Rich Fellers and Flexible against the dramatic backdrop for equestrian sport at the London Olympics

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

The Queen "parachuting" with James Bond into the opening ceremonies was the perfect beginning to days of glory, during which the Games, London and Great Britain were the biggest winners.The theme from the inspiring film, "Chariots of Fire," and the iconic hymn/anthem, "Jerusalem" (the source of the movie's title) became the practically non-stop soundtrack to which the pageant unfolded across weeks of athletic prowess.

Equestrian has never had such a beautiful backdrop, glowing with the alabaster of the Queen's House, built for a 17th century queen and her successor (not Elizabeth, who is in residence elsewhere) and the National Maritime Museum, shadowed by Canary Wharf. Greenwich Park had the right charisma for incredibly dramatic competition, featuring cross-country fences and jumps in the stadium that mirrored the host country's history and landmarks.

Olympic double-gold dressage medalist Charlotte Dujardin of Great Britain and Valegro

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

I want it on the record just one more time that I predicted three team gold medals for Great Britain. I came close, but the British eventers finished behind the Germans to mess me up. Still, I got the dressage and show jumping right. Having the home side do so well really made the Games even more meaningful for equestrian sports not only in Britain, but elsewhere in the world, as people empathized with that karma. Having the much-photographed Royals on hand for equestrian competitions didn't hurt, either. And the Paralympics benefited too, with good crowds watching brave and inspiring efforts.

I doubt we'll see another Olympics with the cachet of London in our lifetime; or maybe ever. It offered the perfect stage on which dressage got a new identity and gained popularity with powerful performances that put previous Olympic competitions in the shade. How nice to see a nation besides the Germans or the Dutch on top.

On the down side, the Olympics provided some painful "wake-up" moments for the U.S. equestrian community. Mark Philllips' conclusion, "We weren't good enough" applied not only to his eventing team, but also to the American dressage and show jumping squads. It was the first time since 1956 that the country's representatives had come home without a medal. Consider it an impetus for improvement.

Olympic double-gold eventing medalist Michael Jung of Germany, who is also the European and world champion, aboard Sam on cross-country.

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

My selection for equestrian athlete of the year is a tie: How do you decide between graceful Olympic double-gold dressage medalist Charlotte Dujardin of Great Britain  (who gets extra points for wearing a helmet during her rides on Valegro) and German double-gold eventing medalist Michael Jung aboard Sam. This is an amazing partnership that has also captured the European and world championships, combining with the Olympic achievements for a unique triple crown. You choose; I can't.

Special mention has to go to Rich Fellers, the first American in 25 years to win the World Cup Show Jumping finals. He and his longtime partner, Flexible, went from that achievement to being the highest-placed U.S. rider on the show jumping Olympic team.

There's no question about who made the comeback of the year. I still remember my shock on learning that McLain Ward had shattered his left kneecap on a jump cup when I heard the news last January. The big question was, would he be ready for the Olympics? In his second grand prix back in May, he won under the lights at Devon in storybook fashion and earned his way to the Games. They didn't go as planned, but he bounced back a few weeks later with a victory in the HITS Pfizer $1 million grand prix. McLain missed the Washington International as his father lay dying, but after Barney Ward's death, McLain dealt with his grief and re-emerged (with a few understandable tears) at the National Horse Show, where he won the $250,000 Alltech Grand Prix.

Jacob Pope, winner of the Emerging Athlete Program finals in 2011, made a big splash in 2012 by winning two equitation championships and likely is headed for more victories in 2013.

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

My Rising Star Award has become the Risen Star Award as Reed Kessler went from promising grand prix rider to the top of the charts in the selection trials, co-national champion and finally the youngest equestrian Olympian at the age of 18, all in the space of six months. And special recognition should be given to Jacob Pope, who came from nowhere, won the 2011 U.S. Hunter Jumper Association Emerging Athlete Program finals and went on to take both the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals East and ASPCA Maclay Finals not even 12 months later. Maybe he'll be on the next Olympic team.

The anti-climax of the year was Totilas. We kind of figured that that Edward Gal's European and world championships gold medal mount wasn't going to be winning Olympic gold with his current rider, Matthias Rath, but we didn't expect him to be a no-show at the Olympics. Maybe it was just as well; when you're hot, you're hot, and when you're not, well, let's just say I think Valegro (and perhaps a few others) would have cleaned his clock.

Sapphire said goodbye at the Devon Horse Show during retirement ceremonies that wrapped up an illustrious career.

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

Who knows when (or if) we'll see Totilas in the ring again, but we know that 2012  retirees Sapphire and Ravel have competed for the last time. Sapphire, McLain's illustrious mare who is the veteran of two gold medal Olympic teams, will be busy providing foals. Ravel, the USA's top dressage horse for years, will be hanging out and relaxing as rider Steffen Peters concentrates on his new star, the 2012 national Grand Prix champion, Legolas.

Equestrian sport has been plagued by scads of legal battles over the years, but there's only one choice for the legal wrangle of 2012. If you're hoping for world peace in 2013, why not start small and ask for an end to the Wellington tug of war over the Global Dressage Festival showgrounds. So many accusations and lawsuits have been filed over this that it's impossible to keep it all straight. The only thing that's important to know at this point, however, is that the GDF will be operational for 2013 shows and further enhance Wellie World's global reputation as a major equestrian center.

If you don't want too many questions about something, announce it during the week between Christmas and New Year's. That's what the FEI did with the news that Longines will be its first Top Partner (and official timekeeper and official watch), taking over the sponsorship of World Cup show jumping in October 2013. So what happened to Rolex, the World Cup's current sponsor? Who knows; with offices closed for the holidays, it's impossible to find out.

There are questions about whether the Rolex Kentucky three-day event will be affected, but the U.S. Equestrian Federation has an excellent relationship that goes back decades with Rolex Watch USA, so that should stand it in good stead. Still, one can't help but wonder about the fate of the Rolex Grand Slam.

Who can forget that 2012 was the year for presidential politics? And not just at the national level. Bill Moroney and Mary Babick had a face-off for the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association presidency, and incumbent Bill got the nod of the board of directors for a third (and final) term. Such contested elections are rare in horse organizations; Chrystine Tauber had no opposition in becoming the new president of the USET after Bill and Armand Leone withdrew their candidacies.

