by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 5, 2021
The $300,000 Longines Hampton Classic Grand Prix went to Israel’s Daniel Bluman on Gemma W, who outraced speed expert McLain Ward this afternoon to take the Long Island show’s top prize for the second time since 2017.
Grand Prix winner Daniel Bluman and Gemma W.
Daniel last month missed being on the first Israeli show jumping team to make it to the Olympics because of a technicality in the way Gemma’s ownership was registered. So he may have had a score to settle over Alan Wade’s course in the seven-horse tie-breaker for the class presented by Land Rover.
McLain, the anchor rider for the silver medal U.S. team in Tokyo and a seven-time Hampton Classic grand prix winner, was fault-free in 36.79 seconds on his Games horse, Contagious, but a wide turn left the door open. Daniel went through it in overdrive with his gray mare to finish in 34.75 seconds.
Daniel was so thrilled as he crossed the finish line, patting his heart several times to show his joy and excitement..
“I was watching everything McLain did carefully,” Daniel said.
“He’s a fast rider, and he loves to win this class. Then the crowd went crazy when he finished, and I had so many emotions at that point. I just said to myself that I was going to give everything – absolutely everything – I had. I was going to take all the risks, and I was going to beat him. I wasn’t going to be slower than him today. And it worked out.”
An overjoyed Daniel Bluman patted his heart several times as his adrenaline surged following his gallop through the finish line.
“It was a really incredible feeling,” added Daniel, who is good friends with McLain.
“It’s really special not only because it’s the Hampton Classic, but because it’s McLain Ward on his home turf. (McLain is a New York resident.) To beat him today is definitely going to be one that I’ll remember.”
Of his Dutch warmblood mount, Daniel said, “Gemma has been with us since she was five years old.From the beginning, I knew she was very special and athletic. She wants to do the job, and she wants to leave the jumps up all the time. She’s scopey and careful, and I believe she has a great mind and a great heart.”
Third among the 23 starters in the class was Schuyler Riley on Robin de Ponthual in 37.42 seconds.McLain, who had several victories during the week, won the $30,000 Longines Rider Challenge with 538 points. Daniel placed second with 350 points
The Hampton Classic grand prix arena surface held well after a re-do at the beginning of the week, when it was obvious the grass had not rooted properly in the wake of rain and high temperatures.
Show organizers acted quickly to cover the ground with new footing, redoing the schedule to utilize other rings until Thursday. The field had not been use since 2019; the show was cancelled last year due to Covid.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 1, 2021
Catherine Haddad-Staller wanted to salute the outstanding success of New Jersey dressage riders and trainers during the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Festival of Champions, so she borrowed a tradition from Europe for a celebration at her Califon home last night.
All the prizes won by competitors from the Garden State at Lamplight Equestrian Center in Illinois last week were displayed in the international competitor’s barn, with the colorful ribbons arrayed on twine above tables covered with trophies and championship coolers. It was quite an impressive sight.
Outside, there was a big bonfire and Catherine’s husband, Dr. Greg Staller, presided at the barbeque grills cooking sausage, pork tips and peppers for guests waiting at a row of picnic tables. It was a time to relax after a week of very hard work.
Catherine Haddad-Staller and her husband, Dr. Greg Staller, by the bonfire during the party at their farm. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
Catherine felt it was important to have a party for those who had done so well.
“It reminds me of when I lived in Germany, because any time we went to a horse show, there would be 10 or 12 riders right from the town I lived in who would be successful.”
Prizes were displayed and food and drink was abundant for the achievers.
“But this time, we went to the national championships, there were seven or eight riders from this county that brought home all of that swag. It’s incredible.
“I think Hunterdon County is a really strong county for equestrian sports, and in particular, dressage. We had so many people there. This area close to Gladstone (the home of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in neighboring Somerset County) is rider-rich. So it’s kind of exciting.”
The lion’s share of the booty belonged to Alice Tarjan of Oldwick, like Califon, a part of Tewksbury Township. Alice took nine horses to Illinois and had five helpers to take care of them.
Would she want to transport three-quarters of her barn like that again?
“I don’t know if we ever try to top that and just say we did it and we’re done,” Alice revealed with a smile.
She won two championships and two reserve championships herself, along with several high ribbons in other divisions while her trainer, Marcus Orlob of Annandale, won the five-year-old title on her stallion, Glory Day, earning several scores of 10.
Marcus, who rode another of Alice’s horse’s, Maximus, to sixth place in the four-year-old competition at the show as well, was concerned about the atmosphere affecting the two stallions.
“I was just hoping they’d behave, because there were obviously much more horses than at our local shows in New Jersey,” he noted.
Marcus Orlob, Jaime Dancer, Kim Herslow, Bridget Hay, Hope Beerling, Alice Tarjan, Krystian Evans and Cesar Parra all rode at the championships. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
But it worked well, because the horses “get a little more pumped and you have a little more power in the ring,” which was helpful during an extremely hot and humid week.
Even while her achievements accumulated during the show, Alice wasn’t focusing on them.
“I was just so busy all week, you don’t really have time to process it, you just ride, ride, ride and concentrate on riding the next test and try to give every horse the ride they deserve.”
Her conclusion about the show? It was a typically modest Alice observation: “I have a lot to go home and work on.”
