4-H still has a role to play in the horse world

by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 28, 2022

There was a time when the horse show at New Jersey’s Somerset County 4-H Fair felt like a really big deal. The stables were full and the competition was serious.

Judy Hennessey, a 4-H leader in the county, remembers that during the mid-1970s when her son started in 4-H, there were 125 horses and ponies at the fair’s show and 500 kids in the program.

But this summer, the fair didn’t even draw a single 4-H horse, let alone enough for a horse show; instead there were some static displays on an equine theme.

One of the displays at the Somerset County 4-H fair. (Colette Eristavi photo)

Billed as America’s largest youth development organization, 4-H stands for “Head, Heart, Hands and Health.” Material from 4-H says it is “empowering nearly 6 million young people with the skills to lead for a lifetime.”

When it comes to making kids into horsemen and horsewomen, rather than just riders, 4-H has a reputation as being the ticket. Karyn Malinowski grew up in Somerset County, the home of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation, and rode in the 4-H fair show.

She recalls from the late 1960s and early 1970s, “We learned about horse care and management through 4-H. Then our riding instructors took us to the A(-rated) shows and we learned equitation from that, but they didn’t teach us the nuts and bolts of daily taking care of horses; our 4H leaders did.”

The founder of the Rutgers Equine Science Center, Karyn also learned public speaking and horse judging from 4-H. She was “extremely disappointed” to find out that there was no 4-H horse show at the Somerset fair, the first held in three years due to Covid. The pandemic didn’t help the 4-H membership situation either.

Rachel Lyons, New Jersey’s state 4-H program leader, noted that “Many horse clubs, and other animal project areas, had a hard time during the darkest days of the pandemic. These clubs are usually very hands-on, and some (there were certainly some exceptions) had a hard time moving to an online, virtual format. It will take a few years for clubs to fully recover from the pandemic, but I am optimistic we will.”

Colette Eristavi, a club co-leader with Judy, said of the pandemic period, “a lot of kids found other things to do during that time.”

She added the displays at the fair attracted some interest from kids, but she wants to see how many follow through. Colette noted that children who don’t have horses need to learn about them if they have ambitions toward riding or being involved with them, and 4-H is a vehicle for getting that done.

In lieu of real horses, the leaders made “ponies” out of pool noodles at the fair, and kids were having a great time jumping over little fences with them.

Pool noodle ponies made a fun substitute for the real thing at the fair. (Photo by Collette Eristavi)

Colette is hoping there will be live equines at the fair next year, “even if that means we have to borrow horses” so kids can learn about being around them.

Kelly Champion, who was a member of the Morris County Gauchos 4-H club until she aged out 35 years ago, has fond memories of the program and it what it did for her. In addition to being involved in a variety of activities including the horse bowl quiz program and horse judging, it “teaches you to love your animal and learn about the animal.”

Kelly, who rode on the A-rated circuit, is now an instructor at Mane Stream, a therapeutic riding center in Oldwick. The “hands-on” experience she got from 4-H, along with the contacts she made there, has helped in her work in the industry,

Looking at the big picture, Karyn observed, “Overall, the numbers of the 4-H Horse Project in New Jersey are down,” while noting that is the case in all 21 counties, where the enrollment has been “getting less and less.”

She considers it ,“A sign of the times, they (kids) are showing and riding and that’s all they want to do.”

“It’s a much different world today,” Judy observed, noting the backyard horse that once was the backbone of 4-H horse clubs is vanishing in increasingly developed areas. At the same time, there are fewer barns where kids can take lessons without owning a horse, she said.

Membership issues are across the board in various 4-H clubs, not just those involved with horses. Judy knows of an alpaca 4-H club that is doing well, but members lease the alpacas rather than owning them, though she cited as a positive development that they were involved in a successful project to build a barn.

Costs of horse ownership and even leasing are yet another hurdle, not only for 4-H, but also for many people who would like to be involved with horses yet can’t afford it.

Karyn said that situation will be among topics addressed at the Rutgers Equine Science Center’s March 16, 2023 New Jersey Equine Summit, where the focus will include industry sustainability and the engagement of youth, as well as ways to cut costs of horse ownership.

This autumn, a survey will be sent out to New Jerseyans to pinpoint their areas of concern about the horse industry in advance of the summit, which will be free of charge for anyone wishing to attend. It will be the first time in 20 years that such a summit has been held.

