Is it time for equestrian sport to go ‘cool and sexy’?

by Kate Seaman | Apr 10, 2016

By Nancy Jaffer
April 10, 2016

Will Olympic eventing gold medalist Michael Jung someday be wearing a form-fitting shirt rather than “museum clothes” for the dressage phase?

A member of the Olympic press commission who spoke at last week’s FEI (international equestrian federation) sports forum noted, “There are tons of new sports trying to knock on the Olympic door. Skateboarding, surfing and rock climbing are almost guaranteed to be on the Olympic program for Tokyo because they are perceived as cool and sexy sports.”

That’s not the kind of revelation geared to making the FEI happy. The shadow over the forum in Switzerland was the longtime concern that equestrian sports–perhaps one discipline, two or all three–could be dropped from their most glittering showcase, the Olympics, as its motto of “faster, higher, stronger” morphs into “cool and sexy,” leaving horses in the dust.

But the press commission representative, Alan Abrahamson of the U.S., advised the FEI to take heart. His thought? “You have that core audience. What you need are more and younger fans. This is not a crisis point. It’s not a moment of desperation for you, it’s a moment rich with opportunity.”

No, I’d say it’s a moment of desperation. With change on the agenda of the forum in a big way, the FEI obviously is determined to do whatever it takes to stay in the Olympics, and not everyone is behind the measures being conceived toward that end.

Example: The U.S. and other major eventing nations came to the forum maintaining that fielding teams of three to eliminate the drop score and make more room for other countries (referred to as “flags”) in the line-up isn’t the way to go in terms of horse welfare.

In the future, it would apply not only to dressage, which had teams of three in 2008 and 2012 and is the least risky of the disciplines, but also to eventing and show jumping (whose Olympic gold medalist, Steve Guerdat, expressed some concern about the reduction in team members for that discipline.)

There will be more pressure on all team members to finish, regardless of whether a horse is tired or has some other issue that could be addressed if there were a drop score available.

Writing in Horse & Hound, former U.S. eventing coach Mark Phillips noted statistics show fewer eventing teams will complete with three members, which is not good for the “picture” the sport presents to the world. Citing a lost shoe or an “innocent overreach” that could eliminate a team horse, he commented “there is a real chance of medal teams being ruled out.”

Michael Etherington-Smith, a two-time Olympic cross-country course designer and chair of the European Equestrian Federation’s eventing committee, maintained during the forum, “I see no evidence to suggest what is in existence is broken. Quite a lot of people aren’t buying into this.”

The arguments were made during the live-streamed conference, but apparently fell on deaf ears, since the more countries that participate in a sport, the better its standing with the International Olympic Committee. Limiting the number of athletes who can take part in the Olympics, which may seem counter to the desire for more flags, is done to control the enormous costs of the fixture, so the flags have to be spread out over fewer people.

No sooner had delegates returned home from the forum than they got a missive from the FEI stating its Bureau had concluded that teams in all equestrian disciplines for the Olympics would be three members, and countries that did not qualify a team could be represented by a maximum of one individual. That also rules out composite teams. Currently, a country that did not qualify a team during a championship, such as the World Equestrian Games, could make one up from individuals who were high enough on the ranking lists.

“I find it disappointing that the Bureau would come out so overtly and basically say, `Thank you for coming to the sports forum, but we’re not going to listen any of your proposals around numbers in a team,’ especially in eventing, where there was a very strong case put forward for drop scores,’’ said the U.S. Equestrian Federation Director of Sport Will Connell.

It’s actually no surprise that the three-member edict came in; the FEI obviously was moving that way, but the question is how to handle it in eventing at the Olympics to make sure a good number of teams complete. The answer seems to be a CIC format, where cross-country comes after show jumping, rather than before it, as in a traditional, longer-format CCI. At the same time, there is fear that Olympic eventing will be dumbed down further, as its cross-country already is less difficult that the WEG, which is a true 4-star.

But wait! The Bureau asked all technical committees to “work in the same direction for the WEG” as they do for the Olympics, adding that it understands “differences across the disciplines are still possible.”

The prospect of a WEG/Olympic synchronization raises hackles, especially because the IOC has nothing to do with the WEG.

“A lot of the eventing community feels very strongly that whatever happens in the Olympics shouldn’t impact on the WEG format. Why can’t we have a WEG that’s a 4-star team competition?” Will asked.

He added many people are concerned how changes will filter down to the lower levels.

“That’s part of the reason people are very keen to retain the current WEG format. What you don’t want is what is currently called a 4-star becoming obsolete,” he commented.