Meanwhile, Jane Clark announced she was resigning in January as president of the U.S. Equestrian Team Foundation after choosing British rider Ben Maher to ride her jumpers. Jane, who said she will continue her support of the foundation (which supplies the USEF with high performance money), felt that it wouldn't be proper for her to remain as president if her horses will be on foreign teams. A top-notch replacement is waiting in the wings.

As every year ends, we think back on those who passed away during the preceding 12 months. The loss in April of Olympic and World Equestrian Games eventing medalist Amy Tryon still is terribly painful. Amy, who partnered with the former mountain horse Poggio, died too young of an accidental medication overdose. She was installed in the U.S. Eventing Hall of Fame this month, where so many others are immortalized. Their ranks include Jack Fritz, who contributed so much to the base and growth of eventing and dressage in this country. Jack, who also ran the U.S. Equestrian Team operation in Gladstone, N.J., died in March.

Dr. Craig Ferrell, the U.S. team's wonderful physician, left us in May after a polo accident. He was an incredibly selfless man who never refused a request for help. Among the others who departed were Dick Thompson, a pillar of the eventing world who owned the Horse of the 20th Century, Biko; two-time Pony Club President James Ligon; dressage volunteer Patsy Albers and Paralympian Jon Wentz, who died weeks after realizing his ambition of riding in the Games.

Looking ahead to 2013, expect big changes in the way things are done in the U.S. to build a better high performance base in all three Olympic disciplines with an eye toward making the 2014 Alltech World Equestrian Games and the 2016 Olympics in Rio a success story for the USA.

Don't buy your plane tickets yet, but the 2018 WEG will go either to Vienna (how nice that would be for something different) or Bromont, Canada. My money's on Bromont, which hosted the equestrian portion of the 1976 Olympics, though there would be better desserts in Vienna. As for the 2020 Olympics, bet on Istanbul, where the FEI (international equestrian federation) had its General Assembly this year. The other contenders, Spain and Japan, already have hosted a Games, and Turkey is a fresh new location.

A 2013 landmark is the FEI's new helmet rule, which goes into effect in January. It's good, but doesn't go far enough, because it still permits Grand Prix dressage riders and reiners to compete wearing top hats and cowboy hats respectively, though they are required to wear protective headgear much of the rest of the time they are on the showgrounds. How about just cutting to the chase and requiring protective headgear at all times for everyone, period. The exception would be vaulters, since I'm told helmets would throw off their balance.

So much of what happened in 2012 couldn't be predicted (except the British gold medals, of course!).  All I can guarantee is that the same will hold true in 2013 and I will be telling you about it. I'll be sending my first postcard of the new year on Sunday evening from the debut of Donald Trump's Mar-A-Lago show jumping grand prix in Palm Beach. Really Palm Beach, not Wellington, even though they call the showgrounds there the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. It's 40 minutes west of the ocean, so that's a stretch, but Mar-A-Lago has a genuine blue water backdrop. Can't wait to see this competition!

Until then,

Steffen Peters leads the selection trials for the Olympic dressage team on Legolas.

Photo © 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

Predictably, Steffen Peters leads the way on his number two horse, Legolas. Ravel, his World Cup and World Dressage Masters champion (who also won two bronze medals at the 2010 World Equestrian Games), stayed home in California after getting a bye from the trials.

Legolas  didn't let anyone down. Steffen took him to a score of 77.933 percent today in the Special at the Dressage Festival of Champions, though there was dramatic shrinkage in the edge of nearly four points he enjoyed in yesterday's Grand Prix over his WEG teammate, Tina Konyot and Calecto V. Tina put in a remarkable test with the black Danish stallion to earn 76.667 percent, a good measure ahead of another WEG team member, Todd Flettrich on Otto (73.067). That horse, also Danish-bred, looks more substantial and much improved since the last time I saw him a few months ago.

These scores all are more than respectable; they're impressive. But the U.S. will need every percentage point it can get in London this summer. Not only are the Germans, European Champion British and Dutch readying their medal assault for gold and silver, but the Danes and Swedes also are contenders (for bronze) and now the Spanish are emerging as possibilities, too. Their strongest rider, Beatriz Ferrer-Salat, who won individual bronze at the 2002 WEG, today topped the Grand Prix Special on Delgado (75.76 percent) at the Fritzens-Schindlhof show in Austria, beating Great Britain's strong man, Carl Hester on Uthopia (74.36). Meanwhile, Spain's feisty Fuego (remember that dynamic gray from the 2010 WEG?) was third with 73.98 percent under the guidance of Juan Manuel Munoz Diaz.

But let's put things in perspective. The very experienced Ravel should be able to score higher than Legolas, a 10-year-old Westphalian gelding who is undefeated at Grand Prix. If the other U.S. team members do their part and can hit the mid-70s, prospects are looking up.

I asked the team's technical advisor, Anne Gribbons, what she thought about the way the horses looked this weekend.

Listen: Anne Gribbons

To me, Legolas is a not-so-secret weapon. Only three people  are allowed on a team, and there is no drop score. So it's vital that Steffen, the only U.S. rider in the world top 20 rankings (15th with Ravel, 17th with Legolas) can participate.  And having Legolas as such an able back-up makes for a nice comfort zone. Although Legolas has had some fumbles with the 1-tempis in the past (yes, as recently as yesterday) today he had them down pat, a nice milestone in his progress.

The top six at the halfway mark of the trials; Guenter Seidel, sixth; Adrienne Lyle, fifth; Jan Ebeling, fourth; Todd Flettrich, third; Tina Konyot, second and Steffen Peters, first.

Photo © 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

I asked Steffen how he would feel if something went wrong with Ravel (please don't let that happen!) and he had to ride Legolas in the Games.

Listen: Steffen Peters

Anne told me six horse/rider combinations will ship to England next month to prepare for the Games, and Legolas likely will go as a seventh horse. At this point, in addition to Steffen, Tina and Todd, others in line to cross the pond would be Jan Ebeling and Rafalca, who looks better than I had ever seen her go; Adrienne Lyle and Wizard, who save for a break into the canter in the trot half-pass might have overtaken Jan, and Guenter Seidel with Fandango.

