Special books make the equestrian past come alive at a special time of year

by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 8, 2018

By Nancy Jaffer
December 8, 2018

While the holidays are an occasion for celebration, at the same time, they offer an opportunity to polish memories. We think of those who are no longer with us, recall cherished moments with our horses and reminisce about eras that live on only in our hearts.

Few are better at calling up times gone by than Judy Richter, whose new book, “The Kitten’s Cooler and Other Stories,” is a real treat. While it’s filled with tales that include a variety of big names—both human and equine–that you’ll recognize, from George Morris,  Bertalan de Nemethy and Norman Dello Joio to  Johnny’s Pocket, Gaelic and Glasgow, Judy’s mastery as a storyteller also is evident in pieces about the many quirky folks she’s met along the way. You may not have heard of such characters as Bootstrap Jerry and Floyd van Alstyne, but you’ll never forget them after reading Judy’s treatment. She finds the humor in situations, but also tends to treat her subjects with respect.

If you’re a hunter/jumper person, you need no introduction to Judy. She’s a noted rider/trainer as well as an author with several other books to her credit. Horses are her heritage. Her father, Philip Hofmann, was a noted four-in-hand driver who became a founder of the U.S. Combined Training Association and her sister, Carol Hofmann Thompson, enjoyed a reputation as a stellar show jumper who rode for the U.S. Equestrian Team.

Judy Hofmann Richter and her sister, Carol Hofmann Thompson at the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame dinner. (Photo©by Nancy Jaffer)

The book’s title comes from the time Judy visited Carol’s widower, J. Willard Thompson, after his wife’s passing. To make her feel at home, Willard put a wool cooler on the brass bedstead in the guestroom at Quiet Winter Farm in Colts Neck. The cooler had belonged to The Kitten, one of Carol’s great horses, and was always by the bed when Judy came to stay with her sister. Willard, who sadly left us last month, had put out the cooler so Judy could sleep under it and bring back the past in her dreams. And now she brings back the past for her readers.

Although Judy had written the “Between Rounds” column for The Chronicle of the Horse, her writing really took off when she enrolled in a course taught by Steve Schnur at Sarah Lawrence College. She has taken the course from Steve, a magazine editor, for 20 years, missing only two semesters.

Early on, she received an A-minus on a story about a horse who had a “93” brand on his shoulder.

“The class loved the story and that got me going,” she recounted.

While those familiar with the Somerset Hills of New Jersey where Judy grew up will particularly enjoy the book, she also goes into great detail about the horse country of Westchester County, N.Y., the location of her Coker Farm, and details her time in Vermont, another place where she has spent a lot of time over the decades.

Judy acknowledges in her new book’s  final chapter, “Lamington Farm Remembered,” that the days are long gone when she galloped around with her sister and friends at one of her favorite spots in Bedminster. Not only is Lamington Farm now the site of the Trump International Golf Club, but as she ruefully noted, “We are no longer carefree girls, but careful old ladies.”

The entrance to the Trump National Golf Club at what used to be Lamington Farm. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)

As she points out, “`Progress’ has dictated that open countryside become suburbia or even urban sprawl, but nothing can spoil the view from the top of the hill where the double white chicken coops used to be. If nowhere else, it’s in my mind’s eye forever.” And also in the mind of the reader, who can ride with her in the chapter, jumping back and forth over the post and rail fences, as well as dozens of those chicken coops.

With this book, available at www.amazon.com, Judy said she was trying to bring readers “an appreciation of the horses and the life we enjoy with horses. How great it is.”

Another book perfect for reading while there is some down time from the shows over the holidays  is Frank Waters’, “The Golden Age of Show Jumping.” While it’s heavy on British riders, such as Harvey Smith, Caroline Bradley (who developed the great Milton before her death), David Broome, and many others that the horse show announcer knew personally, he also was well-acquainted with plenty of Olympic medalist Americans who were stars in the past, among them Mary and Frank Chapot, Bill Steinkraus and Neal Shapiro.

Frank Chapot in a familiar pose–as a winner.

Frank, who also has a background in riding and training, always has the inside scoop and makes those he writes about come alive. So even if all the names are not familiar, their stories will capture your attention and you’ll get a fascinating equestrian history lesson.

This one also is available at Amazon—what isn’t? Think books when you’re shopping for someone who appreciates the equestrian scene.

