by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 18, 2024
Entries for U.S. Equestrian Federation-licensed shows were up 30,000 from 2022 to 2023, and figures for this year through July are on track for another projected increase, according to the federation’s CEO, Bill Moroney.
“Overall, our numbers are right where we wanted them to be at this point,” he said, noting the entries stood at 262,000 as of the end of July.
He was responding to comments made by Andrew Philbrick of Princeton Show Jumping in New Jersey, who canceled his last three shows of the season due to low entries. (Read the story about the cancellations on this link.)
“USEF horse show entries are down nationwide and profoundly down at many East Coast shows,” Philbrick contended as he announced the cancellations. He maintained that show “licensing is not transparent; it’s very hard to understand what the process is. I think we need to take a really hard look at licensing.”
He mentioned mileage exemptions given to shows in his region that are running against Princeton, but some of his shows also have needed and received exemptions because they are within the 125-mile limit of HITS in Saugerties, N.Y., and Old Salem in Westchester County, N.Y.
Moroney noted licensing procedures are spelled out in Chapter Three of the USEF rulebook.
“We follow the rules,” he maintained
Philbrick, a board member of USEF affiliate U.S. Hunter Jumper Association, had served on the USEF competition management committee at one time.
Part of the current situation on which Moroney and Philbrick agree is that competitors’ migration patterns have changed.
Philbrick cited FEI (international) shows in Michigan (Traverse City), Lexington, (Ky.), and Tryon (N.C.). drawing away customers from the Northeast, even though they are not within the mileage limits. He also mentioned “new and relatively new” FEI shows closer to New Jersey at Old Salem; Greenwich, Conn., and Silo Ridge in New York, in addition to HITS. as a factor in who attends his shows.
Andrew Philbrick of Princeton Show Jumping.
A change of management and investment that has led to major improvements in arenas and barns at HITS, about a 2-and-one-half hour drive from Princeton’s venue in Montgomery Township, for instance, has led to a slight disruption in the Northeast by drawing exhibitors who previously might have stayed closer to home or gone elsewhere.
The demand for FEI shows has grown exponentially, which also figures into the equation. The number of FEI shows in the U.S. is second only to the number held in France.
Princeton licenses between 18 and 20 national shows a year from April through October, according to USEF.
Riders and owners now are willing to travel further for a show that may have different offerings or atmosphere than where they usually compete.
“Value propositions speak to them,” said Katlynn Wilbers, USEF’s director of competition operations.
“The (customer) experience the trainers and the riders and everybody is getting is way more important now than it’s probably ever been in the past,” said Moroney, mentioning that also applies to the situations in which the grooms are working.
USEF CEO Bill Moroney.
“It’s a lot easier to write a check when you’re getting good value for your money,” he commented.
The stable of Olympic show jumping medalist Chris Kappler usually shows at Princeton, which he praised for good footing, fences and course designers.
“We haven’t been there this year because our shows have taken us further away,” Kappler said, but added about Princeton, “every time I’ve been, I’ve seen them as successful and doing well. So when I learned this (about the cancellations) I was a little bit surprised. The show has always been a very solid regional show.”
Another factor is that exhibitors are tending to change the dates they would normally show; they are willing to compete on weeks other than their usual pattern if it enables them to go to certain venues.
At the same time, people on social media are complaining that the costs of showing mean they can’t compete as often as they once did, or mentioning they prefer to save up for the experience of a special show, rather than going to certain other shows regularly as they once did. The one- and two-day shows in New Jersey that once were staged by boarding or lesson stables have diminished greatly as development has made incursions on the state’s equestrian scene and hurt the lower and middle end of the sport there..
The trend today, which has threatened one-week boutique shows, is toward multi-week shows where people can stay in a place for awhile instead of picking up and moving every week. That takes less effort and saves on horse transportation costs.
There are many more competitors today than there were at the time when USEF licenses were held by shows for three years. Now license renewal is annual, giving USEF an opportunity to judge the impact of exemptions.
