by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 7, 2019
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.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 28, 2019
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.
Lou Piancone sitting proudly in the driver’s seat in 2013. (Photo ©2013 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
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.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 28, 2019
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.
Riders gather at Ellistan as spectators view the action. (Photo ©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
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.
Tailgaters Bryan Christian (left); his wife, Allison, and brother Paul Christian and their families are regulars at the Thanksgiving meet. (Photo ©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
“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.
A chance to pat a pony is a demonstration of “community engagement.” (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
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.
Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis with her son, John (left on chestnut horse) at the Thanksgiving meet decades ago. (Photo ©by Nancy Jaffer)
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.
Lou Piancone and his four-in-hand at the snowy 2014 Thanksgiving Essex meet. (Photo ©2014 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
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.
Jeromy Smith driving Tucker Johnson’s pair, with Gretchen Johnson in the carriage. (Photo ©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
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.
Bart Poole is out in front over a sturdy fence during the Thanksgiving meet. (Photo ©2019 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
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.
Ralph Jones emerges from the woods near larger crossroads. (Photo ©2019 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
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.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 27, 2019
After trainer George Morris last week lost a bid in arbitration to reverse his lifetime ban from the U.S. Center for SafeSport, the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association announced yesterday it is removing the trophy bearing his name from the International Hunter Derby.
It’s ironic, since the former U.S. show jumping coach was involved with inception of the hunter derby concept. But as Mary Babick, USHJA president noted, “It is time to step up and no longer tolerate inappropriate behavior and to emerge as a safer and altogether more positive environment for our people and our horses. We should have zero tolerance for cruelty and abuse whether of horses or humans. Victim shaming and blaming is never acceptable.”
Morris, 81, received the ban for “sexual misconduct involving a minor” in the late 1960s or early 1970s.
Babick’s statement continued, “As an organization, the USHJA is committed to safety and fairness for our members. Our sport produces many positives for our participants. Horses bring horsemanship, sportsmanship, empathy and teamwork into our lives. But let’s face it, whether it is the treatment of horses or people, we also have dark corners of the sport. As a sport and a community, we can and should be better.”
She added, “The USHJA supports the mission of SafeSport. Our support does not make us deaf to the questions raised by many members concerning some of the processes utilized by the U.S. Center for SafeSport.”
USHJA also will re-name its Hunterdon Cup equitation competition, since Hunterdon was the name of Morris’ nationally known stable in New Jersey.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 19, 2019
The prediction from knowledgeable sources was that reining would be dropped from the FEI (international equestrian federation) ranks when members of the organization met this week at their General Assembly in Moscow.
So much for that…
After more than 20 years of cooperation, which produced some of the most exciting moments in World Equestrian Games’ history, the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) announced a new agreement has been reached with the FEI. It was approved today by the General Assembly for the organization’s only western discipline.
“I am so proud of our NRHA Task Force that worked diligently with the officials at FEI to come to a workable Memorandum of Understanding (MOU). All of these individuals have focused on our mission to promote the reining horse. Although each organization has different needs, we were able to meet those needs and agree on a path forward,” said NRHA President Mike Hancock.
“This MOU provides more clarity, and the conversations have brought about better understanding. This agreement preserves the progress we have made over the last two decades, provides a means to develop more joint competitions, and protects the heritage of both organizations!”
In an attempt to ensure that reining is moving forward in a sustainable way, key Performance Indicators have been put in place for the next four years aimed at growing participation in the discipline.
Details of the agreement and its potential impact on the NRHA membership will be revealed in the near future as implementation plans are finalized.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 17, 2019
Dianna Babington, the wife of injured show jumper Kevin Babington, is reaching out for more help sorely needed by her husband. He has been in rehab for a critical spinal injury he suffered when his horse fell in competition during a show at the end of August, but he will be leaving the Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation soon and even more responsibility will fall on Dianna and the couple’s teenage daughters, Marielle and Gwyneth.
Kevin, who finished fourth in the Olympics for Ireland in 2004, is a lovely fellow who is based in Allentown, N.J., during the spring, summer and fall, and Florida during the winter.
