Wales Tale
or
How to get taken
for a really good ride
by Catherine R. Macaulay
I’d come seeking refuge from my hectic, urban lifestyle. I wanted to ratchet back, disconnect, hack out across the Welsh countryside, far removed from today’s existential epidemic of me, myself and I. Following a cramped, six-hour flight from Washington-D.C. to London, I met up with my riding companion at Heathrow Airport, both of us having coordinated our arrival times in advance.
Tossing our bags into a rental car, we were headed toward a trail outfitter in Mid Wales aptly named Freerein. Its self-guided tours enable riders to negotiate terrain the old fashioned way—by reading the lay of the land. No satellite-based GPS systems to direct us over the hills, no markers to keep us on course. We’d be riding completely on our own, equipped with a printout of directions.
Having poured over Freerein’s candy-box assortment of trail packages months earlier, my riding partner and I had settled on a two-day trek across the Begwyns, a length of countryside with scenic, open terrain. Smooth and easy was my new mantra ever since I’d thrown out my back shoveling mulch. My companion was in even worse shape, having torn her rotator cuff from a fall off a horse. On the positive side, I’d requested a pair of push-button mounts when filling out Freerein’s pre-ride questionnaire. Level-headed and experienced—that was key.
Following a three-hour drive west from London, we arrive at Freerein’s base of operation near Hay-on-Wye, a Welsh river village that, at present, was overflowing with bibliophiles attending the annual Hay Festival of Literature & Arts. Contenting ourselves with a tidy lodging nearby, we fall asleep in a centuries old B&B, awaking the next morning ready for our trek, slightly apprehensive as to what the day might bring.
Following your trek at Freerein, continue to explore the Welsh countryside via a different type of horsepower.
VHC's Guide to Exploring the Welsh Mid and Southlands
Attend top-rated horse shows, enjoy county fairs, visit Welsh Pony & Cob stud farms, descend into the mineshaft where Pit Ponies once hauled coal. Prepare to be amazed at the way Welsh horses are woven into some of the most storied and sublime landscapes in all the British Isles.
Go ahead, fall under the spell of this lyrical “land of song”. Enjoy the Welsh Mid and Southlands, equestrian style. Whether it’s jousting, jumping, driving, ploughing, racing on the flat or racing point-to-point, their calendar of equestrian events reflects a heritage spawned by the Welsh Mountain Pony and by a people born to prevail. Ladies and gents, start your engines.
To Serve and To Protect
by Catherine Macaulay
With the recent retirement of New York Central Park’s last mounted patrol officer and his horse Trooper, the park’s bridle paths are virtually horseless for the first time since the late 1800s--their vast network given over to strollers, joggers and cyclists.
While Central Park’s Enforcement Patrol has breathed its last, the New York Police Department’s Mounted Unit remains intact, however. Established in 1858, the 55-horse team is stabled in a new, $30 million facility located on Manhattan’s west side. The horses draw attention wherever they go—goodwill ambassadors one moment, a counter-terrorism detail another, always on call for protests, parades, concerts and street fairs.
It takes a special kind of horse to stand in a crowd of demonstrators, to remain rock solid with sirens blaring. It’s dangerous work, even with riot gear protecting their faces and legs. Rallies can turn ugly, shouts and screaming voices threaten from every direction. Last year, in Philadelphia, an Eagles fan was arrested for punching mounted police horses and officers.
Given the current blast of technologies, patrolling on horseback might seem a low tech if not somewhat obsolete method of law enforcement. Faced with budget cuts, cities like San Diego and Boston have disbanded their mounted units. Other municipalities have downsized. Yet, the numbers of officers still enforcing the law on horseback reflect their demonstrable value to police departments everywhere, if only as a public relations tool. There is something about a horse that’s approachable. Seeing a policeman or woman patrolling the streets astride a well-turned out mount is symbolic of the constable as peace keeper.
Today, there are mounted patrols in 40 states with Florida operating fully 18 units, California 13, Ohio 12, Michigan, 11 and New York 8.
Virginia has 5 Mounted Patrol Units in existence:
Richmond, (est. 1894), with 4 horses & 4 officers
Virginia Beach, (est. 1985), with 11 horses & 10 officers
Prince William County, (est. 2006), with 4 horses & 5 officers
Spotsylvania, (est. 2015), with 2 horses & 2 deputies
Portsmouth, (est. 1985), with 4 horses & 4 officers*
It’s not all smooth sailing. Some mounted units are being partially funded by related non-profit groups. Others, such as Spotsylvania, rely on deputies owning and boarding their own horses.
According to a report on the UK mounted police, the annual cost of operating equestrian units ranges between 14 to 25 percent more than for other support officers, or “about equivalent to the cost of keeping a horse.” However, the findings also reported “good value for the money,” given that on average, police horses provide 15 years of service, are highly mobile and generate a positive image for the department.
When interviewed, mounted officers unsurprisingly expressed the same sentiment. “Horses are like an ATV,” said Sgt. Jeremy Nierman, supervisor of Richmond’s mounted unit in an interview with Virginialiving.com last year. “We cover an amazing amount of ground and can go places that an officer in a car or on a bike can’t…the horses tell us when something’s not right…lift its head, turn in the direction of what it’s sensing and prick its ears forward.”
Given the emergence of drones and an arsenal of surveillance technologies, it’s unclear what the future holds for the mounted police. But one thing is certain. These brave four-legged troopers will keep doing their job in towns and cities across the world, serving in their own unique way, be it on patrol or incident control, and generating goodwill between the police force and the public—a great value on any given day.
Thank you for your service.
* News shared in this feature was researched from articles in Virginialiving.com, the New York Times, The Telegraph (UK), Wikipedia and a report entitled “Making and Breaking Barriers: Assessing the Value of the Police Units in the UK,” by Chris Giacomantonio, Ben Bradford, Matthew Davies and Richard Martin, RAND Corporation and University of Oxford, Santa Monica, CA and Cambridge, UK, 2015. Pgs. 119 & 140.
Begin 2021 With the Stride of a Winner
It’s a new year. Time to don those racing shoes and hit the ground running. Whatever your goals might be in 2021, take your cue from some equine greats who ran their races with the stride of a winner. Photo Credit: forum.thoroughbredvillage.com
DECEMBER’S HORSE
Considered the workhorse of the zodiac, the Capricorn equine is well-suited for both competition and sport. These animals love having a job and enjoy putting their all into excelling at whatever they undertake. Proud and determined, competitive by nature, they are solid performers in the show arena. Equines born under this astrological sign (between December 21 to January 20), are compatible with ambitious equestrian partners. However, an ever-loyal Taurus can make the most of their level-headed personalities as can a practical Virgo. One of the best matches for the Capricorn horse is the goal-oriented, ever-enigmatic Scorpio who can lift them from their fixed, more serious side.
Happy Birthday Capricorns.
Winter is here. It’s time to winterize and switch to rear wheel drive.
ESSAY
Local Hero by Catherine Macaulay
He went by the names Burt, Buddy and Bo, depending upon how close you were to him and how far south of the Mason-Dixon line you lived. The world knew him as Burt Reynolds, a top ten Hollywood box office draw from 1973 to 1984.
To me, he was my future husband, though he hadn’t a clue of my aspirations given that we had yet to meet. Still, I had hopes of riding off into the sunset with my handsome leading man. But then, I’d thought the same thing about Prince Charles.
North Carolina’s wild herd of horses on the Outer Banks weathered Hurricane Florence just fine, even the new foal.
Riding Out the Storm
By Catherine Macaulay
Friends of Frying Pan Farm Park stepped forward during Hurricane Florence to helped care for nine horses arriving from coastal Virginia and North Carolina, just ahead of the approaching storm.
Vanning across heavily congested highways, owners arrived at the 150-stall facility in Herndon, Virginia, which is designated an emergency Virginia Equine Evacuation Site. There they were met by volunteers who helped care for their displaced animals.
Frying Pan Farm Park not only offered up its boarding facilities at no cost, but also partnered with Visit Fairfax, a non-profit, tourism organization, to provide food and lodging for the horses’ owners. The evacuation effort was further aided by the Virginia Department of Agriculture, which waived the vet inspection certificate normally required to transport a horse across state lines, provided owners could show a negative Coggins test during the past year.
The projected high winds and floodwaters brought Good Samaritans out from everywhere. They appeared on social media, tweeting free stabling opportunities. Others posted their available stalls and fields on Facebook. Jenny Fudge, owner of GoHorse.com, delved into her nationwide database of horse boarding facilities and assembled a listing of some 300 barns willing to open their doors to evacuated horses.
“It’s crazy times right now, and we’re trying to offer an organized solution,” said Fudge to The Atlanta Journal Constitution in an interview. “Most horses live in a pasture all day and every day. Then an evacuation hits. It’s a big deal. These are their babies.”
While the full impact of Hurricane Florence on horses has yet to be assessed, other livestock in the southern flatlands were hard hit. According to North Carolina state officials, roughly 3.4 million chickens and turkeys and 5,500 hogs were killed as rising rivers surged into the buildings where animals were being raised for market.
Livestock and companion animals were added to the Federal Emergency Management Agency's (FEMA's) disaster and evacuation plans following the 2001 agreement between it and the Humane Society of the United States. However it remains to state and local agencies to manage a storm top to bottom within their affected areas. The overwhelming logistics of implementing any search and rescue operation broad enough in scope to encompass all those under siege has left some coastal towns with limited economic resources vulnerable to catastrophic loss and increased financial burdens.
Who To Contact to Help Out
US Equestrian provides financial assistance to horses stricken from natural disasters through its USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund. Since its inception in 2005, it has donated more than $370,000 to emergency response groups and organizations, as well as to horses of all breeds and their owners. To support the equine victims of Hurricane Florence, give online at https://foundation.aaep.org/.
For more information on the USEF Equine Disaster Relief Fund, contact Vicki Lowell, vlowell@usef.org.
The AAEP Foundation Equine Disaster Relief Fund also works to ensure the safety and care of horses affected by natural disasters. Since its inception in 2005, the charitable arm of the American Association of Equine Practitioners has donated more than $500,000 to aid horses of all breeds in disaster-related situations. The foundation also sponsors disaster preparedness training and education for horse owners, veterinarians and first responders. Gifts by mail may be sent to: Equine Disaster Relief Fund, AAEP Foundation, 4033 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY 40511; (800) 443-0177 (U.S. only) or (859) 233-0147, or by giving online at foundation.aaep.org/disasterrelief.
For further reading on the subject, try Horses of the Storm: The Incredible Rescue of Katrina's Horses of the Storm, by Ky Evan Mortensen, 2008, available in paperback on Amazon.
Editor's Note: North Carolina’s wild herd of horses on the Outer Banks weathered out the storm, even the new foal. According to the Corolla Wild Horse Fund (CWHF), it appears as though the descendants of the Spanish Mustangs, first brought over by Spain’s explorers in the 16th Century, will continue to roam the Outer Banks.
Sources for this article came from The Charlotte Observer, The Atlanta Journal Constitution, FEMA: Animals In Disaster, Fairfax County Park Authority, the AAEP Foundation, and GoHorse.com.
This Christmas, I Wish You Teddy Love
by Catherine Macaulay ESSAY
Weeks go by without me thinking of Teddy and then a gray ghost of a day will settle over my thoughts and that old longing will come back to haunt me. I suspect that’s the way it runs with feelings of bereavement. Sooner or later, the grieving begins to evaporate under the drying agent of time and what you thought would last forever starts to dissipate, except for those days when memories stab at you fresh.
Teddy and I were devoted to one another for good reason. I was his meal ticket and he’d managed to wedge himself into my heart like some old shoe—worn in just the right spots. Aptly named Teddy Bear by his previous keeper, the comparison to the iconic plushy toy became apparent the moment I saw him. Likely a Maine Coon cat, he had round, expressive eyes that were patently endearing. But there was something else, a certain largess of spirit, a genuine joie de vivre, his curiosity of the woods he roamed ever in bloom.
Cared for by a neighbor, he’d been neutered, fed and given shelter in her garage, along with a dozen other feral cats. Aware that Teddy was an exceptional individual, the woman had understandably tried to make him her indoor forever cat. But he’d flatly refused the gesture, preferring to wander the woodlands between our homes, curbing his freedom for a bit of food and lodging every now and then.
That all changed the moment he spotted me weeding between the hostas.
Teddy waiting to be invited in.
Holiday wreaths made of carrots or peppermints lend a savory note of festivity to any barn. But seriously, what does any self-respecting horse really want for Christmas save a lush field, a blanket that breathes, a bit that fits and perhaps, a saddle that doesn’t pinch?
In a word—treats. It matters not its size, shape or wrapping, taste is the thing. Read the comments below by some of those in the know.
Hunter Shirley, Virginia
I had a horse, Sandy, who loved Kit Kat bars. When he saw that red little wrapper and heard it crinkle he would whip his head around and literally attack me trying to get at the Kit Kat bar. He was a total garbage gut. Always in your pockets and was willing to try whatever you were eating or drinking. He drank several of my mochas. Naughty pony!
Roseanne Lafferty, Virginia
Cinnamon rolls from Harris Teeter. He'll crawl into your lap for them!
Laura Poff, Colorado
Peppermint puffs. They are softer than hard peppermints.
Patti Hallock, Colorado
My horse LOVES candy canes. Apparently, they are just the right combination of sugar and mint. Being the well-trained owner that I am, each year I dutifully go to the local drug store the day after Christmas and fill a shopping cart full. This ensures that I have enough for the year. He also enjoys savoring his canes by crunching them, letting them sit on his tongue, and then sucking on them until they disappear. His ears flop, his eyes shut and he tunes everything around him out for what we all call "Peppermint Nirvana."
Ellen Gregory, Mississippi
Stud Muffin Horse Treats. They are like horse crack!
Diana Kocunik, Illinois
My horses all have different favorites. My mare Annabelle's favorite treat is a Guinness Stout. In the summer, the favorite treat of my 34-year-old gelding Fiddle, and my 18-year-old gelding Storm is a pig pop. To make a pig pop, you take a freezable container and fill it with apples, carrots, bananas, grapes and peppermints (or whatever your horse prefers) and then top it with water, juice or Gatorade, leaving enough room for freezing without overflow. You freeze it until solid (normally overnight) and then dump it in a feed trough and let them go to town. It works as enrichment and as a cool treat.
Debby Moore Sween, Washington
Hands down...Nature Valley Oats ?N Honey crunchy granola bars...they LOVE them!
Jessica Kuchtenko, Florida
Where I work in the summer is a kid's summer horse camp. Each week's group makes treats for the horses and ponies they ride and the horses absolutely LOVE them! It is pretty fun because we chop up carrots and apples, put it with granola and some grain, then scoop it into ice cream cones before going out to the pastures to feed all the horses and ponies. The kids love it, I love it, and the horses probably think of it as their favorite part of each week!
Source: Practical Horseman magazine
Oh, by gosh, by golly
It's time for mistletoe and holly.
While spreading cheer to your equine friends, don’t forget to treat yourself to a little something under the tree. Below, are some ideas for self-indulgence, equestrian style.
A Horse of a Different Color
This 3D-Illusion LED lamp can shape light into the image of a horse head, creating an optical illusion of depth. What’s more, it changes color fully seven times. Eco-friendly, and low energy consumption, it’s great for children and for the child within us all. Available for $13.99 at Amazon Prime.
HORSE-OPOLY
Nowhere does nostalgia hold sway over people’s emotions than it does during the holidays, and no one parlays that sentiment into market value quite like the drivers of retail.
Toy manufacturers in particular are infusing the reassuring familiarity of yesteryear with a fresh new twist. For example: Mattel’s Hot Wheels, once so popular in the ‘60s, is roaring back under the tree with its 50-car pack; Hasbro is banking on a Nerf gun comeback; and the classic, 3D-action-adventure platformer game Super Mario 64 is exceeding all expectations, becoming one of the hottest selling video games of the season.
What’s an equestrian to do?
Fear not, Horse-Opoly is here and appears to be a genuine chip off the old Monopoly block. When once we rolled the dice and took our chances buying and selling real estate, building houses and hotels on Park Avenue, today, we’ve only to put our saddle token on the board to renew our quest of becoming the richest player in town. Land on ‘get bucked’ and you lose; collect $200 when you pass GIDDYUP. Try not to get stuck paying the farrier. Using horses, barns and stables as currency, Horse-Opoly manages to slip in some fun facts about Shetland ponies, Percherons and Friesians and others, giving the game an educational twist.
Oh, jingle bells, jingle bells, Jingle all the way
Made of solid brass hardware, this jingle bell lead shank is printed on a polyester braid, then sewn onto 2 and 3 layers of accenting nylon. From: Red Haute Horse Equine Fashion. Price: $27.99 (Made in the U.S.)
Available at: www.redhautehorse.com/jingle-bells-high-fashion-horse-lead/
MAVERICK: For the Person Who Has Everything
For the person who has everything—here’s Maverick, a Missouri Foxtrotter in need of a home. According to his bio, provided by the Middleburg Humane Foundation, this lovely paint, a former trail horse, is “a follower but definitely holds his own.”
To help keep Maverick from having a blue Christmas contact Frank Bartol at flbartol@comcast.net
Day Tripper
Call time out from the hardscrabble politics of late and take a day trip to Mount Vernon, the home of our first president. Reconnect with your American roots, stroll the peaceful riverfront plantation that once belonged to George Washington. Tour his 16-sided treading track where he trotted his horses over wheat brought in from the fields, see how an equine’s pummeling footsteps could separate the valuable seeds from their hulls. Visit the General’s blacksmith shop, visit his tomb, his gristmill, the dock, see his tack, his saddle racks, his carriage and stable where he kept Old Nelson and Blueskin, his beloved war horses who carried him through the revolution, cannons roaring in their ears.
To the left is Old Nelson, Washington’s favorite. Considered bomb proof, the 16-hand chestnut was a “splendid charger” according to observers, who would "run, neighing, to the fence, proud to be caressed by the great master's hands" whenever he visited him in the field at his plantation, according to Mary Thompson, research historian, Mount Vernon Estate and Gardens.
