by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 23, 2021
As an advisory group considers the future for the Somerset County Park Commission’s Lord Stirling Stable, which stopped offering riding lessons when the pandemic began, a survey was sent out to aid in developing a strategic plan for reopening the facility in Basking Ridge.
The mailing list included those who have utilized Somerset County park services, so feedback is coming not only from Somerset County residents, but also from those outside the area. The general public also had a chance to participate..
The Park Commission is interested in increasing activities at the park on the edge of the Great Swamp, where the stable is set on 450 acres that includes 14 miles of trails. Among a variety of questions, the survey asked what type of activities respondents participated in at Lord Stirling, from riding lessons, hunter paces and trail rides to dog walks, pony rides and special community events.
It also sought answers to what non-equestrian activities interest respondents, including snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, nature walks and bird watching. It solicited suggestions for other activities, as well asking respondents to rate what Lord Stirling previously offered, in terms of quality of riding instruction and choice of horses, as well as the park’s atmosphere. The committee also wanted to know what the primary reason for coming to Lord Stirling in the future would be for potential visitors, including horse activities, non-riding activities or new services.
“Lord Stirling Stable has been a crown jewel of the Somerset County Park Commission for more than 50 years, and we are committed to maximizing its benefits to our visitors while protecting its environmental sensitivity and diversity,” said Somerset County Park Commission President Mark Caliguire. “This survey and the input from the public will help us determine how to improve our current programs and expand permissible uses of the property for the residents of Somerset County and their guests.”
Although there was discussion at one time of reopening the stable to the public for lessons this year, there are only limited activities during 2021, including boarding more than two dozen private horses and organized dog walks.
Geoff Soriano, the commission’s executive director, noted the road to reopening involves a lengthy process. The advisory committee meets every two weeks, while its sub-groups get together more frequently to explore different aspects of the panel’s mission in depth. Research includes visit to other county stables around the state.
Once a business plan is developed and reviewed by the park commission, it goes to the county commissioners for approval. Additional funding may be needed to buy horses (the lesson horses were sold last year), and a stable manager will have to be hired. The process, Geoff advised, “could take some time.”
He noted, “The goal has been to get the stable back up into a programmatic mode by January 2022. What is the right time to really launch this new and exciting stable, this re-do? Should it be in the doldrums of winter or should we wait until in the spring? This is not something anybody has decided, yet it’s an idea that’s out there. Within those parameters, that’s kind of the goal.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 22, 2021
As an advisory group considers the future for the Somerset County Park Commission’s Lord Stirling Stable, which stopped offering riding lessons when the pandemic began, a survey has been sent out to aid in developing a strategic plan for reopening the facility in Basking Ridge.
The mailing list includes those who have utilized Somerset County park services, so feedback is coming not only from Somerset County residents, but also from those outside the area. The general public has a chance to participate as well through tomorrow, via social media and this link.
The Park Commission is interested in increasing activities at the park on the edge of the Great Swamp, where the stable is set on 450 acres that includes 14 miles of trails. Among a variety of questions, the survey asks what type of activities respondents participated in at Lord Stirling, from riding lessons, hunter paces and trail rides to dog walks, pony rides and special community events.
It also seeks answers to what non-equestrian activities interest respondents, including snowshoeing and cross-country skiing, nature walks and bird watching. It solicits suggestions for other activities, as well asking respondents to rate what Lord Stirling previously offered, in terms of quality of riding instruction and choice of horses, as well as the park’s atmosphere. The committee also wants to know what the primary reason for coming to Lord Stirling in the future would be for potential visitors, including horse activities, non-riding activities or new services.
“Lord Stirling Stable has been a crown jewel of the Somerset County Park Commission for more than 50 years, and we are committed to maximizing its benefits to our visitors while protecting its environmental sensitivity and diversity,” said Somerset County Park Commission President Mark Caliguire. “This survey and the input from the public will help us determine how to improve our current programs and expand permissible uses of the property for the residents of Somerset County and their guests.”
Although there was discussion at one time of reopening the stable to the public for lessons this year, there are only limited activities during 2021, including boarding more than two dozen private horses and organized dog walks.
Geoff Soriano, the commission’s executive director, noted the road to reopening involves a lengthy process. The advisory committee meets every two weeks, while its sub-groups get together more frequently to explore different aspects of the panel’s mission in depth. Research includes visit to other county stables around the state.
Once the business plan is developed and reviewed by the park commission, it goes to the county commissioners for approval. Additional funding may be needed to buy horses (the lesson horses were sold last year), and a stable manager will have to be hired. The process, Geoff advised, “could take some time.”
