by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 2, 2024
The U.S. Equestrian Federation Monday came out with a new and stronger statement on the suspension of dressage trainer Cesar Parra, as videos that showed him whipping horses and other problematic actions continued to spark outraged comments on social media and led to an FEI investigation.
“The training practices documented in the videos cannot be tolerated in our sport. USEF is steadfast in its commitment to horse well-being and has committed its resources to supporting the FEI in bringing this matter to resolution as expediently as possible,” the federation emphasized.
Noting the clips depicted “abhorrent abusive training techniques by FEI dressage athlete and trainer Cesar Parra (USA) at his private training facility in Florida,” the statement continued, “USEF immediately coordinated with the FEI. The following day, the FEI imposed a temporary suspension against Cesar Parra, which is being enforced by USEF at the national level, prohibiting him and his horses’ participation in competition.
Among other things, the videos show Parra whipping a horse in front of the saddle while he is riding, and whipping another that he is longeing with its head cranked down to its chest.
Cesar Parra in competition. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
The FEI offered no comment on the specifics of the situation while its investigation is ongoing, but it issued a statement saying, “Equestrian sport is built on a foundation of respect for our equine partners, with a duty of care to ensure their mental and physical well-being comes first, ahead of all competition and/or training ambitions.
“Through the FEI’s Rules and Regulations, the welfare of the horse, and any action or omission which causes or is likely to cause pain or unnecessary discomfort to a horse constitutes a violation of our rules and will be sanctioned. The FEI remains resolute in its commitment to upholding the highest standards of equine welfare and sanctioning behaviour which deviates from these principles, and will be actively investigating this case as a matter of urgency.”
A native of Colombia who rode in the Olympics for that nation, then was part of the U.S. team at the 2011 Pan American Games after getting his American citizenship, Parra did not respond to two requests for comment.
Germany’s professional riders group issued a statement in German saying, “We also saw the terrible videos and images from the USA over the weekend in which horses were mistreated and subjected to massive violence.”
“We want to clearly distance ourselves from … these methods. This has nothing, absolutely nothing, to do with our understanding of horse training. Such images bring the entire equestrian sport into disrepute. All those involved who use these methods that violate animal welfare must be held accountable.
“Where is the respect for the animal? As professional riders, we in particular have a special obligation to the horse and must act as advocates for the horses. What remains for us is to continue to stand up for horse-friendly training with all our might, to teach and practice classical riding theory and thus stand up for our horses and our sport.”
The Parra situation comes on the heels of last year’s scandal involving an undercover television documentary on mistreatment of horses at a Helgstrand Dressage training facility in Denmark. As a result, Olympian Andreas Helgstrand was suspended from the Danish team until at least January 2025.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 25, 2024
The Kentucky 5-star three-day event has a new name. Rather than being called the Land Rover event, the successor to the original Rolex title, it is now the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event after one of Land Rover’s models. presented by MARS Equestrian™.
The event at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington April 25-28 is the USEF CCI5*-L Eventing National Championship.
Tamie Smith and Mai Baum over the Defender cross-country obstacle on their way to winning the 2023 Land Rover Kentucky 5-star. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Charlotte Blank, U.S. Chief Marketing Officer of JLR North America, said, “We are pleased to continue the title sponsorship of one of the premier equestrian events in the world, the Defender Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by MARS Equestrian.
“The Defender is an ideal partner for the equestrian lifestyle, thanks to its purposeful design and exceptional capability. We look forward to continued relationships with the community and showcasing the Defender lifestyle at future events.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 5, 2024
In a last-minute attempt to save Equestrian Village as a dressage venue in Wellington, Fla., a fund-raising effort has brought in commitments of $25 million.
The Village Council could vote Wednesday on removing the property from the Equestrian Preserve, which would clear the way for construction of housing and recreational amenities for a golf community that developer Wellington Lifestyle Partners is seeking to build. A petition opposing the move drew more than 8,000 signatures and a group called “Keep Wellington Green” is fighting to keep the 96-plus acres in the Preserve.
