by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 9, 2021
The United Kingdom’s Prince Philip, a former president of the International Equestrian Federation, has died at the age of 99. Queen Elizabeth’s husband, who developed the sport of combined driving as a modern international competition, had been hospitalized in February for an infection and a heart issue, returning home last month.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s interest in horses was inherited by his son, Prince Charles, who had been an active polo player and his daughter, Princess Anne, a European eventing champion who succeeded Prince Philip as FEI president. His granddaughter, Zara Tindall, won the 2006 individual eventing world championship.and was on Britain’s 2012 silver medal eventing team.
The longest-serving prince consort in history, Philip married Princess Elizabeth in 1947, and was an active support to her as she succeeded her father to the monarchy after his death in 1952. A polo player in his younger days when he was one of Britain’s top 10 in that sport, Prince Philip turned to combined driving to keep himself actively involved with horses.
He helped standardize international rules and became a successful competitor, winning team gold at the 1980 World Driving Championships and bronze in 1978, 1982 and 1984. He also placed sixth individually in 1982. During his time as the longest serving FEI president, from 1964-1986, he supported the establishment of the show jumping World Cup..
The Queen spoke of her appreciation and love for her husband in her Diamond Jubilee Address in 2012, saying, “He has, quite simply, been my strength and stay all these years, and I, and his whole family, and this and many other countries, owe him a debt greater than he would ever claim, or we shall ever know.”
Current FEI President Ingmar de Vos said of Prince Philip, “His dedication to equestrian sports cannot be underestimated and will never be forgotten, especially in the driving community. He was born in the same year the FEI was founded and sadly, he will not be with us to celebrate his own and the FEI’s centenary this year. We will celebrate his life and remember him as a great ambassador of our sport.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 8, 2021
The Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event will be back next month after missing its 2020 edition, when competitions across the country were shut down due to the pandemic.
This time around, plenty of top riders are expected to take part, but the state’s biggest eventing fixture won’t be able to welcome spectators at the Horse Park of New Jersey. As a Covid precaution, the U.S. Equestrian Federation has banned the public from attending its licensed shows until at least mid-May (see the story in the On the Rail section of this website).
But Jersey Fresh May 5-9 will persevere with an assortment of divisions, including 3- and 4-star Long and Short.
“We’ve been running for over 20 years. We’re had ups and downs. We’re a very resilient group. We always come out on top, we always improve year to year, and we’re up for the challenge,” said Morgan Rowsell.
He has been the 3-star cross-country course designer in the past. Now he has moved up to handling the 4-stars as well. Former U.S. eventing coach Mark Phillips, who took over the course designing job in 2017, will serve as an advisor this time around.
Morgan Rowsell.
Jersey Fresh is one of only two selection events for the U.S. Olympic team in 2021. The other is the Land Rover Kentucky event April 21-27; Badminton, which was in the mix, has been cancelled due to the Covid lockdown in the United Kingdom.
For the first time, Kentucky has added a 4-star S to its program, which is highlighted by the 5-star. Last year, only one 5-star was held, so Kentucky has attracted a good number of foreign competitors.
Morgan, who is also the course builder and co-organizer of Jersey Fresh with Jane Cory, isn’t worried that having a 4-star S in Kentucky will hurt entries at Jersey Fresh. While he noted his event might lose some horses as a result, he mentioned that since Jersey Fresh is two weeks after Kentucky, some riders may choose to run their 4-star horses again. Horses that don’t finish the 5-star at Kentucky often reroute to Jersey Fresh, which sometimes gets as many as 10 from that group.
“We’re anticipating a pretty full entry and we’re excited about that,” he said.
“We’re going to make a good showing on getting them prepared and getting the selectors a good chance to see the top horses and assess who’s ready for Tokyo.”
Even without the general public, there will still be tailgating by parents of riders, owners and sponsors “so we can still have some atmosphere,” Morgan said.
There is a focus on the grand prix arena, where the base has been replaced and a campaign is under way to update the surface for 2022. Even so, what is there now is decent enough, and arena expert Aaron Thompson of North Carolina has been hired to oversee the footing all week long.
In a non-Covid year, spectators lined the rail of the grand prix arena to catch the action.
“He will keep it at the right moisture content, the right compaction and the right dragging. He’ll be focused on that solely,” said Morgan, noting Aaron does the same type of work for events in Fair Hill, Md.
At Jersey, there will be a tent under the oaks by the ring in case of rain or intense sun so people can watch dressage and jumping under cover, while socially distanced, of course.There also will be a tent at the cross-country water complex for sponsors B.W. Furlong Associates, AIG, Boehringer Ingelheim and Zoetis,
Mark Phillips, who designed the cross-country course for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, is coming at the end of April to inspect the Jersey Fresh route.
