From the excitement of the London Olympics to the prospects for 2013, the turn of the calendar offers the equine-involved an opportunity for reflection and anticipation

The London Olympics offered the most-watched equestrian competition ever, whether it was in-person or via electronic media, giving an unprecedented audience to the likes of Germany's Michael Jung, eventing double gold medalist aboard Sam
Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-Ledger




 

The high profile panorama of show jumping, eventing and dressage across television and the internet was long-awaited sweet justice for those who had been frustrated for decades by the lack of Olympic TV coverage devoted to equestrian competition.

It also offered a dramatic introduction to the disciplines for those who knew little about them, and may well have fueled an ambition for newcomers to get in the saddle.

But the Olympics were only part of 2012's story. As we head into 2013, it's time for a glance back and a look ahead to see what's coming up next.

Remember the Paralympics -- These Games, which followed the Olympics at the Greenwich venue, gave unprecedented insight to the abilities of the physically challenged as they drew crowds to watch these very special achievers.

Don't Forget the Foam Fingers--This was the U.S. Equestrian Federation's brilliant response to TV satirist Stephen Colbert's effort to poke fun at dressage, due to the involvement of Ann Romney, wife of Presidential candidate Mitt Romney. Instead, it became a great thing for the sport, garnering unheard-of publicity for dressage across the media.

During the Olympic selection trials in Gladstone, Ann Romney and scores of spectators stood before the video cameras and waved the fingers (more closely associated with major league sports) that were printed with the statement, " Dressage is #1." A giant foam finger even showed up at the Olympics, and Colbert came to Long Valley to take a dressage lesson (later televised) with Michael Barisone.

Some You Lose -- While the Jersey Fresh international three-day event at the Horse Park of New Jersey is on solid ground as plans go forward for a renewal after a successful 10th anniversary this year, the unhappy news is that the Festival of Champions international dressage championships, held for four years in Gladstone, is moving to Kentucky. It's a location rotation sought by the U.S. Equestrian Federation, but it's a loss for Jerseyans who previously didn't have to travel to see this country's best riders in the discipline.

Some You Lose Part II -- Mary Babick, who runs an Atlantic Highlands stable, was a surprise nominee for president of the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association, the USEF's largest discipline affiliate with 43,000 members. Then USHJA President Bill Moroney changed his mind and decided to run for a third and final term. Babick didn't win the election, but remains a power in the organization as hunter vice president. She also is widely perceived to be a champion for those who aren't in the elite ranks of the sport.

A New Goal -- The Zone II (New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania) jumper finals became reality in September after years of discussion. Its success opened the door to talks of a hunter finals for riders qualifying at B- and C-rated shows that could supplement the popular zone hunter finals following the Pennsylvania National Horse Show in October. It also would be a stimulus for shows below the A-rated level that are struggling.

National Champs -- The state has had its share of national equitation titleists in the past (Leslie Burr, Nicole Shahinian, Ray Texel and Mark Leone are among those who leap to mind) but it's always nice to have two in the same year. Meg O'Mara of Rumson followed up a second place in the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East with victory in the Pessoa/USEF Hunter Seat Medal, while Elizabeth Benson of Readington took the Washington International's championship.

Wild Weather, the Sequel -- Just as Tropical Storm Irene and a pre-Halloween snowstorm wreaked havoc on the 2011 competition calendar, Superstorm Sandy did the same this year, necessitating the widespread postponement and/or cancellation of shows, trail paces and other activities. Trail association will be spending months cleaning up the mess across much of the state.

Making a Comeback -- Thoroughbreds are gaining in popularity as show horses once again. Though they comprised the bulk of U.S. hunters and jumpers until the 1980s, the tide of warmbloods being imported from Europe soon overtook them and they all but vanished from the upper-level show scene. Numerous organizations have been started to retrain thoroughbreds leaving the racetrack so they can have a vocation instead of an unhappy ending. The newest is Second Call, which finds homes and careers for horses leaving Monmouth Park.

Saying Goodbye -- The New Jersey equestrian community was saddened by the loss of Jack Fritz, who for many years ran the U.S. Equestrian Team facility in Gladstone. An author and competition official, he was best known for his role in founding several of the country's key equestrian institutions, including the U.S. Eventing Association, the U.S. Dressage Federation and the Pony Club.

Others from the Garden State who left us in 2012 included horse show manager and governance gadfly Vikki Siegel of Long Valley; AHSA Medal winner Cheryl Wilson Grace of Mountain Lakes, polo player Bruce Nienstedt of Pattenburg and trainer Gary Zook of Chester.

Looking ahead to 2013:

The International Scene -- It promises to be a relatively quiet year without an Olympics, World Equestrian Games or Pan American Games, though you never know what will come up -- especially with the first final (in a venue yet to be named) of the new Saudi-sponsored Nations' Cup league.

New Blood -- The year will be a testing ground for programs devised by two new coaches, David O'Connor in eventing and Robert Ridland in show jumping, both of whom replaced long-term technical adviser/chefs d'equipe, as the position is formally known.

Following the USA's lackluster performances in those disciplines at the Olympics, a new path to the top will have to be found to ensure that American riders are competitive in championships with their counterparts around the world. Discussion is continuing about how to handle dressage, which also returned home without a medal.

Excitement's Mounting -- Those still in mourning since the National Horse Show left Madison Square Garden in 2001 finally can go back to the city for show jumping next fall during the debut of the big Masters grand prix and show at Brooklyn's Barclays Center, where it will be part of a worldwide circuit that includes Hong Kong and Paris.

Drug and Medication Control -- Expect word of more people running afoul of the USEF's new test for GABA, (a neurotransmitter often sold as Carolina Gold that inhibits a horse's sense of fear and anxiety) if they haven't been smart enough to heed the warnings that it's a banned substance. Meanwhile, the organization is planning a task force meeting in February to address the use of such "calming agents."

It also will increase penalties for those found to have used the "supplement" and is seeking confidential information through a hotline on possible doping violations.
Though no test as yet has been announced as being available for magnesium sulfate, also used to take the edge off a horse, some type of regulation for that substance may be down the road as well.

A Change at the Top -- Chrystine Tauber faces a host of challenges, as the former Tewksbury resident becomes the USEF's second president, replacing David O'Connor, who has held that position since the organization's founding in 2003.

One of the key considerations must be insuring that middle-class people are not priced out of the sport and that the B- and C-rated shows have a chance to flourish and survive while the top-tier shows are thriving.

ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE

Today: West Milford Equestrian Center Show, 367 Union Valley Road, Newfoundland.
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.

The former show jumping star has been out of action in the international grand prix ranks, but with her usual determination and a new job, she's working toward picking up where she left off

Hillary Dobbs at the height of her grand prix show jumping career on Quincy B in 2010
Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-Ledger




 

In 2010, she became the youngest grand prix show jumping rider ever to hit the $1 million mark in earnings, the same year she graduated from Harvard University after successfully juggling studies and top-class competition.

From her rank near the top of the U.S. standings, however, the winner of the Hampton Classic's FTI Grand Prix and the Devon Horse Show Open Jumper Championship suddenly disappeared. Most of her horses were sold or retired to her family's farm in Wantage, and she found herself starting over.

When she was getting her college degree, Dobbs recalled, "I was very lucky; my trainers would work my horses Mondays through Wednesdays and I would show up on weekends."

During that period, she once revealed, “I actually study riding, like I would a subject. I watch tapes, I watch other riders. I have a notebook in my backpack and I write down what I want to remember or who I want to emulate. Going to Harvard has helped me focus and learn techniques the way I would the content of a class."

Although that approach paid off with victory after victory, she's in another phase. Now Dobbs is working hard to re-establish herself, but she quotes a favorite saying of her father, television personality Lou Dobbs, observing, "If you love what you're doing, it's not work."

For the better part of a year, following a knee operation that kept her out of action, she rode for Emil Spadone, a well-known horse dealer, at Redfield Farms in Califon. But a few months after she served as the showcase rider for an auction at Old Salem Farm in North Salem, N.Y., the farm's trainer, Frank Madden, called and asked if she would like to work there.

She arrived in November and now is an assistant trainer, working under the supervision of Madden with another assistant, Stella Manship.

"This is a new chapter for me," said Dobbs, 24.

"I've been all over the world, but this is by far the nicest farm I've ever been to," she commented, describing the indoor ring's lounge, which has a bar and "a gym where moms can work out and watch kids. They think of everything here."

Madden called her "a great communicator and a great ambassador for the sport. She's about more than just the highest levels of the sport."

Her new job gives her "the ability to train young kids to ride and continue on my path as a grand prix rider."

But the latter won't happen without the right animal, which she describes as "a dream horse for 2016," referring to the next summer Olympics in Rio.

She also would like to do the World Cup finals and the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, if she can find "that caliber of horse to get back into the action."
Realistically, though she's trying to raise $1 million through syndication to buy a contender, she figures she'll have to "make" the horse herself.

"I've had very good results in the past bringing horses up. I think I can find a great prospect and Frank and myself can produce it and I'll get back in the game."
Doing it on her own without the backing of her parents gives the project a different dimension.

"My parents have been supportive for a long time. I'm trying to get this business going a little bit on my own. If they do want to be part of it, I'd appreciate it, but I'm not relying on it," she stated.

Teaching a wide range of riders, from a young girl just starting over cavaletti to junior jumper and equitation competitors, puts a different perspective on things.

"I by no means have arrived. I'm just starting in my young professional career," she emphasized.

"Not being in the show ring at the level I was two years ago is part of the transition for me. I took a step back to progress and grow."

Asked how she feels about her absence from the grand prix ring line-up at the country's biggest competitions where she once was a regular, Dobbs said, "I struggle with that every day, but I believe in myself and the people around me do, too, so I don't doubt I can get back there quickly."

ON THE RAIL -- An unusual seminar to benefit the Horse Park of New Jersey, called "Living with Gravity: How Neutral Stance can Prevent Lameness and Injury" will be held Saturday at the New Jersey Equine Clinic, 279 Millstone Road, Clarksburg.
Postural Rehabilitation is a process that enables a horse's body to rest and heal by correcting "compensatory" posture. It helps everything from neck and back pain to hind end pain, resistance to training, poor performance and uneven gait and foot size.
It will be presented by Karen Gellman, a graduate of Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, who also has a doctorate from Cornell in animal locomotion biomechanics.

Go to horseparkofnewjersey.com and click on clinics for more details. Register before tomorrow and the fee is $35 for adults/$30 for students. After tomorrow, it's $40 and $35...

The U.S. Hunter Jumper Association's Zone II awards brunch is set for 11:30 a.m. next Sunday at Bridgewater Manor in Bridgewater. There is no charge for anyone from Zone II (New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania) and their guests. Anyone who believes they may have won a ribbon can find out by going to ushja.org.

The guest speaker is sports psychologist Nancy Bloom. Those planning to attend are asked to RSVP by Wednesday to Katie Benson at jackkate@aol.com or by phoning (908) 534-8833. Reservations may close after 100 people accept...

Rutgers University is offering a continuing education course on equine nutrition taught by Sarah Ralston on Tuesdays and Thursdays from Jan. 22-May 2 at the Cook Campus in New Brunswick. To register, call (732) 932-9271 or go to www.cpe.rutgers.edu.

ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE

Today: Palermo Winter Festival, 1555A Burnt Mills Road, Bedminster; CJL Show, Hunter's Crossing Farm, 121 E. Valley Brook Road, Long Valley.
Saturday: Duncraven Show, 1300 Trenton Harbourton Road, Titusville (through next Sunday); Black River Farm Winter Tour, 20 Boss Road, Ringoes (through next Sunday).
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.

Two substances that threaten the fairness of competition and horse welfare are on the radar of the U.S. Equestrian Federation's equine drugs and medication program

Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-Ledger

The U.S. Equestrian Federation is taking an aggressive stance on two high-profile substances that are being used to get around competition drug rules.

Members already were warned last month about Carolina Gold, purported to have a calming effect on horses. Although USEF does not yet have a test for the substance, it is in the works.

Efforts also are proceeding to uncover the abusive intravenous administration of magnesium sulfate solution, according to Dr. Kent Allen, the sports medicine veterinarian who is chairman of the USEF Equine Drugs and Medications Committee.

"It's a horse welfare deal," he explained, noting the FEI (international equestrian federation) has banned IV magnesium sulfate, which has a quieting effect on horses. But it can have serious consequences.

"That's not a drug to be playing around with," Allen explained.

"Horses can `fall off the needle'; some of them get back up -- and some of them don't."

An increase in exhibitors' drug fees for 2012 is an important component of the USEF D&M program. Most exhibitors pay $8 per horse or pony, a $1 hike; the ante has been upped $5 to $20 for FEI and other special competitions.

"One of the things the fee increase has been able to put back in our budget is our research money," said Allen.

A reduction in that funding "slowed us down the last few years," he noted, "but we've resolved that issue and are back at it."

While Carolina Gold and IV magnesium sulfate "are the two big ones in the queue," he noted, "people send us stuff every month and we look at it and investigate it."

With the extra money, "We're fired back up and going into the fray on research and development. Once we can put research money toward it, it's usually not that hard to figure it out," he said.

Magnesium is naturally occurring in the horse, which complicates matters in the case of magnesium sulfate.

"We're making sure we know what normal is in our population of horses and if we can separate oral usage and IV usage. We think we can. We're working on it now, we think that one (a test) is in the offing," Allen said.

A threshold level will be established for the presence of the substance. Magnesium sulfate as epsom salts has many legitimate roles around the barn. Allen pointed out there also are therapeutic uses for magnesium in horses intravenously if they are sick and seriously electrolyte-depleted.

But he stressed, "they're not being given magnesium, they're being given IV fluids with magnesium as a component.''

On the other hand, Allen states, Carolina Gold would never be used on a regular clinical basis. An inhibitory neurotransmitter, gama aminobutyric acid, known as GABA, is the key component of Carolina Gold, and has been found in research to produce adverse reactions.

The drug ostensibly is for horses who have amino acid deficiencies, said Allen, but noted, "horses are not amino acid-deprived; they get plenty of amino acid and protein in their regular diet." He called use of GABA "an attempt to influence the level playing field," but he noted that cheaters' drugs often don't do what they're touted to do.

"A lot of these things build myths up," he said.

The USEF considers GABA a forbidden substance that violates the spirit of the equine drugs and medications rule. Testing for it will be implemented without notice and a positive result will be referred to the hearing committee.

Although Allen acknowledges there are those who believe that when one drug used by cheaters can be detected, a new one will just pop up, he sees the big picture differently.

In his experience, "the people who want to cheat, cheat, and people who don't want to cheat go to great lengths not to. The ones in the middle are the ones who don't understand the rules and they occasionally are just a little naive. One of my missions, and (it) has been for years, is try to simplify the rule so it's easy to use and apply."

He added, "I'm really careful in my sports medicine practice because I know how competent the lab is. I'm careful in what I use and don't use, and the withdrawal times I use it in. The vast majority of the competent trainers are the same way."

Then there are those who are not competent and drug horses to make them easier to handle, often without their customers' knowledge.

While years ago the federation had a "gotcha mentality," in terms of nabbing drug offenders, Allen said the approach is different now.

"Our mentality is education. We're talking about not keeping it a big secret if we find a drug that has serious potential for abuse. We'd prefer to educate you guys and not just pin you in a hearing room."

He said USEF is not interested in nailing anyone retroactively with samples that have been frozen for a long time, once a test has been discovered for a forbidden substance.

"We're not about that, we're going forward. If people have mended their ways, all is forgiven. If they're out there trying to cheat and disrupt the level playing field, we're going to catch them."

Allen has some advice for those who are tempted to try performance-enhancing drugs.

"You talk to all these really smart trainers we've had over the years, Jimmy Wofford, George Morris, Denny Emerson, and what they say is, `Train your horse. Don't try to be a creative chemist, because you're probably not that good at it. But you might be that good at riding it.'''

ON THE RAIL -- Dressage enthusiasts from New Jersey and the metropolitan area should take advantage of the opportunity to attend the national dressage championships and Olympic dressage trials at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation headquarters in Gladstone June 7-10 and 14-17.

The USEF last week began seeking bids to hold next year's championships -- on the West Coast.

Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-LedgerThe Olympic dressage team selection trials and national championships will be at the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone this June, but the championships are headed for the West Coast next year

The selection trials and championships have been very special at Gladstone because of the venue's history and style, with its landmark building and well-landscaped grounds.The fact that the footing in both the indoor and outdoor rings has been redone also is a big drawing card for the facility.

But there is always a desire to give equal time to both coasts in such title meets, so it isn't always people from the same location who have to fly their horses to the championships. For instance, the 2008 Olympic selection trials were held in California, before the 2010 World Equestrian Games trials and 2011 Pan Am trials were in Gladstone.

McLain Ward, sidelined by a shattered knee he sustained during a competition in January, was put on the U.S. show jumping team long list for the Olympics with Sapphire and Antares F last week.

Sapphire was his team gold medal mount for the last two Olympics. She suffered a slight injury in the spring of 2011 and recovered a few months later, but was rested with the idea of being refreshed for her final Olympics. Antares, a newer mount who achievements include victory in the Hampton Classic and Grand Prix of Dublin, had been Ward's top mount while Sapphire was on leave.

Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-LedgerMcLain Ward and Sapphire in last year's Nations' Cup in Wellington, Fla.

Selectors decided Ward, who has been the internationally highest-ranked U.S. show jumper, should be on the roster based on his record, since he will not be healed sufficiently in time for the selection trials in Florida later this month.

Post-trials observation competitions will be held in May and June at three locations across the U.S. and one in Canada, so Ward should be sufficiently healed by then to take part.

Steffen Peters' new mount, Legolas, continues to thrill his rider with outstanding performances. This weekend at the Rancho Valencia Dressage Affaire World Cup qualifier show in Del Mar, Calif., Legolas earned 78.225 percent to win the Grand Prix freestyle, after posting 75.809 when he took the Grand Prix.

Jan Ebeling's mount, Rafalaca, was second in in the Grand Prix (71.468) and marked at 74.800 in the freestyle, where she again was runner-up to Legolas. Ebeling is going on to represent the U.S. at the World Cup Finals in the Netherlands next month with the mare, who is owned in part by Ann Romney, wife of Republican Presidential candidate Mitt Romney.

Guenter Seidel, who got a late start on his Olympic quest because he didn't have a horse until January, was third in the Olympic qualifier Grand Prix with Fandango on 68.234 percent, behind Peters and Ravel (79.213) and Sue Blinks with Robin Hood (68.957).

Ravel continued his dominance in the Grand Prix Special, earning 80.289, to Fandango's 70.422. No other entry broke 70 percent in that competition. Robin Hood was third on 69.600.

It wasn't a question of if; it was a question of when talented 16-year-old Michael Hughes would win his first grand prix. The Allendale resident always has been precocious; he rode in the USEF Talent Search finals when he was just 11.

Last week, he led the field of 30 on Mac Arthur in the $25,000 Smart Pak grand prix at the HITS show in Ocala, Fla. Among the also-rans was Tracey Fenney, who has won an amazing six grands prix at HITS this year, but had a rail and refusal with MTM Timon in the three-horse tie-breaker.

"She went right before me in the jump-off, so I knew I didn't have to go fast, just jump clear," said Hughes. The second-place rider, Scott Keach on CoCo, also toppled a rail.
Mac Arthur was imported from the Netherlands before Christmas, and came over sight unseen, simply on the strength of a videotape.

"He's just incredible when you watch him go," explained Hughes, who trains with Missy Clark and John Brennan.

