Dressage trainer Michael Barisone has been indicted in Morris County in connection with the August 7 shooting of rider Lauren Kanarek.
He was charged with two counts of attempted murder, which are crimes of the first degree, and two counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, crimes of the second degree. He remains in the Morris County Correctional Facility in lieu of bail, as per the judge’s order, and no trial date has been set. Arraignment is scheduled for next month.
The shooting incident involved a scuffle between Barisone, Kanarek and her fiancé, Rob Goodwin, who were living on Barisone’s farm in Washington Township. Kanarek was hospitalized after being shot twice in the chest.
Barisone was a member of the 2008 Olympic dressage team, but did not ride in the Games because only three members of the squad competed. He coached Allison Brock on the bronze medal team at the 2016 Olympics.
The MARS Essex Horse Trials is moving to a new date for 2020, hoping that a switch from June to July will offer better weather for the event.
“We’re really just trying to improve the odds,” said Ralph Jones, who co-chairs Essex with cross-country course designer Morgan Rowsell.
The sun finally shone for the Mars Essex Horse Trials after days of rain, but organizers are hoping for more good weather with a date change.
A wet spring and an unusual amount of rain during the week of the 2019 competition at Moorland Farm in Far Hills drenched the ground. That was disappointing for the debut of the Advanced division at Essex, a longtime New Jersey fixture which was revived in 2017 after an 18-year absence from the calendar.
Organizers did what they could to deal with the mud, postponing the Advanced stadium jumping from Friday evening to Saturday so the turf could dry out a bit. But it was still difficult going for dressage and show jumping, while the cross-country route also had deep spots, prompting some riders to scratch.
For 2020, Essex takes over the dates of the Fitch’s Corner, N.Y., event, which was discontinued. The new July 18-19 date “fits in better for the riders in sequencing different competitions,” according to Ralph.
“The one pickle we have is the lack of an all-weather arena at Moorland Farm. If we don’t have an all-weather arena, we are limited to what we can do,” said Ralph.
Essex co-chairs Ralph Jones and Morgan Rowsell.
While 38 riders entered the Advanced this year, 26 scratched after assessing the conditions.
Ralph thinks the riders will be willing to have another try at Essex.
“Essex was dealt a bad straw,” said Lauren Kieffer, the Bates U.S. Eventing Association’s Leading Lady Rider of 2019.
Ralph commented, “My instinct is they give us a pass because of the weather, but they’re not going to give that to you forever,” he said.
Philip Dutton, who ran a lower-level horse at Essex this year, scratched his Advanced mount, Z, who this weekend at the U.S. Eventing Association convention was named the Standlee Western Forage USEA Horse of the Year and Advanced Horse. The Olympian said the cross-country going was heavy.
Although July can be hot, he likes the idea of the new date, noting, “It’s the weaker time for Advanced events, so it could work well on the calendar, especially if they can aerate the cross-country so it doesn’t get too hard.”
The problem with grass for the other phases is that, “In dressage, everyone goes in the same spot, and the same with the show jumping.”
When it rains, that makes the footing difficult. In the future, he said, events are “going to have all-weather surfaces at some stage. If they want to stay relevant and stay competitive, they’re probably going to have to do that, and it’s not easy to do.”
Guy Torsilieri, who co-chairs the October Far Hills Race Meeting at Moorland, said about trying to solve the footing situation for dressage and jumping, “We have multiple options. We understand there’s a need for consistent footing when it gets wet. We’d like to keep the turf, but that may not be realistic.”
He explained there is consideration of improving the turf with a long-term project, but observed, “in some cases, that might not work.” Another possibility involves discussing partnering with the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone, a five-minute drive from Moorland, so the Advanced show jumping and dressage could be held there.
While the ring behind the Foundation’s stables is what first comes to mind when the facility is mentioned, Guy brought up the arena at Pine Meadow, part of the Foundation property which has been used for driving over the years.
“Should we look at renovating Pine Meadow,” he wondered. Using a ring at the Foundation would mean trailering the horses, albeit for a short distance, which is not always popular with the riders.