Brittany Rigg, coordinator of the New Jersey 4-H State Horse Program and 4-H Senior Program coordinator, observed, “I believe the decline in numbers in the New Jersey 4-H Horse Project area is a reflection of the horse industry as a whole. Horses have been a leisure sport for a long time and with the shift in the economy, we are seeing this again, as we did during the last economic recession.

“This is something that is affecting a lot of the youth organizations within the horse industry, not just 4-H. During times of recession, we see a lot of our 4-H youth members focus more on our educational contests and non-horse-related events that we host.”

Brittany mentioned, “A lot of our members do not own their own horses and they lease or take lessons. Throughout the state, we have several horseless horse clubs that focus on the equine science of the horse, some focus on model horses and showing those, and some are based out of barns where the members take lessons weekly.”

She did, however, maintain that, “No matter what stage a member is at in their horse career, 4-H has something to offer them and the valuable life skills, knowledge and memories that they will make along the way ties the entire 4-H experience together.”

Brittany added, “To speak to the situation in Somerset, we have seen a decline in our program numbers since the COVID-19 pandemic; however, we are seeing this not only in the horse program but all of our project areas in the New Jersey 4-H Youth Development Program. A lot of our senior members have graduated during our two-year (pandemic) hiatus. Although we are seeing smaller numbers of youth participating in the horse program at the county and state levels, there have been some positives from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We have a huge influx of younger members, or Cloverbuds (kindergarten through third grade) joining our programs and we were able to engage and reach youth and volunteers in different ways. Through our virtual programming, we were able to connect with youth not only in New Jersey, but across the county and even the world. We had youth participants from South Carolina, Indiana, New York, and even Azerbaijan.”

Brittany believes, “With the increase in younger members, our horse program will continue to grow over the next couple of years, although it might take some time. Our goal is to keep providing new opportunities and experiences for youth members to grow their life skills. 4-H is always going to be there to support the youth of not only the horse industry, but the world. “

The open enrollment period in 4-H began this month. All members wishing to participate in state level events, such as Horse Bowl, Horse Judging, Hippology, Equine Presentations, and the State Horse Show, will need to be a registered 4-H members by January 1, 2023. To join, click on this link

“The primary focus of all 4-H clubs is on youth development.  4-H gives young people an opportunity to practice important life skills like leadership, public speaking, personal responsibility and record-keeping through focusing on a child’s interest or passion…in this case, horses. 4-H is always recruiting youth, and volunteers are welcome at any time of the year,” Rachel stated.

Mentioning another factor in the 4-H situation, Karyn said, “I think getting volunteer leaders is tough.”

Emphasizing that “ Volunteers are truly the heart of 4-H,” Rachel commented, “ All 4-H clubs are run by caring adult volunteers. I strongly encourage anyone who is passionate about horses and horsemanship, consider passing on their knowledge and passion to the next generation. 4-H is a great vehicle to do that.”

But Judy commented that in her experience, the problem is that, “Parents don’t want to make a commitment to bring the kids to the meeting and they don’t want to help. In 4-H, we expect the parents to help a little bit. We’re not a baby-sitting service.”

In Rachel’s view, though, “I look at national volunteerism trends closely, and it appears more people are interested in volunteering, but for less time overall. 4-H has developed a short-term club model, that meets weekly for 6-12 weeks, rather than monthly all year, to meet the needs and expectations of volunteers and families.”

It’s been 50 golden years of therapy and more at Mane Stream

by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 19, 2022

It may be hard to believe in this era, but the concept of using horses for organized therapy was still in its infancy when Octavia Brown founded the Somerset Hills Handicapped Riders Club a half-century ago. The once-weekly program began on a rudimentary basis with horses provided by the local Pony Club.

Today, what she started on her Bedminster, N.J., farm has blossomed into an organization with hundreds of dedicated volunteers and deep support from the community.

SHHRC evolved into Mane Stream, which offers clients a long list of vital services, everything from speech pathology to physical and occupational therapy, as well as brightening the lives of those who are living with cancer and debilitating conditions.

As it marks its 50^th anniversary, Mane Stream, located on 12 acres in Oldwick. N.J., officially sums up its mission as improving “the quality of life for individuals with physical, developmental, emotional, and medical challenges through a diverse program of equine assisted activities, therapy services, and educational initiatives.”

That’s certainly ambitions and accurate, but what stands out when watching Mane Stream participants is something that can’t be defined with mere words. It’s the joy someone feels from involvement with horses, whether it is simply brushing a pony, speaking for the first time after riding around the ring or break-through moments of leaving the wheelchair behind for freedom on horseback.