"We got him to be a first grand prix horse. He's got so much scope and he's so easy, that no mater what track they put up, it's going to be easy for him. He's perfect," declared Hughes, the son of professional trainer Eamonn Hughes.

Young Hughes is nearly qualified for all the equitation finals this fall. If he had to pick one to win, it would be the Talent Search.

"I don't know why, it just seems like the hardest finals," he said.

ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE

Today: Woodedge at the Park, Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown; West Milford Equestrian Center Show, 367 Union Valley Road, Newfoundland; Briarwood Farm Show, Pleasant Run Road, Readington.
Friday: Somerset County 4-H Consignment Tack Sale, Ted Blum 4-H Center, 310 Milltown Road, Bridgewater. Items may be brought in Wednesday-Thursday from 7-9 p.m. Information: (732) 469-6295.
Saturday: Palermo Winter Festival Show, 1555A Burnt Mills Road, Bedminster (through next Sunday); Shaggy Horse Show (informal jumper show), Beaver Creek Farm and CLR Stable, 46 Wertsville Road, Ringoes (paige@avhpc.org); CJL Show, Hunter's Crossing Farm, 121 E. Valley Brook Road, Long Valley; Dressage Schooling Show, Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown; Somerset County 4-H Consignment Sale, Ted Blum 4-H Center, 310 Milltown Road, Bridgewater (9 a.m.-1 p.m.).
Next Sunday: Friends of the Horse Park of N.J. and Youth Council Meeting, Rick's Saddle Shop, 282 Route 539, Cream Ridge (1-3 p.m.); Bit O'Woods Farm Dressage Schooling Show, 2207 Fostertown Road, Hainesport.
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.

The Camelot auction and networking to find homes for unsold horses are back in action. On another front, settlement of lawsuits involving the Sussex County Horse Show does not answer all the questions about its future.

Sarah Andrew/For The Star-LedgerEquines at the Camelot auction who weren't purchaed in the initial sale wait to find new homes through networking

Camelot owners Monica and Frank Carper earlier this month leased the horse part of their auction to another dealer so it could resume in the wake of an impasse with the state Department of Agriculture on renewal of their license.

The state maintains its animal health regulations weren't being properly followed by Camelot and refused to issue the license; Monica Carper disputes the state's contention. The matter is scheduled to go before an administrative court judge in May, but Carper would like to get the license renewed before then.

"If they had sat down with us, we could have cleared all this up a long, long time ago," she believes.

For the past two years, the Camelot Horse Weekly on Facebook has been the go-to source in an effort to prevent horses who aren't sold during the auction from being shipped to slaughter. Camelot held the horses post-auction, and people who saw their photos on line would buy them. Carper estimated some 2,000 horses had escaped slaughter in this fashion.

Animals elsewhere who are less lucky are shipped to Canada and Mexico,where horses are slaughtered for human consumption, with most of the meat going overseas. There have been no plants slaughtering horses for that purpose in this country since 2006 because government inspection of slaughterhouses was defunded at that time. New legislation, however, authorized inspections and there are discussions in several states about starting new slaughter facilities.

During the time the sales weren't held in Cranbury, many horses who otherwise might have gone to Camelot were auctioned at New Holland in Pennsylvania, where there was no similar program to save them.

Trainer Lisa Post of Helping Hearts Equine Rescue in Monmouth County was a Camelot regular through the last sale in December, helping to find homes for horses, but when the Wednesday night sales went dark, she scheduled teaching lessons on those evenings instead. Now she's involved again.

"I have networked the horses the last two weeks; I'm happy to see 30 horses a week getting a second chance at Camelot that they otherwise would not have gotten at New Holland," stated Post.

"Too, too many horses didn't get that chance while Camelot was closed.  Too many horses that would have been consigned to Camelot were run  through New Holland instead, and sold direct to slaughter."

The difficult economy means some owners simply can't afford to feed their horses properly and can no longer keep them, but are unable to sell them or give them away because of the glut on the market. The Carpers had eight horses dumped on their property during the period when the horse sales were not being held. The animals were emaciated. Three were sold in the first sale of 2012; the other five are still being fed in order to get in proper condition.

"People need an outlet for their horses," said Carper, who believes the animals left on her land would have been sold months ago if the auction had kept going. The dumping problem is not just limited to the Camelot site. She said she heard people at the auction last week comment that they had found strange horses in their fields.

"People are getting fairly desperate," she commented.

The horse auctions will continue to be held every Wednesday, said Carper, noting they start about 8:30 p.m. after she and her husband auction off tack, equipment and small animals before the dealer who handles the equines takes over.

Lynne Richmond of the state Department of Agriculture said her agency "is monitoring the new operation at Camelot to determine if they are complying with department regulations.''

ON THE RAIL -- A lawsuit and counter-suit involving the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show and five members of the Sussex County Horse Show committee were settled last week with the resignation of five show committee members, including show president Lucille Pagano, and an agreement by the Farm and Horse Show to pay the departing members' legal fees.

The battle began when the horse show had sought to retain financial control over its competition, but the fair required it to hand over all funds and its checkbooks, as its other departments have done at the fairgrounds in Augusta.

"Our hearts are broken," said Sue Gerber, a former show president and one of the five in the lawsuit, explaining they had to give up the fight because they ran out of money to pay their attorney. Gerber and the others feared the 76-year-old horse show would not continue as the same caliber event, with a $50,000 grand prix and U.S. Equestrian Federation recognition, if the Farm and Horse Show took charge of the purse strings.

Alan Henderson, president of the Farm and Horse Show, referred inquiries about the future of the show to attorney Larry Supp, who handled the court case, which was briefly before a judge before the settlement was reached. Supp said at this point he had no specifics, answering only, "our intention is to keep it going."

Show committee member Ken Okken of Vernon, who plans to stay on, noted there is concern on the circuit about what will happen with Sussex.

"I'm at horse shows every weekend because I'm a judge and steward, and I get that question quite a bit," he said.

But Okken vowed the August show will go on as scheduled, along with the series of benefit shows that precede it.

The show, which is preceded by a weekend of quarter horse competition, is A-rated in the hunters and 4-stars in the jumpers. For many years, it was run by veterinarian Robert "Doc'' Rost. His daughter, trainer Robin Rost Fairclough, is the vice president of operations and remains on the committee with Okken.

"I'm doing it for the horse show and for Doc's legacy," Okken said. "It's 76 years, I'm not going to walk away from it. It can't end like this. I will do everything within my power, and so will Robin, to keep this going forward.''

Added Okken, a former president of the show, "It is our intent to make this show go on, to make any transition as comfortable as we can. I'm the one doing the prizelist and I'm not changing anything, aside from tweaking a few classes."

He noted the major classes already have been advertised, "so I think it would be quite difficult to change that at this point. What is 2013 going to hold? I don't know."

The U.S. Equestrian Federation Olympic show jumping long list has two new names; Beezie Madden with Coral Reef Via Volo and Laura Kraut with Cedric. They join McLain Ward, their 2008 Olympic gold medal teammate on the roster, which exempts them from this week's selection trials in Wellington, Fla. Ward was named with two horses, his 2008 Games mount Sapphire, who hasn't competed in a year, and Antares F. Kraut rode Cedric in the 2008 Olympics, but Madden was on a different horse for those Games.

Up to five horse/rider combinations can be named subjectively to the long list, either before or during the trials, which begin Wednesday in conjunction with the National Jumper Championship, which has not been held since 2008.

ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE

Today: Palermo Winter Festival Show, 1555A Burnt Mills Road, Bedminster; Friends of the Horse Park of N.J. and Youth Council Meeting, Rick's Saddle Shop, 282 Route 539, Cream Ridge (1-3 p.m.); Bit O'Woods Farm Dressage Schooling Show, 2207 Fostertown Road, Hainesport.
Saturday: Princeton Winter Circuit Show, Hunter Farms, 1315 The Great Road, Princeton (through next Sunday); Woodedge at the Park, Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown (through next Sunday); On Course Winter Show Series, 210 Beaver Run Road, Lafayette (through next Sunday); Changewater Stables Show, 483 Route 519, Stewartsville; Tewksbury Farms Stable Show, Hidden River Farm, 745 Amwell Rd., Neshanic Station (through next Sunday).
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.

Reed Kessler, 17, took the measure of the veterans in the trials and also tied for the U.S. national championship with Margie Engle, who is second on the Olympic long list rankings

Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-LedgerThe youngest rider in the Olympic show jumping team selection trials, Reed Kessler, is ranked in first place on Cylana after tying for the national championship

It was pinned in conjunction with the fourth and last Olympic selection trial, which drew a crowd of about 7,000 to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. But the fans were denied a jump-off. Though both Engle's mount, Indigo, and Kessler's ride, Cylana, wound up the trials with 12 penalties each, the riders agreed that in the interest of the horses, it would be better to skip a tie-breaker against the clock.

"Four rounds in three days is a lot," explained Engle, the oldest rider in the trials, who turns 54 on Saturday.

"You want to have something left at the end of the time; you still have two more observation trials plus an Olympics to do. It's almost like they did an Olympics here," she continued, referring to the size of the fences the horses faced on Wednesday, in two rounds on Thursday.
and last night.

First-place prize money of $60,000 was combined with the $44,000 set aside for second place to give each woman $52,000. But when it came to the Olympic trials, Kessler amazingly stands atop the ranking list; pretty impressive for a high school senior. The selection committee put Engle second. Laura Kraut (Cedric) and Beezie Madden (Coral Reef Via Volo) were excused from the trials because of their records, but were ranked third and fourth, while Kessler is fifth on another horse, Mika.

McLain Ward' got a bye because of his record, but he couldn't have participated since he is recovering from a broken kneecap. His two horses, Antares F and Sapphire -- part of both the 2004 and 2008 Olympic gold medal efforts, are ranked eighth and 10th.

Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-LedgerMargie Engle, riding Indigo, shares the national championship titlet with Kessler and is ranked second in the Olympic selection long list

The courses at the trials, designed by Alan Wade of Ireland, with input from Leopoldo Palacios and Anthony D'Ambrosio, got increasingly difficult, winnowing the field with each successive round until no one emerged with a perfect score.

The questions the trials prompted are the usual ones that pop up before every major championship: Are the horses jumping too much and too hard? What about the time frame, more than four months out from the Games? Who should be excused from the trials? Is objective better than subjective, and vice versa? Are the trials needed at all to produce a medal-winning team?

The answers vary widely, depending who you ask in the sport. Riders and officials from foreign countries, for instance, view the trial concept with puzzlement.

"Why should you ever be restricted to not picking your best available team at the time?" wondered Great Britain's Nick Skelton, the leading rider at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival here. He has two of the top horses in the world and will simply choose which one to ride at the London Games this summer in consultation with his country's chef d'equipe.

"To go through all the rigamarole of trials and jumping horses. I'm not personally for it," said Skelton, but he added slyly, "I enjoy watching it."

Wade, the designer, said, "I think when you employ a man to do a job, you should have faith in his ability to do it properly. I'm sure a good chef doesn't really need a selection trial; it's hard enough to keep horses healthy and sound, but it just seems to be part of the process over here."

A lawsuit over team selection for the 1990 World Equestrian Games prompted a completely objective process for the 1992 Olympics. That led to the team's loss of Gem Twist, who had earned double Olympic silver four years previously. In the trial, he was eliminated for refusing under difficult conditions and there was no provision for a drop score that could have put him on the team.

The trials have been changed over the years, with an eye toward making them as accurate and flexible as possible, but it's obvious there never will be a perfect solution. Justin Rogers, who is here representing the U.S. Olympic Committee, noted that for some sports, it's simple. In track and field, he said,the first person over the finish line makes the team. Period. In swimming, he added, if 14-time Olympic gold medalist Michael Phelps were to stub his toe on the way to the pool and didn't get in the water, he'd be out. Rogers noted equestrian sport requires a different approach, dealing with horses who are athletes, too.

After the ranked long list is issued, horses still will have to participate in two "observation" competitions during May and June. The short list for the Games will be developed after that by the selection committee in consultation with chef d'equipe George Morris.

Ward thinks the process has become too subjective, even though he points out he's the beneficiary of that by being excused from the trials.

"I think more objectivity needs to be injected back into it," he commented, noting what is needed is "a balance of the two."

Even so, he said, "It's a good system; I don't know if it's exactly the right system. Every year, you have to tweak it a little bit and hopefully you have the right horses healthy at the right time when the Olympics roll around."

Kraut, Skelton's partner, said, "I don't think it's too much jumping this early in the season. It's still the end of March and horses won't have to go to the Olympics until August."

She noted that previously, part of the selection involved competition abroad in the Nations' Cup League, but after a lackluster season, the U.S. was relegated from the league last year.

"Since we're not in it, I think he's (Morris) had to put a little more pressure on these trials than there normally would be," observed Kraut, who rode Teirra in the classes.

"Do I love jumping this big four times in a week? No, but you've got to do it at the Olympics. We need trials, our country's built around that, and I'm a big believer in the trials and a big believer in the chef d'equipe having input."

Sally Ike, the U.S. Equestrian Federation's managing director of show jumping, emphasized how important the trials are in putting together the right team for London.

"It's an Olympic Games, we need to test the horses," she said, noting they rarely jump in that strenuous a format.

The trial concept, she said, "levels the playing field. It's important to have head-to-head competition."

ON THE RAIL -- Dressage trainer Cesar Parra of Whitehouse Station was charged this month by the Hunterdon SPCA in connection with a 2009 incident in which a 4-year-old Hanoverian stallion that he was longeing sustained injuries.

The horse, William PFF, fell and hit his head during the session. The animal's owner, Trudy Miranda, is suing Parra, accusing him of negligence and stating the horse cannot be ridden or used for breeding because of his injuries. Her amended suit also alleges that Parra engaged in "intentional wrongdoing or an act accompanied by a wanton and willful disregard of the rights of another," and tried to longe the horse a second time and "should have known better than to cause the second training incident that resulted in an injury to the horse.''

A statement from Parra said he "is deeply saddened that the horse was injured, but categorically denies any allegation of cruelty, abuse, gross negligence, recklessness or any other inappropriate conduct in the handling of the horse."

It adds, "sometimes horses are injured in the course of being ridden and trained because of their unpredictable behavior without any inappropriate riding or training method involved."

A judge refused to dismiss Miranda's civil suit after Parra's attorney sought summary judgment in the matter.

Parra is to appear in Readington Township municipal court April 5 on separate charges brought by the SPCA of "torment" and "torture... of a living animal," as well as "overdrive, overwork...abuse of a living animal."

While SPCA agents did not witness the incident, the March 9 charges followed notification from a trainer, E. Allen Buck, who is a consultant for Miranda, according to Parra's statement.

Parra, a Pan American Games dressage medalist, is in the process of trying to make the Olympic dressage team.

In his statement, Parra said he believes the legal action is designed to distract him from that goal and reach a settlement, noting he "has no intention to capitulate to such highly suspect behavior."

The first son of Gemini, Gem Twist's clone, was born Friday evening out of the thoroughbred mare, Otherwise Engaged, owned by Lauren McKenna of Pennsylvania.

The news was reported by Mary Chapot, wife of former U.S. show jumping chef d'equipe Frank Chapot. The couple's Chado Farm in Neshanic Station, N.J., owns Gemini. Gem was bred at Chado Farm and Frank Chapot trained him throughout his stellar career, which included earning the title of Best Horse at the 1990 World Equestrian Games with Greg Best riding.

N.J. ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE

Today: Princeton Winter Circuit Show, Hunter Farms, 1315 The Great Road, Princeton; Woodedge at the Park, Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown; On Course Winter Show Series, 210 Beaver Run Road, Lafayette; Tewksbury Farms Stable Show, Hidden River Farm, 745 Amwell Rd., Neshanic Station; Dressage Schooling Show, Lord Stirling Stable, 256 S. Maple Ave., Basking Ridge.
Friday: Duncraven Winter Circuit and CJL Show, 1300 Trenton-Harbourton Road, Titusville (through next Sunday); N.J. Region Pony Clubs English/Western Tack Auction, Reaville Sportsman's Association Clubhouse, 146 Barley Sheaf Road, Flemington (5 p.m. preview, 6 p.m. start).
Saturday: Wit's End Farm Dressage Schooling Show and Combined Test, 371 Jackson Mills Road, Jackson; Riding With HEART Tack Sale, 639 Route 513, Pittstown; Standardbred Retirement Foundation Tack Sale, Whispering Winds Equestrian, 222 Easy St., Howell (8:30 a.m.-3 p.m.).
Next Sunday: N.J. Region Pony Club Open Dressage Schooling Show, U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation, Pottersville Road, Gladstone.
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.

Horses off the racetrack and other registered thoroughbreds will get a boost for a second career under a new program designed to save them from a variety of cruel fates

Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-LedgerGem Twist, the classical American thoroughbred, was an outstanding example of his breed who took Greg Best to two silver medals at the 1988 Olympics and won the title of Best Young Horse at the 1990 World Equestrian Games

He need not have worried. Times already were changing. Once the monarchs of the hunter/jumper world, thoroughbreds fell out of favor in the show ring a few decades ago; first the jumpers, then the hunters, replaced by trendy and pricey imported warmbloods.

In another era, after their days at the track, many ex-racehorses, along with unraced thoroughbreds, would go on to make their mark over fences. For evidence of their success, just review the roster of the jumper and hunter halls of fame. Gem Twist, Idle Dice, Jet Run, For the Moment, Touch of Class and Snowbound in the jumper ranks; Cap N Gown, Navy Commander and Isgilde in the hunters are only some of the thoroughbreds who excelled in an earlier era.

But with the popularity of the warmbloods, fewer opportunities for new jobs for thoroughbreds have resulted in too many going to auction, sent for slaughter or winding up neglected; indeed, sometimes they have been left to starve.

Increasing awareness of the difficult situation has spurred efforts to change it. The newest option, the Take2 Second Career Thoroughbred Program, makes its debut in New Jersey during next month's Garden State Horse Show at the Sussex County Fairgrounds in Augusta.

The initiative, which offers prize money for thoroughbred-only classes (horses entered must have a lip tattoo or registration papers), has been organized by the New York Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association, the New York Racing Association and New York Thoroughbred Breeders. It's geared to expanding the demand for thoroughbreds in shows as an alternative to a questionable future.

"There are a lot of very conscionable people, whether it's owners, trainers, breeders out there who very quietly find good homes for their retired horses. Sometimes the industry is painted with a broad brush, and that's unfortunate. Can we do things better? You bet, and that's what we're trying to do," said Rick Violette, president of NYTHA.

He was talking about the initiative at a party when Kevin Saggese spoke up on behalf of Garden State and said, "I think we'd love to be in on this.​"

Said Violette, "That's the genesis of it, and they've been just tremendous to work with. Those are the kind of people that we want to do business with as we try to promote this. It's a great initiative I think is beneficial to both the show horse industry and the racing industry."

The classes also will be presented at the Saratoga Springs, N.Y., show the first two weeks in May.

Saggese, an executive coordinator of Garden State, also is a thoroughbred racehorse trainer and has been involved in the show world as well, noted, "We all grew up riding thoroughbreds. We did not have the warmbloods. This was an opportunity to give back to the thoroughbreds, which I've always loved, and to find the next Gem Twist. There's nothing in the world more athletic than the thoroughbred. It takes twice the horsemanship to make a thoroughbred," said Saggese, who contends "We've lost some of that over the years."

Tim Cleary, the manager of Garden State, said the entry fees for the thoroughbred competitions are lower than for a typical class.

"I think it is pretty exciting, but I don't have a clue how many we'll get," he said. The entry deadline is April 15.

