by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 27, 2023
Charlotte Bredahl has decided not to continue as the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Dressage Development Coach, but will work through a transition with her replacement, who wil be chosen after a deadline of Nov. 1 for applications.
Meanwhile, the deadline has been extended to Nov. 1 to find a technical advisor to replace Debbie McDonald, who resigned as of Aug. 1.
Charlotte Bredahl, right, with Debbie McDonald at a developing dressage clinic at the USET Foundation. (Photo © 2017 by Nancy Jaffer)
Charlotte, who recovered from a brain tumor she suffered in 2020, explained that while her health is fine now, “having had a serious health scare has made me prioritize my time a little differently .After some long deliberations, I have decided it’s time for me to step down from my role as the USEF Dressage Development coach after the winter season in Wellington.
“It’s been a huge honor to have the opportunity to work with so many amazing combinations and their personal trainers,” she said.
“The U.S. Dressage Program and staff have been incredible, and we will continue to work closely together through the season as I help onboard my successor. I would also like to thank George Williams, Christine Traurig, and Debbie McDonald for their dedication as coaches in the program and, finally, I would like to extend my deepest appreciation to the Kundruns (Fritz and Claudine) for their generous support of the Development Program through the years.”
The USEF’s managing director of dressage, Laura Roberts said the federation “is grateful to Charlotte for her commitment to U.S. Dressage, and we know she will continue to be a supporter and familiar face for our athletes once her time with USEF comes to an end.
“She has provided invaluable knowledge to our development athletes, and we wish her all the best in the future. U.S. Dressage is in a period of change, and we see this as an opportunity to review the overall U.S. Dressage program coaching structure to determine how we can best support our combinations and reach the podium in the years to come.”
Click on the blue links to view the full job descriptions for the USEF Dressage Development Coach and USEF Dressage Technical Advisor
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 1, 2023
So close, yet so far away.
By just one penalty, the U.S. lost its bid at the FEI Nations Cup Final to beat Brazil and secure a berth for the Paris Olympics.
In Sunday’s final round of the competition in Barcelona, the U.S. had a total of 9 penalties, one more than Brazil. If they each had collected 8 penalties, the U.S. total time of 253.47 would have beaten Brazil’s 253.82.
The last chance for the U.S. to qualify a team for the 2024 Olympics will come this month at the Pan American Games in Chile, where three teams can make the cut. Realistically, the three with the best chance, along with the U.S., are Canada and Mexico. Mexico did not make the cut for the final eight teams in Thursday’s first round, and Canada did not qualify for the Barcelona competition. Argentina could also be a threat, though that country did not make the final round in Spain.
No U.S. rider had a fault-free trip on Sunday. McLain Ward and Callas, the only American pair clear on Thursday, had a rail, as did Karl Cook with Kalinka van ‘T Zorgvliet. Devin Ryan on Eddie Blue, subbing for Jessica Springsteen who rode Thursday, had eight penalties to be the drop score. Laura Kraut logged a single time fault with Dorado 212 for exceeding by a mere 0.62 seconds the 87-second time-allowed over Santiago Varela’s course.
“If any of three things could have gone our way,” mused U.S. Coach Robert Ridland, explaining the “what ifs” of how the team could have pulled it out.
He cited, “McLain’s rub at 13C (in the triple that was the next-to-last fence on course), no one even heard it, it was so light. If it had stayed up that would have done it. Same thing for Karl Cook (at the same fence). If either one of those had left that jump up or if Laura had been a half-second faster, any one of those three, not all those three, and we would have beaten Brazil. It was a good fight to the finish. It just didn’t work out our way.”
The final was won by Germany, the only country to go fault free. France was second, followed by Belgium, Brazil and the U.S. Switzerland, without some of its best horse/rider combinations, was sixth. Britain (which had won the first round, finished seventh and Ireland was eighth.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 25, 2023
As we could have predicted, cancellation of the Zone 2 championships due to inclement weekend weather was a hot topic for Monday’s U.S. Hunter Jumper Association Town Hall via Zoom.
USHJA President Mary Knowlton fielded a variety of questions about the situation.
The championships for years had been held indoors at the Farm Show Complex in Harrisburg, the day after the Pennsylvania National Horse Show ended.
That arena wasn’t available for 2023, however, so Princeton Show Jumping in New Jersey bid for the competition, but it had to be held outdoors. The remnants of Tropical Storm Ophelia meant outdoors didn’t work due to rain and gusty winds, and after a few classes, safety considerations called a halt to the competition.