There was talk about “the equestrian community only being a quarter of the people who mattered in this decision, with the other three-quarters being the public, the media and sponsors.”

As Will said, “If you go down the levels, those other three sectors reduce in importance in comparison to the community that is eventing. The shame of it is that many of the significant decisions have been built solely around more flags.’’

As he pointed out, there are many strong points of horse sports that argue for it to remain in the Olympics. What other sports have people in their 50s and 60s (Canada’s show jumper Ian Millar is 69) competing and as possible medal contenders? Not gymnastics or swimming, among many others.

And what other sport has such gender equality, with women competing against men? That should be a huge plus in the struggle to stay in the Games.

Giuseppe della Chiesa, the FEI’s eventing committee chairman, noted the biggest challenge is “to maintain the standards of cross-country; otherwise, all this means nothing.”

U.S. Eventing Coach David O’Connor said it’s time to have a 4-star CIC, that can help prepare riders for championships and 4-star CCIs.
Will commented that having CIC 4-star competitions is “a good suggestion in order to help nations and athletes rise to the challenge of a WEG at 4-star level.”

I asked Will whether with all the changes, Rolex Kentucky could wind up becoming a CIC 4-star.

He replied, “If the WEG gets dumbed down to where the Olympics are quite possibly heading, maybe that’s the case (Rolex becoming a CIC) unless high-level sponsors say, `No, we want to be part of maintaining prize money at the 4-star level.’

“If prize money at the 4-star level continues to increase, I’m sure the 4-stars will continue,” he said.

The eventing committee, meanwhile, has proposed introduction of a lower-level event with cross-country at a 1.05-meter level, to allow a smoother transition between national and international competitions for developing countries in the sport. It also could be used to develop a children’s level category, which has been very successful in show jumping.

Initiatives mentioned to make eventing more television- and spectator friendly (a big part of the Olympic equation) include changing the scoring to positive numbers, rather than having the winner be the competitor with the least penalties, and compressing eventing into three days (it’s four days at the championship level) by concluding dressage in one day. That could happen via shortening the test through eliminating the first salute, deleting the judges’ collective remarks and making the interval between horses shorter.

Dress was also discussed. Frank Kemperman, chairman of the FEI dressage committee and the man who runs the celebrated Aachen, Germany, show, called dressage outfits “a kind of museum clothes…the dress doesn’t look like sport.” He would like to see eventing pave the way on that.

Dressage judge Cara Witham of Canada noted it already has been done in the U.S. at the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships, where it has been so hot when it was held in Kentucky during the summer that there sometimes has been a mandatory “no jackets” rule and competitors rode in team logo polo shirts.

“They looked fantastic for dressage and eventing,” said Cara, while noting that ironically “the young people said they preferred to wear tailcoats and jacket.”

A suggestion to change the name of eventing didn’t go anywhere. Yet. In discussions of name changes, Frank said, “I missed the word `horse,’ noting “equestrian already is a difficult word for a lot of people,” comparing it to “Chinese.”

FEI Vice President John Madden said, “We get quite myopic. We think the rest of the world understands us. They don’t.”

Andrew Finding of the European Equestrian Federation probably had the best idea: “Why don’t we have 15 to 20-year-olds come up with a name?”

Draft rules will be sent in July to national federations, who must give their feedback to the FEI by Sept. 9. The FEI will vote on the proposed rules at its general assembly in Tokyo Nov. 22.

The WEG and the continental championships will survive, of course. But what happens if despite all the efforts to the contrary, equestrian is no longer part of the Olympics somewhere down the road?

“That’s the $99 million question,” said Will.

“If jumping came out of the Olympics, it’s going to continue,” he commented. Then there’s a but.

“Would dressage be where it is now? Would eventing continue in its current guise? You don’t know whether certain owners would still want to be involved, whether the investment would be the same. Certainly, programs focused on winning medals would be drastically reduced. I don’t think any of us want to be out of the Olympic Games, but for sure, there are some people saying at some point, if eventing is changed too much, should eventing say, `We’re not going to take that change?’

He cautioned, “I’m not saying that. I don’t think we’re there in any way, shape or form.”

At the same time, “There is no doubt we’ve got to make our sport more presentable and understandable. We need to work to get more flags into the sport. Whether that needs to be done instantaneously or over a period of time should have been based on a more analytical approach.”

