by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 30, 2025
Churchill Downs posted a photo of the late trainer D. Wayne Lukas’ pony making one final visit to the track today, the saddle empty, his black boots reversed in the stirrups, the traditional way of honoring a fallen hero.
Outrider Greg Blasi with D. Wayne Lukas’ pony at Churchill Downs in a tribute to the late trainer. (Photo courtesy Churchill Downs)
Wayne was a familiar sight at the track in the mornings, watching from horseback as the thoroughbreds he trained galloped through their workouts. Just standing there, he made an impression wearing his big cowboy hat, and more recently, a helmet without a chin strap. He became as integral a part of any track as the starting gate or the tote board.
His horses won 15 Triple Crown races and 20 Breeders’ Cup races; he received four Eclipse Awards for Outstanding Trainer. Among his many stellar runners were Winning Colors, Serena’s Song, Thunder Gulch, and Lady’s Secret.
“The Coach” died Saturday, shortly after announcing his retirement from training at age 89. He was suffering from an MRSA infection, saying that instead of seeking treatment, he wanted to spend what time he had left with his family.
Jockey Frankie Dettori recalled, “I’ll never forget walking into the barn at Churchill Downs and seeing him, sharp as ever in his cowboy hat, already working before sunrise. The man had a presence, you felt it even before he spoke.”
Fellow trainer Bob Baffert recalled that Wayne, someone he met when both were racing quarter horses, “was a game changer, transforming horse racing for the better. He made it so the horse’s bloodlines were more important than the owner’s. He created a system of flying his horses coast to coast, establishing a presence at every major racetrack in America.
“And Wayne didn’t just show up. He dominated. He won so much he became known as “D. Wayne off the plane”. He developed the blueprint the rest of us still follow. He was a true visionary,” Bob continued.
“The horses were everything to Wayne. They were his life. From the way he worked them, how he cared for them, and how he maintained his shed row as meticulously as he did his horses. No detail was too small. Many of us got our graduate degrees in training by studying how Wayne did it.”
Wayne was as good at making people comfortable as he was in getting the best out of his horses.
As Bob observed, “He had a knack for making others feel seen and valued.”
One of those on the receiving end of Wayne’s warmth was Jamie Saults, a talent assistant and stage manager for NBC. At the Derby this year, when Wayne saw her, he said, “We go way back, don’t we?”
So Jamie sat down and talked to him for a little while.
“I told him I had one of his trophies and asked him if he wanted it,” she recounted.
He replied, “I just donated 7,500 of them to the museum. You keep it, honey.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 25, 2025
Ilex, ridden to team silver in the 2024 Olympics by McLain Ward, has gone back Bonne Chance Farm so he can once more represent Brazil.
“We are grateful for the opportunity that we were given to ride and compete Ilex to numerous 5-star Grand Prix successes and to bring home the team silver medal at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games,” McLain commented.
“Thank you to Gilberto Sayao and his team at Bonne Chance for this opportunity and supporting our journey to achieve lofty goals. A special thank you to Fabio Leivas da Costa (Ilex’s former rider), Lucia Rivas and Diego Perez Bilbao for their efforts in creating this partnership. Ilex has been a wonderful partner with an exuberant and kind personality and we look forward to seeing his continued success in the sport.”
McLain Ward and Ilex. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
Ilex will now be ridden by Brazil’s Marlon Modolo Zanotelli, who competed in the 2021 Tokyo Olympics and the 2022 World Championships.
“While we will miss Ilex in our stable, we are pleased to see him with a rider and horseman of the quality of Marlon Zanotelli,” McLain stated.
Meanwhile, McLain has a sensational new horse in Imperial HBF, formerly ridden by Great Britain’s Tim Gredley. Imperial put in two clear rounds in last month’s Rome Nations Cup, where anchor rider McLain clinched victory for the U.S.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 22, 2025
One of the world’s fastest show jumpers blended talents with her speed-loving rider to take the $355,000 Grand Prix of Rotterdam Sunday in an eight-horse jump-off.
