by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 19, 2023
Boyd Martin has never been shy about advising people what he’s up to, but he reached a new pinnacle in that regard with his new year letter (complete with photos) to friends, owners, supporters and sponsors.
He touches on everything he’s been up to, including his quest to be the number one-ranked eventer in the world, giving up drinking alcohol in his eternal quest for fitness; managing to stay out of the hospital for awhile despite being accident prone and what’s going on with his wife, Silva, and their irrepressible children, Nox and Leo. Boyd also generously thanked the people who work for him and his wife, from the nanny to the stable help.
Boyd and Silva Martin with their children, Nox and Leo (Photo courtesy Boyd Martin)
I think his letter offers a real insight into the thinking and life of a top rider. You’ll find it interesting. Here are some edited excerpts from what he had to say:
“In the first week of January, the bulk of the eventing horses moved to our winter training base in Aiken, S.C. For many years we have been training out of a beautiful facility named Stable View. A lot of the other top professionals have now chosen Ocala, Fla., over Aiken for their winter base.
“I personally still feel Aiken is the perfect spot for my horses and team. Firstly, the month of January is really about getting the horses fit and build up their condition. Stable View is perfect for that. It is a 2,000-acre property with superb facilities to get the horses built up for the up coming year. I believe it’s important not to to rush the horses to competition too soon.
“With our group of horses, it is a very detailed slow progression of work.
“I truly think that this prepares them for the upcoming year. It’s very easy to get overly excited early in the year and I truly believe a lot of the injuries occur when the base fitness is missed in the early stages of their preparation for the competition season.
“We start competing in February as we start preparing for the big events this spring. With all of the horses in training, we have major goals marked throughout the year. Make no mistake, we want to win these major goals and be at the top. A lot of the competitions leading up to these major goals and events are the contests that lead to this ultimate success. I believe it’s important to understand that it’s not that productive long-term for us to try to win every start. This is a long journey.
“Silva’s team of dressage horses are braving the cold in Pennsylvania for January and February. The new indoor arena at Windurra (the Martins’ farm) is superb. Having this new world class indoor means that the training of the horses in the winter is unaffected due to the weather. The cost of building it was crippling, but we are thrilled with it. McComsey Builders have done a superb job of exceeding our expectations with this building.
“Silva will take a top group of horses to Wellington in March to compete and train. At the moment, Silva has the most exciting group of horses that she has ever had. Her group of owners are top-class, and the quality of horses is outstanding. (Here is a link to the story I wrote last September about Silva and her career prospects.) Silva had a bit of a blip in her career with a brain injury and two pregnancies. It’s not until now I that she she is now in a place to really crack on with her equestrian career. I think the next years in Silva’s riding carrier could be some of her best.
“Family life is absolutely full-on. Nox has started his new schooling life at the Upland School where he has entered the 1st grade, whilst Leo is continuing his studies at the magnificent London Grove Pre-School. In the last 12 months Nox has started to understand the fierce enjoyment of competition. Leo still sees his sports as a great opportunity to chat and play with the other children. Sport seems to be more of a social event for him at the moment. Ice hockey is definitely the winter choice of sports, and swimming, soccer, and lacrosse for the rest of the year.
Boyd with his future ice hockey stars, Leo and Nox. (Photo courtesy of Boyd Martin)
“Both boys are enjoying jumping on the horses after school. After many attempts, both Silva and I realize that they both don’t think we know what we are talking about with horses and that we pay for riding lessons at the local riding school up the road each week. I actually think it’s better if I don’t try to help them with the art of riding a horse, but just have fun when we ride together.
“We are slowly getting through the projects into developing Windurra into the ultimate training facility. Currently the farm is a mixture of being very Australian with electric tape paddocks and some very workmanlike stables, with the other half looking very German (Silva is a native of Germany) with beautiful arenas and attractive landscaping.
“For me, it was a mixture of results last year with the event horses. I was a little short of top, top horses with a number of my superstars sidelined with injuries and the next generation about to pop through to the 5-star ranks.
“I finally won a medal at the World Championships after 12 years of attempts, and was lucky enough to win Rider of the Year in the U.S. 2023 looks very exciting for me. Some of my faithful soldiers are back in action, and we have purchased a couple of very exciting new horses. The younger group of horses coming through also look amazing. If all goes to plan this upcoming year, I have a real chance of being number one in the world.
