by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 21, 2020
One of the world’s greatest horse shows, held at the Royal Dublin Society showgrounds, will not be staged in Ireland during mid-July as scheduled. The Dublin Horse Show is always a landmark of the season and plays to a packed house, with the Nations Cup for the Aga Khan trophy as the highlight.
Michael Duffy, CEO of the RDS, explained, “We believe it is the most responsible decision we can make in the best interests of public health and safety.”
At the same time, the Luhmuhlen, Germany, 5-star three-day event, set for June 18-21, is reviewing its options.Plans call for reopening of some businesses in Germany in the next few weeks, but major events on the order of concerts will be banned until the end of August.
Meanwhile, Kentaro Iwata, a professor of infectious diseases at Kobe University, said he is “very pessimistic” about the Tokyo 2020 Olympic and Paralympic Games taking place next year. Japan Times reported he does not believe the coronavirus pandemic will be under control by next year.
“Holding the Olympics needs two conditions: one, controlling COVID-19 in Japan and (two) controlling COVID-19 everywhere – because you have to invite the athletes and the audience from all over the world,” he said.
“Japan might be able to control this disease by next summer, I wish we could, but I don’t think that would happen everywhere on Earth, so in this regard I’m very pessimistic about holding the Olympics Games next summer,” he said.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 20, 2020
On Thursday April 23 at 6 p.m., Extension Horses will present a webinar on”Fine-Tuning Equine Boarding Contracts”.
It involves a discussion on the importance of having well developed equine boarding contracts. Julie Fershtman, an Equine Law practitioner and author, will cover the key components Time for questions will also be included. Julie Fershtman’s practice crosses all equine breeds and disciplines and serves stables, insurers, professionals, associations, businesses, show management, trainers, and clinicians across the U.S. Registration is free, but required. To register, visit https://pub.cce.cornell.edu/event_registration/main/events_landing.cfm?event=EquineBoardingContracts_225. Once registered, individuals will receive a link to join the webinar.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 16, 2020
It would have been a fabulous four days.
How do I know that for a fact about the FEI World Cup finals, which were to start today in Las Vegas–had it not been for Covid-19.
I know because I have been to all six Cup finals in Vegas since the glittering city’s first time showcasing equestrian sport in 2000, and I was looking forward to number seven on the 20th anniversary of its debut.
This year’s renewal might have made history with the first four-time Cup winners–could it have been Steve Guerdat of Switzerland in the show jumping and Germay’s Isabell Werth on Weiheigold in the dressage–though we were anticipating quite a showdown for her with fierce rival Charlotte Dujardin of Great Britain on Mount Saint John Freestyle in contention.
Although Vegas has become a favorite destination for Cup fans, none of us knew what to expect when we came to the Thomas & Mack Center two decades ago to watch the jumping debut in a glitzy city with a reputation for show biz, not horse show biz.
Lasers and fireworks were a revolutionary addition to show jumping when the FEI World Cup Finals came to Las Vegas.
But it turned out to be a revelation, a new approach that shook things up and influenced the way show jumping would be presented in the future, with lots of music and pizzaz. Shawn Davis, whose production flair helped make the annual National Finals Rodeo a sell-out at Thomas & Mack, put his knowhow to work for the World Cup. His version of the indoor show jumping world championships came complete with fireworks, lasers, showgirls and Elvis impersonators, all part of an energetic program that made each session fly by.
What is a Vegas World Cup final without a mounted Elvis impersonator? (Photo © 2009 by Nancy Jaffer)
Highlights in 2000 included a third straight show jumping Cup win for Rodrigo Pessoa, as well as a dressage demonstration by Debbie McDonald and Brentina, the valiant mare owned by one of the arena’s namesakes, Parry Thomas, and his wife, Peggy.
When she was approached about doing the exhibition, Debbie recalled, “I thought, `Wow, how cool, to go in that arena, being Parry Thomas’ arena.’”
And then it occurred to her, “How cool if they have a World Cup in dressage and we could come and ride here. And then it ended up being that way,” she said.
After the 2000 and 2003 show jumping finals, the dressage final joined the lineup in 2005.
