by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 5, 2024
The breed and performance competition is great during the week of Kingsview Partners Dressage at Devon, but going beyond that, this Heritage show offers a fun experience combined with the opportunity to learn. It’s really a multi-dimensional festival, unique in reaching a far wider audience than just consummate dressage fans.
But those dressage fans will have plenty to enjoy, with an impressive list of entries for a variety of competitions, particularly Friday night’s Grand Prix for Freestyle, in which 21 are scheduled to go. Marcus Orlob and Alice Tarjan’s Jane are the headliners in this group, with Saturday night’s freestyle itself a qualifier for next year’s FEI World Cup Final in Switzerland. Marcus does a great job with Jane, and what a shame it was that a tiny scratch on the mare’s white right hind leg eliminated her from the Paris Olympics in the midst of an impressive test. So now we’ll get to see the whole thing at Devon.
Also in this class are Pan American Games medalist Sarah Tubman, who will be making RS Damon’s second international level start; Kevin Kohmann, who showed in the 2024 FEI World Cup Finals with Dunensee and a large Canadian contingent, including Paris Olympian Camille Carier Bergeron with Finnlanderin.
The list of 25 for the 1-star Prix St. Georges on Friday morning also has some recognizable names among 25 starters, including Olivia Lagoy-Weltz with Fade to Black, Silva Martin and Zaphir, Lauren Chumley (Leeloo Dallas) and Marcus’ wife, Shannon Orlob, with All in Harmony.
Marcus and Shannon Orlob at their Annandale, N..J., farm. (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
In addition to competition, sessions on everything from veterinary insights to Western Dressage, and an educational Masterclass that’s also entertaining are highlights of this special show in a Philadelphia suburb. Anyone who thinks dressage is boring will enjoy having their eyes opened with the show’s variety and exciting dimensions. For detailed information about attractions and tickets, go to https://dressageatdevon.org/.
DAD, which will mark the fiftieth anniversary of its founding next year, offers enthusiasts from the Northeast a destination where they can immerse themselves in the discipline they love (or are getting to know) from Sept. 24-29. Those unfamiliar with dressage will get a feeling for what it’s about, while taking advantage of other offerings on-site. And oh yes, there’s also the chance to shop at a wide range of vendors on the historic Devon showgrounds.
DAD really offers a unique opportunity for the region.
We tend to think of Florida in the winter as the center for U.S. dressage, but DAD is a chance for Northeasterners to see some of the big names in the sport during a different season, as well as promising horseswho might well be candidates for the next world championships or FEI World Cup Finals (the show is a qualifier for the 2025 Cup in Switzerland.)
It may surprise some, but “A lot of us don’t go to Florida for the winter,” noted DAD President Anne Moss, “so it really is an inspirational show for all the spectators, whether they are owners or riders, or used to be riders. It brings the sport at the highest level to the mid-Atlantic area and inspires so many people to keep riding. I think that trickles all the way down to the grass roots.
Anne Moss, president of Dressage at Devon.
“When that happens,” she continued, “not only do the people get educated about riding and dressage and become better riders, but they also give their horses better lives.
“It does a whole lot for the welfare of the horse, for the sport to be successful all the way down to the grass roots. And then to have the opportunity to have horses at the top level of the sport brings all of us along with them in our dreams about our riding and then realities about improving. To see the breed show on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday and see some of the parents of these horses competing in CDI classes Thursday through Sunday, that’s really exciting.”
The Thursday night Masterclass, which requires a separate ticket, offers the opportunity to watch riders at a variety of levels get critiqued and improve in the process. Brett Parberry, who is giving the class this year, is an Australian who was a rodeo rider before he became immersed in dressage a quarter-century ago. He’ll be working with a group of participants that includes Anna Marek, the 2023 Pan American Games individual bronze medalist.
