2009 WIHS Washington Post Clips

Reliable Source - Hey, isn't that ...?

Page 1 of 3

Sign In | Register Now

TODAY'S NEWSPAPER Subscribe | PostPoints

NEWS

POLITICS

OPINIONS BUSINESS

SEARCH: Try Our New Search

LOCAL

SPORTS

ARTS & LIVING

washingtonpost.com

GOING OUT GUIDE

Web

JOBS

CARS

| Search Archives

washingtonpost.com > Arts and Living > Style > Reliable Source

SEARCH THIS BLOG

Hey, isn't that ...?

Go

RECENT POSTS One great nonstop Ludacris weekend Justice Scalia's bright moment This Just In Hey, isn't that ...?

A man around the house: Is Paul Wharton a "Real" Housewife?

Entries By Category Celebvocate First Family Hey, Isn't That...?

Love, Etc. Parties Politics Quoted Read This Surreal Estate

Some of the Friday night dinner crowd at Poste: Capshaw and Spielberg (Rich Lipski/Washington Post), Emanuel (Jim Young/Reuters), Scialfa and Springsteen (Matt Moyer/AP)

A powerbroker family gathering at Poste Friday night -- Rahm Emanuel and his family dining with Steven Spielberg, Kate Capshaw, Bruce Springsteen and Patti Scialfa. A party of 12 altogether dining the restaurant at Hotel Monaco. The rockstar and the director both had daughters competing in the Washington International Horse Show at Verizon Center this weekend.

z

z Jill Biden and a female friend having wine and dinner at Westend Bistro Friday night. Veep's wife wore a bright red coat over a black dress.

This Just In...

Update Your Questions Answered Full Category Archive

By The Reliable Source | October 25, 2009; 1:31 PM ET Categories: Hey, Isn't That...?

Share This: E-Mail | Technorati | Del.icio.us | Digg | Stumble Previous: A man around the house: Is Paul Wharton a "Real" Housewife?

Entries By Date

http://voices.washingtonpost.com/reliable-source/2009/10/hey_isnt_that_162.html

11/2/2009

John Kelly - Meet a City Boy Who Loves Horses - washingtonpost.com

By John Kelly Thursday, April 9, 2009 Dannielle Brown says that if her son was into basketball, football, soccer -- or even golf -- she'd know what to do.

But Jamal Brown doesn't like any of those sports. His dream is to be a show jumper and ride for the U.S. Equestrian Team.

What's Dannielle supposed to do with that?

It's not something many people would expect of a 16-year-old African American kid from Northeast Washington.

"We thought it was cute," Dannielle said of the obsession Jamal has had since he was a toddler, when he used to gravitate to picture books about horses. " 'Oh, he likes horses,' like any child would like a dog or dinosaurs. But it just never went away."

Back then, the family was living in Southern Maryland, and at 6, Jamal started taking riding lessons.

"When he got on the horse, the instructor was blown away," Dannielle said. "She was like, 'This boy literally taught himself how to ride through all the books that he read.' "

Page 1 of 2

the family moved back to the District, Jamal started going to the stables at Rock Creek Park.

Then his mother got him a scholarship to the Barrie School. The Silver Spring private school has a dozen horses and ponies in its stables and a program that encourages students to ride them. Jamal is on Barrie's JV equestrian team this year and will move up to varsity next year. A box full of firstplace ribbons attests to his skill in equitation, an event in which riders are judged on how good they look on a horse.

"A lot of guys when they ride, they don't love their horse," Paige Dunn, the Barrie coach, told me. "Jamal loves his horses. He gives them big pats and hugs. He treats them like they're more than just a vehicle," unlike most boy riders. "I think if he keeps this up, he'll go as far as he wants to."

But, really, how far can he go? He doesn't own a horse. While others ride every day,

Advertisement

Books can only do so much, though, and when http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/08/AR2009040804114.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/08/AR2009040804114.html

1/2/2010

John Kelly - Meet a City Boy Who Loves Horses - washingtonpost.com

Page 2 of 2

he's in the saddle only a few times a week.

Dannielle said some people have told her it's unfair to let Jamal spend so much time dreaming of horses. They ask, Why encourage him?

"Who am I to tell him not do that?" she said.

"It's a rich white girl's sport," Kathy Clark told me.

Kathy should know. A rich white girl herself, she grew up riding. She lives in Oakton and co-founded a high-tech company, Landmark Systems. She heard about Jamal through a friend of a friend and saw something in the polite, gentle boy who loves horses. She has helped pick up the expense of his riding lessons and last summer leased a horse named Chester for Jamal to ride regularly.

Advertisement

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/08/AR2009040804114.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/08/AR2009040804114.html

1/2/2010

John Kelly - Meet a City Boy Who Loves Horses - washingtonpost.com

Page 1 of 2

Sign In | Register Now

TODAY'S NEWSPAPER Subscribe | PostPoints

A Mom's White Teeth Trick

Huntington Mom: Lose 47lbs Following 1 Rule

The dentists don't want you to know about THIS teeth whitening‌ Discover more...

I Cut Down 47 lbs of Stomach Fat In A Month By Obeying This 1 Old Rule Get

details...

