by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 23, 2019
You don’t have to be an eventer to take part in the new Preliminary Derby at noon May 12 during the Jersey Fresh International, which runs May 9-12 at the Horse Park of New Jersey in Allentown..
The class, sponsored by East Coast Equine Performance LLC, Dr. Ted Mazzarisi, offers $2,500 in prize money, with eight placings. It will involve a combination of seven cross-country-style obstacles and seven show jumping fences, approximately 3-feet, 7-inches high on a course designed by Chris Barnard and Morgan Rowsell in consultation with Mark Phillips. The action will take place in both the Grand Prix Ring and the East Ring, in front of the pavilion.
Results will be determined by time, and any rails or stops (four seconds will be added to a competitor’s time for either). The derby will run between the CCI 3-L and CCI 4-L divisions.
Entries limited to 25 horses. Limited stabling is available if the horse has proof of FEI-mandated vaccinations, and is seen by the FEI vet before going to stabling.
Those who want to participate can use the U.S. Eventing Association entry form and send it to the Horse Park of New Jersey, 626 Route 524, Allentown NJ 08501 with a fee of $125. Entries also may be made via www.evententries.com.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 7, 2019
Are you and your horse bored? Maybe an introduction to Working Equitation can give you both a new outlook.
Cornerstone Andalusians, 825 Route 579 in Flemington, is holding a WE clinic and show this month. Mindy Finelli, the owner of Cornerstone Farm, will be the instructor and judge. She has been riding and competing in Working Equitation for more than 10 years.
The clinic will start May 18 with an introduction to Working Equitation, explaining its origin and the basic components of the sport. Then it will be time to move on to the first phase, dressage. Riders will get the opportunity to ride their pattern several times with instruction. The afternoon will be devoted to the dressage phase of the schooling show.
May 19 will be the Ease of Handling Phase (Obstacles). Participants will practice over all the obstacles in the morning. In the afternoon, riders will take part in the Ease of Handling Phase of the schooling show. Lunch will be provided both days.
The cost is $50 per day or $100 for both days. Participants are asked to specify which day they will ride if they are only doing one day. The fee is $25 for auditors for both days. Pre-registration is required.
Email cornerstoneandalusians@comcast.net or call/text (908) 489-2069.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 7, 2019
Call it Dr. Meg Sleeper’s version of the trifecta–or maybe just a self-styled hat trick.
Last weekend, the veterinary cardiologist rode three different home-bred horses, who are all related, to win 75-mile, 100-mile and 50-mile endurance competitions over the course of three days.
Meg Sleeper and Syrocco Madrigal, her up-and-coming horse. (Photo by Becky Pearman)
It was a total of 23 hours, 27 minutes and 27 seconds worth of riding for the 51-year-old equestrian from Kingwood Township. She was, understandably, “a little tired,” but had no after-effects from her long hours in the saddle, except for slightly sore abdominal muscles. And that was a good thing, she said, because it was proof she was “riding fairly balanced. I felt better than I thought I would, that’s for sure.”
Of course, she’s in fine shape, riding every day, as well as working out with weights and doing yoga to stay fit.
The event was former endurance world champion Val Kanavy’s Fun in the Sun FEI (international equestrian federation) fixture in Williston, Fla. Followers of the discipline suspect that no one has won endurance competitions three days in a row, but the records aren’t geared to searching for that kind of information.
At any rate, you don’t need the record books to know what Meg and her mounts did is a special achievement.
“I thought the horses were competitive and might go well, but I didn’t necessarily expect to win,” Meg revealed.
“I’ve done a 75-mile ride and a 100-mile ride back-to-back once before. That’s a lot of mileage, and I wasn’t sure could I do a 50 on the third day. But that’s what I did.”
She won the 75 with Syrocco Cadence, a 15-year-old. In the 100, it was Syrocco Rimbaud, a 13-year-old who is a veteran of the 2016 world championships in Slovakia, and for the 50, her winner was 8-year-old Syrocco Madrigal, “the horse I hope will be my up and coming horse,” said Meg.
