Untacked july-august-2016

The CHRONICLE of the HORSE

THE EQUESTRIAN LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

THE PESSOAS RETURN TO RIO

BRAZIL’S FIRST FAMILY OF SHOW JUMPING HEADS HOME FOR THEIR 12TH OLYMPIC GAMES

FEED THE FLAME OLYMPICS PARTY RECIPES

8

HORSE POWER IN MOTOR CITY

DETROIT’S EQUINE ENGINES FOR CHANGE

FROM SEA TO SKY THE LONG, CURIOUS HISTORY OF GETTING HORSES FROM A TO B

16 MUST-SEE SPOTS IN MILLBROOK, NY

A SUPPLIMENT TO THE CHRONICLE OF THE HORSE

JULY/AUGUST 2016

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Tryon, North Carolina Horse Country

RONALD PICCARI

estate prope rtie s & h or se farms

Lakes, Hills and Horses

old ballender mill farm — 228 acres

Rolling pastures, forests, creeks, pond, mtn views. Spacious 4 BD, hand hewn log home, wrap-around porches, decks. Guest home, bass pond, grapevines, barn, wkshop. Unlimited possibilities. $3.25M

the sanctuary on the green river

Exceptional privacy on 14+ acres: woodlands, grasslands, creeks, Green River frontage. Immaculate home: hardwd flrs, kitchen w/ granite tops, office. Separate, large 2BD/2BA guest house. $749K

Advantage Realty 177 N. Trade St. Tryon, NC 28782

828-606-7441 828-859-5454

hh classical farm – turn-key farm

On CETA equestrian trail system in the heart of Tryon Hounds hunt country, 3 miles to TIEC. 10-Stall Morton barn, covered arena, equip. barn w/2 stalls. 3BD contemporary home. Mountain views. $899.5K

hummingbird hill farm

In Golden Hills of Fairview Farm: Unique floorplan w/ 2 master suites, chef’s kitchen, spa-like bathrooms, media room, sunroom and two FPs. 4-Stall barn, riding arena, paddocks, private trail system. $1.60M

pine valley farm

Contemporary home with pool & awesome mountain views on 16+ acres. In-law suite in lower level with separate entry. 6 stall barn, riding ring, pastures with run-in’s. Separate studio building. $945K

bent oak farm – stirrup downs

On 14+ acres, well-appointed, low maintenance, Victorian style home.

2-3 Stall barn, tack room w/laundry, equip. barn, run-in shed and large fenced pasture. On CETA riding trails, 5 mins to TIEC. $890K

LakesHillsAndHorses.com

Home of Tryon International Equestrian Center

BONNIE LINGERFELT Fine Equestrian Properties & Country Homes

think two feathers farm

Stunning 3 BD/3.5BA Arts & Crafts home on 18+ acres. Well-appointed 3-stall barn, each stall w/separate paddock and pasture. FETA trail system. Guest house. Riding arena. 8 miles to TIEC. $1.150M

think bluebird haven

Pristine 11+ Acre Horse Farm. 3 BD, 3 BA home. 2+ stall barn w/ wash rack, tack/feed room, space for more stalls. 2 paddocks, 2 pastures & private trails. Mature landscaping, bold creek. 3 min to TIEC. $549.9K

think field stone farm

Set on 22 tranquil acres: Tom Hollis designed 3 BD/2BA home, stacked stone FP; 3-Stall barn, multiple pastures, riding arena, neighborhood trail system & fully-updated log cabin guest house. $1.250M

think motlow creek treasure

Beautiful 4BD/3.5BA, traditional home – quality & elegance abound.

The 4-stall barn with meticulously maintained pastures makes this a perfect mini horse farm. 5+ acres. Priced below appraisal. $675K

think spacious

Roomy 4BD/3.5BA home on 30+ acres. Main level with tile entry. All bedrooms are on main level-have spa-like bath. New 4-stall barn w/ matted stalls, tack room, covered trailer parking. 14 mi to TIEC. $599K

TryonProperties.com

think c hoic e s in tryon hor se coun try

think french country elegance

Farms at Mill Spring 4BD/4.5BA French country home set on 23 acres.

Luxury abounds: soaring ceilings, walnut floors, custom cabinetry, 3 Mendota FPs. Private flagstone balcony & minutes to TIEC. $1.450M

Advantage Realty 177 N. Trade St. Tryon, NC 28782

828-817-0166 828-859-5454

Meet the Arabian Horse at Aljassimya Farm in Santa Ynez, California. pictured: Stallion, Monther Al Nasser by Ansata Hejazi contact: info@aljassimyafarm.com | www.aljassimyafarm.com

Design by: mickéandoliver Photography by: April Visel

Meet the Arabian Horse at the Rolex Central Park Horse Show.

Wednesday 21st September 2016.

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Mount Gordon Farm

Old Goose Creek Farm

Faraway Farm

The Plains, Virginia

Middleburg, Virginia

Middleburg Area

128 acres and immaculate 3 level, 13,000+ sq ft stone & shingle main house with 5 BR and 8 FP. Exceptional finishes on every floor. 4-car garage, terraces. Caterer's kitchen, elevator, spa, professional offices. Separate guest cottage, pool, farm manager residence. 3 additional tenant residences. 12 stall center-aisle stable. Extraordinary land with incomparable views extending beyond the Blue Ridge Mountains. Orange County Hunt. $11,750,000.

Immaculate equestrian property in turnkey condition.

Exceptional location. Stone home expanded to approx. 7,000 square feet & includes 4 main level suites, lovely gardens, extensive pool, garage apartment & pond. Blackburn designed 6 stall center aisle stable with 70 x 210 indoor arena. Addtional 4 stall barn. Entire property is fenced and cross fenced on 26 acres & 8 paddocks. $5,995,000.

Impeccable solid stone home with copper roof & original portions from the 1700’s. Expanded to include a 1st floor bedroom & 3 additional suites. Original floors in library, den & dining room with 8 fireplaces throughout. 70 acres in a dream-like setting with 2 ponds, mountain views, pastures & stone walls. Home is surrounded by mature gardens, pool & primitive log cabin.

Piedmont Hunt. $2,975,000.

Helen MacMahon

Helen MacMahon Paul MacMahon (703) 609-1905

Helen MacMahon

(540) 454-1930

Fairview

(540) 454-1930

Greystone

(540) 454-1930 Ann MacMahon (540) 687-5588

Westwind Farm

Boyce, Virginia

The Plains, Virginia

Middleburg, Virginia

Circa 1904 Colonial home with 3 bedroom, 3 1/2 baths, high ceilings & notable room sizes, gourmet kitchen and 5 fireplaces.

90x200 covered arena, 12 total stalls, main barn redesigned by John Blackburn. 4 bay garage with apartment. 12 paddocks.

Asphalt drive & security gate. Heated pool. Property has 2 DUR's and whole house generator. Hilltop setting with mountain views. $2,300,000.

Circa 1807. 33 acres ideally located between Middleburg & The Plains. Rare quarried stone exterior, 10-foot ceilings. Period mantels, original wood floors, two-story front porch. 3 bedrooms/ 3 baths, each a private suite. Historic stone barn includes one bedroom/bath apt, heated tack room, 6 stalls. Carriage barn. 3 paddocks, large turnout field, run-in sheds, auto waterers. Whole farm generator. Pond. Orange County Hunt. $1,900,000.

Classic Middleburg colonial, completely redone in 2009. 5 bedrooms, 4 full baths, 2 half baths. 2 fireplaces. Gourmet kitchen. Top of the line finishes throughout. 2-car attached garage. Beautifully landscaped. Sweeping unobstructed mountain views. 21.08 gently rolling acres. Fenced & cross fenced. 3 stall barn, tack & hay storage. $1,825,000.

Paul MacMahon

Helen MacMahon

(703) 609-1905

Paul MacMahon

(703) 609-1905

(540) 454-1930

Willow Way Farm

Duck Pond

Middleburg, Virginia

Boyce, Virginia

Bluemont, Virginia

Prime Middleburg location. House completely redone by current owners. Hill top setting with panoramic mountain views. 3 bedrooms, 3.5 baths. Main level master suite. Pine floors.

Beautiful millwork. 3 fireplaces. Attached 2-car garage. Beautiful windows. Gracious room sizes. 4-stall barn. Riding ring. Inground pool. Lovely gardens. 31.05 acres recorded in 3 parcels. $1,625,000.

Fine 4 bedroom, 2.5 bath house on 39 acres. Well cared for and well maintained. Wrap-around porches. Master bedroom on main level. Kitchen and baths updated. Lovely property.

Excellent 4 stall barn with H/C wash stall and heated tack room.

Board fencing, paddocks, very good run-in shed. Level land, mostly open. Pond. Invisible fence on 10 acres. Blue Ridge Hunt territory. $1,027,000.

Circa 1860 Virginia Farmhouse, updated & enlarged in 2004. 3/4 bedrooms, 2 1/2 baths, hardwood floors, 3 fireplaces, exposed beams & gourmet kitchen. 10 acres, fenced & cross fenced. 2 stall barn with tack & hay storage. Spring house & smoke house.

Protected with mountain views. Piedmont Hunt Territory. $785,000.

Paul MacMahon

Tom Cammack

(703) 609-1905

info@sheridanmacmahon.com www.sheridanmacmahon.com

Palmer’s Mill

(540) 247-5408

Paul MacMahon Helen MacMahon

(703) 609-1905 (540) 454-1930

110 East Washington Street P.O. Box 1380 Middleburg, Virginia 20118 (540) 687-5588

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Untacked The C HRONICLE of the HORSE

VOL. 4, NO. 4

J U LY/ A U G U S T 2 016

44 The Passion Of The Pessoas

62 History: Horse On Board

70 Feature: New Horse Power For Motor City

DIRK CAREMANS/HIPPOFOTO PHOTO

76 Travel: The Wild

West, Any Way You Like It

84 Profile: Blending

Science With Art

44

ON THE COVER: Dirk Caremans/Hippofoto Photo

INTERNATIONAL MUSEUM OF THE HORSE—KENTUCKY HORSE PARK PHOTO

62

84 14

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ROBIN PETERSON ART

84

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KNOW WHERE YOU STAND.

s t n e t n Co Editor’s Letter

20

Contributors

24

Around The Arena

28

Editor’s Picks: Portable Saddle Rack

30

Tech Spotlight: The “Smart Saddle”

34

Test Lab: Fly Masks

38

The Clothes Horse: Gone But Not Forgotten

94

Feed Room: Olympic Games-Inspired Party Food

98

City Guide: Millbrook

106

Film Review: Harry And Snowman

108

Charity Spotlight: Horse & Family Institute

110

Best Of Web & Print

112

Parting Ways

98

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28

38 PHOTO COURTESY OF INNISFREE GARDEN

18

CATIE STASZAK PHOTO

Departments

EDITOR’S LETTER

Horses And The Art Of Meticulous Noticing

This keen sense for detail and nuance is one of the many things horses can give us, and this gift of attentiveness is something horsemen try to teach successive generations of riders and trainers. In our cover story (p. 44), the Brazilian father-and-son show jumping stars Neco and Rodrigo Pessoa describe it as a foundation for their success, from a lesson first handed down by Neco’s father, Nelson.

“That was the advice of my father: observe,” Neco says.

“Observe the riders. Observe the horses.”

“Horsemanship is being interested in knowing more, in learning,” adds his son Rodrigo.

The habit of observing and a desire to learn are valuable far beyond the stable and the riding ring—they’re life skills, too, and that’s prompted some horsemen to bring equines and people together (sometimes in unexpected settings) in order to teach and inspire. Former three-day eventer David Silver’s Detroit Horse Power (p. 70) proposes to build an inner-city equestrian and community center on vacant land in the Motor City; the non-profit already uses equine-based programs to help disadvantaged city kids develop their most empowering characteristics—responsibility, empathy, perseverance, patience and self-confidence—as well as conflict resolution abilities.

More than 800 miles away in Jacksonville, N.C., horses at the Horse & Family Institute (p. 108) are helping everyone from troubled spouses to combat veterans improve their interpersonal communications and problem-solving. Meanwhile, in the Northwest, artist and former equine surgeon Robin Peterson (p. 84) has found yet another way to share horse-related knowledge: through layered illustrations of the equine anatomy that reveal what’s going on beneath the surface, quite literally.

If you’re interested in horses, chances are you’ve also had new worlds open up to you because of them. I never knew how fascinating veterinary science is until I got my first horse,

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for example, and my curiosity about all things equine has introduced me to other ideas, places, and people that I would never have known existed if it hadn’t been for horses. As a result, I’ve gained a wider perspective than I might otherwise have had. That kind of learning tends to excite a greater interest and optimism in those it touches, so it’s only natural that people whose lives have been changed by horses want to pass that positive energy along to others.

Horses are always teaching us, whether we’re receptive to—or even conscious of—the lesson at the time. My first pony taught me how to dust myself off, remount and try again. My off-the-track Thoroughbred schooled me in the art of patience and made me a more thoughtful rider. My little paint, Moo, only spoke rudimentary western when we bought him; as he has become more fluent in dressage and jumping, he’s taught me how to communicate more clearly and inspired me to try seeing the world—with all its brightly painted obstacles and human eccentricities—through his eyes.

I hope all of these lessons have helped me navigate human society a little more sensitively, too. Each horse has his own language, and so does every person—and wherever these two species can meet, listen to and learn from each other, and begin to communicate, the world surely will be a happier and more peaceful place.

—Glenye Cain Oakford

CHRISTOPHER OAKFORD PHOTO

That’s how a friend of mine, rider and author Susan Nusser, once described a core principle of life around horses: meticulous noticing. I’ve always loved that phraseology, which came to mind again as I read through the stories in this issue. The ability to notice subtle signals—whether with eyes, ears or hands—is vital to good horsemanship. Is that right foreleg slightly larger or two degrees warmer than the left? Does the small scrape on this gelding’s hindquarters suggest he’s being bullied by a pasture mate? Is the change in that mare’s head carriage due to her bit or a tooth problem?

CONTRIBUTORS

In This Issue

Melaina Balbo Phipps

Laura St. Clair

Christina Keim

A native New Yorker, Melaina is a horsewoman and animal lover, a reformed academic and bibliophile, and a freelance writer and editor. She’s a former staff writer for Blood-Horse and has contributed to various equine publications and media sources on topics including Thoroughbred racing and pedigrees, horse welfare, polo and the people and places of the horse world. She looks forward to many more years with her off-the-track Thoroughbred, My Violin.

Laura is a writer, adult amateur dressage rider, and the fresh voice behind the equestrian style blog SHADBELLY. Raised on her family’s farm near Nashville, Laura still holds dear her Middle Tennessee Pony Club pin. She recently returned to her love of all things equestrian after a notable career in commercial real estate. Laura, her husband George, and their two Hanoverians now reside in Litchfield, Conn., and Naples, Fla.

Christina is a self-diagnosed equine addict who has been around or on top of horses for a nearly uninterrupted span of more than 30 years, beginning when she was first given riding lessons “just for the summer.” She has enjoyed many disciplines including hunters, equitation, jumpers, dressage, eventing, Pony Club and, most recently, competitive trail riding.

Christina is based at her Cold Moon Farm in Rochester, N.H., and currently is a lecturer at the University of New Hampshire Equine Program, where she also coaches the intercollegiate hunt seat team.

CONTACT US: SUBSCRIPTIONS & RENEWALS:

Mail: The Chronicle of the Horse, P. O. Box 433288 Palm Coast, FL 32143-3288 Phone: 800.877.5467 Email: subscriptions@coth.com

Manuscripts and photographs, accompanied by return postage, will be handled with care. Publisher assumes no responsibility for unsolicited material.

Copyright© 2016 by The Chronicle of the Horse, LLC. Reproduction of any material (including photographs and drawings) without written permission is prohibited. All rights reserved.

The Chronicle of the Horse® and the distinctive masthead that appear on the cover of the magazine are all registered trademarks of The Chronicle of the Horse, LLC. and may not be used in any manner without prior written permission.

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THE CHRONICLE OF THE HORSE (ISSN 0009-5990) is published January 11, January 25, February 1, February 15, February 22, March 7, March 21, April 4, April 11, April 25, May 2, May 16, May 30, June 6, June 20, July 4, July 11, July 25, August 1, August 15, August 29, September 5, September 19, September 26, October 3, October 17, October 24, November 7, November 14, November 21, November 28, December 12, December 19 and December 26 in 2016 by The Chronicle of the Horse, LLC, 108 The Plains Road, Middleburg, Virginia.

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The C HRONICLE of the HORSE

Untacked Volume 4 • Number 4 • July/August 2016

produced and published by The Chronicle of the Horse PUBLISHER

KATHERINE BELLISSIMO

PRESIDENT/EXECUTIVE EDITOR

BETH RASIN, brasin@coth.com

Editorial EDITOR

GLENYE CAIN OAKFORD, goakford@coth.com MANAGING EDITOR

SARA LIESER , slieser@coth.com ASSOCIATE EDITOR

MOLLY SORGE, msorge@coth.com ASSISTANT EDITOR

LISA SLADE, lslade@coth.com SENIOR REPORTER & MARKETING COORDINATOR

MOLLIE BAILEY, mbailey@coth.com EDITORIAL STAFF

SHARON ROSE, srose@coth.com LINDSAY BERRETH, lberreth@coth.com JENNIFER CALDER, jcalder@coth.com KIMBERLY LOUSHIN, kloushin@coth.com CATIE STASZAK, cstaszak@coth.com ANN GLAVAN, aglavan@coth.com EDITORIAL INTERN

HALEY WEISS, intern@coth.com

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LAUREN FOLEY, lfoley@coth.com

Design & Production ART DIRECTOR

JOSH WALKER, jwalker@coth.com SENIOR DESIGNERS

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tidbits from across the industry

AroundtheArena My Faves:Anna Buffini

When Anna Buffini began riding at age 9, she zeroed in on dressage and has never looked back. Now 22, the Del Mar, Calif.-based rider is dominating the CDI Under-25 Grand Prix division, and she successfully took on her elders earlier this year when she topped the open Grand Prix Special on Sundayboy in the Burbank CDI-W (Calif.) on Feb. 25-28.

