The Rutgers Equine Science Center will have its summer showcase from 10 a.m.-noon on July 12 at the Red Barn on College Farm Road in New Brunswick. In addition to an equine treadmill exhibition, there will be activities for kids, an equine version of Jeopardy and an equine anatomy lesson.
Register at https://goo.gl/cx7lUt. For more information, contact Kyle Hartman at the Rutgers Equine Science Center, 848-932-9419
kylehart@njaes.rutgers.edu .
The Amwell Valley Hounds will host a foxhunting clinic at their kennels on 290 Rileyville Road, East Amwell at 8 a.m. July 22 for those interested in learning more about riding to hounds. It’s a chance not only to ride with the hounds (jumping is optional), but also to meet the masters, staff and members.
The fee is $50 for adults and $30 for juniors and hunt members. Pre-registration is required; download forms at www.avhounds.org or for more information, contact avh.secretary@gmail.com.
Entries close July 15 for the July 22-23 Applewood Farm cross-country clinic in Califon with Olympic eventing judge Marilyn Payne. And it’s for dressage riders as well as eventers!
This clinic will include a variety of obstacles, including banks, ditches, logs, water and other obstacles appropriate for each level. Groups of no more than six riders of similar experience will ride at levels ranging from Starter through Training.
A special group for dressage riders will consist of cavalletti only, and include such questions as bending lines, riding up and down gentle grades, lengthening and shortening stride and a shallow water crossing.
The fee is $100 per horse per session. Click the following link to access the entry form: 2017 Summer XC Entry Form
For more information, go to www.marilynpayne.com or contact Holly Cornell at hollywc@comcast.net or 732-208-8715
By Nancy Jaffer
July 1, 2017
Moorland Farm in Far Hills is on the brink of becoming a new center for equestrian activity, following the successful rebirth of the Mars Essex Horse Trials last weekend.
As the event concluded, “I made it very clear to everybody that this wasn’t the end, it’s just the beginning,” said Guy Torsilieri, chairman of the Far Hills Race Meeting, held every October at Moorland. He wants to see more non-racing competitions at the former estate on Route 202.
Riders such as Lynn Jones, finishing her competition with My My My Delilah, were all smiles at the revival of the Mars Essex Horse Trials. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Essex, with an organizing committee co-chaired by Ralph Jones and cross-country course designer Morgan Rowsell, drew thousands of spectators. Guy wants the other competitions staged at Moorland geared toward bringing crowds in as well. It had definite community support, including Far Hills Mayor Paul Vallone, who was seen all around the venue.
Calling Essex “a smash hit” and citing its draw to the general public, Guy said, “There were a lot of people there who knew very little about eventing.”
He was pleased that they were drawn not only by the horses, but also by the vendors, the food court, a chance to get out in the countryside and the opportunity to visit the car show staged Sunday.
There also were several exhibitions from the area; the Essex Foxhounds, the Tewksbury Foot Bassets and side-saddle riders.
The Essex Fox Hounds were among the exhibitions at the Mars Essex Horse Trials. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Looking ahead, Guy is planning for a jumping competition on the Wednesday or Thursday after Essex 2018 while the event’s infrastructure is still in place, but he’s also mulling a hunter derby and other possibilities for the Moorland calendar. That could even include an Arabian show. Meanwhile, he feels it is important to have something on the agenda at Moorland before the next renewal of Essex.
“I don’t want to wait another year,” he explained, commenting that he is “all ears” for ideas about what could be held at Moorland.
Although offering higher levels were discussed for Essex 2018, Guy feels it might be better for one more year to stick with the Beginner Novice, Novice, Training and Preliminary levels offered for 2017 as organizers work to perfect their offering.
“There were so many variables for this year that I think we’ll probably do a rerun for next year, just so we get it really right. We think Essex was a great success, a great re-start. We have a lot of work to do to make it even better for next year,” he commented.
That will include moving the dressage rings to higher ground. True, three inches of rain the night before the event began wasn’t optimum for the rings, but they were really too low in any case, and Guy would like to see them a bit closer to the action. The stables flooded because of the rain, and those might be moved too, though without the deluge they probably would have been fine.
