by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 2, 2020
In the wake of the deaths of Canadian Katherine Morel and her thoroughbred, Kerry On, the U.S. Eventing Association’s chairman of cross-country safety says it’s time for action.
The mare and her rider were killed in a rotational fall at a table jump in the Intermediate section of the Rocking Horse event in Florida over the weekend.
While Jon Holling noted that the USEA and U.S. Equestrian Federation donate about $26,000 toward frangible technology grants directly to competitions, “it’s a really good start, but it’s not nearly enough.”
Here’s his appeal: “We need to raise some real money. We need to raise $500,000, so in three years’ time at Preliminary level and above, there are no longer tables on our courses that are not collapsible or frangible.”
As he notes, “it will take more than $500,000 in the end, but that’s a really good start and we need to get it done.” You can donate directly to the USEA, or via a group of eventers who are organizing a private fund. That money will be going directly to frangible technology.
“Let’s get this done. There’s no more excuses,” he insists.
While the federation and association manage a lot involved with this, he noted, “It’s not just up to them, it’s up to all of us. I’m tired of watching us die because we make a mistake, when there’s technology that will help. Let’s do it, so we don’t have to be jumping around over fences we know can be made safer.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 2, 2020
Dressage trainer Michael Barisone reached out to the U.S. Center for SafeSport last year after complaining of harassment by a woman he subsequently was charged with shooting.
The comment about SafeSport was made by defense attorney Ed Bilinkas as Barisone appeared before Superior Court Judge Stephen Taylor in Morristown today for a hearing on his case.
Barisone, who stood silent, has been held without bail in the Morris County Correctional Facility since a fight at his Long Valley farm with Rob Goodwin and rider Lauren Kanarek, who was hospitalized after being shot twice in the chest during the Aug. 7 incident.
Michael Barisone and attorney Ed Bilinkas. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
The trainer had been trying to get the couple evicted from a house on his property, but calls to the police had not resolved the matter. Barisone, the alternate on the 2008 Olympic dressage team, also had hired a private investigator during his quest to remove Kanarek and her fiancee, Goodwin.
“He had called SafeSport numerous times and told them that he was in fear for his life. I’m not sure exactly what they said, I don’t have any of those records yet,” Bilinkas said in an interview, expanding on remarks he made in court, where he said he planned to subpoena those records and complaints filed against Kanarek by others.
Kanarek, meanwhile, had contacted SafeSport about Barisone, and those records have been subpoenaed by Christopher Schellhorn, Morris County Supervising Assistant Prosecutor of the Major Crimes and Arson and Environmental Crimes Units.. SafeSport is focused on ending all forms of abuse in sport and offers training for national sport governing bodies recognized by the U.S. Olympic and Paralympic Committee.
Two days after the shooting, Barisone was added to the SafeSport and U.S. Equestrian Federation’s ineligibility lists.
He pleaded not guilty to a December indictment on two counts of attempted murder and two counts of possessing a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
Michael Barisone leaving court. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
The sheer volume of material involved in the case has meant delays as the defense plows through thousands of records. Bilinkas said there were 19,000 pages of social media material from Kanarek alone, for instance.
“We’re making significant progress,” commented Bilinkas, while adding he needs additional time to go over everything.
“I want to make sure I have all the discovery before I start making any decisions.”
Asked during my interview if there had been discussion about a plea deal, Bilinkas replied, “There’s no plea here. I think he’s going to be found innocent.”
When the judge questioned whether the state had made a plea offer, Schellhorn replied, “Not at this time.”
If the matter is to go before a jury, the judge had said during a January hearing that speedy trial requirements would mean a June trial date.
But Bilinkas commented, “We’re at the tip of the iceberg here. I’ve never seen anyhing like this in terms of the delays and baggage. I don’t think there’s any way this is going in June.”
He’s hoping to get through all the discovery material by April 6, the date of the next court hearing. He also mentioned needing to hear “secret recordings” Kanarek and Goodwin made of Barisone without permission, citing as an example one of a conversation between the trainer and his lawyer.
Bilinkas told the judge that the state’s Division of Child Protection & Permanency had determined accusations Kanarek made about Barisone being involved in child abuse were unfounded. It was after a visit by a CP&P investigator that Barisone clashed with Kanarek and Goodwin.