Boyd on his victory gallop after winning the Maryland 5-star in 2021. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
“Obviously, this all revolves around finding the best horses, and more importantly having a loyal, generous group of supporters behind us. Starting the sport from the bottom makes me realize how much we appreciate the support. We never feel entitled when it comes to people stepping up and sponsoring horses, and we also completely understand how much of a financial commitment it is. The reality is that the horse sports at the top level is getting more and more competitive.
“To win the big ones, you need the best quality horse you can get your hands on. This type of horse is getting harder and harder to find. It’s also getting more and more expensive to buy the best ones. This is the name of the game. We have all of the other parts in place. Work ethic, top staff, brilliant coaches, perfect training facilities and experience and mileage at the top end of competition.
“I also achieved another personal goal of giving up the demon drink for the last 12 months. Over the years, I have had a love/hate relationship with alcohol. To be honest, I love a cold beer at the end of the day, but it slowly evolved into a daily extremity. I have always struggled with moderation in all areas of my life, and at the moment, I need to be at my best with all of the balls I am juggling.
“Eventually I would like to try to revisit having a social cocktail, but for now I will continue living the life as a monk. The other major change moving forward will be to cut back on teaching so many lessons in a day at the farm. I have often found it hard to say no to things, but I believe to be the best.
“I need to focus more on my riding and training at home, rather than to zoom through my list of horses so I can start teaching at 2pm. I will still help a handful of the top professionals on occasions and still teach clinics at quieter times of the year but am planning to just slow right down on the ship-in lessons from local riders. I have a lot of top horses now, and I need to give them as much time as I can. Sometimes my biggest enemy in life are the distractions and it’s important for me to focus on keeping the main thing, the main thing!
“My body has held up very well in the last year. After having a never ending run of surgeries and injuries in my early 40’s, I believe I have found a good system of staying healthy. I continue working with my physio Andrew Russell, my yoga instructor Biz Magarity, and my personal fitness trainer Kenny Ray. Doing a series of stretch’s and exercises each day along with a healthy diet has improved me as an athlete. I feel better in my body and I also think it has helped my mental health. I feel better and am generally more happy in life.
“I have kept the circle of coaches the same with Silva doing most of the dressage, Peter Wylde the show jumping and Erik Duvander overseeing all of the training. In my opinion, these three coaches are the best in the business. I still believe that I am improving. I also think it’s important to keep wanting to get better, even after all of these years.
“This time last year, I spoke about the transition of the USEF team. I didn’t know what to expect. Honestly, after the last year, I think it’s been great for me. I have had more opportunity to work with the coaches I believe suit me and my horses the most.
“I am still unsure if this way is good for the whole country, but for me personally, it’s been great. It seems a lot of the countries around the world are heading in this direction. The new Chef d’Equipe, Bobby Costello, has had a bit more of a managing role and has had a lot of success in his first year. To keep going forward, I believe we should back him and the team and keep trying to win medals at every level!”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 13, 2023
Take heart, working students. It is possible to make it to the top of the game with a lot of effort. A case in point is Adrienne Lyle, who began her rise as a working student for Debbie McDonald in 2005.
Adrienne Lyle as a working student on Miguel, the first horse show brought to Grand Prix. (Photo © 2005 by Nancy Jaffer)
Last night, she won the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s International Equestrian of the Year honors, presented at the organization’s annual meeting in Kentucky. It only took 18 years for her to get there.
The trophy was awarded based on a popular vote, and Adrienne acknowledged her supporters, saying, “I want to thank everyone who took the time to vote in the USEF Equestrian of the Year awards. I’m very humbled to receive this award.”
Adrienne Lyle and Salvino in action. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
A 2021 Tokyo Olympic team silver medalist, Adrienne went on to comment, “One of my favorite sayings is that when a rider stands on a podium, they never stand alone. It is incredible how many people’s dreams are intertwined in this sport of ours, and just what a huge village it takes to help make these dreams come true.