Enjoy a meal at Mount Vernon’s atmospheric, period restaurant. The Inn is open every day of the year, including Christmas and New Year. Raise a glass to the man who helped frame this land in greatness, back when a diverse American citizenry held to the common ideology of a republic governed entirely by the tenets of freedom.
The plantation, situated along the banks of the Potomac River, is located at 3200 Mount Vernon Memorial Hwy., Mount Vernon, Va., in Alexandria. Leashed dogs are welcomed on the property. Washington loved animals. Do check the website for guidelines.
For those unable to visit the plantation, an interesting and thorough virtual tour is available for free at: www.mountvernon.org/site/virtual-tour/
The Richmond Mounted Squad
They're the oldest police unit of its kind in the Old Dominion. Of all the holiday events now assuming their place across the Virginia stage, it is perhaps the Blessing of the Horses I most appreciate. Continuing a tradition that began in Boston a century ago, multitudes of people have once again gathered in Richmond’s fountain square to publicly acknowledge their debt to those who faithfully serve our material and emotional needs. Be they police horses, other work horses, pleasure horses, search and rescue dogs, companion animals in nursing homes or our own personal, devoted pets, they are the gifts who keep on giving.
I am grateful to the Friends of the Richmond Mounted Squad for giving us just cause to assemble each December and show our gratitude to the source of so much comfort and joy.
Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
- Catherine Macaulay
Don’t Let Your Trees Be Victims of the Mulch Volcano
Most farm owners know the basics of horse manure management and composting. But when it comes to mulching, some of us lay it on a bit too thick. It’s called the “volcano” effect and it can cause some troublesome side effects for your trees.
We’ve all seen them—those long-suffering trees with their trunks mulched halfway up to their lower boughs. It’s much like seeing an over blanketed horse sweltering under a full body suit of protective clothing.
In our desire to shield tree roots and shrubs from savage heat and winter freezes, we can pile it on too thickly, creating the opposite effect of what we’re trying to achieve—harming rather than helping a tree’s natural systems. By trapping too much moisture around the base of the tree, bacteria and fungus are given an ideal medium to grow. Furthermore, a thick layer of mulch can draw in insects looking for shelter.
In order to not overdo your mulching this fall, the Virginia Cooperative Extension offers a few tips:
-
Place one inch of compost around trees and shrubs. Cover with a mulch of shredded pine needles, straw, bark chips, or leaves two to three inches deep. The humic acid from the compost and decomposing mulch will penetrate the soil and change its structure. This help retain moisture, aerates the soil and improves its fertility.
-
Pull the mulch several inches away from around the base of the tree, forming it into the shape of a doughnut. This prevents wet mulch from touching the trunk. Mulch a diameter of four to five feet around the tree’s base, extending to its drip line.
In short, don’t smother or skimp when mulching your landscape. Give everyone the help they need to survive the winter, but do allow them to breathe.
For questions or for more information, contact the Virginia Cooperative Extension at 703-777-0373, https://ext.vt.edu
Miohippus (meaning "small horse") was a genus of prehistoric horse existing longer than most Equidae. Miohippus species are commonly referred to as the three-toed horses.
Less is More When it Comes to the Horse
An article recently appeared in Britain’s Royal Society B magazine that bore out what every equestrian is hugely grateful for—namely that Equus has evolved into the well-balanced animal of today courtesy of a single-toed hoof, the likes of which first emerged onto Earth’s landscape around five million years ago.
Modeling fossils from 12 kinds of extinct horse and then simulating the trotting, galloping and jumping motions on their legs, researchers at Harvard University were able to piece together Equus’ rise from his humble, three-toed origins to the peaceable grazer of today whose sizeable frame is balanced on a single-digit load-bearing hoof capable of absorbing the hard percussions of upper-level dressage movements, supporting hard lands over jumps and punishing furlongs.
There’s nobody like today’s sport horse in the animal kingdom. Evolved from the 55-million-year-old family tree of Equidae, the horse is the foundation for the vast network of equestrian disciplines enjoyed by millions of five-toed human beings, singlehandedly creating an industry that, according to the American Horse Council Foundation, generates $10.6 billion in racing, $10.8 billion in showing and $11.8 in recreation—all disciplines and levels of enjoyment based upon a common footwork. Proof indeed, that less really is more.
ESSAY
Confessions of a Weed Whacker
by Catherine Macaulay
I detest weeds, if only on principle. Employing an aggressiveness better suited to a hostile corporate takeover than to a tidy country farm where fruit trees line the drive, weeds spread their greed via rhizomes, stolons, tubers, bulbs, seeds and tentacle roots, shooting them across the subterranean landscape in numbers too vast to count. By nature, they want it all—soil, water, nutrients.
Unfortunately, upon arriving at my former home in Tryon, NC, I found every type of weed imaginable grubbing off my pastures—sedges, grasses, dicots, perennials, biennials and annuals. But then a brochure came in the mail from the Polk County Agriculture Extension Service,advertising an educational seminar on pasture management.
That morning, I arrived at the lecture hall ready to soak up all knowledge about ridding myself of these unsavory types. The woman seated behind the registration desk smiled at me, then politely inquired if I were licensed.
A Great Day at Great Meadow
By Catherine Macaulay, Editor
The day before the 2016 Virginia Gold Cup it rained, one of those lengthy downpours that saturates the ground and dampens a person’s spirits. Surely, the going would be slow on Saturday, the fields at Great Meadow waterlogged from the 4 ½ inches of rain that fell in the prior week. Attendees would surely be dressed in subdued colors befitting the dreary weather.
How wrong I was. They came in vast numbers, everyone wearing color, color and more color, arriving at The Plains by private jet from Dulles, in carpools from Washington, D.C., by bus from New York—an astounding diversity of race goers from an immensity of regions, all prepared to navigate a day so brilliantly delivered by volunteers and staff.
Nothing it seemed could dampen an atmosphere enlivened by jockeys in racing silks and thoroughbreds charging over the fields, mud flying. Gates opened at 10 a.m., and by noon the morning’s gray had fallen away to a carefree blue, as befitting the 91st running, held annually on the first Saturday of May. There were hat contests and terrier exhibitions, parimutuel betting and browsing of the retail tents. Open tailgates revealed some truly delectable feasts.
As always, the Gold Cup made great sport of the day, delivering classic Virginia racing to the cheering crowd who came to see a mixed card of steeplechasing and running on the flat, the Gold Cup’s $100,000 purse matched only by the Maryland Hunt Cup for timber racing.
This year’s feature event delivered pure gold for Irvin Naylor of Butler, Md., whose Irish-bred horse, Ebanour, carried Naylor’s green and yellow silks into the winner’s circle. Naylor also took away third in the same feature race, his 10-yr-old Personal Brew holding on for third.
The sun was shining for Naylor also in the David H. Semmes Memorial $75,000 hurdle (Gr. 2), his Irish bred Charminster pulling away from the others in a race that covered two miles and one furlong. (See photo at top right.)
Naylor graciously claimed he got lucky, but Cyril Murphy, who trained both wins that day, told Don Clippinger of the National Steeplechase Association’s News that “if he didn’t handle the ground today, he never would.”
What a day, what a party. If you didn’t get to go, enjoy the photo gallery to the right.
photos by Barry Rosenberg
All bets are on the Virginia Gold Cup
Spring is here, time for the 91st running of the Virginia Gold Cup, traditionally set for the first Saturday in May at Great Meadow in The Plains, Va.
Considered the highlight of American steeplechasing, ranked alongside the Maryland Hunt Cup, this champagne sporting event brings together some of the country’s finest horses for an exciting day of racing over hurdles, timber and on the flat.
The theme of this year’s event, "Then and Now," reflects a competition whose roots are planted squarely in old Virginia hunt country. Dating back to 1922, the event began when a group of Virginia sportsmen organized a four-mile race between flags over the natural fences of Fauquier County.
In keeping with the organizers’ aim of drawing “the best hunters in America,” the Gold Cup continues to bring great chasers to Virginia largely through the efforts of Arthur Arundel, a Virginia newspaperman, philanthropist and conservationist. Arundel had bought a 500-acre site on an abandoned farm near The Plains slated for development, and rallied the support of like-minded individuals to the cause of establishing a permanent venue for the event.
Of his accomplishment, Arundel said simply “what this generation and t-he Virginia Gold Cup are doing at Great Meadow is driven by harmony with its community, its traditions and its environment.”
His gift to the Virginia sport-horse community remains his legacy, and a continuing source of enjoyment to the more than 50,000 outdoor enthusiasts who come each year for a very special day in May.
Gates open at 10 a.m., with the first race set for 12:30 p.m. Make sure to watch the Jack Russell Terrier races at 11:30 a.m., and consider participating in the hat contest, judged at 2:15 p.m., in the paddock. Categories will include:
1. Best racing theme
2. Funniest/Most Outrageous
3. Most Glamorous/Elegant
4. Best Child (under 18)
5. Best men’s showing
Children 12 and under admitted free of charge when accompanied by an adult. For ticket sales information and directions, call 540.347.2612, or go to the Virginia Gold Cup website at http://vagoldcup.com.
Arthur Arundel
ART AND THE ANIMAL
* * * * *
The National Sporting Library & Museum in Middleburg, VA, will be the final 2015 venue to host Art and Animal, the 54th annual Society of Animal Artists traveling exhibition. Sixty paintings, works on paper and sculptures of domestic and wild animals were chosen by the SAA selection jury to represent the Society's almost 500 members. The exhibition runs through Aug 30.
The opening reception is Saturday, April 25, 2015, from 5-7 pm. NSLM and SAA members free/$5 non-members. Contact amckay@nsl.org or 540-6876542 #24.
Bella by Rikki Morley Saunders. Life size Lurcher laying, 2013, bronze, 18"H x 39.75"L x 14.75"W. Edition of 28.
ESSAY
Clothes Horse
By Catherine Macaulay
I wasn’t born a horse lover. Growing up, it was my older sister who held that distinction. Right from the start, Mary had the gift. She understood their sacred language, found pleasure in their company and accepted them for the magnificent creatures they are.
I can still picture her astride that big, black thoroughbred who was her favorite, her innocent face beaming, covered in a smile. But then, horses and Mary were one world. For her, there was no better way to spend a day than climbing aboard her bicycle and peddling down the back roads to the local riding stable.
In contrast, I was content to rig twine about the handlebars of my bike in order to simulate reins and with crop in hand take off toward the lake, clearing imaginary verticals and double oxers along the way. I preferred cats, played with dolls, dressed prettily, attended her horse shows and climbed into the irons only occasionally, and only then aboard King—a sullen pony with no particular attributes save his naturally low clearance between the ground and me.
Things might have continued that way had Mary not urged me to scale greater heights, a suggestion to which I stupidly agreed, being the kid sister always tagging along for the ride. Before I knew it, I found myself perched atop a majestic-looking dapple gray horse named Sharman, struggling to hold onto my courage—that is until I caught sight of myself in the riding school mirror. It was then that I realized that I could look pretty good elevated in such a fashion, provided the horse was standing still.
Virginia Trainer Honored by United States Equestrian Foundation
Bruce Griffin and Elis GV, USEF National Horse of the Year. Photo Credit: Jon McCarthy Photography
Virginia trainer Bruce Griffin was recently awarded the Barbara Worth Oakford Trophy for excellence in western pleasure from the United States Equestrian Foundation, (USEF). This marks the third time the Gretna-based rider has been named the USEF Equestrian of Honor.
“We are so blessed,” said Griffin, of Griffin Sport Horses, LLC in a statement.
Griffin has cause to feel doubly proud of his accomplishments this year. Elis GV, the
Friesian he helped bring to 11 World and Grand National Championships in 2014 was named USEF National Horse of the Year. The black, 2009 gelding (by Mintse 384 out of Berber Fan’t Nije Libben), is the first homebred for owners Beth and Jim Kornegay of Grandview Farm in New Smyrna, Fl.
Elis GV’s victories reflect a variety of disciplines that match Griffin’s own versatile career including wins in dressage, dressage hack, English show hack, hunter pleasure, western pleasure, western dressage, carriage pleasure driving, sport horse in hand, trail in hand, and working trail.
From Saddlebred to Virginia bred, from trainer to competitive rider, it’s Griffin’s career as a professional handler that’s most notably carved out the Virginia horseman’s reputation. According to an article that appeared in the American Trakehner Association’s Dec. 2009 newsletter, Griffin is a ‘gifted’ handler, the first American to be invited to handle stallions for the Hengstenkeurings in Holland, an event to which he continues to return, reportedly with a style that brings out the ‘magic’ in a horse. Over his 50-yr career preparing and presenting Friesians and Warmbloods, Griffin has won numerous top shows and championships here and on foreign soil. He’s twice been awarded the USEF Norm K. Dunn Trophy for Excellence in Halter.
“Starting young horses to ride and drive is my passion!” he wrote on his website. “I grew up around walking horses, then began going to Gail Peterson’s Saddlebred/Arabian barn after school. Later, I continued my work with Arabians under the tutelage of Jeff Wonnell. Jeff, along with Barbara Cross, gave me my start in the Friesian world.
“I have been blessed with owners who believe in me and with talented horses that make me look good. The opportunity to work with a variety of breeds over the years has greatly enhanced my skills. Working with my wife and children in our family business and showing off our hard work in the show ring, where we have accumulated numerous national titles in multiple disciplines, is a dream come true.”
The Virginia Horse Council Seeks Award Nominations for Equestrian Leaders in the State
Horses represent a significant industry to Virginia. According to the Virginia Department of Agriculture, horses have an annual economic impact of $1.2 billion, its 215,000 equines and 41,000 equine operations combined, serving the Commonwealth by creating jobs, boosting tourism, stimulating retail sales and pumping more than $65.3 million into state and local coffers by way of taxes.
Yet, none of this would be possible without those Virginians who devote their time, efforts and expertise into serving our horse industry, many without fanfare or compensation.
The Virginia Horse Council is seeking nominations for its Annual Awards program. Please take a moment to nominate someone you believe to be deserving of recognition. It isn’t necessary to be a member of the Council to nominate an individual, group or business. The deadline for nominations is Feb. 3., for the following categories:
Lifetime Service Award—Open to anyone who has given more than 20 years of service to the Virginia horse industry and who has demonstrated a lifetime of commitment to advancing the industry, in tangent with the goals of the Virginia Horse Council.
Horseman/Horsewoman of the Year—A member of the Virginia horse community who has been actively involved with the industry for more than five years and who has made a significant contribution to improve and develop the industry in the Commonwealth in tangent with the goals of the Council.
Legislator of the Year—A legislator on the state or national level who has championed legislation for, or who has worked to, promote the Virginia horse industry. Or, who has taken a public stand against legislation that could be detrimental to the industry, and who has worked cooperatively with the Virginia Horse Council in these efforts.
Veterinarian of the Year—An equine veterinarian who has consistently striven to attain the betterment of the industry and who has provided “above the norm” dependable service to his/her clients. Can be in the fields of research, academia, or active practice.
Volunteer of the Year—A member of the Virginia horse community who has advanced the Virginia horse industry and/or devoted more than 10 hours of service to further the mission of the Council.
Trails Development—An individual, group, or government entity that advances the development, use, and protection of trails for riding.
Virginia Equine Group—An established breed, discipline, or riding organization that has achieved major growth or accomplishments to benefit the entire Virginia horse industry. These can include: breed recognition, growth in membership, or the conducting of a significant industry event.
Industry Support (business or company)—Any business, group or organization that consistently works to support the Virginia horse industry and the Council and who also works to foster the growth of the industry in the Commonwealth.
Industry Service (individual contribution)—An individual who consistently works to support the Virginia horse industry and who also works to foster the growth of the industry in the Commonwealth.
Award winners will be announced at the Council’s annual meeting at the Virginia Horse Festival, March 27-29, at Meadow Event Park in Doswell, Va. The Virginia Horse Council, a non-profit organization based in Blacksburg,Va., works to promote and improve the horse industry in Virginia, and represents all breeds.
For more information or to obtain a nomination form, go to virginiahorsecouncil.org.
You're not getting older, you’re getting better
Beezie Madden, 51, was named Rider of the Year by the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF)—America’s first rider to win the award four times.
The honor follows a record-making season cut short by a broken collarbone that took Madden out of the action for six weeks. Yet, aboard the scopey Cortes ‘C’, a 2002 Belgian Warmblood, recently named USEF International Horse of the Year, the New York-based rider bounced back in winning form.
“The horses I’ve had have brought me to where I m today,” said Madden, accepting the award.
Madden, who began riding at three in Milwaukee, Wi., today possesses more titles than Britain’s Prince Charles and continues to build herself an Olympian resume at a time when other competitors are winding down. Below is an excerpt from an interview with Madden when she was 48, conducted by More.com. In it, she discusses the importance of keeping fit.
More: So age is an advantage and not a disadvantage?
BM: You need a lot of experience in my sport to do well so, yes, age is an advantage. You need a lot of skills, and by this I don't mean just competing with your horse inside the ring. You also need to find private sponsors who can support you. You also need to find the right horse and then train it for at least five years before a big event such as the Olympics.
More: Do you find yourself training harder to keep up with the younger athletes, or is it the other way around?
BM: Sure, you worry a little more about your physical appearance as you get older, but because I do so much riding all of the time it keeps me just as fit as anyone out there.
More: What is your exercise and diet routine for staying so fit?
BM: I eat healthy. I don’t follow a strict diet because I travel about 330 days a year. When you are on the road you have to make do with what you have. But I always look for the healthy choices. As for exercise, I ride up to six times a week, and, depending on my schedule I go either early in the morning or at night for a workout. During the months I am in Wellington, Florida, there is a trainer I work with three days a week.
More: Is finding the right horse like finding a husband? Do you have to sift through a lot of them until you find the perfect one for you?
BM: (Laughs) Oh yeah. We travel all over the world and have people looking all over the place for that perfect young horse. When a scout says, ‘come look at this one’, I think we buy maybe one out of 20 that we meet. However, not every relationship works out. Maybe 2out of 10 relationships work out and then make it to a high-level competition such as the Olympics.
More: Even though you didn’t win a medal, do you still feel like a kid, going to the Olympics?
BM: Age is a state of mind. The worst thing you can do is not stay active.