Anne Gribbons, the former U.S. dressage chef d’equipe, said of Brett, “A more outgoing and enthusiastic person is hard to find, and yet Brett is very humble about his success in promoting dressage `Down Under.’”
U.S. Dressage Federation President George Williams called Brett “a warm, well-loved, and talented expert…who is known for his ‘horse first’ approach. Brett combines classical dressage training with a unique background that is sure to deliver inspiring educational content for all.”
The Dance-Off, a feature that made its debut last year in front of an enthusiastic crowd, will be back this year with its outrageous costumes, glitter and lively music. Break dancers are also part of the scene, courtesy of the contacts made by Steve Graham, CEO of a private equity firm.
Glitter and costumes were hallmarks of the popular Dance-Off.(Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Breaking, as it is formally known, was a 2024 Olympic sport. Its head spins and aerial moves don’t have a direct relationship to piaffe and passage (but maybe to pirouettes?) yet the joyousness it projects was inspirational for the Dance-Off, where breakers were among the judges and celebrities at the competition. Riders performed to live music produced by a quartet right in the arena.
The husband of DAD board member Christina Morin-Graham, Steve was an athlete who had been involved in ski racing, but at Williams College, he met people who told him about breaking. Curious, he decided to check it out when he moved to New York City in the early 1980s to work at Goldman Sachs, and found himself getting involved in the sport after visiting the real deal for breaking in the South Bronx.
He developed “what I called my portfolio of good, very good, athletic college white boy breaking moves. It was sort of unusual to have somebody like me” doing that, said Steve, known at the time among breakers as Vanilla Shake. Now his breaking persona is called Silverback.
Steve said the breaking connection for DAD started because his wife was interested in “creating some sort of spectacle” a fun diversion at the event, and he agreed to have some breakers there. That was the concept in its infancy, but it will be more refined this month during the Friday evening portion of the show, when such famous breakers as Ivan and Nemesis will be on hand.
Lauren Sammis, winner of the Dance-Off last year, felt it was an important innovation.
“I think we’ve got to do things to pull in the crowd, because if you pull in the crowd, we have more money for our sport,” she said.
There’s always a great audience for the big classes at Dressage at Devon. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Speakers during the week include Lynn Palm on the Thursday discussing the increasingly popular Western Dressage and two lecturers from the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center on equine health issues on the Friday, when there also will be a presentation on finances for equestrian from sponsor Kingsview Partners. Shawna Karrsch lecures about positive reinforcement for dressage horses on the busy Friday as well.
Other attractions include the Grand Prix Special and musical freestyle FEI World Cup Finals qualifier on the Saturday night, and a series of freestyles in other divisions on the Sunday.
For those between the ages of 14 and 25, the U.S. Dressage Federation is joining forced with the show to offer the Youth/ Young Adult Dressage Sport Horse breeding seminar Sept. 23 and 24.
It’s an introduction to the ProElite/USDF Breeders Championship Series and to teach them safe and effective handling techniques for showing in hand. Those between the ages of 14 and 25, are invited to attend.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 16, 2024
A lack of entries has led Princeton Show Jumping to cancel its three remaining shows for the season, which would have been held this month and in October.
Andrew Philbrick, who runs the hunter/jumper venue in Montgomery Township, N.J., attributes the situation to the proliferation of new shows around his company’s dates. In particular, he mentions three FEI (international) shows geographically close to his competitions that are now on the calendar. They have drawn entries from his shows, he believes, saying in a letter to exhibitors, “Sadly, we do not have enough entries to provide real competition to you or even to pay our staff.”
He contends, “USEF (U.S. Equestrian Federation) horse show entries are down nationwide and profoundly down at many East Coast shows. This is partially due to new migration patterns that include extensive FEI International Horse Shows in Michigan, Lexington, (Ky.), and Tryon (N.C.). In addition to these substantial International Horse Shows, there are new and relatively new FEI Horse Shows at Old Salem, N.Y.; Greenwich, Conn.; Silo Ridge, N.Y., HITS, (Saugerties, N.Y.), and more.”
