by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 10, 2018
“This is the best two weeks of my life,” Dick Feldman liked to say about the Lake Placid Horse Show, which he served as chairman for more than a quarter-century.
Dick, who died last week at 83 after a long illness, was devoted to the two-week fixture in upstate New York.
“I don’t like it — I love it,” he declared more than once about the show whose board he joined in 1987.
His enthusiasm ran from the big picture of what it took to run the show, right down to picking up lost children and loose dogs.
If an exhibitor didn’t have sufficient shavings for a horse’s stall, he’d deliver them himself when necessary.
During the show, he would ride his horse over from his nearby Woodlea farm at 7 a.m., going around the entire grounds inspecting things and making sure everything was safe, always ready for more work on the project to which he devoted himself.
“The horse show business is a hands-on business,” he once explained.
Richard M. Feldman
“He wears the show on his sleeve,” Lake Placid’s technical coordinator, David Distler, commented a few years ago.
“His heart’s in the right place. He wants to make Lake Placid one of the top shows. He wants everyone to come and love it.”
Dick’s philosophy toward those who are part of the show went this way: “If you treat them as if they were your family, they will treat you like you were their father.”
Margie Engle, a regular at the show, once noted, “He’s a friend to everybody. If you need something, he’s there. He’s not the type of person who’s nice because of who you are. I’ve seen him talking to a leadline kid who’s nervous about going in the class. Whatever he can do to make people enjoy themselves at the show, he does.”
He was employed for 40 years with Lehman Brothers, where he became the company’s youngest national sales manager and then a senior vice president and managing director of investments,
But it was horses that were a lifetime focal point for Dick. Although his family was very involved in racing (they owned 1987 Belmont Stakes winner Bet Twice), his real interest was show horses, fox hunters (he served as master of the old Hidden Hollow Hounds in New Jersey). His involvement also extended to being a trustee of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation.
“The Lake Placid Horse Show Association and the entire world of equestrian show jumping mourns the loss of Richard M. Feldman,” said Philip Richter, who succeeded Dick as the show’s chairman.
“He worked tirelessly to improve our sport and threw his heart, soul and wallet into making the Lake Placid Horse Show one of the most popular and best managed shows on the “A” circuit.
“It is an honor for me, as the new chairman of the Lake Placid Horse Shows, to continue to build upon his legacy, momentum and success. Richard positively impacted many lives in the world of equestrian sports and on Wall Street. His influence and dedication will be greatly missed by his friends, family and all those who were lucky enough to know him. The Board and Executive Committee extends our deepest sympathies to Richard’s family, and in particular to his wife, Diana, who, alongside Richard, has played a key role in the decades-long success of the Lake Placid Horse Shows.
When he was given the key to the Olympic Village and inducted into the Lake Placid Hall of Fame in 2009, Dick said, “This is my Academy Award. To be honored by the town on behalf of the horse show is a great honor and I have overwhelming gratitude for the town. This is the pinnacle of everything I’ve done and I am so thankful to everyone in town, not only for this honor, but also for all they have done to support the horse shows.”
Memorial services are tentatively planned for New York City in April and for Lake Placid during this summer’s horse shows, June 26 – July 8.
Memorial donations may be made “In Memory of Richard M. Feldman” to the Lake Horse Show Association, 5514 Cascade Road, Lake Placid NY 12946.–Nancy Jaffer
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 9, 2018
It’s never too early to plan for the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s 2018 hunter, jumper and equitation championships. Here’s what’s happening for Zone 2.
The Side-Saddle Championship is set for the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone July 17, while the Jumper Championship is part of the Devon, Pa., Fall Classic Sept. 13-17.
The Stirrup Cup Championships will run Sept. 29-30 at the Swan Lake Fall Regional in Littlestown, Pa. As usual, the Zone 2 Hunter Championship will be in Harrisburg, Pa., Oct. 21, the day after the Pennsylvania National Horse Show wraps up.
The jumper, hunter and side-saddle championships have specific qualifying criteria.
The other championships are open to anyone who meets the minimum criteria.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 8, 2018
Dr. Pearse Lyons, whose Alltech was the title sponsor of the 2010 and 2014 World Equestrian Games, died March 8 due to an acute lung condition that developed during his recovery from heart surgery. He was 73.
Dr. Pearse Lyons. (Photo© by Nancy Jaffer)
The president and founder of Alltech, Dr. Lyons was a charismatic native of Ireland whose support for the 2010 WEG at the Kentucky Horse Park and the 2014 WEG in Normandy, France, made it possible for those global championships to be staged. His energy and enthusiasm enabled the WEGs to ride over the rough spots and become memorable competitions.
He also supported the National Horse Show when it moved from Syracuse, N.Y., to the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in 2011. Alltech became the show’s title sponsor, another example of Dr. Lyons’ commitment to equestrian sport.
Always showing a sparkle that was infectious, he made things happen with his can-do approach.
Alltech, started by Dr. Lyons and his wife, Deirdre, with $10,000, is a privately held, Kentucky-based company that brings in more than $1.5 billion in sales annually, nearly all of it from making nutritional supplements that go into animal feeds, although the company also has interests in brewing and distilling, crop science, and other areas.
“Dr. Lyons was a visionary entrepreneur who transformed the agriculture industry beginning with his innovative application of yeast technology in animal nutrition. From farm to field, from market to family dinner table, our world is immeasurably better because he was a man who never saw problems, only a challenge that had not yet been solved,” said Alric Blake, CEO and treasurer of Alltech. .
