by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 29, 2023
Lars Sederholm. the master of Watertock training center in Englan13d, died Oct. 13. The native of Sweden trained many top riders and trainers, including Yogi Breisner, Richard Meade and David O’Connor.
He is survived by his daughter, Annika.
She said, “He was truly one of a kind, in so many different ways, and had a profound effect on thousands of riders and horses all over the world. May the legacy of his teaching live on, to appreciate that wonderful animal, the horse, and to work with them in the most natural and authentic way we can.”
Those who would like to make a donation in his memory for Alzheimer’s research may do so at https://www.justgiving.com/aruk
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 24, 2023
Jon Garner, known by many members of the public as a commentator at Canada’s Royal Winter Fair, has been named the horse show manager at the World Equestrian Center in Ocala, Fla.
A part of the show management team there since the facility opened in January 2021, he has been competition manager at Spruce Meadows in Canada and director of sport at Equestrian Canada.
Jon served in the British Army and competed internationally for Great Britain and Canada prior to his arrival at Spruce Meadows. More recently, he was the director for the FEI World Cup Finals in Omaha last spring, and held the same position in 2017.
Appointed along with Jon, Kelly McCabe has been made head show secretary at WEC Ocala. She had served as the office manager at WEC. After competing nationally as a junior and amateur, she worked in horse show offices at Blue Ribbon Horse Shows, Brownland Farm Horse Shows and Maffitt Lake Equestrian Center Horse Shows for more than 14 years.
Her horse show experience also includes serving as the feed and bedding manager for Capital Challenge Horse Show and the awards coordinator for the Pin Oak Charity Horse Show and the National Reining Breeders Classic Million Dollar Reining Horse Show.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 29, 2023
In his debut at the Washington International Horse Show, Rene Dittmer of Germany took an armful of special awards.
Rene Dittmer and Corsica X. (Shawn McMillen Photography)
Not only was he leading international rider and leading foreign rider; his mount, Corsica X (Conor X Corofino II), won the international jumper championship. Rene’s groom, Carolin Kagelmann, earned the international groom’s award, presented in memory of Karen Golding.
On Friday night, Rene collected victories in both the Welcome class and memorably, the costume class, dressed as a stein of beer. He said his girlfriend, Chloe Reid (whose mother, Juliet, is a former chairman of the show) selected that costume.
But he missed out on the featured $450,000 President’s Cup 5-star Longines FEI World Cup qualifier, finishing second to Katie Dinan and Brego R’n B (Namelus R X Gerbinus) in a seven-horse jump-off.
It was Katie’s first 5-star win in a decade, and she made the most of being able to go last over the course designed by Bernardo Costa Cabral, assisted by Nick Granat.
Katie, a New Yorker who has owned Brego for five years, said, “In the jump-off, he showed all of his amazing qualities. He’s got huge scope, quality, bravery, intelligence, and he tries hard. You can’t really ask for more from a horse as a rider. I think he knew he won.
President’s Cup winner Katie Dinan with Brego R’n B. (Shawn McMillen Photography)
For his part, Rene said, “The week could not have started better and kept going. I can’t be more proud of my horse.”
He speculated when he watched Alise Oken, first to go in the jump-off on Gerval, “her seven (strides) was a little short to the last and I was thinking, ‘Should I do seven?’ I caught everything quite well before, and I took the safer option. I’m still happy with my second place today. It was an amazing jump-off.”
Rene Dittmer as a beer. (Shawn McMillen Photography)
He was clocked in 34.40; Katie’s winning time was a handy 33.50.
Third place in 34.74 seconds went to Devin Ryan of Long Valley, N.J., on his longtime partner Eddie Blue (VDL Zirocco Blue X Marlon), who took him to a second place 2018 World Cup Finals finish and to team gold on the 2018 World Equestrian Games squad.
“He was jumping great tonight,” said Devin.
“He jumped the second round and even felt looser and even better. I’m very grateful that I have such a good animal, and he’s still going strong. Hopefully, it keeps on going and he has a few more years in him at this level.”
In contrast to the gray gelding’s stellar persona in the arena, “He’s a bit of a grouch in the barn,” Devin revealed, “but he loves carrots. You become his best friend as soon as you walk in the stall with a carrot for him. He has quite an attitude.”
In other action at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Maryland, where the show has been held for two years, Maddie Tosh won the equitation final on Daktari 38. She is the daughter of top hunter rider Hunt Tosh, who trains her with the North Run crew of Missy Clark, John Brennan and Maggie Gampfer.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 2, 2023
The final equestrian drama of the Pan American Games will play out Friday, with the first round at 10 a.m. Eastern time and the second at 1 p.m. There will be 28 starters in the morning, with the USA’s McLain Ward (Contagious) and Laura Kraut (Dorado 232) first and second in the rankings.
