by Nancy Jaffer | May 4, 2020
Remember when you were having fun at horse shows? It was back in the early days of 2020, a time during which you also could go to the beach, eat in a restaurant with friends and family or get your hair done.
Before the pandemic, showing could be a fun occasion.( Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
That was before Covid-19 (or as I call it, Covid 1984) changed everything, possibly including your employment status or the solvency of your business.
With all U.S. Equestrian Federation-recognized competitions suspended from March 20 through May 31, we wondered impatiently how soon there would be a way back. And finally the good news came today during a USEF webinar, when we got a glimpse of how shows can go forward after June 1–state and local regulations permitting, of course.
“Personal and community responsibility will be the foundation of the new normal,” USEF CEO Bill Moroney advised, saying it’s all about safeguarding each athlete, as well as the horses.
The webinar also featured USEF attorney Sonja Keating; Dr. Mark Hart, the USEF team physician and head of the medical committee for the FEI (international equestrian federation); trainer John Madden and Michael Stone, president of Equestrian Sport Productions, which puts on the Winter Equestrian Festival and a variety of other shows.
Dr. Hart noted this is a “dynamic pandemic,” estimating it will “be here for the next 12-24 months.” But he added that equestrian is inherently safer than some other sports because it doesn’t involve close contact (with the exception of vaulting and para-dressage). It will be up to organizers to assess their competitions and determine whether it is safe to proceed, such as determining whether the number of those at the show won’t adversely impact local medical providers.
He said some localities make wearing a mask mandatory, although without a mask, “if you’re on a horse, you’re in a safe position from a medical point of view.” The physician noted even if masks aren’t required, “wearing a mask is a respectful thing to do.” Some Covid carriers are asymptomatic, he explained, so a mask provides insurance against having them transmit the disease.
How will it be possible to have riders on the podium when social distancing is in effect? Will we see scenes like this again anytime soon? Perhaps champagne is effective against the virus… (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
In order to hold shows, there will have to be restrictions, formulated along guidelines developed by the World Health Organization and the Centers for Disease Control. They will bar spectators from sitting and watching. Attendance will be limited to “essential people.” In the case of ESP, Michael said, that is three people per horse in addition to the rider–the trainer, a groom and one more person, who would be a parent or guardian in the case of a minor. ESP will have “social distance officers” to make sure people don’t mingle closely.
“We have one chance to get this right,” said Michael. He warned that if mistakes are made and there is another outbreak, “it will be a long, long summer before we get going again.”
Michael Stone of ESP. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer}
John agreed, commenting. “We have to be really good citizens.” The pandemic is everywhere, “just part of our world.” He pointed out it isn’t like a hurricane or an earthquake, disasters that are more local or regional in scope.
“We have the opportunity to be part of the solution; we’re the front line leaders.” If something goes wrong, John continued, it goes downhill and “we’re where it ends up. We don’t need to reinvent the wheel. We need to follow what the experts tell us. We’re uniquely suited to do this well.”
Doing it well includes everything from taking the temperatures of volunteers, office workers and staff when they arrive at the show, to buying extra equipment when necessary to minimize the risk of infection. A few things still need to be worked out, including how to have a scribe sit with a dressage judge under the new parameters.
As Sonja pointed out, since there is no way to eliminate all risk, the USEF’s Covid 19 action plan will be “a living document” that changes with conditions. Standard liability waivers will now include a provision about contracting the virus.
USEF is still working out some things in connection with the re-start, including whether age limits for junior riders and green eligibility for horses will be adjusted.
It’s obvious that the financial burden of showing will increase because of all the restrictions and what needs to be done to keep everyone safe; “the cost is going to be borne by everybody,” said Bill. “We’re going to see everyone putting together to maintain equestrian sport in this new environment.”
The Winter Equestrian Festival, which lost its last two weeks of hunter/jumper/equitation showing in March because of the pandemic, is adding a week in January 2021 to make its circuit 13 weeks.
The cancellation “was very hard on all of our stakeholders,” said Michael.
