by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 6, 2022
At the top level of the sport, more and more dressage horses are reaching the heights. Multiple breathtaking performances impressed as the ECCO FEI World Championships got under way with the first day of the Blue Hors Dressage Grand Prix in front of an enthusiastic crowd—though some might say it was too enthusiastic.
The fans in Herning, Denmark, were so into what they were seeing that they couldn’t wait until the final salute from some of the entries they favored. They started clapping for Great Britain’s Gareth Hughes on Classic Briolinca as the Dutchbred mare passaged into what was supposed to be her final halt, but the noise-sensitive 16-year-old got distracted.
Britain’s Gareth Hughes goes down that infamous center line moments before the audience began clapping.
“The poor judge at C just sort of shook his head. There’s nothing you can do,” said the good-natured veteran rider.
“If I have to forgive her for not halting at the end, then I can at least give her that,” he continued, noting she did her tempi changes “like a metronome” and got four 9’s for her second pirouette to receive a score of 75.978 percent that has Britain standing fifth in the team competition with medals awarded tomorrow.
The team standings are a bit deceptive, though, because they are based on the best score from each nation. Only two riders from each four-member team competed this afternoon and evening. (Exceptions are Norway, Australia, Japan, Ireland and New Zealand, with three riders, but they are not in contention for awards.)
Then when it came to Denmark’s own Carina Cassøe Krüth, the spectators really couldn’t control themselves. They loved her black mare, Heiline’s Danciera, and put their palms together loudly in appreciation, but she was able to get 9’s for that difficult final halt.
Her mark of 76.863 percent awarded a lovely passage from the Danish warmblood, though she leaned a bit on her rider’s hand in the piaffe. Denmark is favored to win the gold, and it is third in the team rankings today with Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour, a candidate for individual gold, coming on the second day of Grand Prix tomorrow.
The Netherlands’ top rider, Dinja van Liere, stands first and has put her country in the top spot for now with 78.214 percent on Hermes, a Dutchbred stallion who is a willing partner to his rider. He is active without being extreme, and if one wanted to pick something that needed improvement, it was a transition into canter where he pulled his rider into the gait.
She wore a tailcoat in the bright orange that is her country’s traditional color, matched by flags and jackets in the same hue among Dutch partisans in the stands. And I admired the orange stripes at the top of her boots.
“I was very happy but I had my doubts finishing; was it good enough, was it good?” she said after her test.
Dinja van Liere leads the championship for the Netherlands on Hermes.
“But then the audience started clapping and I felt really happy. Hermes gave me a really good feeling, even if I was nervous. He is so talented with piaffe and passage even if we today had a few things that of course can be improved.”
Unlike the case with Classic Briolinca, the applause was a plus for her mount.
“Hermes is a clown. He likes the applause and he knows it’s for him,” said Dinja.
However, it all depends when the applause takes place. Turns out that when he enters the arena, he doesn’t like to hear it.
“But when he finishes, he thinks, `Of course this is for me, because I’m the best!'”
Germany, usually favored to take dressage titles, is without world number one Jessica Von Bredow-Werndl, who is pregnant, but she was ably represented by her brother, Benjamin, on Famoso OLD.
The Oldenburg earned 77.03 percent to put Germany second at this point. While he wasn’t square in his first halt, his rider’s elegant style and the classic frame in which he kept his horse carried him from there and served him well.
Forgive yourself if you’re not familiar with Benjamin. He’s ranked number 117 on the FEI dressage list with Famoso. He was second in the 4-star Grand Prix Special in Aachen and prior to that, he had victories in Hungary, which isn’t part of the 5-star European circuit. But Benjamin upheld the family honor admirably today.
Benjamin Werndl and Famoso Old.
The first German rider into the ring was Ingrid Klimke, a competitor you probably know as an eventer. But the daughter of Reiner Klimke, who dominated the sport in the 1980s, would have made her late father proud. She was marked at 75.683 percent, which was the drop score today. But tomorrow, who knows? The same competence she has shown so often in her other discipline came through today with Franzikus, a personable Hanoverian.
“Sometimes I have been just a passenger, but today, we were really one and I was in the driver’s seat,” beamed Ingrid.
Sweden is fourth, just ahead of Britain, on Juliette Ramel’s 76.164 percent with Buriel KH. I remember how impressed I was with him four years ago when the dressage championships were part of the World Equestrian Games in Tryon, N.C. He has a reputation for running away. It happened at Aachen, where he lost his bridle during the bit check, and in Herning, when he was scared by a lightning storm.
This is the moment at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games when Sweden’s Buriel first caught my eye. (Photo © 2018 by Nancy Jaffer)
Today he was on better behavior, but the clapping got to him and he walked through the final halt. It was what a traffic cop might call a rolling stop.