Caracole de la Roque and Karl Cook did what they do best when the clock is ticking and the pressure is on, handling a clever course in a wicked 37.17 seconds. France’s Nina Mallevaey was closest in 38.09 on Dynastie de Beaufort to finish as runner-up. It was a trio of mares at the top of the standings, as Donald Whitaker of Great Britain (nephew of John and Michael Whitaker) wound up third on Millfield Colette (38.78).
Karl Cook and Caracole de la Roque on their way to victory in Rotterdam. (Tiffany van Halle/USA Jumping photo)
Noting “Nina is riding at a very high level,” Karl observed that her clear round consistency “must be something off the charts. She’s a very quick rider.”
However, while discussing what gave him the win, he noted, “the biggest thing, really, is my horse is faster. That doesn’t mean my horse is better than Nina’s; she carries herself over the ground faster. We both did six strides to the second-to-last, but if you see how quickly Caracole turned (there), compared to Nina’s horse, we turned significantly faster and that obviously saved a bunch of time. Nina gave it everything she had, which is what you should do.” But “Caracole is just amazingly fast.”
Karl’s victory was the first for an American in the Dutch grand prix since 2015, when Lucy Davis won with Barron. Although he had the disadvantage of being second to go in the tie-breaker, Karl’s time pushed those coming behind him, with four of them making mistakes, while the other three couldn’t get into the 37-second neighborhood.
In the first round, a vertical-vertical-oxer triple combination four strides from a delicate plank that was the final fence showcased the thought process of the course design team led by Belgium’s Bart Vonck, and it emerged as a trouble spot. The USA’s Aaron Vale on Styles was two jumps away from a clean round when he toppled the back rail of the triple’s C element to end in thirteenth place.
As for the other U.S. riders, Laura Kraut, who won the class in 2007, had a rail with her Olympic mount Baloutinue at the sixth of 14 fences and did not make the tiebreaker. She finished sixteenth. Her teammate, Alessandra Volpi, logged 12 penalties with Haya Loma N and wound up thirty-ninth.
There were problems all around the route; even the first fence, an innocent-looking vertical, started several riders off on the wrong foot with a knockdown. They included Olympic individual gold medalist Christian Kukuk of Germany aboard Just Be Gentle, the mare on whom he won the grand prix at the Longines League of Nations in Ocala three months ago.
Karl’s win helped make up for a fifth-place U.S. team finish in Friday’s Longines FEI League of Nations, where he had the drop score of 8 penalties in the first round and did not ride in the second. But he has become a master of overcoming setbacks by utilizing determination and skill, as well as taking an astute analytical look at a situation when it goes wrong.
Discussing his performance in the League of Nations, Karl said, “My first rail (that was down) I overdid the line, I was expected it to be shorter than it ended up being, so the line got flat and we had kind of a long, withers-down jump.
“After that, the oxer, we were looking off to our right; normally she drives to the fences, that’s one of her great qualities. But because I let her be too focused to the right, she didn’t really know there was a fence coming, so the distance kept getting longer and I didn’t react soon enough because normally when she sees it, she takes me to it. and we jump and it’s fine. I needed to put my leg on earlier than I did. That was a bummer.”
On the other hand, what happened with his League round gave him even more incentive to produce a winning trip in the grand prix.
“You’ve got to fix your errors,” he explained.
“We’re ecstatic about the grand prix and it shows a lot of really good things. At the same time, it shows we could come back from a not so good (League of) Nations cup. But us winning today doesn’t negate the fact that we were the drop score in the nations cup. I still need to go back home and do a bunch of work and improve on that.”
But as for Caracole, Karl emphasized, “She was amazing today.”
U.S. Coach Robert Ridland offered the same comment about the mare’s pilot.
