by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 16, 2018
After the final observation event for selection of the U.S. FEI World Equestrian Games show jumping team wrapped up Sunday afternoon Aug. 12 in Dublin, I made an educated guess about the country’s only WEG contingent in the Olympic disciplines that hadn’t been named. And I was right, pretty much. (see the post below in On the Rail)
Long Valley’s Devin Ryan, who was ninth on Eddie Blue in the Longines Dublin grand prix with one time penalty in the first round, will be joining McLain Ward (Clinta and HH Azur), Laura Kraut after a redeeming double-clear in the Dublin Nations’ Cup on Zeremonie and Adrienne Sternlicht, fourth in the Dublin G.P. with a rail and the fastest time on Cristalline.
Devin Ryan and Eddie Blue. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)
Coach Robert Ridland always likes to pick an up-and-coming less-experienced rider to his squads (a la Lucy Davis in the 2014 WEG and 2016 Olympics) so they can gain mileage. That’s Adrienne this time around. But that makes World Cup winner Beezie Madden the alternate on Darry Lou; I had Beezie on the squad and Adrienne as traveling alternate.
You know how it is with horses–if something can go wrong, it just might, so no one should think they’re a sure thing until the final deadline for team substitutions an hour before the first competition.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 12, 2018
Monmouth at the Team–New Jersey’s oldest horse show–starts its third year in Somerset County on Monday, Aug. 13 at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone, where it runs through Aug. 20.
There is no admission charge, so it’s a good opportunity to view the historic facility while watching competitors–many of whom are local–take part in hunters, jumpers and equitation.
The hospitality tent offers a good view of the action during the Monmouth at the Team show. (Photo©by Nancy Jaffer)
Highlights include hunter breeding and young hunters under saddle close to noon on Aug. 13, the Eastern Hay and Grain $5,000 National Hunter Derby Aug. 14, young hunters Aug. 15 and the $10,000 Nature Conservancy Bobcat Derby on Aug. 16. The jumpers get under way on Aug. 17, with more of them on Aug. 18 and the $10,000 Horseflight Mini-Prix on Aug. 19. The show ends with a variety of children’s classes and young hunters Aug. 20.
Four of the days are B-rated, but the unrated days also are special to those competing. This is an example of what can be done with a show that doesn’t offer AA ratings and big money, but is popular because it is well-run and in a very special location. Interesting vendors and great hospitality are important factors in its success as well.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 29, 2018
By Nancy Jaffer
July 29, 2018
Last weekend, Devin Ryan was jumping on the U.S. Nations’ Cup team in Aachen Germany, the most prestigious horse show in the world. This weekend, he was back home in New Jersey, coaching competitors in the Children’s/Adult Jumpers and riding at Princeton Show Jumping’s Princeton Classic.
Devin Ryan and Eddie Blue had the only double-clear performance in the Nations’ Cup at Aachen for the U.S. (Photo by Shannon Brinkman Photography)
What a difference a week and an ocean can make. But Devin was happy to be doing what’s good for his business, River Run Stables in Long Valley, about an hour’s drive from the Princeton location in the Skillman section of Montgomery Township.
When I pointed out the contrast in his week, and wondered whether–as nice as the Princeton show is–Devin would rather still be in Europe, he was quick to reply.
“I’ve only grown up with one way of doing it and that’s developing my horses,” he explained.
Of Princeton he said, “great footing, great jumps. It’s great for doing what I’m doing. You can’t develop your horses at big shows. You have to take them everywhere.
“It’s nice to have the balance of it all, but the only way to the future is developing young horses,” he continued.
“Everybody will see me around these shows forever. Some of those riders who go to big shows, that’s why they don’t have enough good horses.”
To me, Devin looks like a lock to make the U.S. team for September’s FEI World Equestrian Games in North Carolina. After all, he and his top mount, Eddie Blue, have the points to be ranked as the number one horse/rider combination in the U.S. He was put firmly on the international map with a second-place finish in April’s Longines FEI World Cup Finals. At Aachen, Devin and Eddie had one of just three double-clears in the Mercedes Benz Nations’ Cup (only the second Nations’ Cup ever in which he’d competed), and theirs was the best score on the U.S. squad.