The grass arena used for jumping was very deep for the first division on Saturday post-rain, but organizers made an effort to improve it following that.
“I’m comfortable (that) after aerating, rolling and the way we resurfaced the turf between classes at Essex, we’re ready to continue to have equestrian jumping events on turf at Moorland,” said Guy, who is not planning to go with artificial footing at this point. He said the grass in the jumping arena was relatively new without a deep root structure, but believes it will greatly improve by next year.
Essex, started in 1968 on the Haller family’s Hoopstick Farm in Bedminster, moved to the U.S. Equestrian Team headquarters in Gladstone, where it ran for the last time on its 30th anniversary in 1998 after development at Hamilton Farm involved space issues that precluded running an event there.
So many people had memories of Essex they shared during the running of the revival. Virginia Jenkins Rowsell, wife of the course designer, talked about what it was like to win at the old Essex.
Ann Haller, whose late husband, Roger, started Essex, was involved as a volunteer last weekend. The evening before the event got under way, she chatted about her thoughts on Essex.
Wendy Furlong was amateur champion in the 1-star at Essex in 1998, and decided she needed to ride in the event again with her Santa Lisa.
“When I saw this was coming, I said, `I’m going to have to go back and have a crack at Beginner Novice with a homebred horse that I hadn’t even really thought about starting to event again,’” she said.
Wendy Furlong and her homebred Santa Lisa. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
She realized, “That would be something kind of fun to aim for. It’s a fabulous facility. When you’re galloping up there on the racetrack in front of that beautiful vista, you might as well be at Badminton–that’s as close as most of us are ever going to get. It’s a beautiful piece of property to be able to enjoy,” said Wendy, fourth in the Open Beginner Novice.
Many of the biggest eventing stars, such as Boyd Martin and Phillip Dutton, were missing this time around because they were riding in the upper levels at the Surefire event in Virginia last weekend. But at Essex, where Preliminary was the top level, there were a few boldface names, including Buck Davidson, who swept the first four places in the Open Prelim, and Jennie Brannigan, who won the Open Novice.
Yet one of the beauties of Essex was that it emerged as a destination event for amateurs and young people at the lower levels. Normally, they’d be riding at a no-frills venue; Essex had across-the-board panache.
“It was big atmosphere for a horse trials,” said Lauren Chumley, a professional dressage trainer who rides out of Stonebridge Farm in Pittstown.
“There’s a lot going on. This is a really cool event, because you get your horses out to see so much. In the (cross-country) water (complex), there’s bleachers, a ton of people. That doesn’t happen at the little horse trials. All these people came to watch who don’t know anything about horses. That’s fun.”
Lauren moved to New Jersey from Ohio 10 years ago, so she never attended Essex, but knew its reputation.
“I think it’s really fun to be here at its revival, and its 25 minutes from our house. It’s absolutely beautiful.”
One of the four horses Lauren rode was Avatar’s Jazzman, a Morgan owned by Melissa Dowling and Glenn Campbell, on whom she was in the ribbons at Dressage at Devon. Morgans are known for their versatility, so it wasn’t a stretch for Jazz to be eventing.
Lauren Chumley and Avatar’s Jazzman sailing along on cross-country. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
“I had a blast. I think this is a really cool horse trials. I think they made a nice, straightforward Beginner Novice and Novice courses,” said Lauren.
“The Training was challenging, but I think that’s what they set out to do. The course designer didn’t just throw logs on the grass. He really thought out how that Training course ran and I thought it ran very, very well. It would have been very tough if it was a first Training for some horse, but Jazz ate it up.
“He was so fast today. He’s a Morgan, so he’s kind of roundish, so he looks a little bit like a pork chop, but he’s not. He’s fitter than you think.”
She doesn’t believe he’ll move up a division.
“He’s 14.1, and I’m a dressage rider. So 3-3 is pretty big for a dressage rider.”
She started out well in the Novice Rider section, winning the dressage phase on the 14.1-hand Nikolas. But since he was in the first show jumping group on the Saturday, the stadium phase didn’t go well.
“I’ve never jumped him in mud like that before. He just couldn’t get off the ground. We all struggled in the footing. The cross-country footing stayed solid,” she continued, noting he was fine there, and that the stadium jumping footing was better on Sunday. Lauren felt that organizers did a good job handling what came their way.
