by Nancy Jaffer | Dec 1, 2024
With the retirement of German multi-multi gold medalist TSF Dalera BB, the question has been who will take her place at the top of the podium. Last weekend at the Lövsta Top 10 Dressage competition in Sweden, Freestyle — shown by Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour of Denmark — was unquestionably top of the line for that show.
The mare, previously ridden by Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin, scored over 90 percent with every judge but one in the Grand Prix Freestyle (her namesake). Second to Cathrine in in both the Grand Prix and GP Freestyle was Isabell Werth of Germany with Wendy de Fontaine. She did not break 90 percent in the latter, and only one judge awarded her over 80 percent in the former.
Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour and Freestyle at the Paris Olympics.
At the Paris Olympics, Dalera and Jessica von Bredow-Werndl still reigned as the gold standard, but Isabell finished on silver, while Britain’s Lottie Bry and Glamoudale took bronze. Cathrine, who led Denmark to team silver, was fifth individually behind the Netherlands’ Dinja van Liere and Hermes.
In Stockholm, Dinja was third and Lottie did not compete.
Meanwhile, the new December FEI standings for dressage athletes have Isabell number one, seven points ahead of Cathrine. Lottie is third, but 117 points behind Cathrine. The rankings are the same for their horses.
Click here for Grand Prix results and here for Grand Prix Freestyle results
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 28, 2024
Former Volvo chairman Pehr Gyllenhammar, who presided over creation and growth of the FEI Jumping World Cup series, has died at the age of 89.
Pehr Gyllenhammar
The series’ initial season was launched in 1978. The first final was held in 1979 at the Scandinavium arena in Gyllenhammar’s native Gothenburg, where Volvo has its headquarters. The Swedish city would to host 15 FEI World Cup™ Finals.
Gyllenhammar, who held the key position at the Swedish multinational manufacturing corporation from 1970 to 1994, put his support behind the Cup series. Volvo became the title sponsor of the qualifiers in all the Leagues and Finals until 1998. Believing that dressage would be a perfect complement to the jumping, in 1990 Volvo became the title sponsor of the FEI Dressage World Cup™ until 1998.
“The FEI is infinitely grateful to Pehr G. Gyllenhammar for his support with the creation of one the FEI’s most important series. Volvo’s sponsorship continued for 20 years and laid the foundation for the successful worldwide series the FEI Jumping World Cup has become today. He was also a great proponent of the FEI World Equestrian Games, the first edition of which was held to general acclaim in the Swedish capital Stockholm,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 26, 2024
Olympic eventing multi-medalist Phllip Dutton put his concerns about the dangers of his sport on social media, and they are worth sharing.
He stated: “With the 2024 eventing season coming to a close, I feel it has been a great year for our sport in many respects with some incredible performances at the CCI5*s throughout the world and with the showcasing of the sport at the Paris Olympics.
“The downside and tragic events of the year were two high-profile riders having cross-country falls. Namely, the death of Georgie Campbell and the life-changing accident of Liz Halliday at the AEC (American Eventing Championships) competition in Lexington, Ky.” (Liz suffered a traumatic brain injury when her horse fell with with her on cross-country. She is being treated at the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago.)
“Our sport has come a long way in regard to safety and horse welfare. Frangible pins have definitely prevented falls, and in doing so, have prevented major injuries to both horse and rider — and probably, in some cases, death. Course design and construction have also played an important part as well. It is in everyone’s best interest to embrace this new technology to further improve the safety of the sport.
“Both Georgie and Liz’s falls were at jumps without frangible pins. It is probably not practical yet to have every fence frangible, but as riders, we should be encouraging organizers and designers to aim for this. Other sports more dangerous than ours have made huge leaps in the safety area – Formula One and the NFL come to mind. Having the old adage that horses won’t learn if the fences come down is rubbish! If a horse needs to run into a solid fence to back off, you probably shouldn’t be riding him.
“On the other side of safety, riders have to make sure they have the right skills and their horses the right education before setting out on course. Aggressive riding definitely plays a part in keeping a horse confident on cross country. More importantly though, is being able to approach each cross-country jump with the required speed, line and take off distance on a forward-thinking horse. After watching some of the long-format events lately, it’s clear to me that many riders lack those skills and instead are relying just on speed and aggression and having a brave, genuine horse.
“As riders, we have to make split-second decisions, and it is not always going to be the right decision. That is sport and life. However, embracing improvements to jump design, frangible devices in future courses and riders who have a good grasp, understanding and the skills needed to ride safely at each jump will hopefully keep a bright future for our sport.”
Meanwhile,the U.S. Eventing Association Foundation is working to add more frangible devices to cross-country fences. It’s an ongoing process; the foundation pointed out it was less than 10 years ago that the first MIM-clipped fence was used at a British event. And now they are proliferating.
The Foundation has been instrumental in getting frangible fence kits into the hands of course builders across the U.S. And the technology continues to evolve with new approval of MIMS clips for Trakehners recently announced.The frangible technology programs have increased due to large donations from key eventing supporters, but they have also been made possible by the many smaller donations received from riders, trainers, and other horse lovers in the sport. The Foundation needs help to continue sharing of the technology and to support safety efforts in eventing. The organization is asking for donations toward that goal.
Click here to connect with the Foundation and find out more.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 12, 2024
The International Olympic Committee got a wave of petitions with 194,555 signatures during and after the Paris Games seeking to discontinue equestrian competition in the Olympics.
According to the FEI’s (international equestrian federation) update of the October dressage stakeholders’ meeting, the most signatures (83,510) came from PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals), with 30,000 in one week alone. Other petitions were submitted by such groups as the Animal Rescue Site and Change.org. During the Paris Games, there were 24 allegations of horse abuse, 19 of which involved dressage.