NEWS

POLITICS

OPINIONS BUSINESS

LOCAL

SEARCH:

SPORTS

ARTS & LIVING

washingtonpost.com

GOING OUT GUIDE

JOBS

Web

CARS

REAL ESTATE

RENTALS

CLASSIFIEDS

| Search Archives

washingtonpost.com > Columns

Get More John Kelly

Page 2 of 2

< Back

A City Boy Who Loves Horses Goes Galloping Toward His Goals "The help I provide, it's a little bit financial, but it's also just introducing him to people and helping him meet the right people, which might lead to more opportunities," Kathy said.

Jamal's mom wrote to Sheila Johnson, the wealthy cofounder of BET, whose daughter, Paige, is a competitive rider. Dannielle thought it would be instructive for Jamal to muck out the stalls at Johnson's Middleburg stables.

She's still waiting to hear back. "We're not sure we wrote to the correct place," Dannielle said.

Jamal also sent a letter to the Obamas, offering to show Malia and Sasha around Rock Creek Stables, where he works and rides most weekends.

On a recent weeknight, after his long commute from school, Jamal pulled up some videos on a laptop computer at home in Brookland. There he was in jodhpurs, gloves, polished boots, a close-fitting jacket and a tie neatly knotted at his neck, trotting around an indoor ring.

Jamal Brown is in the tack room at the Barrie School, a private school in Silver Spring, where he is on the junior varsity equestrian team. (By John Kelly -- The Washington Post)

Enlarge Photo

Buy Photo

TOOLBOX Print

Resize

E-mail

Yahoo! Buzz

COMMENT

0 Comments COMMENTS ARE CLOSED

"It's not really a hobby," he said of riding. "It's kind of like a lifestyle."

WHO'S BLOGGING Âť Links to this article

His goals? "I want to keep riding competitively forever.

I want to be in the Olympics on the U.S. Equestrian Team. First I have to go to school to have the grades to get into a college that has a great equestrian team."

Next would come sponsorship and the chance to ride in increasingly prestigious events.

"Then you get to the level where the chef d'equipe -- that's the person who looks at you for the U.S. team -- can see you."

Jamal must be one of the only teenage boys in Washington who knows that the current chef d'equipe is a man named George Morris.

Jamal clicked on a YouTube video from the Washington International Horse Show. A horse and rider jumped over progressively taller fences, the horse perfectly poised, a sublime combination of power and grace.

Higher and higher the horse went, stumbling only at the last obstacle.

Chat with me tomorrow at noon. Go to http://www.washingtonpost.com/discussions. < Back 1

2

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/08/AR2009040804114_2.html

1/2/2010

John Kelly - Meet a City Boy Who Loves Horses - washingtonpost.com

"The help I provide, it's a little bit financial, but it's also just introducing him to people and helping him meet the right people, which might lead to more opportunities," Kathy said.

Jamal's mom wrote to Sheila Johnson, the wealthy co-founder of BET, whose daughter, Paige, is a competitive rider. Dannielle thought it would be instructive for Jamal to muck out the stalls at Johnson's Middleburg stables. She's still waiting to hear back.

"We're not sure we wrote to the correct place," Dannielle said.

Jamal also sent a letter to the Obamas, offering to show Malia and Sasha around Rock Creek Stables, where he works and rides most weekends.

On a recent weeknight, after his long commute from school, Jamal pulled up some videos on a laptop computer at home in Brookland. There he was in jodhpurs, gloves, polished boots, a close-fitting jacket and a tie neatly knotted Advertisement at his neck, trotting around an indoor ring.

Page 1 of 2

the Olympics on the U.S. Equestrian Team.

First I have to go to school to have the grades to get into a college that has a great equestrian team."

Next would come sponsorship and the chance to ride in increasingly prestigious events.

"Then you get to the level where the chef d'equipe -- that's the person who looks at you for the U.S. team -- can see you."

Jamal must be one of the only teenage boys in Washington who knows that the current chef d'equipe is a man named George Morris .

Jamal clicked on a YouTube video from the Washington International Horse Show. A horse and rider jumped over progressively taller fences, the horse perfectly poised, a sublime combination of power and grace.

Higher and higher the horse went,

"It's not really a hobby," he said of riding. "It's kind of like a lifestyle."

His goals? "I want to keep riding competitively forever. I want to be in http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/08/AR2009040804114_2.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/08/AR2009040804114_2.html

12/30/2009

John Kelly - Meet a City Boy Who Loves Horses - washingtonpost.com

Page 2 of 2

stumbling only at the last obstacle.

Chat with me tomorrow at noon. Go to http: //www.washingtonpost.com/discussions.

Advertisement

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/08/AR2009040804114_2.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/08/AR2009040804114_2.html

12/30/2009

NextUp: International Horse Show, Ulalume Festival - washingtonpost.com

Page 1 of 3

Next Up A Look at the Next Few Weeks The Week of Oct. 9 Dana Tai Soon Burgess & Co. is well known for telling the stories of Asian Americans through modern dance. On Oct. 10-11 the company will present "Island" at Dance Place. It's the story of Asian immigrants passing through California's Angel Island in the early 20th century. Also on the bill is "Hyphen," which explores the experience of being multiracial. Jump on it: Tickets are going quickly. Dance Place, 3225 Eighth St. NE (Metro: Brookland). 202-2691600 or http://www.danceplace.org. $22, $17 seniors and students, $8 ages 2 to 17.

