by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 16, 2019
The success of Monmouth at the Team is a testament to persistence, vision and risk-taking. Oh yes, and we can’t forget the organizers who aren’t afraid to get their hands dirty–but more on that later.
The last four years have marked an upswing in the 124-year history of the Monmouth County Horse Show, New Jersey’s oldest show. In 2016, the show’s new owners, cousins Tucker Ericson and Michael Dowling, moved it out of Monmouth County, where it was languishing, and took it north to the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation’s Gladstone facility.
Evelyn Smith won the 2-foot/2-6 Bobcat Derby, a highlight of Monmouth at the Team, riding C’est A Dire Z. The bobcat ears on her helmet were everyone’s favorite accessory. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
They weren’t discouraged by having to go from multiple rings to a single ring (albeit an iconic one) and being unable to hold A-rated classes because of a U.S. Equestrian Federation mileage conflict with the Fairfield, Conn., show. In addition, Monmouth runs at the same time as the Platinum Performance USHJA International Hunter Derby and Green Hunter Incentive championships are headlining in Kentucky. While the horses in those big money competitions wouldn’t be the ones competing at Monmouth, that conflict means others in the barns of the trainers involved don’t come to New Jersey.
None of that stopped the innovative cousins. There is always moaning that B-rated shows are dying or dead, but Monmouth is doing fine, courtesy of a great location, excellent management (from Creigh Duncan), lots of hospitality and making competitors feel welcome. What a concept!
The hospitality tent offers a great view of the ring. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Entries have been so good at the show, which runs through Aug. 19, that “every night we’re battling the dark,” said Tucker, “and everyone’s having a good time in hospitality. There are a lot of smiles on a lot of faces.”
Bel of the Ball and Sophia Chimenti finished second in the 2-foot/2-6 Bobcat Derby. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
He gets some questioning looks “when I tell people these eight days are made up of four individual B shows, one unrecognized day, and a level 3 jumper show for three days, It’s probably the most unique show in the country for an eight-day span. But it seems to work. There’s something for everyone. It’s a schedule that was kind of forced upon us when we bought the show and moved it, but it’s turned out to be a blessing in disguise.”
Sponsorship continues to grow. New sponsor Aon, which backed a riders’ lounge, brought people to the show from non-profits, including the battered women’s shelter and Make A Wish.
As Tucker observed, people love showing at the USET Foundation, where so many famous riders got their start.
“This is such a great area with lots of grass roots, high-quality people,” said Tucker, noting it’s a perfect time for a show, because people are returning from vacation. For the kids, “it’s their last hurrah before they go back to school.”
“On the weekend, it’s nice having the jumpers, because the sponsors and the community that doesn’t know a lot about horses necessarily can really enjoy the jumpers and understand it a little bit, because height and speed is easier to follow than the subjectivity of the hunters,” said Tucker.
During the week, however, the show’s focus is generally on the hunters and equitation. My favorite time at the show is the Thursday, Bobcat Derby Day. It’s unrecognized, but features two $5,000 derbies; one over 2-foot and 2-6 fences, and the other over 3-foot fences.
Bobcat ear headbands with little tufts on top are quite a “thing” at the show. Riders in the derbies wear them on their helmets and most in the hospitality tent sport them too. The derby winners got plush stuffed bobcats toys to add a flourish to the concept.
Barbara Brummer and Mary Conti of the Nature Conservancy present a toy bobcat to derby winner Evelyn Smith. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
The derbies are presented by The Nature Conservancy as a fundraiser for Bobcat Alley, an area on the border of Sussex and Warren counties. Buying more land will enable the endangered cats (whose mortal enemy is the automobile) to move safely between the New Jersey Highlands, the Kittatinny Ridge and part of the Appalachian Mountains.
“The good news is we’re protecting additional land, so they have the ability to roam. We’re making good progress against our goal of 3,500 acres,” said Barbara Brummer, the Nature Conservancy’s New Jersey state director. There are an estimated 300 bobcats in the state “up from almost nothing in the ‘80s,” she said, when some bobcats were imported from New England to add to the population.
“They’re recovering slowly; they need protected lands, so we just have to keep at it. It’s very rewarding to see everybody enjoying the bobcat ears and just thinking about the bobcat.”
The 2-foot/ 2-6 derby, which had 50 competing, went to Evelyn Smith of Morristown on C’est A Dire Z, a Zangersheide mare who usually does the equitation. As such, “I didn’t have too many expectations in terms of placing coming into this. She’s never won a class like this,” said Evelyn, a sophomore at Delaware Valley University who rides with Lindsay Mohr.
“I just came here to put in a good round and have fun. It came out a lot better than I thought it would. I love coming here every year, it’s such an incredible venue and they run it so well. Being in this ring, you feel like a million dollars,” noted Evelyn, who wants to do the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East there in October, so she had a good school for that in the derby.