But Devin hasn’t actually been named to the team yet, so he’s keeping things in perspective.
“I take one day at a time. I have to keep my horse healthy and myself healthy and I think the rest will speak for itself,” he commented.
Devin had never been to Aachen (“what an amazing venue”) even as a spectator, but he wasn’t intimidated about riding at the famous location.
“I had the same feeling I had going into the ring for the World Cup finals. I have such confidence in Eddie and Cooper; those horses, I’ve had them for years. I feel I can go into any ring on either one of those horses and jump any class. It changes the game a bit when you’re sitting on a mount like that and you know you have a shot going in.”
While six months ago he was an unknown on the European scene, all that has changed.
“People who haven’t met me before come up and introduce themselves,” he said. “More and more people are knowing the name. It’s pretty cool, all the big people coming up and congratulating you and shaking your hand.”
At Princeton, he changed gears entirely to ride Sparcette Blue in the $25,000 hunter derby. It was a last-minute decision when he saw there were only 11 entries, and he figured it would be a way to make expenses for the show.
Devin Ryan and Sparcette Blue. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I never did a hunter derby,” Devin revealed. “My last time in the hunter ring was two years ago in Ocala.
Last year, he rode Amanda Marano’s Oldenburg mare in the 5-year-old jumpers, when she won the age group finals at Silver Oak, and in the 6-year-old young jumpers this season.
“She’s been in the hunter ring before,” he said, explaining why he picked her out as the only possibility for the class among the horses he had available.
“And then we show up and look at this,” he continued, referring to her blue ribbon and the championship sash draped around her neck.
$25,000 hunter derby winner Sparcette Blue and Devin Ryan. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)
Sparcette, who is by Spartacus out of a Chacco Blue mare, is smart enough not to be fazed by different-looking hunter fences, and has a hunter way of going.
By the time the class was held, there were 12 entries, compared to many more in the day’s other hunter derbies at lower heights.
“I think a lot of people are scared of jumping 4-foot options…especially in our local area,” said Amanda Steege, a top hunter rider who was fourth on Maitre D’. Without doing the options, she acknowledged, it’s hard to win.
She was happy to see the advent of the derbies at Princeton, known for its jumper classes.
“It’s nice to have derbies close by. I hope it will continue to grow in the future,” she said.
Devin was second in the derby’s Classic Round, where longtime show ring star Jeffery Welles was leading on Bilbao with a score of 95. In the handy round, just made for a horse with jumper experience because of extra points given for taking its 4-foot options and making neat turns, Devin earned 100 points for a two-round total of 192. As the leader, Jeffery went last and was having a nice trip until Bilbao stopped at the trot jump and he fell off, leaving the victory to Devin.
Jennifer Baumert, winner of the Boy O Boy Style of Riding Award on Pioneer. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)
Second place went to Jennifer Bauersachs on Pioneer with a score of 184.
“It was fun to compete against a Longines rider who pretty near won the World Cup,” Jennifer said.
“His horse jumped high and slow and pretty. He’s so smooth and did a really beautiful job,” added Jennifer, whose own ability was rewarded with the Boy O Boy Style of Riding Award.
With her friends Jennifer Hannon and Brooke Baldwin, the Frenchtown resident had seen the need to do something more for hunters in New Jersey. “There’s really nothing close to us,” she said, citing Kentucky and Tryon, N.C., as major hunter destinations.
“We really feel New Jersey needs to step it up.”
They required good footing at a show destination that also would provide something non-horsey for horse show husbands and kids to do. They approached Andrew Philbrick, the man behind Princeton Show Jumping, because he had what they required.
Despite his jumper focus, he was amenable to the idea of having AA-rated hunters in his July show. Andrew noted that for 25 years, he has been trying to get hunter licenses from the U.S. Equestrian Federation and its predecessors, and hasn’t had much luck.
He offers hunter classes in April, but he notes that’s “not a great date for them” because so many people are still coming back from Florida.
“You need hunters when everyone is out of school,” said Andrew, explaining a barn doesn’t want to come to an all-jumper show and leave the hunters at home, even if there were only one or two.