“Every new thing that comes along came from that whole beginning of thinking we could think outside the box. That’s exactly why I’ve stayed in it for as long as I have,” said Octavia, who went on from Mane Stream to start the Therapeutic Riding At Centenary University program.

Octavia Brown. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)

Today, “You can look at youth at risk, you can look at battered women, you can look at all kinds of things that none of us even thought about years ago,” Octavia observed.

You could say she was the Johnny Appleseed of therapeutic riding. At a time when the only course in the country was at Michigan’s Cheff Therapeutic Riding Center, people wouId come to Octavia and tell her, “I want to learn to do what you’re doing.”

So she started training people “and clearly they were gong to go out and do great things.”

Now she is involved on the board of the Horses and Humans Research Foundation.

For a very long time, “No one even thought about having qualitative and quantitative research on aspects of the field,” she recalled.

“The science behind this is starting to really take a firm hold. Maybe hopefully insurance will start to pay for this without quibbling, and people will start to sit up and take notice in areas we don’t even know about yet.”

She will be honored Oct. 1 at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone, N.J., where Mane Stream is holding its anniversary gala. (As long as tickets are still available, they can be obtained through equus2022.givesmart.com.)

While Octavia ran her original operation with little help, Mane Stream today employs professionals to handle the ever-increasing aspects of its operation, which is a Premier Accredited Center of PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship, International).

Overseeing the therapy is Melanie Dominko-Richards, who began her association with Mane Stream at the age of six. Her mother worked down the road at the Oldwick General Store, where Mane Stream personnel would go for lunch. Melanie’s mom sought advice from them on how she should handle her “horse-crazy kid, who needed something to do for the summer.”

Melanie first visited Mane Stream at age six and became a volunteer when she was nine years old, a much younger age than what is allowed today. But it was an important step for her; one, she says, that “put me on the path of where I am today. I just loved it.

Melanie Dominko-Richards, Mane Stream’s director of therapy services with Tink. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)

“I originally came for the horses. That was really the draw. Then I fell in love with the disabilities side of it,” she explained.

“I fostered this love of inclusion and a love of being around all different sorts of people.”

After volunteering through high school and getting a bachelor’s degree in education at Seton Hall University, she got a call from Mane Stream’s director of therapy services, offering her a 10-week gig. It has turned into 11 years. She got a promotion to director of therapy services in 2017. With a master’ in speech language pathology, she is now board president of the American Hippotherapy Association.

Trained in how the biomechanics of the horse implements the biomechanics of the human body, she explained, “Being on a horse kind of organizes the systems of the body.”

For a hyper client who can’t focus, for instance, “the movement of the horse is self-organizing,” she explained. Melanie compared it to a zipper that’s slightly out of line.

“Being on the horse lines up the teeth of the zipper…so I can zip up the zipper. It readies the body for another task, such as speech therapy.

“A lot of clients come for multiple therapies, meet their goals, then move on to occupational therapy or physical therapy. They may also join an adaptive riding program and take a lesson.  Our definition of special needs is very broad.”

The idea is to adapt teaching style and equipment to a participant. For instance, to help a client understand how to ride a circle on a horse, different colored cones can be set up to make a circle as the client sets off, then slowly the cones are removed, enabling them to understand how to produce the figure on their own.

Jen Dermody, the head instructor,  equine manager and event coordinator, said one of the special things about Mane Stream is “the whole team feel” as volunteers work with professionals in helping clients.

Volunteers are vital to Mane Stream’s success, and each has their own purpose in helping others. Dan O’Donnell, who worked in technology and was a rider for 35 years, used to take his horses on the trails in the Oldwick area and would often  pass by Mane Stream.

“When I retired, I decided to come in and see what was going on. It’s kind of nice to do something that’s your hobby anyway,” he noted.

Matt McCann; his wife, Renee, and daughter, Sara, all volunteered. Sara was a jumper rider, so she knew horses, but Matt, a CPA, enjoyed being along for the ride, so to speak, since helping at Mane Stream was an activity he could do with his whole family.

Leroy Hunninghake came in one day just to see what was going on at the facility and encountered someone in the lobby he had worked with in technology for 25 years. The man’s son had autism and was riding, so that inspired Leroy to get involved.

