by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 16, 2023
There’s more to Somerset Grain & Feed than its name implies.
In addition to selling sustenance for horses and other animals, grooming tools, pet toys and various agricultural items, it is also a quaint mini museum on the outskirts of suburban Bernardsville, New Jersey’s, shopping district.
Somerset Grain is very down-home, almost as if it doesn’t belong there. And in less than six months, it won’t.
The business that hearkens back to an earlier era and its country roots is moving 10 miles west to the more rural Long Valley section of Washington Township, Morris County. But it won’t be changing its style or its name.
Tom Milesnick and his son, Jesse, left at the counter of Somerset Grain and Feed. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
“That’s who we are,” proprietor Tom Milesnick stated proudly.
“We’re a feed store. That’s our identity.”
The move is the rainbow at the end of an 18-year quest for Tom, who is in business with his 26-year-old son, Jesse. Tom doesn’t own the Bernardsville building and the rent kept rising, so he needed to set up shop elsewhere. The former UPS facility where he’s headed fills the ticket. And while it’s spacious, with room for tractor-trailers and trucks to maneuver more easily than at the Bernardsville site, the location also is appropriate because Long Valley and neighboring Hunterdon County have more farms in this era than northern Somerset County.
“Back in the day, we had all these big estates,” Tom recalled, citing such historic Bernardsville family names as Roebling and Post. Early in the last century, they would mail the store their orders, written in perfect penmanship, for 5,000 pounds of cattle feed or 1,000 pounds of sheep feed, and the business would run it up to them.
As time went on, the farm owners died, the barns got converted to houses, the acreage was carved up “and there’s no more big estates,” sighed Tom, guessing there might be just a “backyard pony or two” left in Bernardsville, where bridle trails once wound through the borough.
In the bigger picture, though, he has always dealt with farm owners in nearby Bedminster and Harding Township, as well as places further afield, such as Oldwick.
“Thank goodness this area’s still equine, and thank goodness for the people who do have the means to preserve what we have,” he said.
Tom congratulated the officials of Washington Township, telling them “You have maintained the integrity of this valley, you’ve let it grow, let new business come in, without compromising it.”
The chickens, horses, pigs and other livestock still have a home there, he pointed out.
Many of those who have been coming to Somerset Grain for years will redirect their GPS settings for the new venue on East Mill Road.
Asked for his opinion of the move, customer Rob Pullam said, “I don’t know if it’s good for Bernardsville, but it’s fine for us. I’m quite excited.”
The Bedminster resident and farm manager added, “Where they’re going is not that far from us, and it’s a different direction. Now we’re going to go somewhere else and see the same people.”
But for others who have dropped in at Somerset Grain on a regular basis for years, it’s the end of an era.
The potbellied stove at the end of one of Somerset Grain’s eclectic aisles will be moving to Long Valley. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
“I’m really sorry that they’re going to Long Valley, which is too far for me,” said longtime regular customer Simona Balzer of Bernardsville, who was buying a Christmas present for her daughter’s dog the other day.
“It’s so fun to come here. This store is something. It has so much history,” she noted wistfully.
Somerset Grain, which opened in 1945, is the third feed store on the Bernardsville site. The first one, in the late 1800s, was Bob White and Son. Tom found a pen from that store at a sale and it’s a treasured artifact, marked with the White store’s phone number, 209. That is not an area code; there just weren’t that many phones back then. After Bob White, the store became Barker and Higgins before it was Somerset Grain.
At one time, dating back to the late nineteenth century, grain was milled at the location. Before the advent of tractor-trailers, train cars filled with different grains would come to the store via a siding from the main track. Workers shoveled loose grain from the cars, then sent it up the three-story tower to get ground. The finished product went into 100-pound bags secured with a miller’s knot. The empty rail cars would roll back to the main track and get hooked up to the train again.
Tom pointed out that the feed store “was the gas station of its time.”
It fueled the horses who pulled the wagons and livestock; “everything was powered by the feed store,” he commented.