But he also mentioned the idea of an all-weather ring at Moorland, although that is not a solution for this year. But Guy noted for that concept, “it’s not the capital to put it in; it’s the business plan to make it work going forward. All options are on the table and I think you have to approach it that way.”
Ralph noted, “We’re trying to figure all this out. The riders don’t really like to go to two locations,” he pointed out, adding, however, “We could probably do it in a transition year.”
Moving the event into July makes it a little more predictable. If the turf stays dry, Morgan said, Advanced will go first, and get the best footing as a result.
Will Coleman and Obos O’Reilly handled the footing to win the Advanced division at the Mars Essex Horse Trials.
“For our purposes this year, we will irrigate, we will aerate, we will sand it–whatever we can do to get the best turf possible. We’re concentrating on having a successful event at Moorland, but we’ve got to have a backup plan.
“We had 14 inches of rain in June. Three years in a row we had rain, that’s just the way it works now in June in New Jersey.”
Even if it’s hot, the ground won’t suffer. “We can make hard ground soft,” said Morgan, but the corollary is that no one can do the opposite with wet ground.
Morgan noted the entire Preliminary division ran cross-country last year “and it was great. But when you get to the 4-foot level, you’re asking a horse to jump out of some soft footing and the consequences are quite a bit different than jumping 3-foot-6.”
Chris Barnard, who designed the Essex show jumping courses, thinks July will work.
“It might be a little warm, but I think it’s warm everywhere. When the ground gets that wet for the show jumping in the field, it’s tricky.” On the other hand, he pointed out “If it’s too hard, they (the Essex contingent) have the equipment and staff to get the equipment better.”
Boyd Martin, who won the featured Preliminary Essex section on Luke 140 this year but scratched Advanced, said of scenic Essex, “It’s a phenomenal event, everything we dream of in an event as a rider.”
Boyd Martin on his winning Preliminary mount at Essex.
The U.S. Eventing Association’s Rider of the Year likes the date,. He also commented, “If Essex could come up with an all-weather surface, it would really guarantee a sensational event. Everyone wants to go to Essex because it’s one of the best events in the country. We all want the best for our horses, too. To be able to compete with dressage and jumping on a synthetic footing would surely make it an international venue.
“I feel terrible for the event because they put on the greatest of great shows but the footing was bottomless. We love these horses and they’re worth so much money now, we can’t chance riding them in knee-deep mud. We had unbelievable amounts of rain. That’s uncontrollable. You get that amount of rain at any event and it really changes things.”
Ralph was asked by Morgan, who co-chairs the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event at the Horse Park of New Jersey, to join the board of that event. Jersey Fresh was started to fill the gap after Essex bowed out following its 1998 edition. It will be part of the selection process for the Tokyo Olympics, where the discipline gets under way on the last day of July–when conditions there will be a lot hotter than in New Jersey.
Want to get involved with what the Equine Science Center has to offer? Next up, starting Jan. 21, is Carey Williams’ 14-week online equine nutrition course, which can be taken by barn managers, horse owners, trainers, feed sales reps or anyone who wants to know more about feeding their horses. To register online, go to https://ce-catalog.rutgers.edu/coursedisplay.cfm?schID=78458. For information, call 848-932-9271.
On Feb. 9, the Center’s annual in-person horse management seminar in New Brunswick will focus on race horse/sport horse care and rehabilitation.
Kevin’s wife, Dianna, has written that Kevin used a headset on Friday to give a Iesson in Wellington, but she noted that it is not full speed ahead at the moment. This is a gradual process.
“I am carefully reintroducing him to the life he loves,” she explained.
“It is essential to his well-being, mentally and physically. What is good for the soul is good for the body. We as a team are attacking this from all angles to provide him the best recovery possible…We are seeking clinical trials, Eastern alternative therapies, we are trying to leave no stone unturned.
“The return to teaching and coaching is part of what is the best for him. He gets tired and needs rest after, but we are building stamina as we navigate whatever is out there to help this spinal cord injury.
