by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 2, 2020
Darry Lou, the stallion who won the world’s richest grand pix last year at Spruce Meadows with Beezie Madden in the saddle, has been sold to rising show jumper Jennifer Gates.
The Dutchbred chestnut, owned by Abigail Wexner, had been tried and was under contract for after the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, but “the postponement of the Games changed the timeline of the sale,” according to a statement from John Madden Sales.
Beezie Madden and Darry Lou. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I have been very lucky to have Darry Lou in my life and I will always cherish the incredible moments we had together,” said Beezie, who will be switching her focus to bringing along developing grand prix horses and riders rather than focusing on international competition.
But in a statement from John Madden Sales on Friday, the word was, “Beezie and the whole team at JMS are still completely committed to doing the best we can to try to represent our country at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2021.” Yes, she has other top horses, including Garant and Breitling LS (her pick for the 2020 World Cup Final if it hadn’t been cancelled).
For her part, Jennifer said, “I have admired this wonderful horse and his partnership with Beezie, one of my biggest idols in equestrian sport, for a long time. While we were saddened not to see Darry and Beezie at the Olympics this year, we are looking forward to getting to know him at home while the competition restrictions stay in place and continuing to give him the love and care her deserves.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 2, 2020
They canceled Britain’s famed Wimbledon, two days after America’s famed Devon Horse Show became a no-go. So while equestrian sport is hardly alone in calling off its competitions in the midst of the pandemic (see Olympics, Final Four, Kentucky Derby) it’s impossible not to be depressed by the continuing roster of shows that won’t be held this year (or have been tentatively postponed). This morning’s radio “sports news” was short (and not so sweet), with the only item being the imminent cancellation of the British Open golf tournament.
In the midst of all this, however, the loss of Devon was a particular blow. To paraphrase a famous song title, we believed, “There’ll always be a Devon.” It speaks to the seemingly perennial nature of this show, which started in 1896 and has been held annually except for three years during World War II. And now this year.
McLain Ward has taken many victory gallops at the Devon Horse Show. (Photo © 2018 by Nancy Jaffer)
Like so many attending the country’s largest multi-breed show on Philadelphia’s Main Line, I always breathe a happy sigh when I come through the gates at the end of May and see everything looking the same as it has for many decades, all painted in that special shade of blue..
David Distler, who co-manages the show with Peter Doubleday, said they looked at postponement, but weren’t able find the right spot on the calendar where it could offer the country fair, the saddlebreds and coaches that are as much a part of the ambience as the hunters, jumpers and equitation.
The big problem with this lockdown, as David pointed out, is “you don’t know where the end’s going to be. People have to make plans.”
The country fair and the carnival are integral components to Devon’s appeal. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Like everyone else, he’s living with scuttled special plans. Judging at Germany’s Aachen show was on his bucket list, and he was set to do it in June. Except that Aachen was postponed, to no “date certain” as they say, and who knows if it will even be held?
McLain Ward, the Devon fan favorite, is missing a chance to add to his record of 11 victories in the Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon, named after his famous mare who was a winner at the show and enjoyed a retirement ceremony there.
I asked what he thinks about the big question, which is where are we going now, and when, as well as what will it look like when we get there?
“In the short term, with any crisis, especially a financial crisis,” he told me, “there’s always going to be some adjustment. We rebound and normalcy will return to some degree. I’m an optimist, I always believe that. Maybe some horse shows, some businesses, some professionals…will unfortunately go out of business; some others will come up and fill the gap. That’s the way of the world; we have to navigate it, so we’re not the ones who go by the wayside. For sure change is going to take place, you need to be ahead of the curve as athletes and as administrators.”
He was, of course, a top candidate for the U.S. Olympic team. The International Olympic Committee said that athletes who qualified for the 2020 Games will be good for 2021, but it’s different for horse-rider combinations because they can’t be selected off what they did 18 months or more before the Games.
“A lot of peoples’ situation will change, some will improve and some will not improve,” McLain pointed out.
“The internal process of qualifying in each country I think begins again. Those of us who were shortlisted have to start the process again in 2020 and 2021,” he said.