Well-schooled in the business, Tom is adamant about “the right way to run a feed mill, order six days worth of feed every seven days. You only stayed a little bit ahead of your stock and got new every week. The less time we have the feed,” he explained, “the longer you can keep it.”
A disastrous fire put an end to the milling operation in 1968, as hay and grain fed the blaze for three days. The fire was suspicious, but no one ever determined how it started, and Tom noted that G.F. Hill in Gladstone also burned around the same time.
A photo from a Bernardsville News story about the 1968 fire.
Asked whether he will miss the old store, Tom said, “I’ve been coming here 42 years. I’ve been here more than I’ve been in my own house.”
So there’s nostalgia, but he quickly added, “I’m excited about the future.”
Before coming to Somerset Grain, Tom was working at the Veterans Administration supply depot in south Somerville.
“It was crazy money for a kid,” he noted, but punching a time clock and working in a place surrounded by barbed wire wasn’t for him. When a new employee came to the depot after leaving a job at the feed store in 1981, Tom saw an opportunity. Although he’d been earning $14 an hour, he took a huge cut to $5.75 an hour when he got a job from Pete Mastrobattista, who owned Somerset Grain at that time.
Pete couldn’t believe Tom wanted to give up his secure government job, and neither could Tom’s mother.
He remembered, “My mother cried, she grabbed my arm and said, `You’re not thinking clearly.’ ”
He replied, “I’m being true to my heart. This is what I want to do.”
It turned out to be the right decision.
“I’ve enjoyed every day in this place,” he declared.
Every weekend, “I couldn’t wait to come back here on Monday morning. I can’t believe I’m getting paid to do this. It’s been freedom.”
Tom remembers in the early ’80s, he’d get to the store when it was pitch black outside and three or four farmers already were waiting for the doors to open, reading the newspaper with their trucks’ cab lights on. They’d come in as soon as he turned the key, share a pot of coffee and talk about their animals and their crops.
“Those were the good old days,” said Tom.
“Thank goodness I got a chance to see that old guard.”
Tom holds a photo of the old store from the 1940s or early 1950s. You can see the milling tower that would be destroyed in a fire years later rising above the building. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Now his enthusiasm has refreshed, as he’s eager to open a new place and become part of the scene in Long Valley.
“I’m coming in there to make friends with everyone. I want to reach out to the people of that area. I want to know, `What would you like us to bring in?’ ”
Tom plans to devote an aisle to Long Valley products, such as honey, sausage, items from the “home farms.”
“Socks, soap, sauce,” he elaborated.
Prior to the move-in, he’s gutting the interior of the building that was in the Hemmings family for 90 years and once housed a moving company.
“I want it all wood and barn beams,” Tom noted.
“When you walk in there, I want you to think you walked into somebody’s barn. We’re going to have the wood stove, my old signs.”
The ones relating to Bernardsville will stay in the borough, because they are part of its history. But the others undoubtedly will pique the interest of their new audience in Long Valley.
They are an eclectic bunch, those signs and accompanying memorabilia, including the Kennedy/Johnson 1960 presidential campaign poster he rescued from a dumpster, and the one from a poultry feed company advising chickens to, “Lay or Bust.”
Intriguing signs are a trademark of Somerset Grain.
Tom found that in the old portion of his store when he was using a broom handle to break ceiling panels, having considered that area a possible fire hazard.
After he gave the ceiling a good poke, “down came this treasure trove of stuff,” including invoices from the 1900s and sadly, a dead cat who had succumbed to the 1968 fire.
The current store was built in 1947 as an addition to the original structure, where wooden bins used to hold barley, whole oats, bran, cracked corn and grass seed. Tom ripped out the wooden bins and stopped weighing out the merchandise. Instead of 10 pounds of flax, customers had to buy a bag of it. The floor was too weak for the weight of the bags, so it was shored up with metal—coffee cans, license plates, old road department signs, and insulated with hay to keep the heat in. Tom replaced the floor, keeping only a bit of it for the sake of nostalgia.
The front entrance of the store. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Tom grew up with dogs, and seeing to the pheasants and quail his family raised.