Mileage between shows is not set in stone. USEF sees a greater need for diverse offerings to meet competitors’ needs. The mileage exemption process for shows applying for dates, on which the USHJA weighs in, was created to address density or lack of offerings in certain areas. Existing shows can offer input along with the affiliates and the USEF staff.
“People shop differently all the time,” Moroney observed.
In an era of change, he suggested that shows should survey their clients to see what they like and don’t like about a show, as well as what they are looking for when they decide where to compete, so adjustments can be made if necessary.
“If your business is dropping off, you try to find out why it it is,” he said.
“Our job in responsibly managing the calendar is making an effort to insure that our members have the diversity of venues they need and the diversity of offerings to develop their own skills as a rider and also to develop their horses’ skills That means sort of a mix of different levels of competitions,” Moroney explained.
by Nancy Jaffer | Aug 29, 2024
Multifamily housing, a 200-room hotel, retail offerings, entertainment elements and youth sports facilities are slated for the 80 acres around Monmouth Park, where racing is slated to continue at the New Jersey track under an 85-year lease agreement.
It was announced today by the track that the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, along with the New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority, has transferred the racetrack to Dennis Drazin’s Darby Development LLC. That entity had been operating the racetrack and now will have full control over the property. Groundbreaking for the new project is set for late 2025.
“Let me start by thanking Gov. (Phil) Murphy for entrusting me, and my entire team, with one of New Jersey’s most iconic landmarks and one of the nation’s top racing venues,” said Drazin, chairman and CEO of Darby.
“While we have been operating the racetrack for just over the past decade, we can now implement our vision for the future, which includes, in conjunction with (developer) Morris Bailey, a world-class housing project with full amenities, sports complex, first-class hotel and much, much more. All of this will complement and support our main business, horse racing.”
Bailey, a horse racing enthusiast whose JEMB Realty owns and operates North American commercial and residential properties, as well as the Resorts Casino in Atlantic City, will lead the development projects at Monmouth Park. Groundbreaking is set for late 2025.
“We are committed to providing fans with top-quality racing at a venue second-to-none,” Drazin said.
“Today’s actions will ensure a robust future for Thoroughbred racing in the Garden State and it’s with great pride and humility that we embark on a new future for Monmouth.”
Monmouth has 51 days of live racing at the track near the Shore in Oceanport, mostly on weekends, May through September. It also has 10 days at the Meadowlands in northern New Jersey during September and October.
“Monmouth Park Racetrack is an iconic New Jersey attraction,” said Gov. Murphy. “We are thrilled to see this project move forward, which will bolster the local economy and ensure that the area is a popular destination for generations to come.
“Through this important development, the history and legacy of this racetrack will not only be solidified but expanded and enhanced so that more New Jerseyans can experience its excitement.”
“The NJTHA have been great tenants and partners for the last 12 years,” said Paul Juliano, president and CEO of the NJSEA.
“I, along with everyone at the NJSEA, join the governor in taking great pride in securing sustainability and the long-term success of Monmouth Park Racetrack with the new lease for generations to come.”
Said Bailey, “We are embarking on the next phase of a journey that began over a decade ago when we developed plans to reimagine and reinvent the Monmouth Park experience that has brought so much joy to generations of horse racing enthusiasts.
“We have always been staunch advocates for returning the area to its rightful place as the premier destination for horse racing and family entertainment, while including important components that serve the community at large. After an intensive, complex and lengthy process, our plans will create a vibrant lifestyle destination for future generations and will put the racetrack on a trajectory for enormous growth,” he pledged.
Monmouth has roots dating back to 1870, but a state ban on parimutuel betting eventually closed it down. The track reopened in 1946 under Amory Haskell, who had led the legislative effort to permit wagering on horse racing again. The track’s featured race, the $1 million Haskell Invitational in July, is named after him.
