Intercollegiate group cancels the rest of its season
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The Mayo clinic offers hope to Kevin Babington
Kevin Babington, paralyzed from a spinal cord injury after a fall last August, has been to the famed Mayo Clinic to be considered for a clinical trial, and that mission was accomplished, according to his wife, Dianna. That trial is phase two of a trial that had some positive results in phase one.
“We will need to return to Minnesota a few times this year. Once to get Adipose cells pulled, so stem cells can be cultured, and then back again for treatment once they are ready,” she said.
“The cells get put directly into the spinal cord. It’s a chance to boost his healing. It’s not a guarantee of anything, but we are still grateful for a chance. We will stay in Minnesota for a few weeks at that time. I will rotate with others because we will keep our business running.”
She explained, “What we accomplished while we were there was getting a handle on how to control/ manage the pain and spasticity Kevin deals with daily. We had great direction on medication combos and some techniques for pain management. He had medical evaluation from top to bottom and he remains in fantastic physical shape. No lung or bladder atrophy, no cardiac issues. We had some input on diaphragm strengthening and will purchase a small device out of the UK to make him stronger. He had a sleep study done and he literally didn’t sleep one minute. Slept like a log through both consultations (before and after the test) with the sleep doctor who thought that was quite funny.”
Dianna believes that at thsi time, her job is “to keep him in the best physical condition to prepare him for whatever recovery he is capable of obtaining. This way he will be in shape for the physical therapy demands that await after the treatments. The researchers said he was a great fit because he has the mental fortitude of an Olympic athlete and that the demands will be great once the trial starts.”
She noted that “spinal cord injury is not quiet paralysis. It is an arduous daily struggle of spasticity and pain. There are times the body just locks up or recoils in a way that bends you like a spoon and the contractions feel like a strap that is a close second to an Anaconda around his chest. It is hard to live with and hard to watch as a family member. Thank God for Wendy Coren and Barbara Foose, who work on him for relief.”
Dianna and her family and friends have put enormous effort into helping Kevin.
“There are days I feel so overwhelmed because the road seems too long and too difficult. Nothing is fast enough, nothing is guaranteed and it’s maddening and frightening. But then I look to Kevin and he is handling this like it’s just his job right now. He’s never cross or mean. Doesn’t bemoan his lot in life and just gets on with it.
“People say he is a role model… you have no idea. He is the true example of a Champion and a role model. I have not heard him complain once. Of course he’d rather not be paralyzed and we talk about many things but what is absent is the complaining. The most he says is how much he misses riding and how he hopes he can some day. Many of his friends can confirm that. He’s just patient and tolerant to a degree I can’t believe. I am so impressed with his ability to survive and to just move forward. I believe he is teaching so many to stay positive in the face of adversity so at least there is some good to be gained from such devastation.”
Barisone is back in court
Dressage trainer Michael Barisone reached out to the U.S. Center for SafeSport last year after complaining of harassment by a woman he subsequently was charged with shooting.
The comment about SafeSport was made by defense attorney Ed Bilinkas as Barisone appeared before Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor in Morristown today for a hearing on his case.
Barisone, who stood silent, has been held without bail in the Morris County Correctional Facility since a fight at his Long Valley farm with Rob Goodwin and rider Lauren Kanarek, who was hospitalized after being shot twice in the chest during the Aug. 7 incident.
Michael Barisone and attorney Ed Bilinkas. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
The trainer had been trying to get the couple evicted from a house on his property, but calls to the police had not resolved the matter. Barisone, the alternate on the 2008 Olympic dressage team, also had hired a private investigator during his quest to remove Kanarek and her fiancee, Goodwin.
“He had called SafeSport numerous times and told them that he was in fear for his life. I’m not sure exactly what they said, I don’t have any of those records yet,” Bilinkas said in an interview, expanding on remarks he made in court, where he said he planned to subpoena those records and complaints filed against Kanarek by others.
Kanarek, meanwhile, had contacted SafeSport about Barisone, and those records have been subpoenaed by Christopher Schellhorn, Morris County Supervising Assistant Prosecutor of the Major Crimes and Arson and Environmental Crimes Units.. SafeSport is focused on ending all forms of abuse in sport and offers training for national sport governing bodies recognized by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
Two days after the shooting, Barisone was added to the SafeSport and U.S. Equestrian Federation’s ineligibility lists.