For the full interview go to: http://www.more.com/beezie-madden-olympics
Beezie Madden and Cortes ‘C’—a powerful combination at any age. Photo credit: USEF.
Also competing at any age...
68-year-old Ian Millar, affectionately known as “Captain Canada” leaps across any age barrier following a recent win at the $50,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty Grand Prix CSI 2* aboard Ariel and Susan Grange’s Dixson during week two of the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). In a five-horse jump-off, Millar and Dixson topped the class by 2/100s of a second over Brianne Goutal (USA) and Remarkable Farms LP’s Zernik.
They will be missed
An honor roll of the equestrians we lost recently
Let’s take a final glance back through the looking glass and remember some of the wonderful horse people that the Old Dominion lost recently. They will be missed.
MELVIN POE: Huntsman
Foxhunting’s beloved and knowledgeable huntsman passed away at his home at Ozark Farm in Hume, Va., last year. The Fauquier County native was both a colorful and reliable fixture on the Virginia hunt field, having hunted with the Old Dominion Hounds, the Orange County Hounds and the Bath County Hounds—the latter a private pack established by the late George L. Ohrstrom, Jr., in 1992. So vast was Poe’s breadth of knowledge about foxhunting and so amusing were his anecdotes that hunt people the world over turned to him regularly for his thoughts on the sport. Poe continued hunting his own pack of hounds almost up until his death at age 94. Photo by Betsy Burke Parker.
THOMAS VOSS: Steeplechase trainer
Described as “half-grumpy, half-cheerful, half-aloof, half-rich, half-poor and all horseman,” by Joe Clancy of The Outside Rail, steeplechase trainer Tom Voss of Monkton, Md., died suddenly at age 63. Having won five National Steeplechase championship titles as leading trainer of the year, Voss was known and respected as someone who could train both flat and steeplechase runners. He once told the Baltimore Sun that "there is more action in steeplechase races, but there are more chances to race in flat races. I get the same kick out of both." Yet, it was the latter that provided Voss with his runaway success. Among the top horses he trained was 2010 Eclipse Award steeplechase champion Slip Away. In 2012, he won the National Hunt Cup at the Radnor Hunt Races with Ballet Boy. His other notable horses include John's Call, Quel Senor, Your Sum Man, Florida Law and Welter Weight. Voss’s training standards and practices will be carried on by his daughter, Elizabeth, who has stepped into the role created by the absence of her father, keeping the family training operation, along with its racing initials, intact. Photo by Lydia A. Williams.
Learning to ‘Hit the Hay’ Midday
Horses are polyphasic sleepers, which means they sleep for short periods throughout the day. Studies reveal that upon average, an adult horse generally sleeps for up to three hours each day, both upright and lying down. Cats too, are polyphasic sleepers, which I suspect, is where the term ‘cat nap’ was derived from.
Humans, on the other hand, are part of the minority of monophasic sleepers whose days fall into two distinct periods—one for sleep, the other spent in an awakened state. Today’s accelerated lifestyle, however, seems to be stressing out we monophasics, encroaching on our valuable sleep time, the result being that, as a nation, the United States is becoming increasingly more sleep deprived.
Perhaps it’s time to take a cue from our horses, dogs and cats and join the more than 85% of mammalian species who’ve long ago mastered the art of getting through the day by the polyphasic way. The benefits are not insubstantial. Naps can increase one’s alertness and performance, according to the National Sleep Foundation. A study conducted by NASA on sleepy military pilots and astronauts found that a 40-minute nap improved performance by 34% and alertness by 100%.
To aid in the catnapping effort, the Polyphasic Society has generously mapped out a list of guidelines. They are as follows:
-
Take short naps from between 15-26 minutes. If you awaken feeling groggy, you’ve slept too long. Short naps should leave one feeling refreshed and rested.
-
Nap at the same time every day. The stricter the schedule, the greater the chance of success.
-
Shut off electronic devices, dim the lights, stay away from the computer screen.
-
Practice. Sleeping during the day takes a committed effort. Don’t expect results overnight. Above all, don’t stress. The whole idea is to relax your mind and body.
Scroll through the Photo Gallery
IN HONOR OF the first National Law Enforcement Appreciation Day, VirginiaHorseCountry.com would like to acknowledge the Richmond Police Department, Mounted Unit Squad, the oldest police unit of its kind in the Commonwealth, along with other Virginia law enforcement professionals who serve and protect us all. Caps off to: Sergeant John Barkley, Officer in charge of the mounted unit; Officer Dawn Lehmann Nunnally; Officer Amanda Acuff, and; Officer Freddie Mason.
January Calendar of Events
Exhibition/Trade Show
January 16-18 - The 19th Annual Maryland Horse World Expo
A three-day extravaganza of horse activities that offers a Parade of Breeds, a consumer trade show, demonstrations, and educational forums with speakers such as the Virginia-based eventer Stephen Bradley, dressage instructor and competitor Jane Savoie; natural horsemanship creator Pat Pareli, and others. Held at the Maryland State Fairgrounds in Timonium, Md. For more info go to www.horseworldexpo.com.
Seminars
January 13 - "Managing Pastures to Optimize Horse and Environmental Health"
The Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center will begin its 2015 Tuesday Talks lecture series with Dr. Bridgett McIntosh, an Equine Extension Specialist for Virginia Tech Animal and Poultry Sciences, providing horse owners and horse professionals with valuable insight and practical advice. Set for 7 p.m. in the Equine Medical Center’s library at 17690 Old Waterford Road Leesburg, Va. Contact Sharon Peart at 703-771-6842 or speart@vt.edu for reservations or more information.
January 16 - “Equine Emergencies: What Every Horse Owner Should Know”
Morven Park is presenting a free seminar on how to best respond to a horse’s medical emergency. Dr. Jay Joyce, owner of Total Equine Veterinary Associates of Leesburg, and an expert in lameness diagnosis and treatment, will offer a hands-on demonstration on bandaging and wound wraps and show how to put together an equine first aid kit. Set for 7-9 p.m., the seminar will be at the Morven Park Equestrian Center’s Hofmann classroom, 41793 Tutt Lane, Leesburg. For more info, email ldoyle@morvenpark.org. Photo: Thomas A. Judd.
In related Employment news, a search is now underway for a full-time director of the Marion duPont Scott Equine Medical Center. For details go to: https://listings.jobs.vt.edu/postings/53336
Upcoming
Mark your calendar for spring when riders from across the East Coast head to the Omni Homestead Resort in Hot Springs, Va., for the Virginia Trail Riders Spring Competition, set for April 8-11. There are three categories in which to ride: a 3-day 100 mile competition; a 3-day 50 mile competition, and; a pleasure ride. With 40 stalls available, entries will be taken on a first-come first-serve basis. The $250 entry fee includes s stall for five days and initial bedding. For more info contact Carol Easter at 434-984-1212 or springhavenfarm@comcast.net.
Shows/Clinics
January 17 - Hunter Show/LTD Horse Show
Morven Park indoor arena. For information, go to www.Ltdhorseshows.weebly.com or email threeshoesfarm@gmail.com.
January 18 - Cassanova-Warrenton Pony Club Clinic
Morven Park Equestrian Center, Leesburg, Va.
For more info, go to http://www.morvenpark.org/programs/equestrian.html.
January 23-24 - Pat Ebersole Cavaletti and Gymnastics Clinic
Morven Park Equestrian Center, Leesburg. For more info, go to http://www.morvenpark.org/programs/equestrian.html.
January 31 - VADA/Nova Unmounted Clinic with Debbie Rodriguez
Best Western Hotel, 726 East Market St. Leesburg. For more info, go to www.vadanova.org.
Equestrian humor at: www.CatherineMacaulay.com
New Year’s Day foal
An endangered Grevy’s zebra colt was born at the Denver Zoo in Colorado on New Year’s Day, and according to zookeepers, he’s "doing great". A spokesperson from the zoo said the colt had yet to be brought outdoors for the first time, citing concerns over the recent cold snap that delivered snow and ice across the turnout yard.
Spoken like a true horse owner.
Get ready for the sport of skikjöring
The White Turf Races at St. Moritz
This year, I am departing from my usual rehash of tiresome resolutions that habitually make me feel badly about myself. Instead of resolving to work harder, lose weight, work out my body or re-evaluate my financial fitness I’ve decided to simply be fabulous in St. Moritz, watching the horses compete at the 2015 International White Turf races—albeit, virtually.
Take a moment to flip through the slideshow, travel the snow-covered hillsides, and get caught up in the whirl of talented horses making incredible sport in Switzerland. Allow yourself a fleeting, mental sojourn from the barn chores and the endless ‘to do’ lists that stretch clear through to spring. Join me on a trip to the White Turf equestrian games in Switzerland. At best, it’s an experience of pure light, at the very least, a reprieve from January’s universal dreariness.
Click here for the story and photo gallery of the White Turf Races.
Editor's Note
Klinger, a newly retired horse of the Caisson Platoon of the 3d United States Infantry, served in more than 5,000 full honor military funerals at Arlington National Ceremony. The Morgan-Percheron cross, known as the “gentle giant” also worked in programs for wounded veterans and with TAPS, a national nonprofit veterans service organization to help families of fallen soldiers. Klinger, A Story of Honor and Hope by Betsy Beard, is an award-winning children’s fictional book written about him.
America the Brave and its Horses of War
A horse-drawn delivery of a 20-ft fir tree pulled up to the White House just recently, hallmarking a 92-year old Christmas tradition that dates back to 1923 and President Calvin Coolidge, who ushered in America’s first national Christmas celebration with a call for patriotism backed by the U.S. Marine Corps Band and a local choir. The 48-ft-tree was appropriately festooned with 2,500 multi-colored electric lights all plugged into a hopefully reliable source.
Times change. The height of the White House Christmas tree was downsized in 2008. Its lights became more energy efficient LEDs. Today, a person need not even travel to D.C., to admire the lights as anyone with a computer can view the 2014 National Christmas tree lighting ceremony on demand. This holiday season, American girls are being empowered to design their very own White House tree at www.madewithcode.com, which reportedly inspires future leaders to pursue their exclusive dreams with code. I’d write more about it, but I can’t figure it out. The whole thing seems to be written in code for a younger generation.
Yet for all the change some things, sadly, remain the same. The theme of this year’s White House Christmas tree ceremony was entitled “America the Brave,” an enduring commentary about the ever-presence of war. Trimmed with ornaments made by military children living on U.S. military bases all over the world, many of the decorations are cards with simple thank you notes written to soldiers serving overseas.
Some of those who’ve fallen have made the final ride to Arlington National Cemetery escorted by the Caisson Platoon of the 3d U.S. Infantry. Based in Ft. Myer, Va., the Old Guard, as they are called, escort departed soldiers from all branches of the military to their final destination amid a solemn, steady clip clop of hooves.
Across metropolitan Washington, D.C., horses are working for the military community through a variety of equine-assisted programs: the Northern Virginia Therapeutic Riding Program, the Therapeutic & Recreational Riding Center, Loudoun Therapeutic Riding, the Rainbow Therapeutic Riding Center and Maryland Therapeutic Riding. Through the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS), in Arlington, Va., horses are put to use helping children deal with the grief of losing a loved one that has served in the military.
Times have indeed changed. Through revolution, civil war and world wars, horses have dutifully remained our beasts of burden and helped to keep our country free. And they continue now as simple healers, their very presence serving as a gift of dignity and reassurance to those wounded psyches suffering from the trauma of war—fellow soldiers who stand in tribute to those who’ve given their lives in battle.
I would place one final note on the White House tree, addressed to America’s warhorse, the words, “thank you”, written on it.
Catherine Macaulay
Editor/Publisher
VirginiaHorseCountry.com
A Virginia Rose and a Horse on the Mongolian landscape
A few months back, a 32-year-old year old aerospace engineer from Culpepper, Va. named Rose Sandler took off from Dulles Airport heading East toward the longest horse race on earth, the 621-mile Mongol Derby—a grueling test of a rider’s physical fitness and mental toughness.
Set against the harsh, Mongolian landscape, the equestrian challenge is riding in the extreme, one that pits amateur and professional contestants from around the world against an elemental challenge of extreme heat, rugged territory and a sudden, fierce, upwelling of storms, each contestant struggling to recreate the unforgiving life of a 13th century Mongolian pony express rider aboard small, feisty horses that lend dimension to the word “go”.
Consisting of a series of 25 relay stations placed along an unmarked route, riders navigate their way along the unmarked terrain using a GPS marker, switching mounts every 25 miles, an ocean apart from traditional horse racing and endurance riding, and a world away from anything in a rider’s lexicon of experience. For 10 grueling days, Sandler would immerse herself in the culture of the nomad, sleeping in the wood and felt tents of Mongolian herders, eating mutton and drinking fermented mare’s milk. Amid this unforgiving landscape, where nothing and no one is spared, she could rely on a tough sure-footed breed of horse that’s shaped the character of every Mongolian herdsman over the centuries, every nomadic tribe forced to war against the elements to survive. Allowed just 11 pounds of gear, the determined Virginian packed a whole lot of try.
“Rose is always up for anything,” said friend and mentor Rosie Campbell, Master of Foxhounds of Virginia’s Bull Runt Hunt. “She’s always willing to do new things. She’s brave and reliable, rides well on the flat and over a jump.”
Sandler had already hurdled the first challenge, having been selected from among 400 applicants worldwide—all seeking to meet the test being put to them by The Adventurists, a London-based company founded by Tom Morgan. Billed as the antidote to what Morgan claims is the tame adventure travel of today, the Mongol Derby takes adventure to the extreme while raising funds for charitable causes around the globe. Proceeds from this year’s race went to Cool Earth, a charity that supports the preservation of the Brazilian Rainforest.
Deplaning at Mongolia’s capital, Ulaanbaatar, her kit and saddle in tow, Sandler was completely on her own. Under the weight limit, her high entry fee paid, she’d arrived ready to compete in a field of 48 riders, prepared to go to the edge.
By Catherine Macaulay
Related...
A horse's happy roll immortalized in stone
In a find straight out of Antiques Roadshow, a British woman recently discovered her late husband’s jade horse sculpture purchased in 1962 for 900 Hong Kong dollars was worth considerably more than she’d imagined during one of the public evaluations routinely held by Britain’s Mallams Auctioneers in Cheltenham, England.
Three telephone bidders later, the hammer fell at an auction price of £170,000 pounds for a piece of equestrian artistry just 8 cm in length. The horse, seemingly captured in mid-roll, dates back to the Ming dynasty (1368-1644).
One can only imagine why the horse was kicking up his heels. Perhaps at being born in a period marked by overall economic prosperity and stability, allowing the peaceable nature of Equus to labor in the fields rather than go hoofing it off to war. The preceding Yuan dynasty would also have given the horse cause to roll, the Mongol emperor, Kublai Kahn, having unified the disparate, warring territories of China and beyond into a relatively peaceful co-existence—relative being the key operative word.
But had the poor horse been foaled during Kublai’s grandfather’s rein, likely his future prospects wouldn’t have thrilled him. Genghis Kahn, a tough kid from a tough district in Mongolia, recognized the same resiliency in the Mongol horse and decided to parlay that stamina and strength into his dream to unite the Mongol tribes and conquer Russia to the north and China to the south.
Genghis Kahn’s mounted campaign literally ran the opposition off its collective feet. His army’s cavalry horses could travel further, run faster, subsist on less forage, were better bred for the rigors of war than were their counterparts in Asia. So intrepid were his small, nimble steeds, so skilled his herdsmen in the saddle and so brilliant the guerilla raiding tactics that following a mere 25 years of empire-building, Genghis netted himself a land grab that surpassed even Rome’s sweeping 400-year rule.
Following his victories, the Mongolian leader, who’d been born Temujin, was awarded the name Genghis, which translated, means Universal Ruler. The Mongolian horse needed no such apotheosis, having already been vaulted to a level of spirituality within the Mongol culture. Never one to underestimate his beloved horses in any endeavor, Genghis took no less than 40 of them to his death in 1227, presumably to lift him up onto the spiritual road ahead. Nothing to kick up one’s heels over there.
“Cavalrymen carried a small sword, javelins, body armor, a battle-ax or mace, and a lance with a hook to pull enemies off their horses. The Mongols were devastating in their attacks. Because they could maneuver a galloping horse using only their legs, their hands were free to shoot arrows.” * http://www.biography.com/people/genghis-khan-9308634#synopsis
THE MONGOLIAN HORSE AT WORK. Ulak-kupkari is a popular game in Mongolia where hundreds of men compete on horseback for a goat carcass, which they must drive to the end of the field for a prize. These men were competing to win some live goats. American photojournalist Any Sigveland captured the event with artistry and flair, and was recently awarded the 2014 'Discovery of the Year' at the IPA's International Photography Awards.
Equestrian humor at: www.CatherineMacaulay.com
Photos by Barry Rosenberg
Pope Francis and the animal lover's Christmas gift
Pope Francis gave many Roman Catholic animal lovers the ultimate Christmas gift with his announcement that “Paradise is open to all God’s creatures.”
With those words, the gates of heaven, long closed to even the most beloved pet, swung open in a gesture of compassion and goodwill that would make St. Francis of Assisi, the patron saint of animals, take note. Christian theology has long maintained that animals are devoid of any individual consciousness and reasoning powers, thereby lacking in any immortal soul.
However one poses the immortal question, one thing remains certain, people grieve over the loss of a pet. Giving owners the space to mourn an animal’s passing represents the life’s work of internationally known folk artist Stephen Huneck. Behind the white steeple church of his Dog Chapel in St. Johnsbury, Vermont, flanked by wooden animals, reads a sign “Welcome All Creeds. All Breeds. No Dogmas Allowed.” (Photos to the left.)
Inside the sanctuary, images of friendship are everywhere—they are carved into the pews and etched into the stain glass windows. They are reflected in the thousands of memorial notes pinned to the back wall, each a wish or a thank you to someone’s dear, departed friend.
And yet, somehow, bereavement is transmuted into a celebration of life under Huneck’s skilled hand and natural sense of wit and whimsy. Tragically, the artist took his own life in 2010. To view the online gallery of Stephen Huneck including his wood carvings, prints, and other gifts including his book “Even Bad Dogs Go to Heaven,” go to: www.dogmt.com.
