ESDCTA MAGAZINE
COLLECTIVE REMARKS
WWW.ESDCTA.ORG Febraury 2021
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Table of Contents 13
President’s Message
News from Outside the Ring
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14
Business Members
The Amateur Dilemma
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NJ AGRICULTURAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD
8 Calling All Youth Members!
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Horse Treats
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President’s Message Happy Winter! I hope everyone has dug out from the recent snow storm. Some announcements… We are all looking forward to our Annual Awards Presentation, which is coming up on Sunday, February 28 – virtual this year of course. Details will be shared soon. We need a couple of people to fill volunteer positions (hours count toward year end awards) that have become available: 1) Show Results Coordinator – you collect the results from all registered ESDCTA shows and arrange to have them formatted for listing in the Newsletter. Some computer experience very helpful. Easy to do while social distancing at home! 2) Nominating Chairperson – you can ask to add committee members to assist you in identifying volunteers from our membership to fill vacant Board or committee positions. A bit more social in that you’ll need to reach out to your friends and fellow ESDCTA members to gauge their interest in joining our Board. If you or anyone you know would be interested in either of these positions, please contact me at president@esdcta.org If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions about our shows, educational offerings, volunteer positions, or anything else related to ESDCTA, please feel free to reach out to me, and I will do my best to answer your questions and all comments and suggestions will be taken into consideration by the Board. Have a safe (in more ways than one) February, and give your horse a peppermint from me. Spring is around the corner.
Holly Cornell President
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Board of Trustees OFFICERS
Phone only before 9 p.m. please
President
Holly Cornell
president@esdcta.org
732.208.8715
Vice President
Ellen Brindle-Clark
vicepresident@esdcta.org
609.351.1054
Secretary
Ruth McCormick
secretary@esdcta.org
201.240.4505
Treasurer
Betty Adduci
treasurer@esdcta
610.564.9169
3340 Curley Ct, Mullins SC 29574 Executive Board Dressage at Large
Jena Rondinelli
datlargeMAL@esdcta.org
732.814.1117
Eventing at Large
Jennifer Duelfer
eatlargeMAL@esdcta.org
732.598.3077
Dressage Competitions
Dr. Lisa Toaldo
dressage@esdcta.org
201.874.0373
Eventing Competitions
Janice Pellegrino
eventing@esdcta.org
Marketing
Erin Gale
marketing@esdcta.org
Membership
Vacant
membership@esdcta.org
Membership
Heidi Lemack
membership@esdcta.org
609.306.8221
Finance
Gary Maholic
finance@esdcta.org
215.489.1557
Education
Victoria Shilton
education@esdcta.org
6093511054
Youth
Stephanie Warner
youth@esdcta.org
NJEAB Representative
Carolyn Montgomery
crunner141@comcast.net
Awards
Becky Kuc
awards@esdcta.org
Calendars/Activities
Mia Zimmerman
activities@esdcta.org
Grants
Vacant
grants@esdcta.org
Equipment
Wilma Pfeffer
dressage@esdcta.org
Newsletter
Meredith Rogers
newsletter@esdcta.org
Nominating
Vacant
nominations@esdcta.org
Omnibus
Mia Zimmerman
calendar@esdcta.org
Show Results
Vacant
results@esdcta.org
OFF BOARD COMMITTEE CHAIRS
Become a friend of the ESDCTA on Facebook Follow us on Twitter @ESDCTA 4
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CROSS COUNTRY... News Across Our Region COMMUNITY NEWS
Milestone
If you’re reading this, you are probably a member of ESDCTA, but I’m sure you know of someone who rides dressage or events who is not a member. You know all about the wonderful things offered like educational programs, clinics with big name trainers, horse shows, year-end awards, and not least, that sense of being part of a community of likeminded people. The more members ESDCTA has, the better the programs we can offer. Our membership numbers are also important considerations when state and local governments decide on legislature that affects us (like open space), and we advocate for our sports (we’re working on better footing at the HPNJ). Please reach out to your equestrian buddies and tell them about all of the benefits of membership and have them sign up. The more the merrier!
