The Standardbred c Connection c Focusing on pleasure Standardbreds who are in the public eye.
In this edition:
• Eventing • $10,000 Google Grant • The Button Girl
• Stop the Burn • AERC High Point • Showing STB Breyer Models
January 2016 Edition The Standardbred Connection Eventing Written by Kathleen Haak with Blaine Orris and Stephanie Kleinbauer
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AERC High Mileage Award
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Stop the Burn
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The Buttom Girl Written by Jane Newbury
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Aint’ Dere No More Written by Jane Lutz
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2015 USEF Equestrian of the Year Nominees
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Showing Standardbred Breyer Model Horses Written by Suzanne D’Ambrose
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Standardbreds Showcased at Equine Affair (MA) Written by Katie Flaherly
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Tattler’s Jet - Hall of Fame
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Making Google Grants Work For You Written by Kathleen Haak
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Full Throttle Goes to Israel Page 21 An Interview with Semo Abe On the cover: Bethany Stainsby riding Ellie (aka BJ’s Dream) at the Ivesly Equestrian Center Combined Event in Durham (United Kingdom). Photographer: Nicola Jenkins. Right side: Helene Gregory and Jambalayabar Man on the cross-country course at the NJ Horse Park. Photographer: Vicki Wright Questions, comments, ideas for articles? Contact Kathleen Haak at STBConnection@Gmail.com.
A to C, circle at E Red on right, white on left Four strides make one stride
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hile it may not make for great haiku poetry, eventing combines the elegance of dressage with the endurance of cross-country and tops it with the power of stadium jumping to create poetry in motion. The first recognized eventing competition was in 1902; when it debuted at the Stockholm 1912 Olympic Games, the sport was still known as Cheval D’Arms due to its origins in the French military. The first competition lasted five days, changing officially to the present three-day format (Dressage, Cross-Country, and Stadium Jumping) at The Paris Olympics in 1924. Eventing will take place in Rio for the 2016 Olympics from August 6-19th. Today eventing is a global phenomena with Australia, Canada, Ireland, United Kingdom, and the United States having very similar programs. British Eventing (www.britisheventing.com) hosts 180 events throughout Britain that cater for nearly 94,000 entries per season (Mar-Oct). The United States Eventing Association (USEA) (www.useventing.com) regulates 250 events throughout the U.S. that host nearly 42,000 entries per year. All of the organizations have various programs that support riders from Beginner Novice through the four-star level.
• Cross-Country Tests - consists of various cross-country components. • Combined Tests - two distinct tests during which a competitor rides dressage and a jumping component. • Starter Event Rider Tests - open to riders who have never competed in a horse trial. The courses are shorter than a normal test. • Eventing Equitation Tests - for junior riders, each competitor will be judged on position, seat, and effective use of aids. • Young Event Horse Tests - specific to four and five year old horses and involve a modified course as well as a final judging of horses shown in hand for conformation, suitability and presence. In addition to these regulated tests many course organizers run horse trials. Horse trials are a shortened version of three-day eventing. A full dressage test and jumping course are done along with a cross-country course that covers a shorter distance. Horse trials are extremely popular in the United States while combined tests and cross-country tests seem to be more common in the UK and Australia.
Eventing can get very complex; don’t get bogged The USEA uses these guidelines for the maximum down in all the details, focus on your level. As you page through the magazine you’ll see some tips height of jumps per level. from professionals as well as photos of Standardbreds who are currently competing. Competing Beginner Novice - 2’7” and placing! e Novice - 2’11” Training - 3’3” Preliminary - 3’7” Intermediate - 3’9” Advanced - 3’11”
While dressage is the base for all disciplines, many riders prefer to focus on the cross-country and stadium jumping. In addition to the above mentioned divisions there are also different ‘types’ of eventing. For those who choose not to compete at a full three-day format there are a variety of options including:
Photos Dressage: Charlene Barry and West Point (aka Westosterone) compete at pre-training level in Alberta, Canada. Photographer: Kelly Stasiuk Cross Country: Sylvie Webby and Trixie come out of the water jump at Barge Park, Whangarei, New Zealand. Photographer: Lee Hannan Stadium: Brittany Wrighton and ‘Sweet Serenity’ (aka Our Sandy Girl) jump a D Grade fence in Australia. Photographer: Michelle Wrighton
Dressage The dressage phase starts every eventing competition. Dressage means “training” in French and that is what is being scored, The judge is looking for a horse working in a correct outline in good balance, showing suppleness and obedience in all paces. The purpose of the dressage test is to demonstrate the connection and communication between rider and horse. Historically, dressage represents the horse’s ability to perform on the parade ground, where elegance and obedience were key. A standard arena size is 20m x 60m and a small size arena is 20m x 40m.