“He is not `back to work’ on a level that is productive but he remains vested in helping riders to whatever his energy will allow.He is the guide to what his limitations are. He looks so happy training and around his friends at the show. I know it was the right thing at the right time. Further, we have a core team of family, doctors, caregivers and friends, but his team is truly made up of all of you who continue to pray, send good wishes, stop to chat to him, donate to support him, and simply keep him in your thoughts with positivity.
“Please keep that energy. He has some return of function in his right arm and we are optimistic that something is starting on the left side now. I truly believe that he is carried by a wave of positive energy. What he is living with is so difficult, but everyone who gathers for him makes it a little bit brighter. We are so happy to be in Florida around the best of people. You have no idea how much we as a family are grateful for what has been sent our way. Just thank you and please keep praying.”
Meanwhile, the Kevin Babington Foundation has set up a Facebook page to update people on the injured show jumper and his progress, share information regarding fund raising and to keep everyone current on what is needed for Kevin as he continues on his journey towards rehabilitation in the wake of his accident that left him with a critical spinal cord injury. To access the page, Here is the link
Some big-time eventers are on hand at the U.S. Eventing Association’s annual meeting in Boston this week. There’s lots going on, but Olympic veterans Phillip Dutton and Boyd Martin found time to drop by Trafalgar Square Books’ booth in the trade fair to autograph Riding for the Team, the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation’s new book.
The two even did a little promo video for the book, which tells the inspiring stories of medalists from eight equestrian disicplines. The athletes tell how they got their start, what hurdles they had to overcome (even if they aren’t involved with jumpers!) and document what it took to get to the top.
So many former racehorses, both thoroughbred and Standardbred, face an uncertain–and possibly unhappy–fate when they leave the track. Although there are groups geared to finding new jobs and/or new homes for them (the Standardbred Retirement Foundation and the Thoroughbred Aftercare Alliance come to mind), many still fall through the cracks.
But Re-Elect is a lucky one with owners who cared about him–even after he spent 16 years away from them. Maggi Romano and her husband, Tony, who own a farm in the Clarksburg section of Millstone, Monmouth County, bought the black Standardbred gelding by New Jersey stallion Presidential Ball when he was three. He started racing for them at Freehold, and Maggi recalled how her friends all loved the horse with personality that she called Re-Re.
He went on to compete at Yonkers, Monticello and Colonial Downs in Virginia before things went wrong. In 2001, Maggi sent him to a farm so he could be refreshed from his work at the track, but against her wishes, the owners turned him out with other horses.
“They chased him overnight and he ran through the fence, cutting his tendon,” she said. Maggi realized the injury meant an end to his racing career, so she sought an alternative job for him when his tendon healed after a stay in New Jersey.
“I heard the Army uses black horses for their funerals and that a Standardbred who raced at Freehold was with the Caisson Platoon at the Arlington National Cemetery (the former trotter was Sgt. York, the riderless horse at President Reagan’s funeral). They had no openings, but someone put us in touch with the Indiana National Guard.”
That worked. Their horse was approved by the Military Department of the Indiana Ceremonial Unit that provides military honors at funeral services for active or retired members of the Indiana National Guard.
Reed on duty as an outrider’s horse with Chaplain Martha Lasher in the saddle and Sgt. Megan Mason standing by. (Photo courtesy Indiana National Guard)
“We set up an adoption contract, in case it wasn’t working out or they didn’t need him anymore,” said Maggi, the former president of the New Jersey Horse Council and chairman of the state Equine Advisory Board.
The Guard gave him his military name, Reed; picked him up and took him to the Midwest. And that seemed to be that.
“I tried to stay in touch, and my husband went to see him at their barn and at a parade,” Maggi noted.
“But his handlers were called for active combat overseas, and he was shuffled to different handlers and barns,” she said. “I thought of him and looked at his picture sometimes, but didn’t think I would see him again.”
Then, this August, events began moving toward having Re-Re, aka Reed, back in her life.
“I received an email from Chaplain (Martha) Lasher of the Indiana National Guard Ceremonial Unit,” explained Maggi.
