by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 13, 2023
More than 3,000 wild horses are being targeted by the federal Bureau of Land Management for a helicopter roundup at the Antelope Complex in Nevada during this summer’s heatwave, with several advocacy groups calling for suspension of the action due to threats to the animals’ health and safety under such severe weather conditions.
Is this any way to treat wild horses?
Animal Wellness Action, the Wild Beauty Foundation, and Advocates for Wild Equines noted that BLM’s daily gather reports from the operation reveal two horses have already lost their lives. A foal died of colic after arriving at the holding facility, and a 4-year-old mare broke her neck while being stampeded into the agency’s traps.
“If the BLM is serious about adhering to its own animal welfare rules, it will immediately suspend its operations in the Antelope Complex until the weather turns and temperatures drop,” said Scott Beckstead, director of campaigns for Animal Wellness Action and an equine welfare specialist.
“Chasing these animals, including foals, heavily pregnant mares, and elderly animals, through extreme heat will inevitably lead to their suffering and deaths. We call on the BLM to do the right thing and ground the helicopters until conditions improve.”
The BLM claims to adhere to its Comprehensive Animal Welfare Program (CAWP) in its wild horse and burro operations. Because the CAWP is a set of voluntary guidelines and is not legally enforceable, abiding by those guidelines is a matter of agency discretion. Public observers of the BLM’s activities, including the helicopter operations and conditions inside the agency’s holding facilities, have shown that CAWP violations are a routine occurrence, despite agency assurances to the contrary.
The CAWP addresses conducting wild horse and burro gather operations in extreme temperatures, stating, “Horse captures must not be conducted when ambient temperature at the trap site is below 10ºF or above 95ºF without approval” of the person in charge. For burros, it’s when the temperature is below 10 degrees or above 100 degrees without approval. But 95 degrees and 100 degrees are still far too hot for a helicopter roundup. Or any roundup.
“Having spent years documenting wild horse roundups, which are at their very core cruel and antiquated practices, the idea of forcing terrified wild horses to run in extreme heat is the definition of animal cruelty,” said Ashley Avis, president and founder of the Wild Beauty Foundation.
“If the Bureau of Land Management proceeds with rounding up horses at these temperatures, it only reinforces the carelessness, mismanagement and disturbing ethos of the agency –- clearly opting to prioritize the financial interests of the helicopter contractors over animal welfare. I hope the BLM does the right thing and immediately suspends these operations.”
Video of the operations posted by wild horse advocacy groups monitoring the Antelope Complex operations have documented terrified horses desperately trying to escape the helicopters and the traps, with stallions somersaulting over fence panels and mares desperately trying to return to foals that have fallen behind in the stampede. The distress experienced by the horses while they are chased by the helicopters would be compounded by extreme heat and will inevitably lead to more deaths.
“Advocates for Wild Equines National is opposed to wild horse and burro roundups, but especially summer roundups altogether,” said Britta Starke, legislative liaison for Advocates for Wild Equines.
“As it relates to summer roundups, the scientific data is clear that horses can die from the combined effects of sustained exertion and high temperatures, and therefore any roundup scheduled during extreme summer temperatures should be suspended or canceled. Any injury or death to a horse should be considered a major CAWP violation and grounds for investigation of the BLM by an outside source.”
Animal Wellness Action is a Washington, D.C.-based 501(c)(4) organization with a mission of helping animals by promoting legal standards forbidding cruelty and to encourage enforcement of our laws.
The Center for a Humane Economy is a non-profit organization that focuses on influencing businesses to pay attention to animal cruelty in their operations and to eliminate harmful practices.
The Wild Beauty Foundation is a 501c3 nonprofit organization dedicated to illuminating key issues wild and domestic horses are facing today through film, education, advocacy, and rescue. WBF recently co-produced the award-winning documentary, Wild Beauty: Mustang Spirit of the West, which debuted for the public in May.