Cross-Country
Cross-country origins are as a test of stamina and bravery over difficult terrain, important for a charger on long marches or if the horse was asked to carry a dispatch across the countryside. The cross-country course covers various distances, along which sit a variety of fixed and solid obstacles. This phase is ridden at a gallop; the speed requirements depend on the level of competition, the higher the competition level, the faster you go. The cross-country phase is usually the most appealing to both spectators and riders.
Stadium Jumping In the words of the FEI rule book, “The test on the third day is not an ordinary show jumping competition…The sole objective is to demonstrate that, on the day after a severe test of endurance, the horses have retained the suppleness, energy and obedience necessary for them to continue in service.” Stadium jumping courses are designed to test the ability of both horse and rider to negotiate a variety of fences of differing heights, widths, and technicality. This requires balance and adjustability of the horse. Typically there is at least one combination and two spread fences among the different fences. This phase is also timed.
Advice from the Professionals Stephanie Kleinbauer (SK) is located outside of Scranton, Pennsylvania and is known for turning out riders and horses who succeed in the dressage ring as well as horse trials. Blaine Orvis (BO), who is based in Oakdale, Pennsylvania, believes a firm foundation on the flat leads to jumping gymnastics which translates into great eventing horses. What do you recommend to beginners looking for an instructor? SK: Do your research and find an instructor that specializes primarily in coaching and training for eventing/horse trials. What are your thoughts on dressage? SK: Understand that dressage is the foundation to the sport. You and your horse should be able to ride an accurate dressage test in a balanced frame with steady paces (walk, trot, and canter). The better your dressage scores the better your results of competing will be. BO: Start on the flat and become a detail oriented, technical rider. Dressage is paramount to the success of the three day event rider. This has only been made more so as the short format has redefined the sport. New ideas about cross country course design have slowed the courses down and increased the level of technical riding required to be effective on cross country. What do you feel is an important thing to focus on before a show? SK: Being able to memorize patterns to perfection is a must. In horse trials you must memorize your dressage test, your stadium jumping course and your cross country course any outside assistance will result in elimination from the competition. So be prepared to practice and train in lessons and on your own. BO: Take your time to develop the basic skills you and your horse need to get around the courses safely. Even well trained confident horses can be hurt by negligent riders that jumped off into the deep end of eventing before they were ready. Horse and rider must have confidence in each other. Once the flat work is done, start into training over show jumps at low heights. Jump small and jump often in the beginning. The small challenges should not unsettle your horse to the point they are unmanageable and should not cause you anxiety either. After several repetitions it will become no big deal for horse and rider. The idea is to build the horse and rider’s confidence and athletic ability slowly before moving up in height or to solid fences. If a rider has limited resources how can they gain experience? SK: Go out and simply observe the sport. Audit clinics. Participate as a volunteer at competitions. Tag along on cross country course walks with others competing. BO: I am always looking for more information - taking clinics, auditing, or reading someone’s book. The hardest thing I had to learn and to remember was what I didn’t know. I also have found that many great riders have posted teaching videos on Youtube. Videos won’t make up for having a lesson however it does help to keep your mind focused on the details. e
Left: Tigger, age 13, competes in the UK with rider Paul Ingram. Right: Bruizer’s L’il Star being ridden by Chiantel Davis Beaumont at a clinic with Steuart Pittman in 2012. That same year Bruizer was second in the State of Maine (MeCTA) against all breeds at Senior Elementary Level. Jesse Schwarz, photographer
Below: The Cochrane Horse Trails (Canada) were no match for Kelly Stasiuk and Prime Time Scooter. Photo by Judy Stasiuk
AERC High Mileage Standardbred
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o, it’s not the purple people eater, it is Aarene Storms and her Standardbred mare, Fiddle! While sporting her trademark purple spiked helmet, Storms and Fiddle covered over 500 recognized miles in 2015. Together they won the American Endurance Ride Conference (AERC), High Mileage Standardbred Award. The award is given in partnership with the USTA.