A reunion on a special day at the USET Foundation Stables in Gladstone

by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 25, 2018

By Nancy Jaffer
Nov. 25, 2018

Joining the ranks of such legends as eventing stalwart Giltedge, Olympic double-gold medal show jumper Touch of Class and dressage star Brentina on the pages of history is a tall order for any horse. But joining their ranks in the historic stable at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation (uset.org) is easier to do—for those who can afford to make it happen.

Naming a stall at the barn in Gladstone after a favorite horse runs $100,000 for the top floor of the building and $50,000 for the lower floor, but the tax-deductible charitable contribution goes for more than just a bronze plaque.  While paying tribute to a horse, the donation–payable over a multi-year period–is put toward the foundation’s mission. That involves funding competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of the country’s elite and developing horses and athletes for international competition, in partnership with the U.S. Equestrian Federation.

Madison pauses with Kent Farrington in the rotunda of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation stables on the way to a stall that will bear her name. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)

The stall-naming program has been going for a while, but the foundation wanted to highlight it as part of the organization’s current fundraising campaign.

“It’s a wonderful way for people to honor and celebrate special horses in their lives and be a part of the team at the same time,” explained Bonnie Jenkins, the foundation’s executive director. Any horse can be honored by a donor who feels they are deserving of recognition, even if they simply were a great friend and had never won a ribbon. There is no requirement for them ever to have been ridden on the team or stabled in Gladstone.

But to kick off the program’s revival, the stellar former grand prix show jumper Madison visited the stall named in her honor this month, trailering down from her retirement home in Connecticut with her owners, the Weeks family. It set the stage for a fond reunion with her former rider, Kent Farrington, who has been ranked the number one show jumper in the world.

Madison searches for carrots on the table where her stall plaque is displayed. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)

Bill Weeks feels a connection with the stable from which the U.S. fielded so many medal-winning teams. He recalled bringing his daughters, Whitney and Alexa, there for the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East.

“I love the building and history,” said Bill, who is vice president of the foundation’s trustees.

He noticed in the past when he walked around the stable that horses had been honored with stall plaques, and the concept clicked with him.

“I thought it was fitting to do for Madison and Kent and to support the USET Foundation at the same time. The first time I came here, I was kind of in awe of the facility. The young riders who compete here in the Talent Search get their first exposure to the facility and I think it stays with them,” Bill observed.

Madison, now 22, has an interesting back story.

“She was not bought as a grand prix horse. She was bought to do the junior jumpers,” Bill noted.

But when Kent’s grand prix horse went lame while he was at a show in Raleigh, N.C. he turned to then- seven-year-old Madison, who went on to win both grands prix at the show. He was, he conceded, “a little surprised,” but that started her career in the big time.

“Every day she showed us she could do more all the way up until competing at the highest level representing the U.S. It’s amazing how high she went with Kent,” Bill said.

Kent and Madison took a moment for a selfie. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)

“No matter what, she always tried,” Kent commented after getting into the stall at the foundation with Madison, who obviously remembered him. The two even got close for a selfie.

While Madison was funny about her mouth when Kent started with her, often throwing her head up at an awkward angle, he found a way to bring her to her full potential.

“A lot of it was slow work, and taking the time to train and practice,” he said.

She was, he explained, “a trier, a real fighter in the ring. Horses can overcome a lot of other faults just because they have heart.”

In 2005, he and Madison took the grand prix at the Devon Horse Show and then topped the President’s Cup at the Washington International, where Kent also was leading jumper rider during his first time in the professional ranks there. He ended 2005 by winning the American Grand Prix Association Trainer of the Year title, as Madison won the AGA Horse of the Year honors.

Kent Farrington and Madison on their way to winning the 2005 U.S. Open Jumper Championship. ((Photo©2005 by Nancy Jaffer)

Madison competed for the U.S. at the 2006 FEI World Cup Finals in Kuala Lumpur, but she wasn’t herself after the long trip there. So Kent dropped out after the first leg, opting instead for an extra day’s rest and then the non-Cup grand prix, which she won in typical style.

Since her retirement at age 16, Madison had two fillies via embryo transplant. Both are now four and jumping little courses; Elsa is by Elvis ter Putte and Nadia is by Nabob de Reve. Madison, who had been living in Belgium, returned to the U.S. this autumn.

“We felt very fortunate she was able to retire safely and happily,” said Alexa, who is married to Brazilian Olympic individual gold medalist, world champion and three-time World Cup titleist Rodrigo Pessoa, now coach of the Irish show jumping team. He rode Madison at the end of her career.