She doesn’t operate on expectations, explaining, “We just train the horses and put them in the ring and see how it shakes out. The scores are going to dictate what we do or don’t do. If the horses are happy and sound, then that’s good enough for me.”
As she pointed out, “It’s a little surreal when you see the names on the trophies. All those people were on teams. I don’t think I really quite belong there.”
She is still getting used to the idea that she is going to the world’s greatest dressage show, Aachen, this month to ride her Grand Prix champion, Candescent, in the 4-star at that venue.
Here’s the same group clowning around, with Alice Tarjan as the centerpiece. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
“We definitely don’t belong there either,” Alice feels (that’s the modesty coming through again), but she took the advice of Marcus and U.S. Dressage Development Coach Charlotte Bredahl about making the trip.
“I guess we’ll just go for the experience. The horse has two CDIs on her and we’re going to Aachen, I don’t know if that’s what you’re supposed to do,” mused Alice, who has never even been to a European show to watch.
While dealing with her string at the championships was a tall order, she noted, “I had five girls working everything back at the barn and all I had to do was ride horses. They took care of almost every aspect. Without them, I don’t think it would have been possible. When people see me in the ring it’s just like the tip of the iceberg.”
Beneath the surface were Desi Altland, who works for Alice full time; Kimberly Kotch, who used to work for Alice and took a week off from her job to lend a hand; Kimmy Pullen, who was competing at the championships, and Allison Nemeth, who worked for her last summer. Alice’s husband, Dennis Sargenti, played a big role as well. He toted all the saddlepads, polo wraps and towels from everyone in their barn aisle to a laundromat he discovered in nearby Elgin Ill, where he made good use of the 50-pound washing machines.
“I bring so much laundry the guy gives me the dryers for free,” Dennis revealed.
The helpers also included Lauren Chumley of Pittstown, Alice’s best friend, who was showing her pony Nikolas, in the Developing Grand Prix and missed Catherine’s party because she’s riding in the American Eventing Championships in Kentucky this week.
Alice and Lauren are pals with Bridget Hay of East Amwell, who took ribbons with her homebreds at the Illinois show, and Kim Herslow of Stockton, who competed in the Intermediaire I championship with the Lusitano Elvis. Guess what kind of music she used for her sixth-place freestyle?
Another New Jersey champion was Katryna Evans, taking the four-year-old title with Fontenay, from the stable of Cesar Parra in Readington, while Alice was reserve with Ierland’s Eden in that division.
Katryna, who grew up in Colorado and trained in Germany, admitted to being a bit skeptical when she was invited to work in New Jersey.
“I didn’t know what Jersey was like, I’d never been here. I didn’t know what to expect,” she said.
As it happened, though, “It was the best thing I could have done. We got to compete around here and there are so many (dressage) people in this area.” She said Catherine’s farm and places like it “remind me a lot of Germany.”
Katryna also was third with Møllegårdens Fashion in the five-year-old category. Cesar, meanwhile, finished fifth in the six-year-old division with Fanta 4.
“Everybody learns when you go to that show,” Cesar said.
“The competition at Lamplight was awesome.”
Of Fontenay, he said, “We believe in him a lot and he keeps giving (to) us.”
While Catherine feted the entire group of ribbon winners, she also deserved personal acknowledgement as the breeder and trainer of Vianne, ridden by her assistant trainer, Hope Beerling, to the reserve title in the Markel/USEF Young Horse Championship for five-year-olds.
Hope Beerling and Catherine Haddad-Stallers with the “Congratulations Jersey Strong” cake. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
Catherine, a decorated breeder in Germany, sold Vianne to a client last week, but will keep her in her program, with Hope doing the riding.
“We have very high hopes for the horse. She’s only five, so we have to wait and see what time brings,” said Catherine.
The only non-Hunterdon County Jerseyan in the mix was Jaime Dancer of Dancer Dressage in Millstone, Monmouth County, who brought along her 11th place ribbon from the Markel/USEF Developing Horse Championship (Prix St. Georges) with Supremont “the love of my life,” owned by E.G. Sporthorse.
Jaime noted the championships were “really competitive. I feel like in the last five years, we have stepped up our game as a country. I learned a lot; it was great.”
To read about the championships, go to this link for the On the Rail section of this website.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 29, 2021
The U.S. moved up from fourth on the first day of team competition to reach the podium today for its first Paralympic team medal, taking the bronze in “a nailbiter to the absolute end” on a score of 224.352, behind gold medal Great Britain( 229.905) and the Netherlands (229.249).
Britain kept its unbeaten streak, having won gold at every Paralympic Games since they began running in conjunction with the Olympics in Atlanta a quarter-century ago.
After the USA’s Roxie Trunnell on Dolton earned 80.321 percent and Becca Hart with Rowan O’Reilly’s El Corona Texel got 72.206 yesterday, it was up to Kate Shoemaker today to clinch a medal with Solitaer, who recovered from a broken coffin bone earlier in his career.
And she did it, even with being in “a little bit of a tough spot” having to go first in the order at the Baji Koen Equestrian Center. Riding first, it turned out, was as difficult as waiting until everyone else finished to see how the medals came out.
“I think it might have been the best test he’s ever done,” said Kate about her mount, owned by herself with Deena and Craig Shoemaker. She acknowledged there were “little bobbles here and there,” but pointed out, “the overall way of going I was incredibly happy with.”