The Week of Oct. 16 Forget the Plains. On Oct. 20-25 horse country will be in the middle of the city. The Washington International Horse Show brings 500 horses to Verizon Center for five days of equestrian events, including dressage, barrel racing and jumping. (And for a change of pace, there will, of course, be Jack Russell terrier races.) Verizon Center, 601 F St. NW (Metro: Gallery Place). 202-5253679, 202-397-7328 or http://www.wihs. org. Daytime shows: $15, free for age 12 and younger. Evening shows: $20-$50, $10-$20 age 12 and younger.

soundtrack. Also playing is Dead by Sunrise, which features Chester Bennington of Linkin Park, AFI and Kid Cudi. The show is Oct. 23 at 6 p.m. at Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Pkwy., Columbia. 410715-5550, 202-397-7328, 410-547-7328 or http://www.merriweathermusic.com. $25-$35.

On Exhibit The following exhibitions open next week: "Athlete: The Sports Illustrated Photography of Walter Iooss," opening Oct. 9 at the Newseum, features pictures of sports celebrities including Muhammad Ali and Michael Phelps. 888-639-7386. . . . Two shows open at the National Museum of Women in the Arts on Oct. 9: "Lands of Enchantment: Australian Aboriginal Painting" includes 26 masterworks by some of Australia's best-known aboriginal painters, while "Telling Secrets: Codes, Captions and Advertisement

The Week of Oct. 23 If you watch MTV, chances are you're familiar with the pop rock bands participating in the Ulalume Festival. The headliner is Paramore, known for its contributions to the "Twilight" movie

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/01/AR2009100101865.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/01/AR2009100101865.html

10/6/2009

Washington International Horse Show Details - washingtonpost.com

Page 1 of 1

If You Go Washington International Horse Show: Through Sunday at Verizon Center -- Daily competitions are from 7 a.m. to 5 p. m.; evening events start at 6:30 or 7, depending on the day.

-- Kids 12 and younger get in free before 5 p.m.

-- Best Bet: Washington's World of the Horse, featuring demonstrations of many types of competition, is Sunday.

Advertisement

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/19/AR2009101903301.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/19/AR2009101903301.html

10/29/2009

Jessica Springsteen a star to watch at Washington International Horse Show - washingtonpost.com

Page 1 of 2

Standout J. Springsteen has more than a name

By T. Rees Shapiro Special to The Washington Post Tuesday, October 20, 2009 At this week's 51st annual Washington International Horse Show, Jessica Springsteen is one of the stars to watch.

Springsteen, the 17-year-old daughter of rock-and-roll legend Bruce Springsteen, comes to the show, which begins Tuesday at Verizon Center, as one of the leading junior riders. In her competitive discipline, equitation, riders are judged on their form, style, and grace through a series of technical challenges. In the past year, Springsteen has won two of the most prestigious equitation awards and is favored to win a third Saturday.

"She has a beautiful ability to concentrate and stay focused and take the sport seriously," said her trainer, Stacia Madden of Beacon Hill Show Stables. "Some people have the talent but don't work at it. Jessica is not one of those people. She chooses to work at it."

This can be particularly challenging, as a rider has no knowledge of how to make the horse perform at its best.

"I don't really get nervous until right before I go in the ring, but once I get in there I'm ready," Springsteen said. "But some of the other horses will give you trouble and that's the most nerve-wracking part, hoping you can pull it out."

Last year, Springsteen finished sixth. The winner, Katherine Newman, had traded horses with Springsteen and won. This year, Springsteen will ride Newman's original winning horse, Class Action, a tall, gray 10year-old.

"She looks at each class as a goal, and never puts crazy pressure on herself to perform," Madden said. "She's studied her riding and it's clear she has the ability."

Advertisement

Springsteen, of Colts Neck, N.J., will be competing in the WIHS equitation finals against 30 other riders, but she has a distinct advantage: the winning horse. In this class, riders must complete two rounds on their own mounts and then, if they qualify for the final round, must randomly trade horses with other finalists.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/19/AR2009101903231.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/19/AR2009101903231.html

10/31/2009

Jessica Springsteen a star to watch at Washington International Horse Show - washingtonpost.com

Page 2 of 2

Standout J. Springsteen has more than a name Springsteen is not the only recognizable name in the show.

Paige Johnson is the daughter of Black Entertainment Television cofounders Robert Johnson, majority owner of the NBA's Charlotte Bobcats, and Sheila Johnson, managing partner and president of the WNBA's Washington Mystics. She will compete in the adult jumper division.

Hillary Dobbs, daughter of CNN's Lou Dobbs, and Georgina Bloomberg, daughter of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, will compete in the $100,000 President's Cup open jumper competition Saturday night against Olympic gold medalists McLain Ward and Brazilian Rodrigo Pessoa, among others.

Jumper riders must have the balance of a ballerina, the strength of a gymnast and the analytical mind of a golfer, in order to quickly and safely navigate a course of jumps that are sometimes six feet tall and 10 feet wide.

players, make plays and score."

Springsteen agreed, saying, "The horse is the one actually going over those jumps, and you're just helping them get to the right place and letting them do what they do best."

Note: The horse show runs through Sunday.

Children's admission is free and adult tickets are $15 before 7 p.m. all week.