“A man is ethical only when life, as such, is sacred to him, that of plants and animals as well as that of his fellowman, and when he devotes himself helpfully to all life that isin need of help.”
Dr. Albert Schweitzer, physician, humanitarian
"God forbid that I should go to any Heaven in which there are no horses."
R.B. Cunninghame Graham, in a letter to Theodore Roosevelt, 1917
There's no place like home: Holiday Home Tours
HOLIDAYS AT JEFFERSON'S HOME--Monticello, the famed Charlottesville home of Thomas Jefferson, will be open for Holiday Evening Tours from Dec. 19-23, and again, from Dec. 26-30 beginning at 5:30 p.m. The tours offer visitors a rich insight into how the holidays were celebrated in Jefferson’s time. For reservations click on www.monticello.org.
If you can’t take a tour, decompress from the holiday stress with a long, restorative walk along the mountaintop grounds. Jefferson, an avid equestrian and a tireless proponent of exercise, said in his dairy of Aug. 19th, 1785: “Habituate yourself to walk very far. The Europeans value themselves on having subdued the horse to the uses of man. But I doubt whether we have not lost more than we have gained by the use of this animal. No one has occasioned so much the degeneracy of the human body. An Indian goes on foot nearly as far in a day, for a long journey, as an enfeebled white does on his horse, and he will tire the best horses. There is no habit you will value so much as that of walking far without fatigue.”
While at Monticello, walk or drive the mile-long distance over to Mitchie Tavern for lunch. The charming rustic tavern offers a selection of hearty 18th Century recipes. Its wine cellar, located in the gift shop adjacent to the restaurant, reveals the story of Virginia wines and sells a variety of local and regional wines as well as reproductions of colonial dolls, needlework kits, historical documents and pewter cups. Through the month of December, the shop is offering a $10 off coupon for every $50 spent. To print out a coupon click on http://www.michietavern.com/shopping-coupon/
* * * * *
Peel off your barn clothes, leave your muck boots by the door and step into the Christmas spirit with one of the more than 30 home tours available this season. Tour private homes and historic estates, enjoy a Virginia that’s all dressed up and decked out in her old grandeur.
Northern Virginia
Dec. 13 & 14 – Old Town Alexandria Candlelight Tours. Alexandria’s premier historic holiday event blends chocolate and history through special tastings, seasonal decorations, period music and tours highlighting chocolate through time. This year’s tour includes the Carlyle House, Gadsby’s Tavern Museum, and the Lee-Fendall House. Sponsored by Mars Inc., headquartered in Mclean, Va., the tour is self-guided and the sites may be visited in any order. A free shuttle is provided running in a continuous loop between the sites. Admission: $20 adults; $15 seniors; $5 children ages 6-17. For more info, call 703-746-4242.
Dec. 13 - Hillsboro Christmas House Tours. Take a relaxing trip to the quaint countryside of Hillsboro to experience the Christmas in four beautiful, historic homes in town.
Dec. 13, 19, 20, & 21 - Candlelight tours at the Oatlands, from 5-8 p.m. Established by George Carter in 1798, Oatlands Plantation, with its beautiful rolling farmland and exquisite gardens, remains a repository of more than 200 years of American history and culture. Its turned out in its finest during the holiday season. Leesburg.
Dec. 20 – For the first time, Mount Vernon will open its doors for an evening of holiday-themed fireworks and special programs. Step back in time and experience a festive holiday at George Washington’s plantation. Stroll through the historic grounds while being serenaded by local choirs. Watch as colonial artisans demonstrate the 18th-century process of creating chocolate. Visit a winter encampment and meet re-enactors from the First Virginia Regiment. For tickets, call 703-780-2000. For those interested in touring the mansion, Mount Vernon is also joyfully decking the halls for the entire month of December with themed decorations, including 12 Christmas trees, and historical chocolate-making demonstrations.
December - Celebrate the holiday season at historic Airlie House every Friday and Saturday throughout December from 4-8 p.m. Tour the formal gardens, wrapped in thousands of twinkling lights. Enjoy mulled cider and cookies. Free to the public. For more information, call (540) 347-1300. Airlie.
Central Virginia
Dec. to Jan. 4 - Victorian Holidays at Richmond’s historic Maymont Mansion.
Dec. 11, 18, 20 - Candlelight Tours at Poplar Forest, the early home of Thomas Jefferson.
Dec. 12 & 13 - Christmas Candlelight Tour, at James Madison’s Montpelier Station.
Dec. 13 & 14 - "An Old Virginia Christmas at Avoca", the home of Revolutionary patriot Colonel Charles Lynch. Altavista.
Dec. 13 & 14 - Patrick Henry's Colonial Christmas. Celebrate a simple 18th century holiday at Patrick Henry’s beloved “Scotchtown,” in Beaverdam.
Dec. 26 & 27 - Holiday Glitter: Monument Avenue After Dark. Enjoy the festive lights of Richmond’s Monument Avenue on this popular walking tour.
Coastal Virginia
Dec. 12 & 13 - The Historic Olde Towne Holiday Home Tour, Portsmouth City.
Dec. 13, 11:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. - Christmas tours of Shirley Plantation, Virginia’s first plantation. Founded in 1613 and carved out of the Virginia frontier, it has survived Indian uprisings, Bacon's Rebellion, the American Revolution, the American Civil War, and the Great Depression, all under the leadership of one family.
Dec. 20 - James River Plantation Progressive Christmas Candlelight Tour. Christmas past comes to life during this special afternoon in Williamsburg's James River plantation country. Explore history and holiday traditions while touring Piney Grove (1790), Ashland (1835), and Ladysmith (1857). Enjoy the unique collection of Christmas decorations that spans five generations. The tour concludes with hot cider and homemade cookies.
Dec. 20 & 27 - A Candlelight Christmas in Charles City
Dec. to Jan. 1 - Centuries of Christmas at Berkeley Plantation, site of America’s first Thanksgiving and the birthplace of Declaration of Independence signer Benjamin Harrison.
Dec. to Jan. 4 - "A Colonial Christmas" at Jamestown Settlement, the museum of 17th-century Virginia.
Dec. to Jan. 4 - "A Colonial Christmas" at the Yorktown Victory Center, Virginia’s museum of the American Revolution.
Chesapeake Bay
Dec. 13 – 1774 - A Stratford Hall Christmastide, home to four generations of the Lee family.
Dec. 13 & 14 - Christmas on Cockrell's Creek House Tour
Shenandoah Valley
Dec to Jan. 1 - Christmas in the Manse, Woodrow Wilson’s birthplace, Staunton.
Dec. 13 - Fincastle Holiday Home Tour and Marketplace.
Dec. 13 & 14 -Holiday Home Tours in Botetourt County - Towns of Fincastle & Buchanan
Dec. 14 - Candlelight Christmas Home Tour in Buchanan - From porch to parlor, each home on the tour is festively decorated.
Dec. 18 - 23 - Lantern Tours – Enjoy a tour around the museum by lantern light, Staunton.
Horse Bits
PEOPLE ...
* Three Virginians have been newly elected to the National Steeplechasing Association’s 15-member board. They are: Alfred Griffin Jr., director of racing for the Virginia Gold Cup and the International Gold Cup at Great Meadows in The Plains; W. Patrick Butterfield, longtime director of the Foxfield Racing Association in Charlottesville; and Virginia horseman and steeplechaser Charles Strittmatter, owner of Clorevia Farm in Flint Hill.
* Inducted into the Virginia Horse Shows Association Hall of Fame for 2014 are: Jane Womble Gaston, Mr. & Mrs. J.W. Martin Jr., Tommy Serio, Julia Shearer, Max Tappero, along with “Marianna,” owned by Sara West and “Sir Thomson”, owned by Diana Dodge.
* Jeb Hannum, interim executive director of the Virginia Equine Alliance (VEA), was introduced to the Virginia Racing Commission during its recent December meeting. Hannum, a former amateur steeplechase jockey, served as the executive director of the Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association and was also a three-term commissioner to the Pennsylvania Racing Commission.
Based in Warrenton, Va., the newly-formed VEA is a collaboration of the Virginia Horsemen's Benevolent and Protective Association, the Virginia Gold Cup, the Virginia Thoroughbred Association and the Virginia Harness Horsemen's Association, its goal to seek out new racing opportunities within the Commonwealth.
* Elinor MacPhail of Bluemont was just selected to the Eventing 25 Program, making her one of 15 riders from across the country participating in the 2015 season.
LEGISLATION ...
* In early December, the U.S. Senate voted to extend the three-year tax depreciation for racehorse owners. According to the National Thoroughbred Racing Association, the bill extends retroactively through the end of 2014 and includes several provisions that expired or were reduced at the end of 2013. It is expected to pass into law with President Obama’s approval. See more at: http://www.ntra.com/news-media/press-releases/2014/12/16/three-year-tax-depreciation-for-racehorses-passes-congress/#sthash.8QGu016h.dpuf
* Congress also passed several provisions impacting the horse industry in its omnibus appropriations bill, which will fund the government through Sept. 2015. They include:
1. A continued block of horse slaughter in America—The USDA is being prohibited from allocating funds to inspectors at meat processing facilities that slaughter horses, continuing a block that begin in 2005, except for a brief period in 2012 and 2013.
This comes at a time when the European Union (EU), is blocking imports of Mexican horse meat into EU-member countries, citing health safety concerns. The ban, effective March 2015, will affect 28 countries including France, Spain, Portugal, Germany, Italy, Finland, Poland, Belgium, Sweden, Ireland and the UK.
2. A $871.3 million appropriation to APHIS—The Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service is the agency responsible for protecting the U.S. equine industry and responding to contagious equine disease outbreaks. Funding for Equine, Cervid, and Small Rumiant health is set at $19.5 million, the same as FY 2014.
3. A provision to prohibit the Bureau of Land Management from euthanizing healthy wild horses in its care or from selling wild horses or burros that results in their being processed into commercial products.
4. A $697,000 appropriation for the enforcement of the Horse Protection Act, a federal law that prohibits sored horses from participating in shows, exhibitions, sales or auctions. For more info, go to www.horsecouncil.org.
BREEDING
* Deadline to nominate stallions for the American Quarter Horse Association (AQHA), Incentive Fund has been extended to Jan. 31, 2015, without penalty. “We are focusing on ways to improve the Incentive Fund and one of the key recommendations was to reach out to stallion owners and offer them more time to nominate their stallions.” said AQHA Executive vice president Don Treadway, Jr., in a press statement.
* Deadline to register a Virginia-bred is Dec. 31. Submit application to the Virginia Thoroughbred Association at: https://www.vabred.org/virginia-bred-thoroughbred/
RACING
* AQHA announces a new zero-tolerance policy on the bronchodilator Clenbuterol, effective Jan 1, 2016. The medication, traditionally used in horses suffering from respiratory problems, has a history of being abused as an Anabolic steroid replacement when compounded, its muscle building properties capable of enhancing a horse’s performance.
“If we are going to level the playing field, protect our horses, riders and the betting public, taking these steps to ban Clenbuterol completely and work with every racing jurisdiction is what is best for our industry,” said AQHA President Johnny Trotter in a press release. “We owe it to our fans, our horsemen, and, most importantly, for the safety and welfare of our horses to ensure our industry not just survives but grows for future generations.”
Rancho Paseo: Developed by Hall of Fame trainer Wayne Lucas, and owned by weight loss icon Jenny Craig for many years, Microsoft founder Bill Gates bought Rancho Paseana for $18 million.
PROPERTIES/REAL ESTATE
Lady Gaga's $24 million Malibu horse farm: The Mediterranean-style estate features an eight-stall stable, dressage ring and a guest cottage.
Equestrian humor at: www.CatherineMacaulay.com
BLESS THE ANIMALS
The annual Blessing of the Animals will be held Friday, Dec. 12, at noon in Richmond, Va. Horses, llamas, ducks, ferrets, sick cats, and therapy dogs—all are invited. If you can’t bring your pet, tuck a photo in your vest, all will be blessed and thanked for the difference they make in our lives. Meet the officers and horses of the Richmond Mounted Police, bring a carrot, give the unit’s 1,200 lb. ambassadors a taste of your appreciation for so tirelessly representing the department at schools, in parades, and across crowded city streets. The event, sponsored by Friends of the Richmond Mounted Squad, is being staged at the Shockoe Slip Fountain in front of the Martin Agency in downtown Richmond. For more information, call 804-543-9088. Photo courtesy of Friends of Richmond Mounted Police
HELP THOSE ANIMALS WITHOUT A HOME this Christmas by putting your own in the back of your car and driving to Purcellville, Va., for a professional photo with Santa on Sunday, Dec. 14, from 1-4 p.m. A $5 donation includes a 4x6 print. Photos will be taken at Pet Valu located at 120 Purcellville Gateway Dr., Purcellville. (540) 441-7637. All proceeds help the animals at the Middleburg Humane Foundation.
Volunteers Sought for the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio
Riders around the globe might be hotly competing for a shot at the 2016 Summer Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, but the deadline is fast approaching for a spot on the 70,000-member volunteer team that will be underscoring the equestrian competition slated between August 7 and 19 at the National Equestrian Center in Rio.
With the excitement of participating behind the scenes at such an important sporting event against the glittering backdrop of Rio, I’m tempted to sign up—plus you get to wear a cool, blue Olympic jacket, and the organizers pay for food. There are quite a number of volunteer opportunities available, too:
Press and communications—working with the press covering the event
Sports—helping in the warm-up sessions and at competitions
Customer relations—welcoming spectators and athletes from around the globe
Operational support—best suited for A+ organizational types
Ceremonies—assisting in opening and closing ceremonies
Transport—advising the public and athletes on how to reach their destination
Technology—not altogether certain what this entails, the site wasn’t operational at the time
Health services—employing one’s healthcare skills in a different working environment
Protocol and languages—interacting with people and athletes throughout their days at the Games
Requirements include: must be 18 years old (by Feb 28, 2016); available for 10 days during the Olympic and/or Paralympic Games; and willing to undergo training sessions, which may take up to three full days.
Anyone interested in volunteering for the upcoming 2016 Summer Olympic Games should contact: http://www.rio2016.com/volunteers/ Deadline to apply is Dec. 15th.
Competitions/Clinics
Dec. 12 & 13. A CDCTA-sponsored jumping clinic with Jennifer Lee at Kissler Dressage, in Catharpin. Private sessions, $95, semi-private, be $70 per rider for CDCTA members. A $10 discount for current Pony Club members.
Dec. 13. Equine Education Day. A full day of equine educational seminars and clinics at the Virginia Horse Center including a judging clinic by renowned horsewoman Betty Oare. For more info, go to www.horsecenter.org.
Dec. 13. The final “Hear the Beat” show of the year. A farmer's market, Christmas bazaar, classes just for fun, and a chili dinner will be featured at the Virginia Horse Center. All proceeds will go to the Hoofbeats Therapeutic Riding program, which serves those with mental, physical, behavioral and emotional issues.
Dec. 13. VA Hunters Horse Show Series at Frying Pan Park, Herndon, VA 703-437-9101, www.fairfaxcounty.gov/parks/fryingpanpark
Dec. 21. Hazelwild Farm Hunter Show, Fredericksburg, VA www.hazelwildfarm.com, 540-891-7101.
Dec. 27 & 28. TWA Jumper Show at Hazelwild Farm, Fredericksburg, VA 540-972-1342, www.twahorseshows.yolasite.com.
RIDING HISTORY'S TRAIL
Photo by Cathette Plumer
Virginia equestrians enjoy a network of richly diverse trails that carry them over beaches, through woods, across mountain ranges, into national parks, state parks and wildlife management areas. Some trails are designed to build confidence in a young horse while others test one’s sense of adventure and fitness level. But to my mind, no trail is quite so enjoyable as that which combines Virginia’s heritage with the pure fun of hacking out.
The recent trail ride, (pictured left), sponsored by the Virginia Horse Council in conjunction with the Keswick Hunt Club and the Virginia Quarter Horse Association, took riders through 18th and 19th century hamlets, crossing over farms such as Clover Hill, Cismont Manor, Bridlespur and the storied, 600-acre Castalia Farm located in Keswick, Va. Set at the base of a mountain near a spring-fed stream, the property first unfolded in the hands of William Meriwether back in the 1730s—a gift from his father “Colonel Nick”. Meriwether named it Castalia after the alluring Greek mythological nymph whom Apollo turned into a spring fountain to inspire all who drank from her sacred waters. *
What began as a simple cabin gave rise to a plantation-style home built of wood and stone quarried from the surrounding land. A magnificent 70-stall stable reminiscent of old England was added. So graceful was their combination, so beautiful the surrounding hillside that upon riding by one day in 1894, New Yorker Murray Bobocock bought the farm on the spot claiming “he had found among the picturesque hills and fertile soil a genial atmosphere and a refined people.”* Castalia stayed in the Bobocock family for more than a century.
To find Virginia’s most popular horse trails and learn ways of lessoning your impact on the land, go to the Virginia Horse Council website.
*1 ForgottonBooks.com
*2 Historic Virginia, Roy Wheeler
Equestrian humor at: www.CatherineMacaulay.com
The Puissance—an extreme sport rolls back into town
Jessica Springsteen and Lisona prepare to re-enter the ring at the Washington International Horse Show after winning the Puissance. Lisona—by OBOS 004 Quality (OLD) out of Clady (ISH)—is considered one of Ireland’s top show jumpers. The bay mare was bred in County Meath by former Irish Army rider Comdt. John Ledingham. Purchased last year by Springsteen for an undisclosed sum, the two competitors proved themselves a winning pair at the Verizon Center, taking both the Puissance and the $20,000 International Jumper Gambler’s Choice. Team Ireland’s loss is America’s gain, but campaigned by the superbly talented 22-year-old Springsteen whose gaze is set toward the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio. Lisona will no doubt, prove herself a jumping billboard for Irish Sport Horse breeding. Erin Go Bragh. Photo by Barry Rosenberg
NOTHING BEATS A SEAT FRONT ROW CENTER watching quality horses compete for honors. Set the competition in the Nation’s capitol, add a dash of glitter, some military history, a breezeway of great merchandise and I’m a goner.