Garden State (gardenstatehorseshow.org), New Jersey's largest horse show, runs May 2-6. It is presented by the Junior Essex Troop and dedicated to the memory of the late Capt. John Fritz, a former commandant of the troop and one of the founding fathers of modern U.S. horse sports. The highlight is the $35,000 Junior Essex Troop Garden State Grand Prix at 4 p.m. May 5, but the thoroughbreds will be highlighted in their own $4,000 Thoroughbred Jumper Classic beforehand on what coincidentally is Kentucky Derby Day. There also will be a $1,000 Thoroughbred Hunter Classic and a $1,000 bonus for thoroughbreds who place well in the USHJA Garden State Hunter Derby, presented by Devoucoux. The prize money will be offered by the New Jersey Thoroughbred Industry and the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association.

Kim Bonstein, a trainer whose family is involved with Garden State, is a thoroughbred fan who thinks they have gotten short shrift.

"When outsourcing our need for performance horses by purchasing from abroad, it reminds me of the outsourcing of jobs in our country. We have the talent right here in this country, but somehow felt the need to go somewhere else to fill our requirements, because that talent is less expensive. The main difference is when we outsource people's jobs, they still have a chance to recoup."

She added, "When we outsource the jobs that thoroughbreds are able to do, they are discarded when many are finished with them and sent to slaughter. When this happens, we're actually paying far higher prices for importing alone. Thoroughbreds are intelligent, athletic and most of all, big hearted. They're not the scary horse some make them out to be. The best horses I have ever worked with were thoroughbreds, and I am overjoyed that they'll have a second chance to be recognized for the wonderful horses that they are."

The new program is "definitely a work in progress," said Violette, who noted the classes will also be held at shows in Texas.

"I can see relationships being established where show horse trainers would have an open line to a number of race horse trainers, so if they had a horse they thought would fit, they could get on the phone and find a fairly immediate home."

Also under consideration is a plan to recognize horses in eventing in New York state competitions. More thoroughbreds are used in eventing than in showing. In addition, Violette would like to see the Pony Club get involved at some point.

"It's easy to place a 17-year-old sound, good-moving thoroughbred. But we have a lot of 15-hand, 15.2-hand thoroughbreds that aren't going to cut it on the A circuit but have a natural home in the Pony Club."

Laurie Lane, the New Jersey-based program director of ReRun, which specializes in finding new careers and homes for thoroughbreds, thinks Take2 has potential.

"I'm really excited about this," she said. "It's my hope that this kind of program will allow the groups like ours not only to help the horses that are moving on and going to shows like Garden State, but there will be revenue left for the trail horses who can't go on, because they are the hardest to place. They're not good enough to enter Garden State, but not bad enough to be put down; I'm hoping for a trickle-down effect.''

She'd also like to see a resurgence of "hunterbreds" from thoroughbred mares and stallions. "I'm hoping there will still be a productive home for them down the road,'' she commented.

Meanwhile, another initiative is geared to thoroughbred eventers. It's the Jockey Club's Thoroughbred Incentive Program, which will be part of the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event at the Horse Park of New Jersey May 9-13, with a $250 financial incentive for winners, as well as the July 28-29 Horse Trials at the facility in Allentown, where there will be a $100 incentive for award winners. 

ON THE RAIL -- The Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office is handling an SPCA complaint against Pan American Games dressage medalist Cesar Parra of Whitehouse Station. The matter was supposed to be before the Readington Municipal Court on Thursday, but that hearing was canceled.

"Any time there are indictable charges, they come up to our office," explained Hunterdon County Prosecutor Anthony Kearns III, noting

"it is a matter of procedure." He said his office will do a review, to determine disposition of the allegations, which he hopes can be completed in the next couple of weeks.

The charges, which include "torment, torture...of a living animal" and "overdrive, overwork, abuse...a living animal" stem from a 2009 incident in which Parra was longeing a 4-year-old Hanoverian stallion who fell and was hurt. The owner of the horse has sued Parra, contending the animal can no longer be used for riding or breeding as a result of the injuries he sustained.

Supporters of Parra, a group that includes friends as well as staff and students at his Piaffe Performance Farm, issued a statement citing "his reputation for honesty, compassion, kindness, and the highest standards...If, for one moment, we doubted his character or abilities, we would not have remained in his employ or sought out his unparalleled expertise...The ease and devotion with which he interacts with the horses is exemplary and inspirational."

They added, "We are stunned that such a highly respected figure is being defamed, in such a senseless way. The fact that our names also have been mentioned, implying our complicity in the alleged conduct, is an enormous insult and unfairly damages our reputation and everything we strive to achieve."

Last night's $500,000 FTI Consulting Grand Prix at the Winter Equestrian Festival had a surprising winner, 21-year-old Daniel Bluman of Colombia on Sancha LS. His was the fastest of three 4-fault rounds in the jump-off, with a clocking of 48.97 seconds. The runner-up was Captain Canada, Ian Millar, with a time of 49.30 seconds on Star Power, while third went to Lauren Hough, who was going for a clear round and had the last fence down with Quick Study in
a time of 55.97 seconds.

There were 45 starters in the competition in Wellington, Fla., the finale of the 12-week series. First place in the $100,000 FTI rider bonus standings went to Laura Kraut.

ReRun is hosting a benefit wine tasting from 6-8 p.m. Thursday at Restaurant Nicholas in Red Bank. In addition to wines, the evening will include hors d'oeuvres, cheeses and dessert. For information, contact Mike Squillante at 732.539.3451 or msquillante1@optonline.net

Friends of the Horse Park of New Jersey are presenting Susan Harris clinics this month to benefit the park. The first clinic April 13 is "Anatomy In Motion," featuring a horse painted with muscles on one side and bones on the other. Harris also will give an analysis of each rider’s horse in terms of conformation, breed/type and discipline, then assist the riders in getting the best out of them during the mounted session. That will be followed by an evening lecture on "The Visible Horse." Discounts are available for groups.

The next two days feature a centered riding/centered jumping clinic. Harris will help riders learn from a biomechanical point of view for all disciplines, from hunter/jumper to western.

Information and registration are available on line at horseparkofnewjersey.com.

ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE

Today: Duncraven Winter Circuit and CJL Show, 1300 Trenton-Harbourton Road, Titusville; N.J. Region Pony Club Open Dressage Schooling Show, U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation, Pottersville Road, Gladstone; Woodedge Show, 116A Borton Landing Road, Moorestown; Eastern Pennsylvania Reining Horse Association Show, Gloucester County Dream Park, 400 Route 130 South, Logan Township; Central Jersey Horsemen's Association Show, East Freehold Park, Kozloski Road, Freehold.
Friday: CJL Show, Hunter's Crossing Farm, 121 E. Valley Brook Road, Long Valley.
Saturday: Dressage Schooling Show, Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown.
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.

Group that teaches driving to kids who faced life-threatening illness will join with the state's oldest therapeutic riding organization for a new way forward

Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-LedgerDriving for Surviving, which raises the esteem and spirits of children recovering from life-threatening illness, will now be operating under the umbrella of Mane Stream

New Jersey's pioneering therapeutic riding facility, Mane Stream (formerly the Somerset Hills Handicapped Riding Center) will be taking over the driving program that was started by Shelley Zlotkin of sharingVillage to support children recovering from cancer and other life-threatening illnesses. Zlotkin's husband, Martin, was serving as acting director trying to assure continuity, but the way forward was uncertain without the program's founder.

As Driving for Surviving comes under the Mane Stream umbrella, however, the smaller group's work can proceed, and it's good news not only for the youngsters, but also for the contributors and volunteers who made the program run.

"Their mission and ours are very much the same, making for a good marriage. They, too, are professionals with a passion to help compromised children,'' said Zlotkin, who believes, "Shelley would be proud of this dynamic association."

He pointed out, "They also have professional grant writers and know how to secure funding, a full time office staff, PATH (Professional Association of Therapeutic Horsemanship International)-certified instructors and licensed therapists. They are an established and professional organization, a leader in providing equine-assisted therapy and adaptive horsemanship programs."

Driving for Surviving owns a group of mini-horses and ponies used to teach the children driving, giving a new dimension to lives that have been compromised by disease and the problems that come with it.

World Pairs Driving Championship gold medalist Sharon Chesson of Bedminster has been involved coaching the children, whose self-esteem gets a boost from learning a skill. The new venue in Oldwick offers an indoor ring, which means year-round programming and no need to cancel sessions because of the weather, as was the case when Driving for Surviving was based in Bedminster.

Zlotkin plans to stay involved.

"I hope to be able to represent Shelley's wishes, her ideals and her vision; that's where I'm coming from," he said.

"Shelley spent so many years and (gave) so much love and devotion to this program, I just can't imagine allowing it to fall by the wayside."

Maureen Pethick, a key member of Driving for Surviving's advisory board, noted, "I feel it's the best of both worlds because we have the ponies and the carts and volunteers, but we don't have the infrastructure; Mane Stream has the infrastructure and everything in place. We can add to their program and with them taking on ours, we can continue."

Pethick, who is the communications and facilities coordinator for the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation, noted it would have been "really sad to see everything Shelley worked for disappear after all the hard work of all the people; the volunteers and the kids."

Some of those who have been through the program will come on board on as mentors for what will be called Driving for Surviving at Mane Stream, so it can keep its identity.

"It has such good name recognition and is well thought-of in the community and the equestrian community. We don't want to lose the connection," explained Mane Stream's executive director, Nichola Redmond.

The minis and ponies will be shipped in for lessons, since they can't be housed in Oldwick because of the restriction on the number of equines allowed to live on the property, but Mane Stream will have a satellite Readington facility in the future, which may open another door for the program.

Redmond added that taking on Driving for Surviving is "a big step for us," noting her group "provides programs for people with physical, developmental, emotional and medical challenges."

She hopes Driving for Surviving can start in June with cancer survivors as a primary focus for the pilot program, which likely will go into December and include eight to ten participants. At first, she wants to "keep it a little small, to make sure we can work out all the logistics. Once we get all that ironed out we'll be able to expand it significantly. This is Shelley's legacy and we want to maintain that.

"Initially, we'll stick with the kids, because that's where the client base has come from in the past. I hope eventually to open it up (to adults) and make it more family-oriented. There are a lot of possibilities for expansion. It's just going to depend on time and space and funding."

More information is available at sharingvillage.org and manestreaminc.org.

ON THE RAIL -- The Sussex County Horse Show is back on track after a divisive legal battle over finances with the Sussex County Farm and Horse Show.

Ken Okken, a former president of the August show, and Robin Fairclough, a trainer whose father, Robert Rost, managed the competition in Augusta for years, are taking over the effort to put on the A-rated fixture at the Sussex County Fairgrounds.

"Everything's going to be business as usual," said Okken, who is president again. Cory Corrigan, the manager for 19 years, will be serving in that role once more, and the $50,000 Kistler Grand Prix is on the schedule, along with such regular features as the Lou Dobbs Show-sponsored jumper feature.

Fairclough said the prizelist will be "pretty much the same as last year" and box seats (a bone of contention in the lawsuits) will be available for patrons, while general admission folks will have free seating in the bleachers.

The fair sued five horse show officials, who filed a countersuit.The matter was settled with the resignation of five horse show directors and an agreement to give the fair financial control of the show.

Although there has been bitterness as a result of the long-running unpleasantness, Okken and Fairclough are simply moving ahead.

"We need to let the past go," said Okken, who is focusing on making sure one of the state's landmark shows retains its status. The Sussex County Benefit show series also will continue.

"We're going to get it done and we're committed to making it happen," said Okken, noting spectators and exhibitors won't notice a difference.

More volunteers are needed. Those who are interested can call the show at (973) 948-5022. For more information, go to the show's website, sussexcountyhorseshow.com.

He has finished second, third and anywhere but first over a dozen or so years, but Mario Deslauriers finally won the $200,000 Gene Mische American Invitational last night in Tampa, topping a field of 32 on Cella.

Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-LedgerMario Deslauriers took the Gene Mische American Invitational on Cella

Leaving out a stride to the last jump put him ahead of Molly Ashe Cawley, a two-time Invitational winner, who was riding Carissimo and Beezie Madden, third with Simon. They were the only three to score double-clears in the five-horse jump-off before a crowd of more than 7,000 in Raymond James Stadium.

"She's a big horse, but she's quick enough," said Deslauriers. "I met the first fence on a good lick and the jump-off kind of fell into place. I thought she jumped fantastic."

The mare wears a distinctive nose net that was part of the original equipment that came with her. "We haven't changed it, it works, so we always ride her in it," Deslauriers said.

Meg Sleeper of Frenchtown has been named to the long list for August's World Endurance Championships in England with both Syrocco Reveille and Syrocco Cadence. Sleeper, a veterinary cardiologist, is a championships veteran.

Eventer Kristin Schmolze of Califon and her horse, Cavaldi, are looking for help to get them over to England next month for the 4-star Badminton Three-Day Event. A benefit party to raise funds will be held from 6-10 p.m. April 18 at Everbreeze Farm, 139 Fairmount Road, Califon.

The speaker will be Olympic judge Marilyn Payne. Other attractions include a buffet, open bar, silent auction and dancing.

The cost is $65 per person in advance, $75 at the door. RSVP by Thursday to kseventingcrossthepond@yahoo.com or (201) 320-4428. Those who would like to make a tax-deductible donation but cannot attend do so through the American Horse Trials Foundation (ahtf.org).

Volunteers are needed April 21 and 22 to clean up flower beds and the cross-country course at the Horse Park of New Jersey in Allentown in preparation for next month's Jersey Fresh event, which is also an Olympic selection trial. Receipts are available for community service hours worked. Contact Joan Harper of Friends of the Horse Park NJ at Epicsdream@aol.com to sign up.

Meanwhile, the Friends' Youth Council is organizing painting parties through next Sunday to re-do stalls before Jersey Fresh. Any youth groups can come, along with anyone who needs to do community service. Advance notice is needed to make sure adequate painting supplies are available. Youth groups must have adult supervision. For more information contact Kiersten Holswade @ 609-468-1416 or email to kholswade@gmail.com. A typical time frame will be 9 a.m.-3 p.m. Lunch will be provided by the park for those working a full six hours.
 

Barrel racing clinics are among the Horse Park's new offerings this year. They will be held on the first and third Tuesday evenings of every month. For more information, go to horseparkofnewjersey.com.

Donations of tack and horse-related equipment are being sought by Mane Stream for its sale April 21 from 9 a.m.-4 p.m. and April 22 from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Items may be dropped off at Mane Stream, 83 Old Turnpike Road (Route 517) Oldwick, or Mane Stream will pick them up. Call (908) 439-9636, or e-mail jen@mainsteaminc.org.

Rutgers Equine Science Center is presenting a webinar at 7 p.m. Tuesday on re-feeding the starved horse. This is geared to anyone interested in rescuing horses, whether with a group or as an individual. The webinar may be accessed at http://tinyurl.com/6wrjqvl.

It is recommended to log on to the webinar 10-15 minutes before the start time in order to install the software and make sure the sound is working.  For complete information regarding the webinars, please go to the Equine Science Center website at esc.rutgers.edu.

ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE

Thursday: Four Seasons Show, Duncraven, 1300 Trenton Harbourton Road, Titusville (through next Sunday).
Saturday: Sussex County Benefit Show, Sussex County Fairgrounds, Plains Road, Augusta; Chapter One Farms Arena Driving Trials, Pedricktown-Woodstown Road, Pedricktown; Alexandria Equestrian Association Gymkhana, Alexandria Township Park, Route 519 and 631, Alexandria Township (10 a.m. start).
Next Sunday: Friends of Lord Stirling Stable Private Horse Hunter Pace, 256 S. Maple Ave., Basking Ridge (9 a.m.-1 p.m.); N.J. Quarter Horses Association All-Breed Charity Trail Ride, Laurita Winery, 31 Archertown Road, New Egypt (njqha.com); Delaware Valley Horsemen's Association Western and Draft Show, DVHA Showgrounds, Route 604, Sergeantsville; Silver Bit & Spur Farm Gymkhana, 631 Route 523, Whitehouse Station (10 a.m. start); Baymar Farms Show, 38 Harbor Road, Marlboro; High Point Equestrian Center Dressage Show, Combined Test and Horse Trials, 20 Birchtree Road, Montague; Cream Ridge Pony Club and Silver Dollar Stables Dressage Show and Combined Test, 80 Petty Road, Cranbury.
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.

The U.S. Paralympic equestrian team will be chosen in June at the Dressage Festival of Champions, which also is hosting the Olympic dressage team selection trials

Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-LedgerBecca Hart is one of the favorites to make the Paralympic team

"We had listed several locations and dates, but these dates work out perfectly for us," Pam Lane, the U.S. Equestrian Federation's para-equestrian director, said last week. The Paralympic competition will be sandwiched between the two weekends of the Olympic trials and various championships at the Dressage Festival of Champions. While those will be held June 8-10 and 13-17 in the big ring behind the stable off Pottersville Road, the para-equestrians will ride on the Pine Meadow section of the property off Fowler Road from June 11-13.

Adding to the interest is the fact that Courtney King Dye may be participating. A member of the 2008 Olympic team, she had a near-fatal fall without a helmet while schooling a horse in 2010 and suffered a skull fracture that left her in a coma. Her long recovery, followed closely by a dedicated band of supporters, is continuing while she works to qualify for the trials in a Texas show at the end of the month. Dye's dogged determination has earned admiration as she graduated from a wheelchair, learned to speak more fluently and coped with difficulties in using her right side.

While she was at the Kessler Institute in West Orange nearly two years ago, Dye said her ambition was to ride in the 2012 Olympics. Although that seemed impossible at the time, the Paralympics offers a chance for her to achieve the goal. She got a boost this month when super sponsor Jane Clark, who was inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame last weekend, bought her a mount, Make Lemonade (when life hands you lemons). Dye, who is doing her own fundraising, said, "It gives me something to work for. Whether I make it or not is secondary; the striving for it is what I yearn for."

She needs to get 60 percent in either the team or individual test for her ticket to Gladstone. Lane anticipates 25 riders in the trials, which will run from approximately 8 a.m.-1 p.m. each day and include the national championships, as competitors try for four team spots. That's in comparison to the six who tried out for the Olympics in China four years ago.

"We're so excited about the growth of the sport and its visibility," said Lane, noting Facebook has helped increase para-equestrian's popularity. All Paralympic competition is in dressage, geared to various levels of disability. The grades range from I, more of a walk test that involves primarily wheelchair users with impairment of all four limbs, through IV (similar to a Prix St. Georges test), with participants who have impairment in one or two limbs and some visual problems.

U.S. para-equestrians have been working hard. They went to Mexico City in November and Australia in December, winning both contests on borrowed horses. During two weeks of January competition in Wellington, Fla., they split the series with Canada. The U.S. is ranked sixth in the world; Great Britain is number one and Canada number five.

Lane noted, "We could use better horses. We have the riders. We just don't have the same horses the Europeans do."

Although time is getting tight, "there's still an opportunity" to donate horses to para-equestrians, said Lane. The animals need "to have a phenomenal walk, be quiet and sound. Warmbloods are what win, same as able-bodied (competition)."

Volunteers are being sought for everything from gatekeeping to scribing and coordinating awards. Those interested in helping can contact Lane at plane@usef.org.

"It's inspiring to see people with disabilities get out there and do it. It feels good," said Lane.

"Most of us just go through the day; a lot of able-bodied people take so much for granted. People who have gotten over the adversity they face every day, they have something good about their spirit. They've helped to give me tools that make my day better."