Other riders in contention for the award were: • Mandy Jansen Van Doorn and Lista • Patricia Clark and East Meets West • Heather Wimer and Pureform Bunny
The American Endurance Ride Conference rider’s motto is “To Finish Is To Win.” The care of the horse is paramount. There are no time limits, but a 50-mile ride must be completed in 12 hours and A nasty wildfire season in the Pacific Northwest the 100-mile distance in 24 hours. This includes which canceled many of American Endurance the mandatory holds and the time it takes to “pulse Ride Conference recognized rides that Storms down” (return to resting pulse) before entering the normlly attends. Despite this setback Fiddle fin- vet exam area and starting the mandatory hold ished ten AERC rides, including an 80-miler at the time. Milwaukee Rail Trail Ride where she had her best placing of the year.with a time of 14:54 (hr:min). The endurance ride winner is the first horse/rider This was Storm and Fiddle’s first time winning the to finish the marked trail, with the horse judged “fit to continue” by the vet team. award.
Fiddle was adopted from Greener Pastures by Congratulations to all who participated in the 2015 Storms in 2006 and they started doing endurance and to all the award winners.e in 2011. Along the way Storms wrote a book, Endurance 101, and they’ve made the cover of Endurance News (July 2015). The pair are already planning their first 100 miler of 2016.
Stop The Burn
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he recent tragic fire at Classy Lane Stables, which took the lives of 43 horses, has had a deep impact on horse owners. It is a reminder of how vulnerable we are and how often barn fires are fatal to our animals. The best way to save your horse’s life in a barn fire is often by taking steps to eliminate barn fire hazards.
• Be sure your address and the entrance to your property are clearly visible from the main road.
According to the National Fire Prevention Association (NFPA), more stable and barn fires happen during the months of January, February and March, times when there may be less traffic in and out of the barn in general. It is also a time when space heaters, heated buckets, portable water heaters, etc are most likely to be in use.
• Host an open house for emergency services personnel in your area to familiarize them with the layout of your property. Many County Animal Response Teams (CART) put on “How to Save Your Horse” seminars. Consider hosting or attending one.
According to the National Fire Prevention Association, defective or improperly used heating equipment is the number one cause of barn and stable fires. Heating equipment was the cause of nearly one-quarter of barn fires, the main culprit being heat lamps. To help reduce the risk of fire be sure to inspect heating equipment daily for wear, use non-combustible chain to support them, and exercise common sense by keep flameable items like hay, shavings and bailing twine away from them. There are some other steps that you can consider taking to help in the event of an emergency:
• Install smoke alarms and heat detectors throughout the barn. Most fires happen between 7pm and 7am so consider an alert system that triggers into a living space.
• Organize a fire drill at your barn. Make sure everyone knows what to do in the event of an emergency. Post the escape plan in a visible area. Familiarize your animals with emergency procedures and common activities they would encounter during a disaster. • Make sure aisles stay clear. In the event of an emergency seconds count and clutter slows. Park tractors outside, keep extra bedding away from the main barn. • Put access aisles throughout the barn and have working fire extinguishers at each exit.e
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or John Frost of Remembrance Hill Carriages this past year was full of new experiences. His Standardbreds, Action and Mr. B, were part of telling a very special story, a made-for-TV movie.