“I’m thankful to all the amazing people in my life who have supported me and helped shape me into the rider and horsewoman I am today. I want to say a special thank you to my long-time coach, Debbie McDonald; Salvino’s owner, Betsy Juliano; and my whole team of fabulous grooms at home, who are such an integral part of any success our team has.
“Last, but certainly not least, thank you to these horses—these amazing animals who allow us to be part of their journey and bring so much joy to so many lives.”
A veteran of two Olympics, Adrienne also was on the 2022 world championships team that clinched a berth for the U.S. in the 2024 Paris Olympics. Now she is working toward qualifying with Salvino for the FEI World Cup Finals in Omaha this April.
Friday night Jan. 13 moved her closer to that goal, as she won the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle with a score of 83.540 percent. Second went to Sarah Tubman on First Apple (78.250). It was Adrienne’s second freestyle victory this season as she accumulated points for Omaha.
But it all began where she grew up, on Whidbey Island in Washington State.
Adrienne with a young horse during her working student days in 2006. (Photo © 2006 by Nancy Jaffer)
“We had cows and a couple of ponies,” Adrienne recalls of her life on her parents’ small farm. “I started hacking around, riding Western and bareback—I never had formal lessons then. I joined the U.S. Pony Club when I was nine years old because some of my friends joined.”
She went to her first Pony Club dressage lesson with a Western saddle on a $200 pony named Salsa. From there, she rode in Pony Club Games and started eventing.
She began to develop a small business at her parents’ farm, both bringing horses in to train and managing the barn. “I was mucking and grooming. I learned how to write down all my income and expenses–what you can write off and what you can’t–and how to keep track of everything.”
Like all working students, Adrienne spent her fair share of time cleaning bridles. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Adrienne found herself most interested in the dressage aspect of eventing.
“I’d get problem horses and spend so much time in dressage work that when I finally put a jump in front of them, it wasn’t a big deal anymore,” she says. “I just loved the training process.”
With Miguel, a Swedish warmblood gelding, she earned a team silver medal at the 2002 Cosequin Junior Dressage Team Championship at Dressage at Devonwood in Portland, Oregon. It would be the first of many medals for her.
In 2004, competing in the North American Young Riders’ Championships, she and Miguel contributed to a team bronze medal for Region 6.
The next year, Adrienne began working on a plan to take some lessons with dressage icon Debbie McDonald. She arranged to stay at the farm of a family friend in Hailey, Idaho, Debbie’s hometown, doing chores in exchange for Miguel’s board–so she could trailer to Debbie’s base at River Grove, for training.
During the initial lesson she gave Adrienne, Debbie recalls, “The first thing I noticed was her natural ability and the feel she has for riding. I was impressed with the training she had done and how far she had brought this horse.”
The bonus was Adrienne’s attitude (are you paying attention, working students?)
“She’s a joy to be around,” said Debbie. “She gets along with anybody.”
Adrienne’s workday started at 7 or 8 a.m. In addition to riding, she groomed, wrapped and iced the horses’ legs when needed. She cleaned tack, laundered blankets and bandages, fed, watered, turned out horses and helped manage the veterinary care and shoeing schedules. And if sweeping and vacuuming were necessary, she did those chores, too.
“Most kids today just want to ride,” Debbie once observed. Adrienne was different.
“She knows there’s a lot of work involved in horses. You don’t look at the watch when you’re working with horses and she’s willing to do all that. She accepts all aspects of the business. If it means cleaning a bathroom or a stall, she is up for it.”
Everyone at the USEF dinner could see how that turned out.
The National Equestrian of the Year title for the second time went to hunter rider Hunt Tosh. In 2022, he was a winner everywhere, from Devon to the 2022 Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby Championships in August, There, he took two of the top three spots: the champion title with Wheeler family’s Cannon Creek and third place with Ceil Wheeler’s 2013 warmblood gelding, Autograph.
Hunt Tosh and Cannon Creek. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
“One definition of ‘horseman’ is one whose skill with horses is exceptional,” said Hunt. “Although I do not consider myself exceptional, I’m fortunate to be surrounded by those who are: a group of people that includes my family, friends, vets, farriers, grooms, breeders, farm manager, and owners who I am lucky enough to call my friends. I learn something from these exceptional people every day. But we all owe the most to the horses. To be able to spend my life caring for these animals is a privilege.”
