by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 4, 2022
Update note: This weekend, things were status quo for show jumper Cassandra Kahle, who is hospitalized with a traumatic brain injury. We will update you as things change. Meanwhile, a GoFundMe page to cover medical and rehab expenses for Cassie has been started by Liz Schindler McFadden. Click here to donate.
Cassie’s mother, Natasha Brash, has offered a message to those who are praying for her daughter:
“For anyone who knows Cassandra Kahle they know she takes her time but she always gets everything done and done well. So I know this is no different. She needs time to repair herself so we are all waiting patiently.
We’ve had a few complications but we are all confident that as each one comes up the doctors and specialists are right there with what needs to be done.
We need your prayers now more than ever.
I have read many of your messages to her and played some videos and songs to her that you’ve all been sending.
Thank you to all of you who take the time to send your messages. It is truly unreal that there are literally thousands of messages.
Everyone describes Cass almost the same. Kind, considerate, caring and so fun. She’s always kept her child like playfulness about her. Her optimism, concern, empathy and humility are so genuine.
I have laughed and cried at many of your stories while reading them to her. The ways that you’ve described Cass makes me the proudest mom.
I am very proud of what’s she accomplished for herself, the success and incredible work ethic she has and her humility to always learn more and always give more.
But most of all it is when I meet people and they say to me, “I just need to shake the hand of the mother that raised this girl” and they go on to tell me all about how she has inspired them, or helped, or done a kind act for their child. I love you Cass, I am so proud to be your mother!”
What follows is the story from February 4.
On Thursday night, Cassie “cracked her eyes open and stared right at me,” said Emil Spadone, who owns Redfield Farm in Ocala, Fla., and Califon, N.J., where Cassie is a professional rider and trainer..
“Then she followed the command of the thumbs up and two fingers.” That was something she was able to do earlier this week, even though she hadn’t opened her eyes at that point.
“It was an emotional moment,” Emil noted.
“That was the up. The down is she hasn’t done it again since.”
He had mentioned earlier on Thursday that because she had aspiration pneumonia from her breathing tube, her infection was likely to slow down her response time. Now, however, he reported, her cough is almost completely gone.
He thinks her weekend may stay status quo, but is looking forward to “a more marked improvement” next week.
Meanwhile, thousands of people are following the progress of the popular 29-year-old competitor, praying and rooting for her as she battles traumatic brain injury.
So in case you missed it, here’s the back story:
UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Fla., quickly addressed the change in Cassie’s situation with antibiotics when she was diagnosed with pneumonia.
Emil was told it would take “24 to 48 hours to allow the antibiotics to do their job and we expect to be back on track.”
Being young and strong are factors in Cassie’s favor. It’s tough to take the situation in stride, especially after how well she reacted on Wednesday, but doctors advise patience.
For those who don’t know what happened, Cassie and her mount, Heviola, fell in the 1.40-meter Classic at the HITS show in Ocala.The 10-year-old Dutchbred mare was unhurt, but Cassie suffered a traumatic brain injury. Her family flew down from Canada to support her and are waiting for her to wake up.
The doctors are “very optimistic,” said Emil.
“They see this all the time. We don’t, so it’s very up and down and roller-coastery for us. The doctor said, `You just have to take that, that’s the way it is, it goes up and it goes down. You’ll have some good days and some-not-as good days.’ ”
Emil said scans show mild bleeding and mild bruising.
“They’re all recoverable injuries,” he noted, adding, “it’s a little bit of a slow process. Every hour, they do a neuro test; it changes from one hour to the next.”
“They’re still very positive and so, of course, we’re very positive,” Emil emphasized.
Cassie is an accomplished rider who won the $100,000 Grand Prix de Penn National last year and the World Champion Hunter Rider Pro Challenge at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in 2019.
Cassie on her way to winning the Grand Prix de Penn National last fall. (Andrew Ryback photo)
She was going fast in the jump-off at HITS when two distances to the next jump appeared. One was an inside turn, the other was a longer distance.
“I was watching and saw both distances,” said Emil.