Meg and Syrocco Rimbaud, her 100-mile winner. (Photo by Becky Pearman)
“This was the first time I asked her to see what she could really do,” she observed about Maddie.
“She has done 75-mile rides twice before, but I never asked her to do much more than trot. She was great. It was a really hot weekend (in the low 80s) down here. It required some pacing and being cognizant of the humidity (which was 100 percent one day). She cantered the last loop and was happy to do it, so I was really pleased.”
Meg noted it was interesting “when you compare it to something like Tryon,” the aborted 2018 world championships at the FEI World Equestrian Games in North Carolina.
These are unsettled times on the endurance scene, following the disaster of that WEG endurance, which eventually was cancelled because of weather conditions but had all sorts of problems, beginning with mass confusion at the start.
In terms of the weather, in countries such as the U.S., Australia and South Africa, “We’re used to these conditions, the heat and humidity, and you ride accordingly,” Meg observed.
“One of the things that happens in those kind of events, depending on the country, some riders are used to cantering from point A to point B. Then you give them a rest and go from Point B to Point C. You really can’t really do that in the Southeast. Most U.S. riders don’t ride that way. To me, the goal of endurance is to ride as fast as you can, safely. Depending on the conditions, it may be mostly walk-trot. I think it’s interesting how different the sport is depending on where you are in the world.”
Syrocco Cadence, the 75-mile winner. (Photo by Becky Pearman)
There were three loops. For the 75, riders did two of them twice and for the 100, they did three of them twice .
“We’ve had a very wet year here, so there were sections of trail that were wet, and then a lot of sections that were quite nice,” said Meg.
“Val designed the trail and did a nice job making it as good as it possibly could be.”
She added, “There’s a lot of luck that goes into it. Each horse had a good day and it doesn’t get any better than that. I had a lot of support and a lot of well-wishes since, and that’s been really mind-blowing.”
Meg is usually pointing toward a world championship, but with the current uncertainty in the sport, it’s a different story. The FEI has a “temporary committee” that is trying to figure out what to do with endurance, while the American Endurance Ride Conference has voted to terminate its affiliate relationship with the U.S. Equestrian Federation at the end of the year.
Meg Sleeper’s immediate goal is to enjoy her horses. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
So as Meg sees it, “Right now, my main goal is just to enjoy the horses and have fun riding and competing. I’m just going to sit back, at least for the next few months, and see what happens.”
However, she was just named to the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Endurance Sport Committee. That appointment will remain in place until, or if, a new endurance affiliate is approved by the federation’s board, at which point the it would revert to the affiliate.
Areas of focus for the committee include clearly defining pathways for athletes within the sport, growing the sport of endurance within the U.S., and building a strong base at the national level for endurance athletes to expand into international levels of competition.
Meanwhile, USEF announced it will offer its inaugural Endurance National Championships at the 2019 North American Endurance Championship, hosted by Central Florida Horse Shows Nov. 14-16 at the Broxton Bridge Plantation in Ehrhardt, S.C.
Top U.S. endurance combinations will vie for USEF national champion and reserve honors at the event, which offers open 1- and 2-star competitions, along with junior and young rider divisions at those levels. There also will be an unofficial FEI team competition open to squads from the U.S., Mexico and Canada.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 21, 2019
The Burlington County 4-H Horse Advisory Board is putting on a new series of hunter shows, which is the primary fundraiser for the county 4-H Horse Program. It provides education and scholarships for young equestrians in 4-H.
Although the organization has run a hunter show series for more than 30 years, it was open only to 4-H members until two years ago, when it became open to all riders. This year, the class list has been redesigned and includes more championship divisions. Series sponsors are being sought to provide championship and reserve prizes for a series designed to be relaxed, fun, safe and educational for everyone.
The Burlington County Fairgrounds has two large show rings and two smaller schooling rings. It offers spectator seating and easy access from Routes 206 and 295, as well as the Turnpike. The footing was recently redone and has received excellent ratings from USEF. The Dressage Experience Show Series offers three licensed shows there, run through the Transitions 4-H Club.