“He inspired everyone he met with his energy, enthusiasm and passionate belief in possibilities. He instilled that positivity in his people, more than 5,000 Alltech team members around the world. I am confident I speak on behalf of all of them when I say that we are deeply honored to have known and worked for such a great man. We will resolve to honor his legacy by deepening our commitment to his customers and all the innovative ideas he believed in so strongly.”
“We are all deeply saddened by my father’s passing,” said Dr. Mark Lyons, Pearse’s son and chairman and president of Alltech.
“He always focused on developing people, and he built an extraordinary team over the years. I know he had full confidence in his team to continue growing the company he built.
“He saw farther into the horizon than anyone in the industry, and we, as his team, are committed to delivering on the future he envisioned. He planted seeds that will produce a bountiful harvest for the world in the years to come.”
Expressions of sympathy, including memories and tributes, may be shared at alltech.com/pearselyons.
In lieu of flowers, the family is encouraging donations to the Alltech ACE Foundation, a 501c3 nonprofit organization that funds a variety of philanthropic endeavours around the world from disaster relief to primary schools in Haiti. Donations may be made at alltech.com/pearselyons.
Funeral masses will be in Lexington March 17 and in Dublin in April. A special celebration of life will be held May 20 at the beginning of One: The Alltech Ideas Conference in Lexington.
Public visitation in Lexington will be on Friday, March 16. Arrangement details will be kept up to date on alltech.com/pearselyons.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 6, 2018
Work has gotten under way on the long-awaited massive improvement of the grand prix arena at the Horse Park of New Jersey.
The machinery is in gear for the grand prix ring improvement at the Horse Park of New Jersey.
Drainage and footing issues will be corrected, with the plan that all will be ready for the start of the season in mid-April and the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event in mid-May. Jersey Fresh is the last qualifier in this country for September’s FEI World Equestrian Games in North Carolina.
Another view of the work on the grand prix arena.
The park is looking for another $20,000 in donations for the project. It doesn’t have to be the entire amount–smaller contributions also are welcome. After all, they do mount up.
Donors can be recognized through banners, social media promotion or special requests. The park is a 501(c)(3) educational charitable organization, which means donations are tax deductible.
Anyone wishing to donate can use PayPal or send a check to the park at 626 Route 524, Allentown, NJ 08501. Be sure any donation is clearly marked for the footing fund.
by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 1, 2018
The American Horse Council Foundation’s 2017 Economic Impact Study of the U.S. Horse Industry, released today, revealed it generates approximately $122 billion in total economic impact. That is an increase from $102 billion in the 2005 Economic Impact Study.
The industry also provides a total employment impact of 1.74 million, and generates $79 billion in total salaries, wages, and benefits. There are 7.2 million horses in the U.S., with Texas, California and Florida continuing as the top three states with the highest population of horses. New Jersey ranks 39th with 59,400.
“Those involved in the equine industry already know how important it is to the U.S. economy. Having these updated numbers is critical not only to the AHC’s efforts up on Capitol Hill, but also for the industry to demonstrate to the general public how much of a role the equine has in American households,” said American Horse Council President Julie Broadway.
“While the number of horses in the US has decreased, this was not entirely unexpected due to the decline in breed registration trends over the last few years.”
A bright spot for the industry: 38 million, or 30.5 percent of U.S. households include a horse enthusiast, and 38 percent of participants are under the age of 18. Additionally, approximately 80 million acres of land is reserved for horse-related activities.
“For this update of the study, we wanted to get a better picture of the number of youth in the pipeline, which is a number that we have not previously included in our economic impact studies.
“Additionally, being able to put a number (on) the amount of land use for equine-related activities is essential to ensuring that we are able to continue to protect and preserve that land for its intended use,” said the AHC president.
The National Economic Impact Study is available for purchase through the AHC website here: http://www.horsecouncil.org/horsecouncil-publications/. Additionally, the 15 state breakouts will be available for purchase by the beginning of April. Those with questions can contact the AHC at info@horsecouncil.org.
View on AHC Website
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 27, 2018
Want to be part of September’s FEI World Equestrian Games at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in North Carolina? Why not volunteer?
The WEG Volunteer Management Program is in the “Scope Phase,” receiving inquiries from prospective WEG volunteers. If you want to volunteer, the first step involves filling out an inquiry form online at www.tryon2018.com.
You can find out what comes next in an online WEG Volunteer Portal that will be launched in March. Once you put in an inquiry online, you will receive a link to the Volunteer Portal to begin an application, answer security and ability questions, purchase the uniform package and sign a liability waiver.
In April, those selected as volunteers will be notified of their assignment. May 1 is the deadline for volunteers to complete applications through the online Volunteer Portal. Orientation and training phases will take place beginning in June.
Anyone who has previously filled out the online inquiry form on the Tryon 2018 website does not need to resubmit the form to receive an invitation to the online Volunteer Portal. Interested parties who have not yet submitted an inquiry form may do so. Please click here to submit a volunteer inquiry.
To view the Volunteer Program FAQ, please click here.
Click here to learn more about the WEG Volunteer Program.
For the most updated WEG information, sign up for the newsletter online at www.tryon2018.com or follow @Tryon2018 on social media.