What about athletes who don’t have the same horses they had this winter, or what if their horses are going to be too old by next year to be selected for the trip to Tokyo, I asked.
“There’s a ton of questions that need to be answered on a grand world scale that are far more crucial than sports, then breaking it down to sports in general and individual programs,” noted McLain, who is waiting it out in Wellington, Fla., at the moment with his wife and two daughters.
“It’s a little difficult to find motivation day to day with not knowing where you’re going next. In the grand scheme of life it’s a small problem compared to what many are dealing with right now. I try to remember that when I’m going in circles here.”
He’s optimistic that the way American shows are put together “will play in our favor trying to get back to some sort of schedule and normalcy at some point.
We’re an exhibitor-funded, sport not a patron-funded sport, compared to Aachen that wants to put 72,000 people in the seats every day. Our shows in reality are funded by the entry fees so they’re not that concerned with how many spectators are in the seats.”
Devon (can’t get it off my mind) is a special stop for hunter riders and equitation competitors, as well as jumpers. Junior riders often have Devon as their ultimate goal of the outdoor season. That means it’s also key for top equitation trainer Stacia Madden of Beacon Hill Show Stables in Colts Neck, who will be heading back from Florida to her New Jersey farm later this month.
A highlight of any hunter rider’s yaer is competing at Devon. (Photo © 2018 by Nancy Jaffer)
What’s her plan?
“I’m just trying to keep everything in perspective,” she said.
Stacia Madden
“Although we all do this because we enjoy the competition, we also do it for the love of the horse and love of the sport. I’m thankful I have a business I’m able to keep running, I’m thankful that can be outside and I’m thankful I own a business that’s kind of secluded on 22 acres, and we can hunker down because a lot of the staff lives on the property. Although I’m disappointed not to be showing, I’m trying to realistically look at how grateful I am that everybody is safe and healthy and that I’m able, for the moment, to stay up and running and hopefully weather the storm.”
In Florida, her customers have been allowed to flat their horses under strict protocols. When she gets back to New Jersey, she sees it as “a nice break to let the horses down a little bit” after the demands of the Florida circuit. I heard a long time ago that when disaster strikes, you’re supposed to make as few changes as possible and try to ride the wave. We’re trying to stick to our normal schedule as best I can, but being very, very cognizant of what I can do to help speed the process of flattening the curve (of the virus).
She has been kept busy cancelling housing reservations for riders and staff involving shows that would have been held through the Upperville, Va., show that was supposed to be held in June but has been moved to September.
Stacia, who has trained dozens of national equitation champions, knows that there could be issues around qualifying for finals. She said she has seen emails of people offering various suggestions and realizes that whatever happens “it’s probably not going to be standard.”
“If we get to show, great. If we are going to keep our horses and staff and customers and peers healthy and happy and try to get them ready for ‘20-21, so be it.”
I’m taking it show by show,” she stated.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 30, 2020
It didn’t take long for the International Olympic Committee to come up with new dates for the postponed Tokyo Games. Today it was announced that the competition will start on July 23, 2021, one day earlier than it would have started this year, ending Aug. 8. The Paralympic Games will begin on Aug. 24 and run through Sept. 5
Although IOC officials originally said summer would be the latest time for which the Games would be rescheduled in 2021, the organization did not take advantage of the possibility to hold them in a season that would be cooler than sizzling mid-summer. It was announced last year that the marathon would be moved 500 miles north of Tokyo to Hokkaido to ease the heat situation for those athletes.
The one-year delay will be costly. It could mean about $5.8 billion in losses, according to an estimate by Katsuhiro Miyamoto, an honorary professor at Japan’s Kansai University.
Although the IOC said that athletes who qualified for this year’s Games would keep their qualifications, that presents some problems for equestrians, who may not be using the same horses with which they qualified for this year’s Olympics. Some of the older horses may have retired, while others may not be in form during the lead-up to the Games.
The new dates have to work with the rest of the global sports calendar, with cooperation key. The World Athletics Championships, originally set for Oregon between Aug. 6 and Aug. 21 2021, will be postponed until 2022. The European championships in equestrian sports were scheduled for August.
“We support the new 2021 dates for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games. This gives our athletes the time they need to get back into training and competition,” World Athletics said in a statement.