The shows will be held April 27, May 11, June 9 and June 23. The fairgrounds are in Springfield Township, at Route 206 and Jacksonville-Jobstown Road. For more information about sponsorship, contact Ellen Clark at eclark8968@gmail.com.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 20, 2019
The Horse Park’s grand prix ring as it looked last year during Jersey Fresh, when it wasn’t ready for jumping. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)
Resolving footing issues is important work for the off-season at showgrounds in the northern climes.
At the Horse Park of New Jersey in Allentown, all outdoor rings including the warm-up arena, the Lazelle Knocke (East) Ring and West Ring have undergone repair and maintenance work with the help of Aaron Thompson.
Aaron, based in North Carolina, grooms arenas for various event facilities including the Carolina Horse Park, Morven Park, Va., Devon, Pa. and Fair Hill, Md. First as a rider/working student of Denny Emerson, then moving to professional arena grooming, he understands the discipline-specific needs the Horse Park arenas must offer.
The grand prix arena, which was redone last spring but wasn’t ready to be used for the Jersey Fresh event’s show jumping, has had material added. It was worked and then tucked in before a good snowfall to assist in the settling process. Of course, there has been more rain than snow in New Jersey this winter.
The Horse Park is having a fundraiser from 4-10 p.m. March 14 at the Texas Roadhouse, 1305 Route 33, Hamilton, with 10 percent of patrons’ order (including gift cards and takeout) going to the Horse Park.
At the Hampton Classic on Long Island, only a final grading and sod installation for this spring remain for the re-do of the grass grand prix field that drew some criticism at last year’s show.
Work began on the Hampton Classic’s grand prix arena as soon as the awards ceremony for the featured class ended.
The project is being managed by Allen Rheinheimer, the show’s equestrian manager, along with the Hampton Classic’s turf consultant, Steven McDonald, the founder of Turfgrass Disease Solutions LLC. He consults for more than 150 athletic fields, golf courses, and turfgrass systems each year. He teaches Turf Management and Turfgrass Weed Science at Rutgers University.
Meanwhile, the Classic is about two-thirds of the way to its $1 million goal that will pay for the project. Those who wish to donate can go to this link .
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 11, 2019
The Garden State Horse Show, one of New Jersey’s iconic equestrian competitions, has been reorganized from a multi-ring fixture in order to fit in one famous arena at its new home, the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation’s Hamilton Farm in Gladstone.
“We had to drop some redundant divisions, but there is something for everyone over the nine days of competition; from unrecognized to C-rated to AA-rated: We have it all,” said Tucker Ericson, who has taken over the show’s management for the Junior Essex Troop.
Tucker Ericson (right) and his cousin, Michael Dowling, who run Monmouth at the Team together. Tucker is the sole manager for Garden State. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)
Tucker knows what he’s doing, having masterminded the move of the Monmouth County Horse Show from the Horse Park of New Jersey to the foundation’s grounds in 2016.
Renamed as Monmouth at the Team, that show has been a huge success in Gladstone. The same thought process is going into Garden State, which runs from April 29-May 5 (preceded by an unrecognized show April 27-28) and much of the formula will be the same. As Tucker explained it, that includes “weather-proof footing, posted orders and a hospitality tent that puts a smile on your face. That is my recipe to transition a multi-ring show into one.”
As is the case with Monmouth, spectators will not be charged admission.
“We want the community to come out and enjoy and support the vendors and first class competition,” said Tucker.
The historic U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation stable is the perfect backdrop for the horse shows held at the venue. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)
Garden State is different from Monmouth, in that it goes up to the AA (Premier) rating and has a $25,000 grand prix by EquiJet. The AA show is, however, preceded by a separate show that is not recognized and offers such classes as 2-foot hunter, leadline and a $10,000 hunter derby.
The Junior Essex Troop Show began in 1951 and was the largest all-junior show in America until 1972, when it became an open show. It was held at the Junior Essex Troop Farm in West Orange until that was sold. It moved to Chester for several years before it grew too big for Chubb Park and was relocated to the Sussex County Fairgrounds.
