Wellington, Fla., bills itself as the winter horse capital of the world, and it seems as if every year, something else appears to underline that bold statement.
In 2019, it’s the Chesapeake International Draft Horse Show founded by Victoria McCullough. The show drew entries from all over the country, as far away as Colorado, Utah and Missouri. The eight-horse hitches, which competed yesterday, made quite an impressive sight spread out around the palm tree-edged pond at Crab Orchard Equestrian Estate.
One of the grooms told me it takes 2 1/2 to 3 hours to get the horses bathed, brushed and braided. It certainly isn’t a job for one person. The word “team” applies to the people involved, as much as it does to the horses.
The horses had to wait their turn to get in the ring, because it could only hold three hitches at a time.When all the heats were finished, the teams lined up side by side in the arena. I didn’t have a wide-angle lens that was wide enough to get them all in the photo!
The winning team was Express Ranches from Oklahoma, with Josh Minshull handling the lines of the gleaming black Percherons..
“We’ve actually been showing Clydesdales for the last 20 years under Express Clydesdales. In August, we converted our competitive hitch to the Percheron group,” said Josh.
“This is still a relatively new group to us, it’s just been five or six months that we’ve been competing with them. They’re coming together pretty well and they had a good drive in the today, so they’re starting to come together as a unit as you’d like them to. It takes some time, since they’re pretty new to us but we’re having a lot of fun with them.”
Horses were stabled next door at Deeridge Farm, which is hosting the Longines Nations Cup show this week. (No draft horses will be appearing there, needless to say, though a Clydesdale flying over a 1.60-meter fence certainly would be amazing).
The show was a benefit for two charities,the EQUUS Foundation and the Young Singers of the Palm Beaches. It drew a nice crowd, and it was interesting to see the number of folks in boots and breeches who drifted over from the Winter Equestrian Festival down the road to watch the men in cowboy hats show off their driving skills.
WELLINGTON, Fla. — My first look at the order of go for the Winter Equestrian Festival’s $391,000 Fidelity Investments CSI 5-star Grand Prix revealed what seemed to be an almost sure bet: with the advantage of going last on the speedy Gazelle, it appeared Kent Farrington would be the likely winner.
It was close, but Kent lost by less than half a second to the FEI World Equestrian Games individual silver medalist, Martin Fuchs of Switzerland on Clooney, a grey son of Cornet Obolensky. This was Martin’s first visit to the WEF (he’s here for three months with his American girlfriend, Paris Sellon) and he was “having a very good time” and loving the break from the European weather it even before he picked up his paycheck Saturday night.
Martin thought Kelvin Bywater’s course looked “a bit too easy for a 5-star grand prix” when he walked it, and figured the time allowed would be a factor, but it wasn’t. As a result, 18 riders–nearly half the 40-entry class —came back for the jump-off, where Clooney’s “exceptional” long stride gave him the edge over Gazelle. Kent saw Martin leave out a stride before the double, but he worried it was “too much risk” and that if he tried it, the mare might stop. It was, as usual from Kent, smart thinking, but relying on Gazelle’s foot speed and hope wasn’t quite enough to overtake his rival.
Irish rider Richie Moloney was less than a second behind Kent on the Irishbed Rocksy Music, who he thinks is “going to be my best horse.”
The jump-off didn’t work out for McLain Ward, another favorite who had a refusal with Contagious, and Beezie Madden on Coach, 10th after dropping a rail.
It was the first 5-star grand prix of the season, so the riders understood that the designer needed to think about that rather than laying out a route that was too difficult for this time of the year, even with so many international stars in the field.
Clooney made a comeback after colic surgery last year, and his team was devoted to his recovery. Martin, his mother (Martin’s a member of a famous show jumping family), Clooney’s owner and the groom took turns getting up every two hours at night to check the horse, even though he had a camera in his stall.
During Clooney’s recovery he couldn’t wear a saddle, so he would get four hours of hand-walking a day and work out on a rented treadmill. That kept him in shape so he could place in three 5-star grands prix before the WEG.
WELLINGTON, Fla.—Watching a 20-year-old horse competing in the Western Hemisphere’s only 5-star-rated dressage show is pretty impressive, but when he does more than just participate, it’s really remarkable.
If you didn’t know the age of Elmegardens Marquis, you never would have guessed it from the way he performed last night in the Grand Prix Special at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival.
