by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 24, 2016
By Nancy Jaffer
November 24, 2016
Note: Click here to read the column posted earlier this month about the 2020 Olympics and the FEI meeting.
It’s a Thanksgiving tradition in New Jersey’s Somerset Hills–going to the Essex Foxhounds meet before sitting down at home to turkey and the trimmings. The occasion gained popularity in the days when Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis was a member of Essex, and people came out to watch her ride, when she was often accompanied by her daughter, Caroline, and son, John.
Essex Joint Master Karen Murphy greets the crowd. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Despite the fact that she died more than two decades ago, people still arrive on Thanksgiving to see the hunt. This year, hundreds arrived at the Ellistan estate, which has all the charm and grandeur of an English manor house. They often have a little tailgate brunch while waiting for the riders and hounds to assemble.
Eager children reach out to pet the horses and the joyful foxhounds have their own meet-and-greet, being particularly drawn to the kids.
Foxhounds love attention and children. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
All the horses are impeccably turned out, beautifully groomed and braided. The whole scene is reminiscent of a Currier & Ives print, and it’s fun to be a part of it.
Members of the crowd were treated to a stirrup cup, just as those riding in the hunt had a hot chocolate or something stronger to fortify them for the ride.
The field this year was quite big. Everyone wants to be in on the occasion, though they tend to drop out along the way. There are long gallops across beautiful fields, framed by lovely barns and houses.
It does require a fit horse and rider to continue to the end; this time, a few more than a dozen were still on hand when huntsman Bart Poole signaled that it was time to take the hounds back to the kennel.
People who come out to see the hunt love to meet the horses. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Essex Joint Master Jazz Merton salutes Mr. and Mrs. Hank Slack for opening their property to the hunt and all the people who turn out to see it. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
Jazz Merton takes a fence. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Veterinarian Brendan Furlong was among those who came out for the meet. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Essex Horse Trials organizer Ralph Jones. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
There’s no danger of violating the speed limit on the way back to the kennels. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 18, 2016
HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, N.Y., will hold the dressage, show jumping and para-dressage disciplines for the 2017 FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships July 18-23.
The eventing portion of the championships is set for Rebecca Farm in Kalispell, Montana, July 20-23.
Although all the disciplines traditionally have been held together in one place (this year they were staged at the Colorado Horse Park), that didn’t work out for 2017. As a result, the endurance competition will not be offered as part of NAJYRC. “Alternative possibilities,” are being looked considered.
Mark Coley, the USEF’s director of membership and events, explained the situation this way: “Over the course of the past several years, due to the changes in the competition and developing environments within each of the disciplines that compete at NAJYRC, the relevance and viability of the event to the goals of each discipline, competitors and coaches has changed.
“Additionally, it has become increasingly difficult to find a location and date that fits the calendar of all the disciplines and a venue and organizer that can take on the event in its entirety. The opportunity for individual disciplines to embed their portion of the event into an existing competition creates an alternative approach that could very well increase participation and support the varied goals of each discipline.
“At this point, the decision as to how and where the event will run in the future has not been completed. We will be having discussions with those directly involved in the event, focusing on NAJYRC in the current competition landscape and the role it serves within each of the disciplines. Once we all have a clear understanding of what is best for each discipline individually we can determine what the guidelines will be for organizers so that maximum opportunity to the sport can be provided.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 15, 2016
By Nancy Jaffer
November 15, 2016
The historic Gladstone headquarters of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation will be hosting the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s FEI dressage championships May 18-21 2017, bringing them back to New Jersey after a two-year absence.
Steffen Peters on Legolas and Laura Graves with Verdades at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone for the 2014 Dressage Festival of Champions. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
Although the foundation does not bid for events, the USEF requested that the organization’s facility host the title meet. A search for a show organizer to handle the mechanics of the championships is under way.
The competition will include the Grand Prix, Intermediare I and Brentina Cup (for young adults). All of the country’s other dressage championships, including children, juniors, young riders and ponies, are going to Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Ill., during August.
“I think it’s absolutely fabulous,” Elisabeth Williams, chairman of the USEF’s high-performance dressage committee, said of having the championships being able to utilize the headquarters facility.
“Gladstone is Gladstone. Maybe for us old timers, it means a little bit more even than for others. I’m really glad we can do it there, and glad we can do it at that time of year, because then (the riders) can make it to the (summer) competitions in Europe where they need to be.”
Many people have asked when Gladstone would again host the championships, so it’s welcome news that they are returning. The three championships were held in Kentucky in 2015 and cancelled for October this year, after a change of the scheduled venue in California and lack of interest following the big push to the Rio Olympics.
Competitors will be happy to once again be in a place that has so much meaning for the sport.
“That’s awesome,” exclaimed Pan American Games team gold medalist Kim Herslow, who runs Upper Creek Farm in Stockton.
“I’m excited about it coming back to the team.” noted Kim, whose Rosmarin (known as Reno) is back in work after an operation in January. She is not sure when she will resume competing him, but commented, “depending on Reno, we’ll see how it all goes. I hope we can be there. I’ll definitely be there to watch if I’m not riding, because it’s just such a great place to be and see championships happen.”
Bonnie Jenkins, the foundation’s executive director, observed, “There couldn’t be a more perfect venue for this particular championship and we are well-suited for high-end championships that are not hundreds and hundreds of horses. This is ideally suited to that, and we can make it really special.”
