by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 18, 2022
You can’t ride them, but you also don’t have to feed them, muck out or pay veterinary bills for them.
Yet there’s much more to the popularity of Breyer horses than simply ease of ownership. Their sheer variety and beauty stimulates the imagination to rides of fantasy, a way to channel love of horses when the real deal isn’t available.
The annual festival for these models is Breyerfest, which ended its three-day run yesterday at the Kentucky Horse Park, where 35,000 people made a pilgrimage to participate. There were another 26,000 visitors on line , with more than 65,000 site visits. Visitors consumer more than 26,000 hours of content, which included many live equine performances.
Jessie Hayes on Avatar’s Jazzman and Lauren Chumley on Nikolas. (Photo courtesy of Breyer)
They included a pas de deux to German techno pop music by Lauren Chumley on the buckskin German riding pony Nikolas, the “Celebration” horse for the German-themed festival, and Lauren’s assistant, Jessie Hayes on Avatar’s Jazzman, the Morgan who was the model for previous Breyer issue. (Read more about Nikolas and Jazzman in the second feature at the bottom of the page on this website. Here is a link.)
Hundreds of people lined up to buy the model of Nikolas, released at Breyerfest. Their interest in a collectible is justified by the record price, $65,000, that a model of Glossy Dun Silver Pegasus brought at auction during the event.
The $65,000 Pegasus. (Photo courtesy of Breyer)
So while a Breyer may be a toy, or something for the mantelpiece, someday you may also be able to think of it as an investment if it’s in good condition. (Hint: Keep the box.)
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 19, 2022
You had to figure that Olympic and world championships medalists Steffen Peters (Suppenkasper) and Adrienne Lyle (Salvino) would make the Dutta Corp. U.S. dressage team for the championships next month in Denmark.
Steffen Peters and Suppenkasper, the highest-ranked U.S. dressage combination. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Ashley Holzer, who rode in the Olympics for her native Canada before becoming an American citizen, also looked like a lock for the squad on Valentine after some impressive performances on the European tour this summer.
But newcomer Katie Duerrhammer with Quartett was a bit of a surprise, as speculation ensued about the fourth member of the squad. Katie, at 33 the youngest rider in the group, is trained by Adrienne.
Debbie McDonald, Adrienne’s mentor, works with her, and Steffen as well. He is the highest-ranked U.S. rider in the world, at number 19.
Alice Tarjan of Oldwick, N.J., was named alternate with the U.S.-bred Serenade MF and will train in Germany with the squad before it leaves for the Blue Hors FEI World Dressage Championship presented by Helgstrand.
The Danes are favored for the gold medal, as often-dominant Germany is weaker than usual without its pregnant Olympic gold medalist, world number one Jessica Von Bredow-Werndl and TSF Dalera BB. Sweden also looks as if it could be in for a medal. Britain has yet to announce its team, but a pillar of the squad, Carl Hester, lacks a horse and will not be riding.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 6, 2022
Things are gearing up for next month’s dressage, jumping and para dressage championships in Denmark. The American riders under consideration include Alice Tarjan of Oldwick, N.J. with Serenade MF, who was third in the major Rotterdam, Netherlands, show last month. Also on the list are two-thirds of the Tokyo Olympics silver medal team, Adrienne Lyle with Salvino and Steffen Peters with Suppenkasper.
Those named as well to the nominated entries list include Katie Duerrhammer (Quartett, Paxton); Ashley Holzer (Valentine); Charlotte Jorst (Kastel’s Nintendo) and Sarah Tubman (First Apple).
The Kronberg, Germany, show this week is the final U.S. observation competition before the team is named.
Meanwhile, four show jumping riders were selected to take part in the final Nations Cup observation event for that discipline at the Knokke Hippique, Belgium, show. They included Tokyo Olympics team silver medalist Jessica Springsteen of Colts Neck, N.J. AnotherJerseyan, Michael Hughes of Franklin Lakes, also competed, as did Bliss Heers and Brian Moggre. Laura Kraut, also a Tokyo team silver medalist, was chosen to ride at the show, but was not on the Nations Cup squad.
Brian Moggre and Balou du Reventon.
The team wound up eighth of nine nations. The best U.S. performance was Brian Moggre on Balou du Reventon. He was 0/4 in two rounds, and the only American to put in a clear trip. Maybe we’ll see him at the world championships.