He pleaded not guilty to a December indictment on two counts of attempted murder and two counts of possessing a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
Michael Barisone leaving court. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
The sheer volume of material involved in the case has meant delays as the defense plows through thousands of records. Bilinkas said there were 19,000 pages of social media material from Kanarek alone, for instance.
“We’re making significant progress,” commented Bilinkas, while adding he needs additional time to go over everything.
“I want to make sure I have all the discovery before I start making any decisions.”
Asked during my interview if there had been discussion about a plea deal, Bilinkas replied, “There’s no plea here. I think he’s going to be found innocent.”
When the judge questioned whether the state had made a plea offer, Schellhorn replied, “Not at this time.”
If the matter is to go before a jury, the judge had said during a January hearing that speedy trial requirements would mean a June trial date.
But Bilinkas commented, “We’re at the tip of the iceberg here. I’ve never seen anyhing like this in terms of the delays and baggage. I don’t think there’s any way this is going in June.”
He’s hoping to get through all the discovery material by April 6, the date of the next court hearing. He also mentioned needing to hear “secret recordings” Kanarek and Goodwin made of Barisone without permission, citing as an example one of a conversation between the trainer and his lawyer.
Bilinkas told the judge that the state’s Division of Child Protection & Permanency had determined accusations Kanarek made about Barisone being involved in child abuse were unfounded. It was after a visit by a CP&P investigator that Barisone clashed with Kanarek and Goodwin.
The judge said he didn’t find CP&P’s decision relevant or admissible.
“It’s a different agency with a different mission,” he commented, saying it’s an opinion of a social worker. “We don’t know whether they have all the evidence.”
Bilinkas, however, noted, “It’s our position I have incontrovertible evidence that Miss Kanarek has made numerous false claims against my client.”
“That’s a different story,” said the judge, adding, “they can be shown by other means.”
In the interview, Bilinkas said there was a claim of insurance fraud made against Barisone by Kanarek.
“She talks about it on social media. There is no insurance fraud by Michael Barisone and the records from the insurance company will bear that out.”
He said it involved a pipe that burst at the Long Valley farm while Barisone was in Florida.
“She’s telling all sorts of people he’s committing insurance fraud. That’s a false allegation.”
Kanarek’s mother stood in the hall listening as I interviewed the attorneys. When I asked at the end of the interview who she was, she identified herself, and after I asked if she wanted to comment, she declined.
Get ready for tack sales
Are you cleaning out the tack room only to realize A) you have a lot of items you don’t need or B) there are things you do need. You’re in luck.
Spring is tack sale time, and several are gearing up in New Jersey to benefit worthy causes. They offer an especially good opportunity to outfit growing children.
Riding with Heart (Hunterdon Equine Assisted Recreation and Therapy) will hold its two-day sale this month. It gets under way March 28 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at 639 Route 513, Pittstown. On March 29, it runs from noon to 3 p.m., with most items on sale for half price.
Donate from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Call (908) 735-5912 before you come.
In April, Mane Stream, which offers adaptive riding lessons and therapy services to help improve quality of life for people with physical, developmental, emotional and medical challenges, is hosting a sale at 83 Old Turnpike Road in Oldwick.
The sale runs from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. April 4. Available will be new and used tack, riding apparel, blankets, stable equipment, and more, including brand name items, such as Ariat, Dover, Baker, Tailored Sportsman and Essex. Proceeds will benefit Mane Stream’s horses and therapy programs. To make a donation, if you need directions, or have any questions, contact: Holland@manestreamnj.org or (908) 439-9636 or go to www.ManeStreamNJ.org.
There’s more hope for Kevin Babington
Dianna Babington posted a heartfelt note about all she and Kevin have been through in terms of doubts and fears since a fall in a jumper competition left him paralyzed at the end of August. There is hope on the horizon now because Kevin will be traveling to the Mayo Clinic to see if that famed facility can help him.