“I’m extremely grateful for Mark promoting the next generation of designers, he’s been a mentor and a friend. I’m excited about him still being involved,” said Morgan.
“He’ll make sure we’re all on the same page and that I’m asking the right questions and that it’s suitable for Olympic trials and the 4-star championship. He’ll give me the confidence to be bold but not overstep where the horses should be. I’m excited to have someone of his caliber working with me and checking my work.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 7, 2021
Are you missing going to horse shows? Virtual may be useful, but it can’t match the thrill of being in the stands or on the rail to watch a competition. The U.S. Equestrian Federation has barred the general public from shows since last June due to Covid (shows were shuttered from March 20-May 31 when the pandemic broke out.)
But now there’s hope that you can watch your favorite athletes from across the ring rather than from across your living room. The USEF announced today it is “optimistic” it will be able to permit a limited number of spectators at USEF-licensed competitions by mid-May. The federation will offer more details in the next weeks “so that organizers and spectators have time to prepare in advance.”
A word of caution before you start making your travel plans: USEF warns that the only exceptions to its decision permitting fans “involve instances where state, county, or local government and health authorities or a particular competition organizer have more stringent requirements in place, in which case those more stringent requirements take precedence.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 5, 2021
Mane Stream is putting off its April 10 tack sale until the fall to give the organization more time to collect tack and horse-themed items. The new date for the sale tentatively is Nov. 7. Funds raised will go directly to caring for the horses and programs.The mission of Mane Stream is to improve the quality of life for individuals with physical, developmental, emotional and medical challenges through a diverse program of equine- assisted activities, therapy services and educational initiatives.
Mane Stream thanks those who donated tack so far this year, and asks people to continue bringing items that can be added to the sale. They may be dropped off at the stable at 83 Old Turnpike Rd., Oldwick during office hours. Those who have questions should contact Jen Dermody at jen@manestreamnj.org, 908-439-9636 or visit the website at www.ManeStreamNJ.org
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 4, 2021
It all started with Licorice, a black pony with four white socks who tactfully could best be described as “a brat.”
But he provided quite a legacy for Alice Tarjan, who figured out how to ride him well enough so he would do what she wanted, rather than grabbing the bit and running out of the ring during Pony Club lessons. It’s not only what the Oldwick resident learned from coping with him that started her on the path to success in the dressage world; apparently, he also imprinted her, since his coloring is closely replicated in eight of her current horses.
Alice as a child with the infamous Licorice, who set the color palette for many of her horses. (Photo courtesy of Alice Tarjan)
“My favorite is black with white socks, no question,” she conceded. “It’s pretty.
The 41-year-old amateur rider generally buys her future mounts off videos; she has the ability to see potential in youngsters, then is able to bring out their best with dedicated effort and training. Three of them were stars as the Adequan Global Dressage Festival closed its run in Wellington, Fla., today. In addition to happiness, the emotions Alice felt included “huge relief” at the end of a long weekend as she saw her work pay off.
Candescent, black with four white socks, gave Alice her first Big Tour FEI victory with a 72.702 percent mark in Friday’s 3-star Grand Prix Special. The 11-year-old Hanoverian mare was last year’s Developing Grand Prix Champion.
“It’s been fun bringing her along, but the horse is a bit of a monster,” Alice said after her victory.
“She’s super cool and a lot of fun, but she is funny, because she’s hot and cold all at once, so it’s been a bit of a challenge to get her trained to this level and then to get it to be a bit more harmonious.”
Today, Alice won the Lövsta Future Challenge Grand Prix with the 8-year-old Hanoverian mare Serenade (two white socks and an anklet) on an impressive 76.008 percent, with a bevy of 9s for passage. Serenade was the national 4-year-old champion early in her career. While most of Alice’s horses were foaled abroad, Serenade, purchased by Alice as a foal, was bred in North Carolina by Maryanna Haymon.
During Saturday’s warm-up, Serenade was second to stablemate Harvest (a 9-year-old Hanoverian stallion with similar markings) who got a 10 for his final halt that day and a score of 76.911. Harvest, who is on the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Developing list like four other of Alice’s horses, was second today and second last year in the national Developing Grand Prix championship. Alice trains with another New Jersey rider, Marcus Orlob of Annandale, who had his own victory today in the Future Challenge/Young Horse Prix St. Georges Final aboard Spirit of Joy, a 7-year-old Westphalen gelding he owns with Jeannette Pinard.
Alice Tarjan and Serenade MF. (Photo by Susan J. Stickle)
“It was certainly a good weekend, we’re happy,” Alice said after collecting her ribbons and accolades, but typical of her usual businesslike push toward perfection, she noted, “We have a lot of homework to do.”
A big plus this weekend involved riding before panels of international judges, after years competing in national shows in front of one national judge.