I can hear you asking, “So what happened to the U.S.?” Let me sum it up this way: It wasn’t a good day.
The U.S. is eighth of 17 teams, although that likely will change tomorrow, when the squad’s top riders appear.
Stephen Peters on Suppenkasper and anchor Adrienne Lyle with Salvino will have to make up for a score of 62.258 percent as Ashley Holzer’s ride, Valentine resisted in piaffe to the point of rearing. She stands last in 43d place.
“She’s never seen a venue like this,” said Ashley, who noted the mare was nervous when she came into the arena.
The problem “totally caught me off guard. She’s never done any antics like this. As disappointed as I am, horses are not machines, she got scared and confused,” Ashley said.
Katie Duerrhammer and Quartett. (U.S. Equestrian/Shannon Brinkman)
On the bright side, Katie Duerrhammer made her championship team debut with Quartett and collected 70.839 percent to stand 11th.
Salvino’s owner Betsy Juliano watching the action in Herning with Adrienne Lyle, Katie Duerrhammer’s trainer, and Debbie McDonald, Adrienne’s mentor.
“I am super proud to be the path-finder for the U.S. team,” she said, noting it is her first championship.
Katie, who is coached by Adrienne Lyle, added, “The arena feels amazing, so beautiful. We really did a solid trot tour; this is where my horse shines. I am from Denver, Colo., in the mountains, so Herning is very different, but I really love the cold here, it is fantastic.”
One of the things I love about championships is seeing horses and riders who haven’t been in the limelight yet.
I really enjoyed the performance of the plucky PRE gray stallion Quincallo de Indalo, ridden by Alejandro Sánchez del Barco of Spain to put his nation sixth on 72.842 percent. He is eighth individually.
The sympatico between horse and rider really stood out, and the stallion was correct in so many ways that his effort was a joy to watch.
Quincallo de Indalo and Alejandro Sánchez del Barco making their mark for Spain.
As I said yesterday, it’s interesting to see how the sport is progressing in countries that one doesn’t usually associate with dressage.
Shruti Vora of India loved being at the championships and stands 37th on Denightron with 64.534 percent.
“I am happy with the horse; he did his best,” she said, noting her stallion is a Danish Warmblood bred in India who came to Denmark for his international debut.
“I trained him from the beginning, and we learned together. And a message for all enthusiastic young riders in India: It takes a lot of sacrifice, but you can do it! I am grateful to all, especially my horse. And coming to Herning is like coming to a horse-Mecca.”
She definitely has the right attitude. I hope she inspires others in her country to give it a try, along with those from other nations outside the discipline’s main stream for the moment.
Link to intermediate individual results
Link to intermediate team results
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 5, 2022
The FEI world championships, which get under way Saturday, are about more than medals.
For dressage, show jumping and eventing, they are qualifiers for the 2024 Paris Olympics, while the para dressage is a qualifier for the 2024 Paralympics. Who doesn’t want to go to Paris? And that’s especially true since the Tokyo Olympics had to run without spectators, or much in the way of atmosphere due to Covid restrictions last year.
The top six teams from the dressage world championships will qualify for Paris, while the host country, France, automatically gets into its Games without being in the top six.
Dressage is first up at the ECCO FEI World Championships Herning 2022 in Herning, Denmark, not what you usually think of as a destination city, but still very nice. Para will follow, then show jumping. (The non-Olympic discipline of vaulting is also on the program.) Eventing won’t be held until next month in Pratoni del Vivaro, Italy.
U.S. dressage team anchor rider Adrienne Lyle and Salvino. (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian/Shannon Brinkman)
The World Equestrian Games, which ran from 1990 to 2018, combined all the championships for the FEI disciplines, but has been dropped in favor of an arrangement that doesn’t require so much heavy lifting from a host site.
We just got the starting order for the dressage Grand Prix, which (unlike the case in Tokyo) will determine the team medals. Also unlike the teams of three that competed in Tokyo (and sadly, will be the case in Paris as well), each nation can have four starters. That means the worst score can be dropped from the team totals, which can be a game-changer.
The growth of the once European- and North American-centric discipline of dressage is reflected in the addition of competitors representing countries that are farther afield, including India, Singapore, Moldova and Armenia. They won’t be close to the medals, but you have to start somewhere. Widening the pool of participants is important in terms of keeping horse sport in the Olympics.
The Olympic roster is very competitive, with a new emphasis on sports that don’t take forever to run and appeal to the young. Among the events seeking admittance for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics are motor sports (likely go-karts), flag football and breaking, (or break dancing as we called it when it was an exhibition in the closing ceremonies of the 1984 Olympics.) So you can see what legacy sports like equestrian are up against, and why they have to keep evolving with an eye toward staying in the Games.