Karen Mikita-Kaufhold, the organization’s president, became involved with Mane Stream when she moved from Bergen County to Hunterdon County and was looking for volunteer work. When she mentioned it to the wife of the CEO at the company where her husband worked, the woman suggested she go to what was then Somerset Hills, because Karen rode horses and wanted to help people.

“I think that would be the perfect fit for you,” the woan said, and she was right.

“Once I began volunteering I loved it, I loved being there,” Karen remembered,

“When I started seeing what they do for the participants, that’s when it got to me; this is more than just the horses. This is helping somebody who is doing therapy on the horse and to see improvements, that’s when it got to me.”

She recounted hearing a little girl who hadn’t talked at all, finally say, “walk on” to the horse.

Occupational therapist Stephanie Egleston (second from right) works with a client with the help of volunteers. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)

“I had tears in my eyes. This is what it’s all about.”

“I am so grateful and cannot thank our supporters enough for their generosity and kindness to help Mane Stream to be able to fulfill our mission and serve our community for 50 years and hope we can continue to for many more years to come,” she said.

Trish Hegeman, Mane Stream’s executive director for six years, reflected on 50 years of progress. She notes, “We’ve come a long way in terms of keeping people safe; we know a lot more about the right way to do things, we’ve learned a lot more abut how to engage with certain participants. We’ve definitely moved forward and are definitely interested in staying as a leader in the industry.”

The board adopted a strategic plan earlier this year, but one of the key questions that remains for discussion is “What’s next? What do we want to do?”

Getting more space is one question that will be dealt with in discussions next year, since at the current location, things are “built out as much as they can be.”

While the adaptive riding program moves in the winter to a board member’s farm where there’s a big indoor ring, the organization would like to have its own large indoor for lessons. The current indoor, used for therapy, is too small for that.

A client may have a diagnosis of ADHD, anxiety or some other condition. The horses are trained to carry riders who are not balanced or do unexpected things; perhaps they have muscle spasms, for example.

Volunteers work with clients in the outdoor ring. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)

There is a big demand for adaptive riding, focusing on “anyone who’s not going to be successful in a typical riding environment.”

“We want people to be successful and independent, and those are not two things that happen all the time in other environments to people who come here,” said Trish.

Their Mane Stream experience “gives them something be successful at. Our people who might have other challenges in their life, and life is not so easy for them, are able to get on these big animals and tell them what to do. There’s something super-empowering about that.”

It’s silver for the USA at the world championships: UPDATE

by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 18, 2022

What a ride! Today’s show jumping finale of the FEI World Eventing Championships was far from an anti-climax after Saturday’s thriller of a cross-country test at Pratoni del Vivaro in Italy.

The course designed by Uliano Vezzani, set on undulating turf, provided surprises that I for one couldn’t have predicted, as the medal positions kept changing among the top four countries in a process that paved the way for  a new generation to make its mark in the sport.

The grass show jumping arena at Pratoni.

Explaining his challenging route that took a toll on top combinations, Uliano said, “After a cross-country test like yesterday’s, the horses have ‘opened up’ and today they have to show that they are back in balance, well in hand. Which is exactly what you want from an eventing horse.”

But four knockdowns by world number one eventer Oliver Townend and Kentucky 5-star winner Ballaghmor Class? Unthinkable, yet it dropped Britain (the favorite going into the week) from the podium to fourth place (100.9 penalties).

Two knockdowns from Germany’s Michael Jung, who has a Fort Knox-worth pile of gold medals? How could that be, when it appeared he would set a new world record with fischerChipmunk FRH to finish on his dressage score of 18.8 penalties?

Even so, Germany was able to end with a team gold (95.2 penalties) after lingering on the lower levels of the podium throughout the competition.

Hard to believe that Boyd Martin, the anchor of so many U.S. teams, would be the drop score (42.2) in twentieth place with Tsetserleg after four rails toppled. But America finished on silver (100.3) anyway, though for a brief shining moment earlier in the day, the squad had a glimmering of gold in its sights. There were only 0.4 penalties between the U.S. and bronze medal New Zealand (100.7), and just 0.2 between New Zealand and Great Britain.

Will Coleman and Off the Record mastered the course. (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)

It was the first time in 20 years that the U.S. had medaled at the worlds, having won gold in Spain in 2002.

“I’m very proud to be an American today,” said Boyd.

“Having five clear rounds yesterday in the cross-country was awesome, and just looking at the results here, any three of the five of us could have gotten a team medal.

“I’ve been on many of these teams, and we’ve been so close over and over again, and it’s a massive sigh of relief. I’m really thankful for this team and proud to be here with these guys sitting next to me.”