Madison, handling retirement as easily as she handled competition, “is a great herd animal,” said Alexa.

“She absolutely loves being out in the field with all of her buddies. Some show jumpers don’t retire well. She’s retired really well.”

As far as naming a stall for her, Alexa said, “She definitely deserves the recognition, because she was such a special horse for both Kent and I. We each won grands prix on her,” she pointed out, noting it’s unusual for a horse to do well with both an amateur and a professional.

Kent flew up from Florida for the day to see Madison get her stall plaque. He’s incredibly busy, as always, and about to take off for Europe, but was happy to take the time to pay tribute to her.

“She was the first horse I rode on the U.S. team, (my) first horse to win a 5-star grand prix and it was sort of a catalyst for my career,” he explained after greeting the mare fondly.

“Whenever anyone asks about my most significant grand prix win, I always say it was winning my first 5-star grand prix with her. It was the only five-star in America then and it was on the grass. She was a horse I brought up from when she was young and had gone all the steps with her to get to that level. At every level, she was always competitive and a winner with multiple riders. That says a lot about the horse. Every time we asked her to do something bigger, she always answered.

Madison is escorted to her stall by Kent Farrington with Alexa Weeks Pessoa and Olivia and Bill Weeks. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)

He pointed out, “I started with my own business when I was 21, it was a lot to take on at such a young age. I had an amazing horse who could win and really put me on the map. Her intelligence was probably her strongest attribute. When you taught her something, she retained it. She knew the job, she figured out the sport, like a lot of the great horses. She was always super reliable.”

Kent rode at the foundation headquarters a couple of times in his youth, once in the Talent Search, once in a George Morris clinic, and has visited on several occasions since.

“It’s an amazing place. I’m still really impressed when I walk in here now. There’s a lot of history here and it’s a beautiful stable,” he said, before looking at the historic photos archived in the stable’s upstairs trophy room.

Kent is generally all business. To do what he’s done, you have to stay focused. But he is not one to forget a good turn, and he got a bit sentimental as he talked about Madison and her owners.

“The horse and the Weeks family were really an amazing start to my career. Without them, I wouldn’t have been able to get where I am today; certainly not as fast. They took a big chance on me when I was really young to give me that kind of opportunity.

“I’m very proud about what it evolved into and very grateful for all the support and the relationship that we still have today. They were always very generous, that was always their approach,” he said, when asked about their decision to donate for a stall on the stable’s top floor.

“That’s also why they were so supportive of me,” Kent mused. “They saw that I worked hard and they wanted to give me a chance.”

Thanksgiving means a trip to see the Essex Fox Hounds gather

by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 22, 2018

By Nancy Jaffer
November 22, 2018

It was 23 degrees this morning when the Essex Fox Hounds started assembling for their Thanksgiving hunt. I expected a small field of riders and figured only a few spectators would show up. Wrong and wrong.

The folks who drove out to Ellistan in Peapack to watch appeared in their usual number; there were several hundred on hand.

Here’s another view.

The riders came out in force, though several wore scarves over their faces to ward off the chill.

Watching the hunt is a tradition that started decades ago when Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was a member of Essex, and people gathered to catch a glimpse of her. She has been gone for decades, but habits are hard to break. For many people in the area, a visit to the Essex meet is as much a part of the day as the turkey and stuffing. As for the cold? “It’s fine when you’re in the sun,” one bundled woman told me.

And then there were the hot toddies, with folks lined up to get a cup of the steaming beverage. For the kids, there was hot chocolate, and they took advantage of it.

Many of those who attend don’t have a chance to spend time with horses. Some may never have even been close to a horse. So it’s a nice opportunity to reach out and touch a friendly equine. Essex works with the Countryside Alliance of the Somerset Hills, which encourages conservation and an appreciation of nature.

The hunt moved off, led by Huntsman Bart Poole and a pack of eager hounds. Although the area is less than an hour from New York City, it is beautifully preserved, with lovely fields, stunning homes that fit into the landscape and plenty of places to gallop.

There’s always a four-in-hand as part of the festivities. It adds to the elegance of the occasion.

Starting off with a little jump gives bystanders an opportunity to take out their cellphones and catch the moment on video.

Look at this horse’s breath. You can tell it’s a frosty day.

Wild turkeys have made a comeback in the Northeast. This one was spending a peaceful Thanksgiving, nowhere near cranberry sauce or stuffing.