“We are very cognizant of the hardships created by the abbreviated schedule and also keenly aware of the difficulties everyone is facing as the pandemic continues. We wanted to find a way to add value back to our competitors, sponsors, vendors, and VIP table holders and feel that we can best accomplish this by being able to offer more with an additional week on the WEF schedule in 2021.”
Andrew Philbrick had to cancel his April and May shows at Princeton Show Jumping in Skillman, Somerset County, but he’s all set to go in June with two one-day B-rated shows and one four-day show. In July, he has five shows. As the webinar was going on, he sent out an advisory about Covid 19 procedure that follows USEF guidelines. It notes there won’t be a VIP tent, but shade tents and picnic tables will be provided for those who purchase take-out food service or items from the food truck. In addition, it says, “We ask that you not gather anywhere on the show grounds except with people you have been quarantined with.”
Riders may take cellphone photos of the jumper courses, but are asked to move away from the board so others can do the same, instead of standing in front of the board and studying the routes. Andrew is emphasizing that those in attendance be “respectful,” and they have plenty of room to do that on his 100-acre property, especially since entries will be limited.
There’s lots of room for social distancing at Andrew Philbrick’s show facility in Somerset County. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
He notes that in New Jersey, horse shows are accepted by the Department of Agriculture as part of the agriculture business, which means they can run despite restrictions on other businesses. He’s had plenty of big names — Rodrigo Pessoa, McLain Ward and John Madden’s wife, Beezie, take part in his shows in the past. Noting his facility is centrally located, he’s expecting more top riders at a time when people have told him they aren’t interested in competing too far from home because of the pandemic.
Acknowledging there are folks who don’t think horse shows should be held at a time when everyone is concerned about Covid. Andrew expressed concern for those who make the shows run.
Citing farriers, vets, course designers, judges and other officials, grooms, office staff and jump crew, he pointed out, “These aren’t rich people riding around in circles. Horse shows for these people are not a pastime and play toy, it’s essential to their livelihood.”
Added Andrew, although “we lost four horse shows, Princeton Show Jumping can survive that. I’m worried about people who depend on horse shows to survive.”
“You have to be compassionate about these people. This is an industry; there are people who are depending on this industry, and we’ve got to support them.”
He added, “We’re going through a very tough time. I think we can still have real communion with our horses. We can enjoy their training and competitive nature. Community is important, but your relationship with your horse is paramount. If you concentrate on that, you’re going to be rewarded. We’ll survive this and get back to where we were. But in the meantime, how lucky are we that we get to spend time with the horses?”
The webinar will be posted in its entirety on the USEF website at https://www.usef.org/. Information to help cope with Covid is also available on the site.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 30, 2020
We lost the World Cup finals and Kentucky 5-star in April, the Devon Horse Show in May, Aachen in June and of course, the Olympics in July and early August. Will the cancellations due to the pandemic ever end?
Sadly, they continue. Today’s victim is Monmouth at the Team, the innovative August show at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone. Although the fixture that would have marked its 125th anniversary this year is the oldest show in New Jersey, it’s not an AA-rated hunter show or a 4-star jumper competition. In fact, it has four B-rated days, one unrecognized day and Level 3 jumpers.
The Bobcat Derby is always a special feature of Monmouth at the Team. Note the bobcat ears on the rider’s helmet. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
But what has made it so special and popular is its ringside hospitality component, with tables offering a view of the action and the opportunity to share drinks, meals and music with friends.
That is also what has led to its cancellation.
Explaining why he gave notice in April that it won’t be held nearly four months later, Tucker Ericson said he wanted to give notice to vendors, staff and competitors so they could make other plans.
“We didn’t have a choice,” said Tucker about the cancellation of the show he co-owns with his cousin, Michael Dowling.
“Unfortunately, even in August, the virus is going to be around and our horse show is all about the community under that tent together, and at the ingate together,” he continued.
“It would be impossible to put it on. Even if we scrapped all the hospitality and the vendors and tried to do social distancing, it would not be feasible financially because it’s a one-ring show and really we need all that to make it work.”
