by Nancy Jaffer | May 11, 2022
A memorial service will be held Tuesday May 17 at 11 a.m. at the First Presbyterian Church, 404 North Alamo St., San Antonio, Texas for Helen Kleberg Groves, who was raised on the famed King Ranch.
An honorary lifetime trustee of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation, she died in San Antonio May 6 at the age of 94. Among her children is grand prix show jumper Dorothy (D.D.) Matz, the wife of race horse trainer and former show jumper Michael Matz.
Known as Helenita, she graduated from the Foxcroft School in Middleburg, Va., and attended Vassar College. She was passionate about ranching, fine horses, and family. She was a crack shot with her Colt pistol, often bettering the men around her and continued to be a keen and accurate dove and quail hunter into her nineties.
Helen Kleberg Groves
Helenita ranched her entire life, from overseeing King Ranch’s Buck and Doe Run Valley Farms in Chester County, Pa., to her own Silverbrook Farms in Staunton, Va., to Silverbrook Ranches in Texas, she focused on raising the best Santa Gertrudis cattle and Quarter Horses in the country.
She campaigned many champion cutting horses, including Miss Peppy Also and Pay 21. She was a skilled rider and loved competing across the country, winning many championship buckles and collecting limitless friends along the way. Known as the “First Lady of Cutting,” she was inducted into the Cowgirl Hall of Fame in 1998.
Thoroughbreds were also a lifelong passion. She led King Ranch’s Assault into the winner’s circle after his 1946 Triple Crown victory, and went on to breed, own, and race numerous horses that carried her rust and lavender silks throughout her life.
She co-bred and owned the champion filly Althea, who won the Arkansas Derby, as well as numerous other Grade I winners such as Serape, Free Drop Billy, and Hawkbill. Later in life, she could be found in Saratoga Springs, N.Y., in August, enjoying the races and regaling all around her with her tales from decades past.
A lifelong learner, interested in numerous subjects including history, politics, the arts and the sciences, Helenita was a voracious reader with a steely memory. She enjoyed lunching with many of the prominent scientists from the institutions she supported, continuously expanding her broad intellect. She also was devoted to her strong corps of “Monday Night Ladies,” who are known to be the catalysts for much of the important charitable and political work done in San Antonio.
Helenita was a philanthropist, who took her service very seriously. She served as president of the Robert J. and Helen C. Kleberg Foundation until 2020 and continued on the board until her death. Additionally, she served on the boards of educational institutions as well as the National Sporting Library and Museum, in Middleburg, Va.
Her knowledge and acumen as a rancher, horsewoman, and cattle breeder made her an indispensable member and leader on many boards, including the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, the National Cutting Horse Association and her beloved King Ranch, where she served as a director from 1956-1988, and where her influence was felt for the remainder of her life.
Predeceased by her ex-husband, Dr. John Deaver Alexander, and her second husband, Lloyd L. Groves. Helenita is survived by five children in addition to Dorothy: Helen C. Alexander, Emory A. Hamilton (Fred), John D. Alexander (Claire), Caroline A. Forgason, Henrietta K. Alexander. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Deaver, Cadell, and Robert “Berto” Alexander, Helen H. Cottingham (Charlie), James Forgason, Laird George, and Alex, Lucy, Robert, and Arthur Matz.
Honorary pallbearers will be Deaver, Cadell, and Berto Alexander, Helen Cottingham, James Forgason, Laird George, Alex, Lucy, Robert and Arthur Matz.
The family would also like to recognize the extraordinary care her caregivers provided late in her life, especially Araceli Sutherland, Flor Smith, Dominique Palomo, Julieta Chavez, Ana Cardoza, Stephanie Sutherland, Jessie Gutierrez, and Karel Hoffman.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the King High Historical Foundation, the National Sporting Library and Museum, or any of the charities Helenita supported throughout her life.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 19, 2022
The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association announced that an email “phishing” scam has targeted some members with messaging that appears to originate from USHJA. The organization is providing guidance on what can be done to protect against this.
The email to which USHJA was alerted was sent with the subject line “charity campaign” from an @ushja.com address, which is not a legitimate USHJA email account. These emails are fraudulent and should be considered malicious. If you have received this email or something similar, take these steps:
• Do not click on any links in the email
• Report an email like this to ftc.gov or by forwarding to the Anti-Phishing Working Group at reportphishing@apwg.org
• Mark the email as SPAM with your inbox provider
Also, USHJA wants you to know the following about emails it sends out:
• We will always include our physical address in emails we send. This is located at the bottom of the emails.
• We will always provide a way for you to opt out of receiving communications from us, though we hope you won’t opt out. You can manage what emails you receive from us at the bottom of every email we send, under “Manage Preferences.”
• We will always disclose a sponsor relationship if we are sending an email on behalf of a sponsor, and it will still come from us.
• We will never solicit you for funds related to another individual member. As a 501(c)3, we are not permitted to raise funds for an individual.
• We will never ask you to provide credit card or social security numbers via email.