Guenter Seidel and Fandango.

Photo © 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

It is so great to see Guenter back in action. Last year, the Olympic and WEG multi-team medalist came to the championships horseless. He suffered a broken pelvis in a fall in 2010 and was sidelined for quite a long time. Then his sponsors of 20 years, the Browns (in honor of whom the arena at the USET Foundation is named) decided to call it quits. In January, though, he got back in the game with Marie Meyers' mount, Fandango, and their partnership continues to improve. The only other time he rode him in competition was at the World Cup Finals in 2009, when he did a pas de deux to the music from "Phantom of the Opera."

Guenter is such a nice guy, and such a great rider. It's gratifying to see him in the ring again. We talked about how it's going.

Listen: Guenter Seidel

As Anne said earlier, the historic USET Foundation grounds never looked nicer. But some things were missing from this weekend's competition. There were no victory passes in the Grand Prix ranks, just unmounted victory strolls, as riders came into the ring with their ribbons, smiled for a photo, and left. The reason? Concern that one of the horses might be injured if riders rode for their ribbons. That seems rather over-protective. I miss the energy of results well-rewarded with a be-ribboned ride around the ring, and that's important for spectators, too.

Jan Ebeling and Ann Romney, one of the owners of Rafalca.

Photo © by Nancy Jaffer

The other thing that is missing is the Grand Prix freestyle. Riders (some of whom now say they wish they could ride the freestyle) were consulted when plans for the trials got drawn up, and they decided two Grand Prix and two Grand Prix Special classes would be enough for the horses. I got that from George Williams, president of the U.S. Dressage Federation and chairman of the U.S. Equestrian Federation's High Performance Dressage Committee.

He explained that because the Olympic Special is a new test this year, riders felt they needed more practice doing it under the eye of the judges. Since five classes would have been too much, it was felt an extra Special in place of the freestyle would work best. That's especially important because unlike previous Olympics, the team medals will be awarded based on the combination of the Grand Prix and the Special, not just the Grand Prix.

Also, the freestyle in the Olympics is only used to determine the individual placings, and it's felt that the team medal is always more important. So there you have the reasoning; it's a disappointment for spectators, though, who will have to be content with the Intermediare I freestyle next Sunday.

In the good news column, it looks as if the U.S. will get an extra rider who can compete as an individual. Nothing is confirmed yet, but it seems unlikely two Colombians are going to be able to qualify for the Games by earning 64 percent in competition. One of their spaces would be filled by an Irish rider, who is first in line, while the U.S. is next on the waiting list. Although the team still would not have a drop score, just fielding the extra rider feels like a cushion of sorts.

The USEF is operating so smoothly that the taking-care-of-business sessions often bordered on boring. It"s both a relief and a testament to how far the organization has come since the tempestuous days less than a decade ago, when the organization was formed out of the power struggle between USA Equestrian and the U.S. Equestrian Team.

Many of the rule changes these days are hammered out at affiliates, such as the U.S. Hunter Jumper Association or the U.S. Eventing Association. These proposals come to this meeting for the final touches in most cases, and many are not even voted on by the board (they are approved through what is known as a consent calendar). So the discussions over the last four days were fairly dull, with one exception (more about that later).

The two big dinners, however, are another story. The Horse of the Year affair on Friday night and the Pegasus last night  each were emotional, fonts of sentiment for the heroes, both human and equine, of equestrian sport.

The most moving experience, as always, was the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Award. This year it went to Jimmy Wofford, an icon in so many pursuits. You may know him best as the brilliant and witty eventing columnist for Practical Horseman. But the son of a cavalry officer was a fabulous performer in his sport before retiring for good in 1986, winning medals at the Olympics and the world championships with class and style. He rode in steeplechase races as well.

He"s a tough guy. Jimmy just  had an operation to fix an ankle that he injured in 1974; (yes, nearly 40 years ago) when he fell off one of his mother"s horses. He kept a stiff upper lip all that time, but I thought you"d wonder when you saw photos of him on crutches.

As a trainer, Jimmy excels. Every Pan American Games, world championships and Olympic team since 1978 has one of his students on it. They include Kim Severson, USEF President David O"Connor (who you may have heard was an individual Olympic gold medalist) and his wife, Karen O"Connor.

You likely do not realize, however, that Jimmy had a key role in governance. He served as an officer of both the U.S. Equestrian Team and the U.S. Combined Training Association. In the 1980s, he was a president of the old American Horse Shows Association, the predecessor of USAE and USEF.

When it comes to the "level playing field" that"s mentioned repeatedly at the USEF convention, Jimmy was uncompromising in his disdain for the cheaters and determination to stop them. It was a focal point of his acceptance speech, along with his reverence for horses.

Jim Wofford wore the Jimmy Williams silver hat trophy as he accepted the USEF’s Lifetime Achievement Award

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

The presentation of the silver cowboy hat trophy (inspired by the headgear of the first recipient, multi-discipline Californian Jimmy Williams) put Jimmy into an exclusive club that includes coaches Bertalan de Nemethy and Jack LeGoff and show jumping gold medalist Billy Steinkraus, legends all.

I asked how he felt about it all.

Listen: Jim Wofford

Jimmy wrapped up his speech this way: “I am no longer involved in sport governance. This is not from a loss of faith in the process, but rather from a conviction that our affairs are in good order and in good hands. I am now able to turn to my abiding passion with all my energies. I devote my life these days to horses, and the riders who train and care for them. I have always been fascinated by riding and training theory, and by the application of classical methods to modern competitive circumstances. I now return to those endeavors with a grateful heart for the honor you have shown me tonight.

“When I was the President of the AHSA, I wrote a monthly column for our magazine. I always wanted to keep my remarks to our membership focused on horses, and therefore closed my column each month by saying ‘I’ll see you in the warm-up ring.’

Those have been the happiest moments of my professional career, in the background of a warm-up arena, helping yet another aspiring rider discover the joy of partnership with God’s noblest creature, the horse.

And so, Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you yet again. I’ll see you in the warm-up ring.”

