The four-time Ocean County Equestrian of the Year got a promotion when she was named the 2019 New Jersey Equestrian of the Year by the New Jersey Equine Advisory Board.
Riley Chenoweth-Hafner of Manahawkin, a 17-year-old junior at Southern Regional High School,
represented the N.J. Pony Breeders and Owners at the 62nd Annual New Jersey Breeders’ Luncheon in Hamilton Jan. 27.
A rider since the age of eight, Riley joined the 4-H Horse Program the following year. She has been on the National 4-H Roundup Communications and Horse Judging teams,judged at the American Quarter Horse Congress and is president of the Equine Science 4-H Club in Ocean County. She also has volunteered as a ring steward for Olympic eventing qualifiers at the Horse Park of New Jersey and worked on the ring crew for Central Jersey Horse Shows.
“I think probably what made me fall in love with horses is that whenever I was around them, it felt like they understood everything I was saying,” she said. “It’s like they can relate to me and understand my emotions. It kind of grew my love for them. They seem to love me just as much as I love them.”
“Riley’s distinguished work with horses in a dedicated and compassionate manner shows why she has been chosen to represent the industry as the Equestrian of the Year,” said state Secretary of Agriculture Douglas Fisher.
“Her love for horses started at a young age and she will be a proud ambassador for the Garden State and an outstanding role model to encourage children and others who are interested in equine activities.”
Riley has a rescue pony named Dante and has done extensive work with her thoroughbred, Rocky, also a rescue she has been working with for three years.
“Rocky had a lot of issues with being scared, so my main goal has been to get him into a show ring,” Riley said. “Mostly I train him to get him used to the sights and sounds. We went to a show last fall and that was his first big show. We slowly worked him up to that and we are hoping to do more showing this summer.”
She would like to attend Stockton University and eventually become a veterinarian. Being involved with horses has helped Riley understand the importance of patience with herself and others.
“When you are training a young horse, you can do something one day and they get it, and then come back the next day and they may act like they have never seen that lesson,” Riley said. “You have to work on their terms, not yours. It’s taught me to not get uptight when something doesn’t go right. I’ve learned to take a step back, relax, and then go forward again.”
As Equestrian of the Year, Riley will attend functions hosted by the New Jersey Equine Advisory Board and represent the Board at various events.
Equine ophthalmology, muscle diseases and esophogeal obstruction (otherwise known as “choke) will be among the topics explored at B.W. Furlong and Associates’ Healthy Horse Seminar in Annandale Feb. 9.
The seminar, featuring veterinarians from the practice, runs from 8 a.m. starting with registration and breakfast until 1 p.m. at the Beaver Brook Country Club, 25 Country Club Drive. Registration is $25 before Feb. 1, $45 after that. To register, call the clinic at (908) 439-2821.
I’ll bet you spent the last few weeks of our miserable weather cleaning out your tack room, basement or barn and now you’re wondering what to do with the items you no longer use. You’re in luck! It’s almost tack sale time, and Mane Stream is looking for donations.
Of course, if you’re on the other end of the transaction and need some tack, clothing or barn equipment, you’re also in luck.
Mane Stream (adaptive horsemanship and equine-assisted therapies) is seeking donations of new and gently used tack or horse related items for its tack sale at 83 Old Turnpike Road in Oldwick from 8 a.m.-4 p.m April 6.
Adaptive riding at Mane Stream
In addition to tack, blankets, tack boxes, boots and clothing, horse-related jewelry, models and knick-knacks are also welcome.
It’s an opportunity to make a difference by supporting the Mane Stream mission to improve the quality of life for individuals with physical, developmental, emotional and medical challenges through a diverse program of equine-assisted activities, therapy and educational initiatives.
This event is an important part of the yearly fundraising plan with all proceeds to benefit Mane Stream’s horses, equine-assisted programs including “Take the Reins” for Veterans and “Horses for Healing” for those living with, recovering from and living life after cancer.
All donations can be dropped off at the stable during office hours. If you would like to make a donation or have any questions, contact Holland Kochanski at holland@manestreamnj.org, (908) 439-9636 or visit the website at www.ManeStreamNJ.org
On April 7, the day after the tack sale, the community is invited to Man open house from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. You can get first-hand information on adaptive riding, therapy services, and Summer Camp improve the quality of life for children with cognitive, developmental, emotional, medical, or physical challenges.