The judge said he didn’t find CP&P’s decision relevant or admissible.
“It’s a different agency with a different mission,” he commented, saying it’s an opinion of a social worker. “We don’t know whether they have all the evidence.”
Bilinkas, however, noted, “It’s our position I have incontrovertible evidence that Miss Kanarek has made numerous false claims against my client.”
“That’s a different story,” said the judge, adding, “they can be shown by other means.”
In the interview, Bilinkas said there was a claim of insurance fraud made against Barisone by Kanarek.
“She talks about it on social media. There is no insurance fraud by Michael Barisone and the records from the insurance company will bear that out.”
He said it involved a pipe that burst at the Long Valley farm while Barisone was in Florida.
“She’s telling all sorts of people he’s committing insurance fraud. That’s a false allegation.”
Kanarek’s mother stood in the hall listening as I interviewed the attorneys. When I asked at the end of the interview who she was, she identified herself, and after I asked if she wanted to comment, she declined.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 21, 2020
Are you cleaning out the tack room only to realize A) you have a lot of items you don’t need or B) there are things you do need. You’re in luck.
Spring is tack sale time, and several are gearing up in New Jersey to benefit worthy causes. They offer an especially good opportunity to outfit growing children.
Riding with Heart (Hunterdon Equine Assisted Recreation and Therapy) will hold its two-day sale this month. It gets under way March 28 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at 639 Route 513, Pittstown. On March 29, it runs from noon to 3 p.m., with most items on sale for half price.
Donate from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. Call (908) 735-5912 before you come.
In April, Mane Stream, which offers adaptive riding lessons and therapy services to help improve quality of life for people with physical, developmental, emotional and medical challenges, is hosting a sale at 83 Old Turnpike Road in Oldwick.
The sale runs from 8 a.m.-4 p.m. April 4. Available will be new and used tack, riding apparel, blankets, stable equipment, and more, including brand name items, such as Ariat, Dover, Baker, Tailored Sportsman and Essex. Proceeds will benefit Mane Stream’s horses and therapy programs. To make a donation, if you need directions, or have any questions, contact: Holland@manestreamnj.org or (908) 439-9636 or go to www.ManeStreamNJ.org.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 17, 2020
Dianna Babington posted a heartfelt note about all she and Kevin have been through in terms of doubts and fears since a fall in a jumper competition left him paralyzed at the end of August. There is hope on the horizon now because Kevin will be traveling to the Mayo Clinic to see if that famed facility can help him.
After time in the hospital and at the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation in West Orange, Kevin and his family went to their farm in Loxahatchee, Fla.
“When we left Kessler,” Dianna recalled, “I was truly sick and worried about coming home with Kevin in his condition with no real medical training. We have had moments where that anxiety has reared its head.
“He was hit with bronchitis, he had a few nights where I nearly called 911 because of blood pressure issues, pain, etc but as a family, we have trudged through it. I am finally feeling like I’m not going to fail. I make mistakes, but I don’t think I’ll miss something life- threatening. We also have a team of friends, an aide, and barn manager Elizabeth Sponseller, and they keep me centered and calm when I feel internal panic.”
She noted the number of people who are supporting Kevin and his family financially and emotionally are making an impact.
Dianna and Kevin Babington.
.”People tell me stories or that they pray two to three times a day and all of it matters. I was told by many medical doctors that recovery was “unlikely” and that is putting it mildly
“It sent me spiraling into depression because I felt like I couldn’t help. I hid it well (or at least I think I tried to).. To see Kevin struggling was and is hard. It’s harder than most can imagine on a daily basis, but this week, we’ve had a sign or two that we are right to have hope! He has reported feeling twitching in his thigh. First on the right, then days later on the left.
“It was brief, but it was real. He also got slight movement in his knee. It’s hard work for him but he is fighting. The spasms he fights make it hard, but he is tough and working through it. I believe the support from all who love him, family and friends, even the horse community at large that just want to send cards from all over the world is making a difference and keeping him positive.
“He also said he felt a twinge in his hamstring. It’s a sign that there is a connection for sure. He has no feeling in his lower body below his chest, but he is feeling these twinges. There is hope for improvement. Thank you to everyone who keeps “showing up.