The chaplain, who had only been with the unit for 18 months, found a file on Reed that included the adoption contract. It was providential, since the horse was ready to retire from his military duties at the age of 23. The chaplain just hoped Maggi still could be reached at the email address in the file.
“According to the contract, I had to be contacted if they should find a retirement home in Indiana or if I would like to have him back,” said Maggi, who was speechless when she got the email. She forwarded the notification to her husband, “and he voted to take him back.”
The chaplain explained to Maggi what Reed had been doing, noting that not everybody gets a horse at their funeral. The honor is reserved for those with the rank of sergeant major, chief warrant officers, colonels and generals, as well as governors and senators. The unit did not keep complete records, but there was enough available to know that Reed participated in more than 90 funerals, where draft horses pulled the caissons. Reed functioned either as an outrider’s horse or as the CAP horse (caparisoned in ornamental trappings with an empty saddle). This is the riderless horse that (like Sgt. York) walks behind the casket with a sabre, empty saddle and empty boots turned backwards in the stirrups, symbolic of a fallen warrior.
He also was in many parades and public events, in the color guard carrying the flag, in addition to numerous exhibitions and outreach events of the Caisson Platoon/Ceremonial Unit. Reed, who had been given the rank of Sergeant First Class, would meet and greet the public and let them touch him, a way for them to get a glimpse into the life of a military horse.
Rick Tarr, a retired first sergeant who is involved with care of horses in the Indiana unit (his wife, Shelley, a retired E-4 specialist is the stable manager), was very fond of Reed. He cited the horse’s playfulness, “he’d steal a glove right out of your pocket.”
A volunteer who also trains riders and horses, Rick noted that Reed “was at almost every event,” which included as many as 15 to 20 parades a year. Asked what he looks for in a potential addition to the unit’s eight-horse string, Rick said “their demeanor,” and Reed filled that bill admirably until his retirement.
Rick, who had been the non-commissioned officer in charge of the stable, called Reed “outstanding,” noting how well he stood at ceremonies. If he ever got a little restless, it only took a small circle and a chorus of “You Are My Sunshine” from one of the soldiers to get him back in the groove and standing still.
The pieces began falling into place for Reed’s return to the Romanos when the chaplain explained she was coming to New Jersey for a family event at the end of September and could bring the horse to Clarksburg.
But before that, there was an official retirement for Reed and his stablemate, Midnight, a Percheron who had served for 19 years and was being adopted by a Gold Star Mother. She planned to ride him and incorporate him in her therapy program for veterans.
The Romanos were invited to the Sept. 9 ceremony. Maggi started driving to Indiana Sept. 8, “making sure I would not miss any of it.” A reception was set for noon the next day, but she got permission to come at 11 and arrived a half-hour early, full of anticipation.
Maggi and Reed at his retirement ceremony. (Photo courtesy Indiana National Guard)
When meeting members of the military at the ceremony, “I wanted to thank them for their service,” she said, “but they were thanking me for sending him (Reed) to them, letting him be part of their unit for so many years and now being willing to take him back to his forever home.”
It would be nice to say that Reed whinnied and rushed over to see Maggi when they were reunited, but it had been 16 years and let’s face it, a horse often has different priorities than a human–even when the cameras are on him.
“I hugged him,” Maggi said, “but he wasn’t interested. He wanted to eat grass.”
During the ceremony, Chaplain Lasher described the backgrounds of Reed and Midnight, talking about their years of service. Their replacements also were part of the ceremony.
“Sgt. Amber Brown took the sabres that had been used with the two retiring horses and presented them to the two new horses,” said Maggi.
“We all lined up with the horses and the Adjutant General presented Midnight’s new owner and me with a picture box with the folded flag, his badges and a script: “Be it known, SFC Reed having completed 16 years of faithful service to state and nation, while serving as a member of the Indiana National Guard. Whereas having served with distinction, unselfish devotion to duty and total dedication has been placed upon the RETIRED Roll, Indiana National Guard.”
Then Reed was shipping to New Jersey in a big trailer with the official seal of the MDI Ceremonial Unit.