“That’s where the responsibility came of taking care of a domestic animal; domestic animals are dependent on us. That rang true with me,” Tom observed.
“People need us. We’re tougher than the mailman or the banks.”
No matter the weather, “we show up and deliver feed, even when you wouldn’t let your dog go out. If you’ve got a 1,200 pound animal that’s hungry, kicking the walls, what are you going to say?”
Rain, snow, sleet, whatever, “We go.”
Tierney Sullivan, who ran Coach Stop saddlery in Bedminster from 1979 to 2015, noted Tom “has stood the test of time. As far as the local horse community goes, he’s kind of like the glue.”
Tierney and Tom would share customers and help each other out; if he needed a green halter, she’d send it along; if she needed Farrier’s Formula, he’d provide it.
“He fed them and I outfitted them,” she said.
Tom, who is 64, at some point down the road will retire and hand the business over to Jesse.
He has another son who is in information technology, but Jesse “likes this kind of work. He and I are exactly alike,” Tom mused.
“He’s a hard-working, good kid.”
Jesse started working at the store when he was in high school, going full-time in 2019. It was always assumed he’d take over the business.
“I never fought it,” he said with a smile.
“It’s always been like a second home to me, because I basically have grown up here. It will be nice to have something we can put money into and improve, something for the long run.”
Jesse is getting some part-time help from his girlfriend, Brianna Graf. Formerly a whipper-in for the Essex Foxhounds, she now has a job on a horse farm and her own MagnaWave business, providing therapy to horses. The two met when she was picking up feed at the store, and they obviously have a lot in common.
Brianna Graf and Jesse Milesnick are working side by side. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
She notes her extensive equine background is a real plus in assisting customers with questions about their horses.
Somerset Grain is all about service, doing the basics and doing them right, without bells and whistles.
“There are certain things that deserve to be kept simple, and this is one of them,” said Tom.
“It gives you good purpose.”
Tom noted the one downside of the move is that “We’re going to lose a handful of my older customers in their 80s that buy their birdseed. Them I’m going to miss; they’re not going to drive 10 more miles to get bird seed. We do have a couple of people with some driving issues and we bring birdseed to their porch. We still will do that. We can’t forget you.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 15, 2023
A new documentary from FX about horse racing will air next year, contending that fans “increasingly wonder how long one of America’s oldest sports can continue to have its social license renewed.”
Called “The New York Times Presents: Broken Horses,” the documentary will examine “the systemic issues, questionable practices and urgent calls for change that have shaken horse racing to its core.”
Citing the series of horse deaths before the 2023 Kentucky Derby and afterwards during the Triple Crown series, an investigative team looks into why horses on the track break down so frequently.
This is the type of exposure that was discussed during the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s annual meeting this month, underlining why even in non-racing horse sports, there is a need to insure that the welfare of horses is put above everything else in pursuing these activities. Those commenting on the subject advised everyone to remain aware that in the era of videos, nothing goes unnoticed.
The FEI’s (international equestrian federation) Equine Ethics and Wellbeing Commission presented its final report at November’s General Assembly. It will serve “as a blueprint for future-proofing equestrian sports,” and offers 30 recommendations toward that goal.
But if you take only one thing from the commission’s work, it is this: “Everyone is responsible for the future of equestrian sports. All equestrians need to optimize and prioritize equine welfare and be seen to be doing so.” (Emphasis mine).
Think about the fallout this autumn from the undercover documentary on training methods at Helgstrand Dressage, even though that was not officially aired outside Denmark.
In its statement, FX called its production, “a story of reckless breeding and doping, of compromised veterinarians and trainers…”.
The FX racing documentary will offer “confidential documents, recordings and exclusive interviews, to provide “a vivid tour of the business and political forces that control the Sport of Kings and resist measures to implement changes that could decrease horse deaths.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 9, 2023
The website Eventing Nation carried this very interesting story by Veronica Green-Gott about how an activist Ocala group (www.horsefarmsforever.com) saved its horse country from construction of a connector road that would have torn up the best farms in Marion County, Fla.
