"Last year it was an all-star cast," said Michael Morrissey, president of Stadium Jumping and American Gold Cup organizer. "We wanted everyone to have a good experience and go away thinking this was the climax of the season. We feel we really accomplished that. This year, we are particularly excited to share The American Gold Cup in this incredible venue to a national television audience."

"NBC Sports Network's coverage offers a rare opportunity for sponsors and advertisers to reach an incredibly large, mainstream audience," continued Morrissey. "We encourage interested sponsors and advertisers to contact us about this unique marketing opportunity."

"The American Gold Cup is a prestigious equestrian event and we are happy to provide coverage to our viewers on NBC Sports Network," said Mike Perman, Vice President, Programming, NBC Sports Group.

Following last year's enormous success, Old Salem Farm in New York's Westchester County, will again serve as the picturesque setting for the American Gold Cup.  Old Salem Farm offers state-of-the-art facilities surrounded by 120 gorgeous acres. In 2012, the North American Riders Group (NARG) named The American Gold Cup one of the Top 25 Best Horse Shows in North America. The owners at Old Salem have made many renovations over the past few years to create one of the most extraordinary show facilities in the world.

The American Gold Cup scheduled for September 11-15, 2013 will feature a full array of jumper classes, including sections for Children and Adult Jumpers, Low and High Junior/Amateur Jumpers, plus the Open Jumpers.  New this year, the ASPCA Maclay Regional Championships will be held on Saturday evening in the Old Salem Farm indoor arena. The featured event, the coveted $200,000 American Gold Cup, will be held on Sunday September 15, 2013 and broadcast on NBC Sports Network the following Sunday, September 22, 2013

For further information, visit: www.stadiumjumping.com, or http://www.theamericangoldcup.com,

Andrew Nicholson clears the final fence (appropriately themed for the Rolex Grand Slam) with Quimbo

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

Andrew Nicholson, the last rider to go in show jumping this afternoon at the Rolex Kentucky three-day event, kept it all together to win and qualify for the last leg of the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam at Badminton next weekend.

It was "phew" moment for the New Zealander, who rejoiced during a pre-presentation victory gallop as he flew around the ring on Quimbo once safely across the finish line.

After receiving his trophy and a Rolex watch, he did another three laps, some of which he performed while waving both hands to the sold-out crowd of nearly 20,000 that packed the stadium at the Kentucky Horse Park.

William Fox-Pitt, who also is in line for the Grand Slam if he can win Badminton, was just as happy but less exuberant, though he smiled broadly as he swept past his fans on Seacookie, who was totally fault free over Richard Jeffery's course. One four in the starting field of 29 could make that claim.

When the defending champion left the ring, however, he found he wasn't able to straighten his left pinky. He had no idea how he broke it, but was already bandaged up when he arrived at the press conference. William didn't think it would affect his riding, however.

Making a triumphant run around the sold-out stadium after he kept all the poles in the cups for show jumping, Andrew Nicholson celebrates aboard Quimbo

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

Andrew logged 3 time penalties as he made his careful way around the fences, but that was a wise decision, since he had a comfortable cushion. His final score was 41 penalties, to 48.2 for William. Andrew's other horse, Calico Joe, isn't much of a show jumper. He also wasn't much of a steeplechase horse, which is why he originally was purchased. But he's won a good bit of money eventing, and even with 12 penalties today, he emerged in third place with 52.8 penalties.

Quimbo is a stunner, a Spanish horse bred to show jump who also is versatile enough to handle cross-country and dressage. This one is going to be a superstar. Andrew had some help from Spanish show jumper Luis Alvarez Cevera, who also has been the coach of the New Zealand show jumping team. But I wouldn't think Andrew needs too much assistance. He is a beautiful rider who know how to let a horse do its best, using guidance rather than interference.

Now it's time for Andrew and William to concentrate on Badminton, and if he had to guess which of them might earn the Grand Slam (which has been won only once in its 12-year history) a smiling William conjectured, "probably neither."

Not only will they have to cope with Badminton's demanding cross-country course, but also Olympic, world and European champion Michael Jung of Germany. Yes, their work is cut out for them.

I asked Andrew what he'll do when he gets home tomorrow as he prepares for Badminton.

William Fox-Pitt, Andrew Nicholson with his new Rolex watch and Buck Davidson

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

Listen: Andrew Nicholson

Unfortunately for us, and by that I mean the U.S., this is the eighth time in 11 years that a foreign rider has won Rolex. Our event. New coach David O'Connor has a lot of work to do, but there were some bright spots on our horizon.

Buck Davidson, who had been third on Ballynoe Castle RM, dropped rails at the last two fences on course to wind up fourth with 53.2 penalties. He could take comfort from the fact that he was the spring U.S. Equestrian Federation champion, but noted, "I'm bummed to have two down," saying the effort "fell apart a little bit at the end."

Yet he noted if he had to lose, being right behind the world number one (Andrew) and William (who has won more big events than any other rider) is the place to be.

Buck Davidson, the highest-placed American, fourth on Ballynoe Castle RM

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

And I'm thinking maybe he--or anyone else--wouldn't be here at all if it weren't for his father, Bruce Davidson. It was Bruce's victory in the 1974 world championships in England that granted the U.S. the right to hold the next world championships in 1978, which he also won. That was the start for the fledgling Kentucky Horse Park, giving it a boost that enabled it to become one of the world's premiere equestrian destinations.

Notable American finishes included Lynn Symansky with Donner, who achieved a double-clear to come in fifth, and Will Faudree on Pawlow, right behind her in sixth place.

I was happy to see Australia's Peter Atkins finish 10th on Henry Jota Hampton, coming up from 28th after dressage. Big move! You may know his horse as "Henny," as in "Run, Henny, Run" for their wonderful helmet cam videos. Peter and Henny have had a soap opera's worth of problems, from an ownership squabble to Peter's leg fracture. But they're together now and going well. Next year's Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and perhaps the 2016 Olympics are in their sights.

I had the pleasure of speaking with Peter today. Why don't you listen in?

Listen: Peter Atkins

I still haven't gotten a consensus on the difficulty quotient of the cross-country course. I spoke this morning with Great Britain's Yogi Breisner, the always astute chef d'equipe of the British eventing team, and he felt the course was hard enough.

So when I ran into course designer Derek di Grazia, I wondered what he thought about it after nearly a day to consider.

Listen: Derek Di Grazia

The best, best, best part about it was that no one (horse or human) suffered a serious injury and it made for a day of great sport without serious consequences.

