by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 22, 2024
When is a $330,000 grand prix not the featured attraction at a horse show?
Answer: When it’s held during a week that offers the only U.S. leg of the Longines League of Nations, a new version of the traditional Nations Cup series.
Teams from 10 countries will face off Saturday in that much-anticipated two-round contest at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, where all the seats were sold out days ago. But on Thursday evening, the Lugano Diamonds Grand Prix did shine in the spotlight, with 49 starters taking on the dare of an Alan Wade-designed course that yielded only one clear round—from Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam–among the first 37 starters.
Would this class be deprived of a jump-off? The very tight 80-second time allowed resulted in time penalties for five riders who otherwise were fault-free, including the USA’s Laura Kraut on Baloutinue, who finished sixth with a single time fault.
No, happily several of the field’s biggest names conquered the demanding route so spectators could anticipate the tiebreaker. First to join the clean round list was France’s former European Championship gold medalist, Kevin Staut on Beau de Laubry Z, followed by another former European champion, Martin Fuchs of Switzerland with Leone Jei. Then Steve Guerdat, yet another Swiss star, and the winner of individual Olympic gold, the European Championship and the FEI World Cup finals produced a clear with the untested Albfuehren’s Iashin Sitte.
Martin Fuchs and Leone Jei. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
But the real surprise was the last to go, the USA’s relatively unheralded Callie Schott, who unlike her clear round predecessors in the class won’t be riding on a team for the League competition.
She was aboard Garant, Beezie Madden’s former mount, to complete a jump-off field of five accompanied by the heartfelt cheers of the crowd as she cleared the last fence. The list for the tie-breaker soon became four, however, as Kevin bowed out to keep his mount fresh for the French team’s efforts two days later in the League competition.
Callie was on the American squad for the League’s debut in Abu Dhabi last month, where she reported Garant had the first fence down in both rounds. There would be no such mishaps in this class.
Callie Schott and Garant. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Shane produced a respectable trip with RR Combella in 39.44 seconds. Martin went after that clocking with his magnificent grey son of Baltic VDL, finishing in 36.68 seconds after a mad dash to the final fence. No one would be able to beat that. Steve tried, but as he noted, “it’s the very first time that this horse has seen a ring like this, that he has seen jumps like tonight, the first time he jumps under the lights.”
He was clocked in 37.54 seconds, good enough, as it happened, to be runner-up. (Interestingly, the dam sire of Steve’s horse was Tinka’s Boy, ridden to great acclaim by Martin’s uncle, Markus Fuchs).
Steve noted, “I thought the time was just maybe one or two seconds too short, so I knew it was going to be a tough ask. He responded beautiful to everything I asked him. It couldn’t have been any better, and it made me very proud tonight.”
Steve Guerdat goes for it at the finish. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Callie gave it her all to finish in 37.88 seconds, strides ahead of Shane to make it onto the podium in third place.
Coached by Beezie’s husband, John Madden, Callie received this advice before the jump-off “Go enjoy yourself.” And she did, as evidenced by her wide smile on the podium while lifting a bouquet next to Steve and Martin.
I wondered whether as a relative newcomer to the top level of the sport she was intimidated by riding against such major stars. She is ranked 229th in the world, while Martin is sixth-ranked and Steve third-ranked.
“Actually,” she replied, “I think it was really exciting to be able to compete with them.”
Callie Schott raises her arm in triumph after her clean jump-off round. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Steve won’t be riding his grand prix horse on the Swiss team Saturday, but Martin will be aboard Leone Jei and doesn’t think the extra outing in the grand prix will affect his Dutch-bred mount.
Martin Fuchs understandably was all smiles on Leone Jei. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
“He jumped fantastic both rounds, he felt really good. He was really working with me, and I felt like he enjoyed both rounds a lot. When you’re in a grand prix like this, you really want to win, and you try your best in the jump-off. You don’t think too much about the Nations Cup yet. Leone Jei has so much experience already at this level, and I really trust him that he can go fast in a jump-off like today, and then still be focused and at his best on Saturday for Team Switzerland.”
The course laid out with the assistance of Colm Quinn and Bobby Murphy was showcased against the backdrop of the columned 5-star Equestrian Hotel, where lucky fans got to watch the action in the Grand Arena from the front porch.
Asked how she prepared to tackle the awesome route, Callie said she and John, “broke down the course and stuck to the plan, we did it piece by piece and put it all together.”
