by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 25, 2023
More helmet and headgear options will be allowed for competitors at U.S. Equestrian Federation competitions beginning Aug. 1. The date originally was Dec. 1, but it has been changed so competitors can take advantage of the change quickly, rather than waiting four months.
“The additional testing standards are comparable to or exceed the ASTM F1163/SEI standard and will allow more helmet options to competitors at USEF national competitions,” stated Dr. Stephanie Bonin, chair of the ASTM Equestrian Helmet Task Force. She is principal and senior biochemical engineer at MEA Forensic Engineers & Scientists.
Additionally, the list of accepted international testing standards and corresponding certified quality control labels for equestrian protective headgear have been posted on the USEF website rather than within the rule book to allow for future updates to the list without having to undergo the timeline associated with the rule change process.
Click here to see the list of international standards for protective headgear being accepted by USEF as of Aug. 1.
Questions about this rule change or the types of protective headgear approved for use at USEF licensed competitions may be directed to Katlynn Wilbers at KWilbers@usef.org.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 21, 2023
Following two nights of meetings on a project involving rezoning part of the Wellington, Florida, Equestrian Preserve — an application linked to expansion of the Wellington International showgrounds — the Village Zoning, Planning and Adjustment board put off a vote until next month.
Twenty-seven people spoke on the contentious subject Thursday in the public hearing portion of the board’s second session on Thursday. Board Vice Chairman John Bowers read the names and opinions of dozens of others from comment cards presented to the panel. By the time he finished, it was midnight before closing statements from the developer and “interested parties” could have been heard.
Considering the late hour, the zoning board decided to put off that part of the process and a vote until the panel’s next regular meeting on Aug. 16. That is nearly two weeks before the fate of the project could be decided at a Village Council meeting tentatively scheduled for Aug. 28 (and Aug. 29, if necessary).
Removing acreage from the Equestrian Preserve in the “Winter Equestrian Capital of the World” requires a super-majority of four of the five council members. Both the zoning board and the Equestrian Preserve Committee are advisory groups whose input is used by the council in making a decision. After two nights of hearings last month, the Preserve committee members unanimously voted against the request to take land from the Preserve.
Zoning board members started their second meeting of the week (click here to read a story on the first meeting) with questions for Village zoning and planning staff; Michael Stone, president of Wellington International, which runs the showgrounds, and Doug McMahon, managing director of developer Tavistock Group, co-founder of the Nexus Luxury Collection.
The applications under discussion for The Wellington North & South are being put forward by Wellington Lifestyle Partners (WLP), whose executive vice president and partner is Paige Bellissimo. She is the daughter of Mark Bellisimo, who made his name in the horse world as the point man for Wellington Equestrian Partners in the 2007 purchase of the showgrounds that is home to the Winter Equestrian Festival. Mark Bellissimo also was involved in entities that bought much of the land in the vicinity of the showgrounds, including the 90 acres needed for its expansion in the South portion of the project.
The Populous architectural firm, which will design the new Wellington International showgrounds, envisions this setting as the entrance.
WLP calls its project the Wellington Equestrian and Golf Club. (A golf course was purchased in April for $35 million as a key element of the resort club community). The Partners are seeking permission to construct 400 dwellings, including single-family homes, condos and townhouses, as well as small farms and a fitness/wellness center in addition to sports and recreation facilities.
WLP is requesting that 95.6 acres be removed from the protected Equestrian Preserve property in the North section, now the home of the Adequan Global Dressage Festival at Equestrian Village, in order to construct luxury housing there.
During Thursday’s hearing, it was mentioned that if the zoning change on that North parcel property is approved, no housing construction could proceed until the expanded showgrounds on the South parcel is ready for use. Zoning for the land to be added to the showgrounds must be changed from residential to commercial equestrian recreation.
Dressage competition is scheduled to continue at Equestrian Village at least through the 2024 winter season.
Michael Stone and Mark Bellissimo in 2007 by the old polo stadium at what would become the home of dressage at Equestrian Village in the Equestrian Preserve.( Photo © 2007 by Nancy Jaffer)
Wellington Lifestyle Partners, which McMahon serves as CEO, is not involved in the showgrounds expansion. That will be undertaken by the Global Equestrian Group, owner of Wellington International. But GEG lacks a signed contract to buy the necessary land for that expansion from WLP, which also seeks to change the land use and master plan for its property in the South parcel.