“Karl rode amazing today, both rounds. It doesn’t get a whole lot better than that,” he said.
Robert was pleased with how his team did overall at the Dutch show, despite the fifth place finish in the League competition, because team members had clear rounds and good placings in other classes as well.
“Karl just put the icing on the cake today,” he pointed out, callling Karl’s first round in the grand prix “so solid,” noting “the mare jumped great and he rode phenomenally.”
Robert told Karl, “for me, your first round in the grand prix was the best round you and Caracole have done since Paris” (the 2024 Olympics).
With the fifth-place League finish, the U.S. seems like a lock to make the finals in Barcelona this fall, according to Robert, unless the last qualifier is a total disaster.
“We solidified our situation this year. We wanted to leave here knowing that we don’t have to change course going into St. Tropez,” said Robert, referring to the final leg of the League of Nations in September. The U.S. is tied for a relatively comfy fourth place in the overall League standings.
And that’s all good.
“It’s a hard thing to plan later in the season when you have so many big events in North America (during the fall). We have a much harder problem than the Europeans do getting teams to Barcelona at that time of year,” Robert explained.
“All four riders were great this week,” he said of his squad.
Karl’s win was another major to match his 2024 victory in the Rome grand prix that got him selected for the Olympics, where he was on the silver medal team. He isn’t on the U.S. team for Aachen next month, but is planning on going to Falsterbo, Sweden, later this summer. Also on the agenda is a hope he can be part of the team for that last League of Nations leg at St. Tropez, followed by the League’s Barcelona final.
While the Europeans have their show jumping championship this summer in Spain, it’s an off-year for championships in which U.S. riders participate. Karl sees that as an opportunity.
“This year is about doing really good homework and improving things that, when you’re in the championship sprint, you don’t have that much time to fix. You have to keep your head down and keep going.”
It’s also an opportunity to give Caracole some time off during the year and bring along other horses to support her.
Caracole can be dynamite, but she’s an incredible talent that Karl respects and loves, as evidenced by they way he likes to give her a quick kiss on the neck before he starts his rounds, as he did Sunday afternoon.
Karl always tries for that kiss, but he can do it only “If she lets me,” he noted fondly.
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by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 18, 2025
British course designer Alec Lochore will produce the eventing cross-country route for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics at Santa Anita Park, the FEI (international equestrian federation) announced Wednesday.
No stranger to the Games, Alec was the eventing manager at the 2012 Olympics in London, overseeing not only planning for cross-country at Greenwich Park, but also serving in the same role at the Tokyo Games in 2021. The 53-year-old official’s resume also includes experience at the FEI World Equestrian Games and the European Championships, as well as two terms on the FEI eventing committee.
“I am humbled, honored and delighted to have been asked to design the cross-country track for the Olympic Games LA28,” Alec said.
“It will be a great challenge, and one which I am looking forward to immensely.
“I am fortunate enough to have been involved with the organization and planning of several Olympic Games, and each Olympics is unique and special. The Olympics is the biggest showcase that our sport — that any sport — has, and to be chosen as course designer is very exciting.”
According to FEI President Ingmar de Vos, Alec “was instrumental in advising the FEI on the cross-country feasibility at the LA28 equestrian venue at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia and we are confident that, in cooperation with Mike Etherington-Smith, he will design a course that challenges the world’s best while showcasing the heart of our sport to a wider global audience.”
Mike, a former chief executive of British eventing, laid out the cross-country at the 2000 Sydney Olympics and was the longtime designer of the Kentucky 5-star.
Alec designs more than 50 courses each year, including for such well-known events as the Burnham Market CCI 4-star, as well as Houghton International and Barbury Castle, also 4-stars. He has also taken his talent abroad, working in India, Australia and Zambia.
In the U.S., he designed at TerraNova, east of Sarasota, Fla., where the November 2024 4-star Long was the country’s last major event of the year.