So it was for the 56th running of the Washington International Horse Show, a glossy spectacle of high-octane high-performance horsemanship exploding onto the Verizon Center arena amid the cheering of an electrified crowd exhibiting all the symptoms of patriotism on military night at the horse show.
Nowhere was that summit of equestrian dynamism more powerfully exhibited than during the $25,000 Puissance, appropriately sponsored by airframe manufacturer Boeing. A high jump for horses, the exhilarating climb over the traditional red-brick wall is the equestrian equivalent of high jumping, the very word Puissance means “power” in French. Most horses don’t like the idea, many of them won’t do it, but watching those bold enough to try, a single word comes to mind—soar.
A bold, 13-year-old Irish bred mare by the name of Lisona took the leap of faith this year, scoring a perfect 6’10” landing on the other side. Ridden by Jessica Springsteen, the duo conquered the leader board against finalist and veteran rider Leslie Burr Howard, who retired her game but tired horse Utah at the end of the third round, exiting the arena with a gracious wave to the crowd, exclaiming “my horse had a lot of heart.”
This was the first Puissance for Lisona, though not for Springsteen. Last October, during the same event, the Colts Neck, NJ-based rider cleared a respectable 6’3” hurdle aboard her horse Temmie, but failed to capture first place. This year it appears she’s fine-tuned her strategy. “It’s so big,” she observed following the event, “you just want to gallop down to it. But you are supposed to go really slow and get close to it so that (the horse) climbs over it…kind of the opposite of what your instinct is telling you to do so it takes a couple of times to really learn how to ride it correctly.”
All the competitors have their own ideas about how to best fly. There are those who prefer to take it slow, gathering power and speed, others press the accelerator and go. Last year’s winner Tim Gredley (GB), conquered the wall aboard the 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood Unex Valente (by Gentleman out of Sit This One Out), clearing the hurdle at 6’8”. Following his victory, he remarked, “some people like to wait and pull, I like to just keep coming at the wall and set him up a couple strides out. The first round is always more worrying for me than any of the others. Once I feel that I have a rhythm and everything feels good, it’s not a problem after that. I think in order to jump a very big wall a horse needs to have a bit of quality and be very brave; a lot depends on the horse, it really does. He gives you the confidence to ride it the right way. When you don’t believe you can jump it, you start kicking and pulling and that affects the horse.”
It was only fitting that this year’s course be designed by the Indoor Puissance record holder Anthony D’Ambrosio, who in 1983 rocketed over an 7’ 7.5” wall riding Sweet ‘n’ Lo, an off-the-track Thoroughbred.
As thrilling as the Puissance is to watch, the number of competitions has dropped over the years. Said D’Ambrosio, “You don't have the number of entries that are experienced at it and enjoy the competition to get to the heights we used to with more regularity back in the day. When I broke the record at New York and Washington, we had teams from Germany, France and Italy with Puissance specialist horses and riders. They were there with their best Puissance horse to try and win. Now it seems that without the teams, there aren't enough horses and riders who are really experienced at that and make it a focal point of their training. In that respect, it's changed.”
Hats off to Jessica Springsteen and the other four competitors for hurdling the obstacle at the Nation’s capitol.
The next high jump for horses, the Alltech Christmas Puissance, will be held during the London International Horse Show on Dec. 16-22. For more information refer to www.olympiahorseshow.co.uk.
—by Catherine Macaulay
Middleburg Humane Foundation practices the three Rs: repurpose, rehome, recycle
The Middleburg Humane Foundation turned used horse blankets and equipment into profits recently during its 15th Annual used Horse Blanket & Equipment sale, held in Marshall, Va. “It went really well,” said Rachael Bowers, senior animal care specialist of the foundation. “Sales were just great. People came all the way from Maryland to shop around.”
Repurpose, rehome and recycle—the three Rs that the Humane Foundation has been living by ever since founder Hilleary Bogley opened Scruffy’s Ice Cream Parlor in Middleburg in 1987. A humane investigator with Fauquier and Culpepper counties, Bogley witnessed first hand the wholesale abuse and neglect that comes with unwanted animals. Determined to use her small, ice-cream parlor as the means of funding their shelter, she set to work.
Six years later, the Middleburg Humane Foundation—housed in a turn-of-the-century farmhouse on 4 peaceable acres in Marshall—was born. Sadly, business is booming at the facility, with 20-25 horses arriving yearly into the equine rescue program alone, up from 12-15 horses in years past,” said Bogley.
In January, Congress reinstated a ban on the domestic slaughter of horses, lessoning the outlets for unwanted equines. But the foundation’s new, larger animal rescue facility is poised to break ground next month following a generous donation of land by Lisa and Zohlar Ben-Dov of Middleburg, Va.
Situated on 23 acres in Middleburg, the shelter, with its gabled roof and cupolas, will feature a four-stall barn, pig-poultry pens, a small livestock building and a thrift shop for consignments. Six run-in sheds will be sited throughout the pastures.
Fundraising continues for the project, with Bogley anticipating a spring completion. To view a list of sponsorship opportunities, go to http://www.middleburghumane.com/new-facility.html. For a listing of available horses, dogs, cats and other adoptables at the Foundation, visit http://www.middleburghumane.com/
* * * * *
…and on the subject of repurpose, rehome, recycle
Translated into English the Turkish phrase geri dönüşüm means recycle, a term that’s lately been given broader significance by a Turkish inventor and his ‘dog food recycling box’.
“My primary goal was to make people see that they don't have to spend any money to help stray dogs,” Engin Girgin told Germany’s “Der Spiegel” magazine recently. “And I also wanted to show that people can do good deeds with things they would normally throw away.”
The vending machine is elegantly simple; plastic bottles and soda cans are deposited into an opening in exchange for small portions of kibble released into a tray below. The cost of the dog food is covered by proceeds from the recycled bottles.
It is a story of collaboration, with Girgin’s employer, Yücesan, a Turkish manufacturer with a socially conscious reputation, translating the concept into a finished product, then helping convince city officials in Istanbul to install the food-dispensing vending machines at various locations.
The solar-powered, recycling stations have taken hold across the globe with fully 20 cities outside Turkey awaiting delivery. An additional 61 countries have expressed an interest in Girgin’s ‘dog food recycling box’, which he designed to ease the plight of Istanbul’s 150,000 starving, homeless dogs.
An age-old tale of woe recycled into a happy ending…or a new beginning.
“We can only achieve something if we work together.”
Inventor, Engin Girgin
NOVEMBER CALENDAR
Upcoming clinics/shows/seminars in the second half of November.
Dressage:
Nov. 23 – Elfenridge Dressage sanctioned show, Bridlewood Estates, Suffolk, Va. Call #757-615-4975 or www.southeastvirginiadressage.org
Seminars:
Nov. 13 – Sport Horse Nutrition seminar at Morven Park, 7-9:00 p.m. Contact Jessica.morton@sscoop.com or call #704-974-4016.
Clinics/special events:
Nov. 13 - “Riding My Way Back”—a documentary chronicling a soldier’s journey back from the brink of suicide, revealing the powerful bond between a man and a horse named Fred. 7 p.m., at the Virginia Horse Center, in Lexington. $5.00 admission/per person.
Nov. 20-21 - Mary King eventing clinic at Morven Park. $375/ride or $30/person/day to audit. For information, contact Team EnGaged at tempichange@gmail.com.
Trail Rides:
Nov. 15 - Scrabble Ride at Belmead Stables and Riding Club, Powhatan, Va. Enjoy a scenic, leisurely trek along the James River. Call 804-598-4907 or marilyn_catlett@mindspring.com
Western:
Nov. 21-23 - Pre-Turkey Quarter Horse Show, Frying Pan Park, Herndon, Va. AQHA, VQHA, MSQHA, SMQHA and DQHA approved. http://myvqha.com/2010-vqha-calendar-of-events/
Hunter/Jumper:
Nov. 14-16 - The Mid-Atlantic Equitation Festival, Upper Marlboro, Md. Open to riders who have shown in USEF Zones 2 and 3. Awards $2,500 in scholarships, features Pessoa US Medal, ASPCA Maclay, WIHS, Ariat, THIS, M & S, and VHSA Medal classes. Call #434-242-8937, www.midatlanticeq.com,
Nov. 13-16 - The VHSA Associate Championship Horse show, Virginia Horse Center, Lexington, Va. Open to current members whose horses are registered with the VHSA, and who’ve shown at five Associate-recognized horse shows as registered members.
Established in 1992, the two-day show has grown into a four-day extravaganza of competitions, featuring more than 500 vendors. Call #804-732-2138 or contact edgewoodone@aol.com or www.vhsa.com
The current leading qualifiers for the 2014 VHSA-EMO Medals are:
Adult Amateur Medal
Brooke Cole, 965 points; Alyse Howse, 289 points; Ashleigh E. Cochran 195.50 points.
Children’s Medal
Eliza Van Der Woude, 308 points; Maggie Lebor, 283 points; Austin May, 274 points.
Hunter Seat Medal
Devan Graham, 570.50 points; Elizabeth Bailey, 492 points; Maverick Helmer, 226 points.
Pony Hunter Medal
Lindsay Milligan, 260 points; Elizabeth Carter, 182 points; Margo Tack, 100 points.
Equitation on the Flat
Devan Graham, 450 points; Mary Elizabe Cordia, with 4-blues, 368 points; Ellie Williams with 2 blues, 368 points.
To view current standings in all Regular Member Show and Associate Member Show divisions, click on http://vhsa.orgpro-rsmh.net/standings.php
Indie Horse Film Festival—like Sundance with a kick
Double wrap that scarf about your neck, throw on some basic black and head to New York City for the first Equus Film Festival, which hits the ground running on Nov. 21 & 22.
The premier event, produced by Equus Global and Horse Lifestyle Media, will feature more than 50 horse-related films, music videos and other creative works on three screens at MIST Harlem, a cultural center that regularly showcases film, theater, live music and other black and Latino-flavored arts and culture.
According to the festival’s founder, Lisa Diersen, partner of Equus Global “The goal of the festival is to highlight and award the diverse and creative efforts of those in indie film, music, and advertising, who artistically pay homage to the horse.”
Some films, such as the documentary Dakota 38 by Smooth Feather Productions, recounts the execution of 38 Dakota warriors nearly 150 years ago, while Such is The Real Nature Of Horses, by French filmmaker and novelist Robert Vavra, probes into the complex nature of equines, offering a compelling insight into their natural behaviors. Hanna Ranch, among those documentaries vying for an Academy Award, focuses on the visionary Colorado cattleman Kirk Hanna and his struggle to protect a once prominent way of life, becoming a leader in the environmental ranching movement that set out to protect the West from the relentless encroachment of development and misuse.
“From horse-assisted therapy, to the Bureau of Land Management’s treatment of the wild mustang, and even the horse carriages here in New York, the Equus Film Festival is bringing to the forefront those filmmakers who have rolled up their sleeves to dive deep into the tough issues,” said Diersen. “Through these films and creative works, people can start to formulate a more reasoned understanding of what these issues are really about.”
The Equus Film Festival will run from 12:00-9:00 p.m., each day at MIST Harlem, located at 46th West 116th Street, and include a panel discussion featuring several Emmy Award winning filmmakers and producers from the U.S., the UK and France. For tickets, go to: http://www.mistharlem.com/event/equus-film-festival-2014/
Equestrian humor at: www.CatherineMacaulay.com
PICTURE THE HORSE
THE LOOK OF A WINNER— A digitally enhanced photograph of a British racehorse recently placed second in the fine art category of the International Photography Awards (IPA) competition, capturing top honors against a total of 27,000 submissions worldwide.
According to the British photographer known simply as ‘Ripley’, the portrait was achieved through substantial post-production techniques. "I photograph all the elements separately,” he told Eclipse C. “The horse is photographed in the training yard with people who are used to handling it, which allows for a very relaxed shoot. This gives me the freedom to compose the picture like a painter, but rather than being an artist's interpretation of the horse it is actually the horse.”
The composition of the horse standing before a rubbing down house in Newmarket is a nod to George Stubbs, the famed English equestrian painter of the 1800s who often posed racehorses against a similar backdrop. Of humble origins and self-taught, Stubbs brought horses to life. He defined sporting art with his anatomically precise, yet lyrical horse portraits. Some of his paintings, such as the masterpiece pictured below, brought $35.9 million at Christie's in London in 2011.
George Stubbs’ GIMCRACK ON NEWMARKET HEATH, pictured with his trainer, jockey and a groom rubbing him down. Gimcrack, a great British racehorse of the 18th century, won 28 of his 36 races and finished unplaced only once. This portrait of him was sold by the estate of the late Lord Woolavington, a British whiskey magnate and prominent racing enthusiast who paid £12,600 for the painting back in 1951—expensive at the time, but considered a steal by today’s standards, sporting art commanding vastly higher prices beginning in the l960s and ‘70s after American collectors such as the late Virginia philanthropist and racehorse owner Paul Mellon began building their collections of equine portraiture.
THE CELEBRATED RACEHORSE "THE DUKE" IN A STALL AT NEWMARKET
Harry Hall (British, 1814-1882)
Oil on canvas, 23" x 30"
"The Duke" was the first horse to win the Liverpool Steeplechase in 1836, which became known as The Grand National in 1839.
Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000
Keeneland co-sponsors sporting art auction
Those wishing to build their own collections might consider travelling to Lexington, Kentucky, for the upcoming Sporting Art Auction on Nov. 19th. A collaboration between Cross Gate Gallery and Thoroughbred auction house Keeneland, the upcoming sale will offer 175 pieces of sporting art, paintings and sculpture. Last year’s premier event generated $3.1 million in sales, with 81% of the 194 pieces selling.
The Sporting Art Auction begins at 4:00 p.m., at Keeneland’s sales pavilion. Unlike Keeneland’s November Breeding Stock Sale, which netted a whopping $197,747,400 through eight sessions of its 11-day auction, no halter needed to bring your horse home.
To view the 2014 Sporting Art Auction catalog, go to the website: www.thesportingartauction.com
BRITAIN TOOK THE FASHION WORLD BY STORM during London Fashion Week with a bold, new take on a traditional Hunter boot. Once synonymous with waxed jackets and tweed caps, the Debut Hunter Original Collection has pulled the wellie out of the muddy field and landed it squarely onto cement, urban streets, helping to redefine Britishness for a new generation of footwear.
Which Style Do You Choose?
A.
B.
A. Sensible choice. You are a solid, down-to-earth Virginian. You muck out your own stalls, allow your dogs to sprawl across the furniture and consider clothes far too expensive these days, lacking in any material quality. Gussying up is a bore, uncomfortable at best, and little drains your reserves more than the insincerity habitually slung at parties. Not that you go out much anymore, having but four genuine friends, and that includes your horse.
B. Why choose sensible when you can go stiletto? Congratulations. Life is a banquet. You can expect many good years to come in the saddle. No weak ankles here. Stand tall, aim high and never sweat life’s stumbles along the way.
Queen Elizabeth going for a stroll in the Highlands in her Hunter wellies.
Bartlett Milling Company
Issues Recall of Horse Food
Bartlett Milling Company has initiated a limited recall of certain horse feeds due to potential Rumensin contamination. The products were distributed to customers and retailers in Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee.
Rumensin contamination can result in health problems, including mortality, in horses. The products and lot number involved in the recall are:
50 lb. bags of Bartlett Pasture Horse 10 Feed - Lot 288
50 lb. bags of Cleveland Carolina Champion Horse Feed - Lot 288
The recalled products were packaged in typical brand-specific feed bags. Lot numbers are printed on the front and back of each bag.
Retailers have been contacted and instructed to immediately withdraw from sale the recalled product and to notify customers who purchased the product. Customers should discontinue feeding the product immediately. Customers who purchased this product should return remaining bags to their retailer.
For more information on the product recall, contact Bartlett Milling at 1-800-438-6016 from 8AM to 5PM Monday through Friday. Contact Bartlett at 1-336-655-1840 outside of regular business hours.
This recall is being conducted with the knowledge of the North Carolina Department of Agriculture & Consumer Services and the United States Food and Drug Administration.
Developing Real Sportsmanship in a Reality Show World
While reality shows like ‘Keeping up with the Kardashians’ don’t get the television ratings they used to, studies show that they are still hugely popular in America, particularly with 18-34 year olds. Furthermore, it’s reported that watching too much reality TV can skewer a person’s notion of reality, leading to an over idealization of the world—the horse show world included.
Some young riders get caught up in the glamor of showing—they want ribbons, demand results, yearn for measurable achievements. Rather than realistically assess themselves and their mounts, they end up competing for all the wrong reasons, trying to outperform others, all the while growing increasingly frustrated over setbacks and unrealistic expectations.
Now there’s a free online webcast from My Horse University (MHU) that helps riders learn ways of dealing with negative horse-showing behaviors and develop strategies for setting new positive goals. The webcast is here:
http://www.myhorseuniversity.com/resources/webcasts/sportsmanship.
MHU was first established at Michigan State University in 2005. In addition to offering 1,000 online courses, it provides a wealth of free, online horse-related webinars on topics such as: the winter care and feeding of horses, broodmare nutrition, hay selection and tractor safety among many others, all delivered by experts in the field.
IN THE WINNER'S CIRCLE at the INTERNATIONAL GOLD CUP
I might be biased, but VHC Editor-in-Chief Catherine Macaulay has always been a good judge of horseflesh. On multiple races, she’s picked a winning horse just by observing them in the pre-race paddock. She did it again at the 77th running of the International Gold Cup Races at Great Meadow, The Plains, VA, on Oct. 25.
The second race, the Zeke Ferguson Memorial Hurdle Stakes, was about to begin so we hurried to the paddock to check out the field of eight horses in time to place a bet. This is the second consecutive year that the Virginia Racing Commission approved parimutuel betting at the Gold Cup. Upon arrival at Great Meadow, several tents greeted spectators where bets could be placed in person. Signs directed gamblers to download an app and bet right from their smartphones (top left).
With a purse of $50,000, it was the second richest race of the day next to the $60,000 International Gold Cup. Catherine was immediately drawn to horse #1, a seven-year-old Thoroughbred from Great Britain named Able Deputy (top right). Despite the gelding's 10-1 odds I never doubted her instincts and bet a whopping $10 to win on Able Deputy (bottom left).