The main focus at Rolex is, of course, the competition, but for some, a bigger enticement is the trade fair. It is huge, having spread over the years from an area near the stadium to an indoor arena and beyond. One of the big features at various booths is having eventing celebrities on hand to autograph and have their pictures taken with excited fans. When I was walking through the fair this afternoon, I saw a looooong line in front of the Purina booth. So I investigated; the occasion was the appearance of Boyd Martin. He deserves all the admiration he can get; he's incredibly personable and makes everyone he talks to feel important when they come to see him.

I got a few minutes with Boyd (yes, I cut the line, I was in a rush to cover the show jumping). He told me he's undergoing surgery tomorrow for an ankle problem, a fracture and ligament damage. I asked how it happened, he told me, "falling off horses."

I hope he's back in time for Jersey Fresh in two weeks, though that may be wishful thinking. At any rate, I'll be there, and sending you a postcard on the evening of May 12. Be sure to check back at Equisearch, and go to facebook.com/equisearch and facebook.com/practicalhorseman for more about Rolex.

Until then,

April 28, 2013--The 2013 Rolex/FEI World Cup Final came to an exciting yet familiar conclusion Sunday in front of a packed house in the Scandinavum Arena. In the first of two rounds Course Designer Uliano Vezzani tested 23 horse and rider combinations over a demanding track composed of 12 obstacles that did not yield a single clear round. The number of competitors was then whittled to 17 for the 11 obstacle second round with two riders producing flawless efforts. But for a second consecutive year, four rounds would not be enough to determine a champion and again an American and Swiss competitor would jump-off.

The United States' Beezie Madden and Steve Guerdat of Switzerland each ended on a four round total of nine-faults. In a replay of the 2012 Final, Guerdat riding his 2012 Olympic Individual Gold medalist Nino Des Buissonnets, would be forced to jump-off against a U.S. partnership that was known for turning in quick and efficient trips. Last year it was Rich Fellers and Flexible but in 2013 Madden (Cazenovia, NY) and Abigail Wexner's impressive a 14-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding Simon were looking to keep the title in the United States.

Madden and Simon, the winners of Thursday's Speed Leg, entered Sunday's first round on a single fault in second place and were poised to jump a clear round until just rolling the pole coming out of the double at five. Their four fault round was good enough to move them to the head of the field going into round two. In the second round, the pair again jumped a beautiful round only to be marred by a single rail down (11A) and stand on a total of nine faults.

"It's been a fantastic week. The first leg was one of those rounds where everything came up. Friday, I was happy with the first round and I was kicking myself for the jump-off." said Madden recapping her performances earlier in the week. "I was disappointed (today) I would have liked to have gone clear in the second round but you have to shake that off and concentrate on the jump-off."

Guerdat was one of two to go clear in Sunday's second round to also lay on nine faults. The 2012 Final runners-up again entered as the first pair in the jump-off and set a lightening fast pace from the very beginning but faulted at the final two fences.
With Madden following him into the jump-off, Guerdat knew that he would need to produce a scorching time if he were to claim top honors.

"I know she's a very fast rider, so I had to try."

Once she saw that Guerdat had two rails down, the double Olympic Team Gold medalist knew all she had to do was leave all the rails in place and be careful to not exceed the time allowed. Madden and Simon returned to the arena for a final time and the hard-trying, careful gelding produced a steady clear to earn the 2013 Rolex/FEI World Cup Final title.

"The cards laid out right for me today. Steve made a great jump up on the leaderboard and the door was left open for me in the jump-off," said Madden.

The veteran rider has claimed many of the most prestigious honors in the sport including Team and Individual medals at the Olympic Games, FEI World Equestrian Games and Pan American Games. However, a Rolex/FEI World Cup Final title had eluded her until today.

"It's been a dream of mine to win the World Cup and I can't believe I've done it," said Madden. "It's a title I've always wanted to win and the closest I had been before was fourth so it was a nice jump to make."

Madden was joined by five other Americans in Sunday's final as McLain Ward, Reed Kessler, Karl Cook, Katie Dinan and Charlie Jayne also completed both rounds.

Three-time Olympian, Ward (Brewster, NY) produced a fifth place finish overall with Grant Road Partner LLC's Super Trooper De Ness on a score of 13 faults. In Sunday's first round the scopey 11-year-old Belgain Warmblood stallion jumped a near flawless round just adding four faults at the sixth oxer. The pair returned in round two with a podium finish on their mind but were one of many to get caught out in the triple combination adding four faults at 4C.

Rounding out the U.S. competitors in the top-ten was 18-year-old Reed Kessler and her 2012 Olympic Games partner the 11-year-old Belgain mare Cylana. Kessler (Lexington, KY) was making her Rolex/FEI World Cup debut this week in Gothenburg and produced an eight fault total in Sunday's first round after dislodging rails at fences 5B and 9B. In round two, she again incurred eight faults; rolling poles at 4C and 5.

Kessler finished in 10th place on 25 faults.

Directly behind Kessler in the 11th place was Karl Cook (Woodside, CA) riding Signe Ostby's 11-year-old Zangerscheide stallion Jonkheer Z to four fault totals in both rounds. They completed their first Final appearance on a score of 28 faults.

Completing the U.S. effort were Dinan and Jayne. Riding Grant Road Partners LLC's 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding Nougat De Vallet, Dinan (Wellington, FL) jumped eight and 12 fault rounds respectively to finish on a score of 38 in 16th place. Like Kessler and Cook, the 19-year-old was also riding in her first Final. Jayne (Elgin, IL) and Alex Jayne and Maura Thatcher's 10-year-old Zangerscheide stallion Chill R Z produced an eight fault trip in round one. But 20 faults in the second round left the 2012 Olympic reserve combination in 17th place on 44 faults.

Kent Farrington (Wellington, FL) also qualified to represent the United States in Sunday's final but chose to save R.C.G. Farm's Uceko for another day.

Chef d'Equipe Robert Ridland was pleased with the results of all the U.S. combinations this week.

"We're very excited; we made this a huge goal. This was a priority; not just winning but really doing better with all our riders in the running and we saw that today," said Ridland. "It was just icing on the cake that Beezie won."

For more information about the 2013 Rolex/FEI World Cup Final visit: http://www.gothenburghorseshow.com/

Follow the 2013 U.S. Jumping Team here.

The Training symposium is presented in two parts, with a theme of "A Team Approach."

Train the Trainer Workshop~ May 29 - 30
Para Rider Symposium ~ May 30 - June 1

This is a U.S. Para-Equestrian Association sanctioned event and is organized and hosted by Carlisle Academy Integrative Equine Therapy & Sports, a leading nationally accredited program in Lyman, Maine.

Symposium Banquet & Keynote Address
All participants (clinicians, trainers, and riders) are invited to a symposium banquet at the Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport, Maine on Wednesday, May 29th. Featured guest Gil Merrick will kick off the symposium theme of "A Team Approach" in his keynote address that evening. There will be time for fellowship and networking.

