by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 20, 2020
U.S. Equestrian Federation President Murray Kessler, who led a transformation of the organization, won’t be running again after his term expires at the beginning of next year. It was predictable–he has accomplished a lot over the last three years, he took a job as CEO of a pharmaceutical company and he got remarried last fall.
Explaining his decision, Murray offered a statement, “The reason is simple: my professional circumstances have changed. While I am confident that I can successfully balance my leadership positions at both USEF and at Perrigo, a multi-national company, as its President and Chief Executive Officer for my final year as USEF President, I believe this would be difficult to sustain for the long term.
“Over the last three years, we have brought about significant changes to USEF through implementation of our Strategic Plan, including growing membership, sponsorship and advertising, revamping leadership, bringing on new coaches, relocating our headquarters, outsourcing the laboratory, implementing Safe Sport, regaining our place as a global powerhouse in international high performance, winning our first Para-Medals in years, and much, much more.
USEF President Murray Kessler
“I won’t say my goodbyes yet. I will save that for this time next year when my term ends. In the meantime, we have a lot to do to keep the great momentum we have created together for USEF over the last three years!”
It will be interesting to see the candidates the nominating committee comes up with as options to replace Murray, but it seems likely the choice will be Tom O’Mara. He has taken the lead on a number of key issues, including the successful transition of the troubled USEF drug testing program to a partnership with the University of Kentucky. He is a doer and a man of vision who could continue the impressive progress that has been made by USEF under Murray’s leadership.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 18, 2020
The eventing community is mourning the passing of Steve Blauner, a key figure in championing syndicate ownership, who had shares of six syndicated horses that represented the U.S. at the Olympic Games, World Equestrian Games and Pan American Games.
A trustee of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation, Steve owned horses for Pan American Games medalists Doug Payne and Boyd Martin. Always upbeat, the amateur rider launched the MARS Bromont Rising Program, which provides training and educational opportunities for under-25 athletes.
A key figure in running the Millbrook N.Y. HorseTrials, Steve was on the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Event Owners Task Force. He is survived by his partner, Ken Shelley.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 16, 2020
The New Jersey State Senate has followed the State Assembly, passing a bill that would eliminate the sales tax on horse boarding, something that has been in the works for a very long time. The Assembly effort was spearheaded by Ronald Dancer (R-Burlington/Middlesex/Monmouth/Ocean) and in the Senate, by Steve Oroho (R-Sussex/Warren/Morris) took the lead.
Now you have to do your part. It awaits the Governor’s signature in order to become law. If he does not sign it by Jan. 31, a pocket veto goes into effect and the legislative process must start all over again.
This is a measure that will help not only struggling horse operations, but also make boarding less expensive for horse owners. The next step is to contact Gov. Phil Murphy and urge him to sign the bill. Numbers count here. Reach him at (609) 292-6000. You can also reach him by email at http://nj.gov/governor/contact/.
Here is a letter composed by Lisa Post. Feel free to copy it and email it to the Governor today. He needs to hear from you.
Dear Gov. Murphy:
Re: NJ Bill A1045/S2856
Living animals are not “stored” and their living facilities should Not be considered “Storage Space” to be taxed.
Additionally, this tax has been quite confusing and onerous to the NJ horse industry, which contributes over $600 million to the state’s economy, and provides recreational, environmental and ecological benefits to all of the state’s citizens through the preservation of taxpaying open space. It’s caused hardship to the NJ equine industry and has been contributory in causing many equine businesses to relocate out of state. Please sign this bill and help keep the “Garden” in our Garden State.
Thank You.
Read the legislation at: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/S3000/2856_R13.PDF
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 7, 2020
The New Jersey State Senate yesterday followed the State Assembly and passed a bill that would eliminate the sales tax on horse boarding, something that has been in the works for a very long time. The Assembly effort was spearheaded by Ronald Dancer (R-Burlington/Middlesex/Monmouth/Ocean) and in the Senate, by Steve Oroho (R-Sussex/Warren/Morris) took the lead.
