Pottersville rider has overcome adversity to qualify for the 4-star event that has attracted some of the world's best competitors
Heather Gillette of Pottersville is getting ready for her first trip to Rolex Kentucky on Kathleen McDermott's Our QuestionnaireIt's quite heady company for Heather Gillette of Pottersville, whose name is on the roster for the first time. Gillette, 42, finally is on the brink of realizing a dream she has been actively pursuing since the mid-1990s.
First, it was with Pickle Road, who "was going to be my big time horse to go to Rolex on," she recalled. Injuries derailed that dream. A few years ago, she had another nice horse, the New Zealand-bred Charlton Scribe, but he died suddenly after suffering a digestive tract problem in 2009.
"It's discouraging. The goal was always to find the right horse again," said Gillette, who never gave up on going to Rolex.
"It feels like it's been a very, very long road. I'm just trying to keep my eye on the prize and working hard to get there," she said, adding she realizes that reaching the goal means not only great effort on her part and that of her team, but also "a whole lot of luck that goes with it.''
Her current mount, Our Questionnaire, came to her two years ago. She saw a video of him and had to move fast before the opportunity slipped away. Since he was in New Zealand, Gillette didn't have time to fly there and try him. Bringing him to the U.S. called for practically a split-second decision, but her longtime employer and sponsor, Kathleen McDermott, came to her aid and bought him.
"She's been a marvelous supporter. It was a huge leap of faith," said Gillette, noting the first time she saw the horse "in person" was "on the airport tarmac at Newark."
Her initial impression?
"He's not a super model," she said good-naturedly. However, he had a nice resume. Questie was a short-listed candidate for New Zealand's 2008 Olympic team with rider Bryce Newman, but dandelion poisoning kept him at home. Although he has never done a 4-star, Gillette has faith in him. Questie knows his job.
The first time they set up a jumping grid for him, she felt the thoroughbred took it in, knew what the job was "and it was all calculated and done.''
"We jokingly called him `The Professor,''' said Gillette.
"He's extremely athletic but he's also very, very smart. He's probably the smartest animal I've ever sat on. He takes a good look at all the (cross-country jumping) complexes, it doesn't matter how tough they are, and you can feel him go, `Okay, I've got the question' and off he goes. He absolutely loves it."
Asked if she is tense about the prospect of competing at such a landmark fixture as Rolex, Gillette admitted, "You have nerves every time you leave the start box. I'm trying to think of it as any old event. Clearly, it's not, but I'm trying to be as prepared as possible, hopefully that takes the edge off."
She expects a contingent of her students and supporters to show up in Lexington, Ky., for the big occasion, and that's a responsibility too.
"It's a lot of pressure being in charge of everybody's vacation time," she explained.
Her husband, Eric Nichols, who works in information technology with a shipping company, will play a role in insuring his wife is calm for the biggest moment in her competitive career.
"Eric's good at keeping me grounded; he's a stabilizing influence,'' Gillette said.
She usually is trained by Stephen Bradley, but recently she has taken lessons from Karen O'Connor (who won the Rolex 4-star in 1999 and is also competing this year). Gillette focuses on the dressage phase with Betsy Steiner.
Tenth last year at Jersey Fresh, Questie had time off afterwards when it was discovered that he had a bone chip and a suspensory injury, but now he's back on track.
Gillette was buoyed by a 33.8-penalty dressage mark at Poplar Place in Georgia last weekend, an amazing score considering she was penalized for going blank and skipping a movement that she had to repeat. She hopes his dressage ability shines again in Kentucky.
"Hopefully, when we get in front of the big grandstand at Rolex, he'll stay with me and be good and we'll go from there,'" she said.
The Rolex event runs April 28-May 1 at the Kentucky Horse Park. For information, go to www.rk3de.org.
ON THE RAIL -- The N.J. Horse Angels, an organization which purported to be a charity saving horses from slaughter, must repay $57,129 in donations that were misused. The state Division of Consumer Affairs will donate the money to horse rescue groups that are registered charities.
The Angels' trustees, Sharon Catalano-Crumb and Frank Wikoff of Phillipsburg, are permanently barred from soliciting donations in New Jersey. The state said that while some donated money was used for horse rescue, other funds were used by Catalano-Crumb for everything from trips to Atlantic City casinos to meals. She and Wikoff also will have to pay $23,299 in costs. A total of $500,625 in suspended civil penalties was assessed, but will be vacated after five years if the defendants do not violate the settlement terms.