“Everyone needs to be flexible and compromise.”.
Purchased tickets would be valid for rescheduled events or a refund could be requested when the new dates were set, organizers previously confirmed.
“In terms of transport, arranging volunteers and the provision of tickets for those in Japan and overseas, as well as allowing for the Covid-19 situation, we think that it would be better to reschedule the Games to one year later than planned, in the summer of 2021,” said Yoshiro Mori, who heads the Tokyo Olympic organizing committee.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 27, 2020
Covid19 is causing the Standardbred Retirement Foundation to cancel three of its important fundraisers, at the same time that it is being slammed by the need for Americans to quarantine, keeping adopters away during the busiest time of the year for finding homes. More than 400 trotters and pacers are under the SRF’s expense and care. What this means is that there will be no funds to feed every one of its horses, making it an emergency situation.
SRF desperately needs to reduce its expenses and the number of horses now. It has already reduced staffing by 80 percent, The 31 year old organization does not receive any regular funds from any source. Support comes primarily from people who care about the animals.
The following is needed as the first effort to be able to keep all 403 horses fed and to avoid drastic action:
1. SRF is asking for Standardbred farms and breeders with pastures to take in a one or more horse on a permanent or temporary basis.
2. It seeks pleasure farm owners who have room to help by either providing a home, foster home or pasture where one can be squeezed in for any time period.
3. Use of farms with grassy pasture for horses to graze help with the cost of feeding.
4. Foster homes are such a huge help. SRF has everything set up on the website for those who can help with foster homes. This is the perfect time to be a foster, the weather is good, and you can quarantine at your your own farm.
5. Horse sponsorship will keep a horse that is with SRF fed during this crisis; it can be in any amount for any period of time. Sponsor a horse
6. Tax-deductible donations will make it possible to get through this crisis, and cover emergency care, if needed.
7. More than 200 Standardbreds are living out their lives with SRF, many had sizable earnings in the past, have lost their adopted homes, and are now considered too old for a life under saddle in a new home. SRF is requesting all racing owners and breeders whose horses the non-profit is helping, to help SRF now by sponsoring their horse, even if it was years ago that their horse came into the program.
Some horses just need a patch of grass, feed and general care, others require a little extra TLC, some are on the rebound from emaciated conditions and need more attention, some are already riding, others need a little training. Their ages range from 3 to aged, are mares and geldings, and are located in about 12 different states. They all have good brains, and great manners. Here is a link to a list of the horses in need, horses are being added until the list is complete.
These are desperate times that could never have been predicted. Every one of these horses is in imminent danger of SRF having to take other measures to get this manageable and must count on good people to reach out to help. On average, the cost per day just to feed the herd is approximately $4,000.
The link below provides information on adoption, fostering, sponsoring, and how to make a tax-deductible donation to help these horses. Please email to offer help, calls are being taken at 609-738-3255, but responses may be slow so please be patient.
To adopt, foster, sponsor, or make a tax-deductible donation please go to AdoptaHorse.org for questions please email SRFhorsesandkids@gmail.com, or call 609 738 3255.
Facebook/SRFHorses
Donate to SRF Today
About Standardbred Retirement Foundation
Standardbred Retirement Foundation provides humane care and services for horses in need of lifetime homes, and in crisis, through rehabilitation, training, adoption, life-long follow-up
or life-time sanctuary, and offers therapeutic equine opportunities for children and adults.
SRF is a 31 year old registered non-profit organization, donations are tax-deductible.
Media Contact:
Tammy Cailliau
Phone: 609-738-3255
Email address: SRFHorsesandkids@gmail.com
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 26, 2020
International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said the Tokyo Games could be rescheduled to be held before next summer, according to the newsletter, “Inside the Games.”
Bach was quoted as saying the Games would “not be restricted to the summer months.” That could solve the problem of the 100-degree heat that was likely during a Tokyo summer, when the Games originally were slated for July 24-Aug. 9. The prospect of such heat prompted moving the marathon 500 miles north, which annoyed Tokyo folks who were hoping to see the race pass by them on the street.