One questioner asked Mary, “Could the championships that weren’t held last weekend be rescheduled?”
Here’s the answer as of Sept. 27: Both the hunter and jumper championships are being held at this week’s Princeton shows.
USHJA President Mary Knowlton fielded some tough questions during the Town Hall.
Can the finals be held indoors next time, so they aren’t weather-dependent?
The lack of suitable and available indoor arenas in Zone 2 (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, New York) led to a suggestion that perhaps Zone 2’s championships could be held in conjunction with Zone 1 (New England) and use of the Big E (Eastern States) coliseum was suggested.
Those who commented during the Town Hall understandably said they wanted the championships to be something more than the average horse show.
“Why was it so utterly lackluster,” asked Jennifer Esposito.
Jamie Praskovich, one of the 95 people who was on the Zoom, contended, “This show was not special…I have a daughter who is crying because she didn’t get her chance to shine with her pony.”
A re-think for the future obviously is on the table and perhaps it will result in a unique solution — such as the Zone 1/Zone 2 combo.
Mary took flack from one person because her day job is with Princeton Show Jumping.
“Is it not a huge conflict of interest that you work for Princeton Show Jumping and also have been the USHJA president,” asked an “anonymous attendee.”
Mary replied that she works for Princeton off-site and explained, “I have to recuse myself for anything to do with Princeton and I am so careful about that.”
She noted, “Any person who knows me at all well knows I am very strict about conflict of interest and also…the USHJA is strict, our attorney is strict. There are things I cannot tell Princeton Show Jumping about USHJA and things that I cannot tell USHJA about Princeton Show Jumping.”
Ethics and honor “are super important to me,” she emphasized.
Several callers supported her, “You’ve been a great president,” Lucie McKinney wrote, and some other attendees echoed that assessment.
Mary is in her second and last term as president. Britt McCormick was just elected by the board of directors and will become president in December 2024 after a 15-month transition period to learn the ropes.
Other topics touched on were familiar: the definition of an amateur, the amount of jumping horses should be permitted to do at a show, lack of participation in Zone elections (if a Zone can’t get 10 percent of its members to vote, the election will be invalidated) and inquiries about the schedule of USHJA’s annual meeting in December.
The next Town Hall is scheduled for Oct. 23.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 28, 2023
The U.S. show jumping team is a step closer to qualifying for next year’s Paris Olympics after making the top group in the first round of the Longines FEI Nations Cup Final in Spain on Thursday.
The best eight teams of 15 nations that started over the Santiago Varela-designed course at the Real Club Real de Barcelona are slated to go on to Sunday’s deciding round. There is one berth for Paris available for the highest-placing team that like the U.S., has not otherwise qualified.
Brazil is a real threat, having finished second in the first round on 4 penalties, as it seeks its ticket to the 2024 Olympics. Mexico, which is also looking for a way to get to Paris, did not qualify for the Sunday round.
McLain Ward, the trailblazer for the U.S., aboard Callas, was the only one of the squad to put in a clear round. Karl Cook (Kalinka van’t Zorgvliet), Jessica Springsteen (Don Juan van de Donkhoeve) and Laura Kraut (Dorado 212) each had a rail. Allowing for one drop score, that gave the U.S. a total of 8 penalties to place sixth.
All teams will start on a clear slate Sunday. Great Britain, the only country with a score of zero penalties, was the leader in the first round.
No team from the Western Hemisphere has qualified as yet for Paris. They will have one last chance next month at the Pan American Games in Chile, where three teams can make the cut.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 30, 2023
It’s been five years since show jumper Kevin Babington suffered a catastrophic fall in a grand prix, but his friends haven’t forgotten the paralyzed Olympian.
On October 1, they will hold what has become an annual benefit horse show, a fixture that debuted a few weeks after his 2019 accident. Not only did Kevin’s life change the instant he hit the ground, but it also upended the lives of his wife, Dianna, and the couple’s teenage daughters, Gwyneth and Marielle.
“Kevin was the primary breadwinner,” explained Dianna, who immediately had to step up with her girls to fill the gap in their business, care for her husband and learn about a host of medical issues and how to handle them.
Dianna Babington at the 2020 benefit show at Duncraven. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
In a different existence that suddenly was filled with doctors, hospitals and an immobilized husband, the mission is always the same.
“It’s been a nightmare. We’re trying to survive,” she said.
“I feel like this accident derailed everybody. It’s been tough. It’s very hard for us to make ends meet,” she observed, noting insurance does not cover everything needed, so the benefit show “kind of closed the gap for us.”