“You don’t know what the CDI judges are going to give you,” Alice observed, “so it’s very exciting to get those kinds of scores. Now the real push is to try to ride a better test. You learn where the holes are and you try to improve them and try to ride better.”
Noting that European shows have been shut down through April 11 because of an EHV-1 problem that spread among horses after starting in Spain during the winter, she said, “We’re very lucky to be able to be here and have a show every day.”
Like the other riders at Florida shows, she is just grateful to be able to compete, even with Covid pandemic restrictions of mask-wearing and having temperatures taken on entering the grounds, along with mandatory social distancing. Her last show in Florida will be at the new World Equestrian Center in Ocala later this month before heading home.
She’s trying to qualify seven horses for the USEF national championships in Illinois, but realistically thinks six would be her limit to show comfortably. It’s always good to have a spare, of course, since things can go wrong. At the moment, Serenade is qualified for the Developing Grand Prix, she hopes Harvest can do it as well and Candescent is being pointed for the regular Grand Prix there. After that, she’s thinking of Dressage at Devon and the November U.S. Dressage Federation championships in Kentucky
When I was in Florida last month, we got six of Alice’s black horses to pose for a picture I had long wanted to take to show Licorice’s legacy.. We just didn’t have enough hands at the farm in Loxahatchee where Alice spends the winters to get all eight in, but it’s still an impressive shot.
The color-coordinated lineup. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
From the left, that’s stable manager Desiree Attland holding Donatella and Serenade. Alice is holding Ierland’s Eden and Jane, while Allison Nemeth has Summersby II and Niki Serge, a trainer based in Stockton who was working for Alice during the winter, is with Sliepner.
So here’s who they are: Donatella (she’s out of uniform, missing the white socks) won the Developing Grand Prix at the USEF championships last year and also took the 2020 Lövsta Future Challenge Grand Prix. The 10-year-old Oldenburg mare was bred in Maryland by Marnie Martin-Tucker; Alice bought her as a 4-year-old and she is now on the USEF’s Developing Horse list. Serenade was explained earlier in this story.
Eden is a 4-year-old Danish bred who showed in March at Loxahatchee’s White Fences, where she got an 87 in Materiale. Alice actually saw her “in person” when she bought her as a 2-year-old because she was visiting a breeder friend in Denmark. (She also bought a chestnut at that time; there are a few horses in her barn that don’t follow the Licorice model.) Jane was third in hand in the Dutch championships as a 3-year-old.
Summersby, bought from Germany as a foal, is now six. She was 3-year-old Materiale Horse of the Year and second in the national championships as both a 4- and 5-year old.
Sliepner is a 5-year-old purchased from Holland as a 3-year-old and doesn’t have anything on her resume yet. Candescent and Glory Day, who is ridden by Marcus, didn’t make the photo shoot.
Alice, who only buys mares and stallions, says her goal “has been to be able to have a barn full of solid Grand Prix horses. I like training them and giving them an education. I like to figure out how to ride a Grand Prix test a little better. The majority of these horses will be sold at some point and they can share their knowledge with somebody else. It will be nice to watch somebody else compete them and do well with them. I don’t have to be the one doing it.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 31, 2021
With an uncertain immediate future for horse sports in Europe in the wake of the EHV-1 outbreak and suspension of competition there, it has been decided that U.S. Olympic dressage team candidates will not be going abroad as usual for their final selection outing.
Instead, an observation of the short list riders will be held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington June 8-12, when it is believe the heat and humidity will be at a comparable level to what he team will encounter at the Games in Tokyo.
The event will be mandatory for the horse and rider pairings selected to the short list after the end of the qualifying period on April 25, according to the U.S. Equestrian Federation.
Steffen Peters leads the ranking of U.S. Olympic dressage team candidates with Suppenkasper. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
“After much consideration, USEF, alongside program leaders and team selectors, have made the decision to continue team selection preparations in the U.S., as the window of opportunity to prepare effectively in Europe is very small and should anything change, it would be too late to formulate an alternative selection plan,” according to a federation statement.
“Given the competition opportunities made available to combinations over the past few months, it is has been determined that the team can prepare effectively in the U.S. by utilizing existing competitions and the final Observation Event.”
The horse inspection will take place on Tuesday, June 8, and combinations will compete in the FEI Grand Prix on Wednesday, June 9, with the group draw order determined by the FEI World Rankings List. The FEI Grand Prix Special Test to Music will be held on Friday, June 11.
The U.S. Dressage program intends to facilitate and support overseas travel to Europe for additional teams this year, including Young Rider, U-25, and senior teams, to continue building momentum towards the 2022 FEI World Championships in Herning, Denmark, the first team qualifying opportunity for the Paris 2024 Olympic Games. Confirmation of additional team events will be announced over the course of the next several weeks.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 29, 2021
During all the Covid-related down time, you’ve probably had many hours to weed out your tack trunk as part of your closet-cleaning spree.