Want to help Kevin? Tax-deductible donations via check may be sent to the Kevin Babington Foundation, 2402 Players Court,Wellington FL 33414. (To obtain bank instructions for wiring money, send an email to Debbie Welles at the kevinbabingtonfoundation@gmail.com.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 17, 2020
The highlight of the considerable jumping action in Wellington, Fla., last week was the Palm Beach Masters, a splendid fixture at Deeridge Farm that culminated in a riveting Longines FEI Nations Cup with a hard-fought victory for the home team.
The winning U.S. Longies FEI Nations Cup team of Margie Goldstein Engle, Laura Kraut, Beezie Madden and Jessie Springsteen enjoy a champagne spray session with coach Robert Ridland. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
Amazingly, however, it was just one of three shows in the area offering jumper action. Meanwhile, a five-minute drive away from the Masters, the Winter Equestrian Festival showcased the hunters, with several surprises in the $100,000 USHJA/WCHR Peter Wetherill Palm Beach Hunter Spectacular at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.
As hunters dominated the action at PBIEC, WEF had its share of jumpers utilizing the Equestrian Village, home of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, where a national dressage show also was under way.
Down the road at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center, the Turf Tour offered jumper competition at lower heights for another group of participants. All this after we’d barely had time to take a breath from the previous week’s WEF marathon menu of eventing, show jumping and international-level dressage!
As 2016 Olympic show jumping course designer Guilherme Jorge pointed out to me when I mentioned (whined about?) the demands of this schedule, at least I didn’t have to deal with airplanes and hours of travel to attend everything. Good point. And anyone who didn’t take advantage of the opportunity to see such great competition if they were in the neighborhood, so to speak, really missed out.
Where do I begin to tell you about it all?
With the Nations Cup, of course, since it is the only qualifier held in the U.S. for the Nations Cup final that runs in Spain this fall.
Deeridge is the Jacobs family’s estate, where no expense is spared for its show series. The VIP area offers views of both the grand prix field and sand arena, along with an ever-changing buffet featuring lots of lobster, steak, stone crab claws and other delicacies. Naturally, there’s plenty of champagne to go with it.
The grandstands that were at the end of the ring last year were taken down in favor of picnic tables with overhead netting for shade from the sun. The idea, according to Lou Jacobs, was to make food service from the booths behind the tables more accessible, noting the stands were never full except on the Sunday. The venue always had a clubby feel, but this change definitely made it more intimate.
Di Lampard, the British team manager, marveled at the footing in the grass arena “like a magic carpet to walk on, let alone to ride on. It’s a fantastic venue to come to.”
The Brits had only a three-woman team, while the seven other squads competing enjoyed the luxury of a drop score because they had four members.
Even so, the British women were tied with the Irish men on 4 penalties at the end of the first round over the Alan Wade-designed course, where the size of the fences was emphasized over technical questions. The U.S. was tied with Mexico and Israel on 8 penalties at that point.
Oh, and there was a heart-stopping moment when Margie Goldstein Engle went flying off Royce after finishing her 4-fault trip in the first round of the Cup, as the stallion spooked at someone putting a plastic bag over a speaker to protect it from a rain shower.
Royce was on his own at the Palm Beach Masters after he spooked and unseated Margie Goldstein Engle. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
She was back on her feet quickly, but I cringed, because she had told me she fractured her sacrum and coccyx in a fall from Indigo last month. Margie is no stranger to injury, so she soldiered on and came back in the second round with a fault-free performance to match those of teammates Jessica Springsteen (RMF Zecilie) and Laura Kraut (Confu).
“She’s tough,” was the comment I got from everyone I talked to about Margie’s comeback.
The U.S. squad’s fate waited on Britain’s second-round effort. A fault-free trip from Amanda Derbyshire on Cornwall BH would have given that nation the title, but a knockdown at the second fence triggered a jump-off.
Beezie Madden, who didn’t have to go in the second round on Darry Lou because there were already three clean rounds for the U.S, was called into service for the one-on-one tiebreaker. Alexandra Thornton on Cornetto K represented Britain admirably, but her clean trip in 36.34 seconds was far off Beezie’s mark of 33.11.