After time in the hospital and at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, Kevin and his family went to their farm in Loxahatchee, Fla.
“When we left Kessler,” Dianna recalled, “I was truly sick and worried about coming home with Kevin in his condition with no real medical training. We have had moments where that anxiety has reared its head.
“He was hit with bronchitis, he had a few nights where I nearly called 911 because of blood pressure issues, pain, etc but as a family, we have trudged through it. I am finally feeling like I’m not going to fail. I make mistakes, but I don’t think I’ll miss something life- threatening. We also have a team of friends, an aide, and barn manager Elizabeth Sponseller, and they keep me centered and calm when I feel internal panic.”
She noted the number of people who are supporting Kevin and his family financially and emotionally are making an impact.
Dianna and Kevin Babington.
.”People tell me stories or that they pray two to three times a day and all of it matters. I was told by many medical doctors that recovery was “unlikely” and that is putting it mildly
“It sent me spiraling into depression because I felt like I couldn’t help. I hid it well (or at least I think I tried to).. To see Kevin struggling was and is hard. It’s harder than most can imagine on a daily basis, but this week, we’ve had a sign or two that we are right to have hope! He has reported feeling twitching in his thigh. First on the right, then days later on the left.
“It was brief, but it was real. He also got slight movement in his knee. It’s hard work for him but he is fighting. The spasms he fights make it hard, but he is tough and working through it. I believe the support from all who love him, family and friends, even the horse community at large that just want to send cards from all over the world is making a difference and keeping him positive.
“He also said he felt a twinge in his hamstring. It’s a sign that there is a connection for sure. He has no feeling in his lower body below his chest, but he is feeling these twinges. There is hope for improvement. Thank you to everyone who keeps “showing up.
Want to help Kevin? Tax-deductible donations via check may be sent to the Kevin Babington Foundation, 2402 Players Court,Wellington FL 33414. (To obtain bank instructions for wiring money, send an email to Debbie Welles at the kevinbabingtonfoundation@gmail.com.
Things were jumping in Wellington
The highlight of the considerable jumping action in Wellington, Fla., last week was the Palm Beach Masters, a splendid fixture at Deeridge Farm that culminated in a riveting Longines FEI Nations Cup with a hard-fought victory for the home team.
The winning U.S. Longies FEI Nations Cup team of Margie Goldstein Engle, Laura Kraut, Beezie Madden and Jessie Springsteen enjoy a champagne spray session with coach Robert Ridland. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
Amazingly, however, it was just one of three shows in the area offering jumper action. Meanwhile, a five-minute drive away from the Masters, the Winter Equestrian Festival showcased the hunters, with several surprises in the $100,000 USHJA/WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.
As hunters dominated the action at PBIEC, WEF had its share of jumpers utilizing the Equestrian Village, home of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, where a national dressage show also was under way.
Down the road at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center, the Turf Tour offered jumper competition at lower heights for another group of participants. All this after we’d barely had time to take a breath from the previous week’s WEF marathon menu of eventing, show jumping and international-level dressage!
As 2016 Olympic show jumping course designer Guilherme Jorge pointed out to me when I mentioned (whined about?) the demands of this schedule, at least I didn’t have to deal with airplanes and hours of travel to attend everything. Good point. And anyone who didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to see such great competition if they were in the neighborhood, so to speak, really missed out.
Where do I begin to tell you about it all?
With the Nations Cup, of course, since it is the only qualifier held in the U.S. for the Nations Cup final that runs in Spain this fall.
Deeridge is the Jacobs family’s estate, where no expense is spared for its show series. The VIP area offers views of both the grand prix field and sand arena, along with an ever-changing buffet featuring lots of lobster, steak, stone crab claws and other delicacies. Naturally, there’s plenty of champagne to go with it.
The grandstands that were at the end of the ring last year were taken down in favor of picnic tables with overhead netting for shade from the sun. The idea, according to Lou Jacobs, was to make food service from the booths behind the tables more accessible, noting the stands were never full except on the Sunday. The venue always had a clubby feel, but this change definitely made it more intimate.
Di Lampard, the British team manager, marveled at the footing in the grass arena “like a magic carpet to walk on, let alone to ride on. It’s a fantastic venue to come to.”