Andrew Philbrick of Princeton Show Jumping. Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer
He feels “the need is out there for a horse show at this level in this region.” Due to the complexities of the USEF mileage rule, the Classic ran on what is known as a waiver. The USEF is examining its licensing procedures and the mileage rule. Andrew is working on a proposal for that committee “because I want to give them my ideas about how they might fix it.” He also has thoughts about how they can open up the market.
“It’s clear, based on the response to this horse show and the data shows it, that people are looking for something different in our region and Princeton Show Jumping is supplying that,” said Andrew, who stages 12 national level grands prix a year.
Like the Jennifers and Brooke, he would like to see the Classic as a two-week show next year. Jennifer Baumert is hoping the $25,000 class can be a USHJA National Hunter Derby competition, which would attract more entries.
In organizing the hunters, the Jennifers and Brooke received help from Louise Serio and Geoff Teall, who founded the World Championship Hunter Rider group. Phil DeVita came in as the assistant manager and hunter course designer.
The show’s four hunter derbies had a total of $41,500 in purses. More than $100,000 in cash was raised, along with $35,000 in prizes.
The foray into the hunter ring was a one-off for Devin. He was back to the jumpers again in the $30,000 Grand Prix of Princeton a few hours after the derby, but had to settle for second aboard Florida, behind the winner, Jazz Johnson Merton and Corona SB. Linda Sheridan was third with Vantina HPF.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 29, 2018
Have you been putting off buying that new helmet? You shouldn’t, especially if you’ve had a fall in your current helmet, or had it for more than five years.
The ninth annual Riders4Helmets International Helmet Awareness Day (actually days) to be held Aug. 18 and 19 offers opportunities for a minimum of 10 percent discounts on helmets at 340 retailers in 12 countries. Organizers expect as the final total will be more than the 680 retailers in 19 countries that participated in 2017 will take part this year.
“It is a testament to the continued need for educating equestrians on all aspects of helmet wearing that sees this year’s event on track to be our biggest event to date,” said Lyndsey White, the woman behind Riders4Helmets.
“I am absolutely overwhelmed at the continued support shown to the Riders4Helmets campaign by helmet manufacturers, retailers, and equestrians around the globe.”
“Back in 2010, when Riders4Helmets was founded and we hosted the first International Helmet Awareness Day, I never imagined that the campaign would inspire tens of thousands of equestrians to wear a helmet for the first time, and serve as a continued reminder to those who were already wearing a helmet, to ensure it is fitted correctly and that they replace it when appropriate.”
Riders4Helmets.com has teamed up with 17 helmet manufacturers this year, that will offer discounts on their helmets for two days only via their global retailer network. The brands that have committed are Champion, Charles Owen, Dublin, Eurohunter, Gatehouse, GPA, International Riding Helmets (IRH), Kask, KEP Italia, LAS helmets (Leslie Sutcliffe UK), One K, Ovation, Samshield, Tipperary, Trauma Void, Troxel, and Uvex.
Not only retailers in the U.S., but also Australia, Canada, Denmark, England, Ireland, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Scotland, South Africa, Spain and Zambia have registered to participate in this year’s event.
International Helmet Awareness Day was founded in 2010 in the wake of of U.S. Olympian Courtney King Dye’s accident, which left her with a brain injury when she had a fall while not wearing a helmet. The aim was to educate equestrians on the benefits of wearing a properly fitting, secured and certified helmet.
Only retailers who register with Riders4Helmets will be eligible for restocking discounts from the participating helmet brands (please note – participating brands vary by country). You must register with Riders4Helmets and not with the helmet brands.
Equestrians are encouraged to visit www.riders4helmets.com Aug.18 and 19 to view the most current update, as participating retailers will continue to be added on a daily basis.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 23, 2018
The Delaware Valley Horsemen’s Association is hosting Horses in Hunterdon Aug. 4 with demonstrations of driving, dressage, western, hunters and jumpers, along with vendors, crafters and rescues at its showgrounds, 299 Rosemont-Ringoes Road, Stockton (Sergeantsville)..
Admission to the event, which runs from 10 a.m.-4 p.m., is $5 car.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 17, 2018
Meet the Ponies, a program designed for young horse lovers from seven to nine years old, is being presented July 28 at Lord Stirling Stable, 256 S. Maple Ave., Basking Ridge. The activity runs from 3:30-5 p.m., and is designed for both riders and non-riders, as well as youth groups, such as the Scouts.