The bonus was that the U.S. qualified to have an eventing team in the 2024 Paris Olympics, along with the other nations in the top seven. France already was qualified as the host country for those Games. The U.S. dressage team qualified for Paris at their championships in Denmark last month, as did the para team for the Paralympics. The show jumpers will have to use the 2023 Nations Cup Final or the 2023 Pan Am Games to qualify.

The U.S. team of Will Coleman, Lauren Nicholson, Tamie Smith and Boyd Martin.

What about the individual eventing medals, you wonder.

That, too, would have been an unlikely prediction if anybody had suggested 25-year-old Yasmin Ingham, riding as an individual for Britain, would take the gold.

At the Kentucky 5-star this year, a notice came to the press room that Yaz would be giving a press conference one afternoon. Huh? “Who is she?” I asked, wondering about her resume, aside from being the 2013 Sportwoman of the Year on her native Isle of Man, and winner of Britain’s 2021 Blenheim event. I couldn’t make the press conference, but a few days later, we found out who she was, when she finished second to Michi Jung in the 5-star.

Yasmin Ingham triumphant. (FEI / Richard Juilliart)

And today she was first on the Selle Francais Banzai du Loir, moving up from third after dressage (22 penalties) to second after cross-country (adding just 1.2 time penalties) to clear in the jumping, winding up number one on 23.2 penalties. Too bad for Britain that she was riding as an individual instead of on the team.

Yasmin Ingham jumped clean to win individual gold at the FEI World Eventing Championshipsl.

As Michi’s horse brought down the plank at the tricky final fence, Yaz gasped and was immediately enveloped in hugs.

“Honestly, I’m still not believing it,” she said,  a bit breathless moments later.

“I really didn’t think this would happen. My horse, Banzai, was just impeccable; perfect, could not fault him today in the show jumping round. I’m just over the moon. I can’t explain how happy I am, because there’s just no words for it.

“I’m shaking at the moment, even still.”

Describing today as extreme pressure and nerve-wracking, Yaz said she “tried to treat it as a normal competition, and make sure I did my normal plan, and routine and structured system. Stuck to it, blocked everything else out and focused on the job.”

Yaz on Banzai.

Banzai, she emphasized, “just delivered. He was absolutely perfect.”

She is the latest link in the tradition of British eventing world champions; Lucinda Green, Ginny Leng, Zara Phillips Tindall and Ros Canter, who won four years ago and was fourth today with Lordship’s Graffalo (26.2), who is only 10 years old.

Yaz has looked up to the more experienced riders on the team and took advice from them.

“Now that I’ve managed to do it and become world champion, I’m just speechless,” she said.

How cool is this mounted band that led in the medalists?

Olympic champion Julia Krajewski of Germany took silver with a clear round on Amande de B’Neville (26 penalties), moving up from fifth after cross-country. New Zealand’s  world number three, Tim Price, also fault free, took bronze with 26.2 penalties. He had the same score as Ros, but with a cross-country time closer to the optimum to break the tie. His mount, Falco, was developed by Sue Dempsey, who designed the cross-country course for the 2012 London Olympics.

“We worked so hard for this, we focused on it for years, this kind of major event, it means everything,” said Tim, whose wife, Jonelle, rode on the team with him.

Michi wound up a disappointing fifth (26.8), but emphasized he was very happy for the team.

“It was a fantastic performance, everyone was great. Today I’m a little bit unlucky, but luckily, on the other side, it was enough for the team.”

The USA’s Tamie Smith, poised for the podium in third place with Mai Baum after cross-country, saw her individual medal prospects disappear with two rails down, putting her ninth on 32 penalties. Her horse had lost his front shoes on cross-country and may have been feeling the effects of that today.

Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)

Her score left Will Coleman as the highest-placed American, seventh with Off the Record (27.2) after a fault-free round.

Lauren Nicholson had two rails and a time penalty with Vermiculus (41.1) to place nineteenth for the team, while Ariel Grad, riding as an individual for the U.S., was part of that rising generation I mentioned to end up eleventh after a faul-free trip on Leamore Master Plan (32.5).

That was impressive, considering she was fiftieth following dressage. Jumping is the forte of her Irish-bred son of Master Imp.