Kate Shoemaker thanks Solitaer for a job well done. (Photo Taylor Pence/USEF)
Her score of 71.825 percent gave the U.S. the edge it needed over Denmark to make history by the tiniest of margins, 0.028 percent.
“It was such an amazing competition, it was so close, oh gosh, it was a nailbiter to the absolute end,” said Becca.
“I’m so incredibly blessed and happy to be standing here with these two amazing riders. It was a complete and total team effort and for all of the people all of our support and grooms and everyone behind the scenes that make all of this happen, to be able to finally after so many years get to stand on the podium as a country, it’s so fulfilling. A lifelong dream has just come true.
Today, Kate changed her tactics from the way she rode in her initial test of the competition.
“We tried for a more elastic, forward-moving way the first night and the judges said,`No, please don’t do that,’ so we went for collection and balance…today. I think we showed the potential we had.”
She was loving simply being part of the Paralympics as much as standing on the podium.
“It’s a wonderful opportunity to be here with my teammates, it’s just irreplaceable,” she said.
Roxie Trunnell, Kate Shoemaker, Becca Hart. (Photo Taylor Pence/USEF)
Roxie’s Grade I score was the highest of any rider in the team competition (the only one to break 80 percent), and Grade IV rider Kate had a role in the roots of that success. (What grade a rider is classified in is determined by the level of their impairment.)
Kate, who deals with motor control dysfunction, had been riding Dolton, owned by Karen Flint and Flintwoode Farm. But when coach Michel Assouline thought the horse would be better in Grade I–where his fabulous walk would carry the day–Kate gave up the ride to Roxie.
Formerly an able-bodied rider, Roxie had a stroke after catching a virus, but she was still determined to continue her equestrian involvement.
Both riders earned bronze at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, which set them up for their achievements in Tokyo, where Roxie also won gold in her first test last week.
Roxie and Kate compete in the musical freestyle tomorrow, where they will be joined by teammate Beatrice de Lavallette on Clarc.
This was the fourth Paralympics for Becca, a Grade III rider who has a rare genetic disease that causes muscle wasting and paralysis.
“It was such an amazing competition,” enthused Becca. “It was so close, oh my gosh, it was a nailbiter to the absolute end. I’m so incredibly blessed and happy to be standing here with these two amazing riders.
“It was a complete and total team effort and for all of the people all of our support and grooms and everyone behind the scenes that make all of this happen. To be able to finally after so many years get to stand on that podium as a country, it’s so fulfilling. A lifelong dream has just come true.”
Coach Michel noted, “I came with a mission to lead these wonderful athletes to the Paralympic podium. I just didn’t know it would happen in a relatively short spell but with such amazing overall support and talent the dream became true.
“We will continue to deliver our best tomorrow on the final day of competition here and will immediately start looking ahead to the World Championships next year and Paris 2024 (Olympics) so we can continue to deliver success for this program and team.”
The Brits also had their own nailbiter, besting the World and European Champion Dutch by 0.656 percent. It was a touching moment during the medal presentation when Sophie Wells put the gold medal around the neck of her teammate, Sir Lee Pearson, as he claimed his 13th Para gold.
“I don’t think any of us expected that in a million years,” said team member Natasha Baker after the medal ceremony.
“We’re just so exceptionally proud of everything that our horses have done over the last few days – the way they’ve dealt with it so well and been such professionals. We were hoping to come and challenge for a bronze medal, that’s all. It’s unbelievable when you think what we’ve been through these last few weeks – one of our horses is a reserve!”
As Lee noted, “We don’t have a horse on the team who’s done a championship before and two have never even been abroad. We didn’t think we would win gold and weren’t expected to. The team behind the scenes have been incredible, we couldn’t have done it without them. To even get us here is amazing, and to keep me under control, too. To be here, to compete and do as well as we have is a fairy tale.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 27, 2021
Laura Graves announced today that she and her husband, Curt Maes, are expecting a little girl.
The former world number one (the first and only American ever to hold that position in the dressage rankings) Laura has been keeping a low profile since retiring her equine partner, Verdades, in 2020. She has been bringing along other horses through the ranks.
She and Curt, who have been together more than nine years, got married in October.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 27, 2021
Roxanne Trunnell, ranked world number one, delivered on expectations with Karen Flint and Flintwoode Farm’s Dolton by earning gold in Tokyo with a remarkable 81.464 percent for her Grade I test.
“He felt like he was really with me and a really good boy,” said Roxie, who had no idea of how he would react to the imposing stadium at Baji Koen Equestrian Park.
“I didn’t know what he would do. It surprised me how calm he has been,” Roxie said. But she simply concentrated on doing her job and let the scenario unroll, as Dolton’s fabulous walk–the key to Grade I success–took center stage.
Gold medalist Roxie Trunnell (center) with silver medalist Snikus Rihards of Latvia and bronze medalist Sara Morganti of Italy. (Photo courtesy FEI)
“I don’t really think about pressure. That’s just all noise,” Roxie explained.
“It’s just me and Dolton doing our own thing. He is loving all the attention. He is a very goofy young horse. He is temperamental but he is also easy to get along with.”