Unlike what was once the practice in the sport, FEI shows these days also include national level classes for a variety of riders in terms of fence heights and age levels, something that used to be the purview of smaller fixtures.
The letter added, “Princeton seeks to promote and protect a horse and rider development program at our National Shows. We will do our best to survive this new reality, but without a profound change in horse show licensing policy, the future survival of USEF National Shows on the East Coast is genuinely in doubt.”
Expressing concern for the “bottom and middle of the sport because it seems like it’s disappearing,” Philbrick said in an interview he wondered why USEF is “adding so many shows to the calendar when in fact there is no growth.”
Philbrick, a board member of USEF affiliate U.S. Hunter Jumper Association, maintained that “licensing is not transparent; it’s very hard to understand what the process is. I think we need to take a really hard look at licensing.”
Florida trainer Dianna Babington remembers the days when “New Jersey was the backbone of the horse industry, the Team (the U.S. Equestrian Team in Gladstone) was there, the horse was the state animal. There were horses everywhere.”
That abundance of horses that she experienced growing up in New Jersey is no longer the case. The shows that historically were the anchors of the state’s show industry, Middlesex at Johnson Park, Garden State, Monmouth and many others either are diminished or long gone. The void was filled by Princeton at the present-day standard with multiple rings, state-of-the art footing and a wide range of classes.
With the changing migration patterns, trainers who used to base in New Jersey and other states in the region once went to Florida to show, but returned home for the spring, summer and fall. Now if they come back up north, they may rent a few stalls for the summer; more likely, they go to HITS in New York or Traverse City (Michigan) during the summer, then head South, perhaps with stops in Kentucky and Tryon before spending the late autumn, winter and early spring in Florida.
Milford, N.J., trainer Linda Sheridan, who has been competing at Philbrick’s facility for years, notes, “There are too many options now that you can go to. I think he runs a good horse show, he has great footing, he works on getting good course designers. For me, it’s a no-brainer because it’s close and cost-effective, so I don’t have to pay for hotels for grooms and myself. The people there (Princeton) will listen to you if you have something to say.”
Looking at the current show situation, she commented, “The trend is now you have Saugerties with money put into that. I think people have decided that is a popular horse show. Horse shows go in trends (people would go to shows and then stop going, moving on to another town.) HITS came back, they put some money into it. So i think that’s where a lot of people in the New York area go.
“Then Old Salem started running more than just their spring and fall horse shows. I think that took away people from Princeton. I think some of it is a location situation. FEI has become a little bit of a trendy thing; there are people who will go only to FEI shows.”
And that’s even if they are not at the level where ranking points will mean anything for them.
Interestingly, the FEI 4-star $226,000 Sapphire Grand Prix of the venerable Devon Horse Show drew only 23 entries in May, compared with 30 for the $25,000 grand prix at the Devon Fall Classic last weekend which fills a need at a lower level.
On social media, some people commenting about the cancellation said they felt Princeton was expensive in comparison with certain other shows they frequent. But it’s expensive to put on a show. Philbrick noted it takes 50 people “to open our doors” and cites such expenses $250/day for a jump crew member, excluding meals and hotel, as well as $10,000 per week for an international course designer if costs like a rental car and hotel room are included.
Others discussing the situation are choosing shows with more amenities than Princeton, and would prefer to go there even if they were further from home. But Philbrick noted that because Princeton is located on property governed by rules involving the state’s Farmland Preservation Program, use conditions bar construction of such niceties as permanent stabling and restrooms.
Asked whether his facility will hold shows in 2025, he said, “We’re going to survive, but we’re going to take a really hard look at what we’re offering and we’re going to continue to try to get the mileage protection we were originally promised when we built the facility and we’re hoping the USEF responds in kind and wants Princeton to be available to the USEF membership. If they don’t, that will make a decision for us much more clear. The federation at some point needs to work in collaboration with horse show facilities and horse show managers.”
