by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 12, 2023
Does your horse crib, weave or pace?
Dr. Katherine Houpt may have an answer for you.
She will present: “Stable Vices: Theirs or Ours? Abnormal Behavior in Horses.” The James Law Professor Emeritus of Behavior Medicine at Cornell University’s College of Veterinary Medicine will go on line this month to discuss common vices in domestic horses. The program will include potential causes, treatments and management strategies.
The veterinarian, who has a doctorate in behavioral psychology, focuses her research on domestic animal welfare, equid behavior and the physiological basis of equine ingestive and maternal behavior.
This session, part of the college’s Equine Seminar Series, will be presented Sept. 19 from 6-7 p.m. Eastern Time via Zoom. The event is free, but those interested are asked to register in advance at https://bit.ly/ESS-Sept2023
The Cornell Equine Seminar Series is presented by the Cornell University Equine Hospital, the New York State 4-H Horse Program and Cornell Cooperative Extension. Held monthly, experts present on important equine health and management topics.
For additional information about the college, see the College of Veterinary Medicine news website.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 11, 2023
Show manager, judge, course designer and governance veteran Britt McCormick was elected president of the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association by the board of directors on Monday. He will not succeed current president Mary Knowlton until December 2024 after a 15-month transition period.
The Texan is chairman of the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s National Breeds and Disciplines Council and serves on the National Hunter Committee.
He said his short-term goals “include taking a hard look at the business side of USHJA. We are a multi-million dollar non-profit organization and I’m really looking forward to taking a look at the internal business side quite a bit. Then I would like to get with all the various task force chairs and see where we are on the sports side, getting feedback and input to see where they think we should be going next.”
He believes, “If at the end of my term, we are more collaborative as an association; we have identifiable sport growth at every level, including the elite level; and we are providing the services that our members expect, I’ll be happy.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 11, 2023
Devin Ryan of Long Valley, N.J., has been named to the team for the FEI Nations Cup final in Barcelona this month, along with his 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games gold medal teammates McLain Ward and Laura Kraut. Also traveling to Spain for the competition are 2021 Olympic team silver medalist Jessie Springsteen and Karl Cook.
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 send 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.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 24, 2023
The Tewksbury Trail Association will return to Christie Hoffman Farm Park in Tewksbury for its annual Trail Pace Sept. 17. There are opportunities for riders at all levels and ages to participate.
The Tewksbury Trail Association pace at Christie Hoffman Farm Park. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
TTA President Jeannie Shuster said an eight-mile course will offer both trail and pleasure pace options.
“This year, we have an Open and a new 90-plus division. To be eligible for the latter, the combined ages of two riders must be 90 years or over.
“We have a great selection of prizes for all divisions. All TTA-members will enjoy a discount on the registration fee. And we will have a special TTA Trail Pace 2023 T-shirt for the participants,” she said. That will be on a first-come, first-served basis until they run out.
Joy Custer, who leads the TTA Trail Committee, added: “Part of the fun is designing the course of this year’s pace with the TTA team. We worked hard to clear the trails and make them accessible for the trail pace. I can’t wait to see riders from the Tewksbury area and far beyond join our event and enjoy our trails.”
The TTA Trail Pace takes place between 8 a.m. and 1:30 p.m. Teams of two or three riders can enter one of four divisions: Open and 90-plus and Trail Pace and Pleasure Pace. An equine veterinarian will be on site.
For more information, go to the TTA website: www.tta-nj.org .
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 11, 2023
Switzerland’s Martin Fuchs on Leone Jei was the only combination to achieve three clear rounds in the world’s richest grand prix, the $3 million (Canadian) CPKC International, part of the Rolex Grand Slam series.
Martin Fuchs and Leone Jei. (Photo Spruce Meadows)
The competition at the Spruce Meadows Masters in Calgary, Canada, drew a field of 29 on Sunday, with just Martin and Canada’s Tiffany Foster on Figor going fault-free over two rounds to meet again in a jump-off.
After Tiffany’s mount dislodged a rail, all Martin had to do was put in another perfect trip over the course laid out by Leopoldo Palacios and an international team of designers. That’s just what the former World Number One did. Martin, who lost a stirrup in the first round, is the type who meets every challenge.
Calgary, Alta Sep, 10, 2023 Martin Fuchs of SUI riding Leone Jei in the CPO ‘International Grand Prix presented by Rolex at the Spruce Meadows Masters. Mike Sturk photo.
As he took the last fence, he raised his left arm in triumph, then hugged his horse after landing before taking off his helmet and greeting the fans.
The top-placing American was Hannah Selleck, 26th on Cloud 39 after having 12 faults in the first round.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 11, 2023
As I listened on the radio this morning to the names being read at the annual ceremony for the 9/11 terrorism victims while bells tolled, I saw a Facebook post by horse show judge and trainer Jimmy Lee about this day in 2001. He and other show officials were called to fill in for those who couldn’t get there after the attack.
“Twenty-two years ago this morning,” Jimmy wrote, “I got a call and got in my car and drove from Cape Cod to Springfield, Massachusetts, to judge the Eastern States Horse Show for Jim Lahood. In one of the first classes, several of the horses had American flag stickers on their hindquarters. I sure as hell will never ever forget!”
I was sleeping after flying in the night before from a busy week covering the Spruce Meadows horse show in Canada when the phone rang. It was my husband, telling me to turn on the TV.
“What station?” I asked. “Any station,” he replied.
A side note here. Kevin Babington, who was also at Spruce Meadows, did not leave Canada Sept. 10 and when all flights were suspended after 9/11, he wound up having to take a bus across the country in order to get home to the East Coast.
Jimmy’s post initiated a flood of memories from so many people about a day they can never forget. You always remember where you were when something that momentous happens, like Pearl Harbor, or the assassination of President John F. Kennedy. I thought it would be instructive for my readers to see what others remembered about the day.
Sterling D.B. Graburn commented, “I was at the NEDA dressage/sport horse breeders show. We had similar issues with judges having to drive in to replace judges too far away, and it did delay the show. Funny how that day changed how we think, travel, and live our lives. Brought the reality of the economic risk a terrorist attack can put the world under, never mind the horrible loss of life.”
Kim Hewitt Bonstein recalled, ” We lived 20 miles from Ground Zero in Fanwood next to Westfield, NJ, and the fighter jets flew so low over our houses on the way to the city that it felt like they could hit the tree tops.
“Within hours of the (Twin) Towers falling, every house on our street had American flags flying and they stayed up for a very long time. On September 11 we were all stunned, yet proud, Americans no matter our political views or differing backgrounds. We were one country and one people.”
Heather Hunter wrote that she had driven to a store to pick up something “when a woman came running out of the store, screaming her husband was in there. Confused, I went into the store and saw on the TV screen what was happening. I went numb and went back to the church where T2 was and just sat in the parking lot, praying they would not bomb the church. I still get teary and feel the fear I had that morning – the helplessness. I cannot imagine what that woman felt. I will never forget the fear, her tears or her screams.”
Lisa Mitchell “was driving down 684 in Westchester county,N.Y., from North Salem to Greenwich. First and last time I have ever seen that road empty at 9:30 in the morning.”
Judy Siracusa was picking up lighting fixtures that morning. She watched what was happening on TV “with the big guys who loaded the boxes. I was embarrassed crying until I saw every one of these guys weeping buckets. We’re all still Americans.”