Santa Anita racetrack hosted the 1984 Olympic equestrian competition, with the exception of cross-country, which was on a golf course near San Diego, south of Los Angeles.
Santa Anita Park.
The facility’s selection at the LA28 equestrian venue was a surprise to many, since it seemed that Galway Downs in Temecula had the inside track for the competition under the decision that every phase of the competition had to be at the same location. But Galway, a frequent eventing venue, is further from Los Angeles than Santa Anita, which is in a more populated area close to many hotels, and it is felt that Arcadia would be cooler in July than Temecula.
There were questions about how cross-country could be held at Santa Anita. However, the track is set on 320 acres, and it has a lot of topography, as well as great view of the San Gabriel mountains.
A huge crowd watched at Santa Anita in 1984 when Mark Todd won eventing gold at the Olympics.
It is home to as many as 2,000 horses, with the exception of August, when the thoroughbreds move south to Del Mar so the track can work on maintenance. It also has a veterinary hospital that offers nuclear scintigraphy which utilizes small tracer amounts of radioactive molecules to diagnose diseases involving bone, soft tissues and vessels. It will need to house only 200 horses for the Olympic equestrian competition.
There is ample room for cross-country in the areas set aside for parking, as well as in the infield, where a 5-star grand prix was held last autumn and will be staged again this November.
Work on the Santa Anita cross-country track is scheduled to begin “in the coming weeks.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 19, 2025
Mary Alice Dorrance Malone, an innovator for U.S.dressage and the owner of Pennsylvania’s renowned Iron Spring Farm, died Monday at the age of 75.
She was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award from KWPN-North American in 2025, a tribute to the impact she made on the sport horse community.
“It’s so heartwarming and exciting to see people enjoying the horses she bred. Her legacy is huge in the development of riders and dressage in this country. That was her intention; it wasn’t by accident. I think she really intended to help the country be a better dressage nation with her breeding program, and she did it in spades,” said Anne Moss, a close friend of Mary Alice’s and president of Dressage at Devon
“She had an incredible impact in the sport horse world locallly, but also nationally and internationally with the horses she bred and competed,” Anne pointed out.
While Mary Alice produced top horses for professionals, she bred not only for talent “but also for trainability for the amateur rider, which she was herself,” Anne pointed out. “What a gift for all the riders trying to learn to ride well.”
Mary Alice began her involvement with horses at the Bridlewild Pony Club in Gladwyne, Pa. In the early 1970s, she operated a successful boarding and training facility in Arizona, where she trained horses, coached young riders, and helped grow the equestrian community by founding the Tucson Dressage Club and the Saguaro Pony Club.
In 1976, she returned to Pennsylvania to found Iron Spring Farm in Coatesville. She began importing European warmbloods at a time when they were still largely unknown in the U.S. Through her efforts, American breeders and riders gained access to the world’s top sport horse bloodlines. Her pioneering work helped raise the standard for American sport horses and transformed the landscape of North American breeding.
Mary Alice was instrumental in importing some of the most influential KWPN stallions of the era, including Roemer, Winston, Sebastiaan, Consul, and Contango. Roemer, who excelled at both Grand Prix jumping and dressage, became one of the most recognized stallions in the country. To honor his influence, Mary Alice established The Roemer Foundation to support educational initiatives in dressage across the United States.
Mary Alice Malone and Rampal. (Susan Sexton photo)
She was also a pioneer in introducing Friesians to competitive dressage. At a time when the breed was rarely seen in FEI competition, Mary Alice became one of the first to import Approved KFPS Friesian stallions specifically for high-performance sport.
In 2001, Mary Alice imported the charismatic Goffert 369, competing him successfully through Fourth Level before turning the reins over to her trainer and friend Belinda Nairn-Wertman, who developed and showed Goffert 369 to success at Grand Prix. (Belinda also died this month, read about her here.)