“I always say he’s like a wine, he just keeps getting better,” enthused owner/rider Joanne Vaughan from atop her lively bay gelding, whose neck was draped with a huge yellow third-place ribbon. His total was 66.511 percent, scoring impressive marks of 8 for passage and transitions.
“I bought him as a 7-year-old and I said `this is a horse of a lifetime.’ I would like to tell all your readers, `never give up.’ Everyone told me, `Sell that horse, he’s crazy, he’s mad, you’ll kill yourself.’ But we kept going and I’m so glad we did. Things like tonight make it all worthwhile.”
Early on, the Danish-bred son of Michellino was such a wild child—his first rider fell off nearly every day–that putting him down seemed like the only option for his future. But then the owners decided, “let’s just sell him” and luckily for Max, as he’s known, Joanne came along to purchase him.
“No one would get on him, not even my trainer,” she recalled, but Joanne was not discouraged. The way he felt when she rode him intrigued her and she said, “I love him, I have to have him.”
In the end, persistence paid off, though it was rough in the beginning.
“They know me at Wellington Memorial (Hospital),” she chuckled.
He’s still a firecracker with a reputation to match, however. In fact, Joanne confided before going into the victory ceremony she had worried about what he would do during his first experience under the lights in front of a crowd. “I thought we might end up back at the stable,” she admitted.
He was a perfect gentleman, though she wisely skipped the honor round when he got a little antsy during the awards ceremony.
But she said he’s a different horse since he’s been on a feed program from Kentucky Equine Research, and over the years put together the pieces of her jigsaw puzzle, the right trainer (Ulf Möller), the right bitting, the right tack.
Joanne, who rides for Georgia (the Republic, not the state) is hoping to qualify for this summer’s European Championships. Max was ridden on the gold medal British team in the 2011 Europeans with Emile Faurie. He also was reserve for the British team in the 2012 London Olympics, until it was decided “he was too unpredictable.”
How long can Max keep going?
“I always say I’m ready to retire him as soon as he tells me he doesn’t want to do this anymore,” said Joanne, but at the moment, it doesn’t look as if he’ll be heading out to pasture anytime soon.
The Special was won by Adrienne Lyle with Salvino, her mount from the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games silver medal team. Why, you might ask, was he in the Special instead of the freestyle? She needs the practice because at the 2020 Olympics, the Special will determine team medals. The Grand Prix, which comes before the Special on the schedule, will only be used as a qualifier.
“I’m so happy with his attitude,” said Adrienne, contending Betsy Juliano’s stallion is “enjoying every minute of it.” That was reflected in her score of 73.574 percent as she finished ahead of Shelly Francis on Danilo (70.468).
“He’s a very athletic horse with a ton of scope, which is wonderful, but I need to learn how to keep it exactly where I want it,” she said, pointing out that his scope and the looseness of his movement have both pluses and minuses.
“At times, it’s been like riding an octopus, trying to get all the legs underneath you in one place. He’s starting to really understand his work and feel confident that he can do what I ask every time,” she said.
It definitely was Adrienne’s day at Global, as she also won the qualifier for the 3-star Grand Prix Special (the show offered 1-star, 3-star and 5-star classes) with Harmony’s Duval in his first CDI (international competition). He came out of a field in Colorado, selected by Bob McDonald, husband of U.S. dressage coach Debbie McDonald, who is Adrienne’s mentor.
“We’ve had him since he was five years old and just getting saddle-broke. It’s been quite a journey He has super talent, he does all the hard stuff really easily. It’s just getting him a little more relaxed and rideable and getting him more exposure in these big stadiums,” said Adrienne, who won the 3-star Special itself this afternoon with Duval on 72.851 percent..
The American-bred Dutchwarmblood by Rousseau, who is owned by a syndicate, got a grant to go and compete in Europe this summer.
The freestyle, the featured event last night, drew only six horses, since many riders are trying to figure out a way to do the new requirement of three qualifiers for the FEI World Cup finals and still ride in other classes at Global.
Canada’s Brittany Fraser-Beaulieu won the Grand Prix Freestyle, as she did with the qualifier the day before on All In. The freestyle is the last competition for Brittany until after she has her baby in June.
The timing means she won’t be available to help her teammates at this summer’s Pan American Games qualify for a place at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. But she’s hoping to go to Tokyo if Canada makes the cut. She has demonstrated a style that would make her a must for the Tokyo team.