Callie Schott was thrilled to stand on the podium with Steve Guerdat and Martin Fuchs. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Garant, known as Junior around the barn, was withdrawn from consideration for the 2021 Tokyo Olympics when Beezie was riding him because she and his owner felt he wasn’t ready yet.
But he’s ready now and Callie noted, “If I make the short list for the Olympics, I think we are going to try to pursue that, and if not, we’re going to do the best for all of our horses and go from there.”
She has quite a relationship with Garant.
“He is a goofball who is playful in the barn. It’s taken a while for me to get to know him in the ring because he turns into a different horse and has so much energy. Day to day, he’s a very relaxed, very low-key animal then you go into that first jump and then you’re off.”
Nine competitors were eliminated or retired in the class. Aside from Laura, U.S. team riders didn’t fare well.
McLain Ward had the last fence down with Ilex to finish thirteenth, which was good enough to be in the prize money. Kent Farrington had two rails with Landon to wind up twenty-seventh. Aaron Vale, a local crowd favorite because he’s based in Ocala, was thirty ninth with 20 penalties, but Ovi Wan is not his team horse, so don’t read too much into that for the League contest.
Melissa Brandes of Lugano called the class, “an unbelievable night of sport. I have been looking forward to this week for a long time. As a founding sponsor of WEC, to see a competition like this take place here is unbelievable.” I’m awe-struck.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 21, 2024
The Longines League of Nations show jumping is the kind of competition for which Ocala’s lavish World Equestrian Center was created.
Teams from 10 countries from three continents are being showcased at a setting offering the ultimate comfort for horses, in luxurious stables, and for their riders in a 5-star hotel that serves as the scenic backdrop for their rivalry in the ring.
World number one Henrik von Eckermann of Sweden called WEC “very, very special; not only that it looks nice, but the most important thing, the footing is good, the stabling is super.” Then he smiled and said in a masterpiece of understatement, “Nothing to complain of.”
When I asked whether he’d been to another venue with such amenities, he replied, “No, to be honest. I don’t think there’s another place like this. It’s unique.”
He is among eight of the globe’s top 10 show jumpers competing in what can be considered a preview for a smart assessment of this summer’s Paris Olympics.
Competition started Wednesday, with many riders entering the arena just to give their horses a look-see, rather than trying to win. In the final class of the day, for instance, a 1.40-meter two-phase, France’s Oliver Perreau went for it to take first prize with Calypso des Joanins Z. But he told me that is not his horse for the League of Nations, so he was able to go for it.
Five riders in the class retired, after giving their horses a chance to scope out the Grand Arena, where the featured event will be held on Saturday. It’s a two-round affair, with four riders from each side competing in the afternoon, giving every nation a drop score. In the evening, the second round over the same course will only be contested by three riders from each nation, tightening the contest because no drop score is available.
The first leg of this new format for the Nations Cup debuted last month in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The next two will be held in the Netherlands and Switzerland, with the eight best teams total advancing to an October final in Barcelona.
WEC, which has a four-year contract to host the League, has impressed everyone who is seeing the facility for the first time. The vast acreage, with restaurants that run from gourmet and Mexican to a patisserie, is also a construction zone (situated away from the competition arenas) with an event center under construction that will be ready next year. It also has its own veterinary hospital.
It’s a lot to take in and Todd Hinde, an Australian who is director of show jumping for the FEI (international equestrian federation) is captivated.
“From the moment I walked in the gate, I loved it,” he said, taking a break from preparing banners for the parade of nations that will precede the League competition.
“Having the amazing hotel in the background gives it that unique feeling. But also on the horse front, it’s a very horse-friendly facility. The horses love it. From the size of the boxes (stalls) to the hand-grazing areas to all the paths they can walk on, it’s an amazing property.” And he mentioned there is a “natural feel” to the surroundings, another aspect that makes it comfortable for the horses.
U.S. Coach Robert Ridland has brought his A-team—McLain Ward, Kent Farrington, Laura Kraut and Aaron Vale–to what he called, “an absolute first-class venue and facility.” But it true status lies in the fact that “it’s our home Nations Cup, and the home Nations Cup is always important. The caliber of jumping is going to be tremendous.”
As he noted, the U.S. squad has “collectively won, how many? Ten thousand grands prix together.”
While there is the Lugano Diamonds grand prix Thursday night, it will include national riders as well as international stars who brought extra horses. But the grand prix is not the star of this week’s show.
“The focus is on the Nations Cup, for sure. I think it’s the foundation of the sport,” said Robert, who rode in the 1976 Olympics in Montreal.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 15, 2024
As dusk fell on the evening before the first Essex Horse Trials in 1968, Sally Ike was helping organizer Roger Haller complete work on the final cross-country fence at his family’s Hoopstick Farm in Bedminster, N.J.