Kevin suffered a contusion to the spinal cord as a result of hyperextending his neck in the fall. The vertebrae hit the spinal cord, causing damage; it was a stretch and concussion injury from vertebra C3 to C5, which involves the diaphragm and mobility.
Friends recognized the immediate need for funds after Kevin’s accident, and went about setting up the show on short notice.
“It was sort of an emergency, we needed to do something for Kevin, he had just gotten hurt. Then we said, `We might have to do it again next year,’ and here we are. This is year five,” said Nancy Wallis, who course designs and co-manages the benefit with Jennifer Cassidy.
It is held at Duncraven in Titusville, N.J., a stable where Kevin once ran his business. When the Stout family took over Duncraven and refurbished it last year, they offered the venue free of charge for the show, as previous owner Tim Fedor had done.
Kevin is special, which explains why he hasn’t been forgotten, even though he’s no longer competing.
“You know people in your lifetime and you think they’re great and it goes on,” said Nancy.
“But once this happened to Kevin, we found out how many people he had touched.”
She described his kindness, noting, “He would always help, walk the course with you, or say, `Watch this turn from fence 6 to 7, it’s a little tight.’ He was so generous with his information and knowledge. He wasn’t trying to make anything off it, it was just genuine help.”
And now people are returning the favor.
Everything for the benefit is donated; the labor of the organizers, officials and volunteers, as well as raffle items, so the show has no costs that would cut down on the money raised.
“The only check we write is to the medic,” noted Nancy.
Kevin has never lost hope that some new development will give him a better quality of life and he keeps working at physical therapy. He’s game to participate in clinical trials and appreciates it when friends let him know about possible new treatments. Olympic gold medalist Rodrigo Pessoa, for instance, recently called one new study in Lucerne, Switzerland, to his attention.
“There’s a lot in the works. I put my name in for all those things, to see if I can get into one of the studies,” said Kevin.
“I definitely have some hope.”
But following what Marielle, now 17, and Gwyneth, 20, achieve in the sport, “that’s the thing that keeps me going.”
Kevin watches the riders in his ring in Loxahatchee, Fla., from his wheelchair on the back porch of his home. Understandably, he’s proud of the efforts of his wife and daughters, calling the girls “really good teachers” in what has become “a family business.”
He does a lot of mentoring, and Dianna noted he “still has a great eye. There’s a place for him in the industry.”
When Kevin is needed for consultations, he goes down to the barn to lend expertise, and is active on Facetime for those seeking his opinion. In the past, the native of Ireland has helped with selection of the Irish team for the Olympics. Kevin, who tied for fourth in the 2004 Olympics, continues to watch the Nations Cups via the internet to stay current.
Kevin jumping at Hickstead.
When the horse shows are going on in Wellington, a few minutes from Loxahatchee, he can often be found at ringside, helping his girls and offering advice to anyone who needs it, along with a friendly chat.
As Nancy noted, “he never mentions himself. It’s always, `What are you doing, what horse shows have you been to, where are you going next?’ He’s a forward thinker, for sure.”
Paralyzed from mid-chest down, he has had some subtle improvements in terms of what he can feel here and there on his body, but none are “life-changing improvements,” as his wife put it.
While his right arm has gotten stronger and he can bring it up almost up to his nose, his fingers are not strong enough to hold a fork, which would enable him to feed himself.
Kevin at the 2004 Olympics, where he tied for fourth. (Photo © 2004 by Nancy Jaffer)
Still, she said, “there have been some blessings.”
He can laugh, even in the midst of chronic pain; he can clear his throat a little bit and his voice is stronger than it used to be.
“I never hear him complain,” Diana mentioned, “He hasn’t given up.”
The couple knows that medical science is always making strides.
“I’m hopeful something will break at some point. I hope it’s during his lifetime,” Dianna said.
Meanwhile, Kevin is grateful for the benefit show, and those who are putting it on.
“For the local people to come out and still support is just incredible, and even for the new owners of Duncraven to step up and offer their place is just wonderful. I miss that area.”
“The horse community is amazing,” he added.
Dianna mentioned $30,000 was raised by last year’s show. That’s a remarkable amount, considering the show was practically rained out and only ran some classes in the indoor ring as the monsoon came down outside it. Extending a raffle through the next weekend helped bring in more contributions.
Kevin has always had enthusiastic fans.
This year, fundraising strategies include bareback “Ride a buck” classes.
“Kevin was a big bareback rider,” Nancy pointed out.