This season, she’s focused on competing in Chicago at the USEF Young Adult “Brentina Cup” National Championship, where she hopes to place on both Sundayboy and Wilton 11. She’s also dedicating every ride this year to fellow competitor Catherine Chamberlain’s mount Verdicci, a gold medal winner at the 2014 Adequan/FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships who would have been a formidable rival this season had he not died late last year after colicking. Looking ahead, Buffini hopes to someday make a senior international team.

Breeches: Equiline Footwear: DeNiro Food: Acai bowls Drink: Virgin strawberry margaritas Book: Mastery by George Leonard Guilty pleasure: Cheese pizza City: San Diego Memory in the saddle: When Sundayboy and I rode our

LISA SLADE PHOTO

Young Rider team test to win the national championship in 2014. It was so harmonious, and we were really clicking. To really be able to nail it at a championship on the final day was definitely my favorite ride ever.

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Competition venue: Gladstone

(N.J.) was incredible.

On Deck

Mark your calendar with these upcoming important dates.

Shop for non-horsey items:

Lululemon

Quote: “Success comes in life

when you simply refuse to give up with goals so strong that obstacles, failure and loss only act as motivation.”

Workout exercise: Push-ups

with my feet on a yoga ball and my hands on the hard back of a bosu ball

u July 27-28 On Chincoteague’s Pony Swim Day, the “Saltwater Cowboys” will round up wild ponies on coastal Virginia’s Assateague Island and swim them across the Assateague Channel to neighboring Chincoteague Island. The swim takes place at “slack tide,” a 30-minute period between 7 a.m. and 1 p.m. when there is no current; organizers announce the exact swim time earlier in the week of the swim. The first foal to come ashore is named King or Queen Neptune and given away in a raffle, while the others head to auction at the local fairgrounds on July 28. Proceeds from the auction benefit the Chincoteague Volunteer Fire Company. To learn more— including other events around the swim and the exact time the ponies will cross the channel—visit chincoteague.com.

Late night snack: Vegan

u May 6-July 31 The National Sporting Library in Middleburg, Va., is hosting an exhibition of 19th-century French equine art, The French Horse from Géricault to Picasso: Works from the Virginia Museum of Fine Arts, through the end of July. The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts has drawn on its extensive holdings—including pieces from the collection of the late Mr. and Mrs. Paul Mellon—to organize a group of more than 40 works in a variety of media. Pablo Picasso’s 1905 oil Jester on Horseback is only one jewel among pieces by Edgar Degas, Isidore-Jules Bonheur and Raoul Dufy, among others. nsl.org.

T-shirt: It says, “Do what you

u Aug. 12 That’s the day the wildly popular race mares

Quality in a person: Honesty Dressage move: Passage Family activity: Playing sports

together

Emoji: The laughing face with

the tears coming out

protein bars

love; love what you do.”

Type of restaurant: Italian Sport to watch: Gymnastics Song: “Break Every Chain” by

Tasha Cobbs

Picture in your house: A

family picture of us in Hawaii, which is our favorite spot

Zenyatta and Rachel Alexandra enter U.S. Thoroughbred racing’s Hall of Fame

in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. The 10:30 a.m. ceremony takes place at historic Fasig-Tipton, the Thoroughbred auction house across Union Avenue from famed Saratoga Race Course. Tickets are required, but they’re free of charge. Rachel Alexandra, whose victories included the 2009 Preakness Stakes (Md.), was racing’s Horse of the Year in 2009. Zenyatta, beaten just once in her 20-race career, was 2010’s Horse of the Year. Racingmuseum.net.

C H RO N O F H O R S E .CO M

PHOTO COURTESY OF NATIONAL MUSEUM OF RACING AND HALL OF FAME

Anything that can win. Right now Sundayboy is easily my favorite horse to ride—he’s a Dutch Warmblood. He’s so strong, but he’s so light in the contact. He moves beautifully, and he has a great brain.

JAY DIEM PHOTO

Type of horse to ride:

JULY/AUGUST 2016

25

Where you FLY before you RIDE Asheville Regional Airport your easy connection to Tryon International Equestrian Center Frequent Daily Flights ALLEGIANT | AMERICAN | DELTA | UNITED

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C H RO N O F H O R S E .CO M

JULY/AUGUST 2016

27

Finally, A Proper Ride For Your Saddle

CATIE STASZAK PHOTOS

EDITOR’S PICKS

By CATIE STASZAK

M

y saddle is my prized possession. A college graduation present from my parents, my CWD comes with me just about everywhere. When I recently dropped my car off to be serviced, I drove a half hour back to the dealership to get my saddle from my trunk, because I didn’t want to leave it there overnight. The mechanic asked me if I was coming to check on my “baby,” in reference to my vehicle.

I said, “Yes,” and grabbed my saddle. The look he gave me was priceless.

I’m on the road a lot, and it’s important to me that my saddle is always properly supported and stored. I’d cringe when I’d hear it fall forwards or backwards in the trunk of my car every time I turned a corner or tapped the brakes. I wanted a proper rack for my saddle’s car trips, but after hours of searching, I began to question whether such a thing even existed. Then I found Tripp Chiles’ Penrose Woodworking on Etsy.

Chiles, located in Penrose, N.C., creates standing saddle racks for vehicles. He got the idea about five years ago from his wife Bonnie, an avid hunter/jumper rider.

After creating several prototypes and giving the saddle racks away as birthday and Christmas gifts, he decided to put his

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product on the market.

He makes the stands in his personal shop and sends orders out across the United States. The racks are handmade of a finely crafted stained wood—oak, poplar or birch. The standard saddle racks are 14" high, 15" wide and 24" long, but they can also be made to accommodate longerflapped dressage saddles. My standardsized version easily fits in the back of my trunk and is short enough with a saddle on it to also be fully obscured by my trunk cover, keeping my saddle out of sight from passers-by while I’m out and about.

Chiles covers all the bases with this stand. It has felt on its underside so that it can’t scratch the car’s interior. It’s incredibly durable and waterproof—which comes in handy when your saddle is sweaty after a midsummer ride. Mine doesn’t have a scratch on it and hasn’t faded, easily holding up to the rigors of a traveling equestrian lifestyle. The stand also comes with a drawer that perfectly fits underneath, allowing for

the most organized car trunk a horse person has ever seen. It boasts enough room to store my half-chaps, gloves, spurs and more.

Your saddle will not budge, even when you’re running late for a riding lesson and overestimate the duration of a yellow light.

Instead of balancing the saddle along a center support under the gullet, the stand provides a more stable base, supporting the saddle along the panels on each side.

It’s lightweight and easy to transport if you need to clear out your trunk for more space or simply want to bring the entire stand with you into the tack room when you arrive at the barn.

Every time I open my trunk to get my saddle out before a ride, someone new gushes over my saddle stand and asks where I got it. When I pack up for this summer’s travel, I’ll be packing around my saddle rack.

Penrose Woodworking’s portable saddle racks come in a variety of wood stains, including special walnut, dark walnut, cherry, mahogany and natural blonde, among others, providing options to match your car interior—or your stall doors. You can purchase one directly from penrosewood.com for $70.

TECH SPOTLIGHT

The World’s First “Smart Saddle” Voltaire’s new Blue Wing saddle can tell which horse you’re riding, how long that horse’s stride is, and it even knows what courses you jump, relaying all the data back to an app on your phone.

By A N N GL AVA N Photos courtesy of VOLTA IR E

E

ver since someone first dared to swing a leg over a horse thousands of years ago, people have been coming up with different ways to improve the ride with a saddle.

But it wasn’t until recently we had the technology to make saddles more than a device to aid your seat.

When connected products first started coming on the market in the form of activity trackers and phone apps, Voltaire Saddlery’s Brice Gouget wondered, “Why not horses?” What if your saddle could collect and report data to improve the rider, the horse, the whole athletic team?

“The first version of the saddle was made less than a year ago,” Gouget said.

“Everyone involved had to sign a nondisclosure agreement, and even within the company nobody knew about the product.”

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The Blue Wing saddle features a SmartRide™ tree, a carbon fiber-polyurethane blend tree with extra flexible points to allow for more shoulder freedom.

Gouget hosted a posh launch party at The Breakers Club in Palm Beach, Fla., and even Voltaire-sponsored riders like Beezie Madden were in the dark about what was to be unveiled.

Gouget whipped a black cloth cover off a large glass case and revealed his masterpiece: the Blue Wing saddle, the first saddle capable of collecting and transmitting data.

“There are two parts,” Gouget explained. “There is a chip in the saddle, and in the girth there is another chip, a geo-sensor that gives you ups and downs and steps.”

Everything is connected through Bluetooth, and the saddle has a battery system that can be removed and charged.

The battery charge should last about a week for the rider working one horse per day or a few days for a busy professional.

The app receives the information and organizes it into ride-by-ride and historical-per-horse data sets.

The tricky part wasn’t actually collecting the data. It was figuring out how to organize the information in a useful fashion. “We found a few things that are easy to understand,” Gouget said.

“It tells you how much time you spend at each gait. It tells you if you work more on the left hand or right hand. It analyzes the symmetry of your horse; it can detect if your horse is lame. It analyzes the length of the stride, the jumps, the number of jumps, and the intensity of the sessions.”

While the cost of the saddle may limit its initial market share—it retails starting at $6,900—Gouget believes the Blue Wing will benefit everyone who rides in it. “I think the amateur

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TECH SPOTLIGHT

Voltaire bills the Blue Wing saddle as the world’s first “smart saddle,” a saddle with connected technology to monitor different aspects of your ride and send data back to a cell phone app.

who rides one horse is going to look at the data on a daily basis,” Gouget said.

“The pro, I think, is mostly going to look at the macro data: What’s going on with different horses, trends, how is it different one month to the other, is there a pattern where, if this happens to the horse, does this other thing happen?

“I think it’s a really good tool to say, ‘Hey, this is what happened in the training session; look at how it was translated in the data,’ ” he continued.

In addition to the connected technology, the Blue Wing saddle also uses a SmartRide™ tree, a technology originally developed by Tad Coffin.

Voltaire utilized the unique tree design for its emphasis on fitting the horse in motion.

“It comes with really flexible tree points, so it gives a lot of freedom to the shoulder of the horse,” explained Gouget.

“We say it’s a smart tree because the whole tree understands how the horse moves and is going to move with it, so it’s a saddle that really maximizes the horse’s potential.”

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Voltaire makes, and that’s due to the new combination of materials used in the tree.

“A carbon-fiber tree alone is, in my opinion, a bad solution, because carbon fiber propagates vibration,” Gouget said. “Tennis rackets are not made out of carbon fiber only anymore, because it created injuries. So our tree incorporates some carbon fiber, but we also take polyurethane, so it really can reabsorb the vibration or shock.”

The Blue Wing features an ultratacky calf leather to help riders stick in the saddle, and it’s produced in an environmentally friendly manner.

“This leather is tanned without chrome, so it’s more eco-friendly,” Gouget explained. “There’s no metal in the tanning process.”

Chromium sulfate is widely regarded as the most cost effective and efficient way to tan leather, but the runoff it creates is carcinogenic and can cause health problems when it enters the water supply.

And there is one more fun, new feature on the Blue Wing. Voltaire saddles have traditionally been identifiable by the blue, white and brown stripes on the gullet, but Gouget said they will now offer custom colors.

Voltaire’s website gives examples of brushed aluminum (as either a color or the actual material) and blue alligator leather, but Voltaire will try to make any color or design a rider wants.

“We want everybody to express their potential,” Gouget said. “It’s true for our horses and our riders: We want them to really be able to express themselves.”

Voltaire saddles are traditionally identifiable by their blue, brown and white striped gullets, but a new set of colors and materials debuts with the Blue Wing saddle, including alligator leather and brushed aluminum.

The Winning Formula for Champions

The ONLY FDA approved equine PSGAG for the intramuscular treatment of non-infectious degenerative joint disease (DJD) of the carpal and hock joints proven to: • DIMINISH the destructive processes of degenerative joint disease • REVERSE the processes which result in the loss of cartilage components • IMPROVE overall joint function and associated lameness Available for order! For more information about equine joint health and treatment with Adequan® i.m., please visit www.adequan.com.

Georgina Bloomberg and Lilli won the Adequan® Grand Prix CSI 3* at the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) in Wellington, FL. INDICATIONS For the intramuscular treatment of non-infectious degenerative and/or traumatic joint dysfunction and associated lameness of the carpal and hock joints in horses.

IMPORTANT SAFETY INFORMATION

There are no known contraindications to the use of intramuscular Adequan® i.m. brand Polysulfated Glycosaminoglycan in horses. Studies have not been conducted to establish safety in breeding horses. WARNING: Do not use in horses intended for human consumption. Not for use in humans. Keep this and all medications out of the reach of children. CAUTION: Federal law restricts this drug to use by or on the order of a licensed veterinarian.

Please see Full Prescribing Information at www.adequan.com.

Adequan® and the Horse Head design are registered trademarks of Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. © Luitpold Animal Health, division of Luitpold Pharmaceuticals, Inc. 2016. Image of Georgina Bloomberg and Lilli © Sportfot® used with permission. AHD189 Rev. 2/2016

TEST LAB

Shoo Fly, Out Of My Eye A fly mask’s job is simple: keep flies out of a horse’s eyes and sometimes ears, and perhaps block dust and debris during a trailer ride. But at the same time, we do ask a lot of them. They must stay secure in all weather, and they must survive playful pasture mates, tree branches, mud, and the general wear-and-tear horses put them through. We put six to the test.

By LISA SLADE

Cashel Crusader Fly Mask The Cashel Crusader Fly Mask is one of the most popular masks on the market, and it’s the mask nearly every horse at my barn wears.

Though I like the fluffy fleece linings on some of the masks, I do worry about fleece anything being just too hot during a Tennessee summer.

So I appreciate the lining of the Cashel masks, which is more of a felt or very tight-knit fleece. It doesn’t rub, but it also doesn’t make a horse sweat more than usual. I also like the forelock hole design on this mask; it’s in a triangle shape over the forehead, and you simply thread the hair up through it.

I liked the fit (the eye darts lined up in the correct place), and it still looked pretty good at the end of its test period, with only minor signs of wear. The double-locking Velcro doesn’t feel as strong as some—it was yet another mask my horse managed to take off during nightly turnout—but I liked the elastic around the Velcro band for comfort.

Since both the fit and comfort factor are high with this brand, I’d say this is a good option. But be prepared to replace your mask at least once a season if you have an aggressively playful horse, and you may spend some time searching for it in the field once every few weeks.

The masks come with or without ears, and with or without the long nose cover. It’s available at various online retailers for $21.95 (without ears) and $24.95 (with ears). CashelCompany.com.

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Farnam SuperMask II The Farnam SuperMask is the old standby; it’s been around for 25 years now. So clearly Farnam has put some time into perfecting their design!

There’s a lot to like about this mask. It seems comfortable for the horse, with fleece around the ears and nose, and it has well-formed eye darts. It definitely keeps away the flies. It now comes in a cool selection of “Shimmer Weave” colors designed to accent your horse’s coloring.

But there were a few downsides too. While the mesh feels sturdy and didn’t show any wear during the test period, I felt like this mask might need some help with sizing. On my dainty Thoroughbred, one size was too large in the nose and jaw, but then the smaller size, which fit well in those areas, had the eye darts in slightly the wrong place. However, on my retired Thoroughbred-cross, the horse size was just fine. The mask never rubbed either horse.

The Velcro on this mask feels more than adequate, but it was one my test subject got off once—with the Velcro still intact. However, once isn’t bad, and it clearly wasn’t a flaw with the actual attachment, perhaps just the work of an extra-crafty equine.

The regular mask without ears is also one of the most economical on the market. It seems like an excellent option if you have a full barn you need to outfit at once, or if you just want a reliably good mask for your normal-sized horses.

Available at various online retailers for $15.95 (without ears) and $18.95 (with ears).

Farnamhorse.com/supermask/index.htm.

R

TESTER’S CHOICE

T

Kensington Protective Products

Fly Mask With Fleece Trim

he Kensington fly mask has some of the best reviews online—and for good reason, in my experience. The mask feels sturdy; the face is made of Textiline mesh, a PVC-coated polyester designed for durability, and it certainly feels that way when you touch it. The fabric also blocks 73 percent of UV rays, which is a bonus for horses with eye conditions or injuries.

In addition, the double-locking Velcro is some of the strongest I felt.

In fact, the first time I took it off my horse, it was so loud that she actually jumped back a bit. (She quickly got used to it.) There are double eye darts, which help the mask hold its shape, meaning I never worried the mask might irritate her eyes by touching them. The attachment has elastic for added comfort.

This mask never came off in turnout, and it didn’t show any signs of wear whatsoever after its test period. Pretty is as pretty does, but I liked the different colors of plaid available. If there is a downside to this mask, it’s only that the material is so heavy and sturdy, it feels like it could be a bit warmer

for the horse wearing it.

The Kensington masks also come in a web-trimmed version, in case you don’t want fleece on your horse’s face in the dead of summer, and options also include the long nose and ear covers. If you’re seeking an entire coordinated wardrobe for your equine, there are also fly sheets and wraps available in matching color schemes.

As an added bonus, Kensington masks carry a lifetime warranty. It’s more expensive than some options, but I think this mask stands a good chance of lasting more than one full season.

Available at various online retailers for $27 (without ears) and $33 (with ears). Kensingtonproducts.com.