Just so you know that not everything was serious, after stepping down from the podium, the man of the hour was ambushed with Silly String by his grandsons. (For a priceless picture of the incident, be sure to check back this week and look at the gallery.)

Steffen Peters was a lock for Equestrian of the Year for the third time, a contest in which only USEF members and the media could vote.

He"s amazing. On Friday, the Pan Am Games double gold dressage medalist was riding in a show in California, where he made his debut with Legolas, the new grand prix horse who will be the back-up for his superstar Ravel. Akiko Yamizaki, who owns both horses, and Steffen"s wife, Shannon, urged him to compete with the horse, instead of just schooling him at the show as he had planned.

Steffen told me he had to think about it and then realized that he could blame it on them if something went wrong (said with a smile). Of course, nothing did, and both horses finished with scores of more than 80 percent before he flew out to accept his trophy.

Combined driver Jacob Arnold, junior equestrian of the year; Jimmy Wofford and Steffen Peters, equestrian of the year

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

Since the outcome of the Equestrian of the Year contest was predictable, Steffen came prepared with a very professional slide show to thank everyone who had made great things happen for him in 2011. That included his mom; his wife, the horse owners, natch; grooms, vets, and of course, the horses.

Even Friday the 13th couldn"t stop the unstoppable Neville Bardos from claiming the Horse of the Year Trophy for the international disciplines.

Well, to be exact, Neville didn"t step up to get his trophy. Rider Boyd Martin (who had to borrow a blazer from another guest after showing up in casual clothes) stood in for his horse. Neville was in Florida practicing dressage with Boyd"s wife, Silva, who is working on that phase in preparation for a shot at the London Olympics (Boyd and Neville are short-listed).

Boyd Martin, center, at the Horse of the Year awards with two couples that are members of the Neville Bardos syndicate: Spike and Jeanne Sylvester and April and Chuck Whitlock

© 2012 by Nancy Jaffer

For the first time, the public could vote for Horse of the Year and that made Neville a cinch. (The title was divided for the first time. Neville got the title for horses in international disciplines. Sjoerd, a marvelous Friesian stallion, took national honors.)

Neville has been very well publicized and may be even more so; Boyd said he got a call from Warner Brothers the other day about the possibility of a movie based on the horse"s remarkable life.

Neville should be the posterboy for thoroughbred racehorse recycling. If people thought they could wind up with a horse like Neville (who only cost Boyd $850 when he saved him from going to slaughter) wouldn"t they be tempted to get an athletic thoroughbred, rather than some fancy warmblood (who"d be a lot more expensive)?

Neville Bardos and Boyd Martin

© by Nancy jaffer

And anyone casting the movie who doesn"t use the extremely handsome and personable Boyd as the lead should be pushing papers in a cubicle somewhere.

I"m sure you all know Neville"s tale, so just in case you need a reminder, here"s the long story short: Boyd brought him to the U.S. when he pokie games left his native Australia. They won the 2009 Fair Hill 3-star and were the top-placed American duo (Boyd became a U.S. citizen) in the World Equestrian Games.

Last May, Boyd and Phillip Dutton rescued Neville from a stable fire, where he was moments away from death. Despite having breathed in smoke and suffering burns, Neville pulled through. His five-figure veterinary bills were paid by his fans.

Unbelievably, the tough chestnut gelding recovered enough that three months later he was able to finish seventh at the Burghley, England 4-star.

Boyd was aglow with pride at the USEF dinner. Here"s what he said when we talked.

Listen: Boyd Martin

]]> http://www.equisearch.com/news/nancy_jaffer/2012_usef_annual_meeting/feed/ 0 http://www.equisearch.com/news/alltech-and-normandy-join-forces-alltech-to-sponsor-2014-weg/ http://www.equisearch.com/news/alltech-and-normandy-join-forces-alltech-to-sponsor-2014-weg/#comments Fri, 08 Jul 2011 20:02:32 +0000 klight http://www.equisearch.com/?p=40912

July 8, 2011 -- Alltech, which gained international publicity as the title sponsor of the FEI 2010 World Equestrian Games, effectively has laid claim to the WEG concept.

Today it was formally announced that Alltech also will be the title sponsor of the 2014 World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France.

The $10 million it originally pledged to Kentucky has become 10 million Euro, which is worth more than $14 million -- and that's just for starters. Alltech wound up spending about $32 million total while activating its sponsorship in Lexington; Normandy also can count on the support of Alltech where it is needed.

Explaining why Alltech has come forward again, its founder and CEO Dr. Pearse Lyons told me, "The idea of doing it once and only once never crossed our minds."

As he noted this morning, "It's crazy to step out after your first sponsorship and not continue what was the strategic plan."

And when he says continue, he means continue. In a conversation last week, Dr. Lyons told me that Alltech wants to bid for the 2018 WEG and bring it back to Kentucky.

He'll have some competition for that Games. Among those also planning to bid is Equestrian Sport Productions, which runs the Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Fla.

Michael Stone, ESP's president, was on hand at the 2010 WEG to size up the concept, and we talked at that time about why ESP would bid.

Listen: Michael Stone

Michael Stone (right) and Mark Bellissimo of Equestrian Sport Productions.

Photo copyright by Nancy Jaffer

Seated next to Dr. Lyons during the internet feed of today's announcement was Fabien Grobon, the Normandy WEG's executive director, who formerly was involved with sponsorship, among other positions, for the French tennis federation.

When I interviewed him at the 2010 WEG, where members of the Normandy crew were keen observers, we talked about the pluses of having a WEG in his region.

Listen: Fabien Grobon

He outlined the vision of Normandy 2014, which will be as important to the region as it is to the global equestrian community.

"I think horse sports in general are undersold," said Grobon, who would like to see increased media interest. "To me, it's more than sport; it's horse culture. The WEG is a nice platform to bring the countries and disciplines together. I think there's a huge potential." With its racing and horse-breeding, Normandy, he pointed out, "is in the horse industry. Sport today is an accelerator of development for regions. It creates jobs and brings momentum."

Much of the infrastructure is in place, including a soccer stadium that seats 22,500, which cuts down on costs.

