by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 16, 2021
The crowds turned out for the debut of the new Maryland 5 star event’s cross-country day, flocking to the Fair Hill Special Event Zone in numbers never seen over the last 32 years at the old Fair Hill International fixture in another area of the late William DuPont’s former estate.
Perhaps as many as 10,000 enthusiastic fans, a number arrived at judging by the traffic jams on the area’s narrow roads, showed up today to watch some of the world’s most celebrated international riders do what eventers do best. The spectators tailgated, admired the horses and crowded around the formidable fences in a fashion that spelled success for a facility which will host all manner of other attractions, including racing with parimutuel betting.
There was no betting this afternoon, but if there had been, you wouldn’t have gotten much of a payout by putting $2 on Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class. The world’s number one event rider kept his lead from dressage, adding nothing to his 21.1 penalties from the opening dressage phase of the world’s newest 5-star event.
Oliver Townend and Cooley Master Class ace the Fair Hill drop. (Photo © 2021 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
The stunning cross-country course was viewed with trepidation by many of the competitors, who didn’t hesitate to express their anxieties about it over the last few days.
Boyd Martin, the highest-placed U.S. rider, third with On Cue after yesterday’s dressage, called it “horrendously difficult” after walking the hilly terrain and seeing what designer Ian Stark had in store.
When it came time to meet the 28 fences on horseback this afternoon, however, competitors discovered the experience wasn’t as overwhelming as they feared.
“It rode well all in all,” summed up Oliver, whose trip ended five seconds under the 11-minute optimum time.
“All the top class horses dealt with it extremely well. Some of the real good gallopers made it look like a walk in the park,” Oliver observed.
“For me, my horse gave his all.”
Tim Price of New Zealand, in second place on one of those good gallopers, Xavier Faer, was 14 seconds under the time. He stands on his dressage score of 24.3 penalties, less than a rail behind Oliver. We’ll see how that plays out in the show jumping tomorrow afternoon. Boyd and On Cue also threaten Oliver after a lovely trip that kept him on his dressage score of 25 penalties.
Tim Price and Xavier Faer are a close second going into show jumping. (Photo © 2021 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
But after the top three, there was quite a bit of shakeup in the standings.
Six riders were eliminated, including Phillip Dutton, the last to go, who had a fall with Singapore at the Groundhog Garden Gate just seven fences from the end of the course as the rain that had held off for hours came down with a vengeance. The horse eventually caught his breath after the shock. Both he and his rider were able to walk away from the incident, but that made me recall how Ian said yesterday he couldn’t relax “until the last horse is home safely.”
He also had a bad moment at the beginning of the 5-star, when the first horse on course, Buck Davidson’s Carlevo, fell at fence 10A, the brush shoulder.
:I wasn’t feeling terribly great when the first horse fell over,” Ian noted wryly. The tension has taken a toll on him.
“I feel as if I aged 20 years in a week,” he confessed.
But perhaps having riders heap praise on his efforts will refresh him.
Tim Price, Ian Stark, Oliver Townend and Boyd Martin.
Hannah Sue Burnett, who had been fourth on the 18-year-old Harbour Pilot, dropped to 25th with a refusal and time faults.
Lauren Nicholson took her slot on the leaderboard with Landmark’s Monte Carlo, another horse owned by Jacqueline Mars.
Doug Payne, the top-placed U.S. rider at the Tokyo Olympics, had a disappointing dressage test on Quantum Leap that tied him in 33d place with Buck Davidson and Jak My Style. The two are now tied for 11th after excelling on cross-country.
Don’t look down! Lauren Nicholson and Landmark’s Monte Carlo get ready for a leap off the wall. (Photo © 2021 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Harry Meade, a member of one of Britain’s most respected eventing families, moved up from 10th to fifth with Superstition. The horse was nicknamed Stinky before Harry started riding him, so the eventer recounted that they exchanged the t for and l and made the Hanoverian gelding answer to Slinky around the barn.
Another Brit, Zara Tindall, the former world champion, had touted the jumping skills of her Class Affair yesterday when his dressage test could be summed up as a work in progress. But a refusal and time faults dropped her from 15th to 29th, though he did look impressive at the challenging Maryland Crab Water combination with two giant crabs presiding, claws and all.
Boyd Martin and On Cue mastered the Maryland crab. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
The final horse inspection tomorrow will be interesting for those who recall when Cooley Master Class was spun at the Land Rover Kentucky 5-star in April over what Oliver called the equivalent of a paper cut. He noted the horse had a “a little bit of a shifted shoe” today, so we have to hope that will have no lasting effects.
