by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 24, 2023
Following a decision to ban dressage trainer/entrepreneur Andreas Helgstrand from consideration for the Danish Olympic team, the Danish Riding Federation and the Danish Riding-Instructor Association are canceling a cooperation agreement with Helgstrand Dressage as a training venue for riding education as of the end of 2023.
“We are obviously incredibly sorry about that decision. We are immensely proud of our riding students, and we consider them close and talented colleagues,” Helgstrand Dressage said in a statement.
The action came in the wake of an undercover TV documentary that showed harsh training techniques at the Helgstrand facility in Denmark, and detailed attempts to cover spur and whip marks on horses.
Saying the footage “has made a very big impression,” the statement continued, “We understand that the images that have been shown in Operation X should be responded to.
“We have done that ourselves too. We have therefore also given both Dansk Riding Federation and Dansk Riding-Instruktør Association an open invitation for dialogue and to come visit Helgstrand Dressage to see for yourself how our practice is as a training ground and how in the last year we have improved many of our practices.
“We are very sorry that neither association has chosen to accept. Our invitation is still open: both are welcome to drop by — also unannounced, where you can carry out the necessary supervision with horses, training and pupils.”
The statement added, “Of course, we will do everything we can to continue the dialogue, so that in the future we can also welcome back our talented students at Helgstrand Dressage, where we are convinced that we can offer a good training place with healthy values and a strong community.”
The Danish Riding Association last month said Helgstrand would be banned from its teams at least until the beginning of 2025 — after the 2024 Paris Olympics, according to a Facebook posting by the Danish newspaper Nordjyske.
Helgstrand is the CEO of Global Equestrian Group, which is part of Waterland Private Equity. In 2021, GEG bought the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. The home of the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida, the facility was renamed Wellington International.
Hearings have been going on in Wellington since the summer about controversial zoning issues in connection with a proposed expansion of the showgrounds.
The Olympics “is completely out of the question,” said the acting chairman of the Danish Riding Association, Jakob Ravnsbo, who succeeded Helgstrand’s father, Ulf, in the position. In a comment to Nordjyske, Andreas Helgstrand wrote that he regrets the association’s decision, has always been proud to represent Denmark, and that he had been looking forward to the Olympics.
Denmark’s Olympic hopes should not suffer as a result of the ban, as only three can be on a team in the Games and the country has several top riders, including Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour, who recently got the ride on the spectacular Mount St. John Freestyle, previously ridden by Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin.
While the FEI, the international equestrian federation, commented that “any action or omission which causes or is likely to cause pain or unnecessary discomfort to a horse constitutes a violation of our rules,” it did not take immediate action in regard to the revelations of the documentary.
It stated it will “collaborate closely with the Danish National Federation, and there is a mutual recognition of decisions and any sanctions imposed. We will continue to communicate as the situation develops, and want to assure the equestrian community, our stakeholders and the public, that we are rigorously addressing this issue.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 7, 2023
It started out as the ride of a lifetime around a top-level cross-country course at last month’s MARS Maryland Fair Hill event.
Arielle Aharoni, at age 23, was in her first 5-star competition on Dutch Times, a horse her mother, Christina, had bought as a weanling.
Now 15, Dutch had developed into a superb athlete who won show jumping classes, but whose heart was really in eventing. He finished second in June’s 4-star Long at the Bromont event in Canada, so a 5-star was the logical next step.
The Maryland course laid out by renowned Scottish designer Ian Stark had been upgraded in his third year on the job. The optimum time was tight (only one of the competitors would be able to beat the clock) and the hilly terrain posed its own challenge, That was in addition to the various tests ranging from a sunken road to the Crab Water with a beady-eyed replica of the crustacean as one of the elements.
Arielle Aharoni and Dutch Times on course at the Maryland 5-star. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
When Arielle neared the end of the 28-obstacle course, Dutch continued to cover ground as if he owned it.
“It was kind of a perfect round. I never felt him get tired,” she recalled.
“He was dragging me around. There was nothing he could have done any better. He never said no.”
Then they reached what Arielle called, “the last really difficult combination,” the Fair Hill Roller-Coaster and Drop. It was so close to the end that from the next fence, the Table, number 26, “you could literally see the finish flags.”
But as Dutch negotiated the Drop, “on landing, he never put his right front down, that was pretty terrifying, it was downhill, he was at full speed on three legs,” Arielle remembered.