Think what you would do if you found yourself in the Babingtons’ position, with a situation estimated to cost $5 million, the need for constant care and a health care plan that only allows for 30 visits a year from a nurse!
It is the time of year when people are considering donating to charities that offer a tax deduction, and Kevin’s cause is a good one.
Here’s Dianna filling in the details of the situation:
“The Kevin Babington Foundation, a 501 c3, was organized by our very good and generous friends who are also riders and trainers. 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. All information will be shared through the email address in order to keep the wire information secure.)
“There has been a lot of fundraising,” said Dianna.
“It has come mostly from the heart of our amazing horse community and every dime of that money has been and will continue to be allocated carefully. However, the result of Kevin’s accident has been categorized as a $5 million problem and I’m starting to understand what lies ahead.
Note: Sissy Wickes has started a separate fund to buy a van for Kevin. Find details at https://bit.ly/35emLX9
Dianna continues: “We are going to need major funds raised to modify our house in Florida. Unfortunately, as it is now, most of it is completely impassable by a wheelchair. I am in the middle of an emergency bathroom renovation because our time at Kessler is coming to a close.
“Without the use of his arms. Kevin is going to need a care giver through most of the day. Overnight is actually more critical. Many don’t know this but he needs to be physically moved every two hours during the night every night. A bed sore can literally be life threatening. He needs to be weight-shifted all day to deal with blood pressure issues. He can not be alone, period. We have all taken shifts since the accident and he has never been alone yet.
“The girls and I are prepared to help but we can’t do it all. I need to go back to work at some point. Our insurance covers 30 visits from a nurse a year. Isn’t that terrible and he had a “good policy”.
“So I am reaching out on his behalf. The upfront costs are huge. He will need some physical therapy equipment. I have seen what the electric stimulation bike has done for his body mass. They are approximately $22,000. We need to get one. He will need to continue out-patient physical therapy, which is also not covered by insurance for long.
“Once major changes are made, then the needs will transition to long term healthcare and nursing. I have been asked, `What about people who don’t have these things? How do they manage?’
“The cruel truth is that the lack of support can affect life expectancy. Lack of mobility is a blood clot’s best friend. Someone not noticing a a few key issues can lead to a spike in blood pressure and a stroke. It’s not just the paralysis; it’s the lovely issues it creates. That is the reality. It’s my problem and nobody else’s, I understand that, but if you are looking to put money into a 501 c 3, please consider a donation to the foundation. And if not us please consider Danny and Ron’s Rescue. They, too, are overwhelmed and work tirelessly and we also don’t want to shift any money from them despite our own needs.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 16, 2019
So much for the FEI World Equestrian Games. For the first time since the compilation of world championships debuted in 1990, the WEG will not be held in its next calendar rotation in 2022.
Italy and Saudi Arabia were the only bidders for the WEG, but instead of awarding it, the FEI at its annual meeting in Moscow today wisely decided to break up the concept which had become too expensive and unwieldy.
So Italy gets eventing and driving at Pratoni del Vivaro (where those world championships were held in conjunction with the 1998 Rome WEG), while Herning, Denmark, gets show jumping, dressage, para dressage and vaulting.
Individual show jumping medalists Martin Fuchs, Simone Blum and Steve Guerdat on the podium at the 2018 WEG, likely the last one ever held. Photo © 2018 by Nancy Jaffer
A decision on the reining and endurance world championships is pending, waiting for word about the future of those disciplines in the FEI.
The good news is that Omaha, which successfully hosted the FEI dressage and show jumping World Cup finals in 2017, will get them again in 2023. That choice is well-deserved. It will be nice to have the Cup finals back in the U.S. so soon after the 2020 edition in Las Vegas.
Leipzig, Germany, gets the 2022 Cups in dressage, jumping, driving and vaulting. WEG aspirant Saudi Arabia had to settle for the 2024 World Cup finals in jumping and dressage.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 6, 2019
Eagala, the Equine Assisted Growth and Learning Association, will receive $637,700 to fund services shown to improve mental and emotional health of veterans and service members across the United States.
