It’s 4 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time. The dressage riders are back competing at the Baji Koen Olympic Park in Tokyo for the second part of the Grand Prix, the qualifier that will decide which eight teams from 14 nations competing go on to Tuesday’s Grand Prix Special that determines the team medals.
Scores from the two competitions aren’t cumulative, but the Grand Prix is key for any country that has ambitions to try for the podium, and it is also a qualifier for the freestyle on Wednesday that will determine individual honors..
To catch up with what happened yesterday, go to the second feature story on this website. And for a Games preview, check out the first story in this website’s On the Rail section to the left.
Though we knew Tokyo would be hot, at 5 p.m. Japanese time (a 13-hour time difference from EDT), it’s an energy-draining 89 degrees that feels in the 90s, though it thankfully should get somewhat cooler as the evening goes on. Trying to avoid oppressive heat is why the horses compete late in the day or in the case of eventing, the next discipline on tap later this week, early in the morning..
In this blog, I’ll be covering rides of key players or anything interesting that comes up today. The most recent items are at the end. For highlights of today’s action, go to the NBC Sports Network at 1 p.m. Melanie Smith Taylor, a member of the 1984 U.S. Olympic show jumping team, is a commentator for that..
The first to go today, Severo Jurado Lopez of Spain, earned 68.370 percent on Fendi T, who was gleaming with sweat.
4:18 a.m. EDT: Caroline Chew of Singapore, who trains in Britain, had a horribly disappointing Olympic debut when she was eliminated shortly into her test because her mount, Tribiani, apparently had a fleck of blood in his mouth.
I couldn’t see it, but the judges could, and the head of the ground jury came out to give Caroline the bad news. The horse tripped at the beginning of the test, so perhaps he bit his tongue. Under horse welfare rules, any sign of pink is enough for elimination, and that has happened to poor Caroline. She was the first rider from Singapore to compete at the Olympics in equestrian sport. Very disappointing to come all this way and not get through the test.
4:36 a.m.: Heike Holstein of Ireland on Sambuca is the only representative of her country here. Ireland qualified to field a team, but coach Jo Hinneman determined the other riders available had not met his standards and though other candidates who could have come to Tokyo fought his decision, the effort was to no avail.
Interestingly, Heike got the Irish qualification at a show where she appeared after having a bicycle accident. But a true athlete, she rode before going to the hospital. Her score today was 68.432 percent.
At 4:54 a.m., Canada’s Lindsay Kellock and Sebastien embarked on a ride that carried a great deal of emotion. Her brother, Jonathan, died of brain cancer before Lindsay made the team. But a postal error meant a necklace he bought her with a silver and diamond “L” charm for her first name came just before she set out for the Games. She was, of course, wearing the necklace when she rode.
Lindsay Kellock and Sebastien.
Lindsay is the goddaughter of Ashley Holzer, an Olympic veteran who is now an American citizen, but is coaching the Canadians in Tokyo.
A mistake in the half-pass and changes sadly made Lindsay’s score 65.404 percent, as Canada struggles to be one of the eight teams that will go on to the Special. Dressage is the only team Canada is fielding; it has two eventers and one show jumper, but no teams in those disciplines. Lindsay’s sister, Jamie, is a groom in Tokyo for Canadian eventer Jessica Phoenix.
5:16 a.m. EDT: Denmark, a team medal threat, got a score of 76.677 for Carina Cassoe Kruth with an impressive turn on Heiline’s Danceria who was really on form. They are leading the group now, but with Adrienne Lyle of the U.S. next to go with Salvino, that lead likely won’t last for long. .
5:30 a.m. EDT: Whoops. I was wrong. Adrienne had a very controlled ride, albeit with a mistake in the zig-zag and an extended canter in which she didn’t go for it. The judges marked her at 74.876, a nice score for nearly anyone else, but far from her best, with 6’s and even a 5 in the zig-zag. That means Carina is still leading the group, but Adrienne has qualified for the freestyle.The top two in each group qualify.
We were hoping Adrienne and Betsy Juliano’s stallion would produce an 80 percent ride, but again, this is only a qualifier so let’s focus on the Special going forward.
Adrienne explained that while Salvino went well in schooling with some brilliant moments, in the arena “Unfortunately, he kind of went in there and got a little tense and got tight and we lost a little of the balance and the self-carriage where we needed to be, and it was unfortunately far below what he is capable of.”
When she rode Wizard at the London Olympics in 2012, she appeared as an individual, but being part of the team involves so much more; there’s a focus on mutual support and responsibility.
“My teammates are incredible,” said Adrienne.
“During a team event, you’re riding for your team members. It’s about so much more than you. I couldn’t ask for a better team.”
Tomorrow is a day off, so she and Salvino will have some time to recover, and she’ll go through the video of her ride and see what needs to be tweaked.
She kept her disappointment in perspective, saying of horses, “They’re living animals and some days they’re not perfect. You don’t need to reinvent the wheel. It just happens.”
Adrienne Lyle and Salvino in front of the ringside Zen garden.
I have known Adrienne since she was a working student in 2005 for Debbie McDonald (now the U.S. technical advisor), with whom I wrote the book, “Riding Through,” so I’ve watched her closely from the beginning of her Grand Prix career.
You won’t find a harder worker or a lovelier person than Adrienne, who is also tremendously talented. I look forward to what she can do on Tuesday when it counts for a medal.
The pressure now moves to the last U.S. rider, Steffen Peters, in his fifth Olympics. He and Suppenkasper have become ever more of an exciting combination through their years together and he can produce a very good score.
The U.S. stands fifth in the team rankings looking toward qualifying for the Special, with Adrienne’s score added to America’s Saturday starter, Sabine Schut-Kery and Sanceo (78.466 percent). Denmark leads the way, followed by Spain, Russia and the Netherlands.It’s now obvious we will have to watch out for the Danes in the medal competition, along with Great Britain and the Netherlands. We all assume that Germany will go on to claim its 14th Olympic team gold medal, so silver or bronze is what’s realistic and available.
