by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 18, 2023
Karl Cook, who won the 2023 American Gold Cup last weekend with Caracole de la Roque, has been named with an all-star group of riders to the U.S. squad for the Barcelona Nations Cup final later this month.
The 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games gold medal teammates McLain Ward, Laura Kraut and Devin Ryan will be. traveling to Spain with 2021 Olympic team silver medalist Jessie Springsteen,
The final will offer one country qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics. No team in the Western Hemisphere has qualified for those Games. The spot will go to the highest-placing team not already qualified.
It’s the next-to-last shot for the U.S. to qualify for sending a team to Paris. If the U.S. doesn’t qualify there, the final opportunity is the Pan American Games in Chile this autumn. The three highest-ranked teams there not already qualified can get a ticket to the Olympics at that competition.
Karl was selected for the team before his Gold Cup win. His mount previously was ridden by France’s Julien Epaillard, who won a leg of the 2022 World Championships.
At the Gold Cup in Michigan, Karl turned in a dazzling time of of 32.95 seconds, easily beating a mark of 34.35 seconds set earlier in the class by Israel’s Ashlee Bond and Donatello.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 21, 2023
At the age of 24, the durable eventer Mr. Medicott left us last weekend. Retired in Virginia at the farm of Jacqueline Mars, the Irish-bred son of Cruising was a star for the U.S. with three different riders.
The first was Karen O’Connor, who took over the reins from Germany’s Frank Ostholt.
Karen O’Connor and Mr. Medicott at Rolex Kentucky 2012. (Photo © 2012 by Nancy Jaffer)
The horse, originally named Crag Cave Slieveluachra, was nicknamed Cave throughout his life. Cave was twenty-fifth with Frank at the 2008 Olympics, where he was on the German gold medal team, then came to the U.S. in 2010 for the FEI World Equestrian Games, where he was twenty-first. After that, the Mr. Medicott Syndicate, which included Sarah Broussard, Jacqueline Mars and Suzanne Lacy, bought him for Karen as a prospect for the 2012 London Olympics.
While it took some time for Cave to transition from having a male German rider to a female American rider. On the plus side, “he loved the job and continued to do his thing,” said Karen’s groom, Max Corcoran.
Karen and Cave were fourth at Rolex Kentucky in 2012 before finishing ninth as the highest-placed American entry at the London Olympics.
After Karen’s retirement at the end of 2012, a group of owners including Bruce Duchossois, Annie Jones, Stephanie Speakman, Tom Tierney, and Caroline Moran joined the Mr. Medicott Syndicate and got the ride for Phillip Dutton.
“I didn’t have a lot of time to get to know him, as I remember as we started to compete straight away, but fortunately we clicked from the beginning,” Phillip said.
In competition, Cave’s enthusiasm took “a bit of managing,” said Phillip, adding, “However, I always felt this came from Cave loving the sport and his job.”
In the spring of 2014, Phillip and Cave were third after cross-country at Kentucky, but the horse aggravated an old tendon injury and withdrew. He basically spent the next two years recuperating, with a brief return to competition in 2015 before going to the sidelines again.
Then at age 18, in the last event where Phillip rode him, he was fourth and the highest-placed American entry at the 2017 at Rolex Kentucky competition. After that, Phillip’s daughter, Olivia, began riding Cave to a series of top-10 finishes at the national Training and Preliminary levels during the latter half of 2017 and early 2018 before finishing third at Fair Hill.
“It was a big adjustment for me, but we took it one step at a time and I truly think that Cave knew he had to take care of me,” said Olivia.
“We grew a strong relationship where we could both trust each other.”
Olivia and Cave earned their qualification for the North American Youth Championship in the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event CIC 2-star, then contributed to Area II’s team gold medal at the championships.
Cave was formally retired following show jumping at the NAYC. He had quite a record, competing at 50 FEI events in a career that included five different riders. He finished in the top 10 at 30 of those competitions.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 18, 2023
Peggy Thomas, the owner of U.S. dressage star Brentina, died this month at her farm in Idaho. She was 97.
Debbie McDonald, who guided Brentina to an FEI World Cup Finals victory, as well as medals in the Pan American Games, the World Equestrian Games and the Olympics, said, “I was so fortunate to have had the opportunity to ride for the Thomas family for over 45 years
“Peggy was not just a wonderful owner, but an amazing horsewoman and human being. She will be missed by everyone who knew her.”
At Brentina’s 2009 retirement in the Thomas & Mack Center: Debbie and Bob McDonald, Peggy Thomas, Jane Sturdivant and Parry Thomas. (Photo © 2009 by Nancy Jaffer)
Mrs. Thomas was the widow of E. Parry Thomas, her husband of 69 years. A banker who helped finance development of the casino industry in Las Vegas, he died in 2016.
The couple, who owned River Grove Farm, was known for their charitable efforts. With Parry’s partner, Jerry Mack, they donated land to the University of Nevada at Las Vegas for construction of the Thomas & Mack Center. That facility hosted six FEI World Cup finals.
They also sponsored the Brentina Cup for riders 16-25 to bridge the gap between juniors and Young Riders to senior competition. Winners have included Adrienne Lyle, Debbie’s protege, who rode the Thomases’ Wizard in the 2012 Olympics..
