by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 15, 2016
Jerseyans in the spotlight at the U.S. Eventing Association annual meeting last weekend included course designer Morgan Rowsell of Long Valley, who joined the group’s board of governors, and Beth Battel of Roosevelt.
Beth is the co-owner of Stella Artois, the winner of the 2-star competition at the Fair Hill International in October. Stella’s rider is co-owner Jennie Brannigan, who accepted a $25,000 check for the Connaught Grant, administered by the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in memory of R. Bruce Duchossois.
Bruce, a great patron of equestrian sports, owned Connaught, who won the Rolex Kentucky 4-star with Phillip Dutton. The Connaught grant is given for a CCI one- or two-star horse that, like Stella, is seen as a potential candidate to represent the U.S. Equestrian Team internationally.
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 14, 2016
Centenary University’s riding center in Long Valley is one of 10 locations around the country named to host the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s Emerging Athletes Program Regional Training Sessions next year. Centenary also has had the distinction of hosting such a session in the past.
“We had really incredible applications this year, which made selecting locations a challenge,” said Sally Ike, chair of the USHJA Emerging Athletes Program Committee.
“We’re very pleased with the locations and are looking forward to announcing the dates and opening applications in February.”
The national finals will be held in October at Lake Erie College in Ohio for the second year in a row.
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 10, 2016
Proceeds from next summer’s Mars Essex Horse Trials will benefit the Greater Newark LifeCamp, which offers day camp experience for approximately 300 Newark-area youths for six weeks during July and August.
The horse trials will return to the competition calendar June 24-25 after a 19-year hiatus.Essex will move from its former venue at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation headquarters in Gladstone, where it was last held in 1998, relocating to the Moorland Farm in Far Hills. Essex will be the first equestrian event, apart from the Far Hills Race Meeting, to be held on the 230-acre property in the Somerset Hills.
The two days of scheduled competition at Essex also offer a classic car show, farm-to-table food court, the Essex Market– a high-end fashion and retail fair–picnicking, tailgating and a premium two-day entertainment package. It includes admission to the Hoopstick Club adjacent to the show jumping arena.
The Essex revival is part of a strategic plan developed by community leaders and local equestrian organizations, including the Far Hills Race Meeting Association and Gladstone Equestrian Organization, with a goal of revitalizing and growing high-level equestrian competitions, events and clinics in Somerset County and the surrounding region.
Mars Inc., the original sponsor of the Essex Horse Trials, will once again be the title sponsor. Presenting sponsors include Open Road Auto Group, Peapack-Gladstone Bank and RWJBarnabas Health.
The Life Camp movement began in 1887, when the original editor of LIFE magazine founded the Life Fresh Air Fund to aid inner-city children by sending them to the country. The current mission of LifeCamp Inc. is to empower children from Newark to succeed and excel in life by developing life skills, character and leadership through a summer enrichment program outside of an urban environment.
The LifeCamp campus, which opened in 1923, is located on 90 acres in Pottersville, a few miles from the horse trials’ new home.
Ralph Jones, president of the Mars Essex Horse Trials, said, “All of us involved with the upcoming horse trials are thrilled to begin this affiliation with LifeCamp. Its mission is clearly inspirational and we look forward to discovering ways that our organizations can work together to bring additional experiences to both LifeCamp campers and the Essex community.”
For more information about the Mars Essex Horse Trials, visit http://essexhorsetrials.org/.
For more information about Greater Newark LifeCamp, visit http://greaternewarklifecamp.org/.
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 10, 2016
Lessons at a variety of riding facilities and equestrian schools can now be part of the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s Recognized Riding Academy Program.
The program is designed “to encourage the continued development and growth of programs across the country that cultivate well-rounded equestrians from their earliest riding experience,” said Kevin Price, USHJA executive director.
“Building strong foundations of horsemanship, sportsmanship and safety for equestrians benefits our entire sport, and we look forward to helping connect new or aspiring riders with programs that focus on those attributes.”
The academy will provide national recognition and exposure for programs meeting the USHJA Recognized Riding Academy criteria, which can be found on the USHJA website. Recognized Riding Academies can participate in the USHJA Affiliate Equitation Awards program and they receive discounts on USHJA Trainer Certification Program manuals.