There’s a lot to learn from reading this. It’s worth a close look from Wellingtonians concerned about the future of their Florida horse community, or anyone else around the country in an area where the equestrian lifestyle is threatened by development. Here’s a link: https://eventingnation.com/horse-farms-forever-equestrians-unite-to-save-ocala-horse-farms/
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 7, 2023
The rating of the show jumping grand prix held during the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event will be elevated to a 5-star in 2025, to match the eventing competition’s status.
The Kentucky Invitational, held on the evening of the eventing cross-country at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, attracts a big crowd to the Rolex stadium. It also attracts some big names. The $226,000 3-star 2023 grand prix presented by Hagyard Equine Medical Institute, was won by Daniel Bluman. Others in the line-up included McLain Ward and Conor Swail.
The 2023 3-star grand prix winner, Daniel Bluman on Gemma W, takes a victory lap. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
For 2024, the grand prix will become a 4-star. Equestrian Events Inc., which offers the 5-star eventing and the grand prix, is seeking proposals from show management companies for the jumping. The deadline is Jan. 15.
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 14, 2023
It was the second day in a row of a 1-2-3 finish for British dressage riders at the London International Horse Show, but this time, it was set to music.
Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep dominated on Thursday in the FEI Dressage World Cup Freestyle as they had in the Grand Prix, with the 10-year-old gelding showing controlled power and mature consistency in his first indoor show.
He was marked at 89.465 percent in front of an enthusiastic crowd at the ExCel (Exhibition Centre London), with a high score of 98.600 for the artistic part of the performance. Her lowest artistic mark was 94 (something almost anyone else could only dream of), which puts a number on why the fans were enraptured by her ride.
She got 10s from four of the five judges for the music and her interpretation of it. Charlotte also received three 10s for choreography, one 10 for harmony and another for her canter pirouette right, as well as degree of difficulty.
Charlotte and Imhotep thrilled the crowd at ExCel with their freestyle.
World Champion Lottie Fry was a comfortable distance behind in second place with 85.040 percent on Everdale, who is Imhotep’s sire and wasn’t the rider’s world championship mount.
She did not score lower than a 9 for choreography, degree of difficulty and music (which included French lyrics). But a 5.5 and two 6.5s for collected walk brought her score down a bit.
Lottie Fry and Everdale.
Her experience in the electric arena was “incredible and like no where else,” said Lottie.
“I think this was one of my favorite tests I have ridden. With this new music, it was amazing to ride, and Everdale was just brilliant tonight.”
Becky Moody rode the 9-year-old Jagerbomb to a total of 83.675 percent in her first international freestyle with her homebred gelding by Dante Weltino OLD.
He was full of pizzaz and couldn’t stop bouncing through the awards ceremony as the third-place winner threw in some extra-curricular piaffing. Like Charlotte, Becky is a product of Carl Hester’s supervision.
Charlotte was thrilled to appear again at one of her favorite shows, nine months after giving birth to Isabella Rose.
“It was so sad to miss last year,” she said of the 2022 edition of the show, “but obviously, I was pregnant so there wasn’t anything I could do. But to be back here this year riding makes me feel so proud to be British. To be able to ride in front of a home crowd, I know many of you can’t get to see us when we go abroad…all the competitors, it’s our dream to ride here and I am absolutely over the moon with this horse. To perform what he has tonight and yesterday, I couldn’t ask any more.”
She added about Imhotep, better known around the barn as Pete, “Even though he was nervous, he was still with me, which is all I can ask for. He is still a young horse and has so much more to give.”
A line of two-tempis that melded seamlessly into one-tempis and passage half-pass added sparkle to the ride, the type of touches that Charlotte executes so well. It will be interesting to see how this partnership progresses toward the 2024 Olympics.
“Paris next year, it couldn’t be more exciting,” said Charlotte, who spoke with pride of the team winning gold earlier this year at the European Championships as she reviewed her marvelous year.
The podium for the FEI Dressage World Cup Freestyle in London was all about Britain.
“Incredibly proud moment,” she said before the prize-giving.
“What an honor it is to be British. I can’t thank Carl enough for everything he’s done for me and put me where I am today,” she continued. Carl also is half owner of Pete with Coral Ingham.