Stay tuned! Now it awaits the Governor’s signature in order to become law. This is a measure that will help not only struggling horse operations, but also make boarding less expensive for horse owners. The next step is to contact Gov. Phil Murphy and urge him to sign the bill. Numbers count here. Reach him at (609) 292-6000. You can also reach him by email at http://nj.gov/governor/contact/.
Read the legislation at: https://www.njleg.state.nj.us/2018/Bills/S3000/2856_R13.PDF
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 6, 2020
Dressage Olympian Michael Barisone remains in New Jersey’s Morris County Correctional Facility, following a not guilty plea today during his arraignment in Morristown on two counts of attempted murder and two counts of possessing a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
He was indicted last month in connection with the Aug. 7 shooting of Lauren Kanarek, a boarder at his Long Valley farm, who took two bullets in her chest during the climax of a landlord-tenant dispute. She had been living on the property with her fiancée, Rob Goodwin, who was hurt in the scuffle.
Michael Barisone in court with attorney Ed Bilinkas. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
Barisone, who has been held without bail since the incident, looked pale and gaunt in a yellow jumpsuit as he told Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor he understood the charges against him. When the judge asked Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Schellhorn whether there would be a plea offer for Barisone, Schellhorn replied “not at this time, but I expect to be in a position to discuss that at the next appearance.”
Barisone, who also pleaded not guilty following his arrest, has a date to be back in court March 2. Under the state’s “speedy trial” provision, after being indicted, a defendant cannot be kept in custody for more than 180 days before the start of his trial. That would make Barisone’s trial June 14, but the judge cited the complexity of this case. His comment was underlined when the assistant prosecutor noted that he already has handed over 5,000 pages of discovery material to the defense, and expects to have several thousand more pages on Wednesday.
A prominent figure on the dressage scene, Barisone was part of the 2008 Olympic team, but did not ride because only three members of the squad were permitted to compete. He had served on various committees for his discipline, and in 2016 coached Olympic bronze medal team member Allison Brock.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 1, 2020
Horse people don’t have a lot of time to reflect; we all know the demands made on us by caring for even one equine. So at the turn of the year, I always try to stop for a few minutes, put down my glass of champagne, and think about the past 12 months, while looking ahead to what awaits the equestrian world in the next 12.
Since we just made it to 2020, let’s think about that first, and what a big year it will be for horse sports. The Tokyo Olympics is in the forefront not only for riders, but also for fans.
Tokyo is 13 hours ahead of Eastern U.S. time during Daylight Savings, which means if you want to watch live, for the most part you’ll have to get up early–unless you can afford an expensive plane ticket and hotel room in Japan.
For instance, the Aug. 5 individual show jumping medal competition (which comes before the team competition, instead of after it, as usual) starts at 7 p.m. Tokyo time to avoid the hottest part of the day. That will begin airing at 6 a.m. U.S. time. You’ll get a break, though, if you want to see the eventing cross-country, which is likely to begin at 6:30 or 7 p.m. Eastern time (the exact hour will be determined this month)–that is 7:30 or 8 a.m. Tokyo time–again, in an attempt to avoid the worst heat. (See the On the Rail column of this website for more details about cross-country.)
How things will go for the U.S. at the Games is a big question mark in show jumping and eventing. All teams in the equestrian disciplines will have only three members. That’s no big deal for dressage, where it’s been done before and the chances of team members being eliminated are small. So things are likely to run close to form.
But without drop scores in the other disciplines, it’s harder than usual to calculate the odds. Remember that at the 2016 Olympics, Beezie Madden’s horse, Cortes C, could not compete on the day the show jumping medals would be decided because he had sustained an injury in the previous round. The U.S., left with a three-member team, claimed silver. But without a fourth team member, anything can happen. That being said, the U.S. has plenty of good prospects for a medal-winning squad.
Doraemon, the blue cat beloved in Japan, pops up in various logos as an Olympic athlete in a number of sports. Here is this character as a rider.