Featured Symposium Clinicians
Hanneke Gerritsen ~ FEI "O" Judge and Olympic Technical Delegate from Holland
Catherine Haddad Staller ~ International Dressage Competitor & Trainer
Clive Milkins ~ 2012 Paralympic Gold Medal Team Coach for Great Britain
Gil Merrick ~ Former USEF High Performance Dressage Director and National Clinician

Symposium Lecturers & Specialists
Hope Hand ~ President of United States Para Equestrian Association (USPEA)
Lora Dow ~ Fundraising & Marketing Expert
Tina Wentz ~ National Classifier and USPEA board member
Susan Grant, OTR/L, HPCS ~ Licensed Occupational Therapist; Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist
Janet Smaldone, PT, HPCS ~ Licensed Physical Therapist; Hippotherapy Clinical Specialist

Facilities
The workshop portion and Symposium Banquet will be held at the classic, waterfront Nonantum Resort in Kennebunkport, Maine. We have reserved a block of rooms at a group rate for any Symposium participant. All hands-on and riding portions of the Symposium will be held at Carlisle Academy, which is centrally located in Southern Maine, just 30 minutes from Portland, ME and Portsmouth, NH. Fly into Portland, Manchester or Boston airports. The Academy, located on 150-acre Spring Creek Farm in Lyman, Maine, USA, provides an ideal environment for training. With two indoor arenas, two outdoor arenas, a therapy room and classroom, individuals and horses alike will find the space comfortable, peaceful and conducive to a productive learning experience.

Registration Due Date: Friday, May 10, 2013

Please note, there is no limit on enrollment for the Train the Trainer's portion. However, due to the intensive nature of the Rider Symposium, space is limited to 10 riders and an unlimited number of active auditors. Carlisle Academy will hold space for 2 alternates in the event of rider cancellations. Preference will be given to Horse & Rider combinations.

Download the Registration Form Here.
Download the Information Packet Here.

Please contact Joyce Brown, Training & Leadership Program Director of Carlisle Academy Integrative Equine Therapy & Sports, at 207-985-0374 or jbrown@carlisleacademymaine.com with questions or concerns.

Contact the USPEA by emailing President Hope Hand at hope@uspea.org.

The Gene Mische American Invitational, however, is completely different. Being in an NFL facility, Raymond James Stadium, (which has hosted the Super Bowl) IS A  key element contributing to a special experience for riders and fans alike.

Horse show judge Jimmy Lee, who has been to many Invitationals and attended the 41st last night, explained it this way to me:

"Just to walk into such an awesome place in the evening and the way they do the presentation, it's a great course and a lot of people from the community come to watch -- they really make it an event," he pointed out.

"Sometimes we just have a wonderful horse show, but it's just like the wonderful horse show the previous week, and the one we're going to have next week. With these long circuits, it's fun to say to someone, `What show were you champion at?'

`I was champion the fifth week.'

`But what was the name of the show?'"

Odds are, you won't get an answer to that one.

There's no such confusion with the Invitational; even riding in it without getting a ribbon is memorable. As Jimmy  said, "It's a production."

You just get one shot; there's no schooling, no warm-up class. It becomes a real test of horsemanship.

McLain Ward at the X-factor jump on the way to winning the Gene Mische American Invitational with Rothchild.

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

This edition definitely was tough; only McLain Ward, on the hard-fighting Rothchild, and 18-year-old Reed Kessler, his 2012 Olympic teammate on Mika, made it from the starting field of 30 into the tie-breaker.

Steve Stephens, who has designed the Invitational since 1985 (with the exception of one year) put his usual amount of thought into the route he laid out. There were several new fences, including the American Invitational pedestal, raised up on a red X (Steve was inspired by The X-Factor TV show), as well as a vertical/liverpool/vertical triple combination near the end of the course that took a lot of prisoners.

Why is an arrangement like that so difficult here?

Listen: Steve Stephens

So now you understand the circumstances, and why, for McLain, winning his third Invitational since 1998 has special meaning.

"This class is an institution for this country, this sport. I really hope people in the industry rally behind this and keep it going," he said. "It almost died a few years ago. I'm so glad to see (organizer) Michael Morrissey and his group of people and sponsors who have really made great effort to revive it, because it's very, very important to us as athletes.

"This is something unique and special and when I grew up, this was the most important class to win, this is what we coveted. I think that's important for future young riders; my children, one day, I hope."

The show also is a great experience for spectators, who come out in droves to walk the course,

measuring the height of the fences against the top of their heads, spreading their arms in the middle of the oxers to see how wide they are.

The crowd of 8,500 was better than last year and comparable to the number who came to Wellington on Florida's east coast last weekend for the $500,000 grand prix that ended the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. They do look a bit lost in the cavernous facility, though as McLain pointed out, "In anything other than a 65,000-seat stadium, it would look packed. But I think the stadium also makes the atmosphere a bit."

He sees the Invitational's potential for becoming a "destination event," such as Devon or the World Cup Finals in Las Vegas.

"That's what this event should be aimed to be," he commented.

"WEF is so great, but it gets so monotonous by the end, when you use the same jumps every single week. It's beautiful here," said Reed.

"They really put in that extra work to make it special, and it feels special from the moment you get here."

"There are so many things they do so, so well," McLain pointed out, noting that there are always different fences each year, and the organizers and Steve don't simply rest on their laurels.

His most memorable Invitational win, achieved during a 2008 night of rain, was on Sapphire. There will never be another like the mare, who retired last year at Devon in an emotional ceremony.

"For me, every horse is in the shadow of Sapphire. I miss her very much," said McLain, but Rothchild has found a way into his heart.

"It was a little bit of a lucky chance that I got him," McLain said, recalling he had gone to Europe seeking a horse for a student, and tried Rothchild.

"Francois Mathy, who we buy all our horses from, said, `I think it's a very careful horse.'"

McLain had a different opinion.

"I didn't like anything about him. All the way to the airport, I said, `No, no, no.'"

It apparently fell on deaf ears.

"I called my father to say I was home and he said, `By the way, we bought the chestnut horse. Francois says you don't know what you're talking about."

Well, look at how it's turned out. Rothchild is as competitive as his rider, and as he pins his ears back while he's clearing a fence, you can tell he's going for it.

"He's an every day competitor. He can go in a speed class, he can jump the American Invitational, he can jump a Global Tour grand prix, he can jump Nations' Cups," said McLain.

"He's very quietly amassed quite a record. In the end, he's become a very good friend of mine. He gives me everything he has to give me."

Rothchild, who is owned by the Dolan family's Sagamore Farm, also is "an unbelievable character. He's the sweetest horse in the world to deal with," said McLain.