“It’s so emotional to think what I’ve achieved this year. I really didn’t think I’d be riding. It’s been fantastic, it’s been the best year ever.”
Becky agreed with Charlotte about the importance of the London International, which many still call Olympia after its former home.
Jagerbomb gets a pat of appreciation from rider Becky Moody.
“You dream about riding at this show. It is somewhere that we all aspire to compete at.
“I was incredibly nervous in the build-up. Being on the podium with Lottie Fry and Charlotte Dujardin is amazing. They both inspire me on a daily basis. They are incredible role models, and it is incredible being sat next to them. But I do have every intention of beating them in the future,” she promised.
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by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 14, 2023
Are you confused by equine regenerative medicine treatments, what they are and what they do?
Find out more in a lecture on “Regenerative Medicine Therapies in Horses” from Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine, presented by Dr. Aimee Colbath, assistant professor in the Section of Large Animal Surgery.
She will focus on regenerative medicine treatments available to horse owners including stem cells, platelet rich plasma, autologous conditioned serum (IRAP) and autologous protein solution (ProStride).
This seminar, part of the Cornell Equine Seminar Series, will be presented on Tuesday, Dec. 19 from 6-7 p.m. Eastern Time via Zoom. The program is free and open to the public. Those interested are asked to register in advance at this link.
Colbath received her VMD from the University of Pennsylvania. Following graduation, she completed a large animal internship at the University of Georgia followed by an equine surgical internship at the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. From 2012-2015, she completed an equine surgical residency at Colorado State University.
In 2022, she started a position in Large Animal Orthopedic Surgery at Cornell University. Clinically, she has a passion for musculoskeletal disease and orthopedic surgery including arthroscopy, fracture repair and lameness, with a special interest in regenerative medicine and whole horse rehabilitation techniques (including acupuncture, kinesiotape and physiotherapy).
Her laboratory focuses on musculoskeletal disease interventions with a special interest in immunotherapeutic treatments and regenerative medicine techniques.
The Cornell Equine Seminar Series is presented by the Cornell University College of Veterinary Medicine’s Equine Hospital, the New York State 4-H Horse Program and Cornell Cooperative Extension. Held monthly, equine experts present on important equine health and management topics.
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 13, 2023
It was exhilarating to see the talent on display Wednesday in the qualifier for Thursday’s FEI World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle at the London International Horse Show. How much better will the top horses perform when the music is playing and the chips are really down?
No surprise that multi-multi medalist Charlotte Dujardin distanced the field in the Grand Prix with Imhotep’s mark of 81.761 percent, but what impressed was the margin she enjoyed over World Champion Lottie Fry on Everdale with a 77.435.
Lottie Fry and Everdale. (Photo London International Horse Show/Peter Nixon)
That being said, Lottie was not on her World Championships horse, who is Glamourdale. She rode Everdale to Olympic bronze in Tokyo. Both are by Lord Leatherdale and known for their exceptional extended canter. And Imhotep is by Everdale, to complete the circle.
The order of finish was 1,2, 3 for Britain, as Becky Moody took third on Jagerbomb with 75.087 percent. (It was also 1,2,3 for KWPN (Dutchbreds), it should be noted. The only thing that marred the afternoon for the British was the elimination of Emilie Faurie, after the judges spotted blood in the mouth of his mount, Bellevue.
Charlotte had one big oops with her 10-year-old mount, nicknamed Pete, when he broke into canter before he made the transition from piaffe into extended walk in the first third of his test. Two of the five judges acknowledged that mistake with marks of 4, which was understandable. Charlotte’s total, however, was buoyed by several 10s, including her final halt. Pete’s power really showed off in his extended trot, and Charlotte’s expertise was demonstrated in her seamless transitions (except for the one referenced above).
It’s a well-deserved victory lap for Charlotte Dujardin and Imhotep, better known as Pete. (Photo London International Horse Show/Peter Nixon)
Charlotte’s partner, Dean Golding, was on hand with their daughter, Isabella Rose, born in February. The two of them watched with Charlotte’s longtime mentor, Carl Hester, who was not competing.