Dressage rider Arlene “Tuny” Page, who owns a farm in Wellington, said Monday that she started contacting people to see if enough money was available to make an offer for the property, home of the Global Dressage Festival since 2012.
Tuny and Dave Page were first founding sponsors of the Global Dressage Festival. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
The response was immediately positive.
The land to be purchased would include the area where Global’s arenas and a derby jumping field are located, but not the adjacent White Birch polo fields which are also in the Preserve and slated for a golf clubhouse and other golf-related facilities for a nearby course purchased by WLP.
“Go talk about it and see what you can do,” Jane Cleveland, chair of the Equestrian Preserve Committee, had urged Page when they discussed the possibility of a purchase.
Cleveland’s committee in June voted unanimously against taking the land out of the Preserve. The Planning, Zoning and Adjustment Board also recommended against it. Both those committees are only advisory panels, however. It is the five-member Council that has the final word, which comes with a second reading of the ordinance. That process began at a meeting last month and continues this week.
On first reading last year of an ordinance that would permit removing the land from the Preserve, the council voted 4-1 in favor. In order to take acreage out of the preserve, the law requires four of the five council members to vote for it. There have been more than 55 hours of hearings in the last seven months on Wellington North and WLP’s Wellington South proposed development, a short distance away, where the home of the Winter Equestrian Festival hunter/jumper show is located.
In a letter to the Council, Page stated, “I represent an investor group that would like to purchase Equestrian Village to preserve it and enhance it as a multi-use equestrian facility.”
The group includes original investors and founders of the Global Dressage Festival, as well as Robin Parsky, the owner of international show jumping horses who spoke last month before the Council about the importance of the derby field. Among the others are Antonia Ax:son Johnson, a prominent sponsor in the sport and the owner of Olympic dressage horses; Olympic dressage horse owner, Betsy Juliano, and Victoria McCullough, a landowner on property adjoining the Wellington South project.
Robin Parsky spoke before the Wellington Village Council last month about the importance of the derby field at Global.
In her letter, Page mentioned that at a recent meeting with Councilman John McGovern “he stated that the concern of the council is that there is no other group to purchase and operate the property. In less than 48 hours, we have obtained financial commitments for equity and a modest amount of debt of 25 million dollars.”
Page believes that is just “the tip of the iceberg” and that more can easily be raised if necessary. Big checks–$500,000 and $1 million–have been committed, she said. Those who want to contribute may contact her via email at tunefull12@icloud.com.
“There was an indication that the council needed assurance of financial commitments as in `show us the money’ and here we are with many more under consideration,” Page wrote. Her husband, David Page, was able to secure a commitment for loans if necessary from two major financial institutions.
She asked the council to “pause” its consideration of the developments “until you understand the option we put before you, citing is as an opportunity to respect the Preserve and its passionate supporters.”
The derby grounds at Global used by hunters and jumpers. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Of course, in order for the plan to work, the owner would have to agree to sell. WLP also wants to build a “town center” nearby that would have shopping, offices and a hotel, but that is not part of the Wellington North plan and is not in the Preserve.
Page contended that removing the land for Wellington North from the Preserve would “set a terrible precedent” that could continue with more land being taken out elsewhere along the 9,000 acres of the Preserve that stretches across Wellington.
A crowd always turns out for the Friday night freestyle at Global. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Meanwhile, there is a discussion of turning the facility into a non-profit.
“We want it to be a community-friendly plan,” Page said, suggesting it could be a place where young people could learn about horses.
There has been talk of another entity buying the WEF showgrounds on the South parcel, Wellington International, as its owner, Waterland Private Equity, has put it up for sale.
The WEF showgrounds need to be improved and enhanced with more acreage, but no one has stepped up to buy it. The land needed to expand that venue was tied to approval of Wellington North, as necessary acreage on Wellington South has the same ownership. Housing is also planned for part of Wellington South, but there has been no opposition movement to that.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 11, 2024
From “Veterinary Care for the Senior Horse” to “Balanced Hoofcare” with a discussion of barefoot vs. shod, the annual horse management seminar Feb. 3 in New Brunswick will answer equestrians’ concerns along the lines of “You asked for it…!”
