by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 18, 2025
Fake saliva foam is no longer to be allowed in a horse’s mouth, as well as around it or the tongue. Marshmallow fluff is not the only substance that can cover a multitude of sins, including an open mouth in dressage. A new FEI rule will go into effect on an emergency basis July 1 to prevent administration of substances that mask what is going on in a horse’s mouth.
Word came out Wednesday from the FEI’s board meeting in Switzerland that according to rule 1004.4 “It is strictly forbidden to use any type of substance/product inside or around the horse’s mouth and/or tongue that may (i) imitate, induce or cause foaming; and/or (ii) coat or otherwise cover, or partially cover, the bit. The prohibition excludes the use of products permitted in
the FEI Tack App and the provision of permitted natural treats given in moderation.”
The penalty for violation? A Yellow Warning Card and elimination.
Horse welfare these days is job one, as it always should have been. For information on the Equine Welfare Strategy Action Plan discussed at the meeting, click on this very informative link.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 17, 2025
Veterinarian Mike Fugaro received the Governor’s Award from the New Jersey Equine Advisory board, part of the organization’s activities during the state’s month of the horse to recognize outstanding individuals. Dr. Fugaro owns and operates Mountain Pointe Equine Veterinary Services in northwestern New Jersey.
Dr. Michael Fugaro.
He was the resident veterinarian and a tenured full-professor at Centenary University, and taught as a visiting instructor at Rutgers University in the Animal Science Department. Other positions he has held have been with the state Department of Agriculture’s Division of Animal Health and the state Racing Commission.
The Morris County resident also has been president of the state Association of Equine Practitioners, an advisory board member for the Rutgers University Board for Equine Advancement and an admissions committee member for University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine, from which he graduated.
Other award winners include Karl, the New Jersey Sire Stakes Award /Horse of the Year; the Standardbred of the Year honors went to Sig Sauer and who else but the brilliant racehorse Book’em Danno could have been Thoroughbred of the Year.
Katharina Boucke is the Youth Horse Person of the Year, the Superior Horse is Lightning Moon, Mark Mullen took Breeder of the Year and Standardbred Pleasure Horse of the Year is Slippery Slope.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 20, 2025
The Dutch had a popular home win in the third leg of the Longines FEI League of Nations Rotterdam on Friday, as their 87-year-old Princess Beatrix looked on from a packed gallery.
The new Dutch chef d’equipe, Wout-Jan van der Schans, noted he had never won in Rotterdam as a rider, but was excited to enjoy victory in his first effort guiding the team at the venue, the site of the initial European Championships in 1957.
“I’m really proud of them, how they were fighting and riding and together as a team, we work really nice and good,” the chef said of his squad.
The Dutch team on the podium: Maikel van der Vleuten, Harrie Smolders, Wout-Jan van der Schans, Willem Greve and Kim Emmen.
The U.S team of Karl Cook, Alessandra Volpi, Aaron Vale and Laura Kraut stood third after the first round over the extremely challenging course designed by Bart Vonck of Belgium (in his League of Nations debut) and his team. With fences rising up to 1.62 meters and a water jump on an angle near the in-gate, it’s not surprising there were only two double-clear performances in the two-round class.
“The course was good today; fair for the horses but (they) had to work quite a bit and make a real effort to get a clear round. It was a tough course,” the designer observed.
One belonged to Maikel van der Vleuten (Beauville Z NOP) of the Netherlands, helping his team to its score of 10 penalties. The other was logged by Jeanne Sadran (Dexter de Kerglenn) of the second-place French squad (13 penalties). Britain was third on 16 penalties.
After the second round, where League rules call for only three riders to compete and no drop score, the U.S. wound up fifth with 19 penalties, one penalty behind Belgium. The USA’s Laura Kraut (Bisquetta) and Aaron Vale with Devon Grand Prix winner Carissimo 25, were fault-free in the second tour of the course, but their respective scores of 4 and 7 penalties respectively from the first round weighed down the effort.
Karl Cook, the pathfinder in the first round, dropped two rails with Caracole de la Roque to be the drop score there and left the arena shaking his head. He did not ride in the second round. Alessandra Volpi (Gipsy Love), the youngest rider on the team, was the only U.S. competitor fault-free in the first round, but she had two rails in the second.
In the overall League standings, looking toward qualifying for the finals in Barcelona this fall, the U.S. is tied for fourth with Belgium. The only other qualifier left in the calendar is St. Tropez in September.
Click here for results, and here for overall League standings.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 17, 2025
Four competitors who rode in the 3-star Hagen, Germany, dressage show this month have been named to the U.S. team for July’s 5-star competition at Aachen. Kevin Kohmann, winner of the Grand Prix and Special at Hagen, will be riding Diamante Farm’s Duenensee.