Children's tickets are $10 Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday evenings, and $20 Friday and Saturday evenings. Adult tickets are $20 Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday evenings and $30 Friday and Saturday evenings.

Advertisement

But more than anything, they need a willing accomplice.

"To me it's 90 percent about the horse, and 10 percent to the rider to get the horse to the jump squarely, and be able to handle the pressure of the situation," said three-time President's Cup winner Rodney Jenkins, 65, now a leading Maryland thoroughbred trainer. "It's like in football. A good quarterback can see the open field, the open

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/19/AR2009101903231.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/19/AR2009101903231.html

10/31/2009

John Kelly - Columnist John Kelly: Horsing around at this show's serious - washingtonpost.com

Wednesday, October 21, 2009

By John Kelly See that horse? The one being led by a jodhpured and helmeted rider down the sidewalk of Sixth Street NW, catty-corner from the Engine Company 2 firehouse?

Follow it as it clip-clops past the Greene Turtle Sports Bar & Grille, down a yawning ramp and into the bowels of the Verizon Center. There, you will encounter a wiry man in casual clothes, a walkie-talkie in hand.

"This is the most complicated logistical operation in our business," the man, Robert Ridland, will tell you.

That would be the horse show business.

Robert and his co-manager, David Distler, have been putting on horse shows all over the country for years. But for sheer logistical legerdemain, none compares to the Washington International Horse Show. It's like throwing a week-long ballroom-dancing competition for 300 four-legged guests in a rented gymnasium in a busy downtown.

Page 1 of 2

Footing is what non-horse people might call "the ground." It's what the horses put their feet on.

"My dad and me, we're big in footing," says Bobby Murphy, a fifth-generation horseman who's come from Kentucky to obsess about the sand: how deep it is, how wet it is, how firm it is. It needs to be "fluffy" for the hunter class -- horses judged on the grace they display over modest jumps -- and compact for the jumpers: horses that fly over ever-higher obstacles.

A dapper man strides out of the ring, a large measuring tape in one hand. It's Richard Jeffery, a professional jump designer from England. Somebody has to decide exactly where to put the jumps and what they'll look like.

Advertisement

Or maybe it's more like a beach volleyball competition, because the first thing that happens after the last ice from the Capitals' rink has melted is that 66 dump truck loads of fine limestone sand come in.

"It's a lot of sand," Robert says. But as they say in the show jumping world: The three most important things in an equestrian event are footing, footing and footing.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/20/AR2009102003610.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/20/AR2009102003610.html

11/8/2009

John Kelly - Columnist John Kelly: Horsing around at this show's serious - washingtonpost.com

"We're trying to find a fair result without making it tricky, without making it dangerous," Richard explains. Golfers can recognize a Jack Nicklaus- or Pete Dyedesigned golf course. Is it the same for show rings?

"I think it's fair to say each of us have our own style," Richard says.

Of course, every designer must start with the same piece of geometry: A standard horse has a 12-foot stride. Thus designers tend to work in distances of 24, 36, 48 and 60 feet, adding or subtracting a few feet here and there to test a competitor's skill.

What's a Richard Jeffery course like? "Not so brutal," he says. He started out as an architect and designed houses before switching to horse jumps. "I try to make it cohesive. Other people will just put some jumps together."

Outside Verizon, traffic's been blocked off and tents and stalls erected on F Street.

Wood shavings cushion the concrete underhoof. Hoses are strung along fences so the horses can be watered; electrical lines are set up to power hair clippers. The horses are equal parts athlete and fashion model, as if you'd mixed Usain Bolt with Cindy Crawford. This is some expensive horse flesh, each easily worth six figures -- and some worth seven.

Page 2 of 2

to one another in Spanish or polishing tall, black riding boots. In the quiet of the tents, a few braiders are hard at work, tying on tail extensions or taming unruly manes. Stacia Heslar from California has been a professional braider for 11 years. Standing on a stool next to a horse called On Top, she crochets in black yarn, turning the horse's main from dreadlocks to cornrows to little nubs she calls "peanuts."

A warm, yeasty, not-unpleasant smell is everywhere. It's the smell of horses. The main note is manure. That's what the blue dumpsters are for. "You don't just put it in the city's garbage system," Robert says. A contractor is hired to cart it all away.

Please resist the urge to note that it's just more $#*& coming out of Washington.

Advertisement

Grooms sit on hay bales in the sun, chatting

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/20/AR2009102003610.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/20/AR2009102003610.html

11/8/2009

Washington International Horse Show Details - washingtonpost.com

Page 1 of 1

If You Go Washington International Horse Show: Through Sunday at Verizon Center -- Daily competitions are from 7 a.m. to 5 p. m.; evening events start at 6:30 or 7, depending on the day.

-- Kids 12 and younger get in free before 5 p.m.

-- Best Bet: Washington's World of the Horse, featuring demonstrations of many types of competition, is Sunday.

Advertisement

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/19/AR2009101903301.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/19/AR2009101903301.html

10/29/2009

Cox brings pedigree of his own to horse training - washingtonpost.com

Page 1 of 2

Strong pedigree's not all Cox brings to an event

By T. Rees Shapiro Thursday, October 22, 2009 Archibald Cox III inherited his work ethic, morals, and dedication to the community from his grandfather.