Presented by the Rutgers Equine Science Center and Rutgers Cooperative Extension, the seminar will be held live after three years of virtual conferences. The program consists of the most requested topics by those who attended the virtual conferences.
“This year, we selected a topic that we have not covered in a long time, if ever. Whether you have racehorses, sport horses, or just like riding horses, there will be something for everyone. We have so many veterinary and nutrition experts and colleagues. I am very excited to be able to have them share their expertise with you” said Dr. Carey Williams, extension equine specialist and associate director of extension for the Rutgers Equine Science Center.
“Our goal for this face-to-face seminar is to bring in the leading veterinary and academic experts in each of these topic areas. This includes caring for and feeding the senior horse, farrier care, emergency management, orthopedic problems and solutions, parasites, and pain.”
Those making the presentations are leading experts in their field. They include Dr. Jessica Martin of Mountain Pointe Equine, who deals with a lot of senior horses in her practice, along with having owned senior horses. Among others is Dr. Nettie Liburt, who owns Liburt Equine Nutrition Consulting. She will present, “Feeding the Senior Horse”. A talk on “Emergency Management” will be presented by another Mountain Pointe Equine veterinarian, Dr. Charlotte Weisberg.
Other topics include a lecture on parasites and ticks and a presentation on physical therapy and other ways to manage orthopedic injuries.
In addition to these presentations, the seminar will feature informational displays, networking opportunities with industry companies and area organizations, ample time for one-on-one discussions with the day’s presenters and door prizes.
Early bird registration ends on Jan. 22, so those planning to attend are encouraged to register before then to secure the discounted rate. The complete program, registration information, and seminar brochure are posted on the Rutgers Equine Science Center website at esc.rutgers.edu, as well as the registration site at: https://go.rutgers.edu/2024HMSReg.
However, those who can’t make it to the live presentation, the program will be available on line on three successive Tuesday evenings; Feb. 13, 20 and 27, from 6:30-8:30 p.m.To register go to: https://go.rutgers.edu/2024VirtualHMSReg
Each webinar will feature two speakers whose presentations will be under the theme of “You asked for it…!”
February 13 is about pasture management, with the topics, “Managing Weeds in Horse Pastures”
by Dr. Matt Elmore, Rutgers University, and “Equipment for Small Horse Farm Pasture Management”
by Dr. Bob Coleman, University of Kentucky.
On Feb. 20, senior horse care is featured with “Feeding the Senior Horse,” presented by Dr. Nettie Liburt of Liburt Equine Nutritional Consulting, and the other topic is “Veterinary Care for the Geriatric Horse”
by Dr. Jessica Martin, Mountain Pointe Equine, Hackettstown, N.J.
On Feb 27, health and welfare is the focus, with“Parasites and Ticks in your Horse” by Dr. Danielle Smarsh of Pennsylvania State University, and “Evaluating Pain in your Horse,” by Dr. Kris Hiney, Oklahoma State University
Attendees can register for one specific webinar night, or for all three at the same time using the same link. The webinars are free to attend. However, to facilitate a more engaged live audience with the speakers, they will not be posted to the archived webinars immediately after the program.
For questions, contact Carey Williams at 848-932-5529, or carey.williams@rutgers.edu.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 20, 2024
Ocala’s World Equestrian Center is soaring. With the first U.S. Nations Cup-style League of Nations team competition set for March 20-23, the facility’s visibility is also being raised by introducing World Championship Hunter Rider competition that weekend and Feb. 7-11.
Budget-priced standing-room-only general admission tickets are available at this link for the League of Nations team competition, which will draw squads from 10 countries. For more information go to www.wec.net.
At the same time, the All for the Horses Expo, an equine industry tradeshow, will be held March 22-24 at WEC. It will offer an expanded schedule of events and a larger selection of equestrian and lifestyle vendors than it had last year. General admission and parking for the Expo will be free.WE
The Riding Academy Hotel, a companion to the 5-star hotel already operating on the property, is set to be ready for guests shortly.