That's when you're in the barn.

At the same time, "he's totally opinionated and it's going to be his way. He does not like other horses. He makes up for lack of classic style with determination. He can kind of do everything, which is a rarity in today's sport. You know, everything's a specialist. This horse is really the blue collar worker, but the blue collar worker won one for the team today."

McLain Ward hoists the Invitational trophy as second-place Reed Kessler and third-place Sharn Wordley look on.

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

Despite the fact that only McLain and Reed were in the jump-off, this was no easy victory, and there were a few others who came close to making the tie breaker. Sharn Wordley, a U.S.-based New Zealander, nearly did qualify but scored a time fault with Eric Lamaze's Olympic mount, Derly Chin de Muze, to wind up third.

And how did he get the ride on this horse?

Simple: "I got engaged to the owner (Ashley Fleischhacker)," he admitted, getting a laugh, as the beautiful blonde held the flowers he got during the awards ceremony.

Sharn had a mishap that put him over the 89-second time allowed.

"My horse drifted quite hard to the right at fence four and I rubbed my foot against the standards and I was kind of discombobulated and I kind of took a bit of time on that corner to get myself organized," said Sharn.

"I knew from then on it was going to be touch-and-go...I tried to catch up as best I could without jeopardizing having a rail. It was my first time doing the Invitational and I love it. It's going to be a focus for me next year. It's just so different...with so much atmosphere...it really is quite challenging."

McLain has gone from being one of the young guns to being the establishment, and they're all coming after him.

(Listen: McLain Ward

Invitational runner-up Reed Kessler on Mika

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

Reed is having a great time as an 18-year-old; becoming the youngest equestrian to compete in the Games last summer, and now nearly winning the Invitational in only her second attempt.

She had the disadvantage of going first in the jump-off, and was faced with the always difficult task of splitting the difference between having a fast time and making sure the fences stayed up.

"McLain is so, so fast; Rothchild, especially," she said.

"So I tried to lay down a really competitive round...to go in my comfort zone with Mika to make sure I put in a clear round. I tried to put enough pressure on without making a mistake."

She accomplished that, but by leaving out one stride and making a smoother approach than Reed did to one fence, McLain was able to better her mark of 43.37 by more than a second by crossing the finish in 42.10.

"It's so huge, it's such a prestigious class. I love walking the course and listening to people like Katie (Prudent, her coach) and Leslie (Howard) talk about the different horses they've won it on and the years where they had this (jump) in the course," said Reed.

"It's just such a historic class and has so many great stories behind it. It's great to say I've been second in the Invitational once," she continued, then smiled.

"I hope I can add a win."

The top three all liked the course, and praised Steve.

"He had some very young and green riders in the class, as well as Olympic horses and riders, he had to find a balance and I thought it was a good balance test," said McLain. Two or three, but under five (in the jump-off) is the right number for this competition."

The first Invitational I attended was in 1984, the year of the Los Angeles Olympics. Leslie Howard won on Albany and I thought it was neat that as I walked toward the stadium entrance yesterday, she was the first person I saw. We reminisced a bit about that experience.

Listen: Leslie Howard

There's always something different and intriguing at the Invitational, aside from the jumping. One area of the grounds is devoted to kids, with a petting zoo, horseless horse show and face painting. A Percheron was pulling what I call a Cinderella carriage (round and enclosed by artistic white metal strips).

Katherine Bateson Chandler did a freestyle demonstration with Alcazar.

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

During a break in the class, 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games U.S. dressage team member Katherine Bateson-Chandler performed a freestyle on Jane Clark's  Alcazar, not easy to do with jumps in the way and workmen pounding down divots all around her. But it was good practice for the horse, who will have to compete in a comparable setting (minus the jumps and workmen) if Katherine makes the squad for next summer's WEG in France.

Before everyone left the post-show party, always a relaxed affair and a good way to wind down from an exciting evening, I checked in with Michael Morrissey, head of Stadium Jumping Inc., which runs the show presented by G&C Farm.

Michael was Gene Mische's nephew, and devoted to him. Still is; he is keeping the Invitational going (and believe me, many people wondered if it could continue) in memory of Gene, the impresario who founded the Florida circuit.

Listen: Michael Morrissey

Don't forget to check out facebook.com/equisearch and facebook.com/practicalhorseman for more photos of the Invitational.
This was my last trip to Florida for the year. Like nearly everyone else, I'm heading north for the start of the regular season. I'll be sending postcards daily from the Rolex Kentucky 4-star at the end of the month, so be sure to look for them.

Until then,

Week eleven, sponsored by Artisan Farms, will conclude on Sunday, March 24, with the $15,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix, Don Little Masters Classic and $101,000 Pennfield Feeds CSI 4* Grand Prix all held on the derby field at The Stadium at PBIEC. The 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival features 12 weeks of competition running from January 9-March 31, 2013, and will be awarding almost $7 million in prize money throughout the circuit.

Richard Jeffery of Bournemouth, England, set the course for 48 entries in Saturday night's 1.50m final, held under the lights in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC). Only six were able to master the track to advance to the jump-off and four went double clear in an exciting race against the clock for the tie breaker. McLain Ward and Zander, a nine-year-old KWPN gelding by Cantos x Saygon, took the win with their pace of 43.86 seconds.

Finishing in second, Janne Friederike Meyer and Cellagon Lambrasco, owned by Meyer, Friedrich and Anne Sophie, stopped the clock in 45.12 seconds. Pablo Barrios and ZL Goup, Inc.'s Zara Leandra were close behind in 45.32 seconds, and Reed Kessler and Ligist had the fourth double clear round in 45.94 seconds. Brazil's Carlos Ribas and Ronaldo, owned by Ribas and Roberto de la Real, actually had the fastest round of the jump-off in 43.53 seconds, but had the second to last fence down for fifth place.

In a class that is usually held during the day, it was a different environment for many of the horses on Saturday night, showing under the lights with a big crowd. Some of the horses had more experience than others, and even though it was his first night class ever, Zander seemed to flourish in the impressive atmosphere.

"He's a horse I'm really excited about," Ward said after the class. "We got him at the beginning of last year with high hopes and then I got hurt and lost almost four months. He was really good last year at Spruce Meadows and he won a nice grand prix at Valkenswaard in the summer. We've done him in a bunch of WEF (Challenge Cup) classes here and he won one and he had the fastest time in two others. We hoped he would develop through this Florida and it was just a really nice way for him to end. [It was] the first time under the lights, [and there was] the water under the lights, which he was a bit a green about as a young horse. I think he's a really exciting horse and I'm lucky to have him."

