by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 22, 2017
With the reclassification of eventing competitions to offer a 5-star level for the first time, Fair Hill, Md., the nominee for what would have been the USA’s second 4-star event, is doing a half-halt until the requirements are revealed for the highest level event approved by the FEI (international equestrian Federation)
Last July, the U.S. Equestrian Federation approved the recommendation to award a fall 4-star to Fair Hill in 2019. The USA’s only 4-star to this point is the Land Rover Kentucky event, formerly Rolex Kentucky.
While the FEI approved the 5-star concept last month at its annual meeting, it has yet to state the requirements for that and its other levels. Fair Hill of course wants to run the highest level in the sport, but before the public/private partnership continues working on its project at the Fair Hill Natural Resource Management Area, it needs to know what the requirements are.
The signature Fair Hill fence on the cross-country course. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
The organization is “taking a breath,” as competition manager Ann Haller put it.
“We understand the FEI’s decision to reorganize the star system and the requirements for each level,” said Carla Geiersbach, Fair Hill International’s executive director.
“However, until we know these new requirements, it makes no sense to move forward blindly. We don’t want to build a state-of-the-art facility to the wrong specifications. We are committed to presenting an event at the pinnacle of the sport and will march ahead as soon as the FEI releases its new parameters,”
Fair Hill International will mark its 30th anniversary in 2018 with its usual CCI3* and CCI2* event Oct. 18-21, 2018. While the 4-star originally was slated for 2019, with the delay on the FEI releasing specifications, it now appears likely to be held for the first time in 2020.
Sam Slater, president of the Fair Hill Foundation, the coalition’s fundraising partner said, “We remain committed to bringing world class equestrian sporting opportunities to this corner of Maryland. Fair Hill has so much to offer the community, and proposed upgrades will really enhance the facility. As always, thank you to all of our donors, partners, and friends for their committed support.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 6, 2017
By Nancy Jaffer
December 6, 2017
Donna Strait Martin personifies staying power, a virtue as important in people as it is in horses.
Her lifelong dedication to equestrian sport remains productive. While there are 700 U.S. Equestrian Federation-recognized hunter judges (many of whom, like Donna, also judge jumpers and equitation), she is among only 20 who have held their licenses for 50 years.
Always impeccably organized and turned out, the Pottersville resident is one who not only respects the history of her sport, but also emphasizes its best traditions.
Donna Martin’s expertise has contributed to the success of her granddaughter, Morgan Munz, in the show ring. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
Ever since she began teaching young people to ride, Donna stressed the importance of a firm foundation, while insisting on a broad grounding in horse care as well. Her record has earned her the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s Jane Marshall Dillon Award East, to be presented Dec. 12 at the organization’s annual meeting in San Antonio, Texas.
The honor goes to trainers who pass on the values exemplified by Mrs. Dillon, while eventually sending well-schooled students to other instructors who can hone their skills when they become more advanced are ready for the next level. (Misty Morgan, president of the Arkansas Hunter/Jumper Association, won the Dillon Award West.)
Interestingly, Donna actually rode at the Junior Equitation School in Vienna, Va., with its founder, Mrs. Dillon, famous for her book, “School for Young Riders.”
Although Donna called Basking Ridge home much of the time while she was growing up, her father, World War II fighter ace Air Force Brigadier Gen. Donald Strait, was regularly transferred to bases around the country. When her dad was at the Pentagon in Washington D.C., Donna took lessons from Mrs. Dillon at the same time as Kathy Kusner, who became a U.S. team member and medaled in the Olympics. (Joe Fargis, the 1984 U.S. Olympic show jumping double gold medalist, also was taught by Jane Marshall Dillon.)
“I loved riding with her,” Donna said of Mrs. Dillon.
“She emphasized really great equitation, natural feel—nobody counted strides in those days. She ran a tight ship. We took care of our own horses,” Donna said.
“It was a beautiful farm, with rolling hills and lots of natural jumps. It was such a great time. We’d go foxhunting, go riding with a group of kids; you’d go into the brooks, ride bareback with a halter and shank, things that kids don’t do nowadays.”
Donna got started on the road to her life’s work by something that could have ended as a tragedy. Most people today don’t remember the fear polio (also known as infantile paralysis) struck into the hearts of parents before the mid-1950s, when Dr. Jonas Salk came up with the vaccine that stopped the disease short. It affected so many young children and some adults as well. (President Franklin Delano Roosevelt was among its victims.)
Donna contracted polio at the age of four.
“I hardly walked for a year,” she recalled.
“My mother carried me or I was in the stroller (while) my young brother walked.
