If you’ve been on the New Jersey equestrian scene for a long time, many of your memories probably revolve around the Middlesex County, Sussex County, Monmouth County and Garden State (formerly Junior Essex Troop) horse shows.

I can remember back to the early 1970s when Troop was in West Orange and it was the largest junior show in the country. Sussex–who could forget the fair and the ferris wheel during its many years in Branchville, where the tree-shaded ring drew big crowds to see some of the country’s best show jumpers.

Middlesex was in Johnson Park , New Brunswick, with its scenic outside course around the lake, and was multi-breed for awhile, like Sussex. Monmouth had a great venue at Wolf Hill Farm by Monmouth Park racetrack and made a lovely end to the summer.

But times change. Shows have proliferated over the last few decades, and exhibitors now have many more choices than they did in the days when the four New Jersey fixtures were basically the only game in town for those who wanted big-time competition. And the four shows changed over the years as well.

Sussex moved to the “new” fairgrounds in Augusta. while Middlesex wound up at the Horse Park of New Jersey in Allentown. Garden State went to Chubb Park in Chester and then to the Sussex Fairgrounds.

Monmouth left Wolf Hill after the 1971 show and landed in Hunterdon County for a year before heading to the East Freehold showgrounds and then to the Horse Park. It is moving again this year to the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation’s Gladstone headquarters in Somerset County.

There have been difficult times for all these shows, once the “don’t miss” events in the region, but they have persevered. And now these four are reinventing themselves and have wisely have joined forces, working together in a way that will help them promote each other.

Horse show judge Tucker Ericson, who owns Monmouth (renamed “Monmouth at the Team) with his cousin, Michael Dowling, an assistant professor of equine studies at Centenary College, believes “those four shows, with all their history” can work together and “get people motivated to support tradition.”

He added, “It’s an opportunity for us to reach out to each other. It just makes perfect sense.”

As an incentive for exhibitors to compete in all four shows, the group is offering awards for the leading national hunter derby and jumper riders in the series.

The leading horse/rider in the hunter derbies will get a CWD saddle valued at $4,900; the leading horse/rider in the jumper ranks will get a $2,500 Devoucoux gift basket.

Monmouth, which will be a one-ring boutique show, is awaiting date approval from the U.S. Equestrian Federation. Moving from its original location meant the oldest show in New Jersey could not automatically hold on to its usual dates, but Tucker promised that recognized by USEF or not, the plan is “to run an amazing horse show” at one of the world’s best; known equestrian venues.

That venue also will benefit. Sponsor Precise Builders has committed to donating $10,000 to $15,000 in services to the Foundation, according to Tucker. He wants all four shows to do well, and likes the idea that they can give each other a boost.

“The goal is to make these long-standing shows stronger and so desirable that tradition, and a superior product, will dictate where exhibitors want to show,” as he put it.

“I think it will draw people’s attention back to the historical shows,” said Sussex show committee president Robin Fairclough about the initiative.

“It’s something we’ve all been thinking about for several years and it just seemed to be the right time and all of the right people,” observed Creigh Duncan, who manages both Middlesex and Monmouth.

“There’s so much history between these four shows that they deserve an award among themselves,” she commented.

Asked for her thoughts about the shows offering the awards, hunter trainer Amanada Steege said “I think that’s great. Anything you can do that’s going to encourage people to want to go (to the shows) is a good idea.”

Amanda, a frequent derby rider who is based in Califon for half the year, notes that in the winter, the choice for those who want to show seriously in warm climates generally lies in large show series such as the HITS and Winter Equestrian Festival.

“I really try in the summer to go to horse shows that happen once a year and are a little more original and have volunteers and sposnors who spend all yeaer trying to make it feel special and important,” Amanda commented.

“We try to search out those shows when we can.”

Trainer Brian Feigus of Colts Neck said, “I think it’s a great idea. It’s a nice thing for the professionals who do go to those shows on a regular basis.” He thought the concept might be an incentive for someone who has gone to several of the shows and done well to attend another.