The Junior Essex Troop of Cavalry originally was composed of boys ages 11-18, who were proud to wear a uniform as they learned military drilling and discipline, along with riding and horse care.
The troop bond was so strong that even though the organization stopped daily operations in 1989, those who participated remain on the committee, chaired by Rodney Seelig, and as volunteers for what has become an annual reunion.
Entries close April 15. Click here for a link to the prizelist.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 11, 2019
Wellington, Fla., bills itself as the winter horse capital of the world, and it seems as if every year, something else appears to underline that bold statement.
In 2019, it’s the Chesapeake International Draft Horse Show founded by Victoria McCullough. The show drew entries from all over the country, as far away as Colorado, Utah and Missouri. The eight-horse hitches, which competed yesterday, made quite an impressive sight spread out around the palm tree-edged pond at Crab Orchard Equestrian Estate.
The line-up by the lake. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
One of the grooms told me it takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours to get the horses bathed, brushed and braided. It certainly isn’t a job for one person. The word “team” applies to the people involved, as much as it does to the horses.
The horses had to wait their turn to get in the ring, because it could only hold three hitches at a time.When all the heats were finished, the teams lined up side by side in the arena. I didn’t have a wide-angle lens that was wide enough to get them all in the photo!
Quite a lineup! (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
The winning team was Express Ranches from Oklahoma, with Josh Minshull handling the lines of the gleaming black Percherons..
“We’ve actually been showing Clydesdales for the last 20 years under Express Clydesdales. In August, we converted our competitive hitch to the Percheron group,” said Josh.
The Express Percherons. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
“This is still a relatively new group to us, it’s just been five or six months that we’ve been competing with them. They’re coming together pretty well and they had a good drive in the today, so they’re starting to come together as a unit as you’d like them to. It takes some time, since they’re pretty new to us but we’re having a lot of fun with them.”
Horses were stabled next door at Deeridge Farm, which is hosting the Longines Nations Cup show this week. (No draft horses will be appearing there, needless to say, though a Clydesdale flying over a 1.60-meter fence certainly would be amazing).
The show was a benefit for two charities,the EQUUS Foundation and the Young Singers of the Palm Beaches. It drew a nice crowd, and it was interesting to see the number of folks in boots and breeches who drifted over from the Winter Equestrian Festival down the road to watch the men in cowboy hats show off their driving skills.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 9, 2019
WELLINGTON, Fla.—Watching a 20-year-old horse competing in the Western Hemisphere’s only 5-star-rated dressage show is pretty impressive, but when he does more than just participate, it’s really remarkable.
If you didn’t know the age of Elmegardens Marquis, you never would have guessed it from the way he performed last night in the Grand Prix Special at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival.
Joanne Vaughan and a youthful 20-year-old Elmegardens Marquis in the Special. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I always say he’s like a wine, he just keeps getting better,” enthused owner/rider Joanne Vaughan from atop her lively bay gelding, whose neck was draped with a huge yellow third-place ribbon. His total was 66.511 percent, scoring impressive marks of 8 for passage and transitions.
“I bought him as a 7-year-old and I said `this is a horse of a lifetime.’ I would like to tell all your readers, `never give up.’ Everyone told me, `Sell that horse, he’s crazy, he’s mad, you’ll kill yourself.’ But we kept going and I’m so glad we did. Things like tonight make it all worthwhile.”
Early on, the Danish-bred son of Michellino was such a wild child—his first rider fell off nearly every day–that putting him down seemed like the only option for his future. But then the owners decided, “let’s just sell him” and luckily for Max, as he’s known, Joanne came along to purchase him.
“No one would get on him, not even my trainer,” she recalled, but Joanne was not discouraged. The way he felt when she rode him intrigued her and she said, “I love him, I have to have him.”
In the end, persistence paid off, though it was rough in the beginning.
“They know me at Wellington Memorial (Hospital),” she chuckled.