The 3-foot class, which drew 32 entries, was won by Centenary University student Madison Myro riding Rock A Feller for only the second time in competition. The Hanoverian former show jumper did some grands prix but was “too slow for that,” according to Michael Meyers, who trains Madison along with Michael Dowling at Windham Hill in Long Valley.
Madison Myro won the 3-foot Bobcat Derby on Rock A Feller. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Madison, a working student for the Michaels, came up with a different path on the handy course designed by Skip Bailey, and while one person copied her complicated route, complete with the fancy turns that boosted her score, she did it better.
“It’s certainly very exciting to win here,” said Michael Dowling, “but we want people to come here and have a great time, so we’re really excited for everybody’s success.”
Barbara Brummer and Mary Conti of The Nature Conservancy with Madison Myro on Rock A Feller and winning trainers Michael Meyers and Michael Dowling. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
The excitement over, he started collecting the garbage from cans around the ring. After that, it was going to be a tour of duty cleaning the restrooms to the degree of perfection he expects. Earlier in the day, Tucker—who often bartends—did his share of dirty work by kneeling in the ring and throwing footing in the air during the ribbon presentations so the horses would get their ears up. That’s what I meant about the cousins not being afraid to get their hands dirty, which obviously is part of the secret of their success.
Tucker Ericson made it his business to throw footing in the airto get the horses to prick their ears for ribbons presentations. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
“The organizers live and breathe this. They’re so committed to this,” said Guy Torsilieri, a board member of the Gladstone Equestrian Association, which helps promote the show and other equestrian events in the Somerset Hills.
Hospitality is a big deal in the ringside tent at the show, where a band plays during the afternoons and three meals a day are served, plus ice cream socials during the afternoons.
Julie Berman, who runs the hospitality tent, calls it “great fun. There’s so much energy, so much history, people want to come out and show in this beautiful arena.”
The history is part of Monmouth’s fabric. On a table in the tent are many of Monmouth’s historic sterling silver trophies, and three ribbons from the first show in 1895.
They came from a Californian, Felicia Tracy. She reported, “I believe they were won by horses of my grandparents, Robert S. McCreery and his wife, Madelon.”
Ribbons from the first Monmouth County show. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Also on the table are several vintage photos from Monmouth of Sally Ike, now the USEF’s managing director of licensed officials.
“Monmouth was the first show I ever rode in. I was nine, I did walk-trot. The show was at the Monmouth Park track.
“To see this show come back to Gladstone, it’s drop dead gorgeous; the ambience. It makes me so proud to have been a part of it at the very beginning,” said Sally, whose father, Joseph Lord, was the show’s president in the 1960s. She cited the “community feel” at Gladstone, noting, “that’s the way it was back in the day.”
Sally Ike with a picture of herself getting a ribbon at the Monmouth show when it was at Wolf Hill Farm. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
The hospitality tent is busy–and crowded–all the time, which promotes that sense of community.
“Now in the morning, we have different families and barns sponsoring breakfast and they’re all trying to outdo each other, and people are trying to outdo each other for lunch, and we have themed parties in the evening,” said Tucker.
Cuban, Louisiana, Greek and barbeque are among the different nightly offerings.
All in all, Monmouth at the Team is quite a package. As Tucker observed, “It’s hard to say whether it’s primarily an event or a horse show.” Most of all, though, it’s a destination.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 13, 2019
Allyson Jeffery has spent 13 years working on improving The Horse Park of New Jersey as a member of its board of trustees, but now she’s moving on from her role as president a few months before her term ends in October.
Allyson Jeffery dedicated herself to improving the Horse Park of New Jersey. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
“It’s been a focus, almost to the point of obsession,” she explained about her commitment, which lasered in on improving the rings at the park in Upper Freehold Township.
“I really had initiatives I wanted to see through. I feel like we’ve accomplished so much–I don’t have as many initiatives anymore,” she pointed out.
At the same time, she added, “it’s definitely bittersweet. I enjoyed very much seeing goals come to fruition.”
The park’s footing has been a key issue over the last few years, and for Allyson it was Job One and the target of fundraising. The Grand Prix ring got new footing in 2018, after foundation and drainage issues were addressed. Improved maintenance has benefited the other rings, which are stone dust and sand. New equipment has enabled staff to keep them groomed effectively, which has “definitely turned those rings around” in her view.
“They’re really proud of the rings we’re putting out right now,” she said, citing the efforts of Aaron Thompson from the Carolina Horse Park in developing the maintenance protocol. She also mentioned Janet and Craig Geiler, who put the footing in the Grand Prix ring, which is still a work in progress to bring it to its optimum. That ring will get another evaluation in the fall from Aaron, who can determine what else needs to be done.
“The rings have become the focus of the board; making those improvements and perpetuating them, making sure it’s a top priority having the rings maintained at the beginning and the end of the season and of course throughout the season being monitored,” she said.
Other achievements during her term include the addition of a Winner’s Circle to honor Gwen Stableford, who gave an endowment to the Horse Park. A plus also involved enlarging the paddock area between the East and West rings, while improvements are under way for the stabling.