In addition to Adrienne, eventer Will Coleman and para dressage rider Kate Shoemaker were nominated for the international rider title.
Those in addition to Tosh who were nominated for national titles included Janae Griffin (Friesian),James Hitt (Arabian), Wendy Potts (Arabian), Jim B. Robertson II (Roadster) and
Matt Siemon (Arabian).
The 2022 USEF Lifetime Achievement Award was presented posthumously to Hope Hand, a leader who helped develop paralympic competition for equestrians.
Hope, who died last year, began riding at age 10. She discovered para dressage as an adult, when her daughter, Amy, learned about the sport as part of a school project on the Paralympics. That opened the door to Hope’s life work and lasting legacy in equestrian sport, as both an elite athlete and as a sport leader.
She was first alternate to the Atlanta 1996 Paralympic Team and competed at the British Invitational in 1997, earning gold, silver, and bronze. As a member of the U.S. team at the 1999 World Dressage Championships, she won a bronze medal. She also competed at the 2000 Paralympics in Sydney, Australia, finishing fifth in the overall standings.
In addition to serving on the USEF board and on numerous committees, Hand also was president of the U.S. Para-Equestrian Association. She was instrumental in transitioning para dressage into an FEI and USEF sport, and never missed an opportunity to educate, recruit, or mentor participants, from the grassroots to the elite level.
Her tireless support for para dressage and its athletes contributed to the growth of the sport and the success of the U.S. program, including the U.S. Para Dressage Team’s outstanding results at the Tokyo 2020 Paralympic Games.
Other USEF award winners were USEF Junior Equestrian of the Year: Skylar Wireman; Sallie Busch Wheeler Trophy for Distinguished Service to Equestrian Sport: Elisabeth Goth;
Ellen Scripps Davis Memorial Breeders’ Award: Eleanor Hamilton and Maryanna Haymon;
Kip Rosenthal Memorial High Score Equitation Award: Augusta Iwasaki; Pegasus Medal of Honor: Jan Decker, Sally McClure Jackson and John R. “Doc” Steele.
Also: Richard E. McDevitt Award of Merit: William “Bill” Ellis, John King, Antonio “Pusito” Lopez, Richard Picken, Nancy Turrill; USEF/EQUUS Foundation Humanitarian Award: Meris Bickford; USEF Youth Sportsman’s Award: Ryder Richardson and Walter B. Devereux Sportsmanship Award: Charlotte Skinner-Robson.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 11, 2023
As much as a new year is a time for looking ahead, it also is an opportunity to look back and enjoy a bit of nostalgia.
For me, what filled the bill on the latter perspective was “The Outside of a Horse,” a book of recollections by Steven D. Price.
The subtitle is, “MyLlife On, Off and Around Horses,” which covers a lot of ground for this retired book editor/author, who enjoyed more than the horses during his involvement in the equestrian world for nearly 70 years. The characters he met, the places he visited, all come alive with his winning writing style. If you didn’t know them before, you will after you read the book.
Steve was someone I often would see at the National Horse Show or in Wellington, Fla., the “Winter Equestrian Capital of the World.” A keen observer of the equestrian vista and the people he met around horses, Steve always had a reminiscence or a tale to tell.
Steve cubbing in Virginia.
I suggested he should write them all down at the very least, or better yet, compile a book. That’s what he did, and I have been remiss in not doing a story about it until now, because it wears so well that there did not appear to be any urgency in telling my readers about it.
But finally, with my new year’s resolution not to procrastinate, I have gotten around to it.
The volume is peppered with names you’ll recognize, even though many have moved into the mists of history. Steve mentions his encounters with Gordon Wright, the great trainer who was an icon of the sport in the mid-Twentieth Century; former U.S. Equestrian Team show jumping captain Bill Steinkraus, a close friend; Alexander Mackay-Smith, the longtime editor of the Chronicle of the Horse as well as a founder of the U.S. Pony Club and the U.S. Combined Training Association; Triple Crown winner Secretariat and Joy Slater, the steeplechase jockey/jumper rider with whom he wrote a book.