Kids will receive a Mane Stream “Farm Traveler Passport” to take from station to station while they learn about the activities available. Games and crafts will be offered to keep the kids busy while parents ask questions about Mane Stream’s programs.
The day includes tours of the facility and a demonstration of the in-house therapy clinic.Visitors also may look in the barn and pet the horses.Those interested in finding out about the summer day camp for children of all abilities will be able to talk with the camp director Holland Kochanski. Anyone who registers for camp during the open house will receive at $25 discount. For more information contact Holland at holland@manestreamnj.org or 908-439-9636. Visit the website at www.ManeStreamNJ.org.
Phyllis Mills Wyeth, a noted horse breeder and carriage driver, died Jan. 14 at age 78 with her husband, artist Jamie Wyeth, at her side.
She was often a model for her husband, whose most famous paintings include “And Then Into the Deep Gorge,” which depicts her driving a pair of grays through the woods.
“And Then into the Deep Gorge,” by Jamie Wyeth
Horses were a big part of her life. In addition to owning driving horses, she also had a racing stable in Chadds Ford, Pa. Her best-known homebred was 2012 Belmont Stakes winner Union Rags.
The daughter of James and Alice DuPont Mills made a name for herself as an advocate for the handicapped and disabled after she was injured in a head-on automobile accident at age 20. She used crutches and a wheelchair for the rest of her life.
After working for John F. Kennedy, both when he was a U.S. senator and during his time in the White House, she remained active in Washington D.C., working as a consultant for the National Endowment for the Arts and as vice-chairwoman of the National Committee on Arts for the Handicapped.
Mrs. Wyeth was an early supporter of the Tri-County Conservancy, which became the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art, and was a founding member of its board. She also was a conservationist and environmentalist.
As a special tribute exhibition, the Brandywine River Museum of Art plans to host a selection of paintings of Phyllis by her husband, who is the son of artist Andrew Wyeth.
Dressage star Laura Graves continues to hit the heights, with yet another run of success encapsulated over three days in Palm Beach County, Fla.
Not only do the judges reward her performances with Verdades, the Dutchbred gelding who was purchased on the basis of a video as a weanling, but now the public has voted in her favor as well. Actually, no surprise there; the only American ever to be ranked as world number one is widely admired for her down-to-earth work ethic. When she won the Grand Prix Freestyle with Verdades at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington Friday night, for instance, she picked up the check for the groom’s award as well as the first place prize.
The U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Equestrian of the Year and International Horse of the Year trophies were presented at the organization’s awards dinners over the weekend at the West Palm Beach Hilton. Laura got a standing ovation as she picked up the trophies for both major honors, decided through online ballots. Show jumping hero McLain Ward, also nominated for the Equestrian of the Year title—which he won for 2017– urged his fans to vote for her, and Laura acknowledged to me that she believed his generous gesture played a role in her victory.
But Laura is well-deserving of all her accolades, which also include two silver medals at the FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, N.C. Likely she would have had a third WEG medal, had not the WEG freestyle been cancelled. The WEG was where she was going to debut her new freestyle, performed to the Neil Diamond favorite, “Coming to America.”
“I was really looking forward to showing this at Tryon with everyone coming to our country,” she observed.
Instead, the debut was at Global last weekend before a good-size crowd, although not as big as the audience that would have seen it at the WEG. The freestyle had the same choreography as the one Laura rode previously, but she noted, “I just wanted to change the music.” The show was the first of the season, and the first World Cup qualifier for the finals, which will be in Gothenburg, Sweden, this spring.
Click on the video below to find out her thoughts.
The new freestyle was well-received for its energy and style. But always viewing her rides with the critical eye that has been crucial to her success, Laura cited a couple of mistakes, including one in her final pirouette.
“I need to settle down a little bit I think,” she said. “My horse is ready to go, he’s right on. I just came out at him a little strong.”
Laura had a full table backing her up at the awards dinners, with U.S. dressage technical advisor Debbie McDonald (who is also Laura’s coach), Betsy Juliano and WEG teammates Adrienne Lyle and Kasey Perry-Glass on hand.
