by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 11, 2023
Eventer Jane Sleeper usually is the one who offers a helping hand, whether as a volunteer or by training horses and riders, drawing on the wisdom learned in her long career.
But Jane, 73, had a bad fall in late May, noting with her usual sense of humor, “I just don’t bounce anymore.”
Four days ago, she returned home from rehab and is “slowly making progress,” revealing she “got stepped on when I fell off!.”
While she noted, “kind, encouraging words keep me motivated,” more than that is needed to get her through this difficult time.
A GoFundMe has been set up to handle some of the many expenses Jane is facing. Click here to access the GoFundMe page.
Direct contributions can also be made through PayPal via janeesleeper@gmail.com or via checks payable to her at Jane Sleeper, 130 Buck Run Road, East Fallowfield, Pa. 19320.
An auction also has been organized by Niamh O’Connell to benefit Jane. Niamh said so many in the equestrian world have been motivated by Jane, and now are coming to her aid.
“The amount of people who reached out to me and said, `I want to help’ has been pretty amazing,” Niamh reported.
To participate in the auction through 8 p.m. July 24, click here .
Items up for bid include lessons with 5-star riders, a tailgating package for the Maryland 5-star evebt, a package of studio portraits from Niamh, who is a photographer, and a breeding contract to one of Gem Twist’s clones.
Kennett Brewing Company in Kennett Square, Pa., is the site of a benefit for Jane July 23 from 4-7 p.m., featuring equestrians, such as Lillian and Ryan Wood, as celebrity bartenders. There will be a raffle that evening as well. The bar is at 109 S. Broad St., suite 2.The Phone is 610-444-0440. There will be a similar benefit at the Whip Tavern in Coatesville, Pa., Aug. 13 from 3-6 p.m.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 12, 2023
Rich Fellers, a show jumping Olympian and World Cup champion, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Portland, Ore., to a count involving interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.
Rich Fellers on Flexible at the 2012 Olympics. (Photo © 2012 by Nancy Jaffer)
Now 63, Fellers had been involved with a 17-year-old who was his student. He was arrested in 2021 in connection with his relationship with Maggie Kehring, who has appeared on network television discussing her experience.
Fellers is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 12, and is not incarcerated at present.
On Wednesday, he pleaded guilty in Washington County, Ore., to two counts of second-degree sex abuse.
KOIN 6 News in Oregon stated Fellers agreed in the plea deal to spend 30 months in prison on Washington County, Ore., charges at the same time he serves a four-year sentence on the federal matter.
Fellers, who was high-profile as the rider/trainer of the late, great stallion Flexible, had been on the SafeSport suspension list since July 2021. His wife, Shelley, was suspended by SafeSport in April 2021 until February 2027 for abuse of process, retaliation and failure to report.
In collaboration with the Kehring family and Wrigley Media Group, Horse Network launched the site #WeRideTogether, designed to air survivor stories, provides resources to report abuse and get help, and offer educational information for athletes, coaches, and families.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 15, 2023
The Village of Wellington’s planning and zoning board will hold a hearing this week on requests for zoning changes that would enable construction of an expansion to the existing Wellington International Showgrounds.
The concept would refurbish the current grounds where the Winter Equestrian Festival is held, making it a base for dressage and hunters. The new 90-acre section would host the jumpers and a stadium, nine rings (two indoors) and stabling are part of the package, which would also allow for more parking and make the showgrounds contiguous. Currently, dressage is held at the Equestrian Village, a three- or four-minute drive (depending on traffic) from the current facility.
Diagram of the existing and new showgrounds.
Before the expanded showgrounds can become reality, however, action must be taken on a larger zoning change application relating to the Wellington North and South developments that Wellington Lifestyle Partners is leading to create an “equestrian lifestyle community.”
The Village’s Equestrian Preserve Committee last month rejected the zoning changes for housing because of encroachment into the preserve. Members also observed that they had seen no plans for the new showgrounds footprint. Without that, they were skeptical about the entire project, and there is great opposition to the rezoning that would allow for more housing in the Village.
Wellington International President Michael Stone has explained in a letter what is going on,the importance of the rezoning, what it means for the showgrounds, and how the two projects are intertwined. Click here to read what he has to say.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 12, 2023
Debbie McDonald, who has been synonymous with U.S. dressage excellence during this century, is stepping down Aug. 1 from her post as the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s technical advisor in the discipline.