The view of the ring from tables in the hospitality tent is a key feature of Monmouth at the Team. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Tucker decided to call Claudine Liberatore, who owns more shows in New Jersey than anyone else, and suggest she organize a show elsewhere on Monmouth’s dates, August 10-17.
“August is going to be a great date for somebody to hold a horse show; it just doesn’t work for Monmouth at the Team,” he said.
He told Claudine, “So why don’t you run a show at another facility where several rings make it easier for people to come in and show, social distance and leave. That way,the horse community of New Jersey doesn’t lose shows that week.”
He contacted the U.S. Equestrian Federation, saying he was willing to give up the show and ” ‘would love to offer our dates to Claudine, so that way there’s not a void in the calendar.’ It’s not ideal, but we need to focus on 2021.”
Claudine is awaiting her licenses for two back-to-back National A-rated shows at Duncraven in Titusville, Mercer County on the Monmouth dates. As Tucker pointed out, with enough space, “Being at a horse show, if you’re careful, is not much different than playing golf. It’s an outdoor sport, you can keep people apart. No party, unfortunately.”
USEF is working toward “a safe return to competition” as early as June 1. There will have to be a phased regional approach in line with local and state government restrictions, which vary across the country. The federation is holding a webinar on May 4 at 3 p.m. (which will also be available after it is completed) outlining USEF guidelines for competitions to insure health and safety. These guidelines have been developed by Dr. Mark Hart, USEF’s team physician and chair of the FEI (international equestrian federation) medical committee, with input from competition management. Panelists in addition to Dr. Hart will include USEF CEO Bill Moroney, USEF General Counsel Sonja Keating, Equestrian Sport Productions President Michael Stone, and trainer John Madden.
With a restart still at least a month away, many in the horse show world are finding themselves without a means of support. Monmouth show organizers are suggesting that those who want to make a donation to help others affected by the show cancellations contact the equestrian relief fund and the equestrian aid foundation.
Camp Leaping Horn has been a regular summer outing in Gladstone for side-saddle enthusiasts who want lessons to improve their skills and enjoy the camaraderie with like-minded riders. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
After hearing about Monmouth, we got word of more cancellations. This summer’s Side-Saddle Camp Leaping Horn and the Liberty Side-Saddle show that follows it are not going to be held at the USET Foundation.
“With the number of national and international travelers camp accommodates every year, the spread of COVID 19, and the close quarters of USET, it is just not worth the risk to any of my side-saddle sisters,” stated organizer Jennifer Stevenson.
“Once quarantines and travel bans start to lift, I will be announcing smaller ‘Camps.’ My staff and I are working on new protocol to help everyone have fun and still respect social distancing for when we resume, in an effort to help keep everyone safe.”
She hopes the camp will return to the USET Foundation in 2021.
And also today we had yet another New Jersey cancellation–The Tewksbury barn tour that was to be held in July under the sponsorship of the Tewksbury Trail Association and the Tewksbury Historical Association. It will be organized in 2022 rather than next year, so as not to conflict with Alexandria Township’s 2021 barn tour.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 25, 2020
It’s not really a surprise.
With so much uncertainty about restarting the economy in the midst of the pandemic, the U.S. Equestrian Federation has extended its previous deadline for resuming competitions, training camps, clinics and other activities from May 3 to May 31.
As USEF CEO Bill Moroney explained the reason for the extension in his memo to members, in several states, “it appears” that restrictions such as the “stay-at-home” orders put in place by Governors are making a difference. While he noted federal, state and local governments are discussing plans for re-opening the environment, it won’t happen overnight.
This would have been cross-country day at the Land Rover Kentucky 5-star, but all we have are memories from last year, like Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg at the Head of the Lake. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
As Bill mentioned, reopening likely will involve a gradual easing of restrictions over several weeks, which may vary greatly state-to-state, as well as within the states themselves. That could result in a staggered regional start-up for competitions.
