by Nancy Jaffer | Oct 1, 2023
The race to Riyadh is on.
Benjamen Ebeling took the 2023-24 season’s first U.S. FEI World Cup Finals qualifier with a decisive victory during Dressage at Devon on Indeed.
The Danish warmblood added an exclamation point to her name on Saturday night with a beautifully calibrated performance that underlined her star quality.
The energy of the crowd that filled the boxes and seats around the Dixon Oval for the six-day show’s feature could be intimidating or encouraging, depending on a horse’s mood under the lights, but Indeed definitely was up for it.
“We can really rely on her experience to come through in big environments like this,” said Ben.
The crowd is one of the things that makes the Dressage at Devon freestyle so special, as Ben Ebeling learned first-hand on Indeed. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
“This is the first step in qualifying for the World Cup. She really pulled through for me tonight. We’re one step closer.”
Ben came to the show from Europe, where he has been training with Germany’s Christoph Koschel. It was a stop on his way to Florida, where he will compete in more freestyles during his quest for a place next spring in the first Cup final to be held in the Middle East.
His score of 77.325 percent was a freestyle personal best for him with the 15-year-old mare by Hofrat, a sleek beauty he has been riding for two years.
Earning four marks over 9 for his carefully crafted test’s degree of difficulty made a big contribution to his definitive victory. Runner-up Tanya Strosser-Shostak of Canada executed a smooth presentation on Fidelis Tyme to earn a personal best of 74.280 percent,
Hope Cooper, who also trains with Christoph, was close behind on 74.115 percent with the 17-year-old stallion Flynn PCH. They put up consistent 7’s across the board that drew in the crowd, which really got into her lively music.
Ben Ebeling knew he had nailed it with Indeed after his ride in the Dixon Oval. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
If the 24-year-old winner’s last name sounds familiar, it’s because he is the son of California trainer Jan Ebeling.
Although it was Ben’s first time competing at Devon, it’s not his first visit to the venue.
“I came here years ago with my dad and watched him show his Olympic mount, Rafalca, here,” said Ben.
“I remember it now, 15 years later. This was just so special to come back. It was a trip down memory lane. I got to be in the shoes of my hero, my dad.”
Although his father couldn’t be on hand for the class, he was present via Facetime to offer encouragement.
Ben’s preparation for Indeed included a hands-on half-hour of currying and massaging.
“I hoped it was enough,” chuckled Ben. And Indeed was indeed ready for her music, which included Beyonce and Gwen Stefani.
“It’s all female diva roles, which would suit her perfectly,” he said of the tunes for the mare, owned by Vantage Equestrian Group.
“I feel spending time with them in the stable before the ride continues to develop a partnership,” said Ben.
“I want to not just shake hands with her and get on, I want to be in the know about her and have a deep conversation.”
That approach can also mean he sings and dances in the stall.
“I spent a lot of time with this horse, trying and failing. You know, failing is part of the journey to get to success.”
And there will be more success with this horse in the future. Her next stop is the World Cup qualifier at TerraNova in Sarasota, Fla. When I asked if he’s also looking ahead to an Olympic start, following his father’s lead, Ben replied, “Everything’s on the table, knock on wood.”
Yvonne Losos de Muñiz of the Dominican Republic, who won the qualifier for the freestyle with Aquamarijn, lost her chance to claim the big prize when her horse trotted into the arena, then broke into the canter almost immediately, earning her marks of 3 and 4. She finished sixth on 72.195 percent.
Tanya understandably couldn’t stop smiling as she considered how well she had done with her 13-year-old Oldenburg in only their second freestyle competition in their first season at Grand Prix.
“I’m over the moon. It was quite daunting when I saw everybody. I said, `Ooh, I think I put a tall order on for him,’ but he really rose to the occasion.”
Canadian Tanya Strasser-Shostak put in a personal best with Fidelis Tyme to finish second at Devon. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
He got 8’s for his pirouette and 8.3’s across the board for the degree of difficulty and calculated risks.
The music, which had been recorded with a live orchestra, was by legendary Dutch composer Cees Sling. Tanya’s mother, Evi Strasser, had used it in the 2007 World Cup Finals with her Quantum Tyme. When that horse retired, the music got put on the shelf.
“It’s always been a piece that we love. I wasn’t sure what I was going to do with him.” She rode him to it once and it fit.
