by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 17, 2022
EHV-1 hit the West Coast hard last month, leading to equine euthanizations and cancellation of shows, including May’s Nations Cup in San Juan Capistrano, Calif. It has just been announced the California Department of Food and Agriculture issued an Extension of Recommended Caution for California Equine Events through March 31.
That has led to cancellation of next weekend’s Dressage at Southern California Equestrian and postponement until June of Rancho California AHA Spring. The Galway Downs International Horse Trials has revised its schedule and moved to a two-day format at the beginning of April.
But now the Maryland Department of Agriculture has confirmed a pony in Montgomery County tested positive for Equine Herpesvirus (EHV-1) on March 9. The index horse was sent to the Equine Medical Center (EMC) in Leesburg, Va., for treatment and subsequently euthanized due to complications, it was revealed yesterday.
Two other horses from the same barn have been sent to EMC for diagnosis, isolation and are currently under treatment. The Montgomery County farm, Meadowbrook Stables, has been placed on a hold order by the department, prohibiting movement on or off the farm until any exposed horses have been cleared for release.
Meadowbrook on March 18 posted an explanation of what happened: “Last Wednesday night, 3/9, our beloved pony, River, went to DuPont Equine Medical Center with neurological symptoms. She was euthanized the next day, 3/10. Subsequent tests confirmed that she had Equine Herpes Virus (EHV-1). This sweet pony was a favorite of all of our young riders, as well as our staff, and will be greatly missed.
“Although we were shocked by her loss, we immediately began working with our veterinarian, Dr. Suzanne Welker, to self-quarantine, notify the State vet, and closely monitor the other 49 horses on our property. We set up 24 temporary stalls in our indoor ring, began taking temperatures and assessing all other horses for EHV-1 symptoms round the clock, and implemented biosecurity protocols.
“The next day, Friday 3/11, an Assistant State Veterinarian visited Meadowbrook and issued a routine hold order, meaning that horses must remain on site. Three other horses were also admitted to EMC; all are now recovering back at Meadowbrook. Other horses have also developed mild symptoms and are being treated by our staff on site. We’re optimistic that they’ll make a full recovery.
“From the outset, Meadowbrook has followed strict testing, quarantine, treatment, and biosecurity protocols. We’ve worked closely with our veterinarians, cancelled lessons and other programs from March 10 onwards, and closed Meadowbrook even to our boarders to reduce stress on the horses and prevent the transmission of EHV beyond our facility. We immediately notified local horse show managers, as well as IEA leadership, of the situation. No horse has left our property other than to go to EMC.
“Meadowbrook is grateful beyond words for our knowledgeable, hard-working staff, our board and many volunteers, as well as our veterinarian. Their skilled and tireless commitment over the last eight days to our horses’ health has been truly remarkable. As a result, we’re optimistic that our horses will recover and confident that no transmission has occurred to other equine facilities. We also appreciate all of the love and support that we’ve received from the horse community in the past week. Thank you to all who have reached out!”
Owners are advised to monitor horses carefully, and should contact their veterinarians to arrange for EHV-1 testing if a horse exhibits significant temperature elevation or neurologic signs.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 8, 2022
Show jumper Cassandra Kahle is recovering from her traumatic brain injury, with landmarks including walking with the aid of a machine and finally being able to eat solid food.
The 29-year-old professional rider was hurt when her horse fell with her in a jump-off at a show in January. She is getting better at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta, boosted by her positive attitude and hard work in her therapy sessions.
Cassandra Kahle has a big smile as she recovers. (Photo courtesy of Natasha Brash)
“I have to say she is doing very well,” said Emil Spadone, the owner of Redfield Farm in Califon, N.J., and Ocala, Fla., where Cassie works.
“I got to see her firsthand walk on the Lokomat (treadmill) machine. Some of the rehab tools used in therapy are like from a sci-fi movie,” Emil said.
“They basically harness her to a robotic walking machine starting weightless and gradually add 70 percent of her own body weight to a 1,000-step, 18-minute walk. It was something to see,” enthused Emil.
“Then we had another four different hands-on session, with therapists working on all the aspects of resuming everyday activities.”