Advocates for Wild Equines was founded in September 2021 and seeks to bring together people from diverse backgrounds and with various interests including wild horse and burro protection, preservation of public lands, wild equine rescue and climate change. The grassroots coalition of individuals and organizations welcomes all who share a vision of ending roundups and equine slaughter, as well as rewilding all horses and burros currently being warehoused in holding pens by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 15, 2023
(a reminiscence from an Oklahoma friend, Barbara Haney, was added to this story July 24)
Kavar Kerr “lived a life of doing for others in an incredible fashion. She was a force of nature to get things done,” said Burr Collier, president of the Blowing Rock, N.C. Horse Show, remembering his friend, who died July 13 in Jackson Hole, Wyo., surrounded by her three dogs.
“Everything she did was for the good of the sport and the people (of) the sport that she loved,” he recalled.
Kavar Kerr.
Tom Wright, who was one of her trainers, noted, “She gave the shirt off her back to her friends and people she respected. She loved fiercely, and worked tirelessly for the underdog and felt that caring and supporting artists was a particular responsibility in her life.”
He added, “a great horseman and successful amateur rider, she owned great animals and supported many professionals, just when they needed her most.”
Kavar enjoyed some very successful horses, among them Trust Me and Sleigh Ride in the hunter ranks, and in eventing, Mike Huber’s mount Southcoast, who won a section of the 1983 Open Preliminary event at Rolex Kentucky.
She was known for her great sense of humor and her love of all animals, but it was her charitable side for which she will be most remembered in the equestrian world.
A year after Louise Serio and Geoff Teall started the World Championship Hunter Rider organization in the early 1980s, Kavar came to them and said, “Why don’t we make this bigger and make it a foundation and start an emergency relief foundation?”
As Louise noted, “She changed lives like that. She was just an amazing lady.”
Kavar enjoyed showing her hunters.
The American Hunter Jumper Foundation, which merged with the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association in 2013, helped scores of equestrians in need, whether they were dealing with illness, a barn fire or other tragedies.
The Kavar Kerr Distinguished Service Award, named in her honor, is presented annually by the World Championship Hunter Rider Committee of the USHJA for exceptional dedication, leadership, and commitment to the WCHR Program through volunteer service and philanthropic efforts.
The center of the WCHR logo, at the top of this page, bears a likeness of Kavar jumping one of her horses.
Another person whose life was changed by Kavar is international show jumper Laura Kraut. Her first Olympic mount, Liberty, was purchased in a partnership put together by Kavar, who brought in Peter Wetherill, Joyce Williams and Kate Gibson and was part of the syndicate herself.
When Laura won the 4-star grand prix at Chantilly, France, on Bisquetta over the weekend, Kavar was on her mind.
“I thought of her when I was in there getting the ribbon,” said Laura.
“She’s the person who helped me get to the next level of my career, and the point where I am now. She never took credit for it.”
As Laura was building her resume, she rode a hunter for Kavar and lived with her in Florida during the winter circuit.
“We were really great friends. She had the biggest heart, the greatest sense of humor–I never laughed more with anyone than I did with her,” Laura remembered
Peter Wetherill ended up buying in on the Anthem syndicate as well, and Kavar’s introduction of Laura to him was key.
“If it weren’t for Peter, I wouldn’t have gotten Anthem, he came in at the 11th hour through Kavar’s urging and helped us buy Anthem, and then he bought Cedric,” said Laura, referring to her 2008 Olympic team gold medal mount.
“None of that would have happened without Kavar.”
Laura noted Kavar had bravely struggled with pain and illness for decades.
Losing Kavar was “very, very sad,” Laura acknowledged, but “she’s out of pain now. I feel confident she got out of life what she wanted.”
Barbara Haney grew up with Kavar in Oklahoma, where the two were part of “very small” hunter/jumper group during the 1970s.
“She first had a small roan, Carousel (later inherited by younger sister Mara),” recalled Barbara.
