Less than two years before the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, the FEI has chosen the Tryon, N.C. International Equestrian Center as the venue for the quadrennial eight-discipline extravaganza.
Saturday Night Lights show jumping draws a crowd to the Tryon International Equestrian Center.
The state-of-the-art facility on a 1,600-acre site in the foothills of the Blue Mountains offers 12 arenas (including a 5,000-seat covered arena), numerous warm-up areas, 1,060 permanent stalls, and a variety of amenities–including restaurants and lodging–as well as a team that knows how to put on a show.
Concern about the weather on the original August dates for the competition has prompted a move for the fixture to Sept. 10-23, 2018, when the climate will be more amenable, following guidelines of studies commissioned by the FEI.
For several years, the FEI struggled to make things work with the original WEG bid winner Bromont, Quebec, but the money to back the project just wasn’t there, and the Canadian government had no interest in helping out. Tryon’s facilities are far superior to what Bromont could offer, while administrations in both North and South Carolina are supporting the Tryon effort, expected to be a huge driver of the economy in the area.
It all spells a prospect of huge success for the WEG, which is important for the event’s future going beyond 2018.
There have been several less-than-optimum experiences with the WEG since it began in Stockholm with great acclaim in 1990. Some have suggested the concept is unwieldy and should be replaced by the old method of holding individual world championships, or where possible, teaming two or three disciplines, rather than eight.
However, in making the Tryon announcement, FEI President Ingmar de Vos emphaized, “The FEI is 100 percent committeed to the FEI World Equestrian Games concept.”
Concern was expressed that as Bromont faltered, the WEG would be moved out of North America, which has only hosted the WEG once (Kentucky, 2010) since it debuted. A facility in Slovakia was also mentioned as a contender, but it is not as developed as the Tryon site which is coupled with a resort. Already, $125 million has been spent on the property, with more to come.
The managing partner of Tryon Equestrian Partners is Mark Bellissimo, who also is behind Wellington, Fla.’s, Winter Equestrian Festival, which in effect is the world’s largest horse show.
“Mark and his group are going to do an excellent job. We’re really looking forward to bringing the world here to the U.S. and really promoting the sports here in our country. It was a primary driver for us, to keep it in North America,” said U.S. Equestrian Federation President Chrystine Tauber.
FEI First Vice President John Madden observed, “From what I understand from everybody, the venue is fantastic and their bid was excellent and I’m very happy for the FEI that we’re going to have such a great venue for such an important championship. It’s wonderful that these championships can move (to different) continents and I think it’s very important we spread our sport all over the world.”
Eric Straus, secretary-general of the Pan American Equestrian Confederation, noted that awarding the WEG to Tryon was, “the only reasonable decision they could make, because the facility is pretty much built out, there are hotels available within a one-hour driving radius, you’ve got commitments by two state governments, you’ve got three airports. It’s dead easy.”
Competitor enthusiasm is high; after all, what’s not to like?
“I think it’s super to have a big championship in our country. It’s a great facility. The more we can bring to America, the better,” said show jumper Margie Goldstein-Engle, who has been showing at Tryon.
Mark stated, “We are confident that our partnership and our operating team will create a memorable experience for all involved, with the ultimate goal of significantly elevating horse sport in the U.S. beyond the 27 million people who ride a horse at least once a year.”
Originally, Mark had hoped to host the Games at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, but there were many reasons why that suburban community wasn’t the right place for it. Not only is Tryon horse country, the ability to have everything on one site is guaranteed to make the WEG run smoothly, as it did in Aachen in 2006, which held the best WEG to date. Far-flung venues for several of the disciplines involved led to traffic and transportation problems in Normandy, France, at the last WEG in 2014, where a lack of organization contributed to the problems.
The Tryon International Equestrian Center has an impressive expanse capable of hosting all eight WEG disciplines on one site.