“I saw the flyer; she was trying to fit in the shorter one, the horse was trying to pick up on the longer one and left early.”
The horse fell and her rider “got catapulted off the side.”
She hit her head just above her temple and left eye and back to the side; that’s where the contusions are on the scan, according to Emil, adding her only other injury is a big bruise on her side.
Cassie in action. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Emil noted that like every other rider, Cassie has fallen more than once.
“She always gets up and dusts off her pants and says `Let’s try again.’ She’s tough.”
But this time, it didn’t happen that way.
“It was really a miscommunication. It wasn’t Heviola’s fault and it wasn’t Cassie’s fault,” said Emil.
As often happens when there is a crisis, the horse show community has rallied around Cassie. Danielle Torano organized an effort to send food to Cassie’s nurses as a thank you for her care.
Those who want to contribute can click on this link
by Nancy Jaffer | Feb 2, 2022
After making some progress, Cassandra Kahle developed aspiration pneumonia from her breathing tube today. Although the professional show jumper has been unconscious since a fall last weekend, on Wednesday she was able to respond to commands, such as thumbs up.
UF Health Shands Hospital in Gainesville, Fla., quickly addressed the change in her situation with antibiotics, according to Emil Spadone, the owner of Redfield Farm in Ocala, Fla., and Califon, N.J., where Cassie is based.
“But it appears that an infection such as this will slow down her responses and ability to wake up,” he reported.
It’s a tough development for her family and friends, but Emil said he was told it will take “24 to 48 hours to allow the antibiotics to do their job and we expect to be back on track.”
Being young (29) and strong are factors in Cassie’s favor. It’s tough to take the situation in stride, especially after how well she reacted on Wednesday, but doctors advise patience.
For those who don’t know what happened, Cassie and her mount, Heviola, fell in the 1.40-meter Classic at the HITS show in Ocala.The 10-year-old Dutchbred mare was unhurt, but Cassie suffered a traumatic brain injury. Her family flew down from Canada to support her and are waiting for her to wake up.
The doctors are “very optimistic,” said Emil.
“They see this all the time. We don’t, so it’s very up and down and roller-coastery for us. The doctor said, `You just have to take that, that’s the way it is, it goes up and it goes down. You’ll have some good days and some-not-as good days.’ ”
Emil said scans show mild bleeding and mild bruising.
“They’re all recoverable injuries,” he noted, adding, “it’s a little bit of a slow process. Every hour, they do a neuro test; it changes from one hour to the next.”
“They’re still very positive and so, of course, we’re very positive,” Emil emphasized.
Cassie is an accomplished rider who won the $100,000 Grand Prix de Penn National last year and the World Champion Hunter Rider Pro Challenge at the Capital Challenge Horse Show in 2019.
Cassie on her way to winning the Grand Prix de Penn National last fall. (Andrew Ryback photo)
She was going fast in the jump-off at HITS when two distances to the next jump appeared. One was an inside turn, the other was a longer distance.
“I was watching and saw both distances,” said Emil.
“I saw the flyer; she was trying to fit in the shorter one, the horse was trying to pick up on the longer one and left early.”
The horse fell and her rider “got catapulted off the side.”
She hit her head just above her temple and left eye and back to the side; that’s where the contusions are on the scan, according to Emil, adding her only other injury is a big bruise on her side.
Emil noted that like every other rider, Cassie has fallen more than once.
“She always gets up and dusts off her pants and says `Let’s try again.’ She’s tough.”
But this time, it didn’t happen that way.
“It was really a miscommunication. It wasn’t Heviola’s fault and it wasn’t Cassie’s fault,” said Emil.
As often happens when there is a crisis, the horse show community has rallied around Cassie. Danielle Torano organized an effort to send food to Cassie’s nurses as a thank you for her care. Those who want to contribute can click on this link
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 24, 2022
Lee Carter, who was chosen as the Kentucky Horse Park’s executive director in October–then unchosen when he and the park couldn’t come to terms–will get the job after all.
The park put out a new Request for Proposal last year to re-start the search process. Last week, Lee was again picked during a vote in executive session, with his selection revealed today by the park. He starts his new job Feb. 1.