The last time the championships were held in Gladstone, when they included the selection trials for the 2014 World Equestrian Games, Laura Graves emerged there as a star with Verades. After the memorable performance in Gladstone that really put her on the map, she went on to have the best U.S. performances at both the WEG and the 2016 Olympics, where she clinched the team bronze medal.
Laura Graves and Verdades at the 2014 WEG selection trials in Gladstone. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
The championships will coincide with the 100th anniversary of the foundation’s building, a stable constructed by James Cox Brady in 1917 on his massive estate along the lines of Downton Abbey. A number of special activities are planned, so as Bonnie said, “it all fits together.”
Championships usually are awarded for a three-year run, but it was considered important to nail down 2017 before thinking about the other years. Bonnie said the foundation would like to host in 2018 and 2019 as well, though that is yet to be determined.
“I’m just very happy we have next year set and that gives us a little bit of breathing room to figure it out for the next couple of years,” Elisabeth said.
The dressage championships originally were part of the Festival of Champions, a multi-discipline show that began at what was then the home of the USET, before formation of the USEF in 2003, when the USET became a foundation with the responsibility of raising funds for international competition.
The foundation is looking for contributions and sponsors to help with staging the championships. Go to www.uset.org for more information.
May will be a big month for the Garden State, with the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event being held at the Horse Park of New Jersey the weekend before the dressage championships.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 4, 2016
By Nancy Jaffer
November 4, 2016
They finally got it right.
Less than two years before the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, the FEI has chosen the Tryon, N.C. International Equestrian Center as the venue for the quadrennial eight-discipline extravaganza.
Saturday Night Lights show jumping draws a crowd to the Tryon International Equestrian Center.
The state-of-the-art facility on a 1,600-acre site in the foothills of the Blue Mountains offers 12 arenas (including a 5,000-seat covered arena), numerous warm-up areas, 1,060 permanent stalls, and a variety of amenities–including restaurants and lodging–as well as a team that knows how to put on a show.
Concern about the weather on the original August dates for the competition has prompted a move for the fixture to Sept. 10-23, 2018, when the climate will be more amenable, following guidelines of studies commissioned by the FEI.
For several years, the FEI struggled to make things work with the original WEG bid winner Bromont, Quebec, but the money to back the project just wasn’t there, and the Canadian government had no interest in helping out. Tryon’s facilities are far superior to what Bromont could offer, while administrations in both North and South Carolina are supporting the Tryon effort, expected to be a huge driver of the economy in the area.
It all spells a prospect of huge success for the WEG, which is important for the event’s future going beyond 2018.
There have been several less-than-optimum experiences with the WEG since it began in Stockholm with great acclaim in 1990. Some have suggested the concept is unwieldy and should be replaced by the old method of holding individual world championships, or where possible, teaming two or three disciplines, rather than eight.
However, in making the Tryon announcement, FEI President Ingmar de Vos emphaized, “The FEI is 100 percent committeed to the FEI World Equestrian Games concept.”
Concern was expressed that as Bromont faltered, the WEG would be moved out of North America, which has only hosted the WEG once (Kentucky, 2010) since it debuted. A facility in Slovakia was also mentioned as a contender, but it is not as developed as the Tryon site which is coupled with a resort. Already, $125 million has been spent on the property, with more to come.
The managing partner of Tryon Equestrian Partners is Mark Bellissimo, who also is behind Wellington, Fla.’s, Winter Equestrian Festival, which in effect is the world’s largest horse show.
“Mark and his group are going to do an excellent job. We’re really looking forward to bringing the world here to the U.S. and really promoting the sports here in our country. It was a primary driver for us, to keep it in North America,” said U.S. Equestrian Federation President Chrystine Tauber.
FEI First Vice President John Madden observed, “From what I understand from everybody, the venue is fantastic and their bid was excellent and I’m very happy for the FEI that we’re going to have such a great venue for such an important championship. It’s wonderful that these championships can move (to different) continents and I think it’s very important we spread our sport all over the world.”
Eric Straus, secretary-general of the Pan American Equestrian Confederation, noted that awarding the WEG to Tryon was, “the only reasonable decision they could make, because the facility is pretty much built out, there are hotels available within a one-hour driving radius, you’ve got commitments by two state governments, you’ve got three airports. It’s dead easy.”
Competitor enthusiasm is high; after all, what’s not to like?
“I think it’s super to have a big championship in our country. It’s a great facility. The more we can bring to America, the better,” said show jumper Margie Goldstein-Engle, who has been showing at Tryon.
Mark stated, “We are confident that our partnership and our operating team will create a memorable experience for all involved, with the ultimate goal of significantly elevating horse sport in the U.S. beyond the 27 million people who ride a horse at least once a year.”
Originally, Mark had hoped to host the Games at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, but there were many reasons why that suburban community wasn’t the right place for it. Not only is Tryon horse country, the ability to have everything on one site is guaranteed to make the WEG run smoothly, as it did in Aachen in 2006, which held the best WEG to date. Far-flung venues for several of the disciplines involved led to traffic and transportation problems in Normandy, France, at the last WEG in 2014, where a lack of organization contributed to the problems.