“By the time I turned five, I was ready to be more active,” said Donna, for whom riding lessons with the legendary Clarence Nagro became therapy.
The master of Hilltop Farm in New Vernon, Clarence trained many top young riders, and Donna was among them. She competed in the ASPCA Maclay and AHSA (now USEF) Medal finals, and won many championships with her classic style and ability to get the most out of a horse.
Donna on Royal Audience at Hunt Cap Farm in 1973.
Sally Ike, now the USEF managing director of licensed officials, competed against Donna during their teenage showing days. Remembering Blue Mermaid, Donna’s rather hot thoroughbred, Sally said, “She had to be very tactful” to get the best out of the mare, which she did.
Donna and Blue Mermaid in their glory days.
Married at 19 to Jim “Red” Martin, a year later, Donna walked across the street from her home to the new Purnell School in Pottersville and was hired as the riding instructor, with a gig handling field hockey as well.
Donna took care of the horses in addition to teaching. She remains as the liaison for Purnell’s riding program, which eventually was moved off-campus, and still works in the school’s fundraising department.
“I never left,” she noted, observing she has no thoughts of retiring. “Being around young people is what keeps you young and knowledgeable about today, the day that you’re living in.”
Donna, who teaches two days a week at Centenary University, guided the riding of her daughter, Kelly Martin Munz, a USEF steward and chairman of the equine studies department at Centenary. She also worked with Kelly’s daughters, Maggie, a student at the College of Charleston, and Morgan, 16. Donna believes the teenager, who attends Purnell, “is traveling a path that horses are in her future.”
Donna Martin, right, with her daughter, Kelly Martin Munz and granddaughter Morgan Munz. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
Morgan, who won a class at the College Preparatory Invitational show in Florida last year, said her grandmother “always taught me to be proper, doing it the right way, the George Morris way. She was there at every show. We were always early, no matter what.
“She gave me the fundamentals of riding, then sent me off to someone else to better myself,” commented Morgan. While she now rides with Ashley DiBongrazio, Donna is still at the shows with her. She was involved with helping produce Morgan’s horse, Louis, who came from Germany as a three-year-old and has matured into a lovely five-year-old. Grandma usually is the first person Morgan calls when she has a question about something to do with the horse.
Elizabeth Bugliari rode with Donna since she was in pigtails during their days at Hilltop.
Donna on Escapade at Hilltop Stable in New Vernon in 1963.
“She reads people extremely well,” said Elizabeth. “She’s a very good teacher.”
Elizabeth recalled how Donna adjusted to her students’ needs, but didn’t brook any nonsense.
“She has a wonderful no-nonsense way of dealing with kids. They soon learned, `We do it Donna’s way. Someone who knew Donna called her Donna Direct, because you get it right straight from the shoulder with her.”
Elizabeth, who worked at Purnell and now is director of development and alumnae relations at Kent Place School in Summit, explained that “If you were going to earn your stripes with Donna, you had to do it right. She’s the kind of person you want judging a show. She wasn’t going to be impressed by a name.”
Another of Donna’s virtues is modesty. When she was notified about the award, her response was, “Really? Me? Are you sure you have the right person? I was flabbergasted.”
Looking back at her long career, however, it’s easy to see why the award is so well-deserved.
“She was always the same, the stable, calm person that I see now,” said Sally.
“Isn’t it great that she’s still doing what she’s doing, doing a great job and contributing to the sport.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 6, 2017
U.S. Dressage Team Chef d’Equipe Robert Dover and trainer Tom Wright are among many who are mourning the deaths of two young people in a single-car crash in Wellington, Fla., last month, when the vehicle went across a median at a high rate of speed. Christian Kennedy, 21, and the driver, 19-year-old Dana McWilliams were killed; the back seat passenger, Elaine O’Halloran, 24, was critically injured.
The incident raised unwelcome memories of the 2016 accident that killed show jumper Andres Rodriguez, whose blood alcohol count was over the limit, and Sophie Walker. While both were in their 30s, that accident and others brought to the fore the issue of drinking and driving among young people in the self-proclaimed winter equestrian capital of the world.
Robert and Tom have mobilized in an effort to stop further tragedies. Last weekend was the kick-off of having celebrity “bouncers” at bars to help guide drivers who have had too much to drink to waiting limos. The “bouncers” the first night were TV star Carson Kressley and Wellington Mayor Anne Gerwig, who were available to drive home the cars of those who opted for limo service. The second day, Canadian show jumper Tiffany Foster and hunter trainer Bob Crandall were the bouncers.