Among the others who will ring a bell with my older audience, and perhaps a few of the younger readers, too, are Victor Hugo-Vidal, whose resonant voice echoed through Madison Square Garden in the days when he announced the National Horse Show there, “bon vivant” Mason Phelps, founder of the International Jumping Derby, and the toast of the show jumping scene, Rodney Jenkins, with whom Steve was supposed to write a book, but it didn’t work out. Ditto trainer/artist Ronnie Mutch, whose illustration graces the cover of the volume.
Steve noted there are those who have called him “the Zelig of the horse world.” Zelig, as portrayed in Woody Allen’s 1983 movie of that name, was an “ever-present and often inconspicuous figure” at major historic events.
For his part, Steve was apt to turn up anywhere on the equestrian landscape, from the National (at several different venues), chatting at the ingate with Harry DeLeyer of Snowman fame and being on hand for the 1978 World Three-Day Eventing Championships, which made the new Kentucky Horse Park a destination.
Steve was an amateur rider. Not amateur, as in amateur-owner hunters, but a hobby horseman. He started riding, the same way so many others have, at camp. In the 1950s, that was a whole different experience. Seat-of-the-pants sums it up. No one bothered with a hard hat (helmets were not in the picture until years later) and lace-up shoes with heels sufficed for those who didn’t have boots.
But the joy of those days, even with the difficulties of learning to post in a western saddle, left Steve with a lifelong love of horses and riding. It was the seed for moving on, to training with Kip Rosenthal, as well as adventures that included bit of low-key showing, and fox hunting in Ireland. Then there was the time that he almost ran into Great Britain’s Prince Phillip on the dance floor during at party at the 1983 FEI World Cup Finals in Vienna. What could be more Zelig?
Steve in a lesson with Kip Rosenthal.
His first book, in 1972, was “Teaching Riding at Summer Camp,” even though he was far from an expert. That set the stage for the dozens of volumes he would produce, from a hunter/jumper manual with Anthony D’Ambrosio, now best known as a course designer, to the story of the Budweiser Clydesdales and “Riding for a Fall,” a polo primer.
He was involved in the production of “Thou Shalt Fly Without Wings,” the welcoming video that greeted visitors to the new Kentucky Horse Park’s museum, which opened after the 1978 championships.
Steve also produced an equestrian mystery, a la Dick Francis, but set in the horse show milieu rather than racing.
Have a good time sharing Steve’s adventures, including his involvement with a Japanese businessman’s Arabian operation at a Kentucky farm, where several Mongolians who didn’t speak English came to check out the horses. Hilarious.
He also fulfilled a lifelong dream by riding in the Grand Entry at a Texas rodeo, 65 years after he first clambered on a horse at camp. His life reads like a great fun ride.
Fulfilling a dream in the Grand Entry at a Texas rodeo.
If you want to join in vicariously, the book can be ordered at https://www.blurb.com/b/10564104-the-outside-of-a-horse.
Oh, and about the title: It’s from a famous quote, attributed to Churchill and others: “There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 11, 2023
The subject of equine nutrition always raises many questions. The Rutgers Horse Management Seminar has the answers with a free online series that will be available to viewers around the globe.
The seminars will be held from 6:30-8:30 p.m. on Wednesday evenings, Feb. 8, 15 and 22. Those interested may sign up for the series of individual seminars.
Each virtual seminar will feature two to three speakers that we have done recent work in their field, offering the latest practical scientific information. Every evening will focus on a broad topic area with time for questions after the speaker presentations.
On Feb. 8, the topic is research-based supplements. A panel of speakers from universities that are performing research on various classes of ulcers will explain what they are doing and answer questions on ulcer supplements, antioxidants and joint supplements; omega-3’s and anti-inflammatory supplements.
The speakers are Dr. Frank Andrews, Louisiana State University, ulcer supplements; Dr. Wendy Pearson, University of Guelph, joint supplements and Dr. Sarah White-Springer, Texas A&M, Omega-3, anti-inflammatory.
Nutritionally related disorders take center stage Feb. 15, covering nutritional problems and regulation of muscle mass, as well as issues with having certain horses on pasture.
Speakers are Dr. Kristine Urschel, University of Kentucky, “Nutritional Regulation Of Muscle Mass” and Dr. Shannon Pratt-Phillips, North Carolina State, “Potential Issues With Horses On Pasture.”