The Brits had only a three-woman team, while the seven other squads competing enjoyed the luxury of a drop score because they had four members.
Even so, the British women were tied with the Irish men on 4 penalties at the end of the first round over the Alan Wade-designed course, where the size of the fences was emphasized over technical questions. The U.S. was tied with Mexico and Israel on 8 penalties at that point.
Oh, and there was a heart-stopping moment when Margie Goldstein Engle went flying off Royce after finishing her 4-fault trip in the first round of the Cup, as the stallion spooked at someone putting a plastic bag over a speaker to protect it from a rain shower.
Royce was on his own at the Palm Beach Masters after he spooked and unseated Margie Goldstein Engle. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
She was back on her feet quickly, but I cringed, because she had told me she fractured her sacrum and coccyx in a fall from Indigo last month. Margie is no stranger to injury, so she soldiered on and came back in the second round with a fault-free performance to match those of teammates Jessica Springsteen (RMF Zecilie) and Laura Kraut (Confu).
“She’s tough,” was the comment I got from everyone I talked to about Margie’s comeback.
The U.S. squad’s fate waited on Britain’s second-round effort. A fault-free trip from Amanda Derbyshire on Cornwall BH would have given that nation the title, but a knockdown at the second fence triggered a jump-off.
Beezie Madden, who didn’t have to go in the second round on Darry Lou because there were already three clean rounds for the U.S, was called into service for the one-on-one tiebreaker. Alexandra Thornton on Cornetto K represented Britain admirably, but her clean trip in 36.34 seconds was far off Beezie’s mark of 33.11.
Beezie Madden put the U.S. in the winner’s circle with Darry Lou. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
Beezie, who rode before Alexandra, explained her winning strategy this way: “I’d seen her do a few beautiful jump-offs with that horse. I wanted to really make sure I didn’t get beat on time. I didn’t want to be too cautious and have a rail or leave the door too wide open.”
Beezie also mentioned she is not officially retiring from championships after the Tokyo Olympics this summer, but she is going in a different direction to develop young horses.
On the other hand, she added about the championship question, “I’m not going to say ‘no’ if I have the right horse, but it’s not going to be our goal, our focus, so it’s probably not that likely. If you’re not that focused on it, the likelihood of it happening isn’t that high.”
A big takeaway from last weekend is that there certainly is remarkanle enthusiasm for show jumping. Exhibit A involves the full fields for all the shows here, as well as Youth Nations Cups at Deeridge.
“We’ve never had as many applications for spots on Nations Cup teams during my years,” said U.S. Coach Robert Ridland.
“The interest in the sport, the interest in the team, is higher than ever,”
A number of riders even jumped in shows at two different locations over the weekend. Notably Jessie Springsteen, who competed in the $213,300 Longines Grand Prix at the Masters last Friday, motored over to WEF that evening for a victory in the $137,000 grand prix a few hours later with her mare, Volage du Val Henry.
Jessica Springsteen went from being in the ribbons at the Palm Beach Masters Grand Prix during the afternoon to winning the WEF grand prix that night.. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
Noting it was a “busy” (understatement) week, Jessie said after her victory at Equestrian Village, “I actually wasn’t even going to show here and (instead) focus on Deeridge, but she (her mare) jumped so well the last week I decided to come back. I was fifth in the grand prix at Deeridge, so I was kind of coming off of that momentum for tonight.” She added that it “gave me a little energy boost.”
The Hunter Spectacular went for the second year in a row to Tori Colvin on Brad Wolf’s reliable Private Practice. But an anticipated showdown with 2019 WCHR Hunter of the Year Lafitte de Muze came to naught after he had a knockdown at the third fence.
Hunter Spectacular winner Tori Colvin with Private Practice. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
Tori called the class “a blast, because we are able to ride under the lights and in the International Arena. They don’t host many hunter classes in this arena anymore, so to be able to go back in this ring is a lot of fun.”
The runner-up was Californian Katie Taylor, who rode Gabrielle Sokolow’s Kindred for the first time that morning. Quite remarkable. She moved up from third after the first round to second place, but couldn’t surpass Tori’s 182.16 points with her total of 178.82. Still, she fulfilled a long-held ambition by riding in the Spectacular.