Ariel Grald and Leamore Master Plan. (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)

U.S. Chef d’Equipe Bobby Costello called it “such a crazy day. I had a feeling when I walked the course that it was going to be very influential. I’d never seen such a consistently big and very technical track and have those three lines, all single jumps to combinations, with three completely different distances. It was a real important phase, and no team went unscathed, and you had to keep fighting to the end.”

Ariel, Tamie and Boyd are still working with former eventing performance manager Erik Duvander, whose contract was not renewed last December by the U.S. Equestrian Federation. Bobby Costello took over as interim chef d’equipe this year.

“The most pleasing thing is that America has won a medal after a long drought and I’m very, very proud of the way the riders rode and how they present themselves, It’s very, very good,” said Erik, who was in Italy to help his riders but expressed pride in the team as a whole.

Much of what they have done was built on a foundation of the four years he gave the U.S. effort.

Although pathfinder Will Coleman does not work with him, Erik called that rider “very impressive…he’s been in the game for such a long time, but I think he’s now grown into the shoes and is now a serious competitor on the world stage but also within the team. He’s got the confidence and the self-belief and the skills as well.”

The nicest development, he added, is the number of people from other nations who “came up to me and congratulated on how America has turned around from being an average nation to a top nation. It has been noted by everyone.”

Click here for the team results. Click this link for the individual results.

Graeme Thom, David O’Connor take key roles at USEF

by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 22, 2022

Former U.S.Equestrian Federation president and Olympic eventing gold medalist David O’Connor next month takes on a newly created position as the USEF’s chief of sport, while Graeme Thom becomes the director of FEI/High-Performance Sport Programs.

Both veteran eventers will start work Oct. 3 to insure a smooth transition, as Director of Sport Will Connell  leaves his position Nov. 25.

David, who has been head of the FEI eventing committee, will be primarily focused on strategy, responsible for working with the executive team regarding overall international and national sport support of the USEF Strategic Plan and its initiatives. They include sport integrity, education, and equine and human safety and welfare.

Additionally, he will provide oversight of the international and national sport operations, ensuring that the sport department’s short-term and long-term strategic plans align with USEF’s priorities. The 2000 Olympic individual gold medalist also will focus on strengthening relationships with stakeholder groups such as the U.S. Olympic & Paralympic Committee, the FEI and the USEF’s recognized affiliates.

“I very much look forward to the opportunities afforded by this new role within the USEF,” he said.

“The chance to perform a 365-degree view of equestrian sport from a national and a global perspective and share strategies to ensure safety, welfare, and enjoyment while growing the sport across all breeds and disciplines will be an exciting prospect.

“My passion has always been horses, and promoting equestrian sport, both within and outside of our equine community, is a very important mission, both personally and for the USEF as a whole.”

David O’Connor on his Olympic gold medal victory lap at the 2000 Sydney Olympics. (Photo © 2000 by Nancy Jaffer)

USEF CEO Bill Moroney said, “As a key member of the executive leadership team, David will provide thought leadership, innovative problem-solving, and share diverse ideas to guide strategic actions and important business decisions, drive priorities, and lead change for the organization’s success.”

Graeme served as chair of the Canadian High-Performance Committee and as a chef d’equipe for Canada and New Zealand for the past 15 years at such major championships such as the 2008 Olympics, the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and the 2021 Olympics. Will is remaining with USEF through Nov. 25 to allow for a smooth transition.

He has worked in the financial industry, rode to the CCI 3-star level in eventing and was shortlisted for the Canadian eventing team.

His responsibilities with USEF will be focused primarily on sport operations, supervising the activities of the managing directors and directors for each international discipline recognized by the FEI. He will develop and implement the Strategic High-Performance plan and programs and overall administration of all aspects of sport programming and pathways for those FEI disciplines.

His other work will involve serving as the staff liaison to the USEF International Disciplines Council and the Athlete Advisory Committee. Additionally, he will fill the role of chef de mission at the World Equestrian Games, Pan American Games, and Olympic Games and is the primary sport contact for the United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee and the FEI.

“I am very appreciative of being offered this exciting role,” said Graeme.

“I have some extremely large shoes to fill with Will’s departure. He is legendary in his role as a chef de mission and high-performance director. It was a fitting testimonial that he was able to share in the USA successes at the recent World Championships.

“I will do my best to move up the curve as quickly as possible and hope my 10-plus years as a chef d’equipe in eventing will act as a springboard for continued success in the future across all FEI disciplines. I look forward to meeting the staff and team personnel very soon and am very eager to join the USEF organization.”