“As a New Jersey professional, I think a lot of the shows don’t work together, so I think it’s nice thing to see that the shows are starting to work together to try to build New Jersey back up. That, I think, is more the best part of it than the actual reward of being leading hunter rider.”

Tim Cleary, who runs Garden State, called the concept “really exciting, and maybe a bit overdue. I’m glad we’re all doing it and I think it will lead to more things. We’ll start here, and let’s see what we think after this year, and what other things we might be able to combine.”

Indeed, the initial cooperation is only the beginning of what could become a much larger joint effort. Those involved with the four shows have discussed sharing mailing lists, advertising space and creating more awards.

Garden State (May 4-8) is the first show in the series, followed by Middlesex (June 23-27), Sussex (Aug. 6-14) and Monmouth (Aug. 16-21.)

It was a crucial test, because victory by the U.S. would enable the country to take part in this summer’s Paralympic Games, which will be held following the Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.

While it’s hard enough under favorable conditions to ride with that kind of pressure, first the rain, and then Saturday’s high winds, made the task even more difficult as the Para classes that were the final qualifier for Rio continued.

As if that weren’t sufficiently difficult, the team’s high-scorer, Rebecca Hart, faced another challenge. While she and her horse, Schroeter’s Romani, were in the International Arena performing their Grade II test, a car accident down the street from the AGDF was so bad a medi-vac helicopter had to be called to the scene. Can you imagine riding a dressage test while a helicopter was flying over the arena and then landing?

But it didn’t faze Becca or her mount.

“She didn’t even notice it. She handled it beautifully. She trotted into the ring like a complete professional and really carried me through the entire test,” said Becca of Romani.

Although she has scored higher in the past, Becca noted, “For me, it was a very special test. When we originally got her, she could be slightly reactive. Just to know that she trusts me to that extent now was a very special moment for me. It was wonderful for the qualifying for Rio. She could have totally used it as an excuse, but she went in and did her job.”

Although Becca’s mark of 73.048 percent was the highest on Saturday, she emphasized that she wasn’t in it alone.

“I had a fantastic group of ladies that were on the team with me. It was nice to be able to share that experience with them.There was a lot of pressure, but there also was a lot of camaraderie there. We just kind of went and handled the weather and the ring and the wind. We knew we needed to do our job.”

LEXINGTON, KY — Remember that beloved Disney movie, “The Horse with the Flying Tail?”If they made a sequel about Jus d’O, the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Grand Green Hunter national champion, it would be “The horse with the Flaxen Tail.” I know, I know; you don’t ride the tail, but it is an eye-catcher that makes him stand out.

“It’s his trademark that he flips in the air over every jump,” said Bill Rube of Merchantville in Camden County, who owns the horse with Brandon and Jocelyn Gibson of Select Sport Horses in Tennessee. They picked up Jus d’O’s trophy last night at the Horse of the Year dinner during the USEF’s annual meeting here.

Jus is a Belgian warmblood by the Holsteiner Quaprice out of a Dollar de la Pierre (Selle Francais) mare), with the Selle Francais Quidam de Revel on both sides.

The horse had been a jumper as a 5-year-old, so he had to enter the hunter ranks as a second-year green competitor, rather than a first-year horse.

“It took him about five to six months to figure out the hunter game,” recalled Bill, an amateur rider who is well-known for his many roles as a volunteer with the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association.

“He will jump fire,” commented Bill about the 7-year-old stallion, noting that makes Jus a perfect candidate for the hunter derbies, where the unusual jumps can scare off timid equine souls.

Jus d’O’s owners didn’t start out planning to go for a Horse of the Year award.

“But we got into the end of September and saw where the points were and we decided, `Let’s do this.’ I’d never done it, they’d never done it,” said Bill.

Third place in the derby at the Georgia International Horse Park clinched the high-score deal.

“It’s kind of like a Cinderella story, isn’t it?” mused Bill.