“I’ve always wanted to be a part of this class,” said Katie.
“We were going to send my horse out here for this but it was a lot to send him just for the week.”
So Katie needed a horse, and after taking 10 jumps with Kindred, she “just loved everything about him.”
McLain Ward and Noche de Ronda, who won grands prix twice in less than a week.(Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
That hits the high points of the last week, but here’s one other news note: McLain Ward and his wife, Lauren, today welcomed Madison, an 8-pound baby sister for their older daughter, Lilly. So that’s half of a future Nations Cup team right there.
McLain was a big winner all the way around this month, taking the WEF’s $401,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix Feb. 8, then six days later winning the Longines Grand Prix at Deeridge, both with Noche de Ronda. Congratulations are due all the way around!
Putting it all together on a Wellington weekend
What a weekend! Wellington, Florida, is a perennial winter equestrian hotspot, but for the past three days, it outdid itself as a multi-discipline destination.
Think of the whole thing as a mini World Equestrian Games, without the baggage that WEGs have had to tote in recent years.
Capacity crowds added to the interest, as genuine fan enthusiasm always does, while top-notch competition played out in the three Olympic sports–show jumping, eventing and dressage.
“This year, we decided to try running them all together. In the past, we’d run eventing on a different weekend,” said Michael Stone, president of Equestrian Sport Productions, which presents the Adequan Global Dressage Festival and the Winter Equestrian Festival.
“But we thought we’d create this great atmosphere and encourage people to come to Wellington to watch high-level sport across the board. We’re really delighted with the turnout.”
I didn’t believe there was anywhere else in the world that presented all three sports at a high level on the same weekend, and Michael, a former secretary-general of the FEI (international equestrian federation) confirmed that.
“Even at Aachen (known for its jumping and dressage) who do eventing as well, they do it over two weekends,” he told me.
On Friday night, we had the dressage Grand Prix Freestyle under the lights, full of electricity and emotion at the Global grounds, where Steffen Peters clinched his ticket to April’s FEI Dressage World Cup Final.
Steffen Peters and Suppenkasper on their victory lap.. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
Steffen, who has successfully battled depression, had a lot to be happy about with the magnetic performance he and Suppenkasper produced.
“It felt wonderful. It was one of the freestyles I have visualized for many days, many mornings, many nights, through dark times and it worked out beautifully,” said Steffen, who wiped away a few tears after his final halt, even before he knew he had hit a personal best of 83.495 percent with the Dutchbred 12-year-old known as Mopsie.
Parts of this freestyle are new, but the music for the canter tour is what he used with Ravel, the horse on which he won the World Cup Final in 2009. That was a moment he will never forget (“I thought the stadium in Vegas was coming down when Ravel was done with the freestyle,” he recalled).
Steffen and Suppenkasper in action. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
His performance here earned him the lead in the North American League and the right to compete in Vegas again when it hosts the final in April.
Second-place Olivia Lagoy-Weltz, who is also shooting with Lonoir for one of the two North American slots in Vegas, earned a score of 79.365, just shy of the 80.495 percent mark that was her personal best last month.
The next night, the action moved a mile away to the Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, where the stands were jam-packed. The crowd was totally geared up for the $401,000 Fidelity Investments 5-star grand prix with an amazing field of 40 from 11 nations, including European Champion and world number one Martin Fuchs of Switzerland. But he didn’t even make the 12-horse jump off after Sinner toppled a pole in the first round over Anthony D’Ambrosio’s route.
Even so, there was plenty of talent going for the $100,000 first prize, and none had a reputation for being faster than Canada’s Eric Lamaze and two friends from the U.S., Kent Farrington and McLain Ward.
The first of the trio to jump, Eric and Chacco Kid, finished the course in 39.69 seconds. Hard to beat, but if anyone had the ability to do it, Kent and Gazelle, the mare with wings, could manage. And so it was: the clock showed 39.51. Gazelle did take one extra stride for insurance heading to the final oxer after the combination, but really, how could McLain and Noche de Ronda, who until fairly recently was jumping 1.35 meters, get ahead of Kent over the 1.60 meter course?