“The success of these plans is predicated on a mindful and responsible approach to easing restrictions while also maintaining best practices that we have all learned and adopted in order to reduce exposure to and transmission of the COVID-19 virus,” his statement said.
“Once USEF competitions resume, we must all continue to support and maintain these best practices as part of our daily activities to help prevent further disruptions to our lives.”
When the suspension expires, competitions must comply with requirements issued by USEF for operating sport horse competitions in this environment. USEF has been developing competition protocols for safely operating competitions and mitigating the risks associated with COVID-19. Once that is finalized, the protocols will be provided to competition organizers, along with other risk mitigation tools. In addition, all the information will be accessible to everyone on the USEF website.
It was just a year ago tomorrow that we watched Oliver Townend win Land Rover Kentucky. We should be at the Kentucky Horse Park this weekend, but instead, well, you know. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
USEF also has been working on amendments to qualification and selection processes for USEF-owned and named events (such as the Pony Finals) as well as how USEF Horse of the Year awards and ranking lists are calculated. The federation has started announcing modifications that “will make the process as fair as possible for all participants, despite the disruption to the competition year and the likelihood of a staggered regional start-up.”
Granting exemptions to the junior competitor age restrictions, equine age restrictions and equine eligibility restrictions based on competitive experience are under discussion, but USEF states it is still too early to make definitive conclusions on these issues.
Many show organizers had hoped to resume competition during May. Let’s hope they can do it in June. This affects everyone from the grand prix and double A level down the line.
Cathy Brogan, regional supervisor for the New Jersey Region of the U.S. Pony Club, said a dressage show set for May 31 at the Horse Park of New Jersey, cross-country fun day and U.S. Eventing Association horse trials have been called off due to this announcement.
“Everything planned for this year will have to be canceled,” she said, noting this will also include WOW camp for 2020, although she said local Pony Clubs may do something on their own later this year. But even that remains to be seen.
“So 2020 will go down in history as the year that wasn’t–for the horse world–graduations, both high school and colleges–sad, but something we all are stuck with accepting.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 16, 2020
It would have been a fabulous four days.
How do I know that for a fact about the FEI World Cup finals, which were to start today in Las Vegas–had it not been for Covid-19.
I know because I have been to all six Cup finals in Vegas since the glittering city’s first time showcasing equestrian sport in 2000, and I was looking forward to number seven on the 20th anniversary of its debut.
This year’s renewal might have made history with the first four-time Cup winners–could it have been Steve Guerdat of Switzerland in the show jumping and Germay’s Isabell Werth on Weiheigold in the dressage–though we were anticipating quite a showdown for her with fierce rival Charlotte Dujardin of Great Britain on Mount Saint John Freestyle in contention.
Although Vegas has become a favorite destination for Cup fans, none of us knew what to expect when we came to the Thomas & Mack Center two decades ago to watch the jumping debut in a glitzy city with a reputation for show biz, not horse show biz.
Lasers and fireworks were a revolutionary addition to show jumping when the FEI World Cup Finals came to Las Vegas.
But it turned out to be a revelation, a new approach that shook things up and influenced the way show jumping would be presented in the future, with lots of music and pizzaz. Shawn Davis, whose production flair helped make the annual National Finals Rodeo a sell-out at Thomas & Mack, put his knowhow to work for the World Cup. His version of the indoor show jumping world championships came complete with fireworks, lasers, showgirls and Elvis impersonators, all part of an energetic program that made each session fly by.
What is a Vegas World Cup final without a mounted Elvis impersonator? (Photo © 2009 by Nancy Jaffer)
Highlights in 2000 included a third straight show jumping Cup win for Rodrigo Pessoa, as well as a dressage demonstration by Debbie McDonald and Brentina, the valiant mare owned by one of the arena’s namesakes, Parry Thomas, and his wife, Peggy.
When she was approached about doing the exhibition, Debbie recalled, “I thought, `Wow, how cool, to go in that arena, being Parry Thomas’ arena.’”