The horse was purchased from Ronda Stavisky of Rising Star Farm in Georgia, who imported him from Europe but found he wasn’t fitting in to her program.

After riding Jus and realizing “he’s so amateur friendly,” Bill said to his partners, ” `Hey, why not the hunters?’ because that’s where I’m from.”

A shot showing Jus d’O’s flaxen tail to great advantage. (Photo by Jocelyn Gibson)

Brandon, an up-and-coming professional, has gotten help at the shows from some big names in the hunter ranks–Jack Towell and his daughter, Liza Towell Boyd; Louise Serio (who also showed him once) and Bill Schaub.

Jus d’O was as busy outside of the ring as inside it; he bred about 26 mares last year.

“And he’s still so civilized” said Bill. The owners kept him a stallion because “he acts like a gelding (except in the breeding shed, of course) and he’s got a great pedigree. He’s so sweet. He’s an incredible careful jumper and he looks after you.”

Bill plans to show Jus more this year, but at age 59, he knows it’s important to get fit He got a stationary bike and plans on a walking regimen, doing what he can during the cold New Jersey winter.

“I want to get my cardio up. I’m not that age anymore where I can just get on once in awhile,” he pointed out.

He will wait until the spring shows and warmer weather to compete, though, because as he noted, “I don’t have the Wellington wallet.”

The Florida circuit is expensive, so it makes sense for Bill to postpone for his 2016 show ring debut. He also enjoys watching how the horse does with a professional in the saddle.

“It was so much fun, just going and rooting Brandon on. The whole ride has been really amazing.”

But the ride may be coming to an end; the trio is thinking of putting Jus on the market.

“A lot of the thrill for the three of us is in the hunt of finding another one. I will miss him. Every horse who comes behind him has to live up to him,” said Bill.

If “The Horse with the FlyingTail” reference at the beginning of this column intrigued you, here’s a link that can tell you more about it: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Horse_with_the_Flying_Tail

Brandon Gibson and Bill Rube with the trophies for the Green Working Hunter Grand Championship and Second-Year Green Hunter Championship, as USEF CEO Bill Moroney looks on. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)

Awards are a big deal at the annual meeting. They are held on two nights. The Horse of the Year dinner was preceded on Friday by the Pegasus Awards dinner. The Lifetime Achievement Award for the Jimmy Williams trophy went to Lana Wright. Not only was she the first woman to compete in Olympic eventing, breaking that barrier at the
1964 Tokyo Games, but she also won a team gold medal in pairs driving in 1991 and did well in endurance. An avid foxhunter, Lana is known as one of the key players in organizing the Dutta Corp. Fair Hill International in her home state of Maryland.

The Equestrian of the Year was saddlebred competitor Elisabeth Goth, vice president of the USEF. While I haven’t seen her compete recently, I can testify that in the USEF’s board meetings she always asks intelligent questions, makes incisive bservations and is definitely a bright light who does a lot for the sport.

Additional Jerseyans who earned Horse of the Year awards included Elizabeth Hofer and her daughter, Kaitlin, of Saddle River. They took home handfuls of ribbons and trophies galore, including the Grand Champion Welsh title for the versatile Glynhafan Hermione, who goes western and English under saddle, jumps, does leadline and serves in therapeutic riding. She also was nominated for National Horse of the Year, a title that went to Liza Boyd and Janet Peterson’s Brunello, the three-time International Hunter Derby winner.

Kaitlin Hofer also won a championship in Half-Welsh Pleasure with Capstone’s Tootsie.

Other New Jerseyans with Horses of the Year were Leslie Goryeb of Far Hills, Arabian Country Pleasure/Pleasure Driving Open for MD Tsunami; Morgan Ward, Milford, Grand Champion Junior Hunter 16-17 years for Broadway; Ponies Unlimited, Franklin Lakes, English Pleasure Hunt Seat for Sky’s the Limit and Margot Peroni, Califon, Amateur-Owner Hunter 3-3/18-35 years.

Where can people go if they’re interested in learning to ride?