"Archie," as he is known on the horse-show circuit, is a prominent trainer and rider from Los Angeles who has seven clients competing in the Washington International Horse Show this week at Verizon Center. He also boasts a tenable tie to Washington history.

His grandfather, Archibald Cox, was special prosecutor during the investigation into the break-in at the Watergate. Known for omnipresent bowties, his grandfather, a Harvard professor, was appointed special prosecutor in 1973; his firing came as part of what is known as the "Saturday Night Massacre."

Cox, 41, was first exposed to horses by his grandmother, Phyllis Cox, who served on the Horse Show's board of directors in the 1970s.

He grew up in horse country in Locust Valley, N.Y., where he "fell in love with jumping horses."

training style keep his clientele happy and numerous. A few include actress Portia de Rossi; Camilla Cleese, daughter of Monty Python's John Cleese; Kelley Johnson, wife of actor Don Johnson; and Gabbi Langston, daughter of former major leaguer Mark Langston.

"He's just so much fun to hang out with," said Laura Wasserman, a client who is riding in the amateur-owner hunter division this week. "He's also the hardest worker out there, always up at 4:30 in the morning taking care of the horses, and he's respected by so many different people."

Cox says that, like his grandfather, his ethic is "early to bed, early to rise." He also serves on the board of directors for the Horse Show and provides a unique perspective to his fellow members.

Advertisement

He graduated from Drew University in New Jersey, won the intercollegiate riding national championships, and then headed west. In 2001, Cox started his own training business, Brookway Stables, based in Los Angeles. His personality and positive

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/21/AR2009102103608.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/21/AR2009102103608.html

11/4/2009

Cox brings pedigree of his own to horse training - washingtonpost.com

Page 2 of 2

Strong pedigree's not all Cox brings to an event "A Cox tradition is to have a strong commitment to the community you enjoy so much and gives you a great deal," Cox said.

"People appreciate that I'm willing to work to make the trainers and riders happy from the footing, aesthetics, and scheduling, and bring their concerns to the board because this industry is my livelihood."

While Cox makes his living taking care of horses, to him, it doesn't seem like work.

"People say I work a lot, but I really enjoy what I do," Cox said. "I take pride in it."

Note: Erin Stewart, aboard Confidential, and Terri Kessler, aboard Pavarotti, were the cogrand champions of the amateur-owner hunter division Wednesday night.

Advertisement

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/21/AR2009102103608.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/21/AR2009102103608.html

11/4/2009

Set for puissance portion of Washington International Horse Show - washingtonpost.com

Page 1 of 2

Sign In | Register Now

TODAY'S NEWSPAPER Subscribe | PostPoints

NEWS

POLITICS

OPINIONS BUSINESS

LOCAL

SPORTS

SEARCH:

ARTS & LIVING

washingtonpost.com

GOING OUT GUIDE

JOBS

Web

CARS

| Search Archives

washingtonpost.com > Sports > Leagues & Sports > Horse Racing Hot Topic Washington International Horse Show

The courage for a powerful jump D'Ambrosio, Sweet'N Low set puissance mark in 1983 that still stands today Friday, October 23, 2009

When Anthony D'Ambrosio sailed over the 7-foot, 7 1/2 -inch vertical wall at the Washington International Horse Show in 1983, he did it aboard Sweet'N Low, a gray, 9year-old thoroughbred who weighed as much as a Piper Cub airplane. On landing, Sweet'N Low's tremendous impact nearly flipped D'Ambrosio headfirst into the sand.

"One of the strangest feelings of jumping a big wall is the hang time," D'Ambrosio said. "At the apex of the jumping arc, there's a momentary loss of forward motion, and then a very, very steep descent, and that's when you hope you have a horse that can do it. You're pushing the horse to its absolute limits, but it's truly incredible when they can withstand it and do it."

Competitive jumper rider Sloane Coles gives Pandor a kiss before going into the arena on Thursday at Verizon Center. (Jonathan Newton/the Washington Post)

Enlarge Photo

Buy Photo

TOOLBOX Print

Resize

E-mail

Yahoo! Buzz

D'Ambrosio and Sweet'N Low set a U.S. indoor record that night that remains untouched 26 years later. In Friday night's $25,000 high-jumping class known as the puissance, which is French for "power," riders will take part in one of the purest forms of the jumping discipline.

COMMENT

0

Comments In the puissance, there are a series of qualifying rounds and then horse and rider must clear a solid vertical wall.

COMMENTS ARE CLOSED The rider must guide the horse with the perfect mix of WHO'S BLOGGING momentum and control to a takeoff spot ideally spaced from the wall's base. Aborted attempts can be dangerous Âť Links to this article and costly, but the wall is specially built to fall apart upon impact to prevent disastrous injury if a horse tumbles through it.

But because of the extreme height of the obstacle, the most critical part of puissance jumping is the "recovery stride," or the first step the horse takes right after landing to regain its balance, D'Ambrosio said.

"It takes a brave horse," said D'Ambrosio, 55, of Red Hook, N.Y. "When you approach the http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/22/AR2009102204390.html

11/2/2009

Set for puissance portion of Washington International Horse Show - washingtonpost.com

Page 2 of 2

wall, neither you or the horse can see over or through the jump. It takes a confident horse that will give everything to the rider and try it. Mistakes are more costly at that height and horses know that, too."

