by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 8, 2023
Horseshoe Bend Park in Kingwood Township, N.J., will host the Horseshoe Bend Boogie for horses and human runners Aug. 19.
All proceeds will go to support open space in Hunterdon County through the tax exempt Friends of Horseshoe Bend Park. This event will include endurance rides, an ultramarathon and ride-and-tie divisions at distances of 30 and 50 miles. There will also be an introductory level division (14 miles) for anyone wanting to try endurance riding in a relaxed setting.
The event needs volunteers and supporters to help with timing, hospitality stops for horse and human food and water, road crossings, veterinary scribes and more. Anyone who wants to donate resources or time should contact Meg Sleeper at (908) 500-0091 or megsleeper@icloud.com.
Endurance riding involves controlled long-distance races. Horses and their riders head down the trail with periodic veterinary examinations to insure the horse is “fit to continue”.
An ultramarathon, also called ultra distance or ultra running, is any footrace longer than the traditional marathon length of 42.195 kilometers. Various distances are raced competitively, from the shortest common ultramarathon of 31 miles to more than 200 miles.
Ride-and-Tie is an endurance racing sport combining running and horseback riding. Teams consist of two runners and one horse who complete a 20- to 100-mile trail course by “leapfrogging” one another. One person starts the race on the horse, the other on foot. Equathon is a type of ride-and-tie in which the horse and rider complete the first segment of the trail and then the runner starts the second segment.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 1, 2023
DiAnn Langer, the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Youth chef d’equipe, and show manager Britt McCormick have been nominated as candidates for the presidency of the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association.
The USHJA board will vote Sept. 11 on who will succeed Mary Knowlton in the post. The new president will serve in a transition period until the 2024 USHJA meeting, when he or she takes office.
DiAnn, from Johnston, S.C., has been everything from a competitor, owner, trainer and breeder to holding many positions in governance and sport positions. She served as president of the Pacific Coast Horse Show Association, the California Professional Horsemen’s Association, the California Professional Horsemen’s Foundation and Los Angeles Horse Show Association.
Britt, of McKinney, Texas, also has been an owner, trainer, competitor and consultant. His USHJA experience includes the board of directors, executive committee, hunter and jumper working groups and the International Hunter Derby and Incentive Task Force, among others. He also serves as chair of USEF’s National Breeds and Disciplines Council and on the USEF National Hunter Committee.
In the sport, McCormick is a judge in various disciplines, including for the American Quarter Horse Association, and is a licensed hunter and jumper course designer.
The candidates were selected through a multi-step process. Members submitted nominations for the office of President, which were then reviewed by the USHJA Nominating Committee. The committee interviewed candidates before submitting their recommended nominees to the USHJA Board of Directors.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 14, 2023
International show jumping star McLain Ward gave a boost to the discipline’s next generation by coaching two winners at the Gotham North FEI North American Youth Championships, presented by USHJA,.
He helped both Baylee McKeever, the individual gold medalist in the Young Rider category, and Carlee McCutcheon, who took the same honors in the Juniors at the show in Michigan.
Baylee delivered the only clear round over Nick Granat’s challenging first round course for the Young Riders. She rode Formidable, a mare given to her as a high school graduation present by McLain. Then she produced another clear trip, earning the title after Augusta Iwasaki dropped a rail to take silver.
Baylee McKeever and Formidable. (Photo by Andrew Ryback Photography)
“I was trying to take it jump by jump and not get caught up with how the class was going,” said the 18-year-old Baylee.
“I just focused on my round and how my horse was going, everything I could control. Going to the last (fence), I was definitely nervous but I tried to stay calm and focused.”
Baylee also got support from her father Lee, McLain’s longtime barn manager and right-hand man.
After bringing Formidable back from colic surgery, Baylee started riding the mare about 18 months ago.
“I’d say we have a strong partnership. She’s special to me and she brought me up the levels from the Medium Juniors all the way here,” she said.
The gold was a surprise over a course that mirrored her horse’s name in terms of its difficulty.
“I knew it would be a bit bigger here, so I went in hoping to get around and have a good time. I couldn’t ask for anything more from her,” said Baylee.
McLain advised her to just enjoy the experience and simply be glad she had made it to the Individual final.
“He was talking about how nice it was to be in this situation to start with. Everyone wants to be at the top and you’re going to lose sometimes, but you have to appreciate where you are right now,” Baylee recounted.
Baylee’s name will be engraved on the Maxine Beard Memorial Trophy, along with the names of many show jumping stars, for whom winning the title was a first step toward memorable careers.