Pete, who hasn’t been outside the top three placings in his starts this year, sparkled and enjoyed the crowd at ExCel during the class presented by Bret Willson Dressage International Ltd. and supported by Horse & Hound. The show, a London fixture at Christmas, used to be known as “Olympia” after its former home in the city.
“It’s Imhotep’s first indoor show, so for him to come here — to this incredible show with an amazing set-up and atmosphere — and perform so well with no experience is amazing,” said Charlotte.
Charlotte and Imhotep.
“I missed coming to the London International Horse Show so much last year and am so happy to be back, this time it being even more special with my daughter, Isabella, watching me.”
Charlotte, looking forward to the freestyle, added “I am so excited for tomorrow, I absolutely love the Freestyle to Music, it’s the party piece. Who knows how Imhotep will go?
“Fingers crossed, he will be okay. He’s such a fantastic horse and I love him to bits. If he needs me to hold his hand, I can hold his hand, I can feel him breathe and I can reassure him and it’s the most incredible feeling. To have the opportunity to go into that arena and do that performance is all very exciting.”
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by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 7, 2023
Marty Bauman and Colleen McQuay, two popular members of the equestrian community who are inspirational, influential and important to the hunter/jumper disciplines, received the William J. Moroney Visionary Award at the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s annual meeting in North Carolina this week.
Marty is a man of integrity who is always reaching out to help others. I speak from personal experience on that front, having known him for 40 years as a media chief for many major competitions and equestrian organizations. He is the gold standard in that profession.
The Massachusetts resident founded Classic Communications in 1979. He serves as executive director of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame and Museum. He was U.S. press officer at the 1992, 1996 and 2000 Olympic Games; 10 FEI Show Jumping World Cup Finals and the 2010 FEI World Equestrian Games.
His expertise in public relations and dedication to horse sport has raised its profile and polished its image over the years.
Marty Bauman on the job. (Photo © by Lawrence J. Nagy)
“If I am being given this award because of what I have given to the horse show world, all I can say is: anything I’ve given to the horse show world is nothing compared to what it has given me,” he said.
He thanked not only USHJA, but also “everyone who has been part of my life and the horse show world itself.”
Colleen, a Texan who has played a key role in some of USHJA’s most popular Hunter programs, is a trainer and rider who served as a founding member of the association.
She has contributed to the success of the International Hunter Derby and Green Hunter Incentive programs, including the Rider Ranking System designed to give more prize money back to riders. She helped establish the Super Series Group in 2012 with the goal of growing the Texas Hunter industry. Her commitment to the Hunter discipline has served members across the country and advanced the sport to what we know it as today.
She is a member of a famous reining family, and the grandmother of hunt seat equitation star Carlee McCutcheon.
“I need to share this with all of the people that I was lucky enough to get to work with over all the years,” said Colleen in accepting her award.
“Thanks to the USHJA and everybody involved in creating these awards and letting us know that our work is appreciated.” She noted that “even the heavy debates are treasured memories.”
Robin Rost-Brown, of Ocala, Florida, is the Volunteer of the Year. This award recognizes volunteers behind the scenes who work long hours with a passion for bringing the sport forward and providing a safe, fair and understandable sport for fellow equestrians.
“This year’s award winner is a person I can count on 100 percent, all of the time. She is integrity through and through. She is strength. She is quiet. She is peace, she is wisdom and she is Robin Rost-Brown,” said USHJA President Mary Knowlton upon presenting the award.
Robin, co-vice president of the USHJA Board of Directors, has spent her life dedicated to the Hunter/Jumper sport. Along with training top riders, she is an “R” Hunter and Hunter/Jumping Seat Equitation judge who has presided over shows across the country. In addition to serving on the USHJA’s Board, Joint Equitation Task Force, Hunter Working Group and Rules Committee, she sits on USEF’s National Breeds and Disciplines Council and National Hunter Committee.
“I am so honored to have been selected as the recipient of the USHJA Volunteer Of The Year Award, Robin stated.
