by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 20, 2020
Former U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation Chairman Brownlee O. Currey Jr., an admired figure in the horse world, died March 18 at 91.
Many knew him as one of the owners of Touch of Class, the thoroughbred mare on whom Joe Fargis won team and individual Olympic gold at the 1984 Los Angeles Games. But he influenced the entire sport.
In 2016, the USET Foundation awarded Currey the R. Bruce Duchossois Distinguished Trustee Award, which is presented annually to one of its trustees, who exemplifies exceptional leadership, philanthropy and character. In addition to his stewardship of the Foundation, he led several charitable efforts, including chairing a benefit for the American Horse Shows Association during the National Horse Show, co-chairing the Nashville Charity Horse Show in 1985 and hosting the Music City Grand Prix to benefit Easter Seals and the Saddle Up! therapeutic riding program. He and his wife, Agneta, were also long-time supporters of The Hampton Classic.
Brownlee Currey
A fighter pilot during the Korean War, he became a businessman after earning a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Vanderbilt University. He was a director, a senior vice president and a member of the executive committee of Equitable Securities Morton & Company, Inc., a subsidiary of American Express.In 1970, he became vice chairman in New York of the Commerce Union Corp., which subsequently became Bank of America.
After resigning from that position, he purchased the Nashville Banner newspaper, which he served as chairman, chief executive officer and publisher between 1980 and 1998. In 1989, he co-founded Osborn Communications, a public radio company, and served as chairman until it was sold in 1997.
He served on numerous boards throughout his lifetime, including the United States Equestrian Team, the Show Jumping Hall of Fame and Museum and the Volunteer State Horseman’s Association.
Mr. Currey is survived by his wife Agneta; children Christian Brownlee Currey, well-known jumper rider; Stephanie Currey Ingram, and Frances Currey Briggs, as well as 12 grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life will be held in Nashville and New York on dates to be determined.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions can be made to Vanderbilt University, Gift Processing Office, PMB 407127, 2301 Vanderbilt Place, Nashville, TN 37240 or Montgomery Bell Academy, 4001 Harding Road, Nashville, TN 37205.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 18, 2020
The Horse Park of New Jersey has closed until April 13. I think you know why, but here’s the explanation:
“We do not take this decision lightly; but we recognize our social responsibility to be part of `flattening the curve,’ stated Adam Furlong, president of the park’s board of trustees.
“As a result of the guidelines provided by the USEF, FEI, and local and state officials, we have seen almost all equestrian events cancelled for the foreseeable future. As such, we must temporarily cease operations in order to be fiscally responsible and to ensure the safety of all those who use the park. It is our sincere hope that everyone will do their part in reducing the spread of COVID-19, and that will be able to return to operations in one month.
“The Board will work diligently with all impacted events to find suitable alternative dates when it is safe to operate those events.”
In other virus-related changes and closings:
Tack sales scheduled for the weekend of March 28 at Riding for Heart in Pittstown and April 4 at Mane Stream Therapeutic Riding in Oldwick are being postponed. Riding with Heart doesn’t have a date yet, but Mane Stream will be combining the spring sale with its autumn sale.
Meanwhile, the New Jersey Region Pony Club has reshuffled its schedule of events.
The Quiz Rally originally scheduled for March 14 in Goshen, N.Y., was cancelled and will be rescheduled before June 22, the closing date for entries for the U.S. Pony Club Championships and Festival in July at the Kentucky Horse Park.
The April 5 dressage schooling show originally scheduled to be held at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone, is being moved to the Horse Park of New Jersey. The new date is May 30. The May 17 Dressage Rally (open just to Pony Club members) has been rescheduled and moved from the USET to the Horse Park of New Jersey. The new date is April 25, sharing the weekend with the show jumping rally already scheduled for April 26 at the HPNJ.
Manhattan Saddlery is not open for in-person shopping, but will accept orders by phone and internet. Dover Saddlery remains open, but check hours. It is offering curbside pickup.
Further from home, the New Zealand Equestrian Federation has shut down the Olympics disciplines, para and endurance for three months. They’ll take another look at the end of April, however.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 17, 2020
The Devon Horse Show and Country Fair issued an announcement today saying that while organizers are keeping an eye on the latest concerning the virus pandemic, the show is still on from May 21-31.
The situation is “fluid,” they noted, adding, “Our committee continues to review the communications on this illness issued from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the World Health Organization (WHO), the U.S. Department of State, U.S. Department of Homeland Security, USEF, FEI and other regulatory organizations.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 17, 2020
In a letter to members, U.S. Hunter Jumper Association President Mary Babick offered some guidance and information.
She revealed that U.S. Equestrian Federation President Murray Kessler has granted a Presidential Modification allowing Bill Moroney, USEF CEO, flexibility in shifting rules as necessary for the 2020 competition year.
“We will have to adjust many of our programs and qualifying structures,” Mary stated. “This is currently a moving target and we will update you as soon as we know an answer.”
She also noted, “let us not forget that for those whose incomes depend on showing, this may be a very tough time. As a community, it would be a great thing for the strong to assist those who are in need.”
Obviously, major changes have to be made across the board. Racing is an example; I point out the Kentucky Derby and Preakness are being held in September instead of May.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 16, 2020
Unbelievable. The spring (and likely summer) show and eventing season has been swept away by the virus pandemic, and who knows what will happen to the Tokyo Olympics July 24-Aug. 9?
(Note: In a March 17 communique, the International Olympic Committee issued a statement saying it “remains fully committed to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020, and with more than four months to go before the Games there is no need for any drastic decisions at this stage; and any speculation at this moment would be counter-productive.”)
