Riders 25 and under may apply for a 2018 Lindsay Maxwell Charitable Fund/USHJA Emerging Athletes Program Regional Training Session, where both mounted and unmounted horsemanship instruction is featured.
The session in New Jersey will be held June 18-22 at Centenary University in Long Valley features 1984 Olympic double gold medalist Joe Fargis and Colleen Reed. The application deadline is April 16.
By Nancy Jaffer
January 30, 2018
Tom O’Mara’s equitation championship-winning children once enjoyed more name recognition than he did.
But the former investment banker has become high-profile through his roles in the U.S. Equestrian Federation and helping insure that equestrian competition continues to be part of the National Collegiate Athletic Association, which organizes programs for 24 sports (including football, baseball and basketball) at 1,281 colleges and universities.
The Rumson resident did an artful job moderating the USEF’s inaugural Competition Summit in Lexington, Ky., earlier this month. That role fits him well.
Tom O’Mara moderating the competition summit at the USEF annual meeting. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
“I worked on Wall Street for 30 years, so there were a lot of contentious conversations with clients, customers, corporations, employees and regulators,” he explained.
While Tom is affable, with an engaging personality, at his core he is a serious negotiator and problem-solver.
“I’m pretty good at being in the middle of groups of people who don’t see eye-to-eye on things,” he observed, citing his experience in the financial world.
“I had to solve problems on a daily basis, which usually came about because people had a different opinion about something. I do think that’s one of my strengths,” continued Tom, who was managing director at Cowen and Co. and Credit Suisse First Boston. Now he works as a consultant, advising people involved in financial technology as to how it could be used.
His family has a long history with horses. Tom’s grandfather, Thomas Mason, who rode with the Essex Foxhounds, also was a hunter judge. In fact, when his children were planning to get married and each suggested they wanted to tie the knot on the last weekend in May, he turned them down because he was judging at Devon. The weddings had to be the Fourth of July weekend, he told them, “because that’s the only weekend there isn’t a horse show.”
Tom’s uncle Thomas Mason Jr., rode in the Maclay finals at the Garden, and he has cousins who are trainers and farriers. Although Tom’s time in the saddle involves just an occasional trail ride, his wife, Liz, rides, while daughters Casey, Abby and Meg were active in showing. Son T.J. won the Pessoa/USEF Medal and the Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search as well in 2016.
Tom O’Mara (right) and his wife, Liz, with trainer Max Amaya and 2016 Platinum Performance/USEF Talent Search winner T.J. O’Mara. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
Meg, who topped the Medal finals in 2012, rode NCAA at the University of Georgia, where she was the National Collegiate Equestrian Rider of the year in equitation on the flat and over fences. Abby also rode for Georgia, and the girls’ participation got their father involved.
There are seven competition outlets, including rodeo, saddle-seat and eventing, as well as hunt seat, for riders who want to compete while pursuing their higher education. The best known is the Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association, which offers English and western classes, permits both men and women to compete and is associated with 400 colleges.
In an effort to present more opportunities for female college athletes, the NCAA began an equestrian program in 2002. The goal was for the National Collegiate Equestrian Association to include 40 schools, but when the numbers fell far short of that, NCAA equestrian was on the verge of being dropped in 2014 at the recommendation of the Committee on Women’s Athletics.
Tom was among those who rode to the rescue of the program.
“I spent more time lately on equestrian things than not,” he said. Tom had seen the difference that riding made in his childrens’ lives.
“It helps develop character traits such as discipline. They have a commitment and they know not everyone in the world can do it and they are privileged to work with these animals and have the opportunity to have it be part of their life,” he observed.
In that vein, he realized how important it was for equestrian to remain as part of NCAA.
“That’s big time,” commented Tom, now co-chair of the NCEA’s national advisory board which is working to expand equestrian in the NCAA.
“The NCAA started something called an emerging sport to create more opportunities for women in collegiate sport,” he said. “There are only two designations, championship and emerging.”
The problem originally was that there was just one metric—participation–to measure the success of the program, which enables the schools to offer scholarships to riders. While equestrian was given 10 years to get to 40 member schools for NCAA, at the deadline, they only had 25. A two-year extension still didn’t get the number to 40, and the situation was serious.