U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation Deputy Executive Director Jim Wolf kept running into people he knew as he walked around the grounds, which was a big plus for him.
“Now that there’s something so close to home, all the horse people can come here and we see each other at home. We’re all so busy traveling to horse shows and being in the horse business, we never see each other at a hometown event. It’s nice to have it back.”
Guy Torsilieri and former N.J. Gov. Christie Whitman. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
Former New Jersey Governor Christie Whitman was enthusiastic about the event, going on the guided course walk, where she asked insightful questions, and then attending the competition daily. She’s hoping to return in 2018 as a volunteer doing “whatever they need done. I’d be happy to judge fences, I’d be happy to pick up rails.”
As a member of the Somerset Hills Pony Club in her youth, she even competed in an event, the national Pony Club rally in Kentucky. So Essex really struck a chord with her.
“It’s been fabulous,” she said.
“It’s wonderful for the sport, but it’s wonderful for the community.” She called Moorland “a beautiful spot, even if you don’t care about horses. It’s a day you shouldn’t miss.”
Several New Jersey riders were winners at the National Dressage Pony Cup Championshipin Lexington, Ky., which drew entries from 26 states.
Ana DiGironimo’s faith in her Arabian mare Ana Mariah C, paid off with a victory for their The Wizard of Oz-themed Third Level freestyle (66.83percent) at the Kentucky Horse Park.
“When I first saw ‘AM’ in a field, I could see that she was beautiful but was told that she was so bad that no one could ride her,” explained Ana, who owns DQ Performance Horses in Turnersville, N.J.
“I said, ‘I’ll ride her!’ They were right – she was really naughty – but we had a connection from the start, and so it began. I think there are many exciting things ahead for us.”
Lauren Chumley of Pittstown, a regular at the Pony Cup since 2010, was the only competitor to break 70 percent in the Third Level Open division on Friday as she won with Melissa Dowling’s German Riding Pony, Nikolas (70.25 percent). The pair then returned for Fourth Level and once again topped the leaderboard, earning 66.80 percent.
Nikolas, last year’s First and Second Level Open champion, took championships Saturday in both the Third Level Open (69.42 percent) and Fourth Level Open divisions (67.40 percent).
“We haven’t shown him in dressage since Florida, but instead got him qualified for this year’s American Eventing Championships (AECs) at the Novice level,” said Lauren.
“He’s quite the scopey jumper. This was the first time he’s done a Fourth Level test, but he’s just so naturally talented and rideable that it comes easily for him.”
She observed that Fourth Level Test 3 is challenging, but “he went in there and gave me what was perhaps the best Fourth Level test I’ve ever had. He’s just such a cool pony who just rolls with whatever we throw at him.”
Meanwhile, Jessie Hayes of Baptistown rode Lauren’s Fjord mare, FMF Liesl, to the best two-day average score of 67.798% to claim overall Pony Cup championship honors at Training Level.
Ana Digironimo and Ana Mariah C performing their winning freestyle at the Pony Dressage Championship. (Photo by Yellow Horse Marketing)
Thinking about riding western, but not sure whether you’d like it? Find out Aug. 6 by taking advantage of an introductory ride offered by the Somerset County Park Commission’s Lord Stirling Stable, 256 South Maple Ave., Basking Ridge. The ride will take place from 10 a.m.-noon and include some instruction.
Register from July 23 through Aug. 4 between 9 a.m.-4 p.m. at the stable office. To be eligible, children must be at least nine years old and five feet tall. Everyone who registers must weigh less than 200 pounds. The fee is $40 for Somerset County residents and $50 for non-residents.
The Mid-Atlantic Charity Horse Show is making its debut July 14-16 at the Gloucester County Dream Park in Logan Township. It is one of only three shows in New Jersey with classes designated for saddlebreds, and the last opportunity to qualify for the August World’s Championship Show at the Kentucky State Fair in Louisville.
The show, under the auspices of the United Professional Horsemen’s Association Chapter 15, will benefit Saddlebred Rescue and Forever Morgan.