This funding, provided by the Veterans Administration Adaptive Sport Grant (ASG), will serve veterans and military service members through September 2020. It will cover equine-assisted psychotherapy – where horses are involved in focused, professional clinical interventions to address trauma and other mental health needs, including substance abuse, depression and improving family relationships.
This was one of the largest awards in recent history, with just under half of the $1.5 million specifically designated for equine-assisted mental health within the ASG’s full budget. The organization’s recent grant funding from the VA has nearly tripled, thanks in part to clinical outcomes showing extremely positive results.
The funding will serve veteran and military individuals or groups in partnership with Eagala’s national network of Military Designated Programs across the country. Eagala Military Designated programs have facilitation teams of licensed mental health professionals and certified equine professionals who work in partnership with horses to provide services.
The Eagala Military Designation was created as a way of setting and maintaining the standard of clinical training and cultural competence required to effectively work with military populations in a mental health setting. There are currently 19 programs in the U.S. that have earned the Eagala Military Designation, and CEO Lynn Thomas expects that number to grow rapidly.
“Eagala is proud to be the only equine-assisted mental health organization in the industry to put forth and maintain these critically important clinical and cultural competence standards,” Thomas said. “This grant will enable us to grow our programs providing this effective approach serving veterans.”
Halina Kowalski, Eagala military services director, will oversee its management and coordinate collective outcome-based projects in collaboration with Eagala Military Services programs. According to Kowalski, “Very early preliminary program evaluation outcomes from last year’s ASG-funded programming are showing that veterans are experiencing a clinically meaningful reduction of PTSD symptoms and their quality of life is significantly increasing as well. We are expecting to see this trend continue and we have plans for future research projects and publication.”
Data is showing that this population is more likely to start and complete treatment with this model than with traditional therapy in an office.
Veterans who want to receive services or find out about participating in Eagala Military Designated programs can contact 228522@email4pr.com. A detailed listing of Eagala Military Designated Programs can be accessed at http://eagala.org/military.
Since 1999, Eagala has set the global standard for equine-assisted psychotherapy and personal development. With over 500 regional programs, and more than 2,500 certified members in over 40 countries, it is the leading international nonprofit association for professionals incorporating horses to address mental health and personal development needs. For more information, visit eagala.org.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 28, 2019
“Riding for the Team,” the new book from the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation, made its formal debut at the Washington International Horse Show over the weekend.
There was a real buzz as people lined up on the concourse of the Capital One Arena for a book-signing session featuring U.S. team show jumpers Kent Farrington, McLain Ward, Margie Engle and coach Robert Ridland. Laura Kraut, who was judging a class at the time, earlier in the day autographed books to which the other signatures were added. All of these folks are, of course, featured in the book.
Kent Farrington, McLain Ward, Robert Ridland and Margie Engle with Nancy Jaffer. (Photo by Emily Rider)
I edited “Riding for the Team” over the last two years (you may have wondered why I was so busy) and am thrilled to help tell the inside stories of medalists in eight disciplines: Show jumping, eventing, dressage, vaulting, driving, endurance, reining and para-dressage. What it took to get to the top is laid out in detail along the 292 pages of this volume published by Trafalgar Square. Although the course of the athletes’ careers was different, in each case they had the determination to overcome failure and discouragement, as well as a unique brand of persistence and aspiration in common.
This book is the third in a series. The first, “The USET Book of Riding” came out in 1976 under the guidance of the late Olympic gold medalist and USET chairman Bill Steinkraus. It marked the USET’s twenty-fifth anniversary and presented the history of the transition from Army teams to civilian equestrian squads in representing the country.
I edited the second book, “Riding for America,” published in 1990. At that time, the USET only dealt with four disciplines—show jumping, eventing, dressage and driving, so the great performers of the era between 1976 and 1990 were highlighted. For this book, 28 years later, we have expanded to include all the FEI (international) disciplines, and the people in it are those who made their mark after 1990.