Action and Mr. B were part of the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) TV movie, The Button Girl, a new musical film styled after the old MGM movie musicals. The film will be released in December 2016 and is sure to become a holiday tradition. It is narrated by Academy Award winner Kate Winslet and features Dick Van Dyke, Jane Seymour, and Charles Shaughnessy. The Button Girl follows the story of a girl named Annabelle who loses her parents in a mill town in New England in the early 1900s. Annabelle sells buttons for food and along the way teaches a family the true meaning of the Christmas holiday.
way full of lights and cameras as well as snow and fog machines. After carrying Jane Seymour and Charles Shaughnessy down the ‘street,’ the geldings were unhitched and turned around before being re-hitched. There was no room at the end of the ‘street’ for them to make a complete turn. Despite the challenges, Action and Mr. B handled everything with a ‘been there, done that’ attitude. But make no mistake, these geldings, as well as their pasture mate, Hotsteamingjumbo (aka Jumbo), are more than movie stars or money makers to their owner, John Frost. These boys are with Frost for life. He’s owned Action for eleven years, Mr. B for nine years and relative newcomer Jumbo for three years. All three were adopted from the Standardbred Retirement Foundation. e
While these two geldings are experienced driving horses this was their first movie gig. They typically do weddings, holiday events and pleasure drives. They also do the occasional parades like the famous Lenox Tub Parade in Lenox, MA. Action and Mr. B, whose registered names are Activation and Arvee Bee (NZ) respectively, traveled to York, Maine for an indoor shoot of a Victorian town scene. They spent three days on set. While it went off without a hitch, the set was challenging for the geldings. Their first obstacle was going up a wooden ramp onto a loading dock to get on set where they were hitched to Frost’s 1904 brougham coach (shown below). Then they squeezed down a narrow walk-
Above: Action and Mr. B get up close with the camera. Below: The end of the ‘street’ where the geldings turned around. Tight quarters, indeed! Photos provided by John and Susan Frost.
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he racetrack is the proving ground for both Thoroughbreds and Standardbreds - the ultimate test of speed, agility, and athleticism. The term Standardbred was first used in 1879, describing a horse that could trot a mile in “Standard time” of 2 minutes and 30 seconds. Many breeds went into the making of the modern Standardbred, from the Thoroughbred stallion Messenger, to the Narraganset Pacer, to the Canadian Pacer, and the foundation stallion Hambiltonian 10. Early races were exclusively at the trot, with the amazing horse “Dan Patch” blazing the way for the pacer to surpass the trotting horse in popularity. The early Standardbred moved seamlessly from being family transportation to the amazing athlete seen on the track today. Standardbreds have been an important part of American cultural. Songs like “Bob Tail Nag” and Stephen Foster’s “Camptown Races” depicted famous Standardbreds, as did paintings by Currier and Ives,
Pennsylvania. Liberty Bell’s glass enclosed grandstand could hold 30,000, with the outdoor grandstand holding an additional 3,000. The expansive barn area housed over 1,100 horses. The top stakes race at Liberty Bell was the Colonial, which attracted the top trotters of the day. The Colonial is still contested, but at Chester in Philadelphia. Liberty Bell had a solid driver’s colony and because of its closeness to other tracks, had some of the top drivers and horses of its day, with such names as Stanley Dancer and Herve Fillion gracing the program. Unfortunately, in 1986, Liberty Bell shut its door and is now the Franklin Mills Mall.
AIN’T DERE NO MORE By Jane Lutz
The popularity of Standardbred racing was concentrated in the Northeast, with tracks populating both large cities and small towns. The Philadelphia and New York areas boasted many famous tracks such as Brandywine, Liberty Bell, and Roosevelt. Today those names join others who just “ain’t dere no more.” Liberty Bell opened her doors on June 6, 1963 to a crowd of 10,000. The horse, Majesty’s Knight, was the first horse to cross the finish line in the opening race, which kicked off the start of horse racing in
Roosevelt Raceway was located in Westbury, New York. The Long Island track opened her doors in 1940 and was the home of the Messenger Stakes, one of the legs of the Pacing Triple Crown. Roosevelt was unique in that she introduced night racing and single race dashes instead of multiple “heat races,” where a