“There are just not enough local shows,” said show manager Kathy Stewart of Cream Ridge, noting there are many more such competitions for saddlebreds in New England than in this area.
The show isn’t limited to saddlebreds. The wide-ranging prizelist includes opportunity classes, classes for those with a mental or physical handicap, English and western pleasure classes, driving, academy classes and other competitions.
The show is double-pointed through American Saddlebred Horse Association-New Jersey for high score awards. The Show Local Challenge initiative offers a high-point award for those competing in four of five shows, including MAC, the Jersey Classic, the Keystone Classic, the Mid-Atlantic Charity Horse Show and the Children’s Benefit Show.
MAC is about more than competition. Kathy said the idea was to make the show “a family fun experience,” with plans for a big exhibitor “Beach Party Bash” complete with water slides.
For more information, go to www.facebook.com/MACHorseShow . Contact Kathy Stewart at (609) 529-1363 or kathystewart@me.com.
Mark Leone, who runs Ri-Arm Farm in Bergen County, has been selected as president of the North American Riders Group.
NARG, which had taken a bit of a hiatus, is back in gear with new leadership. Mark, the Zone 2 jumper chairman who is a member of several U.S. Equestrian Federation committees, will be working on fresh initiatives for the group that achieved many of its original goals over the last seven years.
Canadian Olympian Tiffany Foster is the new vice president. She is involved with the International Jumping Riders Club, communicating NARG interests to the FEI.
Chris Kappler of Pittstown, the president since NARG was formed in 2009, is staying on as treasurer.
NARG initiatives have significantly improved North American shows, aided horsemen when they needed support and compelled the governing bodies in the U.S., Mexico and Canada to better serve the needs of show jumpers.
NARG acknowledged several outgoing board members who worked hard for the organization. They include McLain Ward, Beezie Madden and Andre Dignelli. Murray Kessler, who helped NARG achieve its goals, went on to be president of the U.S. Equestrian Federation.
NARG is a strong advocacy group working for the sport of show jumping. A statement from the group said, “We hope to improve our sport for every rider, trainer and owner. We support top athletes and emerging athletes as we commit to creating opportunities for the young aspiring athletes of today and tomorrow.
“We intend to help our members and this sport to grow, flourish and compete on the world stage. There continues to be strong interest in the NARG Top 25 (a show rating system), and one of our goals is to further develop that initiative. We will do this by focusing on governance, fair play, horse welfare and above all horsemanship.”
By Nancy Jaffer
June 25, 2017
The dream has become reality. How often do vanished equestrian competitions come back to life? That’s why it was so special yesterday when the Mars Essex Horse Trials got under way for the first time since 1998.
Speaking at the awards presentation, former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean recalled how a few years ago, people were saying, “What if we could get these trials to come back, and what if we could do them at Moorland Farm? It was a dream.” Then he turned to Guy Torsilieri and said, “You and Ron (Kennedy) make dreams come true.” The two men, who run the Far Hills Race Meeting at Moorland, were catalysts for reviving Essex, which was the type of competition to which rising eventers aspired. And now a new generation will be able to have the same ambition..
How appropriate that Buck Davidson–who competed at Essex in the days when it was held at the U.S. Equestrian Team in Gladstone–swept first through fourth places in the Open Preliminary section with Victor BZ, Dutch Harbor, Harry and Eroll Gobey respectively at the new venue, Moorland Farm in Far Hills.
Buck Davidson on his second-place mount, Dutch Harbor, with third-place Harry, left, and winner Victor BZ. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
The Preliminary Rider division went to Alice Roosevelt on Fernhill Zero. Alice, the great-great-great granddaughter of President Theodore Roosevelt, is only 16 and not surprisingly, had been unfamiliar with Essex. After all, it ended before she was born.
There was one big hurdle to overcome before the competitive jumping began. Friday night, a downpour left three inches of rain. It flooded some of the stabling (horses were moved to other stalls) and drenched the dressage arenas. They were a bit mushy, so after Saturday’s dressage phase, the white fences were moved to fresh ground for Sunday’s dressage.
Aside from that, things ran smoothly for what was essentially a first-time event with a well-known name.
“I think it was a great start,” Guy said, but he is looking forward to next year as the event grows and adds more advanced divisions.