GO WILD

With a snake or ostrich printed cuff you’re bound to make a statement in the Limited Edition Heritage Ellipse.

KNOW WHERE YOU STAND. ariat.com

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TEST LAB

Noble Outfitters Guardsman Fly Mask

Absorbine UltraShield Fly Mask

In a field of horses wearing more traditional masks, the Guardsman stands out.

The fit and overall appearance of this mask are unusual; it made my horse look a bit like an alien, which she probably didn’t mind, since she didn’t have any bugs in her eyes.

Noble Outfitters’ Flex Spline Technology “creates a canopy away from a horse’s eyes,” according to the company’s website, and the mask also features some additional contouring to keep bugs from getting inside the mask. At first I thought the mask was too big, but when I looked at photos, I realized that’s just how it’s supposed to fit.

The mesh on this mask feels sturdy, and it still looked good after its test period. The double-locking Velcro seemed strong, but my horse did remove it a few times. I’m not sure if that was a weakness with the Velcro itself or whether its unusual and slightly bulky design made it easier for a pasture mate to help remove.

While the horses’ forelocks nestle neatly inside on the peaks of the mask, I do prefer ones where you can thread the forelock out through a hole. All versions of this mask come with a Velcro removable nose cover—a nice feature.

This mask’s mesh feels lighter than some of the others, and indeed it proved slightly less durable, picking up some small snags in the testing process.

It was also another mask that just didn’t suit my Thoroughbred from a sizing standpoint; the larger size was too big, and the smaller one placed the eye darts in the wrong place so that they actually seemed like they could touch her eyes. It fit other horses at the barn fine.

This mask had some definite upsides.

The Velcro was sturdy, and the mask never came off. While the finer mesh doesn’t seem as durable as some of the other masks, I liked that it felt lighter, cooler and softer.

Interestingly, the diamond knit around the ears and the ear covers themselves are designed from human athletic clothes fabrics.

The UltraShield mask might be a nice option for a horse who’s very sensitive about his or her face and prone to rubs. If I were a horse outside on a hot day, I’d probably choose this mask (provided it was the correct size). The fabric also blocks 80 percent of UV rays.

The Guardsman comes with and without ears, in black and gold. Available at various online retailers for $24.95 (with and without ears). Nobleoutfitters.com.

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It’s available with or without ears at various online retailers for $23.95 (without ears) and $25.95 (with ears). Absorbine.com/ products/fly-control/ultrashield-fly-mask.

MannaPro Opti-Force Equine Fly Mask The MannaPro Opti-Force mask offers some unusual features. For starters, it’s treated with permethrin insect repellent, an additional barrier against annoying pests. The company says the treatment should last about 25 washings. You can’t smell the permethrin or feel it in any way.

The mesh on the mask is very light—good when it comes to a horse wearing it outside in the heat, but a potential downside in terms of durability. The mask has two double-locking Velcro closures, and my test subject never got this mask off.

The mesh is so light, especially the part that goes under the jaw, that I assumed she’d tear it on the first night of turnout, but she actually kept it intact during the test period.

It’s much stronger than it looks.

But the light mesh fits loosely around the face, and I worried that the lack of defined eye darts wouldn’t keep it out my horse’s eyes and face. It did seem to touch her eyelashes at times, especially if I didn’t bend the fabric out a little before putting it on, though that certainly never seemed to upset her. It also seemed cooler than some of the heavier weaves.

The edges are made of a webbing material that doesn’t feel super-soft but which never rubbed her face. Overall, this is a good option if you prioritize a treated mask.

Available at a number of online retailers for $22.95.

Mannapro.com/products/fly-control.

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Request a quote at 717.687.0292 or by visiting our website.

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THE CLOTHES HORSE

GONE BUT NOT FORGOTTEN

It’s a hard truth every horse owner faces: Our beloved equines simply don’t live as long as we do. Saying goodbye can be devastating.

But having a physical object like a jewel, a work of art, or even a memorial stone in your horse’s honor can ease the grieving process and provide a unique remembrance.

QUEEN CITY ECLECTICS CREMATION URN PENDANT Keep your horse’s memory close with this necklace and pendant designed to hold a symbolic pinch of ashes or a strand or two of precious hair.

Stainless steel 24" chain with a water resistant aluminum cylinder that can be engraved. $10.99 plus engraving.

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By L AU R A S T. CL A IR

MARY SAND STUDIO Sculptor and painter Mary Sand captures the magic of our magnificent horses in her highly acclaimed works. From tabletop to trophy to life-sized works, Sand’s mastery of movement and character and her skill with anatomical accuracy are evident in pieces like the life-sized bronze Hickstead, which is on permanent display at Spruce Meadows in Calgary, Alberta. Prices for a limited-edition sculpture start at about $4,500, and commissioned work pricing is available upon request. EquineSculptor.com.

LIFEGEM LifeGem will create a certified diamond from the ashes or hair of your beloved equine partner. Because remains have unique characteristics based on the ratios of elements, no two diamonds are exactly alike.

Prices start at $2,490. LifeGem.com.

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VALERIE SEABERG Highly acclaimed Wyoming artist Valerie Seaberg melds hand-built clay forms with woven organics to create pieces with a life all their own. Using hair from your horse, Seaberg will create a museum-quality work that will retell your story in texture, movement, pattern and material for generations to come. Prices start at $350 for a small vessel. The wave pieces shown are about $6,000. ValerieSeaberg.com.

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THE CLOTHES HORSE

PERPETUA LIFE JEWELS EQUESTRIAN LJ PENDANT Are horses in your DNA? Perpetua Life Jewels creates shimmering pendant necklaces that encase a unique double helix of your horse’s DNA. Perpetua can even combine DNA samples in a memorial to your partnership with your horse. Choose from helix colors like “bay” and “chestnut” or go for contrast with gem-inspired tones of turquoise or emerald. Prices for the classic Life Jewel in sterling silver start at $85.

PerpetuaDNAJewels.com.

DENISE DONOVAN

PICTURES IN STONE Have a special resting place on your farm for your beloved partner? Mark it elegantly with a laser-engraved memorial stone from Pictures In Stone. Your photos, poems or special sentiments will be etched in imported black granite that will serve as a reminder of your enduring bond. The stone lies flush to the ground for ease of care and mowing. Prices from $62 to $400, depending on size. PicturesInStone.com.

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Horsehair pottery and jewelry are this Pennsylvania-based artist’s specialty. Denise Donovan has memorialized Grand Prix dressage superstars such as Brentina, Rhett and Mythilus with her horsehair pottery, a technique in which hairs are burned into the pottery’s surface to create beautiful lines.

Choose from a variety of statues for one that best resembles your horse. The horsehair you provide, which turns black in the firing process regardless of original color, makes each piece unique. Alternatively, custom painting of the sculptures is also available With her Resin Stone Heart Pendant, Donovan artfully captures a few wisps of mane in resin and sterling silver. With the resin process, the hair retains its original color.

For a modern twist, Donovan incorporates cremation ash into a layered sterling silver ring. Prices for custom painted or fired sculptures start at $175 and jewelry at $100.

MyHorseArt.com.

THE CLOTHES HORSE KENTUCKY HORSE PARK CELEBRATION WALL PLAQUE

JAMES SHAMBHU PHOTO

The Kentucky Horse Park Foundation’s Celebration Wall, located in the park’s Miller Barn, offers a lasting memorial that also supports the park’s competition facilities.

The foundation offers three plaque sizes, ranging from 6.5" by 3.8" to 14" by 7", and all proceeds go to maintaining or improving the Kentucky Horse Park’s barns, footing and show arenas.

Prices range from $1,000 to $5,000.

KHPFoundation.org

NANNA SALMI JEWELRY Ancient techniques and materials come together in sleek, modern horsehair jewelry from European designer Nanna Salmi. The nannasalmi™ collection includes heirloom-quality handmade bracelets, necklaces and brooches, as well as tie bars and cufflinks, that feature woven horsehair with precious metals and diamonds. Prices start at about $385. NannaSalmi.com

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Equestrian Jewelry Collection

www.swankysaddle.com

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COVER STORY

DIRK CAREMANS/HIPPOFOTO PHOTO

“My father’s life is only about horses,” Rodrigo Pessoa says of Neco Pessoa. “Horses from day to night, and that hasn’t changed. He still gives very good advice. …

Knowledge and experience are not things you can teach; they are something you acquire, and he is very generous in sharing it.”

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The

PASSION Of The

The 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro bring a family legacy full circle for Neco and Rodrigo Pessoa, Brazil’s father and son show jumping legends.

BY JENNIFER B. C ALDER They were clever hiding spots, he thought.

Sure, the first one under the bed was a bit predictable, but the clothes hamper seemed ingenious. But that, too, had been discovered, and now 7-year-old Nelson “Neco” Pessoa stood petrified on trembling legs in the riding arena of the Deodoro Military Club outside of Rio de Janeiro, dwarfed by the equine before him.

His father, a real estate developer and amateur show jumper also named Nelson, had insisted—he wanted to mitigate Neco’s fear of horses and other animals—and so the younger Pessoa choked back panic and forced himself to climb into the saddle.

That was in 1943.

Now, 73 years later, legendary show jumper Neco Pessoa will stand ringside on those very same grounds and proudly cheer on his own son, the equally famous Rodrigo Pessoa, and the rest of team Brazil in the 2016 Olympic Games, to be held for the first time in South America, Aug. 5-21.

Many of the original structures from Neco’s childhood remain at the military sports complex in Deodoro, and the poignancy of his return is not lost on him.

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COVER STORY

PHOTO COURTESY OF PESSOA FAMILY

“It’s incredible! I was just there visiting, and it’s the same arena, the same door! They haven’t changed anything; it’s absolutely the same place,” he marvels.

“I would like to jump in the Olympics there, if it were possible,” adds the octogenarian with a laugh. “But it’s a little too late.”

It is not too late for Rodrigo, however. And when the dynastic duo returns home to Brazil—one as anchor of the show jumping team, the other as a mentor and father— they’ll bring the family’s riding legacy, which started with grandfather Nelson and continued with Neco despite his rather inauspicious beginning, satisfyingly full circle.

PHOTO COURTESY OF PESSOA FAMILY

While Neco Pessoa was away showing horses for long periods, young Rodrigo developed a close bond with his mother Regina, a non-rider.

Unlike his own father, Neco Pessoa was cautious about encouraging his young son to ride. “I was scared,” he says. “I had a very long career and a lot of success. What if I push my son into riding, and he’s not talented?”

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F

FATHER KNOWS BEST

rom ages 7 to 11, this pattern continued on a loop: Neco (so nicknamed by an older sister who couldn’t pronounce Nelson) would hide, eventually be found, then involuntarily and fearfully ride with the officers at the cavalry school near their weekend house outside Rio. His own father had begun riding at 35 years old as an amateur.

“He was very into athletics and very severe,” Neco says of Nelson Sr. “He knew I was very afraid and that it would be good for me to lose this fear.”

When Neco was 11, the family moved their four horses from Deodoro to the Sociedade Hípica Brasileira, the riding club in Rio. In Neco’s first experience there, he lost the war of nerves riding in front of everyone.

“My introduction there finished very badly. We went home, and you can imagine how that was …” His voice trails off.

“The next day I was so ashamed of myself. I went back to the club by myself and told my teacher I wanted to ride all four of our horses. The guy said, ‘Yesterday, this kid was scared like crazy, and today he wants to ride?’ ” he reminisces with a chuckle.

And ride he did, guiding each horse over jumps.

“I went home and told my dad I rode all four horses, and he said, ‘I have never heard such a lie!’ ” Neco says, his chuckle now erupting to laughter.

“From that day, I was never scared again in my entire life. From the day to the night, it was that quick,” and he snaps his fingers. “I never had a problem again.”

DON’T SAY THAT TWO TIMES

PHOTO COURTESY OF PESSOA FAMILY

W

hat started as a terrifying endeavor soon evolved into passionate obsession.

“Our house was 20 minutes away [from the Hípica],” he says. “My life was: school to the club, the club to the house, school again in the morning.”

Repeat.

Day after day, year after year, on every mount stabled there.

By the age of 13, Neco began to win competitions against seniors, as there were no junior classes at that time in Brazil.

“I never once competed against another boy,” he says.

“My father was a very competitive person. He always wanted to win, and he pushed me. He had a lot to say, and I was only able to listen,” he recalls.

But Neco is grateful for his father’s influence, and he and Nelson were very close.

“My father was a really great person,” he says. “He was self-made. When my grandfather died, my father was only 15 and the oldest. My grandfather worked as a railroad employee, and my grandmother didn’t work at all. I don’t know how my father did it. He worked very hard and gave us a fantastic life.”

At 18, Neco qualified for Brazil’s National Team, making him the first and only civilian member of a military team. And this wasn’t some rag-tag group of show jumpers: They had placed fourth in the Olympic Games in Helsinki two years earlier, in 1952.

“After that, I also became very competitive. When I turned 18, I was on my own. My father gave me a couple of very good horses, and then it was up to me to take care of my career,” he explains.

The following year, with Neco’s help, the National Team won the Nations Cup in Aachen (Germany), and in 1956 Neco made his Olympic debut, riding for Brazil –Neco Pessoa in Stockholm (Sweden).

Neco Pessoa says he first saw his son Rodrigo’s talent as a horseman when the young rider was 15. Rodrigo quit school at 17 to work with horses—and his father—full time.

The 1956 Olympic Games had been awarded to Australia, but quarantine laws there forced the equestrian events to relocate to Sweden. Brazil did not medal, but the 1956 Games launched the Pessoa family’s Olympic tradition.

After getting a taste of international competition in the United States and Europe, Neco moved to Switzerland to become a professional rider in 1961, traveling on a cargo ship with his two horses and new bride, Regina (“who had never seen a horse in her life,” he jokes).

“I had an invitation from a friend of mine who lived in Geneva. She said, ‘Look, I have a stable, and I want to compete, and it would be great if you come and stay with us and help me.’ I said, ‘Don’t say that two times!’ ” Neco jokes.

In Switzerland, he built his business from the ground up, securing one of the first corporate sponsors for equestrians, the famed Moët et Chandon winery. He modeled this sponsorship after the Formula 1 example, race cars being another of his passions (see sidebar).

Sadly, Nelson Sr. died in 1964, but not before on the 2016 Olympic witnessing one of Neco’s

“I would like to jump in the Olympics there, if it were possible. But it’s a little too late.”

Games in Rio

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ELISABETH MILLAY PHOTO

I

Neco and Regina Pessoa, married for 56 years, contributed equally to their son Rodrigo’s success, says longtime family friend George Morris. “Just because you are Neco Pessoa and successful, you don’t necessarily have a son like that,” Morris says. “The fact that he did? Much of that is due to Neco and also Regina. Rodrigo has a great mother, too.”

important early achievements: taking both first and second in Germany’s Hamburg Derby.

“I was so humbled by this first big success in Hamburg in 1963,” Neco says. “I was the only rider in 100 years to take both first and second with two different horses, and my father was present. Then he went home and, a year later, had a heart attack. I never saw him again.”

But Neco’s career was on the rise. For the next four decades, he racked up victory after victory and secured his reputation as one of the greatest international show jumpers.

George Morris, who has known Neco since the mid1950s, says of his friend, “Neco was a great horseman and a great rider. What he did, in my opinion, greatly influenced—to the point I would say he revolutionized— Europe to the fact of galloping horses between fences. The old European style was slow-to-fast, and he was fast-to-slow.

They would jump a fence and pull up, jump a fence and pull up. It was much more stop/start. He took what he learned here [in the United States] from Bert de Némethy and was a great influence in Europe.

“He is an iconic figure in the sport of show jumping,” he concludes.

Neco’s obsession for the sport was all-consuming. It was also contagious and, in time, would be passed down to his only child, Rodrigo, although Neco took a different, gentler approach than that of his own father.

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THE OPPOSITE APPROACH

t’s a balmy day at 15-acre Sasco Creek Farm in Wellington, Fla., two weeks before the end of the winter circuit. The walls of Rodrigo Pessoa’s elegant barn are dotted with framed competition photos from World Championships, Nations Cups and Olympic Games. The brick center aisle is void of even a single stray strand of hay, as horses poke their heads over the stall doors.

A massive bay gelding in the cross-ties lowers his head for me to scratch his ears as his groom nods permission. It’s Jordan II. He was Rodrigo’s first choice for the upcoming Olympic Games but has been sidelined due to a fractured sesamoid bone. Another horse exercises, unaccompanied, on a nearby treadmill.

“So sorry I am late!” calls out the silhouette at the end of the barn a few moments later, walking forward with an outstretched hand. His English is colored by a combination of French and Portuguese accents.

“We were filming a video for Pessoa saddles, and it took a bit longer than expected,” Rodrigo explains (see sidebar).

Unfailingly well-mannered, he is no more than two minutes tardy, per the Rolex clock—courtesy of his sponsor—hanging in the aisle.

Rodrigo, 43, heads out of the barn toward a ringside gazebo to chat. There is a decisiveness and professionalism in his actions. None of this, “Where should we sit?” No hemming or hawing. He’s done this before, many, many times, yet he remains fully engaged and gracious.

Still in his riding gear—tan breeches, boots, a white polo shirt, his now salt-and-pepper hair hidden beneath a Rolex baseball hat—he leans back, crossing his boots at the ankles, and drapes his arm along the railing.

His posture and demeanor are languid, but he has an attentive energy about him. The man you see inside the ring, composed yet focused, is consistent with the person you meet outside of it. Rodrigo is admittedly more measured and guarded than his gregarious father, but both share a directness and sweetness in addition to their skillful mastery in the show jumping ring.

“I think my dad was very smart in not wanting to push horses on me in the beginning. He just left me really at ease if I wanted to ride or not,” Rodrigo says.