The WEF will get better as well as bigger, management vows

by Kate Seaman | Apr 3, 2016

Big prize money, glitz, glamour and high-profile riders such as Georgina Bloomberg have raised the profile of the Winter Equestrian Festival at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.
(Photo by Nancy Jaffer)

With $9 million in prize money, classes for everything from cross rail hunters to 1.6 meter jumpers and 12 weeks of competition in sunny (much of the time) Florida, the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington has all the earmarks of a dream destination for horse lovers.

But there are problems compounded by size and popularity at what is in effect the world’s largest and longest horse show, drawing exhibitors from 34 countries and having an economic impact of $200 million on the area. Complaints include concerns about dangerous schooling areas, footing issues, sub-par congested stabling and traffic on the grounds of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center and adjoining roads.

To address the situation, Mark Bellissimo, CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions, called what was in effect a town hall meeting, saying he wanted to hear the thoughts of the horse show community. And he got an earful, with hundreds attending the session last week at PBIEC.

One of the messages from there is news that big changes are afoot, which will mean the growth of the enterprise and hopefully, horse sports along with it.

Here’s the question Mark posed to the crowd, “How do we manage a successful product that has probably gotten to a point where we need to rethink it?”

Although he was aware of problems on the showgrounds, Mark said he hadn’t called a session like this previously because an obstructionist town council meant it was impossible for him to get anything done. The Jacobs family, which has opposed Mark on many fronts, backed candidates who got elected four years ago to form a council majority. Lawsuits have flown back and forth between the parties, with some legal issues and bitterness on both sides still unresolved.

Until a new council was seated, ESP decided not to undertake any initiatives, knowing they would be frustrated.

“In a world where we were constrained, our options were limited,” Mark explained.

He gave an example of having spent $9.25 million to build an FEI facility (where the international horses are kept on the showgrounds), only to find the town wouldn’t allow parking there.

“There were 15 things like that. Fundamental to that, we’ve probably got 50 things we’d like to do here, in a world where we couldn’t do one of them…it was a challenge,” he said.

However, in last month’s municipal election, two candidates won seats that changed the majority on the council, which Mark believes gives him the green light to make badly needed improvements.

At the same time, he is planning to close on the International Polo Club this month, which will give ESP and Wellington Equestrian Partners, which owns the properties, another venue in addition to the Adequan Global Dressage Festival grounds and PBIEC, all within close proximity to each other. There plan is to distribute the load for the various disciplines across three venues to relieve congestion.

The Saturday Night Lights initiative at WEF introduces new people to the excitement of show jumping, bringing in crowds who fill the stands.
(Photo by Nancy Jaffer)

The Adequan Global Dressage Festival grounds.
(Photo by Nancy Jaffer)

One was problems in the warm-up area of the International Arena, where a solution suggested was having a separate entrance and exit. Yesterday afternoon, a barrier was up along the entrance side, which would protect horses entering from someone swinging wide around a practice jump.

That certainly showed follow through, but as one groom pointed out to me, while it was a good idea, it wasn’t what horses were used to all circuit, so why do it on the last day of the jumper show? I watched for awhile as horses were led in, however, and didn’t see any getting upset.

Mark listed a number of items that will get action, including footing.

“It’s absolutely critical for us…to make sure we have the best footing in the world there. We’ve heard there are some concerns there, so we want to address them head-on,” said Mark.

They are going to replace all the footing in the International Arena, the focal point of the PBIEC grounds, and work on drainage issues there that may be complicating the situation. Every other ring is going to be evaluated to make sure they are draining properly and that any issues with them are handled.

“It’s our goal to have the safest facility and the best facility for horses,” Mark said, citing how well things have gone elsewhere (referring to his built-from-the-ground-up show facility in Tryon, N.C)  in other places “when we’ve had cooperation from individuals that allow us to do things.”

In terms of traffic problems, there will be a new paved approach to the showgrounds on 40th Street, now a dirt track, that will offer access to the facility. ESP also will be putting money into a new turn lane on Pierson Road in front of PBIEC, where traffic backs up when a show is going on.

WEF is going to do at least one jumper show with a parallel track for both a 2-star and a 5-star as riders have requested.

More important, in terms of congestion and inadequate stabling, things will be moved around to “decompress and spread out the volume over a bigger space. We’ve got hundreds of acres but it’s been impossible for us to use them.”

Added Mark, “Our vision is that Wellington is the greatest place in the world to show. Our fundamental view now is we’ve got a pathway where we don’t have two hands tied behind our back and someone throwing a grenade at us every other step.”

People have forgotten what the showgrounds, and the shows, were like before WEP took over.