The FEI, which held its General Assembly this week in Abu Dhabi, is reviewing 20,000 photos from Paris in connection with abuse allegations.
But most importantly, the organization has established the Dressage Strategic Action Plan Working Group, with a framework of an Equine Welfare/Action Plan. That will involve rules revision, beginning the process of assigning an FEI registration number to all dressage trainers attending FEI competitions, developing a code of conduct for all dressage stakeholders and other initiatives.
FEI Sectretary-General Sabrina Ibáñez said during the Abu Dhabi meeting that the organization is emphasizing the role of humans as the protectors of horses, “a significant evolution in how we view human/equine relationships.”
Since dressage stakeholders noted a crucial aspect of the discipline is that it is practiced “without tension or resistance, ensuring harmony between the horse and rider,”
Sabrina has noted, “The Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games showcased the best our sport has to offer in competition, but also brought to light challenges that have prompted us to reflect and reassess in the post-Games period. To many, this vision of what dressage should embody may seem self-evident. But as highlighted during the meeting, over the years the discipline has moved away from its traditional purpose and this realization requires a necessary realignment to the foundational principles of dressage.”
Somesh Dutt, the FEI’s senior manager for equine welfare initiatives and implementation, outlined 37 items that are part of the new action plan. They run from corrections involving training, tack and equipment to accountability, enforcement and knowledge and many other items. Ten actions have been completed, while others — such as ethical training methods and hyperflexion/rollkur — are to be initiated, and a few, including “tradition vs. scientific knowledge”, are ongoing.
While the abundance of signatures against horse sport continuing in the Olympics may seem discouraging, it’s only part of the picture. For an example of the other side, dressage master classes and freestyle by trainer Lauren Sammis at Equine Affaire in Massachusetts last weekend drew a total of 17,000 people who were interested in learning more about dressage over the three days. Amy Howard rode Grand Prix and the demonstration movements requested by the audience as Lauren presided.
“The people who were there love horses. It was exceptionally well-received,” Lauren noted about the presentations, which included a musical celebration of the horse in the Fantasia evenings. Obviously, there are a lot of people who do want to see dressage and other horse sports continue.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 23, 2024
It’s been a few weeks since a status report on Olympic eventer Liz Halliday has come out, but word today is that her rehabilitation from a traumatic brain injury continues unabated at the Shirley Ryan Abililty Clinic in Chicago.
A release from her friends and family stated, “Her grit and determination shines through each day and her body continues to show increased stamina.”
As a competitor, Liz Halliday was always known for her fighting spirit, and she continues in that vein through rehab.
They added, “We are more confident than ever that Liz is with the best team possible, and her daily progress and work ethic is evident to them as well as us.”
Liz Halliday has always been upbeat. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
They thanked Liz’s supporters, saying, “Your words of encouragement and support mean the world to us all and to Liz. Her peers, friends, sponsors and community have stepped up in a way we could not even have imagined. The equestrian community is a remarkable family and one we are so blessed to be a part of.”
Liz fell with her horse, Shanroe Cooley, on cross-country in August at the American Eventing Championships. While the horse was uninjured, Liz sustained a head injury and underwent brain surgery to relieve the pressure.The mantra of her friends and family is, #”Keep Fighting Liz,” and that’s what she’s doing. Meanwhile, her horses have been sent to other riders so they can stay fit and remain in training.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 19, 2024
The Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park is ready to host California horse shows in the new year after the Ridland Group completed a state-of-the-art plan to capture stormwater originating from its facility in San Juan Capistrano, according to a joint statement from that entity and the Orange County Coastkeeper organization.
The new infrastructure will keep contaminated storm water out of San Juan Creek, an important waterway that supports aquatic habitat and flows into Doheny State Beach. The plan resolves Orange County Coastkeeper’s concerns and cements the two groups’ alliance in support of clean water.
“We extend our sincere congratulations to the Ridland Group for completing this project ahead of schedule,” said Garry Brown, founder and president of Orange County Coastkeeper.
“We are excited to observe the new system during the upcoming rainy season and are confident in its success.”
Coastkeeper hopes the stormwater capture system can serve as a national model, proving that large-scale equestrian centers can be effective watershed stewards.
“This is a huge stride forward for the equestrian community,” said Hillary Ridland, CEO of the Ridland Group.
“With this accomplished, we can get started on all of the upgrades we have planned for the park. We thank Coastkeeper for its cooperation as we found our way to the finish line.”
In May, the U.S. Equestrian Federation reorganized major shows on the Southern California spring/summer calendar in the wake of Coastkeeper’s decision earlier in the month to bar any equestrian activities involving more than 25 horses from the Riding Park.
The indefinite closure was due to failure of the Ridland Group to comply with requirements and commitments made under a 2018 consent decree involving water quality, according to USEF. The Ridland Group also is run by Hillary’s husband, USEF show jumping chef d’equipe Robert Ridland.
According to a posting by the City of San Juan Capistrano, it entered the 2018 consent decree with Coastkeeper and the Ridland Group to resolve litigation arising from alleged water quality violations at the city’s Riding Park property. It required completion of three water quality projects by April 15, 2024, several of which were done by the city.
When the work was not completed, a competition application process for the Riding Park’s dates was begun for organizers who met USEF standards, license criteria and had a venue. There were 21 applications submitted, including by the Ridland Group, for the period from June into September.
The city, the Ridland Group and Coastkeeper reached agreement in mid-May on an amendment to the consent decree that extended the Ridland Group’s project completion timeline, allowing equestrian events at the venue. Blenheim Equisports kept five of its 10 shows at the Riding Park.Two Blenheim shows also were held at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.
Some show calendar decisions for California in 2025 are pending.