Bill Moroney cited Graeme’s “extensive experience in high-performance sports operations and management, coupled with his leadership and organizational skills.”

That, he continued, “makes him a great asset to the federation. I look forward to working with Graeme to strengthen and elevate high-performance equestrian sport in the U.S. across all international disciplines as we look to the future.”

USA moves up at eventing world championships

by Nancy Jaffer | Sep 17, 2022

The deck was reshuffled today by a demanding cross-country course at the FEI World Eventing Championships in Pratoni del Vivaro Italy, with team standings doing a switcheroo that put the U.S. in second place from third, elevated Germany to the lead, and dropped Britain from first to third place.

What didn’t change was the very top of the individual standings, as Germany’s Michael (Michi) Jung kept his personal best score of 18.8 penalties from dressage with a double-clear aboard fisherChipmunk FRH, as he headed toward what could well be his second world championships title.

“An amazing horse,” Michi enthused after his ride.

“FischerChipmunk is just a machine in the cross-country.”

Michel Jung and Chipmunk.

He did contend, however, “The course is not so nice to ride. The ground is not that perfect and it’s a tricky course….you have to work a lot. This is a horse for big gallops,” which are not found on this route. He had one iffy fence, where the horse took off close to the obstacle and got his head a bit sideways, but that was just a blip in a perfect trip that finished nine seconds under the optimum time.

Willberry Wonder Pony got quite a ride on Michael Jung’s back, crossing the finish line with him. The stuffed pony is the symbol of a charity in memory of teen eventer Hannah Francis, who died of cancer. Read more at https://www.willberrywonderpony.org/.

Germany is on 76.1 penalties, with the U.S. not so far behind on 77.4, while Britain has 80.9 and New Zealand 88.3. Those are the players for the medals, barring unforeseen disasters in Sunday’s show jumping segment, since fifth-place Switzerland is burdened with 109.4 penalties.

During the last seven world eventing championships, the eventual winner was a team that was either first or second after dressage.

In addition to the world titles, what counts here is qualification for the 2024 Paris Olympics, with the top seven teams making the cut.

Britain had some tense moments as officials deliberated for a long time on whether to give team member Tom McEwen 15 penalties for the way he and Toledo de Kerser handled fence 7B, the second element of a skinny brush double below a steep slide. In the end, they deleted those penalties, which kept the team in podium territory.

Earlier in the day, however, there was a huge disappointment for the Brits when Badminton winner Laura Collett, who had been standing second following dressage, experienced a run-out  with London 52, who fussed with his head much of the way around .It was the skinny combo below the slide that caused the problem again.

A big leap down the drop made it tough to shorten up for the three strides between the  skinnies. The horse just couldn’t get his legs over the second brush, leaving him no option but to leap out to the side. Laura is now forty eighth on 58.1 penalties.

“I’m absolutely gutted for the team. He just ran out of room,” Laura explained about the mishap.

“He was great around the rest”.

Misfortune on course visted Kevin McNAb of Australia, riding Scuderia 1918 Don Quidam. A rein broke in the middle of a combination and he had to spend time fixing it, winding up with 20 penalties for the stop and 24.8 time penalties, going over the optimum time because of the delay.

“They jumped one of the classiest rounds of the day. Very unlucky to have a broken rein in between a combination. I don’t know how he managed to tie the rein in a knot and finish, but he did,” said a statement from the Australian team.

Laura Collett and London 52.

The USA, benefiting from the counsel of cross-country consultant Ian Stark (a former British team member and designer of the cross-country at the new Maryland 5-star) offered his wisdom about the twists and turns of the up-and-downhill terrain based on volcanic sand.

The route designed by Guiseppe della Chiesa had 30 fences, 44 jumping efforts and an optimum time of 9 minutes, 50 seconds. It was at 4-star level (dressage and show jumping are 5-star level) because at a championships, some of the countries aren’t as experienced as the sport’s leaders. So it’s necessary to make sure those riders will be safe while providing a challenge for the others. That meant the highest fence was 1.2 meters, or 1.3 meters for a brush jump, and the widest obstacles measured 2 meters.

Several riders in addition to Michi commented that for horses with a long stride who need big jumps to be at their best, the course was not optimum.

As Tom noted, “The course rode well, but I thought the distances were quite short compared to what we’re used to. Obviously, I’m on a rangy horse with a great jump, so it slightly hinders me in my pace because sometimes I make up quite a bit of time actually being able to keep quite smooth in these big strides.”