The newsletter also mentioned that there was a thought at one point of cancelling the Olympics rather than postponing, but now the IOC is going ahead and conferring today with the governing bodies of all 33 Olympic sports about the way forward. However, Bach mentioned that those involved would have to make “sacrifices and compromises.”
What that means for equestrian sports remains to be seen. There has always been a concern that equestrian could be on the chopping block as the Olympics modernizes with sports that are urban and young (see break-dancing and skateboarding as part of the Paris 2024 agenda) Is it possible that some sports may have to be dropped for the next iteration of Tokyo 2020?
The IOC is faced with the enormous task of seeing how the Games can be juggled with the schedules of so many sports, as qualification and minimum eligibility requirements come into play.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 25, 2020
U.S. Equestrian Federation mileage rules will be waived so the organization can allow for “major events” that had to be cancelled to be rescheduled later in the year, USEF CEO Bill Moroney stated today, while announcing an extension of the organization’s original 30-day suspension of its events from April 16 to May 3.
The suspension includes all USEF-owned events, selection trials, training camps, clinics and activities. The federation can only recommend that all its licensed competitions be suspended and that equestrians do not participate. If those competitions are held, however, points, money won and rankings toward USEF awards will not count.
USEF President Murray Kessler is planning to use his Presidential Modification authority to enable the shows to have a new time slot and develop a fair method for altering qualifications for these events. With that direction, “USEF has already implemented mechanisms to provide for flexibility and the ability to make necessary modifications to responsibly manage the competition calendar in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.”
In that vein, Moroney stated, “We are engaging with organizers daily and continue to review situations on a case-by-case basis.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 22, 2020
The International Olympic Committee is changing its tune and setting a four-week deadline to decide whether the Tokyo Games set for this summer should be postponed because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Although the IOC had been insisting the Games would go ahead as planned, pushback from athletes and national Olympic committees seeking a delay put pressure on the board to reconsider. The panel met today and said the “worldwide deteriorating situation” involving the disease has prompted another step in developing scenarios for the existing operation plan for the Games–or a change to its start date.
While the IOC is not considering cancellation, it will also look at the possibility of a “scaled-down” Games.
British Olympic Association Chairman Sir Hugh Robertson urged “rapid decision-making for the sake of athletes who still face significant uncertainty.”
He pointed out, “Restrictions now in place have removed the ability of athletes to compete on a level playing field and it simply does not seem appropriate to continue on the present course towards the Olympic Games in the current environment.”
USA Swimming and USA Track and Field were among the groups urging a one-year postponement of the Games. Athletes say that closed gyms, stadiums and pools have made it impossible to train properly for the Olympics. For horse sports, cancellation of competitions that were to be used for training and to select teams is also a problem. It particularly affects eventing, which has seen two 5-stars, Kentucky and Badminton, fall by the wayside along with other competitions that mean it is impossible for participants in that discipline to prepare properly.
Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said postponement would be necessary if the Games cannot be held in a complete way because of the pandemic.
“If the Olympics cannot be staged “in a complete way, a decision of postponement would be unavoidable,” he said.
Meanwhile, the Canadian Olympic Committee and Canadian Paralympic Committee, backed by their Athletes’ Commissions, National Sports Organizations and the Government of Canada, have decided Canadian teams will not be sent to the Olympic and Paralympic Games this July.
They “urgently call on the International Olympic Committee and the International Paralympic Committee and the World Health Organization to postpone the Games for one year and we offer them our full support in helping navigate all the complexities that rescheduling the Games will bring. While we recognize the inherent complexities around a postponement, nothing is more important than the health and safety of our athletes and the world community. ”
The Canadian organizations noted, “This is not solely about athlete health – it is about public health. With COVID-19 and the associated risks, it is not safe for our athletes, and the health and safety of their families and the broader Canadian community for athletes to continue training towards these Games. In fact, it runs counter to the public health advice which we urge all Canadians to follow.”
Australia also will not be sending a team to Tokyo if the Games get under way on their scheduled dates this year.
AOC Chief Executive Matt Carroll explained, “We have athletes based overseas, training at central locations around Australia as teams and managing their own programs. With travel and other restrictions this becomes an untenable situation.”