“I can even remember her riding jacket from then: a Scottish tweed from Miller’s, of course, that looked so sharp on Carousel.”
When Kavar was diagnosed with severe scoliosis, she “had to stop riding for a while, while she wore a back brace to correct that condition. She would still attend all the shows and was always ready to lend a hand when I needed one, like to hold a crop, or keep my place in the order at the in gate,” Barbara reminisced.
“At a big show in Tulsa one night, I managed to misplace my gloves right before the show started. She ran around and found a pair for me to borrow. I won the eq championship that night with whoever’s gloves those were, which was one of the biggest wins I have ever had,” said Barbara.
“After I left Oklahoma for college, I wrote to her, and saw her once or twice, but we drifted apart, since I was working internships in the northeast and wasn’t back home much. I’d given up riding to concentrate on school, and didn’t go back to riding for another 20-ish years. I still thought our paths would cross again at some point.”
Kavar, who was on the board of the Kentucky Horse Park, also raised money for the first World Champion Hunter Rider Spectacular at the Winter Equestrian Festival with funding from the late Sallie Wheeler. The class is named after the late Peter Wetherill.
Always upbeat, Kavar was known for her great sense of humor.
For the Blowing Rock show, Kavar brought in money dedicated to Sallie Wheeler and her late husband, Kenny, in recognition of all they had done for the horse show world.
A native of Oklahoma, she was a granddaughter of Robert Kerr, who served the state as governor and U.S. senator. Kavar was a big fan of the University of Oklahoma Sooners and enjoyed watching their football games in person when she could.
Twelve years ago, Kavar was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and presumably had only five years to live. A brother and sister had died previously, and she did not want her parents to face burying another child, so she was determined to live.
Her mother, Joffa, a sculptor, died in June 2022 and her father, Bill Kerr, died a week and two days before she did. He was the founder of the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyo. and Kavar served on its board. Outside of the horse world, she was also active in philanthropy, serving on the board of a battered women’s shelter in Wyoming.
Kavar, who was 64, is survived by her sister, Mara Kerr of Edmond, Okla.; her niece, Ayla Mashburn of Oklahoma City, a nephew, Graycen Mashburn (Whitney), Edmond, Okla., and great-nieces Tyler, Aubrey and Caroline.
Private services will be held in Minnesota, at the final resting place of her parents and siblings, Joffa and David.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 18, 2023
The inaugural $10,000 Bill Ellis Memorial/U.S. Hunter Jumper Association International Hunter Derby at the Princeton Summer Classic in Skillman, N.J., was such a hit last year that there will be an encore July 28.
The class is being sponsored by Carol Stillwell and Emil Spadone of Horseflight. After last year’s class, won by Amanda Steege on Lafitte de Muze, Carol said of Bill, “He was a true horseman. With Bill, it was about the horses and making sure they were taken care of. I couldn’t be prouder, in New Jersey, to have it here, I would like to see this continue on and on.”
And so it will. The competition starts at 8 a.m. An exhibitor party sponsored by Carol will take place July 27 from 2-4 p.m. outside the exhibitor tent.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 20, 2023
Devin Ryan of Long Valley, N.J., has been selected to compete on the USA’s NetJets squad for Great Britain’s Hickstead show next week. A member of the 2018 World Equestrian Games gold medal team, Devin was out of the highest level of the sport after his top horse, Eddie Blue, got sidelined by a bone bruise.
Devin Ryan and Eddie Blue at the Longines FEI World Cup Finals. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
He brought Eddie back gradually, not rushing his recovery. Patience paid off. Devin did well in April at the Longines FEI World Cup final, where he was 13th, and then had only one rail in the hotly contested Aachen Nations Cup to contribute to the team’s fourth-place finish this summer.
Devin will be joined at Hickstead by another veteran, Olympic team gold medalist Laura Kraut. As usual, coach Robert Ridland is mixing in less-experienced riders, so they can get mileage.