Debbie picked up a well-deserved award of her own when she accepted a Pegasus Medal of Honor statue. Others in that category also went to U.S. jumping team gold medal coach Robert Ridland, along with one of the dressage world’s most respected figures, Janine Malone, and Ellen Di Bella, a western dressage standout. The medal is awarded for service to horses and the sport by those who have advanced its popularity.
The USEF owns seven figures worth of silver trophies, many of which date back decades and make for an impressive display. They are just there for presentation and photo purposes, however; winners only take home a small Pegasus statue.
Other honors went to former U.S. dressage technical advisor and international judge Anne Gribbons, who guided Laura Graves as a working student to bring Verdades to Grand Prix. Anne accepted the Walter B. Devereaux Sportsmanship Award for her commitment and dedication to the sport.
The winner of the Sallie Busch Wheeler Award for distinguished service is selected by USEF President Murray Kessler, and never revealed before the dinner.
It went to assistant show jumping coach and Olympic medalist Anne Kursinski, whose decision to talk about the abuse she suffered as a child from her trainer underlined the value of the Safe Sport program that is such an important part of USEF’s agenda.
One other winner who should be mentioned is the National Horse of the Year, Cobra. A wild mustang who has quite a story, he was.rounded up in Nevada as a six-year-old and later deemed unadoptable.
But owner/trainer Marsha Hartford-Sapp knew how to reach him and make use of his instincts. She bid on him after watching a 15-second video of this horse that had not found a home after being put up for adoption three times.
She prepared him for the Extreme Mustang Makeover, and he turned out to be a versatile competitor, excelling in both classical and western dressage.
Cobra has an impressive list of victories and awards to his credit. He was 2015 Horse of the Year for western dressage and won the Adequan/ U.S. Dressage Federation All-breeds American Mustang & Burro Association Prix St. Georges national championship in 2018. He stays busy making special appearances and has been immortalized as a Breyer model horse.
Like Verdades in his younger days, Cobra presented a challenge. But the persistence of Laura and Marsha illustrates how important it is to stick with a horse that has potential so these special animals can realize their true calling and show it off to the world.
I hope you watched the first segment of the two-part miniseries, Equus: Story of the Horse, on PBS Jan. 16. The next segment is coming up Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. Eastern time, and you don’t want to miss it.
Highlights of part one were the first realistic animation of the 45 million-year-old ancestor of today’s horse, the Dawn horse, and a demonstration of psychology tests that uncover how horses use non-verbal signals to communicate with each other and understand human expressions.Information on how horses breathe while galloping was fascinating as well.
So next up is Episode 2: “Chasing the Wind.” It examines how humans have partnered with the horse throughout the centuries and created more than 400 breeds, from the Yakutian horse of Siberia to the Arab horse. That juxtaposition also demonstrates horses can survive the most extreme climates that earth has to offer.
Here’s an interesting fact from part two–our ancestors drew horses more than any other animal. The first piece of art to depict a living thing was a tiny figurine of a wild horse living somewhere in Europe more than 35,000 years ago..
There’s a look at the world’s only truly wild horses, who live on Canada’s Sable Island, where a population of 500 has been living for at least 40 horse generations. Although descended from domesticated horses abandoned or shipwrecked in the 19th century, these horses receive no care from humans today.
The quality of the first segment makes the second segment must-see TV. No matter what your equine expertise is, there’s still plenty to learn about horses.
The Equestrian Businesswomen Summit, held in conjunction with the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s January annual meeting, is offering a digital recap of the day that featured an array of exciting speakers.
They include keynote speaker Tracey Noonan of Wicked Good Cupcakes, noted horse breeder Lisa Lourie of Spy Coast Farm; Lisa Roskens, who brought the FEI World Cup finals to Omaha in 2017 (and you can expect to see it there again in the upcoming decade); Alexandra Cherubini of EquiFit and dressage Olympian Ashley Holzer, who owns Today’s Equestrian magazine.
“The whole atmosphere and energy surrounding it was unlike anything I had ever been to before. It was what I hoped it would be,” commented the day’s organizers, Jennifer Wood, a public relations powerhouse.
The next step for the organization is the year-round membership platform that will launch in the spring with two tiers of membership.
“The big thing we’re offering is networking among members, expert resources they can reach out to and online video learning content,” said Jen, explaining.the lower membership tier does not include the videos.