Explaining what happened the first time around, Lee said, “The first process, there were some challenges along the way, some procedural parts that needed to looked at. With the new process, those procedural things were figured out and I was fortunate enough to be selected again.”
The graduate of Georgetown, Ky., College has spent nine years as executive director of Equestrian Events, Inc., the organizer of the 5-star Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event. He knows the park well, and is familiar with key points in its strategic plan.
The Kentucky Horse Park is particularly lovely in the spring during the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event.
“They talk abut diversifying the park. To me, that’s how do we get different events into the park, how do we bring some breeds and disciplines in that maybe haven’t been in or haven’t been here for awhile,” he said.
The second point is intensifying the user experience.
“Forget what happens on the back side of the park. On the front side of the park, it’s a tourist attraction. How can we intensify that experience, the hands-on feel/touch experience,” Lee explained.
“The connection between people and horses we know is something special, so how can we translate to folks who want to learn more?”
The third point involves expansion, “having a larger target audience; bring more visitors, bring more events. How do we collaborate with more organizations, both in the equine industry and in and around Central Kentucky? Those were the three things that jumped off the page. i think they’re on point, I just think they need a focus that can get those things accomplished.”
Lee pointed out that from middle of March through November, the park’s equestrian calendar is full. It’s a 1,200-acre park, but areas of the park are not being utilized for activities or only being used once or twice a year.” As an example, he mentioned a state cross-country meet on 40 or 50 acres that are only used once or twice a year.
Lee Carter in his role as executive director of EEI presented awards during the Kentucky Horse Park’s premier event. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
The question, he said, is “What can we be doing in that space to drive more traffic and visitors to the park?”
Lee mentioned that in in 2010, when the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games were at the park, “the landscape for equine facilities was completely different than it is now.”
Raising the Horse Park’s game requires engaging and educating “legislators and surrounding communities as to what’s really going on the in equine space,” Lee said.
“We’ve got to be a little more nimble. we’ve got to follow state regulations for sure, but we’ve got to be able to be more flexible on certain things. We’re competing with private enterprise… we’ve got to realize who our competitors are and go from there.”
While Lee no longer be involved with EEI when he takes his new job Feb. 1, he will still be very much aware of what’s happening with the park’s marquee event.
“The ticket sales are extremely good,” he said, attributing that to “pent-up demand after two years without spectators” being able to attend their favorite competition.
Moving into EEI’s executive director post temporarily is Mike Cooper, who resigned as president of the EEI board to take the position. There will be a search for someone who will hold the job on a permanent basis.
H has been on the EEI board since 1991 and has been its president since 2019. He served as Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Travel and Tourism from 2007-2012 and was involved in the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) held at the Kentucky Horse Park.
Mike will be replaced as president by Laura Holoubek, who was already in line to succeed him at the end of his term. A business and equine attorney and partner in the law firm Dinsmore & Shohl LLP, Laura has been on EEI’s board since 2017.Succeeding Cooper as President of the Board is Laura Holoubek who was already in line to succeed Cooper at the end of his term.
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 21, 2022
It all started just a week ago tonight.
Lars Petersen competing at Grand Prix with his special mount Succes. (Photo © 2007 by Nancy Jaffer)
Lars Petersen was at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival in Wellington, Fla., for the Friday Night Lights freestyle and walked over to speak with his old compatriot, Andreas Helgstrand. Lars, a Danish Olympian who is now a U.S. citizen, had recommended that Andreas replace him as a rider when he left Denmark’s Blue Hors dressage breeding, training and competition facility in 2002.
Andreas, now CEO of the Global Equestrian Group that last year bought the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, opened Helgstrand Dressage in Wellington after buying a farm in the village in 2020.
Last Friday, during their casual conversation, Andreas asked Lars whether he’d be interested in helping train a few of his riders, and Lars said he would.
The next question was, would you be interested in working there full time? That’s according to Lars’ wife, Melissa. Lars said yes, and as of April 1, Lars will be Helgstrand Dressage USA’s general manager, and he’ll be overseeing the riding and training of all the riders there. Melissa will be stable manager of the facility.