Please Contact Linda Marciante if you know any ESDCTA members who have achieved any Milestones. Success at a show, regional/national/international award, new horse, or anything else you want to celebrate.
WHAT’S YOUR TALENT?? Let us know what you would like to help us with in 2021. All skills and interests wanted. Have an idea? We want to hear about it. Remember, this club is what YOU make it. Contact president@esdcta.org if you are interested.
NEWSLETTER COMMITTEE
Have a great article that you would like to share? Please send article to: Meredith Rogers: newsletter@esdcta.org All submissions are due by the 15th of the month. Due to space considerations, the editor reserves the right to edit submitted articles. If necessary, articles will be edited and returned for your review. AND YOU GET VOLUNTEER HOUR FOR EACH STORY!
e-mail: lindalbbf@gmail.com
MEMBERSHIP QUESTIONS For membership questions including updating physical or e-mail addresses please contact: Heidi Lemack membership@esdcta.org
2021 ADVERTISING RATES
MEMBER NON-MEMBER FULL PAGE $100 $130 HALF PAGE $65 $85 QUARTER PAGE $40 $60 BUSINESS CARD $20 $30 CARD FOR 3 MONTHS $45 $65 CLASSIFIEDS $10 $15 Deadline: 15th of prior month Email: newsletter@esdcta.org Please have electronic ads in Adobe PDF or .jpg format
You will receive an invoice for ad via email. Send Payment to: Betty Adduci 3340 Curley Ct, Mullins, SC 29574 Email: treasurer@esdcta.org
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The Amateur Dilemma By, Meredith Rogers
I can say that I hate winter, which is true, but it’s more productive to say that I can’t wait for summer. If 2020 has taught us anything, it’s that we cannot wallow in our misery – all of our troubles have been going on for longer than is healthy for us to internalize. If we don’t start looking at the world around us in a new light, we’re going to drive ourselves crazy. I’m not saying ignore all of our problems, but only we can decide how we deal with them. This definitely translates into riding. If we are having trouble with something, be it dealing with a spooky horse, not being able to get a specific movement, or even the ground being too hard to practice over fences, if all we do is complain about it, we just harm ourselves. Instead, we should look at each roadblock as an opportunity to learn. I admit, this is NOT easy…at all. I’m trying to look at it this way. This pandemic is a short-term problem compared to the rest of our lives. How we deal with obstacles will be with us forever. I do know that when I’ve overcome a challenge, I feel overwhelmingly proud of myself – even more so than if the trajectory to success had been a straight line. It can be a struggle when you’re in the middle of it to see the light, but I try to focus on those things that I have already achieved. I hate to admit it, but Facebook has helped with this. I often get a chuckle when Facebook reminds me of some event that I posted about in the past. The latest one to pop up was that four years ago I brought Leo home. Although not mentioned in the original post, that day was more than a little overwhelming to me. There I was with the feral, coming 3-year-old who was afraid to get off the trailer – what had I gotten myself into?! I’m currently having a lot of trouble learning halfpass, but considering where we were only four years ago, it’s amazing to me that we’re even at the point to try. Lamenting on the difficulties of the present doesn’t make doing a half-pass any easier, but knowing that we’ve overcome so much already gives me confidence to keep trying and we’ll eventually get this too.
