by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 12, 2023
You really can’t count on anything in life, and nowhere is that more true than in the cross-country phase of eventing.
Overnight leader Michael Jung of Germany, who has boatloads of world championships, European and Olympic medals, won’t be adding another to his collection after a freak fall Saturday during the FEI European Eventing Championships at Haras du Pin in France.
His reliable fisherChipmunk was only one minute and 33 seconds from making the finish line, as he focused on achieving the optimum time, when the horse went to his knees on a sandy slide after landing over a big log. Michi tumbled forward as the horse headed downward. He wound up in the water while Chipmunk galloped away. Happily, neither one was injured.
Here’s where fischerChipmunk lost his footing.
That was, of course, a major setback for the German team, which was second to the British squad after dressage. Who would have thought Michi would be the drop score?
The Brits widened their 9.2 penalty lead over Germany after dressage to 27.3 following cross-country. The Germans are a scant 0.2 penalties ahead of the home team, France.
With difficult footing conditions, only one rider, Britain’s 2018 world champion Ros Canter, finished within the optimum time of 8 minutes, 18 seconds. She is in first place individually on her dressage score of 21.3 penalties aboard Lordships Graffalo, better known as Walter.
Ros’s mount was unfazed by the troublesome surface.
“Machine is a very good word to describe Walter,” she said.
“He’s just an amazing horse to ride cross-country.”
Not only is he eminently adjustable, “he’s brave as well,” she noted.
Second place also belongs to Britain at the moment, with Kitty King and Vendredi Biats adding just 3.7 time penalties today to their dressage score of 27.2.
“I’m really chuffed with my horse, he really dug deep. He hated the ground from the second we set out, which for him [was hard] as he lives for cross-country and he didn’t enjoy himself as he normally would, which is a big shame,” said Kitty.
“The ground was hard work and he kept trying and jumping and was really straight and genuine, I couldn’t ask any more of him and I’m proud of how hard he tried for me. It’s a shame we were a little bit slow, but I rode the horse I had underneath me. He came home happy and sound, and that’s the most important thing – and we’ve got a good score on the door for the team.”
World Champion Yamin Ingham dropped from fifth in dressage to 25th after adding 32.4 cross-country penalties (20 plus 12.4 time) on Banzai du Loir.
After jumping two elements at fence 22, she missed the third, noting noted her mount “didn’t get off the bank on the right distance,” so he wasn’t in position to take the next obstacle. Aside from that, she said, “he went around the rest with absolute perfection. I’m so proud of him for giving me his all today.”
Laura Collett, the other member of the British team, dropped from fourth to 14th with London 52 after adding 24.2 penalties to her dressage score of 22.4. Her horse took a flag with him at the second element of Fence 20 (tents memorializing the stay of Napoleon at Haras du Pin) and she was charged with 15 penalties for that, in addition to 9.2 time.
“I couldn’t be prouder of him, he’s never had to dig as deep as that before and he kept trying and jumping – he’s just so honest. On good ground, that course would have felt fantastic on a horse like him,” Laura observed.
Tom McEwan, riding as an individual for Britain, dislodged a MIM clip at fence 22 with JL Dublin but continued until the water at fence 25. The horse jumped in well, then missed at the next part, a step over a rail to a skinny.When his horse jumped the rail awkwardly Tom couldn’t stay with him, which meant he was eliminated by the fall.
Britain’s other individual, Tom Jackson with Capels Hollow Drift, had a stop at the last element of fence 25, that difficult final water, and stands 32d of the 38 who completed today. Three from the original field of 56 retired, 13 were eliminated and two withdrew.
The footing was sticky after rains Friday, leading to a two-hour delay of the start time in at the venue in Normandy, (which I remember well from the footing situation at the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games that also were held there.) Despite an extra dose of sunshine on the turf, the going was difficult. In the interests of safety, organizers wisely took a loop out of the course designed by Pierre Le Goupil and the optimum time was reduced.
Ros Canter of Great Britain and Lordships Graffalo (Walter) were perfect cross-country. (Photo by Les Garennes)
Germany’s Christoph Wahler, standing sixth on Carjatan X, noted, “It wasn’t the most pleasant round I’ve ever had.”
He found the striding changed before the fences due to the condition of the surface.