He’s still a firecracker with a reputation to match, however. In fact, Joanne confided before going into the victory ceremony she had worried about what he would do during his first experience under the lights in front of a crowd. “I thought we might end up back at the stable,” she admitted.
He was a perfect gentleman, though she wisely skipped the honor round when he got a little antsy during the awards ceremony.
But she said he’s a different horse since he’s been on a feed program from Kentucky Equine Research, and over the years put together the pieces of her jigsaw puzzle, the right trainer (Ulf Möller), the right bitting, the right tack.
Joanne, who rides for Georgia (the Republic, not the state) is hoping to qualify for this summer’s European Championships. Max was ridden on the gold medal British team in the 2011 Europeans with Emile Faurie. He also was reserve for the British team in the 2012 London Olympics, until it was decided “he was too unpredictable.”
How long can Max keep going?
“I always say I’m ready to retire him as soon as he tells me he doesn’t want to do this anymore,” said Joanne, but at the moment, it doesn’t look as if he’ll be heading out to pasture anytime soon.
The Special was won by Adrienne Lyle with Salvino, her mount from the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games silver medal team. Why, you might ask, was he in the Special instead of the freestyle? She needs the practice because at the 2020 Olympics, the Special will determine team medals. The Grand Prix, which comes before the Special on the schedule, will only be used as a qualifier.
We did it! Adrienne Lyle let Salvino know he was a winner after his performance in the Grand Prix Special. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I’m so happy with his attitude,” said Adrienne, contending Betsy Juliano’s stallion is “enjoying every minute of it.” That was reflected in her score of 73.574 percent as she finished ahead of Shelly Francis on Danilo (70.468).
“He’s a very athletic horse with a ton of scope, which is wonderful, but I need to learn how to keep it exactly where I want it,” she said, pointing out that his scope and the looseness of his movement have both pluses and minuses.
“At times, it’s been like riding an octopus, trying to get all the legs underneath you in one place. He’s starting to really understand his work and feel confident that he can do what I ask every time,” she said.
It definitely was Adrienne’s day at Global, as she also won the qualifier for the 3-star Grand Prix Special (the show offered 1-star, 3-star and 5-star classes) with Harmony’s Duval in his first CDI (international competition). He came out of a field in Colorado, selected by Bob McDonald, husband of U.S. dressage coach Debbie McDonald, who is Adrienne’s mentor.
“We’ve had him since he was five years old and just getting saddle-broke. It’s been quite a journey He has super talent, he does all the hard stuff really easily. It’s just getting him a little more relaxed and rideable and getting him more exposure in these big stadiums,” said Adrienne, who won the 3-star Special itself this afternoon with Duval on 72.851 percent..
Harmony’s Duval can handle a pirouette nicely under Adrienne Lyle’s guidance. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
The American-bred Dutchwarmblood by Rousseau, who is owned by a syndicate, got a grant to go and compete in Europe this summer.
The freestyle, the featured event last night, drew only six horses, since many riders are trying to figure out a way to do the new requirement of three qualifiers for the FEI World Cup finals and still ride in other classes at Global.
Canada’s Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu won the Grand Prix Freestyle, as she did with the qualifier the day before on All In. The freestyle is the last competition for Brittany until after she has her baby in June.
The timing means she won’t be available to help her teammates at this summer’s Pan American Games qualify for a place at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. But she’s hoping to go to Tokyo if Canada makes the cut. She has demonstrated a style that would make her a must for the Tokyo team.
Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu wasn’t riding alone when she won the Grand Prix Freestyle on All In. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Her freestyle had a high degree of difficulty, highlighted by as many combinations as she could do, along with a lot of transitions in an effort to get more bonus points.
She was marked at 76.250 percent, to 75.705 percent for runner-up Katherine Bateson-Chandler on Alcazar (75.705), who has been a long-running project for his American rider. Third place went to a horse that is still developing, Ballentines 10, ridden by Christoph Koschel of Germany. It was the horse’s first freestyle and first time under the lights.