Even if Oliver takes first place, the biggest winner of this weekend will be the Maryland 5 star at Fair Hill itself.
“I love this venue,” said Boyd.
“It’s got that aura of a championship with the racetrack and the beautiful rings for the dressage and show jumping. I think this cross-country course was fantastic. I think this event’s going to evolve in years to come to be probably the world’s greatest 5-star.”
If you want a rundown on all the results, click here
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 15, 2021
Ian Stark is as intense as the cross-country course he has designed for the first Maryland 5-Star event at Fair Hill. It will be tested tomorrow afternoon by a top international field of competitors who have talked about little else at the venue except the route he laid out on the undulating acreage of the Fair Hill Natural Resources Center.
“If you see someone walking about with a green face, it’s me,” he predicted.
In his riding days, Ian noted, his pre-cross-country sick stomach would vanish as soon as he got on a horse. But as a designer, he knows “it doesn’t go away until the last horse is home safely.”
The Scotsman, who liked to show up in a kilt for the horse inspection when he was competing at the top level, was an Olympic multi-medalist for Great Britain. At age 67, he now is as admired for his course designing as he was for his riding, but Fair Hill is his first 5-star. (He also has done the more lenient course for the 3-star, which is being held in the morning.)
His concern for the horses and riders is such that he lies awake rethinking what he has created before anyone jumps it. He recounted that one sleepless night in Britain, he felt the need to amend a fence for safety’s sake, calling the course builder to come out at 4 a.m. and fix it.
The Fair Hill fences are inventive, especially the Maryland Crab water complex at number 15 that features a drop of nearly two meters into the drink for horses after they jump over a carving of the iconic local crustacean. Then there’s the roller coaster, though in an effort not to scare the horses, he dispensed with the idea of having mannequins hanging upside down in the carriages. Most amusing are the keyhole owls, a double of 65-degree corners made of brush.
Ian Stark in his kilt for the horse inspection at Rolex Kentucky 2007. (Photo © 2007 by Nancy Jaffer)
Ian admits to a penchant for timber racing as a spectator, not a rider (Fair Hill has a history of it), which was the inspiration for the uphill rails at 13 AB. World number one eventer Oliver Townend of Great Britain, who continued to lead the 5-star field at the end of today’s dressage, said that type of fence hadn’t been seen on a cross-country course in 35 or 40 years.
The prospect of what everyone is calling a “meaty” cross-country course is what lured Tim Price of New Zealand and his wife, Jonnelle, to Maryland from their base in England. Tim, second on Xavier Faer, and Jonelle,16th with Classic Moet, were looking for the type of 5-star test that suited their horses.
‘With no Burghley (cancelled for the second year in a row), and France’s, Pau 5-star dismissed as “flat and fast” Tim said about Ian’s route, “We believe this is a true cross-country test.”
Of the new event, he said, “It feels like it’s going have its own brand of 5-star. It’ s not like another 5-star, which is just brilliant.”
Tim collected 24.3 penalties, unable to catch Oliver (21.1 penalties) due to a flying change issue.He explained his horse can get “discombobulated,” but at least he is improving on the flying change front.He used to get one of four changes in the test; now Tim is happy he gets three of four..
Tim Price and Xavier Faer. (Photo © 2021 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Interestingly, Tim and Oliver finished 1-2 at the Land Rover Kentucky 5-star in April, though Oliver was on Ballaghmor Class, rather than Cooley Master Class, his Fair Hill mount.
We’re looking at a Kentucky rematch, especially since the USA’s Boyd Martin, fourth at the spring 5-star with On Cue, was third with her today, having polished his test to the level of 25 penalties.
Calling the dressage “a work in progress,” Boyd said of On Cue, “I was really happy with her. She’s everything you dream of in a horse. She’s flamboyant, she’s extravagant, a real lady.”
Boyd Martin and On Cue. (Photo © 2021 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Living in Pennsylvania just 20 minutes from Fair Hill, he is understandably enthusiastic about having a new event in his backyard.
Asked about the character of the facility in the Fair Hill Event Zone, he said, “It’s a bit different. Everything feels pretty close, where in Kentucky, you feel like everyone’s above you.
“It’s a great ring, beautiful footing, fantastic set-up with the spectators.”
Of the cross-country course, which he called, “horrendously difficult,” he contended, “It’s big time. I think even the best horse and best rider could slip up somewhere. It’s really going to determine the competition. No need to get too wound up about the dressage scores today,” Boyd pointed out with a grin.
Zara Tindall attracted a lot of attention on Class Affair, and not just because her white-legged chestnut is an eye-catcher. Zara is the daughter of Mark Phillips (who was ringside) and his ex-wife, Princess Anne of Great Britain. But her credentials are far more than that; she is a former World and European eventing champion.