Interested riding programs must meet USHJA requirements to become a Recognized Riding Academy. The requirements focus on minimum facility, operational, safety and staff standards. These programs must operate out of facilities that follow basic industry standards for horse care, offer hunter/jumper riding lessons of varying levels, unmounted instruction, and lessons with an instructor/student ratio that ensures safety, and follow a written curriculum for all instruction.
Additionally, they must make safety a priority, requiring ASTM/SEI approved helmets and approved footwear, as well as following a variety of other safety standards and maintaining at least $1 million in insurance coverage for the operation of their riding program. The programs must have at least one staff person who is a USHJA member in good standing, and their staff must demonstrate a commitment to continuing education.
Learn more about the USHJA Recognized Riding Academy and apply at www.ushja.org/ridingacademy.
by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 3, 2016
It’s time for an encore–Robert Dover will be technical advisor for the U.S. dressage team through the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games, while continuing to raise funds as he did so successfully before the Olympics.
“I am thrilled and honored to remain in the position of dressage technical advisor for the USEF,” he said after coming to an agreement with the U.S. Equestrian Federation.
“I look forward to continuing to work with staff, volunteers and athletes to produce training and programs for sustained excellence for the U.S. Equestrian Dressage Team,” added Robert, who also will serve as chef d’equipe at certain competitions.
Dover amassed quite a record after taking on the chef d’ equipe/technical advisor role in 2013. In addition to winning a bronze medal at the Rio Olympics last summer, the squad under his leadership took team gold and individual gold and silver at the Pan American Games and finished fourth at the 2014 WEG.
“Robert has done so many positive things for U.S. Dressage. From returning our team to the Olympic podium to growing our development program, there is no one better to lead U.S. dressage,” said USEF President Chrystine Tauber.
“As an athlete, chef d’equipe, or technical advisor, it has been wonderful to see the amazing impact he has had on this sport and our athletes. I know Robert will work hard to build upon this success.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 29, 2016
The Fair Hill, Maryland, facility that hosts the 2- and 3-star fall national championship events and a variety of other equestrian competitions, is looking for an upgrade as it seeks to stage the USA’s second 4-star event.
Stakeholders have begun discussions with the Maryland Department of Natural Resources about the 2015 Maryland Horse Park System Study, which recommended Fair Hill Natural Resources Management Area as an ideal equestrian field event venue.
The interest was prompted by new information about the economic value of Maryland’s horse industry as well as an invitation to submit a proposal to host the 4-star, which will be held in 2018 or, more likely, 2019, since the World Equestrian Games will take center stage in September 2018.
“New economic data shows that the state’s equine industry has grown 23 percent in the last five years and contributes $1.15 billion in annual economic activity,” said Jim Steele, chair of the Maryland Horse Industry Board.
“Improving equine facilities at Fair Hill is a vital part of this industry-wide renaissance. We have to stay current and make sure our competition venues meet the needs of the equestrian community.”
Implementation of the study includes enhancement of existing facilities and infrastructure that would support improved conditions for a broad spectrum of activities and programming, including steeplechasing, timber racing, polo, 4-H, the Cecil County Fair and more.
As the partners in the implementation of the recommendations, Fair Hill International was given the opportunity to respond to a request from the U.S. Equestrian Federation to host the new 4-star. Rolex Kentucky, at this point the country’s only 4-star, is held in the spring at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.
“Regardless of the outcome of the 4-star proposal, there remains tremendous interest and support to upgrade Fair Hill’s infrastructure for a variety of recreational uses,” said Maryland Natural Resources Secretary Mark Belton.
“A community-led foundation is now being developed to begin identifying potential funding for critical enhancements and improvements at the racetrack and fairgrounds.”
Work continues with stakeholders, park users, and the community to develop and refine the proposed enhancements in the coming months. There will be opportunity for public comment and engagement. If the site is selected, Maryland would then join Kentucky as the only state to host both a Triple Crown race and a 4-star event.
Other contenders for the 4-star are Great Meadow and Morven Park, both in Virginia; the Ocala Jockey Club in Florida and the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Tryon, N.C., where the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games will be held.