The U.S. eventers did not clinch an Olympic berth at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, so the pressure was on at the Pan American Games in Lima last year. The gold medal there was the American ticket to Tokyo. But only two riders, Boyd Martin and Phillip Dutton, are on the “elite” list at the moment, though more will rise based on their performances at such events as the Land Rover Kentucky 5-star and Jersey Fresh International. That’s a plug to come out May 6-10 to Jersey Fresh (http://www.jfi3d.com/) at the Horse Park of New Jersey and see the Olympic hopefuls in person. Since cross-country is full of opportunities for mishaps (even a shortened course like the one in Tokyo), it’s hard to predict exactly what will happen in Tokyo.
In terms of Para Equestrian, the U.S. made quite a mark in that discipline at the 2018 WEG, so we should have good medal chances there.
Can’t afford to go to Tokyo? If you want to see great international show jumping and dressage live, how about a much less expensive trip–to the FEI World Cup Show finals in Las Vegas. This will be the seventh time it is being held in that city, and the glitter always adds something to the excitement. For tickets, go to https://www.worldcuplasvegas.com/. The dressage freestyle may be a sellout, so buy your seats early. Qualifying for the finals is continuing, but you can be assured such big names as Isabell Werth of Germany (the winner of the last three finals) will be on hand.
The U.S. becomes only the second country in the world to have two 5-star events when the Maryland 5-star at Fair Hill debuts Oct. 15-18, joining April’s Land Rover Kentucky fixture on the calendar of eventing’s top sport. The new Fair Hill Special Event Zone offers eventing a home at a location that also includes racing.
Taking a last look back at 2019, the biggest U.S. equestrian story was the impact of SafeSport. For 2019, the U.S. Equestrian Federation began requiring all competing members age 18 and over (as well as horse owners) to get SafeSport training in an effort to protect athletes from abuse. The sport was stunned as hunter/jumper icon George Morris was charged with sexual misconduct involving a minor and in November, permanently banned from attending recognized shows and participating in anything to do with the USEF or FEI (international equestrian federation). Earlier in the year, former American Grand Prix Association Rider of the Year Rob Gage committed suicide after receiving a SafeSport ban for sexual misconduct involving minors.
Athletes for Equity in Sport was formed in the wake of the Morris matter by a group concerned about fairness and the legal equity of the SafeSport process. It seeks to have Congress reform the way the program operates as the conversation over SafeSport continues.
The other story that jolted U.S. equestrians was the indictment of dressage trainer Michael Barisone on charges of attempted murder and gun law violations, after he was accused of shooting rider Lauren Kanarek twice in the chest during an August landlord/tenant dispute. A non-riding member of the 2008 Olympic dressage team, he remains in the Morris County Correctional Facility.
On the plus side, the USEF resolved continuing drug testing issues in a new partnership with the University of Kentucky. And after research and years of discussion in the veterinary committee, the USEF acted to ban use of Medroxyprogesterone acetate, which is believed to have a calming effect, in horses competing in its licensed competitions. A report cited 23 fatalities in connection with use of the substance, which has no therapeutic purpose in competition horses.
The World Equestrian Games, which too often had organizational problems after a brilliant inception in 1990, will not be held in 2022. The jumping, dressage, vaulting and para world championships will be staged in Denmark that year; eventing and driving are set for Italy. Reining and endurance championship sites have yet to be decided. Will we ever see a WEG again? I’m guessing it’s not happening in the new decade; it just takes too much in resources to present, and the benefits of putting all eight disciplines together are outweighed by the cost and effort involved.
As always, on New Year’s Day we remember those pillars of equestrian sport who have left us in the preceding year. One of the losses was Maj. Gen. Jonathan Burton, a veteran of the cavalry teams who went on to become instrumental in developing eventing in this country. He worked for the U.S. Equestrian Team, was an outstanding official and made contributions that improved the sport in so many ways.
Maj. Gen. Jonathan Burton
Ann Haller, an amazing official and volunteer, did so much for so many eventing competitions, as well as Pony Club, which was a special interest of hers. Her death during the summer caused shock waves across the sport in which she was beloved.
Those in New Jersey we lost included Jane Gilbert, a past president of the Horse Council of New Jersey, who was instrumental in helping ex-racehorses find new careers; Helen Gordon, a supporter of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation and Mane Stream; dynamic driving community member Louis Piancone, and Patricia Murphy, the widow of former U.S Equestrian Team President Vince Murphy who was a supporter of the USET Foundation in her own right.
