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.

A great horseman crosses the finish line

by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 6, 2018

November 6, 2018

He was not only a great horseman, but racehorse trainer J. Willard Thompson also should be remembered as a great gentleman. The horse world lost a much-admired figure when he died Saturday at the age of 83 after a long illness.

A fixture at Monmouth Park for more than a half-century, Willard’s involvement in racing began when he was a steeplechase rider before switching to training in the early 1960s. He dominated the New Jersey racing scene in the 1970s, winning three consecutive training titles at Monmouth Park from 1975-1977 and two at the Meadowlands in the 1980s.

J. Willard Thompson (photo by equiphoto.com)

Willard was back in a big way several decades later, when he took the 2001 Monmouth title and had record earnings that year of nearly $1.6 million for his runners, many of whom raced in the colors of his Quiet Winter Farm. Some his most recent stakes winners included Jenny Bean Girl in the 2007 Jersey Girl Handicap and Pinot Grigio, who took the 2014 Open Mind Handicap.

In 1996, Willard won the first Virgil “Buddy” Raines Distinguished Achievement Award, honoring men and women who demonstrated a continuing commitment to the sport of thoroughbred racing and whose conduct has been exemplary for professionalism, integrity and service to the sport.

“It’s very hard to imagine Monmouth Park, and racing, without Willard,” said John F. Heims, Monmouth’s racing secretary.

“I’ve had the privilege of calling Willard my friend for nearly 20 years. We had spent countless hours in his office, the clocker’s stand, frontside and my office talking horses, politics and everything in between. With Willard, the generation gap just slipped away as age made no difference. He was kind and generous to everyone in this sport and his passing is a tremendous loss for our industry.”

From 17,863 starters, Thompson won 2,137 races, good for earnings of $30.5 million. With his longtime assistant, Sergio “Victor” Rabadan, Thompson’s most recent starter as a trainer was Snowday on Oct. 26 at Laurel and the most recent starter for his Quiet Winter Farm was Arnold Ziffle, who finished third at Laurel  as Willard watched on the internet, just a few hours before he died.

Thompson was married to the former Carol Hofmann, a show jumper who rode for the U.S. Equestrian Team and died in  2013. An Olympic alternate in 1968, after the Games Carol accepted an invitation from a friend to  “come to Aiken, S.C. for a quiet winter.”

On her second day there, Carol met Willard, and after that, as she always said, “It was definitely not a quiet winter.” But least that gave the couple a name for their Colt’s Neck farm.

Last year, Willard finished a novel, “The Mission,” that he had begun in the 1960s.

As he recalls in the book’s preface, the draft  “was lost moving back and forth between Florida, South Carolina, and New York and never finished. Recently, I found the book in the bottom of my desk drawer. Now, at the age of 82, I finally got around to finishing it.”

The book, available from Barnes and Noble and Amazon, centers on a man who has everything, but is bored, and decides to rob the bank where he works.

“Things seemed simpler back then and in other ways, they’re still the same — people still yearn to be successful without really knowing what that is and whether they have achieved it,” Willard observed.

Proceeds from the book will go to the Retired Racehorse Project in Maryland. Here is a  link to the book’s website.

Willard’s survivors include sons Glenn and Stewart; daughter Julia and nine grandchildren: Julia, Parker, McKenzie, Wyatt, Mizuki, Taylor, Landon, Shelby and Bradyn.

A celebration of Willard’s life will be held in the spring to coincide with the opening of Monmouth Park’s 2019 racing season.

Do horses count as agriculture? What do you think?

by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 25, 2018

By Nancy Jaffer
October 25, 2108

It seems like common sense to acknowledge that New Jersey’s horse industry is part of the agricultural community, but everyone doesn’t see it that way.

To some who raise crops, “Horse people are not farmers.  That’s the mentality,” noted equine veterinarian Brendan Furlong, recalling a comment from an acquaintance whose business is growing vegetables. And that farmer isn’t alone in his viewpoint.

