ramifications as well.”

Morgan Rowsell, co-organizer of the New Jersey Horse Trials at the Horse Park, is hopeful they can take place June 27 and 28. Adam said June 5 will be the day when a final decision is made about that.

Pent-up enthusiasm is such that the event already has 100 entries, and attracted 15 Advanced division competitors on the day entries opened, which is highly unusual, according to Morgan. Riders are itching to get out after months of down time. But the number of riders allowed has to be such that events without spectators can still afford to run.

The event would be held under USEF protocols aimed at Covid safety, which includes all kinds of sanitizing and social distancing, as well as a requirement to bring your own food (it won’t be available on the grounds), online entries and no spectators. Morgan noted it won’t be difficult to have social distancing on the park’s nearly 200 acres in Monmouth County.

He is also co-organizer of the July 18-19 MARS Equestrian Essex Horse Trials in Far Hills, and is hoping that can be held. Parameters for such events should become clearer as the days pass. He said a decision on holding the 2020 edition of Essex likely is two weeks away.

Flora Lea in Medford was supposed to have its  Spring Horse Trials this weekend but it cancelled. Its June Young Eventing Horse and Mini Horse trials also was cancelled. Flora Lea, which has been running a USEA event since 1975, hopes to stage its Fall Horse Trials in September.

USEF has offered webinars with various affiliates about how competition should resume. (See the story below this one on the main page of this website.) There is quite a list of requirements, but it is nothing compared to what was produced by Major League Baseball, which has a 67-page document outlining medical protocols to be followed once that sport begins again.

During the USEF/U.S. Eventing Association webinar this month, one of the panelists, USEA Vice President of Competitions Jonathan Elliott, warned he didn’t foresee awards ceremonies under the current conditions, envisioning that riders would pick up their ribbons from a table and shouldn’t count on a photo op.

Eventers just need to get out there, and qualifications for future events are important to achieve. USEA President Max Corcoran suggested it might be helpful for eventers to consider starting out a level below where they finished last season.

Riders in all disciplines have to think about whether they are prepared to compete. As U.S Dressage Federation President Lisa Gorretta put it, “If you are ready and comfortable to resume competition, you should. If you are not ready or not comfortable, that is okay too.”

It’s been a difficult spring for many riders, including some who have their own horses but were barred from coming to their barns for weeks due to state restrictions.

Stephanie Desiderio, who runs Tranquillity Farm in Chester Township with her husband, Ricci, and their son, Michael, as well as their daughter, Alexandria, said their 72-horse facility was on lockdown for four weeks, so they took the time to make improvements in the facility. The Desiderios and staff exercised the horses during that period, and the couple was able to keep their 10 employees on the payroll, even though they were denied a small business loan.

Michael and Stephanie Desiderio. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)

The Desiderios began allowing boarders to ride in lessons a month ago, but the riders were required to simply get on their mounts then leave immediately after the lesson ended. As of Friday, boarders can ride without taking a lesson.  A program for those who don’t own their own horses will resume Friday.

As with the eventing, Stephanie noted there already is huge demand in the hunter/jumper ranks for when shows start again. Her riders could only get on the waiting list for the Tryon, N.C., show series because that was booked so quickly. They had better luck with Traverse City, Mich. But with limited entries due to the need for social distancing, many shows will not have their usual capacity to take exhibitors.

Another professional, Max Amaya said his Stonehenge Stables in Colts Neck had to cancel a European tour for 16 horses arranged in conjunction with Stacia Madden at Beacon Hill. European shows have been cancelled at the same rate as U.S. shows, and it’s not the time for equine air travel. Max was hoping the Lake Placid, N.Y., show would be held next month, but iit was cancelled. So his Plan A for the summer had to be scrapped “100 percent,” and he went to Plan B.

That includes two weeks at Tryon, two weeks in Kentucky and in between, visits to the Princeton Show Jumping competitions in Skillman. Being able to accept change is the order of the day.

“It’s a new era we’re living in,” observed Max.