D'Ambrosio, who at 13 won the first puissance he entered, never jumped his horses above 6-6 during practice. "Above that and it's up to them to try it" during competition.

That night in 1983, Sweet'N Low jumped to a record height with apparent ease. After they broke the record, D'Ambrosio said he would have tried even higher.

"Each time we jumped he got better and better," D'Ambrosio said of Sweet'N Low, whose owner, Donald Tober, also owned the company that packaged the artificial sweetener. "He studied each jump and became easier to ride after each time, it was incredible. I think we could have jumped 7-10 clean."

Every horse that competes in the puissance is a jumper horse, but not every jumper horse can perform well in a puissance competition, D'Ambrosio said.

"It's an ability within the animal," D'Ambrosio said. "You can teach anyone to throw a basketball, but you can't teach someone to be a great basketball player. You can't teach someone how to dunk, but still players who are small and tall can because it's within them."

-- T. Rees Shapiro Sponsored Links DO NOT Bleach Teeth Learn 1 simple trick, discovered by a mom, that dentists DONâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;T want you to know. www.consumertiptoday.com Hiring Today : Get a Job You can make a realistic $5000 a month following these easy steps. http://www.USdreamJobs.com 4.25% Fixed Rate Refinance Refi & Save with DPRÂŽ! No SSN Req. As Featured on CNNMoney & Forbes.

DeltaPrimeRefinance.com Buy a link here

More ways to share this Article...

Understand more about...

Set for puissance portion of Washington International Horse Show

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/22/AR2009102204390.html

11/2/2009

Horse jumper Ward looks to add to winnings total with President's Cup win - washingtonpost.com

Page 1 of 2

Ward looks to add to winnings total

By T. Rees Shapiro Saturday, October 24, 2009 On Thursday night, Olympic gold medal winner McLain Ward raked in $7,500 in 102 seconds of work. That's $270,000 per hour, which means in 10 minutes he could make more money jumping horses than most Americans earn in a year.

The purse for the winner of Saturday night's $100,000 President's Cup is $30,000 and Ward is favored to take it. He won last year. He also took first place Thursday in a $30,000 jumper class that is considered the warmup for Saturday's big event.

"We always try to compete to win," said Ward, who has bigger plans beyond Saturday. "It's been a good year. [I don't make] as much as LeBron James yet, but I'm working on it."

The competition is fierce for this top prize.

The field of 30 includes some of the sport's top riders. Among them are Georgina Bloomberg, daughter of New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Advertisement Olympic silver medal winner Jill Henselwood of Canada, and Olympic gold medalist Rodrigo Pessoa of Brazil.

jumping classes, only the most athletic horses are used for a timed round over a complex course that includes consecutive jumps set at five feet or higher. Course designer Guilherme Jorge, of Campinas, Brazil, is the horse world's version of golf course designers Donald Ross or Robert Trent Jones. He looks at course designing as a series of "questions" for which the horse and rider must find their own "answers." He said riders who have seen a variety of courses will have a distinct advantage.

"The course is a question of how well the horse can jump, but it is also a question of how well the horse has been prepared," Jorge, 42, said. "Some of the questions on the course the rider can't solve in that moment. It pays to have experience, to be more prepared to adjust to anything because anything can happen on the course."

Riders use the number of strides between each jump as a guide for the correct distance to take off from, meaning riders

Perhaps the greatest challenge to Ward's backto-back wins will be the course. In grand prix http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/23/AR2009102303792.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/23/AR2009102303792.html

12/1/2009

Horse jumper Ward looks to add to winnings total with President's Cup win - washingtonpost.com

Page 2 of 2

Ward looks to add to winnings total have to be accurate calculating strides to the jumps.

One way Jorge can challenge the horse and rider is by tweaking the distances between jumps. The average horse's stride is about 12 feet. If a combination of jumps are spaced 60 feet apart, the horse should take five strides between them. Jorge might adjust the distance to give the rider a choice. Since grand prix competitions are based on fastest time, riders are more likely to take risks to be quicker. In grand prix competition two seconds can separate first place and fifth.

They might push their horse through the combination in four fast strides instead of the usual five.

But risks can be costly. If a horse knocks down a rail, the rider's time is penalized. T he purse for fifth place tonight is $6,000.

Horse show note: Ward won the $25,000 open jumper puissance class aboard Vancouver. He cleared 6 feet 7 inches to claim the $8,000 first prize.

Advertisement

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/23/AR2009102303792.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/23/AR2009102303792.html

12/1/2009

Minikus Wins President's Cup at Washington International Horse Show - washingtonpost.com

Page 1 of 2

Minikus Wins President's Cup Beats out 28 other riders for $30,000 first prize

By T. Rees Shapiro Sunday, October 25, 2009 Jumper rider Todd Minikus of Wellington, Fla., won the $100,000 President's Cup grand prix aboard Alaska, an 11-year-old dark bay gelding, on Saturday at the 51st Washington International Horse Show at Verizon Center.

Minikus, who picked up his second President's Cup win, beat out 28 others riders who represented a competitive sampling of the sport's highest-caliber international athletes including several medal-winning Olympians. The secondplace finisher was Kate Levy of Wellington, Fla., who rode Lirving Du Volsin. Third place was awarded to Mario Deslauries of New York, aboard Vicomte D. The course included a complex series of fences set between four feet and 5 feet 3 inches tall and spread as wide as six feet.

