by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 30, 2023
It’s been five years since show jumper Kevin Babington suffered a catastrophic fall in a grand prix, but his friends haven’t forgotten the paralyzed Olympian.
On October 1, they will hold what has become an annual benefit horse show, a fixture that debuted a few weeks after his 2019 accident. Not only did Kevin’s life change the instant he hit the ground, but it also upended the lives of his wife, Dianna, and the couple’s teenage daughters, Gwyneth and Marielle.
“Kevin was the primary breadwinner,” explained Dianna, who immediately had to step up with her girls to fill the gap in their business, care for her husband and learn about a host of medical issues and how to handle them.
Dianna Babington at the 2020 benefit show at Duncraven. (Photo © 2020 by Nancy Jaffer)
In a different existence that suddenly was filled with doctors, hospitals and an immobilized husband, the mission is always the same.
“It’s been a nightmare. We’re trying to survive,” she said.
“I feel like this accident derailed everybody. It’s been tough. It’s very hard for us to make ends meet,” she observed, noting insurance does not cover everything needed, so the benefit show “kind of closed the gap for us.”
Kevin suffered a contusion to the spinal cord as a result of hyperextending his neck in the fall. The vertebrae hit the spinal cord, causing damage; it was a stretch and concussion injury from vertebra C3 to C5, which involves the diaphragm and mobility.
Friends recognized the immediate need for funds after Kevin’s accident, and went about setting up the show on short notice.
“It was sort of an emergency, we needed to do something for Kevin, he had just gotten hurt. Then we said, `We might have to do it again next year,’ and here we are. This is year five,” said Nancy Wallis, who course designs and co-manages the benefit with Jennifer Cassidy.
It is held at Duncraven in Titusville, N.J., a stable where Kevin once ran his business. When the Stout family took over Duncraven and refurbished it last year, they offered the venue free of charge for the show, as previous owner Tim Fedor had done.
Kevin is special, which explains why he hasn’t been forgotten, even though he’s no longer competing.
“You know people in your lifetime and you think they’re great and it goes on,” said Nancy.
“But once this happened to Kevin, we found out how many people he had touched.”
She described his kindness, noting, “He would always help, walk the course with you, or say, `Watch this turn from fence 6 to 7, it’s a little tight.’ He was so generous with his information and knowledge. He wasn’t trying to make anything off it, it was just genuine help.”
And now people are returning the favor.
Everything for the benefit is donated; the labor of the organizers, officials and volunteers, as well as raffle items, so the show has no costs that would cut down on the money raised.
“The only check we write is to the medic,” noted Nancy.
Kevin has never lost hope that some new development will give him a better quality of life and he keeps working at physical therapy. He’s game to participate in clinical trials and appreciates it when friends let him know about possible new treatments. Olympic gold medalist Rodrigo Pessoa, for instance, recently called one new study in Lucerne, Switzerland, to his attention.
“There’s a lot in the works. I put my name in for all those things, to see if I can get into one of the studies,” said Kevin.
“I definitely have some hope.”
But following what Marielle, now 17, and Gwyneth, 20, achieve in the sport, “that’s the thing that keeps me going.”
Kevin watches the riders in his ring in Loxahatchee, Fla., from his wheelchair on the back porch of his home. Understandably, he’s proud of the efforts of his wife and daughters, calling the girls “really good teachers” in what has become “a family business.”
He does a lot of mentoring, and Dianna noted he “still has a great eye. There’s a place for him in the industry.”
When Kevin is needed for consultations, he goes down to the barn to lend expertise, and is active on Facetime for those seeking his opinion. In the past, the native of Ireland has helped with selection of the Irish team for the Olympics. Kevin, who tied for fourth in the 2004 Olympics, continues to watch the Nations Cups via the internet to stay current.
Kevin jumping at Hickstead.
When the horse shows are going on in Wellington, a few minutes from Loxahatchee, he can often be found at ringside, helping his girls and offering advice to anyone who needs it, along with a friendly chat.
As Nancy noted, “he never mentions himself. It’s always, `What are you doing, what horse shows have you been to, where are you going next?’ He’s a forward thinker, for sure.”
Paralyzed from mid-chest down, he has had some subtle improvements in terms of what he can feel here and there on his body, but none are “life-changing improvements,” as his wife put it.