The Tryon International Equestrian Center has an impressive expanse capable of hosting all eight WEG disciplines on one site.
The WEG includes the Olympic disciplines of show jumping, dressage and eventing, as well as reining, endurance, vaulting, four-in-hand driving and para-dressage. It requires enormous expertise to coordinate all of them in a schedule that enables spectators to see as much of each of them as possible, which is one of the reasons the WEG was developed.
The Bellissimo team has the expertise to do it right. The group’s track record of rising to challenges includes running the Central Park Horse Show, in a venue where many said such a competition couldn’t be done. The September show in Manhattan was the third annual, and it’s going strong.
It’s also a good sign that things were able to be worked out on the sponsor front. Rolex is a sponsor at Tryon, while Longines, another luxury watch company, is the FEI’s major sponsor. There was concern expressed in discussions about the WEG that one being identified with a site would preclude the other, but compromise obviously prevailed for the good of the sport.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 28, 2016
By Nancy Jaffer
October 28, 2016
As you may have heard, there’s an election on Tuesday, November 8.
But more than the presidential race is on the ballot in New Jersey. In effect, it’s the future of the state’s horse industry.
Question 1 asks whether two casinos should be allowed in North Jersey, at least 72 miles from Atlantic City. One possible location is the Meadowlands racetrack, which is lagging in competition with tracks in neighboring states that have “racinos” boosting purses and hence, attracting more horses.
The sign says it all.
Although revenue from the measure would go to a variety of beneficiaries, including property tax relief for senior citizens and the disabled, as well as to Atlantic City, it is specified that “not less than two percentage points in each State fiscal year would be dedicated for programs designed to aid the thoroughbred and standardbred horsemen in this State.”
If you’re a sport horse person, you’re probably saying, “Why should I care what happens to racing?”
That’s what dressage judge and breeder Earlen Haven of Woodstown believed initially.
“I did not even give it a thought that it might affect me in any way,” she said. Then the state Equine Advisory Board member started doing some research. A poll showed that 35 percent of the cars parked at one Pennsylvania racetrack had New Jersey plates, while 60 percent of the cars at another track there also were from New Jersey. As Earlen asked, why should that money be going to other states when we could keep it in New Jersey?
“The fact remains that without the casino gambling at the track, New Jersey racetrack purses cannot compete with our surrounding states. It is one of the main reasons that horses and horse farms are leaving New Jersey in droves,” she stated.
“Breeder incentive awards and the purses are much more alluring in our surrounding states, since they are funded by a percentage of their casino gambling at their tracks.”
A statement from the New Jersey Quarter Horse Association, which supports a “yes” vote on Question 1, points out, “We have lost horses, farms and training facilities. That means hundreds of jobs; investment and economic benefit have been lost to Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and Delaware. We need to level that playing field if equine agriculture is going to survive in NJ.”
Here’s the bottom line for the state’s sport horse industry: “If the racing industry leaves New Jersey, soon other supporting businesses will leave also,” Earlen pointed out.
“Racing is a major player for supporting businesses such as blacksmiths, tack shops, farmers growing hay, feed stores selling us grain, etc. All of the above are needed by the non-racing horses also.” What would you do if your veterinarians left the state because their practices lost a high percentage of the horses they served when the animals moved elsewhere?
“We are teetering on thin ice,” contended Karyn Malinowski, executive director of the Rutgers Equine Science Center.
“The racing industry cannot compete with New York and Pennsylvania. If it doesn’t get some relief, either from the Legislature or the money from North Jersey casinos, it will be gone totally. We stand to lose 57,000 agricultural acres that were here because of the racing industry.”
New Jersey racing had a $30 million supplement from the casino industry that ended in 2011. Since then, Karyn said, “They’ve been living on fumes.”
In case you’re not planning to read any more of this column, I’ll make the point here–vote yes on Question 1. Even if you weren’t going to vote because you don’t like either of the presidential candidates or care about the rest of the ticket, you should go to your poling place and do the one thing that can help the horse industry.
Don’t forget, horse farms offer important open space and green acreage in the most densely populated state in the Union. They also provides recreation, sport and career opportunities for youth. And then there’s the important contribution of therapeutic riding. Those are key points to make in convincing your non-equestrian friends to join you in supporting this measure.
One other thing. Karyn said is that if the question is defeated in a blowout, the odds are against it ever coming up for a vote again. While we have to hope it passes, whatever the odds, it’s still important to vote “yes” so legislators can see there is interest in the concept.
She noted that the many ads against the proposal are paid for by casino companies that own what would be competing entities if casinos come to North Jersey. Atlantic City interests also are contributing, she said, pointing out the irony that some complaining casinos have built properties in the Philadelphia area only about 50 miles from Atlantic City, rather than the 72 miles of the North Jersey proposal.
“Can we gain back all the gamers going to New York and Pennsylvania (as well as Delaware) to gamble?” Karyn asked.
“Can we bring them back to New Jersey with a casino or two in North Jersey? The answer should be a resounding `yes.’”
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 21, 2016
By Nancy Jaffer
October 21, 2016
“It was the luckiest day of my life when I met Jennie Brannigan,” said Beth Battel, who has owned Footlight Farm in Roosevelt, Monmouth County, for 37 years.