And then it occurred to her, “How cool if they have a World Cup in dressage and we could come and ride here. And then it ended up being that way,” she said.
After the 2000 and 2003 show jumping finals, the dressage final joined the lineup in 2005.
“It’s two Super Bowls,” came the explanation at the time from Pat Christenson, president of Las Vegas Events, which presented the finals in conjunction with the FEI.
So the big names in both disciplines flocked to Vegas that year and for the next three renewals in Nevada, enjoying their time in the casino hotels nearly as much as their sojourn in the arena. But nothing could beat the fans and atmosphere at Thomas & Mack.
Riding in the venue just a few miles from Vegas’ famous strip is a unique experience, according to Debbie.
“It’s one of the most fun environments to go into. You come down this long tunnel and they open the curtains and the crowd is all above you and they’re crazy. You feel like everyone’s there looking at you, not like in a big, big arena, where they’re farther away. It’s a very special place for me.”
Debbie and Brentina had a big moment in 2005, when their passage down center line to the song “R-E-S-P-E-C-T”” (which is something Brentina didn’t get enough of from judges) had the audience clapping in time to the music and cheering. Although she finished third behind Dutch riders Anky van Grunsven with Salinero and Edward Gal on Lingh, Brentina and Debbie definitely won the hearts of the fans.
Debbie McDonald was jubilant after her freestyle on Brentina in the 2005 World Cup final, and the crowd shared her enthusiasm. (Photo © 2005 by Nancy Jaffer)
That was among so many special moments I enjoyed during the time I spent at Thomas & Mack over the years.
The 2009 jumping final was memorable, with U.S. favorites McLain Ward and Sapphire just missing the title as Meredith Michaels Beerbaum took her third Cup title on Shutterfly for Germany. Steffen Peters’ dressage victory on Ravel the same year struck a chord, the first time a U.S. rider had earned the honor in the USA. (Debbie won the 2003 dressage Cup two months after the competition, in which the original victor was disqualified when her horse tested positive for a prohibited substance.)
Riding Shutterfly, Meredith Michaels Beerbaum won her third FEI World Cup final in 2009 in Vegas. Photo © 2009 by Nancy Jaffer
Steffen was eager to try again for that title this year with Suppenkasper after 11 victories in Florida this winter, inspired by mental images of his 2009 win, but that just was not to be.
What I will remember most about 2009, however, was Brentina’s emotional retirement ceremony with theThomas family and Debbie’s husband, Bob on hand in the arena. Debbie (and many of the rest of us) couldn’t hold back tears as she and Brentina left the ring, with the mare gracefully passaging her way toward the exit.
“That proved to me that she really loved what she did,” said Debbie.
Debbie McDonald with her husband, Bob; Peggy, Jane and Parry Thomas, as Brentina was retired during the 2009 FEI World Cup final. (Photo © 2009 by Nancy Jaffer)
The 2015 finals was interesting in that the audience for dressage outdrew show jumping, even as Steve Guerdat won a nailbiter over Penelope LeProvost and teenage Bertram Allen. The previous night, the crowd of 11,000 offered a heartfelt standing ovation after watching Charlotte and the magical Valegro win the freestyle with a score of 94.196 percent.
Charlotte Dujardin and the great Valegro captured hearts along with the FEI Reem Acra World Cup title in 2015. Photo © 2015 by Nancy Jaffer
We couldn’t wait to come back. Vegas was supposed to get the 2018 Cup finals, but a problem with the space for dressage judges around the arena scuttled that plan.
A $70 million renovation had fixed the problem and updated the building, which was to offer a luxe VIP area this month. The entertainment was scheduled to be more sophisticated than in past years, with a rock band starting off the show and not an Elvis or a showgirl in sight. We were promised lots more surprises. But then came the pandemic. It’s likely we’ll see the Cups in Vegas again in 2025, but that’s a long time to wait. Too long for this special venue.