Meanwhile, work has begun on a 180,000-square-foot event center set to open in 2025. It will offer meeting and event space, a grand ballroom and four new restaurants, including two rooftop concepts. Additionally, The Shoppes Off 80th, an upscale outdoor shopping venue offering space for 28 new retailers, is slated for completion in 2025.
The University of Florida Health Family Medical Center will offer on-site care for people, just as the University of Florida Veterinary Center that opened in 2022 did for horses.
On the equestrian front, a sixth indoor arena will accommodate an expanded dressage lineup, while seven more outdoor rings are also being constructed.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 26, 2024
A decision affecting plans for a much-needed expansion of Wellington, Florida’s, world famous showgrounds has been postponed until at least next month by the Village Council.
The land and funding for the expansion are tied to Wellington Lifestyle Partners’ Wellington North development project. It would involve removing 90-plus acres from the municipality’s Equestrian Preserve, a designation many consider sacrosanct, so a private golf community can be built there.
The showgrounds that is home to the Winter Equestrian Festival is a short distance away, where WLP’s Wellington South project on 290 acres will offer not only more room for the cramped equestrian venue, but also 107 homes. If Wellington North can go ahead, WLP will waive development rights on the acreage needed to extend the showgrounds.
Wellington North is the home of the Global Dressage Festival at Equestrian Village, which would stay at its present site until the new showgrounds is ready.
There are still many questions about the details of the arrangement, as well as exactly what features the showgrounds will include when it has a larger footprint, what that will cost and who will pay for it. There is also great concern that once development is permitted in the Equestrian Preserve, other developers will try to build in it elsewhere in the Village.
Meanwhile, the threat of a well-funded lawsuit and the prospect that some entity might buy the showgrounds (now owned by financially troubled Global Equestrian Group) could add additional wrinkles to the already complicated mix that has included a recall petition against four council members and a petition with more than 8,000 names opposing taking land out of the Equestrian Preserve.
The Council worked past 11 p.m. Thursday, the third day of hearings this week, but could not come up with a date until Feb. 7 for members to move once more toward a final vote on the projects because of their other commitments. (Click here and on this link to read the previous stories about Tuesday and Wednesday’s hearings.)
It takes a vote of four of the five council members to remove land from the Preserve so the development can be built. Meanwhile, two new council members will be elected in March to replace two who are term-limited, so that raises the possibility a final decision could stretch out even longer.
The projects are under the auspices of Wellington Lifestyle Partners, which includes developer NEXUS, former eBay president Jeff Skoll and Wellington Partners Holdings, associated with Mark Bellissimo, who manages Wellington Equestrian Partners.
WEP accumulated the land involved in both projects since Bellissimo took over the Winter Equestrian Festival in 2007. Some have expressed suspicion of Bellissimo, citing promises he has made over the years that weren’t fulfilled on various projects.
{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}
During Thursday’s meeting, which added more than five hours to the 50 hours of hearings and discussion that have been spent on the matter since June, critics and proponents of the plans had what is likely their final say.
“The show is very tired,” Olympic, world championships and World Cup show jumping medalist Rodrigo Pessoa told the council.
Rodrigo Pessoa competing at the Winter Equestrian Festival before the showgrounds became Wellington International. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
“Hopefully, the new group that will come in will do the necessary work to put it back to where it should be. I’m not interested in Mr. Bellissimo’s management or anything else. I have nothing against him if he’s an investor, but the management is really not his forte. Wellington and Tryon (N.C.) have been examples of that.
“Wellington is now on the map for equestrian sports. But we need to keep it improving and up to date, because only three hours north of here, they have done something quite spectacular,” he noted, referring to the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, where estimates are that close to $1 billion has been spent on a vast showgrounds, two hotels and restaurants, with more improvements to come.
“We don’t want to move to Ocala,” Pessoa continued.
“We want to continue and support Wellington. We love coming here, but we want to come to a better facility.”
On the other side, the Wellington Chamber of Commerce sent a note asking the Council to deny the application, saying, “While we continue to support the horse show, taking land from the Equestrian Preserve sets a dangerous precedent, opening the floodgates for anyone with land in the Preserve who may want to increase density in the future.”