“With the ground being as it was, it was hard work, starting at fence one. It was hard work for us and even harder for the horses.”
While it was a “big, nicely built course,” after the rain came, “then the conditions changed everything and the way your horse can cope with the conditions again changes everything.”
Germany’s Christoph Wahler and Carjatan X at the keyhole. (Photo by Les Garennes)
Dickie Waygood, the British chef d’equipe, noted, “We saw today horses that had to work very hard; the ground was very energy-sapping. Horses didn’t always move toward the fences on the stride that they saw.”
At the same time, he called it, ” a fantastic championship track,” praising the designer for adapting to the weather.
The course designer is also laying out the cross-country for next year’s Paris Olympics. One might think that would give those riding in the Europeans an edge over those who weren’t there. But he is also handling the course for this autumn’s Pan American Games in Chile. so that takes care of the Western Hemisphere to make everything fair.
Click here for the team standings. Click on this link for individual standings.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 11, 2023
British riders have taken six of the top nine places on the leaderboard at the European Eventing Championships and lead the team standings, but the irrepressible Michael Jung of Germany stands first individually after dressage with fischerChipmunk on a score of 19.4 penalties.
“My feeling was very good,” said Michi about his test.
“I’m very happy about fischerChipmunk. He was amazing to ride. He was super in the preparation time (last week).”
Today, “he was very calm; in the beginning he was a little bit tense. That’s the reason why I went in so early (to the arena) to have a little more time,” noted Michi, who thought his canter was a highlight of the test.
Michael Jung and fischerChipmunk. (Les Garennes photo)
The British squad has 67.1 penalties from the best three riders, a 9.2 penalty edge over Germany on 76.3. Belgium is third on 90.9.
British team rider Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo is not far behind Michi with 21.3, while Tom McEwan–riding JL Dublin as an individual, is third on 22. The other Brits were marked this way: 4, Laura Collett and London 52 (22.4), 5, world champion Yasmin Ingham (Banzai du Loir, 23.4), 6. Tom Jackson, riding as an individual with Capels Hollow Drift (25.7) and Kitty King (Vendredi Biats, 27.2).
Ros recalled that she had to give herself a reminder “not to have too high an expectation and to stick to the process and remind myself that he’s still a horse that physically isn’t fully matured yet, and I was to stick within the boundaries of what he was capable of, but he actually gets stronger all the time.
“It’s little things – his changes are getting better and better, his halt and his rein-back were a real weakness last year and the start of this year, and this summer they’re starting to feel like they’re getting very consistent, so it’s really exciting,” said the 2018 world champion.
Great Britain’s Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo. (Les Garennes photo)
“There are little things I would tweak for next time, but on the whole, I think our training is just gradually going in the right direction, which is what I’m really pleased with,” she explained.
With the wet weather for the majority of the day, Ros’ thoughts turned to the Saturday cross-country. Those of us who were at the 2014 world championships in Normandy remember how bad the going got for cross-country after it had been wet, so it is interesting to know what Ros thinks.
“The first water is a very big drop in, so it’ll be interesting to see how they read that. Of course, with Walter (as she calls her horse), we are still coming across questions that he hasn’t actually come across before, with his age, even though he’s done what he’s done already. He tends to drift a bit more to the right and little things like that, so for my personal self I have to walk the course very much thinking of Walter, but I think it’s more the undulations, the twists and turns that are going to create more challenges at the jumps.
,,
“It walks very much like a short format, but obviously, you’ve got the length added onto it as well, so it will be mentally and physically quite challenging for the horses, and I think that’s where the questions are going to lie. The first three fences are basically on a 360 (degrees) to a 180, so it’s going to be very hard at the start of the course to get into the speed that you really want to be in. I think it’s highly likely by minute one you’re going to be down on the clock, and then I think it just depends on if you can claw it back and stay inside the time.
“We’ve been very positive as a team so far about the course – our course walks have been extremely positive and there hasn’t been too much talk on the parts we don’t like or the ground we don’t like, and I think that’s really good for team spirit,” she concluded.
Click here for team results. Click this link for individual standings.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 11, 2023
After a 40-year gap in bringing home the Aga Khan trophy, the Swiss team reclaimed the prize with a stunning victory in the FEI Nations Cup of Ireland on Friday.