We remember as well the great horses who left us. In eventing, they included Custom Made, David O’Connor’s 2000 Olympic individual gold medal mount and Winsome Adante, Kim Severson’s 2004 Olympic individual silver and team bronze medal partner, the first horse to win Rolex Kentucky three times.
Among the show jumpers who departed in 2019 were Anne Kursinski’s 1996 Olympic team silver medal ride, Eros and Glasgow, who won the American Invitational and numerous international prizes with Norman Dello Joio (look at the On the Rail section of this website for details.)
For me, the biggest milestone of the year was the publication of Riding for the Team. (https://www.uset.org/) Working on this project for two years gave me the opportunity to speak with many of those who have made a big mark on U.S. horse sports in eight disciplines since 1990. Hard to figure out what I can do for an encore that will be as inspiring and rewarding as this special project. But I’m sure I’ll find something, and of course, I’ll be continuing my efforts with Nancy Jaffer Equestrian Sports.
Happy New Year!
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 31, 2019
As was the case with the eventing at the 2008 Olympics in Hong Kong, the cross-country course for the 2020 Tokyo Games is being shortened due to horse welfare concerns. The route will be 4,500 meters instead of the regulation 5,700 meters, with eight minutes instead of 10 the optimum time.
August in that part of the world is extremely hot and humid. In Hong Kong, the optimum time was also eight minutes, and none of the horses made it, even though eventing caught a break when that segment was held on an overcast day instead of in bright sunshine.
The plan is for the Tokyo competition is to finish by 11 a.m., after which time the potential is for the highest Wet Bulb Globe Temperature readings (a measure of the heat stress in direct sunlight, which takes into account temperature, humidity, wind speed, sun angle and cloud cover.)
But have you ever been to a major eventing competition where there wasn’t a delay of some sort on cross-country due to a fall or other mishap? Even shortening the optimum time might not be able to beat the 11 a.m. witching hour. In an effort to avoid that, the start for the Tokyo cross-country will be earlier than originally scheduled, to between 7:30 and 8 a.m., with an announcement of the exact time expected in January.
The decision was made in view of findings from the 2019 Olympic test event.
“The welfare of both human and equine athletes is at the heart of the FEI’s decision-making process and these decisions have been taken to allow competing nations to optimize their performances in the Tokyo summer climate,” according to a statement from the FEI (International Equestrian Federation).
Summer heat, which led to more than 50 deaths in Tokyo in 2019, has made for some big changes in the Games. The marathon and walking race, for instance, are being moved 500 miles north as a way of easing conditions for those competitors.
Two sessions of eventing dressage run from 8-11:10 a.m., but all the other equestrian competitions start no earlier than 5 p.m. and run into the night. Everything is being held inland at the main equestrian venue except cross-country, which is at the Sea Forest location on the water.
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 20, 2019
A service will be held at 11 a.m. Feb. 8 at St. Luke’s Church, 182 Main Street, Gladstone, for Helen Griffith Jones Gordon, a longtime supporter of the Essex Fox Hounds and the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation, who died Dec. 18 in North Branford, Conn.
“She was a wonderful supporter of both groups,” said Sally Ike, a former USET employee and chairman of the Essex Fox Hounds.
“She always there when you needed help, whether clearing trails, stuffing envelopes and everything in between,” recalled Sally, who now is the managing director of licensed officials for the U.S. Equestrian Federation.
“My fondest memories are the Christmas parties for USET staff she hosted for us at her house. She will be missed.”
Helen Gordon had a great rapport with both horses and horse people.
The daughter of Helen and Frank C. Jones and sister of Frank C. Jones Jr. (all now deceased), Helen was born on March 27, 1924. She grew up in Montclair and Pine Orchard, Conn. She attended the Kimberley School in Upper Montclair and graduated from Bennett College in Millbrook, N.Y.
Helen was the great-great granddaughter of Brevet Brigadier Gen. Archibald Henderson, the longest-serving commandant of the U.S. Marine Corps. She was also the great-great= granddaughter of Commodore Jacob Jones, the eleventh commander of the USS Constitution.