“It’s all kind of connected in one way or another to horses. It’s done by people who understand the industry and its nuances, or it directly connects to the equestrian industry. That’s the difference between what we can offer and a more general website.”
She sees the group as “a really true community that bridges all different aspects of the equine industry. I think we started that at the summit by having people from racing, reining, dressage and show jumping, I do see it as a way to bring all the fragmented pieces of the industry that don’t normally come together being part of a community,” she noted.
Okay, he didn’t have eight tiny reindeer and a sleigh. His transportation was a propeller-driven airplane that landed at an airport, not on a rooftop. But Matt Kiener might as well have been Santa Claus this Christmas Eve.
After a five-hour flight, the pilot arrived yesterday in his single-engine Piper at Sky Manor in Pittstown with a load of puppies and a few older dogs, 26 canines in all. It was a special delivery from Mississippi by FlyPups to Puppy Love Pet Rescue, serving Union, Ocean, Monmouth and Middlesex counties.
The area from which these dogs came isn’t prosperous. Many of the residents cannot afford to spay or neuter their animals, leading to overpopulation. Shelters often have no choice but to euthanize some dogs to make room for others. Puppy Love offers a solution, with its volunteers fostering the dogs that FlyPups brought north.
Patty Gilmore of Union, whose sister, Joan leads Puppy Love, had volunteers go down south to clean up shelters. Using adoption fees, they also pay for spaying and neutering dogs that remain in Mississippi.
“There are very few organized rescues there,” explained Patty, noting Puppy Love volunteers last summer picked some dogs they wanted to bring to New Jersey.
“It’s very difficult to get the dogs up here. We’re so grateful to be able to get these dogs flown up. Some of them are so little; the 22-hour drive is so difficult for the puppies, versus a five or six hour flight,” she pointed out.
Patty recalled that when her organization contacted Matt, “he responded instantly. He can handle so many more than we can in a car. We are so grateful for Matt, especially at holiday time.”
The video below shows the arrival of the dogs at Sky Manor Airport.
You may know Matt’s name, because he has a connection with the horse world. The Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event at the Horse Park of New Jersey this year hosted a 5-K run to benefit Fly Pups. Many equestrians have adopted dogs that arrived in New Jersey via FlyPups. Matt also works for Cassie and Carl Segal in Pottersville, where he takes care of retired eventing stars My Boy Bobby and Ballynoe Castle RM (Reggie), Buck Davidson’s former ride, who took his final bow before the public at Rolex Kentucky in 2017.
Matt got involved with dog rescue when a friend whose plane was grounded asked him to fill in bringing five dogs to New York State. At the time, Matt had an aerobatic plane without much room for cargo, but he was able to handle the five puppies involved.
“I flew the mission and it was an awakening, if you will. I hadn’t known that something like this needed to be. I didn’t understand that there were so many dogs that were in dire situations and would ultimately be destroyed if they were not relocated.
“On the flight home, I ended up naming the one dog I adopted Piper, knowing I’d have to sell my Cessna and buy something bigger that would allow me to do this more effectively and efficiently. It was one of those pivotal days when you just knew things were going to change,” Matt recalled.
“Five months later, I was deep in debt with this plane—it’s a mortgage payment—but look what I get to do. So it’s worth it.”
Matt was assisted by student pilot Liz Alexander of Rhode Island. Liz, who has been working with rescues for three years, flew the whole way to New Jersey with a five-week-old hound mix on her lap.
Explaining why she is so devoted to the rescue process, Liz said, “It’s good to see the puppies come out of disaster situations and go to foster homes and be happy and clean and healthy and not on the streets. And be home for the holidays.”
Cris Schoefer, who has five dogs, went to Mississippi in August to check out dogs who would be likely candidates and fell in love with Leyland. He was an unusual case, because he had been in a shelter for four years, since he was a puppy. When he arrived, Leyland seemed a bit overwhelmed, but stoic. Cris, however, was crying. Those were tears of joy, as she thought how happy she would be “just to see him sleeping on the bed tonight” at her home in Brick.
There were two blind dogs in the Christmas eve shipment. Pearl was an adorable blind and deaf 8-week old Aussie. That’s familiar territory for Cris, who owns a blind and deaf dog, Aspen.