The WEG includes the Olympic disciplines of show jumping, dressage and eventing, as well as reining, endurance, vaulting, four-in-hand driving and para-dressage. It requires enormous expertise to coordinate all of them in a schedule that enables spectators to see as much of each of them as possible, which is one of the reasons the WEG was developed.
The Bellissimo team has the expertise to do it right. The group’s track record of rising to challenges includes running the Central Park Horse Show, in a venue where many said such a competition couldn’t be done. The September show in Manhattan was the third annual, and it’s going strong.
It’s also a good sign that things were able to be worked out on the sponsor front. Rolex is a sponsor at Tryon, while Longines, another luxury watch company, is the FEI’s major sponsor. There was concern expressed in discussions about the WEG that one being identified with a site would preclude the other, but compromise obviously prevailed for the good of the sport.
The American Horse Council has told the U.S. Department of Agriculture that proposed changes to the regulations governing the Horse Protection Act–which has the goal of ending soring of certain breeds of horses– should be applied only to Tennessee Walking Horses, Spotted Saddle Horses and Racking Horses in shows, sales and auctions.
Some trainers in those industries have used cruel methods to emphasize the gaits of their horses. But the proposed changes would include a ban on pads used in shoeing, as well as action devices, weighted shoes and foreign substances.
As AHC and other equestrian organizations have pointed out, soring is not a problem in other segments of the horse industry and over-broad regulation could have unwanted effects.
“The AHC strongly opposes soring and believes action is needed to stop the soring of “big lick” Tennessee Walking Horses, Racking Horses and Spotted Saddle Horses,” said AHC President Julie Broadway.
“However, the AHC believed it was necessary to voice concerns that certain provisions of the proposed rule are too broadly written, not sufficiently defined and could cause confusion for the horse show industry.”
As you may have heard, there’s an election on Tuesday, November 8.
But more than the presidential race is on the ballot in New Jersey. In effect, it’s the future of the state’s horse industry.
Question 1 asks whether two casinos should be allowed in North Jersey, at least 72 miles from Atlantic City. One possible location is the Meadowlands racetrack, which is lagging in competition with tracks in neighboring states that have “racinos” boosting purses and hence, attracting more horses.
The sign says it all.
Although revenue from the measure would go to a variety of beneficiaries, including property tax relief for senior citizens and the disabled, as well as to Atlantic City, it is specified that “not less than two percentage points in each State fiscal year would be dedicated for programs designed to aid the thoroughbred and standardbred horsemen in this State.”
If you’re a sport horse person, you’re probably saying, “Why should I care what happens to racing?”
That’s what dressage judge and breeder Earlen Haven of Woodstown believed initially.
“I did not even give it a thought that it might affect me in any way,” she said. Then the state Equine Advisory Board member started doing some research. A poll showed that 35 percent of the cars parked at one Pennsylvania racetrack had New Jersey plates, while 60 percent of the cars at another track there also were from New Jersey. As Earlen asked, why should that money be going to other states when we could keep it in New Jersey?
“The fact remains that without the casino gambling at the track, New Jersey racetrack purses cannot compete with our surrounding states. It is one of the main reasons that horses and horse farms are leaving New Jersey in droves,” she stated.
“Breeder incentive awards and the purses are much more alluring in our surrounding states, since they are funded by a percentage of their casino gambling at their tracks.”
A statement from the New Jersey Quarter Horse Association, which supports a “yes” vote on Question 1, points out, “We have lost horses, farms and training facilities. That means hundreds of jobs; investment and economic benefit have been lost to Pennsylvania, New York, Maryland and Delaware. We need to level that playing field if equine agriculture is going to survive in NJ.”
Here’s the bottom line for the state’s sport horse industry: “If the racing industry leaves New Jersey, soon other supporting businesses will leave also,” Earlen pointed out.
“Racing is a major player for supporting businesses such as blacksmiths, tack shops, farmers growing hay, feed stores selling us grain, etc. All of the above are needed by the non-racing horses also.” What would you do if your veterinarians left the state because their practices lost a high percentage of the horses they served when the animals moved elsewhere?