In 1986, the state acquired the racetrack and operated it under the NJSEA until 2012, when the NJTHA took the reins as lessee.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 13, 2024
Cancellation of the November Las Vegas qualifier for the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League has led to new possibilities for the Marshall+Sterling Insurance/USHJA National Championships, which had been scheduled to run with the qualifier at the South Point Hotel and Casino.
Blenheim EquiSports, which got the rights for the qualifier through 2027, called off the competition due to “unforeseen circumstances.” When asked for specifics, Robert Ridland, president of Blenheim, said “I cannot comment at this time.”
The cancellation raised the question about what would happen to the USHJA championships, but that was quickly answered with word that the show will be produced by the Desert International Horse Park, led by Steve Hankin. Pat Boyle will continue as show manager.
Explaining his decision to become involved with the championships, Steve said, “We’re excited to put on a great event in Vegas and continue to help build up the sport. We’re two months out from the event and we want it to be successful. We’re going to put in a lot of energy and focus on the event and the sport and that’s what we care about.”
Showing in Vegas is a highlight of the year for those qualifying for the USHJA Championships.
Discussing working with Steve and Desert International Horse Park, USHJA President Britt McCormick commented, “Their expertise, coupled with Pat Boyle’s continued leadership, will elevate this year’s championships, allowing us to bring more opportunities to our competitors.”
Those include enabling the Nov. 11-17 fixture to accept additional participants and showcase key competitions in slots previously reserved for the international-level show jumping. The Western Conference Equitation Finals will be the highlight on Saturday night, while the IHSA/USHJA 3’3″ Hunter Seat Medal Final West is the feature for Sunday.
As for the World Cup qualifier situation left in question by the cancellation, the FEI is evaluating it and “will prepare a proposal on the way forward, taking into account the calendar, sport and commercial implications, which will be presented to the FEI Board for their final decision.”
The FEI stated, “We understand that this last-minute cancellation is unfortunate, and may impact those who have already made their plans to attend. We sincerely apologize to all stakeholders, including riders, officials, sponsors and fans, for any inconvenience caused, and are committed to ensuring a strong and successful series moving forward.”
Conor Swail won the Longines FEI qualifier in Las Vegas last year. (Andrew Ryback Photography)
Todd Hinde, the FEI director of jumping said, “We are deeply disappointed by the cancellation of the Las Vegas leg of the Longines FEI Jumping World Cup™ North American League. However, we respect the decision of the Organizing Committee and our priority now is to ensure the continued success of the series, providing top-level competition for athletes and fans across the remaining qualifiers.”
The final will be held in Basel, Switzerland next April.
Ridland has just returned from Paris, where he guided the Olympic show jumping team to its third consecutive silver medal under his direction as chef d’equipe. His contract for that position is up for renewal at the end of this year; such contracts in all the Olympic disciplines run with the Games quadrennium.
It has been a rough year for Blenheim EquiSports, which lost some dates for its shows due to water quality issues involving the Rancho Mission Viejo Riding Park it runs south of Los Angeles. For previous stories about the topic, click here and here.
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 8, 2024
So much incredible competition went on in all the disciplines this weekend that it was positively head-spinning trying to keep up. But we managed.
First, let’s deal with the richest grand prix in the world, the $3 million (Canadian) CPKC International, which went to Martin Fuchs of Switzerland with the incredible Leone Jei for the second year in a row at Spruce Meadows. The class, presented by Rolex, is part of the Rolex Grand Slam series of competitions, with the next leg coming up in Geneva in December.
With $2.2 million American on the line Sunday in Calgary, Alberta, a field of 39 was whittled to 12 over a course designed by Leopoldo Palacios. The biggest surprise in the initial round was when McLain Ward fell off as his Olympic mount, Ilex, crashed through the first fence. The top 12 who qualified for the second round included riders who had knockdowns and accumulated time penalties, but it wound up with three riders tied on zero penalties set for a jump-off.