Zara Tindall and Class Affair. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
“Is she Queen Elizabeth’s granddaughter?” one eager white-haired gentlemen asked when he spied her warming up for her dressage test.
Zara is incredibly gracious. Even when she was in a hurry to watch fellow Brit Harry Meade compete, she agreed to posing for a photo with a persistent young man who had requested a picture.
Zara Tindall and Class Affair. (Photo © 2021 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Known for her cross-country acumen, Zara is 15th on 30.4 penalties, but could move up after Saturday afternoon. Class Affair is not an easy ride. Zara spotted him as a 7-year-old, and five years later, she still has work to do.
“His trot work is good and then he just gets ahead of himself. He’s getting there and he’s had a year of doing absolutely nothing.” She said he could have done with,a big test.
Oliver was on hand to give her tips, and emphasized “being positive in your test,” she noted.
“He’s very good at that, and that’s how you get the top marks.”
She said the horse “is getting better and better each year,” despite the lack of work.
“He’s got loads of talent but his brain kind of overtakes it all. But he’s great fun and a great jumper. He’s just very talented. He can do it all. You just have to manage him. He’s a really good jumper and he loves to gallop. He’s brave and all those things you need in an event horse.”
She’d like to get to Burghley and Badminton next year and see how it goes.
“He’s a great 5-star horse. Whether or not his brain is good enough for championships, I don’t know,” she replied when I asked whether she is aiming for the 2023 World Championships or the 2024 Paris Olympics.
About the cross-country at Fair Hill, she said her biggest concern is “my fitness. I think he’ll be okay.” Noting “there’s a lot do do” on the route, she added, “Hopefully I’m fit enough and I won’t need oxygen when I get off.”
For 5-star dressage results, click here
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 14, 2021
He’s the number one-ranked eventer in the world, so where did you expect he’d be on the first day of the first Maryland 5-star at Fair Hill?
That’s right, Great Britain’s Oliver Townend is in the lead, performing a slick and well-modulated dressage test with the vastly experienced Cooley Master Class, a two-time winner of the Land Rover Kentucky 5-star.
Oliver Townend was understandably thrilled with Cooley Master Class’s dressage test. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
“He seems to thrive in America,” mused Oliver about the 16-year-old Irishbred, noting, “he’s never felt as happy.”
The bay gelding competed at Kentucky again last spring, but was spun at the final horse inspection due to a “very frustrating cut” that Oliver compared to a paper cut.
“He was sound to ride but obviously not sound to present. So that was that. We just regrouped. We don’t really run him that often.”
Oliver said he “quietly prepared him” for the 5-star, and was never competitive with him at a one-day event. “There’s nothing for him to really win at home,” explained Oliver. Burghley, Britain’s September 5-star, was cancelled this year, joining the spring 5-star, Badminton, as a no-go.
Oliver’s 21.1 penalties blew away the rest of the field that rode this afternoon. He’s well ahead of U.S. riders Hannah Sue Burnett (Harbour Pilot, another horse with lots of mileage) and Lynn Symansky (RF Cool Play in his first 5-star), tied on 28 penalties.
There are more riders to come tomorrow, including another Brit, Queen Elizabeth’s granddaughter Zara Tindall on Class Affair, and world number two Tim Price of New Zealand on Xavier Faer.
But all will be challenged by the course laid out by Scottish Olympic medalist Ian Stark, whom Oliver called, “A very big hero of mine.”
“It’s going to be a very, very tough day on Saturday,” predicted Oliver, who cited the terrain for which Fair Hill is named as a key factor adding to the difficulty of the route.
Cooley Master Class produced a smooth test reflective of his experience. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
He cited one fence, rails going up a hill, as something that probably hasn’t been used for the last 35 to 40 years. The whole test will be complicated by temperatures predicted to go into the 80s.
According to Lynn, “the course is amazing and absolutely terrifying.”
The Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area, the former William DuPont estate, has hosted a featured eventing competition since 1989. The Fair Hill Special Events Zone, a short hack from the original, more rustic eventing site, is brand new and will be the scene of many more activities, including racing.
The look of the new venue is spectacularly modern, with lots of glass and chrome and big grandstands, but the vibe is intimate according to Hannah Sue.
Horses can “really feel the atmosphere,” she said, “but not in an electric way.”
Her mount, she revealed, seemed to confide, “You brought me somewhere worthy of me.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 11, 2021
It was a rematch of an encounter we’ve seen many times in four-in-hand driving competition: Chester Weber vs. Jimmy Fairclough.