Mary Alice also competed the Approved KFPS stallions Heinse 354, Erik 351, and Ulbert 390 at the FEI levels, helping to elevate the Friesian profile in international sport and earning admiration for her vision and horsemanship.
Mary Alice’s insight as a breeder was matched by her skill in the saddle. With Rampal, she earned a place on the U.S. Olympic shortlist and helped elevate the reputation of American-bred horses on the international stage. Another cornerstone of her legacy, Contango, achieved 33 Grand Prix wins and multiple championships.
Over the course of her career, Mary Alice had over 87 Grand Prix victories, including top honors at the Royal Dressage Festival and the USET Festival of Champions. The offspring of her stallions have gone on to win the FEI World Cup Dressage Final, compete in the Olympics and Paralympics, earn medals in World Driving Championships and achieve success at International venues such as Aachen, Hickstead and Spruce Meadows.
Equally committed to mare quality, Mary Alice built a foundation of excellence with mares who earned numerous titles and awards. Her breeding program produced standout mares like Andorra ISF and Persimmon ISF, both successful in competition and breeding.
Over nearly five decades, Iron Spring Farm bred more than 300 sport horses, many of whom became USDF Horse of the Year recipients, national champions, and international competitors. Among them was Judgement ISF, one of the most accomplished American-bred show jumpers in history, who won the $1 million CN International Grand Prix at Spruce Meadows and represented the U.S. on 10 Nations’ Cup teams and at the World Championships with rider Beezie Madden.
“Her knowledge and influence in the world of U.S. warmblood breeding was tremendous and she changed our lives when she bred Judgement ISF,” Beezie and her husand, John Madden, stated.
“She was the type of owner every horse wishes for, because she never second-guessed, giving them exactly what they needed in every phase of their lives. We always felt so honored that she believed in our program and entrusted us with “Judgey.”
Mary Alice also was one of the founding members of the Dressage at Devon Breed Show, helping to establish it among the most prestigious and influential dressage breed shows in North America. Her advocacy for breed quality and her leadership in the early years of the show left an enduring mark on generations of breeders and horse lovers alike. Dressage at Devon celebrates its fiftieth anniversary this September.
Anne Moss, who bought her first warmblood (a Polish gelding named Cygnet) from Mary Alice when she was 16, rode with her friend every Friday before their weekly lunch date.
“She was always very supportive and encouraging, but also very hones,” said Anne.
“When we rode together in the indoor, she would often critique my riding, a little brutal, but honest. Then she would help me do it. She was a very private person and a very kind and just person. I think her intentions were always so good with the horses and the people she worked with,” added Anne, noting that many of the people at Iron Spring had worked there for decades.
“That says a lot about the leadership.”
Not without her lighter side, Anne said Mary Alice was known for the Halloween parties she threw. Anne and her husband had attended about 40 of them.
In the horse world, Mary Alice will be remembered not only for her unmatched contributions to equestrian sport, but in addition, for her lifelong commitment to excellence, innovation, and the horses she so deeply loved. She was also a strong advocate of preserving open space and agricultural land.
She is survived by her daughters, Mary Alice Malone Jr and Catherine, also an avid horse breeder; their husbands, and six grandchildren. Mary Alice is also survived by her brothers John Dorrance (Gundel) and Bennett Dorrance (Jacquie) and their children and grandchildren.
Mary Alice was the granddaughter of Dr. John T. Dorrance, the inventor of condensed soup and president of the Campbell’s Soup company from 1914-1930. Her father was John T. Dorrance Jr.,who chaired the Campbell’s company from 1962 to 1984. She was elected to the board in 1990.
Private services will be held by the family. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Roemer Foundation, Mary Alice D. Malone Memorial Fund: 605 Main Street, Suite 212, Riverton, NJ 08077. Donations to the fund will be used to award grants to charitable organizations that support the sport and horses to which Mary Alice devoted her life.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 19, 2025
A two-year-old video reportedly showing Australian Olympian Heath Ryan striking a horse 42 times has led to the FEI (international equestrian federation) opening an investigation into the trainer’s actions after allegations of abusive training techniques.