NOW
THEN
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APPLICATIONS NOW BEING ACCEPTED FOR THE NJ AGRICULTURAL ACHIEVEMENT AWARD By, NJDA
Scholarship for H.S. Seniors Interested in a Career in Agriculture or the Sciences (TRENTON) – New Jersey residents who are entering their senior year in high school this fall and are planning a career in agriculture or science may apply for the New Jersey Agricultural Achievement Award. One winner will be selected and awarded a scholarship to honor their achievements. The New Jersey Agricultural Achievement Award, sponsored by Dr. Amy Butewicz, a former New Jersey Equestrian of the Year, was started because of her desire to give back to the community. Worth $500, this scholarship is meant to assist its recipient in beginning their future in agriculture. The qualifications for receiving this award include submitting an application, found here www.jerseyequine.nj.gov/agachievementapplform.pdf, a resume along with an essay answering the question, “How has your involvement within your respective nominating organization helped to shape your future career choice?” In addition, a contestant is required to be a current, active member of an organization either on the New Jersey Equine Advisory Board and/or represented at the Youth Reception portion of the New Jersey State Agricultural Convention. Each organization on the New Jersey Equine Advisory Board and a participant of the State Agricultural Convention is able to nominate a maximum of two contestants. The winner of the Agricultural Achievement Award must attend the awards ceremony Wednesday, June 16, 2021 at the Horse Park of New Jersey at 4:00 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. Please mail application, resume and essay by May 15, 2021 to: NJDA Attn: Lynn Mathews P.O. Box 330 Trenton, New Jersey 08625
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Calling All Youth Members! By Paige Zimmerman
In an effort to help ESDCTA update the youth section of their website, I put together the following information regarding competition for youth FEI riders. Since I didn’t have a topic in mind for this month for my article, I figured I’d use what I’d been working on. I hope that you all find this helpful, or at least interesting. See you next month!
Information for FEI Youth The FEI Youth Tracks There are five divisions/classes in which a youth or young adult dressage rider can participate as they move up the levels. These divisions were created by the International Federation for Equestrian Sports (FEI). The tests within these divisions are unique from our usual USDF/USEF dressage tests because they are internationally recognized and governed by the FEI. * FEI Children’s Division - The rider must be aged 12 through 14 - The FEI Children’s tests consist of first and second level move ments; you can ride a horse or a pony in this division - All FEI Children's tests are recognized as the highest test at Second level for USDF Award purposes * FEI Pony Division - The rider must be aged 12 through 16 - The FEI Pony tests consist of second level movements; only ponies are permitted to compete in this division - Ponies cannot exceed 148 cm (or 149 cm with shoes) in height and must have a USEF dressage pony measurement certificate - All FEI Pony Tests are recognized at the highest test of Second Level for USDF Awards purposes * FEI Junior Division - The rider must be aged 14 through 18 - The FEI Junior tests consist of third and fourth level movements; only horses can compete in this division - All FEI Junior Tests are recognized at the highest test of Third Level for USDF Awards purposes 8
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* FEI Young Rider Division - The rider must be aged 16 through 21 - The FEI Young Rider tests consist of fourth level and PSG move ments; only horses can compete in this class. - FEI Young Rider Team and Individual Tests are recognized at the Prix St. Georges Level, while the Freestyle Test is recognized at the highest test of Fourth Level for USDF Awards purposes * FEI U25 Grand Prix, AKA “Young Adult Brentina Cup” Division - The rider must be aged 16 through 25 - The FEI Under 25 Grand Prix test consists of movements from the Grand Prix; only horses can compete in this division - The FEI U25 Grand Prix Test is recognized as Intermediate II for USDF awards purposes Age Rule: According to FEI and USDF/USEF age rules, a rider competes as the age that they are turning that year. For example, someone who turns 17 in December of 2021 would be considered 17 for the entire year of 2021. Each division consists of a few tests: a “team test” and an “individual test” (except for the U25 Grand Prix, which is only one test (although to qualify for the USEF Festival of Champions, in addition to 2 U25 sores, 2 Intermediate II scores and a FEI Grand Prix Freestyle score are also required). The FEI also recognizes the “preliminary” tests for the Children’s, Pony, Junior, and Young Rider divisions but they are almost never used in US competition. The team test is designated to be ridden in a team competition or class and the individual test is designated to be ridden in an individual class. But, when riding in shows that are not championships and do not specify teams, you can ride both the team test and the individual test by yourself.