At the same time, Tom pointed out, there are a number of championship sports that have 50 teams but only 200, 300 or 400 participants across the country. In contrast, there are 900 women riding on NCAA English and western teams.
Common sense prevailed over the metric.
“We’re not dropping a women’s sport. We’re in a Title IX world,” he said, referring to the federal civil rights law that prohibits sex discrimination in education, and is best known for breaking down barriers in sports for female athletes.
The recommendation to scuttle equestrian was tabled and it was decided to keep it as an emerging sport. Tom noted that four years ago, when colleges were approached about adding NCAA equestrian, the response was, “I thought they were dropping it.”
Now, however, that “black cloud” is off the sport, and “there are more conversations with universities about potentially adding the sport than ever before,” according to Tom. He said there are 23 schools signed up, with 20 actively competing, three new ones set to take part at nationals in April, and four more coming on next year.
Universities love the equestrians, said Tom, “and here’s why. They’re the highest quality student athletes that most of those schools have. Most are the number one GPA (grade point average) of all their athletic teams and the number one community service hours of all their athletic teams.”
Tom is one of two independent directors on the 19-member USEF board; in other words, he is not connected to any one group, breed or discipline. And he’s not in the horse business.
One of Tom O’Mara’s duties during the USEF annual meeting was presenting awards to Horse of the Year winners such as fellow USEF board member Elisabeth Goth. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
“Tom is the perfect independent director,” noted USEF President Murray Kessler.
“Not only did he have a family that competed and multiple equitation finals winners…he also has been very, very involved in NCAA and has been a leader in that.
“When we look to balance out our board, we look at…how do we match the board against where we’re trying to go strategically? A huge leak in the bucket is when kids go off to college. We are trying to bring the entire intercollegiate and high school community into USEF,” Murray continued.
“Who’s leading that? Tom. Besides all of his value as a board member on moderating meetings…he’s been getting more and more involved on the world stage,” Murray pointed out, referring to Tom’s trip to Lausanne, Switzerland, last year to moderate an FEI (international equestrian federation) meeting on a new invitation system for riders to participate in shows.
Tom has more work cut out for him as the chair of a task force that will do a strategic review of USEF’s drug testing laboratory. It has been the target of criticism after a major mistake in handling a sample resulted in the nullifying of heavy fines and suspensions for a well-known trainer and rider, a year after an announcement that a horse they showed had tested positive for a prohibited substance.
The appointment is a mark of the regard with which Tom is held in the organization and the fact that he can play several key roles.
“What I just love about him is how connected he is to one of our major strategic priorities with building this sport and bringing the joy of horse sports to as many people as possible,” concluded Murray, citing the USEF’s “joy” mantra.
That’s what Tom is all about as a board member.
“The intent is for an outreach of our sport to people who are not in our sport,” he said.
“It’s a great sport, whether you ride or not. Our sport is interesting. Everyone in our sport knows it’s interesting. We have to tell the story to people outside of our sport.”
Stars of the New Jersey horse industry were celebrated Jan. 28 at the Equine Advisory Board Breeders’ Luncheon in Eastampton Township wherei Maggi Romano was named Horseperson of the Year.
Maggi is no stranger to well-deserved recognition; her contributions to the industry have been honored for years.
She served two years as president and one year as show manager of the Standardbred Pleasure Horse Organization of New Jersey and worked diligently as a board member of the New Jersey Horse Council, currently serving as its delegate to the American Horse Council. She was both vice chairman and chairman of the New Jersey Equine Advisory Board.
The Clarksburg resident is married to Anthony Romano, a longtime member of the Board of Directors of the Standardbred Breeders & Owners Association of New Jersey.
Other honors presented included Standardbred of the Year, Ariana G, owned by Marvin Katz and Al Libfeld, and Thoroughbred of the Year, Irish War Cry, owned by Isabelle de Tomaso. Fairwinds Farm was the Breeder of the Year.
Lather Rinse Repeat received the Standardbred Pleasure Award for superior achievement, and the pinto, A Classic Romance, got a superior title as well. Madeline Crisp is the Equestrian of the Year, while Chloe Baker received the Ernest Bell Scholarship Award and Brittany Smith took the Agricultural Achievement Award. Bridget Favjan received the Sara Dubnin Scholarship.Nancy Murray was recognized for the Horse Park of New Jersey Volunteer award.