It was a question that didn’t take long to answer.

TEAM BRAZIL REUNITES OLD FRIENDS

BETH RASIN PHOTO

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“I am Brazilian,” says Rodrigo Pessoa, shown here after winning individual gold at the 1998 World Equestrian Games in Rome, “even if I was born in Europe and am the most European of the Brazilians and the most Brazilian of the Europeans. I feel a little bit European because I have lived there so long. But the blood through my veins is Brazilian, and that is undeniable.”

LIKE FATHER, LIKE SON

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eco and Regina waited 10 years to have their first and only child. “We just wanted to concentrate on the one,” Neco explains.

By that time, Neco had moved his business to Chantilly, the town outside Paris where Rodrigo was born. There were a couple of ponies in the backyard that 5-yearold Rodrigo would clamor aboard now and then, but they vied with other interests like judo, soccer and tennis.

“When I was around 10, we moved to Belgium, and I started competing on my ponies. I really got this bug for competition,”

eco Pessoa has been an important influence on generations of Brazilian show jumpers, but he relishes his minimal involvement in the 2016 team selection, which is still underway.

“It would be a very difficult situation for me. Of the top eight riders, six have come through my barn, and it would be very difficult to select, so I don’t want to be involved. Not at all. I am very happy George Morris has this problem,” he says with a laugh.

Morris was brought on as the team coach in January to succeed former Brazilian Chef d’Equipe Jean-Maurice Bonneau, who had coached Brazil’s show jumping team since 2010.

“I was very fond of Jean-Maurice,” says Rodrigo Pessoa. “Unfortunately, some political problems took him out of his seat at the end of the year, and, for different reasons, he could no longer continue, which was a shame. I still talk to him often and really like him, and nothing has changed between us, but unfortunately he could not continue.

“We’ve known George a long time,” he continues. “We’ve had a great relationship with him, and [it will be beneficial] to have someone who can bring an outside look at what we are doing technically. He obviously has tremendous knowledge. As I am the oldest one and the most experienced rider, they are going to take my opinion into consideration [in helping select the team], even if I am also going for a spot. They know that if my horse is ready, it’s fine.”

As for how he views his role, Morris says, “I am on board mainly to support and give confidence, to walk the course and help select the team.

I am not changing them or training them. I give them tips. I am not changing them; that is not my job. I am not going to try and rock the boat right before the Olympics.”

And while others express concerns about Brazil’s readiness for the upcoming Games, Morris is less worried.

“Most Olympics have a cloud of some kind over them,” he says.

“I haven’t been to one where there wasn’t. Munich had terrorism, then they boycotted Moscow, then Los Angeles was going to be too hot, Atlanta was going to be too hot. Sydney was going to be this, Hong Kong was going to be impossible. All Olympics have that. It should all work out in the end.”

Although Rodrigo’s top mount, Jordan II, is sidelined with an injury, neither Rodrigo nor Morris are worried.

“Rodrigo Pessoa is such a genius on a horse,” Morris adds. “You really want to take him on anything because he has proven in championships to do very well with lesser horses.”

“Eh, it’s just horses,” says a philosophical Rodrigo. “You’re disappointed, but it is what it is. We take good care of our horses and try to avoid injuries, but there are some things you can’t control.”

Instead he will aim to make the team with Status or Ferro Chin VH Lindenhof. The final team will be decided in July.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF PESSOA FAMILY

“I was never pushed to ride, and that is what I am doing with my kids as well,” says Rodrigo Pessoa, with (from left) wife Alexa and daughters Sophia and Cecilia. “I think the most important thing is never to push or force it. Doing anything with

DIRK CAREMANS/HIPPOFOTO PHOTO

resentment is never a good thing.”

“I think, for me, most important is the recognition that my kids are good, respectable human beings,” says Rodrigo Pessoa, with wife Alexa and daughter Sophia. “I think that is the best compliment you can get.”

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eco Pessoa’s contributions to international show jumping haven’t been limited to the ring.

When he came to Europe, he found the saddles there either too heavy or too flat, so he began visiting tack shops and reassembling new ones from their parts.

The result: the Pessoa saddle.

They were made with French leather, manufactured in England, and the sizes were offered in half-inch increments.

The Pessoas have since sold the name to a manufacturer in Argentina and retain an advisory role.

Likewise, the Pessoa longe system—a system of ropes, clips and pulleys designed to work via pressure and release and help develop the horse’s topline—was also created out of Neco-based necessity.

Rodrigo explains, “He was always thinking, always coming up with stuff, inventing things because he was always thinking of how he could make it better.

“He is permanently unsatisfied,” Rodrigo adds, laughing.

“What can we do better? How can it be improved? He’s never rested on his laurels. He always wanted to do better and do more.”

he recalls. “That was the drive. Then when I was 14 or 15, I really decided this is what I wanted to do. I loved it and never looked back.

“And if I did it,” he adds, “I wanted to be the best and try not to spoil the opportunities I had been given, and that really drove that competitiveness to another level.”

Having a famous equestrian father heightened his ambition—not to mention his work ethic.

“I was lucky to have really great people around me who gave me all these wonderful opportunities,” he says. “It was very obvious to me that I had to do my best and not disappoint them, but also create my own first name. All of that contributed to this desire. There was a lot of history, and I didn’t want to be the ‘the son of’ my whole life. The pressure of carrying the name and the attention of people was always there. Many people are not very forgiving, but to me that was a motivation. All of that drove me to work very hard.”

For his part, Neco was unsure if he wanted to encourage his son’s riding.

“I was scared,” Neco admits. “I had a very long career and a lot of success. What if I push my son into riding, and he’s not talented? If he’s not good, it will be terrible. He will make

DIRK CAREMANS/HIPPOFOTO PHOTO

FATHER OF INVENTION: THE PESSOA SADDLE AND LONGE SYSTEM

Neco Pessoa’s younger granddaughter, Sophia, calls him Neco or Vovo, Portuguese for “grandfather.”

a very bad living if he’s not a good rider.”

He need not have worried.

“When he was 15, I realized he was very talented,” Neco recalls. “I was with [Olympic show jumping medalist] Norman Dello Joio. I remember it very well. We were watching him ride, and he was jumping, and I remember going home to my wife and saying that he could be a good rider one day, no problem.”

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A SHARED OBSESSION

hroughout Rodrigo’s childhood, Neco was away often for weeks or months at a time.

“He traveled a lot and was always working very hard. I was home with my mother, and we formed a very tight bond. We grew very, very close,” Rodrigo says.

When his enthusiasm for horses grew to mirror Neco’s, Rodrigo began accompanying his dad to international competitions.

“That, in turn, brought him and me closer,” Rodrigo says. “This is really when my interest for the horses became—” He pauses.

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“Everything,” he finally concludes.

“My mother understood this was my passion, and they both have always been very supportive. You know, I wasn’t great in school because I just had horses on my mind the whole time.”

He quit school at 17.

“I knew already there was nothing else for me but the horses,” he explains.

“I was starting to ride at a big level.

It was obvious this was going to be my job. I wasn’t going to be a lawyer.

I wasn’t going to be an accountant. I wasn’t going to be a doctor. I spoke and wrote four languages [he now is proficient in seven], knew how to count and write. And my mom just gave up, gave up on getting me to school.”

He laughs, then adds seriously, “It was a hard decision for my parents, to let me drop out of school. But they could see I had the talent and drive.”

Rodrigo immediately began working full time with Neco, and the two became partners.

“It really became an obsession. I was obsessed with it,” Rodrigo acknowledges, brushing an imperceptible smudge of dirt off his breeches. “Obsessed with results. You know, I didn’t go out. I had very few friends because it was just horses, horses, horses, day in and day out. If I was going to stop school, it was to work and not to just fool around. I had to behave like a grown-up at a very young age, and my friends were all grown-ups from the shows. When you are surrounded by people who are five, 10, 15 years older, you can’t act like a fool. There were no other teenagers there with me.”

In hindsight, does he regret things he missed? Parties?

College? A less nomadic lifestyle?

“How can I regret the life that I had and the time I had? That’s unregrettable. It is unregrettable,” he repeats.

“I am very, very fortunate to do what I love. Not everybody has that chance—to do what you really, really love. It is not something given to everybody. People who get in their cars at 4 a.m. or 5 a.m. and get on the road and sit in traffic every single day to go to an office? That is hard!” he says.

When asked what about the horse captivates him, he

Neco, shown here with granddaughters Sophia (left) and Cecilia, lives with Rodrigo and Alexa during their winters in Wellington and visits them every day when they are all at home in Belgium.

A DIFFERENT “FORMULA”

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eco and Rodrigo Pessoa share another passion, Formula 1 racing, but even this interest circles back to their first love: horses.

“I’ve always followed Formula 1 racing very closely,” says Rodrigo. “It’s one of my passions. It’s a sport I have always liked and admired because of how much you can compare it to equestrian sport. That is, the tune-up and set-up and technique is so fine and similar. Even if it’s with a car, a lot of the telemetry and mechanics, it’s very similar to what we do.”

Neco agrees. “It’s the same thing,” he says. “A car is a horse;

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a horse is a car. It’s the same sensibility. A car can be going fantastic, and then, the day of the race, the motor doesn’t work. You have luck, sometimes you drive well, sometimes you ride well. Sometimes you ride bad, sometimes you drive bad.

It’s really a very similar sport.”

Neco and Rodrigo have logged hours behind the wheel of these other high-performance “animals,” with Neco conceding that his son is the better race-car pilot.

“Rodrigo is a very good driver. He was much better and much quicker than me,” he says with a laugh.

pauses thoughtfully before answering: “Different from other sports, it’s not a racquet, it’s not a car, it’s not a boat. It’s a living being. This is what makes it so special. It has a life, has a personality, has a character and is very challenging because not only do you have to do your part right, you have to know how to help the horse do his part right. That makes it like no other sport and is why it is very special in comparison.”

OBSERVE AND LEARN, MY SON

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eco’s father has been gone for more than 50 years, but he is still an influential presence in Neco and Rodrigo’s horsemanship.

“My father’s advice to me was this,” Neco reveals. “ ‘Do one thing, my son. Observe. Observe!’ And I think that is fantastic. I never forgot it. Observe. Look at the people.

I can come into a clinic, and in 10 minutes I can tell you everything. If one person’s stirrup is longer than the other, how is the rein of that one? I see everything. Everything that is good and everything that is bad. That was the advice of my father. Observe. Observe the riders. Observe the horses.”

Neco, in turn, bequeathed this philosophy to Rodrigo, and it forms a central tenet of their horsemanship.

“Horsemanship is being interested in knowing more, in learning,” Rodrigo explains. “Being there when the veterinarian is there, when the blacksmith is there, when the chiropractor is there. You need to know everything that is going on from the morning to the night. It’s not only about the riding. The riding is almost the last piece of the puzzle that comes in.

“And watch,” Rodrigo continues.

“You can learn a lot from watching other people. What they do right, what they do wrong. Observation is a very important part of all of this.

“My father’s life is only about horses,” Rodrigo adds. “Horses from day to night, and that hasn’t changed.

–Rodrigo He still gives very

good advice. Obviously, with all his experience he can detect things very quickly, just by looking. Knowledge and experience are not things you can teach; they are something you acquire, and he is very generous in sharing it.”

“I still learn because, with horses, we never can say, ‘I know everything,’ ” says Neco.

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FROM FATHER AND SON TO TEAMMATES

father-son pair on the same Olympic team was unprecedented until Rodrigo, then 19, and Neco, 56, competed together in the 1992 Barcelona Games. Though Neco’s riding days are mostly behind him now, the uniqueness of their intertwined careers and lives remains profound to both father and son.

Between them, Neco and Rodrigo have competed in 11 Olympic Games. With a berth to the 2016 Games in Rio, Rodrigo will have represented Brazil seven times at the Olympics, the most of any Brazilian in any sport.

Neco and Rodrigo were teammates first at the FEI World Equestrian Games in 1990, again in the 1992 Olympics and 1994 World Games, and they won team gold in the 1995 Pan American Games. They continued riding together until their final joint competition, in the 1998 World Equestrian Games in Rome (where Rodrigo won the World Championship).

“We have made some really great memories,” Rodrigo says fondly.

“We’ve always spent a lot of time together. Spending time together is one thing, working together is one thing, but competition at this level is pushing it even a step farther, which is really nice or cool,” he says, laughing. “Whatever you want to call it, it is something very unique, because very few people get to compete with their father.”

As Rodrigo’s star began to shine more brightly—he won three consecutive FEI World Cup Finals on Baloubet du Rouet in 1998, 1999 and 2000—Neco let his own dim.

Pessoa “With the possibility of

“Horsemanship is being interested in knowing more, in learning. ...Observation is a very important part of all of this.”

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COVER STORY AT A GLANCE CAREERS RODRIGO PESSOA To date, Rodrigo Pessoa has ridden in six Olympic Games and four Pan American Games.

His 13 FEI World Cup Finals include three consecutive victories with the same horse, Baloubet du Rouet, in 19982000. He also has more than 80 grand prix wins.

1990: World Equestrian Games, Stockholm

NELSON “NECO” PESSOA Neco Pessoa has ridden in five Olympic Games and nine World Championships, along with more than 150 grand prix classes in Europe.

1956: Olympic Games, Stockholm 1959: Pan American Games, Chicago (team silver) 1964: Olympic Games, Tokyo

1992: Olympic Games, Barcelona (9th place, individual)

1967: Pan American Games, Winnipeg (team gold)

1994: World Equestrian Games, The Hague

1967: Pan American Games, Winnipeg (individual silver)

1995: Pan American Games, Mar del Plata, Argentina (team gold)

1968: Olympic Games, Mexico City

1996: FEI World Cup Final, Geneva (4th place) 1996: Olympic Games, Atlanta (team bronze, first Brazilian Olympic equestrian team medal) 1998: FEI World Cup Final, Helsinki (1st place) 1998: World Equestrian Games, Rome (individual gold) 1999: FEI World Cup Final, Gothenburg (1st place) 2000: FEI World Cup Final, Las Vegas (1st place)

1972: Olympic Games, Munich 1980: FEI World Cup Final, Baltimore 1984: FEI World Cup Final, Gothenburg 1985: FEI World Cup Final, Berlin 1987: Pan American Games, Indianapolis 1989: FEI World Cup Final, Tampa 1990: World Equestrian Games, Stockholm 1991: FEI World Cup Final, Gothenburg

2000: Olympic Games, Sydney (team bronze) 2004: Olympic Games, Athens (individual gold) 2007: Pan American Games, Rio de Janeiro (team gold) 2007: Pan American Games, Rio de Janeiro (individual silver) 2008: Olympic Games, Hong Kong 2011: Pan American Games, Guadalajara (team silver) 2012: Olympic Games, London

1992: Olympic Games, Barcelona 1994: World Equestrian Games, The Hague 1995: Pan American Games, Mar del Plata, Argentina (team gold) 1996: Hickstead Show Jumping Derby, Great Britain (1st place) 1998: World Equestrian Games, Rome

2015: Nations Cup, Calgary (team gold)

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“Rodrigo has incredible nerve. He doesn’t get nervous.”

–George Morris Rodrigo becoming a really top rider, I decided it was better for him to be alone and get more horses,” he explains. “It was much more clever than continuing to compete together.

“I just stopped like that,” he adds. “I didn’t put on white breeches again. I went to the shows and, instead of riding, I helped people. I don’t miss competition at all.

I am very clear about that. I knew the time had come to retire. I never missed it.”

“He was very good about stepping back,” says Rodrigo.

“He is a very generous person. He was able to match me with the right horse at the right moment, which made my progression easier and quick—very quick—because of that. It can be hard to step back. Not everyone can do that. It is not an easy thing to do, but he managed it very well.”

Despite their shared fervor for show jumping and horsemanship, the two men have their differences.

“My father is a very anxious person, very anxious,” Rodrigo explains. “Even if he doesn’t show it, he’s very nervous, and that always got in the way for him when it came to very big moments, very big championships. We are very different in that way. I am much more laid back and let everything unfold. He wants to anticipate a lot.

In our careers, I have been lucky to be a quieter person, not nervous at all.

“As people, we are also opposite,” he continues. “I am much more of a closed person than he is. My dad is very social and wants to talk to everybody and can talk for hours.

He is very generous, with his time and with people. I am more like my mother. She’s more of an introvert.”

“Rodrigo has incredible nerve,” says Morris. “He doesn’t get nervous. He’s very talented, one of the most talented riders in the world. Just because you are Neco Pessoa and successful, you don’t necessarily have a son like that. The fact that he did? Much of that is due to Neco and also Regina.

Rodrigo has a great mother, too.”

BRUMSHAGEN/ULLSTEIN BILD FOR GETTY IMAGES PHOTO

Neco and Rodrigo Pessoa celebrate together during the awards ceremony at the Hamburg Derby in 1994.

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What the two do have in common—beyond their prowess in the show ring—is an adoration and respect for one another. Neco lives with Rodrigo and Alexa during the winter months in Wellington, and when they are all home in Belgium, he visits them every afternoon.

“I am very proud of Rodrigo. Very. He rides the way I like to see, and I like the way he takes care of his stable, his horses, his staff. He is also a fantastic father. Fantastic!” exclaims Neco.

Rodrigo’s 11-year-old daughter Cecilia, who lives with her mother Keri Potter in California, is very much a part of the Pessoa family. “He is very, very committed to her being a part of our lives, and she and Sophia are very close,” says Rodrigo’s wife Alexa.

Noting his father’s anxiousness, Rodrigo purposely cultivated a more tranquil mentality. “I saw that it always got in his way a little bit, and I try to practice and maintain calmness, and it has worked out really well for me,” he explains.

Neco laughs at this. “He should have been a little less quiet, and he would have learned a little bit more,” he jokes.

