Ringside

High Notes

Spotlighting sport horses and sport-horse breeding

Have you ever met siblings whose appearance, personalities, and talents had absolutely nothing in common? Who were so different that it was hard to believe they were actually related?

Of course you have. For every pair of siblings with a strong familial resemblance, there’s one that looks like random passersby plucked off the street.

That’s how genetics works, and that’s why buying or breeding horses strictly on the basis of pedigree can be a bit of a gamble. My horse is by the same sire as a medal-winning US team horse, so I’ve informed him that he needs to step up his game. (I’ve also described my horse, lovingly, as said team horse’s somewhat less distinguished half-brother.) Having some famous horses in the family tree does not guarantee success: Scratch most warmblood pedigrees and you’ll find at least a few well-known names, so if that were all that’s needed we’d all have a Valegro in the barn.

Nevertheless, certain names do appear in the pedigrees of top dressage horses with some regularity, and certain bloodlines gain reputations as producing offspring with common characteristics, whether that trait is ridability, “amateur-friendliness,” or “a professional’s ride,” which I think means inclined to behave like a kite.

What are these magic bloodlines that produce amateurs’ dream horses? If I’m looking at a sale horse and its sire is known as a hot tamale, should I fuhgeddaboudit? We asked freelance writer Natalie DeFee Mendik to delve into these and other questions regarding sport-horse bloodlines.

When I read Natalie’s report, “Blood Ties” (p. 44), I realized that I’ve made a number of the mistakes her sources, all well-known US sport-horse breeders, mentioned. As a buyer, I have viewed decidedly average horses through the rosecolored glasses of a dazzling Who’s Who pedigree. I have also chosen not to pursue potentially very nice horses solely because close relatives were “hot tamales.” In both cases, I failed to follow the #1 rule of horse-shopping, which is to evaluate each horse on its own merits as an individual.

This being our annual breeding and sport-horse issue, you’ll find informative stories on other issues of interest to breeders, buyers, riders, and trainers, as well. Elite-caliber horses are out of financial reach for many, but some riders with modest budgets and big dreams have found a way: through syndicated or fractional ownership, in which multiple owners purchase shares, thereby pooling their assets to buy and maintain the horse. Setting up a syndicate is not a quickie do-ityourself arrangement and requires expert guidance. For a primer on the process, turn to page 38.

One of the methods that warmblood registries use to elevate the quality of their gene pools is performance testing of potential breeding stock. You may have heard of stallion testing, but mare performance testing exists, as well, and registries would love for more mare owners to take part in the process. USDF Connection’s sport-horse columnist, Maurine “Mo” Swanson, explains what’s involved in an MPT—and why she’s a fan—in her “Free Rein” column on page 26.

It has become cliché to remark that the modern dressage horse outshines the model of yesteryear. Today’s sport horses exhibit unmatched scope and elasticity— some would say almost to the point of extravagance. I’m reminded of a comment that dressage master Charles de Kunffy made decades ago when talking about the evolution in sport-horse breeding: He said something to the effect that, while ordinary horses may have a collectedto-extended range equivalent to a couple of octaves in music, modern stars are the Mariah Careys of the dressage world, able to hit higher highs and lower lows.

It’s fitting that de Kunffy used an arts analogy to explain a classicalhorsemanship concept, for that’s what this cultured gentleman is all about. Get to know de Kunffy in our revealing profile, “Renaissance Man,” on page 50. Then go make some beautiful music with your own horse.

Jennifer O. Bryant, Editor @JenniferOBryant

NOMINATIONS OPEN April 15, 2022

is the deadline for nominations for Participating Member (PM) Delegates in All Regions

To accept the nomination, and if elected, a PM delegate nominee must: • Be a current Participating

Member of USDF. • Have a permanent residence and reside in the region for which they are running to represent. • Agree to serve a one year term, from the time of election in 2022 until the election in 2023. • Attend the 2022 Adequan®/

USDF Annual Convention.

June 1, 2022

is the deadline for nominations for USDF Vice President, USDF Secretary, and Regional Director in Regions 1, 3, 5, 7, and 9.

Nominations for USDF Vice President, Secretary and Regional Director (in oddnumbered regions) will also be accepted from the floor of the Board of Governors meeting at the 2022 Adequan®/USDF Annual Convention.

e-mail all nominations to nominations@usdf.org

Member Appreciation The September/ September/October 2021 October issue of Official Publication of the United States Dressage Federation USDF Connection Budget Travel for Dressage Enthusiasts (p. 48) was outstanding! Clinic with Allison Brock: There Are No Training I read it cover to Shortcuts (p. 38) A Year in the Life of a Working Student cover as soon as I Train Your Postural Muscles for Better Riding, Less Pain (p. 42) got it. I especialCHIO Aachen, Germany ly liked the “Free NONPROFIT ORG. U.S. Postage PAID Lebanon Junction, KY Permit # 559 Rein” article about rules for attire being relaxed (“Color Me Traditional”), and I always study Dr. Hilary Clayton’s articles (“Sport Horse: Strengthen the Sling”).