Stella Artois and Jennie Brannigan with co-owner Beth Battel (left), Melanie Temper and Tim Dutta at the awards presentation for the Dutta Corp. Fair Hill International CCI 2-star. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
A rider, trainer and horse breeder, Beth is a half-owner with Jennie of Stella Artois, the poised bay mare who won the Dutta Corp. Fair Hill International CCI 2-star last weekend with Jennie aboard.
“She doesn’t go out and buy upper-level horses, to climb on and go show,” Beth said of Jennie.
“What she likes to do, and does so well, is starting them at novice level and bringing them on up. She trains them herself. It’s a real partnership, like a dance partnership.”
Fair Hill was the biggest success for Stella in the duo’s three years with the 8-year-old Hanoverian.
She was second on a respectable 44.5 penalties after the dressage phase at the Maryland event, a segment won by Emily Beshear’s Silver Night Lady, marked at 43 penalties.
The next day, Jennie flew around Derek DiGrazia’s cross-country course and didn’t add anything to her dressage score, going into the lead after Emily’s mount had 2 time penalties.
Beth was there to watch and conceded, “I’m always a little bit nervous on cross-country especially, but she just sailed around and made it look so easy. They were both very confident, and we were ecstatic when she made it inside the time.”
Beth wasn’t asking for anything more.
Jennie Brannigan and Stella Artois going cross-country. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
“No matter what happened on Sunday, the two of them had done a fabulous job, And then Sunday, it was just a gorgeous stadium (jumping) trip and they nailed it.”
The mare was clean over the route designed by Sally Ike, where 19 of 34 finishers dropped rails. Stella kept her lead to take the trophy, with Beth in proud attendance at the presentation.
The performance was so convincing that it’s only natural to think of not only the next step, but what the partnership eventually could produce.
“I’m not in any hurry,” commented Beth.
“I love the sport, I’m in it to do a good job by the horse, see what the horse can do, what it’s comfortable doing, letting the horse be the guide. Obviously, there’s the dream of Rolex Kentucky (the Western Hemisphere’s only 4-star), if you take your time and don’t try to push them and either burn them out or burn them up.
“I have total faith in Jennie to make the right decisions,” Beth continued.
Jennie Brannigan and Stella Artois were clean in the stadium jumping phase to win the CCI 2-star. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
“She’s a bonafide good person, she truly loves every single horse she gets near; good or bad, win or lose. She gets up at the crack of dawn and gallops horses at the track before she goes back to her own farm,” Beth added in admiration.
Beth is impressed that Jennie “is constantly studying her art; taking lessons from the best people she can get to in all three phases, dressage, cross-country and stadium jumping, always trying to improve her already considerable abilities.”
The two got together in 2009 when Jennie was working for Phillip Dutton in Pennsylvania. The first horse of Beth’s that she rode was a homebred Riverman mare named Thalia.
“She was a little too hot to make her for children or ladies,” said Beth, who had shown her once in dressage and in baby green jumpers. She thought eventing might be the answer for Thalia.
Before Jennie went in the ring for the jumping phase at Thalia’s first event, she asked Beth, “How’s she going to be in there, will she look at anything?”
Replied Beth, “I have no idea.” But Thalia ended up winning right off the bat, and Beth started sending her other homebreds to Jennie.
In 2013, Beth heard from Jennie, who had gone over to Germany for the Luhmuhlen 4-star and to look at prospects.
“She called and told me she’d seen this wonderful mare and would I be interested in partnering?” Beth recalled. The answer was, “If you think it’s a good mare, I’d be interested in that.”
“I can’t leave Germany without trying to figure out how to get this horse,” Jennie had said to herself before dialing Beth’s number after someone who had promised to go in with her on the mare dropped out.
“I’m horrible asking anyone for anything,” she noted, and was delighted after Beth came through. The Fair Hill victory was even more meaningful because of Beth’s involvement. The admiration in this arrangement is mutual.
“When you put up money and people back you and you have a good result, it makes it feel like you’re doing well for them. Beth’s awesome. I probably could have fallen off and she would have liked me just the same,” said Jennie, who hopes to syndicate the mare.
“That (attitude) brings out the best in you because they’re doing it for the right reasons.”
Beth is an especially good fit for Jennie, who calls her, “a great rider, a really cool horse person. She’s ridden upper level dressage and prelim (eventing) and foxhunted.”
There are about 25 horses at Footlight, mostly boarders. Beth rides two or three horses a day, but isn’t teaching lessons the way she used to. She has other interests; horses aren’t all she does. For instance, the former mayor of Roosevelt is now on the town environmental commission.
Jennie bought Stella in Germany from a friend of hers. The mare’s name was Second Chance, because the seller was one of New Zealand eventer Mark Todd’s best friends, and the book about the two-time Olympic individual gold medalist’s comeback in the sport was entitled, “Second Chance.”
“I didn’t love that,” said Jennie, who took the mare’s barn name, Stella, (from the mare’s original name, Stracciatella) and added Artois, after the beer. Then she changed her barn name to Toddie in tribute to Mark.
“She’s always been a horse that’s bit exuberant,” observed Jennie.
“She’ll eat anything. She’s a bit of a character. My main goal was to give this horse a good go.”
It hasn’t always been smooth sailing. For instance, at the Jersey Fresh International in May, she fell at the last combination. But those things happen, and after Fair Hill it looks as if Toddie is on track.
