by Nancy Jaffer | May 1, 2019
At age 72, iconic Canadian show jumper Ian Millar is retiring from international competition. After nearly a half-century riding at major events around the world, he will concentrate on coaching and developing young horses.
He has been a part of the Canadian team since 1971, representing his country in more than 200 Nations’ Cups. His 10 Olympic appearances are a world record for any athlete in any sport.
Ian Millar on In Style at the 2008 Olympics, where he was part of the Canadian silver medal team. (Photo©2008 by Nancy Jaffer)
In addition to his Olympic experience, he has participated in 10 Pan American Games and seven World Championships. He won his first Olympic medal, a team silver, at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and has 10 Pan American Games medals, including two individual and two team gold.
“Representing Canada many times over my career has been my greatest honor,” he said.
“Each time I wore the red team jacket was very special to me, and the fact that I was able to share this experience with so many great riders is a testament to the quality of horsemen and horsewomen here in our country.”
In addition to his efforts representing Canada internationally, Ian has won over 150 grand prix competitions over the course of his career, including the prestigious international grand prix three times at the Spruce Meadows ‘Masters’ tournament in Calgary, Alberta.
He is a 12-time Canadian Show Jumping Champion and was the first rider to win back-to-back World Cup Finals, earning the title in 1988 and 1989. His most successful horse, Big Ben, was a household name throughout Canada and the U.S. in the late 1980s and 1990s and was a favorite to win everywhere he competed.
Ian built his home stable, Millar Brooke Farm, located in Perth, Ontario, into a powerhouse training ground for international show jumping. In addition to his development of over 100 grand prix horses, Ian has coached a number of other top international riders including Canadian Olympic teammates Mario Deslauriers and Jill Henselwood, as well as Richard Spooner of the U.S. He has also been instrumental in the successful careers of his son, Jonathon and daughter-in-law Kelly, as well as his daughter, Amy, a fellow Olympian.
While Ian is stepping back from international competition, he plans to be busier than ever working with up-and-coming athletes and horses.
“The bond formed between horse and rider is an amazing thing to experience, but the partnership has to be built the right way, with compassion, understanding, and care,” he said. “Over the past few years, I have found myself more and more drawn toward working with young horses and riders, and I am excited to expand my coaching to share my knowledge and passion with the next generation.”
At the conclusion of his international career, Ian paid tribute to those closest to him over the years.
“It has been the journey of a lifetime with so many dreams realized, so much due to the fantastic horses I was blessed to ride, to whom I am eternally grateful,” said Ian.
“I would like to personally thank my owners and sponsors for all their help and support during my show jumping career. While there are too many to name, my partnerships with owner Ann Matthews and sponsor BMO Financial Group had especially long and sustained successes. I would also like to thank all the members of my support team who have supported me faithfully over the years: my family, staff, veterinarians, equine therapists, chef d’equipes, and all my fellow riders.
“Finally, the biggest contributor to my success was my late wife, Lynn, with whom I shared my most cherished bond. Through our partnership, we achieved incredible success.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 27, 2019
Oliver Townend, the world’s number one-ranked event rider, remained on top of the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event standings today after cross-country, but how long will he be there? The 2018 Kentucky winner and Cooley Master Class don’t have a room for a mistake in Sunday’s stadium jumping phase.
Despite 1.2 time penalties on cross-country, 2018 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event winner Oliver Townend and Coolio are two-thirds of the way to winning the 2019 renewal. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
While the crowd at the Kentucky Horse Park seems to love all the riders and cheers for them, Oli got the most applause when he appeared in the dressage arena on Friday. But I’m guessing that the audience will be a little more partisan in the final segment, because Boyd Martin is just 2.6 penalties behind Oli, and has a real chance to become the first American winner of the 5-star event since his buddy, Phillip Dutton, did it in 2008.
The fans here are living their dream, and they can’t get enough of this event. They swarm riders at autograph sessions and love watching them warm-up, when they aren’t buying souvenirs in the trade fair. Boyd is one of their special faves, so it was good news for them when he and Tsetserleg moved up from third after dressage with rip-roaring trip over designer Derek di Grazia’s course. Boyd and Phillip, who stands fourth with Z, accounted for two of the three double-clears (jumping and time) among the 31 starters who finished a route that required them to prepare and think every stride of the way.
The other fault-free rider was New Zealand’s Tim Price on Xavier Faer, and as last fall’s Burghley winner in England, he is going for the Rolex Grand Slam. All he has to do to win the $350,000 bonus is finish first here and at Badminton in England next week. Nothing much. Oli went for it in 2018, but faltered at Badminton and didn’t take the prize, which has only been claimed twice, by Pippa Funnell and Michael Jung.
Tim Price and Xavier Faer. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Since a toppled rail counts for four penalties, you can see that Oli doesn’t have anything to play with in the Rolex Stadium. And Boyd also has to stay alert, because Tim is just three penalties behind him and only 0.8 penalties ahead of Phillip.
You probably could have figured those four would be the ones to catch, but the route’s technicality made everything uncertain.