Ashley Holzer is riding Valentine on her first U.S. championship team (she rode for Canada in the Olympics). (Photo courtesy of US Equestrian)
Likely dressage medalists for the world championships this time around aren’t necessarily the usual suspects. Denmark is a heavy favorite for team gold with its star, Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Vamos Amigos, touted as the likely recipient of individual gold.
Germany, normally the championships’ powerhouse, is short of its usual muscle as world number one Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, is pregnant and won’t be part of the team. Ingrid Klimke, better known as an eventer, is on the squad.
She’s following in the steps of her father, Reiner Klimke, who earned double gold in the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics. Who can forget his impressive one-handed victory passage lap there with the magnificent Alherich? He would be pleased to know she’s on the team for his discipline in Herning.
Isabell Werth, the most decorated equestrian Olympian of all time, doesn’t have a superstar in her Herning mount, DSP Quantaz. It says a lot that she’s not riding the anchor leg for Germany on Sunday. That honor goes to Frederick Wandres on Duke of Britain FRH. He is new to this level of the sport, but was impressive as he improved on the Florida circuit last winter.
Don’t discount Britain as a threat. Although Valegro is long retired, Charlotte Dujardin still knows how to win. She was selected with Imhotep, a 9-year-old Dutch warmblood, partially owned by her mentor, Carl Hester, with Valegro’s groom, Alan Davies, at her side. While Imhotep is rather inexperienced, don’t forget that she earned double bronze in Tokyo on Gio, another horse that was short on mileage.
While Carl isn’t on the team as a rider because he didn’t have a horse available, you know he will still be active, and part of whatever success Britain enjoys in Denmark with its other riders, who are worth a look
Sweden is also a medal possibility–can you imagine the excitement at Herning if it’s a Scandinavian 1-2?
Denmark’s Cathrine Laudrup-Defore and Vamos Amigos. (Photo by Kim Lundin)
I’ll be posting a story every evening, so come back to this website for updates.
The competition will be livestreamed on clipmyhorse.tv, but you have to subscribe to watch. If you want to see the U.S. riders, championships newcomer Katie Duerrhammer leads off at 8:11 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time on Saturday, followed by Ashley Holzer on Valentine at 1:54 p.m. EDT. Steffen Peters rides Suppenkasper on Sunday at 10:14 a.m. EDT and Adrienne Lyle will be the anchor with Salvino at 1:54 p.m. EDT
Click here to view the start list. The time in Denmark is six hours ahead of Eastern Daylight Time in the U.S., so bear that in mind, since the list gives times that are local to Herning. I did the math for you on the U.S. riders.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 28, 2022
Even without spectators in the grandstand, the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation’s arena has character. The towering backdrop of the historic stables in Gladstone, N.J., offers a reminder that this is where so many of the country’s most famous riders trained during another era.
That ambience is among the reasons the Summer Days dressage show always is such a good schooling opportunity, whether for a veteran mount’s tune-up or to provide mileage for young prospects and horses switching disciplines.
After the buzz of the Essex Horse Trials on July Fourth weekend, it was quite a change in mood to see horses performing their tests surrounded by silence this week. This is not what you’d call a spectator event, but it means a lot to those taking part.
“I love to ride at the Team. It’s great, the footing is great,” said Marilyn Payne, who was aboard Maestro LFS, a five-year-old gelding who punctuated his respectable Training Level 2 test with a series of inquiring, high-pitched whinnies.
Marilyn Payne and Maestro. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
“What’s going on?” the Dutch warmblood seemed to ask. “Where am I?”
Coming up the hill from the indoor ring, horses enter the big arena and suddenly, they catch sight of the (empty) grandstands and the stable.
“It’s hard for a young horse. For a lot of horses, it’s a real eye-opener,” explained Marilyn, a respected trainer and judge who has officiated at two Olympics.
“There’s a lot to look at,” she noted.
Then she laughed and said, “We stayed in the ring, that was good. A couple of times, I thought he was going to take off and jump out of the ring.”
But he didn’t, and was marked at 64.828 percent, third in his Training Level 2 class of five.
Maestro loves Marilyn’s husband Dick, and when he’s driving the tractor, follows him around. They have the same birthday, April 16; Dick is just a little older than Maestro. So don’t ask if he’s for sale.
Arielle Aharoni’s Furst Queen is “not a hot weather horse,” so she was taking a little break from eventing to compete at Gladstone. The Danish warmblood by Furstenball is a half-sister to Arielle’s well-known eventing mount, Dutch Times.
Arielle Aharoni and Furst Queen. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
“One day, she’s going to say `no more’ to eventing and this is going to be her full-time career,” the rider revealed about the mare.