He noted, “The goal has been to get the stable back up into a programmatic mode by January 2022. What is the right time to really launch this new and exciting stable, this re-do? Should it be in the doldrums of winter or should we wait until in the spring? This is not something anybody has decided, yet it’s an idea that’s out there. Within those parameters, that’s kind of the goal.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 4, 2021
It all started with Licorice, a black pony with four white socks who tactfully could best be described as “a brat.”
But he provided quite a legacy for Alice Tarjan, who figured out how to ride him well enough so he would do what she wanted, rather than grabbing the bit and running out of the ring during Pony Club lessons. It’s not only what the Oldwick resident learned from coping with him that started her on the path to success in the dressage world; apparently, he also imprinted her, since his coloring is closely replicated in eight of her current horses.
Alice as a child with the infamous Licorice, who set the color palette for many of her horses. (Photo courtesy of Alice Tarjan)
“My favorite is black with white socks, no question,” she conceded. “It’s pretty.
The 41-year-old amateur rider generally buys her future mounts off videos; she has the ability to see potential in youngsters, then is able to bring out their best with dedicated effort and training. Three of them were stars as the Adequan Global Dressage Festival closed its run in Wellington, Fla., today. In addition to happiness, the emotions Alice felt included “huge relief” at the end of a long weekend as she saw her work pay off.
Candescent, black with four white socks, gave Alice her first Big Tour FEI victory with a 72.702 percent mark in Friday’s 3-star Grand Prix Special. The 11-year-old Hanoverian mare was last year’s Developing Grand Prix Champion.
“It’s been fun bringing her along, but the horse is a bit of a monster,” Alice said after her victory.
“She’s super cool and a lot of fun, but she is funny, because she’s hot and cold all at once, so it’s been a bit of a challenge to get her trained to this level and then to get it to be a bit more harmonious.”
Today, Alice won the Lövsta Future Challenge Grand Prix with the 8-year-old Hanoverian mare Serenade (two white socks and an anklet) on an impressive 76.008 percent, with a bevy of 9s for passage. Serenade was the national 4-year-old champion early in her career. While most of Alice’s horses were foaled abroad, Serenade, purchased by Alice as a foal, was bred in North Carolina by Maryanna Haymon.
During Saturday’s warm-up, Serenade was second to stablemate Harvest (a 9-year-old Hanoverian stallion with similar markings) who got a 10 for his final halt that day and a score of 76.911. Harvest, who is on the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s Developing list like four other of Alice’s horses, was second today and second last year in the national Developing Grand Prix championship. Alice trains with another New Jersey rider, Marcus Orlob of Annandale, who had his own victory today in the Future Challenge/Young Horse Prix St. Georges Final aboard Spirit of Joy, a 7-year-old Westphalen gelding he owns with Jeannette Pinard.
Alice Tarjan and Serenade MF. (Photo by Susan J. Stickle)
“It was certainly a good weekend, we’re happy,” Alice said after collecting her ribbons and accolades, but typical of her usual businesslike push toward perfection, she noted, “We have a lot of homework to do.”
A big plus this weekend involved riding before panels of international judges, after years competing in national shows in front of one national judge.
“You don’t know what the CDI judges are going to give you,” Alice observed, “so it’s very exciting to get those kinds of scores. Now the real push is to try to ride a better test. You learn where the holes are and you try to improve them and try to ride better.”
Noting that European shows have been shut down through April 11 because of an EHV-1 problem that spread among horses after starting in Spain during the winter, she said, “We’re very lucky to be able to be here and have a show every day.”
Like the other riders at Florida shows, she is just grateful to be able to compete, even with Covid pandemic restrictions of mask-wearing and having temperatures taken on entering the grounds, along with mandatory social distancing. Her last show in Florida will be at the new World Equestrian Center in Ocala later this month before heading home.
She’s trying to qualify seven horses for the USEF national championships in Illinois, but realistically thinks six would be her limit to show comfortably. It’s always good to have a spare, of course, since things can go wrong. At the moment, Serenade is qualified for the Developing Grand Prix, she hopes Harvest can do it as well and Candescent is being pointed for the regular Grand Prix there. After that, she’s thinking of Dressage at Devon and the November U.S. Dressage Federation championships in Kentucky
When I was in Florida last month, we got six of Alice’s black horses to pose for a picture I had long wanted to take to show Licorice’s legacy.. We just didn’t have enough hands at the farm in Loxahatchee where Alice spends the winters to get all eight in, but it’s still an impressive shot.
The color-coordinated lineup. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
From the left, that’s stable manager Desiree Attland holding Donatella and Serenade. Alice is holding Ierland’s Eden and Jane, while Allison Nemeth has Summersby II and Niki Serge, a trainer based in Stockton who was working for Alice during the winter, is with Sliepner.