“It’s two Super Bowls,” came the explanation at the time from Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events, which presented the finals in conjunction with the FEI.
So the big names in both disciplines flocked to Vegas that year and for the next three renewals in Nevada, enjoying their time in the casino hotels nearly as much as their sojourn in the arena. But nothing could beat the fans and atmosphere at Thomas & Mack.
Riding in the venue just a few miles from Vegas’ famous strip is a unique experience, according to Debbie.
“It’s one of the most fun environments to go into. You come down this long tunnel and they open the curtains and the crowd is all above you and they’re crazy. You feel like everyone’s there looking at you, not like in a big, big arena, where they’re farther away. It’s a very special place for me.”
Debbie and Brentina had a big moment in 2005, when their passage down center line to the song “R-E-S-P-E-C-T”” (which is something Brentina didn’t get enough of from judges) had the audience clapping in time to the music and cheering. Although she finished third behind Dutch riders Anky van Grunsven with Salinero and Edward Gal on Lingh, Brentina and Debbie definitely won the hearts of the fans.
Debbie McDonald was jubilant after her freestyle on Brentina in the 2005 World Cup final, and the crowd shared her enthusiasm. (Photo © 2005 by Nancy Jaffer)
That was among so many special moments I enjoyed during the time I spent at Thomas & Mack over the years.
The 2009 jumping final was memorable, with U.S. favorites McLain Ward and Sapphire just missing the title as Meredith Michaels Beerbaum took her third Cup title on Shutterfly for Germany. Steffen Peters’ dressage victory on Ravel the same year struck a chord, the first time a U.S. rider had earned the honor in the USA. (Debbie won the 2003 dressage Cup two months after the competition, in which the original victor was disqualified when her horse tested positive for a prohibited substance.)
Riding Shutterfly, Meredith Michaels Beerbaum won her third FEI World Cup final in 2009 in Vegas. Photo © 2009 by Nancy Jaffer
Steffen was eager to try again for that title this year with Suppenkasper after 11 victories in Florida this winter, inspired by mental images of his 2009 win, but that just was not to be.
What I will remember most about 2009, however, was Brentina’s emotional retirement ceremony with theThomas family and Debbie’s husband, Bob on hand in the arena. Debbie (and many of the rest of us) couldn’t hold back tears as she and Brentina left the ring, with the mare gracefully passaging her way toward the exit.
“That proved to me that she really loved what she did,” said Debbie.
Debbie McDonald with her husband, Bob; Peggy, Jane and Parry Thomas, as Brentina was retired during the 2009 FEI World Cup final. (Photo © 2009 by Nancy Jaffer)
The 2015 finals was interesting in that the audience for dressage outdrew show jumping, even as Steve Guerdat won a nailbiter over Penelope LeProvost and teenage Bertram Allen. The previous night, the crowd of 11,000 offered a heartfelt standing ovation after watching Charlotte and the magical Valegro win the freestyle with a score of 94.196 percent.
Charlotte Dujardin and the great Valegro captured hearts along with the FEI Reem Acra World Cup title in 2015. Photo © 2015 by Nancy Jaffer
We couldn’t wait to come back. Vegas was supposed to get the 2018 Cup finals, but a problem with the space for dressage judges around the arena scuttled that plan.
A $70 million renovation had fixed the problem and updated the building, which was to offer a luxe VIP area this month. The entertainment was scheduled to be more sophisticated than in past years, with a rock band starting off the show and not an Elvis or a showgirl in sight. We were promised lots more surprises. But then came the pandemic. It’s likely we’ll see the Cups in Vegas again in 2025, but that’s a long time to wait. Too long for this special venue.
On the other hand, the Cups will be back in the U.S. before then, coming to Omaha in 2023 to reprise their 2017 initial appearance in Nebraska. Let’s hope the pandemic is over by then…
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 15, 2020
Although the 2020 Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event was postponed from its original date next month, the event’s Organizing Committee found after looking at alternative dates that rescheduling the event is not possible for this year.