Carlee is an English equitation standout who doubles as a reiner in her role as a member of a famous family in that sport,
Coach McLain Ward with gold medal students Baylee McKeever and Carlee McCutcheon. (Photo courtesy McLain Ward)
In the Junior category, she had a lead to protect coming into the final round, with not a single rail dropped through competition to that point. With two additional clear rounds aboard Coco Mercedes on Sunday, she solidified her victory and earned the gold medal.
“This is my first Young Riders experience,” said Carlee, also a team gold medalist for Zone 7.
“Last year, I qualified to ride on the Zone 7 team, but I had a bit of a spill on the first day in the warm-up, so I was not able to compete. To come back here and have the opportunity to show and be part of the team means so much to me. I was really just looking forward to it all week, and it went better than I ever could have imagined.”
The win couldn’t have come without the ride on Coco Mercedes,another mare acquired from McLain.
“She’s so brave,” said the 17-year-old Carlee.
“I never have to worry about it. If I don’t see the perfect distance, I know she’ll take care of me. I think having a horse with so much confidence has given me a confidence boost and has improved my riding all year.”
With advice from Max Amaya and TJ O’Mara of Stonehenge Stables, as well as McLain, Carlee felt prepared to take on the final round of jumping, where she achieved her fifth clear in three days.
“Max and McLain both told me just to stay calm,” she explained. “This is the first of hopefully many situations I’ll be in like this, and it’s just icing on the cake at this point. It’s been a great week so I was happy with any outcome because she’s been incredible all week.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 14, 2023
The USA’s Jessica Springsteen won her first 5-star show jumping competition with her Olympic team silver medal mount, Don Juan van de Donkhoeve, as the duo took the Longines Global Champions Tour Grand Prix of London on Sunday.
Jessica Springsteen and Don Juan van de Donkhoeve are both all smiles after victory in the LGCT Grand Prix of London. (LGCT photo)
Olivier Philippaerts of Belgium was second for the second year in a row on H&M Miro. Picking up his 24th LGCT Grand Prix podium finish, Harrie Smolders of the Netherlands and Monaco N.O.P were third after a 10-horse jump-off, following a first round that drew 38 starters, five of whom retired on the course designed by Uliano Vezzani.
Against the backdrop of the Royal Hospital Chelsea, Jessie’s win also earned her the “golden ticket” to the LGCT Super Grand Prix in Prague this autumn.
“I’m so happy with Don today,” said Jessie.
“I took some risks but it paid off. I’m so excited, I’m honestly in shock. It means so much to win here, especially in front of this incredible atmosphere and crowd in London. It’s an incredible venue and an incredible crowd, they really give you the energy — they’re really cheering you on and I think you and your horse, they really feel that which is special.”
There were six double clears in the tiebreaker. When it was Jessie’s turn to go, she took off with a flying start and then made a risky, tight turn to the double, Jessie did just enough to take the top prize with a clocking of 43.01 seconds.
Olivier Philippaerts, astride the illustrious H&M Miro, gave it everything he could from start to finish, determined not to make the same mistake as last year adding an extra stride to the last that cost him the win. He couldn’t quite match Jessie’s pace, stopping the clock in 43.90 seconds.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 13, 2023
Britain defended its 2021 FEI European Eventing Championships title and then some today at Haras du Pin, as it took not only team honors again, but also collected individual gold and silver with smooth performances by Ros Canter on Lordships Graffalo and Kitty King on Vendredi Biats.
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo on their way to double gold. (Les Garennes photo)
The Brits, coached by Chris Bartles, will be looking for another triumph next year when they return to France for the Paris Olympics. Their 103.9 penalties final score at the Europeans gave them an enviable margin over runner-up Germany (131.2), which was without its top rider, as Michael Jung had a startling fall (read it here) on Saturday’s cross country when fischerChipmunk went to his knees after misjudging the landing at fence 24. (A real sportsman, Michi still showed up to stand on the podium with his teammates instead of going home in a wave of disappointment.)
The Germans were only 3 penalties ahead of the French, who took the bronze medal to the delight of the enthusiastic crowd that turned up for this afternoon’s show jumping.
The setting of the FEI European Eventing Championships, crowned by a chateau, is one of a kind. (Les Garennes photo)
The British team also included Laura Collett, ninth on London 52 (46.6) after a fault-free trip in show jumping, and world champion Yasmin Ingham on Banzai du Loir, 25th with the team’s drop score (59.8) after a rail in the final phase. Tom Jackson on Capels Hollow Drift competed as an individual for Britian and wound up 29th. Tom McEwen, also competing as an individual, was eliminated on cross-country after a fall from JL Dublin.