In the tie-breaker, Martin had the third fence down, an oxer with brown rails, which was difficult to see in a shadow. Martin felt he over-rode it. So at that point, he needed to hustle and got his horse through the timers in 40.22 seconds.
Then he had to wait.
Ireland’s Darragh Kenny and the stallion Cartello also toppled a rail at the same obstacle and exceeded the 42-second time allowed to finish with 4 jumping and 2 time faults. Last to go was 2022 CPKC winner Daniel Deusser of Germany, the country that won the Nations Cup on Saturday.
Daniel and Killer Queen had a rail at the first part of the double, 6A. He knew after that he had to rush to beat Martin’s time, but that was not the way to approach the last fence, the colorful Hong Kong wall. Blocks flew off the top, leaving Martin the winner, Darragh second and Daniel third with 8 faults.
“It was touch-and-go,” Martin admitted about his feelings as he waited for the placings to resolve.
“But today was really my day, the other guys had some unlucky rails and I am very happy to defend this grand prix. It was very dramatic and I am glad it worked out for me today.”
It’s selfie time for the top three in the CPKC International: Daniel Deusser, Martin Fuchs and Darragh Kenny. (Spruce Meadows Photo)
Of the gray gelding who carried him to victory, Martin noted, “He has jumped 13 majors and placed in 12 of them. He’s always there when the majors are on. I’m blessed I have a partner that feels the same about those great shows.”
The big news from Spruce Meadows was that this grand prix will have a $5 million (Canadian) prize in 2025 to mark the facility’s fiftieth anniversary. There has never been a prize like that in show jumping.
Complete results of the CPKC International here
Now, on to the hard-fought Defender Burghley 5-star Horse Trials, where world number one eventer Ros Canter of Great Britain showed why she deserves that title by taking top honors with Lordships Graffalo on 23.6 penalties. She added only 1.6 time penalties to her dressage score for her trip over the show jumping fences that wrapped up the British event.
Ros Canter and Lordships Graffalo rose to first place after cross-country at the Defender Burghley Horse Trials and kept it through the show jumping to win. (Defender Burghley photo)
New Zealand’s Tim Price had a rail down with Vitali to finish second on 29.5. He was followed in third and fourth place by Harry Meade of Great Britain with the fault-free Cavalier Crystal (72.84) and Annaghmor Valoner, who had a rail to total 75.79. And can you believe busy Harry also was twelfth on Superstition (42.9) with a clean show jumping trip?
The top American finisher was Cosby Green with Copper Beech, sixteenth with 49.6. She had only time faults on cross-country, and a rail and 1.2 time faults in the show jumping. Jennie Brannigan finished twenty-third on FE Lifestyle (57.9) after a bad few minutes when her mount was sent to the holding area during the final horse inspection. They had two rails down in show jumping.
Andrew McConnon and Wakita 54 (70) dropped two rails in show jumping to finish twenty-seventh. Mia Farley and the thoroughbred Phelps picked up 20 jumping penalties on cross-country at the Rolex corners and added time penalties in that phase as well. Four fences down and time penalties in the jumping resulted in a score of 94.5 penalties that put this combination thirty-second.
The other American entry, Hannah Sue Holberg and Capitol HIM, ended their run when she had a fall at the twenty-second of 30 cross-country fences and was eliminated.
For full Burghley results, click here.
In the Paralympics, the U.S. ended with a record medal haul that topped the tables for dressage. Americans won seven medals, eclipsing their previous Paralympic Games best of two golds and a bronze at Atlanta 1996 and Tokyo 2021. Two U.S. riders were triple gold for the Games.
Becca Hart and Floratina had a narrow win in the Grade III freestyle to score a gold medal hat trick for the Games, having previously won the individual competition and contributed to the USA’s first team gold. Becca’s freestyle score was 83.534 percent to 83.007 for the Netherlands’ Rixt van der Horst on Royal Fonq in the Grade III competition. Natasha Baker of Great Britain was third on Dawn Chorus (77.140).