By Nancy Jaffer
January 15, 2018
Kelly DeSaye nearly hung up on the person who notified her that she had won the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s Amateur Sportsmanship award.
“She said, `Hi Kelly, this is Cheryl Rubenstein from the awards program,’” Kelly recalled.
“I was having a crazy day and you’re thinking, `the hotel points, a free resort vacation’, you know, the calls you get. I was just saying to her, `Listen, I’m really not interested’ and she said, `Kelly, don’t hang up. I’m from USHJA.’ I was laughing so hard, but when she told me, I literally cried,” the Farmingdale resident recalled.
“I was so shocked. There were people out there who recognized what I did.
Kelly DeSaye, center, receiving her USHJA amateur sportsmanship award from Marla Holt and Marianne Kutner. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
“I love horse showing,” said Kelly, who competes in the adult amateur hunters and rides six days a week. But the award wasn’t given because she’s an enthusiastic participant. It was about the way she treats people, and animals.
“In Kelly’s world, there are no strangers—just people she hasn’t met,” said her trainer, Mary Babick.
And Kelly is always up for making new friends.
“I love meeting people. I want to know what they’re about,” said Kelly, whose engaging approach puts people at ease and helped earn her the award.
“She is always ready to lend a hand, a listening ear or a shoulder to lean on. She’s someone that you want to have on your team,” observed Mary. Although Mary is president of USHJA, she noted Kelly’s award was a “pleasant surprise” to her and she did not even know of the nomination until she saw the materials from the awards committee.
One of the stories that defines what Kelly is about involves the time she handed over her down coat and gloves to a chilly concierge at HITS Ocala on an unseasonably cold day.
“Please stay warm,” she told the woman.
Kelly explained, “Everybody in this world struggles for something. I had no idea if this person had everything or anything, or if she was just unprepared.” Whatever it was,Kelly wanted to help.
Her inspiration in the show world is Betty Oare, the wonderful hunter rider and consummate volunteer who is still going strong at age 76.
Kelly and Betty met when they were both riding thoroughbreds at a show and compared notes.
“She’s a lot of fun and really has a good heart,” Betty said of Kelly.
“She’s a very generous kind of lady with an upbeat kind of manner.”
Off-the-track thoroughbreds are Kelly’s mount of choice. “I love that second chance,” she explained.
A determined Kelly in action.
Kelly, who characterizes herself as “an animal person” is into rescue, with pigs a specialty.
“There’s no such thing as a micro-pig,” said Kelly, but unfortunately, people who buy a piglet as a pet don’t necessarily realize that, she pointed out. When the animal gets too big, they often don’t want anything to do with it.
Kelly rents a farm in Colts Neck where she keeps rescue pigs.
“Some were abused, some were abandoned, some were just dropped off,” said Kelly, who also has two pigs living in her house.”
“It’s just like having a dog,” she maintains about the pigs she nurtures and loves. “They are so smart.”
Kelly at home with one of her adopted pigs.
As a shelter volunteer, she also raises money for animals that need rescue, getting particularly involved with canine refugees who came north after Hurricane Irma.
She also raises money for a variety of causes in the horse world and beyond. Whether it’s running a raffle or donating for a charity auction, she’s all in.
Kelly’s equestrian involvement began when she was growing up in Colts Neck, where she rode western in 4H. Then she discovered boys, went to college, had a daughter, Brittany, now 30, and didn’t begin riding again until she was 45. After her daughter went to college, the empty nest syndrome hit her and she decided to get involved with horses to fill the void.
She said her husband, Michael, “supports me 100 percent,” and notes he also has been part of the horse world. Polo was his game, and he also has been a successful racehorse breeder.
All was going well for Kelly on the show circuit until three years ago, when her horse started bucking wildly after finishing a round. “He catapulted me 30 feet out of the ring,” remembers Kelly, who broke her neck when she fell.
She stopped riding for six months, then started taking lessons with Mary. Kelly returned to the ring with a titanium neck and a determination to improve herself and continue competing.
“Mary opened my eyes to a new world,” said Kelly, who is still jumping at age 54 and enjoys competing those thoroughbreds.
“If I have the worst round in the world, I still come out of the ring smiling,” she said. “Now I know what to do next time.”