“It took forever to pull him up, you know, gravity; you’re going straight down a hill. I’m in distress. I’m crying, pulling him up. There were people rushing to the scene. He’s not an easy horse to deal with when he’s all amped up like that.”
She didn’t know what had happened to him—could it be a broken leg? Please no.
After she was able to stop Dutch, the people who came to help put a cast on him and loaded him into the ambulance to bring him back to stabling.
A preliminary scan showed a rupture of the superficial digital flexor tendon. Following initial treatment, Dutch went back in the trailer and headed straight for the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center, one of the country’s most highly regarded veterinary hospitals.
A later scan revealed, thankfully, that there was no involvement of the deep digital flexor tendon or suspensory ligament.
Arielle and her mother learned blunt force trauma is required in order for a tendon to rupture.
So how did it happen?
They speculated that when Dutch lost a shoe, possibly at the Foxcatcher Ditch hedge before the Roller Coaster, it might have flown off his right front hoof and hit his leg above his boot. Or he could have banged the leg on the back of a fence.
“It’s not anybody’s fault,” said Christina. “It’s just unlucky.”
Christina Aharoni makes sure Dutch gets plenty of personal attention. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
The shock of the injury understandably shook Arielle.
“I was pretty much ready to quit riding–you know, I don’t have my friend,” she explained.
“I love the other horses, but this is the horse that made things happen for me. I wasn’t prepared at all to never do that (cross-country) with him again.”
But she does have other horses who need attention, and kept on going. Arielle rode two of them at the Waredaca, Md., Classic Three-Day Event and Horse Trials last month, finishing second and third in Open Preliminary on Littlebitadominic and Chumley. Now she hopes those horses can be promoted to Intermediate.
Meanwhile, Dutch’s most recent scan shows the tendon already is filling in a little bit. Christina noted the prognosis is “the nine-month standard tendon rehab.” However, the Arharonis reference the fact that Dutch bowed a tendon on his left front eight years ago when he had a different rider, and the vets didn’t have hope that he would be eventing again. He came back anyway.
At the moment, Dutch’s right leg is bandaged. He’s on hand-grazing and stall rest, with other horses in Arielle’s Branchburg, N.J., stable taking turns keeping him company in the next stall. Dutch amuses himself by tossing around his lead rope and trying to get his blanket, which is placed strategically out of his reach on the bar in front of his stall.
Hand-grazing is on Dutch Times’ schedule these days. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
People have reached out with inquiries and supportive comments. Boeringer Ingelheim Animal Health sent along a case of Surpass, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug that relieves pain and inflammation.
“It’s much appreciated,” said Christina.
Dutch will be going to the Aharonis’ farm in Ocala after Thanksgiving for more R&R in a friendly climate. The warm weather and limestone roads will help his healing process. After that, what he will do remains to be seen.
“He probably is not ready for retirement,” said Arielle.
“We have to hope for the best and give him something to do for the next three or four years until he starts to kind of age out.”
Possibilities include dressage, show jumping, low-level eventing or perhaps just being a mount for Christina, since she was the one who selected him all those years ago. One thing is for certain, though, said Arielle: “He’s staying with me for the rest of his life.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 6, 2023
It was a saga that captured the hearts and imagination of millions–how a sweet colt made an instant connection with a teen who battled a cruelly debilitating syndrome and forged a link that carried them both to world-wide fame.
Cody Dorman, who suffered from Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, found joy in the fabulous career of Cody’s Wish, the colt named after him. Cody met the son of Curlin at Godolphin’s Gainsboroough Farm on a visit sponsored by the Make-A-Wish Foundation, and it was love at first sight.
Due to his condition, Cody could only communicate directly using eye-tracking to operate a tablet, but he still made himself understood to all of those around the world who followed his story.
Whenever his family could get him to the track, Cody was there, and the horse named after him was winning. Cody was his good luck charm.
That was never more evident than on Saturday in the Breeders’ Cup Dirt Mile at Santa Anita. There, the four-year-old colt battled for the win by a nose, and then withstood an objection to collect the trophy as Cody watched. It marked the end of the horse’s racing career, as he moves on to stud duty.
And with unbelievable timing, it was also the end of a heartwarming story. It somehow appears to be more than a sad coincidence that Cody himself departed a day later. He died on the way home from California to Kentucky. Cody’s Wish had been his work, and his work was done.