Rep. Katherine Waldron, the state representative for District 93, which includes Wellington, sent a letter saying she has heard from many constituents about the issue that has caused “a lot of frustration, anger and angst.”
She added, “I do not think it is in the best interests of our community to push a vote forward at this time and suggest a final vote be delayed to insure our community can come together and have full knowledge of the project and how it will impact our very important internationally renowned equestrian community.”
Part of the delay in reaching a final vote seems to be the Council’s lack of familiarity with equestrian matters.
Jane Cleveland, chair of the Village’s Equestrian Preserve Committee, proposed adding two seats to the Village Council for equestrian representatives. She suggested two district Council seats from the Equestrian Preserve that stretches across 9,000 acres, representing 41 percent of the Village’s developed land and 25 percent of its tax base.
Wellington’s Equestrian Preserve. (The initials SFWMD at the bottom of the diagram stand for South Florida Water Management District.)
Do council members even follow the sport that is Wellington’s claim to fame as the “Winter Equestrian Capital of the World?” It was interesting to hear when they read comment cards submitted by the public to express opposition or support for the project that some prominent names with equestrian connections obviously were not familiar to them.
Interestingly, among those who submitted comment cards supporting the project were Katherine Kaneb, Bellissimo’s ex-wife; their son, Michael; their daughter, Nicole Jayne and Tristan Nunez, the husband of another Bellissimo daughter, Paige, who is executive vice president of WLP. .
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 25, 2024
With the possibility that the Wellington, Florida, Village Council is on the brink of deciding whether to remove land from the Equestrian Preserve, paving the way for a golf-oriented development, both sides on the question Wednesday were keen to make what could be their final points about the controversial matter.
After more than 50 hours of hearings, in addition to the usual comments for and against the project, several people had a new suggestion. Why not postpone a Council vote on “second reading” of the ordinance at the last of this week’s three hearings on the matter? That would facilitate getting more information about issues raised during the meetings.
But it also could push any resolution of the situation down the road to a Council with two new members, who will be added after a March election. A 4-1 super majority of the Council has to vote to take land out of the Preserve, following a 2016 referendum on that issue. At “first reading” of the ordinance in November, four council members voted to remove the land from the Preserve. Subsequently, a recall petition was launched to remove them. But “second reading” was scheduled this week for a final vote.
The issue is more far-reaching than rezoning 96-plus acres in the Preserve for Wellington Lifestyle Partners’ Wellington North project on the site of the Global Dressage Festival. If WLP is permitted to build homes and sports facilities there, acreage it owns nearby at the Wellington South property would be used to expand the cramped Wellington International Showgrounds, with WLP paying for the initial stages of that work. Dressage eventually would move to the expanded showgrounds from its current Equestrian Village facility at Wellington North.
Questions about WLP’s finances have been raised, a concern that was addressed Wednesday when Lisa Lourie of Wellington Equestrian Partners brought out a letter of commitment pledging $40 million toward improvements necessary for completion of the expansion at the home of the Winter Equestrian Festival.
Lourie, the owner of Spy Coast Farm in Florida and Kentucky, is an associate of WEP’s managing partner Mark Bellissimo, who accumulated the land involved in both projects over the years since he took over WEF in 2007.
Lisa Lourie of Spy Coast Farm.
An already difficult situation has been complicated by the fact that Wellington International’s owner, the Global Equestrian Group, has had a financial setback and is in the midst of what one commenter Wednesday night called an “implosion.”
It has put the showgrounds up for sale. Lourie, who with her two children is the second-largest partner in WEP, said GEG had done “little to improve the showgrounds.” She called dressage “an integral part of our Wellington community and now we want to give it a new improved, safer home.”
Having hunters, jumpers and dressage in one location on the South property, as opposed to two venues separated by busy roads, is a much safer option for horses and riders, as traffic also has been an issue in this debate, along with concern about how wetlands and drainage will be affected by the construction.
