The good word for New Jersey stables that have been stalled in pandemic lockdown is that as of Friday, May 22, Gov. Phil Murphy is lifting coronavirus restrictions on horseback riding, along with a number of other recreational activities such as tennis, which easily lend themselves to social distancing.
And this is the first day that all 50 U.S. states have reopened, though many are in different stages of the process at the moment. The timing is good, with U.S. Equestrian Federation-recognized shows set to start June 1 after a nationwide shutdown of such competitions that began March 23.
It’s time to get going with competition again. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
Not every show on the calendar will be held, however. You have to remember, that to paraphrase Winston Churchill in another context, this is not the end of pandemic-related problems, and probably not even the beginning of the end. But it is the end of the beginning. Thank goodness.
The Eastern States Dressage and Combined Training Association’s Memorial Day Dressage Show, which would have been a highlight of this weekend, has been postponed. Holly Cornell, ESDCTA’s president, is hoping that time for it may be added to the organization’s Summer Days show, now slated for July 16 and 17.
Summer Days has been scheduled for the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone and is another competition that remains up in the air–as so much is at this point–until we see where the Covid restrictions are going.
The importance of shows like Summer Days has been increased with word today that September’s Dressage at Devon has been cancelled. Look in the On the Rail section of this website for details.
The June 5-7 Windy Hollow Hunt dressage show, slated for Sussex County, is another Covid cancellation, with organizers hoping things will be more settled in July so they can hold their next show.
Katie Benson at Briarwood Derby Day. (Photo © 2018 by Nancy Jaffer)
July’s Briarwood Derby Day, always a fun competition for a good cause, has been cancelled. It was founded a decade ago by Katie Benson in memory of her husband, Jack, who died of cancer. The competition has raised more than $275,000 for Hunterdon Regional Cancer Center, and Katie assures us it will be back next year.
On the bright side, hunter paces are starting up. Windy Hollow has one scheduled for May 31 at 10 Dekay Road in Vernon, the Monmouth County Hunt has moved its June 14 pace to June 28, while the Amwell Valley Hounds plan to hold theirs on June 6 at Horseshoe Bend Park in Kingwood Township. Here’s a note, about something you probably will see often. There won’t be a portable toilet at this pace, by order of Kingwood Emergency Management, because under Covid standards it would have to be cleaned every time it was used. But don’t you have a manure bucket in your horse trailer?
The Horse Park of New Jersey is staging a soft opening, with barrel racing tentatively set for the holiday this Monday, but no outside spectators will be allowed and only 10 people can gather at a time for the competition.
Adam Furlong, president of the park’s trustees, said unmounted individuals can come to the park for walks on foot starting this Friday, but with social distancing and no groups.
Private groups of less than 10 people for lessons and training with anyone who holds a Horse Park professional membership can be scheduled, along with some cross-country schooling days, although trustees are still working on details about what measures are needed in terms of holding competitions as they consult with government officials. Adam is hopeful that eventually the 10-person cap can be raised “to bring a greater sense of normalcy.” Meanwhile, the park trustees are continuing to update and refine the facility’s Covid policy as they try to make the dollars work.
“The Horse Park runs on a slim margin in a good year,” said Adam, noting, “We’ve been aggressive in trying to reduce expenses and overhead while we’ve been closed.” But he added it will take time to firm up finances in the wake of early cancellations, including April’s Four Seasons show and May’s signature Jersey Fresh International eventing fixture.
Although the park applied for federal payroll protection funds, the money has not been received and employees had to be furloughed. That means the park is looking for volunteers to help board members do maintenance, everything from mowing the grass to various tasks involved in sprucing up.
“The trick from here,” said Adam, “is going to be allowing events to return so we can bring our employees back as quickly as possible and operate with new guidelines and protocols, which are obviously going to have their own financial ramifications as well.”