Chester, who could have gone to events closer to his Ocala, Fla., home rather than the Garden State Combined Driving Event at the Horse Park of New Jersey last weekend, made the choice to come north because it was the 2021 national championship. He had won the title 17 times previously and was going for number 18.
Chester Weber and his team en route in the marathon. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
Jimmy, Chester’s teammate on the historic gold medal world championships squad in 2018, also was Chester’s first trainer. Chester attended Blair Academy in Blairstown, near Jimmy’s Sussex County home, where he got involved with what would become “something about which I’m super passionate,” as he put it.
They were the only two in their division. It’s a hard time of year to stage a show, with Tryon two weeks ago and Southern Pines coming up. Also, competing a four-in-hand is an expensive and time-consuming proposition, and it’s more popular in Europe than it is here. And as noted by Jimmy, who has won a few national championships himself, init’s “difficult times with Covid; it’s hard to get horses fit for one show.”
But both Chester and Jimmy are world-class and proficient at what they do, so it made things interesting for those watching.
Chester said “we’ve been working super-hard through Covid, evidenced by showing up here and having a 37 (penalty) dressage.”
Although Jimmy, 63, said he would retire from international competition after the 2018 gold, he still trains at home as if he were going to a big event.
“I do this because I love it, 44 years or something,” he said. It helped that Taz Lester and his wife, Amber, came back to help Jimmy at the competition.
Jimmy Fairclough and his team speeding out of the water obstacle. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
Next year is the world championships in Italy, and both Chester and Jimmy would like to go.
“I just bought two new horses. I still can play and do it,” said Jimmy, but noted he runs a fuel business and can’t always take time off to travel to competitions.
Of the world championships, he said, “I’m not looking to do it, but if it happens and the horses are all good and there’s money there to go, I’m in. I can’t stop–it’s just too many years.”
Misdee Wrigley, Chester and Jimmy’s 2018 teammate who is training with Boyd Exell, the 2018 world champion, is also a candidate. So it looks like the band might get back together.
Chester, 46, hopes to spend much of summer 2022 in Europe preparing for the championships.
“It just depends a little bit on what’s happening with Covid,” he pointed out, but noted some of the World Cup shows “are getting picked off already” by pandemic issues.
Chester Weber easily handled the newest obstacle at the Horse Park. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
He may be going for national title number 19 next year at his family’s Live Oak Plantation. The Ocala show, which also features a jumping World Cup Finals qualifier, has applied for the national four-in-hand championship but the date has yet to be awarded.
“I think, with complete humility, being a multi-discipline show with a budget that’s seven figures, it has some things that a lot of the national driving shows just don’t have yet. But we have high hopes again for Live Oak and we’re excited about that,” Chester said.
He won the dressage phase at the Horse Park handily, with 37.67 penalties to Jimmy’s 51.67. The marathon was closer; Chester’s team had 100.86 penalties while Jimmy finished with 109.16.
Noting how difficult it is to build a national championships marathon course for singles and teams at the same event, Chester pointed that’s a challenge that only someone like Richard Nicoll can do, with his experience designing at several World Equestrian Games..
Jimmy won the cones section (5.35 penalties), while Chester’s score was 6.94. Chester claimed the championship, 145.47 to 166.18, with his horses, Amadeus, First Edition, Ideaal, Julius V and Reno.
“I had a couple of bobbles, I think I was a little rusty, but they still ran good,” said Jimmy of Bento V, Citens, Dapper, Jonkers Justice, Tibor and Zeppelin Lets.
Also going for another national championship at Garden State was Taylor Bradish of South Carolina, who took the singles title last year.
Taylor, a 26-year-old professional trainer, began driving when she rode for a family in Arizona where the husband drove. She didn’t compete then, but got into it when she went to work for Jennifer Matheson in Aiken, S.C. six years ago. Jennifer, to whom Taylor expressed her thanks, came to watch the marathon.
Having driven at the Horse Park last year, she knew what to expect, but she had her hands full with the tight obstacles in the marathon, which she anticipates will be good practice for challenges she would encounter at next year’s world singles championships. Like Chester and Jimmy, she praised the work of Richard Nicoll, and saw his layout as a good test of herself and the 12-year-old Katydid Duchess.
“It was physically a very demanding marathon,but that’s what you should expect for a national championship The course designer, Richard Nicoll, was absolutely amazing,” said Taylor.
It rained during her cones competition and the carriage slid a bit as a result. She sees that as practice for the 2022 championships as well, since “most of the time in Europe, it’s raining.”