“At the last event prior to our ownership,” said Mark, “horses were falling in the ring. This facility at that time had $2 million in prize money, it had terrible rings, terrible footing.

“We made a fundamental decision to not only spend $25 million just to buy the dirt, but then to invest another $25 million to improve it. We made a decision as a long-term strategy to try to re-shape the sport. We have more international competitions than any place on the planet. We went from 19 FEI classes to 51,” while prize money for those classes went from $1.2 million to $5 million.

“ We now believe we can deliver and make the tweaks that make this a great experience for everyone. We’re opening that dialogue because we can execute on it.”

It’s been quite a life, by George

by Kate Seaman | Mar 20, 2016

By Nancy Jaffer
March 20, 2016

George Morris is a much-in demand clinician.
(Photo by Nancy Jaffer)

It takes bravery to jump the types of fences that George Morris cleared many thousands of times in a career that stretched from the 1940s until now, but it required even greater courage to reveal himself in his long-awaited, tell-all new book, which was released this month.

We know him as the most influential figure in the development of hunt seat equitation as it is practiced today, and as a great competitor, author, judge, coach and clinician. You may have ridden with him at Hunterdon in Pittstown, where he set up shop in 1971 and made it synonymous with the ultimate in show ring success. Perhaps you read his classic volume, “Hunter Seat Equitation,” or attended one of his clinics, as a spectator or rider. Maybe you were just fascinated by him from afar. Whatever the circumstances, George has always been one to attract great interest, and his book answers any question you wanted to ask (but wouldn’t have dared to).

He has been a dynamic figure in the sport through many decades, often imitated but never duplicated, and served as a mentor to scores of top riders, including Melanie Smith Taylor, Katie Monahan Prudent, Leslie Burr Howard and so many more equestrian household names, throughout the Western Hemisphere and overseas.

At the same time, he has been a living bridge from the past, when showing was developing its modern look in post-World War II America, through the glory days of the U.S. Equestrian Team and Bertalan de Nemethy, into the current era. At age 78, he’s still fit and hasn’t slowed down–his latest venture is coaching the Brazilian Olympic show jumping team.

“Unrelenting–The Real Story: Horses, Bright Lights and My Pursuit of Excellence,” written with Karen Robertson Terry (Trafalgar Square/www.horseandriderbooks.com) is 418 pages (not counting the appendices) that detail every aspect of George’s life. He spares nothing while describing his evolution in riding or his personal life, whether it’s dalliances with the likes of Tab Hunter and well-known figures in the equestrian world or his hard-partying past. Loved the story of his time at New York’s old Studio 54, where he describes Betsee Parker (the owner of many champion hunters today) rollerskating on the dance floor with her braids flying.

Three members of the USA’s 1960 Rome silver medal Olympic squad and pillars of the U.S. Equestrian Team: Billy Steinkraus, Frank Chapot, George Morris.
(Photo by Nancy Jaffer)

These lines from the book explain the dichotomy that is George, and the choices he made to balance his skill and his nature: “Never fully comfortable in the straight family-oriented horse show world and just as out of place in an alternative subculture with a stereotypical identity crisis, I learned in the sixties to seek my own circle of friends. It hasn’t always been easy, living two very delineated lives and bouncing from one to the other.”

Some may get their kicks from reading about what once was George’s secret life, as he names names and fills in details, but others, like myself, will appreciate this book as a history of the sport, its times and what led up to them.

Born into a socially elite Connecticut family, George was a high-strung and insecure child, suffering what might be defined as a nervous breakdown at age nine.  He saw “horses as salvation,” as one chapter title states. Riding became an avenue to success for a boy who wasn’t good at “ball sports.” Even though he was not a natural talent in the saddle, that paid off for him, because he had to go through all the steps that gave him the building blocks of what it takes to teach riding.

There were missteps along the way of course. I was horrified to read that with ambitions to teach, he blindfolded his niece, took away her reins and stirrups and smacked her pony with a crop so it would take her over three fences. She fell off and broke her arm; it could have been worse.

And then there was the horse he stole out of a trailer at a show to provide a ride for his nephew.

Luckily, those incidents did not characterize the career he would have.