In Grade II, Fiona Howard earned her third gold with Diamond Dunes in her Paralympic debut. She was marked at 81.994 percent.
Georgia Wilson of Great Britain, rode Sakura to 79.374 percent for silver while 69-year-old Heidemarie Dresing of Germany, the oldest Para Dressage athlete in Paris, won her first individual medal after three previous fourth place finishes, taking bronze on Dooloop with 76.127 percent.
Triple gold medalist Fiona Howard. (US Equestrian photo)
In Grade IV, Kate Shoemaker and Vianne took bronze with a personal best of 80.170 for her ride to music from the movie Forrest Gump, so all the U.S. Paralympians brought home at least one medal. It was Kate’s first individual medal after earning bronze with the team in Tokyo three years ago.
Demi Haerkens of the Netherlands won her second individual gold on her Paralympic Games debut, and third medal in all, as she and Daula won the Grade IV gold earned an impressive 83.390 percent. Anna-Lena Niehues of Germany on Quimbaya 6, scored 80.900 percent to take silver, adding to their two bronzes in the Individual test and Team event.
Meanwhile, the World Driving Championships in Hungary ended with – no surprise – world champion Boyd Exell of Australia in first place. But the USA’s Chester Weber, who set a record last week in winning the dressage phase, wound up third to reach the podium.
Boyd Exell in action. (FEI photo)
Second after Saturday’s marathon, Chester had two knockdowns in the cones segment Sunday for a total of 159.13 penalties. That put him third behind the Netherlands’ Bram Chardon, with a total of 157.74 after a clean round in cones. Bram won that phase to move up from third place to second.
“It was a very different track from a lot of the sort of Dutch-esque tracks,” Chester said of the marathon course. “But I was very pleased with how the horses handled it and their performance.”
Chester Weber gives Boyd Exell a champagne shower. (FEI photo)
His score contributed to the unprecedented twelfth team gold for the Netherlands which gave his father, Ijsbrand, his thirty-sescond world medal and fourteenth gold. Together with Koos de Ronde, they won the team competition on 322.69.
Boyd had one down in cones, but a score of 146.93 penalties for all three phases left him untouchable and continuing on top of the world rankings with his seventh consecutive gold medal. Amazingly, the two-member Australian team that also included Tor van den Berge won their first world medal with bronze (340.77). Germany captured silver (330.33).
The U.S. did not finish as a team because its only other member, Jimmy Fairclough, did not compete in cones after one of his horses incurred an injury in his stall overnight.
Get the driving results by clicking here.
Read about the HITS grand prix in our Previous Columns here .
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 7, 2024
Jump-offs can be cutthroat affairs when the stakes are high and there is, as the British would say, all to play for.
Speaking of the British, they accounted for two-thirds of the top placings in Saturday’s Core Specialty Insurance $250,000 4-star Grand Prix at HITS on the Hudson.
The other contender in the three-horse tie-breaker rides for Belgium, but has British buddies. And it turns out the top three in the class – Jessica Mendoza, Abdel Said and Sam Hutton — will be stabling together now.
Jessica Mendoza and I-Cap CL Z, on their way to winning the HITS grand prix. (Photo © 2024 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
“We’re all good friends, we know each other for 10 years, more even,” said Abdel, joking that he remembers the elegantly tall Jessica since the days when “she was shorter than me” and riding a pony. (Jessica was British Show Jumping’s leading pony rider in 2009 and 2010).
“Going into the jump-off, it was fun, because whatever position we ended up in, it was already a victory. But in the ring, I am competitive,” said Abdel, a native of Egypt who switched his nationality in 2021.
“It was a hard one, I went too fast, I overcooked it but I wanted to put enough pressure and then also not risk knocking a rail,” he said of his effort on Bonne Amie, his Estonian sport horse, clocked in 40.92 seconds.
Abdel Said and Bonne Amie. (Photo © 2024 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Next up, Great Britain’s Samuel Hutton, riding Melusina BVL Z for Abdel’s AS Trading, was a bit slower in 42.2 seconds on the Zangersheide mare.