{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)}
Among the prominent equestrians who spoke Wednesday was Robin Parsky, known as the owner of top show jumpers for Kent Farrington and McLain Ward. She praised the footing on the derby field at Equestrian Village, which she called “a wonderful venue appreciated by riders who come here,” and sought assurances that there will be a comparable grass field at the expanded showgrounds.
While the field is being used at Equestrian Village until expansion of Wellington International is completed, she wanted to make sure that not only would there be no construction of housing until the new showgrounds is finished, but also that no other work involving construction of amenities or use of heavy equipment would be going on in the interim.
“It terrifies everyone we’re going to be surrounded by construction,” she explained.
Robin Parsky.
“Is there a reason that we’re rushing this? This is creating huge anxiety and fear.”
She said people are concerned, but “there is also an under element saying, `Let’s come up with a better solution’.”
Several speakers dug deep to do research on a situation that is “super confusing,” according to resident Pam Wildman. She is concerned that market conditions will have changed by 2028 when the Wellington International showgrounds expansion is scheduled to be finished and WLP can start building houses. That time frame could lead to a request for changes in what the builder is planning, similar to what happened with Wellington’s Lotis development near the medical center.
Jill Townsend, who built her Wellington home in 1985, moved to the Village from North Palm Beach after it became landlocked and there was nowhere to ride.
She found Wellington to be an “exceptional area.”
“I knew that even when everything was developed eventually, I could get on my horse and go ride, that was something I thought had so much value that we didn’t have anywhere else in Florida.”
Townsend, who, interestingly, had worked for Nexus in the Bahamas with her daughter, praised the work there of that developer (which is a partner in WLP).
Jill Townsend.
But she contended that in Wellington, “a solution isn’t going to be found by pushing through this project right now.”
She believes part of the thought process might be that it is time for the owner of the Preserve property to get something.
But she pointed out, “He has something. He bought land that has development rights. He owns that land where he can build houses that fall within the outline and zoning for the community as designed Another beautiful Mallet Hill or Paddock Park.”
(Six houses total are allowed on Equestrian Village and neighboring White Birch. A number of businesses, from a nightclub to riding school and nail salon also can be located on the Preserve property, just not more housing. Since the land is private, the owner is under no compulsion to stage equestrian competition there.)
What’s most important, she said, is that “the ownership of the horse show has to be figured out first and foremost. If it continues to be held by a private individual for profit or hedge funds, we in Wellington will always be held hostage. You can help this community navigate with the interested parties who are willing to buy the horse show.”
She suggested the Village could help with perhaps a land conservatorship or a non-profit, “so revenue from the horse show could go back to horse show. Let’s put our focus on reviving the horse show.”
Richard Sirota, a real estate developer who was chairman for six years of the Battery Park City Authority in New York, suggested consideration of the horse show expansion (which is not being voted on as such at this time) should be part of a separate process when deliberating what to do about the Preserve.
“Let the person who buys it (Wellington International) make the deal. We all want the horse show to survive, prosper and get better. The point is how you’re running the process, and it’s sort of a little backwards from my point of view,” Sirota observed.
“Because the person who buys it, give him the opportunity to deal with Wellington Lifestyle Partners, to determine if he may need more land, want to modify it, then go to you for the final decisions. That’s the way it should go. Not now–…you’re making it complicated.”
Well-known equestrians, such as dressage Olympian Ashley Holzer, show jumpers Andrew Welles and Andrew Bourns and retired jockey/trainer Tommy Skiffington, all emphasized the need for a bigger and improved showgrounds if Wellington is to stay on top of the equestrian scene.
Also speaking was Michael Bellissimo, son of Mark Bellisimo. He was succinct in his appraisal.
“Wellington is not geographically a special place,” he commented.
“The thing that makes Wellington special, that we can all agree on, is the world class horse show. So it’s in their (the developers’) best interests to keep that at the highest level it can possibly be.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 23, 2024
Pointing toward “Victory in Versailles,” the venue of this summer’s Paris Olympics, the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation raised $2 million for its efforts at a weekend party hosted by Zacharie and Louis Vinios at their Five Rings farm in Wellington, Fla.