In his letter, Philbrick stated, “Princeton seeks to promote and protect a horse and rider development program at our National Shows. We will do our best to survive this new reality, but without a profound change in horse show licensing policy, the future survival of USEF National Shows on the East Coast is genuinely in doubt.”
He maintained during the interview, “The future does not look bright unless you just think we’re going to be an entire nation of FEI horse shows, which I don’t think we will. Every one of those people who rides at FEI horse shows started at a one-day (show).
“I have pictures of Jessie Springsteen in the short-stirrup in my indoor ring at Hunter Farms from all those years ago. Where do you think she started and got herself successfully on the Olympic team (where she won the team silver medal in 2021)? You’ve got to start somewhere.”
Sheridan remembered the days of “jam-packed” B- and C-rated horse shows in New Jersey.
“That was where people learned how to horse show. You’d take a barn full of your lesson kids or people that don’t have a lot of money. It’s really gone by the wayside now,” said Sheridan.
“I’ve got some really nice young horses and I want to develop them. I want to go to some of the nice `away’ shows, but I want to have a balance and Princeton was really fulfilling that part of the balance.”
The cancelled shows would have been staged Sept. 18-22, Sept. 25-29 and Oct. 3-6. A banquet planned for the Princeton Equestrian League Sept. 21 also will not be held.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 18, 2024
Entries for U.S. Equestrian Federation-licensed shows were up 30,000 from 2022 to 2023, and figures for this year through July are on track for another projected increase, according to the federation’s CEO, Bill Moroney.
“Overall, our numbers are right where we wanted them to be at this point,” he said, noting the entries stood at 262,000 as of the end of July.
He was responding to comments made by Andrew Philbrick of Princeton Show Jumping in New Jersey, who canceled his last three shows of the season due to low entries. (Read the story about the cancellations on this link.)
“USEF horse show entries are down nationwide and profoundly down at many East Coast shows,” Philbrick contended as he announced the cancellations. He maintained that show “licensing is not transparent; it’s very hard to understand what the process is. I think we need to take a really hard look at licensing.”
He mentioned mileage exemptions given to shows in his region that are running against Princeton, but some of his shows also have needed and received exemptions because they are within the 125-mile limit of HITS in Saugerties, N.Y., and Old Salem in Westchester County, N.Y.
Moroney noted licensing procedures are spelled out in Chapter Three of the USEF rulebook.
“We follow the rules,” he maintained
Philbrick, a board member of USEF affiliate U.S. Hunter Jumper Association, had served on the USEF competition management committee at one time.
Part of the current situation on which Moroney and Philbrick agree is that competitors’ migration patterns have changed.
Philbrick cited FEI (international) shows in Michigan (Traverse City), Lexington, (Ky.), and Tryon (N.C.). drawing away customers from the Northeast, even though they are not within the mileage limits. He also mentioned “new and relatively new” FEI shows closer to New Jersey at Old Salem; Greenwich, Conn., and Silo Ridge in New York, in addition to HITS. as a factor in who attends his shows.
Andrew Philbrick of Princeton Show Jumping.
A change of management and investment that has led to major improvements in arenas and barns at HITS, about a 2-and-one-half hour drive from Princeton’s venue in Montgomery Township, for instance, has led to a slight disruption in the Northeast by drawing exhibitors who previously might have stayed closer to home or gone elsewhere.
The demand for FEI shows has grown exponentially, which also figures into the equation. The number of FEI shows in the U.S. is second only to the number held in France.
Princeton licenses between 18 and 20 national shows a year from April through October, according to USEF.
Riders and owners now are willing to travel further for a show that may have different offerings or atmosphere than where they usually compete.
“Value propositions speak to them,” said Katlynn Wilbers, USEF’s director of competition operations.