In an attempt to change the mindset, members of the horse industry got together with farmers this week at the Desiderio family’s Tranquillity Farm in Chester during the “Equine is Agriculture” gathering.

Explaining the effort to have representatives of both sectors at the meeting, Brendan said, “We’re trying to integrate them.”

Wouldn’t you call this a farm scene? (Photo©by Nancy Jaffer)

Such a move seems long overdue, considering their shared concerns about such issues as farm labor, farmland preservation, waste management and the pressures of development, as well as the often-burdensome regulations that go with the territory in the country’s most densely populated state.

Brendan’s Oldwick-based practice, B.W. Furlong Associates, partnered with the New Jersey Farm Bureau, Califon Animal Hospital (one of its owners, Mary Beth Hamorski, is a past president of the N.J. Association of Equine Practitioners) and John Deere/Central Jersey Equipment on the program. It drew 135 people to the show stable’s indoor arena for the lively session.

Brendan’s son, Adam, a vice president of both the Furlong practice and the Horse Park of New Jersey, said that as a member of the New Jersey Agricultural Society’s Leadership Development Program, he learned, “There was a sense the equine community was separate from the agricultural community.”

He put in a call to discuss the subject with Somerset County hay farmer Ryck Suydam, the farm bureau’s president, who is well aware of the horse industry’s importance to larger New Jersey agricultural picture.

Ryck Suydam, president of the N.J. Farm Bureau. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)

“Our interests are perfectly aligned with each other,” said Ryck. “What is good for the hay farmer is good for the horse owner and vice versa.”

The two began planning for the event about a year ago. Ryck said this is the first in a series of such get-togethers, with another already requested for Gloucester County.

Such meetings facilitate what he called “old school networking,” with people getting together beforehand and afterwards to share their points of view.

“It’s better face-to-face that it is in an email or a tweet,” Ryck continued. The last time the Farm Bureau did something similar, when the subject was changes in farmland assessment, three such meetings were planned. “We wound up doing 11,” he said.

The question is why there has been a lack of cohesiveness between equestrian interests and non-equine farmers in the Garden State, where the horse is the state animal.

“I don’t think either side is to blame,” observed Adam.

“Equine is very definitely a big component of agriculture,” he continued, explaining organizers of the event want to “create a more singular voice. If we look out for interests of the equine community, it’s going to go hand-in-hand with the agricultural community. Likewise, we should support farm legislation in general.

Adam Furlong speaks at the meeeting. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)

“If commodities go up in price because land values skyrocket, or it becomes too inefficient to farm here, it will have a negative impact on the equine community in New Jersey. People are moving out; it spirals.”

Citing the Horse Park’s struggle to obtain more funding, Adam observed, “the only way get it is if more revenue is counted in through agriculture and/or equine and showing the state this is a revenue-producing industry for them.”

Speakers included Brian Smith, chief of legal affairs for the State Agriculture Development Committee. He discussed the right-to-farm act, which offers protection to agricultural operations. Its website is worth a look at http:nj.gov/agriculture/sadc/rtfprogram, particularly for those whose operations are having trouble with neighbors taking issue with farming in their area.

There was a good turnout at the meeting. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)

Ed Wengryn, a farm bureau research associate, offered welcome news that the much-hated sales tax on boarding horses, which went into effect in 2006, may soon be a thing of the past. A bill pending in the state Legislature is designed to repeal it, but a provision to make it retroactive didn’t fly because it would be too costly and complicated to refund the money collected over the last 12 years. Equestrian interests have been trying for more than five years to kill the fee, which is a “storage” tax, similar to what you would pay to keep your sofa and bookshelves at a facility somewhere.

“Horse are livestock, they are not furniture,” Ed pointed out. The bill, which has been passed by the Assembly, will go through the Senate budget process and from there to a floor vote.