Mrs. Thomas is survived by sons Peter, Roger, Steven and Tom, as well as a daughter, Jane Sturdivant; 13 grandchildren and 21 great-grandchildren. Services were private.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 16, 2023
“The nicest guy” is the way friends characterized Mike Polaski, who was well-known on the horse show circuit and in thoroughbred circles as well.
A self-made man “who lived life to the fullest,” Mike died Sept. 10 at age 76 after being hospitalized for a stroke. Starting as a blue-collar worker, he went on to be an insurance salesman and then began his own highly successful insurance company, Specialty Underwriters. He also owned numerous restaurants over the years, as well as being involved with breeding horses and cattle.
Mike Polaski.
The 30-year sponsorship of his Hidden Creek Farm furthered the career of show jumper Margie Goldstein Engle, who rode horses he bred and owned everywhere from numerous grands prix to international championships.
Among the best known of his jumpers were Hidden Creek’s Laurel and Hidden Creek’s Alvaretto, who made him the only owner to take the American Grand Prix Association and American Horse Shows Association Horse of the Year titles in the same year. Hidden Creek’s Cuervo Gold was part of the 2006 silver medal team at the FEI World Equestrian Games at Aachen in 2006. Hidden Creek’s Perin won a team gold and individual bronze at the Pan American Games and finished in top 10 at the 2000 Olympics.
“I was fortunate to have quite a few nice owners, but he was one of the best,” said Margie.
“His big thing was he wanted everyoneto have a nice time. He was a fun person to be around, very gregarious. He lived life to the fullest, there wasn’t any grass growing under his feet. He always liked to do things for charities and other people.”
Trainer Tom Wright observed, “He would give the shirt off his back if you were lucky enough to be his friend.”
Mike started riding to follow his pointer dogs while hunting, then went on to buy a horse, a farm and began showing. He also had racehorses with trainer Michael Matz, a former show jumper.
Being involved in church-based charity efforts in Africa and Eastern Europe was important in Mike’s life, and he financed construction of a children’s hospital in Kenya.
Viewing will be held Sept. 28 at 3 p.m. followed by a 5 p.m. memorial service at 414 Church, 1672 77th St. West Allis, Wisc.
He is survived by his wife, Catherine Jerene Polaski; children Michael John (Dreama) Polaski, Jennifer Anne (Jose) McFarland, and Sarah Marie (Joseph) McLean; grandchildren Madison (Victor) Magalhaes, Seth Polaski, Eddie McFarland, Lola McFarland, Ava McLean, Bret McLean and Graham McLean, as well as a great-grandchild, “Baby” Magalhaes.
In lieu of flowers, contributions in his memory may be made to Reach 7, P.O. Box 658, 200 E. Centennial Drive, Oak Creek, WI 53154, or through Venmo.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 18, 2023
The U.S. Junior Jumping Team made the podium and the Young Rider Team was fourth at the 2023 FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ Youth Final at Sentower Park in Belgium last weekend.
“The juniors were great,” said U.S. Chef d’Equipe Anne Kursinski.
“Overall, they were amazing in getting on the podium. I’m proud of all of them—they all rode great.”
The bronze medal junior team: Tessa Downey, Laurel Walker, Elise Stephens, Stephanie Garrett, Carlee McCutcheon and chef d’equipe Anne Kursinski.(Photo©US Equestrian/Matt Turer)
Needing a clear to secure a podium placing, Carlee McCutcheon and Coco Mercedes, a 2013 Westphalian mare owned by Purple Rein Investments, delivered the key fault-free trip in 70.24 seconds.
“Carlee was amazing,” Anne said.
“She fought for it the whole way—the mare jumped clear, and it wasn’t the easiest ride. It definitely got us on the podium, and that’s what she had done in Traverse City (at the FEI North American Youth Championships), and she repeated it here.”
Carlee and Coco Mercedes’s clear-round effort kept the U.S. on a team total of 12 penalties—three faults clear of fourth-place Germany’s 15 and trailing the eight from Ireland and the Netherlands. The Netherlands ultimately defeated Ireland in a jump-off.
In the Young Riders, “It was close with all the top teams,” Anne noted.
“The U.S. did a great job. The Europeans just have a little more experience at this level of Nations Cup jumping, but I thought (we) were great and Alex (Alston on Keoki) ended up jumping a fabulous clear.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 6, 2023
Mexican sculptor Jose Amador Lobato Juarez will be holding an exhibition of his art Sept. 30 at Meg Sleeper’s Godwink Farm in Frenchtown.
A work by Mexican sculptor Jose Amador Lobato Juarez.
Amador is a Mexican artist who uses baling wire, driftwood and horse shoes to make his creations. He will create commissioned and non-commisioned art that will be displayed during the exhibition.
The non-commissioned pieces will be available for sale at the event, set for 1-5 p.m.) and those attending also will be able to commission him to create something specific.
The occasion is also the official opening of Meg’s new farm at 258 Spring Hill Road; Frenchtown, NJ 08825 . She is a veterinarian and endurance rider who has represented the U.S. in world championships.
There is no admission charge, but she would like people to RSVP so she can plan for light snacks and beverages.Her email is margaretmsleeper@ufl.edu.