At the same time, he added, “The ground is phenomenal and the way they’ve presented the course is great, so I’ve really enjoyed it.”

The USA’s Tamie Smith and Mai Baum. (Photo courtesy of Pratoni.)

Both America’s Tamie Smith, a podium possibility standing third on Mai Baum (24 penalties) and Boyd Martin, the U.S. anchor rider, sixth on his familiar partner Tsetserleg (26.2) were among the 11 riders in the field of 88 who were double-clear.

That distinction also belonged to Ariel Grald, who made the biggest leap of any competitor, going from fiftieth on Leamore Master Plan in dressage (67.53) to seventeenth. She is riding as an individual for the U.S.

Tami said of her mount, “He and I have such a great partnership now. This is a hard course, especially for our horses, because the jumps aren’t that big, but the course was super technical and twisty, but he’s such a good jumper and he was right there and just on it.

“I have an unbelievable, magical unicorn and he’s the horse of a lifetime. He’s made a lot of dreams come true.  I know his heart is as big as mine, so we’ll give everything we have until the end.”

Boyd was spot-on the optimum time. That lifted him above New Zealand’s Tim Price individually, breaking the tie of 26.2 penalties each incurred in dressage, since Tim was one second under.

While Boyd smiled and commented that he’d like to say he planned the timing perfectly, actually, he admitted. “I was just going as fast as he goes. I thought I was right on the time. It was a relief.”

That was especially true since, “This track doesn’t suit him. He’s so suited to the 5-stars, the Kentuckys that are just long gallops.”

Boyd Martin and Tsetserleg. (Photo courtesy U.S. Equestrian)

The stopping and starting necessary at Pratoni isn’t his preferred approach.

“ I have to give the horse credit, he tries and tries and tries. It’s his best attribute.”

He has ridden Tsetserleg at the Olympics, the Pan American Games and the 2018 World Equestrian Games.

“To keep a horse at this level for this long is a testament to his toughness and soundness and bravery,” said Boyd of his partner

He admitted that when the diminutive son of the Olympic veteran Trakehne, Windfall, came to his farm, “I thought he was a fluffy little pony. It goes to show how much I know. A horse that tries counts for so much.”

Boyd allowed himself a sigh of relief, even though the final phase will be “a massive day.”

But so far, so good. As he noted, “In the past it’s been a bit of everything, but today it seemed to come together.”

American pathfinder Will Coleman, eleventh with Off the Record, had just 0.8 time penalties to bring his total to 27.2 penalties.

He noted his horse is “kind of a bulldog out there. He was really strong and it was almost like he was telling me, `Let me at it, Dad.’”

Will added, “He’s not the fastest horse, to be frank; he’s a very efficient horse. He loses a bit of step as he tires.”

But they got around in an impressive clocking and Will noted, “I’m super happy with how he ran. He did his absolute best.”

Lauren Nicholson, eighteenth on Vermiculus, had just 5.6 time penalties for a total of 32.7.

“This is like our ninth 5-star. I know him really well, he knows me really well. I knew all the questions were there for him. He doesn’t have a huge gallop. It was more chasing the time than the actual fences.”

She was “Toeing the line of being gutsy and trying not to do anything stupid that’s going to affect the team.”

She told Ian Stark, “I don’t want pep talks…just give me facts, give me an order.”

“He said, `Ride the plan we talked about it and hammer at it’ and I did.”

Ariel noted cross-country is her horse’s best phase.

“I tend to play it a little bit safe with him,” she said, but not this time.

“He started off a little keen, he rattled a couple of jumps. I had to trust in his carefulness.”

The terrain and the corners were a challenge for a strong horse like her Irish sport horse by Master Imp, but she noted he stayed right with her.

“This is my first horse at Advanced and 4- and 5-star. Being here in the world championships was a bit of an incentive for me to take a risk. My dressage isn’t the strongest, but I’m going to finish on it,” she said, referring to her score in the first phase of the event.

Chef d’Equipe Bobby Costello observed, “Today absolutely met my expectations and I think everyone leading up to this day has just had a really good feeling about where we were heading.

“We haven’t had a day like this in a really long time for the U.S. It’s really gratifying and I’m happy for everyone here, ;he riders, the grooms, the owners, the staff and everyone at home.

“But having said that, we’ve already stopped celebrating. We’re 100 percent focused on the job tomorrow and aren’t thinking about anything other than finishing this competition and doing what we came here to do.”

Click here for the individual standings. Click on this link for the team standings.

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