When Cassie was “cleared to go back on actual food,” at lunch she had a taste of plain chicken and string beans. Emil said she was very excited about being able to eat, and by dinnertime, enjoyed some hamburger, mashed potatoes and sweet potato pie.
Her mother, Natasha Brash, is with her and by the end of the month, it is hoped Cassie will be living in an on-site apartment but as an outpatient, coming to the center daily for her sessions.
“The exciting part of this is that she can come home on the weekends and be with her dog and the entire Redfield family,” Emil said.
We’ll keep you posted.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 6, 2022
As you clean out your tack room and closets at this time of year, put aside equipment, clothing, blankets and other horse-related items for tack sales being held at several organizations this month and next.
The Somerset County 4-H tack sale, always a regular feature, will be held Friday, March 18, from 6-9:30 p.m. and Saturday, March 19, from 9 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Ted Blum 4-H center, 310 Milltown Road, Bridgewater, N.J.
There’s a different approach this year. Anyone who has items to sell can set up at the center for a $15 fee, which gives them a spot with a table and two chairs. Commercial vendors also are welcome.
It used to be a consignment approach, where people would bring their tack and other horse-related items and leave them to be sorted by 4-H members for sale, with 4-H getting a percentage of the purchase price.
But as 4-H leader Judy Hennessey noted, doing it that way is labor-intensive and 4-H numbers have been dwindling.
“We don’t have enough kids in the 4-H horse program,” she noted.
In Bridgewater, she recalled, there was a time when “every kid had a horse in their backyard. Now I don’t think there’s a horse in Bridgewater. There just aren’t any kids with horses of their own any more, and the big barns don’t want kids going to 4-H.”
The advantage of 4-H is that members learn about horse care, over a stable where the kids just go to ride and don’t interact with the horses otherwise. The horse care concept will be highlighted at the county fair this summer, when Judy plans to have a farrier, a dentist, a driving exhibition and other demonstrations to highlight the organization’s focus.
Want more information? Call Judy Hennessy at (610)730-4739.
Riding with Heart, 639 Route 513, Pittstown, is holding its sale March 26 and 27 to benefit its therapeutic riding program. Drop items from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays-Fridays and Saturdays from noon-3 p.m. Call 908-735-5912 to let the organization know before you come.
Riding with Heart will pick up big donations within a one-hour drive. Email tacksale@ridingwithheart.org. Contributions are tax deductible.
Mane Stream (adaptive riding and therapy services) is seeking donations of new and gently used tack or horse related items for its fall tack sale in Oldwick Nov. 6 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. The spring sale originally scheduled for next month has bee cancelled.
Collections are still ongoing, however. There is a contactless drop-off for unwanted bridles, saddles, blankets, tack boxes as well as outgrown boots, breeches, jackets and horse-related jewelry, models or knick-knacks. Proceeds go toward Mane Stream’s mission to improve the quality of life for children and adults with physical, developmental, emotional, and medical challenges through a diverse program of equine assisted activities, therapy services, and educational initiatives.
All donations can be dropped off at the stable at 83 Old Turnpike Rd. Oldwick during office hours. Those who want to make a donation of have questions should contact Jen Dermody at jen@manestreamnj.org, (908) 439-9636 or visit the website at www.ManeStreamNJ.org
Mane Stream is a 501(c)(3) non-profit registered charitable organization whose mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals with physical, developmental, emotional, and medical challenges through a diverse program of equine-assisted activities, therapy services and educational initiatives.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 8, 2022
Helen Nicholls, whose time as a high-performance athlete was spent in windsurfing, will join British Equestrian as performance director in early May.
Her mission is to provide leadership of the elite talent World Class Programs funded by UK Sport and the National Lottery, and senior championship teams in the disciplines of dressage, eventing, jumping and para-dressage. She has spent more than 20 years in elite sport, and her experience is geared toward working with athletes and support teams to provide the correct environment for delivery of results.
Richard (Dickie) Waygood (you’ve often seen him at Land Rover Kentucky) acted as interim performance director through the Tokyo Games and led the teams to one of their most successful Games performances ever. He will have a new role, technical director, as well as continuing as eventing performance manager.
Helen has a degree in Applied Sports Performance,which led her to a decade-long career with British sailing (the Royal Yachting Association) in roles covering sport management and coach development in pathway and elite programs.
