Remembering Kavar Kerr, a dynamic figure who got things done

by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 15, 2023

(a reminiscence from an Oklahoma friend, Barbara Haney, was added to this story July 24)

Kavar Kerr “lived a life of doing for others in an incredible fashion. She was a force of nature to get things done,” said Burr Collier, president of the Blowing Rock, N.C. Horse Show, remembering his friend, who died July 13 in Jackson Hole, Wyo., surrounded by her three dogs.

“Everything she did was for the good of the sport and the people (of) the sport that she loved,” he recalled.

Kavar Kerr.

Tom Wright, who was one of her trainers, noted, “She gave the shirt off her back to her friends and people she respected. She loved fiercely, and worked tirelessly for the underdog and felt that caring and supporting artists was a particular responsibility in her life.”

He added, “a great horseman and successful amateur rider, she owned great animals and supported many professionals, just when they needed her most.”

Kavar enjoyed some very successful horses, among them Trust Me and Sleigh Ride in the hunter ranks, and in eventing, Mike Huber’s mount Southcoast, who won a section of the 1983 Open Preliminary event at Rolex Kentucky.

She was known for her great sense of humor and her love of all animals, but it was her charitable side for which she will be most remembered in the equestrian world.

A year after Louise Serio and Geoff Teall started the World Championship Hunter Rider organization in the early 1980s, Kavar came to them and said, “Why don’t we make this bigger and make it a foundation and start an emergency relief foundation?”

As Louise noted, “She changed lives like that. She was just an amazing lady.”

Kavar enjoyed showing her hunters.

The American Hunter Jumper Foundation, which merged with the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association in 2013, helped scores of equestrians in need, whether they were dealing with illness, a barn fire or other tragedies.

The Kavar Kerr Distinguished Service Award, named in her honor, is presented annually by the World Championship Hunter Rider Committee of the USHJA for exceptional dedication, leadership, and commitment to the WCHR Program through volunteer service and philanthropic efforts.

The center of the WCHR logo, at the top of this page, bears a likeness of Kavar jumping one of her horses.

Another person whose life was changed by Kavar is international show jumper Laura Kraut. Her first Olympic mount, Liberty, was purchased in a partnership put together by Kavar, who brought in Peter Wetherill, Joyce Williams and Kate Gibson and was part of the syndicate herself.

When Laura won the 4-star grand prix at Chantilly, France, on Bisquetta over the weekend, Kavar was on her mind.

“I thought of her when I was in there getting the ribbon,” said Laura.

“She’s the person who helped me get to the next level of my career, and the point where I am now. She never took credit for it.”

As Laura was building her resume, she rode a hunter for Kavar and lived with her in Florida during the winter circuit.

“We were really great friends. She had the biggest heart, the greatest sense of humor–I never laughed more with anyone than I did with her,” Laura remembered

Peter Wetherill ended up buying in on the Anthem syndicate as well, and Kavar’s introduction of Laura to him was key.

“If it weren’t for Peter, I wouldn’t have gotten Anthem, he came in at the 11th hour through Kavar’s urging and helped us buy Anthem, and then he bought Cedric,” said Laura, referring to her 2008 Olympic team gold medal mount.

“None of that would have happened without Kavar.”

Laura noted Kavar had bravely struggled with pain and illness for decades.

Losing Kavar was “very, very sad,” Laura acknowledged, but “she’s out of pain now. I feel confident she got out of life what she wanted.”

Barbara Haney grew up with Kavar in Oklahoma, where the two were part of “very small” hunter/jumper group during the 1970s.

“She first had a small roan, Carousel (later inherited by younger sister Mara),” recalled Barbara.

“I can even remember her riding jacket from then: a Scottish tweed  from Miller’s, of course, that looked so sharp on Carousel.”

When Kavar was diagnosed with severe scoliosis, she “had to stop riding for a while, while she wore a back brace to correct that condition. She would still attend all the shows and was always ready to lend a hand when I needed one, like to hold a crop, or keep my place in the order at the in gate,” Barbara reminisced.

“At a big show in Tulsa one night, I managed to misplace my gloves right before the show started.  She ran around and found a pair for me to borrow.  I won the eq championship that night with whoever’s gloves those were, which was one of the biggest wins I have ever had,” said Barbara.

“After I left Oklahoma for college, I wrote to her, and saw her once or twice, but we drifted apart, since I was working internships in the northeast and wasn’t back home much. I’d given up riding to concentrate on school, and didn’t go back to riding for another 20-ish years. I still thought our paths would cross again at some point.”

Kavar, who was on the board of the Kentucky Horse Park, also raised money for the first World Champion Hunter Rider Spectacular at the Winter Equestrian Festival with funding from the late Sallie Wheeler. The class is named after the late Peter Wetherill.

Always upbeat, Kavar was known for her great sense of humor.

For the Blowing Rock show, Kavar brought in money dedicated to Sallie Wheeler and her late husband, Kenny, in recognition of all they had done for the horse show world.