So take your used tack, horse-related items, jewelry, knick-knacks, models and riding clothes (from those closets) to Mane Stream (adaptive riding and therapy services) in Oldwick, Mane Stream’s sale is April 10 from 8 a.m.-4 p.m.Proceeds from the sales at both 501c3 organization’s benefit their offerings and horses.
Items can be dropped off at the stable at 83 Old Turnpike Rd., Oldwick during office hours. Those who have questions should contact Jen Dermody at jen@manestreamnj.org, 908-439-9636 or visit the website at www.ManeStreamNJ.org
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 29, 2021
Top-level show jumping in the Sunshine State has overcome the pandemic and EHV-1. The impressive evidence is the turnout for the biggest grands prix in Wellington and Ocala last weekend. With a total of $1,700,000 offered at three venues in the state, 148 horses started in three major classes.
HITS Ocala hosted the richest of the competitions, the Great American $1 million Grand Prix. It was won by Germany’s Andre Thieme–who has topped HITS $1 million classes on three previous occasions–proving it’s a habit by taking the $350,000 first prize on Chakaria. The $1 million was the largest of the three grands prix, as befitting the amount of the purse, with 61 on the order of go.
As Andre noted about his affinity for the Hits Million, It’s my goal every year and while I’m not giving away other classes, I definitely don’t put as much effort toward some of the other classes, I try to really produce my horses for this class every single time. I try to be sure that everything on the day of this class goes perfect, because this is the class that I really want to win each year.”
Bernardo Cabral said of the course he designed for the class, “I didn’t make it overly big but it was technical and I thought asked a lot of questions to the riders, but also left an easy way out for the horses if there was a mistake by the pilot.”
At the nearby World Equestrian Center, the $200,000 Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix went to the only U.S. winner of the weekend’s major classes, Aaron Vale, with Candro van de Zuuthoeve. There were 47 on that entry list.
In Wellington, the $500,000 Rolex Grand Prix held on the grass field at the Equestrian Village, was dominated by another German, Daniel Deusser, with 1918 Scuderia Tobago Z. Daniel has been a consistent victor throughout the Winter Equestrian Festival series this season.
The highest-placed U.S. rider among 40 in that class was McLain Ward, fourth with Catoki, who had a rail in the jump-off. McLAin also was the highest-placed U.S. rider in the HITS Million, fourth with HH Azur and a rail.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 24, 2021
The National Professional Horsemen’s Association Medal Finals will be a highlight of this summer’s Monmouth at the Team show, which is being moved from the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone to the Centenary University Equestrian Center in Long Valley.
With the new multi-ring location, the show that runs Aug. 16-23 will have a number of different offerings, including A-rated hunters, than it did at the one-ring Gladstone venue. The PHA Medal finals will be held Aug. 18. Scott Fitton, a U.S. Equestrian Federation “R” hunter and hunter seat equitation judge, will officiate. Skip Bailey will design the courses for Monmouth at the Team and for the National PHA Medal Finals, which will be a good prep for the fall indoor finals. The class for riders 21 and under will run over fences that are 3’3” and 3’6”, judged as one competition, with prizes presented to the top 10 riders.
“We are excited to be hosting the National PHA Medal Finals,” said Tucker Ericson, co-owner of Monmouth at the Team with his cousin, Michael Dowling.
“Adding this finals class to our show means so much, not only for our exhibitors, but also to the community of horsemen we serve.”
Founded in 1936, the PHA is a benevolent organization of volunteer horsemen helping horsemen. The PHA gives aid and sustenance to needy horsemen, provides financial assistance for continuing education to children of professional members. PHA promotes interest in the horse industry and fosters the care and protection of horses through education. This year, the PHA will support Danny and Ron’s Rescue in their efforts to rehome dogs. Each time a rider participates in a PHA medal class throughout the year, a portion of their entry will go to support Danny and Ron’s Rescue.
“The National PHA Medal and Monmouth at the Team horse show both have long, rich histories,” said Lynn Peters, PHA recording secretary. “They honor the past while inviting today’s horsemen to help write the next chapter of their distinguished story. We are thrilled to be a part of this extraordinary show and look forward to a successful future together.”
Longtime sponsor and friend of Monmouth at the Team, Mountain Pointe Equine Veterinary Services, will host a safe, socially distanced cocktail reception during the finals.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 23, 2021
Furlong’s Healthy Horse virtual seminar, presented by B.W. Furlong Associates will host a presentation by Dr Aja Harvey Wednesday March 24 at 6:30 p.m. The topic is information about theEHV-1 virus and biosecurity recommendations to keep your horses safe. Don’t forget this virus has shut down shows in Europe through April 11. Click on this link to join the session. Or go to B.W. Furlong Associates Facebook page for the livestream.