On the other hand, the Cups will be back in the U.S. before then, coming to Omaha in 2023 to reprise their 2017 initial appearance in Nebraska. Let’s hope the pandemic is over by then…
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 12, 2020
I’m getting nostalgic for the good old days, like a month ago, when I actually went to a horse show B.P (before pandemic)–as opposed to simply looking at the “virtual” competitions that have blossomed on-line.
But a surprise package that came in the mail recently from one of my readers, Ann Wilson, enabled me to take a big step back and visit a completely different equestrian era in New Jersey. She sent along 1949 programs–in pristine condition, I might add–from the Rock Spring Charity Show at the Rock Spring Riding Club in West Orange and the Montclair Horse Show at the Montclair Riding Club. They ran during a period of equestrian growth and revival, as shows regained their footing following mass cancellations (sound familiar?) during World War II.
It was a time with far less prize money, if there was any; when trophies, ribbons and recognition were enough for most of those competing. Though often covered by newspapers as a social event, the equestrian sport that appeared far less sophisticated than it is today was no less hotly contested, The inherent joy of taking part made it meaningful for those involved, because that was the biggest payoff 16 years prior to the first U.S. outdoor European-style show jumping grand prix held in Cleveland.
Both of these Essex County shows, now long gone, were well before my time. Even so, I recognized some of the names in the programs, most notably those of Nancy Jane Imboden, who went on to win the AHSA (now USEF) Hunt Seat Medal finals later that year; Gen. Alex Rodzianko, a Russian émigré who rode with Capt. Federico Caprilli, “the father of the modern forward seat;” Show Jumping Hall of Fame member Johnny Bell (McLain Street) and Gerry Gearhart. (I remember well the Gearhart Chevrolet Stable of saddlebreds.) I saw John Y.G. Walker’s name listed on the board of the Montclair show. He was a key figure at the National Horse Show, where his son, John Y.G. Walker III, now is the first vice president.
Frank Chapot (whom Ann referred to as “Frankie” when she wrote to me), took part in both competitions. A teenage Frank was aboard the lovely dapple gray Chado, the horse after whom his farm was named.
The late U.S. individual Olympic show jumping gold medalist Bill Steinkraus used to call Frank “Chado” as a nickname. Frank’s widow, Mary, and daughter, Laura, still run Chado Farms in Neshanic Station, and another daughter, Wendy Chapot Nunn, rides as an amateur. A multi-medal Olympian and U.S. show jumping team coach, Frank died in 2016 at the age of 84.
Ann recounted, “I had been a fan of Frank Chapot since my first years at Watchung (the Union County Park Commission stable that was then in Summit), where he first rode.
Frank Chapot at Maclay presentation, 1947 National Horse Show. (Photo by Ann Wilson)
“I was thrilled when he won the (ASPCA) Maclay at the Garden (in 1947) and made sure I was in the ring to take a photo of the presentation.” I wonder how she got the candid shot; they were quite strict in terms of who could be in the ring for presentations more than two decades later, during the years I covered the show there.
The Montclair program (nearly every show had a program in those days) also included some rather quaint ads, such as a full page for Hahne’s department store, a brand discontinued in 1988, and Doops, an East Orange shop touting “beautiful furs, gowns, coats, suits, millinery.” I flipped a page and saw Kauffman Saddlery was offering “riding needs for all the family” with “show habits” for $55, breeches for $5.95 (if only!) and a Pariani saddle at $140.
Shows today, are of course, totally altered from how they were presented in the years just after World War II. When I asked about the differences she has witnessed, Ann, who became interested in horses after riding at camp in 1943, pointed out there have been “vast changes in popularity of different breeds.”
The evidence is the type of competition offered at the 1949 shows, from Walking Horses to bareback horsemanship and lots of gaited classes. Skipper Schroeder won both the hunt seat and saddle seat titles at Rock Spring, which in itself tells you how different times were then from the current age of equestrian specialization. (In 1941, Bill Steinkraus won the finals of both the saddle seat Good Hands equitation championship and the hunt seat Maclay at the National Horse Show in Madison Square Garden.)