“When the crisis caused by the coronavirus made it impossible to hold our event as scheduled, we looked into possible dates where we could hold it later in the year,” said Morgan Rowsell, co-organizer of Jersey Fresh.
“However, no suitable date was possible and it simply is not going to work out. Unfortunately, we will not be able to hold the event this year. Without the Olympics (Jersey was an observation trial for the U.S. Olympic team), without a reason to do the 4-star, you’re not going to necessarily get a lot of riders. You can’t bring the sponsors in without a lot of hoopla; you can’t have hoopla without a lot of riders. It’s unfortunate, so we’ll just circle our wagons and make a big deal out of next year,” said Morgan..
Top rider Will Coleman was a regular at the Jersey Fresh International event. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
The Saumur event in France found itself in the same position as Jersey Fresh. After deciding it couldn’t run May 21-24, it is hoping to postpone, but is still looking for the right date in the “second semester” of 2020, as it also prepares its 2021 edition as a qualifying event for the Olympics..
Jersey Fresh had been scheduled to take place at the Horse Park of New Jersey, May 6-10. Featured would have been CCI Four-Star and Three-Star divisions featuring top eventing horses and riders in addition to a new Preliminary Division for future stars in the sport.
“With the Olympics also moved to next year, we anticipate our event holding its usual place of significance on the eventing calendar,” added Morgan.
“We thank all our sponsors – especially major sponsors B.W. Furlong & Associates, Zoetis, AIG and Boehringer Ingelheim – for their support and we look forward to returning with a great event in 2021!”
An event is also planned for the end of June at the Horse Park of New Jersey, which is shuttered for the time being. The Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event/Horse Park of New Jersey is a 501(c)(3) Not-For-Profit, Charitable and Educational organization. Further information about JFI is available at www.jfi3d.com. Further information about the Horse Park is available at www.horseparkofnewjersey.com.
Meanwhile, the Mars Equestrian Essex Horse Trials at Moorland Farm in Far Hills, is still on for July, a new date for the fixture which previously was held in June. Rowsell, who is also co-chair of Essex, said any changes would be up to the board, which doesn’t meet until May.
New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy said he anticipates the statewide lockdown going on into June, but didn’t say anything yet about July.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 15, 2020
Years of rotational deworming have led to an increased resistance to wormers. The American Association of Equine Practitioners updated its deworming guidelines and are stressing the importance of fecal egg counts and the appropriate use of commercially available dewormers.
B.W. Furlong and Zoetis have teamed up for an educational WebEx on “Parasite Control: Deworming Your Horse” to take place on April 16 at 10 a.m.
Click here or call (877) 309-3457.Then enter access code 742 543 653.For questions, contact Caitlin at cfurlong@bwfurlong.com.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 14, 2020
Although the 2020 Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event originally was postponed from its original date next month, the event’s Organizing Committee found after looking at alternative dates that rescheduling the event was not possible for this year.
“When the crisis caused by the coronavirus made it impossible to hold our event as scheduled, we looked into possible dates where we could hold it later in the year,” said Morgan Rowsell, co-organizer of Jersey Fresh International.
“However, no suitable date was possible and it simply is not going to work out. Unfortunately, we will not be able to hold the event this year.”
Top rider Will Coleman was a regular at the Jersey Fresh International event. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
The event, which was to serve as a qualifying selection trial for the United States’ Eventing team for the 2020 Summer Olympic Games, had been scheduled to take place at the Horse Park of New Jersey, May 6-10. Featured would have been CCI Four-Star and Three-Star events featuring top eventing horses and riders in addition to a new Preliminary Division for future stars in the sport.
“With the Olympics also moved to next year, we anticipate our event holding its usual place of significance on the Eventing calendar,” added Rowsell. “We thank all our sponsors – especially major sponsors B.W. Furlong & Associates, Zoetis, AIG and Boehringer Ingelheim – for their support and we look forward to returning with a great event in 2021!”
The Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event/Horse Park of New Jersey is a 501(c)(3) Not-For-Profit, Charitable and Educational organization. Further information about JFI is available at www.jfi3d.com. Further information about the Horse Park is available at www.horseparkofnewjersey.com.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 12, 2020
I’m getting nostalgic for the good old days, like a month ago, when I actually went to a horse show B.P (before pandemic)–as opposed to simply looking at the “virtual” competitions that have blossomed on-line.
But a surprise package that came in the mail recently from one of my readers, Ann Wilson, enabled me to take a big step back and visit a completely different equestrian era in New Jersey. She sent along 1949 programs–in pristine condition, I might add–from the Rock Spring Charity Show at the Rock Spring Riding Club in West Orange and the Montclair Horse Show at the Montclair Riding Club. They ran during a period of equestrian growth and revival, as shows regained their footing following mass cancellations (sound familiar?) during World War II.
It was a time with far less prize money, if there was any; when trophies, ribbons and recognition were enough for most of those competing. Though often covered by newspapers as a social event, the equestrian sport that appeared far less sophisticated than it is today was no less hotly contested, The inherent joy of taking part made it meaningful for those involved, because that was the biggest payoff 16 years prior to the first U.S. outdoor European-style show jumping grand prix held in Cleveland.
Both of these Essex County shows, now long gone, were well before my time. Even so, I recognized some of the names in the programs, most notably those of Nancy Jane Imboden, who went on to win the AHSA (now USEF) Hunt Seat Medal finals later that year; Gen. Alex Rodzianko, a Russian émigré who rode with Capt. Federico Caprilli, “the father of the modern forward seat;” Show Jumping Hall of Fame member Johnny Bell (McLain Street) and Gerry Gearhart. (I remember well the Gearhart Chevrolet Stable of saddlebreds.) I saw John Y.G. Walker’s name listed on the board of the Montclair show. He was a key figure at the National Horse Show, where his son, John Y.G. Walker III, now is the first vice president.
Frank Chapot (whom Ann referred to as “Frankie” when she wrote to me), took part in both competitions. A teenage Frank was aboard the lovely dapple gray Chado, the horse after whom his farm was named.
The late U.S. individual Olympic show jumping gold medalist Bill Steinkraus used to call Frank “Chado” as a nickname. Frank’s widow, Mary, and daughter, Laura, still run Chado Farms in Neshanic Station, and another daughter, Wendy Chapot Nunn, rides as an amateur. A multi-medal Olympian and U.S. show jumping team coach, Frank died in 2016 at the age of 84.
Ann recounted, “I had been a fan of Frank Chapot since my first years at Watchung (the Union County Park Commission stable that was then in Summit), where he first rode.
Frank Chapot at Maclay presentation, 1947 National Horse Show. (Photo by Ann Wilson)
“I was thrilled when he won the (ASPCA) Maclay at the Garden (in 1947) and made sure I was in the ring to take a photo of the presentation.” I wonder how she got the candid shot; they were quite strict in terms of who could be in the ring for presentations more than two decades later, during the years I covered the show there.
The Montclair program (nearly every show had a program in those days) also included some rather quaint ads, such as a full page for Hahne’s department store, a brand discontinued in 1988, and Doops, an East Orange shop touting “beautiful furs, gowns, coats, suits, millinery.” I flipped a page and saw Kauffman Saddlery was offering “riding needs for all the family” with “show habits” for $55, breeches for $5.95 (if only!) and a Pariani saddle at $140.
Shows today, are of course, totally altered from how they were presented in the years just after World War II. When I asked about the differences she has witnessed, Ann, who became interested in horses after riding at camp in 1943, pointed out there have been “vast changes in popularity of different breeds.”
The evidence is the type of competition offered at the 1949 shows, from Walking Horses to bareback horsemanship and lots of gaited classes. Skipper Schroeder won both the hunt seat and saddle seat titles at Rock Spring, which in itself tells you how different times were then from the current age of equestrian specialization. (In 1941, Bill Steinkraus won the finals of both the saddle seat Good Hands equitation championship and the hunt seat Maclay at the National Horse Show in Madison Square Garden.)
Ann recalled that for the jumping, “Back in the ‘40s, one saw all breeds winning. Then for years, the best jumpers were thoroughbreds and now successful jumpers descend from various European breeds.”