All-forage diets are the focus Feb. 22. Some subtopics will include weight loss strategies for overweight horses kept on pasture and making sure an all-forage diet is balanced, as well as the proper use of alfalfa for horses.
Speakers are Dr. Amanda Grev, University Of Maryland, “Alfalfa: When Is It The Right Choice For Horses?” and Dr. Amy Burk, University of Maryland, “Weight Loss Strategies And Management Of Horses On Pasture, And All Forage Diets”
For more specific speaker information and to register for the series or any of the individual evenings, all of which are free, go to https://go.rutgers.edu/2023HMS
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 23, 2022
It’s a sign of the times: the British Equestrian Federation has formed a new independent body to provide guidance and recommendations in connection with equine well-being and standards.
Remember the emphasis the FEI (international equestrian federation) puts on social license to operate, as public opinion of horse sports is emphasized. Here is link to a story I wrote last month about the impact of social license in a world where everyone has a video camera in their phone.
Britain’s Equine Welfare and Ethics Advisory Group will work to provide evidence-based best practice, make recommendations on critical issues within equestrian sport and develop guidance to promote an ethical horse/human relationship.
Those serving on the group include Roly Owers, CEO of World Horse Welfare; Dickie Waygood, the federation’s technical director and John McEwen, the British federation’s director of equine sports science and medicine.
According to McEwen,“This advisory body hasn’t been set up to defend our sports; more to champion further improved welfare standards which will ensure equestrianism and the sports under the control of the BEF member bodies operates in a safe and ethical environment.”
Next year, the group will cover equine welfare and safeguarding issues and the concept of social license with the mission to explore how best to support the BEF member bodies. Among areas of responsibility are:
• Identifying key threats and challenges, both real and perceived.
• Identifying and collating current issues and considering scientific evidence to support best practice.
• Providing a Federation-wide strategic overview of equine care, well-being and welfare in sport.
• Identifying areas in which further research is needed and research priorities.
• Advising and making recommendations on areas where rule changes should be considered.
• Advising the BEF on response to welfare issues.
Independent chair of the new group, Madeleine Campbell said; “I anticipate that the group will provide clear guidance and a framework for everyone to champion equine welfare in a way which clearly puts the horse’s well-being first and foremost and optimizes their care, and ultimately contributes to preserving our sports and to maintaining the social license to ride and keep horses in the future.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 19, 2022
The man behind the scenes at the wonderland that is the World Equestrian Center Ocala is director of operations Vinnie Card.
He came up through the ranks elsewhere and now is devoted to the state-of-the-art facility that is a calling as much as it is a full-time job.
Vinnie Card and a therapy mini horse in the lobby of the 5-star hotel at WEC Ocala. (Andrew Ryback Photography)
Read about him at this link.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 13, 2023
Debbie McDonald, the USA’s former dressage technical advisor, and her husband, Bob, “are looking forward to 2023” as a fresh start, after SafeSport allegations involving him and a subsequent civil lawsuit naming both of them have been swept away.
In 2021, Debbie led the squad in Tokyo to the USA’s first Olympic team silver dressage medal since 1948. A few months later, however, after the lawsuit was filed, the U.S. Equestrian Federation did not renew her contract.
She remains active in working with private clients, including Adrienne Lyle (see this website’s featured story). Debbie also has trained many other successful international competitors, including Laura Graves, who for 2018 took the same USEF award that Adrienne just won.
Debbie and Bob McDonald with Brentina. (Photo © 2009 by Nancy Jaffer)
In a hand-written statement today, Bob said:
“Thank you to the witnesses that came forward to provide testimony in the SafeSport arbitration of the case against me from the mid-1970s.
The SafeSport case was closed in February of 2022 by a ‘preponderance of the evidence;’ no sanctions were issued against me. This constituted the ‘written reasoned final decision’ by the arbitrator in accordance with the SafeSport Code.
“The civil case against Debbie and me (in which we were never served) was dismissed in March 2022.
“Debbie and I just celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary this December. After a prolonged process we are happy to move on together and continue to enjoy the sport we love.
“To those of you who stood by us, we cannot thank you enough for your belief, kind words, and encouragement.”