At the time, Sally was a candidate for the Olympic eventing team. It was an era when horse trials were scarce and eventing was just beginning to gather its strength in the U.S. Essex filled a need, and everyone pitched in to help make it happen.
While the event started as a one-day, homemade fixture, it wasn’t long before it became a staple of the country’s eventing calendar. Essex attracted the country’s best eventers, from Bruce Davidson to Mike Plumb, and many other famous names. Sally went on to win it aboard the ex-racehorse, Roxboro.
In 1979, Essex moved a few miles away to the U.S. Equestrian Team in Gladstone. There it stayed as a popular fixture through 1998, until part of the property was sold and there wasn’t enough room to stage the cross-country segment.
But in 2017, Essex made a big comeback at Moorland Farm, the home of the Far Hills Race Meeting, a short canter from the USET.
The 2023 Essex Horse Trials Intermediate winner, Hannah Sue Hollberg, with Hachi. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
The lack of an all-weather arena at Moorland became a sticking point, however. It was solved in 2022 by holding the dressage and show jumping phases at the USET Foundation, then switching over to Moorland the next day for competition over its scenic cross-country course. Cross-country day at Moorland is highlighted by an extremely successful car show, which draws a big crowd.
That’s the format being followed again this year, when Essex runs June 1-2. Sally, who pitched in with the first Essex, is now the event’s president.
When Sally was asked why she took the position after Ralph Jones, the previous co-chairman retired along with his wife Lynn, who also was active with Essex, she replied, “How could you not?
“This is such an important community event and it must continue.”
Sally Ike has a thorough knowledge of eventing, and even has designed stadium jumping courses for the sport. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Sally found a place for it with her other activities, which include consulting for the U.S. Equestrian Federation, serving on the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s Emerging Athlete Program Committee and chairing the hunt committee for the Essex Fox Hounds.
Holding an event at two venues is not usual, except for the Olympic Games on occasion, “but this is not the Olympic Games,” she pointed out. So people have to get used to it.
While the USET Foundation venue is special—”it doesn’t get any better than that,” said Sally, having a two-day format is an exception for U.S. Eventing’s Area II, where most divisions are completed in one day. But there are fewer eventing opportunities than there used to be in Area II, which means Essex is important. And while some may find it less convenient than completing all three phases in the same venue, there is a definite allure to being at the USET Foundation.
The event offers divisions from Beginner Novice up through Intermediate. In the combined test (dressage and show jumping) at Essex in 2023, Caroline Pamucku won with HSH Blake, then went on to take double silver on the same horse at the Pan American Games in the autumn.
The 2023 Essex Combined Test winner Carolyn Pamucku on HSH Blake went on to medal at the Pan Am Games. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
After her Essex victory, she said, “There aren’t a lot of places in this country to get this kind of atmosphere at a venue that’s so historic. You ride around here, and you almost pinch yourself, because you know all the greats of eventing culture have been here before you. It’s so cool.”
Joining Sally in putting Essex together are cross-country course designer Morgan Rowsell, former co-chairman; Gwen Packard, who is involved with sponsorship and veterinarian Greg Staller, taking on more responsibility after being a sponsor of the event.
“It’s been remarkable,” said Sally, who has administrative experience from her days at both the USEF and USET, as well as a history with not only Essex, but also the sport of eventing.
“We all bring something very different to the table. That’s what it takes to have a team.”
Greg got involved beyond being a sponsor because “I like eventing, I like the history of eventing. I think the horsemanship at this level is amazing and the horses are great to work on.
“I feel strongly I want to give back to the community. That’s what we do as horse vets. Without competition horses, there’s nothing really for us to do. We owe that to our clients,” he explained.
“I like the feel of Essex. It functions as a very nice community outing,” which extends to not only the competitors, but also the volunteers, spectators and vendors.
He sees it as having the potential to be a more prominent event regionally, “an Intermediate and Advanced destination where some of the more prominent trainers on the Eastern Seaboard and beyond might want to bring a top horse, or some of their young horses,” added Greg, who has also stayed on as a sponsor. One of the biggest contributions of his practice, Running S Equine Veterinary Services, involves providing the rider/groom/owner tent, a place to lounge complete with refreshments.
Gwen freely admits she isn’t a horse person (although she did ride a bit while growing up), but Essex appealed to her from the moment she learned about it. She worked for the AIG Private Client Group when they were an Essex sponsor and joined the organizing committee. After she left AIG, she stayed on at Essex. She has a subcommittee that has worked with Essex in the past, reaching out to former sponsors and new prospects.