Sam Hutton and Melusina BVL Z (Photo © 2024 by Nancy Jaffer)
Jessica saw the Olaf Petersen Jr.-designed route in the Douglas Elliman Grand Prix Stadium as “a great course for my horse. I was in the best position going in, because I got to see everyone,” she said, before clocking the winning trip in 39.86 seconds on I-Cap CL Z, her Zangersheide gelding, who she has owned for eight years, since he was four.
Jessica, who rides on Nations Cup teams for Britain, called him her “pride and joy, a horse of a lifetime. I know him so well.”
She said of her best horse friend, “I know if I turn really tight and slice the jump, he’s not going to put down, he’s going to give it all to me.”
For her, it was practically love at first sight with this horse, who enabled her to collect the $82,500 winner’s check at the show in Saugerties, N.Y.
“A friend in Holland told me about him. I knew after six jumps that I was going to buy him,” she said.
Olaf, who had a field of 26 to work with, said, “It was nice for me to watch. It was very exciting until the end,”
The time allowed of 84 seconds also turned out to be tight for 11 entries, who collected time penalties.
A big question involved a one-stride double, the next to-last obstacle on the first round course.
“I think nine strides to the last vertical/oxer was a much better solution than eight. A lot who tried eight strides didn’t succeed,” Olaf observed.
“That was a key part of the course for me.”
Sam Hutton, Jessica Mendoza with Lily, Abdel Said and Olaf Petersen Jr. (Photo © 2024 by Lawrence J. Nagy)
Abdel noted, “All in all, I really enjoyed the course. I thought it was very fair for the number of riders who were here. A grand prix with that amount of money should not be a lot more clear rounds, I think it should be top sport.”
And several top names didn’t fare well.
Germany’s Rene Dittmer, who won the grand prix at the Hampton Classic last weekend, had a rail at the rustic bridge vertical, putting him and Corsica X seventh. Another star, Jordan Coyle of Ireland, winner of the Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon with For Gold in May, dropped two rails, putting him thirteenth and out of the money.
Everyone praised the HITS facility, which has undergone impressive renovations recently.
“I love it,” said Abdel.
“I’ve been to Wellington, Miami, so many shows in Canada and I was so impressed,” he said, citing the effort for horse welfare and the footing among the benefits of HITS.
Sam, visiting HITS this year for the first time, agreed.
“I really like it. It’s very horse-friendly,” he commented.
Olaf, who had designed the former HITS $1 million class a decade ago, said that since his last visit, “the improvement I think was amazing.” Even with, as he put it, “so many rings, everybody had time to do his job and be professional.”
click here for results
by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 6, 2024
The fourth-place finish of the Belgian eventing team at the Paris Olympics could be in jeopardy
The Belgian Equestrian Federation has been informed that Tine Magnus’ horse, Dia van het Lichterveld, had a positive test (A-sample) for a banned substance, Trazadone, during the Games.
“The Belgian Team in general and Tine Magnus particularly are very surprised about this result. Awaiting further steps in the procedure (analysis of B sample, ..) Tine Magnus has been provisionally suspended by the FEI,” the Belgian federation stated..
“Although all horses had been pre-tested and the team gave their utmost to prevent any incidents, this is the given situation which is currently having an impact on the team result,” the Belgian federation continued.
“We are now analyzing and clarifying the situation. Together with Tine Magnus, we are investigating what exactly happened and want to trace back to the situational details.”
According to the Mayo Clinic, Trazodone is used to treat depression. It is thought to work by increasing the activity of serotonin in the brain.
The Belgian federation added, “In the current situation, it is important to stress that the results of the Paris Olympic Games, both individual and team, will remain valid for the duration of the investigation.”
If the final decision disqualifies Magnus, the Swiss team would move up to fourth and the U.S. team would advance to sixth from seventh, with Sweden taking fifth place.