Ann recalled that for the jumping, “Back in the ‘40s, one saw all breeds winning. Then for years, the best jumpers were thoroughbreds and now successful jumpers descend from various European breeds.”
Barbara Rankin on Chesty and Ann Wilson on Baby, right, at Watchung in June 1945.
It was also a different culture. Female riders listed in the programs were respectfully referred to as Mrs. or Miss, while the men generally had a Mr. before their names; the American Horse Shows Association application blank in the programs offered a senior membership for $5 (now it’s $80, but with a lot more benefits), while the Rock Spring booklet advised that all exhibitors were invited to a party at the Rock Spring Corral Inn after Saturday’s show. You could come in your riding clothes for parties like that, but for others, they often were dressy affairs.
Among those listed as competitors in Rock spring’s Open 3-Gaited class was Julius Glaser, who owned the Hanover Farm Stables on Route 10 in Whippany, where Sullivan Davis was the trainer.
Ann, a lifelong resident of Maplewood, recalled, “I went to the stable there and eventually Dave (as he was called) taught me to ride, to post at the trot and ride at the canter, in my case, a small miracle. He was the perfect instructor, very patient.”
Ann Wilson on Stretch at Triple Lake Ranch in Roxbury during the late 1940s.
Dave is best known in the hunter/jumper world as the trainer who gave a good foundation to the show jumping Leone brothers, but he was much admired in the saddle horse world and also trained Morgans and Arabians. In fact, he could train an equine of any description.
He schooled Ann well, so that during the 1940s, she rode at Triple Lake Ranch in Succasunna (a part of Roxbury), where people from New York would spend weekends.
“Because the guests would always get their choice of horses, I would be obliged to ride those which were difficult and control them with light hands. It was good experience for me,” she said.
Thanks for the programs and photos, Ann. I loved spending a few minutes visiting a place where no one had ever heard of Covid-19 and social distancing, or for that matter, $5,000 saddles and jumpers selling for millions of dollars. I’m know there are more than a few of you still out there who were around for those years.
It seems like a simpler time, though I realize folks living then were dealing with their own brands of complexities, but it’s still fun for those who are house-bound today to take their minds off the current situation and get a peek at how things used to be.
by Nancy Jaffer | Apr 2, 2020
They canceled Britain’s famed Wimbledon, two days after America’s famed Devon Horse Show became a no-go. So while equestrian sport is hardly alone in calling off its competitions in the midst of the pandemic (see Olympics, Final Four, Kentucky Derby) it’s impossible not to be depressed by the continuing roster of shows that won’t be held this year (or have been tentatively postponed). This morning’s radio “sports news” was short (and not so sweet), with the only item being the imminent cancellation of the British Open golf tournament.
In the midst of all this, however, the loss of Devon was a particular blow. To paraphrase a famous song title, we believed, “There’ll always be a Devon.” It speaks to the seemingly perennial nature of this show, which started in 1896 and has been held annually except for three years during World War II. And now this year.
McLain Ward has taken many victory gallops at the Devon Horse Show. (Photo © 2018 by Nancy Jaffer)
Like so many attending the country’s largest multi-breed show on Philadelphia’s Main Line, I always breathe a happy sigh when I come through the gates at the end of May and see everything looking the same as it has for many decades, all painted in that special shade of blue..
David Distler, who co-manages the show with Peter Doubleday, said they looked at postponement, but weren’t able find the right spot on the calendar where it could offer the country fair, the saddlebreds and coaches that are as much a part of the ambience as the hunters, jumpers and equitation.
The big problem with this lockdown, as David pointed out, is “you don’t know where the end’s going to be. People have to make plans.”
The country fair and the carnival are integral components to Devon’s appeal. (Photo © 2019 by Nancy Jaffer)
Like everyone else, he’s living with scuttled special plans. Judging at Germany’s Aachen show was on his bucket list, and he was set to do it in June. Except that Aachen was postponed, to no “date certain” as they say, and who knows if it will even be held?