George Morris was saluted at the Winter Equestrian Festival after stepping down as U.S. show jumping coach.
(Photo by Nancy Jaffer)

George always shows his students how it’s done.
(Photo by Nancy Jaffer)

At age 14, he won both the Medal and Maclay finals at the old Madison Square Garden, which put him on the path to glory. He is honest enough to admit that he had an advantage because his toughest competitor didn’t have access to her best horse for those classes. That type of frankness gives this book credence, whether he is talking about a drinking problem, the rather unsavory measures taken to make sure horses jumped high in the 1950s (when he called it a “veritable free-for-all),  or how brutal competition could be in that era. (It was horrifying to read that during the Rome Horse Show in 1959, for instance, the course was so difficult that 20 horses fell and one had to be put down. This was show jumping, not eventing.)

In this century when everyone at least espouses concern about the welfare of the horse, it’s hard to believe it was otherwise not so long ago.

Showing during Morris’ early years was primarily for the elite, all part of a social scene that included luncheons, balls, dinner parties and lots of formal dress.

He takes us through the changing times, when the jumpers (whose riders were once characterized as “the wrong element” by an acquaintance of his mother) became the focus at shows instead of the hunters, and the U.S. Equestrian Team was an organization that those who loved the sport and their country strongly supported.

George’s story isn’t told from his viewpoint alone. There are contributions by dozens of people whose names you’ll recognize, offering memories of their involvement with George. Among them are Ludger Beerbaum, Robert Dover, Bobby Burke, Kathy Moore, Robert Ridland, Bernie Traurig, and on and on. Their thoughts were nearly as fascinating as George’s tales.

The many photos are wonderful, offering additional insight. They include shots of George with stars of the sport, past and present, from his mentor Gordon Wright, the d’Inzeo brothers of Italy and Nelson Pessoa to current figures, such as Rich Fellers and McLain Ward.

Without a knowledge of history, there is no sense of perspective. For those who don’t remember when the National Horse Show was at the Garden, who really aren’t able to place Rodney Jenkins or can’t believe horses once were shipped abroad by sea, this book will provide an education in entertaining style.

The years form a bond between two seniors, horse and rider

by Nancy Jaffer | Mar 13, 2016

Peggy Christ and Tristan competing.

You’ve seen the ads; they’re all over the internet.

“Free to a good home, can no longer keep my 21-year-old horse. Not sound to ride, but would be a good companion.”

There are lots of reasons for giving up a horse. Sometimes financial or personal situations change drastically, or serious illness strikes. But too many people don’t take responsibility for the welfare of an animal who has done them good service.

A horse’s old age alone shouldn’t be reason enough to send him away, even if you can’t afford another horse but want to keep showing or pursing your equestrian goals. Try to find an alternative to an uncertain destiny for an older horse.

So I was intrigued by the story of 70-year-old Peggy Christ, and her 23-year-old Intermediare I horse, Tristan, the first horse she had owned as an adult.

“I felt as long as we had some kind of connection, I was taking him on as a lifetime commitment,” said the amateur rider, who bought the Dutchbred in 2002 and saw him through severe dental problems in 2010.

“He’s given me far more than I would have ever expected; I started saying that about eight years ago.”

When she bought him, “He was Second Level dressage, I was maybe First Level,” she recalled of their beginnings, after trainer Stephan Cheret found the son of Farrington for her.

“It took a few years, but we moved up the levels together,” said Peggy, who is retired from a position as director of publications at Rutgers University.

“We’re not CDI quality, but we mostly compete against ourselves with the hope of improving. Knowing he’s 23, I was not necessarily committed to showing him again this year, but I haven’t ruled it out, either,” noted the Princeton resident. Show or no show, however, Tristan has a home for life.

A proud Peggy Christ and Tristan.

He was the first horse Peggy owned as an adult. She had ridden where she grew up in New York State until she went away to college, then didn’t take up the sport again for 35 years. When she was in her mid-50s, a coworker invited her to meet her horse. Peggy got on a school mount at her friend’s stable and suddenly, she was back in the game.

She is content with all Tristan has done. He was third in the Eastern States Dressage and Combined Training Association high-score I-1 standings for 2015, and reserve for Prix St. Georges the previous year, when he also was fourth at I-1.

He has been high-score FEI champion at the Labor Day weekend show at the Horse Park of New Jersey, where he won the I-1. She has collected a number of Master’s recognition titles (for riders over 50) “because we’re always the oldest person.”

Tristan’s record also includes a reserve championship in the regional Great American Insurance Group competition.

“That was pretty neat, to be able to do an awards ceremony with a tricolor ribbon,” said Peggy.

At the same time, “Our thing has never been to compete with other people that much, but just to improve on what we can do,” she explained.

Ironically, Tristan “never has been wild about dressage. He puts up with doing this because I ask him to.”

What would he prefer?