Kevin Kohmann and Dunensee. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Kevin, tenth in the FEI World Cup Final in April, will be joined on the squad by Olympic medalist Kasey Perry-Glass on Diane Perry’s Heartbeat WP, Ben Ebeling with Anne Romney’s Bellena and Jennifer Hoffman on Joppe Partners’ Joppe K.
Marcus Orlob, who went to the Olympics with Alice Tarjan’s Jane, will ride as an individual with the mare in the 4-star at Aachen. He also will be in the 1-star with Alice’s stallion, JJ Glory Day. Kevin rides in that division as well with Diamante’s Scala, fourth in the Prix St. Georges and I-1 at Hagen.
Aachen takes on even more than its usual importance because it will be the venue next year for the world championships in every discipline except endurance, making it practically a reprise of its spectacular 2006 presentation of the World Equestrian Games.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 12, 2025
Are you feeling more secure in the saddle because you’re wearing a safety vest?
Many top riders, including Olympic show jumping medalist Laura Kraut and Jimmy Torano, are visible symbols of air vests’ growing popularity beyond the cross-country phase of eventing. More casual riders also are wearing them in a quest to be protected.
Germany’s Sophie Hinners wore a black air vest while competing in Ocala at the Longines League of Nations. (Photo © 2025 by Nancy Jaffer)
But exactly how effective are these pieces of equipment?
The FEI (international equestrian federation) has initiated an Equestrian Safety Vest Working Group, aimed at improving safety through scientific research and innovation in protective equipment.
Use of safety vests, including both body protectors and air vests, is gaining traction in a variety of disciplines. But there is concern about the lack of independent data to support their effectiveness in reducing injury.
Led by the USA’s Dr Mark Hart, chair of the FEI Medical Committee, the Working Group will examine the current state of knowledge around thoracic and spinal injuries in equestrian sport, with a focus on understanding how and when these injuries occur, and whether safety vests play a significant role in reducing the severity of injuries.
“While there is growing support for the use of body protectors and air vests in both sport and recreational riding, there is still minimal data to fully understand their effectiveness,” according to Mark.
“We lack critical data on how and what specific injuries occur during falls and how protective equipment performs under real-world conditions. Athletes and others in the community are asking important, constructive questions relating to how air vests perform in real-world settings, how they affect the athlete’s movement, and whether their use might influence the horse’s behavior. These insights are essential and are helping to drive the discussion toward more effective and evidence-based safety solutions.
“This is why the FEI has tasked the Working Group with undertaking a comprehensive review of current safety standards and will include developing improved testing protocols that more accurately reflect the realities athletes face in both training and competition environments.”
The Working Group will operate through two international panels to ensure both scientific rigor and stakeholder engagement. The Scientific Panel brings together a carefully balanced group of international experts from a range of fields, including biomechanical engineering, injury modelling, medicine, safety vest manufacturing, and international standards bodies. There is also diverse expertise in areas of the body most at risk during a fall, such as the head, neck, spine, ribs, and chest. Attention has also been given to ensuring representation across regions and sexes.
The National Federation Advisory Panel is made up of members nominated by their National Federations and approved by the FEI. This group will play a key role in engaging with stakeholders by supporting open communication with the wider equestrian community in their regions. They will also help coordinate additional fundraising for potential research projects, working with National Federations, research foundations, government agencies, and private donors, in accordance with FEI guidelines on external funding.
Part of its mission will involve collaborating with athletes, manufacturers, international standards organizations and other sports with similar injury risks, such as horse racing and motocross.
Eventually, the group will propose modifications or new testing protocols to promote safer vest design and encourage broader adoption of best practices. The Working Group will also make recommendations to the FEI and its member National Federations on how to improve data collection and reporting around instances of injury to better correlate fall mechanisms with injury outcomes.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 13, 2025
Former U.S. dressage team member Belinda Nairn (Baudin) Wertman died Thursday after a battle with cancer. She would have turned 70 on Friday, June 13.
A respected trainer, the Reddick, Fla., resident was reserve with Alegria on the U.S. squad at the 1984 Olympics and competed on the team with Christopher in the 1988 Games. The native of New Zealand and her husband, Bill Wertman, ran a training, breeding and sales business. She rode and trained for Iron Spring Farm from 2003-2009.
As her friend Monica Drohm wrote on social media, “I could write a book about everything we shared and experienced, our moments of crying and laughing, our similar views on horses and on correct riding, our deepest feelings and so on, the special relationship she had with her dogs and not to forget her donkeys, the dedication she had for her students and her tireless efforts to teach people to ride well.”