Full of determination, Taylor Bradish and navigator Maggie O’Leary with Katydid Duchess. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
The mare, who was up to the challenge, is by Danyloo, a German riding pony, and out of a Welsh/thoroughbred cross dam. The stallion won a gold medal in the single pony world championships as a six-year-old.
Although there are no hills on which to train in Aiken, Duchess easily handled the up-and-down Jersey terrain. She stays fit with plenty of work, a treadmill and a weekly visit to an Aquatread, while Taylor also rides her. In addition, there are dressage lessons with trainer Sarah Dodge in Aiken.
“I was very happy with her fitness. She was pulling my arms out in the last obstacle. She, I think, could have done a few more K (kilometers),” Taylor observed.
She was second in dressage and cones, but won the marathon handily which enabled her to wind up in first place overall with 142.47 penalties over Carrie Ostrowski and Gellerduht on 146.54. There were four in the division.
“We were missing a few,” said Taylor, “but it was still a very good competition.”
Now she’s looking ahead to 2022 and not only the championships, but also her wedding to Tyler Golden, who works in the field of health and safety but came to New Jersey as Duchess’s groom. Is that good practice for being Taylor’s groom next year?
Taylor’s navigator, with whom she had not driven previously, was Maggie O’Leary. She is the assistant trainer for Sarah Schmitt, who runs a stable in Annandale. Maggie had a turn in the driver’s seat herself during the Preliminary Single Horse section, where she won the marathon and was second overall with Emdora Hof.
See full list of results by clicking on link below:
Garden State Final with Horses
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 10, 2021
“Developing Future Stars” is the slogan of the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Platinum Performance Show Jumping Talent Search. And judging by the ability on display this weekend at the competition in New Jersey, there soon will be lots of new stars in the sport’s universe.
The “East” section of the competition (the West section, won by Zoe Brown, was held last month in California) drew a field of 53 to the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation’s Gladstone facility, where every competition takes on a special luster because of its history. Being staged in the arena behind the stately stable where so many legendary horses and riders trained to represent their country adds extra pressure to an already stressful test.
Lynn Jayne was feeling it as her 17-year-old daughter, Natalie, competed in the Final Four. That’s the climax of three days of competition, where the top quartet of riders–the cream that rose to the top after the flat, gymnastics and show jumping phases–competes over a shortened course and then rides the mounts of each of their rivals over the same route.
Natalie was the only one in the group who didn’t drop a rail during four rounds. Although the class rules state judges must deduct 4 points for a knockdown, the rest of the scoring except time faults is subjective based on the riders’ style, how they handle the course and deal with different horses.
Natalie Jayne at the awards ceremony, with judges Michael Tokaruk and Chris Kappler, Assistant U.S. Coach Anne Kursinski and DiAnn Langer,U.S. youth chef d’equipe to the left; trainers Andre Dignelli and Patricia Griffith to the right with Natalie’s mother, Lynn Jayne (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
While judges Chris Kappler and Michael Tokaruk said the top four were very close, a look at the results for that phase tells a slightly different story. Natalie’s score was 365, while runner-up Dominic Gibbs, the 2020 ASPCA Maclay winner, was marked at 359. Third with 336 was Audrey Schulze, who dropped rails twice at fence 4A, the oxer first element of a double, on her own ride, Mac One III and Dominic’s Cent 15. Audrey was one point ahead of Hampton Classic equitation champion Luke Jensen in fourth place.
Shortly after Natalie collected the championship ribbon, Lynn admitted, “It still hasn’t sunk in, my heart is in my throat still. But I’m really proud of her, she’s worked really hard.”
Lynn is Natalie’s “day-to-day trainer.” The Illinois high school senior also works with Andre Dignelli and Patricia Griffith at Heritage Farm in New York.
“It’s hard to train your daughter at this level,” explained Andre.
Lynn pointed out that her daughter is unfazed by what she faces in the ring.
“Pressure never gets to her. She thrives on it,” said Lynn.
“When you’re in the top four, there’s pressure to do well, but it doesn’t bother me that much,” agreed Natalie, winner of the 2020 and 2021 Winter Equestrian Festival Equitation Championships. Natalie was fifth on the flat in the Talent Search, sixth in gymnastics and third in this morning’s round.
Each of the riders had their moments in the sun over the weekend. Luke, a 17-year-old Texan who is a working student for Missy Clark, won Friday’s flat phase on Conthacco, better known as Taco, a horse leased from jumper rider Schuyler Riley. He didn’t have a groom at this competition and did all the work himself. Interestingly, his mother, Martha Jensen, is the sister of hunter star Hunt Tosh.
Natalie Jayne, Dominic Gibbs, Audrey Schulze and Luke Jensen. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
Missy called Luke, “possibly the nicest person I have ever met in my life.”
