by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 11, 2024
Like the victors in the other major equitation championships this fall, the winner of the Platinum Performance/ USEF Show Jumping Talent Search West has parents who are professionals.
Avery Glynn, the daughter of Hope Glynn and Ned Glynn, took the title last weekend at the Desert International Horse Park in California, more than a month after Taylor Cawley won the East version at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone, N.J.
A member of the equestrian team at Auburn University in Alabama, Avery borrowed Change Up PS from David Bustillos for the class when she flew home to the West Coast.
Avery Glynn and Change Up PS (Photo by Avery Wallace)
“He has just been the most incredible partner,” she said of her mount, an OIdenburg stallion.
“So scopey, a big stride, brave—I’m just so lucky to have been able to show him.”
Judges Kirsten Coe and Michael Tokaruk designed a version of the Paris Olympic course to test the 26 riders who participated. Paige Walkenbach, who won the flat phase, finished second, followed by Victoria Zahorik and Katherine Reuter.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 10, 2024
Not too far down the road, your dressage test likely will be judged to some extent by Artificial Intelligence (AI), as well as a human official. And you probably can expect AI to be used to a certain degree in horse inspections at competitions in the future.
That was part of the discussion during a press conference following a closed-door gathering last week in the Netherlands of the International Dressage Riders Club, the International Dressage Trainers Club and the Dressage Organizers and Officials organization.
So how should AI be used in judging dressage? The most obvious answer is for items such as keeping track of the number of lead changes, regularity of paces or how many times a horse performs a pirouette.
“There are a lot of possibilities,” said Klaus Roeser, secretary-general of the IDRC, noting riders and trainers are quite interested but the judges “are a little bit scared about it. They may think, `Maybe in five years, they don’t need us anymore.’ ”
But Klaus said, “That’s totally not the point,” explaining AI may reduce the complexity of the judging task, so the officials “can concentrate more on the quality. Because quality you can’t measure with AI.”
In the near future, the use of AI will be tested, and judges are open to the idea, according to Klaus. It was pointed out that use of AI may help spectators understand the sport better.
As dressage reacts to being under pressure after several well-publicized, high-profile horse abuse cases in the past year, more than 120 stakeholders of the sport at the meeting discussed that situation and others that can impact the future of dressage, particularly its inclusion in the Olympic and Paralympic Games.
Suggestions gleaned from the gathering on a look at the state of the sport went to Ronan Murphy, the FEI’s director of dressage, who is developing a new strategy for the discipline.
Issues center around perception, welfare, transparency and trust, items that need to be addressed in order to improve the situation, said Linda Keenan, secretary-general of the IDTC. Linda said “specific things” will be done “to gain more trust,” but until Ronan is ready to reveal them, no more can be said.
Klaus suggested that having open stable days so people can see how the horses are taken care of, could be a helpful approach, but he added, “it will never prevent if you have boys or girls doing bad things behind closed doors.”
Linda mentioned that riding that is not good enough can be conflated to become a welfare issue, when it’s simply “not fulfilling the goals to get a high score.” She also noted, “just because you’re not doing something perfectly is not the same as being abusive. We really need to do a better job of clarifying what is abuse and what isn’t abuse.”
Organizers addressed the difficulties they are having putting on CDIs and the financial pressures that exist in connection with that. At its general assembly this week, the FEI will address cutting the number of judges officiating at a World Cup Final from seven to five for cost-saving reasons.
The Dutch and Swedish federations made a proposal to allow use of a snaffle, instead of a double bridle, at Grand Prix in international competitions. It will not be voted on at this year’s general assembly, but Linda said it seems the FEI wants to encourage organizers to offer restricted classes where the snaffle is used, though such classes could not be Olympic qualifiers.
She noted the double bridle is not a welfare issue. Linda added a recent study showed there are more mouth lesions with snaffles. Riding with a double bridle is a skill; “it’s one of the ultimate skills of dressage riding. Competitors need to prove their competence at the top level in terms of using a double bridle.”
Other items discussed at the meeting included the effect that shape and fitting of the bit and bridle have on horse performance, the effect of saddle design on performance and the rider’s seat and the impending device for testing the tightness of a noseband, which is not yet available, so it’s not possible to give a recommendation on how to deal with it, Linda said.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 5, 2024
Kent Farrington and McLain Ward will represent the U.S. next month in Geneva at that most elite of elite match-ups, the International Jumping Riders Club’s competition for the world’s top 10.
Here is the complete list of participants: World Number One Henrik von Eckermann (Sweden), current titleholder Steve Guerdat going for the title for the fourth time, former Olympic champion Ben Maher (Great Britain), Kent at number four; Julien Epaillard (France), Max Kuhner (Austria), Richard Vogel (Germany), Olympic champion Christian Kukuk (Germany) McLain and Ireland’s Conor Swail.
Kent is at the far left on the second row; McLain is second from right in the first row.
Meanwhile, the U.S. has qualified as one of 10 nations that will compete for the second season of the Longines League of Nations. The U.S.earned the third-most points, behind Ireland and France and ahead of Olympic champion Great Britain. At the bottom of the rankings, Brazil was replaced by Italy in tenth and Canada was close, eleventh, but did not make the cut.
The U.S. leg of the League is held during March at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 5, 2024
A legendary rider of the 1970s and ’80s, Capt. Con Power of Ireland, has passed away at age 71 after a long illness.