The Millstone resident feels relationships with managers of shows held at the park have improved, and the board has become more interactive with the committee that puts on the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event, the park’s crown jewel. Having several members of the board on the Jersey Fresh committee has also been helpful, she said.
“In the last couple of years, we have really shown that this event can persevere through all conditions. There’s a lot of dedication there. That cross-country course has held up so beautifully,” she said, saluting the park’s second president, Dr. Stephen Dey, who took the initiative for a feature she called “the hallmark of the park.”
Allyson is proud of the effort between herself and Eastern States Dressage and Combined Training Association President Heidi Lemack “to build more of a community around the Horse Park. We felt the park should be a hub of equine activity, rather than the division between disciplines. Heidi and her husband, Jason, have been a source of support for educational events such as the (dressage) Fix- a-Test, with proceeds going to the Footing Fund.”
Heidi was one of the proponents for organizing a clinic at the park by noted dressage judge Lilo Fore. She and her husband own and run Rhythm and Blues stables in Allentown “and are always working towards education for the horse and rider. Together, we hope we made an impact in our equine community.”
“Allyson is fantastic. She showed up for all of our competitions, helping with the footing and checking in with the show manager to see how the shows can work better for us over the last few years,” said Heidi. She has given class lists to Allyson, who tells her when the breaks should be so the footing can be groomed at an optimum for all the exhibitors.
“She has moved the park into another gear. I think she has set into motion a very good machine to carry on for the next president and the board. The morale of the people who work there is tremendous, it looks like they feel more in control, like they know what they’re supposed to be doing and they want to do a great job.”
Members of ESDCTA , Pony Club and the Horse Park all get a discount for events or educational activities. “We want to be seen as a community rather than separate entities, even though we may belong to different organizations. We should be able to pool our resources and work together,” said Heidi.
At tbe he moment, Allyson isn’t sure if she’s also stepping away from the board itself. Explaining her resignation, she said, “The demands of the board are great and I’ve put so much into this and put everything else on hold for the last few years, so it’s just time for me to start paying attention to other areas.”
Allyson is expecting a grandchild in October. “I’m going to be helping out there and don’t know if I can give as much time as I do now at the park,” she noted, saying her daughter, Lauren Jeffery, will be going back to work at the Mercer County Equestrian Center after the birth and Allyson will be involved with child care.
Asked for his opinion of what Allyson has done during her time with the park, board vice president Adam Furlong said, “I don’t even know where to start. The well-being of the park has always been a core focus and passion of hers. The amount of personal time she has put in to the park, from meeting with vendors to literally pulling weeds, is the epitome of what you want to see in leadership of the park.”
Adam Furlong, interim president of the Horse Park of New Jersey. (Photo©by Nancy Jaffer)
An active board has gotten a lot done and “It’s been quite positive all around,” said Adam, noting operational changes to improve accounting protocols and record-keeping “will pay dividends in financial terms down the road, as well as operationally making the park well-suited to moving forward and growing as much as possible.”
Adam is serving as the interim president, but he’s not running for the job permanently. He explained that working at B.W. Furlong and Associates in Tewksbury Township, Hunterdon County, means he is based too far from the park to be there as often as Allyson was because she is living nearby.
But he continues making his own contribution.
“I think I can support and supply some of the operational context for support, the back room kind of thing,” he said.
“Allyson has been a phenomenal face and voice of the park. We have a very diverse board that represents different aspects of the community and equestrian sport as a whole. We have barrel racers, dressage people, trail riders, drivers; the full gamut of equine activity and people who are not pro-actively involved with horses, which is also beneficial for us to think about outreach outside our standard scope of horse people.”
As he pointed out, “They bring a lot of value to us in terms of terms of coming up with creative ways for outreach to the community. We have a really engaged board,” which also includes members appointed through the state Departments of Environmental Protection and Agriculture.
“Everyone who does it volunteers their personal time, and a lot of people are volunteering their wallets as well,” he said. “It’s a labor of love for sure. The more people we have engaged in the park, the better. The park is for the equestrian community of the state and certainly for the equestrian community of the surrounding counties.
“If people want it to be better, we’re open to those ideas and open to people wanting to jump in and participate.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 11, 2019
Monmouth at the Team, which runs Aug. 12-19, is in its fourth year of implementing an intriguing competition concept that works. Cousins Tucker Ericson and Michael Dowling took over the faltering Monmouth County Horse Show in 2016, expanded its dates, cut it back from multiple rings to one and moved it to the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation’s Gladstone facility in Somerset County.
Riders tend to come from the tri-state area, and include many well-known names. Managed by Creigh Duncan with courses by Skip Bailey, the show has created a unique template. It was followed to Gladstone last spring by the Junior Essex Troop’s Garden State, show as it relocated from the Sussex Fairgrounds and came under Tucker’s wing.