"He's got a really big stride and he's a very careful horse," Ward detailed. "He's such a flamboyant jumper, he loses his parts once in a while, but through this Florida he has kind of figured that out, where you can really gallop at a fence and he really has control of his body. I think that's going to continue to get better. He's been fast from the beginning. He can do some numbers that a lot of other horses have to struggle to do a little bit, so I think the future is bright for him. We'll keep our fingers crossed."

Each new course and different atmosphere continues to cultivate Zander's knowledge and Ward counts the competition in Wellington as a great platform for development.

"We have been building his confidence and just showing him a million different experiences," Ward stated. "Florida, on one hand, is very hard when you're trying to develop a young grand prix horse because they are always a little bit over their head, but if they can make it through and come out on top at the end and they get a rest, they gain a year's worth of exposure here. It's just making sure they survive it. I think he finished much stronger than he started, so hopefully it worked well for us."

Second place finisher Janne Friederike Meyer was in Wellington for the first time this winter and has had a great experience herself.

"For me, it's a really nice time," Meyer noted. "It's pretty expensive to fly all the horses over and if you don't know everything, you have to take a little time to get in the system. Like from the warm-up to the office, until you know everything maybe you take one or two weeks and then it's like normal. But the courses are pretty nice, the money is good and for me it's kind of a little showing and a little vacation. It's a little bit in between, so it's a really nice time for me."

"The last weeks, every jump-off was really fast, so you have to learn that here," Meyer described. "I hurried up a lot, but in the end McLain was faster. What can I do? I think my horse tried his best."

"It's funny, when you work him at home he is really a lazy horse and he's relaxed and not hot at all, but when you go in the ring, then he wants to go," Meyer said of Cellagon Lambrasco. "I think that's a special thing about him. You just go in and he really wants to jump. He wants to run and is looking for the first fence. He likes it here. He likes the weather and he likes the floodlights. It's good for him. I really have had some nice rounds with him here."

Pablo Barrios finished third with Zara Leandra and was very happy with her performance. The pair won a smaller grand prix pre-circuit under the lights and has been gradually moving up to the bigger classes.

"I'm really pleased with that mare and the way she's jumping now," Barrios stated. "She won one class in the pre-circuit and then I had a little trouble in the big classes. I think she was not ready, but she grew a lot and she learned a lot. After week eight, in the Nations Cup, she started approaching the jumps in a different way. She was calmer in the ring and she has been amazing the last two weeks. She's had only one rail in the last two weeks, so I am very pleased with her."

"I know McLain is super fast, but I think the mare was ready to go fast today," Barrios said of the jump-off. "Today I really tried to go for the class, but there were good horses and good riders and I'm still very happy about it."

As the conclusion to the eleven-week Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series, Saturday night's class served as the final allocation of points for the overall standings. $50,000 worth of bonus money was presented to the top three leading

horse and rider combinations that accumulated the most points throughout the eleven weeks of competition. Awarding their consistency overall, Ben Maher took home the top bonus of $25,000 with Mrs. Phillips' Quiet Easy 4, Alise Oken won $15,000 for second place with Hi Hopes Farm LLC's Teirra, and Laura Kraut finished third and was awarded $10,000 for her performance with the Evita Group's Nouvelle.

Maher and Quiet Easy finished second in the series last year, and this year the rider made it a goal to come out on top. The pair had such great results that they were well ahead of the others without even showing in all of the classes.

"He has been great," Maher said following the presentation. "We missed a few of the classes and he just proved that he was pretty consistent in all of the other classes to be so far ahead today. He loves to show here and he has been on form. He jumped well all circuit, so I am happy with how he finished up."

Also showing in the International Arena on Saturday, Peru's Michelle Navarro-Grau rode Alfi to victory in the $15,000 RCG Farm SJHOF High Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic. Victoria Colvin and Waminka, owned by Rivers Edge, were victorious in the $10,000 Griffis Residential High Junior Jumper Classic. Colvin was later honored with a special award during the night class. She was presented with the Potcreek Meadow Farm Junior Sportmanship Trophy, in memory of Candida C. Fortsmann.

Final Results: $100,000 Suncast® 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic Final

1. ZANDER: 2004 KWPN gelding Cantos x Saygon
MCLAIN WARD (USA), McLain Ward: 0/0/43.86

2. CELLAGON LAMBRASCO: 1998 Holsteiner gelding by Libero x Coriolan
JANNE FRIEDERIKE MEYER (GER), Meyer, Friedrich & Anna Sophie: 0/0/45.12

3. ZARA LEANDRA: 2004 KWPN mare by Metropole x Ahorn
PABLO BARRIOS (VEN), ZL Group, Inc: 0/0/45.32

4. LIGIST: 2000 Swedish Warmblood gelding by Levantos II x Robin Z
REED KESSLER (USA), Reed Kessler: 0/0/45.94

5. RONALDO: 1998 KWPN gelding by Ahorn x Stuyvesant
CARLOS RIBAS (BRA), Roberto Villa Real Jr. & Carlos Ribas: 0/4/43.53

6. TACKERAY: 2000 KWPN stallion by Quick Star x Sandro
LAUREN HOUGH (USA), Nordic Lights Farm, LLC: 0/RT

7. CAMILLE Z: 2003 Zangersheide mare
ATHINA ONASSIS DE MIRANDA (GRE), Athina Onassis de Miranda & Victory Equestrian: 1/85.38

8. KING KOLIBRI: 2002 Hanoverian stallion by Kolibri x Achill-Libero H
LAUREN TISBO (USA), Tequestrian Farms LLC: 1/86.19

9. UNICO: 2001 KWPN gelding by Odermus R x Wuzo
MARIO GAMBOA (COL), Stransky's Mission Farms, Inc: 4/77.94

10. HH LET'S FLY: 1999 Hanoverian gelding by Lordanos x Forrest
RODRIGO PESSOA (BRA), Double H Farm: 4/79.98

11. GRACE 319: 2002 SATHU mare by Armitage x Beach Boy
JANNE FRIEDERIKE MEYER (GER), Juergen Fitschen & Janne-Friederike Meyer: 4/80.74

12. G & C SONNY: 2001 KWPN gelding by Lux x Concorde
RODRIGO PESSOA (BRA), Gustavo Mirabal: 4/81.84

My favorite competition is Spruce Meadows. I have never shown there but it is my dream to one day. I have gone to watch the "Masters" twice now and it is always amazing to be there. The atmosphere at Spruce is fun, friendly and competitive. For the "Masters" riders from all over the world go and it is always fantastic to see them compete in the "BMO Nations Cup" and "CN International." For those showing, the grounds are amazing and for those just watching, there is always stuff to so such as shopping in the "Equiplex." Spruce Meadows cannot be beat!
Kelly Donaldson, North Vancouver