However, as Maggi observed, “Many Standardbreds don’t like retired life. He was lost the first few days at my farm. He missed his friends and the daily routine. The military horses in Indiana were ridden and driven by their handlers every week, even if there were no events. He had looked out for his stablemates at the farm in Indiana and felt like the protector of even the 18-hands Percherons.”
Reed back at home in New Jersey, where he can relax, roll in his paddock and just be a horse again. (Photo by Maggi Romano)
Eventually, he became attached to the Romanos’ racehorse, Wicked Business, so he has a new friend.
And he may be making a public appearance again in 2020.
“I have contacted the local veterans’ group,” she explained, “and Reed might be leading next year’s Memorial Day parade. We hope our plans work out and he will be ridden by one of his handlers from Indiana.”
Whatever happens, he has a home for the rest of his life.
Fear of temperatures that could go higher than 100 degrees is prompting some schedule reshuffling of the Tokyo Olympics, with just seven months to go until the Games get under way.
It’s odd, when you consider that the summers in Tokyo are typically very hot and humid, so the International Olympic Committee knew what it was facing in 2013 when it awarded the Games to the city for dates in July and August. That was six years ago–why are they waiting until practically the last minute to make changes, especially since more than 50 people died in the city last summer due to high temperatures?
When I went to the 1988 Olympics in Seoul, South Korea, which is in the same part of the world, the Games were in September and October, when it is much cooler. But of course, the fall is prime time for football and the World Series on TV, and TV is the big player in the Olympics.
One of the competitions that will be affected is the three-day eventing cross-country, which will have to start between 7:30 and 8 a.m. in order to finish by 11 a.m., because after that time, heat could rise to a level that is dangerous for the horses. Despite provisions for misting sprays and cooling tents, horses can’t avoid stress from the conditions. And with delays usual due to falls and other mishaps on cross-country, the last rider may go past the finish line later than the optimum ETA.
In other sports affected by the heat, the marathons already have been moved to Sapporo, about 500 miles north of Tokyo. The men’s and women’s triathlon races at Odaiba Marine Park in Tokyo were moved up and will start at 6:30 a.m., an hour earlier than initially planned.
The FEI (international equestrian federation) undertook a study to collect data on how the horses did in the heat and humidity during last July’s Olympic test event, and a change in time zones as well as the stress of travel was also taken into account.
“High level equestrian competitions are increasingly taking place in parts of the world where the climate poses health challenges for both humans and horses,” FEI veterinary director Göran Akerström said.
“The study plays a crucial role in guiding Tokyo 2020 and other Organizing Committees on appropriate facilities and support, and will be used to advise and guide athletes and National Federations on the preparation of their horses in the build-up to and during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.”
The Kevin Babington Foundation has set up a Facebook page to update people on the injured show jumper and his progress, share information regarding fund raising and to keep everyone current on what is needed for Kevin as he continues on his journey towards rehabilitation in the wake of his accident that left him with a critical spinal cord injury.
Here is a message from the Foundation: “As many of you know Kevin’s rehabilitation is going to be a long process. The KBF has been created to assist in generating funds so the large task of providing the best possible care for Kevin is viable.
“All of us at the KBF wish to extend a heartfelt thanks to the many people who have already donated. With the contributions received we were able to recently purchase a van for Kevin so he can easily be transported to and from physical therapy once he is released from Kessler and is down in Florida. Currently the date for Kevin’s arrival in Wellington is on or around December 5.
“If anyone has any questions, please send your inquiries here via private message on Facebook, or you can send an email to kevinbabingtonfoundation@gmail.com
if you need bank details for donations.
“Additionally, the KBF hopes to be a platform where riders can access resources to obtain information on innovative safety equipment to aid in the prevention of catastrophic injury. Arguably our sport is behind the eight-ball in this area, and it’s time we look more closely at the many cutting-edge options in safety vests and riding coats, which are readily available.
“Many thanks for your continued support for Kevin. He and his family, and all of us at the KBF are so incredibly grateful for your interest and generosity.
We hope we can continue to count on all of you as Kevin faces his brave battle to recover.”