“I think she is a three-day horse and has all the right stuff to be the real deal. She’s always been that horse I feel like is probably one of the most talented horses I have,” said Jennie.
Fair Hill is always difficult for the rider, because it was there seven years ago that her gold medal North American Junior and Young Rider mount, Cooper, suffered an injury in stadium jumping and later died of complications. Part of the insurance money from Cooper went to buy Toddie.
“This time of year and this place is very emotional for me because of Cooper,” she said.
“Time doesn’t seem to necessarily make that easier.”
But time does move on, and there’s lots to look forward to with Toddie. She has been bred twice, to Royaldik. One baby is in utero in a surrogate, while her first foal is now 18 months old. She’s named Reggie, after Dr. Regina Turner at New Bolton who did the conception and embryo transplant.
“We were there when she was born,” said Beth.
“The filly is the sweetest thing. She sees me walk by and she whinnies.”
Noted Beth, “Breeding and the babies, and seeing where they can go, that’s the best part.”
Stella Artois leads the victory gallop. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
And working with Jennie has made a big difference for both of them, adding a dimension to the Fair Hill victory for Beth as she watched Jennie smile her way around the arena in a triumphant victory gallop as the tri-color ribbon fluttered from Toddie’s bridle.
“I was happy to see her so happy,” said Beth.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 12, 2016
Equus, the biggest fundraiser of the year for Mane Stream, is billed as a glamorous evening “celebrating the many triumphs of Mane Stream, its riders, clients, donors, volunteers and staff.”
Chaired by Wendy Waters, Equus is marking its 25th year. It will be held at the Hamilton Farm Golf Club in Gladstone Oct. 29 from 6:30-11 p.m. with a gourmet dinner, open bar, live band, dancing, and live and silent auctions.
As always, the highlight of the evening will be the stories of progress and accomplishments shared by several of the participants in Mane Stream’s therapeutic and adaptive horsemanship programs.
To buy tickets or make a donation, go to http://www.manestreamnj.org/equus-xxv/
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 29, 2016
By Nancy Jaffer
Sept. 29, 2016
Our equestrian history keeps moving on, but Ron Davis doesn’t want to let it get away.
His documentary, “Harry and Snowman,” recounts one of the great horse stories of our time in the words of Harry de Leyer, the man who lived it, along with the observations of his contemporaries and family.
A gray rescue horse who could really jump is the hero of Harry & Snowman.
The movie, which opens Sept. 30 in dozens of cities, focuses on Harry and the Amish plow horse he rescued from a one-way trip to the slaughterhouse. The gelding, purchased for a mere $80, turned out to be a remarkable jumper who developed into an unlikely superstar, becoming an international celebrity in the late 1950s, along with his owner. They were media darlings who made the headlines of major publications, appeared on such iconic TV shows as “To Tell the Truth,” and were interviewed on-air (well, Harry was interviewed) by Dick Cavett. Johnny Carson even climbed into Snowman’s saddle on his program.
“I knew who Harry was, but never heard the Snowman story,” said Ron, 48, a native of Kinnelon who grew up riding at the A-rated shows with Mike Henaghan and Gary Zook. He qualified for the USEF Medal and ASPCA Maclay finals, and won 18 USET Talent Search classes before he stopped riding in the early 1990s.
“I’ve kind of been there,” he said, explaining why he no longer rides, but adds, “I don’t think anyone gets through a riding career like I did and has not taken away a huge part of who your are from that.
Film maker Ron Davis.
He also noted that if he hadn’t ridden, he wouldn’t have been interested in the subject. Nor would he have had the access to people he needed, including George Morris and Rodney Jenkins, both of whom appear in the film. You’ll see other familiar names on the credits, including one of the executive producers, Karen Reid Offield, well-known in the dressage world, announcer Peter Doubleday and jumper rider Donald Cheska, one of the re-enactors.
Ron’s next film will be about a rescue of a different kind, the dog rescue run by well-known horsemen Danny Robertshaw and Ron Danta.
“Almost all the important things in my life are connected in some way to my early life in the horse world,” he said, noting it was his horse friends who bought him to Wellington, Fla., where he lives.
Ron was in book publishing, dealing with sales, marketing and rights, when he went to school at night to learn about filmmaking. It was a hobby at first.
“Then I decided I wanted to turn it into a career,” he said. Six months after he decided to do it, he had a deal with HBO.
When Elizabeth Letts’ sensational book, “Snowman: The $80 Champion,”came out, a friend called it to Ron’s attention. The tale intrigued the film director.
“The book absolutely inspired my knowing what the story was,” he said.
Yet Ron also notes he hasn’t read the book, because “as a documentary filmmaker, for a story like this, I wouldn’t do research. If the people were all alive, I would go and hear it firsthand and not have a skewed idea of it.”
As he pondered the concept, Ron said, “I thought this story would be great to tell in a documentary, only if Harry was alive and well. He had to be able to tell the story.”
When he met Harry, still taking care of the horses and driving the truck to shows in his mid-80s, Ron thought, “This is perfect.
“I said, `How would you like to do this?’ No surprise, Harry said, `Absolutely.’ We hit it off. He started telling me the story.”
Harry and Snowman, the best of friends.
Ron didn’t want to have anyone else recount the Harry and Snowman relationship for him. He was interested in hearing the details for the first time when the camera was on because that’s the way it happens for the audience.