Please don’t ever stop publishing the hard copy. I share it with my non-dressage horsey friends.

Jennie Hakes Aitkin, Minnesota

Keep the Finals Focused on Amateurs

While US Equestrian is currently contemplating rewriting the adultamateur status requirements, it’s time the USDF examines some of its own amateur rules.

When the US Dressage Finals were introduced, adult-amateur riders celebrated that they finally had an event dedicated to them, where they could compete against other amateurs from around the country. As the Finals evolve, it’s time to look at what truly defines an amateur.

Amateur status should no longer be defined solely in terms of whether a person gets paid for teaching. It should also be defined by the competitions in which you have participated and the titles you have won. For example, if an adult amateur competes in a CDI and places well, that rider cannot compete in the CDI Amateur division for one year. I propose that the USDF adopt similar restrictions for competing in the adult-amateur division at the US Dressage Finals.

For instance, if you have represented the United States on a team in international competition, or if you have been part of an Olympic Games or World Championships selection process, you would be required to compete in the open division at the Finals. If a horse you rode got invited to the US Dressage Festival of Champions, you would not be able to compete with that horse in the amateur division at Finals. These types of opportunities give competitors access to coaching and show-ring experience that a true amateur could never obtain, giving them an undoubted advantage. And if you win a championship title at the US Dressage Finals, you should not be allowed to compete at the Finals with that horse at that level again, even at Grand Prix.

USDF Regional Championships and the US Dressage Finals need to remain amateur-friendly, as they are the biggest competitions most adult amateurs will ever take part in. If these issues are not addressed, amateurs will get frustrated with the qualifying process—some already have—and feel as if another event has been taken from them.

Name withheld by request

Editor’s note: Revisions to the US Equestrian rules regarding amateur status went into effect December 1, 2021. See page 12 of this issue for more information.

USDF Connection welcomes your feedback on magazine content and USDF matters. Send letters to editorial@usdf.org along with your full name, hometown, and state. Letters may be edited for length, clarity, grammar, and style.

Correction

Two names were misspelled in the November/December story “Kids Count in the FEI Children’s Division.” Our apologies to Emma Claire Stephens and her horse, Kappuccino.

Bits and Pieces from USDF and the World of Dressage

USEF Broadens Dressage Attire, Amateur Rules ★ Hart Wins Para Nationals ★ Paris Olympics Update

SHARON PACKER PHOTOGRAPHY IN THE FRAME

A delighted Rebecca Hart displays her swag—notably the champion’s tricolor and cooler—from the 2021 Adequan®/USEF Para-Dressage National Championship. Report, p. 13. Photo by Sharon Packer Photography.

GOVERNANCE

US Equestrian Revamps Dressage Attire Rule, Relaxes Amateur-Status Requirements

The much-anticipated rewrite to the dress code for US Equestrian (USEF)-licensed/USDF-recognized dressage competitions went into effect December 1, 2021.

As USDF Technical Delegates Committee chair Jean Kraus explained in her September/October 2021 “Free Rein” column, “Color Me Traditional,” the USEF dressage dress rule (DR120) largely hews to the traditional items of competition attire while expanding the range of permitted colors.

If you hate the way your thighs look in white breeches, you may now wear dark- or light-colored breeches (as long as the color isn’t “bright”). Any single color is allowed in coats and jackets, as are subtle pinstripes, checks, or tweeds—but no stripes or coats of many colors. Ties, chokers, or stock ties may be any color (but remember to ditch the neckwear if jackets are waived, and make sure the shirt underneath is “without bold pattern”). Boots “of coordinating color(s)” are now permitted, as well. Riders at and below Fourth Level may even sport gloves of “any solid color,” although white or light-colored gloves are “recommended.”

Read DR120 in its entirety in the USEF rule book (usef.org). Note that CDI competitors must still adhere to FEI attire rules (fei.org). Direct questions about the DR120 rewrite to dressage@usef.org.

USEF amateur status. Many competitors welcomed a collection of extraordinary USEF rule changes, also effective December 1, 2021, that broaden the spectrum of activities in which USEF members may engage without jeopardizing their amateur status. Amateurs may now accept remuneration for performing specified barn duties, including grooming and lungeing; and may accept a nonmonetary token or gift of appreciation costing less than $1,000 annually, up from $300 (GR1306.1). Amateurs may also receive remuneration as social-media influencers or social-media brand ambassadors; these categories are distinguished from “sponsored riders,” who are classified as professionals (GR1306.2).