While his right arm has gotten stronger and he can bring it up almost up to his nose, his fingers are not strong enough to hold a fork, which would enable him to feed himself.
Kevin at the 2004 Olympics, where he tied for fourth. (Photo © 2004 by Nancy Jaffer)
Still, she said, “there have been some blessings.”
He can laugh, even in the midst of chronic pain; he can clear his throat a little bit and his voice is stronger than it used to be.
“I never hear him complain,” Diana mentioned, “He hasn’t given up.”
The couple knows that medical science is always making strides.
“I’m hopeful something will break at some point. I hope it’s during his lifetime,” Dianna said.
Meanwhile, Kevin is grateful for the benefit show, and those who are putting it on.
“For the local people to come out and still support is just incredible, and even for the new owners of Duncraven to step up and offer their place is just wonderful. I miss that area.”
“The horse community is amazing,” he added.
Dianna mentioned $30,000 was raised by last year’s show. That’s a remarkable amount, considering the show was practically rained out and only ran some classes in the indoor ring as the monsoon came down outside it. Extending a raffle through the next weekend helped bring in more contributions.
Kevin has always had enthusiastic fans.
This year, fundraising strategies include bareback “Ride a buck” classes.
“Kevin was a big bareback rider,” Nancy pointed out.
Kids who participate will put $5 under their knee. The last one to keep the bill in place will be the winner and enjoy a 50/50 split, with Kevin’s trust keeping half the money and the winner keeping half (unless they want to donate it). The adults will ride with $10 bills under their knees.
The third jumper class of each division is a 50/50 stakes class. Entry fees go in the pot, with half to the winner.
Volunteers are needed who can help set up for the show, as well as working the day it runs. They should contact Nancy at (908) 256-3386. Donation of raffle items also is being sought. Julie Koveloski is in charge of that at (609) 439-8983 or email jroslowski@yahoo.com. Items raffled in the past have included gift cards, mini-jumps (for kids), air vests and photo sessions, but there are always gift baskets and a variety of offerings.
People who can’t make it to the show but want to donate may give to the Kevin Babington Trust, which goes directly to him for a variety of crushing expenses that never stop cropping up. Checks may be sent to Kevin at 13254 Casey Road, Loxahatchee, Fla. 33470.
Those looking for a tax deduction with their contribution can donate to the Kevin Babington Foundation, a 501(c)3 which provides support not only to Kevin, but also to other show jumpers who have suffered spinal injuries. It helps pay for aides, which enables Dianna and the girls to keep working. Its mission for those seeking help also includes outfitting vehicles for transportation and remodeling to make homes suitable for the disabled, but does not contribute toward daily expenses.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 15, 2023
We were lucky, those of us who experienced the excitement of Thursday night at the National Horse Show in its heyday at New York City’s Madison Square Garden.
The hot ticket was the Puissance (even more than the closing day’s grand prix), and the arena was filled from the box seats to the rafters with fans who would cheer each horse’s attempt to clear the giant wall in the center of the ring. Every time the wall grew higher, spectators held their breath, letting out a sympathetic moan when the top-most blocks fell, or conversely, roaring in support of the entries who cleared the imposing obstacle, until only one was left as the winner.
I’m talking decades ago here, and the Puissance (which means power) has been an endangered species for a while. As of this year, however, it apparently will be extinct in the Western Hemisphere, since the Washington D.C. International has decided to drop it.
While several shows abroad, including Dublin and the London International, still offer the Puissance, those in the U.S. have found it more and more difficult to fill the class, even though it can run with a small number of entries because it goes for several rounds.
“It is a specialized class. You need a specific horse for. It’s hard to carry a horse for one class,” explained Todd Minikus, a regular competitor in the Puissance at Washington.
Todd Minikus over Washington’s great wall on Vougeot de Septon. (Photo © by Lawrence J. Nagy)
“It’s certainly disappointing to see some of the tradition of some of the horse shows go by the wayside,” he commented, pointing out this isn’t the first time that has happened. He mentioned the Nations Cup competitions that were a staple of the North American Fall Indoor Circuit until they vanished near the end of the 20th Century.
“I guess there’s an evolution in everything. Changing times,” he observed.