In a letter to athletes published today, IOC president Thomas Bach said that “we are in a dilemma” and “a final decision about the date of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 now would still be premature”.
He added that to postpone the Games “is an extremely complex challenge” and a cancellation would “destroy the Olympic dream of 11,000 athletes”.
In terms of a postponement, Bach warned: “A number of critical venues needed for the Games could potentially not be available anymore.
“The situations with millions of nights already booked in hotels is extremely difficult to handle, and the international sports calendar for at least 33 Olympic sports would have to be adapted. These are just a few of many, many more challenges.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 20, 2020
Former U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation Chairman Brownlee O. Currey Jr., an admired figure in the horse world, died March 18 at 91.
Many knew him as one of the owners of Touch of Class, the thoroughbred mare on whom Joe Fargis won team and individual Olympic gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. But he influenced the entire sport.
In 2016, the USET Foundation awarded Currey the R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award, which is presented annually to one of its trustees, who exemplifies exceptional leadership, philanthropy and character. In addition to his stewardship of the Foundation, he led several charitable efforts, including chairing a benefit for the American Horse Shows Association during the National Horse Show, co-chairing the Nashville Charity Horse Show in 1985 and hosting the Music City Grand Prix to benefit Easter Seals and the Saddle Up! therapeutic riding program. He and his wife, Agneta, were also long-time supporters of The Hampton Classic.
Brownlee Currey
A fighter pilot during the Korean War, he became a businessman after earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Vanderbilt University. He was a director, a senior vice president and a member of the executive committee of Equitable Securities Morton & Company, Inc., a subsidiary of American Express.In 1970, he became vice chairman in New York of the Commerce Union Corp., which subsequently became Bank of America.
After resigning from that position, he purchased the Nashville Banner newspaper, which he served as chairman, chief executive officer and publisher between 1980 and 1998. In 1989, he co-founded Osborn Communications, a public radio company, and served as chairman until it was sold in 1997.
He served on numerous boards throughout his lifetime, including the United States Equestrian Team, the Show Jumping Hall of Fame and Museum and the Volunteer State Horseman’s Association.
Mr. Currey is survived by his wife Agneta; children Christian Brownlee Currey, well-known jumper rider; Stephanie Currey Ingram, and Frances Currey Briggs, as well as 12 grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life will be held in Nashville and New York on dates to be determined.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Vanderbilt University, Gift Processing Office, PMB 407127, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37240 or Montgomery Bell Academy, 4001 Harding Road, Nashville, TN 37205.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 17, 2020
In a letter to members, U.S. Hunter Jumper Association President Mary Babick offered some guidance and information.
She revealed that U.S. Equestrian Federation President Murray Kessler has granted a Presidential Modification allowing Bill Moroney, USEF CEO, flexibility in shifting rules as necessary for the 2020 competition year.
“We will have to adjust many of our programs and qualifying structures,” Mary stated. “This is currently a moving target and we will update you as soon as we know an answer.”
She also noted, “let us not forget that for those whose incomes depend on showing, this may be a very tough time. As a community, it would be a great thing for the strong to assist those who are in need.”
Obviously, major changes have to be made across the board. Racing is an example; I point out the Kentucky Derby and Preakness are being held in September instead of May.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 16, 2020
Unbelievable. The spring (and likely summer) show and eventing season has been swept away by the virus pandemic, and who knows what will happen to the Tokyo Olympics July 24-Aug. 9?
(Note: In a March 17 communique, the International Olympic Committee issued a statement saying it “remains fully committed to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and with more than four months to go before the Games there is no need for any drastic decisions at this stage; and any speculation at this moment would be counter-productive.”)
Failing to consider postponement or cancellation of the Olympics in the face of the virus pandemic has been characterized as “insensitive and irresponsible” by Canadian gold medal hockey Olympian Hayley Wickenheiser, a member of the International Olympic Committee who leveled criticism at the IOC.
Noting the crisis is bigger than the Olympics, he pointed out some athletes don’t know where they can train but still have been urged to continue preparing for the Games in Tokyo this summer.
Without consideration of postponement or cancellation, Olympic pole vaulter Katerina Stefanidi told Reuters, the IOC is putting athletes at risk. They want to know what Plan B is.