Beezie Madden put the U.S. in the winner’s circle with Darry Lou. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
Beezie, who rode before Alexandra, explained her winning strategy this way: “I’d seen her do a few beautiful jump-offs with that horse. I wanted to really make sure I didn’t get beat on time. I didn’t want to be too cautious and have a rail or leave the door too wide open.”
Beezie also mentioned she is not officially retiring from championships after the Tokyo Olympics this summer, but she is going in a different direction to develop young horses.
On the other hand, she added about the championship question, “I’m not going to say ‘no’ if I have the right horse, but it’s not going to be our goal, our focus, so it’s probably not that likely. If you’re not that focused on it, the likelihood of it happening isn’t that high.”
A big takeaway from last weekend is that there certainly is remarkanle enthusiasm for show jumping. Exhibit A involves the full fields for all the shows here, as well as Youth Nations Cups at Deeridge.
“We’ve never had as many applications for spots on Nations Cup teams during my years,” said U.S. Coach Robert Ridland.
“The interest in the sport, the interest in the team, is higher than ever,”
A number of riders even jumped in shows at two different locations over the weekend. Notably Jessie Springsteen, who competed in the $213,300 Longines Grand Prix at the Masters last Friday, motored over to WEF that evening for a victory in the $137,000 grand prix a few hours later with her mare, Volage du Val Henry.
Jessica Springsteen went from being in the ribbons at the Palm Beach Masters Grand Prix during the afternoon to winning the WEF grand prix that night.. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
Noting it was a “busy” (understatement) week, Jessie said after her victory at Equestrian Village, “I actually wasn’t even going to show here and (instead) focus on Deeridge, but she (her mare) jumped so well the last week I decided to come back. I was fifth in the grand prix at Deeridge, so I was kind of coming off of that momentum for tonight.” She added that it “gave me a little energy boost.”
The Hunter Spectacular went for the second year in a row to Tori Colvin on Brad Wolf’s reliable Private Practice. But an anticipated showdown with 2019 WCHR Hunter of the Year Lafitte de Muze came to naught after he had a knockdown at the third fence.
Hunter Spectacular winner Tori Colvin with Private Practice. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
Tori called the class “a blast, because we are able to ride under the lights and in the International Arena. They don’t host many hunter classes in this arena anymore, so to be able to go back in this ring is a lot of fun.”
The runner-up was Californian Katie Taylor, who rode Gabrielle Sokolow’s Kindred for the first time that morning. Quite remarkable. She moved up from third after the first round to second place, but couldn’t surpass Tori’s 182.16 points with her total of 178.82. Still, she fulfilled a long-held ambition by riding in the Spectacular.
“I’ve always wanted to be a part of this class,” said Katie.
“We were going to send my horse out here for this but it was a lot to send him just for the week.”
So Katie needed a horse, and after taking 10 jumps with Kindred, she “just loved everything about him.”
McLain Ward and Noche de Ronda, who won grands prix twice in less than a week.(Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
That hits the high points of the last week, but here’s one other news note: McLain Ward and his wife, Lauren, today welcomed Madison, an 8-pound baby sister for their older daughter, Lilly. So that’s half of a future Nations Cup team right there.
McLain was a big winner all the way around this month, taking the WEF’s $401,000 Fidelity Investments Grand Prix Feb. 8, then six days later winning the Longines Grand Prix at Deeridge, both with Noche de Ronda. Congratulations are due all the way around!
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 10, 2020
The Monmouth County Hunt welcomed Standardbreds from three states for a special day of foxhunting this month.
Standardbreds primarily are used for harness racing and driving, but like thoroughbreds, they can go on to different careers when their days at the track are over.
Many of the participants were first-time foxhunters eager to try their Standardbreds in the hunt field.
Standardbred riders line up with Huntsman Meg Valnoski, MFH and the Monmouth County Hunt Hounds. (Photo by C.M. Cancelli)
All of the horses participating proved to be well suited for foxhunting, displaying both patience and manners in the hunt field.
One such horse was the 19-year-old “HugMe Christi,” owned by Dr. Karyn Malinowski of the Rutgers Equine Science Center and hunted by trainer Wendy Hale.
Hugme Christi, a war horse with 258 races on her record before she retired at age 12, won more than $120,000. She was a two-time Amateur Driver’s horse winner in the Amateur Final at the Meadowlands Racetrack with Karyn in the sulky.