“The Puissance seems to be a dying breed,” agreed Will Simpson, who set several high jump records; with Jolly Good (7-9 outdoors in 1985) and The Roofer (7-5 outdoors in 1976).
It wasn’t a puissance wall, but setting a high jump record outdoors at 7-5 with The Roofer showed Will Simpson could tackle heights. (Photo by Dougphoto)
“For a special horse, it’s an amazing class,” he said, but warned, “you shouldn’t just take any old random horse in there.”
His current mount, Chacco P, would be good at jumping the wall, he believes.
“Maybe I could go to Dublin,” Will mused.
Anne Poulson, Washington’s board chairman, explained why the Puissance is being discontinued, saying, “We’re trying to evolve with the type of classes people want.”
Since the Puissance is such an important part of the show’s history, however, tribute will be paid to it at this year’s edition in October at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Maryland.
“We’re going to have a nice ceremony and retire the wall. We’re thinking about putting the wall somewhere where people can have their pictures taken with it,” Anne commented.
The show also will recognize the contributions of the late Donald Tober and his wife, Barbara, who owned Sweet ‘n Low. That was the horse Anthony D’Ambrosio rode to a record 7-foot, 7 and 1/2 inch Puissance victory at Washington in 1983 (a decade after he set a 7-foot, 4-inch record at the National Horse Show in Madison Square Garden on Sympatico.) .
Anthony D’Ambrosio and Sweet ‘n Low setting the record at Washington. (Photo by E.B. Howe)
“You have to be cognizant of reading the tea leaves,” said Anne, noting “social license” in terms of what the public will accept in the way horses are used is a prominent consideration these days when deciding what to offer at a show.
“The riders’ safety and horse safety is so pre-eminent in everyone’s thinking,” observed Anthony.
In regard to the Puissance, Washington “hung on as long as they could, but let’s face it, they weren’t getting support from the riders,” Anthony said.
“It is, I guess, a relatively extreme sport and there isn’t a big appetite for that. It used to be something the riders wanted to do, to prove themselves in that capacity. We had top riders in the Puissance, even with their grand prix horses. But this is modern times. Take a look at the prize money offered in the Puissance compared to the money that is offered in grands prix, for instance.”
No one was arguing that Washington needed to keep the Puissance at this point.
“I think it’s time,” said McLain Ward, a Puissance winner at Washington multiple times.
“I think it’s not a well-received competition anymore. It’s not what the challenge of the sport is today.
“We’ve evolved into a more fine-tuned, finesse and tactical sport, not just pure power and strength. I think that’s a natural evolution. It was a great class in its moment, great memories.”
He added, “if you don’t move forward and where the sport’s going, you get left behind.”
McLain Ward and ZZ Top over the Washington wall. (Photo© by Lawrence J. Nagy)
McLain noted, “anything that is perceived as being against the horse’s welfare is bad. At the same time, I think we have to find balance and expertise in horse care and horse management. The horse’s relevance in the world is only through sport now. Sport is very important for the well-being and care of the horses. We have great sport in other style competitions that are just as challenging, albeit in a slightly different way.”
Washington International President Vicki Lowell commented, “I am sad about saying good-bye to the Puissance, but we must continue to evolve and do what is best for the horses and the sport.
“We will give it a wonderful send-off and will keep making sure we bring entertaining and `Wow’ exhibitions and sport to the forefront.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 11, 2023
Daniel Bluman couldn’t have cut it any closer.
A heartbeat. An instant. Little more than a 10th of a second was all that separated the winner of the 4-star HITS $300,000 Grand Prix from runner-up McLain Ward in a hold-your-breath jump-off on Sunday.
Daniel and 12-year-old Gemma W., a mare he has ridden since she was five, had the benefit of going last in a six-horse tie-breaker, culled from a starting field of 41 in Saugerties, N.Y.
Daniel Bluman and Gemma W at HITS. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
“It’s always an advantage to have the pole position, as we call it,” said Daniel, who rides for Israel internationally.
“You get to see what everyone does. I knew exactly what I had to do in order to win.”
McLain, the U.S. gold medal Olympian who is the number six-ranked show jumper in the world, had just set a flying pace of 40.16 seconds over the shortened eight-fence route with Contagious, whose heart and speed never disappoint.