ON THE RAIL -- It was a sad week in horse sports as longtime U.S. eventing team member Amy Tryon died suddenly at age 42, and it was revealed that U.S. show jumping chef d'equipe George Morris, one of the equestrian world's legends, has prostate cancer. And John Quirk, who fulfilled his dream of bringing the World Cup Finals to Las Vegas, also passed away.

Tryon, whose hard work took her to Olympic and World Equestrian Game medals, including an individual bronze at the 2006 WEG, died in her sleep on Thursday at the age of 42. There has been no information about the cause of death.

Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-LedgerAmy Tryon on Poggio II at the 2008 Olympics

A firefighter before she became a full-time professional eventer and trainer several years ago, the Washington State resident balanced her difficult work with her equally demanding sport. She took injuries in stride and kept on going. Tryon is most closely identified with Poggio II, who was a mountain pack horse when she bought him after seeing an ad for the gelding in the classified section of the newspaper.

Survivors include her husband, Greg, as good a sport as his wife, who was always on hand to help as she competed.

Morris will undergo treatment for cancer through the spring, which means he is unable to attend the observation events for long-listed riders that will be held across the country and in Canada during May and June. Robert Ridland, who was selected to succeed Morris after his retirement at the end of the year, will attend the events as Morris stays involved. It is hoped he can resume his duties in June and handle the Olympic Games.

Quirk, who went from the automobile business to the horse business, was an author, journalist, horse owner and man of vision, who knew Vegas was the perfect place for the World Cup finals. The Californian helped make it happen there in 2000, 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2009. He was hoping to be a part of the next Cup competition there, which likely will happen in 2015. It just didn't happen soon enough to include him. Survivors include his devoted wife, Tish, a well-known horse breeder...

Hunter/trail pace season is in full swing. The Amwell Valley Hounds will hold their first pace this year next Sunday at the Hillsborough Golf and Country Club, 146 Wertsville Road, Hillsborough Go to avhounds.com for details.
The Essex Fox Hounds are staging a spring pace for the first time in 15 years on April 29 at Cedar Lane Farm, 87 Homestead Road, Oldwick from 9 a.m.-1:30 p.m. with awards to follow at 3 p.m. For information, go to essexfoxhounds.org...

There's been another change of venue for Wednesday's fund raiser geared to sending eventer Kristin Schmolze of Califon to next month's Badminton 4-star event with Cavaldi. The affair will be held from 6-10 p.m. as originally planned at the Oldwick Manor at the Oldwick Firehouse, 163 Oldwick Road, Oldwick. For information contact kseventingcrossthepond@yahoo.com.

ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE

Today: Four Seasons Show, Duncraven, 1300 Trenton Harbourton Road, Titusville; Friends of Lord Stirling Stable Private Horse Hunter Pace, 256 S. Maple Ave., Basking Ridge (9 a.m.-1 p.m.); N.J. Quarter Horse Association All-Breed Charity Trail Ride, Laurita Winery, 31 Archertown Road, New Egypt; Delaware Valley Horsemen's Association Western and Draft Show, DVHA Showgrounds, Route 604, Sergeantsville; Silver Bit & Spur Farm Gymkhana, 631 Route 523, Whitehouse Station (10 a.m. start); Baymar Farms Show, 38 Harbor Road, Marlboro; High Point Equestrian Center Dressage Show, Combined Test and Horse Trials, 20 Birchtree Road, Montague; Cream Ridge Pony Club and Silver Dollar Stables Dressage Show and Combined Test, 80 Petty Road, Cranbury.
Tuesday: CBS Broadcast at 8 p.m. of last month's Olympic show jumping selection trials and national championship.
Thursday: Volunteer training for the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event, Rick's Saddle Shop, 282 Route 539, Cream Ridge (6:30-8 p.m., RSVP kathyculler@intothewoodsfarm.com).
Friday: Woodedge at the Park Show, Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown (through next Sunday); Palermo Finals Warm-Up Show, 1555A Burnt Mills Road, Bedminster.
Saturday: Palermo Winter Finals, 1555A Burnt Mills Road, Bedminster (through next Sunday); Hunter Farms Show, 1315 The Great Road, Princeton; On Course Winter Show Series, 210 Beaver Run Road, Lafayette (through next Sunday); West Milford Equestrian Center Show, 367 Union Valley Road, Newfoundland; Diamond Creek Dressage Show, 39 Gulick Road, Ringoes; Garden State Appaloosa Association Show, Horse Park of New Jersey, Route 524, Allentown (through next Sunday); Garden State Paint Horse Club Show, Gloucester County Dream Park, 400 Route 130 South, Logan Township (through next Sunday); Mane Stream (formerly Somerset Hills Handicapped Riders)Tack Sale, 83 Old Turnpike Road (Route 517), Oldwick (9 a.m.-4 p.m. and 10 a.m.-3 p.m. next Sunday).
Next Sunday: Delaware Valley Horsemen's Association Hunter Show, DVHA Showgrounds, Route 604, Sergeantsvile; Amwell Valley Hounds Hunter Pace, Hillsborough Golf and Country Club, 146 Wertsville Road, Hillsborough (9 a.m.-1 p.m.); Lord Stirling Stable Spring Pleasure Drive, 256 S. Maple Ave., Basking Ridge; Oxbow Stables Combined Test, 39 Orts Road, Hamburg; CJL Show, East Freehold Park, 1500 Koslowski Road, Freehold; Saddle Up for St. Jude's Hunter Pace, Bucks Mill Park, Colts Neck.
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.

The USA's only 4-star rated event will be the biggest test in the careers of a brother and sister who have been working for years to compete there. UPDATE: U.S. wins FEI Rolex Show Jumping World Cup finals for the first time since 1987.

Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-LedgerDoug Payne on Running Order and his sister, Holly, on Madeline with their parents, Marilyn and Richard

It took years, but the Payne siblings finally will be making their debut in this week's Rolex Kentucky event -- one of only six 4-star-rated fixtures in the world.

At the Kentucky Horse Park, they will ride against each other and dozens of the best competitors from the U.S. and abroad. As luck would have it, a random draw put Doug 24th in the order of go, while his sister is 25th.

It's a disadvantage, because Holly cannot use her brother as a path-finder on Saturday's cross-country phase, since he won't be able to pass intelligence about the route to her before she starts out. On the other hand, it may make things easier for Marilyn Payne and her husband, Richard. They'll get the breathlessly exciting and agonizing spectating over with in one fell swoop.

Though they help each other out and live in the same Gladstone building, in condos bought with money from the sale of horses they trained, the siblings aren't the type to stand aside for family loyalty when it comes to riding against each other.

"Neither of us like losing," explained Doug, 30, who is based at a farm in Califon.
Both will be riding horses they have brought along themselves. "It makes it a little more challenging, but it's more rewarding in the end,'' he pointed out.

"They're going down the same road, but separately," his mother commented about her children.

Doug and Holly have requested to be considered for the Olympics, since Rolex is a selection trial for this summer's London Games, though there is a line of people ahead of them from the high performance training list. The only ones in the "A" category, however, are Boyd Martin and his mentor, Phillip Dutton, along with Sinead Halpin of Pittstown. But doing well at Rolex can suddenly put you on the map, as Halpin knows. She finished third in her Kentucky debut last year as the highest-placed American, and this year, team selectors decided she doesn't even have to compete at Rolex. Halpin and her horse, Manoir de Carneville, instead will be the "guinea pig" combo for the dressage phase, performing the test so judges can check themselves and make sure they're on the same page before the segment officially begins.

Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-LedgerDoug Payne competing with Running Order

Doug and Holly are carpooling to Lexington with Doug's girlfriend, Jessica Hampf, a member of the Canadian National Eventing Team, who is also trying for an Olympic berth with High Society III. He anticipates they all will walk the course together.

"It's great to have a go-to person who is always going to be honest with you," his sister observed.

Doug is riding Running Order for owner Patti Springsteen, who has never seen him compete. She is on tour performing with her husband, Bruce, so she can't make it to Kentucky, but she'll be well-informed through texts and phone calls about how her Irishbred ex-steeplechaser is doing.

Running Order started out with his rider in the beginner novice category during 2006 at the age of four. In 2011, he was third in the advanced section of the U.S. Eventing Association's year-end awards. Now that he's at the top of the game, Doug said, "it doesn't exactly feel real yet. It's a little hard to believe. Obviously, I'm excited and a little bit nervous."

Giving an interview punctuated by Running Order's hoofbeats as he rode, Doug said the 10-year-old 17.1-hand gelding has been harder for him to bring along than some of his other mounts, but he's been worth the time to develop a partnership because "he's a very, very talented horse...quick-footed and quick-thinking.''

Doug and Holly prepped for their dressage competition with lessons last week from international dressage judge Linda Zang. She's a friend of their mother, who was an eventing judge at the last Olympics and is a well-known trainer/rider who gave her children a firm foundation in their sport. Their father -- whose preferred competition is automobile road racing with his Corvette -- handles construction and maintenance at the farm.

Although this is his first time riding at Rolex, Doug has been there several times, to help out friends and also as a developer of a helmet camera that takes viewers on a cross-country trip from the rider's vantagepoint. Doug, who has a mechanical engineering degree, worked for NBC in 2005, when they used the technology for their broadcast of the event. (This year's competition will be shown from 10 a.m.-noon Saturday on the Universal Sports Network and broadcast from 1:30-3:30 p.m. that day on the NBC Sports Network. Next Sunday, NBC will air the show jumping from 2-3 p.m. Live streaming video will begin Thursday on usefnetwork.com and continue through next Sunday.)

His sister qualified for Rolex in 2009, but skipped it in order to get mileage abroad by competing at the Blenheim, England, 3-star with Madeline, known around the barn as Baby.

The 12-year-old 15.1-hand chestnut, was part of a bargain package deal with two other horses her mother bought from a farm in the Midwest. The two larger horses wound up as foxhunters, but Baby and Holly went on to bigger things, with Rolex the biggest so far. Injuries meant they missed Rolex in 2010 and 2011, so actually heading to Kentucky seems a little unreal for Holly, 28.

"I won't believe it until I actually get there until I'm going down center line," she said.
"It's always been a goal of mine forever to go there. The atmosphere is so huge; they do such a good job putting together the event. You can't find an event like it in the U.S. The amount of people who turn out for it and the quality of horses and riders that go there, the cross-country is well-built: It's a world class event."

Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-LedgerMadeline going cross-country with Holly Payne up

The mare was purchased by Jill Gordon as a project for her daughter, with the idea of selling her before the girl went to college. But after the daughter graduated, Holly, who works out of her parents' stable and a place in Far Hills, started riding the mare to get her ready to be sold.

"It took a while, but when she was saleable, her owner fell in love with her and decided she never wanted to sell her," Holly recounted.

"I'm really hoping for a good run. I've got all the confidence that she can do it, but we'll see. You know horses, anything can happen."

Baby's weak point has always been dressage, but the lessons with Zang apparently are paying off. Holly tied for first on 32.20 penalties in the advanced sections at this weekend's Fair Hill, Md., horse trials, her last prep for Rolex.

ON THE RAIL -- Rich Fellers ended a U.S. losing streak of more than 25 years in the Rolex FEI Show Jumping World Cup Finals by winning today on the Irish sporthorse stallion, Flexible.

After topping the first of three legs at the show in the Netherlands, Fellers dropped back to eighth in the second segment, but overall still was tied for second with Switzerland's Steve Guerdat on Nino de Buissonnets. Another Swiss, Pius Schwizer, led with Carlina.

This afternoon, however, after two more rounds it came down to a jump-off between Fellers and Guerdat, with Fellers edging the latter on the clock.

"I came here thinking I could win it," Fellers said afterwards.

"This is the year. He's 16 years old, he's in his prime. If things go well and I had a little luck, I felt I could win it."

The Oregonian, whose best previous finish in the finals was second place in 2008, should get a big boost off the Cup victory for his chances of making the Olympic team.

Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-LedgerRich Fellers and Flexible during last month's Olympic show jumping team selection trials

"That would be quite an honor to be on the U.S. team in London. I hope it works out. I think this will have some effect on the selectors; regardless, they can't blank this out of their minds," said Fellers, ranked seventh on the U.S. long list for the Olympic team, with observation events yet to come. But the Cup test proved once again that Flexible has staying power for a multi-day competition, which will be vital at the Olympics.

"That was a championship performance by a championship-caliber horse," Fellers said.

The last American to win the Cup was in 1987, when Katherine Burdsall took the title in Paris with The Natural...

The dressage World Cup finals, also held at the show in s'Hertogenbosch, didn't go as well for the Americans. Jan Ebeling was 15th on Rafalca and Shawna Harding 16th aboard Come On III. The competition was won for the second year in a row by the world's number one dressage rider, Adelinde Cornelissen with Jerich Parzival...

Centenary College is hosting a "Denim, Diamonds & Cavalrymen" fundraiser May 10 at the Equestrian Center on Califon Road in Long Valley.  Featured are a cocktail reception, dinner and auctions.

Being honored for their commitment to the college's equine studies program are Glenn and Laura Pabst, parents of a Centenary equestrian student; the Essex Troop, an organization of elite horsemen and military veterans associated with the 102d Armor Regiment and its roots as a cavalry unit; and Penelope Ayers, an advocate for the program.

The celebrity guest will be Sussex County native James Fairclough of History Channel’s "Full Metal Jousting." Money raised from the evening will go toward the Equestrian Center Enhancement Project and therapeutic riding. For information call Kate Booth at (908) 852-1400, ext. 2468, or e-mail boothk@centenarycollege.edu. ...

Sara Schmitt of Pittstown finished third with Kaboom in last weekend's National Single Horse Championship. The event was won by Sterling Graburn with Ulano. Donna Crookston and RG Cowboy's Black Cadillac were second.

ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE

Today: Woodedge at the Park Show, Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown; Palermo Finals Warm-Up Show, 1555A Burnt Mills Road, Bedminster; Palermo Winter Finals, 1555A Burnt Mills Road, Bedminster; On Course Winter Show Series, 210 Beaver Run Road, Lafayette; Garden State Appaloosa Association Show, Horse Park of New Jersey, Route 524, Allentown; Garden State Paint Horse Club Show, Gloucester County Dream Park, 400 Route 130 South, Logan Township; Delaware Valley Horsemen's Association Hunter Show, DVHA Showgrounds, Route 604, Sergeantsvile; Amwell Valley Hounds Hunter Pace, Hillsborough Golf and Country Club, 146 Wertsville Road, Hillsborough (9 a.m.-1 p.m.); Oxbow Stables Combined Test, 39 Orts Road, Hamburg; CJL Show, East Freehold Park, 1500 Koslowski Road, Freehold; Saddle Up for St. Jude's Hunter Pace, Bucks Mill Park, Colts Neck.
Wednesday: Hunter Farms Spring Classic, 1315 The Great Road, Princeton (through next Sunday).
Friday: NJ Quarter Horse Association Show, Gloucester County Dream Park, 400 Route 130 South, Logan Township (through next Sunday).
Saturday: Garden State Preview, Sussex County Fairgrounds, Plains Road, Augusta (through next Sunday); Central Jersey Horsemen's Association English, Western, Standardbred Show, East Freehold Park, Kozloski Road, Freehold.
Next Sunday: Horse Park of New Jersey Dressage Schooling Show, Route 524, Allentown; Delaware Valley Horsemen's Association Driving Show, DVHA Showgrounds, Route 604, Sergeantsville; Spring Nature Trail Ride, Lord Stirling Stables, 256 S. Maple Ave., Basking Ridge
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.

UPDATE: The world's number one-ranked eventer, William Fox-Pitt of Great Britain, takes America's only 4-star-rated event at the Kentucky Horse Park for the second time in three years. Meanwhile, this weekend's Badminton event in England is called off due to drenched ground.

Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-LedgerWilliam Fox-Pitt of Great Britain took the lead in the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event with Parklane Hawk after cross-country

He had a single rail down in show jumping to finish on 45.3 penalties, ahead of Allison Springer on Arthur, who also dropped a pole but wound up as the highest-placing American with a score of 47 penalties.

The victory gave Fox-Pitt two legs toward the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. He was aiming to become only the second person to take the sport's richest prize if he won what was supposed to be the third leg, the Badminton Horse Trials in England this weekend. But Badminton was cancelled this morning due to weeks of rain; the ground was drenched and organizers felt it could not dry out in time. Rolex will have to decide what event to put in its place. It could be Burghley again this fall, or perhaps they will come up with another alternative.

Fox-Pitt isn't the nervous type. But as he watched the first few competitors venture out on Saturday's cross-country course,the heart of the competition, the British ace was taken aback.

Two of the sport's most experienced riders, Andrew Nicholson of New Zealand and American Karen O'Connor, both ran into trouble. The lead-off horse, Nicholson's Calico Joe, refused and hit the log at the first element of the ninth obstacle, the Bridgestone Park Question, prompting the rider to withdraw. Then O'Connor lost her balance on Veronica and fell off in the first water jump. After that, Becky Holder and her Courageous Comet, a Rolex and Olympic veteran, were eliminated.

Obviously, the 4-star route posed quite a challenge.

"I thought,`This isn't a very good start,' " Fox-Pitt recalled.

New Zealander Jonathan Paget assessed the course this way: "I didn't expect it to cause as much carnage as it did. You know you're in for a bad day when Andrew Nicholson walks home."

Fox-Pitt conceded that as the morning wore on, he started thinking, "Maybe I should do this, maybe I should do that. But there wasn't anything else to do, but ride it as best you can; be as positive as you can. I think the horses respond to that.''

Parklane Hawk took everything in stride under Fox-Pitt's expert guidance. Second on 41.3 penalties after Friday's dressage, Fox-Pitt rose to the top of the leaderboard by not adding any cross-country time or jumping faults to his score. He overtook Springer, the overnight leader, who gave her mount "a peach of a ride'' in Fox-Pitt's view,. But she was cautious and opted for the time-consuming long route at the Offset Brushes, the third-to-last of 29 fences. She had fallen there last year and wasn't taking any chances this time, adding 3.2 time penalties to her score.

The Bridgestone, which involved the log, a ditch and then a third element, a narrow brush, was one of several trouble spots.

"The ones that didn't get a very good start were the ones that fell afoul of number nine and the horrible skinny brush thing coming out," Fox-Pitt concluded.

That difficult fence, where 20 horse had problems, was the nemesis of Doug Payne and his sister, Holly, both of Gladstone, N.J.

Payne, who through a coincidence started on course just before his sister, had a run-out at the "horrible skinny brush thing."

"It was something I was concerned about from the beginning," he said. "I was afraid he (Running Order) wouldn't see (the C element) and that's exactly what happened."

After that, though, it was smooth sailing for him and his mount, as they went into 22d place on 91 penalties in their first 4-star. He finished the event this afternoon in 18th place with two rails down in show jumping, making his total 99 penalties.

"What a fabulous horse," Payne said of the Irishbred ex-steeplechaser, who is owned by Patti Springsteen. She was not on hand to see her gelding run because she's on tour with her husband, Bruce, and their band.

"I just kept waiting for him to get tired and he never did," said Payne of his cross-country ride. Like Springer, he took the long route at fence 27 since he'd already had a refusal.

His sister, who was making her 4-star debut as well, also had a refusal at the Bridgestone with Madeline, a second refusal further on the course and then a final stop as her mare scrambled out of the Head of the Lake water complex a bit unbalanced. Three refusals mean elimination.

The only other New Jersey rider who competed, Madeline Blackman of Ringoes, moved up from 31st after cross-country on Gordonstown to 24th with one of only five show jumping double-clears, ending on a score of 130.1 penalties.

A total of 57 horses started in the event on Thursday, with 27 completing.

