Juniors can ride as guests of the Monmouth County Hunt at 10 a.m. on Nov. 29, with no capping fee. On Junior Day, braiding is not mandatory, but riders must wear white shirts with a stock tie, black or navy jackets and tall boots. Hairnets also are required.
For older riders, the capping fee is $100 and for car follwers, $25. Want more information and an invitation? Write to monmouthcountyhunt@gmail.com
Mark your calendar for 7-8:30 p.m. Nov. 12, when the Rutgers Equine Science Center will hold its annual Evening of Science and Celebration virtually. The keynote will come from ESC Founding Director Karyn Malinowski on a hot topic, “Equine Welfare: A New World for Equine Athletes.”
The guest speaker, Dr. Allen Page of the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center, will discuss, “Can We Use a Blood Test to Predict Catastrophic Racing Injuries in Horse?.” The toll taken by such injuries continues to be a matter of concern, as legislation is being directed to improve safety at the racetracks.
Also scheduled are presentations of the Spirit of the Horse Award and the Gold Medal Horse Farm Award. To register for the evening, go to https://go.rutgers.edu/Evening2020
Elegant and effective, Dominic Gibbs had “winner” written all over him when he competed in today’s ASPCA Maclay equitation championship at the National Horse Show. It was a marathon of a competition that ran 13 hours from the first horse to the victory gallop in the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena.
Dominic Gibbs aboard Cent 15 on his way to victory in the Maclay. (Photo by Elaine Wessel/Phelps Media Group)
Because of Covid, the class had a record 252 riders entered in the first round, since qualifying had to be adjusted in view of limited opportunities to compete because of the pandemic.
The field was tested over an extremely demanding first-round course designed by Bobby Murphy, with rails falling more than usual for this class. The initial group was whittled down to 24 for the flat phase. Dominic, second to Gigi Moynihan of Oldwick after the first round, moved up to the top spot going into the first test after the flat competition.
The test was quite complicated, with a hand-gallop to the first fence and counter-canter approaches demanded to the sixth and 10th fences to test both leads, a triple of a skinny vertical one stride from a birch oxer and then two strides to another skinny vertical. Oh yes, and then between the last two fences, riders had to put in six steady strides, no more. Competitors needed to be proficient in extension and collection throughout.
I thought the contenders had sorted themselves out quite nicely after that round, but judges Emil Spadone and Mark Jungherr thought otherwise.
The course for Round 2.
So they called back the top four–Dominic; Dover Saddlery/USEF Medal winner Taylor Griffiths-Madden, Gigi and Sophee Steckbeck of Clarksburg in Monmouth County for one more round over a shorter course with two trot fences. After that, the result was the same.
Taylor Griffiths-Madden and Mac One III. (Photo by Elaine Wessel/Phelps Media Group)
Stacia Klein-Madden, who trains Dominic at Beacon Hill in Colts Neck, figured that the round after the flat phase “had so many tests built in that I speculated if whoever was leading delivered that test well enough to stay on top, that maybe there would be no other testing.”
But as she pointed out, since no scores were made public, no one but the judges knew how close the riders were.
As Emil noted, “There was a little room if someone maybe wanted to move up. They all held their own, but there was not enough of a change for us to change our order.”
Stacia took the decision about additional work in stride.
“Once they announced there was going to be further testing after the second round, you just had to get your head in the game and deliver again.”
And that’s what happened, though of course, the additional testing brought heightened tension.
“In the past, I have had some issues with nerves,” Dominic observed, “so I was just trying to keep myself calm and keep it under control to have the best round that I could for the second round. I think that really helping myself to calm down with breathing really helps a lot.”
Whatever he’s feeling on the inside, Dominic always looks composed and in tune with his horse, Cent 15.
“It’s a stunning picture, it’s a stunning horse I don’t know that I’ve ever had a rider get a top five ribbon in all the finals in the same year,” said Stacia.
The list includes fourth place in the Washington International and the Medal, as well as fifth in the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East.
Stacia Klein-Madden and Dominic Gibbs. (Photo by Elaine Wessel/Phelps Media Group.)