Furst Queen won her Second Level Test 3 class with 63.33 percent.
“She is just happy to do whatever we say. She’s a really sweet, sweet mare,” Arielle said of the 8-year-old she bought six years ago. Before the mare, bred in Pennsylvania. came to Arielle, she had undergone surgery as a two-year-old for an OCD lesion, so she was nervous when she arrived at the farm of her new owner. No problem.
“Three days of sitting in the field and giving her treats fixed that,” advised Arielle, who uses that technique often.
She’s hoping to qualify Furst Queen for the U.S. Dressage Federation’s national championships in Kentucky this November. Gladstone was a step along the way.
“I do love this place. I think it’s a great environment, especially for the spooky horses that are just learning to take in a big scenery,” said Arielle.
“They have to get used to that if they want to go do big stuff.”
Kimberly Herslow, who has gotten into PRE horses, rode Spanish import Holgazan in Fourth Level Test 1, earning 61.53 percent.
Kimberly Herslow and Holgazan. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
“He’s just starting to learn his changes and get a feel for what’s going on,” she said.
“I was really happy because it’s an atmosphere here, and the last two shows he went into the ring and cantered off the halt and did silly stuff.”
“He just needs to go in and do a nice solid ride and do his job,” said Kim, whose test was marked at 61.53 percent.
Last fall, Kim said goodbye to her 2015 Pan American Games team gold medal mount Rosmarin, better known as Reno. He had a nice retirement on her farm in Stockton, N.J., then had to be put down due to worsening suspensory problems. She’s still emotional about that, of course, but Kim is one who keeps busy and looks ahead, focusing on careful training with a series of up-and-coming mounts.
Glenna Gray had a memorable day at her first show back after a two-year absence from competition. She fractured her right heel when she fell from a ladder, which made it hard to do heels down. Riding Alpine Getaway, a lovely thoroughbred ex-racehorse, she earned 66.923 percent in her first dressage show to finish ahead of four other entries in Training Level Test One. I was so impressed by the mare; as I was passing by the ring, she caught my eye immediately for her willing performance and pleasant appearance in the ring.
Glenna Gray and Rachel Rosenthal Bellard with Alpine Getaway. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
An English as a Second Language teacher in Manville, N.J., Glenna grew up in Peapack-Gladstone and visited the USET as a child but never rode at the facility.
“It’s a wonderful experience,” she said.
Glenna took lessons with trainer Rachel Rosenthal Bellard of Bedminster, N.J., when she was 12, and the two reconnected recently. Rachel thought Glenna and the 17-year-old mare, whose barn name is Harley, would be a good match, and they were.
“I really wanted to prove to myself I could get back in the show ring,” said Glenna, who is hoping to enter the mare in jumper classes.
The USET Foundation is a familiar venue for Lauren Sammis, who won a team gold medal in the 2007 Pan American Games. Although she’s a trainer based in Pittstown, N.J., Lauren has what amounts to a pleasure horse in Daisy van Wittenstein P, who earned 70 percent in the Grand Prix.
Lauren Sammis and Daisy van Wittenstein P.
Enjoying horse who amounts to a pet is an unaccustomed luxury for a professional.
“She’s on her own schedule,” noted Lauren.
“It’s been a joy to have my own horse. I can do whatever I want to. It’s no pressure, it’s just going in and riding the test.”
Daisy came to Lauren as a sales horse.
“I wasn’t able to sell her, because her X-rays were awful. Awful. And she’s been sound ever since.”
Of course, right?
Having her has enabled Lauren to try different techniques.
She’s not “a leg flinger,” so she competes nationally, rather than in CDIs. Lauren doesn’t see any reason to push her to become something she’s not.
“I didn’t care about scores whatsoever. She’s why you own a horse. She doesn’t ever do anything wrong,” said Lauren.
She has plenty of other horses to ride in competition.
They include the Danish warmblood Heiline’s Oh Land, who got 74.8 percent for a win in the Prix St. Georges, and the Hanoverian Baccara B.
Also competing at Grand Prix was Catherine Haddad Staller, who selected Hazel ASK off a video. The mare had been a 1.30-meter jumper in Denmark, until the rider’s wife decided to try her in dressage.
“I have to have that one,” Catherine said, recalling her reaction to what she saw in the video.
Catherine Haddad-Staller and Hazel ASK. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
“The greatest part about this horse–I can get her off the horse trailer, throw my right leg over her, and walk her around the grounds on the buckle. She’s totally cool,” commented Catherine, whose groom rides the 11-year-old mare bareback. She earned 69.239 percent in the Grand Prix early on the first day of the show. Catherine is hoping to enter her at Dressage at Devon this fall.