The tenuous connection between WLP’s projects and the showgrounds expansion has been difficult to understand for many, as well as why WLP doesn’t just sell land for the showgrounds to Wellington International right now. It has even been accused by Equestrian Preserve Committee Chairperson Jane Cleveland of holding the land sale “hostage” in order to get its zoning requests fulfilled.
But Thursday night, a new idea was presented, the prospect of WLP and Wellington International becoming co-applicants on the South parcel to coordinate development. Wellington International also is seeking rezoning there, to equestrian commercial for the acreage that would become part of the expanded showgrounds.
Eventually, dressage would move to the Wellington International site nearby on Pierson Road when the entire showgrounds is expanded over another 90 acres, land that is part of approximately 269 acres that is the South segment of the Wellington Lifestyle Partners’ application.
The timeline for completion of the showgrounds is uncertain, but Paige Bellissimo told the board, “We don’t want to leave dressage or the (adjacent) derby field (where hunters and jumpers compete) high and dry” without a home at Equestrian Village if the new showgrounds is not finished.
“So this is our commitment on paper to not leaving them orphaned. We really want to show that we’re partners in this and we’re committed to the showgrounds as well.”
That enlarged Wellington International would have a jumper stadium and new indoor and outdoor arenas on the additional acreage GEG wants to buy, while the land currently used by the showgrounds would host only hunters and dressage. Stone estimated that during the Winter Equestrian Festival, the rearrangement of disciplines means shows will include 1,200 hunters and 300 dressage horse on the site of the current showgrounds. That is a total of 1,500 horses in an area that now serves 3,000, including the jumpers, which means the cramped circumstances would be alleviated as the jumpers move off to their own venue on the showgrounds’ new, bigger footprint.
Dressage riders rarely have had the chance to ride in the main arena at Wellington International, but plans call for them to be based there once the new showgrounds is built. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Much of the conversation recently about the importance of expanding the showgrounds goes beyond crowding at the site, or the lack of parking, need for better maintenance and the inconvenience of moving catering and equipment between Wellington International and Equestrian Village.
New high-end facilities in Ocala and Sarasota are offering competition to Wellington; not only in attracting riders and residents, but also bringing in sponsors and vendors. The current showgrounds could be viewed as outdated. Stone pointed out during the meeting that the VIP pavilion at Wellington International is basically under a tent because of regulations prohibiting a permanent building. That means the facilities are not attractive to sponsors, who don’t want clients coming to a venue lacking air conditioning and other amenities.
Some at the meeting who objected to more housing cited traffic issues, although zoning staffers downplayed what effect development would have in that area, and suggested alternate entrances to the expanded showgrounds might improve the situation. The biggest issue in regard to traffic, the bottleneck at the intersection of Pierson and South Shore Boulevard could be solved with expanded and additional turning lanes, rather than road widening, it was suggested.
While there seems to be general agreement that expanding the showgrounds would be a good thing for Wellington’s identity, most of those who spoke at Thursday’s meeting or submitted comment cards are against removing acreage from the Preserve to insure that the showgrounds can obtain additional acreage.That shows the difficulty of making land for a new showgrounds on the South parcel available only if the North parcel is taken out of the preserve and rezoned.
A petition against removing Equestrian Preserve land and amending zoning to allow an increase in residential density has gotten nearly 5,300 signatures.
Resident Mark Elie said 2016 traffic studies were used in evaluating what would happen with an influx of additonal cars due to increased development
“This is going to destroy what our lifestyle is like. We do not need more homes causing more traffic,” he commented.
Farm owner Michael Whitlow told board members they have “an obligation to preserve the Preserve. Once you start chipping away at the Preserve, we’re going to have nothing but development forever and ever.”
Several people speaking in support of the expansion did not mention the loss of land from the Preserve, but rather, zeroed in on the importance of keeping up with the times for the health of the equestrian industry.
Entrepreneur Michael Cruciotti, the brother of show jumper Kelli Cruciotti Vanderveen, said he and his wife moved to Wellington six years ago for the horse show. He organized Equestrians for Wellington, which got more than 500 signatures this week from trainers, grooms, riders and others in the industry supporting the new plan. He called the horse show their “lifeblood.”
“Unless the horse show is allowed to expand, we will not see this investment continue into our community,” he said, citing the presence of “better options out there right now,” mentioning the World Equestrian Center in Ocala with its 5-star hotel and multitude of restaurants.
“If the horse show is not able to expand,” he cautioned, “I fear we may not have a horse show in the next five to 10 years.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 19, 2023
Managing risk when investing in horses is always tricky. The fragility of these animals and the whims of fate too often can result in a devastating outcome for owners, riders and trainers.
Catherine Haddad Staller, based in Califon, N.J., and Wellington, Fla., knows well the ups and downs of the horse business. Twice the U.S. dressage team’s reserve rider for the World Equestrian Games, she has had many other accomplishments during more than three decades of being active in the industry.
Her most recent success was the selection of her home-bred seven-year-old Hanoverian, Vianne, to compete in the FEI World Breeding Championship for Young Horses in the Netherlands next month. Doing the riding will be 23-year-old Hope Beerling, an Australian being trained by Catherine. Vianne is the only American-bred horse representing the U.S. that is participating in the competition.
Vianne takes a good look at the flag she will be representing at the Young Horse Championships with Hope Beerling. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Along with her achievements, Catherine, 59, also has dealt with her share of crushing disappointments over the years, and had to figure out a way of coping with them.
What she learned has been instilled in the development of NorCordia, an innovative company started in 2021 whose platform is geared to “helping our horses find their best partners” and enabling those who invest in the concept to seek a profit. It is the “first sporthorse portfolio investment company,” Catherine explained.
The Nor in NorCordia is for Nordic, which she calls “a representation of value,” (her partners are Danish), while Cordia refers to “the assurance of heartstrings,” a commitment to caring in connection with the horses.
The company initially offers portfolios of 10 to 12 horses, and each runs for three years. When a horse is sold during that period, it is replaced in the portfolio. The company has the ability to turn over anywhere from 18 to 24 horses in one portfolio. Eventually, replacement is stopped, so at the end of the three years, the plan is for the portfolio to be empty so investors can collect, though Catherine is careful to emphasize that investment carries no guarantee there will be a profit.
The trainer added, however, she believes “something cataclysmic would have to happen to not make a profit with this model.”
Explaining how the company manages risk, Catherine explained, “If something goes wrong with one horse, we can make up the loss by selling other horses. Because we place the horses with professionals in (both) Europe and the U.S., we never have one complete portfolio with one trainer.”
Having the NorCordia horses at several stables is a way to reduce risk in the case of disease, fire or natural disasters, for instance. The horses are mostly dressage specialists, with some show jumpers in the mix.
The first portfolio was started with a capital investment of 500,000 Euros. The second was started with 1 million Euros and had 10 shares at 100,000 Euros each sold to investors by February 2023. Portfolio three was started with 2.5 million Euros.
While Catherine and her partners want to sell horses, of course, there is another priority.
“For me,” she said, “the number one thing is horse welfare. We have to sell horses, but I said to all three of my partners, `We will be a company that gives our horses the best care, the best nutrition, the best management and the best training. We will take every precaution we can that when one of our horses leaves the stable, it’s going to the best partner, and a partner for life.’ That’s why our motto is `Horses for Life.’ ”
While she knows many ethical horse dealers, she’s also known some in the business who weren’t.
“I want to show the world how compassionately you can put horses on the market and send them on to their next partners.”
The idea is to “create training in a horse that makes him valuable to someone.”
The people who buy shares, however, aren’t buying horses for themselves. Instead, they’re involved in an investment that they hope results in a profit at the end of the three-year term. When the first horse in a portfolio is sold, the money goes to pay for expenses and care for the horses. When the second horse is sold, the company invests in another horse.
Catherine Haddad with members of her team Hope Beerling and Bella Nye. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Catherine’s longtime friend Hope Greenfield, who was involved with finance before she retired, had to be convinced to invest in the second portfolio.
“I said ‘No, I don’t want to be investing in horses anymore,'” recalled Hope, who has owned eventing and dressage horses over the years. She personally owns four horses, but was wary of getting involved with anything horse-related that wasn’t for her use.
“I know it’s a risk,” she said about the investment, pointing out, “I’m a fixed income type of person.”
But her friend, June Brody, who like Hope had been a New Jersey stable owner, wanted to split the fee for a NorCordia share after talking to her financial advisor. He examined the concept and thought it looked good. Hope was impressed by his assessment.
They finally decided to collaborate on one portfolio share in a venture they’re calling LOL (for Little Old Ladies) Adventure. The pair enjoys watching the portfolio horses compete, though they have no personal or emotional involvement with them.
“It’s fun,” Hope said.
“It’s not like investing in Berkshire Hathaway.”
NorCordia’s profile will be raised at Dressage at Devon which runs Sept. 26-Oct. 1, presented by Kingsview Partners. A highlight of the Pennsylvania show, the Master Class Sept. 28 featuring Danish Olympic star Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour, will be presented by NorCordia. Last year’s class, with U.S. Olympic team silver medalist Sabine Schut-Kery doing the teaching, was very popular with spectators, who filled the stands looking for tips that perhaps could improve their own horses and riding.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 28, 2023
The U.S. finished fifth of eight teams in the Longines FEI Nations Cup of Great Britain on Friday, when the home side claimed victory for the first time since 2010 with 4 penalties in the two rounds at Hickstead.
The U.S. total was 31, with none of its riders putting in a fault-free trip. The veterans had the best scores. Laura Kraut on Dorado 212 wound up with 4 faults in each round, while Devin Ryan had 7 and 4 on Eddie Blue. The less-experienced riders, Alessandra Volpi (Berlinda) and Paris Sellon (Atoucha) each logged 8 and 4 but gained valuable mileage.
Luckily, the U.S. already made the cut for the Nations Cup Finals in Barcelona, where the team has a shot at qualifying for the Paris Olympics. If it doesn’t happen there, the country gets one more chance at the Pan American Games in Chile this autumn.
“We always strive to hit the podium but sometimes it does not happen and today was one of those days,” said U.S. Coach Robert Ridland.
“It was an interesting class because when you looked at it on paper, Germany and Great Britain had the strongest teams. The British were great and deserved the win. As we know, winning on home soil is good for the sport. It was both a challenging but also a rewarding day.
“Everyone had something they needed to change from the first round, and they made those changes happen and improved their performances in the second round. We are leaving with some more experience, both for our horses and riders, and it’s a part of the building process as we look ahead.”
British chef d’equipe Di Lampard shone with pride (and a tear), saying, “It’s ideal when you get this combination of experience and youth.”
Great Britain team (L-R) Harry Charles, John Whitaker, Di Lampard (Chef d’Equipe), Ben Maher and Tim Gredley, winners of the LONGINES FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ of Great Britain – Longines Royal International Horse Show. (FEI Photo)
“When we have (Olympic individual gold medalist) Ben (Maher) leading us out, it gives us all a great spring in our step to start with – we’ve all got confidence in him to go out first wherever we’re drawn. It was fabulous to have him in the team this week. ”
Tim Gredley, she noted, has “been in the winning team several times, so it’s absolutely fabulous. My third member John (Whitaker) clinched it for us – his reputation goes well before him. And I’m so proud of Harry (Charles). Twice now, he’s been my anchor rider and delivered so well. I couldn’t be more pleased for him. At this age, he’s showing such a maturity.”
The youngest member of the team at 24 (In contrast with John Whitaker’s age of 67), he produced its only double-clear with Casquo Blue.
“It’s my first Nations Cup win, and I’m so happy for all the boys, and for Di,” said Harry. “I think for months this has been our goal, so when a plan comes together like it did today, it’s a real sense of achievement. It’s a really special day.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 24, 2023
Christian Simonson, who wrapped up his Under 25 career in style at the Aachen, Germany, show, this summer, has been named to the short list for the U.S. dressage team at the Pan American Games in Chile during October.
He is the only rider in the group of eight to be named with two horses, Zeaball Diawind and Son of a Lady. (To read more about Christian, click here.)
Christian Simonson and Zeaball Diawind. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Each rider in the group will have to compete at an FEI show by Sept. 10 to remain eligible. U.S. Equestrian Federation Dressage High Performance Pathway Advisor George Williams will serve as the chef d’equipe in Santiago.
The Pan Ams offers an opportunity for less-experienced riders to get mileage at a championship event. Much of the pressure has been eased, however, because the U.S. qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics with a sixth-place finish at the world championships last year. Adrienne Lyle, who trains Christian, rode on that team. She will not be in Chile, however, as she awaits the birth of her first child.
Others named to the short list are Susie Dutta and Don Design DC; Codi Harrison (Katholt’s Bossco), Charlotte Jorst (Zhaplin Langholt); Kevin Kohmann (Duenensee), Anna Marek (Fire Fly), Sarah Tubman (First Apple) and Jennifer Williams (Joppe K)
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.