N.J. Activities Schedule

Today: Hunter Farms Spring Classic, 1315 The Great Road, Princeton;
N.J. Quarter Horse Association Show, Gloucester County Dream Park, 400 Route 130 South, Logan Township; Garden State Preview, Sussex County Fairgrounds, Plains Road, Augusta Horse Park of New Jersey Dressage Schooling Show, Route 524, Allentown; Delaware Valley Horsemen's Association Driving Show, DVHA Showgrounds, Route 604, Sergeantsville; Essex Foxhounds Hunter Pace, Cedar Lane Farm, 87 Homestead Road, Oldwick.
Wednesday: Garden State Show, Sussex County Fairgrounds, Plains Road, Augusta (through next Sunday); Flying Change Farm Dressage Show, 60 Sutton Road, Lebanon.
Friday: N.J. Palomino Exhibitors' Show, Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown (through next Sunday); Eastern Pennsylvania Reining Horse Association Show, Gloucester County Dream Park, 400 Route 130 South, Logan Township (through next Sunday).
Saturday: Baymar Farms Show, 38 Harbor Road, Morganville; Dressage at the Meadow, 640 Powell Road, Mt. Holly; Somerset Hills Pony Club Derby Day Pace, U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation Headquarters, Pottersville Road, Gladstone.
Next Sunday: Spring Fling Hunter/Pleasure Pace (to benefit Jersey Fresh), Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown (9:30 a.m. start); Delaware Valley Horsemen's Association Jumper Show, DVHA Showgrounds, Route 604, Sergeantsville; Family Fun Day, Lord Stirling Stable, 256 S. Maple Ave., Basking Ridge; Date Night Trail Ride, Watchung Stable, 1160 Summit Lane, Moutainside (3:45 p.m. sign in; pre-registation in person required).
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.

Michael Hughes, 16, wins at the state's largest horse show. Also, a preview of next weekend's Jersey Fresh three-day event, which is drawing big name competitors

Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-LedgerMichael Hughes, 16, won the Garden State Grand Prix on MacArthur

"I don't really know him that well in jump-offs yet, so I was just thinking I might as well practice going fast now, so that's what we did and it worked out," said Hughes.

"He's absolutely incredible. Christina Fried owns him and we're very thankful she lets me show him. He is just great; no matter what I do, he's always perfect."

Last year's Devon Grand Prix winner, Kevin Babington of Ireland, had to settle for second on Mark Q with a time of 58.34, while Hughes took a strong gallop to the final vertical of planks to end up in 56.54 seconds.

Babington noted he spotted Hughes' ability five years ago.

"He's fantastic. He's super-talented. I'm sure I'll be standing behind him a lot of times,'' said Babington, who is friendly with the youth's father, also a professional horseman from Ireland, Eamonn Hughes.

Babington was just ahead of another teen star, Mattias Tromp of New York, 17, who finished in 58.53 on Vosqinus, a Dutch import.

"We came here because this is just a good show to start the spring season," said Tromp.

Garden State, New Jersey's largest horse show, is presented by alumni of the Junior Essex Troop. Many return annually to help out with the competition. The show's feature drew 23 starters, nine of whom made it into the tiebreaker. The course, designed by Andrew Philbrick, was very long, with a time allowed of 105 seconds for the first round, making use of all parts of the big ring.

"They pushed the wheel. It's a different style course...the jump-off had a different flavor, end to end (of the ring),'' observed Mark Leone, ninth in on Great American.

Citing the 105-second time-allowed for the first round, which he compared to what it would take to do a jumping derby, he noted, "I watched an Olympic trial (observation event) last night at Del Mar (Calif.) and it was 75 seconds."

The grand prix was preceded by a $4,000 jumper stake limited to thoroughbreds, presented by the New Jersey thoroughbred industry and the New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen's Association. It's an attempt to find careers for this breed, whether they have raced or not. Once the favorite mount of U.S. jumper riders, they have been replaced in large part by warmbloods. Too many wind up at auctions or headed for slaughter.

First place went to Four's a Charm. The sleek bay, owned by Meghan Orr, wsa ridden by professional Kacey Rovere of Shamong.
Asked if the horse had been at the track, Rovere said, "He did race, not too much, and he wasn't very good at it, but he was fast over jumps."

She likes the concept of classes restricted to throughbreds.

"I think it's absolutely amazing they're doing this and trying to bring the thoroughbreds back into it," she commented.

JERSEY FRESH -- An amazing line-up of Olympic hopefuls is scheduled for this week's 10th Anniversary Jersey Fresh Three-Day Event at the Horse Park of New Jersey. As a selection trial for this summer's London Games, the 3-star-rated competition in Allentown has drawn the biggest American names in the sport.

Sinead Halpin of Pittstown, who did the test ride for dressage at last weekend's Rolex Kentucky 4-star event, will be running Manoir de Carneville, better known as Tate, before he ships to England.

Last year, she was the top American finisher at Rolex Kentucky, winding up third. This time, she said, "It was a little bit of an odd situation. It was hard to get into the 4-star vibe. It was all very laid back in the warm-up and then I went down the chute (to the arena) and it was, `Whoa, I'm at Rolex.'

"We made our way through the test and it was a good thing to do, but it certainly wasn't our best performance. The test didn't quite reflect the work that he's been doing, but to be put in that situation and not be quite as prepared as I would like to be and still work through one of the most difficult dressage tests out there, I can't be too disappointed," she said.

Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-LedgerSinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville performing the dressage test ride at Rolex Kentucky

Those attending Jersey Fresh also will have the chance to see Philip Dutton's exciting new ride, Mystery Whisper, imported from Australia.
Dutton gave Rolex a miss with Mystery Whisper, explaining he has to be patient with his new mount, on whom he needs to achieve his Olympic qualification.

"He's a very exciting horse, but he's come all the way from the Southern Hemisphere. It takes awhile for horses to acclimate and adjust. I think the right thing for him, if he's going to get to the Olympics with me, is to give him a little easier run (than Rolex) and have him strong and fresh for the Olympics."

Dutton noted that Mystery Whisper already has done a 4-star with his previous rider, so "it's not like he has to prove he can jump the jumps. When you buy a horse, you're riding somebody else's horse. It takes awhile for the partnership to mesh."

Also competing is Neville Bardos, Boyd Martin's miracle ride, the thoroughbred who escaped both the slaughterhouse in Australia and a deadly fire last May in Pennsylvania, coming back in September to finish seventh in England at Burghley, one of the toughest 4-stars in the world.
Halpin, Dutton and Martin are the only three riders on the "A" high performance training list, and if all goes well at Jersey Fresh, the most likely to be Olympic team members.

Buck Davidson, who broke a collarbone last winter, will be back in action on Ballynoecastle RM, owned by Carl and Cassandra Segal of Tewksbury. Davidson, also considered a strong shot for the Games, rode two horses in the dressage at Rolex, but on the advice of his doctor, withdrew before cross-country to give his injury a little more time to heal. Other exciting combinations at Jersey Fresh include Pan American Games Olympic individual gold medalist Jessica Phoenix of Canada and Exponential.

Competition starts Thursday with dressage, which continues through Friday. Saturday is cross-country, beginning at 9 a.m., while Sunday's show jumping starts at 10 a.m.

ON THE RAIL -- A benefit is being held for Halpin May 18 at Bow Brickhill Stables, 476 Milford Mt. Pleasant Road, Milford. It's a pig roast with music; attire is casual: "Muck boots would be appropriate; we're eating a pig in a barn," the invitation states. The suggested donation is $50 for adults, $25 for children. RSVP by next Sunday to megkep@gmail.com. Tickets are $10 more at the door.

Halpin realizes she'll need money because of her Olympic bid, especially since being away for so long means she will lose quite a bit of income from not being able to teach and train horses at her farm.

"I did the Europe thing last year," said Halpin, who competed at Burghley, where she was 15th.

While the U.S. Equestrian Federation takes care of shipping her horse and housing from June 11 on, it doesn't pay for rental cars or food.

"I know the unforeseen expenses. I want to give Tate and myself the best preparation possible. To do that, I'm going to be in Europe for a while," she said.

"You want to focus on your job and not be concerned that you're not going to be able to pay for the rental car."

Rich Fellers, who last month became the first American to win the Rolex FEI Show Jumping World Cup Finals in 25 years, took two "observation events" for potential Olympic team members with the reliable Flexible this weekend.

Fellers topped the $50,000 and $100,000 grands prix in De Mar, Calif. He and the Irishbred stallion are scheduled to participate in one more set of observation events next month at the Spruce Meadows show in Canada, but at this point, he's looking like a good bet to make the team for London. However, other high-ranking horse/rider combinations on the long list will be taking part in observation events this month in Kentucky and at the Devon, Pa., horse show this month and next.

ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE

Today: Garden State Show, Sussex County Fairgrounds, Plains Road, Augusta N.J. Palomino Exhibitors' Show, Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown; Eastern Pennsylvania Reining Horse Association Show, Gloucester County Dream Park, 400 Route 130 South, Logan Township; Spring Fling Hunter/Pleasure Pace (to benefit Jersey Fresh), Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown (9:30 a.m. start); Delaware Valley Horsemen's Association Jumper Show, DVHA Showgrounds, Route 604, Sergeantsville; Monmouth County Horse Show Association Local Show, East Freehold Showgrounds, Kozloski Road, Freehold; Family Fun Day, Lord Stirling Stable, 256 S. Maple Ave., Basking Ridge; Date Night Trail Ride, Watchung Stable, 1160 Summit Lane, Moutainside (3:45 p.m. sign in; pre-registation in person required).
Thursday: Jersey Fresh Three-Day Event, Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown (through next Sunday).
Saturday: Delaware Valley Horsemen's Association Dressage Show, DVHA Showgrounds, Route 604, Sergeantsville; Sussex County Benefit Show, Sussex County Fairgrounds, Plains Road, Augusta; Carousel Farm Dressage Show, 8 Linn Smith Road, Augusta; Woodedge Show, 116A Borton Landing Road, Moorestown; Saddlebrook Ridge Dressage Show, 10 Saddlebrook Court, Shamong; Baymar Farms Show, 38 Harbor Road, Marlboro.
Next Sunday: Monmouth County Hunt/Monmouth County Horse Show Association Joint Show, East Freehold Showgrounds, Kozloski Road, Freehold; Fidler Run Dressage Show, 456 Fidler Road, Woodbine.
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.

Horse Park of New Jersey competition marks its 10th anniversary with great success and a star-studded roster that includes Phillip Dutton, Boyd Martin and Sinead Halpin, the "A" training list candidates for this summer's London Games

Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-LedgerSinead Halpin put in a bold cross-country round with Manoir de Carneville at the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event to underline her readiness for a shot at the London Olympics this summer

The Pittstown rider finally broke her jinx at the Jersey Fresh International Three-Day Event, putting in a brilliant double-clear cross-country round on Manoir de Carneville while demonstrating that she and her mount deserve the continued confidence of the Olympic team selectors.

"He felt really good. He loves his job and he loves it more every time he goes out, which is really fun," said Halpin, who with Boyd Martin and Phillip Dutton is on the "A" High Performance Training List looking toward the London Olympics this summer.

Jersey Fresh, which is an Olympic selection trial, wasn't Halpin's favorite event after she had a fall one year (she still has some of the gravel in her face) and had a horse that dislocated his elbow at the competition another year. But those clouds dissipated as she and her chestnut gelding, known as Tate, attacked the twisting cross-country course designed by John Williams at the Horse Park of New Jersey in Allentown.

"It was a tough track. It's a certainly the toughest track he's done since Burghley," said Halpin, who finished 15th at that British 4-star last September.

Halpin has been in a holding pattern, as her horse's record meant the selectors felt he didn't need to do last month's Rolex Kentucky 4-star, and she was eager to give him another run. She stands third in the CIC 3-star (short format) division on her dressage score of 49.6 penalties, behind the leader, Canada's Rebecca Howard with Riddle Master (48.8) and Will Faudree with Pawlow (49.4). They are neck-and-neck for today's show jumping finale, where less than one rail (4 penalties) separates them.

In the CCI 3-star (long format) section, Dutton continued to hold his massive lead on Mystery Whisper, even with 1.2 time penalties. He has 33.8 penalties total after winning Friday's dressage, with Karen O'Connor second aboard Veronica on 41.6 penalties. Dutton, who still needed to qualify for the Olympics with a good run here on his new Australian import, didn't press Mystery Whisper en route, but the horse showed his prowess anyway.

Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-LedgerPhillip Dutton remained ahead of the field with Mystery Whisper in the CCI 3-star

"I think he's pretty proud of himself. He's got a great look in his eye tonight,'' said Dutton of the horse, who is as sleek as a seal and seems to move without effort.

Martin, who is leading the CCI 2-star (long format) section with Crackerjack (48.5 penalties), didn't go cross-country with his big star, Neville Bardos, the subject of an NBC broadcast last week. Famous for having survived a barn fire last year (and avoiding the slaughterhouse during his early days in Australia) Neville has demonstrated his cross-country prowess so often that it's not an issue, putting him in the same category as Tate.

Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-LedgerBoyd Martin and Crackerjack lead the CCI 2-star at Jersey Fresh

Since the ground at Jersey Fresh sometimes is hard (though it wasn't this year) Martin decided to concentrate on dressage and the show jumping here, and put off his cross-country runs until next month's Bromont 3-star in Canada and an event in England before the Olympics, since he thought that pacing was optimal.

As he pushed for more brilliance in dressage, it turned out to be "pretty disastrous," he said (confiding that Neville "hates this ring") but remained confident he could up his game in the dressage department, despite a lackluster score of 54.2 penalties.

The signature obstacle of the course was the ``Jersey Shore'' water complex complete with beach umbrellas, where several riders took a swim, including Dutton on Indie, who was second after dressage to Crackerjack but lost his footing as he landed in the pond. The complex was surrounded by hundreds of tailgaters, who cheered each rider enthusiastically, making for a festive atmosphere.

"They've done a beautiful job. The tailgating at the water jump is so smart, because it gives you the atmosphere of a festival and a party," said Debbie Adams of Medford, who started the event 10 years ago, and now is involved only as a spectator, but was delighted to see her original vision of Jersey Fresh become reality in its most successful running thus far.

The fences at the "Shore" were sponsored in honor of Kensington (known as Kenny) a former eventer and now a school horse at the Payne family's Applewood Farm in Tewksbury. The Paynes and their friends tailgated there, which made an eye-opening experience for Holly Payne of Gladstone and her ride, Santino (50.6 penalties), who was startled by the cheering as he headed to the Shore.

"I felt a little pressure when they started screaming before I even jumped into the water," she laughed.

Even so, she was double-clear on course and stands second to Crackerjack in the CCI 2-star after Indie's elimination. Third is her older brother, Doug, also of Gladstone, on Crown Talisman (53.1 penalties).

Payne said the horse showed him "he's the real deal." While he said he can't put "a concrete timeline on it," he believes the horse will be an international caliber competitor.

ACTIVITES SCHEDULE

Today: Jersey Fresh Three-Day Event, Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown; Fidler Run Dressage Show, 456 Fidler Road, Woodbine.
Wednesday: Hawk Hollow Ranch Dressage Show, 100 River Road West, Bedminster; Blue Spruce Farm Dressage Show, 5 Stanley Pl., Jackson;
Friday: New Jersey Half-Arabian Show, Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown (through next Sunday).
Saturday: Briarwood Farm Show, Pleasant Run Road, Allentown; Tinicum Park Polo, Tinicum Park, 974 River Road/ Route 32, Erwinna, Pa. (one mile south of the Frenchtown, N.J. Bridge, 2-4 p.m., tinicumpolo.org)
Next Sunday: Readington Trail Association Pace, Cole Road, Readington (9 a.m.-noon, readingtontrail.org) ; CJL Inc. Show, Centenary College, 12-56 Califon Road, Long Valley; Palermo Festival Finals Warm-Up Show, 1555A Burnt Mills Road, Bedminster; Delaware Valley Horsemen's Association Western and Draft Show, DVHA Showgrounds, 299 Ringoes-Rosemont Road, Sergeantsville; Burlington County 4H Dressage Show, Gleneayre Farm, 573 Eayrestown Road, Lumberton; Oxbow Stables Dressage Show, Combined Test and Horse Trials, 39 Orts Road, Hamburg; Woodedge Show, 116A Borton Landing Road, Moorestown.
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.

The new dressage tests based on the rider's performance, rather than that of the horse, will give competitors a chance to be judged on their own merits. Also: The World Cup Finals in dressage and show jumping may come back to Las Vegas in 2015.

You don't need a mount like Totilas to excel in the new dressage rider tests, where quality of the horses is not judged and fancy animals could be a disadvantage for those who can't ride them properly
Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-Ledger




 

But head on out to the show ring anyway.

There's a new niche for those who want to be judged on their own performance, rather than their horse's ability. The rider dressage tests are making their debut, a welcome innovation for competitors who will be graded on their position, accuracy, and correct use of the aids, among other criteria.

"It is for the people who don't have the fancy horses but want to be able to get up there and show off their own skills and be judged on how well they ride," explained Lisa Schmidt of Hampton, a dressage judge and trainer who is the U. S. Dressage Federation's executive director of Region I, which includes New Jersey.

"You don't have to have a big, bouncy, elastic Totilas kind of a mover to do them," said Schmidt, referring to the iconic world and European championship Dutchbred stallion.

"You can have a pony or quarter horse, and if they're well-trained and you show you have a nice position and you're effective at helping the horse do the test, that's all you really have to do."

At the beginning, the competition will be done like a "test of choice," with riders at training, first and second levels all in the same group vying for placings, but individually riding the test they select. As interest develops, Schmidt said, "they'll probably separate out," the groups for each test, and USDF is developing an awards program that should start in the next competition year.

Schmidt noted the rider tests had their origin several years ago in "a proposal to create a qualifying system for riders to move up the levels. That didn't go over well at all, but what did come out of it was feedback from riders that they'd like to be able to just be judged on themselves, and why did they have to have the criteria to go up the levels when they would just like to have a test that focused on the rider's ability, not so much the horse's. That's how this all came together. It really was adult amateur-driven."

Schmidt thinks the initiative will be a success.

"Everyone I've spoken to is very enthusiastic and they can't wait to show in it. I have clients who are really happy to have another option."

Schmidt noted that "it's very different for a judge to judge this way." While those who are used to officiating at the young horse tests, "which these tests were kind of based on," should be able to handle the task, judges without such experience "will have to get used to it."

Toward that end, the USDF is having a judges' clinic in Las Vegas during March that will help provide training, but in the meantime, Olympic judge Marilyn Payne is giving a clinic Saturday at her Applewood Farm in Califon to help prepare both riders and judges.

Discussing what the competition is about, she said, "You don't score every movement; you wait until the end of the test. It's just your general overall opinion after the test is over. If someone makes a mistake where you'd normally give a 4, there's no such thing anymore. There's really no score for gaits. If you have a horse with more average gaits, it's really the quality of the training and the quality of your riding that's being scored."

In the first level test, for instance, "it's got a lengthening but it's only a short diagonal, and just shows can you ask your horse to lengthen and come back. It's got leg yields and turns on the forehand. It doesn't matter what kind of horse you've got; you can do a a good turn on the forehand."

She's having the class at her schooling shows this year, with a prize of a lesson for the high-score winner. To register for the clinic, contact Payne at applewoodfarm@comcast.net or go to marilynpayne.com for more information.

Lisa Gorretta of Ohio, who headed the subcommittee that developed the program, said it was a three-and-a-half-year process. It's different from the longstanding dressage seat equitation competitions, which are judged in a group, because in the rider test, participants compete alone.