Neco and Rodrigo have also come at the sport from slightly different angles.

“Neco sees the best in any horse and believes if you work hard enough you can really bring out the greatness in a horse that seems really complicated or quirky,” says Alexa Pessoa (née Weeks), Rodrigo’s wife of seven years and a show jumper herself. “He is famous for loving a challenge and has a great way with them. He is extremely dedicated and a true horseman.

“Rodrigo’s passion, I think, is more connected to the sport.

He loves not only working with the horses, but also working with the federations to help grow the sport. Neco is very passionate, and that still shows today,” Alexa continues. “Whereas Rodrigo could potentially take a break from the sport and do something else, Neco could never have done that. He’s absolutely obsessed with horses and working every single day with horses and making them better.”

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FAMILY TIES

odrigo has two children, Cecilia, 11, from his first marriage to American show jumper Keri Potter, and Sophia, 5, with Alexa. Asked to talk about them, Rodrigo absentmindedly begins to fiddle with a chain he is wearing beneath his shirt, and it makes a jingling sound. On it are various charms, including two with the names of his daughters, another one his mother gave him when he was a child, and various Catholic medals, including one for the Virgin Mary.

He never takes it off. Ever.

“I am very religious, but it is very personal,” he reveals.

“I pray twice a day. For protection and thanking for health.

It’s part of the routine.”

He is also superstitious: black cats, numbers and walking under ladders—the usual.

Still touching the chain, Rodrigo says that it is his daughters he considers his greatest accomplishments, not his individual gold medal in the Olympic Games nor three FEI World Cup Final titles.

“I think, for me, most important is the recognition that my kids are good, respectable human beings. I think that is the best compliment you can get. That they are kind, they are generous, they are polite. The things I did in my sporting life? Pffffffft,” he exhales. “That doesn’t really matter. It’s not important enough.”

The end of his first marriage—and Potter and Cecilia’s return to California—was challenging.

“My daughter Cecilia was 2 years old,” Rodrigo recalls.

“It was the most difficult decision I’ve ever had to make, to finalize that. But I think now, when I look back, we made the right one. My ex-wife is a great mother, and we are both happy in our lives now. She is remarried and

As Sophia Pessoa, 5, approaches school age, changes loom for her father.

“I don’t want to be away from them,” Rodrigo says of his family. “This is why I am probably going to begin to take a step back.”

DIRK CAREMANS/HIPPOFOTO PHOTO

has a stepdaughter and a new daughter as well, and I have a new daughter, so everybody is happy. Unfortunately, we cannot all be together, but that is modern existence. In the beginning, it was tense. Divorce can never be happy, but as time went by, we both found our stability, and nowadays it’s all OK. “We all get along very well, but that was the most difficult thing for me, obviously,” he says quietly.

“He is an unbelievable father,” says Alexa. “With Cecilia living in San Diego, that is obviously a long distance and complicated, but he does a great job of being involved in her life and involving her in ours.

He is very, very committed to her being a part of our lives, and she and Sophia are very close.

“I think there are so many ups and downs in this sport,” she continues. “Horses are relatively unreliable, and if you pin your happiness on the success of the horses, it’s going to be a really rough ride. Horses are a huge part of our life, but at the end of the day if everybody is happy and healthy, that’s all that really matters. It’s important to have that balance.

“He’s also unflappable, so that is a great quality for a dad,” Alexa adds with a laugh.

As of now, both girls show minimal interest in riding.

Rodrigo is taking a page from his father’s playbook when it comes to this.

“I was never pushed to ride, and that is what I am doing with the kids as well,” he says. “If they want to ride, fine; if they don’t, fine. I think the most important

“You have to have dedication and passion and love for what you do, and you have to put in the hours, do the hard work.”

–Rodrigo Pessoa thing is never to push or force it. Doing anything with resentment is never a good thing.”

Another lesson Rodrigo learned from his parents has nothing to do with horses.

“They taught me to respect people and be respectful of others,” he says. “Respect is something you earn, and you have to give respect in order to receive it. Afterwards, dedication and hard work: Whatever you are doing, if you are a journalist, a sportsman, a chef, you have to have dedication and passion and love for what you to do, and you have to put in the hours, do C H RO N O F H O R S E .CO M

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the hard work. There is no way around it.”

With his youngest daughter approaching school age, changes are looming for Rodrigo.

“I don’t want to be away from them,” confesses Rodrigo. “This is why I am probably going to begin to take a step back. I will definitely do way, way, way less.

I feel like I have done everything I need to do and don’t have to be chasing things anymore. I have done this for 27 years and have been very lucky, very fortunate with the life I’ve had. It’s been a great, great run, and yes, I know that it is coming to an end soon.

“I think this will be my last Olympic Games,” he reveals.

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RODRIGO’S GRAND FINALE?

t is hard to imagine a more fitting finale for Rodrigo’s final Olympics than the upcoming Games in his home country, riding at the site of his father’s first lessons.

But what began as excitement when Brazil won the bid to host the Games is now tinted with trepidation over the Zika virus and political instability, including the impeachment of President Dilma Rousseff.

“When we first won the bid, our reaction was, ‘This is great!’

To have the Olympics in your home country, in your hometown, is unbelievable! It’s a great opportunity,” Rodrigo says. “Fast forward six years, and things have really changed. We are facing big political turmoil. It is a country that is very wealthy, and because it’s wealthy, the corruption is 1,000 percent. The money is going into the wrong pockets, and it is a major, major problem.”

Neco echoes the sentiment.

“Brazil hosting the Games was a big surprise, and it will be very nice for us, but I don’t think it will be very nice for the country because after hosting the Games, the country is going to be completely broke. The political point of view is a very bad situation. Right now, nothing is ready. But in the end, they will make everything work well. Nobody in the world can improve things more than the Brazilians,” he says with pride.

Sadly, although Neco will be ringside, Alexa won’t.

“We are trying for another baby this year,” she explains. “It

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Rodrigo was Brazil’s flag-bearer at the 2012 Olympic Games opening ceremony in London. The 2016 Games in his hometown will be his seventh Olympics, a record for a Brazilian athlete.

is unthinkable to me that I won’t be there. We are always together at all the shows. The horse he is thinking of riding [Status] is one I rode all circuit in Wellington, and we worked with him together a lot. I can’t even imagine. But it’s just the reality of this, and it’s not worth risking health.”

She is talking, of course, about the Zika virus, which poses a particular danger to pregnant women and their fetuses. Brazil has endured an outbreak of Zika since May 2015 and has since seen a marked increase in the number of infants born with microcephaly, a severe brain defect.

The virus is implicated in a range of other serious problems in babies, too, including vision and hearing defects.

“It’s hard to imagine not being there for your husband,” Alexa says. “It’s really sad. It’s sad because they are so proud, and for this particular group [of riders], they are really looking forward to it. We were all together at a horse show the night Brazil won the bid. They were so excited and couldn’t believe the opportunity they were going to have to jump in Rio. And now, over the last six months, it has evolved and become more challenging. It’s been a little heartbreaking for them to witness.”

But Rodrigo is still optimistic. “I am excited,” he says.

“I am excited to get ready for this. At this point in my career, I really need big objectives to get motivated, and obviously there is nothing bigger than the Olympic Games.

“Yes, a lot of the constructions are late,” Rodrigo continues. “They are late on purpose so they can charge and steal more money, and that is a difficult situation. But, apart from that, as a sportsperson, we are really looking forward to competing in our own country in the Olympic Games. It is a unique opportunity, a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, for us to compete in our home country.”

And so it is back to where it all started for this formidable father-son duo, to the place where a frightened young Neco Pessoa tried to hide from what would become a legendary legacy.

Back to Deodoro in Brazil.

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HISTORY

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ON BOARD Horses were once our primary means of transportation, but more recently they’ve been the passengers—in planes, trains, automobiles and ships.

By K IMBERLY LOUSHIN hen the U. S. Equestrian Team’s designated Olympic mounts board a plane for the 2016 Games in Rio de Janeiro, they’ll travel every mile in the lap of equine luxury. Everything from the plane’s cargo hold to the flight plan itself is designed to ensure the horses’ maximum comfort. After landing in Brazil, the equine athletes will board a cushy air-ride van for their final stretch to the Olympic Equestrian Centre in Deodoro.

But how did we get to this point? People have been tinkering with the best way to transport horses since at least 1500 B.C., when the main reason to move them long distances was for military, rather than sporting, battles. Over time, as horses gradually transformed from vehicles themselves into our competition partners and companions, the ways we move them from point A to point B have also evolved, thanks to human ingenuity and equine tolerance.

Gaining Their Sea Legs

Perhaps the earliest reference to transporting horses dates back to 1500 B.C., in a seal that depicts a horse on a boat. Horses were shipping by sea on Sept. 26, 1066, when William the Conqueror launched 750 vessels carrying 3,000 horses from the Norman coast toward England for the Battle of Hastings.

From at least 1500 BC until the 1950s, horses traveling overseas literally “shipped” by boat. Crossings could be perilous, but even when winds and seas were favorable, it was a struggle to keep equines fit on long ocean journeys. For the voyage to the 1928 Olympic Games in Amsterdam, the U. S. Equestrian Team used a treadmill for their horses.

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HISTORY

Early vans and trailers were built for short distances, because few vehicles were capable of pulling a horse over many miles. Gradually, as technology and infrastructure improved, so did trailers.

They became lighter and safer—and offered more amenities for horse and human.

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Conditions on the ships were poor at best. Horses were either housed below deck, where inadequate ventilation took its toll on their respiratory systems, or above deck, where they were strung up in slings so they wouldn’t lose their footing as the boats pitched and rolled on the waves.

The Crimean War (1853-1856) is probably best known for the dramatic cavalry action called the Charge of the Light Brigade.

But the British horses who carried out that charge had already endured plenty of less romantic-sounding hardships on the crossing from England. Close confinement and crude disembarkation methods contributed to many shipping casualties: The horses— blindfolded, to prevent them from panicking—were hoisted in slings over the side of the vessel and lowered into the water, where crew members waiting in boats would swim them ashore.

Ocean crossings were perilous for other reasons, too. Stormy seas could splinter a ship, but fair, windless skies also were risky, because a becalmed ship could easily run out of fresh drinking water for man and beast. That’s one theory behind the name of the horse latitudes, the large stretches of ocean between 30 and 38 degrees latitude north and south, notorious for their calm seas.

According to one persistent legend, they earned their name from the number of dead or dying horses thrown overboard when sailing ships stalled, and the drinking water ran out.

As accommodations on ships improved for human passengers, horses also got more creature comforts. A report by Gen. William Carter of the U.S. Army Veterinary Corps in the early 1900s prompted significant upgrades, like the discontinuation of slings for horses. Even so, technology brought new dangers for equines shipping overseas for war duty. During World War I, U-boats stalked transport ships, and on Dec. 2, 1916, the SS Palermo—carrying horses and ammunition from New York to Genoa, Italy—sank in the Mediterranean after U-72 torpedoed it.

The 1916 Olympic Games in Berlin were canceled due to the war, but otherwise from 1912 until 1956, horses bound for the Games traveled by ship. Their human caretakers improvised to keep horses fit on the long ocean journey. According to the Fédération Equestre Internationale, for the 1928 Games in Amsterdam, the U.S. team rented a treadmill that filmmakers had used for a chariot-race scene in a 1925 production of Ben-Hur. The Dutch team built its own shipboard treadmill when they traveled to the 1932 Games in Los Angeles.

Once back on land, horses were expected to carry themselves from town to town. Until the 18th century, race horses usually walked to race meets, and trainers would have to carefully schedule their trips to ensure their horses were rested enough to run.

It was a retired race horse, the undefeated 18th-century English champion Eclipse, that historians believe was the first to travel long distance in a horse trailer—in this case, a purposebuilt, four-wheeled cart pulled by two less celebrated horses. In 1789 Eclipse, then 25 and as famous at stud as he had been on the race course, relocated from Epsom to Middlesex after the death of his owner, Dennis O’Kelly. But old Eclipse had foundered and could not make the 20-mile trip on foot. As the peculiar vehicle trundled its prized occupant slowly through the English countryside, village residents sometimes ran alongside, hoping to peer in and see the great horse.

In 1816, cattle-breeder and race horse owner John Terrett shipped his runner Sovereign to the Newmarket races in one of the carts he normally used to transport bullocks. The modified trailer—Terrett had added springs for the horse’s comfort—was drawn by three draft horses, two at the wheel and one in front,

and it traveled 40 miles a day—twice the distance a horse typically would travel on foot.

Over time, transporting horses became more popular among the wealthy. In 1836, the English race horse Elis traveled three days from Goodwood to Doncaster in a custom horse-drawn van that was large enough for two horses. “It had padded sides and a hard-stuffed mattress over the floor and was fitted with proper stable appliances,” according to The History of the St. Leger Stakes, 1776-1901. “Drawn by six post-horses and attended by outriders, it attracted a good deal of attention on the 250 miles of road between Goodwood and Doncaster.” Elis and his companion The Drummer arrived well-rested, and Elis won the St. Leger, leading others to believe his owner, Lord George Bentinck, might be on to something. Bentinck must have been pleased, too: He later commissioned a painting titled Elis, and The Drummer, with

After more than a century of casual experimentation with horse-drawn trailers, developers finally produced the motorized horse box in time to transport horses for World War I. By the 1930s, when this photo was taken, the modern van—though primitive—was starting to take shape.

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From Hooves To Wheels

HISTORY

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the caravan, which was shown in 1838 at the Royal Academy.

Injured horses also benefitted from the new mode of travel. Some city fire departments used horse-drawn ambulances to pick up horses after accidents, and during World War I, special ambulances collected injured but salvageable chargers.

This early equine rescue squad featured a stall that rotated on its base so that the patient could load and unload facing forward.

By 1914, the motorized horse box, fitted to an automobile chassis, was in mass production. The British Army, fighting in World War I, relied on them to transport horses to war. These early vans initially were intended for short distances, because few vehicles were capable of pulling a horse for sustained distances. As technology improved and infrastructure grew, in the 1950s long distance road travel became an option. It was faster, more reliable and less stressful for the animals.

Over the next several decades, the “traveling horse boxes” would become more sophisticated and specifically designed for horses. Researchers and designers studied ideal airflow in an enclosed space, came up with ways to make trailers lighter and sturdier, and reconfigured the simple box to allow for carrying not only the horse, but tack and dressing rooms, too.

Inevitably, horsemen and airlines spotted air travel’s potential for horses like these 1946 passengers. Transoceanic horse flights—faster and seemingly less stressful for the equine passenger—helped open the way for more global horse trading and international competition.

While the horse trailer was evolving, modern technology provided another solution for moving horses over long distances: the “iron horse” of the railway. From the 1840s to the 1950s, whenever foxhunters shipped to faraway meets and show horses arrived at prestigious competitions, when race horses left their winter quarters for the racetrack and yearlings headed to public auction, they traveled by train.

But rail transportation had its hazards. Loading and unloading presented a challenge at best and an outright risk at worst, as J. Wortley Axe, president of the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons, wrote in his famously damning 1905 report on rail transportation. Of the standard railway horsebox, Axe fumed sarcastically, “Every portion of it appears to have been designed with the special object of making the most alarming noises calculated to frighten the inmates. The same description applies with even greater force to the doors, which open upon the platform, or ‘dook,’ as it is called. It is too heavy for a man to let down steadily, and the traditions of the railway would be altogether violated if 66

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The Iron Horse

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Railroads were the fastest way to get a horse from one end of the country to the other between the 1840s and 1950s, though some condemned their noisy clatter as too frightening for many horses. The “iron horse” also helped spark a fashion for equine traveling clothes, from shipping blankets and boots to head bumpers.

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HISTORY Today’s equine air passengers travel in crate-like pallets, which hold as many as three stalls and a groom’s compartment.

it were not allowed to fall with great violence upon the siding.

Everything about a horse box comes undone with a jerk and closes with a bang.”

The dangers and inconveniences of rail travel led to specialized equipment for equine passengers. To prevent expensive blankets from getting ripped or soiled, owners could spring for more disposable traveling blankets. Wraps, shipping boots and head bumpers became commonplace, and as horses could travel farther afield to compete, increasingly they, like their human counterparts, also boarded with their trunks.

Airlines revolutionized cross-continental and international travel in 1924 when KLM Royal Dutch flew Nico from the Netherlands to Paris in the first documented air transport of a live animal. Nico was a bull, not a horse, but the future of long-haul equine travel was clear. In 1946, eight horses traveled from Shannon in Ireland to what is now John F. Kennedy International Airport (N.Y.), and three years later the famed Irish trainer Vincent O’Brien added some cachet to flying horses when he put two top runners, Cottage Rake and Hatton’s Grace, on a plane for the short hop across the Irish Sea to England for the 1949 Cheltenham National Hunt Festival—and both horses won.

The jet age was in full swing by the 1960s. Fueled by a growing global horse breeding business, equine transatlantic air travel became almost mundane. This was particularly helpful when it came to international events like the Olympics. Rather than losing muscle-tone and fitness over a weeks-long ocean crossing, equine athletes now could arrive at competition venues in a matter of days.

By today’s standards, the air travel then was fairly primitive.

Horses walked up a ramp into a Boeing 70, and the plywood stalls were built around them once they were inside. At this time, airlines favored open stall systems that were similar to large crates: The stall fully surrounded the horse, and its head was free, but the ceilings were so low a horse could easily hit its head.

Tragedy struck the 1964 U.S. Olympic team en route to Tokyo. The airplane was an hour out from its departure at Newark airport and flying at about 12,000 feet when three-day eventer Mike Plumb’s mount, Markham, panicked and tried to jump out of his crate.

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Flight Of Fancy

“He broke the stall apart,” team veterinarian Dr. Joseph O’Dea later told The New York Times. “He took part of the ceiling of the plane apart and was almost out of the stall.”

