Nancy Jaffer
EQUESTRIAN SPORTS
NEWS AND FEATURES
FROM NEW JERSEY AND BEYOND
Downed rails rearrange Burghley’s order of finish
The show jumping phase of the Defender Burghley 5-star was the decider big-time for the British event, with a reshuffling that left Great Britain's Oliver Townend and Ballaghmor Class as the winners, after leader Tim Price had three rails down with Vitali to sink to...
One month you’re European eventing champion, the next…
A demanding Derek DiGrazia cross-country course at Burghley couldn't derail overnight leader Tim Price of New Zealand on Vitali, but Great Britain's Ros Canter--who won the European championship just three weeks ago in France, hit the ground when Penco's Crown Jewel...
Western Dressage pillar Ellen Di Bella has left us
Ellen DiBella, known for her contributions to western dressage and love of the Morgan horse, passed away Aug. 20 at the age of 79. Her desire to build an equestrian community combining the Western traditions of horse and rider with classical dressage led to her...
How cool is this? A gymnast takes on Burghley
Take a look at how British champion gymnast Joe Fraser takes a unique approach to checking out the cross-country course for the Defender Burghley 5-star in England. His unorthodox approach without a horse may not be within the rules of competition (ya think?) but it...
The future is present at the national dressage championships
How is the U.S. pipeline working to supply top dressage horses for future international competition? A good barometer could be found during the USEF National Dressage Championships at the Lamplight Equestrian Center over the last seven days, where a wide range of...
Pan Am eventing squad selected
The U.S. eventing team for this autumn's Pan American Games in Chile includes a mixture of experience and rising stars. Named to the squad are Sydney Elliott and QC Diamantaire; 2022 world championships veteran Liz Halliday and Miks Master C, third at Land Rover...
How much is too much?
Should there be a limit on how many times a horse can compete at each show? It's a question that often comes up during the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association's Town Hall forums, as it did again on Monday night. "Each barn, each trainer, each owner is going to have their...
An opportunity in memory of a special horseman
Richard Picken always wanted to help. He was a friend and trainer to many top riders before he died of cancer in August 2022 at the age of 53. He enjoyed coaching young riders and training inexperienced horses as much as he thrived under the pressure of an...
It’s way past time for horse soring to end
The Horse Protection Act, passed in 1970, is in need of a thorough review. It was intended to end soring, a practice that has been all too common with Tennessee Walking Horses and a few other breeds. A fatal error enabled the industry to police itself by training its...
It isn’t just US
A letter to the editor in Great Britain's Horse & Hound magazine last week caught my eye, because it reflects what I hear from many people in the U.S. They obviously are not alone. Reader Carolyn Selley of Devon (England, not Pennsylvania) wrote that she has "a...
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