As Stacia put it,” We kept knocking at the door until somebody answered.”
Since Dominic has another year as a junior rider, he will now try to raise the ante and win those other championships in which he placed during 2020.
I first met Dominic last year when he was fourth in the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East, and I was impressed.
A Colorado Springs resident, he was so talented that his first trainer sent him to Katie and Henri Prudent. Though they guided him in the jumpers, they suggested he also needed an equitation specialist, which was how he became associated with Stacia.
Dominic bought his mount in Europe as a stallion and trained him to be an equitation specialist.
“He’s done a lot of work, and I think that is really something for him to be proud of,” Stacia said.
She cited Dominic’s strengths as “perseverance and determination. He really is truly thrilled with his horse’s every performance. He is always looking at the good of the performance and tries to learn from the mistakes.”
The Maclay wrapped up a crazy year for junior riders and their trainers, with Covid canceling USEF shows from March 20-May 31, and many shows deciding not to go ahead after that. Those who participated at the National offered kudos to the organization for running when so many others couldn’t.
As Stacia noted, “Every horse show we got to show at, I was just thankful we were showing.”
It was nearly everything a show jumper could hope for–a victory in a 4-star grand prix worth $213,300, over a track laid out by an Olympic course designer, and against an all-star field that included some of the sport’s biggest names, McLain Ward and Kent Farrington among them..
Only one element for a perfect class was lacking as Devin Ryan won the National Horse Show Grand Prix on Eddie Blue tonight: There wasn’t a cheering crowd to salute his achievement, because Covid rules meant fans couldn’t attend the competition, which was watched in person by just a few exhibitors. And Devin really missed having spectators at the Kentucky Horse Park’s Alltech Arena when he went through the timers in 35.13 seconds as the pathfinder in a seven-horse jump-off.
Devin Ryan and Eddie Blue on their way to winning the National Horse Show Grand Prix. (Photo by Elaine Wessel/Phelps Media Group)
“I wasn’t sure I jumped clean, because I rubbed a couple of back rails on a couple of oxers,” he told me.
“I go through the timers and there were a couple of people clapping, but it’s not like a roar that you get from a crowd to really know when you jump clean.” He wondered, “`Did I jump clean?’and then they announced it, and I was like, `Ah, yes.’ That was the only thing that was little bit weird.”
That’s if you don’t count having your temperature checked at the facility every day, but the routine is becoming old hat now for people showing through Covid.
Devin left nothing on the table for his colleagues. He won not only the Leading Rider title, he also collected the Groom’s Award, since he took care of Eddie himself all week. The only help the Long Valley horseman got was from Long Island friends, Myrna Treuting and her daughter Ali, who set fences for him.
Just one other rider, Spencer Smith, was clear in the tie-breaker over the Guilherme Jorge-designed course. He was aboard Quibelle from Georgina Bloomberg’s Gotham Enterprizes, finishing in 35.26 seconds. The fastest jump-off round, 33.71 seconds, belonged to Paul O’Shea on Skara Glen’s Machu Picchu, but he had a rail to finish third.
Devin taking his victory gallop. (Photo by Georgie Hammond/Phelps Media Group)
Eddie, an 11-year-old Dutch warmblood owned by LL Show Jumpers LLC, wowed the international ranks in 2018 by finishing second in the Longines FEI World Cup Finals in his first appearance at that competition and then being part of the U.S. gold medal team later that year at the FEI World Equestrian Games. Will the Olympics be next?
Last year, with the Tokyo Games scheduled for July 2020, Devin was “a little conservative with him, hoping to be a discretionary pick for the short list. Then Covid hit.”
He didn’t do much traveling once showing resumed, trying to run his business in New Jersey and knowing his customers didn’t want to travel too far. So he lived in a camper at HITS in Saugerties, N.Y., for much of the summer. Eddie was 12th in the $500,000 grand prix there, but after that series ended, he didn’t show for six weeks before going to Tryon, N.C.