The transformation of Monmouth, New Jersey’s oldest horse show, was an instant success. At first, when it was still in the concept stage, that was due to the appeal of riding at its historic venue. But as soon as it got going, its character added more appeal. In addition to the draw of the 124-year-old show’s setting has been the focus on upscale hospitality, complete with live music, which enables people to eat, drink and socialize ringside without missing any of the action. This year, the Aon riders’ lounge has been added to the hospitality component.
Such amenities are unusual for a show that isn’t FEI recognized or rated at the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s top levels. The show’s highest rating involves “B” days, but it also includes a day emphasizing Outreach and a Level 3 jumper mini-prix (August 18) and another with unrecognized classes featuring the Nature Conservancy’s $10,000 Bobcat Derby (August 15).
Note the rider’s helmet–see the Bobcat ears? These headbands are a popular item on Bobcat Derby Day during Monmouth at the Team. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)
The Derby has two divisions pinned separately, with $5,000 in prize money each. The first is for non-professionals with fences at 2-feet and 2-6; the second is an open class with 3-foot jumps.
A special exhibition is scheduled for Friday afternoon before the $5,000 Welcome Stake, sponsored by Equine Billing Services. International rider and dressage coach Catherine Haddad Staller will present three riders to showcase “The Joy of Dressage.”
Catherine has represented the U.S. at two FEI World Cup™ Finals and earned more than 150 placings and wins in international competition. With her husband, Dr. Greg Staller, founder of Running ‘S’ Equine Veterinary Services, she breeds and trains international dressage talent at Khimoni, their Califon facility.
The exhibition showcases Catherine’s positive approach to training horse and rider. Those appearing will include Michelle Brady, 27, from La Grande, Oregon, who earned her USDF Gold Medal in 2018. Michelle worked cattle in the stockyards of La Grande before she became a working student for Catherine in 2012. She went from groom to top trainer for Team Haddad Staller in only a few years, producing her first Prix St. Georges horse in 2018.
Hope Beerling, 20, from Queensland, Australia, is a leading young rider there. She won the 2018 FEI Young Horse Championships in Brisbane. Her talent, seat and balance give young horses the confidence to relax and perform their best.
Katie, a 39-year-old dentist from Austin, Texas, lost her lower right leg to cancer in 2015, but her love of horses became her lifeline. The para-dressage equestrian began training in 2018 with Catherine, whose system of skeletal riding places emphasis on riding from the seat and weight, without tremendous pressure from the leg.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 9, 2019
HITS, Inc. and CEO Thomas Struzzieri announced today that the Thermal, Calif. series of horse shows and the winter circuit in Arizona have been sold so the organization can concentrate on its Ocala showgrounds in the winter.
The California series founded in 1992, fills more than 3,000 stalls in any week, and offers the AIG $1 Million Grand Prix as its feature.
“The timing of this sale is perfect for both HITS and myself. My team and I have successfully shepherded this product from just an idea to one of the largest horse show franchises in the world,” said Tom Struzzieri.
The show series were sold to a group headed by Steve Hankin, president and CEO of the Desert International Horse Park, where the Thermal series is held.
“Three ingredients made this the perfect recipe for a sale,” said Tom.
“One, it allows me to travel a bit less and spend more time with my fantastic family. Two, this allows HITS to concentrate fully in the winter on the very important HITS Ocala Circuit.” The Ocala Circuit is the oldest program in the HITS collection of shows and its facilities are also the largest, spanning 450 acres.
Tom said the sale will allow him to devote significant financial and staffing resources toward ensuring that the Ocala facility remains an essential winter hunter-jumper destination. He added his clients will now see even greater innovation at the Ocala facility.
“The Great American $1 Million Grand Prix remains the crown jewel of prize money on the East Coast and I am confident that it will only grow because of this sale,” said Tom.
The third reason for the sale, according to Tom, is his certainty that the shows in Thermal are in good hands.
“This partner group, led by Steve Hankin, is committed to continuing to offer quality events in the desert in California. They have plans to continue to improve both the property and the event to ensure a great experience for all the existing and new customers.”
Asa result of the sale, Tom will do the same in Ocala, dedicating enormous resources to his own facility.
Ocala, in central Florida, is getting to be an ever-more popular show destination. Chester Weber offers a Longines FEI World Cup qualifier at his March Live Oak show there, and the new World Equestrian Center will begin offering shows in 2021 when construction is finished at its site.
Steve Hankin noted, “The Thermal and Arizona winter circuits are centerpieces of the show schedule on the West Coast, and we look forward to building on the strong success Tom has created. Tom and his team have been incredibly supportive of efforts throughout this process. We have an enthusiastic group of California equestrians committed to supporting the sport going forward and will be announcing more about our plans soon.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 6, 2019
The New Jersey Farm Bureau is presenting an Equine Town Hall Event Aug. 15 at the Gloucester County Dream Park, 400 Route 130 in Swedesboro. This is the South Jersey version of last year’s meeting in Chester, Morris County.
Topics will include the Right to Farm for Equine/Agriculture, Legislative and Regulatory matters for the equine industry; pasture management, presented by Rutgers University’s Carey Williams and Dr. Ernest Beier on equine health.