“That’s their experience,” he explained.
From the bit he did know about Harry and Snowman, the filmmaker said, “I didn’t believe in the Cinderella version. I thought it had been romanticized over 50 years. There was no way the horse really loved him.” But as he got into the project, Ron realized he’d been wrong.
“I was really surprised that my cynical heart and mind was changed very quickly. When you start to know the story and hear it from lots of different people and see it through the lens as I did with all the archival footage, I really then understood there was this bond between them, and more so initially, from Snowman to Harry. I had a different perspective as I learned the story.”
Although Harry had another top horse decades later in his homebred Dutch Crown, who tied for first place in the initial leg of the 1982 World Cup Finals, “Snowman is the one who put him on the map,” said Ron.
“He’s the one who’s a part of his family. It was the beginning.”
On the wall of Harry’s dining room, Snowman’s retirement cooler is framed, and his bridle hangs beside it.
The old films used in the documentary takes viewers back to another era when, as George Morris put it in an interview he did for the film, “Horse showing in the 1950s was a very high-profile sport,” covered on both the sports pages and the society pages.
“People who attended shows were old American aristocracy. It was very social.”
Ron summed it up this way: “Less business, more sport.”
George said the hunter division was front and center. He called the jumper division, “the stepchild to the high society hunter division.
“As a rule, people of less social status owned jumpers. The jumper people were scruffier than the hunter people. It definitely was the haves and the have-nots.”
Harry was a have-not. An immigrant from the Netherlands, he worked with the underground during World War II. He grew up on a farm, so he knew about horses. Harry eventually became the riding master of the Knox School on Long Island, and bought Snowman when he was looking for school horses.
Snowman was sold to a doctor down the road, but he kept jumping the fence and running back to Harry, his rescuer. Finally, the last time Snowman returned, Harry vowed never to sell the horse. When he found out the plow horse could jump, he started going to horse shows.
Although he may not have looked like much, Snowman could fly. At an elite show in the Northeast early in his show career, he finished ahead of Windsor Castle, at that time the most expensive jumper ever sold at the price of $50,000. Snowman went on to be a champion twice in Madison Square Garden when the National Horse Show was the start of the New York City social season, attended by movie stars such as Audrey Hepburn and Elizabeth Taylor.
At the height of Snowman’s fame, Harry was offered a blank check for the horse, but turned it down. He couldn’t sell the family pet.
The sweet-natured animal was an all-arounder who would take several of Harry’s kids swimming on his back and pulled a sleigh. He would jump anything. Harry would put a horse in the middle of an oxer, then have Snowman leap over it. He also set a puissance record. It seemed there was nothing that special horse couldn’t do. Harry had a flamboyant style that developed over the years, as he would pivot on his knees over a fence and throw his hunt cap in the air after a successful round. The fans loved him. You will too.
The film has so many interesting details that I won’t reveal here, so go and see it if it’s near you.
The movie poster.
Ron noted that normally, “You wouldn’t say on a Friday night, `Let’s take the family to a documentary.’” But you can do it with this one.
As the director observed, “Everybody loves a good horse story, from Black Beauty to National Velvet.”
But the best thing about this one is that it’s true.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 13, 2016
By Nancy Jaffer
Sept. 13, 2016
“Breeding is a humbling profession,” said Ilona English, stating a truth that goes with the territory for anyone trying to produce their own sport horses.
But at this point, Ilona is experiencing the flip side of that with her homebred, Powell. He added a victory in the Adequan Advanced Gold Cup Finals at this month’s Nutrena USEA American Eventing Championships to his increasingly impressive resume under the guidance of U.S.-based Australian Ryan Wood.
Ilona English and her homebred star, Powell. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
The AECs marked the debut of Mark Phillips’ cross-country course at the Tryon, N.C., International Equestrian Center, and that turned out to be quite a test. But Powell was up to it.
“Out on cross-country, he handled all of the questions very well. He read everything and was just spot-on there,” Ryan said.
Ilona did not attend the event, instead watching the live stream on her computer. The tension built in the final phase, the show jumping, and Ilona literally was on the edge of her seat.
“As we all do sometimes, I talked to the screen. I was so close to the screen over the last two jumps and when I watched the one (rail) rock a little bit and then it stayed, I completely started crying. I yelled, ‘We did it,’ I was so happy for Ryan and Powell. He’s an American horse and a Jersey bred.”
Next up for Powell, who won the Jersey Fresh CCI 3-star in May, likely is the 2017 Rolex Kentucky 4-star.
It’s all part of a long-held dream come true.
Ilona, 65, worked as a project finance officer for people building skycrapers, but “as a kid I always wanted to have horses. We couldn’t afford them. Later in your life, you should be doing what you really want to do,” she said, explaining her current devotion to breeding event horses.
She has had 40 foals arrive at her farm in Ringoes, delivering 38 of them (including Powell) herself.
Why eventing?
“I believe horses really have to be cross-trained to be competitive and have to have turnout for their minds and bodies,” stated Ilona, whose operation is called Summit Sporthorses.
Looking back on her own riding career, she observed, “When I started in the hunters, it was totally different than it is now. We used to jump out of the ring, jump back in, nobody counted the strides. It’s totally mechanical now.