The others on the team are Charlotte Jacobs, Paris Sellon and Alessandra Volpi, who was a member of the third-place squad this month at Stockholm, where she just missed the podium individually in the grand prix, finishing fifth in her first 5-star competition.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 17, 2023
A “manure link” website, set to go live in March, will list manure and compost availability by geographic location within New Jersey.
It will also will enable those seeking manure or compost to sign up for notification when the resource they are looking for becomes available. The project will give smaller farms with limited land capacity a way to distribute their manure to composters and farmers who can use it to benefit their operations.
The state Department of Agriculture is partnering with Rutgers University, the Office of Research Analytics and the New Jersey Compost Council to develop the New Jersey Manure Link website. The intent is to connect livestock farms (manure generators) and composters with farmers seeking these resources to provide an alternative option from purchasing fertilizer.
The NJDA’s Division of Agricultural and Natural Resources received a Conservation Innovation Grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Natural Resource Conservation Service to fund creation of the New Jersey Manure Link project. The concept is designed to be “where to find what feeds your field” for Garden State farmers. The website is designed and hosted by Rutgers University’s Office of Research Analytics.
“We believe this website will be a valuable resource for farmers and composters,” state Assistant Secretary of Agriculture Joe Atchison said.
“The ability to provide a clearer pathway to make connections between these operations will benefit all involved.”
The Compost Council will provide outreach and educational components, including two hands-on composting field days and resources for the website. The field days will be scheduled for livestock farmers and composters, as well as producers across all agricultural sectors, including urban farming, to demonstrate the importance of composting, nutrient management and how to effectively incorporate organic materials into farming practices.
The goals of New Jersey Manure Link include recycling valuable nutrients, generating accessibility to organic materials, reducing animal waste excess and protecting waterways adjacent to livestock farmland.
The project will allow urban farmers to gain access to raw feedstocks, as well as finished compost. The project falls within the state Department of Environmental Protection’s Global Warming Response Act 80 x 50 Report from 2020. It identifies the need for the reduction, recycling and reuse of agricultural organic waste materials, as well as increased education and adoption of composting practices.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 14, 2023
Cortes C was a real trouper. This was a horse who gave his all at some of the world’s biggest show jumping events.
When Beezie Madden announced this week that he had died at the age of 21, I remembered the way he always crossed his front legs when he jumped. I’d call it his trademark.
Beezie Madden at Cortes C at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in France. (Photo © 2014 by Nancy Jaffer)
Nicknamed “Tiny,” because he wan’t, after joining forces with Beezie, this Belgium warmblood by Randel Z was on many Nations Cup teams, including the 2013, 2014 and 2015 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Finals in Barcelona.
In 2013, he and Beezie won the Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of Chantilly in France. A back-to-back winner of the Longines King George V Gold Cup in 2014 and 2015, he also was in great form in 2014 at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in France. There, he was on the U.S. team bronze and was named Best Horse in the individual final, where Beezie was third.
He contributed to the U.S.silver medal in the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, but he was sidelined by injury before the team final and retired from competition in 2017.
Beezie recounted on social media that Clark Shipley, his late former groom, called Tiny,“the friendliest horse you’ll ever meet in your life. He’s all over you at all times, mauling you. He loves attention. You could pretty much do anything to him.
“If you walk him around, he mauls every person standing around. He drags you over there. He’s always had this personality. He’s been friendly from the start.”
In retirement, Tiny loved to greet tours at the Madden farm in Cazenovia, N.Y.,and have his picture taken with fans.
Beezie mentioned, “We have no doubt Clark was waiting for Tiny with bags of carrots on the other side.”
As she revlected, “Tiny was one of a kind. With top results as a young horse with (Belgian rider) Gregory Wathelet and then years of being at the top of the sport with our team, I was blessed to have him in my life. I will forever be thankful to Tiny and (owner) Mrs. (Abigail) Wexner for our years together. His passing leaves a hole in all our team’s hearts.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 11, 2023
Eventer Jane Sleeper usually is the one who offers a helping hand, whether as a volunteer or by training horses and riders, drawing on the wisdom learned in her long career.