“He loves to explore; he’s the greatest trail horse in the world. You can put his footsteps wherever you want. I feel I am on the safest creature I can imagine.”

Peggy likes to characterize herself as a “70-year-old working student” for her trainer, Lauren Chumley, at her farm in Pittstown.

Whatever he does, Tristan is appreciated by his owner/rider.

Lauren shares Peggy’s feelings about what an owner owes a horse.“Everybody nowadays thinks of the horses as a little disposable,” said Lauren.

Of Peggy and Tristan, the trainer commented, “He’s not an easy horse. He doesn’t give it away, he makes you work for it. They are great together. She keeps him, and I think that’s awesome.”

With Tristan’s showing days obviously numbered, “most people would move on down the line, but not Peggy,” said Lauren.

“I understand if you are in a situation where you can only have one horse and you still have dreams. but find a situation for your horse, don’t give it away on craigslist–they don’t wind up in good places,”  Lauren noted.

That is what led the 31-year-old trainer to bring her first horse, an aged saddlebred/thoroughbred cross named Gryphon, to New Jersey when the friend who was boarding him in Ohio had to move and couldn’t keep him anymore.

“He’s still my problem and my responsibility,” she explained.

While she enjoys competition, Peggy is really into horse care. That working student title isn’t honorary.

“She pitches right in,” said Lauren, who got in a bind when she was short of staff at her stable in Pittstown and Peggy volunteered.

“She does a darn good job. She really cares about the horses,” continued Lauren, who said Peggy has “helped me out so much whenever one of my girls is away or I need an extra pair of hands. She works like a 21-year-old” and does everything that’s needed, whether it’s grooming, cleaning tack or any one of the many other jobs at a busy stable.

“She’s a very unique individual,” said Lauren, who noted age hasn’t dimmed Peggy’s interest.

“She really wants to be a better rider. That’s such a cool attitude to have.”

Horses are heroes for Operation Centaur veterans at Centenary

by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 28, 2016

Patrick Kelly gives Tucker a post-ride hug.

It looks like an ordinary riding lesson, the kind of session in which beginners get their first taste of working with horses and being in the saddle.

But what goes on during weekly sessions of Operation Centaur at the Centenary College equestrian center in Long Valley is actually a healing process for those whose military service has left them in need of mending, either physically or psychologically.

”Veterans are citizens who want nothing more than to get on with their lives,” observed retired Maj. George Paffendorf, the volunteer director of Operation Centaur, which is part of TRAC (Therapeutic Riding at Centenary).

Speaking about the participants who served in Vietnam, the Middle East and Afghanistan, he observed, ”They received the best training in the world in the military, and they were good at their jobs.

”Then something went wrong. Some are dealing with anger management, some with traumatic brain injury. Now they’re trying to put the pieces together, trying to reintegrate into society,” he commented.

Operation Centaur is one of 317 such programs for veterans across the country certified since 2007 by Denver-based PATH International (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship). Though psychological wounds are not visible, they are real and they hurt.

”We never talk therapy,” George emphasized. But what goes on is therapeutic. The message to his troops in the indoor arena is simple: ”We’re going to learn about horses and have some fun while we do it.”

The veterans start with classroom sessions to learn about the parts of the horse and tack. They are taught how to catch their horses and bring them in from the pasture, then spend time grooming and tacking up. As the weeks go by, they move from leading their horses through various patterns, to riding with a lead rope held by one of the dedicated volunteers who make the program possible. Finally, the rope is unsnapped and they are able to ride on their own, with supervision.

”First we crawl, then we walk, then we run, and we don’t miss any steps in between,” said George.

That’s the way training goes in the military, and the veterans recognize it.

”I don’t want to get them on the horse with the first lesson, because that’s starting with the roof. We build the foundation and we don’t do any shortcuts. It’s always safety first,” commented George, who used to show quarter horses and is a licensed New York City carriage driver. He has a background working with at risk and special needs populations and youth programs.

The vets bond quickly with their horses. Much thought goes into pairing the veterans with the right mount. George mentioned Deanie, a black and white mare being handled by M.J. Emmons, who was with the Medical Service Corps and had been stationed in Kuwait. She commutes two hours one-way each week from her home in Pemberton to come to Centenary.

”We talked about things and what she was trying to get out of the program. Deanie wants to please, and that was what she needed, something that would respond to her,” George explained about how the horse and M.J. got together.

Patrick Kelly rides Tucker off the lead with volunteer Vera Dragunis standing by.

