by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 16, 2020
There’s a lot of discussion on social media about why the new World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Fla., will be having National Snaffle Bit Association hunter/jumper shows rather than U.S. Equestrian Federation-licensed shows.
Want to sort it out? Take a look at my stories from www.horsesport.com. Here’s a link to the piece that sets the stage, and here’s another link to the follow-up. Hope they clear up the confusion, but the last chapter of this situation has yet to be written. The FEI Board will be taking a look at it during their Dec. 15 meeting, only weeks before the WEC circuit is set to get under way.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 22, 2020
After nine years, Laura Graves and Curt Maes, co-owners of dressage sensation Verdades, have gotten married.
Curt has been a partner in the success of Diddy and Laura, the first American dressage rider to be ranked number one in the world. The Olympic team bronze medalist who won double silver at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games. did not make a bid for the Tokyo Olympics, retiring Diddy at the beginning of this year.
Curt and Laura
The couple lives in Geneva., Fla., where Laura is bringing along horses that she hopes will be future grand prix stars. They include SenSation HW, a seven-year-old black gelding who was the Markel/USEF five- and six-year-old national champion.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 22, 2020
The 2021 European Championships in show jumping and dressage–which had been cancelled when the Olympics were moved to next year–are on again.
The championships were called off when the Olympics were rescheduled to keep the focus on the Tokyo Games. But a number of national federations and the European Equestrian Federation pointed out that many nations had more competitors and horses available to compete than just the three from each county who would be riding in Japan.
The logic prevailed, with the European Jumping Championships allocated to Riesenbeck, Germany, Aug. 30-Sept. 4 and the dressage championships going to Hagen, Germany Sept. 7-12, pending final confirmation from the latter organizer. If these venues for some reason cannot host the championships, they won’t be re-bid.
The European eventing championships are not being held because organizers who expressed interest did not follow through. The European Paralympic championships also will not be held so those competitors can concentrate on their mission in Tokyo.
The European championships are staged on odd-numbered years in the Olympic cycle. The equivalent in the Western Hemisphere is the Pan American Games, but they are held only once during the Olympic cycle.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 7, 2020
After listening to International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach speak today at a press conference following a meeting of his executive board, it seems the Tokyo Games are on track for 2021–although they will be produced differently than any of their predecessors.
Citing “another very encouraging, precise report” on the status of the Olympics received during the board meeting, Bach noted “progress is being made on producing an Olympic Games fit for a post-Corona world.”
As he pointed out, “Our world will never be as it was at the beginning of this year,” which also means changes made for Tokyo will be considered in planning for the 2022 winter Olympics in Beijing and the 2024 summer Olympics in Paris. While in the past there were “a number of nice-to-haves” in connection with the Games, Bach mentioned, one major initiative will be “simplification, to see how can we concentrate on the essentials of the Games.”
There already has been $280 million saved through more than 50 measures agreed upon by the organizing committee and the IOC. There has been progress on Covid counter-measures, Bach said, commenting about “the potential arrival of a vaccine” and rapid testing to determine who has the disease.
He sees such developments as “methods to be added to the tool box” of how to put on a Games. It is estimated that the one-year postponement of the Olympics will result in $800 million in additional costs, to be added to a total for presenting the Games slated as $12.6 billion at the end of 2019.
Bach noted what has been learned about handling Covid since March offers leads “for good progress in addressing the challenge of the virus,” which will be at the disposal of the IOC and Games organizers next year.
Asked whether the Games could be held behind closed doors without spectators should there be a massive second wave of Covid-19, Bach said he couldn’t speculate on what the situation will be nine or ten months from now. But he did note that even during what some say is a second wave happening now in a number of locations, both professional and amateur sports, including world championships in cycling and triathlon, are being held around the world. At the same time, he didn’t know if the Games organizers will be able to “fill the stands to their full capacity” next July or if social distancing restrictions still will need to be in effect.
Christophe Dubi, the IOC sports director and deputy Olympic Games executive director, noted “there are a number of scenarios” that are possible, and that as things unfold, organizers will “know which tools we’ll use.” Answering a question about what will happen to the opening ceremonies, usually a highlight of the Games, he pointed out it is a “massive undertaking” that “has to be adjusted to a sign of the times.”