So here’s who they are: Donatella (she’s out of uniform, missing the white socks) won the Developing Grand Prix at the USEF championships last year and also took the 2020 Lövsta Future Challenge Grand Prix. The 10-year-old Oldenburg mare was bred in Maryland by Marnie Martin-Tucker; Alice bought her as a 4-year-old and she is now on the USEF’s Developing Horse list. Serenade was explained earlier in this story.
Eden is a 4-year-old Danish bred who showed in March at Loxahatchee’s White Fences, where she got an 87 in Materiale. Alice actually saw her “in person” when she bought her as a 2-year-old because she was visiting a breeder friend in Denmark. (She also bought a chestnut at that time; there are a few horses in her barn that don’t follow the Licorice model.) Jane was third in hand in the Dutch championships as a 3-year-old.
Summersby, bought from Germany as a foal, is now six. She was 3-year-old Materiale Horse of the Year and second in the national championships as both a 4- and 5-year old.
Sliepner is a 5-year-old purchased from Holland as a 3-year-old and doesn’t have anything on her resume yet. Candescent and Glory Day, who is ridden by Marcus, didn’t make the photo shoot.
Alice, who only buys mares and stallions, says her goal “has been to be able to have a barn full of solid Grand Prix horses. I like training them and giving them an education. I like to figure out how to ride a Grand Prix test a little better. The majority of these horses will be sold at some point and they can share their knowledge with somebody else. It will be nice to watch somebody else compete them and do well with them. I don’t have to be the one doing it.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 10, 2021
They cancelled the cancellation!
The Land Rover Kentucky 5-star Three-Day was called off last week because U.S. Equestrian Federation Covid protocols prohibited spectators and the event needed revenue from tickets to proceed. But then a grassroots fundraising effort turned things around and now the highest level of the sport will be held along with a 4-Star Short April 22-25 at the Kentucky Horse Park.
Read all the details and what the people who helped save it have to say about how it happened. You can just click on this link
When it’s on the live stream and broadcast TV, look forward to seeing more moments like these that are highlights of the special event–but probably without any spectators in the frame, unless protocols ease so a limited number of fans can attend. But big crowds will have to wait until 2022.
New Zealand’s Tim Price and Xavier Faire on cross-country. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
U.S. Eventing Performance Director Erik Duvander and rider Boyd Martin are Kentucky regulars. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
There are always hijinks at the first horse inspection. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Sara Gumbiner had a polished outfit that matched her well-behaved Polaris during the first trot-up in front of the ground jury. (Photo by Nancy Jaffer)
Lauren Kieffer and her dog waded through the Head of the Lake in 2019, the last year the event was held. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Michael Jung always drew a crowd during the years he rode at Kentucky. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Remember top hats? This was Britain’s Piggy French in the dressage phase, back when intercontinental travel was taken for granted. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Britain’s Oli Townend was a two-time Kentucky winner on Cooley Master Class. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 2, 2021
(updated Feb. 3, 2021)
With today’s cancellation of the April 5-star Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, it was natural for people to question whether the Jersey Fresh International event will be held 11 days later at the Horse Park of New Jersey.
The answer is yes.
The 4-star Long at Jersey is a qualifier and selection trial for Tokyo Olympic team hopefuls, as is Badminton in Britain running in the same May 5-9 dates. Badminton is happening without spectators, and travel restrictions make it difficult to think of overseas competitors traveling there to participate.
The Kentucky 5-star couldn’t be staged without revenue from ticket sales because it is so expensive to put on a competition at that level, and the U.S. Equestrian Federation has banned spectators from its licensed fixtures in a bid to keep Covid at bay.While the 5-star was a qualifier and selection trial for the Tokyo Olympics, the 4-star Short that is licensed to take place in Kentucky is also eligible to fill those purposes.
Will Connell, director of sport for the USEF, explained “A CCI4*-S can be declared a selection trial under the existing selection procedures. The process of considering and announcing whether this will be a selection trial will start now, as will the process of working with the Kentucky Organizing Committee to see what can replace the CCI5*.”
For more details on the Kentucky situation, click here
Jersey Fresh, with 4-star Long and Short divisions at the top of its offerings, is in a different position from Kentucky. Although the popularity of tailgating around the water complex has grown in recent years, Jersey Fresh doesn’t depend on ticket sales in order to run.
Tailgating on cross-country day has been popular at Jersey Fresh, but it’s still a question as to whether it will be allowed this year. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
“We don’t have to have throngs of people to open our doors,” noted Morgan Rowsell, the cross-country course designer and co-organizer with Jane Cory of the event in Allentown, which also includes a 3-star Long and a 3-star Short.
Current conditions do demand adjustments for competitions.