Kids who participate will put $5 under their knee. The last one to keep the bill in place will be the winner and enjoy a 50/50 split, with Kevin’s trust keeping half the money and the winner keeping half (unless they want to donate it). The adults will ride with $10 bills under their knees.
The third jumper class of each division is a 50/50 stakes class. Entry fees go in the pot, with half to the winner.
Volunteers are needed who can help set up for the show, as well as working the day it runs. They should contact Nancy at (908) 256-3386. Donation of raffle items also is being sought. Julie Koveloski is in charge of that at (609) 439-8983 or email jroslowski@yahoo.com. Items raffled in the past have included gift cards, mini-jumps (for kids), air vests and photo sessions, but there are always gift baskets and a variety of offerings.
People who can’t make it to the show but want to donate may give to the Kevin Babington Trust, which goes directly to him for a variety of crushing expenses that never stop cropping up. Checks may be sent to Kevin at 13254 Casey Road, Loxahatchee, Fla. 33470.
Those looking for a tax deduction with their contribution can donate to the Kevin Babington Foundation, a 501(c)3 which provides support not only to Kevin, but also to other show jumpers who have suffered spinal injuries. It helps pay for aides, which enables Dianna and the girls to keep working. Its mission for those seeking help also includes outfitting vehicles for transportation and remodeling to make homes suitable for the disabled, but does not contribute toward daily expenses.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 9, 2023
Dressage at Devon, once a highlight of the competition season, has been facing challenges for years as the yearlong show calendar was rearranged to the disadvantage of its autumn date.
The Northeast no longer is a hub of high-level dressage. There was a time, however, when Devon, Pa., was a must-stop for both U.S. and Canadian riders.
The Saturday night freestyle always drew the likes of such memorable combinations as George Williams with the lop-eared crowd favorite Rocher, a three-time winner of the musical ride; Lars Petersen on Succes and Jacquie Brooks of Canada with D’Niro. Anne Gribbons, a Devon board member and former U.S. dressage technical advisor, won the freestyle in the 1980s with Amazonas, who had been victorious in the three-year-old stallion class during the show’s popular breeding division some years previously.
George Willliams with Rocher during her 2013 retirement at Dressage at Devon, where she was a freestyle star. (Photo © 2013 by Nancy Jaffer)
The New England Dressage Association show in Saugerties prior to Devon made for a nice little autumn CDI (international) circuit as horses headed from there to Pennsylvania, Tryon, N.C., and then Florida. That state has become the center of dressage during the winter in this country, and the World Equestrian Center Ocala now offers three CDIs from September to December as well, an incentive for people either leaving earlier for Florida or simply moving there.
There’s a new, small CDI in Pennsylvania during June and another CDI further south, in Virginia, during May. But when the NEDA show did not continue as a CDI (it is now a regional competition), Devon was left as the lone major international show in the Northeast.
So it is working hard to entice competitors and spectators to the storied Devon showgrounds. Creative thought and determination are highlights of a resolute effort to insure that the show keeps its place, both in history and the future.
The organization is fighting back with a series of initiatives. This year’s show (www.dressageatdevon.org), Sept. 26-Oct. 1 will feature an encore of the highly successful Master Class that debuted last year with U.S. Olympian Sabine Schut-Kery. The clinician this time for the NorCordia-sponsored evening Sept. 28 will be Danish world championships medalist Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour, known for her stylish performances with such wonderful horses as Bohemian and Vamos Amigos, both of whom have been sold.
Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour at the 2022 World Championships.
She will be teaching during the evening, and those benefiting from her wisdom will include not only the spectators, but also an interesting list of riders. Among those set to take part are eventer Boyd Martin, Canadian Lindsay Kellock and Australian Hope Beerling–who just finished 10th out of 40 in the world seven-year-old championships in the Netherlands with Vianne.
The NorCordia Master Class raffle is open with worldwide ticket at norcordia.com/raffle.The purchase of a $5 ticket could win one of the prizes including a memorabilia collection from Cathrine Laudrup DuFour, a Stübben custom saddle designed by Catherine Haddad, a limited edition Master Class shirt from Uniqcorn Exceptionnel and many more prizes. On Oct. 2, NorCordia will announce the winners, who will be notified via email.
New at the show for 2023 is a “dance-off” freestyle contest Sept. 29 with a live band. Catherine Haddad Staller, Lauren Sammis and Jim Kofford are among those scheduled to participate. On the final day, the schedule will be dominated by musical freestyles in various divisions.