Amateurs may also accept remuneration for “teaching or training disabled riders for therapeutic purposes.” Certain USEF divisions now permit amateurs to teach a limited number of beginner riding lessons, but dressage is not one of them.

Refer to the USEF rule book (usef. org) for more information. If you’re currently classified as a professional and think you can now reclaim USEF amateur status, or if you have questions about whether you’re an amateur or a pro under USEF rules, e-mail amateurinquiry@usef.org.

MIX IT UP: The permitted color palette for dressage attire—including breeches—is much broader now

All USDF Participating and Group Memberships Expired on November 30! RENEW NOW!

To renew visit WWW.USDF.ORG/JOIN

PARA-EQUESTRIAN DRESSAGE

Paralympic Bronze Medalist Hart Wins Ninth National Title

Just two months after she helped Team USA secure its first-ever Paralympic bronze medal at the 2020 Tokyo Games, Rebecca Hart, Wellington, Florida, claimed her ninth national title by winning the 2021 Adequan®/USEF ParaDressage National Championship. It was Hart’s first national championship riding Fortune 500, an 11-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Fidertanz 2 – Weinrose, Don

Romantic) owned by Rowan O’Riley.

The reserve championship went to Hart’s 2020 Paralympic teammate Kate Shoemaker on Solitaer 40, her partner in Tokyo.

The competition was held October 29-31 at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, North Carolina, site of the 2018 FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG), where Hart made history by becoming the first US athlete to win a WEG para-dressage medal, the Grade III individual bronze.

A challenge at the 2021 Nationals was damp, chilly weather that “really kicks in my spasticity,” said Hart, 37, who was born with a rare genetic disease called hereditary spastic paraplegia. But “Moola” stepped up and “has really just wowed me this entire week. He’s been so good and so consistent and steady. He’s just such a giant marshmallow, and he’s so much fun to have out here.”

Hart began training with 2019 US Pan American Games dressage team silver medalist and individual

bronze medalist Jennifer Baumert in advance of the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics. “Before Tokyo,” said Hart, “Jen and I were still pretty new in our relationship, so we really learned a lot about each other on that trip and were just letting things settle in getting to know each other. We’re pushing each other more now and really working on fixing the things that we want to and adding the easiness, the harmony, and the power in the ring.”

Hart’s next goal is to make the team for the 2022 FEI ParaDressage World Championships in Herning, Denmark, this summer.

IN THE MONEY: 2021 US para-dressage national champion Rebecca Hart on Fortune 500

MEET THE INSTRUCTOR

Eliza Sydnor Romm, Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Eliza Sydnor Romm is a USDFcertified instructor/trainer through Fourth Level. She has competed through Grand Prix and teaches riders at all levels. She also specializes in starting young horses. She is based at her family’s Braeburn Farm in Snow Camp, North Carolina.

How I got started in dressage: My mom, Cindy Sydnor, is a dressage trainer, and I’ve ridden all my life. I started competing in dressage when I was six.

I wanted to get certified because: I was very involved with the program from an early age. I wanted to have the education to help me start out as an instructor.

What I learned during the certification process: I really appreciated the systematic approach to analyzing horses and riders. Certification helped me to prioritize what to work on and how to go about it.

Tip: I often hear people say they have not gone through the certification program because the workshops are too far away and too expensive. My suggestion is to consider working with your GMO to host a series at your own barn or a barn nearby. Also, investigate grant opportunities from The Dressage Foundation, as there are quite a few grants to help people with the cost of certification. There are ways to make it affordable, and it is worth it!

Contact me: elizasydnor@gmail. com or (336) 214-5279. —Alexandria Belton

SYSTEM IN ACTION: Romm

OLYMPIC GAMES

FEI Proposes Three-Rider Teams for Paris 2024

The three-member equestrian-team format used at the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games looks likely to be in place for the 2024 Paris Olympics, as well.

At its 2021 Hybrid General Assembly in Antwerp, Belgium, in November, the Fédération Equestre Internationale (FEI) had to act quickly to assemble its proposed 2024 Olympic qualification systems for dressage, jumping, and eventing in advance of the December 2021 submission deadline set by the International Olympic Committee (IOC).

For dressage, the FEI has proposed a quota of 60 athletes for Paris: 15 three-member teams (45 athletes) and 15 individual competitors. Eventing would be allocated 65 athletes (16 three-member teams constituting 48 athletes), plus 17 individual competitors. Jumping would be the largest contingent, with 75 proposed total athletes (60 athletes on 20 three-member teams, plus 15 individuals). FEI president Ingmar De Vos emphasized that the threemember team format would apply only to Olympic and Paralympic Games. It would not apply to FEI championships, including this summer’s 2022 Ecco FEI World Championships in Denmark.

The IOC Executive Board will approve the 2024 Olympic qualification procedures for all sports in February 2022.