Brendan gave an equine health update, discussing the importance of turnout and ways to feed horses more naturally (less grain, more forage), cutting down on the chances of colic in the process.

Organizers of the meeting are hoping more horse people will join the Farm Bureau and help its efforts with their support. The cost is $150 for a regular membership, $60 for an associate membership and a $210 corporate membership. Fine out more at https://njfb.org/join/.

The bureau offers information on current farm issues through a weekly newsletter, a quarterly publication and its website.  Among many other initiatives its efforts include working with legislators, providing leadership development for young farmers and focusing on immigration reform to ensure a stable and affordable source of farm labor.

“I hope the Farm Bureau increases their membership out of this,” said Adam.

“I want the farming community to think about changing the mindset, being supportive of each other and really acknowledging how much our interests are aligned.”

A real fun day at the Masters’ Chase

by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 14, 2018

By Nancy Jaffer
October 14, 2018

The phrase “old-fashioned fun” is too seldom heard these days in connection with equestrian sports, which tend to be high stakes, played with horses bearing even higher pricetags.

So it was refreshing to roll back the clock this weekend at the Masters’ Chase, “a family-friendly day of amateur horse racing” put on by the Peapack-based Essex Fox Hounds (essexfoxhounds.org) and the Countryside Alliance of the Somerset Hills. It all took place on the great lawn at Natirar, a former estate in Peapack now owned by the Somerset County Park Commission.

The Masters’ Chase offered gallops across Natirar’s Great Lawn. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)

Don’t confuse this with the 98^th Far Hills Race Meeting, which will be run a little more than a mile down the road next Saturday at Moorland Farm in Far Hills. That’s serious business, professional steeplechasing complete with pari-mutuel wagering this year for the first time, and $850,000 in purses. (See the On the Rail section of this website for more information about the Far Hills Race Meeting.)

The Masters’ Chase didn’t offer purses; its prizes were ribbons, small trophies and lots of candy for the kids taking part, along with opportunities for real amateur riders to get a taste of what it’s like to race, the thrill of pounding hooves and cheers from the crowd. Some competitors, like the team that won the baton relay, wore racing silks. Others were togged in hunting attire or show clothes. But few crossed the finish line without smiles on their faces.

The winning relay team; Karen Murphy and Jazz Merton, Essex joint masters, Bart Poole and Samantha Bober. (Photo©2018 by Lawrence J. Nagy)

The relay was lots of excitement for the six teams of four participating, particularly with the trickiness of passing off a baton while barely pausing in mid-gallop.

Karen Murphy passes off the baton to Bart Poole on the way to victory. (Photo©2018 by Lawrence J. Nagy)

Nancy McCaffrey was grinning broadly after coming in first in the Senior Fieldmaster race on Simon. Her trainer, Ann Sullivan Scher, had warned her that Simon was rather slow. Nancy, of Far Hills, was glad to find that wasn’t the case in this instance.

“It was fantastic,” said Nancy of her racing experience over fences. “He was just so strong. He just wanted to win.”

Ann, who brought eight horses to the Masters’ Chase, recounted Simon’s interesting history. He is by Sale Johnson’s stallion, Golan. His granddam is Isle of Erin, a great show ring performer for the Scher family. Simon was trained by top show jumper Laura Chapot and was the high money-winner in the Preliminary division in Florida years ago. He also jumped with Sarah Segal in amateur classes and has spent time hunting.

The race was led by Karen Murphy, joint master of Essex with Jazz Merton. She set a sensible pace for the 10-horse field over fences at various heights arranged around the lawn, then peeled away before the home stretch to allow the contenders to battle it out on the flat.

There were similar races for juniors and ponies. Karen rode at the head of the pack for all of them, alternating among her three gray horses; George Clooney, Sean Connery (do you see a naming pattern here?) and Bentley.