It’s an important question from several aspects, not the least of which involves growing the base of equestrianism, which all too often is regarded as an elite pursuit. Without places to get started, the portion of the population that rides will decline, and those who love horses will have less of a voice in being heard on subjects that matter to them.

There was a time when lesson barns abounded in New Jersey, but many have closed, victims of everything from development pressure to zoning issues, the high cost of running their operations and escalating insurance payments.

Stables enabling both children and adults to pick up the basics that can lead to a lifetime activity are less numerous than they used to be, but one that is still doing that job is the Somerset County Park Commission’s Lord Stirling Stable in Basking Ridge. It is among just three county-owned and run stables in the state (the others are Union County’s Watchung in Mountainside and the Mercer County Park Commission’s Equestrian Center in Pennington) where lessons are affordable for a broad segment of the population.

Lord Stirling recently won the state’s Gold Medal Horse Farm Award for environmental stewardship and management, while its manager since 2007, Margie Margentino, received the 2015 Outstanding Service Award in Louisville, Ky., during the Eastern National 4-H Horse Round-Up, part of the North American International Livestock Exposition.

The award, sponsored by the Pinto Horse Association of America, recognizes leaders in the horse industry who have helped young enthusiasts further their equestrian knowledge and skills.

That’s been part of Margie’s life since she joined 4-H in 1968, which was a different era in New Jersey when it came to getting involved with horses.

“Back in the ’60s, everybody who wanted to have a horse could have one in their backyard,” she observed. All they needed was a little property.

“In the ’80s, there were still a lot of backyard horses, and the average person could have a horse, not just someone who could afford expensive board. But today, unless you live in South Jersey or extreme North Jersey, the days of having a horse in the backyard are over.

“If you don’t have $600, $700 or $800 to spare each month to board a horse (and in many areas of the state, even more than that), you’re just not going to have a horse. The only option is to go somewhere where you can take lessons or partially lease a horse,” observed Margie, who in 1986 was named the state’s equine and livestock program associate leading 4-H for the Rutgers Cooperative Extension Service.

She went on to become a judge and superintendent of the popular Horse Bowl contest, and has served on the national boards or committees of the American Youth Horse Council, the American Driving Society, U.S. Driving for the Disabled and the former U.S. Equestrian Team. She also has been a clinician for the U.S. Equestrian Federation. In addition, building on her background with judging during her 4-H years, Margie held a USEF large R as a combined driving course designer, judge and technical delegate and also was an FEI C course designer.

An astute observer of the equestrian scene with the credentials to back up her conclusions, she noted, “The kids coming up in the horse industry are the key to its stability and future. Whether they’re in 4-H, Pony Club or are just a group of kids in a barn, their education and how they learn about proper horse care are what’s going to secure this industry for the future. Just learning how to ride isn’t going to do it; they have to learn horsemanship from the ground up.”

Horse care workshops at Lord Stirling teach not only how to groom and tack up a horse, but also how to muck a stall, what makes good quality hay; health management, vaccination and wound care, among other items.

There are always waiting lists for beginner lessons, but as some of the kids get older, they may peel off to other activities, she said, noting there are so many things vying for young people’s attention. Those really interested in horses who might consider a career in the field tend to stay through their later teens.

Many of the adults who come to ride are fulfilling a dream in later life that they had since childhood.

“Our target audience is people who enjoy horses but don’t necessarily want the responsibility of buying a horse or can’t afford to own a horse,” Margie said, noting they also enjoy the social atmosphere of spending time with those who appreciate the same things.

If someone arrives with the mindset that they want to show, however, Margie tells them up front, “That’s not what we do. We’re recreational riding. There’s no pressure; the horses are as safe as we can possibly assure they are; we school the horses and monitor and filter them to make sure they are at the right levels for the right people.”

There are between 70 and 80 horses on the 450-acre Lord Stirling facility, a former estate, where resource conservation is a priority.

“Our big thing right now, and the push nationwide, is to go green,” she said.