Jessica von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera.
Yesterday, Germany’s Jessica von Bredow Werndl earned 84.379 percent, and still to come are the power pack of teammates Dorothee Schneider and the queen of dressage, Isabell Werth. Isabell has more gold medals than any other equestrian, ever, and more than most athletes in any sport.
You can expect Germany to be leading the team standings at the end of today, for whatever that comment is worth, since the outcome is a given, barring a disaster of Biblical proportions.
5:45 a.m. EDT Marlies van Baalen of the Netherlands and the Totilas son Go Legend (the offspring of the late spectacular Totilas seem to be everywhere) had a respectable 71.615 percent performance. Marlies’ mother, Coby, also rode in the Olympics. She was on the 2000 silver medal Dutch team in Sydney.
6:34 a.m. EDT: So disappointing for Kelly Layne of Australia, as her nation was striving to make the cut for the Special. The Aussies are standing sixth but won’t achieve their goal after Samhitas reared in the piaffe. Such a shame, when he had many lovely moments in the test. His score of 58.354 percent was a huge letdown.
The team scores really don’t mean much until all three riders have gone, so for Britain, that’s Charlotte Dujardin and Steffen for the U.S., as I said. Now the U.S. is seventh and Britain eighth, but that obviously will change. Germany isn’t even in the top ten, because it still has two riders to come. In any event, the home side Japanese team won’t be seen again in this Olympics. They have worked hard to up their game, but still have a way to go.
7:07 a.m. EDT: Sweden’s Juliette Ramel despite a mistake in the one-tempis with Buriel KH was scored at 73.369. I first saw this horse at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games and remember how impressed I was after taking a photo that showed him flying above ground in the one-tempis.
7:15 a.m. EDT: Yesterday was the day of personal bests for several riders. Today is the day of letdowns from some big names, it seems. Dorothee Schneider of Germany and Showtime are capable of going over 80 percent, but at one point the passage got only a nine from a single judge, while a big bobble in the first piaffe was expensive as he lost his impulsion. At times, Showtime also looked a tiny bit tight in the neck and behind the vertical..
Dorothee Schneider of Germany and Showtime.
So the mark was 78.820. Dorothy, who suffered a broken collarbone in the spring when her horse collapsed and died of an aortic rupture during the honor round at a German show, leads the group ahead of Juliette. She of course qualifies for the freestyle, as do the first two in every group.
7:31 a.m. EDT: We’re starting on the final group for the Grand Prix, which will end with the appearance of Germany’s Isabell Werth.
7:49 a.m. EDT: One of the nice things about the Olympics is seeing riders from countries you don’t associate with Grand Prix dressage. I was impressed by Yessin Rahmouni from Morocco with the stallion All at Once.
He had a very credible test, though it wasn’t perfect; there was that moment he broke into canter during the trot half-pass, for instance. But there were many nice things about the performance that had real polish and was scored at 66.599.
Yessin Rahmouni of Morocco on All at Once.
Yessin leads the final group at this moment, followed by Chile’s Virginia Yarur on Ronaldo, who also did a good job to achieve 66.227 percent.
Obviously, the rankings will change soon, with Great Britain’s multi-gold medalist Charlotte Dujardin due in the arena on Gio at 8:06 a.m. EDT.
But it’s nice to see riders from these countries not known for dressage having their time in the sun, however brief. And they’ll get better if they keep competing and learning, which widens the horizons of the horse world.
8:15 a.m. EDT: Gio and Charlotte Dujardin were everything we expected–and more. Their personal best score of 80.963 percent was so well-deserved for a test in which the British rider didn’t let a single point get away from her.
I smiled when I saw her halt done four-square before the rein-back, a place where some riders rush or don’t settle their horses. That’s the attention to detail that has earned her Olympic gold three times.Charlotte Dujardin and Gio.
But more important, Gio–known as Pumpkin around the barn for his round, chestnut body–was spot-on with his style in the piaffe/passage tour, getting 9s for passage. He’s pleasing in every aspect and so well-handled to bring out his best.
Charlotte. who owns a piece of him, spotted Gio at a clinic in the U.S. and brought him along under the eyes of her mentor, Carl Hester, who looks to be joining her in qualifying for the individual test Wednesday aboard En Vogue.
It was a surprise when Charlotte picked Gio for the Olympics over Mount Saint John Freestyle, her 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games individual bronze medal mount, but she said the mare wasn’t fit enough for the Tokyo heat, and she was thinking of focusing on helping the team, rather than earning an individual medal. Gio was the right answer for that, she felt. And now she’ll have a shot at an individual medal too.
Gio and Charlotte Dujardin.
Gio had just three international Grand Prix starts before coming to Tokyo.
“It was a bit of the unknown, really – I didn’t know what to expect in there, under the floodlights, in an arena like that,” said Charlotte.
The 16-hand Apache gelding was up to the challenge, earning his first international Grand Prix score over 80 percent..
“I couldn’t ask any more from him tonight, he went in and he tried his absolute heart out,” said Charlotte
“He’s just unbelievable. He gives me everything he’s got, even though he needs to get stronger and a bit more confident. I can’t ask any more of him.
“I felt so emotional on the last center line, because when you have a ride like that, it doesn’t matter if you win or lose. He’s absolutely lived up to expectations.To me, this was as good as winning tonight because I know he couldn’t have done any more for where he is right now in his training and with how few competitions he’s done. That’s like a gold medal, one of those really special moments that I’ll remember for forever and a day.”
8:33 a.m. EDT: Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu did her best with the massive chestnut All In and achieved a score of 71.677 percent, but it won’t be enough to qualify Canada for the team final on Tuesday. As I’ve said before, only eight of 14 countries will move ahead to the medal round, and Canada has fallen short.