Bruce Springsteen and his wife, Patti Scialfa, entertained at the USET Foundation gala. (Jump Media Photo)
The co-chairs of the gala, Bruce Springsteen and his wife, Patty Scialfa, performed and put up for auction two trips to concerts on their band’s plane. Their daughter, Tokyo Olympics team show jumping silver medalist Jessica Springsteen was on hand as well. Another big ticket item also purchased twice at the auction was a vacation at a Tuscan villa donated by Glen Senk and Keith Johnson.
James McNerney Jr., the USET’s president and CEO, explained that unlike the situation in other countries, equestrian sport in the U.S. does not receive government funding and relies primarily on the USET Foundation to raise money needed for training and international competition. He was given the R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award for his service.
The setting for the gala summoned Paris. (Photo by Luxeciné)
Other awards presented during the party went to Olympic show jumping multi-medalist McLain Ward, who received the Whitney Stone Cup, while a representative of the younger generation of show jumpers, Zayna Rizvi, took the Lionel Guerrand-Hermès Trophy.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 17, 2024
Those non-riding days present a good opportunity to clean out the tack room. Collect your unneeded items and donate them to Mane Stream (adaptive riding and therapy services), which is seeking donations of horse-related items for its Nov. 17 tack sale in Oldwick.
Mane Stream has a contactless drop-off for unwanted bridles, saddles, blankets, tack boxes as well as out-grown boots, breeches, jackets, and any horse-related jewelry, models or knick-knacks. Donations support Mane Stream;s mission to improve the quality of life for children and adults with physical, developmental, emotional and medical challenges through a diverse program of equine assisted activities, therapy services and educational initiatives.
This event is an important part of the yearly fundraising plan with all proceeds to benefit Mane Stream’s horses, adaptive riding program, therapy services and other equine assisted programs including “Horses for Healing: Cancer and Parkinson’s Disease”.
All donations can be dropped off at the stable at 83 Old Turnpike Rd. Oldwick during office hours. If you would like to make a donation or have any questions, contact Alex Willard at alex@manestreamnj.org, 908-439-9636 or visit www.ManeStreamNJ.org.
Want to learn more about Mane Stream?
Come to its open house March 23 from 12-2 p.m. You can get an in-depth look at therapy services, as well as a free program called Horses for Healing, geared to people living with Cancer and Parkinson’s Disease. Several openings are available for therapy services and the upcoming Horses for Healing program, which starts in April.
Meet the staff, take a tour of the facility and learn about the physical and emotional advantages of interacting with horses.
Bring a pair of shoes to help Mane Stream keep shoes out of landfills, provide affordable footwear to people in developing nations and raise funds for farrier costs for the Mane Stream herd.
If you know someone who might benefit from one of the programs Mane Stream offers, be sure to let them know about the open house and encourage them to visit.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 19, 2024
Four Seasons, which traditionally marked the start of the outdoor show season in New Jersey, is making a comeback April 11-14 following a cancellation in 2023.
The U.S. Equestrian Federation national show is returning to its former home at Duncraven in Titusville, Mercer County. It will be managed by Claudine Libertore, who runs many of the shows in the state.
A.J. Garrity, whose father, the late Gary Kunsman, founded the fixture in the days when he was at Four Seasons Farm in Readington, said “it’s a special show to my family and myself because it was my dad’s horse show for so many years.”
Her husband, Mason Garrity, “really put his heart and soul into it and tried to build it up” when he managed it after its move to the Horse Park of New Jersey in 2016.
“Unfortunately, it didn’t really take off at the Horse Park the way we had hoped,” noted A.J., so the couple decided to take a break and put the show on hiatus for what would have been its fiftieth anniversary.
In a 2023 interview after Four Seasons’ cancellation, Mason said, “Last year (2022), the weather was gorgeous, in the 70s, but no one was there.” He noted that people are staying in Florida longer into the spring, with some not coming home until the week of Four Seasons. In addition, he pointed out, the Horse Park was showing its age, which didn’t help when trying to attract exhibitors.
Obviously, stand-alone shows don’t have the resources of the big circuits, observed Mason, who noted, “because of Gary, we ran it (Four Seasons) as long as we could.”