“It really feels like a full-circle moment to have the opportunity to have that music and ride it with this horse,” mused Tanya.
She won her last freestyle in the final Pan American Games qualifier at Bromont, but Tanya noted this time, “I’m about four percent higher.”
Watching the ribbon presentation from the ingate, Evi Strasser called the music used by her daughter, “a very, very high-end freestyle. But I never could use it because none of the horses were going like this.”
Evi, who finished seventh herelf in the freestyle with 71.675 percent on Disney Tyme, won the Grand Prix Special earlier in the day with Déjà Vu Tyme.
Grand Prix Special winner Evi Strasser and Déjà Vu Tyme. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
For Hope, Devon was her first venture into the freestyle with the Hanoverian by Falsterbo 11.
The music, from Beyonce’s Coachella album, was raucous and got the crowd going. Flynn’s four white legs made it easy to follow his metronome piaffe, and he really got into his soundtrack.
The 26-year-old rider has only been working with the stallion for 18 months.
“He’s going really well,” she said, then added, “we’ve had some ups and downs.” You never know, I was just hoping he’d feel good. The scores and the placing were the cherry on top.”
Hope had been part of the NorCordia Master Class on Thursday night with Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour, so her trip to Devon, presented by Kingsview Partners, has been quite an experience.
Hope Cooper and Flynn PCH impressed with their dynamism. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
“This is my first time here and every second of it was really a blast. I will be back next year,” she vowed.
It was exciting to see two talented members of the USA’s next generation performing at such a high level. The future for America on the international scene looks bright.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 30, 2023
It was a night like no other in the long history of Dressage at Devon.
The usual Friday feature of the Grand Prix for Freestyle qualifier was upstaged by an exciting newcomer: the Dance-Off.
It did more than fill the gap between the afternoon and evening programs at the Heritage show outside of Philadelphia. It transformed the staid image of dressage beyond what the usual musical freestyle could do in terms of energizing the crowd.
What a great idea: having pairs of riders compete against each other to the music of—get this—a live string quartet.
The Elegance Quartet provided the soundtrack for the Dance-Off. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
A lot of the work involved for the competitors was done before the competition started, decking horses out in glitter and glitzy quarter marks, and coming up with sparkling outfits for the riders.
The judging was done on a breakdancing template of Trivium: “Body, mind and soul,” that took into account technical proficiency, choreography and harmony.
The judges were breakdancer/choreographer Nemesis, professional breakdancing event host Ivan and rider Christoph Koschel of Germany, the only one with a dressage background.
Christoph knows a good thing when he sees it, and he was excited about the Dance-Off: “I think we need more of this in future,” he declared after the first round.
The initial pairing, James Koford and Lauren Chumley, did their routine to trot music. The second pair, Catherine Haddad-Staller and Lauren Sammis, performed theirs to canter music. The final dance-off involved James and Lauren Sammis, whose no-hands one-tempis probably clinched her victory,
James Koford and Lauren Chumley all decked out for the Dance-Off. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Riding her own Daisy van Wittenstein and dressed as a breakdancer, Lauren was loving her moment of glory.
“It was so fun,” said Lauren, adding that next year, she wants to see two horses dancing in the arena at the same time.
Asked how she reacted when she first heard of the Dance-Off concept, Lauren said, “I certainly was hesitant to do it. Glitter’s not normally my thing.”
But she knew just how she wanted to present herself.
“All I did was pirouettes and one-tempis.”
She pointed out how nice it was to have the freedom of focusing on the movements her mare does best. She even did “no-hands” one-tempis for the first time in her life.
Lauren Sammis impressed with her showmanship. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
And it was good for the spectators.
“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,” Lauren said.
Anne Moss, president of Dressage at Devon, agreed.
“What a concept! And how beautifully they implemented it for the first year,” she said of the Dance-Off.
“The riders were such showmen and the horses were so beautiful. I think it was actually more beautiful than the normal musical freestyle, because there was so much more freedom so they could show the highlights of the horse without being constrained by the number of strides or details. To see Lauren do that line of ones with no hands was fantastic.”
She gave credit for the idea and its execution to D at D board member Christina Morin-Graham, who got the team together. Christina also brought in Nicole DelGiorno, who ran through the timing to insure it went off as well as it did.