A native of Oklahoma, she was a granddaughter of Robert Kerr, who served the state as governor and U.S. senator. Kavar was a big fan of the University of Oklahoma Sooners and enjoyed watching their football games in person when she could.

Twelve years ago, Kavar was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and presumably had only five years to live. A brother and sister had died previously, and she did not want her parents to face burying another child, so she was determined to live.

Her mother, Joffa, a sculptor, died in June 2022 and her father, Bill Kerr, died a week and two days before she did. He was the founder of the National Museum of Wildlife Art in Jackson Hole, Wyo. and Kavar served on its board. Outside of the horse world, she was also active in philanthropy, serving on the board of a battered women’s shelter in Wyoming.

Kavar, who was 64, is survived by her sister, Mara Kerr of Edmond, Okla.; her niece, Ayla Mashburn of Oklahoma City, a nephew, Graycen Mashburn (Whitney), Edmond, Okla., and great-nieces Tyler, Aubrey and Caroline.

Private services will be held in Minnesota, at the final resting place of her parents and siblings, Joffa and David.

Jane Sleeper could use some help

by Nancy Jaffer | Jul 11, 2023

Eventer Jane Sleeper usually is the one who offers a helping hand, whether as a volunteer or by training horses and riders, drawing on the wisdom learned in her long career.

But Jane, 73, had a bad fall in late May, noting with her usual sense of humor, “I just don’t bounce anymore.”

Four days ago, she returned home from rehab and is “slowly making progress,” revealing she “got stepped on when I fell off!.”

While she noted, “kind, encouraging words keep me motivated,” more than that is needed to get her through this difficult time.

A GoFundMe has been set up to handle some of the many expenses Jane is facing. Click here to access the GoFundMe page.

Direct contributions can also be made through PayPal via janeesleeper@gmail.com or via checks payable to her at Jane Sleeper, 130 Buck Run Road, East Fallowfield, Pa. 19320.

An auction also has been organized by Niamh O’Connell to benefit Jane. Niamh said so many in the equestrian world have been motivated by Jane, and now are coming to her aid.

“The amount of people who reached out to me and said, `I want to help’ has been pretty amazing,” Niamh reported.

To participate in the auction through 8 p.m. July 24, click here .

Items up for bid include lessons with 5-star riders, a tailgating package for the Maryland 5-star evebt, a package of studio portraits from Niamh, who is a photographer, and a breeding contract to  one of Gem Twist’s clones.

Kennett Brewing Company in Kennett Square, Pa., is the site of a benefit for Jane July 23 from 4-7 p.m., featuring equestrians, such as Lillian and Ryan Wood, as celebrity bartenders. There will be a raffle that evening as well. The bar is at 109 S. Broad St., suite 2.The  Phone is 610-444-0440. There will be a similar benefit at the Whip Tavern in Coatesville, Pa., Aug. 13 from 3-6 p.m.

Speaking out about the grassroots

by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 28, 2023

The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association’s most recent Town Hall webinar was a “Recognized Riding Academy-inspired” program, geared to addressing the concerns of the grassroots.

Previous Town Halls have dealt with such first-world equestrian issues as increasing prize money or how many shows can be entered to accumulate points for year-end championships.

But those at the entry and lower levels are “super-important” for the future of the sport in terms of its stability and growth, as USHJA President Mary Knowlton noted in this week’s session.

A key issue with those groups is cost; not only the cost of showing, but the cost of lessons or even just having the chance to ride.

One of the 37 people who participated in the forum was Shasta Parry, a show organizer from Utah. She noted, “it’s an expensive sport. It is inaccessible to far too many. I hate it, but I’m not sure how to fix it for everyone.”

So she says, “I’m doing what I can to bridge the gap, and cheering others on to do the same.”

If managers want to offer Outreach, Shasta suggested, “put together a schooling show.”

But even such smaller shows are expensive because of everything involved in putting them on; not just the obvious items like jumps, prizes and judges (though you don’t have to use licensed judges), but also behind-the-scenes expenses, such as manure removal or paying for EMTs.

Mary believes the introductory Outreach shows are “the biggest thing that helps,” and says Outreach Festivals “have to be low-cost, we really do police that.”
Jess Boppe commented that while there are local shows where riders can “get their feet wet with showing,” the costs pile up fast as they move on to rated shows. She pointed out membership and registration for riders and horses can amount to $200, and then there are the fees at the shows themselves. Jess wondered if the governing bodies might look at doing away with “some of these fees that are really adding up for horse owners and riders.”

Allie Zorn suggested “maybe a push for more transparency regarding how fees are utilized,” would help people understand what use is made of their money by shows and equestrian organizations.

She suggested it would be “a little easier for parents coming in (to showing) to know how their money is being spent.”

Other topics that came up during the Town Hall included being mindful of how to deal with riders who might be too heavy for a stable’s horses. It can be hard to estimate a rider’s weight, so one idea was to list weight ranges (rather than specific weights) that riders can check so instructors can make appropriate rider/horse pairings. It also would not be as embarrassing as asking for a specific figure for a rider’s weight.

