Nancy Jaffer
EQUESTRIAN SPORTS
NEWS AND FEATURES
FROM NEW JERSEY AND BEYOND
Time to chip your horse
The U.S. Equestrian Federation this week passed a rule calling for all horses competing in USEF licensed or endorsed competitions to be microchipped as of Dec. 1, 2025. The chip used must be a 15-digit ISO compliant 11784/11785 model that is implanted in the nuchal...
No real surprises on British eventing Europeans short list
Britain has named a real powerhouse of a short list for the European Eventing Championships in France next month. That's a heads-up for the U.S. on what kind of competition it will face at the 2024 Paris Olympics. At the 2022 world championships, the U.S.won silver to...
What’s in a name?
What's in a name? A lot, when it's as ill-conceived as the new "League of Nations." That's what the FEI (international equestrian federation) is calling the re-do of the Longines Nations Cup series for 2024. The first time I heard how the FEI intended to christen the...
Speaking out about the grassroots
The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association's most recent Town Hall webinar was a "Recognized Riding Academy-inspired" program, geared to addressing the concerns of the grassroots. Previous Town Halls have dealt with such first-world equestrian issues as increasing prize money...
Answer some questions, boost the American Horse Council’s economic survey
The American Horse Council is seeking people involved with horses and the horse industry to participate in its 2023 national economic impact survey. The purpose of the census is to demonstrate the value of the equine industry in the national and state economies by...
Do you wear an air vest when you ride? Time to study their effectiveness
Air vests, once most commonly associated with eventers, have gotten more popular with hunter/ jumper riders over the last few years. While it may seem like a good safety measure to wear one, the truth is that there hasn't been sufficient research to determine how much...
Counting falls; falls count
Falls of horse and of rider in competition will be reported in the class results of every U.S. Equestrian Federation competition beginning Dec. 1, the organization has decided, calling the procedure "a safety and welfare measure." In what can only be called a...
The quest ended too early for McLain Ward… UPDATE
McLain Ward, who was hoping to be only the second person to win the Rolex Grand Slam of Show Jumping, had two of the first three fences down today in the Rolex Grand Prix at the Aachen horse show in Germany and retired from the class. He was aboard HH Azur, on whom he...
No surprise in the Aachen freestyle
The Paris theme of TSF Dalera BB's freestyle music made its usual memorable impression today at Aachen, as Jessica von Bredow-Werndl completed her sweep of the Grand Prix dressage competition. After her final salute, Jessica hugged her mare’s neck as the fans stood...
Enjoy the extras during Dressage at the Park
Dressage at the Park, July 6-9 at the Horse Park of New Jersey, will have 1- and 2-star FEI competition this year in addition to national classes. It offers nine qualifiers for various championships as well. Those trying to qualify for the Pan American Games in Chile...
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