“We’re all trying to survive in this Covid world; it’s a strange new world,” said Morgan. He promises the Jersey Fresh effort is going full-throttle, noting that several horse trials were run last year at the Horse Park and they went well with everyone’s full cooperation in terms of masks and other Covid protocols.
“We’re looking forward to having the riders and owners come,” he said, adding, “We’ll see about spectators.” That will depend on what USEF and the state permit.
“We’ll have to discuss tailgating, whether that’s an option or not going forward. The sponsors are gung-ho with the understanding that we are in a Covid year. We’ll have to change and be as malleable as we can.”
Morgan also is the course designer and co-organizer of the Essex Horse Trials in Far Hills, set for July 17-18. Like Jersey Fresh, it was cancelled last year in the midst of the pandemic, but for 2021, “We are a go,” said Morgan, who co-chairs the event with Ralph Jones.
In terms of how many will be able to attend the spectator-oriented event, it probably helps that “it’s a little further away,” in the year, as Morgan noted.
The Essex Horse Trials is held at Moorland Farm, home of the Far Hills Race Meeting. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
“If infection rates go down and the state opens up, then we’re all ablazing like we were two years ago,” he said, while cautioning, “It’s still a wait-and-see at the moment.”
Some things may have to be scaled back at Essex, where hospitality has been a big drawing card.
“Everything’s on the table, because we want to make sure we run and serve the riders’ needs,” said Morgan.
On the other hand, “Jersey is more of a competition than spectator-oriented; we’re not spectator-focused. We don’t necessarily get 3,000 or 4,000 local people to come, other than the tailgating, which is 34 spots. Running in Covid actually plays to our strengths, since we are totally driven by attention to owners and riders and their horses. Big events like Kentucky or Fair Hill, have to be spectator-driven to please their sponsors so they can open their doors.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 1, 2021
Eight months after riding lessons ceased at the Somerset County Park Commission’s Lord Stirling Stable, work will begin on planning how to go forward in the wake of its Covid-related shutdown, which resulted in curtailed offerings at the facility even when it finally was able to reopen its doors.
An advisory group has been created “to study and ensure future equine activities and programs at Lord Stirling Stable,” according to a statement from Somerset County and the county Park Commission.
The group “is made up of representatives of stable stakeholders and equine industry experts,” according to the announcement dated Dec. 31 and received on New Year’s Day, but no names of those on the committee have been announced.
The good news is that it indicates the property in Basking Ridge will continue to host equestrian pursuits, something that should reassure its many supporters, who were concerned it might permanently cease operations. The stable had been losing $500,000 a year, even before it shut down in April due to Covid and the school horses were sold. It has since resumed limited operations, but only those boarding horses at the barn can ride there now.
“Lord Stirling Stable is an absolute jewel of the Somerset County park system, and we are committed to maintaining it for the enjoyment of our residents and guests,” said Freeholder Melonie Marano. “I look forward to hearing the results of the stakeholders and experts on the advisory group for a going forward plan rooted in cost efficient, community inclusive programming.”
The first job of the advisory group will be developing a strategic business plan that identifies “necessary and desired programs for the future of the stable and a comprehensive financial road map for the future.”
“How exciting,” said Nancy Brown, president of the Friends of Lord Stirling Stable auxiliary group, on hearing the news today.
“We are pleased Somerset County Park Commission is planning to eventually reopen the stable to the public. We also look forward to having the park open to all Somerset County residents and guests with new programming. FLSS stands ready with volunteers willing to continue supporting the stable and the Park Commission as plans develop.”
Current activities and programs at the Stable will continue as they have throughout 2020, though at the reduced level necessitated by the COVID pandemic and executive orders from the state government. These include the boarding of horses, horse activity including use of the outdoor rings and riding along trails, regular organized dog walks, and more.
“Our goal is for every one of our parks to be a welcoming place for all Somerset County residents and guests to share in the beauty of nature and to have health and educational recreational opportunities,” said Park Commission Director Geoffrey Soriano. “Lord Stirling Stable is a vital component to reaching that goal, and we will work hard with the county to ensure its continued active service.”
Lord Stirling Park, on the western portion of the Great Swamp, has been designated solely for environmental and equestrian activities. The 429-acre former Astor property that forms the foundation of the stable basin was purchased by the Somerset County Park Commission on Dec. 21, 1967 to fulfill the Park Commission Master Plan designating that a riding stable be built in the northern part of Somerset County. Lord Stirling opened in the spring of 1969 with 30 horses.
The facilities on the 450 acres of Lord Stirling Stable consist of the main barn and office building, a viewing area overlooking the 80’ x 240’ indoor ring, a pony party pavilion, maintenance areas, and three outdoor rings — a dressage arena, a round ring and a stadium jumping ring. There are also 14 miles of trails in the fields and woods.