“After many discussions, it’s a difficult decision for me, but the right one, as I begin to slow down my teaching schedule to spend more time with my family, to step away from the technical advisor role in order to allow the program to find a successor that can ultimately help lead the program through Paris 2024 (Olympics) and Los Angeles 2028,” said Debbie, 68, explaining her decision.
Debbie on the kiss-and-cry platform with dressage sponsor Betsy Juliano and protege Adrienne Lyle. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
“It’s been an honor to work with the U.S. dressage program over the past 15-plus years, both as a coach and technical advisor. I wish nothing but success for the program and will still be involved with coaching on a limited basis. I look forward to seeing our athletes continue to succeed on the world stage.”
Debbie’s granddaughter, son and daughter-in-law live in Idaho, where she and her husband, Bob, have a house, though they spend the winter in Wellington, Fla., the center of dressage in the U.S. during the winter and early spring. Idaho is far from the dressage action, and Debbie has spent much of her time away from home or traveling.
USEF will appoint an interim chef d’equipe until a replacement for Debbie can be selected.
In 2003, Debbie was the first American to win the FEI World Cup Finals, riding Brentina, the horse with whom she won team silver at the 2002 FEI World Equestrian Games, as well as team bronze at the 2004 Olympics and the 2006 WEG. Together, Debbie and Brentina, who took double gold at the 1999 Pan American Games, were the sweethearts of U.S. dressage.
Debbie in her competition days with Brentina. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer).
Debbie became the U.S. dressage development coach in 2009 and assisted Robert Dover when he was technical advisor. She assumed that post after the 2016 Olympics.
During her run in the job, the U.S. won a team silver at the 2018 WEG with riders she coached, including her longtime protege Adrienne Lyle; Laura Graves and Kasey Perry-Glass, making up three-quarters of the squad that also included Steffen Peters.
Adrienne joined Steffen and Sabine Schut-Kerry to collect a historic team silver at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. But Debbie’s contract wasn’t renewed that year, after she was named in a lawsuit involving her husband.
He had been suspended by USEF when allegations dating back nearly a half-century were made to SafeSport. After arbitration, the case was closed and Bob was reinstated. The civil matter – for which the couple never had been served – was dismissed.
Debbie and Bob McDonald with Brentina on her retirement. (Photo © 2009 by Nancy Jaffer)
The team worked without a technical advisor after Debbie’s departure, while George Williams, U.S. Dressage Federation president, acted as chef d’equpe. Debbie was reappointed to the technical advisor position in February 2023.
Debbie with longtime friend and teammate Guenter Seidel at the FEI World Cup Finals this year. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
At Aachen in June, the U.S. team finished last of eight nations. Adrienne, who is pregnant, was not on the squad, which consisted of riders light on international experience.
Hallye Griffin, the USEF’s director of FEI sport, noted, “We respect Debbie’s decision to step down as technical advisor and are reviewing the potential of her working as a featured clinician for some of our programs and pathway events in the future.
“We are setting our sights forward to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and will begin our search for a technical advisor with a goal to fill the role by December 1, 2023, with commitment through the LA 2028 Games.”
U.S. Dressage thanked Debbie “for her continued support of the program over the past four years in the role of technical advisor and the achievements the program secured under her leadership, including an Olympic team silver in Tokyo; and a Pan American Games team silver in 2019 in Lima, Peru, as well as her dedication to the development program, where she served as U.S. Dressage Development Coach.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 11, 2023
Interested in exploring the benefits of equine-assisted psychotherapy to improve parent-child relationships? How about the importance of understanding what horses are telling us through their “wanted and unwanted behavior.”
The Horses and Humans Research Foundation will be examining those topics and many more, including fine points of equine nutrition and the importance of horses’ sleep patterns, during its summer conference at Centenary University in Hackettstown, N.J., July 22-23.
The organization serves as a catalyst to advance global knowledge of horse-human interactions and their impact on the health and well-being of people, horses, and other equines.
For more information or to register for the conference sponsored by Zoetis, click on this link.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 12, 2023
In an effort to increase engagement with the the equestrian community in California and the western part of the country, the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation has hired Coloradan Lisa Munro to take on a new role as director of Development.
Her responsibilities include enhancing donor engagement and building a support pipeline in the region. The Foundation, based in Gladstone, N.J., is the philanthropic partner of the U.S. Equestrian Federation, supporting the competition, training, coaching, travel, and educational needs of America’s elite and developing international high performance horses and athletes.