Helen then went to UK Sport as a performance advisor, where she worked across a number of sports, equestrian included, to facilitate maximum medal return for the investment into each governing body.
In 2018, she went into the Paralympic sport of Boccia as performance director, leading the team to Tokyo, where the highlight was individual gold for David Smith.
“I feel privileged and excited to be given this opportunity to join British Equestrian and I look forward to building on the outstanding success in Tokyo,” commented Helen. “My role will be to lead the WCP team, work closely with Richard Waygood, the performance managers, athletes, coaches, and the wider staff to continue delivering successful programs which enable riders to fulfill their tremendous potential.”
A horse owner in the past, Helen has a passion for the sport and is very aware of the unique challenges equestrian sport faces.
Richard Waygood has been involved with British Equestrian’s World Class Program for over 12 years and has been integral to its success over the last three Games cycles. He agreed to take on the Performance Director role and lead the effort through Tokyo on the basis it was an interim appointment. His extensive knowledge and skill set should serve well for the new role of technical director to advise and support the performance director, as they work in tandem to create and deliver a successful program.
Dickie said: “I’ve worked closely with Helen [Nicholls] previously during her time with UK Sport and as a fellow performance director in the run-up to and during the Tokyo Paralympics and her credentials are exceptionally strong.
“She understands elite sport programs and how to deliver results which is key, as is a solid relationship with UK Sport and other key partners, which Helen can provide. I believe that the technical director role will give our program a new dimension and with Helen and myself, plus our outstanding group of support staff, working with our immensely talented athletes and horses, it’s never been a more exciting time for us.”
British Equestrian Chief Executive Jim Eyre added: “Paris (the 2024 Olympics) is on the horizon and the World Championships later this year provide us with our first chance to secure qualification, which will be our primary objective – I look forward to working with Helen, Dickie and the World Class Program staff and athletes to make it happen.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 6, 2022
What was to be the first show jumping Nations Cup held on the west coast of the U.S. has been cancelled due to the EHV-1 outbreak in California, even though the competition was not scheduled to be staged until more than two months from now.
The event, sponsored by Longines, was to be the only Cup scheduled for the USA as a q
As we find ourselves in the middle of this uncertain and fluid situation, there is no realistic way for international teams invited to the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ USA, to commit to the logistical preparations necessary to compete in early May. It is also only fair to ensure the athletes can plan their competition schedules, at the highest level of the sport, early and effectively. Therefore, we are announcing with great regret, the cancellation of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ in San Juan Capistrano.
The Blenheim team is currently working to restructure the schedules for the remaining two weeks of the Spring Classic series that, if allowed, will be held under the highest standards of biosecurity and horse health protocols.
Nations Cup final in Barcelona this fall. The Nations Cup held yesterday in Wellington, Fla., was presented at a Rolex-sponsored facility and is not a Barcelona qualifier. Ireland topped 11 teams in the competition at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Canada was second and the young U.S. team (the first ever with all riders age 25 or under) finished third; a tie for second with Canada was broken on the time the riders took to complete their rounds.
To reduce the spread of EHV-1, the California State Veterinarian last week recommended that all hunter/jumper events (the most affected group) be postponed for the next 28 days, all equine events (including clinics) be postponed for the next 14 days, and all non-essential horse movements be postponed for at least 14 days.
In an effort to mitigate the risk of further spread of EHV-1, all USEF-licensed competitions in California were suspended for the next 14 days. USEF does not have any hunter/jumper competitions taking place for the next 28 days; the Desert International Horse Park last month canceled the rest of its winter season in the wake of EHV-1.
Blenheim EquiSports, which was presenting Nations Cup, explained the reason for cancellation so far ahead of the competition date.
“As we find ourselves in the middle of this uncertain and fluid situation, there is no realistic way for international teams invited to the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ USA, to commit to the logistical preparations necessary to compete in early May. It is also only fair to ensure the athletes can plan their competition schedules, at the highest level of the sport, early and effectively. Therefore, we are announcing with great regret, the cancellation of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ in San Juan Capistrano.
The organization’s first Spring Classic show also was cancelled because it falls within the 28-day window. The Blenheim team is “working to restructure the schedules for the remaining two weeks of the Spring Classic series that, if allowed, will be held under the highest standards of biosecurity and horse health protocols.”