After a number of overseas deployments, M.J. said she felt her life ”snowballed out of control.” She had ridden years ago, and wanted to try it again.

”It’s relaxing,” she said, commenting that when she rides, ”I don’t feel like I’m on edge. The horse is looking to you and depends on you,” she continued, noting that is a reason ”to get your act together.”

Patrick Kelly, a member of the group whose lessons run through mid-March, talked about ”having made a connection with something bigger than myself” when he got to know Tucker, a  heavy-set, personality-plus paint who exudes a comforting charisma.

A Mendham resident who was in the service for 22 years, Patrick had been stationed in Kuwait and was involved with air mobility, moving wounded soldiers in and out of the region during operation Iraqi Freedom, so they could be hospitalized in Germany.

”These were the most critical cases. Soldiers had just had their limbs amputated in a field hospital and were being rushed to Germany.  A lot of these guys didn’t survive the seven-hour flight,” he said, with a catch in his voice.

”It was just horrible. It wore me down, night after night.”

”After my deployment,” said the retired master sergeant, ”I felt alone, even though I was surrounded by people, and I couldn’t relate. But the horse I was assigned to, I could relate to him and I feel he is relating to me. It’s a weird connection I’ve never had before with an animal. There is a combination of trust with the instructor, Vera (Dragunas, certified by PATH) believing what she was telling me, and then it became trust with the horse.”

It was touching to see Patrick hug Tucker and plant a kiss on the horse after his ride. The appreciation he feels shines in his face.

TRAC was started in 2003 under the guidance of Octavia Brown, who is its director. She is a professor of equine studies at Centenary and one of the USA’s pioneers in therapeutic riding since the mid-1960s, having founded Somerset Hills Handicapped Riding in Bedminster (now Mane Stream in Oldwick).

After she and George saw the movie, ”Riding My Way Back” (about a soldier saved from suicide by his relationship with a horse), ”the two of us looked at each other and said, `Oh, how about that?”’

”PATH indicated the Wounded Warrior Project was looking to fund equine-assisted programs to veterans,” she continued, noting it has a networking system of emails about opportunities in the areas were veterans live.

Many of the therapeutic riders with whom Octavia worked over the decades have dealt with whatever their situation is since birth. The veterans are different.

”These people come in having been essentially able-bodied, whole people, and then their experience has left them with damage. It’s often PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), but it might be other things. They didn’t go into this thinking they’d come out like this.” Many are also taking medication, she noted.

Operation Centaur Director George Paffendorf with M.J. Emmons.

The current group, the second to be enrolled in Operation Centaur, is doing 12 sessions funded by PATH. George said the organization has an umbrella grant from the Wounded Warrior Partnership Program. The money was used for buying helmets and equipment, while TRAC covers horse expenses, according to Octavia. The Veterans Administration and Hackettstown Rotary added funding to extend the program beyond the usual 10 weeks.

There may be opportunities for trail riding in the future after the veterans finish their course, and they are invited to come back and visit their horses.

While it takes a team to work with veterans, Octavia knows what is most important in the equation.

”The horse is the kingpin in all of this. It’s the relationship with the horse that opens up these possibilities. It makes you perhaps a little more humble and very aware of the partnership.”

Since horses ”live in the moment,” that helps the veterans to do the same thing, focusing on the task at hand and leaving their cares behind during the time they are with the animal.

Those in the first Operation Centaur group last year reported the program gave them the knowledge of  how to deal with triggering events that normally could send them into a tailspin.

Octavia said they learned they could control the brain like any other muscle to make an end run around negative thinking. It goes this way, she said: ”PTSD brings out the trauma, but I’m with the horse and I don’t have time for that now.”

B.J. Ehrhardt finally earns her stripes

by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 21, 2016

Growing up in Saddle River, B.J. Ehrhardt was a star junior rider. Yet her life wasn’t complete; for some reason, she decided she needed a zebra.

“I’ve always wanted one since I was a small child. They totally intrigued me,” recalled B.J.

B.J. got her heart’s desire when she bought a zebra. (Photo © 2016 by Nancy Jaffer)

Visiting them in zoos wasn’t satisfactory.

“You can’t even touch them,” she explained. “I had to own one someday.”

Some people discouraged her, citing their own experiences with “mean” zebras.

Then, while spending the winter in Wellington, Fla., the professional hunter/jumper trainer ran into a man riding a zebra. It sounds like the beginning of a joke (“A man and a zebra walk into a bar…”) but it isn’t–I’ve seen him too.

“I stopped him,” reported B.J.