Tom had started the limo project in 2016, but following Robert pitched in to help expand it following the death of Christian, whom Robert had named as one of the Future Stars in a program that he is renaming in the promising dressage riders’s memory.
The original program was “quiet,” said Robert, who wanted to expand it and make it more visible. Now it’s called the Get Home Safe Project, and it’s highly visible.
“Kids are going to do what they’re going to do, even if you tell them to abstain,” said Robert. “What we can do is give them better choices in that moment and hope they avail themselves of that better choice.”
The cars will be at the Players Club and the Grille, both popular drinking spots.
Robert Dover and Robert Ross sponsored the car service on Saturday, while Juan Gando, the owner of the Grille, sponsored the cars on Sunday. The vehicles cost $650 per evening, so more sponsorship is needed. Those willing to make a contribution should contact Robert at rdover2@aol.com or Tom at tjwuphill@aol.com. Bouncers are also needed. Those who are not celebrities are welcome to become bouncers because, “if you come out and want to be a bouncer, you become a celebrity in my mind,” Robert said.
“I am just glad that there is something, even if it’s not really enough, that could come from this tragedy that is even the slightest bit positive,” Robert said.
A funeral and celebration for Christian’s life will be held at 1 p.m. Dec. 9 at Nan’s Cottage (the home of Maria Baber, 540 Ampthill Road, Cartersville, Va.) All are welcome. The best airports are either Richmond or Charlottesville. Those attending are advised to dress warmly and riding clothes are encouraged.
In lieu of flowers, donations are being sought that will be used for equestrian training scholarships and for action to change unsafe driving and behaviors, first in Palm Beach County, and then the nation. Donations may be made to the Christian Kennedy Foundation on GoFundMe.
Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page has been set up for Elaine O’Halloran, who worked as a groom for show jumper David Blake. Elaine has undergone surgery, but has substantial rehab ahead of her. She did not have medical insurance. The goal of the page is to raise $500,000. Here is the link to donate: https://www.gofundme.com/elaine-ohalloran-medical-fund
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 21, 2017
The Samorin Equestrian Center in Slovakia, which was on line to stage the 2022 FEI World Equestrian Games, has declined to sign the host agreement and the search is on for a new venue for the compilation of eight disciplines.
This is reminiscent of the problem with the 2018 WEG, which was given to Bromont in Quebec. Federal funding for the project was not available, and the Tryon, N.C., equestrian center replaced Bromont for next year’s competition. Since the WEG began in 1990, several cities that agreed to host the WEG withdrew, and their replacements had varying results.
Bidding will be reopened and a decision on the 2022 site is expected in November 2019. As FEI President Ingmar De Vos noted, that is more time than Tryon had to get ready.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 21, 2017
Former U.S. Equestrian Federation President David O’Connor today was elected chairman of the FEI (international equestrian federation) eventing committee. The decision came at the FEI’s annual meeting in Uruguay, where he got twice as many votes as the other contender, Alec Lochore of Great Britain, the 2012 Olympic eventing manager.
The 2000 Olympic eventing individual gold medalist and formerly the U.S. eventing technical director, David replaces Guiseppe Della Chiesa of Italy, whose term was up.
David is also head of the FEI eventing safety sub-committee. Although he was in line to be second vice president of the FEI, the FEI President Ingmar DeVos noted David has a full plate of responsibilities. For that reason, the other candidate, Mark Samuel of Canada, got the post. Mark, a former show jumper, is president of the FEI Group IV, which includes the U.S. as well as Canada and several other countries.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 20, 2017
The major equitation championships are a highlight of the fall show season, but the less-known Mid-Atlantic Equitation Festival at the Show Place Arena in Upper Marlboro, Md., offered memorable competition in the division last weekend after the other finals were over.
Run over three days, it features scholarship awards and high-end prizes in classes ranging from short- and long-stirrup to the 2-foot, 9-inch open equitation and qualifiers for those major title classes.
MAEF was founded by Mary Beebee and Ellen Shevella, who met in the 1970s. Their combined ideas formed the Mid-Atlantic Equitation Festival six years ago.
“It is so rewarding to see the fruition of our idea to create a special event focused on young riders, scholarships, and camaraderie,” said Ellen. “Every year, we are rewarded by seeing the fun the kids and young adults are having and how much they learn by jumping these great courses at a wonderful facility.”
New Jersey riders, who made up more than half of the entries, excelled in their classes.
Devon Thomas of Millburn won the the ASPCA Maclay and the USEF Medal qualifiers in her first season riding in them.