Jockey Ross Geraghty rode him well, holding Able Deputy close to the leaders for most of the race, then propelling him forward at the perfect time to win by a length. Catherine had picked a winner again! The win was worth $127. Able Deputy is pictured in the winner’s circle (bottom right).
No surprise to learn that Irvin Naylor, one of the most successful steeplechase owners in the country, owned Able Deputy. A former top amateur rider, he was paralyzed in a riding accident a decade ago. Pictured in the wheelchair in the photo below, he is joined by his wife Diane beside him, trainer Cyril Murphy on the far left, and jockey Geraghty on the right. Holding the silver plate is Sen. John Warner, who served for 20 years as the U.S. senator from Virginia, who rode with Zeke Ferguson in his early days.
Words and photos by Barry Rosenberg
In praise of the compact, muscular Morgan Horse
At the Morgan Horse Farm in Middlebury, Vermont, director Steve Davis gives UVM Pearly, a seven-year-old mare, her daily workout. As of October 2014, there are 47 Morgans at the Morgan Horse Farm, including 7 weanlings. (Video by Barry Rosenberg)
TAKE A CHANCE
Middlebury, VT—Pull $2.00 out of your wallet and mail it to 74 Battell Drive, Weybridge, Vermont, 05753 c/o UVM Morgan Horse. You might get lucky and win a lovely Morgan foal, UVM Whimsical, part of the University of Vermont Morgan Horse Farm’s annual raffle fundraiser. The drawing will be held October 31.
Morgans are known for their versatility and even temperaments, being prized as pleasure horses. The breed’s founding sire, Figure, stood about 14 hands and weighed approximately 950 lbs. A solid, all-purpose horse, Figure could win a race, pull the family’s maple syrup sled and return home to the barn, happy for carrots and pets. He stood at stud during the 1790s in Vermont, his owner, Justin Morgan, a town clerk and local singer, having won the horse as payment of a debt.
The foal, UVM Whimsical is by UVM Triumph out of UVM Freedom.
Photos by Barry Rosenberg
Formerly operated by the U.S. Government, which, from 1907 to 1951, bred and trained Morgans for the cavalry, the so-called "Government" Morgans made a great impact on the development of the breed. Today, the UVM Morgan Horse Farm continues its mission to preserve and improve the Morgan breed through ongoing breeding and selection programs, its UVM "Government" line considered one of the best.
* * * * *
….but don’t forget those less fortunate
Not every Morgan horse is lucky enough to have a lifetime home. Fortunately, Solitude Morgan Horse Rescue, in Stanardsville, Va., offers a second chance.
The equine rescue group, started by Karen Sansom four years ago, works to rehome, rehabilitate and train Morgans who’ve been surrendered by their owners. The horses arrive from large farms, from small backyards, from elderly owners no longer able to care for them, from cramped, broker pens where they await shipment to slaughter. Last month, Solitude Morgan rescued a five-month-old filly, Eclipse, from an auction sale that would likely have netted her a one-way ride across state lines.
In America last year alone, more than 142,000 horses were hauled to slaughterhouses in Mexico and Canada. With 9.2 million horses in the U.S, and more than 58 million horses worldwide, not every horse has a happy ending.
For more information or to inquire into Solitude’s horses available for adoption call 434-985-1808 or go to http://www.solitude-morgan-rescue.org/our-horses/
THE LITTLE HORSE THAT COULD
Avatar’s Jazzman at Devon. Owned by Melissa Dowling of Monkton, Md., the Morgan is an American-bred dark chestnut by KJB All that Jazz out of Avatar’s Cassandra, bred by Avatar Morgans, in Stacy, MN.
Devon, PA—Lauren Chumley and her 14.1 hh Morgan, Avatar’s Jazzman were genuine crowd pleasers at the recent Dressage at Devon show, proving that big things come in small packages.
Chumley, of Flemington, NJ, and her Morgan, turned in a more than ‘cute’ performance, garnering a third place win at fourth level with a solid 61.625 percent, though pitted against considerably higher authorities, size-wise.
Much like Gray, who years back, campaigned her small, ever correct, grey gelding through the stratified levels of Grand Prix during a time when European judges were nodding off at the sight of any American dressage competitor emerging into the ring, Chumley is taking it all in stride.
“It's a little bit tougher because they (ponies) don't move as big,” she told NJ.com in a recent interview. “They're not as impressive in the ring as a 17-hand horse. It doesn't bother me at this point. I have a really good time showing him."
It is a sentiment that would have been appreciated by Olympian dressage rider Lendon Gray and Seldom Seen, Peggy Whitehurst's American-bred 14.2 hh Thoroughbred x Connemara cross. “You had to put the 'pony prejudice' behind you and just move on,” Gray said to EuroDressage.com in a 2013 interview. “I showed him because I loved riding him, I was proud of the training I had done, and when I went in the ring I knew if we had done our best, if the judges like it, it made me happy. If the judges didn’t, Seldom Seen still made me happy." — by Catherine Macaulay
SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Thank you for your interest in Virginia Horse Country (VHC). We’re aware that that your time is valuable and we’ll do our level best to make you feel that each and every moment you spend reading our content is time well spent.
Please take just a moment to sign up, and we'll email you the latest newsletter from VHC every two weeks, for free. Your email address will not be shared with anyone, nor will we burden you with spam emails. We will only use it to contact you when a new issue of VHC is available.
Welcome Aboard!
Equestrian humor at: www.CatherineMacaulay.com
In favor of the muzzle:
I’m not overweight, I’m just pleasantly plump
HATS OFF to Carter Bass of Virginia—over having been invited to join the judging panel at the recent Dressage at Devon 2014 show, held Sept 23-28th (breed division).
Bass, a USDF Bronze, Silver and Gold medalist, has been a dressage instructor for 35 years. A licensed official with the USEF, she’s received “R” Dressage and “R” Dressage Sporthorse Breeding licenses, and has also coached several horse/rider combinations who’ve earned Horse of the Year awards, as well as regional championships, several competing at Grand Prix levels.
My horse is retired and presently out of work. An easy keeper, and not a particularly worrisome individual, he is a prime candidate for weight gain. As a result, he is often muzzled when grazing, confined at times to a small paddock. But this is far better than the alternative. He understandably, does not agree.
I politely inform him that obesity in horses is on the rise, with some researchers in the UK calling it “the most important welfare issue affecting equines in Western countries.”* In fact, recent studies conducted by the University of Minnesota show that 20% of today’s horses are obese.
He tells me not to worry. He’s a natural born grazer. He’s evolved to handle these things.
I warn him that the side effects of obesity are unrepentant: laminitis and metabolic issues resulting from high insulin and sugar levels to name a few.
He assures me he’s in great shape. Just a little hay belly, nothing more.
“But,” I insist, “grazing muzzles are proven to reduce a horse's pasture intake by approximately 30%. I just read the report.*
He claims that the contraptions are a nuisance. He deserves the green of his dreams.
“But you’re my friend,” I say, “You’re my dear Stan who has taken me places I could never have gone alone. Should anything ever happen to you, I could never, ever forgive myself.”
He tells me to go take a flying leap and starts down the hill, duly muzzled—off to do some running with the brisk winds in the sky.
And so it goes… — by Catherine Macaulay
*Giles, S.L., S.A. Rands, C.J. Nicol, et al. 2014. Obesity prevalence and associated risk factors in outdoor living domestic horses and ponies. Peer, J. 2:e299. As it appeared in the July 7, 2014 issue of Equinews.
*Martinson, K., Glunk, E., Sheaffer, C., and Hathaway, M., the University of Minnesota. The use of grazing halters to lower forage intake— To read the report, go to http://www.extension.umn.edu/agriculture/horse/pasture/grazing-muzzles/index.html
TO DETERMINE if your horse is overweight and to learn ways of how to best combat obesity, go to: The Overweight Horse, Special Care and Nutrition, developed by the American Association of Equine Practitioners at: http://www.dclahdvm.com/Articles/overweight.htm.
Also, check out the study conducted by researchers at Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine on the effects of weight gain on horses’ insulin sensitivity at: http://owequine.com/news.html#obesity taken from the Old Waterloo Equine Clinic, in Warrenton, Va.
Morven Park to host Equine Nutrition Lecture on: "Easy-Keeper vs the Hard-Keeper"
Thursday, October 23, 2014 7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Equine nutritionist Dr. Martin Adams will discuss feeding horses with different metabolisms, and Agronomist Ken Sechler will discuss pasture management as part of Morvan Park’s Equine Health Seminar Series, sponsored by Southern States. This event is free, though attendees are asked to pre-register at MorvenPark.org or by contacting ldoyle@morvenpark.org.
Some like riding with their toes on the inside of the stirrup, others prefer the outside. Yet, horse and rider, when captured by an artist, remains a universal.
(Photo courtesy of Peter Samuels Equestrian Photography. www.petersamuels.com)
Riding for the Cure, the race is on
Approximately one in eight American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer at some point in their lives.In an effort to combat those overarching statistics and help fund research for a cure, Virginia horse enthusiasts, state and national non-profits, along with global businesses have ridden to the challenge in recognition of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.
Virginia’s equestrian community showed its support again this year with its Ride The Cure VA fundraiser, raising more than $84,000 for the Susan G. Komen* affiliate of Central Virginia. Approximately 120 people saddled up their pinkly festooned horses recently at Great Meadows in The Plains for a fun, two-hour trail ride, followed by dinner and silent auction.
According to Linda Tiller, executive director of Susan G. Komen Central Virginia, roughly 75% of the proceeds will go to breast cancer education, screening and treatment of women either underfunded or uninsured within the 60-county area, the remaining 25% earmarked for Komen’s national research programs.
The event, organized six years ago by Dr. Tena Boyd of the Old Waterloo Equine Clinic in Marshall, Va., and Toni Flory, of Culpeper, Va., has raised well over $500,000 since its inception. — by Catherine Macaulay
OTHER FUNDRAISERS:
BY PINKING the imposing horse statues flanking the doors of its 200+ restaurants, P. F. Chang's China Bistro chain has deepened the meaning of the Chinese Year of the Horse to many Americans.
The newly painted, 11-ft-tall cement horses, designed to symbolize the ancient nobility of China’s Forbidden City, now serve both as monument and reminder of National Breast Cancer Awareness.
The restaurant hopes to donate $100,000 to the Breast Cancer Foundation.
THE MANUFACTURER of the Breyer model horses, Reeves International, will donate $1 from each sale of its specially created, pink-ribboned model Andalusians to both the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and to the Susan G. Komen For the Cure.
AS PART OF Ralph Lauren’s commitment to ending breast cancer, 25% of the purchase price of any Pink Pony product will go to an international network of charities supporting those programs dedicated toward the prevention of cancer. The pink and white mini tote is crafted from cotton canvas and features shoulder straps. Priced at $45.00 it is 5½" H x 5½" L x 5" D.
With webbed cotton handles. Open-top silhouette. Unlined. 15" H x 23" L x 6½" D. 8½" handle drop. 100% organic cotton. Imported.
To learn more about the Pink Pony Fund or to purchase Pink Pony products, go to: RalphLauren.com/PinkPony.
NEVER GO out in the sun without a hat, particularly one that benefits Ride The Cure VA. The hats are $16 with proceeds going to Komen. Contact OWEC at #540-347-0807 to pick one up, or email owec@aol.com.
BUCK CANCER PARTY—In honor of Elizabeth Solter and Laura Pickett, two well-loved local equestrians who lost their battle with breast cancer, the Washington International Horse Show is inviting attendees to come watch Thursday’s Barn Night at the Acela Club on the sky box level of the Verizon Center. The party, which begins at 7 p.m., includes dinner and an open bar. Tickets are $150/per person.
Proceeds will benefit the Capital Breast Care Center and Lets Buck Breast Cancer. For tickets, call 202-525-3679.
IN THE SPIRIT OF PINK, Foxcroft School's riding team of Middleburg, Va., lately organized a “Pink is for Ponies” breast cancer awareness bake sale at its October Interscholastic Equestrian competition, with proceeds going to the Cherry Blossom Breast Cancer Foundation.
Be sure to cheer them on during the upcoming Washington International Horse Show where they’ll be competing in the Children’s Jumper Championship. The show, held at the Verizon Center in Washington, D.C., runs from Oct 21st to Oct. 26th.
FIELD HUNTER CHAMPIONSHIP
Laurie Ambrose of Piedmont Fox Hounds, riding Stretch. (Photo courtesy of Douglas Lees)
This year’s Field Hunter Championship drew foxhunting enthusiasts from across the U.S. and Canada who arrived in Virginia, their boots spit shined, eager to compete across the four days of mounted-judged, hunt meets at: Springfield Farm, Swift Shoals Farm, Johnson’s Field and Atoka.
The event culminated on Saturday, Oct. 4th at Glenwood Park in Middleburg where, dressed in proper hunting attire, 40 finalists vied for laurels as judge Snowden Clarke led them over jumps and put them through their paces in a mock hunt.
Finally, the field checked to just 12, competitors were given a final testing, with judges Helen Brettell, Snowden Clarke, Jean Derrick, Virginia Perrin, Cameron Sadler, and Lincoln Sadler, along with an eager crowd looking on, many in attendance for the Virginia Fall Races set to begin following the event.
The 2014 Theodora A. Randolph, Field Hunter Championship was awarded to Laurie Ambrose of Piedmont Fox Hounds, a new competitor this year, looking picture perfect, riding Stretch.
Finalists include:
Reserve Champion
Eduardo Coria of Casanova Hunt, riding Denali
Third
Janet Pendergrast of Keswick Hunt, riding Fred
Fourth
Allie Lawaetz of Palm Beach Hounds, riding Schiller
Fifth
Rosy Campbell, MFH of Bull Run Hunt, riding Cummin 4 Gold
Proceeds from the Field Hunter Championships and the Virginia Fall Races benefit the Inova Loudoun Hospital Foundation.
PIEDMONT HUNTER TRIALS NEWLY LAUNCHED
Junior Hunter Haley Alcock of Piedmont Hunt at the recent Piedmont Field Hunter Trials. (Photo courtesy of Valerie Durbon).
Salem Farm, Sept. 28th--more than 85 hunt horses were unloaded from their vans to compete in the inaugural Piedmont Hunter Trials held at Salem Farm in Upperville, Va., the historic and picturesque property owned by Shelby Bonnie, Jt-MFH of Piedmont Hounds and grandson of the late Theo Randolph—a grand equestrian of her generation who served as Master of the Piedmont Fox Hounds, president of the Upperville Horse Show, and was a founding member of the Washington International Horse Show.
Judged by Betty Oare of the Warrenton Hunt, Barb Batterton of the Blue Ridge Hunt, Gail Wofford, ex-MFH of Piedmont Hunt, and Peter Walsh, field master for both Orange County and Piedmont hunts, the event featured a hunt teams class and hunter derby with divisions including: hilltoppers, children’s, junior, adult-amateur, low and open hunters.
“Piedmont wanted to host an event where people could bring their horses and compete over an old-style outside course, part of the history and tradition of our sport,” said event chair, Barbara Riggs to eCovertside.* “When we started planning, we weren’t sure how it would all turn out, so we are very pleased with the support from sponsors, our community, and riders bringing their horses.”
The Field Hunter Trials is part of Piedmont Hounds’ fundraising effort to refurbish its 100-year-old fox hound kennels with new and improved facilities. To date, more than $70,000 has been raised.*
The 2014 Field Hunter champions include:
Hunt Teams
Positively Piedmont – Haley Beverly and Nancy Alcock
PFH/Huntland Field Hunter Derby
Jill Wilson (Keswick Hunt)
High Point Adult Amateur Rider
Carol Farnow (Piedmont Hunt)
High Point Junior Rider
Haley Alcock (Piedmont Hunt)
High Point Professional Rider
Jill Wilson (Keswick Hunt)
Adult Amateur Hunter
Carol Farnow (Piedmont Hunt)
Low Hunter Jeanne Clark, Jt-MFH, (Casanova Hunt)
Children’s Hunter
Beverly Alcock (Piedmont Hunt)
Junior Hunter
Haley Alcock (Piedmont Hunt)
*Ecovertside.net 10/14/4
"THEY ATE WHAT?" CONTEST
To their owners, Great Danes are noble lap dogs; to kids, they’re horses without the saddle. But to the Portland, Oregon couple whose Dane recently ingested 43 ½ socks (presumably, the three-year-old dog was caught in the act), they can rightfully claim, they’re lovable trouble.This year’s $1,500 winner of the “They ate WHAT?” contest sponsored by Veterinary Practice News, is an exotic frog from Texas who fancied the pebbles at the bottom of his cage. Both frog and dog are doing fine.
...and speaking of beloved pets
This Halloween, when youngsters come knocking, consider giving them a candy bar named in remembrance of a beloved horse.
The story begins in Minnesota where a young, polio-stricken boy is straddling a kitchen stool watching his mother make candy, anxious to ease her son’s boredom.
The sweet experience takes hold upon young Frank Mars. Upon graduating from high school, he throws himself into candy making,* experimenting first with molasses covered chips, then fudge, divinity and peanut brittle, with only his dreams to support him, being the son of a gristmill operator.
A candy salesman and part-time candymaker, he struggles with his concoctions. He fails repeatedly. At one point, creditors take his personal belongings.
Following several setbacks, his confection business takes hold, its promise fueled in part by his second wife, Ethel Healy, who helps him develop his recipes at home. One candy bar, in particular, becomes an instant hit.
The Milky Way—a chocolate malted milk in short form—catapults both Frank and Ethel into a stratospheric prosperity by the end of the 1920s, becoming the number one selling candy bar in America.
Leaving Chicago’s North Shore, the couple head to Pulaski, Tennessee to breed thoroughbreds and enjoy their newfound wealth on the grounds of their lavish 2,800-acre farm they name Milky Way Racing Stables.*
* * * * * *
Nestled in the Great Smoky Mountains, a 25,000 square foot Tudor mansion was erected from stone and timber in the 1930s, its elemental structure drawn from the surrounding land. At one time, the farm employed more than 900 hired hands, offering the local economy a much-needed source of employment during the Great Depression. Under the Mars family, Milky Way Farm, with its ample spread of 30 barns and 70 cottages, produced thoroughbreds, sheep and, in its prime, Hereford steers that sold worldwide for upwards of $65,000. The Great Hall is shown on the right.