horse had to win 2-3 races in the same evening to be considered the winner. Mr. Levy, the owner of Roosevelt, thought this would shake the “hick sport” of harness racing and put Standardbreds on par with the Sport of Kings, Thoroughbred racing. Roosevelt was also the first track to be listed on the American Stock Exchange, and had the dubious honor of having a full riot commence in September 1963, when a mid-race wreck had only 2 horses finish the race. The race was declared official, and angry bettors threw bottles, destroyed the tote board, attacked officials, and set a fire. Fifteen people were treated for injuries. Roosevelt
These historic tracks helped to shape early Americana and made household names out of the drivers, and heroes out of the amazing horses. The Standardbred can still be seen racing on the track today, with superstars of our sport still racing for these immortal stakes such as the Messenger, Finally, the famous Brandywine track, located in Battle of Brandywine, and Colonial. e the Delaware Valley, combined with Liberty Bell to put on a circuit that rivaled only Roosevelt and Yonkers raceways on Long Island. Brandywine was long considered the prettiest track around. Direct Scooter and Ramblin Willie, as well as famous drivers Stanley Dancer and Billy Haughton brought crowds of over 14,000 to the track. The famous Niatross raced across her surface and Herve Fillion putting many of his 16,000 wins over Brandywine’s track. Like Liberty Bell and Roosevelt, the 80’s were not kind to her, and dwindling crowds, Atlantic City, and rising property values sealed her fate. She closed her doors in 1990 with Harrah’s stepping up and moving Brandywine’s famouse stakes races to their track. Roosevelt Raceway photos courtesy of the Library of Congress. continued to be a successful track until she closed her doors in 1988. There is little left of the track today, with a movie theater and shopping center situated in the former parking lot and condos and apartments on the grandstand site.
USEF Announces 2015 Equestrian of the Year Nominees Misdee Wrigley Miller, Driving The Bill Robinson Trophy is presented to an equestrian competing with horses or ponies across all the breeds in harness or for driving performance in non-international competitions. Misdee Wrigley Miller has always been passionate about driving and has competed with many different breeds including American Saddlebreds, Arabian, Friesian, Hackney Horse, Hackney Pony, Standardbred, and the Dutch Harness horse. In 2015, Miller turned her attention to competing with her coaching team of Dutch Harness horses and her American Saddlebreds. She got the season off to a strong start by winning the prestigious coaching championship at the Devon Horse Show, and followed that up with wins at the CAA Carriage Festival and Lexington Junior League Charity Horse Show. In the American Saddlebred division, Miller teamed up with a new Fine Harness partner, Trust My Imagination, and scored wins across the country including Tampa, Asheville, and Shelbyville. Miller and Trust My Imagination went on to win the World Champion Fine Harness Mare Stake, something only three other amateur drivers have done in the show’s 112-year history and the first since the early 1950s. She capped off the year at the UPHA/American Royal National Championships by sweeping the Amateur Fine Harness division and winning the National Championship by unanimous decision. The icing on the cake was a catch drive with her husband's Road Horse, taking home the Amateur Road Horse National Championship, as well. This is the first time Miller has been awarded the Bill Robinson Trophy.
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Showing Standardbred
Breyer Model Horses
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By Suzanne D’Ambrose
n November, I had the opportunity to have fun showing my few model Breyer horses at a 4-H Model Horse Show. It was held in Freehold, New Jersey at the Monmouth County Ag Building. Like a live horse show, a model horse show is designed for model horse collectors to compete in events that are similar to a real horse show. Most models are of the Breyer brand. There are classes listed on the entry announcement, and there are usually 2 divisions: Halter and Performance. The 4-H shows include age divisions also, usually Cloverbud, junior, senior and adult. Adult, non 4-H, model shows are more challenging, and serious!
Many classes are breed specific in the halter classes. The models are judged on confirmation and quality, breed standards, color, and condition. The judge(s) will call a class, as they do at a live horse show. Each model horse is placed within a “show ring� and the show ring is a designated table top. Each model entered has a white tag, with a string, attached to a back foot. The white tag has the name of the horse, the sex, and the breed the model represents. The Breyer models featured on this page were part of the Breyer Combined Driving display at the World Equestrian Games 2010 in Lexington, Kentucky.