Participants will be hands-on with ponies. Under the guidance of experienced Lord Stirling Stable staff, students will be able to groom a pony, learn what ponies eat and experience the work involved in taking care of a pony. Participants may also take a pony ride.
The fee is $15 per child and $10 for each additional sibling in the same age group. Pre-registration is required online at www.somersetcountyparks.org; by phone at 908-722-1200, ext. 5010; or in person at the Stable office. Payment by cash, check, Visa, MasterCard, American Express or Discover is required at time of enrollment.
For additional information, call Lord Stirling Stable at 908-722-1200, ext. 5010.
Information on all Somerset County Park Commission activities may be found on the Internet at www.somersetcountyparks.org.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 16, 2018
There had been speculation for months that the Rolex Central Park Horse Show would not be held this year, because entrepreneur Mark Bellissimo’s team was busy putting on the World Equestrian Games in the same time frame.
Word finally came that the show isn’t happening this year, with a promise that it will be held Sept. 18-22, 2019, with a 5-star jumper competition. Interestingly, however, the Longines Global Champions Tour has just announced it will be holding its first show in Canada on approximately the same dates (Sept. 19-22) in the Old Port of Montreal. The war of the watches continues… .
The Longines Global Champions Tour specializes in interesting and exotic locales, from oceanside in Miami Beach to the base of the Eiffel Tower in Paris. It is also listed on the 2019 FEI calendar with a show at Randall’s Island off Manhattan, Queens and the Bronx. The park is a public/private operation that hosts many sporting events, including track meets at Icahn Stadium
The change for Central Park this year was due to competition conflicts in its time frame .The American Gold Cup, which was moved from its usual date earlier in the month to the last weekend in September, is running at the same time as Central Park would have been held. FEI rules would not allow the 5-star Gold Cup to be held during the WEG. And on top of that, the Nations’ Cup final in Barcelona is the next weekend.
The conflicts are “not conducive to our competitors’ schedules or for their horses’ welfare,” Mark explained.
The Central Park show debuted five years ago in the Wollman Rink, putting to rest doubters’ contention that such a competition could not be done. Highlights included jumpers, hunters and Grand Prix dressage, all against the backdrop of soaring skyscrapers. The 2016 show featured an exhibition by Charlotte Dujardin and her multi-gold medal mount, Valegro.
However, last year the show didn’t jibe with the high-level dressage riders’ calendars, so arena eventing was substituted. It has always been multi-discipline, with polo and Arabians among the presentations, along with a family day.
Thinking ahead to next year, Mark said, “With the new CSI 5* rating in 2019, we will attract some of the sport’s most notable athletes, as the Rolex Central Park Horse Show will join the exclusive list of CSI 5* equestrian competitions supported by Rolex.
“Our team is already orchestrating what we plan to be one of the greatest RCPHS experiences, which will bring top athletes from around the globe to compete in front of the world’s most iconic city skyline next fall.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 14, 2018
By Nancy Jaffer
July 14, 2018
It doesn’t really seem as if being held for just eight years qualifies a horse show as a tradition, but the Briarwood Derby Day is an exception to that rule.
Started by N.J. Horse Shows Association President Katie Benson in memory of her husband, Jack, Derby Day is a major fundraiser for the Hunterdon Regional Cancer Center. Jack was treated at the facility, and the ties have remained strong between the center and Katie, as well as her clients and the Bensons’ friends.
Last week’s Derby Day, held at the Princeton Show Jumping grounds in Skillman, raised $41,806 for its cause. All proceeds, less the cost of running the show, went to the charity. In addition to entry fees, sponsors and donors, money is raised by a jumper class, “Ride for the Pledge,” in which sponsors give as much as they like per jump for the riders they sponsor. Participants have 60 seconds to jump as many fences as they can.
“Derby Day started as a tribute to Jack and his contributions to the industry and how we horse show based on what he taught us,” said Katie.
The late Jack Benson, the inspiration for Briarwood Derby Day.