Missy Clark
John Brennan
Shane Sweetnam
Colm Mcguckian
Darragh Kerins
Maarten Huygens
A respected member of the driving community, former Gladstone Equestrian Association president Louis Piancone was both “a dynamo and a gentleman,” said his close friend, Guy Torsilieri.
Mr. Piancone, 90, died on Thanksgiving after a long illness.
“He was incredibly generous,” said Guy. He noted Mr. Piancone made sure that his Oak Hollow Farm property in Gladstone, once part of the Brady estate, was farmland preserved. That was something he believed in, added Guy, observing that Mr. Piancone played a major role in “keeping equestrian sport alive in the area.”
The chairman emeritus of the Coaching Club of America, the four-in-hand driver had an incredible collection of carriages and coaches. He played a major role in the hugely successful staging of the 1993 World Pairs Driving Championship in Gladstone.
“He was a special individual in every way; his kindness, giving help, anything he could do for you,” commented Sharon Chesson, a former international driver.
“He will be sorely missed by everyone.”
Known for being impeccably turned out, Mr. Piancone treated everyone the same, from his employees to his family, Guy observed. “He was so gracious, total class, the old school.”
“He was a gem,” said Karen Murphy, joint master of the Essex Fox Hounds. “He was a kind, great figure in our community. It’s a loss for us.”
Born in Italy, Mr. Piancone immigrated to the U.S. in 1951. Four years later, he opened a delicatessen in Bradley Beach. Seeing the need for wholesale distribution of quality Italian food products, in 1964 he changed his approach to marketing and distribution, launching Roma Food Enterprises Inc. as its president and CEO. In 2005, Roma merged with Vistar Corporation and in 2008, Roma became a part of Performance Foodservice, which launched Roma products nationwide, becoming a leader in the Italian food service industry.
In 1988 , he pioneered marketing and production of Italian food products in Russia in partnership with the USSR Ministry of Science and Technology and the University of Moscow. He founded Astro Pizza, which brought the art of pizza-making to Russia. A visionary of today’s food truck popularity, he was always one step ahead of the game.
In 1987, Roma financed and assisted in the baking of a 100-foot-diameter pizza that earned the 1989 Guinness Book World Record for “The World’s Largest Pizza”. Proceeds were given to the United Way, the American Red Cross and the National Italian American Foundation. He was a supporter of the Independent College Fund of New Jersey and helped develop the Junior Achievement Program.
Awards he received included the 1990 Kennedy Center Alliance award for Distinguished Corporate Leadership through Arts in Education; the 1991 Distinguished Citizen’s Award from the Boy Scouts of America and the 1992 Golden Lion Award presented by the Order of the Sons of Italy in America.
In 1992, he established a National Italian American Foundation Scholarship for students studying all facets of agriculture. In 1989, he received the Boy’s Towns of Italy Man of the Year Award and in 1995, its Humanitarian Award. In 1997, he was awarded the Humanitarian Award from the Center for Migration Studies in New York and in 2000, the National Italian American Foundation’s Special Achievement Award. In 2002 he received the Il Comitato Montesi D’America Man of the Year Award and in 2004, the William “Jazz” Jones Brightest Star Award presented by the Boys and Girls Clubs of Newark.
He served on the boards of the U.S. Equestrian Team, the John Cabot University in Rome and the Hitchcock Foundation in Aiken, S.C. He was an honorary member of the U.K. Coaching Club and instrumental in bringing together the American, British and European Coaching Clubs by promoting four-in-hand driving internationally. In July 2016 he was internationally recognized as the Man of the Year by the European Driving Club.
Mr. Piancone also was active on the boards of the Somerset Medical Center Foundation and the Far Hills Race Meeting Association. A member of the International Architectural Council of The Preservation Society of Newport County, R.I., he received its Laurel Award.
Mr. Piancone is survived by his wife, Teri; his children, Mariette (Joseph) Picca, Louis M. (Madeline), Stephen (Deanne) and step-sons Adam and Sean. He has five grandchildren, Noel (Ed) Kaplonski, Joey, Marissa, Stephen and Anna and two great grandchildren, Edward and Peter. He is also survived by a brother, Michael.