• We will never solicit donations or payment through a third party payment service such as PayPal, Venmo or Zelle.
While phishing scams are common in today’s environment, there are steps you can take to help avoid them:
• Beware of emails with major typos or formatting issues
• Don’t trust unsolicited email
• Be cautious of email attachments
• Be sure your antivirus software is up to date
• Install a personal firewall and keep it up to date
• Configure your email client for security
by Nancy Jaffer | May 12, 2022
Did you miss watching the Land Rover Kentucky 5-star three-day event? Or did you enjoy watching it so much you’d like to see highlights again?
NBC television will be presenting the event Saturday May 14 at 1 p.m. Eastern time. Tune in to watch the masterful riding of superstar Michael Jung and the technique of his amazing mount, fischerChipmunk FRH. Cheer on Doug Payne, the highest-placed American rider and enjoy the opportunity to see competitors from around the world.
Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk master cross-country. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Commentary by Olympic gold medalist Melanie Smith Taylor will offer insight into the action as one of the world’s toughest competitions unfolds. Enjoy seeing the beauty of the Kentucky Horse Park in the spring as a bonus.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 28, 2022
There was a big announcement at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event’s welcome party, held at the Fasig-Tipton sales facility in Lexington last night. After the Kentucky hot browns, shrimp salad and fried artichokes were passed around, came word that Janie Atkinson will be installed in the U.S. Eventing Hall of Fame at the organization’s annual meeting this autumn.
Janie is the former longtime director of the event (back when 4 stars was the highest rating and the long format with its steeplechase and roads and tracks phases was still in use.) These days, she’s an active volunteer, putting flags and obstacle signs on the fences and doing whatever else needs to be done in the way of chores.
Would she ever think of skipping the event?
“Not while I’m still cooking,” she insisted.
Mike Cooper of EEI, U.S. Eventing President Max Corcoran, Kentucky Horse Park Commission Chairman Alston Kerr, an emotional Janie Atkinson and Jane Beshear. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Jane Beshear, Kentucky’s former first lady and mother of current governor Andy Beshear, has known Janie for decades and is well-versed in her contributions to the event and the development of the horse park.
“Janie took this event from just an infant to where it is today,” said Jane Beshear.
“She was the voice of eventing all over the country; people know Janie Atkinson and what she’s done for the event world everywhere. She loves the sport,she knows it inside-out and she’s not afraid to voice her opinion.
“That’s what made her such a great leader in this sport, not only for Equestrian Events (EEI, which puts on the event), but really worldwide. She without a doubt deserves to be in this Hall of Fame of eventing,” continued Jane, who has served on the horse park commission.
After the 1978 eventing world championships put the new horse park on the map, Jane recalled, the event was struggling for few years–until the arrival of Janie.
As Jane put it, “She came in and put her foot to the grindstone and really just continued to build and build and build. Her influence is where we are today.”
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by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 18, 2022
There’s another championship on the equitation scene. The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association will be offering a Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic for amateurs in 2023.
It will be run along the same format as the version open to juniors. It’s a three-round class combining the precision of equitation and handiness of hunters over a course set at 3 feet.
It will be open to any active USHJA amateur member who has placed first, second or third in adult equitation classes in the age group equitation at 2’9” or higher, 3’3” Adult Jumping Seat Medal, Taylor Harris Insurance Adult Medal class and the Ariat National Adult Medal class. Qualifying classes begin June 1, with the inaugural Classic being held in 2023 at a date and location to be announced.
For more information and program specifications for the USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic for amateurs and the USHJA Gladstone Cup Equitation Classic, presented by Intermont Equestrian at Emory & Henry College, visit ushja.org/Gladstone.
by Nancy Jaffer | May 4, 2022
The Langer Equestrian Group is asking equestrians to contact the Los Angeles City Department of Recreation and Parks before Thursday morning May 5 to express their concern about having equestrian competition and boarding continue at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.
The recreation and parks staff is recommending to the commissioners that the current management and operation of LAEC be terminated in the next 90 days and a new operator, ASM Global, be brought in as an interim operator.
LAEC has reached out to remedy LEG’s previous frustration with LAEC, and Dale Harvey of West Palms has joined LEG in bringing hunter/jumper shows back to LAEC last year. The combined effort included approximately $500,000 in horse show facility improvements in 2021 alone.
Marnye Langer of LEG has researched the proposed operator, and found that although it has stadium and amphitheater experience, she has not been able to determine whether that involve any substantive horse experience.
“While several facilities are listed on their website, including Del Mar Fairgrounds, I cannot determine the direct equestrian connection. I have reached out to ASM by phone, email, and through their website and never received a response,” she said.
She has asked that comments be shared with the commissioners before Thursday morning “if you want to see horse shows and horses continue at LAEC. They need to hear all voices, not just the loud dissenters. The management of LAEC may have things to work on, but they want to operate a quality boarding and event management place for horses and the people who love them.”
Emails should be sent to RAP.Commissioners@LACity.Org. Reference Board Report 22-114 LAEC in the subject line of the email..