"We are starting with a $69 million budget from the region, the city of Caen, the state of France" and others," Fabien said during our 2010 interview, when he vowed the money will be "well-spent." And then Alltech stepped in to provide the further backing that was needed.

Dr. Pearse Lyons of Alltech.

Photo copyright by Nancy Jaffer

The announcement took place in Paris. That's Paris, France, not Paris, Ky., though Dr. Lyons emphasized the connection between France and Kentucky. While going down a whole list of links (the French settled Louisville, Kentucky has cities named Paris and Versailles) he stated, "Sometimes I wonder why in Kentucky we don't speak French."

The dates for the 15-day WEG (one day shorter than Kentucky 2010) originally were Aug. 17-31, 2014, but a switch to Aug. 23-Sept. 7 is under consideration to avoid conflicts, including one with swimming's European Championships in Berlin. What's optimum for TV is, of course a prime consideration. It's also a better time to fill hotels, Fabien said.

There have been whispers that housing could be a problem during the Normandy Games.

As Fabien told me, "Like always, rumors are part true and part false. As far as hotels are concerned, our concern at the moment are 4- and 5-star hotels."

Calling the issue "minor," he said the organization is working on solving it.

Part of the answer is two cruise ships with 600 rooms total in Caen Harbor during the WEG, an approach that has been tested on anniversaries of the World War II Normandy invasion.

The organization also has optioned more than 600 other rooms in "good to great quality chains."

When it comes to lower-rated hotels, he said, there are 10,000 rooms with an hour drive of Caen. Bed and breakfast opportunities are available, as is camping, and house-swapping is another possibility. Free housing will be available in military and school facilities.

Meanwhile, he pointed out, 40 to 50 percent of tickets will be allocated for area residents, who will stay in their own homes.

Frank Kemperman, who ran the 2006 World Equestrian Games.

Photo copyright by Nancy Jaffer

Considering everything involved in running a WEG, from complicated logistics to enormous costs, there always are questions about the concept's future. At the 2010 WEG, I spoke about that with Frank Kemperman, who ran the very successful 2006 WEG at Aachen.

Listen: Frank Kemperman

All the WEGs have been very different from each other; that's natural, considering they each have been in different countries. And the Normandy WEG promises to have its own user-friendly personality, with so much based in a city with great food that it takes just 15 minutes to walk across.

The organizers also have to look forward to how things will be in 2014, the future -- how will people want to spend their money, what will they want to see? It's geared to be a project that is economically, socially and environmentally friendly, with a legacy that goes beyond the Games themselves.

Aside from the VIP area that cost $600, there was no central place at the 2010 WEG where people could really gather, relax and have a good meal. That will not be the case at Normandy, Fabien promised.

Considering how to make WEG 2014 work, Fabien said, "There's a family of athletes, what do you do for them, how do you make them happy?

"Then there's a family of media, what do you do for them? There are commercial partners, again, what is it they want? The general public needs a place to rest, to eat. What's happening in the stadium?"

Normandy is putting a lot of thought into the logistics of what it can do for these groups, and it seems certain they will be well-informed about all the possibilities at the 2014 WEG.

There will be maps and easily accessible schedules, but you can also bet there will an app for that.

East Coast fans will miss the chance to see Steffen Peters and Ravel after cancellation of the World Dressage Masters show in Wellington.

© 2010 by Nancy Jaffer

That was the hope of organizers for the Exquis World Dressage Masters competition set for Wellington, Fla., Feb. 3-5. They wanted Adelinde, who has never completed a dressage test in the U.S., as a drawing card to attract spectators so ticket sales could defray the considerable cost of presenting the event. But several things conspired against the competition.

While organizers delayed as long as possible before pulling the plug, "it was just impossible," said Michael Stone, president of Equestrian Sport Productions, the producer of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, explaining why the event at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center is cancelled.

Adelinde Cornelissen on Jerich Parzival.

© 2010 by Nancy Jaffer

That leaves the U.S. without a world class dressage show to draw European riders next year. Under the every-other-year scenario of the last seven years, 2011 should have been a joint dressage/show jumping World Cup finals in Las Vegas, but that plan was scrapped as crowds dwindled while the economy worsened, so Vegas now will bid for the 2014 finals.

Anthony Kies, CEO of WDM management, reacted with surprise to ESP's announcement, "First of all because WDM has a running contract with ESP and secondly because several top North American and European riders had already confirmed to travel to Florida to compete in the WDM.

"WDM regrets that ESP has chosen to inform the press without consulting WDM. This has resulted in a situation where the U.S. dressage community is left with many questions about the future of WDM in the US."

Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas

© 2010 by Nancy Jaffer

You bet. However, John van de Laar, managing director of the WDM, doesn't want to take no for an answer and is hoping to stage the competition elsewhere in North America, though he conceded he doesn't yet know when or where. An announcement will be made Dec. 28 at the Mechelen, Belgium, show about the WDM schedule for 2011.

Steffen, who had been planning to compete in the WDM in Florida, is working with Ravel's owner, Akiko Yamazaki, in an effort to find another venue.

"We are very glad that several North American riders, owners and fans have sent their support message to WDM," John told me. He added four Europeans were slated to compete in Wellington, but declined to reveal their identities.

Germany's Matthias Rath, Totilas' new rider, on his WEG mount Sterntaler-UNICEF

© 2010 by Nancy Jaffer

I asked John if he would think about holding WDM at Dressage at Devon, which stages its well-attended freestyle Oct. 1.

"We didn't consider that event so far," he said, adding, "We have no doubt that we will find a good place to stage WDM. If Devon is interested, I would invite them to get in touch with WDM."

I spoke with Brian O'Connor, Dressage at Devon's high-profile announcer, who is involved with production of the show. The thought intrigued him, though of course there would be logistical problems, but he said he will mention it to the show committee.

It shouldn't be a surprise that Adelinde decided not to come to this country, even though the WDM in Florida was penciled in as a destination on her website calendar. You'll recall that she had only moments in the spotlight during the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games at the Kentucky Horse Park this fall, before she was eliminated after Parzival bit his tongue and the foam around his mouth was flecked with blood.