Roxanne Trunnell leaves the arena with a big smile and congratulations from Andrea Woodard after a stellar performance. (Photo courtesy FEI)
Tenth individually at the 2016 Rio Games, she is enjoying her second Paralympics, explaining, “It’s wonderful, everyone is so nice here, and helpful.”
Roxie holds two world records, for the highest scores in a freestyle test (89.522 percent) and in the Grade I team test (84.702).
Roxie had competed in able-bodied dressage and aspired to be an Olympian. But a virus she contracted in 2009 caused swelling in her brain and led to a stroke. She now uses a wheelchair to get around for the most part, except when she’s sitting tall on Dolton.
She has a master’s degree in psychology, with a focus on equine-assisted psychotherapy.
Her gold was the third for the U.S. in the Paralympics. Para pioneer Vicki Garner-Sweigert took two golds in Atlanta in 1996, the first year the Paralympics was held in conjunction with the Olympics.
A former jumper rider, Vicki sustained a spinal cord injury when the horse she was training side-stepped when was mounting and she went off the other side. Vicki no longer was able to move her legs, but did not give up her involvement with horses.
Moving on to Para-dressage, she was selected for the 1996 team, in the days when competitors rode borrowed horses. She gave the credit for gold to her mount, Miss Jane Marple.
“I believe whoever rode her would have gotten a gold medal,” Vicki stated modestly.
In Tokyo, second to Roxie and taking the Grace I silver was Snikus Rihards of Latvia on King of the Dance (80.179), while the bronze was taken by Italian competitor Sara Morganti with Royal Delight (76.964).
The only other U.S. competitor today, Becca Hart on El Corona Texel, finished 11th in Grade III. Riders are assigned a grade based on their degree of physical impairment.
“I was happy with the warm-up and how he felt going in,” said Becca, who will ride in the team competition with Roxie and Kate Shoemaker. The team event starts tomorrow and runs through Sunday.
“I felt a little tension creeping in through the ride, but overall, I love my horse and everyone who has helped me get here, but truthfully, disappointed in the score,” continued Becca.
“We’re going to stick with the same game plan and try to carry on. We’re going to add a bit more power to keep him in front of me more in the test, but the thought process is going to stay the same and we’ll move forward.”
In his first ever ride in a Paralympic arena, Tobias Thorning Jorgensen of Denmark won gold in the Grade III competition riding Jolene Hill, getting 78.971 percent over reigning two-time champion, Natasha Baker of Britain on Keystone Dawn Chorus (76.265) percent. Bronze went to current world champion Rixt van der Horst of the Netherlands on Findsley N.O.P. with 75.76 percent.
U.S. Chef d’Equipe Michel Assouline commented on the team’s performances so far and what he expects for the start of tomorrow’s team competition, which will commence the hunt for a team podium position at the end of Sunday’s competition.
“Roxie and Dolton have definitely delivered. She’s done as well here as ever before and the scores are very similar to before this competition, which is fabulous. In this context, the judging is stricter, and the judges are very focused and stricter on the marks,” he said.
“We know our riders have the ability to score higher. We know that there is the ability for improvement, and we have the chance to still up our game tomorrow with the team competition.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 26, 2021
Great Britain was the only country to medal in all three equestrian disciplines at the Olympics.Today, it added to its Tokyo medal trove with a gold, a silver and a bronze as the Paralympics began at Baji Koen Equestrian Park.
Leading the medal parade was, of course, Sir Lee Pearson, who took gold on his homebred Breezer in Grade II (Paralympians are assigned to their division based on their degree of physical impairment).
This is his 12th gold in the 21 years since making his Paralympic debut in Sydney. His score of 76.265 put him ahead of Austria’s Pepo Puch, who rode Sailor’s Blue to earn 73.44. Meanwhile, Britain’s Georgia Wilson, who had been the reserve for her team before being elevated to the squad, got the bronze on Sakura, with 72.765 percent.
Despite having decades of experience, Lee admitted to being emotional and shedding some tears today.
Gold medalist Lee Pearson with Pepo Puch and Georgia Wilson on the podium at the Paralympics today. (Photo courtesy of the FEI)
“I didn’t think having a home-bred horse would give this a little extra meaning, but it has. I saw him at hours old in a field and to complete that test, which at my last test event I did not complete, that added to the emotion,” he said.
Interestingly, his philosophy is never to think much ahead.
“I try to enjoy every day,” he explained. “With horses, it’s hard to think too far ahead, you have to think about where you are now and in your training. What will they give you that day, what changes are you going to make? I never believed my life would be how it is, up to Sydney and afterwards. It’s surreal, I use that word a lot, but it’s true. I never take anything for granted – I won’t take today for granted, or tomorrow. I literally live for today.”
Beatrice de Lavalette was fifth in Grade II for the U.S. Her score on Clarc was 70.265 percent, marking the first time a U.S. Paralympian had earned over 70 percent at the Games. She lost her legs in a terrorist bombing at the Brussels airport in 2016, something that seems particularly pertinent to recall today after what happened in Afghanistan.
“It is such a great honor to be here representing the U.S. at this competition and being able to have fun with my horse out there after five years of fighting for my life,” she said.
Beatrice de Lavalette with Shayna Simon. (Photo by Taylor Pence/USEF)
“It was really very emotional for me at the end,” she explained. “Setting the goal of being here five years ago when I was in the ICU was a dream and being here today is a dream realized and I couldn’t be happier. I’m very proud of myself and my team because without them, I wouldn’t be here.”