Audrey, 18, a Ridgewood, N.J., resident who was third in the Kathy Scholl Equitation Championship, took the honors in yesterday’s gymnastic test. Her mount, Mac, who went on to win the Grappa Trophy as best horse, is owned by Taylor Madden, the daughter of Audrey’s coach, Frank Madden. He is based at the Schulze family’s Patriot Farm in Saddle River.
Dominic, 18, a native of Colorado trained by Stacia Madden and Beacon Hill, was tops in today’s morning jumping round on his own Cent 15. He is in his last year as a junior.
And of course we know about Natalie’s moment to shine. She rode Heritage Farm’s Charisma, calling him, “awesome in the ride-off. My plan was to just have a nice solid round…and go from there.”
Natalie Jayne and Charisma against the backdrop of the USET Foundation stable. (Photo © 2021 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
As Andre noted about his student, “She’s always ridden well and has a good feel. She’s always looked beautiful, very elegant on a horse.”
Winning the Talent Search hit the target for Heritage.
“This was the goal. The kids know that this class is important to me,” said Andre. Today marked his 11th victory in the class, counting the time that he won it himself at the beginning of his career.
“This format played to her strengths,” he said of the winner.
“She rides a lot of horses for a lot of people and she’s very calm. My feeling was, whatever the result was, I thought she had given it all that she had.”
The ride-off included a long, nine-stride loop from an oxer, fence 2, to a triple bar, fence 3. Chris Kappler an Olympic team gold and individual silver medalist based in Pittstown, explained the idea of that test was “to see who could really tell where they were on new horses. Within inches, they were all very, very solid riders. It was really fun to see the quality of riding in the final four.”
The course posted for the gymnastics phase.
He added, “We tried to use each day to set you up for the next; tried to have things that made sense that you would use in developing your jumper, developing yourself, developing your skills to be ready for a Nations Cup-style competition.”
The gymnastics phase may have looked deceptively simple from a railside viewpoint, but there was a lot to it.
“There were not a lot of options, so it kind of allowed us to really measure each horse and rider similarly, because there was no variation in striding,” said Chris. The design included trying “to use the triple bar with the Liverpool under it to simulate a setting-up for the water jump the final day, so they could get a good strong ride over that triple bar and hopefully give the horses a good confident water-type jump before Sunday.”
As Michael Tokaruk, a Tennessee trainer, put it, “We tried to ask the questions that make sense. Can you ride your horse’s stride, can you go forward, can you ride a track, can you make some rollbacks, can you go forward, then can you shorten and gallop the water?”
Dominic Gibbs won the gymnastics phase on Cent 15. (Photo © 2021 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
We will be seeing lots more of the top four and a number of the others from this weekend for the rest of this season and likely, over the years to come.
“The Talent Search Finals is a great starting point and pathway and the place where we see for the first time many of our up-and-coming athletes,” said Lizzy Chesson, USEF’s managing director of show jumping.
As she pointed out, over the last few months Talent Search alumni have made their mark internationally. Jessie Springsteen rode on the Olympic silver medal team, Brian Moggre was second in the prestigious Aachen, Germany, grand prix, and a variety of others were on teams at big competitions, including the Nations Cup Final in Barcelona.
“All of those guys, the first time that we saw them was here at the Talent Search Finals,” Lizzy observed.
“It really is a stepping stone, a point along their journey of learning and growing and getting to the teams. It works. It gives them kind of a taste of being part of something bigger than themselves.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 8, 2021
More than two years after Michael Barisone was charged in connection with the shooting of a tenant at his Long Valley, N.J., horse farm, a February trial date has been set for the 2008 Olympic dressage alternate.
His lawyer, Ed Bilinkas indicated during a hearing in Morristown today that he intends to present evidence of insanity and self-defense at trial.
Michael Barisone passes by his attorney, Ed Bilinkas, as he leaves the courtroom. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
Barisone, who remains in the Morris County Correctional Facility without bail, pleaded not guilty after being indicted on two counts of attempted murder and two counts of possessing a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
Lauren Kanarek, a student of Barisone, was critically wounded by two bullets to the chest in a scuffle with the trainer at his property. Her fiancé, Robert Goodwin, also was involved in the fray.
The couple lived at the farm, but Barisone wanted them out because of what were called “escalating threats” in a lawsuit Barisone filed against 11 Washington Township police officers and the municipality. A claim was made in the document that the officers did nothing to protect Barisone when he began calling 911 eight days before the shooting because he felt the situation had gotten out of control..