“The (customer) experience the trainers and the riders and everybody is getting is way more important now than it’s probably ever been in the past,” said Moroney, mentioning that also applies to the situations in which the grooms are working.
USEF CEO Bill Moroney.
“It’s a lot easier to write a check when you’re getting good value for your money,” he commented.
The stable of Olympic show jumping medalist Chris Kappler usually shows at Princeton, which he praised for good footing, fences and course designers.
“We haven’t been there this year because our shows have taken us further away,” Kappler said, but added about Princeton, “every time I’ve been, I’ve seen them as successful and doing well. So when I learned this (about the cancellations) I was a little bit surprised. The show has always been a very solid regional show.”
Another factor is that exhibitors are tending to change the dates they would normally show; they are willing to compete on weeks other than their usual pattern if it enables them to go to certain venues.
At the same time, people on social media are complaining that the costs of showing mean they can’t compete as often as they once did, or mentioning they prefer to save up for the experience of a special show, rather than going to certain other shows regularly as they once did. The one- and two-day shows in New Jersey that once were staged by boarding or lesson stables have diminished greatly as development has made incursions on the state’s equestrian scene and hurt the lower and middle end of the sport there..
The trend today, which has threatened one-week boutique shows, is toward multi-week shows where people can stay in a place for awhile instead of picking up and moving every week. That takes less effort and saves on horse transportation costs.
There are many more competitors today than there were at the time when USEF licenses were held by shows for three years. Now license renewal is annual, giving USEF an opportunity to judge the impact of exemptions.
Mileage between shows is not set in stone. USEF sees a greater need for diverse offerings to meet competitors’ needs. The mileage exemption process for shows applying for dates, on which the USHJA weighs in, was created to address density or lack of offerings in certain areas. Existing shows can offer input along with the affiliates and the USEF staff.
“People shop differently all the time,” Moroney observed.
In an era of change, he suggested that shows should survey their clients to see what they like and don’t like about a show, as well as what they are looking for when they decide where to compete, so adjustments can be made if necessary.
“If your business is dropping off, you try to find out why it it is,” he said.
“Our job in responsibly managing the calendar is making an effort to insure that our members have the diversity of venues they need and the diversity of offerings to develop their own skills as a rider and also to develop their horses’ skills That means sort of a mix of different levels of competitions,” Moroney explained.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 29, 2024
Multifamily housing, a 200-room hotel, retail offerings, entertainment elements and youth sports facilities are slated for the 80 acres around Monmouth Park, where racing is slated to continue at the New Jersey track under an 85-year lease agreement.
It was announced today by the track that the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, along with the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority, has transferred the racetrack to Dennis Drazin’s Darby Development LLC. That entity had been operating the racetrack and now will have full control over the property. Groundbreaking for the new project is set for late 2025.
“Let me start by thanking Gov. (Phil) Murphy for entrusting me, and my entire team, with one of New Jersey’s most iconic landmarks and one of the nation’s top racing venues,” said Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby.
“While we have been operating the racetrack for just over the past decade, we can now implement our vision for the future, which includes, in conjunction with (developer) Morris Bailey, a world-class housing project with full amenities, sports complex, first-class hotel and much, much more. All of this will complement and support our main business, horse racing.”
Bailey, a horse racing enthusiast whose JEMB Realty owns and operates North American commercial and residential properties, as well as the Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, will lead the development projects at Monmouth Park. Groundbreaking is set for late 2025.
“We are committed to providing fans with top-quality racing at a venue second-to-none,” Drazin said.
“Today’s actions will ensure a robust future for Thoroughbred racing in the Garden State and it’s with great pride and humility that we embark on a new future for Monmouth.”
Monmouth has 51 days of live racing at the track near the Shore in Oceanport, mostly on weekends, May through September. It also has 10 days at the Meadowlands in northern New Jersey during September and October.