“These horses are like potted plants. Even in the dressage world, they keep these horses in (their stalls). Horses need to be horses, that’s what makes them the best horses. Their ability is better because their minds and bodies are happy.”
When she was riding dressage, she took a jumping clinic with Bertalan de Nemethy the legendary coach of the U.S. show jumping team.
He told her, “A horse shouldn’t be jumping a fence unless they can do a solid Second-Level dressage test. They have to be able to move forward, backward and sideways.”
That comment stayed with her. By the end of the clinic, Ilona was jumping a big course (noting she never would jump a course like that again.) She was inspired, reading about the old masters of horse sport and spending time in Germany.
She participates in how her horses are trained, noting, “My partnership with Ryan is outstanding. He is a true horseman. We work together on the type of training for each horse.”
Powell, an Oldenburg, is by Pablito out of Dinara, one of Ilona’s homebreds. She notes that her bloodlines include thoroughbreds, of which she is a fan.
Although the mare never competed, “She’s like the goose who laid the golden eggs,” said Ilona.
Another Dinara baby, Powell’s half-sister Ruby (by Royal Prince), was 10th out of 54 in the Intermediate division at the AECs.
Waiting in the wings is another half-brother to Powell, Ben Nevis (by Bugatti), as well as a group of other interesting youngsters.
Ilona is on the board of overseers for the University of Pennsylvania Veterinary School, which has been taking a look at the demographics of the horse industry.
“The flats (thoroughbred racing) and the trotters are going down. There is going to be a void there that we (non-racing horse sports) could fill if we had the support of the states involved in this. This is an industry that is actually growing and has a lot of potential financially, especially here in New Jersey,” she declared.
She’s hoping to speak with the state secretary of agriculture, Douglas Fisher, about it.
Here is the message she wants to give him: “This is what we should be focusing on. We can fill the void We need to have a program and a plan for this.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 4, 2016
By Nancy Jaffer
September 4, 2016
Chris Kappler at the schooling area of the Hampton Classic. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
You’ll still see Chris Kappler by the ingate or the schooling area at major shows, like last weekend’s Hampton Classic, but he won’t be on a horse.
His name used to appear regularly in the equestrian publication headlines. Now, however, his focus is on training others at his business, Chris Kappler Inc., run out of the former Hunterdon Inc. facility in Pittstown.
After working there for years with George Morris, Chris carries on the philosophy and tradition of the country’s most famous trainer. The facility is not flashy; it’s handsomely utilitarian and beautifully maintained, with attention to important details rather than meaningless frills.
Chris probably is best known to the public for his rides at the 2004 Athens Olympics. He earned a team gold on Royal Kaliber, a stallion he co-owned with Kathy Kamine that he brought to the top level of the sport. But in a jump-off for individual honors, Royal sustained a leg injury near the end of the course, where he looked as if he could have been on track to win, and Chris pulled him up. Chris got the individual silver medal, but that was overshadowed by tragedy. Royal went on to colic in the course of his treatment and could not be saved.
Chris Kappler with the 2004 Olympic gold medal show jumping team of Peter Wylde, Coach Frank Chapot, Beezie Madden and McLain Ward. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
“Somehow, he was put into my life and we together achieved an incredible result, and he never had to prove anything again,” said Chris, who treasures many photos and a special painting of the horse.
“I think about him every day. He was the coolest horse to hang out with and enjoy. He did not have a hole in him. He was beautiful to ride. he had scope he was careful. Almost anything after that is a letdown.”
While Chris, with 100 grand prix victories to this credit, still rides several horses a day, his main job is helping clients achieve show ring success. The 49-year-old trainer also has served as a selector for the Olympic and Pan American Games teams over the last two years. Citing patriotism in his wish for America to do well internationally, he explained, “I want to be able to help in any way possible. If I don’t have a student who’s aiming for it (a championship team), then I’d love to be part of the selection process.”
After riding VDL Oranta to victory in the 2009 American Invitational, which turned out to be his last major competition, he was finding he no longer had the drive to participate in the arena himself.
To succeed in the sport, “like any athlete, you have to have an incredible passion,” he pointed out.
“You have to wake up so hungry to win every class.”
When that no longer was happening for him, he said, “I knew my time for competition was winding down.”
Chris on Royal Kaliber at the 2004 Olympics. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
The world’s number four-ranked show jumper and Chris’ 2004 teammate, McLain Ward, noted that he learned a lot from his friend as he was moving up in his career.
“He’s been a consummate perfectionist and horseman and really an example of how the sport and horsemanship should be done,” McLain commented.
Chris, who splits his time between a condo in Flemington and a home in Wellington, Fla., turned some of his energy in another direction, serving as a founder and president of the North American Riders Group. A ground-breaking organization, it aimed to improve shows, naming the top 25 on the continent every year, with a critique about what they did right, and what they could do better. The shows at the top of the list crowed over their selection. Those further down on the roster aimed to improve.
“We stepped in as an advocacy group to promote the change we wanted to see in the industry. We tried to create a sense of competition and give the shows feedback. I think a lot of shows really welcomed it,” he explained.
Chris was joined on the NARG board by some big names; McLain, Beezie Madden and Murray Kessler, the retired CEO of Lorillard who will take office in January as president of the U.S. Equestrian Federation. Beezie and Chris also are on the USEF board.