In Grade IV, Kate Shoemaker was seventh for the U.S. with 70.854 percent on Solitaer 40. Like Beatrice, she has qualified for Monday’s freestyle with her performance.
Kate a veterinarian, said of her mount, “We’ve been showing together for a while now and this is the end of our seventh year together. It’s a partnership that’s been a long time coming,” added Shoemaker. “He loves championships and when you add that little bit of energy, he really turns into something special and it’s a feeling like none other.”
Grade IV was won by Sanne Voets, as the Dutch rider finally took a gold to crown her collection of European, World and Paralympic titles.
She earned the highest score of the day, 76.585 percent, on Demantur N.O.P. Rodolpho Riskalla of Brazil took the silver on Don Henrico with 74.65 percent, ahead of Belgium’s Manon Claeys with 72.85 on San Dior 2.
Sanne praised her horse, saying, “I’m just over the moon with him. He still amazes me every day and he traveled here well. When you enter the stable and you see he’s happy, relaxed and at ease, you realize again that’s what is most important.
“Of course, you’re here to perform at your very best and you want to win medals, but there’s always one thing more important than the result, and that’s just your horse being happy.
In Grade V, Sophie Welles earned Britain’s silver with 74.405 percent on her reserve horse, Don Cara, behind Michele George of Belgium, in just her seventh competition with Best of 8. She scored 76.524 percent. Dutch rider Frank Hosmar took the bronze on Alphaville N.O.P., with 73.405. No American took part in the Grade V competition.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 25, 2021
The Irishbred show jumper Flexible died peacefully on Aug. 22 of natural causes in his sunny paddock in Oregon. The stallion, who won the World Cup title in 2012 with rider Rich Fellers was 25 and still in work, occasionally jumping which he loved.Flei was owned by Harry and Mollie Chapman.
Flexible and Rich Fellers.
Flexible, the best finisher in eighth place for the U.S. team in the 2012 London Olympics, was small of stature but large of heart. He did not retire from competition until he was 20, which was amazing, since he had several major health issues in his career. By Cruising out of a mare named Flex who won the 1995 Irish National Championships, he was the U.S. International Horse of the Year in 2012.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 21, 2021
It’s been a crazy year in the equestrian world, as in every part of the globe, but Covid and the Olympics combined for an especially challenging situation on the competition front. Those who rose above it had to make a lot of compromises and be nimble enough to change direction as necessary.
No one knows that better than cousins Tucker Ericson and Michael Dowling, the owners of Monmouth at the Team, a show that was a big hit at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone starting in 2016, after it moved there from the Horse Park of New Jersey. Riders and their families enjoyed being at the iconic location in Somerset County for a fixture featuring hospitality at a competition that Tucker once described as “half horse show, half social event”
Then in 2020, it was cancelled, as so many shows were, because no spectators would have been allowed under pandemic restrictions. Aside from that, gathering people in a ringside tent didn’t seem like the best idea, even if it would have marked the competition’s 125th anniversary.
This year, the state’s oldest horse show was all set to return to Gladstone until it was determined that the U.S. Olympic eventing and dressage squads, as well as the Paralympic dressage team, would be doing their pre-export quarantine at the historic stables before flying to Tokyo. There also was a question about whether they would have to quarantine at Gladstone upon their return. The Foundation’s priorities involve international competition, so the quarantine plan obviously would have meant no one else could be on the premises. Left with a difficult decision, the Monmouth at the Team organizers decide to relocate rather than cancel two years in a row.
They chose to go to the Centenary University Equestrian Center in Long Valley, about 15 miles from Gladstone, where Michael is on the faculty and involved with coaching the intercollegiate team.
As it happened, the Olympic and Para horses didn’t quarantine in Gladstone because there was a problem with suitable flights from the U.S. to Japan, but that decision came long after there had to be a commitment for Monmouth in a new venue.
Although the show is not in Monmouth County (Long Valley is Morris County) and not at the Team, it has kept its name for its run that ended today. Manager Creigh Duncan and course designer Skip Bailey stayed on board and the hospitality side was bustling as a gathering place for families and friends, with plenty of food and sunflower arrangements atop the tables to keep it festive.
Hospitality played a big role for the show at Centenary as it did in Gladstone. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
Entries in some divisions were down; Tucker wasn’t sure if that could be attributed to the change of venue or the fact that so many people spent much of the summer away on the big circuits, eager to get out and show extensively after more than a year with many restrictions, and were taking a break when they came home.
Many schools are also opening or getting ready to start, so that could be a factor, since the show was slated to end on Aug. 23, four days later than it did in 2019. However, in yet another twist of fate, it came to an early end when classes for Sunday and the final Monday had to be cancelled due to safety concerns because of impending Tropical Storm Henri.
The big question now is whether the show will go back to Gladstone next year or stay at Centenary. The drawback of Gladstone is that there is only one ring, so entries are limited. At Centenary, having an outdoor ring and an indoor stadium means more entries can be taken than at Gladstone without the threat of classes having to be postponed as darkness descended. It also meant post entries could be accepted.
“Everyone has different opinions, and we want to digest them all,” said Tucker, who has been surveying exhibitors about their venue preferences.