“He’s doing what you want a championship horse to do,” said Devin. Eddie, a son of VDL Zirocco Blue, has been clear or had 4 faults since starting to show again, with the exception of his first class out, the Welcome at Tryon, where he had two rails down; Devin said he “felt rusty” after his layoff but soon got back into the game.
Noting that things are “sort of getting shut down right now” in Europe because of Covid, Devin is grateful for the shows in Tryon and Kentucky.
“I’m glad that they are holding these events and proving they can hold them and be safe,” he said.
“It’s good for the sport.”
A third-place finish in the Adequan®/ USEF Para Dressage National Championships last weekend signified a triumph of will and commitment for Alanna Flax-Clark.
Even traveling to the competition in Tryon, N.C., took some resolve during the Covid crisis, since she has underlying conditions dating back to the 2008 life-threatening infection that left her coping with a variety of challenges when the initial symptoms subsided.
“I didn’t know whether to go or not,” said Alanna about the championships, adding, “I was nervous about the number of people and horses in one place. I was thinking about cancelling at the last minute.”
As Michel Assouline, the U.S. para dressage technical advisor noted, “Some (para) riders need extra precautionary measures to minimize a Covid risk of infection because of a weak immune system. In fact, some riders didn’t make the journey to Tryon because of the risk traveling poses.”
Alanna heading to the arena with trainer Sara Schmitt. (Photo by Lindsay Y. McCall)
But Alanna did wind up heading south from New Jersey with her Califon-based trainer, Sara Schmitt. She knew it was the right decision when she saw how well things were handled, with plenty of space in the stabling and a new arena, even as classes from the Pennsylvania National and Washington International shows were being held at the Tryon International Equestrian Center.
Staying in an Airbnb nearby and skipping a party also added to her sense of comfort. Alanna cited dressage show manager Monica Fitzgerald for doing a “fantastic” job.
“It’s hard to have everyone’s needs met and have a dressage show and the hunter/jumpers there at the same time,” she noted. “We did feel safe. People were good about wearing masks. It was part of your outfit.”
After breaking 70 percent for her freestyle to Abba music, it was obvious the situation suited Alanna, 37, and her mount, El Paso, affectionately known as Taco.
Alanna and Taco. (Photo by Lindsay Y. McCall)
“Overall it was three of our best rides, the most consistent, the most reliable, the most harmonious. I felt like it was our best show overall,” said the rider, a former special education teacher who has only been competing since mid-2017.
“In spite of everything that’s been happening this year, Sara has really been good about figuring out how to push me, push my horse into developing better gaits, developing confidence, allowing me to ride a more forward trot, increasing my accuracy and geometry,” said Alanna as she reflected on how things have developed in 2020.
“Those are easy things to get better points automatically. I think my feel as a rider has gotten much stronger. Even if Sara schools him for two minutes, I get on Taco and I feel like I have the confidence to school him for the way I need to, which a year ago I can’t say I was able to do. I think all those things are pointing me i the right direction for where I want to go.”
As she observed, “Dressage is such a cool sport, you never stop learning. I can continue to develop my skills constantly.”
This year’s show was a happy contrast with the 2019 edition, where bad luck plagued Alanna. Taco lost a shoe and she lost her reins in one test, a real problem since she can’t close her fingers around them and has to put her hands through loops to guide her horse.
Alanna, who was an alternate for the team competition at the Tryon show, was on top in the individual Grade II Division standings of those who walk and trot in their tests. Her composite championship score of 67.948 percent put her behind two big names in para dressage, Rebecca Hart (77.029) who took the tri-color on Rowan O’Reilly’s El Corona Texel while competing in Grade III and Sidney Collier (76.147) reserve champ aboard Going for Gold LLC’s All in One in the Grade I Division.
Alanna shows Taco the blue ribbon they won for their freestyle. (Photo by Joanna Frantz)
Commenting on Alanna’s progress, Sara observed, “She’s very consistent and the judges are starting to recognize her, but Taco is not the quality of those horses.” (Tex and All in One).
“We’ve been working hard. I feel good about what we’re doing, but it’s nice to see it reflected in the judges,” Alanna commented.