Formerly married to Kenneth T. Gordon while living in Essex Fells, Helen later resided in Bedminster and Southern Pines, N.C. As an avid equestrian, she was very involved in fund raising for both the USET and the Somerset Hills Handicapped Riders (now Mane Stream in Oldwick). She was a Trustee Emeritus for both the Berkshire School in Sheffield, Mass., and the USET Foundation.
Helen is survived by her children, Suzanne Helen Gordon of Charleston, S.C.; Pamela Gordon duPont (Benjamin duPont, husband) of Chester, Conn.; Kenneth Jones Gordon (Regina Woods Gordon, wife) of Stamford, Conn., and grandchildren Samantha Danahy Ludwig (Christopher Ludwig, husband), and Brooke Jones Danahy both of Jackson Hole, Wyo.; Ana Cazenove Gordon of New York City; Liliana Ellen Gordon and Jacob Jones Gordon of Stamford and great-grandson Cooper John Ludwig.
In lieu of flowers a donation may be made to:
United States Equestrian Team Foundation
1040 Pottersville Road
Gladstone. NJ 07934 (Designate The Gladstone Fund)
or
Mane Stream
P.O. Box 305
Oldwick, NJ 08858 (Or on line at www.manestreamnj.org)
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 20, 2019
Dressage trainer Michael Barisone has been indicted in Morris County in connection with the August 7 shooting of rider Lauren Kanarek.
He was charged with two counts of attempted murder, which are crimes of the first degree, and two counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, crimes of the second degree. He remains in the Morris County Correctional Facility in lieu of bail, as per the judge’s order, and no trial date has been set. Arraignment is scheduled for next month.
The shooting incident involved a scuffle between Barisone, Kanarek and her fiancé, Rob Goodwin, who were living on Barisone’s farm in Washington Township. Kanarek was hospitalized after being shot twice in the chest.
Barisone was a member of the 2008 Olympic dressage team, but did not ride in the Games because only three members of the squad competed. He coached Allison Brock on the bronze medal team at the 2016 Olympics.
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 15, 2019
The MARS Essex Horse Trials is moving to a new date for 2020, hoping that a switch from June to July will offer better weather for the event.
“We’re really just trying to improve the odds,” said Ralph Jones, who co-chairs Essex with cross-country course designer Morgan Rowsell.
The sun finally shone for the Mars Essex Horse Trials after days of rain, but organizers are hoping for more good weather with a date change.
A wet spring and an unusual amount of rain during the week of the 2019 competition at Moorland Farm in Far Hills drenched the ground. That was disappointing for the debut of the Advanced division at Essex, a longtime New Jersey fixture which was revived in 2017 after an 18-year absence from the calendar.
Organizers did what they could to deal with the mud, postponing the Advanced stadium jumping from Friday evening to Saturday so the turf could dry out a bit. But it was still difficult going for dressage and show jumping, while the cross-country route also had deep spots, prompting some riders to scratch.
For 2020, Essex takes over the dates of the Fitch’s Corner, N.Y., event, which was discontinued. The new July 18-19 date “fits in better for the riders in sequencing different competitions,” according to Ralph.
“The one pickle we have is the lack of an all-weather arena at Moorland Farm. If we don’t have an all-weather arena, we are limited to what we can do,” said Ralph.
Essex co-chairs Ralph Jones and Morgan Rowsell.
While 38 riders entered the Advanced this year, 26 scratched after assessing the conditions.
Ralph thinks the riders will be willing to have another try at Essex.
“Essex was dealt a bad straw,” said Lauren Kieffer, the Bates U.S. Eventing Association’s Leading Lady Rider of 2019.
Ralph commented, “My instinct is they give us a pass because of the weather, but they’re not going to give that to you forever,” he said.
Philip Dutton, who ran a lower-level horse at Essex this year, scratched his Advanced mount, Z, who this weekend at the U.S. Eventing Association convention was named the Standlee Western Forage USEA Horse of the Year and Advanced Horse. The Olympian said the cross-country going was heavy.
Although July can be hot, he likes the idea of the new date, noting, “It’s the weaker time for Advanced events, so it could work well on the calendar, especially if they can aerate the cross-country so it doesn’t get too hard.”