Britain, Denmark and the Netherlands have made the cut, and obviously Germany will. I am sure the U.S. will too, but the last American rider, Steffen Peters, doesn’t go until 8:42 a.m. EDT.
8:52 a.m. EDT: USA has made the team final and Steffen Peters was superb with Suppenkasper to score 76.196 percent. It will break his streak of 22 wins in a row, but he was exceptionally solid and key to the U.S. securing its place.
Steffen Peters and Suppenkasper. (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)
Noting his mount “came in super relaxed,” Steffen said he had a very good walk tour, even though it was “challenging for him in an arena like this.”
Please with his score, he said, “We’re going to step it up a little bit in the Grand Prix Special.” The focus there on his trot extensions “helps him quite a bit.” Other things he likes about the test include the walk/ piaffe transition, and the fact that “we don’t have to do the silly zig-zag, we don’t have to do the rein back. It floats a little more and for a big-moving horse, it’s a better test.”
With four previous Olympics to his credit, Steffen acknowledged that this one is very different because of Covid. Restrictions are abundant. Mingling with athletes from other countries, usually a Games highlight, is a no-no, along with visiting restaurants, shopping and having the support of relatives, who have not been allowed to come due to an edict from the Japanese government.
What the riders have to do is not a problem, in Steffen’s view.
“Olympians are used to rules. The rules are stricter this year with Covid. If we can’t respect the rules, we shouldn’t be Olympians.”
In the big picture, when it comes to sacrifice, he said, “What a tiny small sacrifice we made compared to the rest of the population. If we think we lost 600,000 people in the U.S., that’s a sacrifice. What we did here is not a sacrifice whatsoever.”
9:02 a.m. EDT: Isabell Werth and Bella Rose, the number one combination in the world, couldn’t best teammate Jessica Von Bredow-Werndl, but had the second-highest score of this weekend, 82.500 percent. As I mentioned earlier, today wasn’t generally the day for personal bests.
Isabell Werth and Bella Rose.
Isabell got 10s for transitions, the halt and piaffe, but but was weighed down with 6.5 and 7s for the collected walk and the same for the extended walk, where she got a 5!. I’m sure Bella Rose will sparkle more for the team competition, and particularly for the freestyle
9:30 a.m. EDT: Here are the eight teams that made the cut for Tuesday’s Special: 1) Germany; 2) Great Britain, 3) Denmark; 4) USA; 5) Netherlands; 6) Sweden; 7) Portugal (interesting!) 8) Spain. It would turn out that Sabine Schut-Kery (Sanceo) would be the highest-scoring U.S. rider on 78.466 percent, with Steffen second-highest and Adrienne–the highest-ranked U.S. rider in the FEI standings at number 15–third for the U.S. in the Grand Prix. Unexpected, but see her comments above in the story.
Tomorrow is a day off, so I won’t have a story then unless there’s some big news. I’ll be live-blogging the Grand Prix Special starting at 4 a.m. EDT on Tuesday, so please check back at any time to follow along o catch up. We had the story first both days this weekend, and plan on doing that again so you know what’s happening without having to get up before dawn.
By the way, I very much appreciate all the thank you notes I’ve gotten for my stories. It’s so worthwhile to do this if people are interested in it. See you Tuesday!
Hannah Sue Burnett found a home at the top of the Essex Horse Trials’ leaderboard, and brought her associates along for the ride this weekend at Moorland Farm in Far Hills.
She took the marquee event, yesterday’s Open Preliminary, with the Irish-bred Coolrock Wacko Jacko, while her fiancée, Matthias Hollberg, finished third aboard Bellefleur Z in the rider’s first Prelim outing.
Wacko Jacko, imported from England, was 10th after dressage, moving up to fifth following stadium jumping before taking the win on 30.2 penalties.
With the veteran Harbour Pilot, the 18-year-old Irish-bred gelding she rode to team gold and individual silver at the 2011 Pan American Games, Hannah Sue was fifth and didn’t push for time on the cross-country course designed by Morgan Rowsell.
Today, the very busy rider was first again in the Open Training section on the thoroughbred Chakiris Star, while Sophia Middlebrook, who rides with her, was runner-up by a mere two time penalties on Monbeg Odyssey.
Interestingly, Chakiris Star was clocked in 5 minutes, 25 seconds for the route, which had an optimum time of 5:45. It was the same mark turned in by the mother-daughter duo of Marilyn Payne and Holly Payne Caravella of Tewksbury Township, who finished third and fourth respectively on Fairway King and SF Double Entendre.
In the Open Prelim, Wacko Jacko was one of only three horses that made the optimum time of 5 minutes, 36 seconds there, though Matthias–who usually rides jumpers–impressed by being 11 seconds under.
He finished on 32.3 penalties behind Nora Battig-Leamer on Dubai Gold (31.7), a thoroughbred who returned from a life-threatening injury to resume his eventing career.
Hannah Sue rides for Jacqueline Mars, who owns Harbour Pilot and has a piece of Bellefleur, as well as Christa Schmidt, Jacqueline’s daughter, who often competes Chakiris Star herself, and also is a partner in Bellefleur.
When we talked about the courses, Hannah Sue noted that the water complex surrounded by spectators’ tents, was “quite a grand place. The horses are impressed by it, so the water kind of backs them off a bit with all the people and cars. I had to ride that a bit harder than anything else.”
It was interesting to find out more about Wacko Jacko from Hannah Sue. Take a look at this video to catch our conversation.
Hannah Sue, based at HSB Eventing in Pennsylvania, also received the Jean and Elliot Haller Horsemanship Award for demonstrating “a superior partnership between horse and rider.”
It is named for the couple who started Essex on their Bedminster farm and were the parents of the late Roger Haller. He was an influential figure in eventing, along with his wife, Anne. The trophy is donated by Ann David, the current owner of Hoopstick Farm where Essex had its roots.