“NARG raised the bar, stimulating creation of more FEI and 5-star shows. When we started (in 2009), I think there were four FEI events in America; now we have more than 20,” Chris said proudly.
The barn where Chris has worked for decades has an understated elegance. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
With that achieved, NARG is continuing “in a very quiet mode for the moment,” Chris said, noting it is taking “a one-year pause” from rating shows.
As McLain commented, “NARG was a grassroots organization to change the direction of the high end of the sport in this country and North America. It was highly successful. I think what’s happened is the leadership of NARG has moved into the leadership of the USEF.”
Chris noted, “NARG stepped in as an advocacy group to promote the change we wanted to see in our sport as riders. Through that process, we were able to get Murray Kessler involved. What I like most about Murray is he came on board and said, `What do you guys want to do? I can help you execute, but I don’t want to tell you what to do. I want your agenda. You guys are the riders in the sport.’
It was good news for NARG that one of the new USEF strategic plan’s priorities is going to put teeth into show standards with its new compliance initiative that will have trained officers judging whether the shows are meeting the standards. There will be help for those that want to improve and penalties available if they don’t come up to snuff.
Don’t assume NARG has been disbanded, however.
“We can fire this thing up at any time if we feel it’s necessary,” said Chris, who noted the board wanted to create something the federation and the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association could pick up and run with.
Elections are planned for NARG, which will have its annual meeting in February as usual.
“We completed our agenda, but new blood may come in (at NARG) and pick up a different agenda,” he observed, adding that meanwhile, the leadership of USEF and USHJA has “become very dedicated, very focused and has a great vision for the future.”
There are still things that should be done. He believes it’s necessary to figure out how to keep shows under the umbrella of the USEF and the USHJA, and get those riding in unrecognized shows more connected to the sport.
“They need to know the value the federations (USEF and USHJA) bring. The rules are in their best interest, the welfare of the horse, the welfare of the people.”
Breeding and bringing along young horses is one of Chris’s interests. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
That future also includes “some really interesting up-and-coming riders” who are “going to Europe, getting on the tour.” He likes the fact that he recently saw several aspiring U.S. young riders at a 3-star show in Belgium, “trying to get European experience, developing their strings (of horses) and honing their skills.”
Chris also is involved in the USHA’s Emerging Athlete Program. When he went to Atlanta to give an EAP clinic earlier this year, he noted the kids were enthusiastic about having access to instruction from top trainers.
“They were so thirsty for the knowledge and the information and the riding opportunity. I could see the hunger in their eyes and the desire,” he said.
He hopes the young people who watched the Olympics and saw Nick Skelton and others getting their medals after years of work realize that competing isn’t enough to succeed; “you have to be a horseman.”
Much of his time, naturally, is devoted to the 28 horses at Hunterdon, most owned by clients, with a few sale horses and other prospects in the mix. Chris is assisted by Sarah Segal, who became a full-time rider after graduating from Princeton, and Kevin Mealiff, who is from Ireland.
Among the horses showing from Hunterdon are Cantara, who is jumping 1.50-1.60 meter courses; Performance, a 7-year-old and Zelda, bred by Allison Robitaille and owned by Robbie Greenberg Kabnick, a Hunterdon client for 24 years.
The stallion Maserati is in residence at Hunterdon, and Chris is involved in breeding “on a very limited basis,” noting, “it’s “so incredibly expensive to do.” He would like to see American breeding succeed in a big way.
“There are a lot of breeders in America, but they’re not connecting with the riders,” said Chris.
“The whole world flocks to Belgium, Germany, Holland and France to buy their horses. We’ve got to unlock that.”
He noted that Lisa Lourie of Spycoast Farm, whose main breeding facility is in Kentucky, “is starting to see the fruits of her labor in a good program. She’s a great model to follow. I do it on a very limited basis. We need to encourage America to breed.”
He’s a fan of the horse ID and microchip, knowing it’s so important to be able to see a horse’s lineage to know what’s working and what isn’t.
Overall, he said, “We’re trying to make showing better, more accessible and less expensive to develop horses and riders to keep people in the sport.”
He emphasizes its pluses, mentioning, “It’s a sport where there’s something for everybody on every level. It’s a sport where men and women compete equally. It’s a sport that’s always evolving, because the horses change, and it’s something families can do together.”
In the years that he’s been in the sport, one of the developments he appreciates is the growth of competition possibilities. In the old days, there were only a few divisions. Now, with a great variety of classes for every ability, people are “not having to wait to get to some minimum level to compete.”
Chris is “really hopefuf that the sport continues to grow, that we get more people participating and watching.”
Like other leaders of the horse world, he wants equestrian competition to stay in the Olympics, knowing there’s always the threat that it will be dropped.
“The acquired skils it takes to ride a horse around a course is why I believe it still belongs in the Olympics. It’s not just another sport. There’s no other sport that’s doing what we’re doing with another living creature. At all costs, we ned to protect our position with the Olympic games.
“It’s the ultimate sporting event. It’s the most immediate recognizable level of achievement at the highest level. You tell someone you won the American Invitational, and they say great. You tell someone you won a gold medal, and they say, `Wow, I’m standing next to an Olympic medalist.’
I felt like I achieved everything I was trying to work for. I’d love to help more people achieve that.”