Steve Guerdat was the lead-off rider for Switzerland with Venard de Cerissy.
The fans who jammed the stands around the massive arena at the Royal Dublin Society saw an impressive display of quality horse flesh and fabulous horsemanship, but none outrode the Swiss.
The team of Martin Fuchs (whose father, Thomas, was on Switzerland’s last Aga Khan winning team in 1983), Bryan Balsiger, Steve Guerdat and Edouard Schmitz was spectacular in its precision along the swath of emerald turf.
Martin Fuchs on Leone Jei, a member of the winning Swiss team 40 years after his father, Thomas, was on the winning squad at Dublin.
During two rounds over the course laid out by Irish designer Alan Wade, they scored six clears, one 4-fault score and their anchor rider, 24-year-old Schmitz (winner of the grand prix at Dublin last year) did not have to compete a second time because they already had clinched the title.
The Swiss won the first Nations Cup at Dublin in 1926 and are counting on returning for the centennial.
“It’s an amazing feeling to hold this trophy,” said Michal Sorg, the Swiss chef d’equipe, after his team took possession of the massive gold cup.
“It’s the dream of every rider and chef d’equipe to win the Aga Khan trophy and today, yeah, we did it. I will never forget this day.”
The team was reluctant to let go of the trophy, and took it with them on its victory lap. But when they finished, only the lid was still being held by Balsiger. Whoops.
The Aga Khan trophy before it separated…
The victory was so complete that runner-up Ireland did not bother to send out its anchor, Shane Sweetnam, who was fault-free in the first round on James Kann Kruz. The home side had no way of catching up with the eventual winners, whose total was 0 penalties. Ireland’s 12 penalty total offered a safe margin over third-place Mexico (16), a previous Cup winner.
U.S.-based Shane Sweetnam was the anchor rider for the Irish team on Jame Kann Cruz.
Without the top two teams’ anchor riders, the competition lacked the drama of last year’s Aga Khan, when an Irish team member jumped off against a French competitor, as Ireland took the prize to much acclaim from the packed stands.
But enthusiasm still ran high this afternoon, and the fans obviously enjoyed celebrating the Swiss as much as they cheered for the runners-up; Michael Pender, Michael Duffy, Cian O’Connor and Shane.
The eight teams at Dublin did not include a squad from the U.S. The Swiss now have won the European division of the Nations Cup, with 370 points to 330 for Ireland and 305 for Great Britain. In addition to Dublin, they also won at home in St. Gallen and in Falsterbo, Sweden, as well.
The British wound up last in Dublin after Samuel Hutton, clear in the first round on Oak Grove’s Laith, met disaster in the second when his horse stopped at the first fence of the triple combination and he fell off.
Sienna Charles, the daughter of 2012 team gold medal Olympian Peter Charles, had 8 and 12 with Stardust, while her brother, Harry, collected 4 with Romeo in the first round, then had everything go south in the second, winding up with four rails and 13 times faults added to that. Tim Gredley was the best of the squad with 4 and 8 on Medoc de Toxandria, but there was no saving the effort.
Next up for the winners is the European show jumping championships, the equivalent of the Western Hemisphere’s Pan American Games, but dare I say it, but with a greater number of highly ranked riders.
Still, the Pan Ams will be tough enough, as the U.S. likely will be looking to qualify there for the Paris Olympics, if it doesn’t do that at Barcelona in the Nations Cup Finals next month.
Click here for results.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 1, 2023
The World Equestrian Center in Ocala has been named as one of four venues for the new Longines League of Nations that gets under way next year. The allocations, which run through 2027, were also made for Abu Dhabi in the United Arab Emirates, St. Gallen Switzerland and Rotterdam in the Netherlands.
Teams from 10 countries must appear for all four CSIO 5-stars in the unfortunately named League of Nations (click here to read my opinion about the name that was chosen for this initiative.) There was also supposed to be a fifth venue, but because of logistics involving the 2024 Paris Olympics, the qualifier sites were kept to four.
The final of the series, featuring the eight best teams, will remain in Barcelona as it has for 10 years.
“We have made a historic decision for the future of equestrian sport,” FEI President Ingmar De Vos said.
“This series is about inspiring individuals and nations around the core values of our sport -– camaraderie, team spirit, horsemanship and excellence — and for over a century, it has played an invaluable role in the development of equestrian globally.”