Daniel, world-ranked number 19, finalized a plan as he stood at the ingate and watched McLain go. The jump-off course started out with a left turn by the statue of Liberty jump before a vertical in the middle of the ring, and that was to Daniel’s advantage, since as he said, “I know my horse off the left has a very quick lead, so I get a little bit from McLain there.
“Where I thought he left the door a little bit open was to the last jump,” said Daniel, referring to the turn from a vertical on the rail to a the red, white and blue Great American Insurance Group oxer near the middle of the arena.
“I thought he was a little bit out,” at that point, Daniel said, referring to McLain’s path, so he made a tighter turn with his Dutchbred mare, and that did the trick in 40.02 seconds, a mere 0.14 seconds faster, but it was just enough to claim the $99,000 first prize.
This is the kind of grin you grin when you’re Daniel Bluman and you know you beat the clock. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
It was the second grand prix win this month for Daniel, who topped the 5-star $425,000 grand prix at the Hampton Classic on Labor Day weekend with Ladriano Z, the third time he had won that competition. He noted that both his horses are “proven winners, so I know that any given day, I have a shot.”
This was the first show back for Contagious, a 14-year-old Zweibrucker German gelding, who had time off after a freak injury–he hurt himself when he fell down on his way to the stable on the Aachen, Germany, show’s opening day in June. He definitely is back in form, and may be part of the team for this autumn’s Pan American Games, as the U.S. tries to qualify for the Paris Olympics next year.
When judging his prospects for the HITS class, McLain took note of Daniel’s prime position in the jumping order.
“I knew Daniel was behind me, he’d beaten me with this horse a couple of times. I know it’s a very fast horse, I know he’s going to be very ambitious to win. I really didn’t have any option but to lay down a very good round,” McLain said.
McLain Ward makes a strong turn as he starts the jump-off on Contagious. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
“I felt if I had a fast four, I was going to be up near the top of the results either way. My horse runs a little bit to the right on the left lead and so when I jumped the second to last, he leaked out a little and I didn’t pick up on the first distance. I also knew I had left a little room there.”
But he was thrilled with Contagious, noting “he performed great.”
Third place went to a rider from the next generation, 17-year-old Zayna Rizvi on Exquise du Pachis, clocked for a clean round in 41.27 seconds. It’s interesting to see a teen up against Olympic veterans such as 47-year-old McLain and 33-year-old Daniel, but that’s not a novelty for Zayna.
As she said on a similar occasion, “It’s awesome to compete against all these professionals. It’s a great experience for me and I learn so much from it.”
Zayna Rizvi and Exquise du Pachis. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
McLain called her “a super-competitive rider,” but noted the age difference among the top placing riders is not unusual.
“We’re seeing young people up at the top of the ranks every week.”
The time allowed of 86 seconds for the first round was really tight, and 15 starters had time faults, while six retired or were eliminated.
“I thought it was a good and challenging course,” said McLain of the route designed by Oscar Soberon.
“I thought the standard of the course and the challenge of the course matched the prize money.”
It really was an impressive effort by Oscar, someone I met for the first time at this show.
“What I really enjoyed seeing was a mix between seasoned riders and up-and-coming riders. That shows it’s rideable, it’s jumpable, there were faults everywhere, which I think was good,” Oscar said, meaning there was no “bogey” fence in the Douglas Elliman Arena.
McLain Ward, Daniel Bluman and course designer Oscar Soberon. (Photo © 2023 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
While he agreed the time allowed was “a little snug,” he pointed out “in this ring and this footing, the horses really gallop super fast. There were many places to gallop and make up for time. ”
While he called time “a factor, I don’t think it was too tight, but definitely a challenge.”
The change at the showgrounds since my previous visit to HITS Saugerties last year is amazing, from the footing to the landscaping and the bathrooms.
HITS was started by Tom Struzzieri, but now the Saugerties facility, like four other HITS venues around the country, is owned by private equity firm Traub Capital Partners, a New York-based strategic private equity firm that is investing heavily in its properties.
As Daniel referenced, “It’s a world class ring with world class jumps, a beautiful warm-up area. I think it’s a fantastic venue. I’m very impressed.”
The grand prix ended the facility’s big show jumping competitions for the year, while marking the end of phase one of improvements.