“It is crazy exciting. Life has taken almost a full circle for Lars. It’s almost like fate,” said Melissa.
Lars and Melissa Petersen. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
She explained it had been coming to the point for the Petersens where they were going to have to make a decision on whether to buy the farm they were leasing or find another property.
“And then this happened. It all kind of happened for the right reasons, everything is falling into place,” she observed.
It was fast. They sat down and talked last Saturday and signed the contract Wednesday.
“It’s a dream come true for us,” said Lars.
“We are very overwhelmed by this opportunity. ”
As he noted, who does not want “to be a part of something so big–we will at least do our part to make Helgstrand even more successful here in Wellington and contribute to many more riders getting their dream come true.”
The Petersens will be bringing their horses, grooms and riders with them to Helgstrand, but they will stay in their own home.
“A lot of the Europeans who had horses through Helgstrand will want to come, so it will be opening the door to bring more competitors over,” Melissa said when asked about the prospects for what Helgstrand Dressage can do for the area.
Lars is busy riding himself and has horses in his string that are developing, but nothing at Grand Prix at this moment.
“It’s just kind of that in-between phase,” Melissa said.
“We are not the type that go and buy a Grand Prix horse, we make them up from young horses.”
The new arrangement is quite a whirlwind.
“It happened so fast and of course, there are a lot of little details that need to get worked through. We just decided we’re doing this and then we take the step, take a little bit of time to work things out,” Melissa said.
Earlier this month, Andreas indicated his company might buy the Equestrian Village where the Adequan Festival is held. At the time, he said, “At the moment, we only own the jumping part, so of course, we put all our efforts into the jumping,” he said, referring to the massive improvements made to PBIEC after GEG took over last summer.
And then today we were told that the Grands Prix of the 5-star dressage show at the end of next month will be held at PBIEC rather than Equestrian Village.
The qualifiers for the Grand Prix Special and Freestyle will be held on Wednesday night Feb. 23, with the Freestyle and Special under the lights two nights later.
Steffen Peters and Suppenkasper in the June 2021 observation event for Olympic dressage candidates at PBIEC.
“We look forward to welcoming international dressage back to Palm Beach International Equestrian Center show grounds,” said Equestrian Sport Productions President Michael Stone.
“With the success of hosting dressage in the International Arena…(for the final Olympic dressage team observation competition last June), we aim to promote dressage and want to provide another spectacular venue for riders and spectators to enjoy.”
The last time a 5-star was held at PBIEC was in 2010.
by Nancy Jaffer | Nov 19, 2021
During the Maryland 5-star three-day event last month, word circulated that Lee Carter, the executive director of Equestrian Events Inc., had been named executive director of the Kentucky Horse Park. A TV station had covered the Kentucky Horse Park Commission’s vote on who should fill the post, which has been vacant for more than a year. When the public session ended with Carter winning the tally, the station aired the results. And then, silence.
During yesterday’s meeting of the commission, its chairman, Alston Kerr, said the panel was unable to come to terms with Lee, leaving the position vacant as it has been for more than a year. So the commission will issue another Request for Proposal to find candidates.
Equestrian Events Inc. Executive Director Lee Carter with Land Rover Kentucky winner Oliver Townend. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
“Here we go again,” said Alston. “Let’s see if we can’t get this thing done.
The commission’s next meeting is Jan. 20, and Alston said she has been advised not to discuss details of the matter until the RFP is issued.
Meanwhile, Lee is still in his office at EEI, which presents the park’s biggest attraction, April’s Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event, always a selection trial for major championships.
The park not only is home to many other competitions, including the National Horse Show, but it also hosts everything from Equitana to Breyerfest and wide range of equestrian organizations’ headquarters, with the U.S. Equestrian Federation’s among them.
Doug Payne, who wound up as the highest-placed U.S. eventer at last summer’s Tokyo Olympics, was among a group of riders competing for a team spot at the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event in April. (Photo © 2021 by Nancy Jaffer)
Lee said he will continue to pursue the horse park job, “depending on what that looks like. It’s really in their court as to how they move forward.”