Debbie was the sweetheart of the dressage world when she became the first American to win the FEI Dressage World Cup Finals on Brentina. They took double gold at the 1999 Pan American Games, team silver at the 2002 FEI World Equestrian Games and team bronze at the 2004 Olympics and 2006 FEI World Equestrian Games.
With Brentina’s retirement, Debbie went on to make a name for herself as a trainer, creating more medalists for the U.S.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 14, 2023
Tonight, two days after being named the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s International Rider of the Year, Adrienne Lyle stepped up to the podium again to claim another award
Betsy Juliano’s Salvino, Adrienne’s top mount, was named USEF/Smart Pak International Horse of the Year at the annual meeting in Kentucky. The award was determined by a popular vote, and the stallion has the credentials to warrant his victory.
He and Adrienne partnered for team silvers at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games and the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. At this year’s world championships, they were on the team that qualified the U.S. for a berth in the 2024 Paris Olympics.
Betsy Juliano, Adrienne Lyle, USEF President Tom O’Mara, Debbie McDonald and Morgan Klingensmith. (Photo courtesy of USEF)
“None of you would know about Salvino without his best friend, trusted confidant, and rider Adrienne Lyle, the USEF International Equestrian of the Year,” said Betsy after accepting the award for her 16-year-old Hanoverian by Sandro Hit.
“She has made this horse who he is. In my opinion, a horse can have talent to the moon but without a rider who he or she can learn from, they will never reach their full potential,” Betsy continued.
“Alongside Adrienne, there is the dedication of trainer Debbie McDonald and head groom Morgan Klingensmith, who have improved [Salvino] along the way.”
Adding to the luster of Adrienne’s weekend, she won Friday night’s freestyle in Wellington, Fla., with Salvino. It was a qualifier for the FEI World Cup Finals to be held this April in Omaha.
On the national side at the USEF annual meeting,the Wheeler family’s Cannon Creek was voted Horse of the Year. The winner of the Platinum Performance/USHJA International Hunter Derby last year, he is ridden by Hunt Tosh, the USEF’s national rider of the year.
“This is an incredible honor for my parents, Ceil and Kenny Wheeler, and my uncle, Douglas Wheeler,” said Sallie-Mason Wheeler in accepting the honor.
“Cannon Creek is a big, sweet, amazing horse. Hunt Tosh and everyone there has done an incredible job with him. On behalf of the Wheeler family and Hunt Tosh Incorporated, we are just extremely grateful.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 10, 2023
It’s boom times for the Winter Equestrian Festival, and the Adequan Global Dressage Festival as well.
At a press conference today, representatives of those entities, along with a show jumper and dressage rider, told us what we already knew: Wellington, Florida continues to be the go-to for many of the world’s top show jumping and dressage competitors. With both venues offering a total of nearly $13.7 million in prize money, it’s no wonder they are projected to draw a combined total of approximately 10,500 horses for the winter season.
The new Wellington International sign at last year’s unveiling.
That’s why the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center last year was re-christened Wellington International, acknowledging a different ownership for the home of WEF and an emphasis on horse well-being and spectator care.
As Wellington International President Michael Stone explained, the name “showed a clear change for where we were to where we are now.”
The transformed showgrounds has three new permanent barns, something riders had been wanting for “a very long time,” as Michael put it.
Flood-prone arenas number seven and eight were re-done as well. It’s all part of the $9 million spent so far by the Global Equestrian Group, which purchased the facility in 2021.
“Everyone is really appreciative of these changes,” said show jumper Brianne Goutal-Marteau.
Although Wellington once was the destination for equestrians wanting to spend the winter in Florida, it now faces competition from the glossy World Equestrian Center in Ocala, where amenities include a 4-star hotel, a variety of restaurants and state-of-the-art stables, along with a bevy of top-class arenas, both indoors and out. And the brand new sleek TerraNova Equestrian Center just east of Sarasota, Fla., on the state’s west coast, which opened just last year, is also a high-end facility.
Michael Stone, Brianne Goutal-Marteau, Adrienne Lyle, Thomas Baur.
But one of Wellington’s advantages is housing; many of the riders, trainers and owners have bought or are able to rent property in the area. That means they are just minutes away from the showgrounds—some can even ride their horses over.