Sara is, of course, pleased that her student is making measurable progress.
“She is a lot stronger and her horse is a lot stronger,” Sara noted about Alanna, who as of last month was ranked 14th in the world in her division.
When Alanna first came to her several years ago, “she couldn’t ride for 10 minutes,” Sara recalled, while noting how her endurance has increased dramatically.
Alanna is riding more and also works as special projects manager for Mane Stream in Oldwick, where it serves individuals with physical, developmental, emotional and medical challenges through equine-assisted activities, therapy services and educational initiatives.
This winter, Alanna will be headed to Florida for competition and training, with the Paralympics as a goal. While next summer’s Tokyo competition is fast approaching, she will have more time to refine her game and perhaps get a second horse with the 2022 World Championships and Paris 2024 on the horizon.
At this point, however, she said, “I just want to focus to being in the present.”
She said she couldn’t do what she does without Sara; Maggie O’Leary, the assistant trainer and Caelyn Adams, her groom. Alanna also is glad for the support of her family in California, happy they are able to see her ride via the livestream that is ubiquitous since Covid.
Michel noted, “It was hard for Alanna this winter to continue training because of strict lockdown restrictions where she lives, but we managed to do regular online remote coaching and riding session analysis. Alanna has a good coach and she has really come from strength to strength since moving from California to New Jersey two years ago.
‘Having regular support from a coach makes a difference. I give support to both Alanna and her coach. So Alanna’s work ethic and move to her personal coach have produced great results. She is very strategically focused.”
Searching for answers to your horse-related questions? Whether they involve health, pasture and manure management, exercise physiology or other equine-related subjects, the Rutgers Equine Science Center is offering an opportunity to learn from people who know.
The lineup for the “Ask the Experts” panel online at 7 p.m. Nov. 5 includes Karyn Malinowski, the center’s founding director; veterinarian Dr. Michael Fugaro, Kenneth McKeever, Michael Westendorf and Carey Williams.To register, go to: https://go.rutgers.edu/Fall2020ews
And mark your calendar for 7-8:30 p.m. Nov. 12, when the annual Evening of Science and Celebration will be held virtually. The keynote will come from Karyn Malinowski on a hot topic, “Equine Welfare: A New World for Equine Athletes.”
The guest speaker, Dr. Allen Page of the University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center, will discuss, “Can We Use a Blood Test to Predict Catastrophic Racing Injuries in Horse?.” The toll taken by such injuries continues to be a matter of concern, as legislation is being directed to improve safety at the racetracks.
Also scheduled are presentations of the Spirit of the Horse Award and the Gold Medal Horse Farm Award. To register for the evening, go to https://go.rutgers.edu/Evening2020
One of the guiding lights of the Hampton Classic Horse Show, Agneta Currey, died Oct. 20.
A resident of Franklin, Tenn., Wellington, Fla., and Southampton, N.Y., she was a native of Sweden who met Brownlee O. Currey Jr., an investment banker at Equitable Securities, when she went to work in New York City in 1960. They married in May 1961.
Agneta Currey
Mrs Currey was instrumental and the leader in creating the partnership of 1984 Los Angeles Olympic double gold medalist Joe Fargis and the thoroughbred mare Touch Of Class.
Involved at the Hampton Classic Horse Show since 1977, Mrs. Currey’s efforts included chairing the board of directors and co-founding an advisory committee of professional riders and exhibitors to continuously improve the show. As head of the flower committee, she brought color and beauty to the showgrounds.
A rider since her childhood, Mrs. Currey and her three children trained at Topping Riding Club, one of the oldest riding clubs on Long Island, and she became a talented amateur hunter rider. Mrs Currey was instrumental and the leader in creating the partnership of 1984 Los Angeles Olympic double gold medalist Joe Fargis and his thoroughbred mare Touch Of Class.
Survivors include her children, Christian (Kathryn) Currey, Frances Briggs, and Stephanie (John) Ingram and 12 grandchildren. She was predeceased by her husband.