“Because it is such a community event, we want to see all different kinds of companies and business in our community involved in this,” she said.
Essex benefits the Life Camp in Pottersville, which provides an enriching summer day camp experience for 300 youths daily for six weeks during July and August. Campers between the ages of 6 and 13 come from the greater Newark public school system, as well as from Newark Charter School Programs. A group of the children attend the horse trials and have a ball with a picnic by the water jump.
An Essex sponsorship has value, according to Gwen.
“For a lot of companies, the equine community, the local community, the volunteers—it’s a phenomenal demographic for a business to get involved in and get their name out there. People want to do business with companies they perceive as being involved in philanthropic and community events.”
Meanwhile, Gwen has become a fan of eventing. She notes at this point, she can even explain eventing to someone who doesn’t know what it is. Her 17-year-old son, Sebastian Eid, has volunteered for several years, with a skill set that runs from helping put together cross-country jumps to parking cars.
Asked what he sees in the future for Essex, Morgan cited, “Building more on what we’ve done. It’s getting better and refining what we’re already doing.”
Morgan Rowsell never stops working on the Essex cross-country course. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer
He noted that those who volunteer can sign up on the website, www.essexhorsetrials.org, and choose what job they want to do for the event.
At some point, Morgan would like to have a Modified (section) come into play, “because it’s a popular division and gives another reason for other riders to come.”
He added the event’s late spring dates should be optimum in terms of weather, and the footing issues were solved with the move to the USET Foundation.
“We’ve got to keep getting the word out,” he said, “and keep doing what we’re doing, and do it better every year.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 15, 2024
In the wake of widespread publicity about welfare issues at several prominent stables, the perennially pro-active European Equestrian Federation has come up with a survey to determine if horses are getting the best care and training at home. The organization is asking people from all over the world, not just Europe, to fill in the survey. Here is a link.
“Horse welfare has always been the key priority for the EEF, and in the last months, several examples of poor horse welfare in a training environment have been exposed,” the organization explained.
“To properly counter these issues going forward, it is important we first assess the current landscape, the attitudes and opinions within the industry and understand whether these issues are widespread. With this information, we can then support our National Federations to create practical initiatives to counter these unacceptable behaviors.”
The survey was designed with the support of World Horse Welfare for completion by the wider equine industry. All answers are anonymous and will be used to better inform us of the current situation.
Questions include whether the respondents have ever witnessed a training situation that they believe compromised a horse’s welfare, or whether they have been asked to carry out training methods that they believed compromised a horse’s welfare.
All this is playing out against the background of social license to operate, which threatens the continued ability of horse sports to operate. The survey could play an important role in determining how to handle this challenge.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 14, 2024
For the second time since 2019, the Pan American Games is heading to Lima, Peru.
At the Extraordinary General Assembly of Pan Am Sports in Miami this week, Lima was chosen to host the 2027 Games over the only other contender, Ascuncion, Paraguay. The Games originally were awarded to Barranquilla, Colombia, but it failed to honor its contractual obligations in that regard.
The 2023 Pan Ams were in Chile. The last time they were held outside a Spanish-speaking country was 2015, when they were in Toronto. They have not been held in the U.S. since 1987, when they were in Indianapolis.
Asked why no U.S. city has been in the mix for so long, U.S. Equestrian Federation Director of Sport David O’Connor said none have been interested in bidding for the Games, which have added importance as an Olympic qualifier.
Athletes going to Lima should be warned not to drink the tea. A Canadian show jumper who drank coca tea in Lima five years ago was found to have a metabolite of cocaine in her system, As a result of ingesting a prohibited substance, she was disqualified from fourth place individually. The team also lost its fourth place finish as a result, which meant it also lost its qualification for the Tokyo Olympics.
The athlete said she had used a teabag provided by her hotel and thought it was just green tea. The Court of Arbitration for Sport, which decided the case, found Canadian athletes were not warned about products that contained coca in Peru, or that coca referred to cocaine.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 14, 2024
Britain’s splendid Household Cavalry Mounted Regiment is a hard act to follow in the pantheon of the Aachen horse show’s “partner country” collaborators. But the USA is ready to handle the position in Germany this summer, armed with such all-American traditions as cheerleaders, Quarter Horses, cowboys and football players.
Britain’s Household Cavalry mounted regiment lined up as competitors rode into the Aachen arena to say farewell at the 2023 show.