“Monmouth Park Racetrack is an iconic New Jersey attraction,” said Gov. Murphy. “We are thrilled to see this project move forward, which will bolster the local economy and ensure that the area is a popular destination for generations to come.
“Through this important development, the history and legacy of this racetrack will not only be solidified but expanded and enhanced so that more New Jerseyans can experience its excitement.”
“The NJTHA have been great tenants and partners for the last 12 years,” said Paul Juliano, president and CEO of the NJSEA.
“I, along with everyone at the NJSEA, join the governor in taking great pride in securing sustainability and the long-term success of Monmouth Park Racetrack with the new lease for generations to come.”
Said Bailey, “We are embarking on the next phase of a journey that began over a decade ago when we developed plans to reimagine and reinvent the Monmouth Park experience that has brought so much joy to generations of horse racing enthusiasts.
“We have always been staunch advocates for returning the area to its rightful place as the premier destination for horse racing and family entertainment, while including important components that serve the community at large. After an intensive, complex and lengthy process, our plans will create a vibrant lifestyle destination for future generations and will put the racetrack on a trajectory for enormous growth,” he pledged.
Monmouth has roots dating back to 1870, but a state ban on parimutuel betting eventually closed it down. The track reopened in 1946 under Amory Haskell, who had led the legislative effort to permit wagering on horse racing again. The track’s featured race, the $1 million Haskell Invitational in July, is named after him.
In 1986, the state acquired the racetrack and operated it under the NJSEA until 2012, when the NJTHA took the reins as lessee.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 13, 2024
Cancellation of the November Las Vegas qualifier for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League has led to new possibilities for the Marshall+Sterling Insurance/USHJA National Championships, which had been scheduled to run with the qualifier at the South Point Hotel and Casino.
Blenheim EquiSports, which got the rights for the qualifier through 2027, called off the competition due to “unforeseen circumstances.” When asked for specifics, Robert Ridland, president of Blenheim, said “I cannot comment at this time.”
The cancellation raised the question about what would happen to the USHJA championships, but that was quickly answered with word that the show will be produced by the Desert International Horse Park, led by Steve Hankin. Pat Boyle will continue as show manager.
Explaining his decision to become involved with the championships, Steve said, “We’re excited to put on a great event in Vegas and continue to help build up the sport. We’re two months out from the event and we want it to be successful. We’re going to put in a lot of energy and focus on the event and the sport and that’s what we care about.”
Showing in Vegas is a highlight of the year for those qualifying for the USHJA Championships.
Discussing working with Steve and Desert International Horse Park, USHJA President Britt McCormick commented, “Their expertise, coupled with Pat Boyle’s continued leadership, will elevate this year’s championships, allowing us to bring more opportunities to our competitors.”
Those include enabling the Nov. 11-17 fixture to accept additional participants and showcase key competitions in slots previously reserved for the international-level show jumping. The Western Conference Equitation Finals will be the highlight on Saturday night, while the IHSA/USHJA 3’3″ Hunter Seat Medal Final West is the feature for Sunday.
As for the World Cup qualifier situation left in question by the cancellation, the FEI is evaluating it and “will prepare a proposal on the way forward, taking into account the calendar, sport and commercial implications, which will be presented to the FEI Board for their final decision.”
The FEI stated, “We understand that this last-minute cancellation is unfortunate, and may impact those who have already made their plans to attend. We sincerely apologize to all stakeholders, including riders, officials, sponsors and fans, for any inconvenience caused, and are committed to ensuring a strong and successful series moving forward.”
Conor Swail won the Longines FEI qualifier in Las Vegas last year. (Andrew Ryback Photography)
Todd Hinde, the FEI director of jumping said, “We are deeply disappointed by the cancellation of the Las Vegas leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League. However, we respect the decision of the Organizing Committee and our priority now is to ensure the continued success of the series, providing top-level competition for athletes and fans across the remaining qualifiers.”
The final will be held in Basel, Switzerland next April.