“With all the construction and building going on in this area, anyone who has horses has to be aware of that and consider best management practices. If not, we’re going to see more horse farms going by the wayside as zoning pushing them out.”

She stresses the importance of being diligent about fly control, manure management and not polluting the watershed.

“I don’t mean just Lord Stirling, I mean every horse owner in the state,” commented Margie, who also is a big supporter of the work of the Equine Science Center at Rutgers, which is “dedicated to better horse care through research and education.”

“If there’s enough public outcry, or if a horse owner is negligent and doesn’t care about polluting waterways or being a public nuisance, the feeling by the general public is going to turn negative. The horse industry needs to wake up and start looking a little more seriously at some of these things.”

At Lord Stirling, grass buffers are used around the pastures, so fencing doesn’t go right up to a waterway and thus manure doesn’t run into the water. Herbicides and pesticides are not used. They mow to keep weeds down. Manure is composted and used instead of chemical fertilizers.

“The horse industry has to work together, we’re not individual farms, we’re one big industry in this state, and that means supporting the racing industry too,” said Margie.

“The more of us there are that work together, the better we can lobby when it comes time for changes in zoning and farmland assessment. If we speak with one louder voice, legislators are more likely to hear us.”

There were plenty of good tidings for New Jersey’s equestrian community in 2015 that will be paying off in a happy new year during 2016.

The return of the Essex Horse Trials after a 20-year absence is among the most exciting, with a new venue set at Moorland Farms in Far Hills and an exhibition/demonstration this summer in preparation for holding the eventing competition itself on June 24, 2017.

Essex organizers Ralph Jones, Guy Torsillieri and course designer Morgan Rowsell will be building their competition into a premier event in years to come.

The Essex revival had its genesis in June’s Gladstone Gathering at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation, where the equine-involved from the Somerset Hills and beyond got together for a “friend-raising.”

The idea was to spark conversation about increasing equestrian events and participation in the area. With a presence from the U.S. Equestrian Federation (CEO Chris Welton), the foundation (president Tucker Johnson) and the revived Gladstone Equestrian Association (president Jim Brady, who came up with the Gathering concept), the party helped raise consciousness to stimulate continued growth of horse sports in the area.

A goal was greater use of the historic foundation facility in Gladstone, which has state-of-the-art footing after an arena makeover and is undergoing a re-do of stalls that have housed some of the country’s most famous show jumping and dressage mounts.

New Jersey’s oldest show, Monmouth County, is moving away from its home turf this summer to be held at the foundation’s grounds. It should be the type of show that will draw competitors not only from Monmouth, Somerset and Hunterdon counties, but also from elsewhere for a chance to ride at one of the nation’s most cherished venues.

A highlight of 2015 was the boost the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event at the Horse Park of New Jersey in Allentown got from a big donation by Dr. Brendan Furlong, formerly the veterinarian for the U.S. eventing team. Attaching his name to the event strengthened its cachet and kept it part of the PRO (Professional Riders Organization) circuit.

The first 3-star victory by a New Jersey-owned horse, Carl and Cassie Segal’s veteran Ballynoe Castle RM, made this Jersey Fresh a memorable occasion for the record books.

A renewed spirit for the state’s biggest eventing competition (and word that the Horse Park will host a CIC 2-star this July) should help the growth of that discipline in New Jersey.

Meanwhile, though, fund raising to improve arena footing at the park has been slow. What is needed is an angel who will put out a matching grant to stimulate contributions. Better footing would bring more significant competitions to the park.

Suffering from a difficult economy and challenges for the horse industry in New Jersey, sadly some farms shut their doors every year in the Garden State. But it was encouraging to see the comeback of the old Snowbird facility on Schooley’s Mountain in Morris County as GG Farms under the guidance of new owner Bob Migliaccio.

Once a center for dozens of shows annually, the place had slid into disrepair. But it is getting a refreshed identity, where groups of stalls will be leased to trainers so they can run their own operations out of the complex, which is a way of making it more affordable to have a lesson and training business.