Failing to consider postponement or cancellation of the Olympics in the face of the virus pandemic has been characterized as “insensitive and irresponsible” by Canadian gold medal hockey Olympian Hayley Wickenheiser, a member of the International Olympic Committee who leveled criticism at the IOC.
Noting the crisis is bigger than the Olympics, he pointed out some athletes don’t know where they can train but still have been urged to continue preparing for the Games in Tokyo this summer.
Without consideration of postponement or cancellation, Olympic pole vaulter Katerina Stefanidi told Reuters, the IOC is putting athletes at risk. They want to know what Plan B is.
“The stadiums have been closed for a week,” she noted, adding that athletes may get a special permit to go inside and train.
“But how can you train there, touching the same equipment and surfaces?” she asked, referring to the danger of contamination from the virus.
Meanwhile, the dominoes continue to fall in the equestrian world.On March 20, Britain’s 5-star Badminton Horse Trials finally gave in to the inevitable and called off the May event, Closer to home, the Upperville Colt and Horse Show in Virginia, slated for June, now will be held in September.
The first major evening competitiont to hit the dust was the April 23-26 Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, cancelled on March 16 for the first time in its 42-year history. Needless to say, the 3-star show jumping grand prix that was to run with it at the Kentucky Horse Park is also a goner.
Oliver Townend, the world’s number one eventer, was a big star at Land Rover Kentucky. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Britain’s spring 5-star, the Badminton Horse Trials May 6-10 hasn’t been cancelled yet, but it seems only a matter of time. The Grand National, the world’s most famous steeplechase, won’t be going, and word is that the Kentucky Derby, famously run on the first Saturday in May, will now be held Sept. 5.
Then disaster struck closer to home, as word came that the May 6-10 Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event at the Horse Park of New Jersey was suspended, though organizers are looking for a date on which the 2020 edition of the competition can be staged, as soon as authorities deem it is safe to do so.
Tailgating is always popular at Jersey Fresh. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Morgan Rowsell, co-chair of both Jersey Fresh and the MARS Essex Horse Trials set for Far Hills July 17-18, said “This is all such a mess and we don’t know whether it ends in time for Jersey to run early in June.” Both were to be observation events for Olympic candidates.
As Morgan pointed out, “The NBA is gone, but the NBA has a lot of money behind it, it’s not like they won’t come back. These events that rely on each show to survive and now they can’t run—here we are.”
Essex is a “wait-and-see,” noted Morgan.
The Mars Essex Horse Trials drew some top riders, including Will Coleman. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
“We’re pushing forward and figuring and hoping in four months things will have calmed down.”
Rescheduling Jersey Fresh will depend on the calendar of the Horse Park, and I wondered if perhaps just for this year it would be possible to combine Jersey Fresh and Essex.
“Everything’s on the table,” said Morgan. “It crossed our minds.
“In extreme circumstances like this, what do we have in Jersey and how can we pull this all together? We need a 4-star moving forward. We need to get our international competitors ready for Burghley or the new (October) 5-star at Fair Hill. We need to get these people ready.
“We’re very much in the interim stage. We all could be shut down through the summer,” commented Morgan, but added, “hopefully we’ve got it licked in two months and both Jersey Fresh and Essex are ready to move forward in the best way we can, even if it’s a skeleton event with just the horses and the jump judges, and let the hoopla take a back seat, if the sponsors will follow our lead. Next year, we can make a better year of it.
“With the loss of Carolina, Kentucky, and Stable View, and Jersey Fresh postponed, there’s a need for qualifications going forward. We’re open to all suggestions at Essex and cooperation with Jersey.
“We’re a resilient community of eventers. We’ll bounce back and organizers will step up to the plate when it’s safe to compete. We don’t want to spread the virus, we’re going to do our part like the rest of the country. When the government says go, we’ll go as hard as we can to get back on track. Both events are important to New Jersey and the mid-Atlantic region in general, so if we could have both, that would be the best.”
Essex moved its date to July after encountering soggy footing the last few years.
Although eventually Morgan would like to have an all-weather surface for the dressage and show jumping phases, he said, “We will run on grass in hopes we’ll have drier weather. It’s okay if it rains; it’s whether or not we have an entire month of rain, which is what we had in June three years running.
“In July, typically the water table goes down and if it rains, it’s not that big a deal. We realize last year was not the best outcome, so we moved the date. We’re aerating, spreading sand and fertilizing to make sure the turf is better this year we’ll water if it needs watering,” said Morgan, who said perhaps they would incorporate some synthetics in the surface.
The lack of events this spring may work in favor of Essex, where the footing last year had some riders questioning whether they would come back. Now they will need an outing, so Essex may get the nod and hopefully it will suit them this time around.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 13, 2020
Pan American Games eventing medalist Patrick “Packy” McGaughan, 56, died in his sleep yesterday.
He began his career as a young rider in the late 1970s and went on to compete at the North American Young Rider Championships. He was rider in residence at the U.S. Equestrian Team from 1981 to 1982 under the guidance of coach Jack LeGoff.
In 1987, he rode on the U.S.gold medal team at the Pan American Games in Indianapolis, where he also earned the bronze medal individually. He graduated from Duke University in North Carolina and in 1991 from the University of Maryland School of Law.
A popular instructor in Area II, Packy operated Banbury Cross Farm in Clarksburg, Maryland. The farm was developed into a top training, breeding and boarding facility, specializing in eventing, dressage, hunters, and equitation. Packy produced numerous horses and riders to the highest level of the sport. He was a well-regarded instructor in Area II for juniors, amateurs, and professionals.