Every year I find myself looking forward to the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association's (IHSA) National Competition. As a college student, riding as a freshman at IHSA Nationals for Delaware Valley College was the most thrilling, intimidating, challenging, exciting, and now the most memorable horse show experience of my life. I attended all four Nationals that occurred while I was in college at venues such as the Coliseum at Middle Tennessee State University, The Big E Complex in Massachusetts, and the Harrisburg Show Grounds either as a rider or volunteer. Since then I have only missed one National Competition and have continued to attend with colleges I have coached for. I love every moment of it. Spending quality time with my teammates and now riders on my team are some of the best memories I carry with me, and many of the stories we continue to tell year after year become legendary. Seeing all of the wonderful horses that colleges are able to loan to the competition, reuniting with friends (old and new), and watching the students ride hard for their teams is the highlight of my year. Riding in the IHSA brought so much to my life as a student and seeing other riders and teams that seem to feel the same way is thrilling to me. We are looking forward to bringing the nation to our backyard again this year; see you at Harrisburg in May!
Emily C Miller, Pennsylvania

In the nearly 50 years that I have been riding I have participated in many different types of competition, from lead-line equitation and gymkhanas to Pony Club rallies and USEA recognized horse trials. My favorite to prepare for and compete in was the Versatile Horse and Rider Competition at the Equine Affaire in Springfield, MA in November, 2011. I decided to send an entry video in on a whim, and didn't start to do any serious preparation until early September when I got the acceptance letter. I went onto YouTube to look at videos of previous competitions and get an idea of what we might be faced with. I have had Gabriel, my 10-year-old Belgian/ Thoroughbred cross, since he was a baby and we do a lot together: eventing at Novice level, fox hunting, trail riding and pleasure driving, but never anything like this. With props from the Halloween supplies at Walmart, round pen panels and other stuff I had around the barn I built an obstacle course behind the barn and practiced every chance I had. I even had friends come over with their kids to yell and cheer to prepare Gabe for the audience. Preparing for this brought our partnership to a whole new level. Gabe was great at the competition; we tied for 11th place out of 30 entries, just missing being in the top 10 for the final round. I definitely want to try it again. (My favorite competition to attend is Rolex Kentucky. I've been twice and loved it!)
Rebecca Hunter, via email

My favorite competition to ride in is one that helps to build the confidence of the horse I work with. "George' is an 18.2 hand Thoroughbred gelding whose naturally spooky nature has been tested by a stable accident that resulted in him losing an eye. His owners and I have chosen local shows where smaller class sizes are less likely to over stress him with a ring full of strange horses. It challenges him to be in a different place and still focus on me and what I am asking of him. George gets very proud of himself when he knows he has done well. It doesn't always mean a blue ribbon; just the fact that he did his best in a class is a win for me. He has learned to trust me and if I don't get overwhelmed by an unfamiliar or scary situation, he is more at easy with whatever is going on around him. As a horse person all my life, I am always amazed at the ability of horses to read our moods and emotions. It helps me to focus as well by knowing that how I react effects him and his ability to handle things like another horse cantering on his blind side. George and I have come a long way together and we were awarded champion of our division at our last show.
Lynn Motschmann, New York

The Whidbey Island Pony Club Horse Trials on Whidbey Island, Washington. Been watching it since ‘88, groomed at, and rode in it just a couple of times…fingers crossed I ride this year.
Chris Cole, Washington

The Breeder’s Cup World Championship Horse Races! Where else could you go to see horses of all ages and specialties from all over the world compete in one place over a two-day period? Its fun, affordable and filled with stars of the sport!
Jonie Fanning Reeves, via email

Rolex Kentucky 3-Day Event! It’s an amazing atmosphere and world-class facility. I love how they have a spectator’s course walk directed by one of the competitors. It really shows how down to earth the rider’s are, despite their fame and success in the horse world. Being from California it’s the only vacation I can afford for the year but it’s well worth it!
Sarah O’Dea, California

The Metamora Foxhunt’s Hunter Trials at the end of September or the beginning of October. There are varying levels for all riders as well as tailgating for spectators. The hunt has been holding the trials for longer then I have been alive, and I have missed precisely two since I was 6 (mind you that’s 20-odd years) it is the best show around, and all proceeds go to feeding the hounds, I take my greenies before they compete in the hunter ring. (After all, if they can navigate around a hilly trial course, a ring ride is a breeze!)
Kira Wolf, via email

Read more answers to this question in the April 2013 issue of Practical Horseman magazine.

March 18, 2013--With a first-place prize of $350,000 on the line, Germany’s Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum rose to the occasion, piloting Bella Donna to a paycheck she will not soon forget as winner of the first-ever AIG Thermal $1 Million Grand Prix, presented by Lamborghini Newport Beach. The best of only two clear rounds, Michaels-Beerbaum and the 10-year-old mare that she co-owns with EOS Sport capitalized on a successful season at HITS Desert Horse Park with the sweetest win of them all.

“California is my home and it was great to come here and ride for this kind of prize,” said Michaels-Beerbaum, who was named the Platinum Performance Leading Rider at the conclusion of the HITS Desert Circuit earlier today. “Money like this is more often given away in Europe and it is bringing the American standard to a whole new level. It’s a tremendous step and the future of the sport is becoming more and more exciting in this country.”

And the money, it seems, is attracting riders from all corners of the world to American soil for top-notch competition. With three countries represented in the top three, nine different nations made it into the top-twenty money this afternoon.

There were 40 competitors vying for a

slice of the million dollar pie. After 32 had completed the first-round course without a single clear, it appeared that no one would crack the code that was Olympic gold medalist Conrad Homfeld’s track and a jump-off of four-faulters became a real possibility.

Spectators looked on in anticipation as John Pearce of Bermuda Dunes, California rode in on Chianto, owned by Forest View Farm Allison Moore, and cracked the code to a triumphant clear round.

Five trips later, Duncan McFarlane of San Ramon, California was clear riding for his native New Zealand. Unfortunately, a single time fault barred him and Simone Coxe’s Mr. Whoopy from the jump-off   landing him in third overall. With only three more challenges to Pearce, Michaels-Beerbaum entered on her bay mare and guaranteed a two-horse test with a flawless effort over Homfeld’s 14-obstacle track, which featured 17 jumping efforts at heights up to 1.60m.

In the jump-off, Pearce was clear until a slight rub at the second-to-last fence led a rail down for four faults. “I knew Meredith was behind me, so I was trying to use as much speed as I could over obstacles this size while still being careful,” said Pearce. All Michaels-Beerbaum and Bella Donna had to do was go clear, and go clear she did. Despite picking up three time faults, victory was hers. Pearce posted a time of 53.70 seconds, while Michaels-Beerbaum rode in 56.70 seconds with a 54-second time allowed.