“Every facility has its pros and cons and we’ve always wanted to differentiate ourselves with something that stood out and was different for New Jersey and Zone II.”
He and Michael likely will “take a month to reflect and discuss and figure out what the next step is for the future. Every option is on the table.”
At the same time, Tucker said, “I bet if you took a vote of past and current exhibitors, it probably would be 50-50.”
I wondered if part of the show could be held in Gladstone with some select classes at Centenary, perhaps on the derby field that wasn’t being used after a big rainstorm last week.
“It’s fairly overwhelming getting one facility set up,” laughed Tucker, who is always hands-on working with Michael, dealing with anything that comes up.
Show owners Michael Dowling and Tucker Ericson pitch in wherever necessary. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
“We run ourselves ragged just doing one facility. I can’t even imagine two.”
He noted, however, “that Centenary, just like the Team, has been extremely supportive.” The show is “an opportunity for the Team and Centenary to show what they’re all about and get people on their property.”
Looking at the big picture, Michael said, “It’s not the same as being at Gladstone, that’s so iconic, but we really do feel we’re giving exhibitors a really nice show and we’re getting awesome feedback.”
The National Professional Horsemen’s Association held its Medal Finals at the show for the first time.
“We are very excited to be a part of this horse show,” said PHA representative Lynne Peters. “It is truly fantastic, top notch, and first class.”
The finals was won by Kathryn Blount, whom Michael trains in conjunction with Michael Meyers. Her prize money of $1,500 was donated to Danny & Ron’s Rescue, which has saved so many dogs.
Those at the show were happy to share their opinions about its location.
Stephanie Desiderio, whose Desiderio Ltd. in nearby Chester has been part of the show since it began in Gladstone, is very positive about this year’s venue.
“I think they did a heck of a job bringing it up here. I know a lot of people were a little skeptical,” she said, but noted, “We’ve been here since Monday and it’s picked up every day.”
Stephanie sees the venue as horse-friendly and observed, “the footing is great, the jumps are great, the courses are great. If they keep this going the way it’s been going, either place is fine.”
Added Stephanie, whose son, Michael, won the $5,000 USHJA Hunter Derby last week on Deborah Bianco’s Cromwell, “I know everybody loves to ride at the Team, but it’s one ring and this is two rings.” She said that means barns can bring more horses, noting there wasn’t enough time to work horses in the ring during the mornings at the Team.
Centenary senior Madison Myro first rode at the USET Foundation two years ago.
“I absolutely loved it there. It was an amazing experience, the feeling it gives you, the history behind it,” she said. At the same time, Madison observed, since she goes to school at Centenary, “It’s really nice to be here and show.”
My favorite class of the show, the Nature Conservancy’s $10,000 Bobcat Derby, was well-filled and fun as usual. There were 29 starters in the 2-foot/ 2-6 division and 20 in the 3-foot section, with the prize money divided between the two.
It raises funds for Bobcat Alley, an area on the border of Sussex and Warren counties, where buying more land will enable the endangered bobcats to move safely between the New Jersey Highlands, the Kittatinny Ridge and the Appalachian Mountains.
“I think they’ve done a good job in making it feel welcoming and keeping the attention on the ring, like we need for the Bobcat Derby,” said Nature Conservancy Marketing Director Mary Conti, who said of the preservation effort, “it’s a long term project but we’re making good progress. We’ve protected about 1,500 acres over the last couple of years. We’re in it for the long haul.”
The cool thing about the derby is the must-have headbands sporting bobcat ears with their cute little tufts that riders put on their helmets. Wearing them meant an extra point on the score for each round. Riders who didn’t have a good enough score to advance from the first round to the handy round could take a quiz about bobcats, with the best effort (which included an essay) getting a free ride into the handy for each section.
Kelley Norton came all the way from Massachusetts to compete in the 2-foot/2-6 division with the 19-year-old Urlala, who wound up as the winner for owner Terry Maloomian. Her scores were an 82 for the first round and an 83 for the handy round.
Kelley Norton and Urlala with Mary Conti of the Nature Conservancy (right), Kimberly Maloomian and Allyson Shogren (left). (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
The Dutchbred mare specializes in derbies, so when Kelley saw that there was a Bobcat Derby in the prizelist, her reaction was “Got to do it.’’
“I’ve never won a derby before, so this was very exciting for me,” said Kelley, an amateur who works in her family’s funeral home business.
Eleanor Kunsman, a professional who runs Glen Eden Farm in Chester with her mother, Kathy, rode a “take no prisoners” round on Premium Blend in the handy for the 3-foot division. She took “quite a technical” direct line over the first three jumps in the handy round and didn’t stop coming until she had achieved a score of 90 for her trip. On top of that, she finished second on Bettina, a seven-year-old mare she owns with her mother. Since it was the mare’s first derby, Eleanor “took a little more of a conservative track” with her.
Eleanor Kunsman with her bobcat ears on Premium Blend. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
Premium Blend was second at Lake Placid and Princeton before he came to Eleanor’s barn. This was his first show with her, and he also earned a championship in the pre-children’s division with his owner, MacKenzie Teasdale.
“He’s very fun, very smart, very quiet, very brave,” Eleanor said.