Riding in a group, where a competitor is "scored against not only the ideal but also the other people in the group" tends to be "kind of a foreign concept for most dressage riders, and certainly more of a foreign concept for adults," said Gorretta, a technical delegate who rides as an amateur.

Gorretta notes that judges will have to go beyond their traditional training and get used to "considering the horse as the minor partner, just as in the technical test, the rider is considered more the minor partner."

So having a fancy horse won't be a leg up, as Gorretta pointed out.

"You don't need to have Totilas, and in fact, if you do have Totilas and you can't ride Totilas, it will be an extreme disadvantage."

RETURN OF THE WORLD CUP? Guadalajara, Mexico, which surprisingly edged Las Vegas last year to win a bid for the 2015 World Cup Dressage and Show Jumping Finals, last week lost its rights after failing to meet the deadline on requirements for hosting the indoor competition.

The FEI (international equestrian federation) has turned to Las Vegas Events as it seeks to fill the void. Las Vegas Events ran successful show jumping finals in 2000 and 2003, and pioneered the joint dressage/jumping finals in 2005, with successful follow-up in 2007 and 2009.

"They (the FEI) just notified us and asked if we were interested, and we are going to let them know that we are," Pat Christenson, the president of Las Vegas Events, said in an interview.

The way Las Vegas presented its World Cup finals, with lots of style and flash, was an innovation in the sport that took it to a whole new level and made it genuinely entertaining.

Having the finals in Las Vegas gave American fans an opportunity to see top-notch riders and horses from all over the globe for a reasonable price, both in terms of tickets and travel., They would welcome a chance to do it again, with a whole new generation of horses in the mix.

Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum was the show jumping World Cup winner in 2009, the last time the finals were held in Las Vegas Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-Ledger  

If Las Vegas Events stages the finals at the Thomas & Mack Center, there will be some overall format changes.

"The core event, much like the NFR (the National Finals Rodeo, which Las Vegas Events also presents) will be the same, but if you look at what we've done with signature events, we've got some years to create other equestrian-related events around it...whether it's a gift show like we do with the NFR" or something else, Christenson commented.

One possibility involves related competitions for other disciplines at hotels such as the South Point or Orleans, which have hosted equestrian competitions previously. The organizer of the 1989 World Cup show jumping finals in Tampa tried the same approach, with competitions in several disciplines, including driving, but it lacked the savvy of Las Vegas Events.

Christenson was surprised at the end of his bid presentation to the FEI last May when he was asked if the 2015 finals could be held earlier than the April 15-19 date with which his group was working. He said no, because previous weekends were the NCAA finals and Easter, and it was not feasible to run the World Cup then. The FEI had wanted the show earlier in April in order to wrap up the indoor season before the outdoor season began in earnest. Guadalajara obliged by saying yes to April 1-5. Christenson mentioned his group will not change its date going forward.

Asked how he felt about losing the event, then being contacted by the FEI on the rebound, Christenson said, "That's the way it goes; they had their reasons for not choosing Las Vegas. I didn't take it personally at all. I was very disappointed because it has been a huge event for us. We'll start from where they want us to and see if we can put together something that works."

The FEI emphasized that "hosting rights will not automatically be transferred" to Las Vegas, stating "allocation of the finals to Las Vegas will be dependent on the organizers fulfilling all the requirements."

When the FEI gets the information it needs, its bureau will decide where the finals go, but for marketing reasons, Christenson would like a decision by the time of this year's finals in Sweden April 24-28 if possible.

"I have an emotional attachment to this event and would love to see us do it again," said Christenson, who was involved during the late 1990s in first trying to get it for Las Vegas.

ON THE RAIL -- A feed and ration management seminar for horses will be presented Tuesday by the Rutgers New Jersey Agricultural Experiment Station.

The daylong session, featuring a variety of speakers, focuses on managing nutrient loss by modifying nutrient intake in the feed. The fee is $25. For more information, go to cpe.rutgers.edu/feedmgmt or call (732) 932-9271.

ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE

Today: Duncraven Show, 1300 Trenton Harbourton Road, Titusville; Black River Farm Winter Tour, 20 Boss Road, Ringoes.
Saturday: Hunter Farms Winter Series, 1315 Great Road, Princeton (through next Sunday).
Next Sunday: Tewksbury Farm Stable Show, Hidden River Farm, 745 Amwell Road, Neshanic Station.
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.

At a busy U.S. Equestrian Federation annual meeting, a close look at ending the culture of over-medication produced ideas on a number of ways to handle the problem

Rich Fellers, the first American to win the World Cup show jumping finals in 25 years, last night was named the U.S. Equestrian Federation's Equestrian of the Year, while his mount, Flexible, received International Horse of the Year honors
Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-Ledger




 

The hottest topic at the convention,which ended yesterday, was the abuse of drugs and supplements. Although the USEF has a sophisticated testing program for prohibited drugs, some people still aren't discouraged from trying an end run around it.

One strategy involves using substances that will "calm" horses, particularly in the hunter ring, where a quiet demeanor is valued. Gaba, a neurotransmitter that inhibits the sense of fear and anxiety (often marketed as Carolina Gold), was among the chief offenders until a test was developed for it last year. Four cases were adjudicated, two are still in the pipeline.

A hunter task force was scheduled to meet last fall on the situation, but Superstorm Sandy intervened. The task force has been rescheduled for mid-February.

In recent years, show hunters have been penalized for freshness, such as a feeling-good head toss or a squeal. Although the rules for hunter derbies note that freshness is not a fault (to a degree; no bucking is allowed), freshness has been considered a fault in non-derby hunter classes.

At the convention, a rule change passed that eliminates freshness from the list of faults in order to "support the move toward allowing a horse to show expression, within reason, without penalty."

Part of the problem with the sport's image involves perception, noted Kent Allen, a veterinarian who chairs both the USEF's Drugs & Medications and Veterinary committees. He pointed out that the public cannot differentiate between medication that keeps a horse healthy and doping, which is cheating. At the same time, he noted, "a growing number of people are willing to put dangerous drugs in a horse...trying to get an edge."

Most recently, a horse died after getting a shot Dec. 1 at a hunter/jumper fixture in Ohio, while two ponies collapsed but survived after being injected at last summer's pony finals competition.

Another facet of the problem involves a horse that is seen by one veterinarian who prescribes something at a show, then by another vet at a different competition, who prescribes something else and may be unaware that the horse already is on a medication.

"There's an additive effect," commented Allen.

As the veterinary panel considered how to handle the situation, Karen Nyrop, a member of the committee, made an impassioned plea.

"This is our chance to begin to change the culture of the horse world," she said.
"If we don't stand up and offer an ethical approach and different alternative, we may not get that opportunity again later."

David O'Connor, who ended his run as the USEF's first president during the convention, told those at the veterinary meeting that if the USEF doesn't take action, it "will be dictated for you...other sports got run over by a train they never saw coming. The time is now."

Measures discussed to remedy the situation include:

Making it a rule that most permitted medications (some of which also could have a calming effect) cannot be injected less than 12 hours before a class. Drug tests can reveal through metabolites whether a permitted substance was administered in under12 hours.

Educating owners, trainers and veterinarians about USEF drug rules, and eventually requiring trainers and veterinarians to take an open book test on the subject

Offering a log book, perhaps through the USEF website or an app, in which all the medications and supplements given to a horse are recorded. While keeping it will be voluntary at first, it could become mandatory.

Possibly closing down stables at showgrounds late at night to prevent horses being longed or walked in the wee hours to tire them out so they will be quiet in competition.

Making necropsies (paid for by USEF) mandatory on horses who have died at competitions for reasons that are not obvious. This already is done in eventing and endurance.

"We need to put all of these issues on the table and do it quickly, and not kick the can down the road," said USEF CEO John Long.

Bill Moroney, president of the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association, called the drugs and medication situation, "a multi-faceted issue that incorporates a culture change for some people. I honestly believe the majority of people believe in the right thing, that horses should be able to be themselves. This is a major issue to discuss, and continue to be discussed."

ON THE RAIL -- Rich Fellers and Flexible swept the USEF's 2012 International Horse of the Year and Equestrian of the Year awards, but wasn't here to accept. Based in Oregon, he got stuck in Denver because of an icing situation and couldn't join his mount's owners, Harry and Mollie Chapman during ceremonies Friday and last night.

The victories were no surprise. Fellers became the first American to win the show jumping World Cup finals in 25 years when he took the title with Flexible, an Irish sporthorse stallion, last April.

Speaking about Fellers' missed appearance, Harry Chapman noted that when he rides, he lives on the edge.

"Unfortunately, when he travels, he also lives on the edge," said Chapman, who had some horror stories running late to the airport. This time, however, he didn't blame Fellers for his absence.

"Mother nature threw a jinx on him and he got a time fault and he couldn't get here," said Chapman, for whom Fellers has worked since 1989.

The national Horse of the Year title when to hunter derby star Jersey Boy, ridden by Jen Alfano, who also was a nominee for Equestrian of the Year...

The Lifetime Achievement Award was presented to 1984 Olympic show jumping double gold medalist Joe Fargis, who also won a team silver at the 1988 Olympics.

In his acceptance speech, after he took off the silver cowboy hat trophy symbolic of the honor, Fargis talked about how much spending his life with horses means to him.

"This is one of the best ways to use one's time on earth," he said.

"We are together tonight because of our bond with horses. Let's protect and guard these wonderful creatures to the best of our ability"...

Several USEF employees based in Gladstone, N.J., have new high profile jobs. Sally Ike of Tewksbury, longtime managing of show jumping for the organization, will become what John Long called, "the dean of education."

The federation has entered into an agreement with Georgetown College in Kentucky to produce an online-curriculum that can inform members about such initiatives such as a stringent new protective headgear rule, while training officials -- who no longer will have to travel to informational clinics when the courses are up and running on line. Ike will oversee a variety of programs that will cover all of the federation's breeds and disciplines...

Laureen Johnson of Bridgewater has taken over as the USEF's director of vaulting and para-equestrian...

Meanwhile, at federation headquarters in Kentucky, dressage managing director and chef d'equipe Eva Salomon is leaving to return to her home in Sweden, and will be succeeded by Jenny Van Wieren-Page, director of high performance dressage.

However, Salomon will assist U.S. dressage riders competing in Europe with their arrangements.

U.S. Dressage Federation President George Williams said selection criteria are being refined in the search for a new chef d'equipe who also will be the technical adviser for high performance dressage.

The job previously was split between Salomon and Ann Gribbons, the technical advisor, who decided not to apply for the position again...

Bromont, Canada, is the last candidate standing in the bidding for the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games. The Quebec site of the equestrian competition for the 1976 Olympics is being evaluated by the FEI (international equestrian federation) after the only other contender, Vienna, dropped out...

A lecture on "the impact of feed quality on your horse" is being offered Wednesday from 6:30-8:30 p.m. in the Careers Cafe at Hunterdon County Polytech, 10 Junction Road, Flemington. Michelle Roman of the Polytech pre-vet high school program will be discussing how to evaluate food quality and design a program to meet horses' nutritional requirements. For reserved seating, call (908) 284-1444, ext. 2106.

N.J. ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE
Today: Hunter Farms Winter Series, 1315 Great Road, Princeton; Tewksbury Farm Stable Show, Hidden River Farm, 745 Amwell Road, Neshanic Station.
Saturday: Woodedge Show, Gloucester County Dream Park, 400 Route 130 South, Logan Township (through next Sunday); Schooling Dressage Show, Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown; Palermo Winter Show, Palermo Show Stables, 1555A Burnt Mills Road, Bedminster.
Next Sunday: Palermo Winter Classic Show, Palermo Show Stables, 1555A Burnt Mills Road, Bedminster.
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.

Veteran combined driver Tucker Johnson, now retired from competition, yesterday became president of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone. The organization has played a big role in the life of Johnson and the country's other high-performance equestrian athletes.

Tucker Johnson, who won two combined driving medals in the 2010 World Equestrian Games, yesterday was selected as the president of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation in Gladstone
Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-Ledger




 

Tucker Johnson, who won an individual bronze medal in four-in-hand driving at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, is taking over from Jane Clark, a prominent owner of show jumping, driving and dressage horses, who served in the post for five years.

The Gladstone-based organization has been a constant in Johnson's life from his early days as a driver, when the USET handled the funding, training and fielding of U.S. participants in international competition, to his volunteer work as the organization's treasurer after it became a foundation.

Growing up in Oldwick, he has always been aware of the USET facility's importance to the community, as both a historic landmark and a venue for competitions and other events.

Johnson, who also has two WEG team silver medals to his credit, seems like someone who should slip easily into his new position, though he doesn't underestimate the responsibility.

"I'm very excited about it," he said, but added, "in a way, I was a bit nervous about taking over such a big role there because some of the people who have done it before me, Vince Murphy and Finn (Caspersen) were very big in the investment and business world; Frank Lloyd (a lawyer) was very successful and Jane (chairman of the National Baseball Hall of Fame) has so many connections and is so big in the world of philanthropy."

Still, said Johnson, 49, a member of the Johnson & Johnson family who works as an investor, "I have strengths and I'm certainly very proud of them. I hope I can bring something positive and strong to it."

The stars are aligned for him because of his relationships. He cited the quality of the foundation staff and noted he has worked closely with Jim Wolf, a former USET employee whose office is still at foundation headquarters. Wolf now serves as the executive director of sport programs for the U.S. Equestrian Federation, which took over the old USET's training and fielding duties after a governance battle a decade ago. Johnson noted that as a driver and the chairman of the USEF's high-performance driving committee, he has interacted well with Wolf over the years.

Meanwhile, Chrystine Tauber, who became president of the USEF earlier this month, is a longtime friend.

"I remember being a little kid out in the hunt field when Chrystine would be out riding some of the nicest horses you'd see in the country," said Johnson, who worked with her on the hunt committee of the Essex Foxhounds in Peapack.

"I think this could be a great era for both the federation and the foundation, and obviously, the better it is for the foundation, the better it is for our athletes having more opportunities," he said. The foundation supplies funding for USEF high-performance programs through donations from individuals, last year giving the federation a total of $2.7 million.

Johnson noted the USET helped his career along, though some may assume he could have done everything he achieved without it by simply drawing on his family's assets.
Not so, he said.

"Even though my family has been incredibly supportive both of my sport and events, like the Gladstone Driving Event and the team's financial efforts, if it hadn't been for the USET, it wouldn't have seemed possible, or my parents wouldn't have had the confidence to say, 'We'll sponsor you and send you to Europe or get you horses to get to a world championships.'

"It would have seemed out of reach or inappropriate. While you've got people who don't have the same financial access my family provided me, without the (USET) network to make that feel safe and a good choice, they would never have supported it (a driving career) the way they did. So in essence, I couldn't have afforded to go either," he maintained.

"The example wouldn't have been there that this was a worthy goal to invest that kind of capital in. Think of the capital associated with putting a (driving) team (of horses) together or putting a great jumper in the ring at Aachen (Germany) or sending a dressage horse to the WEG. People have to see that it's possible and appropriate to support that international sport. Without that strong group of leaders who volunteer their time as national advisory committee members, board members or officers of the foundation, it's almost as difficult for the affluent to see how it could happen as someone without the financial resources who gets the grant."

Asked how she thinks Johnson will do in the job, Clark cited "Tucker's years of experience with the USET on so many levels," noting, "he has lived near Gladstone, he understands the Gladstone mystique, he understands the importance of Gladstone.
"Not only that, he has represented the U.S. with the flag on his carriage and has done it beautifully all over the world. I think it's important for someone in that position to understand what they're asking people to give to, and he certainly does."

She noted he also is familiar with the workings of both the foundation and the federation, of which he is a director, "and how they interact."
Still,Johnson has his work cut out for him.

"It's always a challenge in a post-Olympic year to get the same financial support as you do in the year preceding the Olympics and the year of the Olympics," said Johnson, who noted that "there were a lot of questions" because the U.S. didn't medal in the 2012 London Olympics; the first time in 56 years that American riders had come home without a prize.

"People were disappointed and reasonably so in our performance in the Olympics," said Johnson, but he noted that things are in transition with new coaches in two of three Olympics discipline (dressage has yet to get a technical adviser) and emphasized how important it is to support those involved with the disciplines.

Johnson, who lives in Florida now but visits New Jersey periodically, says there is no danger of the foundation leaving its home in the historic Hamilton Farm stables. Federation officials, however, have talked about moving their employees to the Kentucky headquarters, but Johnson is optimistic.

"We're committed to our facility and our location. We love the history behind it that put us in a position where we could experience the success we're experiencing today; that history is in that building. I think the federation is there with us for the long term as well," believes Johnson, noting the advantage when fielding teams of having stables available and being close to two major airports. The foundation provides space to the federation free of charge "as part of our gift to the federation each year, so they can be the most successful and have their people do the best job. We're hoping to build that partnership and get our teams ready to (go to) the world championships and the Olympics."

Johnson, who retired from combined driving after the 2010 WEG and now drives a coach-and-four for pleasure, has no thoughts of returning to the arena.
"I had my time to compete," he explained. "Now maybe I can do something helpful for people who are starting their careers in international sport."

ON THE RAIL -- On her third try, Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven of Sweden won the World Dressage Masters last night at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in West Palm Beach. Riding Don Auriello, she turned in a spot-on performance to music from The Who, aboard the Hanoverian Don Auriello.

Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven of Sweden won the World Dressage Masters last night in West Palm Beach aboard Don Auriello
Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-Ledger




 

Her score of 84.075 percent shaded her countryman, Patrik Kittel, who won the Grand Prix on Friday but wasn't quite as spectacular in the freestyle that counts for the title and trophy. Kittel, aboard the Dutchbred Watermill Scandic, earned 82.525 percent.
The defending champion, the USA's Steffen Peters, was third with 80.175 percent on Legolas his still-developing replacement for the retired superstar Ravel. A big mistake in the one-tempis cost him, but he still was pleased with the ride as his mount dealt with the considerable atmosphere despite his lack of mileage...

Farms in Gladstone and Pompton Plains have been quarantined after a horse from the Gladstone farm contracted the equine herpes virus. The Gladstone horse, who is recovering in a veterinary facility, had attended a show in Newburgh, N.Y., two weekends ago.

Eleven other New Jersey horses that participated in the show were found to have been exposed to the Gladstone horse. None are showing signs of illness, but they continue to be evaluated. The quarantines were enacted to stop the highly infectious disease from spreading...

The Rutgers Cooperative Extension is offering a seven-week equine business planning course on Tuesdays Feb. 5-March 19 from 6-9 p.m. in three locations: The Somerset County Extension office in Bridgewater; the Gloucester County Extension Office in Clayton and the Monmouth County Extension office in Freehold. The course is geared toward people who own or are thinking of starting an equine-related business, including farms, feed stores and tack shops.

The deadline for registration is Tuesday. For more information, go to the Equine Science Center website at esc.rutgers.edu or contact Laura Gladney at gladney@njaes.rutgers.edu (848) 932-3229.

ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE
Today: Woodedge Show, Gloucester County Dream Park, 400 Route 130 South, Logan Township; Palermo Winter Classic Show, Palermo Show Stables, 1555A Burnt Mills Road, Bedminster.
Saturday: Duncraven Winter Circuit, 1300 Trenton-Harbourton Road, Titusville (through next Sunday); Woodedge at the Park, Horse Park of New Jersey, Route 524, Allentown (through next Sunday).
Next Sunday: CJL Show, Hunter's Crossing Farm 121 E. Valley Brook Road, Long Valley.
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.