Aachen began the partner country initiative in 2001, when Spain was interested in promoting the 2002 FEI World Equestrian Games in Jerez. Since then, nations including France, Denmark and Sweden have participated as partners in the entertainment that transformed the opening ceremony at the historic competition.
On July 2, it will be the U.S. that takes center stage for what is also a 90-minute TV show at a venue featuring the best in grand prix jumping, vaulting, eventing, dressage and driving competition. The ceremony production is an 800-person extravaganza, with 200 horses. And even after the ceremony, the partner country remains an important presence throughout the entire competition.
So it’s quite a big deal to be the partner country of Aachen. It’s particularly special this year because the Mercedes-Benz show jumping Nations Cup will be July 4, and a celebration highlighting that American holiday is going to be part of the proceedings.
“We want to portray the U.S. in Aachen, not just the equestrian side,” said Will Connell, the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s former director of sport.
The U.S. military will have a presence as an honor guard, and it seems the vaulters will find an amusing way to interact with the cheerleaders. Although there are cheerleaders in Germany, their standard is less sophisticated than in America, where cheerleading is really professional.
Interestingly, a large western riding community exists in Germany. That means horses don’t have to be shipped in from the U.S., which would be cost-prohibitive. But professional specialist cowboys will be coming from the US. You can also expect western scenery, Beach Boys music (and maybe surfing!) to have a presence. But cattle won’t be a part of it, because their sharp hooves would cut up the arena turf, a special surface Aachen guards with great care.
Cheerleaders, cowboys and the American flag will star as the U.S. becomes Aachen’s partner country this summer.
“Having been a Chef de Mission for many years at the Aachen CHIO and at the 2006 World Equestrian Games (held there) it is an event that touches not just the athletes, but all involved with the teams and supporting the horses and athletes,” said Will, whose role is to assist Aachen in organizing the partner contribution. In that regard, he helps facilitate communication with the USEF and its involvement.
“Aachen chases perfection day-in and day-out and that, combined with the feeling that you are at the very heart of equestrian tradition and elite equestrian sport, creates a sensation of nervous excitement and tension that drives all to perform to their very best.”
Birgit Rosenberg, head of sport at CHIO Aachen, also is responsible for the show program, which covers a lot of ground, from culture to music and decorations in addition to the performances.
“We have to become creative,” she said.
She noted that 2024 is the opportune time to team up with the U.S., because it marks more than 340 years of cooperation between North Rhine-Westphalia and the U.S, since immigration began from that German state.
Birgit reported that the office of the state’s prime minister contacted Aachen and said, “Listen, wouldn’t this be a super opportunity to have the USA as partner country?” The Aachen people knew Will from his work there over the years, so it was natural to have him involved.
Outside support for the partner country effort is important, since USEF resources for the project are limited due to the amount of money needed for sending teams to the Olympics in Paris this summer. Individuals or companies that want to get involved with supporting the partner country enterprise can contact Layson Griffin, the USEF’s managing director sponsorship and advertising, at lgriffin@usef.org. or Will Connell at will@hillnbrook.com.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 6, 2024
How important is the first Longines League of Nations competition in the U.S.?
The home team that was just named Wednesday for the competition at the World Equestrian Center in
Ocala includes the top three U.S. riders on the world ranking list—perennial squad members Kent Farrington, McLain Ward and Laura Kraut, Olympic team medalists all. They will be facing contingents from nine other countries, all looking to win a place in the league final in Barcelona this fall.
But the fourth U.S. rider will be a refreshing surprise to some. It’s 54-year-old Aaron Vale, who rode with a different squad at the first League competition in Abu Dhabi last month, when he was sixth individually with Debbie Smith’s Carissimo 25. He’s one of the best riders who doesn’t get the recognition he deserves, but U.S. show jumping coach Robert Ridland has long been aware of Aaron’s talent.
Aaron Vale, who thinks like a horse. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
“Abu Dhabi cemented his position. He was great down there,” said the coach.
“It’s a wonderful horse and he’s one heck of a horseman,” Robert told me.
“His teammates have so much respect for him, too. He’s a great rider. He’s been a big fish in a little pond for his whole career. It’s just great to see him in the big pond, because he deserves to be there.”
Last September, Aaron took over Carissimo, an 11-year-old Holsteiner previously ridden by Mavis Spencer, who appeared on the chestnut in the 2023 Nations Cup in Wellington. Aaron began working with Olympic medalist Chris Kappler at that time. Aaron said he “was feeling like Carissimo was the horse of a lifetime,” Chris reported, “and he wanted some help developing the horse.”