Karyn Malinowski, who drove Hugme Christi to records, with rider Wendy Hale. (Photo by C.M. Cancelli)
Hugme Christi broke the American Harness Driving Club’s record when she produced a record time on June 2, 2005 in the amateur final. The record stood for more than a decade. She has fox hunted and hunter paced with the Monmouth County Hunt many times, and may enter a show or two soon.
Sam Landy of Congress Hill Farm in Monroe hunts his retired Standardbreds. He is a breeder and owner of Standardbreds, and is now a retired trainer and driver.
“As a breeder of New Jersey Standardbreds, I want to thank the masters of the Monmouth County Hunt for managing and maintaining a great club that provides an opportunity to ride Standardbreds. Standardbreds’ temperament and athleticism make them ideally suited for the hunt field when their racing careers are over. The Monmouth County Hunt provides a great venue to ride these horses for 10 or more years after their race career is over.
The Monmouth County Hunt in Upper Freehold Township is near many Standardbred breeding farms and training centers, as well as several racetracks. Over the years, the hunt has had several members riding retired Standardbred racehorses with great success. The current membership includes standardbred owners, drivers and trainers.
The Standardbred field met hounds and huntsman Meg Valnoski, MFH at the MCH kennels. Doug Raynor MFH led the first flight and Laura Scott led the hilltoppers at a slower pace.
Following the day’s hunting, a traditional hunt breakfast was hosted by hunt members. For more information on the Monmouth County Hunt go to www.monmouthcountyhunt.com
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 10, 2020
What a weekend! Wellington, Florida, is a perennial winter equestrian hotspot, but for the past three days, it outdid itself as a multi-discipline destination.
Think of the whole thing as a mini World Equestrian Games, without the baggage that WEGs have had to tote in recent years.
Capacity crowds added to the interest, as genuine fan enthusiasm always does, while top-notch competition played out in the three Olympic sports–show jumping, eventing and dressage.
“This year, we decided to try running them all together. In the past, we’d run eventing on a different weekend,” said Michael Stone, president of Equestrian Sport Productions, which presents the Adequan Global Dressage Festival and the Winter Equestrian Festival.
“But we thought we’d create this great atmosphere and encourage people to come to Wellington to watch high-level sport across the board. We’re really delighted with the turnout.”
I didn’t believe there was anywhere else in the world that presented all three sports at a high level on the same weekend, and Michael, a former secretary-general of the FEI (international equestrian federation) confirmed that.
“Even at Aachen (known for its jumping and dressage) who do eventing as well, they do it over two weekends,” he told me.
On Friday night, we had the dressage Grand Prix Freestyle under the lights, full of electricity and emotion at the Global grounds, where Steffen Peters clinched his ticket to April’s FEI Dressage World Cup Final.
Steffen Peters and Suppenkasper on their victory lap.. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
Steffen, who has successfully battled depression, had a lot to be happy about with the magnetic performance he and Suppenkasper produced.
“It felt wonderful. It was one of the freestyles I have visualized for many days, many mornings, many nights, through dark times and it worked out beautifully,” said Steffen, who wiped away a few tears after his final halt, even before he knew he had hit a personal best of 83.495 percent with the Dutchbred 12-year-old known as Mopsie.
Parts of this freestyle are new, but the music for the canter tour is what he used with Ravel, the horse on which he won the World Cup Final in 2009. That was a moment he will never forget (“I thought the stadium in Vegas was coming down when Ravel was done with the freestyle,” he recalled).
Steffen and Suppenkasper in action. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
His performance here earned him the lead in the North American League and the right to compete in Vegas again when it hosts the final in April.
Second-place Olivia Lagoy-Weltz, who is also shooting with Lonoir for one of the two North American slots in Vegas, earned a score of 79.365, just shy of the 80.495 percent mark that was her personal best last month.
The next night, the action moved a mile away to the Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, where the stands were jam-packed. The crowd was totally geared up for the $401,000 Fidelity Investments 5-star grand prix with an amazing field of 40 from 11 nations, including European Champion and world number one Martin Fuchs of Switzerland. But he didn’t even make the 12-horse jump off after Sinner toppled a pole in the first round over Anthony D’Ambrosio’s route.