“The scenes depicted are profoundly disturbing and stand in stark opposition to the core values of FEI horse welfare,” FEI Secretary General Sabrina Ibáñez said.
Coordinating with Equestrian Australia, she emphasized the FEI will “thoroughly examine all the facts and determine further disciplinary action under the FEI Rules and Regulations. We are committed to ensuring that any behavior which puts horse welfare at risk is dealt with firmly and fairly.”
Equestrian Australia CEO Sam Jones said, “We know our community is keen for answers, but we would ask for patience, as the FEI rightly follows a thorough and fair process, in line with their policies and procedures.”
Ryan, 66, a 2008 dressage Olympian who coached his nation’s eventing team to gold medals at the Atlanta and Sydney Games, said the video was posted by a disgruntled former employee. Ryan characterized the whipping incident as a “rescue mission” for a horse named Nico, saying he “had the horse’s best interests as the sole consideration.”
Heath Ryan. (Equesstrian Australia photo)
He then explained that it was a a “life-and-death” situation for the horse and it was in fact saving the animal from the “knackery” (slaughterhouse).
“I have never ridden anything like it. I am so sad this was caught on video. If I had been thinking of myself, I would have immediately just gotten off and sent Nico to the knackery,” he said.
“That video was a life-or-death moment for Nico and of that I was very aware. I felt I genuinely had to try my very hardest to see if Nico would consider other options. Anyway, by the end of that initial ride, I did feel Nico was responding.
“I rode Nico for another couple of days and he responded very well and started to go without the use of excessive driving aids.”
Ryan commented that Nico “had always been a problem child and would just stop,” eventually resulting in the hospitalization of his rider at the time.
He contended Nico is now “thriving in a loving and competitive home with an exciting future.”
The FEI, which will provide no further comment while the investigation continues, asks anyone who witnessed the incident or who possesses relevant information or evidence to contact the FEI at welfare@fei.org.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 23, 2025
At its mid-year meeting, the U.S. Equestrian federation made rule changes “in keeping with its ongoing commitment to equine welfare,”
including one that allows testing of a horse’s hair, as well as blood and urine, for detection of certain prohibited substances such as barbiturates (including the euthanasia drug).
Using hair for testing can be done more readily than blood and urine, and involves a considerably longer period of time for revealing presence of a drug. A full list of banned substances will be published prior to rule implementation July 1.
Also effective July 1 are rules dealing with horse collapse at hunter and jumper shows.
“The intent is to ensure horses received appropriate care and are fit to compete before they return to the ring after an unexplained collapse,” according to USEF.
This rule will be modified to state that any horse/pony who collapses at one of these competitions is barred from competing for a minimum of seven days afterward, and is not permitted on the grounds of a USEF-licensed competition during that time. The horse may compete again only if a licensed veterinarian files a form with the federation attesting to the fact that the horse has been examined and is fit to return to competition.
Originally, a horse who collapsed was to be barred from competing for 14 days, but members felt that was too long, and that seven days, combined with removal from the showgrounds, would be more effective.
A rule going into effect Dec. 1 requires veterinarians treating horses on competition grounds to register with USEF, but does not mandate they become members. The new rule ensures event organizers have contact information for practicing veterinarians in the event they need to issue communication about disease outbreaks, biosecurity and best practices for rule compliance.
Some business along welfare lines has been referred to future meetings. They include Hunter/Jumper competition mileage and points, whip use, blood on a horse and return to competition. Board members wanted more work on the proposed changes before voting on them.
The board approved position statements for the organization on Equine Overuse and Equine Safety and Welfare.
The latter emphasizes USEF’s commitment to ensuring horses are fit to compete, maintaining optimal conditions for equine welfare, increasing uniformity, integrity and clarify through oversight, providing lifetime care for horses, and sharing information that enhances safety for every horse, every day.