Her freestyle had a high degree of difficulty, highlighted by as many combinations as she could do, along with a lot of transitions in an effort to get more bonus points.
She was marked at 76.250 percent, to 75.705 percent for runner-up Katherine Bateson-Chandler on Alcazar (75.705), who has been a long-running project for his American rider. Third place went to a horse that is still developing, Ballentines 10, ridden by Christoph Koschel of Germany. It was the horse’s first freestyle and first time under the lights.
“I’m so proud of him that he was behaving so well and was so with me. I think there’s a lot of potential for the future,” Christoph said.
I agree. I see the potential in the 11-year-old Hanoverian. I asked Christoph if he’s thinking about Tokyo, and he pointed out that for him, it’s not so easy, because he’s from Germany and there’s such an abundance of talent there that also will be trying for a team spot.
A Cape May County horse found positive for rabies last month has been euthanized. The 20-month-old colt, which was on a farm in a rural part of the county, was tested for rabies because it showed neurologic symptoms when it was being treated at a referral facility. The exposed surviving horses, all previously vaccinated against rabies, have received a booster vaccination and are under observation until Feb. 22.
The New Jersey Department of Agriculture, Division of Animal Health encourages everyone to speak with their veterinarians about vaccinating their animals against rabies, if they are not already doing so. Vaccination of livestock and other domestic animals is the most effective strategy to protect animals against this disease and minimize the impact it may have on you and your animals. If unvaccinated livestock are suspected of having direct contact with a rabid animal or are suspected of contracting rabies, it may be necessary for the entire premises to be placed under quarantine.
Rabies is endemic in New Jersey but is often detected in bats, raccoons, foxes, skunks, cats and, to a lesser extent, domestic livestock. Transmission is almost always from the bite of a rabid animal. The virus is shed in the saliva several days before the onset of clinical signs. The disease is fatal once clinical signs appear. Suspect cases should be handled with care and isolated from other animals.
Rabid animals of all species usually exhibit typical signs of central nervous system disturbance with owners first noticing their animal “doesn’t seem right.” As the illness progresses, nervous system impairment becomes more obvious. Affected animals may or may not show signs of aggression. Livestock often develops the “dumb” form of the disease which consists of slight depression, walking in circles, eating non-edible items, “star gazing,” or not acting normally.
Potential cases of rabies in livestock, like other diseases affecting the neurological system, must be reported to the State Veterinarian at (609) 671-6400 within 48 hours of diagnosis. The Animal Health Diagnostic Lab is available to assist with all your testing needs including pathology services.
For inquiries, contact the NJ Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory. Phone: (609) 406-6999; Fax: (609) 671-6414; web: http://jerseyvetlab.nj.gov. To report suspicion of rabies in species other than livestock, contact your local Health Department or the New Jersey Department of Health at (609)-826-4872.
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.
Ocala. Fla., is about to get much hotter, and we’re not talking about the weather.
The World Equestrian Center, which has a big show operation in Wilmington, Ohio, is opening a lavish new site in Ocala in January 2021, it was announced today. Set on 4,000 acres, it will have 17 all-purpose arenas and four indoor arenas (climate-controlled, like the stabling). A three-acre outdoor stadium will be geared to different types of events, not just horse shows.
A hotel will be part of the package, along with a fine-dining restaurant and four other on-site dining options. Three-acre housing parcels also will be available, and they can be bought in multiples as well.
The WEC hotel will have an arena view.
Plans call for holding recognized U.S. Equestrian Federation competitions, if possible, despite the mileage protection rule covering pre-existing shows. At present, HITS has a winter show series in Ocala and Chester Weber runs a jumper and driving show in the fast-growing area.
If WEC can’t get the dates for USEF-rated shows, it will run its own hunter/jumper series. It also will host dressage, para-equestrian, vaulting, reining and breed events. Non-equestrian activities will include weddings, dog shows, car shows and corporate events.
The technology being built into the project will accommodate key cards, digital video live streaming and a 24/7 security network.
The reason for the long lag time until the opening is to ensure the facility “is completely finished and in ready condition to safely host horses and exhibitors.” That’s good news for those who lived through the unfinished state of the Tryon International Equestrian Center during last September’s FEI World Equestrian Games