The crowd was with McLain as his long-strided mare mocked both the clock and the rails, finishing in 37.47 as the fans roared in salute after a long, hold-your-breath moment. Anyone who saw this contest will remember it for the rest of their life. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a more dramatic tiebreaker, even through nine Olympics, more than 20 World Cup finals and every WEG ever held.
McLain Ward and Noche de Ronda. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer).
“I got beat today by a top rider on a horse with a giant stride. He pulled out all the stops and took a big risk to win and pulled it off, so it was a great win tonight for McLain,” said Kent.
“That’s about all Ronda and I had to give,” said McLain. “What made the difference is that I kept taking the risk to take the leave-outs, even off every corner, and it worked out.
“Both Kent’s and Eric’s horses are super fast types. Where I have an advantage sometime is a bigger stride, but that course didn’t set up great for a bigger stride,” McLain continued.
Kent Farrington, McLain Ward and Eric Lamaze in the winner’s circle. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
“When you get to go after the one who sets the time, you have a bit of an advantage and normally you come out by winning or crashing, one or the other.”
Today’s activity was in the third Olympic discipline, eventing, for the show jumping and cross-country phases (dressage was held yesterday morning.) We were back at Global, where both of today’s segments in the $50,000 Mars Equestrian Eventing Showcase were held on the grass grand prix field that is a one-minute walk from the main dressage ring.
There was a casually festive feel to the crowd enjoying the sunshine as much as the competition. I loved seeing the little kids roll themselves down the steep grass bank topped by the Buckeye triple brush arrowhead double combination (not when the horses were jumping, of course!)
When I arrived at the field, I was a bit alarmed. Is this actually an arena eventing competition, I wondered, after seeing the show jumps interspersed with the eventing fences.
The last time the event was staged here, in 2017, the stadium jumping phase was held in the dressage arena. But because the dressage show was continuing at Global, the stadium jumping had to be on the grass.
Andy Christiansen’s route was influential, with big names–including leader Marilyn Little on RF Scandalous–dropping rails. Marilyn’s edge was so big, however, that she continued in first place despite addition of a 4-fault penalty to her dressage score of 19.4
The stadium segment was held during the morning, and happily those fences were whisked away before cross-country started in the afternoon.
The 3-minute, 9-second optimum time over the Mark Phillips-designed cross-country course wasn’t easy to make. Thirteen of the 23 who completed the event had time penalties. That included Marilyn, who ran into trouble at the Buckeyes and nearly fell off at the B element. She stuck on, only to have another problem at a corner in the middle of the course where she had to circle (but it wasn’t counted as a refusal, since it wasn’t part of a combination.
But Scandalous, who missed the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games with an injury, persevered. Although she came home with 4.80 time faults, she still held off Buck Davidson on Carlevo, albbeit by a mere 0.4 penalties.
There had been talk about selling Carlevo, but Buck said he felt the horse would be good for fun events like the showcase, and he was right.
Marilyn, meanwhile, is focusing on getting ready for April’s Kentucky 5-star, and isn’t looking ahead to the Olympics, just taking things step by step.
“This afternoon did not go as planned,” she said, and that was no understatement, though she did note, tongue in cheek, “I certainly made things exciting.”
Mars Eventing Showcase winner Marilyn Little on RF Scandalous. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
She felt she didn’t have a normal preparation for an event at the beginning of the season where she went out fast on cross-country, and said, “I have to go back and regroup. We were perhaps a little under-prepared for this.”
Phillip Dutton finished third on his top horse, Z, 0.10 penalties behind Buck. He thought the showcase was a good prep for the Tokyo Olympics, where the course will be twisting in a brief, 8-minute optimum time. He’s shooting for Badminton, telling me it won’t be too much for Z to handle three months before the Olympics.
“It’s the most contested event in the world,” Phillip told me, explaining his goal.
“It will be good for me to go there; at this stage of my career, I’d like to go there again. This horse is good enough to do that, so I don’t mind putting myself out there and doing it.”