The Equine Overuse statement acknowledges the growth of competition calendars in several disciplines, which has resulted in more opportunities for horses to compete frequently. USEF asks that horses are assessed regularly for signs of discomfort related to overuse.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 17, 2025
Vanessa Coleman has been named chief competition and operating officer of Equestrian Events Inc., which supports the development of equestrian sports by staging sporting events at the highest level, including eventing’s Defender Kentucky 5-star.
EEI, which also presents the Cosequin® Lexington CCI4*-S and Kentucky International CSI5* show jumping competition on the same April weekend as the 5-star event, attracts nearly 90,000 spectators.
Vanessa, who has a bachelor’s degree in business from Lindenwood University in St. Louis, worked as an accountant, ran her own barn and organized a local horse trial.
Vanessa Coleman
She volunteered annually at the Kentucky Three-Day Event for her mother, who was the chief steward of horse inspection. In 2008, Janie Atkinson, director of the event at that time, asked Vanessa to help with the fixture, and she has been on staff ever since.
Vanessa, who had been senior director of competition for EEI since 2013, is responsible for overseeing all competitive aspects of its events, including coordination with contractors and volunteers. Before that, she served as director of ticketing and transitioned to lead sponsorship in 2012.
Vanessa, who tries to give back to the sport by volunteering and supporting other local events as much as she can, was an eventer most of her life and still owns two horses. She and her husband, Anthony, have a daughter, Alexa.
“Few people in our sport are as universally liked and respected as Vanessa,” said EEI Chief Executive Officer Molly Day.
“Vanessa has played an integral role in the Kentucky Three-Day Event achieving its position of worldwide prominence, and EEI is incredibly fortunate to have her as a key member of our team.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 18, 2025
Fake saliva foam is no longer to be allowed in a horse’s mouth, as well as around it or the tongue. Marshmallow fluff is not the only substance that can cover a multitude of sins, including an open mouth in dressage. A new FEI rule will go into effect on an emergency basis July 1 to prevent administration of substances that mask what is going on in a horse’s mouth.
Word came out Wednesday from the FEI’s board meeting in Switzerland that according to rule 1004.4 “It is strictly forbidden to use any type of substance/product inside or around the horse’s mouth and/or tongue that may (i) imitate, induce or cause foaming; and/or (ii) coat or otherwise cover, or partially cover, the bit. The prohibition excludes the use of products permitted in
the FEI Tack App and the provision of permitted natural treats given in moderation.”
The penalty for violation? A Yellow Warning Card and elimination.
Horse welfare these days is job one, as it always should have been. For information on the Equine Welfare Strategy Action Plan discussed at the meeting, click on this very informative link.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 17, 2025
Veterinarian Mike Fugaro received the Governor’s Award from the New Jersey Equine Advisory board, part of the organization’s activities during the state’s month of the horse to recognize outstanding individuals. Dr. Fugaro owns and operates Mountain Pointe Equine Veterinary Services in northwestern New Jersey.
Dr. Michael Fugaro.
He was the resident veterinarian and a tenured full-professor at Centenary University, and taught as a visiting instructor at Rutgers University in the Animal Science Department. Other positions he has held have been with the state Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health and the state Racing Commission.
The Morris County resident also has been president of the state Association of Equine Practitioners, an advisory board member for the Rutgers University Board for Equine Advancement and an admissions committee member for University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, from which he graduated.
Other award winners include Karl, the New Jersey Sire Stakes Award /Horse of the Year; the Standardbred of the Year honors went to Sig Sauer and who else but the brilliant racehorse Book’em Danno could have been Thoroughbred of the Year.
Katharina Boucke is the Youth Horse Person of the Year, the Superior Horse is Lightning Moon, Mark Mullen took Breeder of the Year and Standardbred Pleasure Horse of the Year is Slippery Slope.
