by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 20, 2019
Phyllis Mills Wyeth, a noted horse breeder and carriage driver, died Jan. 14 at age 78 with her husband, artist Jamie Wyeth, at her side.
She was often a model for her husband, whose most famous paintings include “And Then Into the Deep Gorge,” which depicts her driving a pair of grays through the woods.
“And Then into the Deep Gorge,” by Jamie Wyeth
Horses were a big part of her life. In addition to owning driving horses, she also had a racing stable in Chadds Ford, Pa. Her best-known homebred was 2012 Belmont Stakes winner Union Rags.
The daughter of James and Alice DuPont Mills made a name for herself as an advocate for the handicapped and disabled after she was injured in a head-on automobile accident at age 20. She used crutches and a wheelchair for the rest of her life.
After working for John F. Kennedy, both when he was a U.S. senator and during his time in the White House, she remained active in Washington D.C., working as a consultant for the National Endowment for the Arts and as vice-chairwoman of the National Committee on Arts for the Handicapped.
Mrs. Wyeth was an early supporter of the Tri-County Conservancy, which became the Brandywine Conservancy & Museum of Art, and was a founding member of its board. She also was a conservationist and environmentalist.
As a special tribute exhibition, the Brandywine River Museum of Art plans to host a selection of paintings of Phyllis by her husband, who is the son of artist Andrew Wyeth.
Funeral services will be private.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 7, 2019
Ocala. Fla., is about to get much hotter, and we’re not talking about the weather.
The World Equestrian Center, which has a big show operation in Wilmington, Ohio, is opening a lavish new site in Ocala in January 2021, it was announced today. Set on 4,000 acres, it will have 17 all-purpose arenas and four indoor arenas (climate-controlled, like the stabling). A three-acre outdoor stadium will be geared to different types of events, not just horse shows.
A hotel will be part of the package, along with a fine-dining restaurant and four other on-site dining options. Three-acre housing parcels also will be available, and they can be bought in multiples as well.
The WEC hotel will have an arena view.
Plans call for holding recognized U.S. Equestrian Federation competitions, if possible, despite the mileage protection rule covering pre-existing shows. At present, HITS has a winter show series in Ocala and Chester Weber runs a jumper and driving show in the fast-growing area.
If WEC can’t get the dates for USEF-rated shows, it will run its own hunter/jumper series. It also will host dressage, para-equestrian, vaulting, reining and breed events. Non-equestrian activities will include weddings, dog shows, car shows and corporate events.
The technology being built into the project will accommodate key cards, digital video live streaming and a 24/7 security network.
The reason for the long lag time until the opening is to ensure the facility “is completely finished and in ready condition to safely host horses and exhibitors.” That’s good news for those who lived through the unfinished state of the Tryon International Equestrian Center during last September’s FEI World Equestrian Games
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 2, 2019
Thinking about getting involved in breeding your own horse? The Rutgers Equine Science Center and the Rutgers Cooperative Extension are offering a seminar on “Feeding and Care of Mare/Foal, Stallion and Growing Horse” from 8:30 a.m.-3:45 pm Feb. 10 at the Cook Student Center in New Brunswick.
“This year we selected a topic that we have not covered during any of the previous Horse Management Seminars. Even if you don’t currently breed horses, the presentations will have lots of information for everyone,” said Dr. Carey Williams, extension equine specialist and associate director of extension for the Equine Science Center.
“Our goal for this workshop is to bring in the leading experts in each of these topic areas. This includes broodmare and growing horse nutrition, care of the stallion, and new reproductive advances. We will also highlight some of the current and future research from Rutgers Equine graduate students.”
The morning will start with “Stallion Care” and “Recent Advanced in Equine Reproduction” by Dr. Ed Squires from University of Kentucky’s Gluck Equine Research Center. “Dr. Squires leads the country in his contribution to the field of equine reproduction” said Carey.
“We are honored to have him here at Rutgers courtesy of Vetoquinol USA.” The morning will also include Dr. Dan Keenan from Foundation Equine, a local veterinarian specializing in equine reproduction. Dr. Keenan will present “Care of the Mare and Foal Pre- and Post-Birth.”
In the afternoon, Dr. Amy Burk, who leads the equine breeding program at the University of Maryland, presents “Feeding the Pregnant/Lactating Mare”, followed by “GI Development and Nutrition of the Growing Horse” by Dr. Paul Siciliano from North Carolina State University.