“The stadiums have been closed for a week,” she noted, adding that athletes may get a special permit to go inside and train.
“But how can you train there, touching the same equipment and surfaces?” she asked, referring to the danger of contamination from the virus.
Meanwhile, the dominoes continue to fall in the equestrian world.On March 20, Britain’s 5-star Badminton Horse Trials finally gave in to the inevitable and called off the May event, Closer to home, the Upperville Colt and Horse Show in Virginia, slated for June, now will be held in September.
The first major evening competitiont to hit the dust was the April 23-26 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, cancelled on March 16 for the first time in its 42-year history. Needless to say, the 3-star show jumping grand prix that was to run with it at the Kentucky Horse Park is also a goner.
Oliver Townend, the world’s number one eventer, was a big star at Land Rover Kentucky. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Britain’s spring 5-star, the Badminton Horse Trials May 6-10 hasn’t been cancelled yet, but it seems only a matter of time. The Grand National, the world’s most famous steeplechase, won’t be going, and word is that the Kentucky Derby, famously run on the first Saturday in May, will now be held Sept. 5.
Then disaster struck closer to home, as word came that the May 6-10 Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event at the Horse Park of New Jersey was suspended, though organizers are looking for a date on which the 2020 edition of the competition can be staged, as soon as authorities deem it is safe to do so.
Tailgating is always popular at Jersey Fresh. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Morgan Rowsell, co-chair of both Jersey Fresh and the MARS Essex Horse Trials set for Far Hills July 17-18, said “This is all such a mess and we don’t know whether it ends in time for Jersey to run early in June.” Both were to be observation events for Olympic candidates.
As Morgan pointed out, “The NBA is gone, but the NBA has a lot of money behind it, it’s not like they won’t come back. These events that rely on each show to survive and now they can’t run—here we are.”
Essex is a “wait-and-see,” noted Morgan.
The Mars Essex Horse Trials drew some top riders, including Will Coleman. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
“We’re pushing forward and figuring and hoping in four months things will have calmed down.”
Rescheduling Jersey Fresh will depend on the calendar of the Horse Park, and I wondered if perhaps just for this year it would be possible to combine Jersey Fresh and Essex.
“Everything’s on the table,” said Morgan. “It crossed our minds.
“In extreme circumstances like this, what do we have in Jersey and how can we pull this all together? We need a 4-star moving forward. We need to get our international competitors ready for Burghley or the new (October) 5-star at Fair Hill. We need to get these people ready.
“We’re very much in the interim stage. We all could be shut down through the summer,” commented Morgan, but added, “hopefully we’ve got it licked in two months and both Jersey Fresh and Essex are ready to move forward in the best way we can, even if it’s a skeleton event with just the horses and the jump judges, and let the hoopla take a back seat, if the sponsors will follow our lead. Next year, we can make a better year of it.
“With the loss of Carolina, Kentucky, and Stable View, and Jersey Fresh postponed, there’s a need for qualifications going forward. We’re open to all suggestions at Essex and cooperation with Jersey.
“We’re a resilient community of eventers. We’ll bounce back and organizers will step up to the plate when it’s safe to compete. We don’t want to spread the virus, we’re going to do our part like the rest of the country. When the government says go, we’ll go as hard as we can to get back on track. Both events are important to New Jersey and the mid-Atlantic region in general, so if we could have both, that would be the best.”
Essex moved its date to July after encountering soggy footing the last few years.
Although eventually Morgan would like to have an all-weather surface for the dressage and show jumping phases, he said, “We will run on grass in hopes we’ll have drier weather. It’s okay if it rains; it’s whether or not we have an entire month of rain, which is what we had in June three years running.
“In July, typically the water table goes down and if it rains, it’s not that big a deal. We realize last year was not the best outcome, so we moved the date. We’re aerating, spreading sand and fertilizing to make sure the turf is better this year we’ll water if it needs watering,” said Morgan, who said perhaps they would incorporate some synthetics in the surface.
The lack of events this spring may work in favor of Essex, where the footing last year had some riders questioning whether they would come back. Now they will need an outing, so Essex may get the nod and hopefully it will suit them this time around.