A fixture in the area from 1968 to 1998, Essex was revived in 2017 but cancelled in 2020 due to Covid. Its comeback this summer on new dates (it used to be in June) was well received both by riders, who filled the various divisions, and spectators, as tailgating sites around the water complex sold out.
The weather, with temperatures in the high 80s, put a wrinkle in things Saturday as the action had to be halted for thunder and lightning (New Jersey on a summer afternoon; go figure) but competition was able to wrap up before a really big storm made its appearance.
“When there’s lightning, you’ve got to play it safe,” said Morgan, co-organizer of the event with Ralph Jones. “But the riders stuck around and the volunteers stuck around and we had a great crowd, so it was successful all the way around.
“We want quality riding and quality horses and we clearly got that. I hope the riders got out of it what they wanted to get out of it for the development of their horses.
The footing was optimum–the blessing is that it rains and the curse is that it rains,” he added with a smile.I asked Hannah Sue about the storm situation, so you can find out what she said about it and Harbour Pilot by watching this video.
Open Prelim offered $10,000 in prize money from Running S Equine Veterinary Services, which also sponsored a tent where riders could take a welcome respite near the stables after finishing their trips around the course.
Explaining his practice’s sponsorship, Dr. Greg Staller of Running S noted, “Very few events offer prize money and we wanted to do that, kind of the same idea as the grooms’, owners’ and riders’ tent, to make sure they get taken care of. It was nice to see everyone braved the heat and the possibility of rain. I was glad after Covid that everybody came and rallied behind us. There’s a lot of support for Essex.”
In addition to Running S, the event’s sponsors include Mars Equestrian, Open Road Group, AIG, Peapack Gladstone Bank, RWJ Barnabas Health. The event’s beneficiary is LifeCamp, which offers a day camp experience in Pottersville for Newark youth.
Essex, billed as “a country weekend” is as much of a happening as it is a competition.
On Friday night, a hilltop cocktail party that offered an impressive view of Moorland preceded a concert from Music in the Somerset Hills, presenting a 43-member orchestra from Broadway shows.
Saturday featured a car show in memory of Peter Chesson, the owner of the Barker Bus Co. and an influential car racing aficionado from Bedminster who held a national drag racing record for more than a decade.
As his obituary noted, he liked to say, ” `At the core of every challenge is a very simple solution.’ This was his North Star and guiding principle throughout his life.”
He was the father of sons Tim, P.J. and James Chesson, as well as Lizzy Chesson, the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s managing director of show jumping, who was in Tokyo for the Olympics and couldn’t be at the show. Peter was formerly married to Sharon Chesson, well-known for her achievements in the world of combined driving.
Canada’s Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, the venerable final leg of the North American Fall Indoor Circuit, will not be held for the second year in a row due to the “international impact” of the Covid situation.
“After considerable research and consultation, the Royal’s board of directors today made the disheartening decision to cancel the in-person 2021 Royal Agricultural Winter Fair, in favor of returning to an education-focused online experience this year,” said a statement from the show.
Canada is still far more restricted than the U.S. due to the pandemic. As Royal CEO Charlie Johnstone noted, “Initially, we were optimistic that we would be able to gather at Exhibition Place this year to celebrate Canadian excellence in food, agriculture and equestrian sport. But as the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 continues to create havoc around the world, it became clear that we weren’t going to be able to host The Royal in a traditional way.
“Our exhibitors and competitors put everything they’ve got into the pursuit of a championship, and we owe them a world-class showcase for their efforts. We’re simply not in a place to guarantee the stability and assurances necessary to plan their paths forward to compete at an elite level.”
There is nothing like the Royal. It reminds me of the National Horse Show during its glory days in Madison Square Garden. There’s something about formal dress that brings out the importance of an occasion, and the Royal still has its share of top hats, tail coats and evening gowns. The Royal is a place where it’s as interesting to watch the people as it is to watch the horses.
The horse show has great jumpers, but it’s so much more than that, with a variety of breeds, four-in-hands (speaking of elegance) draft horse hitches and wonderful exhibitions. It’s really a “show,” that entertains, even beyond being a sporting event.
And in the 1 million square feet of the exhibition center also hosts everything from cattle auctions and livestock competitions to fine dining, cooking demonstrations and booths selling all kinds of things, including, of course, maple syrup items of every description.
The fact that the Royal is held in Toronto, a fascinating city with great shopping, restaurants and hotels adds to its appeal. Like Devon, also cancelled for two years in a row, it will be sorely missed.
The Royal is the largest combined indoor agricultural fair and international equestrian competition in the world, complete with livestock shows, trade shows and other attractions, and attendance of nearly 300,000 each year.
“We do not take this responsibility lightly,” stated the Royal’s board, emphasizing it, the staff and management “remain committed to creating a safe and healthy space for everyone to gather, compete and celebrate when the time is right.”
Christine Reupke, director of equestrian sport at the Royal, explained “With all of the instability and uncertainty around new (Covid) variants, indoor large-scale events and without specific details about fall and winter reopening plans, our Board did the only thing that they could do to ensure our stability and viability for the future. What we’ve sacrificed today will ensure The Royal remains stable for not only our 100th in 2022, but decades to come.”
“We’re excited to be setting our sights on 2022, which will mark The Royal’s 100th Anniversary,” commented Johnstone.
“As we approach our second century, the Royal is more relevant than ever, and it is our privilege to be Canada’s home for local food, agricultural and equestrian excellence.”
The North American Indoor Circuit begins with the Pennsylvania National Horse Show, which was truncated last year with a few classes in Tryon, N.C., where the Washington International Horse Show also relocated.
The Pennsylvania National is now back in its refurbished quarters in Harrisburg, where it will present its entire program. The Washington International will remain at Tryon this year, while the National Horse Show–which operated at the Kentucky Horse Park without spectators last year–returns to the park’s Alltech Arena for 2021.