March 1 is the entry deadline for the New Jersey Equine Artists’ Association Eighth Biennial “NJEAA Art of the Horse” contest and exhibition, which runs May 20-June 17. Works will be exhibited at Prallsville Mills in Stockton.
Judging from past exhibitions, it’s worthwhile to see the wide range of artwork that is presented.
For more information, email xochitlb@comcast.net
Former Fair Hill International Three-Day Event Executive Director Charles Colgan, who was also a former director of the National Steeplechase Association, died Jan. 2 after a brief illness.
Colgan, 77, who held the Fair Hill post for 10 years, was the son of a member of the Treasurers and Ticket Sellers Union, which enabled him to attend a wide variety of sporting and theater events in New York City. His deep love of horse racing developed from his experiences at the old Madison Square Garden, the New York racetracks and summer visits to Saratoga.
Practicing as a lawyer in North Carolina, he found a way to connect his professional life with his love for sport by working for the National Steeplechase and Hunt Association in 1971. He also served as editor of American Steeplechasing.
Colgan met Audrey Walsh, daughter of Hall of Fame horse trainer Mickey Walsh, while he was working as a white cap and she as an exercise rider at Belmont Park. They married in 1963. Their daughter, Kelly Colgan, and her husband, Peter McDermott, are prominent in today’s horse racing industry. Survivors also include his daughter, Kerry Shovlin, son Patrick Colgan and four grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be may to St. John Holy Angels Church,82 Possum Park Road, Newark, Del., 19711.
The Wellington Eventing Showcase, which introduced hunter/jumper/dressage fans to eventing at the Winter Equestrian Festival, will not be held in February. It was a huge hit for the last three years (Boyd Martin won it every time) with a highlight in 2017 seeing riders gallop through the VIP tent to take a fence right in the midst of the party.
Boyd Martin on Welcome Shadow jumping through the VIP tent at the 2017 Wellington Eventing Showcase. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
The unrecognized competition with a $100,000 purse was staged on the grounds of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival, a short canter from the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center where most of the WEF is presented.
Cross-country—the final phase in this format–ran on the derby field at Global. The next day, a show jumping grand prix was held there. That was always a bit dicey on that first weekend of February, because the $220,000 Longines FEI World Cup jumping qualifier also ran on that Sunday about a mile away at Deeridge Farm. I remember rushing from Deeridge to Global to catch the last of the WEF jumping class, and some of the riders also did a bit of dashing to participate in both.
Carly Weilminster of Equestrian Sport Productions said WEF organizers “had been given feedback from the show jumping riders that they’d prefer to do all of the FEI classes during the week on the grass instead of just the Grand Prix on Sunday. So we moved the Grand Prix to Saturday and all of the qualifying classes are now on the grass.”
The Saturday class, the 4-star $205,000 Net Jets Grand Prix, begins at the odd time of 11 a.m. at Global. Saturday night’s class is the Great Charity Challenge in the main arena at PBIEC at 6:30 p.m. Since the Longines class is on Sunday, it wouldn’t work to have a WEF class that afternoon, leaving Saturday morning as the window of opportunity.
Carly said organizers had hoped “to still be able to do the Showcase, but it posed a big logistical challenge with stabling and the field usage, etc” so it was called off. She added “We’re going to re-evaluate the week next year, but would still like to host the event.”
Lack of sponsorship also was a problem, as Equestrian Sport Productions is putting its efforts into September’s FEI World Equestrian Games in North Carolina and finding sponsors for that is taking precedence.
Working on your equestrian new year’s resolutions? Daniel Stewart can help. He provided an inspirational keynote speech at December’s U.S. Hunter Jumper Association annual meeting in Texas, and this month, he’ll be closer to home at Chelsea Nix’s Penwick Eventing in Sussex County.
He is featured in a clinic there Jan. 20 and 21. While the jumper riding slots are filled, you can always try—maybe someone will drop out. There is room in the dressage portion of the clinic and auditors are invited as well.
Daniel is both a riding coach and a motivational speaker. He talks about building a team, “trust is a must,” and mentioned how your head and heart are more important than your hands and heels when it comes to riding. One of his mantras is, “turn life’s little setbacks into life’s little comebacks.” You get the idea.