Even so, there was plenty of talent going for the $100,000 first prize, and none had a reputation for being faster than Canada’s Eric Lamaze and two friends from the U.S., Kent Farrington and McLain Ward.
The first of the trio to jump, Eric and Chacco Kid, finished the course in 39.69 seconds. Hard to beat, but if anyone had the ability to do it, Kent and Gazelle, the mare with wings, could manage. And so it was: the clock showed 39.51. Gazelle did take one extra stride for insurance heading to the final oxer after the combination, but really, how could McLain and Noche de Ronda, who until fairly recently was jumping 1.35 meters, get ahead of Kent over the 1.60 meter course?
The crowd was with McLain as his long-strided mare mocked both the clock and the rails, finishing in 37.47 as the fans roared in salute after a long, hold-your-breath moment. Anyone who saw this contest will remember it for the rest of their life. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen a more dramatic tiebreaker, even through nine Olympics, more than 20 World Cup finals and every WEG ever held.
McLain Ward and Noche de Ronda. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer).
“I got beat today by a top rider on a horse with a giant stride. He pulled out all the stops and took a big risk to win and pulled it off, so it was a great win tonight for McLain,” said Kent.
“That’s about all Ronda and I had to give,” said McLain. “What made the difference is that I kept taking the risk to take the leave-outs, even off every corner, and it worked out.
“Both Kent’s and Eric’s horses are super fast types. Where I have an advantage sometime is a bigger stride, but that course didn’t set up great for a bigger stride,” McLain continued.
Kent Farrington, McLain Ward and Eric Lamaze in the winner’s circle. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
“When you get to go after the one who sets the time, you have a bit of an advantage and normally you come out by winning or crashing, one or the other.”
Today’s activity was in the third Olympic discipline, eventing, for the show jumping and cross-country phases (dressage was held yesterday morning.) We were back at Global, where both of today’s segments in the $50,000 Mars Equestrian Eventing Showcase were held on the grass grand prix field that is a one-minute walk from the main dressage ring.
There was a casually festive feel to the crowd enjoying the sunshine as much as the competition. I loved seeing the little kids roll themselves down the steep grass bank topped by the Buckeye triple brush arrowhead double combination (not when the horses were jumping, of course!)
When I arrived at the field, I was a bit alarmed. Is this actually an arena eventing competition, I wondered, after seeing the show jumps interspersed with the eventing fences.
The last time the event was staged here, in 2017, the stadium jumping phase was held in the dressage arena. But because the dressage show was continuing at Global, the stadium jumping had to be on the grass.
Andy Christiansen’s route was influential, with big names–including leader Marilyn Little on RF Scandalous–dropping rails. Marilyn’s edge was so big, however, that she continued in first place despite addition of a 4-fault penalty to her dressage score of 19.4
The stadium segment was held during the morning, and happily those fences were whisked away before cross-country started in the afternoon.
The 3-minute, 9-second optimum time over the Mark Phillips-designed cross-country course wasn’t easy to make. Thirteen of the 23 who completed the event had time penalties. That included Marilyn, who ran into trouble at the Buckeyes and nearly fell off at the B element. She stuck on, only to have another problem at a corner in the middle of the course where she had to circle (but it wasn’t counted as a refusal, since it wasn’t part of a combination.
But Scandalous, who missed the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games with an injury, persevered. Although she came home with 4.80 time faults, she still held off Buck Davidson on Carlevo, albbeit by a mere 0.4 penalties.
There had been talk about selling Carlevo, but Buck said he felt the horse would be good for fun events like the showcase, and he was right.
Marilyn, meanwhile, is focusing on getting ready for April’s Kentucky 5-star, and isn’t looking ahead to the Olympics, just taking things step by step.
“This afternoon did not go as planned,” she said, and that was no understatement, though she did note, tongue in cheek, “I certainly made things exciting.”
Mars Eventing Showcase winner Marilyn Little on RF Scandalous. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
She felt she didn’t have a normal preparation for an event at the beginning of the season where she went out fast on cross-country, and said, “I have to go back and regroup. We were perhaps a little under-prepared for this.”
Phillip Dutton finished third on his top horse, Z, 0.10 penalties behind Buck. He thought the showcase was a good prep for the Tokyo Olympics, where the course will be twisting in a brief, 8-minute optimum time. He’s shooting for Badminton, telling me it won’t be too much for Z to handle three months before the Olympics.