“I’m so proud of him that he was behaving so well and was so with me. I think there’s a lot of potential for the future,” Christoph said.
Ballentines 10 and Christoph Koschel. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
I agree. I see the potential in the 11-year-old Hanoverian. I asked Christoph if he’s thinking about Tokyo, and he pointed out that for him, it’s not so easy, because he’s from Germany and there’s such an abundance of talent there that also will be trying for a team spot.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 7, 2019
Ocala. Fla., is about to get much hotter, and we’re not talking about the weather.
The World Equestrian Center, which has a big show operation in Wilmington, Ohio, is opening a lavish new site in Ocala in January 2021, it was announced today. Set on 4,000 acres, it will have 17 all-purpose arenas and four indoor arenas (climate-controlled, like the stabling). A three-acre outdoor stadium will be geared to different types of events, not just horse shows.
A hotel will be part of the package, along with a fine-dining restaurant and four other on-site dining options. Three-acre housing parcels also will be available, and they can be bought in multiples as well.
The WEC hotel will have an arena view.
Plans call for holding recognized U.S. Equestrian Federation competitions, if possible, despite the mileage protection rule covering pre-existing shows. At present, HITS has a winter show series in Ocala and Chester Weber runs a jumper and driving show in the fast-growing area.
If WEC can’t get the dates for USEF-rated shows, it will run its own hunter/jumper series. It also will host dressage, para-equestrian, vaulting, reining and breed events. Non-equestrian activities will include weddings, dog shows, car shows and corporate events.
The technology being built into the project will accommodate key cards, digital video live streaming and a 24/7 security network.
The reason for the long lag time until the opening is to ensure the facility “is completely finished and in ready condition to safely host horses and exhibitors.” That’s good news for those who lived through the unfinished state of the Tryon International Equestrian Center during last September’s FEI World Equestrian Games
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 2, 2019
Thinking about getting involved in breeding your own horse? The Rutgers Equine Science Center and the Rutgers Cooperative Extension are offering a seminar on “Feeding and Care of Mare/Foal, Stallion and Growing Horse” from 8:30 a.m.-3:45 pm Feb. 10 at the Cook Student Center in New Brunswick.
“This year we selected a topic that we have not covered during any of the previous Horse Management Seminars. Even if you don’t currently breed horses, the presentations will have lots of information for everyone,” said Dr. Carey Williams, extension equine specialist and associate director of extension for the Equine Science Center.
“Our goal for this workshop is to bring in the leading experts in each of these topic areas. This includes broodmare and growing horse nutrition, care of the stallion, and new reproductive advances. We will also highlight some of the current and future research from Rutgers Equine graduate students.”
The morning will start with “Stallion Care” and “Recent Advanced in Equine Reproduction” by Dr. Ed Squires from University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center. “Dr. Squires leads the country in his contribution to the field of equine reproduction” said Carey.
“We are honored to have him here at Rutgers courtesy of Vetoquinol USA.” The morning will also include Dr. Dan Keenan from Foundation Equine, a local veterinarian specializing in equine reproduction. Dr. Keenan will present “Care of the Mare and Foal Pre- and Post-Birth.”
In the afternoon, Dr. Amy Burk, who leads the equine breeding program at the University of Maryland, presents “Feeding the Pregnant/Lactating Mare”, followed by “GI Development and Nutrition of the Growing Horse” by Dr. Paul Siciliano from North Carolina State University.
Closing out the day will be a panel discussion from the three main speakers. Following the panel Carey’s doctoral student, Jennifer Weinert, will give a short presentation on some of the current research taking place on campus, as well as what future research has been planned.
In addition to these presentations, the seminar will feature informational displays, networking opportunities with industry companies and area organizations, and ample time for one-on-one discussions with the day’s presenters.
The complete program, registration information, and seminar brochure are posted on the Equine Science Center website at esc.rutgers.edu as well as at the registration site: http://bit.ly/2019HMS . Space is limited, and the early bird discount for registration ends on January 28. For questions, contact Carey at (848) 932-5529 or carey.williams@rutgers.edu.