But Jane, 73, had a bad fall in late May, noting with her usual sense of humor, “I just don’t bounce anymore.”
Four days ago, she returned home from rehab and is “slowly making progress,” revealing she “got stepped on when I fell off!.”
While she noted, “kind, encouraging words keep me motivated,” more than that is needed to get her through this difficult time.
A GoFundMe has been set up to handle some of the many expenses Jane is facing. Click here to access the GoFundMe page.
Direct contributions can also be made through PayPal via janeesleeper@gmail.com or via checks payable to her at Jane Sleeper, 130 Buck Run Road, East Fallowfield, Pa. 19320.
An auction also has been organized by Niamh O’Connell to benefit Jane. Niamh said so many in the equestrian world have been motivated by Jane, and now are coming to her aid.
“The amount of people who reached out to me and said, `I want to help’ has been pretty amazing,” Niamh reported.
To participate in the auction through 8 p.m. July 24, click here .
Items up for bid include lessons with 5-star riders, a tailgating package for the Maryland 5-star evebt, a package of studio portraits from Niamh, who is a photographer, and a breeding contract to one of Gem Twist’s clones.
Kennett Brewing Company in Kennett Square, Pa., is the site of a benefit for Jane July 23 from 4-7 p.m., featuring equestrians, such as Lillian and Ryan Wood, as celebrity bartenders. There will be a raffle that evening as well. The bar is at 109 S. Broad St., suite 2.The Phone is 610-444-0440. There will be a similar benefit at the Whip Tavern in Coatesville, Pa., Aug. 13 from 3-6 p.m.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 12, 2023
Rich Fellers, a show jumping Olympian and World Cup champion, pleaded guilty Tuesday in federal court in Portland, Ore., to a count involving interstate travel to engage in illicit sexual conduct with a minor.
Rich Fellers on Flexible at the 2012 Olympics. (Photo © 2012 by Nancy Jaffer)
Now 63, Fellers had been involved with a 17-year-old who was his student. He was arrested in 2021 in connection with his relationship with Maggie Kehring, who has appeared on network television discussing her experience.
Fellers is scheduled to be sentenced Oct. 12, and is not incarcerated at present.
On Wednesday, he pleaded guilty in Washington County, Ore., to two counts of second-degree sex abuse.
KOIN 6 News in Oregon stated Fellers agreed in the plea deal to spend 30 months in prison on Washington County, Ore., charges at the same time he serves a four-year sentence on the federal matter.
Fellers, who was high-profile as the rider/trainer of the late, great stallion Flexible, had been on the SafeSport suspension list since July 2021. His wife, Shelley, was suspended by SafeSport in April 2021 until February 2027 for abuse of process, retaliation and failure to report.
In collaboration with the Kehring family and Wrigley Media Group, Horse Network launched the site #WeRideTogether, designed to air survivor stories, provides resources to report abuse and get help, and offer educational information for athletes, coaches, and families.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 15, 2023
The Village of Wellington’s planning and zoning board will hold a hearing this week on requests for zoning changes that would enable construction of an expansion to the existing Wellington International Showgrounds.
The concept would refurbish the current grounds where the Winter Equestrian Festival is held, making it a base for dressage and hunters. The new 90-acre section would host the jumpers and a stadium, nine rings (two indoors) and stabling are part of the package, which would also allow for more parking and make the showgrounds contiguous. Currently, dressage is held at the Equestrian Village, a three- or four-minute drive (depending on traffic) from the current facility.
Diagram of the existing and new showgrounds.
Before the expanded showgrounds can become reality, however, action must be taken on a larger zoning change application relating to the Wellington North and South developments that Wellington Lifestyle Partners is leading to create an “equestrian lifestyle community.”