The Dance-Off was followed by the 3-star Grand Prix qualifier for Saturday night’s World Cup Grand Prix Freestyle. Back to business as usual.
While winner Yvonne Losos de Muñiz of the Dominican Republic and her fiery Dutchbred mare, Aquamarijn, put in a lovely performance to earn 71.283 percent, seeing riders in their regulation dark tailcoats after the high of all the sequins and glitter in the Dance-Off took a bit of readjustment.
The Grand Prix was important to Yvonne because she is preparing for next month’s Pan American Games and a run for the 2024 Olympics.
Yvonne Losos de Muñiz and Aquamarijn won the Grand Prix for the Freestyle on a misty night. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I’m really excited,” said Yvonne, who was enjoying the show even beyond taking a blue ribbon. Her mare had been out for a year with an injury, and demonstrated that she had come back better than ever. She’s still spooky, however. Yvonne needed a lead back into the ring for the awards from Ben Ebeling, who was second on Indeed.
“I was here many years ago and I have to say, it will definitely be back on my agenda from now on,” said Yvonne.
“The atmosphere is like what we want to see in a show. I’ve got butterflies. Real show atmosphere and the audience is just amazing, the shopping, it’s great. I absolutely love it.”
Added Yvonne about her mare, “With a horse like her who is so high-spirited, she needs the atmosphere.”
It works in her favor, she explained.
“She’s 18 and feels like she’s five.”
Click here to see Grand Prix results.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 29, 2023
It’s wonderful to watch dressage at its best in the competition arena, but what does it take to actually go down centerline and put in a test worth watching?
During NorCordia’s Dressage at Devon Master Class Thursday night, World Championships team gold medalist and individual silver medalist Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour of Denmark gave us an insight into the techniques that are building blocks in developing a grand prix horse.
Cathrine made the techniques easy to understand, always with an eye on the comfort of the horse. No dressage diva, the pony-tailed expert in casual clothes stood center arena to refreshingly emphasize kindness, lots of breaks and pats on the neck after a horse has done a movement (or tried to). She’s all about encouraging harmony with the horse.
The Olympian (she was on the fourth-placed team in Tokyo) doesn’t do many master classes like the one at Devon, but she noted she’s in the off-season at the moment, which offered an opportunity to share her knowledge.
Her top horses have been sold, but she’s now working with Vianne, trained by Catherine Haddad-Staller. During the summer, the mare was ridden by Hope Beerling to the top 10 in the FEI WBFSH Dressage World Breeding Championship for Young Horses.
Catherine Haddad-Staller worked on flying changes with Sola Diva during the Master Class. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
With five of the six participants in the presentation, Cathrine worked on developing such high-level movements as flying changes, pirouettes and piaffe.
The quality of the horses was quite impressive, and Cathrine appreciated the fact that “they weren’t too schooled.
“I like that they were like on the stepping stones to bigger shows,” said Cathrine.
Most of us won’t be doing those fancy movements on our own mounts, but her work with eventer Boyd Martin offered a treasure trove of suggestions that any rider can use to their benefit.
In the class, Boyd took the place of his wife, dressage professional Silva Martin, who gave birth this week to the couple’s third son, Koa. (In case you’re wondering, Boyd told me that’s an aboriginal name; the riders’ roots are in Australia. Check out the baby’s photo in the On the Rail section of this website.)
“I was a bit nervous coming in, thinking, `What have I got myself into here?’” Boyd, who normally trains with his wife and Bettina Hoy, admitted in his usual candid style.
Cathrine Dufour working with Boyd Martin and Commando 3. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
“I’m from a different sport and probably way less of a rider on the flat than these guys,” he continued, referring to the five others who took advantage of riding with Cathrine during the evening presented by Running S Equine Veterinary Services.
They were Beerling, Hope Cooper, Lauren Sammis, Haddad-Staller and Lindsay Kellock Duckworth. Lauren, Catherine and Lindsay each have competed at championship level, but on different horses.
They do, however, have something in common with anyone trying to acclimate their horses to a new venue.
“We’re all in this sort of place where we get to a show and the horses are nervous and they’re tight and fresh. It was just amazing to me how calm and patient she was,” observed Boyd.
He told Cathrine that was what he wanted to focus on while riding his new horse, Commando 3.