“The course was brilliant and a very good test for $1 million,” said Michaels-Beerbaum. “There weren’t any bad pictures out there today – some rails came down, but overall it was very good competition.”

In fourth, Karl Cook of Woodside, California was clear with three time faults in the first round aboard Signe Ostby’s Jonkheer Z. Capping the top five was the fastest of the four-fault rounds – Peter Wylde of Lake Worth, Florida and The Wannahave Group’s Sandor De La Pomme.

Despite the superb Desert Circuit performances of her other mounts, Malou and Unbelievable 5, Michaels-Beerbaum stuck to her plan and had her 2012 Olympic mount, Bella Donna, accompany her into the ring as her AIG Thermal Million ride. “I have the most experience with Bella and when I walked the course this morning I was 100% positive that I made the right decision,” she said. “I trained Bella Donna with her last owner and said that if she ever wanted to sell the horse I wanted to be the first in her mind and I was. It took me a long time to get her ridable, but she qualified for the World Cup Final as a nine-year old and that just shows how good she is.”

Pearce piloted a relatively older, yet wildly successful, horse to second-place honors, riding the 17-year-old Chianto. “I can’t even count how many grand prix he has won for me and I am just so proud of how far he has come,” he said. Pearce and Chianto are regular million-dollar competitors and were third in the first Pfizer Million in Saugerties, New York in 2010.

While the sizable paychecks are nice, Duncan McFarlane admits that high-stakes classes are keeping his sport alive. “It really gives the owners a real desire to invest in these horses and keep the business thriving,” he said. McFarlane was second in the 2011 Pfizer Million in Saugerties and admits that his next goal is to head east again in September for the fourth-annual event, now under the title Zoetis $1 Million Grand Prix. Zoetis was formerly known as Pfizer Animal Health.

AIG, title sponsor of the AIG Thermal $1 Million Grand Prix was represented by Vice President David Hubbard, who is based in Los Angeles and made a day of it at HITS Thermal. “This was such a thrilling event – it’s the best show I’ve seen,” he said. “The crowd was electric and it was all because these riders were so impressive.”

Hubbard gave the unofficial nod after the class that AIG is interested in returning to be a part of the million-dollar event next year. “Our goal is to provide safety and security to this lifestyle with our products and services, and this event is a great opportunity to accomplish that.”

HITS President and CEO Tom Struzzieri acknowledged the pivotal role that AIG played in making today’s event a success. “AIG embraced this class from the beginning and recognized how impactful it is in the sport and we are very excited to continue this relationship,” he said. “Coupled with great sponsors, I could not have been happier with the results. While we were very happy to welcome some East Coast competitors, it’s nice to see people who have worked hard showing here all season go home with the big checks.”

The AIG Thermal $1 Million Grand Prix put the final exclamation point on the 2013 HITS Desert Circuit and as the sea of spectators headed home and prize money checks went to the bank, thoughts turned ahead to the Zoetis $1 Million Grand Prix at HITS-on-the-Hudson on September 8th, where riders will again converge in Saugerties, New York to rewrite show jumping history.

March 2, 2013--Fifty-three horse-and-rider combinations took the field, but it was the reigning World Cup winners who ruled the day Friday, when Rich Fellers and Flexible rode to victory in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Zoetis.

The rider from Wilsonville, Oregon and the chestnut stallion owned by Harry and Mollie Chapman, laid down a pair of sizzling rounds, although they were chased to the finish by Lane Clarke of Laguna Niguel, California and Horsemanship Unlimited’s Kiss the Sky, who finished second. Germany’s Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Windward Farm’s Unbelievable 5 placed third.

“He’s coming back into the zone,” said Fellers of Flexible, who finished in the money for all three HITS Desert Circuit CSI-W2* World Cup qualifier grand prix last month, scoring as high as third.

The duo presented one blazing round after another on a course well-suited to Flexible’s ability to shave time off the turns, turning in six strides where others were putting in eight. Brazilian designer Marina Azevedo’s track of 13 obstacles and 16 jumping efforts was set at up to 1.50m. It included three twisting loops, which was just technical enough to make, “Oh! Just that one rail,” a recurring theme from the announcer’s booth. Seventeen finished the first round with a single knock-down and

eleven were clear.

In all, eleven combinations returned for the jump-off, including Tomba Mercedes Benz and Calavda, ridden by their owner Eduardo Menezes, who lives in Carlsbad, California, but rides for Brazil. Menezes was one of two jump-off riders to return on multiple horses; the other was Mexico’s John Perez, riding Zeidler Farm Canada, LTD’s Ranville and his own Utopia.

Menezes, who is sponsored by Mercedes Benz of Mexico, is known to be quite a speed demon. As the first in the ring for the jump-off, he established a formidable Great American Time to Beat of 35.65 seconds against a time-allowed of 45. He was followed by Perez on Ranville, who went clear, but was about a single second slower at 36.51, good for fourth.

Fellers and Flexible went next and when they broke the beam at 32.91 seconds, the audience was breathless. Clarke and Kiss the Sky, however, came close to catching them. With the clock at 33 seconds as they cleared the final jump the crowd let out a collective shriek, but it would be fractions of a second before they crossed the timers in 33.43, and Fellers and Flexible retained their lead.

“My horse was amazing,” Clarke said afterwards of his 15-year-old French mare. “I tried to pull out all the stops – I took the inside slice to the last fence, and I did a lead up to the in-and-out, a five stride for six after the skinny, but Rich and Flexible are amazingly fast.” By the time Menezes and Calavda entered the ring as the last pair in the jump-off, tension was at a fever pitch. They tried, but a time of 39.59 seconds and two rails put them in ninth.

“That’s Flexible!” added Fellers. “He had a nice little run for fun there. I let him open up and gallop a little, and he loved it.” Fellers and Flexible have set their sights on the AIG Thermal $1 Million Grand Prix, sponsored by Lamborghini Newport Beach, on March 17.

Earlier in the day, Jill Blunt of Lake Stevens, Washington, won the Level 6 Rocky Mountain Show Jumping class on her own Shannondale and was awarded a $600 prize. Vinton Karrasch of Rancho Santa Fe, California, and Coral Reef Ranch’s Coral

Reef Carmel Z took second, for $400, and Jenni Martin-McAllister of Sun Valley, California, earned $280 for third place on LEGISequine.com’s LEGIS Rockstar.

In the Level 5 FarmVet Jumper at 1.20m, it was Peter Breakwell of Menlo Park, California, and Hillstreet, owned by Connacht Sport Horse, who took the blue and pocketed the top prize. Helen McNaught of San Ramon, California and Carnutelabryere placed second, while Becky Warner of Scottsdale, Arizona rode Ashley Kaplan’s Aquilles to third.