What if you do not have a Standardbred model and you wish to show a Standardbred? Some Breyer models may be designed as a specific breed, and that model may also look like another breed. Be sure the model you choose has the confirmation and color of the breed you want to show. For instance, do not chose a buckskin quarter horse model to show as a Standardbred. I have the Breyer model horse GG Valentine and her foal Heartbreaker. When I saw the two for sale, I immediately noticed how the foal looked like a Standardbred foal. The foal, a colt, looks like my own Standardbred with his light bay coloring and two white feet. GG Valentine has German Independent Act and Solo Act breeding and was a top hunter horse, yet her sire (Breyer models: CC Valentine and Heartbreaker) and dam breeding are unknown. I knew I liked the two models and added them to my small col- be marked down. Most use a small makeup blush lection. They had confirmation that could also be brush to dust off the model right before the class. Standardbreds. Also in the halter division, there are sometimes classes such as: Non-equine animals (deer, cows At the model horse show, I offered the two models donkeys, etc.), color breeds, and collector’s class. to a young 4-H boy to show in the Thoroughbred/ A collector’s class could include: Foals, a group of Standardbred class, in his age group division. one breed, bays, or many more types. We named the foal, Independent Act after my own Standardbred. On the tag it had this name, as well Another division is performance classes. The as Colt, and Standardbred for the breed. Since classes are quite fun for someone who is crethe mare model was CC Valentine, we gave her a ative. A model is shown performing in what the Standardbred name for the class. We named her class designates. Examples are: Trail, westSolo Act after my horse’s dam. Yes, Solo Act is ern games, western pleasure, English pleasure, a chestnut, but for the class, it did not matter. On hunter/jumper, standing showmanship, costume, her white tag it read: Solo Act – Mare – Standard- creative scene, other performance, etc. “Other bred. So when the class was called, he walked Performance” includes dressage, polo, vaulting, up with his models and joined the other 9 models. racing, etc. Often, there is a class named, Open His sister asked to show one of my models and I Barn Scene. Creative scene is a lot of fun since, gave her my Foiled Again stablemate model. The anything goes! Google “model horse shows” to tag read: Foiled Again- Gelding- Standardbred. It see photos to get ideas. was exciting see that the Independent Act, Solo Act and Foiled Again models earned a 2nd, 3rd, A doll is not always required in performance classand 4th place. The other models were thorough- es. If a doll is needed, Breyer has them; they can breds. The kids earned ribbons. be purchased online or at your local tack shop
In the Show Ring Before bringing them to the “show ring” each model has to be clean and free of any dust or fingerprints. Models with scratches, rubs (especially on the ear tips, hooves and tail), and yellowing, will
where Breyer horses and accessories are sold. Judges will look at your performance set-up. At the November model horse show, the judge explained to a 4-H teenager the reason why she earned a 2nd place rather than a 1st place. Her performance was showing a model horse, in its western tack (no doll rider), trotting over ground poles on
the ground. The wooden poles, that she made, and painted beautifully, were too close together. The judge explained that in a live horse show, the horse’s trotting gait would have problems trotting over the poles. Like in halter, your horse will have a tag with the horse’s name, sex, and breed. Some model shows require a 3 x 5 card next to the set-up that explains the performance, so the judges can read it and know what the set-up is showing. Again, feel free to use one of your model horses as a Standardbred in these classes.
to keep the back up. It was a conversation piece for the 4-H kids to see before my class was called. Next, I printed out a tote board photo, I found on Google images, and glued it to the back. The cloud scrapbook paper you see next to it, was purchased at Michael’s craft store. I cut it to size, and glued it on. I also bought the fake grass there, and I bought some greens and the tree. The red flowers were from a silk flower stem I bought. I cut the branches and placed where I wanted to add the
Creating the Scene I wanted to promote harness racing and entered in the Creative Scene class. After I was pinned with a first place, my judge gave me a suggestion to place it in “Other Performance” since no one ever does a harness racer. She loved seeing the harness racing performance in Creative Scene. So, how did I put my creative scene together? First, I went to Costco and got a box that I knew would be large enough to create my scene. I cut the box, knowing I would need something to keep the back standing up. So I used one of my own horse’s winner circle photos in a frame to place behind it
2015 marked the introduction of Foiled Again’s model.