Seven men tried to hold the gelding steady but could not, O’Dea added.

Markham, who had recently endured a bad van ride, managed to get his front feet over the edge of the box and cracked one of the interior windows. All attempts to settle him, including sedatives, reportedly had little effect, and team coach Bertalan de Némethy ultimately instructed O’Dea to destroy Markham.

The first widely publicized equine flight accident happened four years later when an Airspeed Ambassador aircraft carry-

Horse flights have become commonplace and are part of the small but lucrative air-freight business for a range of carriers, from the horse-specialist Tex Sutton Forwarding Co. to the familiar passenger line KLM to major cargo shipper FedEx. A single flight of valuable equine athletes or breeding stock can mean hundreds of thousands of dollars for a shipper, but they must be handled with care. As Emirates Airline cargo chief Ram Menen once confided to Bloomberg News, “The horses we move are worth more than the plane itself.”

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compartment, and horses walk into them on the ground; airport crew then lift the pallet into the air and load it on the plane.

Like their human counterparts, equine passengers can travel on varying ticket classes, too. An economy pallet holds three horses, business accommodates two, and if an owner feels particularly generous, he can buy the equivalent of a first-class ticket: an entire three-horse pallet for a single animal. Costs can vary widely, and most shippers—including everything from specialized livestock handlers to FedEx—work up a custom quote for each trip. Domestic tickets typically range between $3,000 and $6,000, while an international ticket can start at around $7,000.

As a rule, there is one “flying groom”— that’s the official title for professional horseflight attendants—for three horses. During flights, horses have free access to hay, and grooms offer them water every six to eight hours and during landing or refueling stops.

There are no such comforts for the grooms.

“On a flight full of horses, there are no air stewards or stewardesses, so the grooms and vets are left to fend for themselves,” traveling race horse groom Leanne Masterson told Horse & Hound in 2014. “No in-flight entertainment, either, so a good book is essential!”

After all, the horse’s comfort and safety are the priorities on these planes. While most find flying about as uncomplicated as a normal van ride, more sensitive horses will wear earplugs to help deaden any disturbing sounds. Even the flight plans are planned with the precious equine cargo in mind, so there’s less steep banking on turns, for example, and pilots use the full length of the runway to make takeoff and landing smoother. Those details count, especially when your freight is a living animal that’s carrying a nation’s medal hopes to the Olympic Games.

ing three crew members, five grooms and eight race horses from Deauville, France, crashed on landing at London’s Heathrow airport; investigators later attributed the crash to metal fatigue. Only two grooms survived.

But equine air travel was here to stay. It was becoming fast and efficient, and regular service from Europe to the United States, Japan and Australia put international competitions, sales and stud farms within easier reach for horse owners, buyers and breeders.

And as horse flights became routine—and a big business—shipping methods evolved, too.

Today, our equine partners often travel in pallets when they fly. Each pallet includes stalls for three horses, as well as a groom’s

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FEATURE

NEW HORSE POWER FOR MOTOR CITY

Eventer-turned-schoolteacher David Silver plans an equestrian center in urban Detroit to encourage homegrown leaders and help revitalize a great American city.

By CHR ISTINA KEIM

D

etroit’s inner-city streets are a long way from the galloping lanes of a cross-country course, but former three-day event rider David Silver is equally at home in both. The Westchester, N.Y., native competed up to the CCI* level before taking on another daunting challenge: teaching a class of energetic fourth- and fifth-graders at Burns Elementary and Middle School on Detroit’s west side.

Silver arrived there in 2012 as a 22-yearold with Teach For America, a program that places teachers in under-resourced

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and poverty-stricken districts in rural or urban areas. His two-year stint at Burns gave him a “crazy idea” for an urban equestrian center that will reclaim some of Detroit’s vacant city land and bring horses, the original horsepower, back to the Motor City to drive positive change.

By any measure, Detroit is a large city.

Nearly 140 square miles fall within city limits and provide a home for almost 700,000 people. But the population was close to 1.8 million in the 1950s, and the decades-long shift in demographics and changes in the local economy have left a city that is ripe with opportunity or teetering on the brink of collapse, depending on whom you talk to.

Darlene Walker grew up in Detroit, and

she’s now raising her four children there.

Her two youngest—daughters Shatese, 11, and Ariel, 9—attend Burns, where Darlene volunteers, and Shatese was one of Silver’s students. Darlene is frustrated, and she worries about her children’s future.

“There are no resources here,” Darlene says. “It’s not just the school. There are not enough resources to help families and kids in Detroit.

“Mr. Silver is great,” she adds. “To see how he interacts with the kids and how much the kids look up to him gives me such joy.”

Silver forged deep bonds with his students, and at the end of his tenure, he determined that his work with them was

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not done. “This is an area where students experience neighborhood violence, residential transiency, and limited resources and support in their schools,” says Silver.

“These are obstacles which prevent kids from reaching their full potential.

“My experience with horses as an event rider [gave me] a deep belief that I can tackle new challenges and set goals,” he adds. “Having the right people around me allowed me to rise to new levels. I started to think about the connections between the experiences that I had as a kid with horses and what they could do.”

In August of 2014, Silver left teaching behind, inspired now by an idea for a new nonprofit, Detroit Horse Power, which

brings together urban youth and horses to provide opportunities for social and emotional growth. According to its mission statement, the organization—which received its tax-exempt status in April 2015—intends to “address two persistent problems … the shortage of opportunities for metro Detroit’s vulnerable populations and the abundance of vacant land.” And it will focus on developing six character traits in its students: responsibility, empathy, perseverance, patience, self-confidence and conflict resolution. But if Silver’s full vision comes to fruition, Detroit Horse Power will do even more—it will help to rebuild and unify a community and provide hope where, for some, there is little left.

Detroit Horse Power founder David Silver (far right) has a personal tie to the transformative power of horses. “My experience with horses as an event rider gave me a deep belief that I can tackle new challenges and set goals,” he says. As DHP expands, Silver hopes to bring horses to the heart of the city by building an urban barn and community center.

From Barn To Classroom

Growing up in Westchester County, Silver had the sort of childhood that most equestrians dream of: a supportive, horseloving family, a horse of his own, and opportunities for lessons and competition.

An H-A graduate of the U.S. Pony Clubs, Silver was a working student for Boyd Martin as a teen and trained with many C H RO N O F H O R S E .CO M

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FEATURE notable equestrians up and down the East Coast. He spent time riding and competing in Ocala, Fla., and Aiken, S.C. Silver competed successfully through the CCI* level, finishing eighth at Bromont (Quebec) in 2009 on With A Rush. But the horse’s soundness issues began to limit him, and after a few unsuccessful attempts at Ariel Walker, 9, is one of the participants learning to work with and ride horses through Detroit Horse Power. “They’ve all grown so much,” her mother, Darlene Walker, says of the DHP students she knows. “Most definitely, this program can succeed here. We need it.”

intermediate, Silver retired him from upperlevel competition. Horses took a back seat to his studies at Dartmouth College (N.H.), from which Silver graduated in 2012 with a degree in government and a minor in educational policy.

“Growing up with opportunity and privilege, it’s been a journey to figure out how to use my experience to lift up others,” says Silver. “I became much more set on increasing opportunity for underprivileged youth in the U.S.” His longtime riding coach and mentor, Jeanie Clarke, encouraged Silver to join Teach

For America. Coming from a background that placed a high value on education and the resources to make it possible, Silver was profoundly affected by his experience with Teach For America.

“I have a deep respect for classroom teachers,” says Silver. “[Teaching] is the most challenging thing I will ever do.”

“This is a population of kids who hasn’t had people want to do things for them,” says Clarke, who saw how teaching in Detroit solidified Silver’s commitment to educational reform. “The path he has taken keeps building on itself. He is drawing on all of the experiences and practice and thoughts to bring this forward.”

City At A Crossroads

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Through Teach For America, Silver also met Paul Mack, a fellow educator and advocate for Detroit revitalization. Their friendship led to long conversations about how to better serve the needs of Detroit youth.

“All parents want better for their kids,” says Mack, now the president of Detroit Horse Power’s board of directors. “Right now, for an impoverished parent in Detroit, the options are not good.”

“Kids give up,” says Darlene. “We just push our kids to try to get through poverty now. But so many kids don’t make it.”

Mack says Detroit’s population is 80 percent African American and is demographically segregated, mostly by neighborhood. And while the central downtown area is seeing economic growth and development, the rest of the city isn’t keeping pace. “The downtown area of Detroit extends about three to four miles out in most directions,” says Mack. “[These] 10 square miles are seeing a boom in economic development. Which begs the question: What is happening in the other 98 percent of the city?”

Detroit’s shrinking population has left nearly 23 square miles of vacant land within its borders—a surface area equivalent to the 72

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size of Manhattan. These lands were once homes, factories and schools, but a lack of human and financial resources have left many buildings to rot. Most will require total demolition; some land is contaminated, while other properties have become weedy, overgrown fields where people dump trash. Local residents try to mow or maintain these grassy areas themselves because the city lacks the resources to do it.

Mack believes the only way to bring money into a city is to attract people with money to spend, and there are pockets of Detroit that are enticing the lucrative 25to 35-year-old demographic, as these “neoDetroiters” recognize they can afford good housing and lifestyles there. Property values in these neighborhoods are rising, but Mack explains that it’s a tricky balance to bring desperately needed financial resources into the area without simultaneously creating a gentrification gap between the new residents and those still living in poverty.

Detroit’s public schools haven’t been immune to the economic contraction. “The student population has decreased precipitously,” says Silver. “Some schools are in a deplorable condition, and there is a lack of resources to support teachers and students.

Charter schools have become an option for some, but they pull students and resources away.”

Many of these former schools stand vacant. Some, abandoned and vandalized, have been destroyed. Others remain standing on acres of land, creating eyesores and havens for pests and waste that frustrate the surrounding neighborhoods. But Silver sees them as nearly ideal sites for Detroit Horse Power, and he believes an urban equestrian center could be a bridge over the gentrification gap, a way to restore a sense of unity, joy and pride to the local community.

“There are not enough recreation centers for kids here,” says Darlene. “I am in favor of any program that can help our kids get out of poverty.”

Before the Teach For America program took him to Detroit, David Silver competed through the CCI* level, finishing eighth at Bromont in 2009 on his own With A Rush.

Life Lessons From Horses

Mack says teaching urban kids how to succeed is a unique challenge. “You hear that kids just need to go to school and try,” says Mack. “But learned helplessness is real.

These are kids who are totally capable of learning and solving problems, but they don’t think that they are worth it. It isn’t that the challenge isn’t worth it. It’s that these kids need to learn that they are worth it.”

Mack’s voice wavers. “The behavioral problems associated with urban youth are just things which come into the empty space left by a lack of self-esteem, self-confidence and self-efficacy,” he says.

In pilot programs last summer, Detroit Horse Power brought 18 children, aged 8 to 13, from inner-city Detroit to facilities like Liz Snoblen’s Equinox Farm in Highland, Mich. Many of the participants were former students of Silver’s, but some also came from Alternatives for Girls, a program for homeless and at-risk girls. Detroit residents

and members of the local equine community volunteered to help run the programs.

“They got to feed the horses,” says Darlene, whose daughters Ariel and Shatese attended the course. “They got to train the horses. They got to clean the horses. [Shatese] was too sheltered from the outside world, and it enhanced her social skills when she got introduced to this program. She talks more now and is more confident.”

For Darlene’s girls, horses were a new experience. “I told my kids that someone has to take care of the horses like people take care of [them],” says Darlene.

“Urban kids have no frame for the horses,” explains Mack. “They have never been around something like this—a docile, giant animal, but one which is sizing them up, too. It breaks down a barrier. You have to find a balance between being confident and a leader with being too strong and aggressive in order to interact with horses.”

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little previous experience with horses before Detroit Horse Power.

“The process that we take kids through in a week is world-shattering,” says Mack.

“The comments at the beginning are typically super-negative and self-derogatory. But being around the horses and learning how to care for the horses gives an opportunity for [students’] deficits to be matched exactly with the opportunity to grow. They go from thinking, ‘I didn’t think I would ever be the kind of person who could …’ to thinking, ‘I could be the person who ...’ ” Darlene knows many of the young people who attended the 2015 program, and she’s witnessed positive changes in those children, too. “They have all grown so much,” she says. “My girls are so excited and ask all the time when they are going back.

It brought me joy to see how much fun they really had.”

Forging Community Connections

Growing up as an equestrian, Silver recalls, meant the barn was a place to go and to belong. It was where his mentor, Clarke, provided guidance and direction, not just with horses but also at critical life milestones.

Silver sees an opportunity for Detroit Horse Power to create a similar safe haven where urban youth, local residents and educators can work together.

“I see an urban barn as being like a school, a community hub,” says Silver. “An urban barn can host community events, birthday parties and barbecues. It can be a place where students can get tutoring and where residents are always welcome.”

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FEATURE

Until Detroit Horse Power can use some of Detroit’s 23 square miles of vacant and blighted land to build its own facility, it is partnering with area farms to bring horses and kids together. DHP teaches children like Shalma Torres (left) to care for and ride horses, but it also focuses on developing responsibility, empathy, perseverance, patience, self-confidence and conflict resolution.

Detroit is poised to make such a place possible. A decades-old ordinance prohibits residents from keeping livestock within city limits, although some do keep chickens, goats and bees there illegally. But via a draft ordinance expected to come before the City Planning Commission and the City Council this year, Detroit could approve horses and other urban livestock on a case-by-case basis.

Silver and his team have been working to educate city leaders and residents about the benefits and the logistics.

“We prepared a 30-page research document on urban horse care best practices,” says Silver. “We have spent a lot of time trying to answer the question of why horses should be a part of the urban environment. We have a lot of local support.

The revision to the law is just trying to

“It isn’t that the challenge isn’t worth it. It’s that these kids need to learn that they are worth it.”

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catch up with where people are at in the city today.”

Silver sees repurposing a 15- to 20-acre parcel of vacant land as a chance to bring Detroit Horse Power close to the people it’s most intended to serve—underprivileged urban youth. The parcel must not be contaminated from its previous use, it must be big enough and close to a dense population of children, and nearby residents must support horses as part of their community’s future.

“This center is an opportunity to promote synergy with other resources within Detroit,” says Silver. “For example, open areas could be used to grow hay. We have a big problem with dumped tires. Could components be extracted to make synthetic footing? There is also a strong urban gardening movement, and so our composted manure could be useful there.”

DHP’s model calls for city residents to board their horses at the facility, which would provide income to support operations

In its next phase, Detroit Horse Power plans to bring its programs into schools. “I see an urban barn as being like a school, a community hub,” says David Silver (center) shown here with Alexis Lawson (left) and Xavier Lawson.

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while strengthening the residents’ ties to the city. The boarding operation should make the DHP center self-supporting, so when grants come in, they can go entirely toward developing youth programs. The center also would run equestrian events, adding value for the community. But these activities are not the main objective; they are a means to get horses around the kids in urban Detroit.

“What is unique here is the community connection and making links between groups in the community that don’t usually do so,” says Mack. “Detroit Horse Power’s facility will be deeply connected to the people around it.”

This summer, DHP’s expanded activities will bring 75 kids to a series of five-day programs over a total of six weeks. Area farm owners—including Snoblen of Equinox Farm—will once again provide facilities and horses.

“The goal is that these intensive five-daylong programs will serve as a launch point for

after-school programming,” says Silver. This fall, DHP will bring its activities to Detroit schools to teach horse management and help students translate the social and emotional growth they experience with horses to their everyday lives.

In the meantime, DHP leaders have a short list of potential sites for the proposed equestrian center, and they’re preparing to move ahead as soon as city ordinance allows.

While the political gears turn slowly, DHP is focusing on both the small steps and the big picture.

“Detroiters are working people, and they will find a way to thrive,” says Silver.

With Detroit Horse Power, young residents may soon get a leg up on that brighter future.

“I wish I could be the kid that could get to do it,” says Darlene. “I am praying that the year-round program happens, and we can be a part of it. Most definitely, this program can succeed here. We need it.”

irideonridingwear.com C H RO N O F H O R S E .CO M

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RESORT AT PAWS UP

The Wild West,

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Any Way You Like It

Equestrians have plenty of exciting options when it comes to exploring the American frontier.

By K AT NETZLER

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TRAVEL For New Experiences In The Lap Of Luxury

THE RESORT AT PAWS UP

Greenough, Mont. | PawsUp.com

Situated on 37,000 acres of a working cattle ranch in Montana’s Blackfoot Valley, The Resort at Paws Up is located 35 minutes northeast of Missoula. Guest rates include round-trip transfer from Missoula International Airport.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RESORT AT PAWS UP

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lenty of resorts are prone to the “we offer something for everyone,” hyperbole, but it’s not an exaggeration at Paws Up. The trick is deciding just who you want to be while you’re there, because their smorgasbord of awesome activities is enough to incite an identity crisis.

If you’re looking to focus on horses first and foremost, you won’t be bored. Paws Up offers enough equestrian activities to fill a whole week—everything from participating in an authentic cattle drive to taking a private lesson at The Saddle Club, the largest private equestrian center in the state, with a stunning 23,000-square-foot indoor arena. The staff also offers horse care lessons on the ground, hacking over 100 miles of trails, and wagon-team driving lessons (with the adorable Pete and Repeat, full-brother Norwegian Fjord geldings).

But you can be a horse person at home, right? This is vacation, so try something new!

Indulge your inner sportsman with archery, fly fishing, or shooting at the rifle or sporting clay ranges. Venture outside your comfort zone with ATV tours, rappelling, geocaching (described as “a high-tech version of an Easter-egg hunt”), or the high ropes challenge course.

Or test your physical prowess on the Grizzlyman Fitness Trail.