The problem with grass for the other phases is that, “In dressage, everyone goes in the same spot, and the same with the show jumping.”
When it rains, that makes the footing difficult. In the future, he said, events are “going to have all-weather surfaces at some stage. If they want to stay relevant and stay competitive, they’re probably going to have to do that, and it’s not easy to do.”
Guy Torsilieri, who co-chairs the October Far Hills Race Meeting at Moorland, said about trying to solve the footing situation for dressage and jumping, “We have multiple options. We understand there’s a need for consistent footing when it gets wet. We’d like to keep the turf, but that may not be realistic.”
He explained there is consideration of improving the turf with a long-term project, but observed, “in some cases, that might not work.” Another possibility involves discussing partnering with the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone, a five-minute drive from Moorland, so the Advanced show jumping and dressage could be held there.
While the ring behind the Foundation’s stables is what first comes to mind when the facility is mentioned, Guy brought up the arena at Pine Meadow, part of the Foundation property which has been used for driving over the years.
“Should we look at renovating Pine Meadow,” he wondered. Using a ring at the Foundation would mean trailering the horses, albeit for a short distance, which is not always popular with the riders.
But he also mentioned the idea of an all-weather ring at Moorland, although that is not a solution for this year. But Guy noted for that concept, “it’s not the capital to put it in; it’s the business plan to make it work going forward. All options are on the table and I think you have to approach it that way.”
Ralph noted, “We’re trying to figure all this out. The riders don’t really like to go to two locations,” he pointed out, adding, however, “We could probably do it in a transition year.”
Moving the event into July makes it a little more predictable. If the turf stays dry, Morgan said, Advanced will go first, and get the best footing as a result.
Will Coleman and Obos O’Reilly handled the footing to win the Advanced division at the Mars Essex Horse Trials.
“For our purposes this year, we will irrigate, we will aerate, we will sand it–whatever we can do to get the best turf possible. We’re concentrating on having a successful event at Moorland, but we’ve got to have a backup plan.
“We had 14 inches of rain in June. Three years in a row we had rain, that’s just the way it works now in June in New Jersey.”
Even if it’s hot, the ground won’t suffer. “We can make hard ground soft,” said Morgan, but the corollary is that no one can do the opposite with wet ground.
Morgan noted the entire Preliminary division ran cross-country last year “and it was great. But when you get to the 4-foot level, you’re asking a horse to jump out of some soft footing and the consequences are quite a bit different than jumping 3-foot-6.”
Chris Barnard, who designed the Essex show jumping courses, thinks July will work.
“It might be a little warm, but I think it’s warm everywhere. When the ground gets that wet for the show jumping in the field, it’s tricky.” On the other hand, he pointed out “If it’s too hard, they (the Essex contingent) have the equipment and staff to get the equipment better.”
Boyd Martin, who won the featured Preliminary Essex section on Luke 140 this year but scratched Advanced, said of scenic Essex, “It’s a phenomenal event, everything we dream of in an event as a rider.”
Boyd Martin on his winning Preliminary mount at Essex.
The U.S. Eventing Association’s Rider of the Year likes the date,. He also commented, “If Essex could come up with an all-weather surface, it would really guarantee a sensational event. Everyone wants to go to Essex because it’s one of the best events in the country. We all want the best for our horses, too. To be able to compete with dressage and jumping on a synthetic footing would surely make it an international venue.
“I feel terrible for the event because they put on the greatest of great shows but the footing was bottomless. We love these horses and they’re worth so much money now, we can’t chance riding them in knee-deep mud. We had unbelievable amounts of rain. That’s uncontrollable. You get that amount of rain at any event and it really changes things.”
Ralph was asked by Morgan, who co-chairs the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event at the Horse Park of New Jersey, to join the board of that event. Jersey Fresh was started to fill the gap after Essex bowed out following its 1998 edition. It will be part of the selection process for the Tokyo Olympics, where the discipline gets under way on the last day of July–when conditions there will be a lot hotter than in New Jersey.
To find out more about Essex or volunteer, go to www.essexhorsetrials.org.