Competing Internationally For many youth riders competing in any of the five FEI youth/young adult divisions, the goal is to compete internationally within FEI-recognized shows known as CDIs (Concours de Dressage International, which translates to International Dressage Events). FEI rules are ever-changing and so it is important to keep up to date with any modifications that may impact youth dressage within the US. How Do I Compete at a CDI in an FEI Youth Division? Within ESDCTA’s area, an example of a very well-known CDI is Dressage at Devon. Let’s say that as a youth FEI rider, your goal is to compete at Dressage at Devon in the CDI-J (FEI Junior Division). On top of needing to keep USDF/USEF registrations up to date for the horse, rider, and owner, ahead of time you need the following: (1) a current FEI athlete registra-
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tion, (2) the horse or pony has a current FEI horse registration, and (3) the horse or pony has an FEI passport completed, approved, and kept up to date with required vaccinations. The horse or pony must also have a valid microchip. It is important to note that if the horse has an FEI passport, that does not double as the horse’s FEI registration. Those are two separate things, both of which must be kept up to date. North American Youth Championships (NAYC): This is an international teambased competition recognized by the FEI (thus, it is a CDI). The NAYC encompasses the equestrian sports of stadium jumping and dressage, though they may occur in different places at different times and are all be run differently. The NAYC no longer includes eventing: that is now a nationally recognized show known as the USEF Eventing Youth Team Challenge. More information about that competition can be found here. (https://www.usef.org/compete/disciplines/eventing/eventing-youth-team-challenge ) For the dressage NAYC, only FEI Junior and FEI Young Rider classes are currently offered. Qualification is determined by a regional system. The US is divided into 9 regions. Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, DC, and North Carolina are all part of Region 1. To qualify for the dressage NAYC, a rider must compete in designated qualifying competitions (a list of those competitions, along with other information, can be found here: https://www.usef.org/compete/disciplines/dressage/dressage-championships--national--fei/north-american-youth-championships). A rider must also make sure to compete within the designated qualifying period, which usually ends in late June. The dressage NAYC usually takes place in July or early August. A rider must compete in the required amount of qualifying competitions, receive the required number of scores (including a freestyle score), and achieve above the minimum required score average to be considered for the championships. In addition, a rider must be sure to fill out all of the required paperwork: the application, the certificate of domicile (which determines your region of residence), and the various waivers and codes of conduct. If you are over 18, you will also need to have a criminal background check and complete SafeSport training. After all that, riders are ranked against other riders within their same division and region. All regions choose two teams: the top three or four highest-scoring FEI Junior riders in the region, and the top three or four highest-scoring FEI Young Riders in the region. It’s worth noting that when choosing teams, if there are not enough qualified riders from a region, the organizers will sometimes merge riders from regions who did not have enough riders to form a team of their own. Any proposed merge of regions must be approved by the FEI. 10
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USEF National Championships The Festival of Champions, aka the USEF National Championships, encompasses the national championships for the FEI Youth Divisions and Brentina Cup Division in the US. Since it is a national championship and not an international show, FEI registrations and an FEI passport are not required but USEF/USDF memberships for the horse, rider, and owner must still be maintained. All five FEI youth/young adult divisions are offered, unlike the NAYC, which only offers the FEI Junior and FEI Young Rider Divisions. To qualify, a rider must compete in the required amount of qualifying competitions, receive the required number of scores, and achieve above the minimum required score average to be considered for the championships (this information can be found here: https://www.usef.org/compete/disciplines/dressage/dressage-championships---national--fei/us-dressage-festival-of-champions). In addition, a rider must make sure to submit an Application of Intent by the deadline and fill out any outstanding paperwork. Between the five divisions, the required minimum score averages are different. For example, within the FEI Pony division, a minimum score average of 58% is considered qualifying, but in the FEI Young Rider division, a minimum score average of 66% is considered qualifying. There are no specific teams for each region. Instead, all of the FEI youth riders across the country are ranked against each other within their respective divisions. Only the top 12 or so riders in the country are chosen for the championships, so even if you achieve the minimum score average for your division, you might not get an invitation if you are not one of those top 12 riders. This makes it considerably more competitive for each division since there are fewer riders who earn invitations. I hope this helps, and keep those international dreams alive!