Milky Way’s orange and white racing silks gain prominence during the early 1930s. The familiar brown and white caps, so emblematic of Mars’ chocolates, now being worn by jockeys blazing across the landscape of graded stakes races, capturing third in the Kentucky Derby of 1935 and 1937.
Her husband dead of kidney failure at 51, Ethel assumes the role of company president, her voice increasingly at odds with her stepson Forrest, now living in the UK—a brilliant, if not intractable visionary whose insistence upon quality, combined with an almost religious zeal toward efficiency and innovative management practices comes into conflict with the regime of an earlier era. Having created M & M’s candies and Uncle Ben’s rice, among others, Forrest continues expanding production lines, modernizing processes; new products are being sought.
Back in Tennessese, Ethel never tires of watching her horses go. Having become a big purchaser at Keeneland’s yearling sales, she wins the coveted run for the roses with Gallahadion in 1940, considered a well-bred, but non-performing thoroughbred entered in the race at a yawning 36-1 odds.
In 1945, little more than 10 years after husband’s death, Ethel Mars passes away, having sold her beloved Milky Way Farm several months earlier in a real estate and livestock transaction that at that time represents the largest in Tennessee history.
Of all the thoroughbreds she’s campaigned over the years, it was Snickers, the family horse, who was Ethel’s favorite. Recognizing her affections before his death, Frank had named the chocolate covered peanut-coated nougat bar accordingly.
The rest is history. Milky Way and Snickers continue to remain popular brands of what is today, the third largest, privately held company in America. Headquartered in McLean, Va., Mars employs 72,000 people, with revenues estimated by Forbes at $33 billion last year.
The Mars’ involvement with horses continues through Jacqueline Mars, granddaughter of the company’s founder, Frank C. Mars, daughter of Forrest E. Mars, Sr. and his wife Audrey.
Jacqueline, who lives in The Plains, Va., near her 740-acre, childhood farm, dubbed Marland by her father, remains a benefactor of equestrian sports. A longtime supporter of the United States Olympic Equestrian Team, she serves on the board of trustees of the United States Equestrian Team Foundation and the National Sporting Library and Museum, among others. She has three children and six grandchildren.
References
*Culinaryarts360.com April 5, 2009
*Washingtonian" April 29, 2008
http://fortune.com/2013/03/31/the-sweet-secret-world-of-forrest-mars-fortune-1967/
IF YOU BUILD IT THEY WILL COME
Few entertainments can rival fun on horseback, except perhaps 24 corn-ripened acres all waiting to get lost in. Makes me want to grab my sneakers and take off running for Temple Hall Farm in Leesburg, Va.
The corn maze, pictured above) holds the way out through a series of hidden clues. Look closely to see the words “Buy Fresh Buy Local” spelled out in corn. Open for kids and adults returning to their roots, the festival includes pumpkin patches, 40-ft. high hay forts and wagon rides. The corn maze runs Friday, Oct. 24-26 and again, on the weekend of Nov. 1-3. For more info call Phone:(703) 779-9372.
Part of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority, the 286-acre regional park is primarily a working farm, also serving as nature center and working classroom and…
For those wishing to stay in the saddle…and lose themselves in the Virginia woodlands and colorful fall fields, trailer over to Temple Hall Farm for six miles of open trails, some with water crossings and natural log jumps.
Built by the staff at the farm, along with the support of the Tri-State Riding Club and Broad Run Veterinary Service, the Dee Dee Symington Equestrian Trail is open Tuesday through Sunday from 8 a.m., to 4 p.m., April through October. A negative Coggins is required.
For more info contact: TempleHallFarm@NVRPA.org
Head for the hills
This fall, swap riding boots for hiking boots and head to the Shenandoah Valley for a stroll along the Virginia Native Plant Trail. Located in Boyce, Va., the State Arboretum of Virginia showcases the largest variety of boxwood cultivars in North America. Offering more than 6,000 trees and woody shrubs, the grounds are free to the public.
“I’ve got a crush on you…”
This October, be sure to catch the finale of Virginia wine month. Take a back road tour of picturesque towns and fall-colored landscapes, tasting the grapes of the more than 230 wineries across the state. Swirl, sniff, sip, slurp and swallow your way through the wine festivals, the vineyards and festivals as you give your senses a workout.
For a listing of events by region refer to: http://www.virginia.org/winemonth/
A perfect place to taste wine is the Greenhill Winery and Vineyards in Middleburg, Va. It’s simply beautiful. King Family Vineyards in Crozet, with its cozy fireplaces, is guaranteed to warm any night while the Mediterranean Cellars in Warrenton, small and well-appointed, never disappoints.
Anyone feeling insecure about the nuances of wine-tasting, who is unable to distinguish color from clarity, or taste a wine’s complexity and texture, might want to take along a copy of Wineocology, authored by veteran LA somalier, Caitlin Stansbury. It aims to transform every reader into a oenophile.
Me—I’m happy with Merlot to-go in a pewter Jefferson Cup. But to see Virginia wines coming of age puts a smile on my face.
Editors Note
Note to Self.
I opened the door this morning and smelled freedom in the air. Were I a horse, I’d be bucking and kicking across the pasture for the sheer fun of it, running the hair off those fresh, autumn breezes.
As I have but two legs, I’ll content myself with the occasional hack across leaf-covered hills and by tailgating my way through the sporting events now crowding my calendar—the Oct. 25th International Gold Cup being at the top of the list.
What a terrific venue Great Meadow has evolved into. Its founder, Arthur Arundel must be smiling down from some cloudbank right now, pleased as punch with himself. I can still recall the first time I met him in the early 1980s when I worked at his D.C. office at 17th and L St., and heard that big, gravely voice exploding onto the room. I turned, expecting to see some towering figure. Instead, he was short, boyish and athletic, with a tremendous vitality that coiled him, making him appear like he was in motion even at a standstill.
His energy served him well throughout the course of his philanthropy. Mr. Arundel wasn’t merely an equestrian enthusiast, he was a conservationist ahead of his time, a great risk-taker willing to buy an 800-acre parcel of land in The Plains, which was about to be carved up by developers, and shoulder it into Great Meadow.
Fall is harvest time and I am grateful to live in a state that’s reaped the bounty from visionaries such as Arundel and other, generous benefactors like him. Thank you for your vision, your passion and for your unwavering commitment to the Virginia horse—for the sum of all your great gifts.
Cheers,
Catherine Macaulay
Editor-in-Chief and Publisher
The Verdict is in on the Central Park Horse Show; Now Comes LA's Turn
View of the Central Park Horse Show (CSI 3*) in September. (Photo by Natalie Keyssar)
Ask any top equestrian competitor what makes them so successful and you’ll hear the same underlying philosophy repeated time and again—a great horse is key, but preparation remains an enormous part of the equation. Getting mounts in peak mental and physical condition, monitoring their diet, grooming their coats until they shine, and then transporting them to a showground without mishap is as integral to any competitor’s success as setting up their horse for that next big jump or the next difficult movement.
Until last week, the jury was out on Mark Bellissimo’s inaugural $210,000 Central Park Horse Show. Could Florida’s 52-yr-old master equestrian promoter pull it off? It was one thing to have transformed Wellington’s Winter Equestrian Festival into a successful, international sport horse venue, quite another to pull of the seemingly impossible in New York City. The logistics were daunting. More than a few whispers were heard. But months of preparation, of yawning nights and massive coordination efforts have paid off for team Bellissimo, and today showjumping has a new and glittering fixture on its calendar.
Everyone’s gaze is now turned west to see if lightening will strike twice as Christophe Ameeuw prepares for his million dollar, inaugural Masters Grand Slam Indoor competition at the LA Convention Center.
Set for Sept. 25-28, the show is part of an emerging series of high-gloss high-stakes indoor showjumping events created by Ameeuw, founder of EEM World. Like Bellissimo, the Belgium-born horse-show promoter is setting the bar high when it comes to showcasing competitions to a broader audience. Fox Sports will broadcast the Masters Grand Slam Indoors. In contrast, Bellissimo’s Central Park Grand Prix was televised live by NBC, making it the first time a sport horse event was broadcast in real time on a major sports network during prime time.
All this, when a tsunami of young and talented riders are vying for top honors across the A-circuit landscape of American showjumping—with several of them being high-profile daughters of billionaires. Georgina Bloomberg (31), had a comeback moment at Central Park riding her Austrian Warmblood mare Juvina into first place. Paige Johnson, (29), from The Plains, Va., proved herself a tough competitor at the same event, nabbing third aboard Salamander Farm’s 11-yr-old mare Dakota.
Across the board, rising stars are intersecting with superstars. There’s Jessica Springsteen (22), The Boss’s daughter, who’s lately been anointed Gucci’s “It” girl by the brand’s horse-loving creative director, Frida Giannini; and Jennifer Gates (18), daughter of Bill and Melinda Gates; Hanna Selleck (25,) daughter of everyone’s Hawaiian dreams. Lou Dobbs’ daughter, Hillary Dobbs (26), remains the youngest rider to win more than $1 million in prize earnings, which she did in 2010. All are runway dressed in their Gucci helmets and Hermes breeches, exquisitely tacked up and decked out as they pilot their half-ton horses around a demanding course of jumps.
It’s a perfect storm. There will be champions, glories won and lost, ribbons hotly contested. Just as the blazing court rivalries of the ‘70s helped bring tennis out of the country clubs and into the larger American sports consciousness, top level equestrian competitions will be similarly lifted by those forces now beginning to emerge. Hang on to your hats, the circus is coming to town. — by Catherine Macaulay
* * * * * * * * * *
TENNIS ANYONE? Recognized by both the FEI and the USEF as a top, CSI 5* level competition, the upcoming equestrian Masters in LA is modeled after the prestigious Grand Slam tournament that’s hallmarked tennis for years. The Grand Slam is four-match series of competitions includes the U.S. Open, French Open, Wimbledon and the Australian.
Having already organized the Paris Masters, the Hong Kong Masters and lately, the Los Angeles Masters, a fourth seems likely for horse show promoter Christophe Ameeuw, though on what continent remains to be seen.
SIGN UP FOR OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Thank you for your interest in Virginia Horse Country (VHC). We’re aware that that your time is valuable and we’ll do our level best to make you feel that each and every moment you spend reading our content is time well spent.
Please take just a moment to sign up, and we'll email you the latest newsletter from VHC every two weeks, for free. Your email address will not be shared with anyone, nor will we burden you with spam emails. We will only use it to contact you when a new issue of VHC is available.
Welcome Aboard!
First Case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis Reported for 2014
For the first time this year, a case of Eastern Equine Encephalitis (EEE) was reported by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS). The horse was a two-year-old Arabian male in Southeast Virginia who’d been vaccinated for EEE and West Nile Virus more than a year ago but was not revaccinated this year.
Dr. Richard Wilkes, VDACS’ State Veterinarian, encouraged horse owners to work with their veterinarians to plan a vaccination schedule that would protect their horses from both West Nile Virus and EEE, which is transmitted by mosquitoes and carries a mortality rate of 80 percent, making prevention its best line of defense.
To stimulate full immunity, horses must be vaccinated twice, about 30 days apart, the first year of vaccination. In an area where the disease occurs frequently, such as southeast and Tidewater Virginia, most veterinarians recommend vaccination every six months.
For more information, contact the Office of the State Veterinarian at (804) 692-0601.
DOWN ON THE FARM
According to a recent survey by the U.S. Census of Agriculture, there are 1,258 farms operating in Virginia today, with an average size of 181 acres. Come enjoy a peek beyond some of their gates by attending the Fall Farm Tour on Saturday, Oct. 11th from 10 a.m., to 5 p.m.
Now in its 19th year, the tour will showcase farms within Southern Fauquier County, giving the public access to area orchard, vineyard and cattle producing operations. Learn about haymaking, pick apples, visit with beekeepers, see how increasingly more Virginia farmers are growing local foods sustainably, managing cattle herds without damaging the land; take a hayride, a pony ride, enjoy the scenic views that frame Virginia’s rich agricultural heritage. Support the farmers who support the land.
For more information, call (540) 422-8280.
On sustainable living
“They call it sustainable today, but back then, it was just the way we lived. We didn’t grow up drinking milk from the store. My mother separated the cream, made the cottage cheese…we had hogs, sheep, mom had a frig and did her best to keep it full…we were very poor by today’s standards, but we didn’t think of it like that at the time.
"We had everything we needed. My mother made clothes, and we considered ourselves ahead of the game because we had an oil furnace. I’ve lived on the farm that my parents bought in 1928.
“The future of sustainable farming? It’s maybe that the increase in the price of food will increase the pressure on people to do things like that. We knew from the Depression that it was better to be poor on a farm than poor in the city.”
- Howard Grove, owner, Highwater Farm, 400 acres, Bealton, Va, who raises 300 head of Angus cattle
Farmer-Chef Express
Buy fresh, buy local, buy Virginia. That’s the latest mantra from The Piedmont Environmental Council (PEC), which recently launched a free, online website to help connect sellers of locally grown food with prospective buyers. By posting their products on the site, farmers can connect with restaurants, local food distributors, community food groups and area organizations, easily and quickly.
According to PEC’s website, “On average, food travels 1500-2500 miles from farm to table. Local farmers can offer produce varieties bred for taste and freshness rather than for shipping and long shelf life.”
Response for the Farmer-Chef Express has reportedly been strong. For more information" https://buylocalvirginia.org
Mr. Ed, Trigger, Flicka and the Curse of Anthropomorphism
According to a recent study in the Canadian scientific journal Frontiers in Psychology, anthropomorphizing animals may not only lessen a child’s actual learning experience, but also adversely impact their factual knowledge about them.
It’s hard to know where to draw the line with our next of kin. I grew up reading My Friend Flicka, Black Beauty, The Incredible Journey and Misty of Chincoteague all the while glued to the television set watching Mr. Ed, a shamelessly anthropomorphic, but altogether amusing TV series based upon the Walter R. Brooks novellas about a talking horse and his owner. One seemed real, the other pure fantasy. Both touched upon my love of horses and I enjoyed each immensely.
We’ve come a long way from the writings of Beatrix Potter and her enchantingly drawn, but altogether humanized protagonists. Today’s authors continue to expand our understanding of animals as finished worlds unto themselves, yet no writer has, to my mind, captured their wild essence quite like G. D. Roberts. Wolf, moose, bear, hawk or deer—his respect for untamed instincts, for a point of view undiluted by human perception, along with his insistence upon writing without sentiment—has spawned a genre of modern animal stories that endures today. His prose is fluid, at times poetic. Small wonder he’s known northward as “the father of Canadian literature.”
My favorite book is Kindred of the Wild, a collection of short stories about wildlife in the Canadian wilderness. All are near as good with something to offer anyone who appreciates animals on their own terms. It might take a bit of search, but to an antiquarian, the find is well worth the hunt. — by Catherine Macaulay
Fall Book Sale at National Sporting Library & Museum
The National Sporting Library & Museum in Middleburg, Va., is having its 2014 Fall Book Sale, including a silent auction of rare and collectible books. The books should be of particular interest to foxhunters. Bids are being accepted until Oct. 31st. The sales catalogue can be browsed on their website.
OCTOBER CALENDAR
Events
Breeding:
Hyperion Stud, in Barboursvile, Va., is gearing up for the 2014 American Holsteiner Horse Breed Inspection begins at 8am on Oct 1. Some top mares and foals will be presented for grading. The event is open to the public. Call 4434-973-7700 for more information.
Steeplechasing
Foxfield Fall Races, Sept. 28, Charlottesville, Va
Virginia Fall Races, Oct. 4, Glenwood Park, Middleburg, Va
International Gold Cup races, Oct. 25, Great Meadow, The Plains, Va
Montpelier Hunt Races, Nov. 1, Montpelier Station, Va
For details contact the National Steeplechase Association
http://www.nationalsteeplechase.com/racing/schedule/
Don’t forget the Morven Park Fall Horse Trials on Oct. 3rd, 4th, and 5th. For details contact Laura Doyle ldoyle@morvenpark.org 703-777-2890
Nominations being accepted for VA Livestock Hall of Fame
Take out your pencils and start jotting down the name of any individual worthy of being honored for their contributions to Virginia’s horse industry.
The Virginia Livestock Hall of Fame award—first established in 2009 by the Virginia State Dairymen Association, the Virginia Cattlemen’s Association, the Virginia Pork Industry Association and the Virginia Sheep Producers Association—was expanded last year by the Virginia Horse Council to include honorees from the equestrian side of the fence.
This year’s 2014 inaugural award went to Dr. Arden H. Huff, a former professor of Virginia Tech in Blacksburg, Va., who served as advisor to the Virginia horse industry, chairing horse-related seminars, coaching 4-H Horse and livestock judging teams and setting its standards and best practices. He also served as president of the American Youth Horse Council.
The Virginia Horse Council will be accepting nominations for its 2015 award until October 15th.
CRUISING ON HOME
The Passing of a Legend
Cruising: 1985-2014
It was a sad day to learn that Irish sport horse legend, Cruising, died peacefully at his home in Hartwell Stud in Ireland on Sept. 7th. He was 29.
Cruising, the powerful, 16.2 grey, was a showcase of what is best about the Irish sport horse pedigree. Say the name Cruising in the same breath as Aachen, Calgary, Dublin and countless other wins, be they Nations Cups or Grand Prixs, individual or team. A leading sire of eventers and show jumpers, Cruising ranked fifth in eventing stallions in last year’s World Breeding Federation for Sport Horses rankings, placing in the top five in the last five years: third in 2012, 2011 and 2010; fourth in 2009; and third in 2008.
Consistent throughout his career, was his enduring competitiveness. He was a champion and a genuine star—a product born of talent, breeding, and an immense spirit. Sired by the Irish Draught stallion Sea Crest, a Grade A show jumper, out of Mullacarew, an international show jumper by Nordlys, (TB), his progeny will live on to tell the tale. They include: Flexible the USEF horse of the Year 2012; Mr. Medicott, USEA Horse of the Year 2012; Mr. Cruise Control, who dominated British Eventing in 2013 and Larkhill Cruiser. Electric Cruise represented Ireland this year at the World Equestrian Games.