“This is a good show to get points [at] before the upcoming year,” said Devon, who also earned the show’s Young Rider Championship.
Keeping it all in the Thomas family, Logan Thomas went on to capture the Undergraduate Flat Championship and Low Children’s Adult Equitation Championship. Both are trained by Michael Desiderio of Tranquillity Farm in Chester.
Robert Beck of Hunter’s Crossing in Long Valley trained Amy Porchetta of South Plainfield, the Novice Equitation champion and Grace D’anza of Bernardsville, Pony Equitation champion.
Ashley DeLise of Pittstown took the $2500 R.W. Much Scholarship Winner. She is trained by Susan Vanblarcom of Summerfield Farm in Pittstown. Richelle Leber of Ev-Ry Farm in Mt. Laurel topped the costume class.
To learn more about the Mid-Atlantic Equitation Festival, go to www.midatlanticeq.com
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 19, 2017
An exotic East Asian tick, known as the longhorned or bush tick, was found on a farm in Hunterdon County this month, according to state Secretary of Agriculture Douglas Fisher today.
The tick is deemed a serious pest to livestock, including horses, as well as pets and people. The tick has the potential to spread bacterial and viral diseases to humans and other animals.
The Monmouth County Tick-borne Diseases Lab at Rutgers University and the Hunterdon County Division of Health made the initial identification of the tick, which was not known to be present in the U.S. There are, however, records of at least a dozen previous collections of this species on animals and materials presented for entry at U.S. ports.
The tick is dark brown and grows to the size of a pea when fully engorged. Both larval and nymphal stages are very small and difficult to observe with the naked eye. Adult ticks are seen mainly during early summer, larvae from late summer to early winter and nymphs mainly in the spring. The animals and the property where the tick was found have been treated to eliminate the tick.
To determine if the tick has spread to nearby wildlife, surveillance is being conducted by the state Division of Fish and Wildlife, Department of Environmental Protection, in cooperation with Wildlife Services from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service and the Southeastern Cooperative Wildlife Disease Study at the University of Georgia.
The potential impact of this tick on tickborne illness in New Jersey residents is not yet known. In other parts of the world, the bush tick has been associated with several tickborne diseases, some of which are found in New Jersey, such as spotted fever rickettsioses. The Department of Agriculture is investigating whether the ticks found locally are carrying any potential pathogens that may impact human or animal health.
Some tick species may become less active in the winter; however, it is important to take steps to prevent tick bites whenever you are in areas where ticks may be found.
It is suggested that a repellent be used on skin. The department advises using EPA-registered insect repellents containing DEET, picaridin, IR3535, oil of lemon eucalyptus, para-menthane-diol, or 2-undecanone, and treat clothing, boots and camping gear with permethrin.
State and federal animal health and wildlife officials are working to address these findings. Response efforts will include surveillance of the property and wildlife within the region. If necessary, tick treatments will be conducted to reduce the risks of spread. The primary goal is to eradicate the tick before it spreads to new areas.
Questions about livestock can be directed to your local veterinarian or the State Veterinarian at (609) 671-6400. This tick is a known pest in deer and has a wide host range, thus can infect a range of wildlife species. If the tick is detected in wildlife, then it should be immediately reported to the NJ Division of Fish and Wildlife, Bureau of Wildlife Management at (609) 984-6295 or the Office of Fish and Wildlife Health and Forensics at 908-637-4173 ext. 120.
For questions about tickborne illness in humans, contact your local health department or the state Department of Health at 609-826-5964
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 16, 2017
By Nancy Jaffer
November 16, 2017
“I’m still smiling,” said Maia Barnes, days after winning the Fourth Level Adult Amateur Championship at the U.S. Dressage Finals presented by Adequan.
Maia, who rode Benvica to a score of 69.889 percent at the Kentucky Horse Park, had little in the way of major mileage before finishing as Fourth Level reserve champion in a combined open/amateur competition at Dressage at Devon, six weeks prior to the Nov. 9-12 Finals .
Maia Barnes and Benvica during the championship awards ceremony at the U.S. Dressage Finals. (Photo by Susan J. Stickle Photography)
With 351 entries from all over the country, the Finals can be intimidating for first-timers, especially someone who had only been doing dressage for two years.
“Show experience wasn’t really there for me,” said Maia, who is based at Back Brook Farm in Ringoes.
Before she even started competing, she said, “I was actually nervous, because I didn’t know if I was going to be able to handle the pressure.”
But the Finals victory with her 11-year-old Dutchbred gelding (Sandreo x Renieta by Jazz) gave 24-year-old Maia a boost, and may have started her on a new course in life.