flowers. The gray “track” is scrapbook paper. To make the finish line pole, I bought a dowel, cut it to a size I wanted, and painted it. When dry, I placed a glob of hot glue on the “track” and placed the pole in the glue and held until it was dry. I named the pacer, Styled N Misty, after my friend’s retired pacer who now competes at horse shows. I actually knew him when he raced at Freehold Raceway. I borrowed the doll from my friend, Jodi, who has a huge collection of Breyer horses and dolls. Sometimes, there are classes that are for models made during specific years. I have a Dan Patch model that could be entered in a class like that. The Standardbred model is retired now, and I was lucky to buy it on eBay at an excellent price of only $25.00. It is in excellent shape also. The classes are in the halter division, and the judges will use the same evaluation as the breed halter classes. Like my other models, I keep them in a flannel pillow case when traveling to a model horse show to avoid any scratches or other flaws. My photo of Dan Patch shows him on the turquoise pillow case when I brought him to the 4-H model show.
Like a live horse show, it is a long and fun day, bringing all your models and getting them ready for your classes. At the event in November, I purchased a used “Zenyatta foal – Cozmic One”, that was in excellent condition. It was so cute, I just had to have it. I could easily enter that model at a future show as a Standardbred and give him a name of my choosing. Need more information? Visit www.BreyerHorses. com/showring. e
We’re saving you a seat! Bruce Haak Memorial Sleigh Rally General Clinton Park Rt 7, Bainbridge, NY January 30th, 1-3 pm Safe driving draft horses, minis, mules, donkeys and horse are welcome. The public is invited to join us. Hot chocolate and food will be available near the bonfire.
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Standardbreds Showcased at Equine Affair
by Katie Flaherty
he SPHO of Maine traveled to West Springfield, MA to represent the versatility of the Standardbred. They were showcased in a demonstration on Friday, November 13th featuring four different disciplines. “CC Bagaluck” and Katie Flaherty showed harness racing, “Panzo Two” and Wendy Flowers exhibited carriage driving. “Gone to Carolina”, owned by Amy Higgins, ridden by Kathleen Bailey presented dressage “Lindon’s Rose me N” and Meaghan Martin demonstrated jumping
It was a well received demonstration with lots of positive feedback from spectators. To see a complete video of the demo and pictures of the event please visit: www.sphomaine.net. e
Congratulations Tattler’s Jet!
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ou may remember Tattler’s Jet from our September 2015 edition, he is now bound for the Wisconsin Harness Racing Hall of Fame! Tattler’s Jet is Minnesota’s Standardbred Ambassador at Running Aces Harness Track. He had a great career on the track and now gives rides around the track to excited fans. We’re sure he will continue to receive lots of carrots following his induction. The banquet will be in Madison, Wisconsin on Saturday, January 23rd. Tickets are still available through the WI Harness Racing FB page. e
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s your rescue or club a 501c3? If the answer is yes then Google has good news. They have $10,000 for you! No really, it’s not an internet scam, Google really does allow 501c3s $10k a month of in-kind advertising every month. So what exactly does that mean?
versus a video hosting site. Using their tips you can create videos that tell a horse’s story rather than just shooting a video to show that they are sound. Premium branding opportunities and increased uploading capacity are other benefits of being an approved non-profit.
Google in-kind advertising allows you special access to Adwords, the YouTube Non-Profit Program, Apps for Nonprofts, Google Earth Outreach and One Today. For most non-proftis the most important of these is Adwords.