The other U.S. participant, Kent Farrington (Landon) is eighth. Karl Cook is not riding Caracole de la Roque in the competition because only three riders from each country are permitted to take part, and he finished lowest of the four U.S. starters.
The top Canadian is Tiffany Foster (Figor), fifth going into the Friday competition.
Lee McKeever takes McLain Ward’s Contagious through the horse inspection. (Shannon Brinkman photo)
The field will be whittled to 20 for the final round in the afternoon. For the U.S., however, the hardest work is out of the way.
On Wednesday, the team earned the gold medal (Canada got silver and Brazil bronze). More important, the U.S. qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics.(Read the story on the front page of this website for details.)
Click here to see the start list for the first leg of Friday’s individual Pan Am show jumping competition.
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 29, 2023
The Canadian team of Mike Winter, Karl Slezak Colleen Loach and Lindsay Traisnel upset the U.S. by 0.1 penalty at the Pan American Games in Chile Sunday to take team gold.
But individual gold went home with Caroline Martin Pamakcu on HSH Blake–fresh off a win with HSH Conor at the MARS Maryland 3-star last weekend. She moved up from second after dressage to take the lead with her cross-country trip.
Smashing through an oxer in the show jumping still couldn’t dislodge her from the top of the podium. Individual silver belonged to Jorge Marcio Carvalho of Brazil (Castle Howard Casanova), whose nation took team bronze. Individual bronze went to Canada’s Lindsay Traisnel. (Bacyrouge).
Jose Marcio Carvalho of Brazil, individual silver; Caroline Panukcu, USA, gold, and Lindsay Traisnel, Canada, bronze.
Caroline’s final score was 30.8 penalties. Jose accumulated 0.8 time penalties to total 32.2 and Lindsay had 1.6 time penalties to finish on 34.2.
The Canadian team score was 115.6 penalties; the USA lost its comfortable lead after cross-country because everyone had rails in the show jumping, leaving the country on 115.7. Brazil wound up on 127.1, and like Canada, qualified for eventing at the 2024 Olympics with their placings.
The U.S. lost its Pan Am lead in show jumping when none of its riders went clean. Liz Halliday had 13.6 penalties in the final phase with Miks Master C to finish seventh (42.4 penalties total); Sydney Elliott was eighth on QC Diamantaire with 9.2 in show jumping (42.5 penalties total) and Sharon White was 10th on Claus 63 with 16.4 show jumping penalties and a total of 47.
“It’s hard in the moment to look back and immediately start analyzing, but we all need to think about it for a couple of days, and with that will come more clarity on what we can do moving forward to not be in this position again,” said U.S. Chef d’Equipe Bobby Costello.
“It’s good that we are all disappointed with silver because it means we want to be better, but are also genuinely happy for our friends, the Canadians, and glad to see both them and Brazil punch their tickets to Paris. As a team, we’re going to have to go away from this, analyze ourselves, and find a way to come back stronger.”
The U.S. eventers already qualified at last year’s World Championships with a team silver. In the discipline of dressage, where the U.S. qualified for the Olympics with a sixth-place finish at the World Championships, the team color was gold at the Pan Ams.
Pan Am show jumping begins this week. The U.S. needs to be one of three countries that qualifies for the Olympics in Chile, since it didn’t make the cut at the World Championships or the Nations Cup final.
Click here for the individual eventing results
Click here for team eventing results
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 23, 2023
After a short stay at New Bolton Center in Pennsylvania, event horse Dutch Times is back home in Branchburg, N.J., to recover.
The 15-year-old gelding, ridden by owner Arielle Aharoni, injured his right foreleg and Arielle pulled him up two fences from the end on cross-country Saturday at the MARS Maryland 5-star. It was Dutch’s debut at that level, following a second-place finish earlier in the year at the Bromont, Canada, 4-star Long.
Arielle Aharoni and her Dutch Times on course Saturday at the MARS Maryland 5-star. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Dutch was bought by Arielle’s mother as a weanling. She saw him as a sport horse prospect, and that dream came true. He has been successful in show jumping as well as eventing. But Dutch is valued beyond his athletic ability; he is a member of the family, and his welfare has been their focus.
“I never really go for time, I never really pushed the envelope,” Arielle said when discussing her Bromont experience, explaining her priority is getting around safely.
Dutch went from the Maryland event to New Bolton and spent several days there before returning to his family’s farm to recover and be spoiled with attention by those who love him.