“It’s so wonderful to have a horse who wants to work with you. She’s totally inspired by the dressage arena.”
The mare belongs to a new company, NorCordia, that Catherine formed last year with three Danish partners. Another NorCordia horse, the 7-year-old Hanoverian Sola Diva, was marked at 78.6 percent in the young horse test.
Explaining how her business works, Catherine said “We’re buying and selling hand-picked horses, and put them with trainers in Europe and the USA. We don’t keep them in one stable.”
Catherine decides where they should go, matching top trainers to top horses, and when it comes to sales, “we look for the right partner for the horse.”
The company is also an investment firm. All the horses they buy go into portfolios of 10 to 12 horses, which is a way of managing risk for investors, as opposed to buying a single horse.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 29, 2022
Hunter rider Amanda Steege has had great success with Lafitte de Muze in the country’s most important hunter competitions. Even so, she admitted to some extra stress today during the inaugural $10,000 Bill Ellis Memorial/U.S. Hunter Jumper Association International Hunter Derby at the Princeton Summer Classic in Skillman, N.J.
“I always feel like Lafitte’s a favorite, and if Lafitte and I execute, he and I can be the winner,” she said.
But then she observed, “It felt like a lot of pressure out there, because I wanted to do that for Bill and for this class being in memory of Bill,” she commented.
Amanda Steege and Lafitte de Muze. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Citing “emotional reasons” for her desire to do well in the class, Amanda mentioned she was very friendly with Bill, a top rider, trainer and judge during his career, who died at the age of 69 last November. (For another story about Bill, click here.)
When Bill was ill, he sent her one of his clients, Cara Garito, who now is part of Amanda’s Ashmeadow stable family.
“That gives me a little extra connection,” said Amanda, who is based in Califon, N.J., and Ocala, Fla.
“I was like, `Derby Finals is going to be a piece of cake after this,’” she chuckled, referring to the annual USHJA competition at the Kentucky Horse Park in August. It offers well over $100,000 in prize money, with the final figure, based on entry fees, yet to be determined.
In addition to wanting to participate at Princeton because the class was a tribute to Bill, Amanda thought it would be a good preparation for Kentucky “because it’s such a nice, big ring and we don’t have that many places to practice riding in rings this size.”
While the Rolex stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park is huge, she said, “I felt this was the closest I could get without driving too far away to do something, in terms of timing and similarity of ring size to Derby Finals.”
The class attracted a field of 12 for the two-part test, a classic round and a handy round, designed by Michael Puffer. Three names were standouts among the entries; Amanda, Geoffrey Hesslink and Jeffrey Ayers, all successful professinals.
“It was a good class with a nice group of competitors in it that all are very supportive of each other. The results reflected who you thought, when you looked at the list, would be in the top three or four,” Amanda said.
Lafitte’s total for the two rounds was 383 points, just ahead of the 380 score for Geoffrey’s ride, Chivalry. Jeff was further back with Cartel on 368, while Geoff’s other mount, Reddington, finished fourth on 364.
Geoffrey Hesslink and Chivalry, runner-up in the derby. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
The winner collected $3,000 for his share of the purse. He is an equine ambassador for the Equus Foundation, with his prize money used by his owner, Cheryl Olsten, to match donations up to $35,000 to help care for horses who have been abused and neglected, were being sent to slaughter or who are involved in therapeutic riding programs.
Bill’s family gathered at the event, with his husband and business partner, David Connors saying. “This is the best day ever. They did an amazing job. Bill would have been happy beyond.
“This was his favorite class and he just loved seeing spectacular horses show. This means a lot to us. He would have been thrilled.”
Amanda and Lafitte at the awards ceremony with Kelly DeSaye, Tim Delovich, Peggy McNeil, Cara Garito, Carol Stillwell, David Connors, Billy Ellis and Barbara Ellis. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Like many of the others on hand, he felt Bill’s presence.
“When the horses were going around, we’d be like. `You know what Bill would say, `She’s going too slow,’ he wants to see her pick up the pace,” he said with a grin.
Bill Ellis and David Connors at a quarter horse show in 2003. (Photo courtesy of David Connors)
Barbara Ellis, Bill’s sister, said “it’s such an honor to be here in memory of my brother. This would mean the world to him.”
Bill’s son, Billy Ellis, observed, “the best way to remember him is with a derby, a class he was so fond of and so special to him. It’s meaningful that so many people come out and celebrate and share great memories.”
Carol Stillwell, who rode with Bill, donated $5,000 in prize money, with the rest of the purse made up of contributions from Cara Garito, Kelly Moore, Dolly Hubbard, Abby Skelton, Lanie DeVoer and Peggy McNeil.