The goal of course, is to sustain competitive excellence. Lisa will report to the foundation’s executive director, Bonnie Jenkins, as she plays a key role in the foundation’s fundraising initiative, “Pathway to the Podium.” It is working to raise $55 million toward getting U.S. athletes on the podium at the 2024 and 2028 Olympics and Paralympics, and other key competitions going forward.
Lisa, a lifelong equestrian, most recently served as senior program manager for advancement at the University of Colorado, Boulder, where she oversaw leadership annual giving and donor relations, stewardship, and engagement for the College of Media, Communication and Information.
She developed and implemented innovative strategies that exceeded several fundraising goals, which included a 12.5 percent increase in the College’s number of donors and a 36 percent increase in the average gift size. Previously, she was involved with overseeing and executing corporate sponsorships for professional soccer teams.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 10, 2023
The International Jumping Riders Club has “serious concerns,” about a new elimination rule that allows a single judge to eliminate a horse or rider who appear to be having difficulty during their round.
The organization is asking the FEI (international equestrian federation) to allow former elite level riders (such as just-retired Ludger Beerbaum, perhaps?) to sit with the ground jury in an advisory capacity at championships and Olympic Games.
“The IJRC is worried about “split-second” decisions that cannot be appealed, which could result in career-changing outcomes for riders and national teams. This is of particular concern to the IJRC this season, when many have their last qualifying opportunities for the Paris Olympics 2024, and for the Olympic Games itself, where there is no drop-score due to the mandate for only three riders on a team, instead of four.
The new rule, which came into effect Jan. 1, enables the president of the ground jury or a designated ground jury member to eliminate an entry if the official involved “decides that it would be contrary to the principles of horse welfare to allow the combination to continue the round. ”
In addition to introducing an advisory panel, the IJRC also requests the FEI replace the sentence about horse welfare with the words “for the safety of horse and rider.”
IJRC explained, “The current wording could mislead the general public about the reason for elimination and thereby subject the rider to unjustified criticism on social media.”
Riders had wanted the decision to be appealable, but they also understood the rule results from the growing pressure of “social license” and the potential pushback from the non-equestrian public, when negative images circulate on social media. However, the scenarios that could be eliminated remain undefined.
During a debate at the IJRC convention in Geneva last December, numerous Olympians noted that horses could be eliminated by judges who have not ridden at the top level for decades. Some may no longer have the practical “feel” to decide, on the spot, the real reason for an awkward-looking jumping effort. Does it result from over-facing a horse and rider of limited ability, or is it an isolated incident that is part of the normal learning curve of a young horse in expert hands?
The advisory panel proposal and requested re-wording of the rule both were put forward by 2016 Olympic champion Nick Skelton of Great Britain.
He said, “There are many recently retired top riders like me who are at all the major shows. Our experience is there to be utilized. Motorsport already makes use of its ex-drivers’ expertise in this way.
“If a horse is taken out of the arena swiftly after having a bad jump early on, you’ll never know if he could have gained in confidence during the rest of his round and finished well. That is a training setback and a conflict with the basics of good horsemanship. Nowadays, we tread a fine line, but we must educate the public while being conscious of its growing role in equestrianism’s social license to operate.”
FEI rules usually are amended only on an annual basis. However, the IJRC believes that this situation warrants immediate action by the FEI board, before the European Show Jumping Championships in Milan (August 29-September 3) but at the absolute latest, by January 1, 2024, at the start of the Olympic year.
The IJRC does, however, support the elimination of a horse in instances of blood around the mouth or nostrils.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 29, 2023
The U.S. Equestrian Federation this week passed a rule calling for all horses competing in USEF licensed or endorsed competitions to be microchipped as of Dec. 1, 2025. The chip used must be a 15-digit ISO compliant 11784/11785 model that is implanted in the nuchal ligament of the horse’s neck.
The argument for this is that microchipping of horses is fundamental to equine well-being, especially during times of disease outbreaks, natural disasters, in cases of theft and to protect against fraud.
As of December 1, 2024, all horses on the grounds of hunter, jumper, and hunter/jumper competitions must have a competition-issued back number either attached to the horse or to the person riding, handling, or exercising the horse at all times while in a schooling, longeing or exercise area. The requirement, originally proposed by USHJA, represents a safety measure, and will aid significantly in identification and well-being efforts on the part of both horses and humans.