Michael Banahan, director of bloodstock for Godolphin USA, said the loss of the teen is especially difficult after the excitement of Breeders’ Cup weekend.
“It really does seem like divine intervention from the day Cody and Cody’s Wish first met,” he said.
“The highs and now the lows—it’s hard to comprehend. It has hit us all like a wall.”
He added about Cody’s famiIy, “I do hope they find comfort from the journey they’ve been on.”
In a statement, the family said, “We are heartbroken to share the news that our beloved Cody suffered a medical event on our trip home to Kentucky yesterday and he has passed away.
“On Saturday, Cody watched his best friend, Cody’s Wish, display his usual perseverance and toughness in winning a second Breeders’ Cup. Those are the same characteristics Cody has showed time and again for the 18 years we were blessed to have him. We have been completely amazed to experience the impact Cody has had on so many people, through the journey that this wondrous racehorse has taken us all on. From Churchill Downs, to Keeneland, to Saratoga, to Santa Anita this weekend, we could not move 20 feet without someone stopping to tell us just that.”
The statement concluded, “With Cody’s diagnosis at birth, we always knew this day would come, but we were determined to help Cody live his best life for however long we had him. Anyone who has seen him at the racetrack, especially around Cody’s Wish, understands that in many ways he taught us all how to live, always keeping a positive attitude and being more concerned about those around him than himself.”
Following the news of the teenager’s death, the Breeders’ Cup issued this statement:
“The entire Breeders’ Cup team is devastated by the news of Cody Dorman’s passing yesterday. His story captured our hearts and minds, and his strength, spirit, and determination were fittingly embodied by his namesake’s commanding performances in his honor. We send our sincere condolences to the Dormans, who gave our sport so much by welcoming us into their family.”
In lieu of flowers, the family asks for donations be made to Make-A-Wish Ohio, Kentucky & Indiana.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 2, 2023
Another step in re-imagining the Stable at Lord Stirling Park will offer new housing for 16 horses and related facilities as part of a project to update the facility in Basking Ridge, N.J.
Now that the Somerset County Commissioners have agreed to approve the barn, it is expected the project can go out for bid by the end of the year. The cost of the work and its timeline won’t be known until the contract is awarded.
Formerly known as Lord Stirling Stable, the equestrian operation was a busy lesson facility for a half-century. In 2019, there were 76 horses in residence at the stable, 58 of which were used for lessons. There also were boarders and lead-line ponies on the site. In 2018, 430 juniors and 570 adults rode in group lessons at Lord Stirling, while 1,140 private lessons were given.
But after Covid struck in 2020, the stable was closed and the horses were sold, with only ponies and boarders’ mounts remaining on the property.
A plan to revitalize the park got under way in 2022. Trail ride horses to be used by the public were brought in, along with the therapeutic riding program, Rocking Horse Rehab. There are seven horses for trail rides and five ponies owned by the Somerset County Park Commission at the stable, which also is home to a group of equine boarders.
The old dairy barn at Lord Stirling.
The thinking behind the need for a new barn is the fact that the re-purposed dairy barn that has been used for much of the stabling on the premises “doesn’t properly support modern equine services,” according to a release from the commissioners. It has 21 box stalls and a number of unused straight stalls.
“The dairy barn was built for cows and not necessarily for a modern equestrian program. That said, it doesn’t mean it doesn’t have any uses at all. It may or may not be part of the future of the stable,” said Nathan Rudy, a spokesman for the county.
“This is an ongoing process to make sure this stable can operate with equestrian programs for the foreseeable future. That’s why a new barn is so important to this process.”
The new stable, which will have runs for 12 of the 16 stalls, also will include three tack rooms, feed rooms, a laundry and an ADA-compliant bathroom.
“It’s exciting to see this vision for Lord Stirling Park taking shape with the new barn plan, expanded trails, and renovations to the historic buildings as we prepare for the nation’s 250th birthday in 2026,” said county Commissioner Paul Drake, the liaison to the county Park Commission.
Rocking Horse Rehab operates at the stable.
In other work at the park, upgrades to the trail system will combine the historic buildings, Environmental Education Center (EEC), the stable and new amenities proposed in the plan. The trail network will include approximately three miles of combined equestrian and pedestrian trails and ten miles of equestrian-only trails.
A new trail has been constructed connecting the EEC to the stable, which will allow visitors to access both trail networks. Ongoing improvements include new information kiosks, directional signage, trail markers, fencing and gates, and parking lot upgrades.