Roby Roberts, WEC CEO, said, “We are grateful to the FEI for choosing World Equestrian Center Ocala to host this prestigious event and thank U.S. Equestrian for its support through the bid process.
“World Equestrian Center was built on our three core values of quality, class and distinction, and hosting a qualifier for the Longines League of Nations embodies these values, as well as achieves a long-held goal of welcoming the best equestrians in the world to our facility.”
The stadium at WEC will be a great showcase for the new series. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
While the other shows named as hosts have some history behind them, WEC is only three years old. The 378-acre WEC complex, set in the midst of nearly 4,000 acres, offers a 248-room, 5-star hotel. Grooms will stay in the Home-Away-From-Home manufactured homes. The competition likely will be held in March, which was the date WEC requested.
“I think it will be great exposure to WEC. We’re super-excited about it,” said Christy Baxter, WEC’s director of equestrian operations.
WEC always does things on a grand scale, so there are plans for an equine expo during the competition week, and discussion is getting under way about production thoughts for entertainment and other attractions.
“This is definitely something that will put us a little bit bigger on the map and more exposure, a lot more people to come and visit,” said Christy.
“I know everybody reads about us on line, but to actually come and see it in person is another thing. We’re hoping everyone comes and has a good time during that week.”
The FEI president said, “We were very pleased with the large number of organizers eager to host a Longines League of Nations event in the coming seasons. We undertook the task of selecting the events with great responsibility and I believe we have made a difficult but fair choice, striking a good balance between continuity and evolution.
“This fresh and exciting series gives us the opportunity to display the very best of team equestrian sport to large audiences in key territories and we are looking forward to working closely with these organizers to continue the Nations Cup legacy and inspire future generations of equestrians.”
The League was created following a six-month consultation phase with a dedicated task force, which was set up to review and redefine the iconic Nations Cup series and included all the key equestrian stakeholders. It was designed to “give a fresh start for the century-old equestrian team series” and will see a full makeover starting in 2024.
The format, which was approved unanimously by the FEI Jumping Committee, will be unique to the Longines League of Nations. In the first of two rounds, all four athletes from all 10 teams (and potentially the host nation) participate with the three best scores to count, followed by a second round where the best eight teams compete in reverse order, carrying forward their penalties from the first round. In that round, however, only three athletes per team will ride, so there will be no drop score for that segment.
Other Nations Cups, such as Spruce Meadows, Aachen and the one at the Winter Equestrian Festival that are not part of the new league will continue under the same rules they are using in 2023, but they will not be called FEI Nations Cup and will not be part of a series or lead up to a final.
There have always been many CSIOs on the FEI calendar outside of the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™. There are 48 CSIOs ranging from 1* to 5* level on the FEI calendar for 2023. Only 11 of those (10 qualifiers and one Final) are part of the the Longines FEI Jumping Nations Cup™ 2023.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 31, 2023
Congratulations to Kim Herslow for winning the 3-star Intermediate I and I-1 Freestyle during Dressage at Devon in 2021.
Wait–what? 2021? This is not a news flash that got buried by mistake nearly two years ago.
This month, Ailene Cascio, owner of Herslow’s mount, Elvis HI, finally received the redistributed prize money for her horse’s 2021 victories at the Pennsylvania show. Herslow had finished second in both competitions, but was elevated to first place when Cesar Parra on Belle Ami was disqualified and ordered to return the prize money and ribbons.
Cesar Parra and Belle Ami at the 2021 Dressage at Devon. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
That was part of an agreement with the FEI (international equestrian federation) connected to an “Equine Controlled Medication Rule Violation (Presence of Benzocaine in the Horse’s Sample).”
Belle Ami also tested positive for caffeine, but Parra’s caffeine matter and two unrelated cases in show jumping were closed, according to an FEI report on 12 Atypical Findings (ATFs). The FEI stated, “The majority (9 out of 12) of the ATFs involved Prohibited Substances which are generally considered more likely to have been ingested by horses for a purpose other than the enhancement of sport performance, for example, through a contaminated feed source.”
Parra thought the presence of caffeine might be attributed to a driver who had spilled a Starbucks order on the horse’s hay. He pointed out a stimulant like caffeine is counter-intuitive, because mounts should be calm in the arena.