“We are teetering on thin ice,” contended Karyn Malinowski, executive director of the Rutgers Equine Science Center.
“The racing industry cannot compete with New York and Pennsylvania. If it doesn’t get some relief, either from the Legislature or the money from North Jersey casinos, it will be gone totally. We stand to lose 57,000 agricultural acres that were here because of the racing industry.”
New Jersey racing had a $30 million supplement from the casino industry that ended in 2011. Since then, Karyn said, “They’ve been living on fumes.”
In case you’re not planning to read any more of this column, I’ll make the point here–vote yes on Question 1. Even if you weren’t going to vote because you don’t like either of the presidential candidates or care about the rest of the ticket, you should go to your poling place and do the one thing that can help the horse industry.
Don’t forget, horse farms offer important open space and green acreage in the most densely populated state in the Union. They also provides recreation, sport and career opportunities for youth. And then there’s the important contribution of therapeutic riding. Those are key points to make in convincing your non-equestrian friends to join you in supporting this measure.
One other thing. Karyn said is that if the question is defeated in a blowout, the odds are against it ever coming up for a vote again. While we have to hope it passes, whatever the odds, it’s still important to vote “yes” so legislators can see there is interest in the concept.
She noted that the many ads against the proposal are paid for by casino companies that own what would be competing entities if casinos come to North Jersey. Atlantic City interests also are contributing, she said, pointing out the irony that some complaining casinos have built properties in the Philadelphia area only about 50 miles from Atlantic City, rather than the 72 miles of the North Jersey proposal.
“Can we gain back all the gamers going to New York and Pennsylvania (as well as Delaware) to gamble?” Karyn asked.
“Can we bring them back to New Jersey with a casino or two in North Jersey? The answer should be a resounding `yes.’”
At last week’s Pennsylvania National Horse Show, former U.S. Equestrian Team member Mary Chapot of Neshanic Station was inducted into its hall of fame. Her late husband, U.S. team captain Frank Chapot, was inducted in 2013.
A double gold medalist at the 1963 Pan American Games, she also won both the AHSA Medal and the ASPCA Maclay in her equitation days. Mary and Kathy Kusner were the first women to ride on a U.S. Olympic show jumping team when they competed in the 1964 Olympics.
A year later, Mary won the first grand prix held in the U.S. when she took first place in the Cleveland Grand Prix. In 1967, she won the Grand Prix de Penn National on Anakonda and later would go on to judge the Medal at the show, completing a rare double.
Her daughter Laura is a top grand prix rider, while her other daughter, Wendy Nunn, is an accomplished amateur-owner jumper rider, both young women having benefited from coaching by Mary and Frank.
Also inducted with Mary was the late Harry Gill, best known as the owner of the great jumper Idle Dice. Those who rode for him included Rodney Jenkins, Michael Matz, McLain Ward and Todd Minikus.
Harry was a sponsor of many shows and also an active board member of some of the country’s most prestigious competitions.
The Rutgers Equine Science Center will host its annual update, an Evening of Science & Celebration, on Thursday Nov. 17 from 6-10 p.m. at the Cook Campus Center in New Brunswick.
Sponsored by Mid-Atlantic Equine Medical Center, its keynote presentation will be “Protein Needs for Equine Athletes,” given by Dr. Kristine Urschel, an associate professor of equine science in the Animal & Food Science Department at the University of Kentucky. Her research focuses on studying protein and amino acid requirements and metabolism in horses of all ages and physiological states, especially during and after exercise..
The Evening of Science and Celebration brings together equine professionals, horse owners, farm owners and barn managers, educators and students, 4-H members, and all equine enthusiasts to learn about current projects and research initiatives being conducted at the Equine Science Center. The Center’s mission is to address horse industry issues and challenges through sound-science and research.