“We’ve certainly carried that torch along, but now a lot of people who are involved in the competition never met him. They feel the excitement of Derby Day because it’s a specialty horse show. The people who put this together, everybody pulls not at 100 percent, but at 120 percent.”
Sponsors included CWD Sellier; Dover Saddlery, for the first time and Horse Flight, which paid for a golf cart that provided rides from the parking lot to the arenas. The cart was driven by John William Benson Jr., Katie and Jack’s son, who came up from his home in Miami where he works in commercial real estate. The Bensons’ daughter, Elizabeth, was teaching a camp at Auburn University, where she was an NCAA equestrian star, and couldn’t get away.
The family link among the Bensons, Briarwood and those at the show extends beyond blood relations. Brian Livell, who designed the derby courses, has a long history with Briarwood. His grandmother, Shirley Grisewood, was the show secretary for years; his grandfather, Norman, was often the announcer.
“I grew up riding with Jack and Katie,” said Brian, who owns Hunter Hill Farm in Pipersville, Pa., where his wife, Corey Golden, rides and teaches. “So for me,” he noted, “this is a fun special day to be part of. It’s like coming full circle.”
Everyone at the show seems to have some connection with Briarwood. Kelly Matthews of Derby Day sponsor Brown & Brown Insurance, who was helping out with the awards, said the memory of Jack—a family friend—makes the occasion special.
“As a Briarwood family, we are here to help and make it a successful day,” said Melissa Ho of Princeton Junction, who was working the awards booth with Kelly. Melissa didn’t know Jack, but her 13-year-old daughter, Erica Lee, trains with Katie.
The five-ring show drew 250 horses and included several derbies. The feature was the $2,500 Rutgers Landscaping National Hunter Derby, won in come-from-behind style by Kianna Luscher of Hawthorne on the Mecklenburg mare, Carissima W. The class, which drew 52 entries, brought 12 back from the classic round for the handy round.
$2,500 Rutgers Landscaping USHJA National Hunter Derby winner Kianna Luscher and Katie Benson. (Photo© 2018 by Nancy Jaffer)
Kianna, a 20-year-old Fordham University Law School student, is a regular at hunter derbies with her 13-year-old mare.
“She’s very, very handy. She has a really big step and can turn on a dime, which I think is the fact that she used to be a jumper. I can go in and gallop; she’s easy to find a distance on, very sweet and no spook,” said Kianna, who trains at On Course Riding Academy in Lafayette with Katie Moriarty.
Kianna Luscher and Carissima W on course. (Photo© 2018 by Nancy Jaffer)
Carissima, her former junior hunter, now competes in the amateur-owner classes. Kianna keeps on her good side by bringing her munchkins from Dunkin’ Donuts.
“She’s very food-motivated,” explained Kianna.
Daphne Smith, 10th in the national derby on Right O’Way, left Oley, Pa., at 5 a.m. to get to the show. But it was worth it for her.
“It’s always a fun event to come out here,” said 17-year-old Daphne.
“We always get a big crowd from our barn, Valley Mist Farm. A lot of people do the derby, there’s not a whole lot of derbies that we do, it’s for a good cause. We have a lot of fun doing it. It’s a far drive, but it’s worth it.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 1, 2018
If you’ve been looking for a way to introduce your child to horses, Pony Pals could be the ticket.
The program presented by Somerset County’s Lord Stirling Stable for children and their parents is designed to get children and ponies together, while encouraging child-parent interaction. Pony Pals is scheduled for July 7 at the stable, 256 South Maple Ave., Basking Ridge.
The program, which runs from 11 a.m.-noon, was created for 2- to 4-year-olds. It features a pony-themed story and a lead line pony ride. The fee is $10 per child/parent pair and $5 for each additional sibling age 2-9 years.
Pre-registration is required online at www.somersetcountyparks.org, by phone at 908-722-1200, ext. 5010, or in person at the Stable office. For additional information, call Lord Stirling Stable at 908-722-1200, ext. 5010.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 25, 2018
Take a look at some of the people, horses and scenes from the Mars Essex Horse Trials at Moorland Farm in Far Hills. Relive a fun weekend in these photos taken at the second year of the iconic event’s revival, which enjoyed perfect weather that defied the gloomy forecasts of thunderstorms.