A member of the 2015 U.S. gold medal dressage team at the Pan American Games in Toronto, Herslow finished second in the Prix St. Georges at Devon 2021 behind Donna Gatchell and Reflection. Parra came in third with Belle Ami and was disqualified from that class as well.
Herslow missed being able to ride the I-1 and I-1 Freestyle victory passes on Elvis in front of the crowd at the prestigious autumn show (Parra got that honor), because of course, medication disqualifications are never immediate. What made it worse for her, however, was the long delay in receiving the redistributed prize money.
“I was wronged. I feel there is no accountability,” said Herslow, who now owns Elvis in partnership with Cascio.
She only found out about the disqualification because Steven Tarshis, a Flemington, N.J., attorney who is representing Belle Ami’s owner in an unrelated lawsuit involving Parra, called to tell her he had learned of it after he sought an appraisal of the mare for his client.
Kim Herslow and Elvis HI at Devon 2021. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
When he had his expert check with the FEI on the horse’s show history for the appraisal, he was told about the Devon disqualification. Since Herslow is a friend and a client, Tarshis passed the information on to her.
The FEI provided Tarshis with a copy of a notification it sent to Parra on December 9, 2021, advising the rider that he had been disqualified from the classes in which he competed on the mare at the show two months earlier.
The FEI communication stated that if Parra accepted the penalty of returning all the prize money ($2,890), the ribbons and other items he received in the three classes at Devon, paid a fine of 1,500 Swiss Francs and costs of 1,000 Swiss Francs to the FEI, he would not be suspended. Parra noted he didn’t want to dispute the finding of a “minimal” amount of Benzocaine, and the FEI said it could “fast-track” the matter if he complied with the penalty. He mentioned he had never been sanctioned by the FEI, and once the process was completed, “I totally forgot about it” in terms of returning prize money to the show.
He said he never got anything from USEF that would have reminded him, “but I don’t think it was anybody’s bad intention.
“Time went by and then we remembered. So I called Monica (Fitzgerald, the Devon show secretary).” At first she said she didn’t know anything about it, then told him, “Let me find out.”
When she did, “I just sent them a check and that was it,” commented Parra, who rode on the 2011 U.S. dressage gold medal Pan Am team in Guadalajara, Mexico. He also competed for his native Colombia at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, as well as on its silver medal team in the 1999 Pan American Games in Winnipeg.
Belle Ami’s owner was concerned that her horse had a sore in her mouth and shouldn’t go to Dressage at Devon, according to Tarshis, but Parra said the sore had cleared up prior to the show. He mentioned the benzocaine was in a remedy one of his grooms sprayed on her arm for a skin irritation, and he wasn’t sure how it entered the horse’s system. He suggested it could have gotten on a thermometer when the horse’s temperature was taken, but emphasized there was no ulterior motive.
“What’s the point to win something if you are cheating? It doesn’t make any sense,” said Parra.
He believed the groom was using Dermoplast, listed generically as benzocaine. According to the Mayo Clinic website, benzocaine, available without a prescription, is used to relieve pain and irritation caused by sore throat, sore mouth or canker sores. On the container, Dermoplast is recommended for minor cuts, scrapes and burns.
When Tarshis contacted the U.S. Equestrian Federation about Parra’s status, he said, “At first, they told me that they had no record of his disqualification. I made them look further, and they were able to confirm that they had been notified. The next day, the USEF show records that are listed on their website (were) revised to show Cesar’s disqualification.”
Herslow, who runs Upper Creek Farm in Stockton, N.J., pointed out, “No one has called me to apologize that it took almost two years to get this reconciled.”
Elvis HI and Kim Herslow in the Dixon Oval at Devon. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
That happened, “only because it came up from a separate lawsuit. My owner was short over $1,000 ($1,065), which finally just got paid from Devon.” The show also is sending ribbons and replica trophies to Herslow and will have her name engraved on the perpetual trophy.
“This shouldn’t have taken so long,” a USEF spokesperson stated about the prize money redistribution, maintaining the show had been notified about the disqualification in a timely manner.
Anne Moss, the show’s president, knew nothing of the Parra situation when she took the post in 2022. But as soon as she learned that money needed to be redistributed, the wheels went into motion. She confirmed the show received a check for the prize money from Parra this month.