In his memory, the family suggests a contribution to the Somerset Health Care Foundation, (Steeplechase Cancer Center) 110 Rehill Ave., Somerville, 08876 or the Far Hills Race Meeting Association, 50 US 202 Far Hills. Arrangements are by the Galloway & Crane Funeral Home in Basking Ridge.
The Essex Fox Hounds’ Thanksgiving meet at the Ellistan estate in Peapack is as much a holiday tradition as turkey and football for those who return annually to watch the horses and riders gather. It’s fun and informal. There are no signs or advertisements; you just have to know it’s happening, or know someone who knows it’s happening.
For 90 years, the gracious stone home with its multiple chimneys has made an impressive backdrop for the equestrian cavalcade on the sweeping lawn. Farther up the field, tailgaters put out the doughnuts, rolls, orange juice, cider and an occasional bottle of champagne, all very festive, but the silver tableware stays at home, waiting for the main event.
How long has tailgater Bryan Christian been coming to the Thanksgiving hunt as a spectator? All of his 45 years.
“We grew up in the area and now we have multiple generations coming down,” said Bryan, a resident of Tewksbury. “It’s a great family day to come out early before Thanksgiving starts and getting everybody together gets the blood going before you have some turkey.”
Brian’s brother, Paul, said his five kids (ages 23 down to 12) look forward to coming, even though they now live in Richmond, Va., nearly a seven-hour drive
The children always ask, he said, “`Are we going to go to the hunt Thanksgiving morning?’ It’s something to remember.”
Hundreds of people circle the roped-off area where the horses arrive before setting out, as riders take a cup of cider (mixed with something stronger for grown-ups) from a passed tray. In recent years, a yellow rope barrier has been put up, so visitors don’t swarm around the animals, which need their space for safety reasons.
A man next to me was enjoying the scene, remarking to his friends that “it’s great for community engagement,” but he added he had no idea how this custom started.
I filled him in, explaining the Thanksgiving hunt became a magnet in the area during the 1970s and ’80s when Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis rode with Essex, often bringing her son, John, along.
It was a great opportunity for people to see the former First Lady in person, and newspaper coverage of her appearance led more spectators to mark it on their calendar every year.
Although she died a quarter-century ago, and didn’t hunt near the end of her life, the occasion stayed on those calendars and it no longer needed a celebrity to attract folks who wanted to get out in the country–even on a brisk, windy day.
There was a sad moment this time around, though, as Essex Joint Master Karen Murphy announced that Lou Piancone had died this morning. (See the On the Rail column on this website for details.) Lou, 90, often drove his coach and four to the meet, adding an extra touch of panache.
He was a well-respected member of the equestrian community in the Somerset Hills and beyond. Lou had been active with the Gladstone Equestrian Association and served as chairman emeritus of the Coaching Club of America, headquartered at the Knickerbocker Club in New York City.
He was a mentor to World Equestrian Games combined driving medalist Tucker Johnson, whose carriage pulled by a pair was on hand to see the riders off, with expert driver Jeromy Smith handling the lines and Tucker’s mother, Gretchen, on board.
With dozens of riders assembled, huntsman Bart Poole and the eager hounds were off and running, taking the group across Fowler Road from Ellistan.
Although it has long been usual for the first fence to be a wood stack, not only has that been rebuilt, but there was a new, more solid option for those who felt like jumping a little higher.
Bart and the hounds covered a lot of territory as they led the way through the scenic countryside of New Jersey’s Somerset Hills. Estate after estate offers opportunities for good gallops, and the hope is that the fox cooperates.
The hunt field had plenty of recognizable faces, including Ellistan’s owner, Hank Slack; Lizzy Chesson, managing director of show jumping for the U.S. Equestrian Federation (riding for the first time since she hunted on Thanksgiving a few years back); Dr. Brendan Furlong and his wife, Dr. Wendy Leitch and Ralph Jones, co-chair of the Essex Horse Trials.
Hunt followers, undeterred by the cold, drove along back roads, hoping to see some of the action and make the enjoyment of the countryside last a little longer before heading home for dinner.