Jeanne Vuyosevich, a thoroughbred trainer from Sunset Meadow Farm in Farmingdale, will receive the 2017 “Spirit of the Horse Award” for her contributions to the welfare of horses. According to ESCC Director, Karyn Malinowski , “Jeanne’s long-time care and rehabilitation of thoroughbred horses make her a worthy candidate for the award, which is given to people whose lives have been impacted by horses and who continue to give back to horses and the equine industry.”
The Center will present its annual Gold Medal Horse Farm award to the Nienart family from Hidden Hills Farm in Hillsborough. The award, part of the New Jersey Equine Environmental Stewardship Program, recognizes outstanding horse farms for their dedication to environmental sustainability and management. It also underscores the efforts of the New Jersey equine industry to maintain the beauty of the Garden State. The program is a collaborative initiative by the New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station at Rutgers University, the Rutgers Equine Science Center, and the New Jersey Department of Agriculture.
Prior to the beginning of the event, the Equine Science Center will present a demonstration of the high-speed equine exercise physiology treadmill at 5 p.m. at the Red Barn on College Farm Road.
An Evening of Science & Celebration will begin with dinner at 6 pm. After dinner, Madison Whiting, a New Jersey 4-H Horse Project member will present her award winning presentation, “What’s for Dinner?” about the odd things that horses eat.
The event requires registration that can be made online at: http://www.goo.gl/xEANWt . The fee for the event, which includes dinner, is $35 for adults and $15 for full-time students.
For additional information, contact the Equine Science Center at 848-932-9419 or Kyle Hartmann at hartmann@aesop.rutgers.edu.
Andy Kocher of Stockton won the prize for the best costume in the $35,000 Accumulator Class at the Washington International Horse Show Thursday night.
Andy Kocher and Ciana won the prize for best costume at the Washington International Horse Show. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
He was quite a clown, and even his horse, Ciana, got into the act with a big red nose (slightly lopsided). Andy finished fourth (Laura Kraut, sweetly dressed as Little Red Ridinghood won on Andretti S) but the cheers of the barn night crowd were with the clown.
Andy made a great effort to entertain spectators, which really is what this class is all about. So we salute him.
“It was the luckiest day of my life when I met Jennie Brannigan,” said Beth Battel, who has owned Footlight Farm in Roosevelt, Monmouth County, for 37 years.
Stella Artois and Jennie Brannigan with co-owner Beth Battel (left), Melanie Temper and Tim Dutta at the awards presentation for the Dutta Corp. Fair Hill International CCI 2-star. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
A rider, trainer and horse breeder, Beth is a half-owner with Jennie of Stella Artois, the poised bay mare who won the Dutta Corp. Fair Hill International CCI 2-star last weekend with Jennie aboard.
“She doesn’t go out and buy upper-level horses, to climb on and go show,” Beth said of Jennie.
“What she likes to do, and does so well, is starting them at novice level and bringing them on up. She trains them herself. It’s a real partnership, like a dance partnership.”
Fair Hill was the biggest success for Stella in the duo’s three years with the 8-year-old Hanoverian.
She was second on a respectable 44.5 penalties after the dressage phase at the Maryland event, a segment won by Emily Beshear’s Silver Night Lady, marked at 43 penalties.
The next day, Jennie flew around Derek DiGrazia’s cross-country course and didn’t add anything to her dressage score, going into the lead after Emily’s mount had 2 time penalties.
Beth was there to watch and conceded, “I’m always a little bit nervous on cross-country especially, but she just sailed around and made it look so easy. They were both very confident, and we were ecstatic when she made it inside the time.”
Beth wasn’t asking for anything more.
Jennie Brannigan and Stella Artois going cross-country. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
“No matter what happened on Sunday, the two of them had done a fabulous job, And then Sunday, it was just a gorgeous stadium (jumping) trip and they nailed it.”
The mare was clean over the route designed by Sally Ike, where 19 of 34 finishers dropped rails. Stella kept her lead to take the trophy, with Beth in proud attendance at the presentation.
The performance was so convincing that it’s only natural to think of not only the next step, but what the partnership eventually could produce.