Three riders jumped the course clear with no rails knocked down and under the time allowed to proceed to the second jump off round.

week on a horse in hunter classes. Donovan, whose father, Billy Donovan, is the University of Florida men's basketball coach, is trained by Don Stewart, 58, of Ocala, Fla. Donovan won consistent all week, including the $3,000 Small Junior Hunter 15-andUnder Stake aboard Confidential, and the $2,000 Large Junior Hunter aboard Quality Time.

Confidential was also named the Grand Champion Junior Hunter. Both of Donovan's mounts are both owned by Stewart.

It was Confidential's second championship in this week. On Wednesday, Confidential, ridden by Erin Stewart, daughter of the trainer, was the co-grand champion of the Amateur Owner Hunter division. Erin Stewart, 25, was also given the Leading Amateur Owner Rider award.

Advertisement

In the jump-off, Minikus went clear in a time of 34.55 seconds to win the Perpetual trophy and $30,000 first place purse.

Hasbrouck Donovan, 15, was awarded the Best Child Rider on a Horse trophy.

The award is given to the rider who accumulates the most points throughout the

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/24/AR2009102401908.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/24/AR2009102401908.html

11/4/2009

Minikus Wins President's Cup at Washington International Horse Show - washingtonpost.com

Page 2 of 2

Minikus Wins President's Cup In the $15,000 Open Jumper Pairs Relay, riders Shane Sweetnam and Charlie Jayne teamed up to take first place and the $3,000 first prize. In the relay, both riders enter the ring at the same time and combine to complete two clear rounds over a course with jumps set at four and a half feet within a set amount of time. Sweetnam rode Udonja, and Jayne rode Caratina III. Jayne and Caratina III competed in Friday night's Pussiance competition and finished fourth.

Canadian Olympic dressage rider Ashley Holzer will show how quietly and subtly she can guide her mount, Pop Art, through a series of gaits and movements to show her horse's quick feet and control.

Earlier in the day, Samantha Harrison won the $10,000 Senator's Cup Junior Jumper Stake aboard Santika, with a clear round in a time of 30.91 seconds. Reed Kessler and her horse Flight were the Junior Jumper champions and Harrison and Santika were the reserve champions. The Junior Jumper style of riding award went to Laura Pfeiffer who rode Catwoman.

The horse show ends today with a 1 p.m.

"World of the Horse" exhibition demonstrating a variety of equestrian disciplines. There will be Western style barrel racing demonstration, where riders whip their mounts around three barrels placed in a triangle formation for a fast time. There will be a polo demonstration as well. Polo is an ancient sport that traces its origins back to the sixth century B.C. As a team sport played on a grass field or indoors in a sand arena, the objective is for riders to use long sticks to hit a ball through a goal to score points.

Advertisement

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/24/AR2009102401908.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/24/AR2009102401908.html

11/4/2009

Washington International Horse Show not immune to budget concerns - washingtonpost.com

Page 1 of 2

Show not immune to budget concerns

By T. Rees Shapiro Monday, October 26, 2009 In the midst of a recovering recession, officials at the Washington International Horse Show anticipated the need to cut back on spending this year, and little on their budget was sacred.

Another way Hitchcock saved was by cutting some entertainment costs. Every year, the horse show has demonstrations promoting the wide variety of equestrian disciplines.

This year, however, Hitchcock cut one out, a driving exhibition that he estimated saved almost $15,000.

Even some of the trophies were downsized to six-inch silver plates.

Hitchcock said he would never cut out the crowd favorite: the zippy and chaotic Jack Russell races in which terriers chase a tail over a series of jumps. "We'll race anything that can squeeze into the 10-inch box," said race organizer Tommy Lee Jones, of Warrenton. "Though watching Cairn terriers is like watching the paint dry, they are so slow." The terriers are here to stay, Hitchcock said, "unless you want to get me lynched."

"Every single expenditure was analyzed and valued," said Eric L. Straus, the event's chief executive. "There is no magic silver bullet.

It's just little by little."

The annual price tag for running the sixday event, which ended Sunday, is more than $3 million. The Verizon Center alone cost $390,000 for the week.

"Where I could, I chopped," said Anthony Hitchcock, the chief operations officer. "The goal, though, was to make it not apparent to the two main constituents, the competitors and the visitors."

Straus said two-thirds of their overall budget is derived from corporate and private sponsorships, with the other third coming Advertisement

One way Hitchcock was able to save "more than $100,000" was through a marketing partnership with the Animal Planet. The network created TV commercials, posters and advertisements promoting the horse show at no cost. The horse show also moved its corporate offices from Gaithersburg to the District to take advantage of the tax exemption.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/25/AR2009102502260.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/25/AR2009102502260.html

11/2/2009

Washington International Horse Show not immune to budget concerns - washingtonpost.com

Page 2 of 2

Show not immune to budget concerns from sales and entry fees.

A weekly pass to the horse show cost $90 for adults and a night ticket to the show's premier event, the $100,000 President's Cup, cost $30. Last year, the horse show sold $325,000 worth of tickets. This year, Hitchcock expects sales of $200,000. In order to encourage more families to attend this week, children under 12 got in free before 5 p.m.