The family will have a private memorial. Those wishing to honor her memory can make contributions to Currey Ingram Academy; 6544 Murray Lane; Brentwood, TN 37027 or the Hampton Classic Horse Show, Inc.; P.O. Box 3013; Bridgehampton, NY 11932.
This weekend is one that the Essex Foxhounds usually devote to appreciating the country way of life, highlighted by its Masters Chase of fun races at Natirar, a Somerset County park that once was part of a great estate.
The Covid situation meant the chase and its afternoon of tailgating couldn’t be held in 2020, but Essex recouped–and in the process made up for having to cancel its puppy show earlier in the year for the same reason.
Instead, it offered a hound clinic at its Peapack base, with members and guests gathering to hear an appreciation of hound breeding by Tony Leahy, president of the Masters of Foxhounds Association. He is the master of both the Fox River Valley Hunt in Illinois and the Massbach Hounds in Georgia, enabling him to hunt from August to mid-April.
Tony Leahy explains a fine point about hound breeding.( Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
The gathering benefited the Countryside Alliance of the Somerset Hills. It’s a non-profit “formed to educate the public about breeding horses and hounds and the sporting life,” said Jazz Merton, who is the joint master of Essex with Karen Murphy.
According to Tony, the Essex Foxhounds “is one of the foundation genetic schools of American foxhounds in the U.S., and for American foxhounds in the world.”
Jazz noted that huntsman Bart Poole has been working to breed hounds concentrating on three family lines. It was informative to see three generations of hounds and how they were related.
Buster Chadwell was the huntsman for Essex from 1940 to 1977, with one year off for serving in World War II. His son, Roddy, followed him in the position. Their hound acuity made the Essex pack famous.
“The Chadwell family was renowned for breeding and training deer-broke hounds,” said Jazz, referring to canines that won’t get distracted by running on deer. With the prevalence of deer in the area, that’s a gift.
“Once the older hounds are smart about that, the younger ones are easy to train. They get the picture pretty quickly. It’s like a team; they all really want to work together. That’s what the breeding program is about, having a group or a family of good hunting hounds,” Jazz continued.
“It’s better to have a family of good hounds than to have one superstar who’s always outrunning the pack.”
To the average person, the hounds may look pretty much alike, aside from different coloration or the way their spots are arranged. But Bart knows them all by name, and it’s impressive to see him address them and watch the way they respond.
Huntsman Bart Poole shows off the Essex hounds and Tony Leahy offers observations for guests in Peapack. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
He and Tony cited the attributes of each hound, but Bart was practically poetic talking about Rhubarb “She has all the qualities,” enthused Bart.
“We call her the Swiss army knife.”
Her “multidimensional strengths and road nose” were paired with the pluses of Bristol, who has a “brilliant fox sense and thoughtfulness” in a mating designed to produce a family that was bred to embody those traits. The offspring were Raisin, Radish, Reaper, Roddy and Rubbish (which Tony cited with a smile as another “great name.”)
There is a real knack in “how to create families and keep things going in a sustainable way,” said Tony. It’s both an art and a science.
“You can’t necessarily breed the best to the best and expect to get the best,” he explained.
One goal is to produce hounds that have longevity yet can “still run with as much power as possible. Any pack of hounds should try to maintain at least four, possibly five, dominant female lines.”
When discussing various qualities of the hounds, “bidability” is a word he prefers to use rather than trainability. The communal dynamic among hounds, huntsman and staff can offer a type of built-in consensus, the teamwork to which Jazz referred, and that requires hounds who are open to it.
“For a group of hounds to be a mile away from you and want to get back to you,” Tony said, “that’s special.”
Asked about the state of foxhunting in America, Tony noted that with Covid, “a lot of people are coming back to the sport. It’s safe, it’s family- and community-based.”
While there are restrictions on many other sports during the pandemic, being socially distant aboard a horse in the fresh air means hunting can continue.
“From kids to 90-year-olds, there’s a place in most any of the hunts for anybody. What we’re seeing is that hunts are re-energized,” Tony observed.
“People come back to something familiar and that has some honesty and integrity and purity to it. It’s a shared bond when you’re out there in the field.