Bill Moroney, CEO of the U.S. Equestrian Federation, explained the decision this way: “The safety and welfare of our members and their horses is our top priority and most important responsibility, and while we are disappointed for the Blenheim EquiSports management team and all of the athletes, we are fully supportive of this decision while the mitigation and containment efforts for EHV-1 are still ongoing in California.”
Meanwhile, two more horses were put down in the midst of the EHV-1 wave. A 22-year-old Thoroughbred gelding in Orange County displaying neurological signs starting Feb. 28 was confirmed positive for Equine Herpesvirus Myeloencephalopathy (EHM) secondary to equine herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1 non-neuropathogenic strain) on March 3. Another horse on the premises, a 22-year-old warmblood gelding displaying neurological signs starting March 1 was confirmed positive for EHM secondary to EHV-1 on March 3.
Both geldings were euthanized due to severity of clinical signs. Additionally, six other horses on the same premises displaying fever only or mild clinical signs have positive tests for EHV-1. The 350 exposed horses on the home premises have been isolated and quarantined. California Department of Food and Agriculture will continue to closely monitor the situation.
Remember that last year European shows were cancelled for six weeks because of an outbreak of EHV-1 in 10 countries, with 18 horses dying in the epidemic, so it’s important to consider possible consequences and make sure you obey the rules.
As the return to competition protocols are implemented, more horses will be tested which will result in more positive test results for horses. EHV-1 lives dormant in many horses. The increase in positives is expected as asymptomatic horses are tested for EHV-1. The additional testing will allow the USEF community to mitigate the spread of the virus and safeguard horses.
Dr. Nicola Pusterla, professor of medicine and epidemiology, University of California Davis Veterinary Medicine explained, “We all recognize that horses with clinical EHV-1 disease (fever, nasal discharge and even neurological signs) are high risk when it comes to risk of transmission. What most people forget is that infection does not always translate into disease, meaning that adult horses can shed EHV-1 without displaying any abnormal clinical signs.” The expected increase in confirmed positive EHV-1 cases is not necessarily alarming if the horse is asymptomatic.
As a further measure to protect horses and facilitate tracking, USEF will be providing an EHV-1 Declaration Form to competitions for competitors to complete when they arrive on competition grounds.
USEF will also make available an EHV-1 Test Result Form to be submitted to EHV@usef.org along with evidence of negative test results. These documents will be required under the return to competition protocol in order to get a horse’s ineligibility status lifted. This return to competition protocol applies to any horse that has been on the DIHP or Rancho Murieta showgrounds, or any horse that has been exposed to a horse confirmed positive for EHV-1 off competition grounds in the past 14 days. This will allow the horse to be released from the EHV-1 Ineligibility List.
FEI Return to Competition Protocols
In order for a horse to return to FEI competition, the following requirements must be met:
• FEI horses MUST have a negative EHV-1 PCR test to return to competitio
• Two negative PCR tests within 14 days, one at Day 7 and one at Day 14
OR
• One negative PCR test within 21 days, at Day 21
USEF Return to (National) Competition Protocols
In order for a horse to return to USEF (National) competition, the following requirements must be met:
• Two negative PCR tests within 14 days, one at Day 7 and one at Day 14
OR
• One negative PCR test within 21 days, at Day 21
OR
• 28 days without a test, if the horse has been isolated for a minimum of 28 days
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 28, 2022
Horse trainer Michael Barisone has rejected a plea bargain that would have limited the time he will otherwise have to spend in prison if convicted on attempted murder and weapon possession charges.
That decision by the defendant, who was the alternate for the 2008 Olympic dressage team, was made public in a court hearing today. It means he will go on trial later this month in Morristown, N.J., where he is being held in the Morris County Correctional facility in lieu of bail.
He is accused of shooting his student, Lauren Kanarek, in the chest at point-blank range, as a feud between the two and her boyfriend, Rob Goodwin, reached a boiling point on Aug. 7, 2019.
Barisone wanted them to leave the house where they had been living on his Long Valley N.J., farm. He repeatedly called local police, asking for help in evicting the couple due to what were called threats of physical harm and property destruction in a civil lawsuit filed on his behalf against the Long Valley department last year. The suit ultimately was thrown out.