Her previous trip to America with the chestnut gelding for the 2009 World Cup finals in Vegas ended early when the horse went lame and was able only to circle the arena at the walk during a warm-up session before heading home.

After all that, can you imagine why she'd be reluctant to return here? Hmmmm... Actually, Michael said that Adelinde's victory in the World Cup qualifier in Stockholm last weekend paved the way for her to qualify for the Cup finals in Leipzig, Germany, this spring and led her to decide against making the trip to America. She wants to stay in Europe to hit qualifiers there.

November 4, 2010 -- Day Four of the FEI General Assembly in Taipei was dominated by the much-anticipated Meet the Candidates session, which saw all three candidates for the FEI Presidency make their final presentations to National Federations.

The session, which was moderated by former BBC presenter Sandy Chalmers, was opened by incumbent HRH Princess Haya Al Hussein (JOR), followed by Henk Rottinghuis (NED) and Sven Holmberg (SWE). Each candidate was given 15 minutes to deliver their final campaign speeches to the record number of National Federations.

Questions were then put to the candidates from the gathered delegates, none of which had been previously sighted. It resulted in a lively session which lasted almost two hours.

To view the candidates' presentations please go to the following links:

• HRH Princess Haya Al Hussein
  
• Henk Rottinghuis
  
• Sven Holmberg

Friday's Presidential election will be conducted by secret ballot using the electronic voting system that has been used at the FEI General Assembly for the past five years.

Development Task Force
Whilst the Meet the Candidates session dominated the fourth day, it was a report from the FEI Development Task Force which took centre stage when proceedings began.

The Task Force unveiled a list of recommendations aimed at ensuring the further global development and growth of equestrian sport.

The establishment of a solid financing and operation structure was one of the recommendations of the report, which has been produced by the Task Force over the past four months.

The Task Force, which was established in May 2010, set out to investigate ways in which the FEI could assist National Federations to grow their sport from grassroots to elitelevel by providing them with the necessary tools and expertise.

Key Considerations
The Task Force identified five areas that need to be considered when assessing the best approach to the sport's development. These were Equine Welfare, Transport & Quarantine; Education & Skills Development; FEI Competition Structure; Infrastructure & Accessibility; and Reach, Visibility & Youth.

The report also recommended that FEI Development initiatives should have a statutory position, including voting rights, on the FEI Bureau and that a dedicated body be established specifically for sport development.

The group, headed by FEI President, HRH Princess Haya, called for immediate additional staffing, including Regional Technical Field Officers, which it said must be provided in order to ensure the implementation and overall coordination of the development initiative.

The report was accepted by the FEI Bureau on 1 November and will be put to the FEI General Assembly tomorrow, Friday 5 November for ratification.

Rule Changes
Thursday's timetable at the FEI General Assembly also included a presentation on rule changes. The FEI's General Counsel Lisa Lazarus presented the rule changes which will be put to the General Assembly for approval tomorrow, including recent modifications to the Jumping Rules. Dressage Director Trond Asmyr presented the key changes to the Dressage Rules, following the recommendations of the Dressage Task Force. The FEI Sports Directors were all on hand to answer questions from the floor.

London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics
Tim Hadaway, Equestrian Manager of the 2012 London Olympics Organising Committee (LOCOG), presented a progress report on the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games, focusing on the equestrian venue at Greenwich. He also announced that Jeremy Edwards, who is now at the end of his contract as Equestrian Manager for the Youth Olympic Games in Singapore, has been appointed as Equestrian Venue Manager for London 2012.

The session wound up with some interactive discussion generated by moderator Andrew Finding, Chief Executive of the British Equestrian Federation.

Youth Olympic Games
A report on the inaugural Summer Youth Olympic Games (YOG), which took place in August, was presented by Jeremy Edwards, Equestrian Venue Manager in Singapore for the YOG. In his presentation, Edwards highlighted the success of the YOG and how the many lessons learnt on staging a borrowed-horse competition would be valuable for the 2014 host city, Nanjing (CHN).

FEI World Equestrian Games
Jamie Link, the Chief Executive of the World Equestrian Games Foundation gave an overview of this year's Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, showing a poignant video reminding the National Federations of the wonderful sporting moments of the Games. Link spoke of the legacy value of the first-ever World Equestrian Games to be held outside Europe and how the WEG Foundation would be passing on their experiences to Normandy 2014 and beyond.

The annual fall championship held here is always well-run by friendly people, making it a pleasure to attend.

Hannah Sue Burnett won the 3-star at the Dansko Fair Hill International with a clean show jumping round on St. Barths.

© 2010 by Nancy Jaffer

Clark Montgomery's decisive 1-2 finish with Loughan Glen and Universe in the 2-star and Hannah Sue Burnett's come-from-behind win in the 3-star with St. Barths were memorable this weekend.

But the death of one of the horses competing on cross-country yesterday cast a pall over the proceedings.

I've been covering show jumping, dressage and eventing for decades, and have only written one story about a fatal fracture at a competition involving the first, and none involving the second. I've lost count of how many pieces I've written about horses that had to be euthanized at the latter.

The most recent is J.B.'s Star, an 11-year-old thoroughbred who was put down at the University of Pennsylvania's New Bolton Center last night after veterinarians evaluated him and felt that a broken right humerus did not offer a good prognosis for recuperation.

The horse hit The Footbridge, fence 17 on the 3-star course. I had seen him jump the previous obstacle and was turning away when I heard a loud clunk. The 11-year-old thoroughbred had fallen on his rider, Jennifer Simmons of Virginia, who was conscious but had to be taken to the hospital. She was released today.

Jimmy Wofford, whose stable Jennifer had run for four years, said she suffered a concussion in the fall, and he felt for her, losing her longtime partner. She had brought the horse along and was like many eventers living on "two nickels and a dream," as he put it.