After a year off due to the pandemic, the Lake Placid, N.Y., Horse Shows have “come back very strong,” said chairman Philip Richter, as the two-week competition looks toward the future.
Those involved with the shows are working on two-, four-, six- and 10-year plans, which is difficult, Philip pointed out, because his worry is “more what does the sport look like in 10 years and how do we stay relevant?”
He believes the answer is, “you have to have great facilities and keep reinvesting in your facilities; you have to keep upping the prize money. You have to have people have a great experience and thank them for coming.”
Part of the planning for Lake Placid involves considering whether to have FEI classes, but that hinges in part with getting more land from the town so “FEI could be a reality.”
This year, the shows were full with nearly 1,000 horses and couldn’t “take another horse,” noted Philip, pointing out that a lot of new people have come into the sport recently. There was not shortage of grassroots riders on hand, and even without FEI, there also were plenty of big names such as McLain Ward, Devin Ryan and Joe Fargis.
Alex Matz and Cashew CR, winner of the Richard Feldman Grand Prix, where the presentation included Dianna Feldman (right) Richard’s widow, with Philip Richter (far right), who succeeded Richard as Lake Placid show chairman. (Kind Media photo)
Not only would an FEI initiative require more space, it also would involve getting a sponsor to guarantee a five-year commitment “because you can’t just dabble in FEI and not swing the club all the way through,” said Philip. The show is trying to get a grant from the state of New York to make some improvements, since it is “the single-best revenue-generator in the town of Lake Placid, period.”
While the Ironman Triathlon might bring in 30,000 people, “they sleep in their Subarus and eat granola,” Philip pointed out.
Those who come for the horse show, on the other hand, spend a lot of money on restaurants and hotels in the community that hosted both the 1932 and 1980 Winter Olympics. Many consider a trip to the scenic site in the Adirondacks a vacation as well as a competitive opportunity.
The shows, sponsored by Bainbridge Farms LLC and presented by Sea Shore Stables LLC, wrapped up over the weekend. As usual, they were a tradition that keeps exhibitors and their families returning for several generations.
A case in point involved Alex Matz, the son of longtime Lake Placid competitors Michael Matz (a three-time winner of the grand prix) and Alex’s mother, D.D. Matz. Alex won the first grand prix of his career, the $100,000 Richard Feldman class on Cashew CR, during the initial week at the showgrounds. Unstoppable, he returned Saturday during the I Love New York show to take his second grand prix, the $100,000 Great American Insurance Group feature, riding Davidson.
Alex Matz and Davidson. (Kind Media photo)
Laura Chapot, whose parents, Mary and Frank Chapot, made the trip to Lake Placid for years, also was a big winner in a variety of jumper classes.
The grass grand prix field benefitted from a year off, giving the roots a chance to grow deeper. Meanwhile, a $1.3 million investment in footing was made for the schooling rings and the hunter arenas.
Courses were laid out by Irish designer Alan Wade, who also did the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games and the 2017 Longines FEI World Cup Finals. Other familiar names in key positions were manager Michael Morrissey, as well as announcer Peter Doubleday and David Distler, a top-of-the-line judge and steward. As Philip describes them all, “people who know what they’re doing.”
That would include the show’s administration. Younger folks have been added to the board and there is “an executive committee full of smart people who understand finance and business,” Philip pointed out.
He learned from his namesake and grandfather, the late Philip Hofmann, chairman of Johnson & Johnson. Philip paid attention when his grandfather advised, “you’ve got to surround yourself with really smart people. You don’t want to make a lot of unnecessary mistakes.”
As Philip noted, “I don’t make any decisions in a vacuum. Everything gets run by the committee and then goes to the board for approval.”
Lake Placid is a big responsibility for Philip, who works full-time as president of Hollow Brook Wealth Management.
So with all his other responsibility, what keeps him going at the helm of Lake Placid?
The reason is simple, he explained: “I’ve been showing here since I was a kid. I love it.”
It’s been a difficult year for the Far Hills Race Meeting, following cancellation of its 2020 edition due to the pandemic.
But the races are returning to center stage in a big way this autumn at Moorland Farm on Route 202, as the steeplechase fixture marks the postponed celebration of its 100th anniversary.
“People are really excited we’re coming back; they’re very tired of Covid and the last 16 months,” said Guy Torsilieri, who chairs the races with Ron Kennedy.
Even before official word that the high-profile sporting and social event was a go, the race meeting got “a ton of phone calls” from people eager to resume a tradition that many families have enjoyed for generations.
Those who have hillside spots need to renew their location by Aug. 1, and if they are dropping out, there’s “a huge waiting list” of those who would like to have a tailgating space, said Guy, who expects a sell-out of that site.
Meanwhile, there has been great interest from corporate sponsors.
“So far, I’m batting a thousand. Every tent holder I talked to was thrilled to be back in full force,” said Guy.
“I think it’s going to be busier than 2019. There’s so much excitement to get out and do stuff with family and friends,” said Guy. He mentioned 25,000-30,000 people came to the last running, but he’d like to see 40,000 attend this year.
“We will comply with all CDC guidelines,” said Guy, noting that if people prefer to wear a mask, they are free to do so, but there are no requirements in that regard.
The 2021 edition wasn’t a sure thing until approximately two months ago, when state-imposed limits on crowd numbers at gatherings were lifted. The 500-person cap for the fall of 2020 made it impossible to hold the races last year.
For 2021, “We were on totally on hold until we knew we could go,” said Guy.
That has meant playing a bit of catchup. No decision has been made yet, for instance, on whether to continue the pari-mutuel betting option that debuted in 2018, and specific plans to mark the centennial are still being developed, aside from renaming the Chairman’s Tent at the finish line the Centennial Tent..