Michael Barisone
Barisone’s criminal attorney, Edward Bilinkas, told Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor during an online hearing that there were “issues between Mr. Barisone and Miss Kanarek and some other people who, basically they had gone on, I would argue, a rampage to try to destroy him and threaten him. ”
Bilinkas added Barisone had called the police in connection with the situation numerous times.
“There are all sorts of factors indicating Mr. Barisone was in fear of his life and that this woman and the people surrounding her were dangerous and made threats upon his life.”
Barisone, 57, has been incarcerated since he was released from the hospital after his arrest. He had been treated for various injuries following a fight in which Goodwin’s arm was broken after the shooting that left Kanarek in critical condition.
Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Schellhorn was on hand during the proceedings, in which Barisone participated from the jail.
The judge told Barisone, “Needless to say, you are facing a very severe state prison sentence if you are convicted of any of these offenses.” He then asked “Do you understand that?” to which Barisone replied, “Yes, sir.”
The plea offer involved dropping one count of attempted murder and one of the weapons charges. On the attempted murder count, the state would recommend a sentence of 10 years, with no possibility of parole for 8 and a half years and a few days. It also called for a sentence of 10 years on the weapons count, but it would run concurrently.
The judge warned Barisone that if he goes to trial and is found guilty of all charges, he faces the possibility of 20 years imprisonment on each of the two attempted murder counts for a total maximum of 40 years, plus an additional 10 years on each of the two weapons charges for an additional maximum of 20 years.
The judge asked Barisone if it was his decision to reject the plea offer, to which Barisone again replied in the affirmative. Then the judge asked, “Do you understand that means there will be no further plea negotiations and you would have to go to trial on these counts? And you understand therefore that if you are convicted at the trial, you would likely receive a much more severe sentence than the current plea offer?”
Barisone again concurred.
The judge questioned Bilinkas about his plan to mount an insanity and self-defense case on Barisone’s behalf.
“They’re alternative defenses?” said the judge.
Bilinkas replied, “I would label them as consistent with each other. ”
The judge questioned him about this, saying, “How can a person who’s insane raise a self-defense case? Isn’t it a reasonable belief that deadly force is necessary to protect yourself?”
Bilinkas cited a state Supreme Court case that mandates those defenses be tried at the same time.
“The state’s expert is saying that everything Mr. Barisone said happened to him by Lauren Kanarek did in fact happen and would cause a reasonable type person to be in some type of fear. Our experts are saying that attack upon him caused him to have a mental breakdown and that mental breakdown, he believed, he was delusional, he was in fear for his life at the moment he fired his weapon,” Bilinkas.
Jury selection is scheduled to begin March 21, with the trial to follow. It is estimated it will take four weeks, with dozens of witnesses, including psychiatric experts, expected to be called.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 2, 2022
A mere six and one-half months before the Eventing World Championships in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy, the U.S. Equestrian Federation is looking for an interim chef d’equpe who will serve as team manager for that competition and several other events.
Erik Duvander, who was performance manager and chef d’equpe from 2017 until last fall, departed when his contract was not renewed. USEF failed to give a reason for not continuing with him, a strategy that led to all sorts of speculation.
Erik Duvander and Boyd Martin. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
It seemed an odd decision, considering the program really started hitting its stride near the end of 2021, with a good team finish abroad, an individual victory at Aachen by Will Coleman and the first 5-star victory since 2008 by an American when Boyd Martin overtook world number one Oliver Townend of Britain to win at Fair Hill.
The Performance Advisory Team and the Eventing Elite Task Force appointed in January have come up with a job description for the interim person, with priority one involving qualifying for the 2024 Paris Olympics through the team’s performance at Pratoni.
For the Tokyo Olympics, the team did not qualify at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games and made the cut instead by winning double gold (Boyd Martin) at the 2019 Pan American Games.
The number two priority is earning medals.
The duties of the chef will include keeping track of the athletes’ personal trainer/coach support, and competition plans, while assisting with the development of a cross “team” of staff, grooms, owners and athletes.The chef also will assist with development and implementation of the World Championships logistics plan, and with developing and implementing a communications and public relations plan around the World Championships, while “ensuring athletes project a positive image.”
The chef is expected to attend many events, including the Kentucky 5-star, Aachen, and the Pratoni test event, if possible.