Marcus Orlob was an unknown until Steffen Peters selected him for a dressage clinic demonstration at last week's Global Dressage Forum North America

Marcus Orlob of Stockton on ET Voila was the subject of a demonstration clinic given last week at the Global Dressage Forum North America by top U.S. dressage rider and trainer Steffen Peters
Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-Ledger




 

"When do you get your U.S. citizenship? We really need you," Peters said to the Stockton-based horseman, who came to New Jersey from Germany four years ago.
The U.S. definitely could use more talent with potential to help the country win team dressage medals at the Olympics and World Equestrian Games, something that hasn't happened since 2006.

"It wouldn't surprise me if I get to compete with him internationally," said Peters, who last week gave a demonstration clinic using Orlob and his mount, ET Voila, as his subjects at the inaugural Global Dressage Forum North America in West Palm Beach, Fla.

Although he has not spent much time with the 30-year-old horseman, Peters already sees him as a potential teammate.

A native of Germany himself, the California-based Peters has been a U.S. citizen for 21 years. One of the forum's panelists, Christoph Hess, head of instruction for the German national federation, jokingly asked Peters if he would consider repatriating. The Germans, however, have an abundance of talent, even without him. They won team silver last year at the London Games with a squad of three Olympic neophytes who had been well-trained in typical German style for the sport.

Orlob applied to do a demonstration ride for a trainers' clinic held in Florida two weekends ago. He was happy to be selected, noting, "It's very hard when you start from zero. I am new to the country. Nobody knows me; nobody knows my horse. This is my first season in Florida."

His acceptance led to an incredible break, the equivalent of winning a talent lottery, vaulting him from the ranks of the unknown. At the clinic he met Scott Hassler, the U.S. Equestrian Federation's young dressage horse trainer, as well as Peters, and then was selected to ride in front of the panel of world-famous dressage experts, along with hundreds of spectators during the forum at Palm Beach County's Jim Brandon Equestrian Center. The forum followed last weekend's World Dressage Masters, in which Peters finished third behind Swedes Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven and Patrik Kittel.
Peters knew from the start that Orlob had something special.

"It's quite obvious when you watch Marcus ride that the talent is there," he explained.
"What impressed me is how well he rides and how humble he is about it. He has a really good attitude toward his horses and I saw him interact with some of his clients. I think it's the whole package. I think it's wonderful that he's here in the States. I'm looking forward to working with him and it wouldn't surprise me if I get to compete with him internationally."

The two men have something in common besides their dressage connection. Each is married to an American named Shannon. Orlob's wife works with him at Elite Expression Dressage, which operates out of the 200-acre Tullamore Farm in Hunterdon County.
Of her husband's work with Peters, she said, "It's amazing. I couldn't be more thrilled."

The two met at Warendorf, the German national training center, when Orlob was getting his rider/trainer certification and Shannon Stevens, a student at Johnson & Wales University in Rhode Island, was the first American to be accepted "into the program there; it was kind of like a co-op for completing my bachelor's degree for equine business management," she said.

Orlob was assigned to a horse named Rio Grande, a gelding with which Stevens had worked at Warendorf, and the two became acquainted as a result. She went on to open a business at Whiskey Lane Farm in Flemington, where he joined her. The couple then went on to start their enterprise in Stockton.

Jennifer Toulon, a freshman at Princeton University who trains at Elite Expression, says of Orlob as a teacher, "he can be very tough, but he's really fair. I'm excited to see where Marcus will go, because I think he's a great rider and trainer. The barn that he and Shannon run is really organized and they're really on top of it."

Under their direction, Foulon won the Great American Insurance Group/U.S. Dressage Federation Junior Team Championship on her Oldenburg mare, Little Granny, at the 2012 New England Dressage Association's Fall Festival in Saugerties, N.Y.

Orlob became acquainted with horses through his neighbors in Germany, and the first time he had a chance to interact with the animals, he recalled, "I was fascinated with them. That was basically it."

He went to college for interior design, with the idea of eventually working in his family's funeral home business, but the horses drew him instead. He rode with well-known German trainer Hubertus Schmidt and Johan Zagers, coach of the Brazilian Olympic team, who suggested he come to the U.S.

American citizenship would make sense for him, he believes. Then, if sponsorship is available, "I would look forward someday to riding on the big team," said Orlob, who competed in his first Grand Prix at age 22.

Orlob likes New Jersey, from the fields at his farm and adjoining trails to the fact that so many shows are nearby.

"It's a great area," he said, noting he hopes Voila can make his Grand Prix debut at the Horse Park of New Jersey later this year. This winter, though, he remains in the Sunshine State while his wife, who has developed several championship horses, stays at home in the cold to keep the farm running.

"It's tough," he conceded, "but we decided it's the best way to market our business and move forward. If you want to be professional and move up a level, you have to be in Florida during the winter."

ON THE RAIL -- Let's face it, the weather hasn't been conducive to lots of riding (at least outdoors, lucky you, if you have an indoor ring) so why not devote some time to learning things that will be useful when the forecast improves. Next weekend offers major opportunities to pick up knowledge.

On Saturday, the veterinary practice of B.W. Furlong & Associates will offer its 12th annual horse health seminar, featuring information on the anatomy of injections, vaccines, acupuncture and internal medicine. Admission for the session is $40. It is being held at Beaver Brook Country Club in Annandale, beginning at 9 a.m. Call  (908)-439-2821 for more information...

You will, unfortunately, have to choose between that event and a clinic on equine dentistry with P.J. Murphy, scheduled for the same day by the Friends of the Horse Park of New Jersey from 9 a.m.-noon at the New Jersey Equine Clinic, 279 Millstone Road in Clarksburg. The fee is $25 for registration before next Saturday and $30 at the door. For more information, go to www.horseparkofnewjersey.com.

Another activity on Saturday will be held from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. at Tractor Supply, 128 Route 94, Blairstown.. On hand will be representatives of a variety of groups, including Mylestone Equine Rescue, the Paulsinskill Valley Trail Association and Back in the Saddle 4-H club, which will have a pony with them for pictures, weather permitting. The group has a Halters for Hope program in which they take donation of used or new halters and leads to be given to Helping Hearts, a horse rescue. They will be distributed at the auction to make horses look better and thus more likely candidates for adoption instead of purchase by a kill buyer. Call (908) 362-0082 for details...

Next Sunday, Rutgers presents its annual horse management seminar at the Cook campus in New Brunswick. The theme this year is "Equine Stress and Transportation," featuring such experts as Sarah Ralston of Rutgers, Michael Fugaro of Centenary College, Ted Friend of Texas A&M and Leslie Bulaga of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, discussing domestic and international transport regulations. For more information, go to esc.rutgers.edu or call (848) 932-3229.

ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE

Today: Duncraven Winter Circuit, 1300 Trenton-Harbourton Road, Titusville; Woodedge at the Park, Horse Park of New Jersey, Route 524, Allentown; CJL Show, Hunter's Crossing Farm 121 E. Valley Brook Road, Long Valley.
Saturday: Palermo Winter Festival IV, 1555A Burnt Mills Road, Bedminster (through next Sunday).
Next Sunday: Baymar Farms Show, 38 Harbor Road, Marlboro; Horse Park of N.J. Schooling Dressage Show, Route 524, Allentown.
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.

Bedminster-based hunter trainer is a horsewoman as well as a talented rider, who came from a modest background to build a business based on hard work and time-tested principles

Amanda Steege, who finished third in last year's HITS $500,000 Diamond Mills Hunter Prix on Lisa Arena's Balou, already is busy qualifying for this year's prix and hoping to do even better
Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-Ledger




 

But Steege is admired for more than her competitive efforts.

"She's the consummate horsewoman, she does everything in the most wonderfully correct way," said Olympic show jumping team gold medalist Peter Wylde, who has known her since she was a child.

"Her whole family has lived and breathed horses all their lives. I have the utmost respect for Amanda and her operation. She's really A-plus."

Between high school and college, Steege worked for Wylde, who can't say enough about the 37-year-old equestrian.

"She didn't come from great means; she always had average horses to ride; not bad, but not glamorous, expensive horses like a lot of kids had. Amanda made the best of it with a smile on her face, always," Wylde said.

"I rode whatever came along," noted Steege. " I was a hard working kid, but I was not a famous junior rider." Although she qualified for the equitation finals "I certainly wasn't the dominator or the person to beat," she said.

"I've known her her whole life and watched her career," sais Susie Schoellkopf, a trainer who used Steege as a junior rider when she was a teenager.. "I think she's done an amazing job getting her own business. She's a team player ,"

Steege grew up in Massachusetts, the daughter of equestrian professionals Mitch and Kathy Steege. Her mother teaches 70 beginner lessons a week at their Red Acre Farm; her father has a business similar to hers, and she does some riding for him still, while her sister, Casey, has a horse lay-up and retirement place in Ocala.

She started working out of her parents' facility, then moved to New Jersey 12 years ago. Her first client, Megan McGuire, came from Whitehouse Station, and the husband of another client, Pam Wildman, had been transferred to Johnson & Johnson in the area.

"It was sort of a natural progression to end up there," said Steege, who is a fan of the Somerset Hills.

"I love it there. It's so horsey and so convenient for great vets and great farriers, and so easy to get to the places we travel to," said Steege, who runs her business with her boyfriend, Tim Delovith. A Centenary College equine program graduate, he is her barn manager and previously worked at Carol Thompson's Quiet Winter Farm in Colts Neck.

Her earliest major victory came in 2001, in her first outing as a professional at Devon, when she earned the second-year green hunter championship on Unseen.She also did a lot of winning with horses from Sandy Lobel's Ravenswood Farm in Bedminster. Last season, one of Steege's biggest moments was finishing third in the world's richest hunter class, the $500,000 HITS Diamond Mills Hunter Prix in Saugerties, N.Y., on Lisa Arena's Balou, second in the country in the second-year green division. The horses that were first and second in the Diamond Mills, Sienna and C Coast Z, were much more experienced than Balou, but under Steege's guidance, her mount stepped in to win the $60,000 prize with a beautiful round.

She could see it coming. Steege has used a psychology degree from Boston College after graduating 13th in her class to get herself and some of her clients prepared to do well by using visualization techniques.

She has all amateur client, some of whom get nervous, so they appreciate her help. And she understands what they're feeling.

"I'm for sure a perfectionist, I want everything to go as smoothly as possible. If you see me at the ingate and about to go in and I'm not nervous, I should stop doing this, because that means I won't be caring about it. It's not nervous like I think I'm not capable of it, it's nervous because I want everything to go as perfectly as possible," she said, and that's where the psychology comes in.

Amanda Steege competing on Balou Lawrence J. Nagy/For The Star-Ledger  

"Visualization is the big one for me. When you look at the course, you know for a particular horse which parts are going to be bad. Say you have a horse who's not pretty at the trot jump. I try not to let myself think, `I hope I don't mess up the trot jump.' Instead, I try to think of the things I need to do to make the trot jump go as well as it can.

"When I am standing at the ingate at Devon, I know which lines are going to be more difficult for me, I take that and find a quiet place and I go over the course in my head, almost like I'm watching it on a video. Sometimes, if I'm a little bit nervous, the first time I watch it, I'll watch it going wrong," she explained.

"Then I sit there and make myself stop and rewind and start again until I picture myself on the horse and it's going perfectly. I zero in on what my hands, legs or body are doing at key moments to help the horse get straight or fix my pace. Then I go in there and it seems like it happens before I think about it. I don't always have time to do it, but I try to do it before big classes."

Show hunters have had some bad publicity recently with concern about the use and misuse of drugs, medication and supplements to keep them calm, to the point that the U.S. Equestrian Federation just passed a rule to say a horse showing a little bit of spirit should not be penalized.

"I am not a person who gives a lot of medication. It's hard sometimes showing against horses you know are being prepared that way. Not just in the horse world, but in life in general, there are people who have to win at any cost," Steege said.

"I try to do the best I can to train the horses to go well, but you can't have the horses prepared perfectly for every show. Sometimes, you have to show them when they're really fresh. It's a full-time job to keep the horses happy and healthy and sound for one year, never mind trying to do that for several years," noted Steege, who uses massage and chiropractic to keep her horses up to snuff. A strong work ethic, ingrained in her from an early age, also has contributed to her achievements.

"You can always tell which people are the most successful riders because they're on the horses at 6 in the morning or 5:30 and they don't leave until everybody's done. I think you just feel better about what you're doing with the horses when you do it this way," said Steege's father.

"She's very compassionate about her horses," said McGuire, her student of 13 years. "The most important thing to her is that the horse comes first."
Wylde agrees.

"It's the proof of the pudding that hard work, talent and commitment can get you somewhere. It didn't come easy, it was a long road for Amanda, but she's done it. And she's someone for all of those kids to look up to and respect."

ON THE RAIL -- It's been a bad week for injuries in the horse world. Eventer Andrea Leatherman suffered a concussion and other injuries Friday after her mount, Neveah, had a rotational fall on the fourth obstacle on the intermediate cross-country course at the Florida Horse Park in Ocala. The mare caught her front legs on the front of a table oxer and landed with her head and neck on her rider. It was a fatal accident for the horse Leatherman regained consciousness and was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Laura Chapot of Neshanic Station broke her pelvis and collarbone last weekend when her horse, Cointreau un Prince, fell with her in a schooling accident before a competition when he caught the back rail of a warm-up fence. Chapot was hospitalized and then moved to a rehabilitation facility, while the horse is recovering from bruises.

Chapot already is walking and noted with her usual determination, "Once those bones start knitting, then I have a chance of thinking about starting to ride again."

In the meantime, "So many people have stepped up to help," with the horses said Chapot. Among them is Olympic individual bronze medalist Cian O'Connor of Ireland, who had worked with her last year and will be riding some of her mounts for a week or so.

"But most of them will just hang out and wait for me and have a little vacation," she said.

In California, Archie Cox -- like Chapot, a graduate of Drew University in Madison -- separated his pelvis in a painful freak accident when the horse he was riding at the walk stumbled and he leaned back in the saddle to help the animal regain its balance. He also had to be hospitalized at UCLA Medical Center...

The B.W. Furlong and Associates Horse Health Seminar in Annandale, canceled yesterday because of the snow, has been rescheduled for Saturday. For information, call (908) 439-2821. New reservations are welcome...

The Palermo Show Stables show in Bedminster yesterday was canceled, but today's jumper competition will be held as planned...

Hickory Ridge Farm in Allentown is holding a tack sale Saturday from 10 a.m.-3 p.m. Space is free and there is no set-up fee. English and western riding demonstrations also are scheduled. For information, call (609) 259-8923..

ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE

Today: Palermo Winter Festival IV, 1555A Burnt Mills Road, Bedminster; All Seasons Show, Black River Farm, 20 Boss Road, Ringoes; Dressage Schooling Show, Horse Park of N.J., Route 524, Allentown.

Thursday: "Share the Love" presentation from Second Call thoroughbred adoption and placement, Dover Saddlery, 3150 Route 22 (Shop Rite Shopping Center), Branchburg (6:30-7:30 p.m., free admission).

Saturday: Black River Farm Winter Tour, 20 Boss Road, Ringoes (through next Sunday); Hunter Farms Winter Series, 1315 The Great Road, Princeton (through next Sunday); CJL Show, Hunter's Crossing Farm, 121 E. Valley Brook Road, Long Valley; Hickory Ridge Tack Sale, East Branch Road, Allentown (10 a.m.-3 p.m.).

Next Sunday: Tewksbury Farm Stable Show, Hidden River Farm, 745 Amwell Road, Neshanic Station.

Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.

Superstorm Sandy underlined the importance not only of having a generator to pump water for horses, but also having neighbors and the fire department as resources when things go wrong. A state official discusses other strategies to handle times of trouble that will be helpful for stable owners wise enough to plan ahead

The sold-out house that saluted Steffen Peters in 2009, when he won the last World Cup finals hosted by the U.S., likely would be replicated if Vegas is awarded the 2015 edition of the championship
Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-Ledger




 

That's why every stable owner needs an emergency plan, whether they have two stalls in the backyard or 60 at a show facility. Shari Silverman, a veterinarian who is the emergency coordinator for the state Department of Agriculture's Division of Animal Health, thinks individual horse owners likely can unprepared to handle disasters, though owners of larger stables may be a little more on the ball, especially after living through the travails of Sandy last year.

Still, it's amazing how many people aren't ready for threatening situations, despite the fact that they may take care of their horses very well in other ways. The greatest deficiency involves a response when the electricity goes out.

"I think far too many of them do not have generators," Silverman said of places where horses are housed around the state.

"They need to have a plan for what are they going to do if they're off the grid. You can stock hay and feed, but if you don't have a generator, you have no water."

Most farms have wells operated by a pump that requires electricity. If worst comes to worst and the well can't be used, it's often possible for local fire companies to bring water, but for that, Silverman pointed out, "you need a tank. They can't fill 30 water buckets; they're not going to come three times a day. You're lucky if you can get them to come out once a day. More likely, it's going to be every few days."

Those with a tank should rotate and replace the water regularly if they're storing it before a storm.

"The water might get stale, and horses won't drink it," Silverman said.

There are solutions to disaster scenarios, but they take planning. Part of the assistance could come from the County Animal Response Teams, made up of volunteers and those from government agencies, the private sector and other groups, under the supervision of the county offices of emergency management, but horse owners need to cooperate with each other.

"If you've got a couple of small farms close together, maybe they could share a generator and hook up with hoses or move the generator around. This is more for a backyard situation, but for a large farm, it should be a must-have on their list," Silverman said. She noted generator owners also should have a ready supply of gasoline, or propane, if that's what is used for power.

Sandy, she pointed out, "certainly isn't going to be the last time we're going to be seeing a problem like that. At the state level, based on the predictions coming out of ...weather agencies, we're going to see more of these big storms and we've seen it doesn't take a hurricane to knock us off the grid."

When things are quiet, she suggested that those whose horses are kept indoors should ask the local fire department to come and assess the risks, which has the double benefit of letting them know where the farm is located.

She recalled one barn that burned and although a prompt call was made to 911, "it took the fire department 45 minutes to figure out which dirt road led to the farm."

The state's 15th annual Animal Emergency Working Group symposium will deal with fire prevention and safety. Registration is limited, and Silverman mentioned it is geared more to organizations, rather than individuals. She suggested, for instance, that a 4-H leader or a representative of a breed club could attend and then give information to members.

The April 10 session at the Burlington County Emergency Services Training Center in Westampton is $20 per person, with a registration deadline of March 27. For information, call (609) 984-4389.

Silverman said people should be sensitive to evaluating possible emergencies on a regional basis as they work on their plan.

"If your barn is in the Pine Barrens, you have to worry about forest fires. If your barn is next to railroad tracks that have a lot of tankers with who-knows-what on board, is there a situation where you might haave to evacuate? If so, how are you going to do it? And consider where you are going to go."

Silverman pointed out that with disasters of Sandy's magnitude, "The cavalry isn't going to come riding in the day after. It was on such a scale with Sandy that we had to take a number and get on line with animal issues" because of the impact on human health.

"You have to think, `How am I going to be able to help myself?'"

She asked, "What happens if disaster strikes and you're not home? Who is your go-to person?" That would be someone who knows the horses and can come in to at least feed and water them for a few days, and should have a key to the house to take care of pets.

Working together also is important if horses have to be evacuated to a state facility or a fairgrounds, where care is up to the horse owner. It is also a good idea to work out how horses can be transported to such refuge if necessary.

Ken Mandoli, the CART director in Hunterdon County, has had plenty of experience with large animal evacuation and support. His CART has an equine response team and has been doing a lot of education, meeting with groups like the Grange.

Those who attend "are finding out at these meetings who their neighbors are," he said.
"Ii we aren't able to respond, at least now they can help one another out." He said it is important in a small barn to discuss the emergency plan, so everyone knows what to do, but in a larger facility, there's no substitute for something in writing.