March 4, 2013 -- I can't say how many jump-offs I've watched in my decades of covering show jumping. Certainly hundreds; maybe even more. But today's tiebreaker in the 4-star $150,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty Grand Prix was one of the most exciting I can remember.

I have to tell you the punchline first: Kent Farrington on his new mount, Blue Angel, clipped Beezie Madden atop Cortes C by 0.01 of a second to take the class in 38.24 seconds. Wow.

The jump-off had been building to a crescendo, with the crowd cheering on each rider as they gave it a go.

In fact, the top five all were clear and within 0.62 seconds of the winner. Kent had the last of the clear rounds. The only competitor who went after him, Laura Kraut on Cedric, had a rail early on, so there was no doubt who the winner was before the class ended.

The lithe and lively Blue Angel, registered in the Anglo European studbook, and Kent are a dynamic combination. He took over Robin Parsky's mare in January, and there really hasn't been much of a getting-to-know-you period.

"It's a special horse. It's actually the type of horse I grew up riding, a more thoroughbredy type," he explained.

"We had a lot of horses off the racetrack and I used to race ponies as a kid, so I was used to riding really hot, small horses like that. That's sort of right up my alley." Remember Up Chiqui, his incredible speedball that retired just last November at the National Horse Show? Yes, Kent knows what to do with horses that can go fast.

Blue Angel’s owner, Robin Parsky, and Kent Farrington

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

He and Blue Angel were practically an instant match.

"We sort of jumped in the deep end of the pool," Kent conceded with a smile.

"We did the meter 30, the meter 40 and we were off and running."

And running was what they had to do in the jump-off, after 11 of the field of 53 qualified for it.

The last line was the original triple on Anthony D'Ambrosio's course, reduced to an oxer/vertical double for the jump-off, and then seven or eight strides to the final fence, a vertical standing at 1.6 meters that was one of the tallest obstacles on the course.

Beezie Madden was just 0.01 seconds short of victory on Cortes C .

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

Beezie, on the muscular, nearly black Belgian warmblood who is Blue Angel's physical polar opposite, reached that jump in seven strides. Kent went right after her, and as I saw him take a pull and put in an extra stride, I thought, "Uh, oh, looks like Beezie's got it." Wrong. Yes, I looked at the clock and couldn't believe he was an instant faster. So I asked Kent about that.

Listen: Kent Farrington

Kent, like Beezie a member of the U.S. gold medal Nations' Cup team here, now has one of the best strings of any rider anywhere. I guess that gives him confidence; he always looks so cool and unflustered. That's what it takes to do what he does so successfully. But the rest of us tend to show our emotions.

Alex Warriner, Blue Angel's groom, is fond of the 10-year-old mare by Luidam and was a bundle of nerves as she watched her go.

Listen: Alex Warriner

Third in the class went to charming Irish rider Conor Swail, who met his wife (she's from Connecticut) at the WEF years ago. He was aboard Lansdowne, a Dutchbred stallion owned by Lothlorien, the same stable whose horses are ridden by Captain Canada, Ian Millar. Conor, who finished on 38.52 seconds, noted it's great to have Ian available for counsel when

needed.

He generally produces horses and sells them on, so he's grateful for a chance to keep riding the horse in his new job with the Canadian outfit, because he can show at the highest level consistently.

"You learn a lot by being in this company," said Conor, who looks to me like he knows an awful lot himself.

I told you all about that Friday night senior Nations' Cup victory in my last postcard (it's at this website if you haven't seen it yet).

But WEF, always in the vanguard, also held Nations' Cups for children, juniors and Young Riders, an innovative juxtaposition. I have to tell you, it made for a very loooong day (and night) yesterday, but it was special for the adults who understood its significance, as well as for the kids.

It's all about "the pipeline," giving riders a start at an early age on a road that could provide mileage for them if they want to try for senior teams.

Show jumping team coach Robert Ridland was very enthusiastic about what he saw, praising the "spirit" he felt in the air as the kids learned about jumping for a squad representing their nation, instead of just for themselves. Young people abroad do a lot of such team competitions; I think we'll be seeing more of it in this country.

There's talk about having a Young Riders' division and realigning age groups for competition; perhaps starting the amateur-owner division at a later age, which would keep those who turn 19 in the Young Riders' division instead. Change is in the wind; keep watching.

Robert is part of the change. As you know, George Morris stepped down from the coaching job at the end of last year, but he emphasizes he isn't retired. So a ceremony in his honor Saturday night wasn't a retirement ceremony; it was just to thank him for all he's done, and what he's going to keep on doing, giving clinics and teaching, and being available to Robert as a resource.

It was great to see all the people who marched into the ring for George's ceremony. I'll just name a few: Anne Kursinski, Norman Dello Joio, McLain Ward, Jeffrey Welles, and Chris Kappler among the riders; veterinarian Tim Ober, steward Karen Golding, Sally Ike, Lizzy Chesson and Jim Wolf among the support staff; well, I just realized this was a mistake, because I could go on and on and run out of space and still leave people out. Suffice to say it was a great turnout. And U.S. Equestrian Federation President Chrystine Tauber, who was the master of ceremonies, made a point of saying that George "is not riding off into the sunset."
The amount of prize money at the WEF is staggering. The $150,000 grand prix was just a financial warm-up for a $300,000 grand prix and at the end of the month, a $500,000 competition. Then there was the VDL auction Thursday night, with 16 horses going for more than $2 million, and one horse accounting for nearly a quarter of that (you can see his photo at facebook.com/equisearch and facebook.com/practicalhorseman).

Some might consider all these numbers crass, so it's nice to find out that there's a spirit of giving at the WEF. You probably all know about the Great Charity Challenge, a show jumping event that gave $1.5 million to local charities at the end of January.

Carrie Stanton, organizer of the Pink Party to raise money for fighting cancer

© 2013 by Nancy Jaffer

But I learned this weekend about another effort, the Pink Party, an annual cancer research fundraiser organized by Carrie Stanton, a groom who works for McLain. (She's in charge of Rothchild.)

The party, held at The Triple Bar, a restaurant adjacent to the showgrounds, is only one part of Carrie's efforts. She had a group of "Pink Riders" who wore, you guessed it, something pink when they competed this week (go back to Facebook and look at the pix of McLain and Brianne Goutal). These riders all went out and obtained pledges. Carrie, a native of Great Britain who has lived here for years, has done an amazing job. Listen to what she said about what she's doing.

Listen: Carrie Stanton

I'm coming back at the end of March for the $500,000 grand prix (yes, money talks), and whatever else is happening as WEF ends its three-month run. So be sure to look for my next postcard.

Until then,