The cancellation left the organization cutting back while missing a year’s income, Guy said. Moorland’s staff of “three and a half” employees dropped by two. The maintenance issue got solved by “a labor of love,” volunteer mowing efforts from Guy, Ron, Essex Horse Trials Co-Chairman Ralph Jones and “super-star volunteer” Zac Rubin (the son of Essex Horse Trials volunteer organizer Sally Rubin).
Even though “the farm looks a little shaggy,” Guy chuckled, they got the necessary work done to have Moorland shaped up for the Essex Horse Trials July 17-18 and the races Oct. 16.
Another difficult aspect of the cancellation meant the event could not contribute to its charities.
“This partnership is of the utmost importance after the year we’ve had, and we’re elated to welcome our Far Hills family back to the property,” Ron said.
The race meeting has given more than $18 million to its beneficiaries and this year will contribute to a variety of local healthcare-oriented charities. They include Robert Wood Johnson (RWJ) Barnabas Health, Crossroads4Hope, the Arc of Somerset County, Community in Crisis, LifeCamp and Bonnie Brae.
Covid brought change to so many things, and in its wake, the race meeting has been streamlining its operations while looking at outsourcing some functions in order to be more efficient.
“Just because you’re 100 years old, doesn’t mean you’re doing everything right,” said Guy, noting this is an opportunity to make needed operational changes.
This year, tickets will not be available at area retail outlets and banks. Instead, all ticket purchases must be made on line at www.farhillsrace.org.
Who didn’t see this one coming? The same American squad that competed in Rome last month has been named as the show jumping team for the Tokyo Olympics.
Kent Farrington (Gazelle) and his 2016 Olympic silver medal teammate,, McLain Ward (Contagious)–who is also a veteran of the 2004,2008 and 2012 Olympics– were selected, along with 2000 and 2008 Olympian Laura Kraut (Baloutinue) and Olympic newcomer Jessica Springsteen (Don Juan van de Donkhoeve.)
Unlike the U,S. dressage and eventing teams, which named three riders and a traveling reserve, no such distinction was made for show jumping. There can only be three riders on a team, but substitutions are allowed. So three riders could compete in the individual test, which comes first, and then for the team competition, one could be dropped while another is added.
Coach Robert Ridland always pays special attention to bringing along younger riders, so Lucy Deslauriers–the only U.S. rider double-clear in the Nations Cup in Rotterdam this month with her reliable Hester–and Brian Moggre (Balou de Reventon) will be reserves and quarantine in Germany with the team. Brian and Lucy were 1-2 in the grand prix in Sopot, Poland, last month.
(For more details about selection, see the article below this one in On the Rail section about Beezie Madden)
The 500th member of the Century Club is Helene Dellechiaie of Oak Ridge became the 500th member of the U.S. Dressage Federation’s Century Club, for riders and horses whose ages total 100 or more and complete a dressage test.
Helene is 71 and her Connemara pony, Finnian’s Chase (Finn), is 29. They received a score of 73.125 percent for Intro Level Test A on June 26 at the Greendell Dressage Schooling Show in Newton.
Helene and Finn.
For the 26 years she has owned Finn, Helene has received several Awards of Excellence from the American Connemara Pony Society, the Master Challenge Award from the United States Dressage Federation, and three Horse of the Year Awards from the United States Equestrian Federation. Helene is a member of the Eastern States Dressage and Combined Training Association, the same USDF Group Member Organization as the first Century Club rider, the late Lazelle Knocke of Readington. Lazelle and her horse, Don Perignon, joined the Century Club in 1996.
Helene said, “I would like to thank my husband Phil for his unrelenting support of my passion and my trainers, Kara Stark McGrew and Suzanne Marshall, for their patience teaching Finn and me how to dance. We would especially like to thank The Dressage Foundation and congratulate them on their 25th year of inspiring seniors toward achieving one more goal and honored to be the 500th team.”
In 2020, The Dressage Foundation welcomed 48 new members. So far in 2021, 24 riders have joined. With the support of Platinum Performance and donations from dressage clubs and individuals, TDF awards ribbons and plaques to each new Century Club member, as well as providing an annual Century Club Newsletter to all members.
“The Century Club members are some of the most inspirational equestrians I’ve ever known,” said Jenny Johnson, TDF’s Executive Director. “They come from all walks of life and all equestrian backgrounds. Some have ridden their entire lives, some just recently picked up the reins. We receive many calls and emails from riders who tell us that joining the Century Club is on their ‘bucket lists,’ even if it’s years away. Many thanks to all of the donors who help us recognize and honor the seniors of our sport, and congratulations to all the members!”
To learn more about the Century Club, visit dressagefoundation.org or contact Sara Weiss, director of grants and programs at sara@dressagefoundation.org or (402) 434-8585.
To support the Century Club, contact Jenny Johnson at jenny@dressagefoundation.org or (402) 434-8585. Donations to support the Century Club may also be made online at dressagefoundaltion.org/support.
“It’s always so hot for this show,” I heard a rider say as she walked her horse toward the ring during the Summer Days dressage show at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone yesterday.
Well yes, because it’s summer in New Jersey. Now if it were called Autumn Days, that would be a different matter.
“This doesn’t feel super, super hot to me,” said Technical Delegate Andrea Davenport, citing a “nice breeze,” but she admitted, “I might be a little bit biased because I live in Mississippi.”
It was impressive to see how riders and their mounts coped with temperatures that started in the low 80s and went into the 90s as things progressed at the two-day competition, presented by the Eastern States Dressage and Combined Training Association. There were a lot of faces glowing with both perspiration and smiles as competitors rode in the historic arena.
Even as temperatures soared, “The wonderful thing about this show is that there is so much history here that people still want to participate. We all strive to be at a place like this,” said show manager Lisa Toaldo, a dentist who is a former ESDCTA president.
“It’s one of my favorite shows to run. I love supporting the USET Foundation.” Lisa emphasized.