Closing out the day will be a panel discussion from the three main speakers. Following the panel Carey’s doctoral student, Jennifer Weinert, will give a short presentation on some of the current research taking place on campus, as well as what future research has been planned.
In addition to these presentations, the seminar will feature informational displays, networking opportunities with industry companies and area organizations, and ample time for one-on-one discussions with the day’s presenters.
The complete program, registration information, and seminar brochure are posted on the Equine Science Center website at esc.rutgers.edu as well as at the registration site: http://bit.ly/2019HMS . Space is limited, and the early bird discount for registration ends on January 28. For questions, contact Carey at (848) 932-5529 or carey.williams@rutgers.edu.
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 29, 2018
I hope you watched the first segment of the two-part miniseries, Equus: Story of the Horse, on PBS Jan. 16. The next segment is coming up Jan. 23 at 8 p.m. Eastern time, and you don’t want to miss it.
Highlights of part one were the first realistic animation of the 45 million-year-old ancestor of today’s horse, the Dawn horse, and a demonstration of psychology tests that uncover how horses use non-verbal signals to communicate with each other and understand human expressions.Information on how horses breathe while galloping was fascinating as well.
So next up is Episode 2: “Chasing the Wind.” It examines how humans have partnered with the horse throughout the centuries and created more than 400 breeds, from the Yakutian horse of Siberia to the Arab horse. That juxtaposition also demonstrates horses can survive the most extreme climates that earth has to offer.
Here’s an interesting fact from part two–our ancestors drew horses more than any other animal. The first piece of art to depict a living thing was a tiny figurine of a wild horse living somewhere in Europe more than 35,000 years ago..
There’s a look at the world’s only truly wild horses, who live on Canada’s Sable Island, where a population of 500 has been living for at least 40 horse generations. Although descended from domesticated horses abandoned or shipwrecked in the 19th century, these horses receive no care from humans today.
The quality of the first segment makes the second segment must-see TV. No matter what your equine expertise is, there’s still plenty to learn about horses.
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 28, 2018
The Equestrian Businesswomen Summit, held in conjunction with the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s January annual meeting, is offering a digital recap of the day that featured an array of exciting speakers.
They include keynote speaker Tracey Noonan of Wicked Good Cupcakes, noted horse breeder Lisa Lourie of Spy Coast Farm; Lisa Roskens, who brought the FEI World Cup finals to Omaha in 2017 (and you can expect to see it there again in the upcoming decade); Alexandra Cherubini of EquiFit and dressage Olympian Ashley Holzer, who owns Today’s Equestrian magazine.
To buy a digital ticket for $38, click here
“The whole atmosphere and energy surrounding it was unlike anything I had ever been to before. It was what I hoped it would be,” commented the day’s organizers, Jennifer Wood, a public relations powerhouse.
The next step for the organization is the year-round membership platform that will launch in the spring with two tiers of membership.
Click here for information about membership.
“The big thing we’re offering is networking among members, expert resources they can reach out to and online video learning content,” said Jen, explaining.the lower membership tier does not include the videos.
“It’s all kind of connected in one way or another to horses. It’s done by people who understand the industry and its nuances, or it directly connects to the equestrian industry. That’s the difference between what we can offer and a more general website.”
She sees the group as “a really true community that bridges all different aspects of the equine industry. I think we started that at the summit by having people from racing, reining, dressage and show jumping, I do see it as a way to bring all the fragmented pieces of the industry that don’t normally come together being part of a community,” she noted.
For more info, go to the website at www.eqbusinesswomen.com
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 20, 2018
A First Day Trail Ride will be held in Sussex County on Jan. 1 to kick off the new year. The ride is the only equestrian event that is part of the New Jersey State Parks’ First Day hikes being held throughout the state.
The ride will start at 1 p.m. and last about 90 minutes, depending on the weather. It takes place on the Paulinksill Valley rail trail, which is level and easy going. Meet at the Halsey Farm, at the corner of Route 519 and Halsey Road, Newton.
Want lunch? Get togeter at 3 p.m. at Yetter’s Diner, 89 Route 206 in Augusta, next to the new QuickChek gas station. Contact Carolyn Moran 845-667-2015 for more information and to RSVP.