“To me, the biggest lesson I got is, usually I try to push them through and pressure them through the nerves.”
Working with Cathrine, “I did the exact opposite through transition and softness and relaxation. Usually, when you have these master classes, it’s a bit of a dog-and-pony show just to impress the crowd. I was expecting that and couldn’t have been more wrong. The half-hour I had with Cathrine was exactly the process I felt was made for me and my horse.”
Boyd Martin was grateful for Cathrine Laudrup-Dufour’s help with Commando 3. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Cathrine could relate to Boyd’s situation of dealing with a cross-country fit horse in dressage, explaining, “I’ve had quite a few dragons myself,” referring to horses that get charged up when they arrive at the showgrounds.
While often dressage riders “want to show off” for the judges when they are going around the outside of the arena before entering, Cathrine said she would use that time to simply walk around the edge of the arena, trying to get her horse calm and lower his adrenaline level.
“Breathe,” she advised.
Relaxation can bring a bit of softness, even into an event horse, she said, as Boyd allowed Commando to lower his head, using the inside rein, while they walked and made small transitions from walk to halt and walk again.
She noted that on arrival at a new showgrounds, using that type of simple technique and avoiding all the “fancy things” can give a horse the opportunity to survey his surroundings calmly.
She suggested a rider not go on autopilot, but rather take advantage of “simple tasks” in getting a horse acclimated.
“He needs to listen to you,” Cathrine cautioned Boyd, rather than having the rider follow the Holsteiner’s quick rhythm.
With the others in the clinic as well, she advised counting the rhythm: “One, two three four.”
Cathrine works with Lauren Sammis and Heilen’s Oh Land. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Cathrine told Boyd that would enable him to feel when the horse is getting too quick. “Stay lazy,” she counseled.
“You have to be a bit creative sometimes finding that relaxation, knowing that tomorrow you want them with fire, like full power.”
Another technique to slow the horse is to stand up for two steps and sit down for one, then repeat, as the rider works to get the horse’s focus.
A big surprise came when Cathrine took out a leather device she called “a magic strap,” as she searched for the right description in English. It’s a grab strap (also known as a panic strap).
I was surprised, and I’m sure the spectators felt the same, as I heard them murmuring when she put it on the front of Boyd’s saddle. Of all people, Boyd is the last one I would think is in need of something to hold onto in order to stay aboard his horse on the flat.
Of course, I was wrong about what it was for. Cathrine explained that it can be used to help push the rider’s seat deeper into the saddle, and I could see the difference when Boyd used it.
Summing up the way riders should relate to their horses, she said, “You want to build up their confidence. Because if they don’t trust you, you can forget about it.”
Cathrine advised, “if you want to ride on that positive energy, no matter what, then you are going to perform so much better.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 24, 2023
It takes more than a little rain to discourage dressage riders from participating in a competition they have anticipated all season long. Actually, even a whole lot of rain Saturday couldn’t dampen spirits during the Eastern States Dressage and Combined Training Association Championships.
There were only a handful of scratches from the starting list of 60 in the show at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone, N.J., and some were due to a shoeing issue or illness, rather than those deciding to duck the downpour.
Kathleen Young of Tewksbury, N.J., said she didn’t consider scratching.
“This is a very important show and I want to be supportive of ESDCTA,” declared Kathleen, who participated with a group of friends.
“We’re tough,” she smiled. “I had a great time.”
Mardi Gras understandably wasn’t a fan of the weather at the ESDCTA Championships, but he and owner Kathleen Young persisted through the raindrops. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
She and her thoroughbred-cross mount, Mardi Gras, were left more than damp during a downpour, but he was a good sport and the duo finished as reserve champions in the Division Two/First Level Championship behind Ashley Mucha and Ruby On Rails.
Persistence was the name of the game under the circumstances.
When asked why she didn’t stay dry at home in Pipersville, Pa., trainer Kendra Clarke said “We have been planning all season for this.”
She was pleased with her Andalusian mare, Giselle, who had been 600 pounds overweight when she arrived at Kendra’s barn, and “couldn’t walk without trying to come unglued.”
Kendra Clarke and Giselle. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
Giselle has come a long way and despite the downpour during her Division Three Training Level Championship ride, “she cantered when I asked and stopped cantering when I asked,” said Kendra, so that’s a good day.