“The landscape of the horse shows has changed in the last few years,” his wife agreed, citing the domination of what she calls “Amazon” type horse shows with their own facilities that offer weeks of competition.
“The boutique-type shows. like we are, are kind of fading away. In New Jersey, I felt like we were the last man standing with our one-off type of horse show. Middlesex, Monmouth, so many of these special shows have changed hands.”
The Garritys knew it was time for a new direction if the show were to continue.
When Four Seasons left Duncraven, it had almost outgrown the venue, A.J. noted. But the stable was sold several years ago and “seeing all the improvements the new owners of Duncraven have made, it was in my head that I thought the show was ready to go back to where it was so successful for over 20 years,” explained A.J. Additional rings there will be helpful in organizing the schedule, she pointed out.
Meanwhile, her family has stepped away from managing shows. Mason runs a business making jumps, announces and has a judge’s card, but the Garritys decided to leave the management to someone else.
“Claudine has taken over so many of these horse shows and has a following of people enjoying her shows,” said A.J.
“I’m excited for 2024 and beyond for the horse show now.”
A.J. still owns the date, but she’s going to step back and “let Claudine take the reins in the management role. If she needs anything from us, we will be there, but we will kind of let it become her stepchild. She does such a good job with all her other dates, I’m just hoping this will join the group and be a success.”
Asked how many shows she runs in the state under her CJL signature, Claudine gave up on a count and figured between 20 and 30 (with another 12 to 15 nearby in Pennsylvania). In New Jersey, they include licenses with a variety of familiar names, including Middlesex and Monmouth, as well as Tewksbury (after a stable that disappeared from Hunterdon County decades ago), Snowbird and a bunch at Duncraven and the Horse Park.
“Most of my clientele are maiden voyage-type people, it’s all mileage,” said Claudine, mentioning many start in mini-stirrup and short stirrup, and then go on to do their first junior hunters or the classes offering 3-foot, 3-inch fences.
She’s hoping the return to Duncraven “will bring some of the older type people who used to do Four Seasons and the New Jersey circuit forever.
“I think it should get some interest,” she said. “Let’s see when it comes time to do entries.”
Claudine showed at Four Seasons when it was at Duncraven, so she has a definite connection.
She’s mulling what to include in the prizelist, and hopes to offer several derbies at varying heights for hunters and jumpers to benefit the Juvenile Diabetes Research Fund. That is something dear to the Garritys’ hearts, because their 10-year-old daughter, Logan, has Type 1 diabetes and they are involved with a walkathon to aid that charity.
Four Seasons will be one of the shows in a series of a dozen or so for which riders can earn points for the CJL high-score awards, to be presented at a December banquet.
Claudine, 53, talks about retiring from management at some point, noting she started showing at the age of three and managed her first show in 1999 at Congress Hill Farm in Monroe Township. But retirement is not happening yet, even if it’s hard to get help, so she does much of the work herself with the aid of her assistant, Gianna Bellantuono. She is an R jumper judge and has a small r in hunters and equitation. She also has accreditation as a regional course designer.
Running shows is not for the faint of heart.
“It’s a lot to do, it’s a gamble. You can have the best weekend and the best weather and you might sit there with 35 horses. Everybody right now is about facility, facility, facility. What’s going on on social media, where is everyone else going?”
Added Claudine, “All of us are struggling.”
New Jersey is not the same horse state we knew when we were young, and some of the current professionals do not have the same approach as those who were based there a few decades ago.
“It’s not so much about learning how to do it and do it the right way and becoming a horseman,” mused Claudine.
“It’s all business-related. I see it every week. The horses are not prepared. They come in and do their schooling round or warm-up and the horse is bad and they scratch. Because they (trainers) already got their shipping (fee) and training (fee), at the end of the day, they’re still going home with the same paycheck. I find it disturbing,” said Claudine, who was taught differently.
But as she points out, there will always be beginners in the sport, and she’ll give them a place to go. So she perseveres.
“My people have become a little bit dependent on me,” she acknowledged.
“For now, I’m here.”