“The people who supported this, from local to far away, spoke volumes about the respect for Bill, about his journey about what they learned from him,” said Carol.
Amanda Steege and Lafitte de Muze enjoy their victory gallop. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
“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.”
Andrew Philbrick, the impresario of Princeton Show Jumping, agrees that the class should be held again in Bill’s memory during World Champion Hunter Rider week.
Standing in the midst of the VIP tent, Andrew glanced over to Carol’s table and said, “A year ago, Bill was sitting right there in the front row. He was one of our professionals that we grew up with and he never had a bad word to say about anybody. Everybody loved him, everybody thought the world of him. He was the consummate horse professional.
“When they came to me and said Carol would like to honor him, we were all about it. What better than at an international hunter derby with all these top riders in the middle of New Jersey? The response was amazing. These classes are hard to fill because they’re difficult. Some of these international derbies are having six or eight horses because they’re hard. It’s a real test,” Andrew pointed out.
“It fits into our summer beautifully and I think it’s a testament to our friend, a hunter professional who spent his whole life developing hunters. To have our highest level hunter test in honor of Bill, what could be better?”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 19, 2022
The HITS team will be addressing environmental requirements to ensure that California’s Del Mar Horse Showpark can reopen in 2023.
“The California horsemen have an incredible jewel at the Del Mar Showpark, right in the heart of such a vibrant successful community,” noted Tom Struzzieri, HITS CEO.
“Because of the great interest and concern of local citizens, Showpark has been allowed to reopen and deliver an extraordinary product to California. It goes without saying that no expense will be spared when it comes to improving the facility so that it not only conforms, but exceeds, the environmental requirements”.
He added, “It is my belief that the bones of the Del Mar Showpark will set the stage for a new HITS flagship on the West Coast after improvements to riding areas, stabling areas, and the food and beverage experiences.”
As well as staging seven hunter/jumper competitions from July into October, HITS also plans to run three dressage competitions in January, February and March.
The newest addition to the Del Mar Horse Showpark will be the expansion of facility rentals. One of the underutilized improvements at the Showpark is the covered ring. HITS plans to reinvent that building, creating an event hall that can be used to highlight and host not only hunter and jumper competitions, but many different breed events and finals.
HITS stepped into the Showpark picture after West Palms Events announced it could not reach an agreement with the 22nd District Agriculture Association to operate the 63-acre park.
“With only a five-year guaranteed contract, we were not able to come to an agreement that worked for us,” said Dale Harvey, president and CEO of West Palms Events.
At the end of the 2020 season, the 22nd DAA temporarily closed the park due to the impact of Covid and the need to complete costly stormwater mitigation on the property. In late 2021, a Request for Proposal was released and it received two bids —one of which was West Palms Events; the other was HITS. When West Palms stepped aside, HITS stepped in.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 27, 2022
State flags were flown at half-staff in memory of Assemblyman Ronald Dancer, a great friend of the New Jersey horse industry, who died at the age of 73 after a long illness.
Assemblyman Ronald Dancer
The son of famed harness racing driver Stanley Dancer, the assemblyman was a driver, trainer and breeder of standardbreds himself. The Ocean County resident “was a work horse, not a show horse,” Gov. Phil Murphy observed in a statement following the assemblyman’s death last weekend, referring to the legislator’s efforts for the equine industry, agriculture, tourism and veterans.
Ironically, when the assemblyman was successful in getting the state Legislature to pass a bill eliminating the tax on boarding horses, it was Murphy who doomed the measure by failing to sign it into law in January 2020.
Assemblyman Dancer’s most recent effort on behalf of the horse industry is a bill that would allocate $2.5 million for long-awaited improvements at the Horse Park of New Jersey. The bill remains in committee and its fate could be uncertain without the assemblyman pushing to get it to the floor for a vote.
“Assemblyman Dancer dedicated his career to supporting the agricultural community in the Garden State. Having been a lifelong equestrian himself, Assemblyman Dancer was a tremendous supporter of the equestrian community and thereby the Horse Park of New Jersey,” said Ellen Brindle Clark, the Horse Park’s interim president.
“His willingness to listen to his constituents’ needs, and find ways for the state government to help, made us feel valued and supported. We sincerely appreciate all the effort Assemblyman Dancer put towards helping the Horse Park of New Jersey. The Board of Trustees could not have asked for a better advocate and friend. He will truly be missed.”
He served on both the state horse racing commission and the state Department of Agriculture’s Sire Stakes board. The Rutgers Equine Science Center honored him with its Spirit of the Horse award.
The assemblyman, who grew up in New Egypt, was for 22 years the mayor of Plumsted Township, where he lived. He was known as the man who got things done. His volunteer work involved everything from the Ocean County Board of Social Services to the Ocean County Senior Citizens Advisory Council.