The meeting is billed as “an evening of networking and informative presentations focused on maximizing the viability and mutual success of the equine and agricultural industries.” Arrival and networking run from 6:30-7 p.m., with presentations from 7-8:30 p.m. There is no admission charge and light refreshments will be offered.
RSVP to 609-393-7163 or Melissaw@njfb.org.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 5, 2019
The Monmouth County Hunt is offering a Hunt Clinic on Sunday, Sept, 15 at 8 a.m. This is an opportunity to get out riding cross-country and find out about a new sport. The hounds will be hunting, and this is a great time for horses not accustomed to hunting to be introduced gently. All jumps have go-arounds. The clinic price of $50 per rider include brunch.
RSVP to monmouthcountyhunt@gmail.com. For questions, call Jen Donaldson at (732) 915-0492.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 4, 2019
Boyd Martin spent a lot of time kicking himself for a cross-country refusal at a boat jump in the water during the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, where the U.S. team failed to qualify for a slot at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
But he more than made up for it this weekend at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru, with the same horse, Tsetserleg, nearly a year wiser and more in tune with his rider. There was another boat jump at another water this time around, but the two were totally unfazed at that reminder.
Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg at the boat obstacle on cross-country in Lima. (U.S. Equestrian photo)
Boyd led the U.S. to its third straight team eventing Pan Am gold and its 10th overall, qualifying the U.S. for a berth in Tokyo, and took individual gold for himself.
He was followed closely by Lynn Symansky on RF Cool Play, who earned individual silver. They were the only two in the competition who had no jumping or time faults on Jose Ortelli’s demanding cross-country course, and thus the only two to finish on their dressage scores.
Lynn Symansky and RF Cool Play. (U.S. Equestrian photo)
With Tokyo in its sights, a lot was expected of the U.S. team.
“We came here and we were under the gun a bit, but we all stepped up and tried our hardest,” said Boyd, who moved up from second place after dressage.
“We’ve got good horses, great riders, the best coach in the world, great farriers, brilliant vets….there was no stone left unturned. Now we have to keep up the momentum, using every day we’ve got until Tokyo to keep improving… and then we’ll find out on the day, because competition is competition.”
Like Boyd, Lynn, who rode Donner at the 2018 WEG, felt redeemed.
Understandably, “We’re much happier with our performances here this weekend,” is how she put it.
It was a strong team, with each rider contributing shining efforts.
The U.S. gold medal Pan Am event team: Tamie Smith, Doug Payne, Boyd Martin, Lynn Symansky, coach Erik Duvander. (U.S. Equestrian photo)
Doug Payne finished just off the podium in fourth place on Starr Witness in his first international championships. Tamie Smith, who led after dressage with Mai Baum, had an uncharacteristic refusal on cross-country and then crossed her line at a fence later in the course, an error that also carries 20 penalties. Like her teammates, she was fault-free today over a show jumping route designed by Guilherme Jorge, who also laid out the demanding grand prix show jumping course at the 2016 Rio Olympics. Having all four U.S. riders go clean in show jumping was a big plus, because that phase too often been the team’s downfall.
Lima was the last chance for Western Hemisphere teams to qualify for Tokyo, with only the top two making the cut. Finishing second to the U.S. total of 91.2 penalties was Brazil on 122.1, as Carlos Parro took the individual bronze aboard Quaikin Qurious. The Brazilians lost the 2015 individual bronze medalist, Ruy Fonseca, when he was involved in a rotational fall cross-country with Ballypatrick Srs. The horse was fine, but Ruy broke a leg and several ribs.
Canada missed the boat for Tokyo with a third-place finish on 183.7 penalties.
Those who attended the Jersey Fresh International event at the Horse Park of New Jersey in May saw both Doug and Lynn on their Pan Am horses in the 3-star Long, the equivalent of the Pan Am test. If you’re still thinking in terms of 2018 and before, that used to be the 2-star. Doug—who grew up in Tewksbury and rode with the Somerset Hills Pony Club–won that one, while Lynn was second.
Doug Payne and Starr Witness in Lima. (U.S. Equestrian photo)
A big part of the winning U.S. formula was team coach Erik Duvander, who competed for his native Sweden and oversaw the New Zealand squad before coming to the U.S. He was at a real disadvantage with the WEG last year, since he’d only been on the job about 10 months before those Games began.
That was hardly enough time to get things spinning the way he envisioned them. But as was the case with Boyd, another 10 or so months made a big difference, with everything and everyone pointing in the right direction.
When I congratulated him this afternoon, Erik stated, “I have a great team of riders and support staff that deserves all the credit.” No, not all the credit Erik; you deserve your share of the applause; I’ve seen how hard you work. And I will never forget how gracious and graceful he was at the WEG when things didn’t go the USA’s way.
In summing up the USA’s achievement, Boyd, too, expressed gratitude for all the support the team received from so many quarters, “It’s so much work–we get to wear the fancy medal, but really it’s a massive effort from a lot of people.”