“It’s the most contested event in the world,” Phillip told me, explaining his goal.
“It will be good for me to go there; at this stage of my career, I’d like to go there again. This horse is good enough to do that, so I don’t mind putting myself out there and doing it.”
Whew, I’m beat. It was a long three days, but lots of fun, and it was neat to see so many friends visiting all three disciplines and just enjoying the broad range of what horses can do well.
Next week, the feature is the Nations Cup over at Deeridge Farm, just a couple of miles from Global. So terrific to have world class competition at three venues within a five-minute drive. (And I didn’t even mention the polo going on at the International Polo Club, also run by Equestrian Sport Productions). So it isn’t an exaggeration to say that if you love horse sports, there’s no place like Wellington.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 31, 2020
So close, and yet so far.
The bill to end the sales tax on stalls for boarding horses finally passed the state Legislature almost unanimously, but New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy didn’t sign it. That’s what known as a pocket veto (since it wasn’t vetoed outright) but the effect is the same.
Think of Lucy and the football from “Peanuts”. The process has to start all over again in the new session of the Legislature.
Assemblyman Ronald Dancer, who introduced the legislation in the Assembly for the first time in 2013, is hopeful that the bill will pass again when it is resubmitted, since it got approval in the two-year session that ended Jan. 13, even though it still must go through committees and come up for a vote again in the Assembly and the Senate. He sponsored the latest version with Assembly members Eric Houghtaling and Joann Downey, while in the state Senate, sponsors were Vin Gopal and Steve Oroho,
The question is, will the Governor sign it when it comes before him again?
Ron said he was told that once the Governor gives his budget address next month, there would be a better projection on revenues.
“It looks like here in New Jersey, we do have a better economy; revenue projections appear to be up. So it may be more likely that this bill will move during the new…legislative session based on the fact that we have an economy that is showing increases in…the sales tax, the corporation business tax and the income tax, the three major revenue raisers for the state of New Jersey.”
For that reason, the assemblyman believes, “there would be a greater comfort level to have this bill signed into law in this new (legislative) session.”
“Once you have a level playing field, where the state of New Jerse is not at a tax disadvantage to neighboring Pennsylvania and New York and the equestrian people can board their horses in our state and not be faced with a 6.6 percent sales tax on boarding, I believe there would be an increase in total revenues as a result of the ecoomic activity…more horses, more boarding, more employment and so on. It’s that economic domino effect you get when you reduce taxes.”
But after all the efforts to eliminate the tax, it’s infuriating to fall short at the end.
“Was I disappointed? Yes, very disappointed,” said Ron.
“We worked very hard. This was a bipartisan bill with near unanimous support from 120 legislators.”
So what’s next?
“Generally speaking, when you have a bill that has already made it through the Legislature, those bills are heard early in the new session. There’s a track record here, so it should be heard relatively early,” commented Ron, estimating it could be February or March.”
If all goes well, the Assemblyman believes, “it’s very feasible to get done in the first half of the year, before the summer recess June 30.”
The process has been very frustrating, and everyone who made the effort to write or called to voice their support is entitled to be upset. Let’s hope the Governor signs it this time around, but it won’t happen without the equestrian community making sure its interests are respected at last.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 31, 2020
Alice Tarjan of Oldwick, an amateur rider who brings her young horses along to Grand Prix level, has been selected to participate in the Kundrun U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Dressage Development Program.
She is among 21 riders perceived to have the ability to make or contribute to podium-quality scores, who will receive strategic guidance and resources.
U.S. Dressage Development Coach Charlotte Bredahl oversees the program with the support of the U.S. Dressage Program coaching staff, including Technical Advisor Debbie McDonald, Dressage Youth Coach, George Williams and Young Horse Coach Christine Traurig.
The program is supported by Fritz and Claudine Kundrun. Their horse Rosevelt, ridden by Allison Brock, was part of the bronze medal team at the 2016 Olympics.
Alice, the only Jerseyan on the list, was selected with Candescent, her 10-year-old Hanoverian mare, and Harvest, her eight-year-old Dutch warmblood stallion. Just three other riders were chosen with two horses.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 31, 2020
It’s the end of an era.