“For the new HITS, we’re so excited to be building a facility that really caters to the top show jumpers and every client who’s ever been part of the HITS family” as Joey Norick, HITS’ chief customer officer, put it.
Phase 2, which starts in October, is the next stage in a multi-year plan involving “anything we can do to create a great environment for our clients and their horses. We’re aiming to make this one of the nicest facilities in North America,” Joey said.
The exhibitors’ lounge at HITS Saugerties. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
jumper and hunter rings already have been improved, and other rings will also be redone, while the parking lot will become a jumper ring and parking will be improved in another location on the grounds.
Another innovation is the exhibitors’ lounge, where riders, owners and their families can take advantage of covered seating and free food.
“We look to give back to the exhibitors and really appreciate them being part of our horse show series,” explained Joey.
“It’s always exhibitors first,” he said, while noting shade has been provided around the property and chairs are everywhere, so spectators have a place to sit.
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 10, 2023
It was game, set and match for defending titleist Jessica von Bredow-Werndl at the FEI European Dressage Championships on Sunday, as the 2021 Olympic gold medalist and the impeccable TSF Dalera BB won the Grand Prix Freestyle in Riesenbeck, Germany.
Her 92.818 percent performance, nearly foot-perfect except for a bobble in the one-tempis, outstripped her previous personal best of 91.732 for the musical ride. She collected two marks of 99 percent-plus for the artistic aspect of her performance, and bouquets of 10’s for her final flowing piaffe and passage tour.
Although the German collected three gold medals during the championships, she had to withstand a long-anticipated challenge in the final phase from World Champion Lottie Fry of Great Britain on Glamourdale.
These Championships had been touted as the first head-to-head encounter between a dark bay mare best known for her flawless piaffe and passage and a bold black stallion whose extravagant reach is showcased in the extended canter and tempi-changes. The two are a study in contrasts, but each is wonderful in their own way, demonstrating the appeal of dressage across the spectrum.
Dalera finished ahead of Glamourdale in both the Grand Prix and Friday’s Special–where Lottie didn’t make it to the podium–but their final encounter brought all the delight and suspense promised at the prospect of their first meeting.
And this time, it was oh-so-close, a real counterpoint with Dalera’s French music summoning thoughts of the 2024 Paris Olympics, while Glamourdale performed to a British medley that included the Beatles (of course), Phil Collins and Eric Clapton.
Lottie Fry and Glamourdale. (Photo courtesy FEI)
The Dutchbred stallion was marked at 92.379 percent, a hair’s breadth less than his rival. Despite just missing the gold, Lottie was overjoyed.
“He felt amazing today, He was just loving it so much and I finally felt like we were back on track today – everything was coming together,” she said.
The rest day on Saturday did wonders for Glammy, who felt a bit tired in the Special, according to Lottie.
In contrast, the Freestyle, she reported, “just went so, so well and I couldn’t be more proud of him. It’s really special because the first time I rode that test was Herning (the 2022 world championships) and now we’re still only on our fourth or fifth ride ever, so still, when the music starts, everyone feels it and it’s just incredible to ride to. He loves the clapping and it just reminds him that there’s lots of people watching him.”
With all her victories, one could easily suppose that Jessica might be a little jaded by constant success, but that is far from the case.
FEI Dressage European Championship Riesenbeck 2023
Jessica von Bredow Werndl (GER) riding TSF Dalera BB European Champion in the Grand Prix Freestyle at the FEI Dressage European Championship Riesenbeck 2023
Copyright �FEI/Leanjo de Koster
“It’s very special. This never becomes normal,” she explained, and of course, the fact that it happened in her home country added to the glitter.
“I’m just so grateful to have such a wonderful dancing horse with me,” she said of Dalera, a Trakehner who missed the World Championships because her rider was pregnant.
Jessica spends a great deal of time on the ground with the mare, attention that is reflected in their loving partnership.
But Jessica also was quick to mention, “It’s not my success. It’s the whole team,” she said, offering her gratitude to Dalera’s owner Beatrice Buerchler-Keller, and her groom, Franziska Leonhardt.
The European Championships were a roaring success for Britain, which took team gold (the first time a country other than Germany had done that in such a major meet in that nation). Charlotte Dujardin on a 10-year-old horse, Imhotep, earned individual bronze in the Special just six months after having a baby, and she picked up another bronze in the freestyle with a new routine.