The format for Lima involved the traditional number of four riders per team, with a drop score allowed. The Olympics, which will be run at a higher level, only allows three riders under a new formula for the Games that is supposed to make things easier for spectators to understand (ha!) and enable more countries to participate. But while the three/no drop score works for Grand Prix dressage and perhaps in many instances for Grand Prix show jumping, the difficulties of cross-country have made many question the wisdom of not having a drop score for eventing and instead allowing a complicated system of substitutions with attendant penalties.
The loss of Brazil’s most experienced rider, Ruy Fonseca this time around, worked out for that team only because they had three others who could continue. Besides the top three countries, only two other nations, Mexico and Argentina, finished the event as a team. That portends much the same end in Tokyo for less powerful nations in the sport.
Caption for feature photo at the top of the page: The Brazilian, U.S. and Canadian teams on the podium at the Pan American Games in Lima, Peru. (Photo credit: FEI/Daniel Apuy/Getty Images)
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 25, 2019
The terms “relaxed” and “horse show” would seem contradictory, but they meshed well in this week’s Summer Days dressage competition at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone. Presented by the Eastern States Dressage and Combined Training Association, it had something for everyone, from Grand Prix down to Training Level.
After the weekend heatwave broke, the temperature cooperated, enabling riders (with jackets waived) to try qualifying for regionals, practice for the Festival of Champions in Illinois next month or just enjoy getting mileage at a special venue. It also offered a convenient opportunity for local riders, who didn’t have to ship far for the experience.
One of those in that group, Alice Tarjan, rode 9-year-old Candescent to victory yesterday in the FEI Freestyle class with an impressive 75.450 in the Grand Prix. Candescent means “glowing or dazzling,” and this mare lives up to her billing. It’s a better name than her first two monikers, Celina and Curly Sue (huh?), neither of which were official. She needed to have a name starting with “C” and Alice found the perfect one for a mare whose trot extensions are stunning.
Alice Tarjan and Candescent. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Alice, an amateur who lives in Oldwick, was using Summer Days as a qualifier for Regionals. Candescent already qualified for the Festival of Champions in the Developing Grand Prix; she was reserve champion last year in the USEF Developing Horse Grand Prix Dressage National Championship.
The mare came from the Hanoverian auction as a 4-year-old. Alice bought her because she was looking for something she could jump.
“It didn’t go so well. She was really sour in quarantine, I was scared to death,” Alice recalled.
“By the time I finally got her to the point where I could ride her, I was like, `This horse is actually pretty decent, I should probably keep her as a dressage horse,’ ” Alice recalled.
Candescent is black with white socks, reminiscent of Alice’s first pony, the similarly marked Licorice, who was a brat but obviously meant a lot to his owner–she has had several horses with that coloring over the years.
Her other mount, Hester, was in her first show at Summer Days, earning 66.125 percent in Third Level, Test 3, as Alice was in the process of qualifying her for Regionals.
Hester debuted at Third Level with Alice Tarjan. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Second in the FEI Freestyle, riding Intermediate I (it was a test of choice) Betsy Steiner earned 73.500 percent with Swiss W. The mare is very special to Steiner, a professional based at George Morris’ former Hunterdon Inc. in Pittstown.
“She’s so good,” said Betsy. “She’s good-hearted, good from the inside out, she’s kind, she’s super-intelligent, she’s teaching me all the time. She’s made me a more intelligent and thoughtful trainer for horses and riders. She’s a very special soul.”
Betsy hopes to go to the Festival and is schooling Grand Prix with Swiss. “When she’s confident in it, then I’ll take her grand prix,” she said.
The mare, who belongs to Whitney Bailey, selected Betsy as her person. Shopping in Europe during 2015, Betsy saw Swiss staring at her intently.
Betsy Steiner and Swiss W. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
“Don’t look at me like that,” Betsy advised the Baden-Wurttemberger mare, but she already was hooked.
“I just enjoy every second being with her,” Betsy said. “She stole my heart.”
Veterinarian Wendy Furlong of Pittstown was all smiles showing home-bred Amazzing, a 19-year-old spotted former event horse, in the I-1 freestyle to earn a score of 65.850 percent.
“We’re just doing it for fun. It’s just a privilege to come and show at the USET. The fact that we can show here if we’re not trying to go to the Olympics is pretty cool,” said Wendy.
Former event horse Amazzing now specializes in dressage for Wendy Furlong (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
In 2011, she won the U.S. Eventing Association’s Preliminary Master Amateur Rider award with Amazzing and his half-sister, Jazzmine, 16, who also competed at the Gladstone show. Both are out of Wendy’s mare, Jazztime.
Wendy has done an informal pilot study with acupuncture (she’s a practitioner) on both horses. Neither has ever had a hock injection. “They’ve both been very, very sound horses,” she said.
Barbie Asplundh of West Amwell finished second in the I-1 yesterday with the aptly named Gorgeous on 69.412 percent.
Being gorgeous is only part of what her black gelding is about.