Looking for something more traditional, like water sports? Don’t worry, they’ve got those too. You can water ski, tube and paddleboard on the lake, or ride the river in a canoe, kayak or whitewater raft.

But if adrenaline is the last thing you look for in a vacation, you’ve still come to the right place. Paws Up’s Wilderness Workshop series connects guests with cultural and creative experts throughout the summer for intensive multi-day learning. There are the expected workshops, like writing, landscape painting, and starry night photography, but you can also dive into the world of knit graffiti or learn to build kites with professional kite flyers (yes, that’s a thing!).

Paws Up’s phenomenal dining menu is a treat no matter when you visit, but if you’re a foodie and a cook, be sure to check out their special cooking and baking camp workshop weeks, such as Upper Crust, “a sophisticated cookie, pie and pizza camp,” or BBQ-U for the ultimate education in meat. The resort also hosts events like Montana Master Chefs week, when James Beard Award All-Stars from around the country converge to create a world-class culinary experience for guests.

All that’s just a taste of your activity options in summer; Paws Up also welcomes guests throughout the snowy season for dogsledding, cross-country skiing, snowmobiling, snow tubing, ice skating, private indoor riding lessons, a WinterFest food and wine festival, and more.

Even the humbly named “cook shack” at The Resort at Paws Up is Instagram-worthy.

Guests at The Resort at Paws Up can choose between private lodges or tents like this one, which include luxury amenities like soaking tubs.

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RESORT AT PAWS UP

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RESORT AT PAWS UP

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE RESORT AT PAWS UP

Rise before dawn to float above the breathtaking Montana skyline in a hot air balloon.

Whether you want to take a lesson at the top-class indoor equestrian center or cut loose on a mountain trail ride, Paws Up is a perfect fit for equestrians of all skill levels.

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TRAVEL For A Formative Family Experience

7D RANCH

Cody, Wyo. | 7DRanch.com

H

Riding off into the sunset on a 7D Ranch pack trip.

PHOTO COURTESY OF 7D RANCH

aving children isn’t a prerequisite for enjoying a stay at this working Wyoming ranch— there are plenty of adults-only weeks on their summer schedule—but 7D has a reputation when it comes to excellent kids’ programming.

Tailored to children ages 3-12, their optional and flexible children’s curriculum includes riding and horsemanship for all skill levels (in the arena or, for kids 6 and up, out on the trail), daily hikes, and lessons in ranch life, cowboy culture, ecology, wildlife, and the area’s Native American history. Long days are capped off with campfire singing and s’mores, and the week culminates in a gymkhana on Saturday afternoon so kids can show off their freshly honed skills in the saddle.

7D also offers daytime babysitting services for infants and toddlers so parents and older siblings can make the most of their stay.

A family-run business since 1958, the ranch keeps their guest list limited each week (they have just 10 guest cabins), so you’re ensured a top-notch customized experience. All meals are served family-style in the main lodge, and in the evenings you can expect everything from yard games, live music, cowboy poetry readings and hay rides to a Wicki-up—a traditional sweat lodge experience followed by a bracing jump in the river and a campfire. Guests are also encouraged to check out Cody’s world-famous Cody Night Rodeo and Buffalo Bill Historical Center.

7D maintains a herd of 80 horses and more trails than you can experience in one visit, so if you’re aiming to soak up as much wilderness as possible during your stay, consider crafting a custom pack trip. These long-distance rides can span from three to 14 days in the Wyoming high country, traversing stunning landscapes with the help of an experienced guide, a horse wrangler and an excellent cook.

The ranch also offers hiking and climbing for all skill levels, excellent fly fishing opportunities for expert trout fishermen (and lessons for beginners), and an annual horsemanship clinic to which guests are welcomed with their own horses (though it’s not required—you can also take your pick from 7D’s extensive herd).

Located in the Absaroka Mountains in northwest Wyoming between Yellowstone National Park and Cody, 7D Ranch is best reached via Yellowstone Regional Airport in Cody (52 miles) or Logan International Airport in Billings, Mont. (125 miles). Guests are recommended to rent a vehicle, but van transfers to/from Cody are available.

Since 1958, 7D Ranch has welcomed guests to Wyoming’s scenic Sunlight Basin.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF 7D RANCH PHOTO COURTESY OF 7D RANCH

7D Ranch boasts a herd of 80 horses, which guarantees everyone in the family will find the perfect partner.

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TRAVEL For A Roughing-It Experience You’ll Always Remember

SOMBRERO RANCHES GREAT AMERICAN HORSE DRIVE

Craig, Colo. | Sombrero.com

S

ombrero owns one of the largest herds of horses in North America, usually numbering around 1,500. Most are used as mounts at their dude ranches, lesson stables, and scout and church camps during the summer and as deer and elk hunting camp horses in the fall.

After hunting season concludes, Sombrero’s herds are put out to winter pasture at several ranches, including their biggest, Brown’s Park Ranch, where 400-500 horses are kept on 90,000 acres until the first week of May. That’s where you come in.

For the past 18 years, Sombrero has been inviting guest riders to participate in their annual spring tradition: the Great American Horse Drive, which moves the Brown’s Park herd more than 60 miles to the company’s Big Gulch Ranch near Craig, Colo.

It’s not an easy ticket to get. The company accepts only a limited number of riders, and repeat business is high, with priority given to past participants.

The experience begins at Big Gulch with a short orientation, riding assessment and instruction and a briefing on drive procedures. Guests are assigned in groups with a head wrangler and an assistant before venturing out across the spectacular sagebrush country of western Colorado. Sombrero provides each rider with two mounts, tack, lodging and three hearty meals a day.

And when you finish? You’ll also earn your Great American Horse Drive jacket and trophy belt buckle that proves you completed the drive, “gate to gate.”

The 2017 drive is slated for May 3-7.

The Great American Horse Drive from Brown’s Park Ranch to Big Gulch Ranch takes place every year during the first week of May.

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOMBRERO RANCHES

Yampa Valley Regional Airport near Steamboat Springs in northwest Colorado is your closest stop for air travel, and transportation to and from the airport is included in the cost of the ride.

You, too, can earn a belt buckle like this!

You’ll just have to help drive 500 horses for 60 miles to do it.

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PHOTO COURTESY OF SOMBRERO RANCHES

PHOTO COURTESY OF SOMBRERO RANCHES

The Sombrero Ranches Great American Horse Drive has been a tradition in western Colorado for more than 40 years, and guests are now welcomed into the hard work and fun.

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PROFILE

Horses have played a central role in Robin Peterson’s life, even as she’s pursued two vastly different career tracks: veterinary medicine and art. She spends her free time at North Wind Farm with horses such as Gwen Marshall’s Trakehner-Arabian stallion WB Corre Con El Viento.

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BLENDING SCIENCE WITH

Robin Peterson puts a creative spin on showcasing horses’ physicality with her layered anatomical illustrations.

By CATIE STASZAK Artwork courtesy of ROBIN PETERSON

PHOTO COURTESY OF ROBIN PETERSON

I

f you were both left- and because it’s really hard to see right-handed, you’d be that in a photograph.” ambidextrous, but what if Peterson works from her you were equally left- and secluded FernWood Studio right-brained? Well, you’d on 21 acres in the heart of the be Robin Peterson.

Key Peninsula woodlands.

Peterson, 62, of Vaughn, She draws inspiration from Wash., gave up a career as an her environment by taking equine surgeon to become long hikes and kayak excura full-time artist, and she’s sions, and from her workplace become known for her ana“in the trees” on the top floor tomic illustrations of her forof her house.

Some of Robin Peterson’s earliest illustrations detailed wobbler’s syndrome and the surgery to fix it, which was developed while Peterson studied mer patients. Combining the “I can bird watch if I get veterinary medicine at Washington State University. analytic, science-craving part distracted,” she said. of her personality with her But her greatest inspicreative side, her pieces can be found hang- a niche there because, obviously, having an ration—and most frequent subject—is, ing on walls and printed in scholarly jour- extensive medical background helps when of course, horses, the constant in her two nals. She has her doctorate, but she teaches you can help interpret and make things decidedly different career tracks. more sketching classes than biology.

“I was a typical horse-crazy girl,” Peterclear visually,” Peterson said. “Illustration “I got out of the veterinary industry and remains one of the best ways to describe son said. “I always had that little girl conwent to illustration and found a little bit of surgical techniques and layered anatomy, nection in the beginning.”

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PROFILE

Robin Peterson often creates what she calls layered anatomy illustrations, in which she depicts the full physicality of the horse, from skeleton to outer skin, using a variety of media, including acrylic paint and computer programming.

Trading Spurs For A Scalpel

Peterson grew up in Tacoma, Wash. Horses were an important part of her life, but she didn’t spend her youth dreaming of becoming a veterinary surgeon.

“I started riding when I was young and spent a lot of high school years on horses and not in school,” she said. “But I was a good student, so that helped.”

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sorts, purchasing, trainme a business to make it ing and re-selling offwork out on his taxes!” track Thoroughbreds at When she went to her local hunter/jumper college, Peterson slowed stable. down the riding and “I remember, a little picked up the studying.

–ROBIN PETERSON bit to my parents’ chagrin, In 1973, she began taking I bought and sold about classes at Fort Steilacoom seven different horses,” she recalled. “I guess Community College (Wash.), where she I was just looking for the right one or some- enrolled in a veterinary technician program. thing, but I ended up buying and selling [a But after receiving an associate degree lot of them]. My dad said he had to make in 1975, the admittedly all-or-nothing-

“I decided I liked to sleep at night!”

minded adventurist wanted more.

“When I started working in the field, I realized that I could go all the way,” Peterson recalled. “With some very supportive family, I went back to school and got a veterinary medicine degree.”

She graduated from Washington State University with a DVM behind her name.

During her time there, she also nurtured the artistic leanings that would someday become her livelihood.

“I’m really a visual person, and that’s how I learn. In veterinary school, my notes were quite popular,” Peterson said. “Art has always been a part of my life.

“I always used it through school,” she continued. “That’s just how I learned. Anatomy is the perfect example. If I could draw it, I could usually remember it and figure things out.”

While at WSU, Peterson studied under Barrie Grant, DVM, MS, DACVS, MRCVS, who would influence both her veterinary and art careers. Grant, along with fellow veterinarian Pam Wagner and human orthopedic surgeon George Bagby, developed a surgical treatment for wobbler’s syndrome, which causes a “wobbly” or unstable gait due to cervical vertebral malformation. Grant’s surgery used fusion to relieve spinal cord compression and stabilize the spinal cord.

“That’s probably one of the early anatomical areas that I illustrated, the cervical fusion process, which was a new technique at the time,” Peterson recalled.

Peterson went to work at a private practice in Escondido, Calif., that specialized in equine ambulatory care. She also spent a year at the Delaware Equine Center in Cochranville, Pa., before conducting a three-year surgical residency at the University of California, Davis, from 1983 to 1986.

From there, it was back to the East Coast, where she worked as an instructor at North Carolina State University. After that, she

joined the staff at the San Luis Rey Equine Hospital (Calif.), where she reunited with Grant, who became a co-owner of the practice with Jay and Ethel Rose.

“My own personal surgery approach was more generalist,” Peterson said. “I did a lot of colic surgeries and some orthopedics.

I wasn’t doing really high-end stuff as far as orthopedics, but I certainly was exposed to some of the best.”

A Major Career Change

After more than a decade of the all-consuming large-animal veterinarian lifestyle, Peterson felt burned out. In 1991, she decided she needed to step away from her work. She’d always enjoyed art, so she enrolled in the nine-month science illustration graduate program at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

“I was in a hospital practice doing emergency intensive care. It was a busy place with a lot of great work to do, but maybe I didn’t learn the balance of lifestyle quite as well as I might have,” Peterson said.

“I discovered this program, a science

This composite illustration of bit placement in the horse’s mouth is one of Robin Peterson’s favorites. “It was a real challenge to try to visualize that, because there’s so much going on in a small area,” she said.

illustration program that was a pretty intense introduction to different illustrative techniques,” she continued. “It focused on the animal science disciplines like paleontology and different ways to use artistic illustration to describe topics, which, when you think about natural history, is pretty much most of what you see. So I took a sabbatical from the practice and went to Santa Cruz for those nine months, and I got hooked on that.”

So much so, she elected to make a “pretty major career change.” In 1994, she returned to Washington and took up art full time.

“Life happened,” Peterson said. “Things pushed me toward wanting to come back toward the Pacific Northwest and focus on other things that I wanted to do.

“I decided I liked to sleep at night!” she added, only half-jokingly.

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PROFILE

Robin Peterson painted this artwork, called Between The Stirrup And The Ground, to tell her own personal history. It depicts everything from her childhood riding experiences to her veterinary career and special horses in her life.

Peterson found a niche creating illustrations for various equine publications and journals. Early on, she worked extensively with the Associated Press and The Horse magazine, for which she contributed to a serial column called “A Closer Look.”

“It was a series of really short blurbs about common issues with horses—deworming, tendon injuries, the whole gamut,” Peterson explained. “The text was very brief, but the 88 JULY/AUGUST 2016

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illustrations kind of told the story. I have a lot of resources from those illustrations.”

Word of her skills and talent spread, and she soon began creating illustrations for other publications, including The American Quarter Horse Journal and The Chronicle of the Horse.

“The publication would start with an idea or the written article, and then usually the illustrations would come from that— occasionally the other way around, but not usually,” Peterson said. “I’ll figure out a couple different ways that I can show their intent the best. Then it’s kind of a collaborative deal between the editors and myself to make something obvious to people.”

Horses aren’t the only animals she’s illustrated.

“When I first got out of the UC Santa Cruz [program], I worked a little bit with Scripps Oceanography and Monterey Bay Aquarium,” Peterson said. “We had some contacts there, so I’ve done some animalrelated artwork of octopi and different fish and habitats. I did some comparative anatomy stuff with different species, some publications out of UC Davis and a few articles in scientific publications that needed a little bit of illustrative material, mostly line work.

I don’t do much of that now, but that was fun. My niche is more in the equine realm now.”

Precision, Spirit And Storytelling

Peterson’s is an art that does not allow for error.

“My knowledge and experience in the veterinary field definitely influence how I put together illustrations, but you can’t make this stuff up,” she said.

It’s a complex process for Peterson to create her anatomic illustrations, which, after undergoing exhaustive research, can take anywhere from six to eight hours “for average illustrations” to complete. She plans out her projects using in-house resources— including bones, models and books—and digital examples.

She frequently creates what she calls

“layered anatomy pieces,” in which she puts together the physical structure of the entire horse, from skeleton to outer skin.

“You have the whole horse with the bones and then the muscles and the whole bit comes together,” Peterson said. “Those have been really good projects. They’re a little more unique and something that captures more attention.”

To create these pieces, she starts by making a photographic model. She then draws a sketch of each body layer that she paints before putting the tiered pieces together on the computer.

“What I’ve tried to do, using the computer, is make the layers have a little bit of

Robin Peterson created this illustration of Tebenkof Bay in the Tongass Wilderness while participating in an artist-in-residence program, sponsored by the National Park Service, in southeast Alaska.

depth so that you can appreciate where they are in the body, but you can also still see the outer shell of the animal in as close to a 3-D approach as I can,” Peterson explained.

“I start with the anatomical drawing—let’s say, the skeleton. I’ll have a basic photograph of my model horse. Then I’ll work from the line version, building a skeleton and then building the muscular system over the top of that. Some of them have been completely C H RO N O F H O R S E .CO M

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PROFILE “With illustration, I’m trying to be fairly accurate and precise, and with painting, I’m always trying to loosen up and let a little spirit show. I think the blending of that is my ongoing challenge,” said Robin Peterson, who painted this portrait, entitled Afternoon Ride.

painted and some have had the actual photograph used as the final layer, or the top layer. Then I just use Photoshop to play with the depths and what shows and what doesn’t, so I can highlight different areas.

“I did one that involved bit placement in the horse’s mouth,” she continued, “and it was a real challenge to try to visualize that, because there’s so much going on in a small area. I like those composite portraits. They’re a lot of work and sometimes a fairly significant challenge, but they’re a little different. It’s more than just a floating head there, and that’s what I like—that kind of challenge.”

A classic perfectionist, she admits she doesn’t always get the illustration right the first time.

“There are a lot that don’t work,” she said. “Fortunately, I paint a good amount with acrylics and oil. If I need to, I can scrape it all down and start over.”

To allow her creative juices to flow more freely, Peterson also paints occasional portraits and commissioned work. One piece, called Between The Stirrup And The Ground, is a reflective painting that depicts Peterson’s own life story.

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“It actually is kind of my history,” she said. “It has a photograph where I’m jumping, and then it has some bones and images of some of the horses I’ve had over the years and some of the things I’ve done. When I was working with Dr. Grant, there was an early Secretariat test foal. He was an Appendix Quarter Horse that ended up being a wobbler. We did surgery on him during my last year in school [at WSU]. I got to gallop him at the racetrack as a demonstration after he had wobbler surgery. There are all those big stories in there for me, that lifestyle stuff, and I like doing that.”

She refers to her work as having a constantly evolving, “representational” style, and she seeks a balance between the exact-

ness of her illustrations with the imaginativeness that comes with more free-form paintings.

“With illustration, I’m trying to be fairly accurate and precise, and with painting, I’m always trying to loosen up and let a little spirit show,” Peterson said. “Sometimes it gets a little bit frustrating, because I feel like I want to be somewhere in between, so it’s always an ongoing project. I think the blending of that is my ongoing challenge.

When I’m painting for myself and doing more portrait work, there’s something beyond just the precision of getting the drawing right that needs to come through.

On both ends of it, I think the [contrasting] styles help each other.”