Jackie Gattoni of Bedminster got popped off her horse, Levi, over a fence in the Senior Fieldmaster race, but true to the sporting spirit, came back with him to win one section of the Senior Foxhunter Flat Race in a close call over Nancy and Simon.

Jackie Gattoni on Levi and Nancy McCaffrey on Simon each won a race and had a great time battling it out. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)

While Simon has quite a background and lineage, the day drew all kinds of horses and ponies, like the black-and-white pony aptly named Oreo, ridden by Ian Ucko. The little paint ran gallantly in several races, before taking a break to nibble grass and get some love.

Oreo got grass and love after a busy day at the Masters’ Chase. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)

The smaller children were involved in stick pony races for three age groups, making early converts to the equestrian scene. The winners got three-streamer blue ribbons; all the other participants got rosettes with checked streamers on either side of the main ribbon.

The next age group up had the option of a lead-line race, in which the leaders walked, or a match in which the folks holding the line could run.

Ayrton Astudillo, 5, won his stick pony race, but everyone else got token ribbons too. (Photo©2018 by Lawrence J. Nagy)

Take a look at the video below to get the flavor of the Masters’ Chase, which started off with an appearance by Essex huntsman Bart Poole and the hounds, who made friends with the kids. In the stick pony race, watch for the little girl in pink boots who dropped behind the rest of the field but didn’t give up.

While racing was the afternoon’s focus, there were other things going on as well.

Prudence Theriault of Kinderhook Lake, N.Y., was recruited for the new vendor village by her friend Penelope Ayers, who organized the initiative in a tent on one side of the racecourse.

“I love the combination of the jewelry and the horses; I have fox earrings and pawprint jewelry for the dog lovers,” said Prudence, who designs the pieces she sells. Other vendors offered dog beds, paintings, honey and a variety of knick-knacks.

Prudence Theriault offers jewelry with some equestrian themes to young shoppers. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)

Tailgating was right next to the track, enabling mounted riders and their friends to mingle and grab a sandwich or a drink. Mary Lane sat comfortably on her horse, Denali, sipping champagne (what else?) from a plastic glass.

“That’s what makes it a race day,” she said cheerfully of the bubbly.

Wallis Weiner-Trapness was next to her, enjoying the ambience aboard her mare, Brons Flicka (a great-granddaughter of Bold Ruler).

Trackside tailgating brought the competitors close to the spectators. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)

“I’ve been involved in this event since it started (in 2013),” said Wallis.

“I love competing in it. It takes me three months to get the horse quieted back down. It’s a great day of friends competing against each other. It’s a great venue and it’s getting bigger and bigger every year.”

Wallis pointed out that Essex started the races that became the Moorland meeting. The steeplechase originally was done as a thank you to farmers and landowners over whose acreage Essex hunted. The fixture became known as “the hunt races,” and although the hunt is no longer involved, some people insist on referring to the Moorland races as “the hunt.” Anyone who calls it that obviously doesn’t know what they’re talking about…

Sally Ike, who missed much of the action because she was the “front gate host,” had a chance to see everyone at the end of the day for socializing and reminiscing.

“It reminds me of what steeplechasing was like in the old days. It’s a family outing and a community-based thing and it was a great deal of fun,” said Sally, who chairs the Essex hunt committee.

“It’s an opportunity for our neighbors to come together on a Saturday afternoon and just enjoy being out and watching the races. What struck me was the public coming in to watch. That’s the kind of atmosphere we want to have.” She would also like to see more riders participate.

This year, members of the Windy Hollow and Amwell Valley hunts took part.

“We had a great group of people,” said Karen Murphy, who thanked the park commission for its cooperation.

“I absolutely loved it. This is super fun. It was super inviting and nice,” said Gabrielle Sterling of Amwell.

Ed Wiley, joint master of Windy Hollow, noted, “I think the concept of getting the various equestrian organizations together to enjoy a day of good sport is fantastic, and I thank the Essex Foxhounds for accomplishing that task.”