“He’s sweet, he’s a wonderful mover, he’s a very forgiving ride. I’ve had him for a year and a half and he’s done wonders for my riding. He’s fantastic. I can’t say enough about this horse,” said Barbie, who got him from Andreas Helgstrand, a Danish rider and horse dealer when he set up shop in Wellington, Fla.
The gorgeous Gorgeous and Barbie Asplundh competing at I-1. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Formerly a dressage professional who has been pursuing her discipline since 1979, Barbie took her amateur status back and is trained by Catherine Haddad-Staller. “It’s not about changing the horse; it’s about changing the rider and the horse follows,” she said of Catherine’s teaching style. Barbie generally practices without stirrups and shows in Catherine’s Stubben saddle that has neither knee rolls or leg blocks.
Gorgeous is qualified for the Festival of Champions in the Developing Prix St. Georges. Barbie has taken her time with him, since he only turned eight in June. Summer Days was his first time in the I-1. She’s also hoping to compete at Dressage at Devon this fall.
Califon-based Sara Schmitt was quite sick yesterday, but she fought through it, finishing third in the Grand Prix Freestyle to Abba music with the 15.2-hand German Riding Pony HB Dschafar on 67.250 percent. “He was good; I was not so good,” she said. “I did not ride well today. I was happy to remember everything.”
He’s qualified for regionals but after that, the professional trainer is probably going to sell him. “It’s a shame, but it’s business,” she explained.
Sara was fading later in the day but pulled out a 64.375 with another German Riding Pony, the flaxen mane and tailed First Date in Third Level Test 3. ”I take her out once a year and show her so she remembers what showing is. It was her first time at Third Level,” said Sara.
Sara Schmitt and First Date on the mare’s annual show ring outing. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
The show nicely put in a para-dressage test for Alanna Flax-Clark, who rode El Paso to a score of 68.788 percent and is shooting for next year’s Paralympics in Tokyo. She’s been struggling with some kind of bronchial infection for a month and hadn’t been able to ride until last Monday, but did a great job with her test, even though there were moments when she had trouble breathing.
“It’s a great feeling to be able to trust your horse completely,” she said.
Alanna rides with Sara, who said, “She inspires everyone in the barn. It’s amazing, her poise, and how focused she is.”
Alanna was a special education teacher from Los Angeles who got a life-threatening infection with a temperature that spiked at 106 degrees. Afterward, she couldn’t sit up unsupported, experienced trouble breathing and had no use of her hands.
Alanna Flax-Clark in the USET Foundation stables. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Riding has made a huge difference in her life, and I’ll write more about her later this summer.
Alana was thrilled to be competing at the USET Foundation stables.
“I think it’s a beautiful building and just to be able to ride in such a historic place is an amazing feeling,” she said.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 23, 2019
Young riders will have a chance to experience the college equestrian competition format and win scholarships at New Jersey’s College Preparatory Invitational Sept. 21-22 at The Ridge at Riverview in Asbury.
Founded in 2010, CPI not only educates hunter seat student-athletes about competition, it also provides them with resources to make connections and weigh options that can enrich their college experience. In addition, participants in grades eight through 12 can participate in clinics and educational presentations led by top competitors and leaders in the equine industry.
Academic excellence and social integrity are part of the equestrian experience through the CPI Scholarship and Educational Fund. Student riders can earn scholarships via equitation competition at a CPI event, academic achievement and community service. CPI also produces CPI College Spotlight events for colleges and universities seeking to recruit equestrian students.
The CPI Horse Show requires that all participants have a trainer on site to coach them during a CPI competition. If a student’s trainer is not available to coach the participant, the CPI provides the option for an experienced coach such as Heather Clark, co-coach of the Centenary University equestrian team and assistant professor of equine science.
She will serve as clinician and CPI “Hire-a-Coach” at the New Jersey show.
“I feel CPI is a wonderful program,” Heather said. “It gives the students insight into what the colleges and universities have to offer in their equine programs. Being a coach for CPI, I will be able to share my approaches to and experience of catch riding.”
Since joining Centenary in 2007, Heather has helped coach its Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association team to three national championships, and a reserve title and helped produce three Cacchione Cup champions.
Earlier in her career, she was a show and sales barn rider/trainer for dealer Alan Waldman in the Netherlands. Heather served as the assistant rider, trainer, and road manager for Andre Dignelli of Heritage Farm, and also as the assistant rider/trainer for Nona Garson, who runs The Ridge at Riverview.
To learn more about the CPI, visit collegeprepinvitational.com.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 13, 2019
Phillip Dutton will be riding Z this week on the U.S. eventing Nations Cup team in Aachen, Germany, one of the world’s most prestigious competitions.
But last week, it was business as usual for the Olympic individual bronze medalist, who came to Tewksbury to share his knowledge with riders at varying stages of development, from Advanced down to the lower levels. He gave a clinic at the Heron’s Landing stable, run by Heather Gillette at Ruby’s Meadow, the old Hill & Dale Farm that is now owned by eventing competitor Jacques Foussard.