The assemblyman is survived by his wife, Brenda; two children and two grandchildren.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 25, 2022
What kind of wine goes with lectures on pasture and supplements for your horse? Whatever they’re serving at the Cream Ridge Winery on August 4, when Rutgers’ Carey Williams and Penn State’s Laura Kenny will discuss making pasture more productive, as well as what type of supplements and forage are best.
Admission is free to the Evening of Wine and Equine is free at Cream Ridge, 145 County Rd 539, Cream Ridge, N.J. Wine tasting accompanied by light snacks begins at 5 p.m., with the program to follow at 6 p.m. Those who would like to buy wine and glasses to take home will get a discount.
While there is no fee for the evening, those planning to attend need to register by emailing Carey at cawilli@sebs.rutgers.edu.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 21, 2022
The British kept everyone waiting, but today they finally named their team for the Blue Hors FEI World Dressage Championship presented by Helgstrand, which will be held in Denmark next month.
Although Valegro is long retired, the country’s star, Charlotte Dujardin, still has plenty of horsepower. She was selected with Imhotep, a 9-year-old Dutch warmblood, partially owned by her mentor, Carl Hester, with Valegro’s groom, Alan Davies, at her side.
While Carl isn’t on the team as a rider because he didn’t have a horse available, you know he will still be active, and part of whatever success Britain enjoys in Denmark.
Charlotte also has a direct back-up in the 13-year-old stallion Everdale in case something goes wrong with Imhotep, so she’ll be a key part of the British effort. Everdale, the sire of Imhotep, was ridden by Charlotte Fry on the Tokyo Olympic bronze medal squad.
Also selected for the British squad are Gareth Hughes with Classic Briolinca (and as a direct reserve ride, Sintano Van Hof Olympia); Richard Davison (Bubblingh) and Charlotte Fry (Glamourdale ).
Britain could be a medal contender, though likely not on the scale of the Danes, who are favored, as often-dominant Germany is weaker than usual without its pregnant Olympic gold medalist, world number one Jessica Von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB. Sweden also looks as if it could be in for a medal. And don’t forget the USA.
Steffen Peters (Suppenkasper) and Adrienne Lyle (Salvino) were no surprise to make the Dutta Corp. U.S. dressage team for the championships. Both were on the country’s Tokyo silver medal team. Also named was Ashley Holzer (Valentine) an Olympic medalist for her native Canada before becoming an American citizen. She looked like a lock for the squad on Valentine after some impressive performances during the European tour this summer.
But newcomer Katie Duerrhammer with Quartett was a bit of a surprise, as speculation ensued about the fourth member of the squad. Katie, at 33 the youngest rider in the group, is trained by Adrienne. Debbie McDonald, Adrienne’s mentor, works with her, and Steffen as well. Steffen is the highest-ranked U.S. rider in the world, at number 19.
Alice Tarjan of Oldwick, N.J., was named alternate with the U.S.-bred Serenade MF and will train in Germany with the squad before it leaves for Denmark.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 25, 2022
A memorial service is important to the friends and family of someone who has passed away, but you can bet that Bill Ellis really would have appreciated commemoration of his life with a hunter derby.
And that’s just what he’ll get at 8 a.m. on Friday July 29 at Princeton Show Jumping’s Summer Classic in Skillman, N.J., where the $10,000 Bill Ellis Memorial/U.S. Hunter Jumper Association International Hunter Derby will be held. The international derby was Bill’s favorite class.
He was not only successful in the saddle, having won the leading rider title at such prestigious hunter/jumper shows as the National, Devon and Upperville, but he also did well on the quarter horse circuit. The trainer ran Four Winds with business partner and husband David Connors. The operation was located at Carol Stillwell’s Stillwell Stables in Colts Neck, N.J., at one time, but they also had a farm in Ocala, Fla., the area where Bill had based himself in the early 1980s.
Bill, a member of the National Show Hunter Hall of Fame, died at the age of 69 last November. He probably was best known in the 21st Century as a respected judge, having worked in that capacity for more than 30 years.
Bill Ellis in judging mode. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Another claim to fame was his discovery of the talented thoroughbred For the Moment for his student, Lisa Jacquin. That duo went on to contribute to the U.S. team silver medal at the 1988 Olympics, in addition to winning many important competitions.
A small memorial service for Bill was held at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, but not everyone who would have liked to attend could be there.
So Kelly DeSaye came up with the idea of the class at Princeton, with Carol, Bill and David’s client, putting up $5,000 toward the purse. The derby emerged as a group effort, with the remaining $5,000 donated by Cara Garito, Kelly Moore, Dolly Hubbard, Abby Skelton, Lanie DeVoer and Peggy McNeil.