During the afternoon, Valerie Gimbel was honored for being part of the Essex field for 50 years, while former hunt secretary Constance Silverman was recognized for her contributions.
Huntsman Bart Poole plays a tribute to the late James C. Brady. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
Before the clinic began, Karen asked for a moment of silence for longtime Essex benefactor James Brady, who died last week. In Mr. Brady’s memory, Bart played “Gone Away” on his horn. (See Mr. Brady’s obituary in the On the Rail section of this website.)
Karen characterized Mr. Brady as “a strong supporter of Essex; he had an interest in what we did and how Essex stepped into this next century. He kept an eye on things.”
Private services were held yesterday at St. Brigid’s Church in Gladstone for James C. Brady, a member of a family with deep roots in Somerset County and the thoroughbred industry.
Mr. Brady, 85, was the grandson of James Cox Brady, who built the landmark stable that is the home of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation on his estate, Hamilton Farms; his son, the second James Cox Brady, was one of the founding directors of the Monmouth Park racetrack. He also served as chairman of the New York Racing Association when Belmont Park was built.
The late James Cox Brady of Bedminster
In turn, his son, the third James C. Brady, kept up the family tradition, managing the Mill House Racing stable whose runners included America Alive, Brilliant, Trappe Shot and Rattlesnake Bridge. He was the general partner of Mill House Associates, successor to Brady Security & Realty Corporation. In 1957, Mr. Brady began work at Bankers Trust Company, resigning to take a position as commissioner of banking in New Jersey Gov. William Cahill’s cabinet, helping plan development of the Meadowlands Sports Complex, including Giants Stadium and the Meadowlands Racetrack.
In 1983, Mr. Brady was appointed secretary-treasurer of The Jockey Club, joining newly elected chairman Ogden Mills Phipps and vice chairman William S. Farish. These men led a three-decade period of growth for The Jockey Club, establishing new commercial business, including Equibase Company and several technology-based service and data businesses. Proceeds from the commercial subsidiaries fueled increasing investments in the marketing of Thoroughbred racing and research and advocacy for improved safety and integrity of the sport. Mr. Brady, who remained on the board of stewards until 2013, was succeeded by his nephew, Ian Highet, as secretary-treasurer of The Jockey Club in 2010.
At his home in Somerset County, he also was a supporter of the Essex Foxhounds..
Mr. Brady is survived by his wife of 63 years, Joan Babcock Brady; his brother, Nicholas Brady, a former chairman of The Jockey Club, U.S. Senator, and Treasury Secretary; and his sisters Lisa Richards and Eliot Stewart; a son, James C. Brady and his wife, Anne Lusk Brady; daughters Joan “Nonie” Brady and her husband, Wilhelm Merck; and Kerry Chace Brady and her partner, Brock Dolman. Mr. Brady had two granddaughters, Audrey Slade Brady and Millicent McKay Brady.
A memorial service celebrating his life is to be held in the spring of 2021. In lieu of flowers, donations in Mr. Brady’s memory may be made to LifeCamp, http://greaternewarklifecamp.org/, a summer camp for inner city youth, long supported by the Brady family.
The new World Equestrian Center in Ocala, which is set to open in January, has been allocated the U.S. Longines FEI Nations Cup™ qualifier by the FEI. The prospective dates for the show hosting it are March 16-21, although the full FEI calendar is still awaiting approval.
The qualifier previously was staged at the Palm Beach Masters in Wellington, Fla., a fixture which is no longer being held. Prior to that, the qualifier was staged by HITS, also in Ocala, a few minutes’ drive from WEC. The class is the qualifier for the Nations Cup final, which was not held this year due to Covid. It usually runs during September in Barcelona. Another Nations Cup that is not a qualifier for the final is held at the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington.
WEC has state-of-the-art indoor arenas and two stadiums, a 5-star hotel, restaurants, a veterinary clinic and retail shops. The facility, under the same ownership as the World Equestrian Center in Wilmington, Ohio, will offer not only hunter/jumper shows, but also dressage and eventing competitions as well as shows for a variety of breeds, and non-equestrian offerings.