She taps on his butt or nose to communicate with him, “but everything else, he does by himself,” she said. When her house lost power one day, he was operating without a problem; he’s used to being in the dark.
People had told her it was cruel to keep Aspen alive, but she is so glad she took him, and he’s happy.
“This dog makes me laugh more than any dog I’ve ever had,” she observed.
“If you’re in a bad mood, just him being his goofy self will bring you out of it.” And having Leyland around will make her even happier.
Joyanna Gilmore, Joan’s daughter, grew up with the rescue group, which has regular adoptions on Sundays at Petco in Toms River.
“I always thought it was interesting,” said Joyanna.
“I find it good for myself, volunteering and being able to help out animals. I love doing it.” She and her mother have three dogs of their own, but they still “foster whatever needs to be fostered.”
The 18-year-old Union County Community College student noted, “It makes my heart feel warm. I have my Christmas, and this is a Christmas present to them, because we’re giving them somewhere to be instead of a shelter. We’re giving them another chance at life.”
The Mississippi flight that saved the Puppy Love volunteers 22 hours of driving each way was certainly easier on the dogs. But it’s an expensive proposition for Matt, who spent $1,500 on operational costs, including gasoline, hotel and landing fees, and not including insurance or maintenance. He operates on donations, which can be made through his website www.flypups.org. The rescue takes contributions on its website www.Puppylovenj.com.
Listen to Matt and Joyanna talking about their mission.
I was so inspired by the efforts of Matt and the Puppy Love rescuers that I was in the right mood for Christmas Eve when I got home. I turned on my favorite movie, “The Bishop’s Wife,” with Cary Grant and Loretta Young, really taking to heart the final scene, the Christmas Eve sermon by David Niven, who plays the bishop. It’s about what Christmas should mean. Here it is:
“All the stockings are filled, all that is, except one. And we have even forgotten to hang it up, the stocking for the child born in a manger. It’s His birthday we’re celebrating. Don’t let us ever forget that. Let us ask ourselves what He would wish for most, and then let each put in his share. Loving kindness, warm hearts and the stretched-out hand of tolerance. All the shining gifts that make peace on earth.”
From relative obscurity to being practically a household name this year (at least in show jumping households!) Eddie Blue–ridden and trained by Devin Ryan of Long Valley–has been named a U.S. Equestrian Federation International Horse of Honor for 2018
Eddie, a 9-year-old Dutchbred owned by LL Show Jumpers LLC, leaped to fame this year starting with a second-place finish in April’s Longines FEI World Cup™ Show Jumping Finals.That gave him and his rider a place on the short list for the FEI World Equestrian Games™ Tryon 2018 NetJets® U.S. Jumping Team. During the WEG team observation period, Eddie Blue and Devin were part of the bronze medal-winning U.S. team at the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Poland in June. As part of the U.S. team at the world famous German CHIO Aachen the next month, they jumped an impressive double-clear in the Mercedes-Benz Nations Cup.
With only two years of FEI-level competition on his record, Eddie competed on his first FEI WEG NetJets U.S. Jumping Team. He and Devin contributed to the USA’s first show jumping team gold medal since the 1986 World Championships. They ended a remarkable year by placing second in the $205,000 Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ Toronto 2018 for the Hickstead Trophy.
Each year, USEF names a National and an International Horse of the Year from the Horses of Honor roster. Winners are determined based on the results of online voting, which is open through Thursday, January 3 at midnight. The 2018 National and International Horse of the Year will be awarded Saturday evening, January 12 at the Horse of the Year Awards presented by AON during the US Equestrian Annual Meeting in West Palm Beach, Fla.
“Life In the Doghouse,” the emotionally satisfying movie about Danny and Ron’s dog rescue, will come to the Cranford Cinema, 25 North Ave.,on Jan. 3 at 7:30 p.m.
Danny Robertshaw and Ron Danta, both respected in the hunter industry and beyond, have gained national fame with their dog rescue that is very much a personal crusade.
They were honored with the 2008 ASPCA Humanitarian Award for their unwavering dedication and unique approach to dog rescue and adoption during hurricane Katrina.Ten years and 10,000 dogs later, their unique approach to life and dog rescue is well worth watching!