"We'll always come to the Washington International Horse Show because this show helps educate the greater D.C. community about our sport," said Gali, whose 14-yearold daughter Miranda earned a third-place ribbon this week in a hunter class. "It keeps the family together, too, and teaches discipline and hard work. There's no material figure on this." shapirot@washpost.com

Despite lagging ticket sales, Straus said he is not worried about the future of the show.

"You can take the Metro to see the horse show, you can stay in the hotel right across the street from the horses, you're at a competition in downtown D.C. seven blocks from the White House," Straus said. "It's an important part of our success."

But show riding is an expensive hobby. A quality horse can be worth six figures, which does not include veterinary bills, feed and stables. Just to compete, riders must pay entry fees that can range anywhere from $300 to $1,300 per class. Horse show participation has declined nationwide by 12 percent this year because of the economy, Straus said.

Advertisement

Kris Gali, a 42-year-old mother from Potomac, said her family has cut back on some shows on the competitive circuit, but not the Washington show.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/25/AR2009102502260.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/10/25/AR2009102502260.html

11/2/2009

add item

send link

all sets calendar

Categories: 1) sports Extras: 1) edition : regional 2) section : sports 3) zone : Maryland 4) page : spt002

See Also

by: Jonathan Newton The Washington Post

item number: 219225 signature: be568b199f2c9bd6a166cd609f700913 size: 3773 x 2748px (1.4 MB) Created: October 22, 2009 Published: October 23, 2009 Washington,, District of Columbia United States GALLERY# SLUG: sp_horseshow20 DATE: October 22, 2009 CREDIT: Jonathan Newton / TWP. EDITOR: remote Washington, D.C. SUBJECT: The Washington International Horse Show. Sloane Coles of The Plains, Va gives "Pandor a kiss before they went into the arena to compete in The Washington International Horse Show.

18186777

http://wpost.pictopia.com/viewdetails/item/219225/size/300/

BIG

details

all items

Item Details: 18186777

Washington Post Feed

Washington Post Feed | Item Details: 18186777

11/4/2009

Š 2002-2006 The Washington Post Company

Legend

Related by words

Last search no last search

Page 1 of 1

John Kelly - An update on some inspiring Washington area people in 2009 - washingtonpost.com

Wednesday, December 30, 2009

By John Kelly As 2009 comes to a close, I thought I'd update you on a few of the people we met in my column this year. To read the original columns, visit my blog: voices. washingtonpost.com/commons.

Not just horsing around Jamal Brown lives in Northeast Washington, not exactly a hotbed of equestrianism. But ever since he was a toddler, this city kid has been obsessed with horses. After my April column about Jamal, he was approached by the Washington International Horse Show, which made Jamal its official youth ambassador. He was at the show all week and met some of the country's top riders.

Jamal competes on the varsity riding team at the Barrie School in Silver Spring, where he's a junior. Soon he'll be looking at colleges. He's hoping to earn a scholarship to ride at a school that has an equestrian team.

"This is his passion," said Jamal's mother, Dannielle Brown. "I can't imagine him doing anything other than something connected with a career in horses."

Page 1 of 2

Each spring Arlington County's Stephen Powers embarks on a marathon eight-hour trip to visit all 40 of the weathered, 200year-old stones that mark Washington's original borders.

After my May column, Stephen earned a meritorious service award from the local chapter of the American Society of Civil Engineers. When the weather warms up, some volunteers from that group will restore the rusty metal fence around the eastern cornerstone.

Best of all, a local collector contacted Stephen and allowed him to examine an original manuscript by Fred Woodward, who in 1906 started photographing all the stones. "That was like looking at the Holy Grail of the boundary stone preservation effort," Stephen said.

Stephen will embark on his fifth annual boundary stones trip this May. "I think my mother wants to go," he said. "There's a

Advertisement

Leaving no stone unturned http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/29/AR2009122903065.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/29/AR2009122903065.html

12/30/2009

John Kelly - An update on some inspiring Washington area people in 2009 - washingtonpost.com

Page 2 of 2

couple stones that are tough to get a 73year-old woman down into, but she's a trooper."

Honoring the troops Scott Kreger of Germantown vowed to provide every returning veteran with a token of his gratitude: a sticker reading "AFG" or "IRQ" and "I served." After my July column, donations to his effort poured in.

So did requests for stickers.

"We've sent off 240,000 stickers now," Scott said. "I have only seen one, and it drives me crazy that I haven't seen any more. I heard that if you drive through Walter Reed they're everywhere."

The program has been such a hit that he wants to expand it to honor vets from another war. Said Scott: "If anybody out there has a really good contact with Vietnam veterans, I'd love it." You may soon see bumpers emblazoned with "VNM: I served." (E-mail Scott through his Web site at http://www.iservedsticker.org.)

Advertisement

A winning hand Jon Urban is the 29-year-old industrial designer who quit his job and moved to Las Vegas in the summer to be a professional poker player. When I checked back two months ago, he was just squeaking by. Then early this month Jon came in tops at a poker tournament at the Bellagio. His prize: $27,642 -- plus a Rolex.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/29/AR2009122903065.html Print Powered By

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/12/29/AR2009122903065.html

12/30/2009