During today’s hearing, Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor listened to evidence about statements that Barisone made in front of two law enforcement officers on the day of the incident. (A third officer was indisposed and is slated to take the stand in December.) The judge will decide whether jurors should be allowed to hear that testimony at the trial.
Jason Hensley, a Washington Township police officer who responded to reports of the shooting at the farm on Aug. 7, 2019, testified that he arrived at a “very chaotic” scene, where he saw a shirtless Barisone “covered in blood.”
Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Schellhorn, (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
A woman lying on the ground who looked “pale and not talking too much had blood on her clothes,” he recalled. The policeman, who is one of those being sued, said he found a pistol magazine on Barisone, who was handcuffed by another officer.
Barisone had a laceration on his head, contusions on his arms and was “bleeding profuselty, according to Hensley.. Bilinkas passed photos of the injuries to the police officer as he discussed Barisone’s condition.
“Does he look like he was beaten?” Bilinkas asked, but the judge wouldn’t allow the question and noted later, “this is a very limited hearing.”
Barisone’s attorney, Ed Bilinkas, questioning Morris County Prosecutor’s Detective Jason Gould. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
Hensley gave Barisone a Miranda warning, which informs a prisoner that statements he makes may be used against him at trial. The officer rode in the ambulance that took Barisone to Morristown Medical Center. He heard Barisone say several times, “Is this real? I need to wake up.”
When Bilinkas asked Hensley what was said when he responded to the 911 call a week earlier, the judge derailed the question, saying it wasn’t relevant to this hearing, but might be for future hearings.
Michael Barisone during his competition days riding at Dressage at Devon. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Morris County Prosecutor’s Detective Jason Gould, who was at the hospital when Barisone was being treated, reported that he overheard Barisone say something to the effect of, “They destroyed my life in the last six months. I had a good life, they took it all away and I’m sorry about it.”
Bilinkas asked Gould if he heard Barisone say that he didn’t remember what happened that day, but the detective replied, “not that I can recall.”
Barisone, who sat with his head bowed through most of the hearing, had been on track for a June 2020 trial as part of the speedy trial protocol, but that was derailed by the Covid pandemic.
“Because of the age of the case, I’m going to move as quickly as possible,” Judge Taylor said.
“Everyone needs a resolution of this case,” he added, including the public in that assessment.
Bilinkas, who is still waiting for expert testimony from a psychologist, expects to call 30 witnesses at trial, while Morris County Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Schellhorn said he won’t call that many. Both lawyers expect the trial to take several weeks.
Barisone, who coached a member of the 2016 U.S. Olympic dressage bronze medal team, was a prominent figure in the discipline. His case has drawn widespread attention; a team from the CBS show, “48 Hours,” was in court to videotape the proceedings.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 2, 2021
The fans were in Michael Bragdell’s corner when he won last night’s qualifier for this evening’s Grand Prix Freestyle during ShowPlus Dressage at Devon.
While spectators were politely appreciative for the other six entries in the class as the show returned after a year’s Covid-related absence, they really cheered for Michael and the chestnut Oldenburg stallion Qredit Hilltop after a performance that earned the Hilltop Stable trainer 67.132 percent and his first CDI win in the World Cup qualifier. He earned solid marks of 7 and 7.5 for many of the movements in his rendition of the short Grand Prix, where all the movements come up fast.
There definitely is more in there for the pairing to share with the crowd; they finished sixth in the Freestyle itself 2019, the last year the show was held, with 69.185 percent.
The delight the rider took in his horse and their achievement shone in his face during the victory gallop.
Michael Bragdell and Qredit Hilltop. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
“This is like a home arena,” said the rider, who is based nearby in Maryland,
“I feel so lucky to be here. It’s a dream come true.”
Michael showed obvious affection for the horse he started working with as a colt.
“He’s super nice,” said Michael.
The judges rewarded Michael Bragdell for his longtime partnership with Qredit Hilltop. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I was handwalking him early this morning and thinking back when he was a yearling here 12 years ago when he was Grand Champion.”
What does the future hold for the son of Qaterback out of a Dream of Glory mare?
“I’ve been working with Debbie McDonald (the U.S. technical advisor) a lot and I feel she will guide me where we are appropriately going,” said Michael in the wake of his first CDI victory. A native of Gothenburg, Sweden, a city that has been home to many World Cup finals, he is an American citizen who could well be among the growing contingent of riders being groomed for international competition.
Two New Jersey entries completed the top three. Bridget Hay, who breeds her own mounts at her Ringoes farm, was second with 66.737 percent on Faolan, while Shannon Stevens of Annandale earned 66.316 on Ferrari. Only six will come back for the highlight of the show tonight because Laine Ashker, best known as an eventer, did not break the required 60 percent to qualify with Atlas.