Ridland has just returned from Paris, where he guided the Olympic show jumping team to its third consecutive silver medal under his direction as chef d’equipe. His contract for that position is up for renewal at the end of this year; such contracts in all the Olympic disciplines run with the Games quadrennium.
It has been a rough year for Blenheim EquiSports, which lost some dates for its shows due to water quality issues involving the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park it runs south of Los Angeles. For previous stories about the topic, click here and here.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 8, 2024
So much incredible competition went on in all the disciplines this weekend that it was positively head-spinning trying to keep up. But we managed.
First, let’s deal with the richest grand prix in the world, the $3 million (Canadian) CPKC International, which went to Martin Fuchs of Switzerland with the incredible Leone Jei for the second year in a row at Spruce Meadows. The class, presented by Rolex, is part of the Rolex Grand Slam series of competitions, with the next leg coming up in Geneva in December.
With $2.2 million American on the line Sunday in Calgary, Alberta, a field of 39 was whittled to 12 over a course designed by Leopoldo Palacios. The biggest surprise in the initial round was when McLain Ward fell off as his Olympic mount, Ilex, crashed through the first fence. The top 12 who qualified for the second round included riders who had knockdowns and accumulated time penalties, but it wound up with three riders tied on zero penalties set for a jump-off.
In the tie-breaker, Martin had the third fence down, an oxer with brown rails, which was difficult to see in a shadow. Martin felt he over-rode it. So at that point, he needed to hustle and got his horse through the timers in 40.22 seconds.
Then he had to wait.
Ireland’s Darragh Kenny and the stallion Cartello also toppled a rail at the same obstacle and exceeded the 42-second time allowed to finish with 4 jumping and 2 time faults. Last to go was 2022 CPKC winner Daniel Deusser of Germany, the country that won the Nations Cup on Saturday.
Daniel and Killer Queen had a rail at the first part of the double, 6A. He knew after that he had to rush to beat Martin’s time, but that was not the way to approach the last fence, the colorful Hong Kong wall. Blocks flew off the top, leaving Martin the winner, Darragh second and Daniel third with 8 faults.
“It was touch-and-go,” Martin admitted about his feelings as he waited for the placings to resolve.
“But today was really my day, the other guys had some unlucky rails and I am very happy to defend this grand prix. It was very dramatic and I am glad it worked out for me today.”
It’s selfie time for the top three in the CPKC International: Daniel Deusser, Martin Fuchs and Darragh Kenny. (Spruce Meadows Photo)
Of the gray gelding who carried him to victory, Martin noted, “He has jumped 13 majors and placed in 12 of them. He’s always there when the majors are on. I’m blessed I have a partner that feels the same about those great shows.”
The big news from Spruce Meadows was that this grand prix will have a $5 million (Canadian) prize in 2025 to mark the facility’s fiftieth anniversary. There has never been a prize like that in show jumping.
Complete results of the CPKC International here
Now, on to the hard-fought Defender Burghley 5-star Horse Trials, where world number one eventer Ros Canter of Great Britain showed why she deserves that title by taking top honors with Lordships Graffalo on 23.6 penalties. She added only 1.6 time penalties to her dressage score for her trip over the show jumping fences that wrapped up the British event.
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo rose to first place after cross-country at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials and kept it through the show jumping to win. (Defender Burghley photo)
New Zealand’s Tim Price had a rail down with Vitali to finish second on 29.5. He was followed in third and fourth place by Harry Meade of Great Britain with the fault-free Cavalier Crystal (72.84) and Annaghmor Valoner, who had a rail to total 75.79. And can you believe busy Harry also was twelfth on Superstition (42.9) with a clean show jumping trip?
The top American finisher was Cosby Green with Copper Beech, sixteenth with 49.6. She had only time faults on cross-country, and a rail and 1.2 time faults in the show jumping. Jennie Brannigan finished twenty-third on FE Lifestyle (57.9) after a bad few minutes when her mount was sent to the holding area during the final horse inspection. They had two rails down in show jumping.