In the same vein, longeing a visibly exhausted or obviously lame horse; and excessive, disruptive, or otherwise inappropriate use of a longe whip was added to the list of prohibited acts under the horse welfare rules for hunters, jumpers, and hunter/jumping seat equitation
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 11, 2023
Britain has named a real powerhouse of a short list for the European Eventing Championships in France next month. That’s a heads-up for the U.S. on what kind of competition it will face at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
At the 2022 world championships, the U.S.won silver to qualify for Paris. For obvious reasons, the U.S. won’t be competing in the European championships.
World champion and British star Yasmin Ingham with Banzai du Loir. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Those named to the British short list include Ros Canter and 2023 Badminton winner Lordships Graffalo, Laura Collett with 2022 Badminton winner London 52, who also was tops at Luhmuhlen; World Champion Yasmin Ingham (Banzai du Loir) and Tom Jackson with Capels Hollow Drift, second at Burghley last year and fifth at Badminton this spring. The others (all were named in alphabetical order) are Kitty King, a member of the 2021 Europeans gold medal team (Vendredi Biats) and Tom McEwen, second in the Land Rover Kentucky 5-star on JL Dublin.
The team of four will be selected from the short list closer to the event. Kentucky 5-star winner Oliver Townend was named as a reserve with Ballaghmor Class. He had four knockdowns at last year’s world championships, which dropped Britain from the podium to fourth place.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 8, 2023
The fabulous dressage star Valegro marked his 21st birthday last week.
Atop the Olympic multi-gold medal champion for the occasion was the daughter of his famous rider, Charlotte Dujardin. The fact that little Isabella Rose is not even six months old (she was born March 7) of course meant the child had to be supported on Valegro’s back by her mother. But it was wonderful to see Valegro looking fine, as always, and carrying a representative of the next generation of British dressage (one can hope.)
Charlotte and Valegro on their way to glory at the 2012 London Olympics. (Photo © 2012 by Nancy Jaffer)
Valegro symbolized a historic milestone for that nation when he led that its team to a breakthrough gold at the 2012 London Games, then picked up individual gold for Charlotte with a freestyle to music that included the chimes of England’s iconic Big Ben and appropriately, an Olympic Fanfare. She earned 90.089 percent (just missing her British freestyle record at the time of 90.65 percent), still a memorable achievement for herself, the horse and her country.
It was a privilege to be an accredited journalist in Greenwich Park for the occasion, and stand so close as Charlotte waited for the medal presentation that I could see the tears she kept wiping away with her white gloved hands (I remember I felt like offering her a handkerchief).
“I just wanted to go out there today and enjoy it and not regret anything,” Charlotte said at the time, and that’s what she did. The afternoon is so clear in my memory that I can’t believe it was 11 years ago, but its imprint is indelible.
Isabella Rose sits atop Valegro on his 21st birthday. (Photo by Jess Photography)
Valegro’s emergence on the scene under the skillful direction of trainer Carl Hester marked a transition for what played best in dressage at the top level.
This horse was more about harmony than power, very correct in the way he executed the movements, but doing it with a fluid style that made him a star. Valegro clinched my romance with dressage, and as such, captured a special place in my heart.
Valegro was 10 then, and still had many more gold medals in him, including the 2014 world championships and the 2016 Olympics, where the score for his winning freestyle was 93.857. Charlotte called him “the most amazing horse that there is” and I agree, even seven years after his retirement from showing.
Fans at the Central Park Horse Show in 2016 mobbed Valegro and Charlotte Dujardin when they made an appearance before the horse’s official retirement. (Photo © 2016 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
I was privileged to write about many great horses before Valegro, including Reiner Klimke’s 1984 individual gold ride, Ahlerich, and many successful horses after him, including current Olympic champion TSF Dalera BB and world champion Glamourdale, with his amazing reach.
But Valegro, nicknamed Blueberry, is the one who will always stand out for me. It brings joy to see how well he looks (but what would you expect with Carl and Charlotte always mindful of him?) They were so wise to retire him following Rio. After all, what more did he have to prove? But he kept his fans happy by making many special appearances, including his visit to Central Park in 2016 and later that year, his farewell performance at Olympia during the London International Horse Show.
Valegro performing at Central Park. (Photo © 2016 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
If Valegro were a young man, at age 21 he would have many wonderful years ahead of him to hone his craft. But 21 is not young for a horse, even one in such great shape as Valegro. I hope he is with us in his current capacity for many years to come, as a symbol of all that is right for the sport and a light that continues to shine with special care and love.