Bach is so optimistic that said he can “encourage the Japanese people who have doubts to have confidence in their own efficiency and organizing committee.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 1, 2020
If there were an official title for the top hunt seat equitation horse of all time, it would go to Grappa, the appropriate namesake of the Best Horse title at the East Coast Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search.
Grappa, an equitation horse to remember.
The seven-time national champion, owned by Sarah Willeman, left us this week at the remarkable age of 34. She often posted photos of him, and he looked great in retirement, grazing with his pal, Otter.
He took his final bow for the public in 2006 at the Washington International Horse Show. Sara called the years after that, “a gift beyond what I could have expected.”
She recalled that “his extraordinary life force made him unruly and brilliant as a show horse. The wild look in his eye that used to warn us of upcoming antics reassured me in his later years: a sign that he was thriving, still himself. His beauty, grace and class were with him to the end. An extraordinary being in all ways, a horse we all felt lucky to know.”
Sarah, who thanked caretaker Nancy Shaw for her efforts, noted, “What Grappa did for me in my riding career is forever part of me. And even more than the achievements, the chance to be his person, to learn from him, to care for him over many years, has helped to shape who I am. Whenever I’m with any horse, Grappa is in my heart.”
Trainer Missy Clark remembered that “Grappa ran the show, and we had to figure out ways to fit into his playbook. There will never be another soul like Grappa.”
After Lauren Bass rode him to the Maclay title in 1996, the year that the National Horse Show returned to Madison Square Garden from the Meadowlands, Lauren also was aboard the next year for victory in the AHSA Medal Finals.
When Sarah bought him, she won the 1998 Washington International Horse Show finals with the former jumper, then went on to take the Medal and USET East Coast Show Jumping Talent Search Finals. She leased him to Missy’s stuents, including Brian Walker, who won the Maclay in 2001 while in 2002, Maggie Jayne took the Medal finals.
“I am so incredibly grateful to have had a horse like Grappa in my life,” stated Missy.
“His talent, athleticism, individualism and desire to win were the traits that set him apart. His sense of humor was unforgettable too. He not only had an impressive track record of winning national championships, but he also had quite a track record of bucking people off! Luckily I escaped that fate, but he could sure keep you on your toes!
Missy offered condolences to Sarah and her mother, Anne Meyer, on their loss of such a remarkable horse.
“Godspeed Grappa… you were one in a million and I will remember all that you taught me for the rest of time.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 30, 2020
The Essex Foxhounds Masters Chase is always a fun fall happening at Natirar in Peapack, with races for everyone, whether you have a stick horse or a thoroughbred, and lots of tailgating.
But Covid has taken another competition from us, as the chase was just cancelled. Essex Joint Master Jazz Merton explained, “Fox hunting has been incredible lately; we are so, so fortunate to have been able to get outside enjoying the countryside sport in these difficult times, where quarantines, social distancing and avoiding big group gatherings have kept us from our normal activities.
“The Natirar race day that benefits the Countryside Alliance of the Somerset Hills is a very family-oriented day,” she said. Explaining the cancellation, Jazz added, “We just felt that the family tailgating experience would be too risky with the exposure and would potentially compromise our safe enjoyment of this wonderfully social celebration of our sport.”
Instead, Essex is offering a chance for riders to enjoy another hunter pace as they have added one Oct. 25 to the schedule at Cedar Lane Farm on Homestead Road in Oldwick. For more on Essex, go to www.essexfoxhounds.org.
Other paces this fall include the Monmouth County Hunt’s themed outing starting at their hunt kennels, 50 E. Branch Road, Allentown. The final pace in its series Nov. 1 offers thoroughbred challenge awards and a tailgate contest. All jumps have go-arounds.
There are three divisions, with the fee $55 for adults and $35 for juniors. Both English and western riders are welcome, with protective headgear, of course. For more information, go to this link
The Spring Valley Hounds’ hunter pace is Nov. 1 in Allamuchy, Warren County. There are six divisions, including a “fossil” section for which the ages of the two riders on a team must add up to 110. The fee is $50 per rider. Teams go out from 9 a.m. through 12:30 p.m. For details, go to http://www.springvalleyhounds.com/hunter-paces.html
There’s a grand prize of $500 for the best performance in two of the three Spring Valley paces this year.