As I thought about the accident, I recalled The Jump Jet, an Irish horse who slammed into the log at the Head of the Lake at Rolex Kentucky last spring. I watched in horror for about a tenth of a second until it was obvious that the "log" was actually a deformable fence, which broke the minute it was hit. The Jump Jet was just fine after collapsing the light material. A new "log" quickly was moved into place, the horse cleared it this time and finished the course none the worse for the experience. He even came back to the Kentucky Horse Park this month as a member of the Irish team at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Hannah Sue Burnett and St. Barths were clear cross-country at Fair Hill

© 2010 by Nancy Jaffer

There are, I know, pro's and con's about the deformable fences. I attended a U.S. Equestrian Federation-sponsored safety summit in 2008 after two horses had to be put down following accidents at Rolex Kentucky, and heard that there were several sides to that question, though research goes on.

There is no question that eventing has made great strides toward being safer for horse and rider in the last few years, and the work continues, along with increased awareness on the part of riders and officials about responsibility toward the horses while on course. There's definitely been a change of mindset from the old "cross the finish line at any cost" of the cavalry and post-cavalry days to knowing when it's time to call it a day, even if the rules don't call for elimination after one or two refusals.

I just keep thinking about The Jump Jet and how that deformable log may have saved his life, while hoping that someday all the fences cross-country can be as harmless.

This morning, having had a troubled night, I sought out David O'Connor, the U.S. Equestrian Federation president, an Olympic individual gold medalist in eventing, and an expert on safety in the sport.

I asked why technology, such as frangible pins that break (sometimes) and deformable jumps can't entirely solve the problem.

Listen: David O'Connor

In case you were wondering how the horse has a choice, David pointed out that some horses simply won't jump if they don't want to, and he views that as the horse expressing a preference.

Well, a lot of this is a conversation for another day, but I couldn't put it aside in the wake of what happened to J.B.'s Star. Now let me get back to Fair Hill and everything that went on here.

Pedro Cebulka and Kim Tudor dance with the crowd at the WEG closing ceremony in the main stadium.

© 2010 by Nancy Jaffer

The WEG went out in a flash of brilliance for the U.S. after a nine-day medal drought, as the vaulting team claimed gold, the driving team earned silver and Tucker Johnson ended his driving career with an individual bronze.

I don't like medal counts, but for those of you who are curious, Great Britain topped the list with 20 (many of which were courtesy of its para-equestrians); Germany had 19; the Netherlands, 9, and the USA 8. If you're keeping track, that's three in reining; the two in dressage won by Steffen Peters and the three I mentioned above.

Closing ceremonies were far more low-key than the long and lavish opening ceremonies. We listened to a few speeches from the usual suspects and then it was time for a terrific concert by Lyle Lovett that rocked the stadium. The sacrosanct arena floor, where we could not tread for nearly three weeks, suddenly was open to all. People streamed down the steps to dance and sway on the perfect footing. Many folks somehow got their hands on silver, red and yellow shakers (the kind cheerleaders use) to wave in time to the music.

Singer Lyle Lovett closed out the WEG with a major concert

© 2010 by Nancy Jaffer

It was fun and festive, with lots of powder blue-shirted volunteers in the mix. I saw a woman in a baseball cap in the pattern of the Australian flag, with an American flag stuck in the back band. Isn't that what the WEG was all about, nation meeting nation; nation appreciating nation?

The day started with a wrap-up press conference for the WEG featuring, among others, FEI President Princess Haya and World Games Foundation 2010 CEO Jamie Link.

Princess Haya called the WEG, which attracted more than 500,00 visitors (counting athletes, volunteers and children) "a phenomenal success."

She also noted it was "commercially successful." The final figures are not available, but Jamie said since the foundation is non-profit, its final report will be available to the public. That should be interesting reading.

After the press conference, he and I had a very interesting talk. I suggest that you listen if you're interested in the WEG, this one and the one to follow four years from now in Normandy, France.

Jamie Link, CEO of the World Games 2010 Foundation

© 2010 by Nancy Jaffer

Many people asked me when the WEG would come back to Kentucky. I always replied, "Never," figuring it would move around the world as it always has, rather than being held in the same place twice. And I also figured Kentucky wouldn't bid for it again anyway. But Jamie had another thought.

Listen: Jamie Link

What did I think of the Games? I think they came off very well in general, and especially in terms of the competition, which was nicely staged and memorable. It's an enormous undertaking. The public has no idea what goes on behind the scenes, and there are always problems, solvable problems, at any large event, but they require a lot of work.

Things I didn't like? The food; too expensive. Hotels; too expensive (unless you were smart enough to wait and book them right before the WEG, rather than months before.) The trade fair and other attractions, such as the Alltech Experience; too far away from the main stadium.

Biggest surprise? The way the traffic moved. Electric signs warned of back-ups, but I never experienced them coming into the venue. I did hear stories of people having to wait a while to leave, but because I always stayed late, I didn't encounter that.

What I liked best besides the competition? The volunteers. I'll tell you a little more about them further down, but now I need to get back to the driving, which is where I spent most of my time this afternoon.

An electronic timing failure wreaked a little bit of havoc in the cones phase. The USA's Chester Weber drove into the ring, then had to drive out, then drove in and had to drive out again. Finally, after an annoying delay, they got things working.

Lead up for the women was the Gold-medal champion for the 2006 Aachen Games - Megan Benjamin aboard Urfruend Rosengaard (a 10-year-old Oldenburg owned by Kirsa Kristensen) lunged by Lasse Kristensen. Despite her strong performance, there was too much room to make up to move into a medal position. Benjamin, 22, of Saratoga, Calif., finished her 2010 WEG effort just off the medal podium in fifth place on her freestyle score of 8.465 and her final composite score of 8.165.

"I did my entire routine. That's all I can ask for," said Benjamin. "I did everything that I could."

She said that she might have a slight disadvantage because she went so early in the round.

"That's just the way the sport works," she said. "I'm just glad I could give Kentucky that performance."

The second vaulter to enter the ring was Alicen Divita, 21, of Redwood City, Calif., and Giovanni (a 13-year-old Mecklenberger owned by Julie Divita). Her lunger was her mother, Julie Divita. Her score didn't quite match her Round 1 freestyle performance. Today she earned a score of 8.250 to finish on a four-round score of 8.082 and seventh place overall.

Mary McCormick earlier this week.

Photo by Shannon Brinkman for USEF.