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Horse Treats By, Meredith Rogers
Chinese New Year this year falls on February 12. According to the Chinese calendar, 2021 is the year of the ox. The last year of the horse was 2014 and the next one will be 2026, as the animal zodiac follows a 12-year cycle. Having been born during the year of the dog, I often wondered if I had been born in the year of the horse if I would be a better rider. Those who have been born in the year of the horse are said to be cheerful, popular, quick-witted, changeable, earthy, perceptive, talkative, both mentally and physically agile, magnetic, intelligent, astute, flexible, and open-minded. However, they can also be fickle, arrogant, childish, anxious, rude, gullible, and stubborn. I’m not sure if any of these qualities help develop a better connection with our equine partners, but I guess they couldn’t hurt either.
Harmonic Dressage Book Gail Hoff, PhD
Ride Back to Front Master Half Halts Develop Good Feel Correct Flexion, Bending And Much More Buy a Signed Copy at wwww.LosAlamosDressage.com
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News from Outside the Ring Location, Location, Location We all know that land for horses is scarce in our neck of the woods, but we just gained some ground. New Jersey Conservation and its partners recently acquired 110 acres in East Amwell, NJ. The land was purchased for $1.62 million from Wertsville Industries, which is a family-owned company that operated the land as a farm since as far back as the 1940s. The property consists of farmland and forest in the Sourland Mountains at the corner of Wertszville and North Hill roads. The property abuts an additional 268 acres that was acquired six weeks prior, and includes a tributary of the Neshanic River. This means there is now more than 1150 continuous acres of wild habitat that will not only now be preserved, but will allow passive recreational activities, including hiking, birding, nature observation, and what matters most to us‌ horseback riding! There are already some existing trails and plans for more. Preventing Career-Ending Injuries is Getting Easier We spend a lot of time and money trying to keep our equines from hurting themselves. Researchers at the University of Kentucky have completed a study that may make that easier. They collected blood samples from 904 racehorses and looked at a variety of genes known to play a role in inflammation, bone and tissue repair, and/ or injury response, comparing their levels of expression between horses who experienced a catastrophic injury to controls who either raced and did not get hurt or who did not race at all. They found overexpression of three pro-inflammatory cytokines (proteins) involved in post-exercise recovery in those horses who experienced injury versus those who did not. The premise is that the catastrophic injury is most likely a secondary outcome of a previous, subacute injury. Think of our sport horses who are so stoic they might not show any type of lameness even though they’ve been a bit overworked. With this research, veterinarians could potentially use a simple blood test to monitor our horses and help us to better tailor our training routines to their levels of fitness.
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BUSINESS MEMBERS Jersey Palms Farm
Rhythm and Blues Stables
177 S. Stump Tavern Road Jackson NJ, 08527 609.213.5745 KWLYNX@comcast.net www.jerseypalmsfarm.com
12 Hill Rd. Allentown NJ 08501 609 306-8221 RBLStables@aol.com www.rhythmandbluesstables.com
Anjelhart Equestrian Center
Irish Manor Stables
38 Millers Mill Rd, Cream Ridge, NJ 08514 609.758.7676 lacavacreations@aol.com www.Anjelhart.com
718 Sergeantsville RoadStockton, NJ 08559 908.237.1281 info@irishmanorstables.com www.irishmanorstables.com
Good Times Farm
Heart’s Journey Stable
278 Jackson Mills Road, Freehold, NJ 07728 732.409.2882 gtts@optonline.net www.GoodTimeFarm.com
425 Kromer Road Wind Gap, PA 18091 610.863.6616 mmorehouse@epix.net www.heartsjourneystables.com
Equisential Equine LLC 111 Snyder Ave Bellmar NJ 08031 717.649.4799 bryner.2@gmail.com
EVENT CALENDAR ESDCTA’s Calendar contains the complete and up to date list of ESDCTA’s registered shows. It also contains other activities that ESDCTA feels are important to our community. Click the link to view The Event Calendar
https://www.esdcta.org/home/omni-calendar/ 14
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WWW.ESDCTA.ORG February 2021 COLLECTIVE REMARKS
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