How new? Sunday was the first time she’d ridden it all the way through.
Charlotte Dujardin waves to the crowd as she rides to get her freestyle medal. (British Equestrian/Jon Stroud Media)
Charlotte was awarded an amazing 97.400 percent artistic mark for the magic she and Pete (as Imhotep is known) were able to conjure to the theme from the movie “Madagascar.”
Her total score was 91.396, not very far off from the gold and silver. Touches such as a piaffe fan with a change of direction at the end of the performance on the precocious Dutchbred gave her a boost.
After Aachen, she knew it was time for something new instead of borrowing the music from Valegro, her now-retired multi-gold medal mount.
Working with Tom Hunt, she had about three weeks to make a floor plan and get music.
“Coming into today, it was very, very exciting,” said Charlotte of the race for the medals.
“No one really knew who was going to be where, what order – it was quite interesting reading social media, because they were guessing and I just had a laugh. I think you can never say until you’ve been in there and you’ve done the job.”
The medalists were the only ones among the 18 competitors to score more than 90 percent. Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg-Merrald, the silver medalist from the Special, wound up fourth with 89.546 percent on Blue Hors Zepter. Right behind her was German star Isabell Werth, who went earlier in the order than the eventual medalists, throwing down the gauntlet on DSP Quantaz with a test whose intricacy was reflected in an artistic mark of 95.800. Her total of 88.407 was good enough for fifth.
British dressage mastermind Carl Hester hasn’t had much saddle time with Fame, but that didn’t deter him from riding his first freestyle on the sleek horse at the European Championships, of all places.
The floorplan created for Carl’s Tokyo 2020 and European Championship 2021 medalist En Vogue, starts with a very high degree of difficulty – passage immediately out of the opening halt, into a piaffe pirouette, then back into passage before moving into canter pirouettes.
Although Fame broke into canter on the line of extended trot, Carl was quick to correct him and they progressed well into their final passage zig-zag and halt. While they wouldn’t be challenging for a podium placing with their final score of 85.461 percent, right behind Sweden’s Dante Weltino Old and Therese Nilshagen on 86.132 percent, it was still an impressive effort.
“I’ve just been thinking all year about the Grand Prix and the Special – this is what’s kept him calm,” explained Carl after their test.
“I can’t believe he was that good today because I’ve never done that, and it’s just great. I knew that by the end of the week he would be even better and on my side so, that’s why I went for it.”
Click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 8, 2023
So much for the widely touted head-to-head match-up between British World Dressage Champion Lottie Fry on Glamourdale and Olympic (as well as defending European) Champion Jessica von Bredow-Werndl of Germany with TSF Dalera BB.
Jessica came out on top guiding the mare, with a personal best of 85.593 percent Friday in the Grand Prix Special at the FEI European Championships in Riesenbeck, Germany. But Lottie finished off the podium, a disappointing fourth with a score of 81.763 despite her stallion’s performance having many highlights.
In a quiet moment before the medals were presented, it was possible to get a glimpse of the special rapport Jessica von Bredow-Werndl has with Dalera.
The real matchup turned out to be with Denmark’s Nanna Skodborg-Merrill on Blue Hors Zepter with 82.796, finishing right behind Jessica, as she did earlier this year at the FEI World Cup Finals in Omaha. Interestingly, Nanna had ridden Zepter’s sire, Blue Hors Zach, in competition as well.
She noted she could feel the effect of “some big mistakes” from Thursday’s Grand Prix, in which she finished fourth on 78.556 percent.
Nana explained, “He’s so sensitive, you can feel that the next couple of days.”
During the Special, “It was important for me to go for it in the exercises where I could go for it and also to keep him calm and keep him confident with me.”
As for the freestyIe Sunday, she admitted, “I haven’t put a lot of thought in it yet but I’ll show a brand new freestyle so I’m very excited to show that.”
And then there was the surprise of these championships, Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin on the 10-year-old Imhotep, the least experienced horse in the top group, but not showing his lack of mileage with 82.583 percent for a test sprinkled with a few 10s that demonstrated beautiful harmony, control and precision.
“I feel like there’s heaps more to come,” said Charlotte, who had a baby six months ago and initially wasn’t even expecting to be at the championships.