Barbara Rankin on Chesty and Ann Wilson on Baby, right, at Watchung in June 1945.
It was also a different culture. Female riders listed in the programs were respectfully referred to as Mrs. or Miss, while the men generally had a Mr. before their names; the American Horse Shows Association application blank in the programs offered a senior membership for $5 (now it’s $80, but with a lot more benefits), while the Rock Spring booklet advised that all exhibitors were invited to a party at the Rock Spring Corral Inn after Saturday’s show. You could come in your riding clothes for parties like that, but for others, they often were dressy affairs.
Among those listed as competitors in Rock spring’s Open 3-Gaited class was Julius Glaser, who owned the Hanover Farm Stables on Route 10 in Whippany, where Sullivan Davis was the trainer.
Ann, a lifelong resident of Maplewood, recalled, “I went to the stable there and eventually Dave (as he was called) taught me to ride, to post at the trot and ride at the canter, in my case, a small miracle. He was the perfect instructor, very patient.”
Ann Wilson on Stretch at Triple Lake Ranch in Roxbury during the late 1940s.
Dave is best known in the hunter/jumper world as the trainer who gave a good foundation to the show jumping Leone brothers, but he was much admired in the saddle horse world and also trained Morgans and Arabians. In fact, he could train an equine of any description.
He schooled Ann well, so that during the 1940s, she rode at Triple Lake Ranch in Succasunna (a part of Roxbury), where people from New York would spend weekends.
“Because the guests would always get their choice of horses, I would be obliged to ride those which were difficult and control them with light hands. It was good experience for me,” she said.
Thanks for the programs and photos, Ann. I loved spending a few minutes visiting a place where no one had ever heard of Covid-19 and social distancing, or for that matter, $5,000 saddles and jumpers selling for millions of dollars. I’m know there are more than a few of you still out there who were around for those years.
It seems like a simpler time, though I realize folks living then were dealing with their own brands of complexities, but it’s still fun for those who are house-bound today to take their minds off the current situation and get a peek at how things used to be.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 10, 2020
Is it possible Covid-19 will wreak havoc on plans to hold the postponed Tokyo Olympics in the summer of 2021?
The virus is spreading in Japan, where major restrictions on residents have been enacted. Japan has reported about 5,000 cases and 100 deaths. The country has the world’s oldest population and COVID-19 can be especially deadly for the elderly.
“I don’t think anyone would be able to say if it is going to be possible to get it under control by next July or not,” stated Tokyo Organizing Committee CEO Toshiro Muto, adding, “We’re certainly are not in a position to give you a clear answer.”
“We have made the decision to postpone the games by one year,” Muto said during a press conference reported by the Associated Press..
“So this means that all we can do is work hard to prepare for the Games. We sincerely hope that come next year, mankind will manage to overcome the coronavirus crisis.”
Muto was asked if there are alternative plans to the 2021 dates.
“Rather than think about alternatives plans, we should put in all of our effort,” he said. “Mankind should bring together all of its technology and wisdom to work hard so they can development treatments, medicines and vaccines.”
Meanwhile, travel restrictions imposed by the Japanese government have led to cancellation of next month’s visit to Tokyo by International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach, who had been scheduled to look at preparations for next year’s Games. The restrictions were designed to curb the spread of the virus, which has infected more than 6,000 people in Tokyo.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 8, 2020
Are you aware of the new insurance benefits the U.S. Equestrian Federation is offering for members–even those who pay only for a $20 fan membership? They include discounted individual and group medical plans, which takes on extra importance during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Individuals can purchase discounted plans that are Affordable Care Act-compliant. Additionally, Teladoc insurance gives members the option to have consultations with licensed physicians by phone or video chat, as opposed to having to travel to doctors’ offices.
Other benefits include dental, vision, disability, accident and critical illness coverage; mental health first aid; group plans for small businesses; medical transportation coverage; and more.
To obtain a discount and receive a fan membership for $20, go to https://www.usef.org/join-usef/health-insurance and use the promo code RELIEF.
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.”