Andrew McConnon and Wakita 54 (70) dropped two rails in show jumping to finish twenty-seventh. Mia Farley and the thoroughbred Phelps picked up 20 jumping penalties on cross-country at the Rolex corners and added time penalties in that phase as well. Four fences down and time penalties in the jumping resulted in a score of 94.5 penalties that put this combination thirty-second.
The other American entry, Hannah Sue Holberg and Capitol HIM, ended their run when she had a fall at the twenty-second of 30 cross-country fences and was eliminated.
For full Burghley results, click here.
In the Paralympics, the U.S. ended with a record medal haul that topped the tables for dressage. Americans won seven medals, eclipsing their previous Paralympic Games best of two golds and a bronze at Atlanta 1996 and Tokyo 2021. Two U.S. riders were triple gold for the Games.
Becca Hart and Floratina had a narrow win in the Grade III freestyle to score a gold medal hat trick for the Games, having previously won the individual competition and contributed to the USA’s first team gold. Becca’s freestyle score was 83.534 percent to 83.007 for the Netherlands’ Rixt van der Horst on Royal Fonq in the Grade III competition. Natasha Baker of Great Britain was third on Dawn Chorus (77.140).
In Grade II, Fiona Howard earned her third gold with Diamond Dunes in her Paralympic debut. She was marked at 81.994 percent.
Georgia Wilson of Great Britain, rode Sakura to 79.374 percent for silver while 69-year-old Heidemarie Dresing of Germany, the oldest Para Dressage athlete in Paris, won her first individual medal after three previous fourth place finishes, taking bronze on Dooloop with 76.127 percent.
Triple gold medalist Fiona Howard. (US Equestrian photo)
In Grade IV, Kate Shoemaker and Vianne took bronze with a personal best of 80.170 for her ride to music from the movie Forrest Gump, so all the U.S. Paralympians brought home at least one medal. It was Kate’s first individual medal after earning bronze with the team in Tokyo three years ago.
Demi Haerkens of the Netherlands won her second individual gold on her Paralympic Games debut, and third medal in all, as she and Daula won the Grade IV gold earned an impressive 83.390 percent. Anna-Lena Niehues of Germany on Quimbaya 6, scored 80.900 percent to take silver, adding to their two bronzes in the Individual test and Team event.
Meanwhile, the World Driving Championships in Hungary ended with – no surprise – world champion Boyd Exell of Australia in first place. But the USA’s Chester Weber, who set a record last week in winning the dressage phase, wound up third to reach the podium.
Boyd Exell in action. (FEI photo)
Second after Saturday’s marathon, Chester had two knockdowns in the cones segment Sunday for a total of 159.13 penalties. That put him third behind the Netherlands’ Bram Chardon, with a total of 157.74 after a clean round in cones. Bram won that phase to move up from third place to second.
“It was a very different track from a lot of the sort of Dutch-esque tracks,” Chester said of the marathon course. “But I was very pleased with how the horses handled it and their performance.”
Chester Weber gives Boyd Exell a champagne shower. (FEI photo)
His score contributed to the unprecedented twelfth team gold for the Netherlands which gave his father, Ijsbrand, his thirty-sescond world medal and fourteenth gold. Together with Koos de Ronde, they won the team competition on 322.69.
Boyd had one down in cones, but a score of 146.93 penalties for all three phases left him untouchable and continuing on top of the world rankings with his seventh consecutive gold medal. Amazingly, the two-member Australian team that also included Tor van den Berge won their first world medal with bronze (340.77). Germany captured silver (330.33).
The U.S. did not finish as a team because its only other member, Jimmy Fairclough, did not compete in cones after one of his horses incurred an injury in his stall overnight.
Get the driving results by clicking here.
Read about the HITS grand prix in our Previous Columns here .