“I’m not in any hurry,” commented Beth.
“I love the sport, I’m in it to do a good job by the horse, see what the horse can do, what it’s comfortable doing, letting the horse be the guide. Obviously, there’s the dream of Rolex Kentucky (the Western Hemisphere’s only 4-star), if you take your time and don’t try to push them and either burn them out or burn them up.
“I have total faith in Jennie to make the right decisions,” Beth continued.
Jennie Brannigan and Stella Artois were clean in the stadium jumping phase to win the CCI 2-star. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
“She’s a bonafide good person, she truly loves every single horse she gets near; good or bad, win or lose. She gets up at the crack of dawn and gallops horses at the track before she goes back to her own farm,” Beth added in admiration.
Beth is impressed that Jennie “is constantly studying her art; taking lessons from the best people she can get to in all three phases, dressage, cross-country and stadium jumping, always trying to improve her already considerable abilities.”
The two got together in 2009 when Jennie was working for Phillip Dutton in Pennsylvania. The first horse of Beth’s that she rode was a homebred Riverman mare named Thalia.
“She was a little too hot to make her for children or ladies,” said Beth, who had shown her once in dressage and in baby green jumpers. She thought eventing might be the answer for Thalia.
Before Jennie went in the ring for the jumping phase at Thalia’s first event, she asked Beth, “How’s she going to be in there, will she look at anything?”
Replied Beth, “I have no idea.” But Thalia ended up winning right off the bat, and Beth started sending her other homebreds to Jennie.
In 2013, Beth heard from Jennie, who had gone over to Germany for the Luhmuhlen 4-star and to look at prospects.
“She called and told me she’d seen this wonderful mare and would I be interested in partnering?” Beth recalled. The answer was, “If you think it’s a good mare, I’d be interested in that.”
“I can’t leave Germany without trying to figure out how to get this horse,” Jennie had said to herself before dialing Beth’s number after someone who had promised to go in with her on the mare dropped out.
“I’m horrible asking anyone for anything,” she noted, and was delighted after Beth came through. The Fair Hill victory was even more meaningful because of Beth’s involvement. The admiration in this arrangement is mutual.
“When you put up money and people back you and you have a good result, it makes it feel like you’re doing well for them. Beth’s awesome. I probably could have fallen off and she would have liked me just the same,” said Jennie, who hopes to syndicate the mare.
“That (attitude) brings out the best in you because they’re doing it for the right reasons.”
Beth is an especially good fit for Jennie, who calls her, “a great rider, a really cool horse person. She’s ridden upper level dressage and prelim (eventing) and foxhunted.”
There are about 25 horses at Footlight, mostly boarders. Beth rides two or three horses a day, but isn’t teaching lessons the way she used to. She has other interests; horses aren’t all she does. For instance, the former mayor of Roosevelt is now on the town environmental commission.
Jennie bought Stella in Germany from a friend of hers. The mare’s name was Second Chance, because the seller was one of New Zealand eventer Mark Todd’s best friends, and the book about the two-time Olympic individual gold medalist’s comeback in the sport was entitled, “Second Chance.”
“I didn’t love that,” said Jennie, who took the mare’s barn name, Stella, (from the mare’s original name, Stracciatella) and added Artois, after the beer. Then she changed her barn name to Toddie in tribute to Mark.
“She’s always been a horse that’s bit exuberant,” observed Jennie.
“She’ll eat anything. She’s a bit of a character. My main goal was to give this horse a good go.”
It hasn’t always been smooth sailing. For instance, at the Jersey Fresh International in May, she fell at the last combination. But those things happen, and after Fair Hill it looks as if Toddie is on track.
“I think she is a three-day horse and has all the right stuff to be the real deal. She’s always been that horse I feel like is probably one of the most talented horses I have,” said Jennie.
Fair Hill is always difficult for the rider, because it was there seven years ago that her gold medal North American Junior and Young Rider mount, Cooper, suffered an injury in stadium jumping and later died of complications. Part of the insurance money from Cooper went to buy Toddie.