A mainstay of the Irish team during his era, Capt. Power was part of his nation’s three straight victories in the country’s most important competition, the Aga Khan Cup at the Royal Dublin Horse Show, in 1978, 1979 and 1980. He was leading rider at Dublin in 1976 and 1979 and took the same award at Washington, New York and Toronto in 1978. Capt. Power won five classes at Aachen in 1979,
The horses he rode included Coolronan, Castlepark and Rockbarton. Another of his mounts, Mullacrew, became the dam of influential Irish sporthorse sire, Cruising.
The legendary Irish Aga Khan team of Paul Darragh, Con Power, James Kiernan and Eddie Macken.
Although he started his career as a jockey, growing to 6-feet, 2-inches tall called for a change of focus. Beginning in the Army Equitation School in 1973 on a six-week trial, he was selected to stay. In 1979, he retired from the Irish Defense Forces and set up his own equestrian business. The former officer was Irish Show Jumping Rider of the Year from 1983-1986.
Irish Horse Board Chairman Tiernan Gill pointed out that “Capt. Con Power really was one of Ireland’s true horsemen, with sporting achievements in so many different aspects of the industry, coaching, racing, eventing and showjumping.
“To be part of the famous three-in-a-row Aga Khan winning team on three different Irish-bred horses, demonstrates the phenomenal talent that he had with different types of horses. Winning a puissance competition before riding on a winning Nations Cup team at the same show, on the same horse, is a something that will probably never be repeated.”
Capt. Power is survived by his wife, Margaret, and their children, Robbie, a former jockey and Elizabeth, an eventer.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 31, 2024
Twenty-seven years after her most famous mount, Gifted, was inducted into the Roemer Foundation/U.S. Dressage Federation Hall of Fame, he is being joined by his rider, the late Carol Lavell. The ceremony will take place during the USDF convention in Houston during December.
Carol Lavell and Gifted
The duo earned team bronze medals at the 1992 Olympics and the 1994 World Equestrian Games.They were the USA’s stars of the early 1990s. But Carol, who died last year, also reached out to help others be successful; she and her family assisted many riders through their financial support of the Dressage Foundation’s grants.
USDF President George Williams noted, “Many will agree it is past time that we honor all that Carol did and gave to dressage during her lifetime.”
Also being being honored at the convention is William (Bill) Woods, best known as a trainer and judge, who has instructed and judged in 43 states and five foreign countries. He is receiving the Lifetime Achievement Award.
He influenced development of what become the USDF Instructor/Trainer Development Program. During his seven years as chair of the USDF Council of Instructors and Trainers, he was largely responsible for bringing to fruition USDF’s program for instructor certification and the beginning of USDF’s program of annual National Symposia.
Bill Woods.
When the New England Dressage Association (NEDA) became a charter GMO at USDF’s founding meeting in 1973, it was Bill who attended the first USDF convention as NEDA’s official delegate.
A pioneer in the sport, he is always giving back to the community and helping others understand dressage. His work to establish a way to certify instructors has impacted dressage instructors/trainers to this very day, and will continue to influence the sport into the future.
George Williams noted, “I’m a strong believer in the importance of remembering and recognizing those whose efforts in the early years of USDF laid the groundwork for our current programs. Bill Woods is one of those foresighted individuals. He was instrumental in the early development of the major USDF educational program geared towards instructors.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 24, 2024
Bobby Costello, who smoothed the waters after a turbulent time for U.S.eventing two years ago, has decided not to continue as technical advisor and chef d’equipe for the discipline after his contract expires Nov. 30 at the end of the Olympic quadrennium.
Bobby, who is both respected and admired, noted his involvement “has been an incredible journey with this program and this role has brought me so much purpose over the past two years. For both personal and professional reasons, I have decided it’s time to step away and allow a fresh face to continue moving this program forward towards the success I know we’re capable of producing as a country and program.
“It’s been an honor to work alongside our athletes, team staff, owners, and supporters to bring some incredible moments of success back to the U.S. over the past two years. It’s bittersweet, but I am looking forward to continuing to support our U.S. eventing team in the years to come.”
Bobby Costello. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Bobby rode in the 2000 Olympic as an individual. His successes in the administrative end of the sport include the first team medal in nearly 20 years (a silver) at the 2022 FEI World Championship, two podium finishes at CHIO Aachen, a team silver at the 2023 Pan American Games, and a podium finish at the FEI Eventing Nations Cup in the Boekelo CCIO4*-NC-L in the Netherlands this fall. The U.S. Eventing Team finished seventh at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games with Bobby at the helm.
In the fall of 2022, the U.S. Equestrian Federation offered no explanation for dropping Erik Duvander from the chef role, a little more than nine months before the 2022 Eventing World Championships in Italy.
Eventing “stakeholders” were notified by USEF in a brusque email that Erik’s contract, which expired Nov. 30, would not be renewed and that Jenni Autry, the managing director of eventing, was no longer with the federation. Peter Wylde, who had been coaching eventers in show jumping, also was dropped. Both Erik and Peter are still training U.S. eventers on an individual basis.
The controversial action followed “a detailed review involving stakeholder surveys” and a series of meetings among eventing constituents, USEF CEO Bill Moroney and the organization’s president, Tom O’Mara.
Bobby filled the chef role with style and grace, his congenial approach winning him friends and admirers.
“I know I speak for everyone when I say Bobby’s commitment and leadership in this role helped the program find its feet and has set us on the upward trajectory towards future success,” said Amber Braun, USEF managing director of eventing.
“We’re incredibly sad to see Bobby depart this role, but have nothing but gratitude and respect for the achievements and contributions he has made to U.S. Eventing during his term. We wish him all the best in his next chapter, and we will continue to focus on the LA 2028 Olympic Games.”
Now the mission is searching for someone to fill Bobby’s role. No details of that process have been announced.