In the qualifier for the Grand Prix Special, which also will be held tonight, Diane Creech of Canada on Chrevis Christo with 68.761 percent. There were only four in the class. Entries in some divisions have been light. The Canadians always make a point of attending the Pennsylvania show, but this year, the postponed Olympics followed by an Aachen in September instead of July meant the team horses were just getting out of quarantine late last month and missed this show.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 29, 2021
The U.S. Dressage Federation and the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association have scrapped plans for in-person annual meetings later this autumn and will go virtual, as they did last year
USHJA Executive Director Kevin Price said a survey sent out by the organization, asking members whether they would attend the December meeting scheduled for Charlotte, N.C., “highly favored a virtual meeting.”
The USHJA board in the days of an in-person annual meeting.
While USHJA leaders did take the survey into account, Kevin noted, “the general feeling was there is still a lot of uncertainty around Covid, especially with hosting in-person conferences like our annual meeting. In hosting a virtual annual meeting, we remove the potential health risks for our members, volunteer, and staff.”
The meeting will run virtually from Dec. 4-10.
Earlier this month, USDF President Lisa Gorretta sent an email to members announcing that her organization’s meeting, which was supposed to be in Houston, will take place on line instead from Dec. 1-4.
She cited “current events and an unusual amount of feedback” after “registration open” was posted on the website. Lisa asked for the opinion of those involved in governance, noting “It was quickly obvious that USDF leadership needed to reevaluate our (until now, definite) meeting plans.”
Playing into the decision was concern about the pandemic and surging of the Delta variant in Houston, as well as the financial impact and worries over travel, in addition to “the ongoing uncertainty.”
As Lisa noted, “In what will be our second and hopefully last experience in this realm, a silver lining may be that many, many more members will have the opportunity to attend and participate in everything the convention has to offer.
“The overall convention agenda should remain relatively unchanged, with the exception of some time shifts to accommodate all time zones as much as possible, and we will still be able to offer the ever-elusive conflict free schedule! We will add virtual opportunities through Meet the Candidates to listen to, ask questions of, and be comfortable in electing the leadership of USDF.”
U..S. Eventing’s December annual meeting in Albuquerque is still on at this time, as is the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Naples, Fla., convention, set for early January.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 26, 2021
Trail users have an opportunity this month to enjoy themselves while supporting Horseshoe Bend Park in Kingwood Township.
On Oct. 30, the first annual Horseshoe Bend Boogie Endurance Ride and Ultramarathon will be held. There hasn’t been an endurance ride in central or northern New Jersey since the old Festival of Champions at the U.S. Equestrian Team in Gladstone.
This one-star ride is sanctioned by the American Endurance Ride Conference, the South Eastern Distance Ride Association, the U.S. Equestrian Federation and the FEI (international equestrian federation). Distances will be 50 and 65 miles, as well as a 12-mile introductory ride to include two veterinary exams (before the ride and at the end) similar to an endurance ride. Because it is such a short ride, anyone with a horse fit enough to do a hunter pace could experience what the sport is like (and get two vet exams for the $40 entry fee).
Pre-ride vetting will take place on the afternoon of Oct. 29. The competitions will start at various times early on Oct. 30.
Meg Sleeper, the organizer, said “The other really cool thing about this event is that we will have a concurrent ultramarathon (the only endurance ride that is still held in conjunction with an ultra is the Vermont 100).
The human runners will be using the same trails with various distance divisions (20, 40, 60 and 80 km, so the maximum distance is 50 miles). There are several places on the trail where anyone interested can watch. Riders may enter at the AERC website (AERC.org) and find the ride information on the calendar tab. The ultramarathon has its own facebook page. For information on either event, contact Meg at: megsleeper@icloud.com
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 24, 2021
If you want to immerse yourself in an equestrian learning experience, and shop at 200 trade fair vendors in the process, Equitana Oct. 1-3 at the Kentucky Horse Park is the place for you.
Specialists such as Olympic dressage medalist Laura Graves and progressive horsemanship trainer Colton Woods to Equine massage expert Katie Hawkins and equine body work teacher Jim Masterson are among an impressive line-up of experts passing along techniques and information. Educational sessions include Olympic eventing medalist Phillip Dutton showing how to introduce green horses to jumping; a look at a variety of breeds, among them Rocky Mountain horses and Akhal-Teke and getting a mental edge from trainer Lynn Palm. Among the demonstrations are mounted games, vaulting and a liberty freestyle routine.
These are just a small sampling of what will be going on at Equitana. For more information and tickets, click here