“Our family has lost a friend,” Cruising’s owner, Mary McCann told Virginia Horse Country. “When you have had an animal in your yard for 29 years you only realize when they are gone, how much they were part of your family. My three children grew up with him.
“Cruising was not easy, it wasn’t the large lorrys flying by that used to disturb him, but the leaf on the ground or the bird on the bush that had the girls hanging on for dear life. He had an absolute horror of donkeys, so much so that if he smelled one in the area it would totally affect his performance. The Dublin Horse Show used to have a donkey exhibition going on at the same time as the Grand Prix. This meant that we had to get special permission to warm up in a ring far removed from the main arena, along with an F.E.I. official. We then had to run him into the arena to jump, with a goodly smear of Vicks in his nose to prevent him even smelling a donkey.
“Cruising loved Aachen, for me, the greatest of shows, and I think for him. His performances there sum it up. From the time he was nine, he competed there four years running. In the Nations Cup, in four years he had double clears every time. I don’t think there is any horse whose yet beaten this record. He then went on to be 7th, 5th, 3rd and in 1999 winning the Aachen Grand Prix. In all his performances in Nations Cups worldwide he never had the discard score. Cruising’s progeny speak for themselves.”
RIP gallant sire. — by Catherine Macaulay
Equestrian humor at: www.CatherineMacaulay.com
Warrenton Horse Show is 115 Years Young
The venerable Warrenton Horse Show turned 115 over the Labor Day weekend. The single oval that originally gained its charter in 1899 is still going strong today, drawing a full spectrum of participants to its hunter competitions, which this year included the $5,000 Toyota Hunter Classic and the $15,000 Virginia Breeders Futurity.
The five-day venue was capped by Sunday’s elegant Hunt Night competition, with foxhunters from the area’s registered hunts attending, all vying for titles. But being well turned out wasn’t reserved for foxhunters in full attire. In honor of a grand old lady, horses and riders arrived spit and polished, performing in great equestrian style (lower left photo).
Congratulations to all who made the event a success—from those who cheerfully ushered in the stream of spectators to those who so beautifully arranged the spread of sterling silver trophies across the awards table—awards for special achievement, for teamwork, for volunteering—all honors that lent a great sportsmanship quality to the event (top photo).
In Virginia, it’s all about the horse. Perhaps, never better stated than by the carrot-filled trophy bowl presented by the Virginia Thoroughbred Association (lower right photo).
Showtime everyone. Photos by Barry Rosenberg
Horses and Horsepower
Morven Park breaks ground on major new expansion
Morven Park, which first opened to the public in 1967 through a gift by the former Governor of Virginia, Westmoreland Davis and his wife Marguerite, runs more than 30 horse shows annually.
Groundbreaking ceremonies are set for Friday, Sept. 19, as Morven Park kicks off Phase One of its master plan to expand and refurbish its 1,000-acre equestrian facility. Included in the first, $2.5 million round of improvements are multiple outdoor arenas capable of accommodating 10 full-size dressage courts and 4-ring hunter shows, as well as newly-installed spectator seating.
The showground’s latest design is largely the result of a collaboration of ideas and suggestions drawn from numerou, equestrian competitors in what’s been dubbed “For Riders by Riders”. Bringing David O’Connor, Joe Fargis and others together at Morven Park for a lay of the land has lent first-hand, showing experience to the equation, resulting in a significantly altered design plan from the original—one that has people giving it two thumbs up for maximizing land values.
According to Suzanne Musgrave, director of development at Morven, $1 million has been earmarked for the project with the remainder of funds coming from donations. Completion is expected for spring, 2015.
Friday’s reception, from 4-6:30 p.m., will be held during the Middleburg Classic Horse Show. For more information, phone (703) 777-2414.
Calendar of Competitions from Sept. 6 to Sept 13th
Sept. 6 Deep Run Fall Show H/E Manakin-Sabot, VA 804-749-3324 www.deeprunhorseshow.com, annetucker42@gmail.com
Sept. 6 Moriah Farm Hunter Show H/E Warrenton, VA 301-252-4085 www.moriahfarm.com, wyeager3@hotmail.com
Sept. 6 – Nokesville Horse Society Hunter Schooling Show, Nokesville Park, Nokesville, VA 540-222-4884,www.nokesvillehorsesociety.org
Sept. 6 Topline Horse Center H/E/M/J Yorktown, VA 757-591-8791 www.toplinehorsecenter.com jpcva@juno.com
Sept. 6 BHSA Jumper Classic/Hunter Benefit (VHSA Double Point Jumper Show) H/E/J Spotsylvania, VA 540-972-1342g.winslett@earthlink.net www.twahorseshows.yolasite.com
Sept. 6 – Summerplace Farm Horse Shows H The Plains, VA 540-219-0527 www.summerplacefarm.com info@summerplacefarm.com
Sept. 6 Southern Heritage Farm H/E Midland, VA 540-270-4615 www.southernheritagefarm.com, shfboarding4u@aol.com
Sept. 6 Four Oaks Farm H/E Palmyra, VA 434-589-8488 www.four_oaks_farm@yahoo.com">www.four_oaks_farm@yahoo.com
Sept. 6 Locke Meadows, LLC H/E/M Berryville, VA 540-533-2951 lockemeadows@yahoo.com
Sept. 6 River Run Farm – HRHSS H/E Chesapeake, VA 757-237-2968 emsaunders7@gmail.com
Sept. 6 East Coast Equestrian Show H/E/J Virginia Beach, VA 757-270-5228
Sept. 6 Stone Gate Stables J Aldie, VA 703-405-6555 www.stonegatestablesva.com, deltaswf@gmail.com
Sept. 6 Hamilton Oakes Farm Hunter Series H/E Meherrin, VA 434-390-5029 hamiltonaokesfarm@gmail.com
Sept. 6 MPHSA at Drinkwater Equestrian H/E Williamsburg, VA 757-784-3531 kfancyvalentine@aol.com
Sept. 6-7 Memory’s Hill Horse Show H/E/M Waynesboro, VA 540-383-6424 www.memoryshillstables.com ashley@memoryshillstables.com
Sept. 6 VADA/Nova Dressage schooling show at Looking Glass Farm, Hamilton, VA lookingglassfarm@mac.com,www.vadanova.org
Sept. 6 Maury River Hunter Pace, VHC, Lexington, VA, vht@cfw.com, www.horsecenter.org
Sept. 6 Twilight Polo at Great Meadow, The Plains, VA www.greatmeadow.org
Sept. 6-7 Color Classic Futurity and Paint-O-Rama, VHC, Lexington, VA www.VPHC.org, vphc@cox.net
Sept. 7 Prince William Horse Assoc. Show, Western Show, Four Winds Farm, Nokesville, VA www.pwha.net
Sept. 7 Looking Glass Farm Dressage schooling show, Hamilton, VA, www.lgfsporthorses.com,lookingglassfarm@mac.com, 540-729-4847
Sept. 7 Dressage with a view, VHC, Lexington, VA addieeight@aol.com, www.horsecenter.org
Sept. 7 Red Gate Farm Hunter Show Series H/E Hamilton, VA 540-882-3530 www.redgatefarmva.com redgatefarmva@aol.com
Sept. 7 Brandywine Farm GRHSA H/E Richmond, VA 804-590-2305 www.brandywinefarmva.com
Sept. 7 Hidden Haven Horse Show H/E Mechanicsville, VA 804-677-6051 www.hdnhvn.com, hdnhvn@earthlin.net
Sept. 7 Moriah Farm Jumper Show J Warrenton, VA 301-252-4085 www.moriahfarm.com, wyeager3@hotmail.com
Sept. 7 River Birch Farm H/J Courtland, VA 757-569-7530 www.riverbirchfarm.com, manager@riverbirchfarm.com
Sept. 7 Fox Chase Farm H/E Middleburg, VA 540-687-5855 www.foxchasefarm.net, contactf@foxchasefarm.net
Sept. 10-14 The Maryland Horse & Pony Show, Upper Marlboro, MD 443-417-7976 rebeccagfoster@gmail.com
Sept. 11-14 VA 4-H State Championship Show, VHC, Lexington, VA www.4-h.ext.vt.edu/programs/anscience/horse/
Sept. 13–14 VQHA Virginia Bred Futurity, Meadow Event Park, Doswell, VA www.myvqha.com
Sept. 13 Princess Anne Farm H/E/J Virginia Beach, VA 757-630-9170 msturtz@cox.net
Sept. 13 Kelly’s Ford Equestrian Center Open Horse Shows H/E/M/J Remington, VA 540-399-1800www.innatkellysford.com kellysford.horseshows@aol.com
Sept. 13 River Chase Farm H/E/M Aldie, VA 571-276-9563 www.riverchasefarm.com info@riverchasefarm.com
Sept. 13 LTD Horse Shows H/E Clearbrook, VA 540-877-1787 www.ltdhorseshows.weebly.com threeshoesfarm@aol.com
Sept. 13 Stillmeadows CHSA H/E/M Mechanicsville, VA 804-746-4477 www.rtsatstillmeadowsfarm.com stillmeadowsfarm@live.com
MORE FOR YOUR CALENDAR: Equine Health
Consider adding Morven Park’s newest lecture series to your calendar. Entitled “ Feeding Horses with Metabolic Issues”. The series focuses on ways of minimizing equine metabolic symptoms through diet. Free to the public, the lecture is slated for Thursday, Sept. 11 from 7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Pre-register by emailing ldoyle@morvenpark.org.
Horses and Horse Power
This equestrian themed interior of this Aston Martin DB9 Volante was commissioned by the Los Gatos car dealership in California expressly for the Menlo Charity Horse Show recently held in Los Gatos, CA. Tailored made to order, the interior features Saddle Tan Luxmill leather with Diamond quilted Ivory Alcantara on the inner seat, leather rear storage, and horse logo embroidering on the front head restraints and rear console.
Such customized touches are part of Aston Martin’s range of appointments that allow a buyer to personalize a car to suit their taste.
* * * * *
Aston Martin and Blenheim
For the Virginian who prefers his horsepower under the hood and not under saddle, and has the Aston Martin sports car emblem on the grill to prove it, consider booking a first-class ticket to London for a front row seat at the International Horse Trials at Blenheim Palace, courtesy of Aston Martin Works.
Slated for Sept.11-14, the four-day event has been drawing attendees through its opulent gates for the past 24 years, everyone coming to watch top event horses and riders being put through their paces at speed and with classic style.They arrive carrying picnic baskets, driving RVs and peddling bikes.
But this year, for just 375 pounds sterling, an Aston Martin owner can park himself on the coveted south lawn of Blenheim's 11,500-acre estate to enjoy an equestrian's version of power, beauty and grace, complementary program included.
For four glorious days, events will unfold before him like the open road, with cross-country, dressage and jumping all delivering a maximum output of entertainment and excitement all contained within the picturesque Oxfordshire countryside.
Such high performance doesn’t come cheaply. International caliber event horses fetch the same six-figure price as an Aston Martin coup. A top-level horse must accelerate and decelerate with lightening quick responsiveness, handle superbly in all conditions. They must gallop across all type of footing surfaces at speeds between 570 and 690 meters per minute. They must be bold, with real stamina. And instead of a saddle interior, they need genuine heart.
Speed, power and tradition have always been a winning combination, whether its horses or horsepower. But for sheer opulence an Aston Martin owner will want to step away from the members pavilion to take a spin of the lavish 200,000 sq. ft. interior of Blenheim, the tour included in the price of admission.
Blenheim
The birthplace of Winston Churchill, Blenheim remains one of the grandest estates in England today.Visually opulent, historically colorful, its been impeccably appointed to suit the individual tastes of all 11 dukes of Marlborough who’ve called it home ever since John Churchill received the gift of it in the early 1700s in exchange for his victory at the Battle of Blenheim. He was later evicted and sent into exile when politics turned against him.
Like so many other important, historic houses across England, Blenheim has endured its fair share of court intrigues and dalliances over the generations, surviving in large part, through primogeniture and an infusion of cash from the 9th Duke’s marriage to Consuelo Vanderbilt in 1894—the American railroad heiress whose socially ambitious mother brokered the family a genuine, if not hugely impoverished British title amidst a wave of high-profile buyouts in what is known as the Guilded Age.
But money alone failed to prop up England's aristocracies all struggling amid a post-World War I economy shifting away from its agricultural roots and migrating into a more egalitarian, industrial-based society. The death knell was sounded for the landed gentry, their vast holdings of property no longer a source of wealth, but a taxable, financial drain upon the family's coat of arms.
Blenheim survives today largely through pubic admission and a roster of high-profile, sponsored events like the International Horse Trials, drawing highbrow, lowbrow and in between.
Having lost the venerable Goodwood International Dressage Competition to auto racing in 1994, it remains to estates like Blenheim and Burghley to keep the horse in horsepower. Hopefully, the International Horse Trials will remain a fixture in Blenheim's event calendar.
For more info about the upcoming three-day event visit www.blenheimhorse.co.uk
To inquire about booking a reservation through Aston Martin, visit experience@astonmartinworks.com. Food and drink is provided. Dress is casual, but pack Wellies and a raincoat. It’s England.
* * * * *
HUNTSMAN WANTED
The Piedmont Fox Hounds is seeking an experienced huntsman for the 2015-2016 season.
What’s needed to qualify for such a position?
Plenty, according to former master of foxhounds Gerald Park of Tryon, NC, in Western North Carolina.
“Tradition, courtesy and a genial lightness should always be maintained,” said Pack. A huntsman must keep the hounds coming and running as one pack. He’s got to possess hound knowledge, know when they are running a heel away, when they’re running forward, keep a keen ear on them—and separate those running in the front and those in the rear. He has to know whether he’s running a grey fox or a red; he’s got to run one fox, not two, ascertain quickly whether it’s a coyote or a rabbit he’s after. Above all, he must understand the terrain. A huntsman can't sit atop the hillside and wonder 'which way did they go?' That's important.
Beyond that, a huntsman must wear many different caps, be able to talk with anyone, rich or poor, be facile at putting on the stellar performance because that’s what people come out for, like it or not. Fox hunting is 60 percent show and 40 percent hunting, depending upon the day. A huntsman’s job is immensely difficult—to hunt the hounds and consistently produce results.”
Interested applicants should apply to: Piedmont Fox Hounds, PO Box 13, Upperville, VA 20185.
“Wherever man has left his footprint in the long ascent from barbarism to civilization we will find the hoofprint of a horse beside it. — John Trotwood Moore, Tennessee State Librarian, 1919
Napoleon Bonaparte discusses breeches, horsemanship, George Washington and military strategy. See my interview with the general on the "On the Records" page.
More equestrian humor at:
www.CatherineMacaulay.com
Virginians campaigning in Europe this Fall
Several Virginia event riders are enjoying a terrifically eventful season abroad courtesy of the USEF competition grants.
Making the rounds of elegant palaces and several top international, seat-of-the-pants competitions are Virginians Hannah Sue Burnett of The Plains, aboard Jacqueline Mars’ Harbour Pilot (a 2003 Irish Sport Horse gelding); Lauren Kieffer of Middleburg, Team Rebecca, aboard LLC’s Veronica (a 2002 Dutch Warmblood mare); Kurt Martin of Middleburg, aboard his own Anna Bella (a 2006 Holsteiner mare); Lillian Heard of Hamilton, aboard her own Share Option (a 2002 Thoroughbred Cross gelding); and Jan Byyny of Purcellville, aboard her own and Dick and Jo Byyny’s Inmidair (a 1999 New Zealand Thoroughbred gelding).
Congratulations to this year’s USET’s competition grant recipients. Here’s to seeing Virginia well-represented abroad this fall at:
* The Burghley Horse Trials, England, (CCI4)
* The Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials, England, (CCI3)
* The Military Boekelo, Netherlands, (CCIO3)
* The Les Etoiles De Pau, France, (CCI4)
Exhibit of horse paintings at National Sporting Library
The equestrian paintings of Clarice Smith will remain on display at the National Sporting Library and Museum in Middleburg, Va., until Sept. 28th. Entitled Power and Grace, the exhibit of nearly 40 paintings represents a range of equestrian art that spans the artist’s lifetime.
For more info, phone (540)-687-6542.
Fixture in Thoroughbred Racing Passes Away
Virginia thoroughbred racing lost a true horseman on Aug. 6th following the death of Edward Stevens, owner of Rocketts Mill Farm in Doswell, Va.
Stevens, 82, was considered a fixture in the sport. Having emerged onto the scene back in the ‘60s, when Virginia-bred foals numbered 1,400 a year and sprawling, thoroughbred breeding farms were operating in large numbers across the state, Stevens built himself a sizeable breeding and training operation from 100 acres of unimproved farmland outside Richmond.
Considered a force of nature, Stevens produced many a stakes winner throughout his career, never losing his enthusiasm for the sport of racing or his love of the Virginia thoroughbred.
"I've never made a mint," Stevens once said. "If I had, I'd be on a 47-foot boat down at Virginia Beach. ... You only need one (great horse). That's the crazy part of this business. You scuffle along, scuffle along and scuffle along. Then you get one and clean your slate.”
Funeral services will be held on Sunday, Aug. 10th at 3:00 p.m., at the First Baptist Church in Ashland, Va.
Polo Benefit Supporting the National Sporting Library to Feature the Finest Female Polo Players in the U.S.
Maureen Brennan on Atrevida photographed by Mark Crislip
Interested in seeing how America’s top female polo players are changing the sport of kings? Then plan on attending the annual 2014 Polo Benefit & Luncheon on Sunday, Sept. 14th at the Virginia International Polo Club in Upperville, Va.
The event, which benefits the National Sporting Library & Museum in Upperville, promises to be an exciting one, with a roster of high-goal female polo players. The library promotes the art, literature and the culture of equestrian and field sports.
To reserve your free tailgate spot, phone #540-687-6542, ext. 24. Gates open at 12:30 p.m., with opening ceremonies & the Junior Girls Invitational starting promptly at 2:30 p.m. Match play begins at 3:30 p.m.
Background photo by Edward Payne: www.edwardpaynephoto.com