For now, he’s focused on the Land Rover event.
“Ticket sales are already ahead of where we expected them to be, which is great. If nothing ever works out for the horse park and me, we’re going to continue to make the three-day event as great as can be.
“I love EEI, I love the event, I love what we’re able to accomplish and we really do try to lift up the sport where we can.”
He went on to explain, “My interest in the horse park is that I see the same opportunities there as I saw with EEI when I stepped into that role. It’s got different challenges, being a state agency, but our inability to agree wasn’t any major differences betwixt me and them. I think it was just there were a couple of things that didn’t line up. I’m born in Kentucky and raised in Kentucky and I want to see good things for Kentucky, and that includes the horse park. We’ll see what their next process looks like and we then go from there.”
The Land Rover event had the distinction of being the country’s only 5-star until Maryland debuted this fall, and the eventing calendar continues to grow.
“I think the state is beginning to realize, `Hey, you’ve got a lot of competition out there now that didn’t exist when the 2010 WEG (World Equestrian Games) was here.’ I think they have a desire to maybe start looking at things differently. We’ll see where the park goes next,” he commented.
Meanwhile, Lee added, “I’m committed to EEI and excited about what we’ve got coming forward. If it makes sense for me to pursue the park again, then we will and if not, maybe I’m just destined to be where I’m at, and that’s not a bad place to be.”
by Nancy Jaffer | Jan 16, 2022
The U.S. Equestrian Federation’s annual meeting wrapped up last night in Naples, Fla., with a salute to the country’s standout horses in six breeds and disciplines.
The Smart Pak/USEF Horse of the Year Awards featured not only high-score horses in categories from Arabian to American Saddlebred and western dressage, but also equine stars who were candidates for National and International Horse of the Year.
Jenny and Kost Karazissis with USEF President Tom O’Mara after accepting the award for National Horse of the Year Big Shot. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
Those honors were voted on by the public, with the hunter Big Shot winning the National title for owner Dulcie Lou Morris and rider Jenny Karazissis. An 11-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Lordanos,
Big Shot’s biggest win last year was the $100,000 World Championship Hunter Rider West Coast Spectacular.
The International title belonged to Ann Thompson’s Balou de Reventon, a 16-year-old Oldenburg stallion by Cornet Obolensky ridden by Brian Moggre.
Brian, who had a top career as a junior, started riding Balou in 2020. They were the reserve combination for the Tokyo Olympics. Brian and Balou led the U.S. team to gold in the Aachen, Germany, Nations Cup, the first time an American contingent had won that title since 2005. Balou also was second in the prestigious Rolex Grand Prix of Aachen.
Brian, who is 20, gave an emotional speech at the convention after accepting Balou’s award, noting that he wrote it by himself and didn’t show it to anyone before delivering it at the dinner.
Brian and Balou du Reventon. (Photo by Shannon Brinkman)
After saluting the other International contenders, Dolton, the double-gold para-dressage mount of Roxie Trunnell and Steffen Peter’s Olympic dressage ride, Suppenkasper, Brian spoke about how he had never before gotten a horse of Balou’s character until he was selected by Ann for the ride in late 2020, and thanked Balou’s owner for the great opportunity he had received.
“The first time I laid eyes on Balou, I thought to myself, `Where is the rest of you?’ ” Brian recalled. But he soon came to realize the little horse was quite the powerhouse.
“I continue to learn something from him each and every day,” Brian said.
The first European show in which he rode Balou was the 5-star in St. Tropez. Brian was a little unsure when he started there, but could depend on Balou and “he showed me the way, as he always does.”
Brian Moggre and Ann Thompson with Balou du Reventon’s impressive trophy. (Photo © 2022 by Nancy Jaffer)
As Brian noted, “I continue to learn something from him each and every day. What Balou has in his heart and soul you cannot instill into any horse.”
Ann said she selected Brian as Balou’s rider after looking at his videos.
“I just watched the things that he did that I thought would be really good and match up with Balou. They just seemed like they would be a perfect match for each other, and it worked out great.”