Morgan Rowsell, co-organizer of the New Jersey Horse Trials at the Horse Park, is hopeful they can take place June 27 and 28. Adam said June 5 will be the day when a final decision is made about that.
Pent-up enthusiasm is such that the event already has 100 entries, and attracted 15 Advanced division competitors on the day entries opened, which is highly unusual, according to Morgan. Riders are itching to get out after months of down time. But the number of riders allowed has to be such that events without spectators can still afford to run.
The event would be held under USEF protocols aimed at Covid safety, which includes all kinds of sanitizing and social distancing, as well as a requirement to bring your own food (it won’t be available on the grounds), online entries and no spectators. Morgan noted it won’t be difficult to have social distancing on the park’s nearly 200 acres in Monmouth County.
He is also co-organizer of the July 18-19 MARS Equestrian Essex Horse Trials in Far Hills, and is hoping that can be held. Parameters for such events should become clearer as the days pass. He said a decision on holding the 2020 edition of Essex likely is two weeks away.
Flora Lea in Medford was supposed to have its Spring Horse Trials this weekend but it cancelled. Its June Young Eventing Horse and Mini Horse trials also was cancelled. Flora Lea, which has been running a USEA event since 1975, hopes to stage its Fall Horse Trials in September.
USEF has offered webinars with various affiliates about how competition should resume. (See the story below this one on the main page of this website.) There is quite a list of requirements, but it is nothing compared to what was produced by Major League Baseball, which has a 67-page document outlining medical protocols to be followed once that sport begins again.
During the USEF/U.S. Eventing Association webinar this month, one of the panelists, USEA Vice President of Competitions Jonathan Elliott, warned he didn’t foresee awards ceremonies under the current conditions, envisioning that riders would pick up their ribbons from a table and shouldn’t count on a photo op.
Eventers just need to get out there, and qualifications for future events are important to achieve. USEA President Max Corcoran suggested it might be helpful for eventers to consider starting out a level below where they finished last season.
Riders in all disciplines have to think about whether they are prepared to compete. As U.S Dressage Federation President Lisa Gorretta put it, “If you are ready and comfortable to resume competition, you should. If you are not ready or not comfortable, that is okay too.”
It’s been a difficult spring for many riders, including some who have their own horses but were barred from coming to their barns for weeks due to state restrictions.
Stephanie Desiderio, who runs Tranquillity Farm in Chester Township with her husband, Ricci, and their son, Michael, as well as their daughter, Alexandria, said their 72-horse facility was on lockdown for four weeks, so they took the time to make improvements in the facility. The Desiderios and staff exercised the horses during that period, and the couple was able to keep their 10 employees on the payroll, even though they were denied a small business loan.
Michael and Stephanie Desiderio. (Photo © by Nancy Jaffer)
The Desiderios began allowing boarders to ride in lessons a month ago, but the riders were required to simply get on their mounts then leave immediately after the lesson ended. As of Friday, boarders can ride without taking a lesson. A program for those who don’t own their own horses will resume Friday.
As with the eventing, Stephanie noted there already is huge demand in the hunter/jumper ranks for when shows start again. Her riders could only get on the waiting list for the Tryon, N.C., show series because that was booked so quickly. They had better luck with Traverse City, Mich. But with limited entries due to the need for social distancing, many shows will not have their usual capacity to take exhibitors.
Another professional, Max Amaya said his Stonehenge Stables in Colts Neck had to cancel a European tour for 16 horses arranged in conjunction with Stacia Madden at Beacon Hill. European shows have been cancelled at the same rate as U.S. shows, and it’s not the time for equine air travel. Max was hoping the Lake Placid, N.Y., show would be held next month, but iit was cancelled. So his Plan A for the summer had to be scrapped “100 percent,” and he went to Plan B.
That includes two weeks at Tryon, two weeks in Kentucky and in between, visits to the Princeton Show Jumping competitions in Skillman. Being able to accept change is the order of the day.
“It’s a new era we’re living in,” observed Max.