Show manager Lisa Toaldo, a former ESDCTA president, explained that calling off the competition was not a consideration.
“The riders work all season long to get their qualifying scores,” said Lisa, noting she didn’t want to make a decision that would mean “they weren’t able to get their day.”
While she observed that people “were thrilled” to be at the foundation’s historic headquarters, Lisa added, “unfortunately, they couldn’t do their victory lap in the pouring rain.”
That meant the horseless celebration for winners involved taking photos in the stable’s picturesque rotunda, as riders draped championship ribbons meant for their horses’ necks over their own shoulders.
Barn mates Susan Kozlowski and Kathleen Young display their ribbons sans horses. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
It was particularly special for 80-year-old Mary Anne Gerrity of Tewksbury and her 20-year-old Hanoverian, Fuerst in Line.
She had been looking into doing a ride to join the U.S. Dressage Federation’s Centurion Club, for horses and riders whose age totals 100 and can complete a dressage test at any level.
Mary Anne, who turned 80 Sept. 8, thought she might wait a bit before trying it. But there was another idea from Wendy Garfinkel, winner of the Division 3 Training Level Championship on Charmed as Well, who trains Mary Anne in conjunction with Elissa Schlotterbeck.
After Mary Anne’s successful ride in the Intro C/Training Level I Championship, she was saluted with celebratory flowers, a prize from ESDCTA and a bottle of wine by friends congratulating her.
“I was totally flabbergasted,” said Mary Anne, a retired Exxon export logistics employee who lives at Kathleen’s farm in Tewksbury.
She wasn’t sure three years ago whether at age 77 she needed another horse, but Welly, as he is known, convinced her that she did after she tried him. What decided her on the former Pony Club mount?
“His eye. It’s something you can see, a kindness,” she mentioned.
“At my age, I need a horse that’s going to take care of me. And he does.”
Mary Anne Gerrity and Fuerst In Line. (Photo courtesy Wendy Garfinkel)
An interesting sidenote: The first “Centurion Class” ride, held in 1996, featured Lazelle Knocke of Readington, N.J., a founder of ESDCTA, on Don Perignon.
Heart-warming stories abounded at the championships.
Becky Graham of Ringoes, N.J., who rode Change of Heart, said she thought about scratching. But when it looked as if the weather wouldn’t be dangerous, she decided, “We’ve already been practicing, we might as well keep going. It was fine.”
Her Morgan-cross mare got her name because she was purchased with a bucket of change from the kill pen at the Camelot auction. The buy was made by the mare’s previous owner, but Becky estimated that even with quarters, the horse’s price was “probably a few hundred bucks.”
For Natasha Worthington, winning the Division One/Intro A/B Championship with Jayde was everything a dream come true should be. Her average score of 70.469 percent would have been unimaginable in August 22, when her paint mare got hurt. Just being able to compete again was gratifying after the horse was diagnosed with two broken vertebrae in her neck.
“We think it possibly was a field injury,” said Natasha, a Doylestown, Pa., resident.
They knew something was wrong, even though the mare walked and trotted normally, because “Every time I tried to canter her, she would almost fall over. We thought it was a strain.”
Then the veterinarian did an ultrasound and the news wasn’t good.
Natasha said, “Let’s take six months and do what we can.”
That involved lots of hand-walking, MagnaWave, laser and other therapy, including ProSix equine body wrap. She started tack walking in November and did not show until April with the mare she bought four years ago off a Facebook ad.
Natasha Worthington and Jayde. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)
“She has made a really amazing recovery,” said Natasha, a physician’s assistant who also won at Lehigh Valley Dressage Championships last weekend.
Originally, she and Jayde competed at a low level in the hunters, but “dressage has been fantastic for her,” said Natasha, who trains with Kendra Clarke.
Natasha is very careful with 19-year-old Jayde and admitted after looking at the weather reports for Saturday, “I was very nervous about the rain” and it occurred to her Thursday not to come.
“But she was fine and here we are.”
Although Jayde just walks and trots in her current tests, moving up and doing a canter test next year is not outside the range of possibility.
But Natasha emphasized, “I’m thrilled if this is all we do. She’s my girl. Whatever she can do, that’s what we’re going to do.”
Click on the chart to read an enlarged version of championship results:
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.”