In December, Aaron won a 4-star grand prix in Wellington with Carissimo. The pairing went on to take a grand prix qualifier March 8.
Aaron and Chris began working with an eye toward the 2026 world championships at Aachen. Chris went to Abu Dhabi with Aaron during the League of Nations. He recalled he had been there on “a busman’s holiday” for the Global Champions Tour 11 years ago.
“I never realized I’d be back there, and there I was,” Chris chuckled.
“It’s been fun working with Aaron. He’s a great rider, it’s not like he needs help with the riding. We’ve just been developing a plan together and taking our days step by step. We sort of went into this thinking, `How can we use this year and next year to be ready for WEG (the world championships at Aachen in 2026)?’ That was our original mindset.”
But the Paris Olympics are this year.
“There are a lot of good horse/rider combinations and we’re just sort of new with this horse stepping in. It’s a big order going to the Olympic Games with a new horse/rider combination,” Chris observed.
“I always like to think of long-term plans and work your way through these steps of developing yourselves, your team and trying to get the results and show your consistency and that you really are wanting to be an international team rider. That’s what we’ve been trying to do,” Chris pointed out.
Abu Dhabi “was a big development week for us. That helped us a lot. Right now, we’re trying to focus on our performance and continuing to develop the partnership between Aaron and the horse and the surrounding support team.”
Chris added, “I have a ton of respect for Aaron and I thought it would be a fun team to join in with.”
A native of Texas, Aaron. operates his aptly named Thinkslikeahorse business out of Williston, Fla.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 12, 2024
Wondering when—and if—you should worm your horse?
Dr. Elisha Frye of the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine, has the answers. The assistant professor of practice in the Department of Population Medicine and Diagnostic Sciences will be on Zoom to discuss equine gastrointestinal parasites, including an overview of available dewormers and deworming strategies on March 19 from 6-7 p.m.
The talk is free, but registration is required at https://cornell.zoom.us/webinar/register/5317092269879/WN_b0aaP75VSgCSMsdz3mdLYg
In her talk the professor will review the lifecycle of common equine gastrointestinal parasites, discuss utilizing fecal flotation as a diagnostic tool for managing parasites in horses and provide an overview of available dewormers. In addition, she will describe dewormer resistance and the fecal egg reduction test and discuss deworming strategies for different horse populations.
The professor graduated from the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2010 and then practiced mixed animal medicine and surgery in the Finger Lakes region for eight years. She joined Veterinary Support Services at the Animal Health Diagnostic Center at Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2018. She passed the board examination for the American College of Veterinary Preventive Medicine 2021. Her main areas of interest include infectious diseases affecting horses and farm animals, zoonotic diseases and public health.
The Cornell Equine Seminar Series is presented by the Cornell Equine Hospital and Cornell Cooperative Extension. Held monthly, equine experts present on important equine health and management topics.
For additional information about the college, see the College of Veterinary Medicine news website.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 6, 2024
It’s been a long slog to get to a new showgrounds for Wellington, Florida; nine-plus months and approximately 70 hours of hearings (I admit I’ve lost the exact count.)
But on Tuesday night, the Village Council signed off on the project with a unanimous vote (one council member was absent for personal reasons) on the compatibility determination that was the final step in approval of the showgrounds. Compatibility means how a project it will fit in with the surrounding properties, considering such aspects as design, intensity of use and structures.
The new showgrounds will be a venue for dressage (as well as hunters and jumpers) south of Wellington International, home of the Winter Equestrian Festival. The situation has been a contentious one, because its often-mentioned “quid pro quo” involved taking 96-plus acres that is the current site of dressage competition at Equestrian Village, out of the Equestrian Preserve so a high-end golf community can be built there. Developer Wellington Lifestyle Partners would not offer up the land for the showgrounds on Wellington South without approval of that Wellington North development a short distance away.
All the property had been accumulated by Mark Bellissimo through Wellington Equestrian Partners. Bellisimo, seen as a controversial figure by some in Wellington, is a partner in WLP but not the managing partner, as WLP CEO Doug McMahon emphasized on several occasions before the Council.
The “Horses Not Houses” and “Keep Wellington Green” movements protested removing land from the Preserve, and many people cited environmental and traffic concerns, but to no avail. The Preserve is not a reserve; the land involved is privately owned. So it could have been developed to some extent even while remaining in the Preserve, although not to the density planned for the golf community.
Wellington Mayor Ann Gerwig looked both relieved and resigned after the vote, as she acknowledged the outcome of the long and complicated process.