The final vaulter in the women's competition was the U.S. Team's Mary McCormick, 27, of Woodside, Calif., aboard Sir Anthony Van Dyck (a 19-year-old KWPN owned by Sydney Frankel). Once again vaulting to Lenny Kravitz' "American Woman," she thrilled the crowd with exceptional movements and gymnastics. It was a brilliant ending to the week-long competition that put the athletes through their paces. In fact, her freestyle score of 8.680 was the highest of the day for the women. McCormick's lunger was Carolyn Bland.

"It was just one step at a time and feeling the horse and going with it," said McCormick. "This crowd is unbelievable...it's overwhelming."

Just missing a medal on a score of 8.680 for her freestyle and a composite score of 8.270 for the competition, McCormick was upbeat and pleased with her efforts.

"It's a bummer, but I came into this competition saying that all I wanted to do was my best," she said. "And I feel like I did that and I'm not disappointed. It would be great to take a medal home but this is some seriously amazing competition. They would have had to make a mistake for me to get in there."

McCormick disclosed that she had plans to compete at the WEG in Normandy, France, in 2014. "I have to set up a four-year plan and get going with that," she said. "But, for now, it's going home and lots of trail riding with Van Dyck."

At the end of competition, it was a Gold medal for Great Britian's Joanne Eccles aboard WH Bentley on a final score of 8.413. A pair of German vaulters - Antje Hill aboard Airbus and Simone Wiegele aboard Arkansas - took the Silver and Bronze medals respectively on scores of 8.322 and 8.281.

In the men's competition, Montana native Todd Griffiths, 30, returned to perform his freestyle to the ballad "Angels" aboard Lanson 16 (a 12-year-old Hanoverian owned by Jan and Betsy Garrod) lunged by Jessica Ballenger. Leading the U.S. effort, he looked confident in his flowing and expressive freestyle, but took a bit of a tumble on his dismount. Nevertheless, the crowd honored him with a rousing applause. Griffiths finished in 10th place on his freestyle score of 8.070 and composite of 7.425.

"I was really pleased with my performance today," said Griffiths. "The first jump was a Russian split jump...and it's one of my favorite jumps and not many people can do it and stay on the horse. With my gymnastics background, it's been my move I've done for many years so I was really excited to perform it really well today.

The only bobble to the performance was Griffiths' dismount known as an X-out back tuck.

"It's a back flip that you split your legs in the middle of the flip," he said. "I just held the tuck just a split second too long so my feet were just barely further under me than I wanted and my feet slipped out from under me."

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Lexington, Ky., October 2, 2010 -- The idea of filling a 25,000-seat American stadium to the brim for dressage would not even have risen to the status of being an impossible dream just a few years ago.

The concept wasn't on the horizon, and where was the stadium? But as a perfect example of "If you build it, they will come," last night's world championship Grand Prix freestyle drew a knowledgeable and fervent crowd to the centerpiece of the Kentucky Horse Park for perhaps the greatest competition of its kind ever held.

The quality of the horses and the riders elicited several standing ovations and proved something dressage lovers always believed: Theirs is indeed a spectator sport.

Let me qualify that by saying the freestyle is a spectator sport. The addition of music heightens the drama, giving fans another dimension that adds to their enjoyment. Horses who dance to their own tune aren't as riveting as those who dance to the tunes of others, whether it's a movie theme, rock or something specially composed for the occasion.

The three medalists from Wednesday's Grand Prix Special at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) were heavy favorites to repeat in the freestyle, as they did. It was no surprise that Moorlands Totilas completed the hat trick of gold medals here, taking team gold, the Special and the freestyle under the expert guidance of the Netherlands' Edward Gal. His score of 91.800 percent wasn't a record, but anything over 90 is impressive in my book. Totilas has an incredible, if short, history. He has been beaten only by Adelinde Cornelissen's mount, Jerich Parcival, the horse that unfortunately was eliminated after a tiny nick on his tongue turned his mouth red.

Grand Prix freestyle world champion Edward Gal of the Netherlands on Moorlands Totilas

© 2010 by Nancy Jaffer

I talked to Edward about what's in the future for himself and the Dutchbred black stallion, who amazingly, is only 10.

Listen: Edward Gal

Great Britain's charming Laura Bechtolsheimer (85.350) again was runner up with the blaze-faced Danish chestnut, Mistral Hojris, while the USA's favorite son of dressage, Steffen Peters, took another bronze on the Dutchbred seal-brown Ravel (84.900).

There was some suspense during the evening. All the medalists had mistakes in their performances. Totilas, impressed by the intense atmosphere in the arena, broke from the extended trot to the canter early in his test. The fact that he went on to regain his composure spoke to his training as well as his talent.

"It doesn't matter how you train, it just matters that you have fun. You have to be good to a horse... and always respect a horse," said Edward.

Mistral Hojris took a step back in the initial halt, and then stopped for a moment in the piaffe before picking up and continuing.

Laura noted her mount often found it difficult to deal with the freestyle. The piaffe mishap, however, was uncharacteristic for the boy she calls "Alf" around the barn.

"He showed his true colors; the fact that as soon as he sort of realized, 'Oops, sorry Mommy,' he straightaway picked it up again," she said.

Ravel's first rendition of the one-tempis wasn't perfect, but as for the rest of it "he felt wonderful," said Steffen, who credited the U.S. technical advisor, Anne Gribbons; his wife, Shannon, and the judges' score sheets for helping him improve his freestyle.

Steffen wore a GPA helmet when he came back for his victory gallop. He explained he did that in honor of former teammate Courtney King Dye, dedicating his ride to the woman who is still recovering from a March head injury that had left her in a coma, though she did come here to watch. Ravel tends to get a little rowdy sometimes during the gallop, so it's a good thing when Steffen wears a helmet, but then, I think everyone should do that at all times and make their top hats into planters.

Spain's Juan Manuel Munoz Diaz finished his freestyle with a one-handed passage on Fuego XII.

© 2010 by Nancy Jaffer

Meanwhile, two worthy challengers made their presence felt. Last to go was Imke Schellekens-Bartels of the Netherlands riding to the specially composed symphony for her mount, Hunter Douglas Sunrise. She couldn't surpass the leaders, however, and wound up fourth (82.100).