Attention, 2021 Awards Recipients All 2021 bronze, silver, and gold medals; freestyle bars; Diamond Achievement pins; Master’s Challenge Awards; and Adequan®/USDF year-end and All-Breeds awards will be mailed to award recipients in January 2022. Contact USDF if you have not received your award by February 28, 2022. Free Online Reports Available USDF historical awards reports, owner’s/lessee and breeder’s horse portfolios, and dam/sire reports are available to current USDF participating, group, and business members free of charge. Please note that you must be logged into the USDF website to obtain reports at no charge.

THE NEAR SIDE

USDF BULLETINS

I-I and I-II Test Reminder for Year-End Awards For Adequan®/USDF year-end awards purposes, the Intermediate I and Intermediate II tests are not considered consecutive levels. See the USDF Member Guide for year-end award requirements regarding consecutive levels. Reminder: Horse Ownership for USDF Awards USDF horse registration must be in the name of the current owner or lessee, and a horse must be exhibited in the name of the current USDF owner or lessee of record. If a lease is on file with USDF, the horse must be exhibited under the ownership of the lessee.

FINANCIAL AID

Elite Riders, Dressage Instructors Receive Grants

Claire Darnell, Mount Vernon, Washington, with her horse, Harrold S; and Amelia Newcomb, Simi Valley, California, with her horse, Harvard, are the 2021 recipients of the $25,000 Carol Lavell Advanced Dressage Prize, The Dressage Foundation (TDF) announced.

GOING PLACES: Claire Darnell and Harrold S

Olympian Carol Lavell established the fund at TDF in 2009 to provide financial assistance to talented, committed, qualified riders with plans to reach and excel at the international levels of dressage.

Darnell is a member of the Kundrun US Equestrian (USEF) Dressage Development Program and a USDF gold, silver, and bronze medalist. Harrold S, a nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood (Vivaldi – Zantana Sollenburg, Fidermark), was the 2019 Adequan®/USDF Fourth Level Horse of the Year and recently made his debut at Intermediate II. Darnell plans to use the funds to travel to Florida this winter to compete and to train with Olympians Jan Ebeling and Nick Wagman.

Newcomb is also a Kundrun USEF Dressage Development Program member. Harvard, a nineyear-old Dutch Warmblood gelding (Charmeur – Beaudea, Tuschinski), qualified for the Developing Prix St. Georges championship at the 2020 US Dressage Festival of Champions, and in 2021 he and Newcomb qualified at Intermediate I. They will train with Johann Hinnemann and Christine Traurig.

RAMSAY GRANT RECIPIENTS: Lindsey Holleger and MW Ave Maria INSTRUCTOR SUPPORT: Lindgren Grant recipients Cunefare, Fucinaro, and Smith

TDF, Lincoln, Nebraska, awarded its 2021 $25,000 Anne L. Barlow Ramsay Grant for US-Bred Horses to Lindsey Holleger, Middletown, New York, and MW Ave Maria. The grant fund, established by the late Dr. Anne Ramsay, aims to showcase talented American-bred horses ridden by US citizens by providing money to train and compete in Wellington, Florida, or in Europe.

Holleger is a Kundrun USEF Dressage Development Program member. MW Ave Maria is an eight-year-old Oldenburg mare (Voice – Fiderline, Fidertanz) bred by Nancy Holowesko and owned by Jen Vanover of Maplewood Warmbloods, Middletown, New York. In 2021, MW Ave Maria competed at Intermediate I and was invited to the US Dressage Festival of Champions for the third year. Holleger plans to use the funds to travel to Wellington, Florida, to compete and to train with Scott Hassler.

TDF awarded a total of $12,000 to three US dressage instructors through the Major Anders Lindgren Grant program, funded through the Carol Lavell Gifted Memorial Fund. These grants help dressage instructors to receive continuing education that will improve their teaching, riding, and training skills.

Carol Cunefare, Durango, Colorado, is a USDF-certified instructor/trainer through Second Level. She plans to use the grant money to train in Florida and will study with Sarah Martin for six weeks. Jane Fucinaro, Omaha, Nebraska, a USDF-certified instructor/trainer through Second Level, will spend four weeks in Florida and two weeks in Colorado training with Sarah Martin. Emma Smith, Mound, Minnesota, is a USDF-certified instructor/trainer through First Level. She will train with Olivia LaGoy-Weltz over the winter in Florida.

A new fund, added to the TDF roster in 2020, is the Team Tate Mentorship and Leadership Fund, established by the Tate family to aid dressage professionals in furthering their business, leadership, and equestrian skills. The 2021 recipient of the $5,000 Team Tate grant, Brett Ingram, Waxhaw, North Carolina, will use the funding to work with Richard Malmgren and to attend a rapport leadership and professional-development course.