Ironically, many experienced team riders are now getting instruction from Erik, who is back in the U.S. as a private trainer.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 27, 2022
Talk about pressure! Last night, Bliss Heers found herself as the only American in a five-horse jump-off for the $406,000 Lugano Diamonds 5-star grand prix under the lights at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.
In 2021, when Covid restrictions limited the number of spectators at the Winter Equestrian Festival venue, Bliss recalled, “even winning the Nations Cup, there was really no home crowd.”
But this year, from the VIP area to the Tiki Hut, box seats and the Beachside dining area, the place was packed and fans were into the action.
Bliss Heers and Antidote de Mars. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
“When I walked into the arena tonight for the jump-off and everyone was cheering, it was unbelievable,” Bliss recalled in a chat after the awards ceremony.
“You had the atmosphere; even my horse felt the adrenaline and the tension. It was so fun just feeling that. Galloping down to the last fence and hearing the crowd, it was unbelievable. It was a big responsibility. You don’t want to mess that up.”
And of course, she didn’t.
Next-to-last in the jumping order for the tie-breaker with her valiant little stallion, Antidote de Mars, she was shooting at a clear round set by Ireland’s Bertram Allen on Pacino Amiro.
Bertram Allen checks to make sure all is well at the last fence in the jump-off aboard Pacino Amiro. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
“It was a little hard to know how fast to go with only five in the jump-off,” Bertram reflected.
“It was a question of getting the line right between going mad and too fast and having a rail, so I tried to have as good of a round as I could without going mad. He’s got a great length of stride, and any time there was an option, I was able to take one less and I suppose that’s what helped me today.”
Bertram Allen had the winning formula with Pacino Amiro. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Daniel Bluman of Israel, who logged the initial fault-free effort on Ladriano Z in the first round had already dropped a rail. So did the Belgian rider, Nicola Philippaerts, aboard Katanga vin Dingeshof.
So when Bliss came into the ring, the heat was on to try and beat Bertram’s time of 44.14 seconds, while keeping the rails in place and also worrying about the final rider in the tie-breaker, another Irish speedster, Paul O’Shea on the imposing chestnut Chancelloress, a daughter of the great sire, Chacco Blue.
“It was a fine line between going too much and not enough,” Bliss explained.
“Knowing that my horse is naturally very, very fast, I could have taken a bit more risk than I did and trusted his footspeed a bit more,” she mused.
“I think I definitely lost some time just by being more cautious, but then again, you can take a risk and knock one down. I did my plan and I’m very happy with the results.” (Click here for results of class.)
Her clocking of 45.17 seconds in a fault-free performance would be good enough for third, ahead of Daniel and Nicola, as Paul gave it a go with his mare but still fell a bit short in 44.49 seconds to take runner-up honors.
Paul O’Shea and Chancelloress. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
The riders agreed the course, put together by designers Anthony D’Ambrosio and Andy Christiansen, was quite a challenge.
“I think it was a proper 5-star grand prix course; there wasn’t one bogey fence and all three combinations were tough. The whole way around the course you had no real let-up, so it was a well-built course,” said Bertram.
Seven riders retired and two big names–former World Cup champions Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil (also and Olympic and WEG champion) and Mario Deslauriers of Canada–fell off but were unhurt.
Bertram, who collected $133,980 for his victory, won the same class last year when his mount, aptly nicknamed Buddy, had been in only one 5-star previously. Buddy, a son of Pacino, is even more of a threat now with mileage, having also competed in the Olympics last summer.
Paul commented, “When I walked the course, I thought it was tough, but the standard is so high here because there are so many top riders and horses.”
Here’s another way to judge how tough it was. Those who did not make the jump-off included half of the silver medal U.S. Olympic team with their Games horses, McLain Ward (Contagious) and Laura Kraut (Baloutinue); individual Olympic gold medalist Ben Maher of Britain with Ginger Blue (who was not his medal mount) and Germany’s impressive Daniel Deusser (Scuderia 1918 Tobago Z).
Continuing to discuss the course, Paul said, “Eveything I walked made me think it was difficult and it had a lot of options, so you had to make a plan. It was an advantage for me to go later (he was fourth from last in the first round) because I could see a lot go and make a good plan. The first few riders really had it tough because the time was so tight; they extended the time (allowed), so that was good, but for the first three or four, it was very difficult.”