Always the team player, she noted how special it was that three British riders scored over 80 percent in the Special after the nation took team gold Thursday to outpace Germany on its home territory, with Denmark in bronze.
Carl Hester, Charlotte’s mentor, was fifth aboard Fame–with whom he just started competing this year–on 80.106. So watch out for the British at the Paris Olympics next year, where teams will be limited to three riders.
Carl was all smiles, noting his horse “felt easy, he felt relaxed. I’ve never had him so relaxed. It was like he grew up at this show. I just had a lovely ride.”
Lottie, who spent the night before the Special doing “not much sleeping and a lot of thinking,” had a blip in the one-tempis but got marks of 10 in her two-tempis.The changes and extensions are hallmarks of Glamourdale, who has an extravagant reach that strikes awe in the extended canter.
Lottie Fry and the glamorous Glamourdale. (Photo British Equestrian/Jon Stroud Media)
She said of her mount, “He felt really good in there, much better than yesterday, much more concentrated.”
“To be honest, everything felt really good,” Lottie added.
While that “wasn’t reflected in the marks,” Glamourdale’s rider observed, “I couldn’t fault him.”
As in the Grand Prix on Thursday, Jessica had a rather slow start with Dalera, who stepped back in the initial halt, getting a mark of 6.5. But she moved on from there with the mare’s usual rhythm, exhibiting classical form in her piaffe and passage, her strongest suits.
The medalists: Nana Skodborg-Merrill, silver; Jessica von Bredow-Werndl, gold and Charlotte Dujardin, bronze.
Lottie and Jessica (along with 18 other entries) will meet again Sunday in the championships’ finale, the freestyle.
It’s no longer a two-horse contest; as the Special proved, there are more than two contenders who will be going for the gold. For those who are betting, past performance gives the edge to Jessica, who missed the 2022 World Championships due to pregnancy. If she wins, it will be Germany’s 48th European Championships gold medal over the decades since that competition debuted.
As a player for the home team, Jessica gets a lift from the crowd, and Dalera enjoyed the same.
“Dalera felt so powerful and so focused today. It was just a pleasure to ride her,” said Jessica, who enjoyed the fans’ reaction.
“You really feel it and hear it,” she said.
“Afterward, they went crazy and this is an amazing feeling.”
The fourth member of the British team, Gareth Hughes, also had an amazing feeling with a different orientation. He finished 14th, on a respectable 74.651 percent and with only three riders from each country allowed to compete in the freestyle, he won’t be participating on the last day. But no matter, he was overjoyed with how things went in the first two days of competition. He’s all about sportsmanship.
Gareth Hughes and Classic Briolinca. (Photo British Equestrian)
“I’m very very happy. Do you know what? This is her third or fourth championship and at each one, she gives everything she’s got. She’s 17 years of age now, and goes in there and performs – she’s a true, true professional, she’s beautiful and she tries her heart out. What more could a rider want?” Gareth asked.
“She was brilliant. It’s like a cauldron in there – you go in and there’s no air. But she was really, really focused and she tried her heart out. I think it’s one of the best tests she’s done and that’s all you can do as a rider, go in there and ride the best test that you can.
Reflecting on the team gold medal, Gareth said: “If I retired now, I’d be happy. I’m very lucky because I’ve got a medal of every color now. When you’re young and you’re wanting to do this, you have ambitions. My ambition when I was young was to ride dressage, then my second ambition was to ride in tails, then it was to ride a Grand Prix, then if I was ever good enough, it was to ride on a team.
“To be part of this team, that’s really something special. It’s a medal- winning team and to get on the team is so hard every year, and to come away with a gold at the Europeans in Germany? These are things I read about as a kid – you never believed it would happen – so it’s a fairytale,” he said.
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by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 24, 2023
Aachen, which in 2006 produced the most successful of the FEI World Equestrian Games™, has put in a bid to host every world championship but endurance in 2026.
Just as it does with its annual show, the German venue wants to present Jumping, Dressage Para-Dressage, Eventing, Four-in-Hand Driving and Vaulting.