“As I read the description of this award I am humbled to learn that it is the highest USHJA honor awarded to a volunteer.” She added she is “forever grateful to Mary Knowlton and the staff for selecting me!”
The recipient of the coveted Lifetime Achievement Award was Linda Andrisani, who has excelled as a trainer, rider and judge. Her 40 years of experience includes presiding at such important competitions as the Capital Challenge, Devon and the Winter Equestrian Festival, as well as international fixtures.
She ran a show hunter barn, Monkton Manor, in Maryland with her late partner, Jack Stedding. Those who know her best describe her as “a mentor to many; an example to all.”
Her governance work includes stints on the USHJA Foundation Board of Directors, USEF’s National Hunter Committe and the USHJA Officials Education Committee.
The President’s Distinguished Service Award recognizes and honors dedication and service by members and volunteers to the USHJA and the sport. It is presented to those who have gone beyond the call of duty to bring the Hunter/Jumper sport to a new level and benefit the USHJA membership. This year’s recipients are Beverly Bedard, Jim Hagman, Connie Tramm Hunt, Liz Soroka, Cricket Stone and Peter Wylde.
Bev, a dedicated horsewoman from Pennsylvania who has been licensed as a recognized steward since 1967, also has her large R for judging Hunters, Hunter Seat Equitation and Jumpers. She has stewarded prestigious competitions including the National Horse Show, Capital Challenge, Gulf Coast Classics, Tryon International Equestrian Center, Upperville, Pennsylvania National Horse Show and many more. In 2013, she was awarded The Edna Lytle Perpetual Trophy during the USEF Pony Finals for her dedication and service to the Hunter/Jumper community.
Jim has been a professional in the Hunter/Jumper sport for more than 40 years after building a successful lesson and training program, Elvenstar, from the ground up in California. His passion is for growing the sport and helping upcoming athletes pave the way for their future, He has turned Elvenstar into not only a top hunter/jumper facility but also focuses on growing horsemanship skills. Elvenstar is host to USHJA programs including hosting MZ Farms/USHJA Emerging Athletes Regional Training Sessions, is a USHJA Recognized Riding Academy and hosts live educational sessions for the new USHJA Instructor Credential.
Connie is a large R judge for Hunter, Jumping Seat Equitation and Hunter Breeding, and a small “r” Jumper judge. The Michigan resident educates USHJA members through her involvement as a lead clinician in Licensed Official clinics, USHJA education webinars, serving as co-chair of the USHJA Officials Education Committee and a member of the Licensed Officials Committee for USEF.
Liz is well-known at horse shows in the Northeast for her impeccable skills in event coordination, organization, assisting showgrounds crew, building jumps and recently co-founding StableMaster LLC, which enables managers and exhibitors to order stable supplies at shows. The Shelter Island, N.Y., resident’s work has long been recognized, as she was awarded the Vital Horse Show Staff Award 2018 and is an integral part of making sure horse shows run smoothly, whether the task is behind the scenes or out in the ring.
Cricket is heavily involved in USHJA sports governance and educational programs. The Virginian is on the USHJA Board of Directors and holds a USHJA Instructor credential and a large “R”/C1 Steward Measurement Certification. She is a Certified Schooling Supervisor, member of the USHJA Affiliate Regional Council for Zones 3-5, vice chair of the Horsemanship Quiz Challenge Committee and member of the Zone 3 Committee. Her passion for furthering the sport and education of members is a great commitment to the association.
Peter is involved with the MZ Farms/USHJA Emerging Athletes Program, serving as National Training Session head clinician since the program’s inception in 2009. The New Yorker’s commitment to the sport, love for horses, and enthusiasm for teaching draws him back to the program each year.
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 8, 2023
A veteran and a newcomer took the big classes at the Rolex Geneva Switzerland show over the weekend, with Steve Guerdat and Richard Vogel showing their prowess at one of the world’s toughest competitions.
Swiss star Steve Guerdat won the International Jumping Riders Club Top 10 final for the third time in his career on Friday in Geneva with the only double clear aboard Venard de Cerisy.