Whew, I’m beat. It was a long three days, but lots of fun, and it was neat to see so many friends visiting all three disciplines and just enjoying the broad range of what horses can do well.
Next week, the feature is the Nations Cup over at Deeridge Farm, just a couple of miles from Global. So terrific to have world class competition at three venues within a five-minute drive. (And I didn’t even mention the polo going on at the International Polo Club, also run by Equestrian Sport Productions). So it isn’t an exaggeration to say that if you love horse sports, there’s no place like Wellington.
Governor fails to sign tax cut on horse boarding
So close, and yet so far.
The bill to end the sales tax on stalls for boarding horses finally passed the state Legislature almost unanimously, but New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy didn’t sign it. That’s what known as a pocket veto (since it wasn’t vetoed outright) but the effect is the same.
Think of Lucy and the football from “Peanuts”. The process has to start all over again in the new session of the Legislature.
Assemblyman Ronald Dancer, who introduced the legislation in the Assembly for the first time in 2013, is hopeful that the bill will pass again when it is resubmitted, since it got approval in the two-year session that ended Jan. 13, even though it still must go through committees and come up for a vote again in the Assembly and the Senate. He sponsored the latest version with Assembly members Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey, while in the state Senate, sponsors were Vin Gopal and Steve Oroho,
The question is, will the Governor sign it when it comes before him again?
Ron said he was told that once the Governor gives his budget address next month, there would be a better projection on revenues.
“It looks like here in New Jersey, we do have a better economy; revenue projections appear to be up. So it may be more likely that this bill will move during the new…legislative session based on the fact that we have an economy that is showing increases in…the sales tax, the corporation business tax and the income tax, the three major revenue raisers for the state of New Jersey.”
For that reason, the assemblyman believes, “there would be a greater comfort level to have this bill signed into law in this new (legislative) session.”
“Once you have a level playing field, where the state of New Jerse is not at a tax disadvantage to neighboring Pennsylvania and New York and the equestrian people can board their horses in our state and not be faced with a 6.6 percent sales tax on boarding, I believe there would be an increase in total revenues as a result of the ecoomic activity…more horses, more boarding, more employment and so on. It’s that economic domino effect you get when you reduce taxes.”
But after all the efforts to eliminate the tax, it’s infuriating to fall short at the end.
“Was I disappointed? Yes, very disappointed,” said Ron.
“We worked very hard. This was a bipartisan bill with near unanimous support from 120 legislators.”
So what’s next?
“Generally speaking, when you have a bill that has already made it through the Legislature, those bills are heard early in the new session. There’s a track record here, so it should be heard relatively early,” commented Ron, estimating it could be February or March.”
If all goes well, the Assemblyman believes, “it’s very feasible to get done in the first half of the year, before the summer recess June 30.”
The process has been very frustrating, and everyone who made the effort to write or called to voice their support is entitled to be upset. Let’s hope the Governor signs it this time around, but it won’t happen without the equestrian community making sure its interests are respected at last.
A show jumping merger
Show jumper Jennifer Gates, daughter of Bill and Melinda Gates, is engaged to American-born Nayel Nassar, who rides for Egypt, the homeland of his parents. Both are Stanford University graduates.
“I’m feeling like the luckiest (and happiest) man in the world right about now,” Nayel, 28, wrote on social media.
“Jenn, you are everything I could have possibly imagined..and so much more. I can’t wait to keep growing together through this journey called life, and I simply can’t imagine mine without you anymore. Love you more than you can possibly imagine, and thank you for making every single day feel like a dream to me. Here’s to forever!”
For her part, his 23-year-old fiancee said on her social media, “Nayel Nassar, you are one of a kind. explaining, he, “absolutely swept me off my feet.. I can’t wait to spend the rest of our lives learning, growing, laughing and loving together. Yes a million times over.”
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Tewksbury Barn Tour will be held again this summer
The Tewksbury barn tour, held every other year, is coming back on July 26 under the sponsorship of the Tewksbury Trails Association and the Tewksbury Historical Society.
It’s always fun to get an inside look at interesting barns around the township. No details yet about what barns will be featured, but keep checking at www.tta-nj.org and www.tewksburyhistory.net.
NEW JERSEY ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE
