by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 3, 2022
The Brandywine Horse Shows, which were not held this summer due to lack of entries, are ending their 12-year run at the Devon, Pa., showgrounds.
When the Traverse City shows in Michigan were awarded the Junior Hunter Finals on the Pennyslvania competition’s dates, Jennifer Burger of Brandywine met with Matt Morrissey of the Morrissey Management Group that runs Traverse city and asked if he could move the finals to another week during the 12-week series. Trainers needed to take their clients to the finals in Michigan, which meant their stables could not participate at Brandywine.
While Matt agreed, the U.S. Equestrian Federation did not accept a date change. The conflict couldn’t be resolved, a situation would continue for two more years. That meant it was not possible to stage Brandywine without running into a huge financial deficit and affecting the integrity and reputation of the show.
“To jeopardize people’s great, fond memories, it wasn’t worth it,” explained Jennifer, Brandywine’s co-founder with Louise Serio.
“Brandywine Horse Shows has always captured the charm of a boutique event, while providing the quality of a high-level horse show,” said the co-founders.
“For 12 years, Brandywine has consistently provided an attention to detail and customer-centric culture rarely seen at other show series. We’ve always prioritized and supported the involvement of both local and national beneficiaries – we recognize that they’re just as integral to our event as the riders are.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 9, 2022
The U.S. show jumping team was left without an alternate at the FEI World Championships in Denmark. Jessica Springsteen’s horse, RMF Zecilie, a 2007 Holsteiner mare owned by Rushy Marsh Farm LLC, was part of the team’s practice jog prior to the first horse inspection and was deemed fit for presentation.
But yesterday she did not pass the jog that counts before the ground jury and was slated for reinspection today. She was examined by the USA’s veterinary team immediately following the inspection.
This morning, however, the team felt it was not in RMF Zecilie’s best interest to be re-presented before the ground jury, so the decision was made to withdraw her prior to the re-inspection.
Jessie was a member of the Olympic silver medal team in Tokyo last year, but with a different horse. The four riders named to the U.S. team of McLain Ward, Lillie Keenan, Adrienne Sternlicht and Brian Moggre will begin competition as the jumpers get under way tomorrow morning at 5 a.m. Eastern Daylight Time.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 28, 2022
The U.S. Equestrian Federation’s dynamic director of sport, Will Connell, is leaving the organization after eight hugely successful years.
“What drives me is trying to find programs and solutions that will grow the pathway, increase performance and everything,” said the native of Great Britain, explaining his decision to take another road.
“You have to give 100 percent. When you start feeling that it’s time for someone else to take the reins, that’s the time for me to move on.”
Will, who is staying with USEF through Nov. 25, will continue living in Gladstone, N.J., with his wife, Lizzy Chesson, the USEF’s managing director of show jumping. She will remain in her post.
Thinking about his time with USEF, he said, “There’s a huge amount I’ll miss. I don’t do this job for the check at the end of the month, even though that’s quite generous.
“I’m sure walking away from a well-paid job in the face of a recession is perhaps not the most intelligent move, but I’ve always been driven by my instincts and I feel that now’s the time. There will be plenty of people out there who can take up the reins and run with it.”
As he reflected about his time in the job, he commented on how much he appreciates those who step up to back the sport.
“The one thing the U.S. has that I don’t think any other country has is the support from the donors and that ability to engender financial support from people who really get nothing out of it, other than liking to see the team win. That is something the U.S. must never lose.”
Other countries’ sports programs, he pointed out, are supported by the government or commercial interests, or lack financial aid entirely.
“When you see the enthusiasm of the (U.S.) donors and how they’ll get behind projects, I wish I had been better at structuring programs they could have gotten behind,” he said wistfully.
He pointed out that “there are some incredibly talented and dedicated people in the U.S. across the whole spectrum,” running from the grooms, coaches, athletes and horse owners to the leaders in the federation.
Will Connell at work at a championship.
One of his great achievements was putting the U.S. para dressage program in the spotlight, which paid off with the country’s first team Paralympic medal in Tokyo last year.
So what’s next for Will, who came to the U.S. in 2014 from a job as the British Equestrian Federation’s Performance Director. He had the responsibility for co-ordination and delivery of the UK Sport National Lottery-funded World Class Program, which covered eventing, dressage, showjumping and para dressage. In 2012, HRH the Princess Royal presented him with the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire at Buckingham Palace, in recognition of his service to equestrian sport.
That was a hard act to follow, but he did it when he came to the U.S. Now he’s still thinking about another appropriate move.
“In my ideal world, if I could write the next chapter, there would be four or five or six projects that would be differing in nature but very focused in outcome. You might as well dream big,” he mused.
“Probably within sport, but maybe other areas as well. I think I’m also the sort of person that until I make that jump, I’m not going to force myself to find out what the next step will be.”
He noted that he has yet to rewrite his resume.
“I think it still says, `Just left the army, ’” he laughed.
There can be no doubt that whatever he does will involve some aspect of his leadership experience. While in the British army, he served as commanding officer of the King’s Troop Royal Horse Artillery. In that prestigious position, he oversaw 165 soldiers and 130-plus horses that comprise the ceremonial saluting battery of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth’s Household Troops.
Will Connell (second from left, front row) with the Queen Mother during his King’s Troop days.
Combined with his knowledge of elite sport, he noted, “those experiences can shape what I do next in terms of what I deliver.”
He is looking forward to having more time for his family, both here and in Britain, and plans to return to the London International Horse Show, where he works as a volunteer.
Will sees that show as “a beacon, where elite sport meets entertainment. You’ve got sport at the very highest level and you’ve also got entertainment at the highest level. When you can bring those two together, that’s pretty special.”
He’s pleased that the FEI World Cup Finals are going to Ft. Worth, Texas in 2026, a follow up to the dressage, show jumping and vaulting Cup that will be in Omaha for the second time next year.
“I hope they can find that balance between entertainment and sport,” he said.
With the World Championships looming next month, he’s still all-in for helping the U.S. teams in para, dressage and show jumping qualify for the 2024 Paris Paralympics and Olympics with their performances in Herning, Denmark.
Dressage will be interesting, he notes, with the Germans looking to be far from the juggernaut that they usually are in that discipline. Although the Danes are favored for gold, there is plenty of room for other countries to maneuver for the medals.
In jumping, he called the quality of the teams “unbelievable. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a championships or Games with such depth of quality jumping teams.”
The U.S. squad has several young athletes, but he noted, in the big picture, the U.S. show jumping program has done extraordinarily well, and the pride he feels about it was obvious.
“When you look at what the jumping team has achieved since 2012; medals in 2014 (the Normandy world championships), 2016 (the Rio Olympics), 2018 (the Tryon world championships) and ’21(the Tokyo Olympics), the World Cup finals. It’s been incredible. I think it’s had more success than any other team in history, probably, over an eight-year period.”
And he’s optimistic about prospects going forward.
“When you look at what is on the horizon for Paris, it’s very exciting. I would say it’s more exciting now in ’22 looking at ’24 than in ’18 looking at Tokyo. The team is super excited to be going, and that enthusiasm will carry them onto the field of play and they will come together as a team.”
But he also cautioned, “Yes, it’s wonderful to win medals every time you go out, but more important, it’s about having the long game.
“The first stage of Long Term Athlete Development is fundamentals. FUNdamentals. Having fun in sport. While we have great and good governance, we must never lose track of the fact that ultimately and initially, sport should be fun taking activity.”
The USEF will be hiring a new director of sport, and plans call for Will to help that person get established in the job.
In the meantime, CEO Bill Moroney had kind words for the man who is departing.
“Will Connell has provided important leadership and contributed greatly to the success of the U.S. teams since 2015; his accomplishments and contributions are many,” said Bill.
“We support him in his decision and appreciate that he remains completely committed to our efforts to field and support the athletes, their horses, and their support teams for the upcoming World Championships, as well as his continued support of our sport staff team and programs across all the FEI disciplines.”
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.
