by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 2, 2017
Logan’s Brook Equine Center is presenting a jumping clinic with Jeff Cook March 11-12 at the U.S.Equestrian Team Foundation headquarters in Gladstone.
Formerly an associate of George Morris, Jeff is among the country’s leading clinicians. Sections will be offered at 2-6, 3 feet and 3-6 and higher. The cost is $400/day for participants, or $20/day for auditors.
To sign up, contact Nancy Jones, 908-581-8158 or jonesie@logansbrook.com or Vicky Sroka 908-304-5762 or srokas1@verizon.net
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 1, 2017
The first case involving new and stronger penalty guidelines for violating U.S. Equestrian Federation Drugs & Medications rules will be the subject of a rehearing, the organization announced today.
The USEF Hearing Committee has granted a request for the rehearing in the case against rider Kelley Farmer and her partner, trainer Larry Glefke, involving the presence of the calming agent GABA in a horse named Unexpected during competition in Kentucky last summer.
While the USEF said its November hearing was held in accordance with the rules as the hearing committee found the two in violation, Farmer and Glefke petitioned USEF for a rehearing, claiming they had not been properly notified of the violation and subsequent hearing.
Farmer had received a 12-month suspension and $12,000 fine, while Glefke got a 24-month suspension and $24,000 fine.
USEF President Murray Kessler stated, “Despite the fact that a fair hearing was conducted with proper notification to the respective parties, as noted by the hearing committee in its ruling, given that this was the first case in which the new board of directors-approved penalty guidelines were utilized, the extremely serious nature of the violations, and the substantial penalties imposed, the federation did not object to a rehearing and, therefore, supports the hearing committee’s decision.”
At the time the penalties were announced during the USEF’s annual meeting in January, attorney Bonnie Navin said her clients told her they had not been notified of the hearing and thus did not attend the session, nor were they represented there by counsel.
Word of the penalties was a hot topic when it came out, serving notice that USEF was determined to step up enforcement.
Kessler noted, “This case is too important in the USEF’s steadfast goal to enforce the Drugs & Medications rules intended to prevent cheating in our sport. There can be no remote shadow of doubt that all of our cases are handled in a transparent manner.”
The hearing committee ruled, however, that any arguments about the scientific basis or analytical methodology underlying the federation’s testing for GABA positives already has been conclusively determined in prior hearings and will not be a subject of the rehearing.
They further ruled that the rehearing shall be concluded in time for new findings and decisions to be issued prior to July 1. Any suspensions levied as a result of the rehearing decision shall begin July 1, which is the commencement date under the original hearing committee decision.
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 1, 2017
Want to practice your trail class skills? 7 Springs Farm, 14 Perryville Road, Pittstown, will have a course set up from 10 a.m.-noon on Sunday Feb. 19, and a second session from noon-2 p.m., if more than 15 riders register for the first session. Try opening a gate, crossing an obstacle and opening a mailbox, in addition to barrels, poles, etc. The fee is $15. Call Susan Witte at 908-238-9587 to reserve a spot.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 30, 2017
Former U.S. eventing coach Mark Phillips has been named the new cross-country course designer for May’s Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event at the Horse Park of New Jersey.
Fresh off the very successful work he did at Saturday’s Land Rover Eventing Showcase in Wellington, Fla., Mark is respected around the world for the routes he lays out, which also include the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, Great Britain’s September 4-star.
John Williams, the cross-country designer at Jersey Fresh since the competition debuted 15 years ago, will remain as co-organizer with Jane Cory.
“We made big changes in 2015 and last year,” said the event’s spokesperson, Lisa Mackintosh.
“This is the third year of the plan to bring a new look and feel to the event,” she explained. An important part of it will involve adding more land to the cross-country course, which should satisfy riders who have been concerned about the twisting tracks necessary to work within the confines of the property.
Since Mark is also going to be the cross-country designer for eventing at the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games in Tryon, N.C., more riders likely will want to compete at Jersey Fresh to get a taste of what Mark might do at those world championships.
He can be quite inventive. At the Land Rover Showcase, he put a jump in the VIP tent, so riders galloped right by the guests seated at the tables, their mouths agape the first time a horse came down that track.
Mark also will be the designer for an arena eventing competition at the Devon, Pa., horse show, May 28, with both eventers and show jumpers competing over a route that runs through the show’s two rings.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 29, 2017
B.W. Furlong & Associates is holding its 16th annual Horse Health Seminar Feb. 19 from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. at Beaver Brook Country Club, 25 Country Club Dr., Annandale.
The agenda is wide-ranging, with topics including leptospirosis, colic, embryo transfer, navicular and an “ask the vets” session. Registration is required. The cost is $35 before Feb. 10 and $45 thereafter.
For more information, contact the clinic at 908-439-2821.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 29, 2017
The 2016 debut of Monmouth at the Team won the New Jersey Horse Shows Association’s Show of the Year award this month.
The historic USET Foundation stables made the perfect backdrop for Monmouth at the Team, the NJHSA’s 2016 Show of the Year. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
It took some daring on the part of co-organizers Tucker Ericson and his cousin, Michael Dowling, to move New Jersey’s oldest horse show out of Monmouth County into the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation headquarters in Somerset County, more than an hour away.
But it worked and was hugely successful on both the sporting and social sides.
“We’re excited that it had a great first go,” said Katie Benson, NJHSA president, who runs the Briarwood operation at Black River Farm in Ringoes.
“Briarwood’s Derby Day got beat, but that’s fine,” said Katie, who was elected last month as a director-at-large for the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association.
“Briarwood had the award for a lot of years, but Monmouth is new and exciting,” she commented.
The success of Monmouth at the Team will be reflected in its 2017 show, which is growing to seven days from six and will have three days that are B-rated from the U.S. Equestrian Federation, as opposed to its single C-rated day last year.
It is adding a $5,000 USHJA hunter derby with fences set at 3 feet on one of the recognized days, but also will have an unrecognized derby, with a $10,000 purse. Fences will be set at 2 feet, 2-6 and 3 feet.
The August show turned out to be an end-of-summer attraction in highly competitive Zone 2 (New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania), drawing a legion of quality horses and riders.
“It’s kind of like, if you can make it in New York City, you can make it anywhere; if you can make it in Zone 2, you can make it anywhere,” Tucker quipped.
Jumpers are featured on the weekend, a draw for sponsors and “local people who maybe don’t know the sport that well,” said Tucker, explaining they can follow that action more easily than they can the hunters.
All of last year’s sponsors are coming back, and they include the banking and car dealership categories, as well as the usual equestrian-related firms.
“They see the benefit in equestrian sports,” said Tucker, who is also active as a judge.
“Everyone stepping up and supporting us is what we need,” he added. “We didn’t cut corners. We put money back into the atmosphere and quality of the event.”
The USET Foundation will be given a utility building through money raised by the show and the efforts of the show’s presenting sponsor, Precise Buildings. The project is already on the drawing board, but needs to go through the municipal approval process before it can be constructed. Tucker said it is hoped that the building can go up after this year’s show.
Once that is completed, a judges/announcer pavilion will be the next project.