“Despite our overall results not being what we had hoped for, there were some bright spots, nevertheless, including Brian’s two solid rounds in the anchor position,” said coach Robert Ridland.
“Most importantly, the primary purpose of these 5* competitions over the past two weeks (Aachen was held at the beginning of the month) is to put the finishing touches on the selection and preparation process for the upcoming World Championships in Denmark.”
You have to figure that McLain Ward, who won two classes at Aachen, Germany, this month with his Tokyo Olympics horse, Contagious, is a lock to make the squad, so it will be interesting to see who joins him in Denmark.
The U.S. already has named its short list for para dressage. It includes Beatrice de Lavalette riding Clarc, Rebecca Hart (El Corona Texel and Fortune 500); Charlotte Merle-Smith (Guata), Kate Shoemaker (Quiana and Solitaer 40) and Tokyo individual gold medalist Roxanne Trunnell.
She is on a new horse, Fortunato H2O, owned by Lehua Custer and bred in Frenchtown, N.J., by Kendra Hansis at Runningwater Warmbloods.
The eventing and four-in-hand driving world championships will be staged in Italy. For the first time in 32 years, there is no FEI World Equestrian Games. It’s hard to find a venue that is able (or willing) to host five disciplines.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 8, 2022
With the cancellation of the Brandywine horse shows at Devon this summer, the USHJA Zone 2 Equitation Championship has moved to the CJL/Monmouth (not) at the Team show Aug. 15-17 at the Horse Park of New Jersey.
Qualifying ends August 1. Riders must place first or second in a USEF Medal Class during the qualifying period in order to participate. For more information, click
here.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 14, 2022
An opportunity to learn from Dominique Barbier, a student of the great Nuno Oliveira, is offered July 15-17 during a clinic in Ringoes at Daystar Farm.
A native of France, Dominique became a British Horse Society Instructor and trained in show jumping, three-day eventing, dressage and steeplechasing. He then spent two years in Portugal training with Oliveira.
That experience inspired Dominique’s belief in keeping a horse “light and happy. He expounds on his philosophy in a series of books and at his clinics. To sign up for the clinic contact Gary Maholic at 215-489-1557 or email at GMaholic@gmail.com.
Dominique also is scheduled to return to the same location in October.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 27, 2022
The Horse Park of New Jersey will gear up in 2026 and 2027 to prepare a bid for hosting the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event again when the U.S. Equestrian Federation eventing calendar resets for 2028, according to departing park board of trustees president Adam Furlong.
Jersey Fresh was the signature event at the Horse Park of New Jersey. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Adam, who finished his three-year term and did not run for a board seat again, spoke at the park’s annual meeting Monday evening.
Whether the park gets the nod to resume running its signature competition likely will depend on the fate of a bill that would allocate $2.5 million from the state for an update of the park’s arena footing and stabling. The bill, presented by Assemblyman Ronald Dancer, has gained two new sponsors and is set for a discussion Tuesday in Trenton.
“The age of the park is a growing concern,” said Adam.
“Most of the infrastructure is 30 years old and nearly everything could use a facelift,” he said.
Although the park bears the state’s name, it is a non-profit that does not get financial support from the state to this point. It operated in the black during 2021 on a very narrow margin of 3.8 percent, helped by a PPP (Paycheck Protection Program) loan of $32,000 from the federal government. The loan was forgiven, so the park did not have to pay it back. The park also provided pay raises to its employees to stay competitive in the job market.
“We’re very judicious in stretching every dollar and cent to the greatest extent possible,” said Adam, acknowledging the work of treasurer Melissa Sinopoli and the finance committee.
Last autumn, the park bought an aggravator for $20,000. It is used to keep footing on the cross-country course at the level that has given it the reputation for being an excellent surface. The machine also may be rented to nearby showgrounds in order to bring in revenue. The park got a 0 percent loan to buy a $62,000 Kubota tractor. Another $20,000 was spent on renovating and repairing cross-country jumps, while work is ongoing to improve the water complex.
Ellen Brindle-Clark, the park’s vice president, will handle the president’s role at least until November, when an election for that position will be held.
She noted that Adam didn’t have an easy time in his job, taking over not long before the onset of the pandemic meant the park had to shut down.
Ellen called him “the park’s hero, making sure we kept alive long enough to reopen. Since then, we have flourished, and it is in great part because of his watchful eye. He will be missed.”