Meg Kepferle and Heather Gillette with clinician Phillip Dutton. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
But what, I wondered, do you do when you only have 45 minutes or so to work with two or three riders before moving on to the next group?
With an emphasis on correctness, Phillip said he tries “to do a little bit on the flat; simple stuff, where you get your horse to ride through a turn, keep him off your inside leg and adjust, being able to go forward and back.” Then it was time to do the same with the jumping.
“There’s a common thread between the dressage, the show jumping and the cross-country. You don’t do your dressage work and forget about it for the jumping,” said the two-time Olympic team gold medalist. “We do some cross-country exercises with fall-down jumps, and some basic show jumping.”
A serpentine exercise involved three jumps, coming from an oxer (think of it as a corner on a cross-country course) to a vertical in three or four strides, “holding a line on the horse so you’re coming into the jump (vertical) on an angle to make the line work,” as Phillip put it. After that, it was three strides to another oxer.
Jacques Foussard angles Miss Ruby Cooley over the vertical. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
“The difficulty is holding the line and the horse understanding he can come into a jump on an angle and stay on the line that the rider brings him in on,” Phillip told me. That involves “the horse trusting the rider (so) they’re doing what they’re asked to do.”
He believes, “Most horses want to do the right thing. It’s just a case of getting them to understand. Most of the time, it’s usually not enough understanding from leg to hand. Your horse can’t ignore you when you say, `Okay, move forward’ or when you say, `let’s shorten up,’ because if they do (ignore you) and the jump’s there, it’s a problem. You’ve got to get that communication and trust going. I find with horses, it’s all repetition. It’s also coordination with the horses as well, that they have to learn to do it athletically.”
I often heard Phillip calling out the word “travel” as he worked with the participants, so I asked him what that was about.
“It means you’ve got to keep coming forward,” he explained.
“A lot of riders’ natural tendency coming to a jump is to be tentative and hold back. Our job as a rider is to give the horse confidence. The analogy is if you’re in a car with someone who’s driving, you get a feeling whether you’re safe in that car or not. The horse has to get this feeling from you, that safety, security and confidence. Coming into a jump, traveling or going somewhere and being definite about your ride in is what you’re trying to get across to your horse. Coming in tentatively or holding back, that doesn’t send that good message to your horse.”
As Phillip noted, “If you gallop on, get the horse going forward, it’s much easier to see a distance because your horse is in front of you or thinking forward, rather than holding back. Especially at home, you’ve got to get away from just relying on your hand to get to the jump, but rather, riding up to the jump.”
The first to work with Phillip were Heather, on Vincent Chase, an off-the-track thoroughbred, and Meg Kepferle on Anakin, third last month in the Advanced Division at the MARS Essex Horse Trials. Meg and Anakin will be following up their debut in that section at the Millbrook, N.Y. event next month.
Phillip Dutton offers advice as Meg Kepferle takes Anakin over an oxer. (Photo©2018 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I need to be better than I am because my horse is better than I’m riding,” said Meg, explaining why she’s going to put an emphasis on lessons like the one she had with Phillip.
“My horse felt a lot more tired jumping 2-6, 3-foot rideability questions than he would jumping a big track. Jumping big is easy for him,” said Meg.
“You don’t have to jump big jumps to get better; you have to make an adjustable horse. You want these tools available for you, not just luck and an honest horse.”
Meg, who was the head groom and barn manager for international rider Sinead Halpin before opening her Mountainview operation in Long Valley, noted straightness has always been an issue for herself and her mount.
“He has a wicked right drift and I have a bit of a weak right leg,” she explained. The antidote? “All day long, square turns.”
“Phil’s the best of the best,” Meg said. “He knows how to read the horse and rider and the situation really well. It’s a privilege to be able to ride with someone like this. It’s kind of nice that he’s come to New Jersey. I hope he comes back.”
When I asked Meg if there was anything else she wanted to share, she replied, “People should know they don’t have to be wanting to go to the Olympics to ride with an Olympian. It’s important that they think they are approachable, because they really are, and they have a lot of good things to say.”
Heather wanted to bring Phillip to the farm because she rode with him when she was working with other horses. It was time for Vinnie, who has competed once at Preliminary level, to crank up, “so call Phillip,” she said, noting she also wanted to share his expertise with her students.
Phillip encouraged Heather and Vinnie. (Photo©2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Since she is a judge and technical delegate, Heather is juggling a lot of things, which meant she was happy to have Phillip come to her instead of having her go to his place in Pennsylvania. Heather also is busy with lessons and barn renovations.
“We’re bringing the old farm back to life,” she said.
She told me that one of the things she learned from working with Phillip is that the serpentine line needs to be incorporated in Vinnie’s training. And “Instead of whoaing and turning,” she needs “to sort of keep coming through the turns and use a more open rein.
“I have a very nice young horse who wants to try hard but needs to be a little more rideable. I have to challenge him a little more, I need to be less of his protective mom and more, `If you’re going to be a big boy, step up and do it.’”