As Brianne noted, what used to be a 12-week season can now be as long as five months (Wellington International had summer and fall shows), which is a bonus for competitors with families. Brianne has two children, and after a long circuit up north, she said she is “relieved to get here.” Staying in one place for months has big benefits in view of how much time equestrians spend on the road overall.
Brianne also pointed out that the time in Wellington benefits development of horses, since they have such a long period to be trained and get used to the routine.
“All of a sudden, you see babies are almost veterans by the end,” she commented. The fact that WEF offers such a variety of levels culminating at the top, is also an advantage.
Neither WEC nor TerraNova has the numbers drawn by Wellington, or the big money FEI show jumping grands prix often used in selecting team candidates for international championships.
Both Michael and Thomas Baur, who runs Global, noted that Olympic qualifying already has started, and Wellington also will be a destination for those pointing toward the Asian Games and the Pan American Games, set for November in Chile. While for the past several years the dressage Nations Cup didn’t have enough countries participating with teams to make it an official competition of that nature, Thomas noted more countries, including Australia and Spain, are considering fielding squads, along with the omnipresent U.S., Canada and Germany.
Olympic dressage medalist Adrienne Lyle is hoping to qualify for the FEI World Cup finals in Omaha this April, and was happy she could earn points with an early start aboard Salvino in December at Global, before the regular season at the site gets under way.
Adrienne Lyle is a favorite of the Friday Night Lights frestyle crowd. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
“It is honestly one of the coolest atmospheres I think I’ve ridden anywhere in the world,” she said.
“The electricity and enthusiasm on a Friday night you know, freestyles, is really incredible. You can feel it as a rider, your horses can feel it. It’s really an experience I’m not sure you could get anywhere else,” Adrienne contended.
Dressage riders also will have a chance to broaden their horizons by riding at the WEF showgrounds rather than Globbal in week 10 for their 5-star competition.
Changes at the showgrounds have also affected spectators, with peaked tents over the box seats being removed to offer more standing room. The internet on site is improved as well.
Not everything goes as planned, of course. Michael apologized for a parking snafu last weekend as WEF opened, with long delays to get into the venue. He said the police handling it were new, and promised organizers will “get it solved for the rest of the season.”
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by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 8, 2023
George Spellman is being mourned by his many friends, in particular those from the equestrian world who knew him through the Devon Horse Show.
A celebration of his life will be held Sunday, Jan. 15 at 11 a.m. at the Class of 1944 Chapel at the Episcopal Academy. In lieu of flowers, donations to his memory may be made to the Garrett Williamson Foundation or the Arbor Day Foundation.
“If you’ve shown at the Devon Horse Show in any capacity you know of George. He could be found making all of the `Devon Magic’ happen behind the scenes in his red shirt,” Nina Shaffer stated in a tribute on Facebook.
“Whether it was driving a tractor, the water truck, a golf cart, the skid steer, dressed in `Devon Drag’ for Dressage at Devon or…helping the food vendor; to say George wore many hats is truly an understatement.
“George was the kind of person that would always lend a helping hand, was a problem solver, friend, and an incredible businessman,” she continued.
“Devon will never be the same for those of us whose lives he truly touched in one of the most esteemed Equestrian venues.”
The 60-year-old business owner died in a work-related accident when a tree fell on him Jan. 4, A resident of Newtown Square, Pa., he founded his own contracting firm, George J. Spellman Inc., which specialized in landscape design. George was also an integral part of the Devon Horse Show for 35 years and was indispensable to the local equestrian community.
George was an avid gardener, a talented chef, an accomplished hunter,and a mentor to many. An outgoing and generous man who showed his love for family, friends, and neighbors through action. His acts of kindness ranged from baking custom birthday cakes to mitigating catastrophes of all sorts. On speed dial for many, George always made himself available for anyone that found themselves in a pinch. At times, George was there before you even knew you needed him.
He was the epitome of a self-made man and dedicated his life to helping others. A master of many trades, George was one of a kind. In his final moments, he was doing what he loved best: boots on, laced tight, he seized the day, guiding his team, taking on the latest challenge.
He is survived by his wife,Jodi; his daughter, Catherine, and his brother, Matthew Spellman.