McLain Ward, the Devon fan favorite, is missing a chance to add to his record of 11 victories in the Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon, named after his famous mare who was a winner at the show and enjoyed a retirement ceremony there.
I asked what he thinks about the big question, which is where are we going now, and when, as well as what will it look like when we get there?
“In the short term, with any crisis, especially a financial crisis,” he told me, “there’s always going to be some adjustment. We rebound and normalcy will return to some degree. I’m an optimist, I always believe that. Maybe some horse shows, some businesses, some professionals…will unfortunately go out of business; some others will come up and fill the gap. That’s the way of the world; we have to navigate it, so we’re not the ones who go by the wayside. For sure change is going to take place, you need to be ahead of the curve as athletes and as administrators.”
He was, of course, a top candidate for the U.S. Olympic team. The International Olympic Committee said that athletes who qualified for the 2020 Games will be good for 2021, but it’s different for horse-rider combinations because they can’t be selected off what they did 18 months or more before the Games.
“A lot of peoples’ situation will change, some will improve and some will not improve,” McLain pointed out.
“The internal process of qualifying in each country I think begins again. Those of us who were shortlisted have to start the process again in 2020 and 2021,” he said.
What about athletes who don’t have the same horses they had this winter, or what if their horses are going to be too old by next year to be selected for the trip to Tokyo, I asked.
“There’s a ton of questions that need to be answered on a grand world scale that are far more crucial than sports, then breaking it down to sports in general and individual programs,” noted McLain, who is waiting it out in Wellington, Fla., at the moment with his wife and two daughters.
“It’s a little difficult to find motivation day to day with not knowing where you’re going next. In the grand scheme of life it’s a small problem compared to what many are dealing with right now. I try to remember that when I’m going in circles here.”
He’s optimistic that the way American shows are put together “will play in our favor trying to get back to some sort of schedule and normalcy at some point.
We’re an exhibitor-funded, sport not a patron-funded sport, compared to Aachen that wants to put 72,000 people in the seats every day. Our shows in reality are funded by the entry fees so they’re not that concerned with how many spectators are in the seats.”
Devon (can’t get it off my mind) is a special stop for hunter riders and equitation competitors, as well as jumpers. Junior riders often have Devon as their ultimate goal of the outdoor season. That means it’s also key for top equitation trainer Stacia Madden of Beacon Hill Show Stables in Colts Neck, who will be heading back from Florida to her New Jersey farm later this month.
A highlight of any hunter rider’s yaer is competing at Devon. (Photo © 2018 by Nancy Jaffer)
What’s her plan?
“I’m just trying to keep everything in perspective,” she said.
Stacia Madden
“Although we all do this because we enjoy the competition, we also do it for the love of the horse and love of the sport. I’m thankful I have a business I’m able to keep running, I’m thankful that can be outside and I’m thankful I own a business that’s kind of secluded on 22 acres, and we can hunker down because a lot of the staff lives on the property. Although I’m disappointed not to be showing, I’m trying to realistically look at how grateful I am that everybody is safe and healthy and that I’m able, for the moment, to stay up and running and hopefully weather the storm.”
In Florida, her customers have been allowed to flat their horses under strict protocols. When she gets back to New Jersey, she sees it as “a nice break to let the horses down a little bit” after the demands of the Florida circuit. I heard a long time ago that when disaster strikes, you’re supposed to make as few changes as possible and try to ride the wave. We’re trying to stick to our normal schedule as best I can, but being very, very cognizant of what I can do to help speed the process of flattening the curve (of the virus).
She has been kept busy cancelling housing reservations for riders and staff involving shows that would have been held through the Upperville, Va., show that was supposed to be held in June but has been moved to September.
Stacia, who has trained dozens of national equitation champions, knows that there could be issues around qualifying for finals. She said she has seen emails of people offering various suggestions and realizes that whatever happens “it’s probably not going to be standard.”
“If we get to show, great. If we are going to keep our horses and staff and customers and peers healthy and happy and try to get them ready for ‘20-21, so be it.”
I’m taking it show by show,” she stated.