I was fortunate in knowing many of those who appear in the book before I began talking with them about their stories, so that helped when deciding where to focus for their part in the volume. The themes for some were easy to decide. How could you write about Rich Fellers, for instance, and not zoom in on Flexible, the plucky little stallion who won the first FEI World Cup Show Jumping finals for the U.S. in 25 years, and then went to the London Olympics later in 2012.
Debbie McDonald talked about how the dressage scene has changed since she started out, after she had a bad fall while jumping and decided to switch disciplines. Four-in-hand driver Jimmy Fairclough spent 40 years working toward a team gold medal, and finally achieved his goal at last year’s FEI World Equestrian Games. Becky Hart started from scratch with a free horse and wound up as the only three-time endurance world champion. Gold medal vaulter Devon Maitozo explains why he stayed in his sport as an adult, when so many vaulters quit after their teens.
Robert and Margie give their signing hands a little break. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy
Eventer Derek di Grazia tells of his transition from rider to course designer, with an eye toward his gig laying out the cross-country route at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. Vicki Garner-Sweigert relates what it was like to be a para-dressage pioneer and win gold at the 1996 Atlanta Paralympics, the first to offer equestrian sport.
With the Olympics coming up next summer, it’s interesting to gain insight on those who have had past successes at the Games, while reading about the candidates pointing toward 2020. They include dressage rider Laura Graves, eventer Boyd Martin and all the show jumpers who fans met in the autograph session, as they point toward Tokyo. Para rider Becca Hart, the first U.S. rider in her discipline to medal at the world championships, is looking at making the team in Japan for her fifth Paralympics.
Of course, there are great photos to illustrate the stories, and many pieces have photos from the athletes’ early days that you won’t have seen previously. The USET Foundation’s Sara Ike worked diligently to obtain and organize the photos, which was quite a task on its own.
Nancy Jaffer with Sara Ike. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Here is the link if you want to order the book. You can also go to the USET Foundation’s website, www.uset.org. Proceeds from sales of the book benefit the USET Foundation in its efforts to support athletes giving their all for our country in the Olympics, world championships and other major competitions around the globe.
Meanwhile, if you want to find out more about what went on at the Washington International, the only U.S. show in the heart of a major American city, click here for my story on Practical Horseman’s website.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 22, 2019
Carl Bessette, who died Sunday in Wellington, Fla. at the age of 89, was always the picture of equestrian elegance; tall, slender and impeccably turned out.
A horseman who emphasized the classical approach with no shortcuts, he took his last ride on Father’s Day in June, wearing his usual polished boots and spurs, according to M. Douglas (Dougie) Mutch, who noted he was still able to demonstrate the skills that made him such a wonderful horseman and teacher.
Creigh Duncan, who took lessons from him when he was based at Tewksbury Farms in Pottersville during the 1970s, remembered, “He was tough on us, yet we all adored him. He was widely known for being a very good equitation trainer.”
His dressage background was part of the fabric of his teaching.
“You did a turn on the haunches when you were asked to reverse, we did shoulder-in and shoulder-out,” she recalled. Carl’s students had to show up for lessons in polished boots, breeches and a shirt or sweater—but never a jacket, because he wanted to see his riders’ form in the saddle. He insisted on practice making perfect, “you did it until you could do it,” said Creigh.
The riders were expected to listen to what he told them. “It wasn’t a dialogue,” she pointed out.
At the same time, when something unexpected happened in the ring, “he’d end up laughing at us and with us” to defuse a situation. As an example, she remembered the time her horse ran off with her after completing the outside course at the old Junior Essex Troop Farm in West Orange, heading downhill and galloping across the brook. “The only thing that stopped my horse was the fence around the jumper ring.”
She said Carl left Tewksbury to teach at Southern Seminary in Virginia. He also taught at the Champlain Riding School in Vermont and eventually wound up in Wellington, as so many trainers do.
Dougie advised that there will be a celebration of life for Carl there next year after the Winter Equestrian Festival gets under way, and suggested that people can remember him by making a contribution in his name to the charity of their choice. “He would love that,” she said.