Lord Stirling Park is 1,015 acres of parkland, natural waterways and open space in the northern area of Somerset County that is home not only to the stable and EEC, but also the Revolutionary War-era Boudinot Southard Ross Farmstead. These resources previously have been operated independently of each other.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 1, 2023
Even before the Pan Am Games team show jumping medals were decided this afternoon in Chile, after three perfect trips in the second round of today’s team competition, the U.S. was set to finish high enough to qualify for the 2024 Olympics in Paris. Whew!
But when the competition finished, the news was even better. The U.S. had an amazing score of four clears from McLain Ward (Contagious), Karl Cook (Caracole de la Roque), Kent Farrington (Landon) and Laura Kraut (Dorado 212) in the second round. The squad took team gold, followed by Canada’s silver medal effort; as the former leader, Brazil, dropped to bronze on a tense and exciting afternoon.
Laura Kraut, McLain Ward, Karl Cook and Kent Farrington. (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)
It was quite a comeback for the U.S. under the direction of coach Robert Ridland from Tuesday’s initial speed round, where only anchor rider Laura Kraut went clean for the team, and the U.S. stood fifth.
To get a berth for Paris next year, which was Mission One in Chile, the U.S. needed to be in the top three (aside from Brazil, which already had qualified for Paris last month at the Nations Cup Final.) There would be no other chance to qualify for the U.S show jumping team, which is a regular participant at the Olympics. It was get it done at the Pan Ams or stay home next year.
The Canadian, U.S. and Brazilian teams get together on the podium at the end of the medal ceremony.
Coach Robert got it right Tuesday night when he said of today’s two-rounder, “it’s a new day for each of the teams here.”
Today, the U.S. riders were playing their A-game, as they took advantage of their last chance to make the cut for Paris.
Canada, earning team silver, has taken one of the other two places available for the Paris Games, and Mexico got the third. Mexico was fourth in the standings, but as Brazil finished third and was qualified, Mexico was able to clinch its slot.
“You know, we really needed clear rounds today or we weren’t going to be qualified for the Olympics. That’s as simple as that,” Kent said after his ride on Landon.
Kent and Landon.
Speaking about his horse, Kent mentioned, “He’s an inexperienced horse for this level of competition. I thought he showed his greenness the first day and he really rallied back today, actually over a more difficult and a real course. So thrilled with the performance, great progress for my horse and happy we got Team USA in the Olympics.”
As far as the medal, he noted, “Gold was the icing for us here.”
The gold, by the way, was the thirty-second medal U.S. equestrians have earned at the Pan Ams.
Robert pointed out, “One thing nobody has mentioned is the level of competition at the Pan American Games. The last two or three, we keep seeing a higher and higher level of competition. I think everybody saw that today.”
We’re all used to watching the Brits, the French, the Germans, the Swiss and the Irish, among others from Europe. So we have to readjust as we watch riders from countries such as Chile (which won gold in the first Pan Ams in 1951), Paraguay and Uruguay, with which we are less familiar in equestrian terms. But being a part of this competition meant so much to them; it was obvious by looking at their faces or watching their supporters cheer fervently.
“These are really strong teams out there fighting to the end,” observed Robert.
“It’s a tribute to what the Pan American Games have become. The sport has become so worldwide there isn’t this chasm between the Americas and Europe.”
Karl had a really difficult time Tuesday and was lucky to stay on after his mare ran out at a fence and started running. He had two rails in the first round today, but did well to leave all the poles in place this afternoon.
Karl Cook and Caracole de la Roque. (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)
“It’s been less than a year that I’ve had the mare,” he mentioned.
“We hit a few variables this week that were unaccounted for in our prep, and that’s obviously our fault. I was so thankful for the support of my team, so we would keep chipping away at the issues and just progressively get better.” The final trip felt good, he said.
Anchor rider Laura said she was “so relieved when the three riders before me went clear,” in the second round.
“I almost enjoyed the last round,” she confided.
Reserve rider Lillie Keenan said of her teammates, “I had no part in what they achieved today,”
But Robert and the other team members agreed to differ.
“We had a team of five riders here, all interchangeable parts, and that was the whole point,” said Robert.
“It wasn’t a four-plus-one team.”
The course, which Robert called “fantastic,” was set at a maximum of 1.60 meters, compared with 1.50 meters in Tuesday’s one-round speed class. The extra height made it more of a test for some of the horses, who lacked experience at the highest levels of the sport.