She was also a winner in the jumper division, taking the welcome class with Callia Bergad’s Hilltop van het Gavershof, over Devin Ryan and his Ascalitta SBK Z. The winning horse wore a bobcat-spotted saddlepad that was one of the prizes Eleanor collected in the Derby. The same horse won the $2,500 Children’s/Amateur High Jumper Stake with his owner aboard.
Asked what she thought of the venue, Eleanor said, “It’s always so fun to ride at the Team, but Michael and Tucker did an amazing job transforming this facility and putting the same amount of effort in at the new location.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 17, 2021
Auditors will come learn the process of building a Freestyle Dressage Test and choreographing the movements to music. Learn the process through the eyes of top international riders, a world renowned judge and a professional composer.
Kim Herslow Dressage at Upper Creek Farm in Stockton will host international judge Linda Zang, and composer Boy DeWinter of Music & Motions on the weekend of Sept. 25-26. This clinic is for auditors of all riding levels and disciplines who are interested in learning the process of producing a freestyle dressage test, including the choreography and music composition.
Linda is an International competitor, world renowned clinician, FEI judge and technical delegate. She has been one of the most highly respected FEI judges since 1995, having officiated at the Olympics and eight World Cup Finals. .
A regular clinician at Upper Creek Farm, Linda works with Kim and her clients teaching the principles that balanced riders produce balanced horses.
Boy de Winter is from the Netherlands, where his company serves international dressage competitors. A musician since childhood, Boywas involved in his parent’s business, Top Hatters, which took him on the road to dressage competitions, where he watched thousands of musical freestyles.
In 1994, Boy founded his company, Music in Motion (https://music-motions.com), and has produced music for competitions with the Japanese dressage team, national and international competitions, World Cup Finals, and European Championships.
Kim Herslow, owner of Upper Creek Farm, is an FEI-level rider, who was on the U.S. gold medl team t the 2015 Pan Am Games and two Nations Cups. She believes that classical dressage training helps maintain soundness through proper balance and suppleness.
During the Sept. 25 program,Boy will demonstrate the process of working with a rider to create and produce music for a freestyle.The day will be interactive, with mounted demonstrations by Kim and several other guest riders. Boy will show the audience the fine art of mixing and composing the music along with the movements of the test. Linda will comment on what the judges look for in regard to gaits, choreography and level of difficulty..
There will also be time for Q&A from the audience throughout the day.
The morning sessions will focus on Training through Fourth Level and junior/young riders.
Afternoon sessions will build on the Small and Large tours, as well as International Grand Prix.
On Sept. 26, Linda will offer individual lessons at $250/ride. Boy will meet with anyone interested in having him compose a freestyle for them, with or without choreography.
The Saturday symposium fee for auditors is $100, which includes a catered lunch. Those attending on Sunday should bring their own food and drink.
Interested in attending? Reserve a place by Sept. 17–here’s a link
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 17, 2021
The Olympic closing ceremonies didn’t wrap up the global athletic competition in Tokyo. Now the U.S. Equestrian Federation is focusing its attention on the Paralympics, which begin there Aug. 24 and run through Sept. 5.
But first, after scores of long days and four extremely strenuous weeks away as American Olympic riders trained in quarantine and then competed, USEF Director of Sport Will Connell was able to make a brief visit home to Gladstone.
His objective? To “freshen up, get a haircut, see the dog, weed the garden and go back again.”
His plans for a short vacation in Japan before the Paralympics were scuttled due to that country’s strict Covid regulations for foreign visitors. So after putting a bit of temporary distance between himself and Tokyo’s Baji Koen Equestrian Park, Will had a chance to reflect on U.S. Olympic equestrian efforts, which in the midst of difficult circumstances achieved team silvers in dressage and show jumping, along with a sixth-place finish for eventing.
“I’ve done a few Games and championships; I have to say it was kind of at the last minute we got this one done,” said Will, who was the British Equestrian Federation’s performance director prior to coming to the USEF in 2014.
He had only six weeks’ notice to change quarantine plans for the eventing and dressage teams when there was a problem with direct flights from the U.S. to Tokyo. Both wound up in Germany, as did the show jumping team, which moved to the Aachen showgrounds after the farm where it was to be based suffered massive flood damage.
And with “huge logistical challenges in the build-up,” it wouldn’t have gotten done “if it hadn’t been for the team at USEF,” Will emphasized.
“They were just outstanding, booking and rebooking flights, changing this and that. I’m not going to pretend it was easy or fun, to be honest.” But the process paid off.
Discussing the athletes, he said, “For jumping and dressage, they had to really dig deep to get the medals they got.” And, he added, “It was good to finish a team in eventing.”
Will called that a step forward from the 2016 Olympics (where Philip Dutton earned an individual bronze, but the team did not finish) and the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, where the eventing squad was eighth of 18 teams.
“Eventing could have been better in the (stadium) jumping, probably (no team member was fault-free over two rounds), but they finished as a team, so that pointed in the right direction,” said Will.
“The team medals in dressage and (show) jumping were a real kind of demonstration of a team pulling together and pulling a medal out of what certainly could have been `not a medal’,” said Will.
The U.S. silver medal show jumping team: Laura Kraut, Jessie Springsteen and McLain Ward.
He praised the efforts of the disciplines’ managing directors.
“I can tell you categorically that if it hadn’t been for Lizzy (Chesson) in jumping or Hallye (Griffin) in dressage, they (the squads) wouldn’t have won the medals.