Aachen offered a dramatic setting at its 2006 WEG.( Photo © 2006 by Nancy Jaffer)
The only other bidders for 2026 world championships are Burghley in Great Britain and the Netherlands’ Boekelo, both of which want only Eventing. Al Ula, Saudi Arabia and Samorin, Slovakia, are asking for Endurance.
The decision will be made in November at the FEI’s general assembly in Mexico City.
After three decades of the WEG, which began in 1990 and ran every four years through 2018, the FEI began accepting single and multiple World Championship bids, as opposed to seeking a WEG. Putting on a WEG is enormously expensive, so having just a few related competitions was the way to go for the 2022 world championships.
Herning, Denmark held Jumping, Dressage, Para Dressage, and Vaulting, while Eventing and Driving were at Pratoni Del Vivaro, Italy, which also hosted those disciplines during the 1998 WEG based in Rome.
“We are very pleased with the variety of bids we have received,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.
“Following the outstanding FEI World Championships 2022 organized in Denmark, Italy and the UAE (which ran the endurance), we are confident this flexible approach with single and multiple bids serves not only the sport, but also the fans and the development of equestrian around the world, allowing different nations and venues to bid to host a major FEI event.”
The FEI World Championships 2026 in Jumping, Dressage, Para Dressage and Eventing will be the first qualifying events for the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic and Paralympic Games.
The inaugural FEI World Equestrian Games™ were held in Stockholm with the 1912 Olympic stadium as the main venue. On the initiative of the then-FEI President HRH Prince Philip, the World Championships in all the FEI disciplines were held in the same city from July 14 to August 5, 1990. Given the smooth organization and success of these Games, what should have been a one-off event, was extended and seven more editions took place in the Hague (Netherlands) in 1994, Rome in 1998, Jerez de la Frontera Spain, in 2002, Aachen in 2006, Lexington, Ky., in 2010, Normandy, France, in 2014, and Tryon, N.C. in 2018.
The opening ceremonies of the 2006 FEI Aachen World Equestrian Games were memorable. (Photo © 2006 by Nancy Jaffer)
Dressage is the FEI discipline with the longest tradition of championships. A Grand Prix de Dressage, organized in Lucerne, Switzerland, in 1927, drew 12 riders representing five nations.
Official FEI Dressage Championships were organized on all non-Olympic years between 1930 and 1939 in Switzerland, France, Austria, Hungary, Germany, and Great Britain. The last such event took place in August 1939, days before the outbreak of World War II.
The FEI tried to revive the event after the war with limited success. Participation gradually improved and European Championships were organized in 1963, which led to the first FEI Dressage World Championship held in Bern, Switzerland, three years later.
The first Para-Dressage Championship, which took place under the leadership of the FEI, was held in July 2007, only a year after Para Equestrian came under the FEI umbrella. The event enjoyed a truly international representation gathering 133 athletes from 35 nations. Since 2010, FEI Dressage and Para Dressage Championships are being held concurrently.
The first FEI Jumping World Championship was in June 1953 at the Parc des Princes stadium in Paris. The event was drastically different from its modern equivalent, as only 19 athletes from 11 countries, including Yugoslavia, Cambodia and the USA, competed. No women took part, since female riders would not be able to enter jumping competitions until 1956.
The first FEI Eventing World Championship was in 1966, the same year as the first FEI Dressage World Championship, at the estate of Lord Burghley in Great Britain. The championship included 39 athletes representing five nations: Argentina, Great Britain, Ireland, USA and the USSR.
The previous year, the FEI had established the configuration according to which World Championships in the Olympic discipline of Jumping were held every four years in the non-Olympic even years and continental championships were organized in the odd years. This pattern is still in use today for all the FEI Olympic and Paralympic disciplines.
The first edition of the FEI Driving World Championship for Four-in-Hands was held in 1972 in Münster, Germany, two years after Driving had become an FEI discipline.
Endurance became an FEI discipline in 1982, one year before Vaulting. The championship histories of these two non-Olympic disciplines have run parallel from the start with World Championships organized every other year on even years.
In 1983, one year after Driving, Vaulting also joined the FEI. In 1984 the first FEI Vaulting European Championship was followed by another European edition in 1985. This second European edition was open to the rest of the world. A strong showing from the USA convinced the FEI the time had come for a World Championship. The first FEI Vaulting World Championship took place in in the Swiss town of Bulle in 1986.