The work and negotiations involved have “refined the end product to the point that, people can disagree and only time will tell, looking at this plan and seeing the showgrounds expanded, at least on paper I think it does set Wellington for the future. It was difficult, it was painful, but I also want to make it clear that it would not have been the path I would have taken, but it’s the path that we had.”
Pam Wildman, a longtime Wellington resident who spoke at the meeting, told the Council earlier in the evening that she has photographic “proof of endangered species being harassed.”
She added, “You’ve been snookered. (Twenty five years from now) people are not going to think, Mayor Gerwig, that you made a good deal.”
Wildman, who said she wanted to live a peaceful life in her hometown, contended “You’re ruining it.”
She added, “I’ve been threatened with bodily harm and lawsuits. Everyone wants to shut me up.”
Officials had been told that new, fancier showgrounds in Ocala and near Sarasota threatened Wellington’s status as “The Winter Equestrian Capital of the World,” because the Wellington International facility had become tired, lacking the space it needed. A number of prominent equestrians and horse owners spoke during the hearings that began in June about the need for an expanded showgrounds if Wellington were to keep its status in the world of horse sports.
{For your convenience in reading this story, here is an acronym glossary: WEP (Wellington Equestrian Partners); GEG (Global Equestrian Group); WEF (Winter Equestrian Festival); WLP (Wellington Lifestyle Partners}
What the rings at the new showgrounds will look like.
The original plan was for WLP to sell land for the showgrounds at Wellington South to Global Equestrian Group, owner of Wellington International. But GEG had financial issues and its owner, investment firm Waterland Private Equity, put the showgrounds on the market. So WLP is building the showgrounds, and dressage will remain at Equestrian Village until it is finished—which could be in two years or five, both dates have been mentioned.
The ground clearing process was evident last year on Pod F, the home of Wellington South.
Meanwhile, entities are bidding for Wellington International. The question is, will the winner also buy the new showgrounds adjacent to that facility? Since WLP has said it doesn’t want to operate the showgrounds once it is finished, someone will have to buy it. Why have two separate showgrounds side by side?
Most of the matters mentioned during the compatibility determination, such as whether stall mats will be provided free of charge (only for the 220 permanent stalls) or the distance between rings (at least 25 feet) already had been discussed. But those still seeking resolution included security concerns by Equestrian Club Estates, which will border the new showgrounds.
Victoria McCullough, who owns Mida Farms, feels egress from her property on Gracida Street will be an issue because of showgrounds traffic. She pointed out she uses a massive 53-foot trailer for transporting her Clydesdale horses, and has 19 employees based on her acreage leaving the property as well. McCullough noted there will be a problem turning left on Gracida, as she always does, due to the volume of cars once the showgrounds is operating. She suggested to the Council, “You could be forcing me to move.”
One condition of approval requires continued monitoring the traffic on Gracida and “queueing time.” A traffic consultant for Wellington said a standard can be evaluated to determine if McCullough’s delay coming out of her facility is excessive, and it could be addressed by having sheriff’s officers help her leave the farm during show times.
John Fumero, the environmental attorney for WLP, answered questions about wetlands work on the showgrounds site. There had been concern by residents over disruption of the wildlife habitat, as Wildman mentioned.
Fumero cited a report from a consulting firm hired by WLP that concluded there were no threatened or endangered species on the property. Acreage choked by invasive plant species did not offer a place for wading birds to nest or eat because their wingspan precludes their entrance into such a tangled area, he said, explaining, “They can’t get in there and land.”
Now that property is being cleared, they can fly in and eat insects and worms turned over by earth moving, he commented.
WLP is required to have a 3.5 acre onsite preserve on Pod F, site of the showgrounds. On Tuesday, the South Florida Water Management District gave permission for WLP to move forward with restoration and enhancement work. When it is finished, “it will once again serve this habitat purpose,” said Fumero.
The situation became complicated because of a court ruling, which as of Feb. 15 reverted the state of Florida’s permission to issue dredge and fill permits under the federal Clean Water Act back to the Environmental Protection Agency, under the auspices of the Army Corps of Engineers. WLP was close to getting a permit from Florida on three acres of wetlands on the north and eastern edges of Peacock Pond.
“So now, we will start from scratch. It’s (the court decision) turned Florida’s development industry on its ear,” commented Fumero. Then he added, “The preserve on the eastern part of Pod F will be a preserve in perpetuity. Nothing, no court case, no change in regulations, will change that.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 7, 2024
You may not have heard of trainer Debbie Haimowitz. She didn’t run a big stable, have high-profile horses or compete on the Florida circuit.