On the bad news side, the Dressage Festival of Champions presented by the Dutta Corp. is not coming back to Gladstone in 2016. The U.S. Equestrian Federation’s dressage championships are being split between Illinois and California, with the latter hosting the Grand Prix and Intermediaire I title matches in November at Epona Farms, while the other championships will be in August at Lamplight Farms.

The championships were last held at Gladstone in 2014, when the Grand Prix section was a selection trial for the World Equestrian Games. But selection trials weren’t held in 2015 for the Pan American Games and won’t be for the Rio Olympics this year, as the dressage horses go to Europe to hone their competitive edge. The 2015 title matches for Grand Prix and I-1 were contested last month in Florida, while the other classes were at Lamplight.

While praising Gladstone for its historic significance, Tim Dutta wouldn’t voice a preference for any specific site for the championships. He believes, however, it would help build the brand if they could be staged in the same location at the same date annually, so people could plan and the meet would become a destination, like Dressage at Devon.

Farther afield, many of the glorious equestrian moments of 2015 for once weren’t monopolized by Europe, but took place on this side of the Atlantic.

The Pan American Games don’t get the same respect globally as the European Championships, but they are also an Olympic qualifier and a showcase for the ever-improving equestrian scene in this hemisphere. Canada did a great job presenting the equestrian portion of the Pan Ams, where the U.S. eventing and dressage teams did what they had to do in style, winning gold to qualify for the Olympics, facing ever-improving competition from other nations in the hemisphere.

The Rio Games are a goal for so many riders in 2016, and for the U.S. equestrians, the August Olympics in Brazil may provide an opportunity to bounce back from the 2012 London Games where American riders went home without medals from an Olympis for the first time since1956.

Las Vegas, which hosted the World Cup finals in dressage for the fourth time and in show jumping for the sixth time in 2015, isn’t getting another shot in 2018 as expected. The FEI (international equestrian federation) felt the facility at the Thomas & Mack Center (home of the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo) was outdated and rebid the Cup. It’s going to Paris in 2018, but will be held in Omaha in 2017 and could come back to Vegas at a different venue down the road.

The Reem Acra dressage finals in Vegas last year did host a milestone, as the world’s number one horse and rider in the discipline, Valegro and Charlotte Dujardin, defended their title and wowed the crowd. Charlotte returned to the U.S. five months later to make an appearance without Valegro in Central Park while the Pope was in town.

The USEF has been changing the way shows get their dates to allow leeway for new and inventive competitions. At the same time, USEF is working to broaden the scope of who is held responsible when a horse tests positive for a prohibited substance. The organization also want to hold shows to a higher standard, through a process that is still developing.

On the down side of 2015, the horrific butchering of a recently imported horse at Debbie and Steve Stephens’ farm in Florida last autumn reminded everyone that there is a market for horse meat and that every farm should up its security to prevent a similar occurrence.

December was marred by an EHV-1 outbreak at a farm in Bucks County, Pa. Four horses were euthanized, and it led to the cancellation of two New Jersey shows as a precautionary measure. (see On the Rail on this website.)

I traditionally end my year in review story with a bow to those we lost during the preceding 12 months. There are always too many distinguished horsemen and women who depart over any 12-month period, but here are a few we should take special time to remember:

In New Jersey, they included Essex Fox Hounds stalwarts Betty Merck and Appie Lorillard of Bedminster; Leo Conroy, a popular judge who was a pillar of the National Horse Show and previously had a career as a successful trainer in Colts Neck; and Jean Haller Reid, a founder of the original Essex Horse Trials at her Bedminster farm.

Further afield, dressage show manager Lloyd Landkamer is greatly missed. Karen Stives, Olympic team gold and individual silver eventing medalist from the 1984 Games, left us far too soon. Austin Kiplinger of the Washington International Horse Show departed after a long and fruitful life, as did longtime British show jumping chef d’equipe Ronnie Massarella.