(Horse & Hound reported this week that 12 people were asked to dismount at the Royal Three Counties Show in Britain because they were too big for the ponies they were riding. There is talk that a weight limit might be brought in next year.)

There was a discussion of dealing with temperatures and humidity when making a decision as to whether to ride or show. When the combination is over 150 degrees “it starts to get dangerous,” said Stephanie Cook, noting 160 is very dangerous. She pointed out it is not kind to put horses into “those metal boxes” after they have shown all day in high heat, thus subjecting the animal to a long ride in a hot vehicle (while you drive your air conditioned truck). She suggests waiting until things cool down in the evening, or perhaps staying an extra night before heading home.

The subject of jackets in the heat also drew comments. Even though jackets may be waived, there are some instances in which riders will insist on wearing them because they think they have a better “look” in that attire.

Leslie Terry said in the extreme heat and humidity of South Florida, “I see kids all the time passing out.”

She suggested a rule that would ban jackets when the heat index reaches a certain point.

Participants offered some interesting ideas when asked how to handle having riders of varying abilities riding together in the same ring, perhaps indoors in inclement weather. One suggestion was to have them proceed one behind the other, playing a sort of game where the last rider might be asked to move to the front of the line in an extended trot, while another might move up in a sitting trot or another gait.

Kay Altheuser mentioned having one person get in the center of the ring act as the instructor for five minutes, then switching off with another rider.

Cory Kieschnick noted pole exercises work, because they can run the gamut from rails on the ground to cross-rails and little fences.

It’s interesting what people can come up with when they have a forum like the Town Halls where they feel free to talk and exchange ideas that can improve the experience for everyone.

Do you wear an air vest when you ride? Time to study their effectiveness

by Nancy Jaffer | Jun 21, 2023

Air vests, once most commonly associated with eventers, have gotten more popular with hunter/ jumper riders over the last few years.

While it may seem like a good safety measure to wear one, the truth is that there hasn’t been sufficient research to determine how much protection they offer and set safety standards for their use.

Eventers are required to wear hard body protectors under their air vests on cross-country. There already are safety standards in place for body protectors.

Hunter/jumper riders just wear the air vests, which unlike the body protectors, do not change their body profile–a look that is important to them. The vests fit nicely over a regular show coat and are attached to the saddle via an unobtrusive lanyard. When the rider parts company with a horse, the lanyard detaches and activates the vest’s trigger mechanism, releasing Co2 to inflate the vest before the body hits the ground.

But there’s a great deal that isn’t known about the effectiveness of air vests operating on their own, without body protectors beneath them.

There’s a lot to take into consideration when calculating the protective value of air vests for riders.

The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association is launching an extensive program of testing the air vests at Virginia Tech, which previously came up with the star rating program for evaluating helmet safety. USHJA has pledged $100,000 toward the research, which will cost a total of $825,000 and cannot begin until $450,000 is raised. Those who wish to contribute can go to this link.

On Tuesday night, USHJA presented an informational webinar with Drs. Stefan Duma and Barry Miller from Virginia Tech. It was hosted by Joe Dotoli, the USHJA’s safety committee chairman.

There are a lot of questions to be answered, from the extent of the thoracic protection offered by the vests, with and without body protectors, as to whether they also may help prevent some head injuries.

One problem mentioned is the prospect that if someone falls from their horse and the vest doesn’t deploy, the Co2 canister used to inflate the vest could prove a danger to the rider’s ribs.

Another downside is the concern that the popping sound of the vest being deployed could spook a rider’s horse or other horses in the vicinity. Companies that make vests are working on making the noise go away, but achieving it “will be a challenge.” The vests started as protection for motorcycle riders, Joe pointed out, and the cycles (of course) didn’t care about a popping noise.

Listeners to the webinar wondered whether wearing an air vest could become a rule, the way helmets did at the beginning of this century. But Joe noted at that time, the U.S. Equestrian Federation “had a good standard from ASTM (The American Society for Testing and Materials) on the helmets.”

Air vests  (the black garment over the red coat) are gaining popularity with hunter/jumper riders, despite the fact that more information about their effectiveness is needed. (Photo © 2023 by Nancy Jaffer)

To find a standard for the vests, “we don’t know until we do the science,” he explained. The study is expected to take two years after it gets under way. The sooner the money is raised, the sooner that will happen.

One of the goals of the work is to “test and rate the biomechanical performance of equestrian chest protection systems.”

Once manufacturers have information from the study, “they can design vests around the research,” Joe said.

The researchers would like to get any videos that might help them in their work. If you have something like that, send it to bmiller21@vt.edu .

A concern expressed during the webinar is whether the vest can protect someone whose horse falls on top of them. It requires a body protector for an effort to reduce the severity of crush injuries, though it is not always effective against such a traumatic accident.

Joe noted that “eventing falls have been so devastating with rotational falls.” He explained that type of fall doesn’t tend to happen in hunter/jumper competition because of breakaway cups and rails that tumble easily in those classes, while eventing involves many more solid obstacles cross-country.

USHJA webinars have aired on a number of topics. Next up on Monday June 26 at 7 p.m. is a Town Hall on the grassroots of the industry.