"Using sympathetic stories of horses on the brink of demise, these defendants preyed on human compassion for their personal enrichment,'' said Thomas Calcagni, acting director of the Division of Consumer Affairs.
"This resolution puts an end to their scheme, and provides punitive measures to ensure compliance.''
There are many legitimate horse rescue groups, but before dealing with any of them, it is important to check them out. A searchable database that lists the approximately 20,000 charitable organizations registered by the N.J. Division of Consumer Affairs can be found online at www. njconsumeraffairs.gov/charity/chardir.htm. Additional information and copies of complete financial filings may be obtained by calling the Charities Registration Unit at (973) 504-6215.
The matter was handled by state Deputy Attorneys General Anna Lascurain, chief of the securities fraud prosecution section, and Elizabeth Lash, with assistance from volunteer attorney Aris Dutka. The investigation was conducted by Patrick Mullan in the division's Office of Consumer Protection.
U.S. show jumping coach George Morris will be appearing at Beval Saddlery, 10 Lackawanna Ave., Gladstone, on Wednesday from 9-11 a.m. to discuss the Butet saddle, sign autographs and books (he is also an author) and answer questions.
A check ligament problem in her right front leg has sidelined McLain Ward's stellar show jumper, Sapphire, for the rest of 2011.
Ward is hoping she will be back in 2012, when she might have a shot at her third Olympics, having won team gold at the Games in 2004 and 2008.
"I don't think this is the last chapter,'' said Ward.
Until she came up lame, the 16-year-old Belgian-bred mare was ``in as good a form as ever,'' according to Ward, who rode her to two fault-free rounds on the winning U.S. Nations' Cup team last month in Florida.
In 2010, Sapphire had victory after victory, including the $500,000 FTI grand prix, the Hampton Classic grand prix, the Pfizer HITS $1 million grand prix and the President's Cup at the Washington International Horse Show.
In the meantime, Ward has a deep bench that includes Antares and Rothchild, who he will take to the World Cup finals later this month.
Donations are being accepted for the Somerset Hills Handicapped Riding Center's tack sale, which will run Saturday from 9 a.m.-5 p.m. and next Sunday from 10 a.m.-4 p.m.
Items on sale include English and western tack, riding apparel, blankets and stable equipment. Proceeds benefit SHHRC;s horses and programs. For information, call (908) 439-9636 or go to www.shhrc.org.
ACTIVITIES SCHEDULE
Sunday: Eastern Pennsylvania Reining Horse Association, Gloucester County Dream Park, 400 Route 130 South, Logan Township; Snowbird Acres Regional Show, Hidden River Farm, 745 Amwell Rd., Neshanic Station; Winter Series Final, Duncraven, 1300 Trenton-Harbourton Rd., Titusville; Black River Farm Winter Tour Grand Finale, 20 Boss Rd., Ringoes; NJ Region Pony Club Dressage Schooling Show, USET Foundation Headquarters, Pottersville Road, Gladstone; Golden Gait Farm Dressage Schooling Show, 323 Sweetmans Lane, Millstone; Woodedge Show, 116 Borton Landing Rd., Moorestown.
Wednesday: George Morris Q and A session, Beval Saddlery, 10 Lackawanna Ave., Gladstone (9 a.m.-11 a.m.)
Saturday: Somerset Hills Handicapped Riding Center Tack Sale, 83 Old Turnpike Rd., Oldwick 9 a.m.-5 p.m. (through next Sunday 10 a.m.-4 p.m.); Horse Park of New Jersey Dressage Schooling Show, Route 524, Allentown; Flora Lea Horse Trials, 21 Brannin Rd., Medford (through next Sunday).
Next Sunday: Briarwood Farm Show, Pleasant Run Road, Readington; Oxbow Stables Dressage Show Combined Test and Horse Trials, 39 Orts. Rd., Hamburg; Central Jersey Horsemen's Association English/Western/Standardbred Show, East Freehold Park, Kozlowski Road, Freehold; Baymar Farms Show, 38 Harbor Rd., Morganville; NJQHA All-Breed Charity Ride, Sleepy Hollow Stables, 47 Woodruff Rd., New Egypt; Lord Stirling Stable Hunter Pace, 256 S. Maple Ave., Basking Ridge (9 a.m.-1 p.m.)
Nancy Jaffer may be reached at nancyjaffer@att.net.