But the Goshen, N.Y., resident, who succumbed to cancer last month at age 67, was a kind and dedicated horsewoman who made a difference in many lives, equine and human.
“It always seemed like a relationship that was great both ways when you dealt with her,” said Olympic show jumping medalist Chris Kappler, who flew up from Florida to say goodbye to Debbie on Feb. 27, the day she died.
“She was a regional trainer and helped anyone and everyone,” said Chris. He met her at Hunterdon Inc. in Pittstown, N.J., where she started taking lessons in the late 1980s with George Morris and Jeff Cook, another trainer there.
“She took our teachings and we knew where it was going. She was always spreading the word down all of her paths, the spirit behind Hunterdon and the care of the horses. She would drive two hours each way with her horse for lessons once or twice a week,” said Chris.
Debbie Haimowitz competed in addition to teaching. (Photo by Jonna Gaston)
“It truly mattered to her that it was done right, especially for the horse,” commented Jeff.
“She was always looking to learn and do the best thing she could for the sport. She was so friendly and nice.”
Jonna Gaston, the owner of Green Valley Tack in Pine Island, N.Y., and Debbie’s friend of 35 years, called her “an extraordinary person whose determination to teach us surpassed even our own expectations, a human who wouldn’t let the student quit until they felt or understood even a mere second, a moment, of a concept. Deb’s perseverance both on and off a horse was exceptional in a patient, kind and feeling manner, she continued to coax you to another level you didn’t know was possible.”
For 17 years, Debbie rented stalls at trainer Eamonn Hughes’ Drumnacross stable in New York State. He called her, “the nicest person you would ever, ever talk to.”
Eamonn noted, “She had an unbelievable eye for a horse. She had an amazing patience with all the timid students. An hour lesson would go on for two hours.”
His son, Michael, was a top competitor even as a teenager (he now rides for Stephex Stables in Belgium). But when Michael had a bad day at a horse show, his father would advise, “ `Go back to Debbie and have a little flat lesson and jump some small jumps.’ She had that calming effect she was fabulous at just bringing everything back down and relaxing everybody,” Eamonn said.
Debbie graduated in 1979 from the State University of New York at Buffalo with a degree in psychology, and it served her well not only with humans, but also equines and canines.
Debbie always took time with her students. (Photo by Leslie Young)
Trainer Nancy (Jonesie) Jones would have Debbie come to New Jersey and school a horse belonging to Vicky Sroka, one of her boarders.
“Debbie was a knowledgeable trainer and would explain while she was riding your horse what she was feeling and corrections that she was making in the hopes that you would feel and implement the corrections,” Vicky remembered.
For eight years, Debbie worked for Purina Animal Health and had just won its top salesperson award. Christine Siracusa, who had gotten her the job at the company, believed Debbie didn’t realize how many people she had touched in her life.
“There was never a kinder, more positive person in the show ring who was always willing to help. The magnitude of who she is and what she meant to so many people is overwhelming.”“
Debbie’s expertise as a trainer was only one characteristic that made her valuable to her students.
As Jonna noted, “What truly will be missed is her connection with every soul she came in contact with — the way she always looked you in the eye, let you know you were heard and seen at any time. You felt she had all the time in the world for you whenever it was needed.
Debbie with her horse Wendel van Het. (Photo by Jonna Gaston)
“She sacrificed her time for everyone else first and then would tackle her own long list of chores later. She was a horsewoman we all strive to be and demonstrated the definition of friendship and love to all of us. Deb would want us to continue her legacy by being better humans, riding like you mean it and showing everyone you come in contact with respect, kindness and love.”
There were dozens of tributes to Debbie on Facebook, but one that struck me came from Martyna Maczuga: “I still think about the time I was about to show and was really nervous. You gave me a pink cloth to wipe my boots with beforehand. It made me happy because you said you knew it was my favorite color, and you told me it was the small things that help us. That still has stuck with me, almost seven years later.”
A celebration of Debbie’s life will be held May 13 from 1-8 p.m. at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone, N.J. There will be speakers at 4 p.m. Those who wish to attend should RSVP Jonna at jonnagaston@gmail.com.
Debbie is survived by her sister, Gail Schlenger, and her brother, Steven Haines, nieces Alison White, Lauren Schlenger and Alexandra Haines, as well as her stepmother, Susan Haimowitz, and stepbrothers Ron and Ken Gerber and their families. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the USET Foundation
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