Paul has to handle his mare delicately.
“She’s very sensitive and very nervous of other horses,” he explained.(To find out how a dressage rider handled her mare who has the same issues, click here.)
“She’s afraid of everything, but when she goes in the ring she’s like a lion; in the warm up, I don’t know how many times she stopped on me because she was nervous or saw a horse. She’s very unusual in that she’s very timid outside the ring, even in the stable, but when she goes in the ring, she’s very brave and tough, which is a great quality.”
Paul O’Shea, Bertram Allen and Bliss Heers on the podium with Craig Dickmann of Lugano Diamonds. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Bliss got her mount through Stevie Macken, a family friend who is the son of the great Irish rider/trainer Eddie Macken. He had sent a video of the stallion to her father. At the time, Bliss was injured, having broken her back and dislocated a hip in a shattering fall.”
Her father suggested she needed a nice horse. Bliss was a bit reluctant, because “I’d always loved young horses and I didn’t want to find something (already) going and doing it.”
She had only been on a horse twice since her accident, but she went to France to see the 8-year-old anyway.
“I tried this stallion and he looked like a pony and I fell in love,” she reported about the horse previously competed by Pierre Cimolai. The Lugano class was her best finish with the Selle Francais, now 12, since she was third in a Mexican 5-star last October. Her horse is by Diamant de Semilly, a brilliant sire who died this month.
Bliss, 34, who was long-listed for the Tokyo Olympics with her stallion, is from California but is seeking a base in Wellington and is looking at farms while she is here for the WEF.
She would love to do the Paris Olympics (how cool to bring her boy “home” again for that) but isn’t really pointing toward this summer’s world championships in Denmark, noting they are quite rigorous, as opposed to the Olympic format that she feels “is a bit nicer on the horses. I’ve got to pick my battles. I’d like to take a little bit of an easy year and enjoy my horse and take all the pressure off him.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 23, 2022
The U.S. Equestrian Federation today announced an agreement for the World Equestrian Centers (WEC) to operate USEF licensed hunter/jumper and dressage competitions at its venues in Wilmington, Ohio and Ocala, Fla. The shows will begin next month pending execution of finalized license agreements.
USEF and WEC have been at odds over show dates since before WEC Ocala opened last year. When Roby Roberts, who runs WEC, didn’t get all the dates he wanted originally, he turned to the National Snaffle Bit Association for his shows’ governing body during the winter series.
And after finally getting USEF dates for last summer, he gave them back and went with National Snaffle Bit again. Having USEF rule against his efforts to host a show in Ohio in place of Devon–cancelled due to Covid restrictions– didn’t make for warm relations. So this is a breakthrough.
WEC weighed in on the decision this way: “After much discussion between the organizations, both parties agree that working together is in the best interest of the sport and will provide exhibitors with a safe and level playing field at both venues. In addition, the move aims to provide WEC customers with access to the best facilities and the ability to earn points for both invitational events, indoors and year-end points-based awards supported by the USEF.
“The Wilmington, Ohio, facility will begin with week XII (March 2-6) of its Winter in the Midwest hunter/jumper indoor circuit as a USEF sanctioned event, and for the remaining weeks of the shows which run through April 10, 2022.
“The World Equestrian Center Ocala will run hunter/jumper horse show dates sanctioned by the organization starting in June. The facility currently hosts national level dressage events sanctioned by the USEF as well, and plans to reintroduce CDI and FEI-level events in the near future. Announcements with more detail on specific show ratings will be forthcoming.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 26, 2022
Cassandra Kahle is “working hard” on recovering from a traumatic brain injury she suffered last month when her horse fell in a jump-off. The 29-year-old professional show jumper is in rehab at the Shepherd Center in Atlanta.
“She has a lot to do to make her way back,” reported Emil Spadone, the owner of Redfields Farm in Califon,N.J. and Ocala, Fla., where Cassie works.
“But it’s her nature to work hard. We don’t realize how we take the most simple tasks for granted until you cannot do them,” he continued.
‘”Her therapies include working hard at regaining everyday life and becoming stronger to bring herself back. We are positive her efforts over the next month will bring us good results.”