For many equine related 501c3s the Apps for Nonprots and Google Earth Outreach may have limited impact. The Apps program could help your board as it allows for online collaboration. The Google Earth element can be very powerful for those working with endangered animals and the You’ve seen the ads on Google? They pop-up environment as it provides rich geographical confirst in your search and sometimes appear on the tent. The mapping feature can be a nice addition right hand side of your screen - those are Google to your website, showing where your adopted Adwords ads. While you may wonder how affec- horses are placed geographically. tive those ads are, make no mistake about it, they generate a termendous amount of business for The One Today program has been a successful advertisers. In just one year Amazon spent $55.2 tool for humanitarians and could potentially be for million in advertising with Google Adwords, that’s a rescue. It is an app that allows people to dohow important it is to their business. For an equine nate a dollar a day to their charity of choice. While nonprofit, Adwords can help you reach potential that may not seem like a lot in the short run, think volunteers and donors as well as adopters. Tech- what your group could do with an extra $365. Now nology allows you to narrow your advertising; you multiply that number by however many donors you can reach donors from around the world but pin- think you could reach - adds up to some significant point your potential volunteers to an area as spe- money. cific as a 50-mile radius. The YouTube program can also be very powerful in getting your story out. As the company points out in their “Top 10 Fundamentals For Nonprofits” guide, the key to interactivity on YouTube is to think of YouTube as social media or a community,
Get started at
www.google.com/grants
Each of these programs can benefit your program. Now that we’ve done an overview, lets go back and look at some specifics of Adwords. What are the qualifications? (as provided by Google, January 2016) • Begin by applying to Google for Nonprofits. • Hold valid charity status with the IRS. • Acknowledge and agree to Google’s required certifications regarding nondiscrimination and donation receipt and use. • Have a live website with substantial content. What are the limitiations? (as provided by Google, January 2016) • Your ads will be entirely text-based (no videos or images). • They’ll appear only on Google search results pages. • All campaigns must be keyword-targeted. • Your maximum cost-per-click (CPC) will be $2.00 USD. • You’ll receive $10,000 USD (up to $40,000 USD for Grantspro participants) of in-kind AdWords advertising each month. • Link your ads to one (and only one) website domain, which should be the same one that was approved in your initial application. • Actively manage your AdWords account by logging in once a month and making at least one change to your account every 90 days. • Your ads and keywords should match your organization’s programs and services. • Strictly commercial advertising is prohibited. If you’re promoting products or services, 100% of the proceeds must go directly to supporting your program.
• Your ads must not link to pages that are primarily composed of links to other websites. • Your ads may not offer financial products (like mortgages or credit cards), nor can they request donations of cars, boats, or other property. • Your site can’t display Google AdSense ads or affiliate advertising links. If you find this all a bit confusing, don’t worry. There are people that you can hire to do this for you or if you’d like to do it yourself, Google does provide a wide varity of training matierals for free. While it seems to be good to be true - free money, free training - Google really does want to give you $10,000. e ***** Editor’s Note: In the interest of full disclosure, working with websites, social media and Adwords is what I do when I’m not being the editor of The Standardbred Connection. I really believe that using this $10,000 a month can raise awareness of Standardbreds as pleasure horses. If you would like to further explore the program for your non-profit I’d be happy to talk to you about it. You can reach me at 412-496-1750 or via my business site at www.TheVirtualWriter.net. - Kathleen Haak
SPHO Ohio Tack Swap Saturday, April 16th 10:00 am - 4:00 pm Franklin County Fairgrounds Burke Building Booths Available. For more information contact : Donna Herriot @ 740-816-2838
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Full Throttle Goes To Israel
ou may remember Full Throttle, a champion speed racking Standardbred stallion, from previous issues. He was recently purchased by Semo Abe and shipped to Abe’s farm in Israel. For most of us, Full Throttle is the first Standardbred we know that lives in Israel. Semo Abe kindly gave us a glimpse into what Full Throttle’s life is like now.
will be TWH, Peruvian mares, Singlefooting, and a Missouri Fox Trotter. I’m looking for mares that will be good crossed on a Standardbred trotter like he is.
Where are you located?
We feed them with alfalfa and barley stressed twice a day. And a special hay that we make with a machine.
Full Throttle will continue in his program of training as a true racking horse. What type of hay will he receive?
My facility is located at Moshav Bnei Zion. About a 10 min drive to the Mediterranean Sea and 30 minutes to Tel Aviv. It is a nice barn with a lot of ******************************************************** clients. I’m doing all the training and breaking of We purposely chose to not edit the photo that Semo Abe provided to us. In the background you new colts. can see a bit of the facility. Israel typically has warm, dry summers (April-October) and mild winWhat will Full Throttle be doing in Israel? ters (November-March). The stables are open to I bought Full Throttle for breeding and mixing his allow air flow and you can see the water collection great genetics on gaited horses. He is already system. We appreciate this brief look into Israel’s booked for the next breeding season. The mares horse industry. e
The Virtual Writer Content Management Website Creation Google Adwords Campaigns
Creating content that makes a splash!
www.TheVirtualWriter.net 412-496-1750