“He said he trained them for the movies, and told her they were indeed trainable.”

That was music to her ears, and it moved her to action.

She did research and found zebras for sale at Tri-Lake Exotics in Texas. The company, owned by veterinarian Dr. Cathy Cranmore and her husband, Don Osborne, also sells kangaroos and camels, among other unusual pets, but B.J. has no ideas in that direction.

Her heart was just set on a zebra, and as soon as Tri-Lake said they had one for her, she flew to Dallas and drove two hours to the “middle of nowhere” to meet him.

“When I pulled up, I knew this guy was meant for me,” she recalled.

“There he was, standing in the paddock by himself. I put my hand out and he came right to me.”

She spent two days learning how to work with the month-old Grant’s zebra and lead him. He was separated from his mother at a day old and bottle-fed, to help him adjust to humans. Tri-Lakes’ owners thought B.J. would be fine with her zebra foal; after all, she knew horses, and zebras also are members of the equus genus.

I asked Cathy, who of course has sold many other zebras, why people buy them.

“It’s something different, something everybody doesn’t have. Some people want a different  breed of dog than the other guy,” she pointed out.

With the zebras, it’s a case of , “not everybody has one, not everybody can do something with one. That makes you special.”

B.J. had planned to have the zebra taken to her Foxhedge Farm in Goshen, N.Y., via a shipper. But it was getting colder, and the Tri-Lake owners advised her he needed to be kept warm on the journey. They suggested that she transport him in a van with heat that went to the back.

B.J. and Ziggy share a kiss. (Photo © 2016 by Nancy Jaffer)

So she rented a Dodge mini-van, put a rubber mat in the back, covered it with shavings and set off with her young charge, now named Ziggy. She fed the baby zebra with a bottle every four hours, bonding with him while a friend drove the van. The big trucks going by made the little guy nervous, but he eventually got used to it and rode like a champ.

She heated the barn and his stall until it was time for Ziggy and her clients to head for warmer climes. It can get chilly in Wellington, so the four-month old zebra has thick blankets to wear when necessary in a little shed he shares with a mini-horse, Zeus, and a giant stuffed toy zebra. He used to rub against the toy, but as he has adjusted and become friends with Zeus, he has become more independent.

“He’s been amazing,” said B.J., who plans on bringing him to horse shows with her as often as possible, and at home, giving him as much of a chance to run free as she can.

He’s expected to grow to the size of a large pony, approximately 14.2 hands. The petite B.J. is hoping not only to ride him, but also to compete with him in unrecognized shows (she acknowledges she can’t get a U.S. Equestrian Federation number for him, so you won’t be seeing him in a class at Devon).

She already has put a small saddle on Ziggy, who eagerly follows B.J. when she jumps over a pole on the ground, picking up his knees to clear the obstacle.Beyond riding Ziggy, B.J. is interested in using him for “some sort of give-back to the community; some sort of charity. I just don’t know what yet.

“I’ve had people talk to me about writing a book about him, about his adventures as he grows up.” Meanwhile, she gets loads of comments from people who have seen his pictures on her facebook page. One is a sick little boy who wakes up every morning, looking for a facebook post from Ziggy.

B.J. enjoys romping with her zebra, who also likes to race around the arena at the Wellington farm where she spends the winter. Ziggy plays not only with Zeus and B.J., but also with B.J.’s dog, a border collie/heeler combo named Brandy. The two are good friends.

There are advantages to having a zebra over a horse. Although B.J. can pick up Ziggy’s feet, she’s been told he doesn’t need to have regular farrier visits because his little black hooves trim themselves when he walks over a hard service. Colic also is unusual among zebras, who can live to between 20 and 30 years old.

Ziggy learned how to jump early. (Photo © 2016 by Nancy Jaffer)

B.J. does everything she does with any of her foals to teach him manners, but she spends more time with him than she would with a colt or filly. He’s good with other people, though he’s not fond of small children screaming and running.

He and B.J. have quite a link. They love to nuzzle each other, and he nearly smiles when she scratches him in a favorite spot, then gives him a carrot.

B.J.is all smiles herself when she interacts with Ziggy, who often hangs out with her when she’s teaching, or when she’s relaxing with a drink on the patio.

“He needs real attention, so he stays nice,” said B.J. who enjoys spending hours with him after all the years she waited for her zebra wish to come true.

“I believe in doing all the things you want to do in life,” she said.

“Nothing holds me back. And this is one of those things, it was just always a dream, and I’m so glad I did this.”