The show jumping course map for the FEI European Eventing Championships
Sticky ground for Saturday’s cross-country phase took its toll, as three from the original field of 56 retired, 13 were eliminated and two withdrew.
But for all that, the horses looked great in this morning’s trot-up, with everyone passing. (The very veteran Karin Donckers, who became the drop score of Belgian team, was the only absentee from the horse inspection when she left her Fletcha Van’t Verahof in the stables. That horse had competed at Haras in 2014 when it hosted the FEI World Equestrian Games.) At any rate, seventh-place Belgium, like the eighth-place Netherlands, achieved their goal here of qualifying for the Paris Olympics.
Dickie Waygood, the British team manager, breathed a sigh of relief once the medals were about to be distributed.
“We rode the dragon yesterday,” he said, referring to the difficult footing conditions.
“I think every team did. It was a tough old day in the office.”
Kitty left all the rails in place, but had 1.2 time penalties to finish on 32 penalties for her silver.
“I’m just so proud of my horse,” said Kitty, noting she “rode like an absolute idiot.”
But her horse came through for her.
“When I came out, I was so cross with myself… Now I’m beginning to realize it’s been a long time coming and he deserves it so much,” Kitty commented.
“I just didn’t give him a very easy job, I kept him guessing the whole way, I kicked when I should’ve pulled and I pulled when I should’ve kicked. But he was brilliant and he helped me out.”
The bronze went to 2014 world champion Sandra Auffarth of Germany, returning to the scene of her triumph from nine years ago. She had a perfect trip with Viamant du Matz, finishing on her cross-country total of 34.6.
An overview of the scene at the awards ceremony.
Ros, this year’s Badminton winner, came into the show jumping with two rails in hand. She only needed a margin of one over the route designed by Quentin Perney and Jean-Pierre Meneau. Aside from toppling that single pole, Walter, as she calls her horse, flowed along effortlessly.
Being in the lead, even with a comfortable margin, put pressure on Ros due to the expectations of fans and supporters.
“It almost makes it worse, because there’s longer to fall,” she explained.
A lot of people held their breath at fence 4, the triple combination, when the A element, a vertical came down as Walter tipped it. But there were no more mistakes.
“I had to keep myself in my little bubble,” said Ros, explaining how she coped coming into today.
“For me, the team always comes first. It’s what I dream of doing, it always has been.”
As usual, just before receiving her medals, she gave deserved kudos to her wise and patient mount.
“I’ve got Walter to thank for it. He’s just an unbelievable horse. He’s what dreams are made of.”
Lots of history at this site.We already mentioned the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games. But the last time the Europeans were held at Haras, Great Britain mirrored today in taking team and individual gold and individual silver. The winners were Mary Gordon-Watson, Richard Walker, Derek Allhusen, Polly Hey-Hutchinson and Reuben Jones. Remembering is always nice for perspective.
Click here for individual results. Click here for team results.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 14, 2023
You have until Aug.16 to comment on the FEI’s draft of proposed changes to its statutes, and one in particular is worth more than a look.
While the list includes everything from restricting the tightness of nosebands to banning grooming and tacking up in stable aisles at shows, one that could affect every athlete involves serious sanctions in connection with use of social media.
Warnings, fines, suspension or provisional suspension could be the punishment for violations of a new policy that strives “to provide accurate and reliable information on social media platforms.”
Athletes should “fact-check before sharing or commenting on news or events related to their sport. Sharing false information or spreading rumours can have a detrimental effect on the sport and its shareholders,” states the draft.
But who determines whether something is “false information’? We have seen a lot of that in the U.S.–for example, the Hunter Biden laptop was deemed to be “Russian information” before it was determined to be real. And also in the U.S., we’ve had a lot of discussion about the first amendment and free speech being controlled by social media companies.
While it certainly is important to check facts and not repeat rumors, what about an opinion on something, anything, with which the FEI might disagree?
“It’s absolutely detrimental to the progress of equestrian sports,” believes Olympic eventer Doug Payne, a frequent poster online.
“Without dissent, you have a very, very small group of people guiding you with their perception of what the sport should be. I hope people are aware and see this is a precursor to something far worse. I feel it’s the tip of the iceberg; it’s going to put a significant amount of negative pressure on the sport in general.”
There’s also a question of who will set the standard about what can go on social media.
“Every once in a while, you’re going to make your point about something and who knows who’s going to be offended? That’s really scary,” mused dressage rider Kim Herslow.
Other riders from whom comment was requested did not respond, which might be considered evidence of the chilling effect the proposed rule could have.
A final draft of the changes to the FEI statutes will be presented Oct. 24. The rules will be discussed and voted on at the FEI General Assembly this November in Mexico City.
