by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 24, 2017
St. Hubert’s Animal Welfare Center is asking New Jersey’s horse community to encourage the state’s Congressional representatives to vote in favor of the SAFE ACT- 2018 Agricultural Appropriations Bill that would impose funding limitations to prevent horse slaughter in the U.S. and transporting horses to slaughter outside the U.S.
The organization, based in Madison, singled out Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen (R-11th Dist.) who has been positive on this issue in the past, but has not committed at this point on the bill, which is due for a vote July 12.
Saying his vote is critical to passing the bill, St. Hubert’s suggests that “simply by placing a call to Rep. Frelinghuysen’s office, every horse owner, trainer, farm owner, anyone who can simply loves horses will hopefully sway our representative to vote yes in favor of funding limitations to prevent horse slaughter.”
His Washington office’s phone number is 202-225-5034, while the phone for his Morristown office is 973-984-0711. Here is a link to his website: https://frelinghuysen.house.gov/11th-district/ .
Those living outside the district, which includes parts of Morris, Passaic, Essex and Sussex counties, can contact their representatives as well.
Nationwide, the ASPCA is asking for everyone to contact their representatives as well. Read more about it here
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 21, 2017
Groundbreaking was held June 10 during the Jersey Classic Horse Show at the Horse Park of New Jersey for a winner’s circle dedicated to the memory of Gwen Stableford, a longtime enthusiastic competitor and supporter of the park who was the 2007 New Jersey Horseperson of the Year.
The winner’s circle will recognize her competitive spirit and be a lasting remembrance of a gift she made to the park. Funds from her endowment will be used for reconstruction of the area between the east and the west rings in front of the administration building, a spot that is currently unused.
An ardent volunteer for such organizations as the New Jersey Horse Council, the New Jersey Equine Advisory Board, the American Saddlebred Horse Association of New Jersey and the Middlesex County Horse Show, Gwen grew up in East Orange and first sat on a horse as a toddler at the armory in her home town.
She rode briefly at Brown’s Riding Academy in Maplewood, back in the days when stables were commonplace in Essex County. Stableford got serious about saddlebreds at the old Rock Spring Country Club in West Orange.
She went on to be a regular in the ring at the National Horse Show when Madison Square Garden was on Eighth Avenue, accumulating ribbons on Vauxhall’s Kentucky Rex until the late 1960s.
After her riding days in the ring were over, she drove the feisty Ali in the hackney pony division, winning four national championships. She is fondly remembered for her devotion to her sport and the people involved it.
Gwen Stableford, whose name will be on the winner’s circle at the Horse Park of New Jersey, was saluted as New Jersey’s 2007 Horsewoman of the Year.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 19, 2017
A public meeting updating the progress of the ring refurbishment campaign for the arenas at the Horse Park of New Jersey will be held at 5:30 p.m. June 26 in the park’s pavilion.
There will be a presentation of information about the ring evaluation done by Brian McNeil, an equestrian arena design consultant. The topic will be Phase I, which involves a one-time investment in the base reconstruction to provide adequate drainage and consistent arena surfaces at the facility on Route 524 in Allentown.
The session precedes the park’s annual general meeting at 6:30 p.m.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 3, 2017
The educational and fun evenings of “wine and equine” that debuted last year are returning this month under the auspices of Rutgers University and the Natural Resources Conservation Service.
The series begins June 27 at Dorsett Arabians, 169 Russell Mill Road in Woolwich Towsnhip. The second session is set for June 29 at Centenary University’s Equestrian Center, 12-56 Califon Road, Long Valley. The meeting slated for June 20 at Rutgers has been cancelled.
The meetings, which will run from 6-8 p.m., are going to focus on equine nutrition and diet management. The idea is to help reduce nutrient excess waste and runoff into the environment.
Those attending will be exposed to some of the latest environmental research for horse farms, while obtaining information on how to manage horses’ diet to decrease nutrient excess. Presenters will discuss funding opportunities available through NRCS. It’s also a chance to network with others involved in horse farms around the state.
Each of the evenings will feature wine tasting from local wineries, talks and demonstrations by Rutgers faculty and NRCS staff and light appetizers.
There is no admission charge, but registration is required. Contact Mike Westendorf at michael.westendorf@rutgers.edu or Carey Williams at carey.williams@rutgers.edu .
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 2, 2017
The Gold Ring, the second ring at the Devon Horse Show grounds, now will be called the Wheeler Ring in honor of Kenny Wheeler and his late wife, Sallie Wheeler. Kenny is known for his many victories in the breeding classes at Devon, as well as a long career as a hunter trainer. Sallie was a great philanthropist and chairman of the National Horse Show, also playing a big role in many shows and equestrian governance. Both were very much involved in Devon over the decades.
Kenny and members of the Wheeler family took part in the naming ceremony in Devon’s Dixon Oval, along with the Budweiser Clydesdales. (Sallie was a member of the Busch family, as in Anheuser-Busch brewing. Budweiser was its most famous brand.)
The Budweiser Clydesdales and members of the Wheeler family were on hand for the Gold Ring renaming ceremony at the Devon Horse Show, held in the Dixon Oval. Photo by Brenda Carpenter Photography
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by Nancy Jaffer | May 25, 2017
When the opportunity came up for the U.S. Equestrian Federation to hire Michel Assouline, the head coach of Britain’s highly successful para-equestrian dressage program, the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation stepped up.
“It seemed like an incredible opportunity to have somebody of his stature,” said USET Foundation Executive Director Bonnie Jenkins. “It really could be a game-changer for our para-dressage program” which has yet to win a medal in the modern era of the discipline.
“We were able to secure the funding rather quickly, so we didn’t lose the opportunity,” she said, citing the contributions of Betsy Bramsen, the Barnfield Foundation, Becky Reno and Ed Peavy that made it possible to hire Michel.
Will Connell, the USEF’s director of sport who had previously been Britain’s World Class Performance Director, knew Michel and suggested bringing him to the U.S., but there was nothing in the budget for that.
“We’re very fortunate to have Will Connell,” said Jim Wolf, the foundation’s deputy executive director. “He’s been able to use his relationship with Michel to bring him over and help him build the program. I think Will has a good plan in place, but we needed the funding to do it. This is exactly how the foundation and federation should work together Will had a need, he came to us and we found the funding through the generosity of some very important donors.”
Michel, who worked for the British for 12 years, will be head of para-equestrian coach development and high performance consultant. He will work with chef d’equipe Kai Handt and Laureen Johnson, director of para-dressage, to prepare U.S. athletes for the World Equestrian Games next year in Tryon, N.C.
Michel also will be leading a trainer/coach development program, while working closely with the Para Centers of Excellence around the country, and delivering and running additional seminars and coaching sessions.
Will noted that Michel was a key figure in the able-bodied dressage world as French national champion. “He’s been based in America and trained here, so he understands the culture. He’s obviouly been a very successful para coach He’s also completed a very detailed master coach program in Britain, which gives him a lot of skills in coach development as well . It’s not just about bringing him here to coach athletes, it’s bringing him here to coach coaches.”
Commenting that he has been “privileged to work with an incredibly successful team of athletes” in Britain, Michel noted, “during my time as head coach, we earned team gold in every single international championship and numerous individual medals, including two triple gold medalists at the Rio 2016 Paralympic Games. I now feel the time is right for a career which seeks out new challenges. My new role will also allow me to pursue other interests both within para- and able-bodied dressage.”