“This time of year and this place is very emotional for me because of Cooper,” she said.
“Time doesn’t seem to necessarily make that easier.”
But time does move on, and there’s lots to look forward to with Toddie. She has been bred twice, to Royaldik. One baby is in utero in a surrogate, while her first foal is now 18 months old. She’s named Reggie, after Dr. Regina Turner at New Bolton who did the conception and embryo transplant.
“We were there when she was born,” said Beth.
“The filly is the sweetest thing. She sees me walk by and she whinnies.”
Noted Beth, “Breeding and the babies, and seeing where they can go, that’s the best part.”
Stella Artois leads the victory gallop. (Photo by Lawrence J. Nagy)
And working with Jennie has made a big difference for both of them, adding a dimension to the Fair Hill victory for Beth as she watched Jennie smile her way around the arena in a triumphant victory gallop as the tri-color ribbon fluttered from Toddie’s bridle.
Question 1 on Tuesday’s election ballot asks whether two casinos should be allowed in North Jersey, at least 72 miles from Atlantic City. One possible location is the Meadowlands racetrack, which is lagging in competition with tracks in neighboring states that have “racinos” boosting purses and hence, attracting more horses.
Although revenue from the measure would go to a variety of beneficiaries,it is specified that “not less than two percentage points in each State fiscal year would be dedicated for programs designed to aid the thoroughbred and standardbred horsemen in this State.”
Racing is a major player for supporting businesses such as blacksmiths, tack shops, farmers growing hay, feed stores selling us grain, etc. All of the above are needed by the non-racing horses also. What would you do if your veterinarians left the state because their practices lost a high percentage of the horses they served when the animals moved elsewhere?
New Jersey’s horse industry is in trouble. If Question 1 passes, it will give an incentive for racing interests to stay in the state and boost the industry as a whole, including sport horses. Vote “yes” for your own self-interest.
Persistence paid off last weekend for T.J. O’Mara of Rumson, who set a goal and returned year after year to the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone attempting to realize it.
On his fifth try, he finally won the Platinum Performance/U.S. Equestrian Federation Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East, topping a stellar group of riders with a performance that was long on consistency and style.
T.J. O’Mara and Kaskade. (Photo copyright 2016 by Nancy Jaffer)
Trained by Stacia Madden of Beacon Hill Show Stables and Max Amaya of Stonehenge Stables, both in Colts Neck, T.J. said winning the Talent Search “has been one of my dreams for my junior career. I’m so proud of my horse.”
He has had a long relationship with Kaskade, his only equitation mount, who sadly will be for sale after indoors as T.J. ages out of the division.
“It’s going to be very emotional to see her go, but this was obviously on my checklist and I’m just happy to have won this on her, and not on another horse,” he said after the Talent Search award presentation.
He went from 11th after the initial flat phase to fifth after gymnastics on Saturday.
“Then I snuck into the top four,” said T.J., who won the Sunday morning jumping phase with a 92, though Daisy Farish still held the overall lead, as she had throughout the competition.
The Talent Search finalists enter the ring. (Photo copyright 2016 by Nancy Jaffer)
So T.J. was happy to have a clean slate to start over for the last phase, the “final four,” when each exhibitor rides their own horse, and then that of their competitors, over a shortened course.
Daisy had a refusal with her own horse, Ganjana, in the first round of the final four, and then the low score in every round thereafter.
Sophie Simpson won the first three rounds of the final four competition until she got on Ganjana, then put in eight strides where everyone else did seven between fences two and three, cross-cantered at the end of the ring and met the in-and-out in less-than-optimal fashion.
Sophie Simpson and Breckenridge, with the USET Foundation stables in the background. (Photo copyright 2016 by Nancy Jaffer)
She wound up second with a score of 350 to T.J.’s 355, while Vivian Yowan was third with 347 on McLain Ward’s Clearline, who won the Grappa trophy as best horse of the final. Daisy was fourth with a score of 246.