The Garden State Horse Show is heading this spring to the Asbury showgrounds run by Nona Garson and her partner, George D’Ambrosio, as the former Junior Essex Troopers who ran it with devotion for decades step aside from its management for good.
“It’s been an honor to be a part of this tradition” said Tim Cleary, who joined Troop in 1967 at age 10 and 1/2, then went on to manage the show for 33 years.
The show’s license has been transferred and it now will be called the Garden State Horse Show at the Ridge at Riverview, the name of Nona and George’s showgrounds in Warren County. It will be held April 29-May 3, with a pre-show the weekend before.
The Garden State Horse Show, which spent a year at the USET Foundation, is moving to a new location this spring. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
The Junior Essex Troop ran as a military-style organization for boys that had its own farm in West Orange. At one time, the organization presented the largest junior show in America. It became an open show in 1972, known for its fun and challenging outside course, which involved crossing a stream and going up and down a hill.
“It’s a horse show I’ve been going to since I was a little kid. I grew up there,” said Nona. Recalling galloping down “the mountain” and splashing through the water, she estimated she had been involved with the show for 50-plus years.
Nona Garson and George D’Ambrosio. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
She and George are “really excited about it,” appreciating the chance to host a show with such a long history that it is number 145 on the roster of the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s 2,300 recognized competitions.
The troopers proudly wore their uniforms, taking care of the horses at the farm while relishing aspects of military life, including marching and riding with the organization’s well-known drill team, building an unshakeable camaraderie. Though the Troop disbanded as an active equestrian organization in the late 1980s, the former troopers enjoyed an annual reunion putting on the show, doing everything from announcing to management and serving as jump crew.
After the West Orange farm was sold in 1983, the show moved to Chubb Park in Chester and then to the Sussex County fairgrounds in 1987, where it became New Jersey’s largest horse show.
At every location, the former troopers, worked tirelessly to stage it. But handling everything was getting harder as the men got older. After the troop stopped functioning as an active equestrian operation, there wasn’t a legacy of younger people to bring up through the ranks, who could keep the show going in band of brothers style.
Troop alumni made their show an annual reunion. (Photo© 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Garden State last year relocated to the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone, where it occupied just one ring, compared with the eight it utilized at its previous home in Sussex.
That followed a similar move in 2016 by the Monmouth County Horse Show when it transferred to the Somerset County location, but the concept didn’t work as well for Garden State as it did for Monmouth.
Tucker Ericson, who guides Monmouth at the Team, ran Garden State in 2019 but estimated about half of the exhibitors at the troop show were different from the Monmouth competitors.
While Monmouth’s highest U.S. Equestrian Federation rating is B on several days, Garden State had a double-A rating for hunters and included Level 4 jumpers as well, highlighted by a $25,000 grand prix.
With only one ring, the show had to run nine days to include everything, and as Nona mentioned, it’s a quite a commitment to stay at one show for that long.
Tucker pointed out, “A one-ring horse show is very hard to break even. If not for the sponsors and the trainers supporting hospitality, then these shows can’t exist. It’s critical for that support to pull this off.”
When Tucker, who works in insurance, took a new job, he no longer had time for Garden State. At that point, it was obvious a big change was inevitable. Nona and George, who also run the highly succesful Turf Tour in Wellington, Fla., seemed to those involved with the show like the right management team to take over.
“We thought they were the best possiblity for continuing a show that was more in line with the way the Garden State Horse Show has been conducted, which was from the lead line to the grand prix riders, the expanse of talent and capabilities, not just an elite show,” said Rodney Seelig, who has served as Garden State’s chairman.
Nona anticipates this year’s show will have four or five rings. She and George are working on trying to get sponsorship for a $50,000 grand prix.
The troop organization will continue, but what it will do–aside from a reunion at this year’s fixture–is still under discussion.
“The show has been an all-encompassing operation of the organization for so many years,” said Rodney, pointing out that now, there is finally some breathing room and time to weigh whether troop alums should focus on giving scholarships or other philanthropic pursuits.
Whatever happens, none of those involved will ever forget their experience with the troop or the show.
The Garden State group at Sussex.
“My fondest memory of the whole time was working with such a good crew of people,” said Tim.
“When you are fortunate enough to be part of a great team, it’s one of the most rewarding experiences you can have in life.”