He suggested that animals needing medication and supplements, or special feed, be accompanied by a list of what they should be given if they need to evacuate. While it also would be optimum to send the substances along with them, he noted there are large and small animal veterinarians on the CART team who can see to their needs if they know what they should be taking. Mandoli has keys to all the county parks and has established places in each section of Hunterdon where people who have had to evacuate their horses can shelter them.

Although Hunterdon has an effective CART, he noted, "With each disaster, there are lessons learned. We debrief; we find out what equipment we need and what we can do better next time."

For more information on handling emergencies involving horses, go to www.nj.gov/agriculture/divisions/ah/pdf/livestockbro.pdf.

ON THE RAIL -- The World Cup finals in dressage and show jumping got a step closer to the U.S. last week after the board of Las Vegas Events approved further discussions with the FEI (international equestrian federation) about hosting those championships in April 2015.

Las Vegas, which hasn't held the finals since 2009, was asked if it was interested in the 2015 finals after Guadalajara, Mexico, which originally won the bid, was unable to meet the FEI's criteria to stage the event.

While the core event will remain the same as it was in 2009 at the Thomas & Mack Center, "there are a couple more flavors we would like to add to it," said LVE President Pat Christenson, explaining "everything we'd do would complement what we already had."

If the FEI makes a decision in April, LVE will have a year to plan and then a full year to promote it," Christenson said.

On the other hand, plans for the Masters show jumping grand prix to be held at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn this fall are on hold.

Slated for the first weekend in October, the Masters already is recognized by the U.S. Equestrian Federation. But its dates conflict those of the Global Champions Tour's debut in Shanghai, China, and it has not gotten accreditation from the FEI.

There are questions whether the GCT competition can take place because of the quarantine situation in China. John Roche, the FEI director of jumping, said “the Chinese authorities are currently in contact with their European counterparts regarding quarantine restrictions on the re-importation of horses to the European Union. We cannot pre-empt the outcome of these discussions.”

The Masters group is continuing to press for FEI approval of its show.

"The FEI has never validated the decision of the USEF (to license the Masters) because the Global Champions Tour has made opposition with their event in Shanghai that up to now cannot take place due to the lack of quarantine conditions," commented Clara Martins of EEM, which produces the Masters.

"We know from our own experience and know-how in Asia that there are serious quarantine issues."

EEM does not want to postpone its New York City event, "despite the lack of goodwill from the FEI and the GCT," Martins said...

Michael Hughes, 17, of Allendale scored the most important win of his young career last weekend with a victory in the $50,000 EMO Grand Prix in Ocala, Fla. Aboard Luxina, he finished ahead of such big names as two-time Olympic gold medalist McLain Ward on Zhum and Ward's 2004 Olympic teammate, Peter Wylde, on Lewin 5 Societe, over a course laid out by two-time Olympic designer Olaf Petersen.

Riders injured earlier this month are back on their feet. Eventer Andrea Leatherman, whose horse died in a rotational fall at a horse trials in Ocala, Fla., is out of the hospital and recovering from her injuries.

California trainer Archie Cox, who suffered a separated pelvis as he leaned back in the saddle to balance a horse that stumbled, is back teaching.

Laura Chapot, who broke her pelvis and collarbone when her horse fell over a jump in the warm-up area in Wellington, Fla., is busy exercising in rehab with an eye to get riding before the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival ends this spring.,,

Horses exposed to the equine herpes virus that were quarantined in northern New Jersey have received clean bills of health and the quarantine has been lifted.

ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE
Sunday: Black River Farm Winter Tour, 20 Boss Road, Ringoes; Hunter Farms Winter Series, 1315 The Great Road, Princeton; Tewksbury Farm Stable Show, Hidden River Farm, 745 Amwell Road, Neshanic Station.
Saturday: All Seasons Show, Duncraven, 1300 Trenton-Harbourton Road, Titusville (through next Sunday); Dressage Schooling Show, Horse Park of New Jersey, Route 524, Allentown.
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.

As more dressage riders are required to wear helmets, attention is turning to other disciplines -- particularly western -- that favor traditional headgear. But change is slowly coming to the cowboy ranks, too.

Mary Jordan came up with a cowboy hat built around a helmet, a design that may get more western riders accepting protective headgear
Dana Patterson/For The Star-Ledger




 

Eventually, though, safety will trump fashion and top hats likely are on their way to extinction in the FEI category, too. Charlotte Dujardin, the British rider who won double gold in dressage at the Olympics, made history by wearing a helmet on the podium at the Games and is a role model.

Dujardin, who converted to what she calls a "crash hat" after suffering a skull fracture, and other helmet pioneers were honored this month with the Craig Ferrell M.D. Equestrian Safety Awards by Riders4Helmets (riders4helmets.com), an organization that has been instrumental in calling attention to the importance of protective headgear .

Among the most stubborn holdouts from the helmet groundswell are the western riders. But the Ferrell awards, named after the late U.S. equestrian team doctor who made helmet safety a priority, highlighted several western riders who are pro-helmet and living their convictions.

One is North Carolina trainer Mary Jordan, who explained, "these western riders, especially those who have grown up on a ranch out west, that cowboy hat is a lifestyle for them. They are not going to take it off. We all want to look the part. I think that's the reason a lot of western riders don't wear helmets. It's going to take creating a helmet that has the same look to get those people to wear it."

And that's just what she's done. Jordan took a straw cowboy hat and shaped its brim around her helmet, then painted it brown to match the helmet, which had a removable visor. She wore it in Texas while competing in the Supreme Extreme Mustang Makeover, where she finished as reserve champion. Jordan was encouraged when the old cowboy who was moving around the cattle for the competition came up and said of her helmet, "My daughter needs that."

She is working with a manufacturer to produce a western helmet that is streamlined like hers, rather than bulky. The right look should convince people to wear a helmet, though Jordan conceded that "some older folks never will," but she pointed out, "a new generation is rolling around."

Kathy Slack and her husband, Eddie, are the only world-class participants in team penning (a cattle round-up type competition) who wear helmets.

"We know that the tradition of the cowboy hat is going to be hard to give up, and helmet companies have not yet produced a helmet like a cowboy hat that was acceptable. That would get us a little closer," said the Texan

She is involved with Western Helmet Project, teaming up with Tipperary helmets in a giveaway of traditional helmets at major rodeos. Parents of small children, while they wear cowboy hats themselves, were looking for something different for their youngsters when they approached her during the giveaway.

"I could see their mentality is changing a little. I think we're making a small influence. In five years, we all most likely will be wearing helmets," she said. But in the meantime, there are still holdouts.

Slack requires junior riders at her stable to wear helmets for insurance liability reasons, and some of the older teens have left her operation rather than wear a helmet.

A board member of U.S. Team Penning Association, which has accepted her headgear preference, Jordan and Lyndsey White, who runs Riders4Helmets use "gentle persuasion" to get western riders to come around to helmets. Both realize a forceful approach won't work.

"I believe in educating the youth, because they're the next generation coming through," said White.

Megan Sparks, a 14-year-old barrel racer from Ohio, is one of the younger generation that has started wearing a helmet for western competition Brent Puhl/For The Star-Ledger  

In the end, it's possible that helmets will be mandatory for all riders due to insurance reasons. As White pointed out, the average traumatic brain injury recovery runs $1.5 million to $3 million in medical and care costs.

In another sport where helmet use is becoming more accepted, though not universal, one company is trying to institute an insurance policy that will preclude head injury coverage for skiers who don't wear helmets.

Stuart Bensusan, co-founder of Essential Travel, a British agency that is part of the Thomas Cook group of insurers, said "We are working now to make it a mandatory requirement that customers taking insurance with us know: 'You must be wearing a helmet or you won't be covered for head injury.' As far as I know, we are the first. We are hoping to go live with it next season."

The Riders4Helmets initiative, meanwhile, is spreading internationally. White noted that equestrians from 40 countries have visited her organization's website, and she is organizing a symposium on protective headgear this September in Great Britain. An advisory board formed to plan that session includes all disciplines and medical experts as well.

Perhaps the key figure in the Riders4Helmets crusade has been 2008 dressage Olympian Courtney King-Dye, who fractured her skull three years ago in a fall from a horse when she wasn't wearing a helmet. King-Dye "is like an inspiration to me," said White, citing the Olympian's continuing efforts in the helmet campaign.

In the three years since it was formed, Riders4Helmets has brought visibility to the helmet issue that has made it a high-profile cause.

"I don't think I ever imagined it would get to this point as quickly as it has," said White.
"I never thought we would see the day when leading international dressage riders would wear a helmet. That was just amazing. I just want to keep this thing going."

ON THE RAIL -- A Gloucester County horse that tested positive for equine herpes myeloencephalopathy caused by equine herpes virus-1 had to be put down Feb. 15 after developing neurological signs. Seven horses in stables in Gloucester County and Cape May County who were exposed to the horse have been quarantined. This is the second instance of the disease in New Jersey this year.
In January, two stables in Somerset and Morris counties were quarantined after a horse developed EHV-1, but the horse survived and the quarantines were lifted.
However, a horse at the big HITS show in Ocala, Fla., last week was diagnosed with EHV. It was taken to the University of Florida in Gainesville, but the tent where it was stabled is under quarantine. The FTI Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, the biggest circuit in the world, announced it would not accept any horses from Ocala on its grounds because of the EHV situation. One that arrived prior to that decision, though, was put into quarantine. An EHV test was negative yesterday and a quarantine on the tent where it was stabled previously at the WEF was lifted. Biosecurity measures remain in effect at the WEF, the site of the country's only show jumping Nations' Cup this Friday. The U.S. team will be Reed Kessler, at 18 the youngest equestrian Olympian ever when she rode in last year's London Games; 2008 Olympic gold medal teammates Laura Kraut and Beezie Madden, and Kent Farrington, winner of the Trump Invitational in January
ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE
Today: All Seasons Show, Duncraven, 1300 Trenton-Harbourton Road, Titusville.
Saturday: Duncraven Show, 1300 Trenton-Harbourton Road, Titusville (through next Sunday); Black River Farm Winter Tour, 20 Boss Road, Ringoes (through next Sunday); CJL Show, Hunter's Crossing Farm, 121 E. Valley Brook Road, Long Valley.
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.

In a much-needed boost to morale, the U.S. show jumpers win the country's only Nations' Cup with new coach Robert Ridland at the helm, as he plans other objectives to end the international slump of the last several years

The USA's winning show jumping Nations' Cup team at the Winter Equestrian Festival: Kent Farrington, Beezie Madden, coach Robert Ridland, Reed Kessler, Laura Kraut
Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-Ledger




 

Not only was the pressure intense while performing before a packed house with thousands of U.S. rooters on home turf at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center Friday night. But there also was the need to start in the new Furusiyya FEI Nations' Cup League with a victory that would give the U.S. breathing room in qualifying for the finals later this year.

And it was well past time for a boost after several years of disappointment; a heart-breaking 10th-place finish at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, relegation from Furusiyya's predecessor, theTop League, the next year and a medal-less return from the 2012 Olympics.

The Furusiyya victory, even though it was by just a single penalty, started things on an optimistic note for Robert Ridland, the new coach, who has now accomplished one of his three goals for 2013. He has been shadowing former coach George Morris for a year, and concentrating on cultivating a winning spirit in riders and horse owners.

"I don't think it all happened today; I think it happened going into today," he commented after the awards ceremony. "I think it was a very positive attitude coming into the new year. The support was there. They truly are the big guns we have," he said of the team of Kent Farrington, Reed Kessler, Beezie Madden and Laura Kraut.

Next up on his list of aspirations that he outlined yesterday is April's World Cup Finals in Sweden, won by an American in 2012 for the first time in 25 years. While that was cause for celebration, Ridland was less pleased that only two U.S. competitors were in the top 10 there; he wants to improve on that this spring. His third goal is the Nations' Cup finals. To get there, the U.S. still has to compete during June at a Canadian Nations' Cup in Alberta, but it will be a less stressful situation. Only two countries from North America can go to the finals. The U.S. has 100 points; Canada, 90 and seventh-place Mexico, 65.

For Mexico to qualify instead of the U.S., "something would have to go very wrong for us and very right for them," he pointed out, explaining why the Alberta competition isn't at the forefront of his to-do list.

Yesterday, as Morris posed for a photo with a fan, Ridland was deep into his new job a few feet away in the WEF's International Club, working at his computer as he watched successive children's, junior and young rider Nations' Cups, the first time all three have been held in the country, with special significance because they came a day after the senior cup.

New U.S. Equestrian Federation President Chrystine Tauber said a blue ribbon panel that looked into the country's disappointing Olympic performance (eventing and dressage didn't bring home any medals either) noted "the key is the pipeline, starting when kids are riding. How do you bring your riders up to the top, don't drop the ball in your various age groups."

Nations' Cups for the younger set, which are popular abroad, are an important step in that direction.

Tauber, a former international show jumper, expressed her confidence in Ridland.
"I was personally thrilled for his initial Nations' Cup to have such success. It was a great launch of the whole new regime, if you will," she said. Asked what would have happened if the U.S. had lost Friday in the seven-nation competition, she said, "We couldn't risk that."

Both Ridland and Tauber expressed the importance of dedication and focus, with a real commitment from competitors.

"It's important to know whether the top riders we're looking at are really willing to make (the Olympics, WEG and Pan American Games) their primary goal as candidates for the team," she said.

"You run into those situations where there's so much money to be jumped for at so many different place in the world. I think that was part of the problem leading up to last WEG. Horses were jumping all over the place for a lot of money. Were they as fresh as they could have been (for the WEG)?

Ridland said his cup riders had to be "ready, rested and focused," and they all agreed to use their horses sparingly in the lead-up to the class.
Farrington had a rail down with Uceko in the first round, but went fault-free in the second. Kraut was clear in the first round, then dropped a pole with Cedric in her second trip.

Kessler, the youngest person to ride in the Olympics when she made her debut at age 18 last year, was fault-free in both rounds aboard Cylana and Madden only had to put in one clean effort with Simon to secure the trophy.

Reed Kessler rode Cylana to two clean rounds to help the U.S. clinch its Nations' Cup victory Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-Ledger  

Once the Canadians had completed, with the best three of four to count, there was no need for her to go again.

Germany finished third with nine penalties, and Ireland which lost one of its horses to injury before the second round wound up fourth with 11 faults.

ON THE RAIL -- The Nations' Cup was a big story out of Florida, but even bigger was the outbreak of Equine Herpes Virus-1, a respiratory disease, and its fallout at one of the busiest times of the show year in a state with more major winter shows than any other.

EHV flares up periodically, affecting competitions around the world, but the timing of this incident had officials at WEG sweating until two horses in the FEI stabling area who had been exposed to an EHV horse were given clean bills of health at mid-afternoon Thursday, which meant the Nations' Cup could go on the next day.

The disease can be fatal in some cases; a New Jersey EHV horse had to be euthanized last month, and stables in Franklin Township, Gloucester County and Dennisville, Cape May County, are still quarantined.

Michael Stone, president of Equestrian Sport Productions noted, there are 140 horses in the FEI area. "Very conservatively, that's at least $80 million in horseflesh, probably closer to $100 million. The scale of the economic effect of it is scary," said Stone.

The HITS show in Ocala, where the EHV "index" horse was stabled, has been quarantined, with no horses in or out. That ended plans for Michael Hughes of Allendale, N.J., to compete in the Young Riders Nations' Cup here, since his horse couldn't leave Ocala. The HITS show has less entries than usual because there are no ship-ins, Stone estimated the WEF is down a few hundred horses as people are being cautious and a dressage show a half-hour from PBIEC in Loxahatchee also had scratches.

As of yesterday, eight horses in Florida -- seven of which had a link to the Ocala outbreak -- tested positive, while one is in Wellington. Only two of the positive horses have the more serious neurological form of the disease. The index horse is being treated at the University of Florida in Gainesville. Thirteen farms or portions thereof have been quarantined around Florida.

Authorities advise that horses should be vaccinated for EHV and owners who want to follow best practices are advised to take their animals' temperatures every day to check for any elevation...

Rhythmical, the gutsy little Russian-bred chestnut who took Nona Garson to the Olympics, the World Cup finals and the World Equestrian Games, died in January at the age of 28. It was not only the chestnut gelding's iconic jumping style that won him fans, it was also his backstory: He originally was sold to Finland for a truck full of washing machines.

His personality and style both were special.

"He took my breath away," Garson once said.

In 2005, Rhythmical retired in ceremonies at the WEG, and then lived a life of leisure at Garson's farm, The Ridge, in Tewksbury, N.J.

He belonged to Kathy and Hal Kamine of Tewksbury, who also owned Royal Kaliber, Chris Kappler's team gold and individual silver medal mount from the 2004 Olympics.

Nona Garson and Rhythmical at his 2005 retirement ceremony with owners Kathy and Hal Kamine and trainer George Morris Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-Ledger  

Kathy Kamine said Rhythmical had been ridden routinely through the summer, but then his hind end weakened. During the winter, he was turned out in the indoor ring be assured of good footing.

"He always gave everyone a hard time when they tried to get him to come in," recalled Kathy Kamine.

"He was still his same personality, king of the barn and putting his tongue out to be played with if he loved you."

But he continued to weaken until he lay down and didn't try to get up.

"He lay peacefully in the barn where he was loved, his head held in my arms and Hal by his side. Nona talked to him by phone from Florida, and we peacefully let him go," Kamine said.

"He was the first competitive horse we bought, and our love of him was immense," she said.

"He brought us such joy watching him compete with Nona. His unique personality and competitive nature, as well as his amazing speed and agility, were second only to his huge heart -- always trying his best to please and win," she remembered.

"We are so thankful to have had him as our partner for all these years, and the wonderful memories and love he gave us." May he and our other wonderful horse, Royal, be together in spirit and soul, and wait for us all to see them again"...

Making plans when it comes to horses is more like being on a roller coaster than a ride on a merry-go-round.

Sinead Halpin, who seemed a sure shot for the 2012 Olympics with Manoir de Carneville, and then wound up as the alternate, is retrenching again. She had planned to compete this spring at the Rolex Kentucky 4-star. Halpin was the highest-placed American at that competition in 2011, finishing third on her mount, who is known as Tate.

A scan of one of his legs during a medical check-up, however, revealed a small area of weakness, so Rolex is out. She's still riding Tate on the flat, and he's turned out daily, but she's looking further down the road for a major competition.

Sinead Halpin and Manoir de Carneville at Rolex Kentucky 2011 Nancy Jaffer/For The Star-Ledger  

Some possibilities are in his native France, at the 3-star test event for the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, or the 4-star at Pau. The big goal is, of course, the WEG for the nominee for the USEF's 2012 Horse of the Year.

"I'm keeping my options open," said Halpin, who is also thinking about entering the German 4-star in Luhmuhlen, depending on how things go, but may wait until spring 2014 to try a 4-star.

"If he needs a little extra time, he can have it," said Halpin, who is based in Long Valley, N.J.

Prior to the winter training sessions with U.S. coach David O'Connor, who also is Halpin's trainer, Tate was the country's top-rated U.S. eventing horse.

N.J. ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE

Today: Duncraven Show, 1300 Trenton-Harbourton Road, Titusville; Black River Farm Winter Tour, 20 Boss Road, Ringoes.

Saturday: All Seasons Show, Black River Farm, 20 Boss Road, Ringoes.

Next Sunday: Friends of Lord Stirling Stable Dressage Show, 256 S. Maple Ave., Basking Ridge; West Milford Equestrian Center Show, 367 Union Valley Road, Newfoundland.
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.