Noting Carol Stillwell was a long-time customer of the trainer, when the derby idea came up, “she thought it would be a really fun thing to honor Bill,” said Mary Knowlton, an administrator at Princeton Show Jumping and president of USHJA.
Bill was one of Mary’s mentors.
“He was a funny person, a wonderful horseman, generous with his time,” recalled Mary, who until recently ran Knightsbridge stable in Colts Neck.
When she was getting started on the big circuit with Carol Stillwell’s regular conformation hunter, Marshall, Carol sent Mary on the road with Bill. She felt it was a privilege to work with him.
“Bill, for so many of us, was a real icon,” Mary observed.
“He went too early.”
Kelly, who is known for her dedicated volunteer work with USHJA, put together the memorial derby, which is drawing such big names as Amanda Steege with Lafitte de Muze and Jeff Ayers with Cartel.
“There’s been so much support of people buying tables just to be here that day,” said Kelly, who trained with Bill the first time she went to Ocala.
“It’s very special. Everybody at the horse shows loved Bill, he was always there to help no matter what.”
Bill Ellis in the days when he was a champion rider. (Photo courtesy of David Connors)
Carol Stillwell remembers Bill’s belief that “every trainer, every individual that touched a horse had a responsibility to put that horse first. The horse’s needs always came first, that was from the very beginning.”
During the time she rode with Bill, Carol said, “I learned a lot, it was a long journey.” About 35 years, to be exact.
She remembered that despite his sense of humor, he was all business when riding was involved.
“When I started out with Bill, I was not a very disciplined person, I was very talkative,” Carol said.
She recalled that didn’t sit well with him when she was supposed to be focusing.
That was brought home to her, she recalled, the time she started to say something while jumping around a course while he was teaching.
“He called me into the middle of the ring and said, `The lesson’s over. We don’t talk during lessons. You want to talk? We talk after lessons, we talk before lessons, we don’t talk during lessons.’”
Carol can still laugh about that incident and explained, “He was a tough taskmaster. But if you’re talking, you’re not paying attention to what you’re doing. There was so much I learned from him.”
The derby, being held during Princeton’s sold-out World Champion Hunter Rider show, will begin following remarks by Carol and David Connors. Bill’s sister, Barbara Ellis, and his son, Billy Ellis, also will be on hand.
As Carol mused what Bill meant to her, she noted, ” The older I got, the smarter he got. He was such a wonderful trainer and so devoted to the horses. I miss him desperately.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 15, 2022
Only one Olympic veteran has been named to the U.S. NetJets show jumping team for the world championships in Denmark next month.
McLain Ward and Contagious will lead the way as Lillie Keenan (Argan de Beliard) and Brian Moggre (Balou du Reventon) will be making their debuts on a championship squad. Adrienne Sternlicht, a member of the 2018 gold medal world championships team, was selected with Cristalline.
McLain Ward and Contagious on their way to winning the Sapphire Grand Prix at Devon last month. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Jessica Springsteen, 30, a teammate of McLain’s on the Tokyo silver medal Olympic squad last year when she rode Don Juan Van De Donkhoeve, will be the traveling alternate with RMF Zeclilie. She is a native of Colts Neck, N.J.
Brian, a Texan, will turn 21 Aug. 7 when he arrives in Denmark for the competition, which begins several days later on Aug. 10. In the final observation trial in the Netherlands this month, he was the only U.S. rider to turn in a clear round during the Nations Cup, where the squad finished eighth.
Lillie, 25, a New York City resident who trains with McLain, made her Nations Cup debut in 2014.
Sternlicht, 29, a Connecticut resident who previously trained with McLain, is the only team member who will be riding the same horse she was aboard in the 2018 championship. Cristalline’s best finish this year was fourth in the Sapphire Grand Prix at Devon, which McLain won with Contagious.
McLain at age 46 is very senior to his teammates and has had a stellar career. The Olympic multi-medalist from Brewster, N.Y., won the 2017 Longines FEI World Cup finals with HH Azur and took two classes with Contagious at Aachen this summer.
Show jumping is one of four world championships that will be in Herning, Denmark, this summer. The others are dressage, para-dressage and vaulting. And no, it’s not the World Equestrian Games.
The WEG began in 1990 in Stockholm as a one-off compiled of all the FEI disciplines. It went so well that it continued, some years in better style than others, through 2018 in Tryon, N.C. The very expensive and difficult to present WEG ended after Tryon.
So this year, the eventing and four-in-hand world championships will be held in Pratoni, Italy (just as was the case in the 1998 WEG based in Rome), but they’re far from the four disciplines in Denmark. Endurance will be in Verona, Italy. Reining has been dropped by the FEI so it’s no longer part of the world championships scene.
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