The Village’s Equestrian Preserve Committee last month rejected the zoning changes for housing because of encroachment into the preserve. Members also observed that they had seen no plans for the new showgrounds footprint. Without that, they were skeptical about the entire project, and there is great opposition to the rezoning that would allow for more housing in the Village.
Wellington International President Michael Stone has explained in a letter what is going on,the importance of the rezoning, what it means for the showgrounds, and how the two projects are intertwined. Click here to read what he has to say.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 12, 2023
Debbie McDonald, who has been synonymous with U.S. dressage excellence during this century, is stepping down Aug. 1 from her post as the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s technical advisor in the discipline.
“After many discussions, it’s a difficult decision for me, but the right one, as I begin to slow down my teaching schedule to spend more time with my family, to step away from the technical advisor role in order to allow the program to find a successor that can ultimately help lead the program through Paris 2024 (Olympics) and Los Angeles 2028,” said Debbie, 68, explaining her decision.
Debbie on the kiss-and-cry platform with dressage sponsor Betsy Juliano and protege Adrienne Lyle. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
“It’s been an honor to work with the U.S. dressage program over the past 15-plus years, both as a coach and technical advisor. I wish nothing but success for the program and will still be involved with coaching on a limited basis. I look forward to seeing our athletes continue to succeed on the world stage.”
Debbie’s granddaughter, son and daughter-in-law live in Idaho, where she and her husband, Bob, have a house, though they spend the winter in Wellington, Fla., the center of dressage in the U.S. during the winter and early spring. Idaho is far from the dressage action, and Debbie has spent much of her time away from home or traveling.
USEF will appoint an interim chef d’equipe until a replacement for Debbie can be selected.
In 2003, Debbie was the first American to win the FEI World Cup Finals, riding Brentina, the horse with whom she won team silver at the 2002 FEI World Equestrian Games, as well as team bronze at the 2004 Olympics and the 2006 WEG. Together, Debbie and Brentina, who took double gold at the 1999 Pan American Games, were the sweethearts of U.S. dressage.
Debbie in her competition days with Brentina. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer).
Debbie became the U.S. dressage development coach in 2009 and assisted Robert Dover when he was technical advisor. She assumed that post after the 2016 Olympics.
During her run in the job, the U.S. won a team silver at the 2018 WEG with riders she coached, including her longtime protege Adrienne Lyle; Laura Graves and Kasey Perry-Glass, making up three-quarters of the squad that also included Steffen Peters.
Adrienne joined Steffen and Sabine Schut-Kerry to collect a historic team silver at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics. But Debbie’s contract wasn’t renewed that year, after she was named in a lawsuit involving her husband.
He had been suspended by USEF when allegations dating back nearly a half-century were made to SafeSport. After arbitration, the case was closed and Bob was reinstated. The civil matter – for which the couple never had been served – was dismissed.
Debbie and Bob McDonald with Brentina on her retirement. (Photo © 2009 by Nancy Jaffer)
The team worked without a technical advisor after Debbie’s departure, while George Williams, U.S. Dressage Federation president, acted as chef d’equpe. Debbie was reappointed to the technical advisor position in February 2023.
Debbie with longtime friend and teammate Guenter Seidel at the FEI World Cup Finals this year. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
At Aachen in June, the U.S. team finished last of eight nations. Adrienne, who is pregnant, was not on the squad, which consisted of riders light on international experience.
Hallye Griffin, the USEF’s director of FEI sport, noted, “We respect Debbie’s decision to step down as technical advisor and are reviewing the potential of her working as a featured clinician for some of our programs and pathway events in the future.
“We are setting our sights forward to the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games and will begin our search for a technical advisor with a goal to fill the role by December 1, 2023, with commitment through the LA 2028 Games.”
U.S. Dressage thanked Debbie “for her continued support of the program over the past four years in the role of technical advisor and the achievements the program secured under her leadership, including an Olympic team silver in Tokyo; and a Pan American Games team silver in 2019 in Lima, Peru, as well as her dedication to the development program, where she served as U.S. Dressage Development Coach.