At the same time, she noted how grateful she is for all the volunteers. The show couldn’t run “if it wasn’t for them out here in the heat, taking time away from their own schedules.” In return, they get gas money, food and little souvenirs, such as an ESDCTA pin.
Summer Days is becoming a tradition on many calendars.
“We come every year. We love it. The footing is nice, the people are so friendly, It’s an honor, these are prestigious grounds with lots of history,” said trainer Kathryn Mills of Lucky Shoe Farm in Hellertown, Pa.
She had done a lovely running braid job on the neck of Bugatti, an unregistered Friesian who she suspects may have some Dutch harness horse in his ancestry.
After finding him as a completely untrained five-year-old, Kathryn handed him to her assistant, Emily Shewell, saying “Here’s your project. See what you can do with him. Five years later, he’s showing Fourth Level and doing some Prix St. Georges work. They’re planning on going to Dressage at Devon this fall.
Bugatti, who earned 66.795 percent in Fourth Level Test 1, “is a giant teddy bear,” according to Emily, who says, ““He loves every person, every horse, every dog. He’s a sweetheart.”
Summer Days usually is held in July, when one suspects it could have been even warmer this year, but it was moved into June because the Olympic dressage, para-dressage and eventing horses were to quarantine in July at the Foundation stables before heading to Tokyo. That didn’t happen at nearly the last minute due to the lack of suitable flights to get the horses to Japan from the U.S. (they are quarantining in Germany instead) but the show went ahead with the new date.
With the heat, jackets were optional and there were some scratches, yet even so, the show wrapped up into the late afternoon as scheduled. Some classes were a competition among a group of horses, with as many as six entries. Others had only one entry, perhaps someone who wanted a judge’s opinion on the progress of their horse, or was using the show as a qualifier for the GAIG/USDF Regional Championships or the 2021 Col.Bengt Ljungquist Memorial Championship.
Alice Tarjan of Oldwick was looking to qualify for Regionals on Serenade, who earned 75.217 percent in the Grand Prix. The 8-year-old Hanoverian mare won the Lövsta Future Challenge Grand Prix in Florida this year and was the national 4-year-old champion early in her career. The American-bred Serenade was purchased as a foal from Maryanna Haymon in North Carolina; Alice has an eye for spotting equine talent in the youngsters..
Serenade is so graceful in the arena. Alice agreed with me that if Serenade were a person, she would be participating in ballroom dance competition.
Last month, Alice finished sixth in the mandatory observation trial for the Olympics. Her ride for that competition, Candescent, is back in work after a break, but she hasn’t been in enough classes this year to qualify for the U.S. Equestrian Federation Festival of Champions national championships at Lamplight in Illinois next month. Alice is hoping she’ll get a wild card nomination for the competition.,
It’s always fun to see what exhibitors will come up with for their musical freestyles, and I had a feeling what Kim Herslow would do with the Lusitano Elvis HI in the Intermediate I to music. Can you guess? You’re right, it was a compendium of Presley’s hits.The best part comes at the end, with the announcement that “Elvis has left the building.”
That phrase often was used by announcers at the conclusion of Elvis’ concerts in order to disperse audiences hoping in vain for one more encore. The freestyle was put together by Boy de Winter of Music-Motions in the Netherlands, a musician Kim is bringing to her Upper Creek Farm in Stockton this September for a symposium with Linda Zang..
Kim has been working with Elvis for four years and advises, “He definitely wants to be a player. We’re having fun out there.” She got a good score of 71.600 percent and is looking toward Lamplight and Dressage at Devon, as well as returning to Florida in 2022 for the first time in two years. After Devon, she wants to focus on moving up to the I-2 and the Grand Prix, “all in the right timing for him.”
As a Lusitano, he is a different ride than a warmblood, Kim pointed out.
“You have to understand how to balance them correctly. That’s the challenge with them because they’re so willing to do however you ride them and there’s a lot of movement. It took me awhile to learn with this horse,” said Kim, who has been riding him for four years and focusing on teaching him to use his core and back more without bracing his neck.
The array of breeds at Summer Days made me realize once again how any type of horse can adapt to and benefit from dressage. A case in point is Solasta, an off-the-track thoroughbred who got a very credible 69.583 percent in First Level Test 3 with owner Krysia Potter of nearby Lebanon. She got the 11-year-old for $2,500 when he was five, after.the Storm Cat grandson raced 42 times and earned $100,000.
Kryisa is the daughter of Pam Potter, a well-known New Jersey jumper rider from a few decades back. An amateur who sells insurance for a living, Krysia. says she’s primarily a hunter/jumper rider who is her own trainer. Solasta does all that (and eventing too), but for her side-trip into dressage, Krysia works with trainer Carolyn Laurent.
Of Solasta, to whom she has promised that he will never be sold, she said about his time in dressage, “He prefers to jump. But this is great for our jumping and it helps build everything else we need in between the fences.”
Krysia is going for a U.S. Dressage Federation bronze medal and would like to end the year at 1.15-1.20 meters in the jumping.
Fontenay, a Hanoverian by Furst Jazz, impressed the judges enough in the USEF Four-Year-Old test to earn a whopping mark of 86.2 percent, a big improvement over his still very respectable score of 71.300 they day before when he seemed a bit overimpressed by his surroundings.That was understandable, considering it was his first time being ridden at a show.
The youngster is owned by trainer Cesar Parra, but he handed the reins over to his senior trainer, Katryna Evans, because at 58, he understandably doesn’t want to be sitting on youngsters.
“I’m getting too old to come off,” he laughed.
“I think this is the best horse I have had in my life so far. This is like the horse with a dream, the best I could find in the world last year.”
Cesar, a Pan American Games and Olympic veteran based in Readington, said the horse earned 9s in the walk and trot and 8.9 in the canter. He came to the U.S. just three weeks ago, but Cesar is hoping to take him to Lamplight “if he’s up to it.”