For more information about the session in Hampton Township, contact Chelsea@penwickeventing.com. For more about Daniel, go to www.pressureproofacademy.com
By Nancy Jaffer
January 4, 2018
It’s going to be a year with potential at the Horse Park of New Jersey. There’s quite an opportunity on the horizon because its premier competition, the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event, offers a selection trial for the U.S. eventing team that will compete at the FEI World Equestrian Games in September.
More precisely, the trial and qualifier is the CCI 3-star division, but Jersey Fresh May 9-13 also presents a CCI 2-star, as well as CIC 2- and 3-stars that are part of the package at the Allentown venue, where big names such as Boyd Martin, Phillip Dutton and Buck Davidson are regular competitors in the event.
Mark Phillips, the former U.S. eventing coach and a high profile name in the sport, took over as cross-country course designer last year and is making more changes for 2018. A new show jumping course designer, Chris Barnard, is coming on board to complete a fresh look with new fences for the event’s final phase.
It’s the 30th anniversary of the park, which means all eyes will be on the facility, where change has been slow but is proceeding.
Because of the anniversary and selection trial, “Publicity would be exponential this year,” believes Allyson Jeffery, president of the park’s board of trustees.
Phillip Dutton competing at Jersey Fresh on Mr. Candyman. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
The park has been working toward improving footing in the grand prix ring, which is a major issue, but so far, just $60,000 of an estimated $350,000 required for the arena development campaign has been raised.
“A big step needs to be taken that involves money. What is needed is a corporate grant or matching funds,” said Allyson, who suggested this could be an opportunity for some entity that would like corporate naming rights to a ring is hoping work on the base of the grand prix ring can be finished before the show season begins in April.
Tailgating at the Jersey Fresh water complex is a big draw. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
Even if new top dressing can’t be purchased at that point, those maintaining the ring have been prepped in how to work with the current footing more effectively. Now all that’s needed is an ATV to facilitate the grooming, and Allyson is hoping for a donation. Other needs are being examined before a formal request for more assistance is publicized.
Former Jersey Fresh winner Ryan Wood on Powell jumping in the grand prix ring. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
“What we’re looking for is for people to come back to the park,” said Allyson. “We’ve worked on the footing we do have. We’ve had issues with the rings, so people are hesitant to come back until they hear we have all new rings.
“That doesn’t help. You’ve got to continue to support the park, as you know we’re working toward that goal. This is the New Jersey horse park.”
Yet despite its name, it receives no funding from the state and must pay for maintenance and other needs while conducting the capital campaign for refurbishing the footing.
Allyson became president at the end of June and Adam Furlong came in during October as the vice president. The trustees now have a united vision.
“Everyone on board is (using) all their skill sets. Everything is working together now,” Allyson said of the trustees.
Changes that have been implemented include the new winner’s circle in memory of Gwen Stableford, a longtime exhibitor at the park who left a bequest for that purpose.
The Horse Park winner’s circle
Mason Garrity, manager of the Four Seasons Show, is donating new fencing in the areas between the East and West rings. In the stabling area, maintenance has been done on the stall floors and stall panels will be replaced.
The park hosts a variety of disciplines and activities, including November’s popular Turkey Trot pleasure ride/drive, barrel racing, schooling for members and clinics. Eventer Sally Cousins, who competes at Jersey Fresh, is presenting clinics Jan. 21, Feb. 11 and March 18. Get more information via the park’s homepage, www.horseparkofnewjersey.
Auditors are admitted to the Cousins clinics free of charge.
Those who wish to participate can sign up by emailing jane@pleasanthollow.com. Include your name, address, the level of your horse, a cell number and any information that will help in assigning you to the appropriate group. Send a check and negative Coggins to Horse Park of New Jersey, 626 CR 524, Allentown, NJ 08501, att: Sally Cousins Clinic.
Yes, it’s cold outside in New Jersey. Which is why the Jan. 5-7 CJL show at Duncraven in Titusville and the Hunter Farms Jan. 6-7 and Palermo shows on those dates have been cancelled, along with the Jan. 6 barrel racing at the Horse Park of New Jersey.
If you’re on the East Coast and planned on showing this weekend, be sure to check to make sure your show hasn’t been cancelled because of the weather.