“I am very excited – it is unbelievable to win this incredible class for the third time,” Steve said after his victory.
Steve Guerdat shows love for the IJRC trophy. (Tiffany van Halle photo)
“It is truly extraordinary. I have had so much success at this amazing show – but it keeps surprising me! The crowd was amazing and the atmosphere at the CHI Geneva is exceptional, this moment means so much to me.”
He added, “Venard was incredible – he has been such a great horse for me and I am so proud of him. This win would not be possible without my team – they really deserve this win as much as me.”
The class was open to the top 10 ranked riders in the world, over a course designed by Gerard Lechat. Henrik von Eckermann of Sweden, world number one, had a rail in the second round with King Edward to finish second. His time of 48.52 seconds also was slower than Steve’s 48.13.
Third went to the only U.S. representative, Kent Farrington, who is also number three in the world. He had a rail in the first round with Greya, but recouped in the second round with a slow and careful clear in 54.80 seconds.
The Geneva show’s closing feature on Sunday, the Rolex Grand Prix, was won by the up-and-coming Richard Vogel of Germany on United Touch S.
Richard Vogel and United Touch S. (Photo by Tiffany van Halle)
The German rider said: “I am very close with McLain Ward (2022’s grand prix winner), and I watched the whole jump-off from last year last night – I knew that to win here you would have to be fast, and so even though I was first to go, I decided to really push for it.”
He topped the jump-off in 37.14 seconds, more than two seconds ahead of runner-up Mark McCauley of Ireland on GRS Lady Amaro (39.77).
The USA’s Jessica Springsteen finished sixth in the seven-horse tie-breaker on Don Juan van de Donkhove, logging eight faults. The other U.S. rider in the class, Kent Farrington, had a rail in the first round with Greya and was fourteenth.
McLain Ward qualified for the 2023 IJRC top 10. But he elected to go instead to the Desert Circuit in California where there was a $1 million class. He had no luck, however, and retired Contagious in the class. His place in the top 10 in Switzerland was taken by Ireland’s Shane Sweetnam, world number 11, who finished sixth with a 0/8 score on James Kann Cruz. He was 18th in the grand prix.
Click here for results for the IJRC top ten.
Click this link for Rolex Grand Prix results
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by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 8, 2023
Kelli Cruciotti-Vanderveen’s Isabella van de Zuuthoeve was euthanized Thursday night after an accident during a $50,000 show jumping competition at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala.
“There are no words to express the sadness I feel right now,” Kelli said on social media.She was thrown from her horse and unhurt in the incident involving the nine 9-year-old Belgian sporthorse mare.
“My heart is broken into a million pieces and I am sure I will never be the same . Last night, my beautiful Isabella went to heaven after a tragic accident at the second-to-last jump in the Grand Prix.
“Bella was a superstar from the moment she came to our stable as a green seven-year old. She was a winner, a fighter and truly one of the most talented horses I’ve ever had the privilege to ride . There are so many memories that I will never forgot, so many firsts, so many wins and so much joy,” she stated.
“Thank you to Team Cheese for always being there no matter what, for all your work in transforming us into the team we were and always believing we could do anything.”
The veterinary team at WEC Ocala, led by official veterinarian Dr. Larry Wexler and FEI Veterinary Delegate Dr.Kim Snyder, as well as veterinarians from the University of Florida Veterinary Hospital at WEC, attended to the horse immediately. She was made as comfortable as possible before being transported by equine ambulance to the on-site hospital.
The veterinary team, working in collaboration with the rider’s team, made the difficult decision to humanely euthanize the horse due to her catastrophic hind leg injury.
“Thank you to World Equestrian Center and the team of veterinarians for their professional and loving work last night in taking care of our sweet Bella,” Kelli said.
“Thank you to everyone who has reached out and sent such amazing messages. I haven’t gotten to all of them yet but I appreciate them more than you know. Finally, thank you sweet Cheese for letting me be your person, we fought together until the very end and you somehow knew to keep me safe from harm during all of it. Thank you for letting me fly with you , I will never forget it.”