Four years ago, Cesar made a commitment to having Americans work for him. Katryna, a native of Colorado, spent six years in Germany and got a degree from Warendorf. “She rides like a German,” said Cesar.
The Horse Park of New Jersey got an infusion of energy today, as four new members were elected to the board during its annual meeting. The trustees not only have impressive resumes, they also are devoted to the facility in Monmouth County.
That’s crucial, because as board president Adam Furlong noted, “The park is 30 years old and starting to show its age.”
He credited Horse Park Manager Adam Hendrickson and his crew for keeping things going. But the park needs a lot of things, Furlong said, noting, “The board has identified several million dollars of spending that we need to resolve toward the future well-being and success of the park.”
The question is, how to obtain that money to cover the park’s needs and enable it to compete with other facilities in the region? Furlong noted the park welcomes those who want to be part of the solution and added it is receptive to feedback. In an effort to come up with a way forward, the board voted this evening to create a steering committee for future development and planning, Furlong stated.
“We have started networking in the community for outside-of-the-box thinking–we really need to reframe how we look at, and solve, the problem,” he explained.
Those new trustees should have some ideas about that. The group includes Doug Raynor, chairman of the Upper Freehold Township planning board and joint master of the Monmouth County Hunt. He owns a company involved in construction.
John Layton of Juliustown is a driving enthusiast who is a carpenter and owns a small farm. He is an expert on building and maintenance, which will be handy for the park.
Christine Odegaard of Allentown has organized the park’s Turkey Trot carriage driving event for the last two years and is an eclectic rider who enjoys trail riding, fox hunting and showing. Trained as a veterinary technician, she is an expert hand with video.
Kimberly Wojcik of Hightstown has been the Volunteer of the Year for the park and is on the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event committee. She’s been a special agent for both the FBI and the Secret Service.
They join Erin Gale, who holds one of the Department of Agriculture seats on the board, and financial analyst Melissa Sinopoli of Morristown, who was appointed by the board to fill an unexpired term.
(We also should mention that Bruce McNab was named a trustee emeritus. One of the founders of the park, “he supported it in countless ways for 30-plus years,” Furlong said)
The issue of finance is difficult because, as Furlong pointed out, horse parks elsewhere often are funded by the states where they are located. Despite its name, the Horse Park of New Jersey operates without state funding, and rents the land from the state Department of Agriculture which in turn has an arrangement with the state Department of Environmental Protection.
Since the park doesn’t own the land, it can’t be used as collateral for any loans, which means going to grants and “considerable fund raising projects,” even as the park is getting ready to welcome a new $65,000 tractor.
The wish list going forward includes an anticipated $2 million for footing for all the rings, $1 million for new stabling and $300,000 for a new septic. Among other needs are $185,000 for new water trucks for ring maintenance and another $2 million in building renovations, repairs, wells and improved bathrooms.
Meanwhile, there is ongoing investment in cross-country fences, with 11 new frangible obstacles, some obtained through the U.S. Eventing Association program for that purpose. Some portable fences also have been added to the inventory.
The Horse Park, like so many other venues, was affected by the pandemic last year. The U.S. Equestrian Federation shut down the shows it licensed from March 20-June 1, 2020. That meant the Horse Park couldn’t hold its featured Jersey Fresh International.
“The pandemic was a learning experience for each and every one of us,” Furlong pointed out.
Board members and volunteers stepped in during a difficult time, doing everything from mowing grass to loaning trucks as needed to the park.
But on the other hand, the horse trials held in June and July 2020, once competition resumed, produced the largest revenue and the greatest number of entries in the park’s history. The same was the case with Jersey Fresh this year.
“Jersey Fresh 2021 was about as perfect an event as we could have,” said Furlong, citing it as a return to activity, complete with spectators, tailgaters and vendors, all of which had been missing from competitions for more than a year.
Three events that couldn’t be staged at their usual venues in 2020 reserved again for this year.
A phase one federal Payroll Protection Program loan to the park was forgiven, but the facility did not get a phase two loan.
Meanwhile, understandably, revenue fell 26 percent and expenditures fell 22 percent as net income dropped by 77 percent. The park’s profit margin in 2020 was 2 percent. It had been 7 percent in 2019.
But after being locked in for a good part of 2020, people were ready to get out of their homes, and that’s where the Horse Park has an edge.
“We know we have great land and location, and those two things will always be an advantage for us,” said Furlong.
“So we need to continue to build on all of the momentum we have had in the past 12 months, as everyone has realized how great outdoor space is.”
The state animal is honored in June with the Month of the Horse. Years ago, it was a big deal, celebrated with a number of promotional occasions. They included “open barns” on various farms, major competitions (the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event used to be in June) and a special multi-dimensional offering called the Equine Expo at various locations. Then there was the Festival of Champions at the U.S. Equestrian Team in Gladstone, where everything from grand prix jumping to reining and dressage was featured.
A horse’s head is atop the state seal of New Jersey. So of course it’s the state animal.
Although all that has dropped by the wayside (but of course there are still plenty of shows in June, including Middlesex at the Horse Park of New Jersey) it’s worth noting that the Garden State’s equine industry contributes $3.2 billion to the state’s economy. June is also a time to reflect on how much in the state is horse-oriented, including the Horse Park and a variety of other showgrounds; the USET Foundation, the Rutgers’ Equine Science Center, dedicated to research and education, and of course the racetracks–Monmouth Park, the Meadowlands and Freehold Raceway. And let’s not forget the Cowtown Rodeo in Salem County. Equestrians enjoy easy access to top veterinary practices, tack shops, feed stores and plenty of trails, despite the fact that New Jersey is the country’s most densely populated state.
So this is the month we should count our equestrian blessings. Why not consider bringing back the Equine Expo; done properly, its varied attractions might attract more people to join the band of equestrians who call New Jersey home.