“They are as much part of it as the chefs (d’equipe),” he emphasized, while also citing the work done by the USEF eventing managing director, Jenni Autry, in keeping her team going.
Discussing the complexity involved in the day-to-day operation of an Olympic effort half a world away from home, intensified by the Covid situation, he noted about everyone’s contribution, “Without every spoke on the wheel, the wheel implodes.”
He mentioned that in dressage, with riders Adrienne Lyle, Sabine Schut-Kery and Steffen Peters not having the chance to compete in Europe before going to Tokyo, “We really thought we’d be fighting for bronze. Then to realize we could actually make a grab for silver was incredible.” And successful.
The U.S. dressage team of Adrienne Lyle, Steffen Peters and Sabine Schut-Kery.
The show jumpers, who were able to contest a series of Nations Cups in Europe during the spring, had to cope in Japan with a new and untried Olympic format, which Will called “very difficult.”
It involved having only three people on a team and no drop score, while the individual competition uncharacteristically was scheduled before the team effort. Kent Farrington, who rode only in the individual portion of the competition, played a role from the ground in the team endeavor.
“They all pulled together. Kent was a fantastic reserve, really helping out the team, really part of the team. He was brilliant, actually.”
Knowing that an individual medal was “a longshot” (and as it happened, no U.S. rider made it to the individual finals), the emphasis was on getting a team medal. And that’s just what the squad of Laura Kraut, Jessie Springsteen and McLain Ward did in a dramatic jump-off with the Swedes, whose horses dropped only two rails during the entire show jumping program.
“In jumping, the best team won; undoubtedly, the Swedish were the best team,” observed Will. But the U.S. was right behind them with only the difference of a few instants on the clock in the tie-breaker. He praised the expertise of course designer Santiago Varela, whose routes and fences highlighting Japanese culture were key to the way show jumping worked out.
One huge plus for equestrians was the quality of Baji Koen. The park had been used for the 1964 Tokyo Olympics, but of course was marvelously updated for these Games, with climate-controlled stables, a galloping track, indoor arena and fabulous footing.
The arena at Baji Koen with jumps, minus spectators. (Photo courtesy FEI)
“The facility is fantastic, no doubt about it. It’s one of the best equestrian facilities we’ve seen in terms of what it will deliver in legacy,” said Will.
All the equestrian competitions were held at Baji Koen except the eventing cross-country, which ran at Sea Forest, a former landfill on the water about an hour away.
“Having to move to the cross-country (the night after the eventing dressage concluded) was challenging. The truth would be probably with no spectators the whole logistics of getting around Tokyo was a lot easier,” Will noted.
But the list of restrictions that included keeping the general public out of the stands at competitions meant all athletes and the staff from every country could not sightsee, or even eat at a restaurant. They were confined to hotels and the Athletes’ Village, permitted only to go to the venues where they trained and competed.
“It was difficult for everyone across all sports, being in that cocoon,” Will pointed out.
Of course, the most important thing was not to risk having Covid infiltrate the cocoon; athletes did not want to lose their chance to compete by testing positive for the virus, as happened with pole vault world champion Sam Kendricks, who missed his event as a result, and 28 others. More than 675,000 tests of accredited personnel were conducted, with a positivity rate of approximately 0.02 per cent. From July 1 through a week ago, 378 cases affected residents of Japan, while 170 involved non-residents.
The way the Games were planned for equestrian sport undoubtedly will be the subject of many, many meetings before Paris 2024. The FEI (international equestrian federation) has already said it will take a long look at how the competitions went and what revisions should be made.
Will in his office in Gladstone.
Will stated, “There has to be a discussion…about the format; the format for jumping, the scoring for the team dressage.” (The live scoring for dressage was in percentages, while the totals for the team scores were in points.) He also wondered about having a one-hour break before the final group of riders in team dressage.
“Is that a buzz kill if you’ve got a crowd?” Will mused
He added, “The format for jumping needs looking at. I’m not sure that no discard (score) works.”
He also questioned, “how many teams would not have completed in eventing if you didn’t have this weird rule that you could carry on if you’ve been eliminated (with a 200-point penalty added). It’s a bit weird when you see someone who hasn’t done dressage and cross-country do the show jumping and still have three down.”
The question many people are asking about the Tokyo Olympics is: Was it worth it? Remember, polls showed a majority of the Japanese people were against holding the Games, and there was muttering about cancelling them even days before they began.
“I think that’s something that will be discussed and debated for many months to come, if I’m honest. I can’t put my hand on my heart and say it was 100 percent worth it, but I can’t also put my hand on my heart and say it wasn’t worth it,” said Will, emphasizing that “the Japanese did a fantastic job with all the venues, and there’s a great legacy, so that’s good.
“I think people could be inspired by the way these riders dug deep to get those medals. People can be inspired by the ability of athletes to perform–and I’m talking cross-sports–(when) there’s no spectators, and all the other challenges and you’re locked down in your room.
“There are many inspirational things to take away from it. On the flip side, yes, we were putting on a global sporting event that cost a fortune in a city that had a rising number of Covid cases. And yes, there’s plenty of reason to question why that happened,” he said, although he added, “It’s probably not the time to really analyze it. I don’t think I can say it’s black and white a good thing, and black and white a bad thing. Maybe we look at it in a few months’ time.”