Designer Marina Azevedo of Brazil–the only woman ever to have designed show jumping courses for the Pan Ams, and the only Level 4 female designer in the world–came up with a brilliant layout that did just enough to test horses, rather than discourage them, in most instances.
The fences were intriguing and even educational about Chile, from the bright yellow model of the country’s famous railway bridge (yellow isn’t the easiest color for horses to see, so that’s a test) to the wall painted with a Patagonian scene. My favorite was the open water jump flanked by models of Emperor penguins and large blocks of (styrofoam) ice. Chile, the longest country in the world, governs part of Antarctica, so that’s how it relates.
Laura Kraut and Dorado 212 at the railroad bridge. (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)
Individual honors will be sorted out in two rounds on Friday, with 30 starters qualifying for the first round, and 20 for the medal round. McLain leads the Individual standings, followed by Laura and Brazil’s Stephan De Freitas Barcha on Chevaux Primavera Imperio Egipcio in third at the moment.
An order of go for Friday’s competition likely will be posted on Thursday, after the horse inspection. No country can field more than three riders in the individual, so Karl isn’t slated to be riding in that competition. He will, however, trot up his mare in the inspection, in case one of the other team members can’t ride for some reason, Robert said.
Ater the medal ceremony, McLain said, “As everyone knows, our `A’ goal was to qualify for the Games and to win a medal for the team and represent our country well. I thought the team rallied well and pulled it off in pretty good style today.”
McLain Ward and Contagious. (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)
He cautioned, however, “The fact that it took us so long to qualify needs to bring it to our attention that we can’t rest on a good week here, that we have some work to be done to be prepared for Paris. We need to find motivation.”
Click here for team results
by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 27, 2023
Most successful equestrian competitions develop their reputation and standards over many years. After all, it takes time to refine an offering and make it attractive to both competitors and spectators.
That’s why the transformation of the MARS Maryland 5-star event at Fair Hill, from its second year to its third, was an eye-opener when it ran last weekend. And it may get even better in 2024, with a push to allow betting.
“We want to continue to create more off-competition amenities, things non-equestrians want to come to,” said Jeff Newman, the event’s CEO. And that, naturally, includes gambling.
Jeff sees it as a real possibility and hopes it will happen as soon as next year.
“I think eventing is perfect for it,” commented Jeff.
“It’s something the sport needs. I think socially, it’s something that will help raise the bar and get more people out here.”
Terry Hasseltine, executive director of the Maryland Sports Commission, reported, “We actually are exploring that concept right now with our lottery agency in the state to figure out how we can introduce wagering or some type of betting into eventing, now that USEF and the FEI have put criteria (on sports betting) in for the athletes. Next year, you’ll probably see us moving toward some sort of opportunity. I just don’t know what it is yet.
“The racetrack (on site) will become operable this spring as well. With that happening, with pari-mutuel, prop (proposition) betting and all the things we have now with the lottery system in the state of Maryland, there are a lot more things we can do. It’s a revenue stream that will also bring out the novice spectator vs a seasoned equestrian spectator. It gives a little bit for everybody to be part of the opportunity.”
In its first two years, the event’s ambience outside of the competition seemed almost a bit sleepy after its debut as the USA’s second 5-star, following Land Rover Kentucky in the spring.
A 4-star event had run since 1989 at Fair Hill, on the former DuPont estate. But when it became a 5-star run by the Sports Commission and moved over to the Fair Hill Special Events Zone and the infield of the re-done racetrack, it emerged as a whole new ballgame.
The Fair Hill water tower rises above the showgrounds. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
This year, they didn’t just boost it up a notch; the event itself seemed to be in a different category. It had a gloss and enthusiasm that wasn’t evident in its inaugural run, or even last year.
The goal “has always been 5-star across the board, not just the competition” said Jeff.
“The first year, 2021, coming off the pandemic, was just `make the event happen.’ Last year, we had a bigger focus on spectator experience. This year was learning from both those years and being able to create a better flow; more shuttles, more bathrooms. Just basic amenities. Then raising the bar in terms of the cosmetics, based on customer feedback as well.”
He credited Jake Cone, the new director of operations, with helping to “maximize the space and use the space as efficiently as possible, so our hospitality is a lot more accessible and certainly closer to the action.”
