by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 7, 2020
There long has been concern that equestrian sports will not be able to continue in the Olympics as those Games continue to evolve with financial restrictions, but word came today that show jumping, dressage and eventing were formally confirmed for the Paris 2024 Olympic program in the elegant setting of Versailles, with the full quota of 200 athlete/horse combinations confirmed.
The ratification at the International Olympic Committee Executive Board meeting means there will be 75 participants in the jumping, 65 in eventing and 60 for dressage.
FEI President and IOC Member Ingmar De Vos called the confirmation “a token of appreciation for the efforts the FEI and the equestrian community have made to increase the fan base and improve digital figures for our sport. We really appreciate that the IOC didn’t touch our quota as we knew they needed to reduce the overall Games-wide quota to 10,500 athletes, but our sport has grown so much over the last decade that a reduction of our quota would have been detrimental to the universality of our Olympic competitions.”
Versailles, with King Louis XIV’s palace as a backdrop, will be one of the Paris Games’ most iconic venues. The modern pentathlon also will be there, but in a new,abbreviated 90-minute version. The time they saved by compacting it can go towards staging a new “sport” for Paris–break dancing. It was part of the closing ceremonies for the 1984 Olympics. Watching it at that time, I found it amusing, but never dreamed it would wind up as a medal event.
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 1, 2020
December looks bleak for horse showing in New Jersey following the issuance of new Covid rules. State mandates on indoor sporting competitions stopped allowing indoor shows beginning Dec.5, through Jan. 2. Outdoor shows can run, but no more than 25 people at a time can be on the showgrounds outside..
“I think it’s done,” U.S.Hunter Jumper Association Director Katie Benson said on Tuesday about December showing in the Garden State. She spoke during the Zone 2 (New Jersey, Pennsylvania and New York) meeting at USHJA’s virtual convention. The idea seems to be “to keep people home for the holidays,” she commented. At the same time that shows can’t go on in an effort to prevent the spread of the virus, it’s okay for everyone to stand in line at Walmart, she observed wryly.
Andrew Philbrick of Hunter Farms in Princeton, who cancelled a two-day show scheduled for Dec. 19-20, agreed with Katie that “the month of December is going to be a shutdown.”
Mark Leone, the Zone 2 chairman, wondered what will happen after Jan.2, asking what can be salvaged.
“What do we do, just sit tight?” he commented. “It’s so unpredictable. There’s nothing to be done.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 26, 2020
Clipping horses’ sensory hairs on their muzzle and around their eyes is forbidden starting in July under a new FEI rule, passed during the governing body’s General Assembly last week that means disqualification for violators. There is no penalty for clipping ear hair, but since it protects against bugs, why not even it up a bit and then leave it?
The rule only applies to FEI horses in all disciplines, so if you’re not FEI, or you’re a hunter or equitation rider, it doesn’t affect you. Even so, wouldn’t it be kind to give your horse a break and let the whiskers function the way they were designed to? If a judge wants to mark you down for not having clipped your hunter’s whiskers, maybe you should do a re-think about showing in front of an official who reacts that way.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 25, 2020
While the Tokyo Olympics actually happening next summer is as close as you can get to a sure bet in the Covid era, there remains the question of how many people can be present to watch live.
But Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike is hoping there will be “full spectators present,” she told the Foreign Correspondents’ Club of Japan, according to Reuters.
“The best-case scenario would be when all athletes from all countries come here in safety and with peace of mind and the Olympics can, as in previous years, be held with full spectators present as well,” she said.
Tokyo 2020 chief executive Toshirō Mutō expects an answer by the spring on measures for spectators, but the advent of the vaccines will no doubt help that along. Athletes, coaches and officials are set to be exempt from Japan’s 14-day isolation period and Mutō suggested fans travelling from overseas might also be free from quarantine. That also may be affected by the ability to be vaccinated against the virus.
A dry run this month at the packed Yokohama Stadium screened fans for body temperature and high-spec cameras tracking movement. During a visit to Japan, International Olympic Committee President Thomas Bach said the vaccines made him “very confident that we can have spectators in the Olympics stadium next year and that spectators will enjoy a safe environment”.
Approximately 4.48 million tickets were sold for the Olympics, which are now scheduled for July 23 to August 8, while 970,000 were sold for the Paralympics, set to run from August 24 to September 5. Tickets for the Games postponed from 2020 will be valid for 2021, but Tokyo 2020 will offer refunds to fans who are no longer able to attend.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 17, 2020
A crowd-funding campaign, launched on Veteran’s Day by the Rutgers Equine Science Center, will raise money for a large-scale research project focusing on Equine Assisted Activities & Therapies (EAAT) for veterans with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).
The ESC research project will focus on the horse human bond, and how EAAT affects both humans and horses during these types of therapy sessions.
“The study will look at how the interactions between the horses and humans, sometimes referred to as a “horse/human bond” affect one another,” said Ellen Rankins, Ph.D. Candidate and project lead.
“Not only will data be collected during the trial period, we will also follow up with the participants to observe how long these changes are sustained over time.”
The Center’s goal is for all of the costs associated with the study to be paid for by the research fund, making the therapy sessions completely free to the veterans. After hearing about the project, Foundation Equine Wellness and Performance (a mobile veterinary practice based out of Bordentown) decided to make a donation by issuing a challenge match to anyone willing to donate. For every dollar ESC raises, Foundation Equine will match up to $2,500.
“We are so happy to take part in the Equine Science Center’s crowdfunding campaign,” said Dr. Daniel Keenan, owner of the practice.
“We wanted to contribute to this project not only because it will better our understanding of how Equine Assisted Activities & Therapies affects the health and wellness of the horse, but because it will also examine how these types of therapies can improve the lives of veterans with PTSD, and others who would benefit by these types of therapies.”
To help with this challenge-match visit the Equine Science Center’s crowdfunding webpage at: https://go.rutgers.edu/ESCResearchFund.
The project is a partnership with statewide stakeholders including: the state Department of Military and Veterans Affairs; Special Strides located in Monroe, New Jersey (where the therapy sessions will be conducted); Rutgers’ graduate school of applied and professional psychology, the university’s office of veterans and military programs and services and the Rutgers Business School’s military and veteran engagement programs.
For information about donating to the project, contact Leadership Gifts Officer Roz Beberman at roz.beberman@rutgers.edu or phone 848-932-3593.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 16, 2020
The Essex Fox Hounds’ Thanksgiving hunt from Ellistan in Peapack has been cancelled for this year, due to you-know-what. Effective Nov. 17, outdoor gatherings in New Jersey have been limited to 150 people from the previous limit of 500 because of the Coronavirus surge.
For decades, the gathering has drawn hundreds on the morning of the holiday to watch the horses and hounds gather and then head out. Afterwards, many spectators stay on to tailgate in a big field at the estate.
The hunt gathering at Ellistan in 2019. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
But as Essex joint masters Jazz Merton and Karen Murphy stated, “After significant discussion and consideration, we feel it is our responsibility to help stop the spread of COVID19 and keep our community safe. With that in mind, the Essex Fox Hounds will not be going out from Ellistan on Thanksgiving morning, and access to the property will not be permitted.
Tailgating has been a popular Thanksgiving tradition at Ellistan for decades. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
“Thank you for your understanding as we navigate through these challenging times. The Thanksgiving Day Hunt is a cherished and longstanding tradition for the Essex Fox Hounds and much of our surrounding community and we look forward to hosting again in 2021.”