As is the case with many boutique shows (not part of a series) in several disciplines, funding is a problem for D at D. In 2019, it put out a request for help with financial issues. It didn’t receive much of a response, and the advent of Covid in 2020 made the situation even tougher.
Gribbons, who competed at D at D “at least 25 times,” remembers the show as “the high point of the year, the place to be. The atmosphere in the Dixon Oval, especially at night, is the closest this country has to the atmosphere at Aachen. It gives you a very intimate feeling.”
The “Where Champions Meet” sign is as applicable to Dressage at Devon as it is to the spring hunter/jumper show. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
However, after the show found itself coping with difficult times, she recalled that the board took a vote in the wake of the pandemic as to whether it should even continue. It was decided to go ahead, and the spectators who came out in 2021 were thrilled to be back watching the competition.
It’s always a struggle, however. Costs of putting on the show have risen from $750,000 in 2021 to $900,000 this year, with a hole in the budget of $40,000. The price of renting the showgrounds also increases from 10 to 15 percent annually, according to show president Anne Moss, who took that position in 2022.
She noted that while the 2019 aid attempt “didn’t get off the ground,” it had lacked help from anyone with a fundraising background. Now board member Nicole Del Giorno, a professional in the field, is spearheading the effort.
A trainer who was a gold medalist at the North American Junior/Young Rider Championships as a teen, Nicole knows the dressage world well. She works for a company called MarketSmart, that has software which “helps non-profits find and engage major-giving donors.”
Moss said, “She has enabled us to have consultations with experts in fundraising to come up with a strategic plan for the show.”
Dressage at Devon President Anne Moss. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
That led to establishing the Dressage at Devon Sustainers Club. The show has sent an appeal letter, “hoping people can donate $1,000 and become a member and hopefully do that every year to help sustain the show,” said Moss.
Del Giorno noted sponsors, who are looking at what a show can do for their business, think differently from individual donors and philanthropists. That segment instead is focused on, “how can I make a difference that’s going to reflect my values?”
She suggested this donor thought process: “If I really care about dressage education in the region; if I really care about trying to keep our top horses and riders in the region and being able to see top-class dressage, suddenly as a philanthropist, Devon is looking very attractive.”
As Moss noted, “A lot of big sponsors are sponsoring our national governing bodies. It’s harder and harder for a stand-alone horse show to get the attention of sponsors for the support we really need. There’s only so much money you can ask from the competitors and spectators before they’re going to say `No’. We want to encourage competitors and spectators. The only way we can fill those holes is with donations and sponsorship.”
The money that comes in is not being wasted, because the Devon board is keeping a close eye on its finances.
“We’ve tightened out belts and tightened our belts. We’re trying to do it on as much of a shoestring but still make it a fabulous show,” commented Moss.
Alice Tarjan and Serenade MF qualified for the 2023 FEI World Cup Finals with a victory at Dressage at Devon 2022 Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer
“We’re in the process of reshaping what the show is. We know we’re not going to attract all the big names from Florida and the West Coast. So we’re trying to put an emphasis on making it a fabulous experience for the amateur CDI and the wonderful professionals who support us, and all the Canadians, and add as much to the schedule as we can for education.”
The Dressage at Devon Forum on the Wednesday of the show will feature veterinarians from the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center lecturing on advanced breeding techniques for sport horse mares, while Dr. Hillary Clayton will give a presentation on biomechanics on the Thursday morning into the afternoon, accompanying livestream of the young horse classes. There are plenty of shopping opportunities, while a barn day and kids’ activities Oct. 1 offer another way to participate.
The show has hired Phelps Media Group to get the word out. The sponsorship team has been increased from one person to three, offering different circles of contact from which to seek support. Volunteers are also needed, and the jobs they do offer another way of giving to the show.
Devon continues to have its own brand of allure. There are still riders for whom Dressage at Devon represents a goal worth working for.
Kim Opiatowski last rode there decades ago, back when the show offered Third Level competition. Now the lowest level for performance horses is Fourth Level, and Kim is hoping her qualifying score with her mount, Dario, made the cut.
While there may be less in the way of big names than in the past, “It’s kind of nice for some of the amateurs, because it’s not quite as crowded as it has been in the past,” said the New Hope, Pa., resident.
At the same time, she pointed out, “It gets you ready for some of the big show venues if you’re going to go to Finals later. It’s a good steppingstone because (the U.S. Dressage) Finals can be pretty electric. too.
“It’s a very spectator-friendly show, so friends and family can come watch and they can also see the freestyle on Saturday night. There’s a lot of aspects of the show that are very fun to do that you don’t have at other shows.”