The care and effort that went into this year’s event bodes well for the future. The seriousness of the enterprise was emphasized by its $26,800 prize money, an eye-opener for the levels competing.On Thursday, a cross-country course walk was an exciting reveal of handsome fences and the thought behind them at Moorland.
Course designer Morgan Rowsell, the event’s co-organizer with Ralph Jones, gave dozens of people (including another former New Jersey governor, Christie Whitman) a quick and insightful education about eventing.
Guy Torsilieri, former New Jersey Gov. Christie Whitman and Far Hills Mayor Paul Vallone (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
There are four tracks this year: Beginner Novice, Novice, Training and Preliminary. There are two sections for every division except Novice, which has two for Novice Rider and one for Open Novice.
Oh, did I mention that the course walk was preceded and followed by a cocktail party? Drinks included the Hoopstick, named after the Haller family farm in Bedminster where the event began in 1968, and there was an amazing cake topped by, what else a jump (it was edible, of course.)
Julie Berman, who keeps everyone organized at the Essex Horse Trials, with her husband, Bill, and the wonderful cake. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Everyone attending the party gamely headed out onto the course, abandoning drinks, sliders and salads, to follow Morgan as he made the circuit of his route.
We covered a lot of ground, and got a feel of what the horses have in store, though I hope they will be fitter than a lot of us were for such serious exercise.
Join Morgan in the following video clips as he discusses the highlights of the course.
The first stop is by the landmark race announcer’s tower, where he explains 11 A, B and C, and the challenge of eventing on a steeplechase track.
The fences are very clever. I particularly like number 12, the Moorland Barn, that’s between the tower and Ralph’s Cedar, number 13.
Buck Davidson and Mars Essex Horse Trials Open Preliminary winner Victor BZ at the barn jump that mimics the real thing. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
Next we went to the water jump, 14ABC, the Far Hills Splash.
Then we visited the huge trakehner fence, number 15, aptly named Look and Leap.
After that it was 16AB, Life’s an Open Road, an oxer followed by a brush corner.
We finished up our tour with 18ABC, the Lazy River Bend, a giant log that horses jump before heading downhill to a ditch and then turning toward a rolltop.
Here’s a map of the preliminary course.
If you want to come out to the horse trials, you can see dressage, cross-country and show jumping either day. Times may be subject to some change, but at the moment, plans call for Novice and Preliminary to be held on Saturday, with dressage starting at 9 a.m. and running until 2:25 p.m.; Novice show jumping goes from 11:30 a.m.-1:55 p.m.; cross-country for both levels from noon to 3:50 and Preliminary show jumping is set from 5:30-6:45 p.m.
On Sunday, dressage runs from 8:35 a.m. to 12:35 p.m. Cross-country is 10:45 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., with show jumping ending the day from 12:15-3 :55 p.m.
Tickets are $10 per person if you buy them at the Essex website, www.essexhorsetrials.org . They are good for two days. Tickets at the gate are $20. Kids 14 and under get in free.
Non-equestrian attractions include activities for children, a classic car show, the vendor village and dining options.
St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center is asking New Jersey’s horse community to encourage the state’s Congressional representatives to vote in favor of the SAFE ACT- 2018 Agricultural Appropriations Bill that would impose funding limitations to prevent horse slaughter in the U.S. and transporting horses to slaughter outside the U.S.
The organization, based in Madison, singled out Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.) who has been positive on this issue in the past, but has not committed at this point on the bill, which is due for a vote July 12.
Saying his vote is critical to passing the bill, St. Hubert’s suggests that “simply by placing a call to Rep. Frelinghuysen’s office, every horse owner, trainer, farm owner, anyone who can simply loves horses will hopefully sway our representative to vote yes in favor of funding limitations to prevent horse slaughter.”
His Washington office’s phone number is 202-225-5034, while the phone for his Morristown office is 973-984-0711. Here is a link to his website: https://frelinghuysen.house.gov/11th-district/ .
Those living outside the district, which includes parts of Morris, Passaic, Essex and Sussex counties, can contact their representatives as well.
Nationwide, the ASPCA is asking for everyone to contact their representatives as well. Read more about it here