It was 2012 when T.J. first competed in the Talent Search, geared to spotting riders who could someday represent the U.S. in international competition. He was out of the ribbons, but his sister, Meg O’Mara, finished second that year. That was when he set his sights on winning someday.
His determination continues. T.J. is gearing up for his last shot at the Pessoa/USEF Medal Finals, which his sister won at the Pennsylvania National Horse Show. While there originally may have been some sibling rivalry, he notes that now, “Meg has been a huge support for me. She texts me at every single final and I know she’ll be proud of me, and my other two sisters will be proud of me as well.”
Vivian Yowan and Clearline, Best Horse of the finals. (Photo copyright 2016 by Nancy Jaffer)
Meg told him that depending on how he did at the Talent Search, she might show up to support him in person at the other finals. After the Medal, he has the Washington International’s equitation championship and then the ASPCA Maclay finals at the CP National Horse Show.
I met T.J. at the 2012 Hampton Classic when I was interviewing Meg about her blue-eyed horse, Sinatra, on whom she had won the junior jumper championship. She advised me that T.J. was going to be good, and I took it for what it was worth. She was, after all, his sister, which means she might have been prejudiced. He was just a kid, so I have to admit I didn’t pay a lot of attention. But Meg turned out to be right.
T.J. is an 18-year-old freshman at the University of Kentucky, where he is majoring in agricultural economics. His father, Tom, advised him that he needed something to fall back on if riding didn’t work out for a career, and he’s very interested in horse feed anyway.
This photo, T.J. on Daisy Farish’s mount, Ganjana, shows off his beautiful, balanced style. (Photo copyright 2016 by Nancy Jaffer)
He is a serious young man, with an earnest demeanor and excellent manners. All in all, a pleasure to deal with, and gracious, too.
He gave credit to everyone who helped him get this far, from Don Stewart, who trained him initially, to Max and Stacia and their teams, and his family and friends. While in Kentucky, he also got some help from Federico Sztyrle, a friend of Max’s, and his partner, Chris Ewanouski.
T.J. is grateful for his experience, noting, “The equitation gives you a sense of who you are as a rider. It’s built a ton of confidence in me over the years.” Next for him is focusing on jumpers with his new horse, Queen Jane.
The victory meant a lot to T.J.’s trainers, not only because of what he did, but also because of who he is.
“I am so happy for T.J. because I look at him as not only an unbelievable developing young rider, but he’s been like an assistant to Stonehenge and Beacon Hill,” said Stacia.
T,J. with one of his trainers, Max Amaya, and his parents, Liz and Tom O’Mara. (Photo copyright 2016 by Nancy Jaffer)
“He knows the horses. He can tell you what every horse in the barn eats, and probably what they wear for shoes. If I’m ever at the ring and one of my assistants isn’t there to answer a question about rules, he knows the rules because he reads the prizelists. He’s one of the few kids that actually gets a prizelist at the beginning of each horse show and reads it. He knows the rules of not only the competitions he rides in, but the rules of other competitions.
“He studies riding,” she continued.
“He watches videos, he reads books, he goes old school on you.” That makes winning the Talent Search “so well-deserved in that respect, because everything’s not coming from the trainer, even though we like to think we’re a very important part of it. He’s done a magnificent job of educating himself and I think that is what really pulled him through.”
Equus, the biggest fundraiser of the year for Mane Stream, is billed as a glamorous evening “celebrating the many triumphs of Mane Stream, its riders, clients, donors, volunteers and staff.”
Chaired by Wendy Waters, Equus is marking its 25th year. It will be held at the Hamilton Farm Golf Club in Gladstone Oct. 29 from 6:30-11 p.m. with a gourmet dinner, open bar, live band, dancing, and live and silent auctions.
As always, the highlight of the evening will be the stories of progress and accomplishments shared by several of the participants in Mane Stream’s therapeutic and adaptive horsemanship programs.