Maia Barnes and Benvica. (Photo by Amy Riley)
At Temple University, she switched her major several times before graduating with a psychology degree, but now it looks as if she has found her focus.
“This will definitely help with the confidence aspect I’ll probably change my status soon to open and hopefully people will feel comfortable paying me to ride their horses or helping them,” said Maia, who trains with Stephan Cheret and hopes to become a professional.
In exchange for lessons, she is cleaning stalls and turning out horses at Back Brook, but has dreams of being an assistant trainer and moving up the levels some more.
“Next year, I would like to keep my horse and do I-1. I was watching the freestyles at nationals and I want to do that. Full pirouettes might be hard, but if we work over the winter, I think we can do it.
“I’m thinking to take him as far as I can and let him give me this awesome show experience, which obviously is going really well.”
Maia and Benvica on their resrve champion victory lap at Dressage at Devon. (Photo by Hoofprint Images)
Her trainer, the 1994 French national champion, notes how fast she has progressed, from a novice in 2015 to training at Prix St. Georges this year.
“She’s extremely serious, very hard on herself. She’s also very competitive. She has the right attitude to be a very great show rider,” he believes.
“She is a talented rider for competition because she really focuses and does her thing and does it well.” Of the horse, Stephan said, he was green in the changes and the lateral work when he was imported.
“He was a little bit of a handful to begin with,” the trainer continued.
“He’s a lot better now because of the showing and the experience he’s getting. She really loves him. They really have a good connection and work together well.”
Maia has a kiss for the equine love of her life. (Photo courtesy of Maia Barnes)
Maia noted that going to “huge competitions is so exciting and so much fun. Just being there, you learn so much and get to meet so many great people. I would love to take my riding as far as I can and one day be in a Grand Prix ring.”
Starting out as a jumping and eventing rider on borrowed mounts, Maia participated in one eventing competition, but chuckles now as she recalled that the horse would only walk around the cross-country course.
“It was a disaster. I couldn’t get him to move,” she explained.
Even so, she had thought at one point she’d get back to jumping, “that was fun for me. Then I started doing dressage. I got on a horse and piaffed for the first time and did an amazing pirouette for the first time. To me, it felt so much more exciting, even though it’s on the ground. You sit on a horse that can do these amazing movements and for me, that totally trumped jumping any day.”
Her father, David Barnes, is helping his daughter achieve her ambition and saw the purchase of Benvica as “an investment in my future and went for it,” she said, noting Dad has developed an eye for dressage.
When she bought Benvica off a video, “It was like the ultimate blind date,” Maia observed. “It was a huge gamble.”
Luckily, the gamble paid off. Maia started at Training Level when the horse arrived from the Netherlands in July 2015.
“I had never ridden him. He was very wildly crazy,” said Maia, who wondered at the time, “What did I get myself into?”
She started lessons with Stephan’s wife, Caroline, then moved on to Stephan because her schedule didn’t mesh with Caroline’s.
Having Stephan ride the horse in training sessions improved his collection and made his flying changes more expressive. He even had “an inkling of a pirouette,” she commented.
Being able to do well at shows is a huge bonus.
“The excitement of it all makes me ride better than I do at home,” she said.
“The more I get out there and the more I see myself doing well, the more I feel like, `Okay, I can do this and I could have a lot of fun with this.’”
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 14, 2017
At last week’s Rutgers Equine Science Center Evening of Science & Celebration in New Brunswick, Special Strides Founder and Executive Director Laurie Landy was honored with the Spirit of the Horse award.
Laurie’s years of practice and study in the area of sensory integration and hippotherapy treatment strategies has helped people reach their full potential in partnership with treatment and horses.
Based at Congress Hill Farm in Monroe, Special Strides is devoted to improving those who have special needs through multi-disciplinary therapy and adaptive riding. Recreational, educational and therapeutic goals are achieved in an atmosphere that is all about fun. It is the goal of Special Strides to provide all individuals an opportunity to “improve their lives… one stride at a time” regardless of financial status.
For more information, go to specialstrides.com.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 1, 2017
A great way to end your outdoor riding season is the Nov. 19 Turkey Trot, a fixture for 19 years at the Horse Park of New Jersey in Allentown. Presented by the Eastern States Dressage and Combined Training Association in conjunction with the Horse Park, it welcomes both riders and drivers.
The routes go through both the Horse Park and the neighboring Assunpink Wildlife Management Area. Post entries also are accepted.
For more information or to enter, go to http://horseparkofnewjersey.com/event-2630274 .