At the 5-star presentation ceremony, Jeff thanked the 700 volunteers who pitched in everywhere. Without them, there wouldn’t be an event.
The array of trophies and ribbons at the event, with the historic Fair Hill Bronze in the center. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
The riders were effusive in their praise for the competition.
Great Britain’s William Fox-Pitt, who has won more 5-stars (14) than anyone else in the world, was making his first visit to Maryland and wanted “to tick this box” before retiring.
“It’s a wonderful venue, great arenas and fantastic ground. It’s very exciting to be at,” he enthused.
Oliver Townend, ranked number one in the world, cited the efforts of the sponsors and organizers, noting, “It’s a huge privilege for our sport to have another 5-star of this standard.”
After cross-country course designer Ian Stark “tweaked” a route that some had felt was too soft the first two years, Oliver was able to call it “probably one of the toughest 5-stars in the world. That’s what the sport needs to attract the riders from overseas. It’s really gone in the direction we hoped. It certainly hasn’t disappointed in any way, shape or form.”
Attendance was up, reaching 29,783 for 2023. The total was 25,207 for 2022 and 21,000 for its initial run in 2021.
Terry from the Maryland Sports Commission said the evolution of the event involved figuring out the grounds “and how we can do things from an operational perspective while keeping the horses and the riders safe.”
According to Terry, “The big question organizers had to answer was, “What can we do to make the experience for the attendee better and grander?’ We tightened some things up on the retail rows and had a few more sponsors come in (including presenting sponsor Brown Advisory), which gives it the ambience.
“Our goal here is to make this a bucket list event that everyone wants to come to, whether you’re in the U.S. or whether you’re abroad, and making sure the Maryland 5-star is front of mind when people make travel plans. Our goal here is to make this an experience everyone wants to remember for a lifetime.”
To help fans follow the action, they were able to buy a $15 FM receiver on a lanyard that rested comfortably on the ear. They got expert commentary for all three phases from U.S. eventer Sinead Halpin Maynard and British eventer Spencer Sturmey, both of whom did a wonderful job of explaining in detail what was happening.
Tim Gardner, a horse owner and member of the Fair Hill Organizing Committee, attended the famed Burghley, England, 5-star last month.
He didn’t hesitate to say, “This compares extremely well with Burghley.” While Maryland is not quite on the same level with Burghley’s “sensational retail sales,” he added, “we are in terms of the sport. And the amenities for the fans are absolutely the same.”
There was an abundance of trade stands, along with many more dining options on the Maryland grounds than in the past. Another feature involved lots of activities for kids, from a petting zoo to a crafts corner, Corgi racing, pony racing and even a leadline race.
Kids loved being up close to horses at the event. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
There were other attractions that adults could enjoy, such as live music, vendors selling alcoholic drinks and the Hall of Champions where such legendary horses as Boyd Martin’s Neville Bardos and Phillip Dutton’s famous ride Mighty Nice were among those that the public could meet.
The idea of the evolving Maryland 5-star, said competition director Joanie Morris, is to “make it feel like a weekend out.”
There were 26 starters in the 5-star, but 46 in the 3-star that was held concurrently, as well as big numbers in Young Horse competition.
The question is, will the 5-star field grow appreciably and will it ever match the other divisions in terms of numbers?
“It’s a new event.” replied Joanie.
“The calendar’s crowded,” she pointed out, noting the European Championships were in August and the Pau, France, 5-star was the weekend after Maryland, while Burghley was only six weeks earlier.
“Bringing a horse to a 5-star, you don’t necessarily with most horses get that many chances to do it. I think people want to believe it’s a known entity before they do it. Now people really trust the footing; the standard of the cross-country is up from last year.”
She added “We’d like to have twice as many 5-star horses. But the reality is, if you look at numbers from some other 5- stars, there are only so many 5-star horses to go around. They can only do two a year at the most.”
But on the plus side at Maryland, in terms of the entries, “the quality is really good.”
Cross-country pathfinder Austin O’Connor and Colorado Blue went on to win the 5-star. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
When she worked for the U.S. Equestrian Federation seven years ago, Joanie ran the bid process that awarded the competition to Fair Hill, although she wasn’t a voting member of the committee that made the decision.
Even so, she said, “it feels like it’s come a little bit full circle for me to be involved. It’s nice to see it come to reality.”
(To read all our stories from the MARS Maryland event, go to the masthead and click on “previous columns” to see five more.)