Until last week, when this website asked him about the disqualification, Parra’s own website, Dr Cesar Parra Dressage Sport (he had been a practicing dentist, hence the dr. title) still listed Belle Ami as the winner of the I-1 and I-1 Freestyle. That information was deleted by last weekend. Parra said he personally does not work on the website and it is handled by an employe.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 27, 2023
Wayne Barr Jr., 59, suffered a fatal accident when he was unseated in a training jumper class at the Saratoga Summer Celebration Horse Show last weekend.
During the tiebreaker at the New York competition on Saturday, his horse, Pacco, put in an awkward jump that got the rider off balance. He “tried to save the fall” and hung on for several strides, but wound up dropping in front of his horse, who tripped and fell, but did not land on his rider according to Mr. Barr’s trainer, Marcia Kulak. The horse was uninjured.
“It was a very freak accident because Wayne was a very competent rider, riding at a very nominal level for where he is and for the horse’s abilities,” said Marcia.
Mr. Barr was taken by ambulance to Albany Medical Center, where he died. Autopsy results have not been released.
The CEO of Innovate Corp. was a longtime devoted horseman.
“Wayne was totally committed and loved every moment of it,” said Marcia.
“I’m not sure I’ve had another person ride in my career that was as into it, and just totally loved being part of our team and riding and just the involvement. He was just as comfortable behind a wheelbarrow and a pitchfork as he was on the back of a horse,” Marcia observed.
“Those kind of people don’t come along very often. It was a great ride. We really enjoyed the whole process.”
Wayne Barr was a gritty competitor who loved his sport. (Photo courtesy Kulak Equestrian)
Mr. Barr grew up riding Welsh ponies for Mollie Butler in Ithaca, N.Y., and continued to ride when time allowed throughout his adult life. After many years of hard work and business success, he fulfilled his lifelong dream of getting back into horses three years ago, Marcia noted.
The late Wayne Barr Jr.
“Wayne could have ridden with any professional and I am honored that he chose our team. He was a dedicated, exceptional student and a very good athlete who was totally immersed in our program,” she commented.
The U.S. Equestrian Federation issued a statement offering condolences to Mr. Barr’s family, while emphasizing the organization “takes every fall very seriously and will be reviewing the accident thoroughly to learn how we may further minimize risk and increase safety in equestrian sport.”
The federation noted, “Safety is paramount for USEF and integral to our mission. Falls that potentially involve a serious injury are currently required to be reported immediately to USEF.”
Beyond that, the federation recently announced a new requirement to collect uniform and actionable fall data across all levels of competition. Beginning in December 2023, it will require all falls of horse and all falls of riders to be reported in class results at each competition.
“This will give us additional data to inform change, evaluate risk and provide greater insight to further improve safety in the future,” according to USEF.
Marcia noted how devoted Mr. Barr was to his sport
“He patiently committed to investing in quality horses and traveled from his home in North Carolina, or wherever he happened to be working around the country, to train and show regularly. Wayne always came to the barn with a beautiful smile and an arm full of goodies for all the staff, which quickly endeared him to the entire Kulak Equestrian family. Wayne made our world a better place with his kind, intelligent and exceptionally generous nature.”
As Marcia concluded, “There are no words to adequately express how we feel. We can take some solace in knowing that Wayne loved his family and his equestrian endeavors with his horses. He
was truly a special gentleman, and his passing has left an enormous hole in our hearts,”
In addition to his sons, Thomas and Spencer, Mr. Barr is survived by mother, Patricia (Byrne); his brothers, Kevin, Brian (Leslie) and Trevor (Belinda); his former wife, Rita Barr, his dog, Quinn and his horses,
A funeral was scheduled for Saturday, July 29, but his friends are hoping to plan a celebration of his life in Wellington, Fla., at a later date.
Those wishing to make a contribution in his memory may do so at https://www.justworldinternational.org/donate/
Mr. Barr also was devoted to a project involved with the Royal Poinciana Playhouse, undergoing renovation in Palm Beach, Fla. It has been closed for nearly 20 years, but a foundation is being started to make it accessible to all, including under-served children, who would have an opportunity to experience the arts there. Those who wish to make a contribution once the foundation is set up should keep checking on line.