“I thought the course walked a bit easy this year,” Boyd recounted, “and I was very, very surprised when there was so much trouble and I quickly realized how wrong I was, that this quite a tough course.
Recognition of the situation actually came early for the crowd of 34,889 who watched along the 28-fence route. The first three on course, Islandwood Captain Jack with Caroline Martin, Park Trader with Buck Davidson and DeNiro Z with Liz Halliday Sharp all were eliminated by falls.
Caroline and Buck both fell at 20B, the 3-foot, 9-inch high Normandy Bank; she was too sore to ride her next horse, and Buck broke his collarbone, then scratched his other two mounts. Liz, who had been tied for fifth after dressage, had her tumble at the third fence, the 3-11 high Turning Oxer.
Oli coped when Coolio lost a shoe, but the rider was very conscious of that, and the fact that it presented a challenge of not slipping on the grass.
Oli Townend at the drop into the water. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
“It made me a touch more conservative than I normally am,” he said, and it was reflected in the 1.2 time penalties he collected. But he described his horse as keen, enjoying himself with his “ears pricked all the way.” Noted Oli, “A little bit I felt he was more in control than I was. He was definitely up for it.”
Boyd was true to form with his black Trakehner, saying he felt “we’re a bit more a partnership” than they were last year.
“Throughout the course, he kept trying and trying and trying and never looked for a way out.”
Then he offered a typical amusing anecdote: “I was stabled next to Phillip Dutton and we were sort of egging each other on to see who is going to do the Normandy Bank (the straight way). I wasn’t sure he was going to do it and then when I heard the commentator say he did it while I was warming up, I thought, “Aww, I have to do it now, because I’ll look like a big wimp if I go around. That could have seriously backfired.”
Tim knew the course would be tough, but was proud of his mount, who also lost a shoe.
Boyd Martin shows the challenge of jumping up from the lake to a step and facing an imposing hedge. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I was really pleased with my horse. He threw himself over everything and stayed upright in all the important places,” said Tim, who noted he will have to “repackage” Xavier Faer after the horse inspection to get him ready for the stadium jumping.
The course designer has done all he can do once the event starts. As the problems arise, he can only hope the next competitor will go clear.
“As it turned out, all the jumps got jumped because a lot of people opted to take some of the longer routes, which is good,” said Derek.
“There were some more technical things than there were last year. For the most part, the jumps worked in the way I thought they would. And I think that with a lot of the combinations there was a variation on different strides between the obstacles and the riders used all of them.”
He noted at the iconic Head of the Lake water complex, the riders had to work harder than he thought they would have to after jumping into the water over a brush and heading toward a step out of the lake. After that, they bounced over a thick brush with a tiny slot for the horse to pass through, and that led to three refusals there, two riders who re-routed to go the long way and several near-misses.
So the stage is set for an exciting confrontation in a change of venue, from the grass to the all-weather footing in the Rolex Stadium, where Richard Jeffery’s clever courses will determine the order of finish and offer a thrill in the bargain.
Come back to my website tomorrow night to find out who won, and why.
Coverage of Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event on NancyJaffer.com:
Wednesday, April 24: And they’re off — at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event
Thursday, April 25: Dressage paves the way at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event
Friday, April 26: The Once and Future King of Kentucky?
Sunday, April 28: The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event has a repeat winner
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 24, 2019
It never fails. Every year when I tell non-horsey friends that I’m heading to Kentucky at the end of April, they always say the same thing: “Are you going to the Kentucky Derby?”
When I explain that my destination is the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event (known until last year as Rolex Kentucky) there is never a glimmer of recognition. But my horsey pals know exactly where I’m headed and why. It is the only 5-star-rated event in the Western Hemisphere. Billing itself as “the best weekend all year,” it certainly had a good start today with glorious weather at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.
Defending champion Oliver Townend of Great Britain says hello while jogging Cooley Master Class. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
The first order of business is the horse inspection, also known as the trot-up or the jog to determine which horses are fit to start. There were 42 presented to the judging panel, one of the smaller fields for the event, which got even smaller when Ashley Johnson’s Technical Manuever was not accepted.
The trot-up doubles as a fashion show, with awards given for the best female and male outfits. But it’s all a matter of opinion, as most riders showing a bit of personality-illuminating flair offer a glimpse at their inner selves not evident when they’re in boots and breeches.
Here is a look at a few of the standouts. Check back here every night through Sunday for the latest update on the action at Land Rover Kentucky.
“Show us your socks,” photographers yelled at Buck Davidson, seen here jogging Jak My Style, but we only got a tiny glimpse of his famous good-luck red and yellow socks. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
She’s all hat. Sarah Gumbiner and Polaris. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg are among the favorites to take the top spot (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)
Coverage of Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event on NancyJaffer.com:
Thursday, April 25: Dressage paves the way at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event
Friday, April 26: The Once and Future King of Kentucky?
Saturday, April 27: Is it time for an American to win the Kentucky Three-Day Event?
Sunday, April 28: The Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event has a repeat winner
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.