A Return To Riding

Peterson never strayed from the presence of horses, but she spent more than three decades out of the saddle during her time as a veterinarian. Since much of her young adult life involved riding hunters and jumpers and even working on the race track— she groomed and exercised Thoroughbreds at Longacres Race Track in Renton, Wash., where she worked for Washington Racing Hall of Fame trainer Kathy Walsh, and at Santa Anita Park in Arcadia, Calif.—it was a difficult transition.

“After high school, I ended up not having a horse and dropping away from [riding],” she said. “I was a little bit ‘all or nothing,’ so I kind of avoided it, to tell you the honest truth, because I wasn’t in a position to have a horse or ride regularly, so I decided I was just going to stay away from it completely. In veterinary medicine, you don’t have a whole lot of time to do some of that stuff. Obviously I worked with [horses], but I didn’t do much riding for a good 30 years.”

Peterson didn’t remount until last year.

When her niece, Jessie Peterson, expressed a desire to take up riding lessons, Robin took her to ride with her friend Gwen Marshall, an instructor at North Wind Farm in Port Orchard, Wash. Jessie didn’t quite catch the riding bug, but Robin did, all over again.

“I went with her the first time, and then I thought, ‘I want to do it!’ so I started taking lessons, too,” she said.

She now rides up to four times a week, going on leisure rides and working with Amaluna, a 16-year-old Arabian broodmare who wasn’t started under saddle until later in life.

“There’s an eventer, a dressage horse, a stallion and a broodmare—I’ve gotten to ride them all!” Robin exclaimed. “In January I got to start [Amaluna] as a little proj-

ect, and I kind of help exercise the horses that are in training with the professionals.

I get to ride them on their off days. Auntie Robin doesn’t have to make them bend and have flexion and work too hard. I’m their leisure days but still exercise days. It’s just really been great for me.

“I’m riding better than I did even as a kid,” she added.

She also returned to veterinary medicine but in a smaller capacity. In her spare time, she helps out at the local clinic, Rocky Bay Equine in Gig Harbor, Wash., where she assists Bo Weeks, DVM. “I do their website and computer PR things for them, and I fill in when they need an extra hand here and there,” Robin said. “It keeps my fingers a little bit involved in the veterinary part of it.”

“Most of the things I like to do require personal protective devices!”

–ROBIN PETERSON

A Thirst For Adventure

Don’t let Robin fool you. She may have left the fast-paced life of an equine hospital for a tranquil art studio, but she’s still a thrillseeker at heart. She’s completed 11 marathons and several more “ultra runs,” which are longer than standard marathons and often take place over more varied terrain.

“I love the Pacific Northwest because I’m really active,” she said. “I like to backpack and kayak and do outdoor stuff.”

When Peterson isn’t painting horses, she’s most often depicting wilderness scenes.

On several occasions, she’s participated in

artist-in-residence programs at national parks, living and working deep within the parks in areas normally shut off to the public.

“They’re sponsored by the U.S. National Park Service,” she explained. “Several of the parks basically exchange access to the park and special privileges in return for producing a piece of artwork for them. It gets the artist in the park, and it also gives the parks some great PR. I visited Glacier National Park [Montana] and got to go up in the arctic, which is something I would never be able to do on my own.”

Her adventures have led her to the ends of the earth.

“I did another one in southeast Alaska, and in the Brooks Range, above the Arctic Circle, they dropped us by float plane,” she recalled. “We floated down the river a ways, and then they picked us up.

“I always laugh, because most of the things I like to do require personal protective devices!” she added. “Fortunately, I’ve stayed healthy, and I think I have a few more years left in me, so I’m going to make sure they’re out there.”

At home, Peterson’s hikes are less extreme. She frequently explores the wooded areas around her house with Arne, her 7-year-old German Shepherd, who was given to her by the dog’s breeders after he didn’t pan out as a police dog.

“Life is good,” she said. “I’ve been very lucky. I sort of chose lifestyle over making much money a long time ago, and so far, with everything, that’s been a good choice.”

This time around, she’s showing no signs of a career burnout.

“I love science, but then I also like to interpret it,” she said. “[My artwork] appeals to both sides of my brain. It’s really just a great blend, and I don’t see any end to that inspiration. I’m as excited to do it now as I ever was before.”

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summer is

A STATE of mind Come Show with Us!

4066 Pea Ridge Road, Mill Spring, NC 28756 | (828) 863-1000 | www.tryon.com | info@tryon.com

Tryon International Equestrian Center and Tryon Resort offers spectators, exhibitors, and competitors a wide variety of on-site lodging options, all located just steps aw a convenient and stress-free stay. If interested in booking lodging for the 2016 Tryon Summer Show Series, please contact lodging@tryon.com for more informa

way from facility stabling to ensure ation regarding weekly rates.

The 2016 summer Series

TRYON SUMMER 1 (JUNE 29 -JULY 3)

FEI CSI 3*/ AA PREMIER HUNTERS/LEVEL 6 JUMPERS

TRYON SUMMER 2 (JULY 6 - JULY 10)

FEI CSI 3*/ AA PREMIER HUNTERS/LEVEL 6 JUMPERS

TRYON SUMMER 3 (JULY 13 - JULY 17) FEI CSI 4*/ B HUNTERS/LEVEL 6 JUMPERS

TRYON SUMMER 4 (JULY 20 - JULY 24) FEI CSI 4*/ B HUNTERS/LEVEL 6 JUMPERS

FEED ROOM Throw An Olympic Games Viewing Party This year’s Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro run Aug. 5-21, so invite some friends over to cheer on the U.S. eventing, dressage and show jumping teams with an easy menu that combines the best of American and Brazilian cuisines.

By MOLLIE BAILEY

RED, WHITE AND BLUE POTATO SALAD

The only thing more American than potato salad? Red, white and blue potato salad.

10 oz. red-skinned baby potatoes 10 oz. fingerling or white baby potatoes 10 oz. blue potatoes 2 chopped green onions 2 tbsp. chopped fresh parsley 1 tbsp. chopped fresh dill 1 tbsp. chopped fresh chives 3 hard-boiled eggs, chopped ½ cup red wine vinegar 2 tbsp. olive oil 2 tsp. Dijon mustard 1 ¼ tsp. salt ½ tsp. fresh black pepper 1 garlic clove, minced

MOLLIE BAILEY PHOTO

INGREDIENTS:

1. Chop all the potatoes into bite-sized pieces that are approximately the same size (usually halved or quartered, depending on the potato’s size). Place the red-skinned and white potatoes in a saucepan and cover with water. Place the blue potatoes in a separate saucepan and cover with water.

Bring both batches to a boil, then simmer until tender. The red and white potatoes will be ready in about 15 minutes,

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and the blue potatoes will take about 10 minutes. Drain the potatoes and let them cool.

2. Meanwhile, prepare onions, herbs and eggs and add to a large bowl. Add cooled potatoes and mix gently.

3. Combine vinegar, Dijon mustard, oil, salt, pepper and garlic. Pour over potatoes and toss gently to combine. Serve warm, at room temperature or chilled.

MOLLIE’S COLORFUL VEGGIE SALAD INGREDIENTS: For the salad 3 carrots, cut into thin sticks 3 celery ribs, chopped 1 red pepper, chopped into thin slices 1 orange pepper, chopped into thin slices

1 yellow pepper, chopped into thin slices 2 green onions, chopped 2 cups shredded or chopped red cabbage 1 cucumber, peeled and chopped into sticks

MOLLIE BAILEY PHOTO

This gorgeous salad is a potluck favorite and a great complement to heavier dishes. The recipe makes a pretty big bowl. If you’re concerned you’ll have extra, just dress and serve half the salad at first. Leftovers are great on their own or mixed with your favorite protein.

1 cup snow peas, sliced into sticks 1 cup cooked, cooled, shelled edamame optional: 1 avocado, chopped

For the dressing Juice of ½ lemon cup olive oil ½ cup apple cider vinegar 1 tbsp. agave salt and pepper to taste

Whisk together all ingredients for the dressing in a small bowl. Layer the vegetables in contrasting colors in a large glass bowl, then dress and stir just before serving.

ALL-AMERICAN BURGERS

Nothing says summer party like hamburgers on the grill. This simple recipe makes four perfect burgers, and you can adjust according to how many equestrians will be piling in front of the TV. This recipe is adapted from the Food Network Kitchen.

INGREDIENTS:

FAMILY BUSINESS/SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTO

1 ½ pounds 80 percent lean ground beef chuck

Freshly ground pepper and kosher salt 4 slices cheddar cheese

4 split sesame buns Lettuce and sliced tomato, red onion, and sweet pickle for topping

1. Preheat grill to high. In a large bowl, sprinkle the ground beef with ½ tsp. salt.

Gently form into 4 balls, then lightly press into patties that are 4 inches wide and about an inch thick. Make a 2-inch-wide indentation with your thumb to prevent the burgers from bulging when grilling.

2. Season the patties with salt and pepper, and grill, undisturbed, until marked on the bottom, about 3-5 minutes. Turn and grill until the other side is marked and the patties feel firm, about 3-5 more minutes. If desired, top each burger with a slice of cheese during the last two minutes of cooking and cover with a disposable aluminum pan to melt.

3. Serve the patties on buns and garnish with toppings.

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AMOR EM PEDAÇOS

This sweet treat, which translates to “love in pieces,” is a Brazilian favorite. The lime juice in the dough gives it a distinct flavor and contrasts nicely with the pineapple.

1 pineapple, chopped and puréed in the blender 1 coconut, grated, or 1 cup unsweetened coconut 3 eggs 1 tbsp. butter 2 ½ cups sugar 4 cloves 1 cinnamon stick

1 tbsp. butter 2 tbsp. sugar 3 eggs ½ tsp. baking powder juice of ½ lime 1 cup all-purpose flour additional all-purpose flour as needed

For the topping 1 egg, beaten with 1 tsp. water 2 tbsp. regular or large crystal sugar

1. Put ingredients for the filling in a medium-sized saucepan and heat on medium, stirring regularly, until filling reduces and thickens, coating the bottom of the pan, between 20-40 minutes. Set aside and let cool.

MOLLIE BAILEY PHOTO

For the dough

INGREDIENTS: For the filling

2. Using an electric mixer in a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar, then add eggs, baking powder and lime juice, plus 1 cup of flour. Then stir with a wooden spoon and continue adding flour in small amounts until the dough is a consistency that can be rolled easily—you might add quite a bit more. Let the dough rest a few minutes.

3. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees and butter an 8-inch by 12-inch metal pan.

4. Coat a clean surface and a rolling pin in flour. Roll half the dough into a rectangle large enough to cover the sides and bottom of the pan. Add the filling and spread evenly. Roll out the remaining dough and lay it on top of the filling, pinching the edges of the dough to seal it. Brush lightly with the beaten egg (you might not use all of it) and sprinkle with sugar.

5. Place the pan in the oven, and turn the heat down to 350 degrees. Bake until golden, approximately 30 min. Cut into 2-inch squares to serve.

CAIPIRINHA

There’s no substitute for Brazil’s potent national cocktail. Cachaça is a Brazilian liquor made from fermented sugarcane juice.

INGREDIENTS:

LAZYLLAMA/SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTO

2 ½ oz. cachaça 1-2 tbsp. sugar 1 lime, washed and cut into wedges 1 cup ice Muddle lime and sugar together in an Old Fashioned or rocks glass. Add cachaça and ice and shake.

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OLYMPIC TORCH SNACK HOLDERS

LINDSAY BERRETH PHOTO

Forget passing the popcorn bowl when McLain Ward’s about to go on course. Keep your own snacks at your fingertips with an individual torch.

4 pieces of gold cardstock craft paper Popcorn (we suggest cheddar flavored) or Cheetos Cut the craft paper in half across the diagonal. Roll each triangle into a cone and tape closed, then cut so the top of the “torch” is even. Guests can fill (and re-fill) their snack holders.

MANGO SPRITZER

If you’re driving home after watching the dressage freestyle, stick to something a little less dizzying than caipirinhas, like this refreshing treat.

BRIGADEIRO

These traditional Brazilian truffles are easy to make ahead of time and always a huge hit at parties (and at the Chronicle office).

INGREDIENTS: 1 bottle mango nectar 1 liter seltzer water lime slices mint leaves ice

MOLLIE BAILEY PHOTO

Combine mango nectar and seltzer water in a pitcher. Serve in glasses with ice, sprigs of mint and thin lime slices.

EVERYTHING/SHUTTERSTOCK PHOTO

INGREDIENTS: 1 can condensed milk 3 tbsp. unsweetened cocoa 1 tbsp. butter, plus additional butter for hands and plate chocolate sprinkles

1. Combine condensed milk, unsweetened cocoa and 1 tbsp. butter in a medium saucepan over medium heat. Stir constantly until mixture is thickened, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

2. Lightly grease a plate with butter. Drop ½ tablespoons of chocolate mixture onto greased plate to cool. Pour out half a container of chocolate sprinkles onto another plate.

3. Once the chocolate on the plate is cool enough to handle, grease clean hands and roll each of the ½ tablespoons of chocolate into a ball. Gently roll each ball in chocolate sprinkles until coated, then drop into a bonbon wrapper. Put in the refrigerator to cool.

Serve cool or at room temperature.

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CITY GUIDE

Town And Country, All In Millbrook

By MELAINA BALBO PHIPPS

C

hances are, if you’re a horse person (particularly on the eastern seaboard), you have either visited Millbrook, N.Y., or know someone who has. Home to The Millbrook Hunt and the annual Millbrook Horse Trials, Millbrook is located about midway between New York City and Saratoga Springs, N.Y. It’s a perfect spot for a day-in-the-country side trip or a last-minute weekend escape.

In the heart of Hudson Valley hunt country, the landscape is beautiful, there are four perfect seasons, and the people are welcoming. If you’ve never been, you’ll fall in love with the horse farms and with the town’s charm and sophistication. There’s something for everyone here, whether you’re a horseman, sportsman, foodie, shopaholic, art lover or bookworm. There are as many lifelong residents as there are transplants from the city, but you’d be hard-pressed to tell the difference; spend enough time here and you’ll likely notice a growing desire to extend your visit—permanently.

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If you’re looking for a little al fresco dining, try the Mediterranean-inspired fare at Aurelia, where—and this is important—your canine companion is also welcome on the terrace. Enjoy chef Beau Widener’s eclectic menu for lunch (try the prosciutto muffaletta and artisan grilled cheese sandwiches) or dinner (seared duck with macerated figs or seared diver scallops with asparagus and fennel, anyone?), and be sure to complement your meal with a wine flight or a seasonal cocktail. Feeling daring? Try the jalapeno rhubarb margarita!

3299 Franklin Avenue, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 677-4720. aureliarestaurant.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF AURELIA

AURELIA

MERRITT BOOKSTORE

PHOTO COURTESY OF LES BAUX

The local bookstore is always the first place I seek out when visiting a new place, and finding one like the Merritt Bookstore is definitely a coup. A book-loving staff will help you find your next best read, special order a title for you, and share their picks. You’ll find a selection that ranges from fiction and nonfiction bestsellers to children’s, home, lifestyle, cookbook and sporting titles. But it’s not just books—stop in the shop to find cards, stationery, small gifts and toys as well.

Actively involved in the community, the shop’s founder, Scott Meyer, inspired the establishment of the Millbrook Literary Festival, now in its eighth year and attracting hundreds of visitors from the surrounding area, upstate New York, New York City and all over New England. In store, Merritt hosts local book clubs and book signings, promotes local authors and offers book selections to complement regional happenings (like the annual Dutchess County Sheep and Wool Festival or the Millbrook Farmers’ Market).

And it doesn’t end there. A recent renovation created a secondfloor gallery space, where the shop exhibits artists on a rotating monthly schedule. Simply put, time at the Merritt Bookstore is time very well spent.

57 Front Street, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 677-5857. merrittbooks.com

Consistently top-rated by Zagat among French restaurants in Dutchess and Westchester counties, Les Baux is also a local favorite. Opened 30 years ago by French native Herve Bouchard, the menu of classic French fare—including selections such as charcuterie, steamed mussels, steak frites and filet of sole and lunch favorites like Croque-Monsieur, Croque-Madame and Rillettes (rillettes pate and cornichons on baguette)—has kept diners coming back again and again. The quality is excellent, and the service is welcoming, making Les Baux a great choice for lunch or dinner—or both!

152 Church Street, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 677-8166. cafelesbaux.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF MERRITT BOOKSTORE

PHOTO COURTESY OF MILLBROOK VINEYARDS

LES BAUX RESTAURANT

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WING’S CASTLE BED & BREAKFAST

Three generations of the Baldwin family have farmed this land, Tonelwin Farm, which houses the Shunpike Dairy. Holsteins have consistently provided milk here, but today the dairy also has a variety of other breeds, including Ayrshire, Brown Swiss, Jersey, Guernsey and Lineback.

The dairy is open daily to the public, and visitors can learn about dairy farming straight from the cow’s mouth—or at least from the dairy farmer’s!

If the cows could speak, they’d probably tell you they’re not treated with unnecessary antibiotics or hormones and that their milk products are delicious. Children and adults alike will enjoy meeting the cows and calves, as well as the pigs, horse, dog, and cats that call the farm home.

Before you leave, you can buy some of Shunpike’s raw milk or cream to try (the dairy was certified by New York State in 2010 to sell raw milk), or stock up on fresh eggs, local maple syrup and honey.

Drop in anytime between 6 a.m. and 6 p.m., but if you want to see the milking process in action, you’ll have to be there at either 6 a.m. or 5 p.m.

1348 Shunpike Road, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 702-6224. shunpikedairy.com

No matter where you’ve been or how many exotic places you’ve seen, chances are you’ve never seen anything like Wing’s Castle. A private home, a permanent art installation, a personal treasure-trove, an architectural pastiche—all these describe this Gaudi-esque castle created by the late artist and architect Peter Wing and his artist wife, Toni Ann. They began building the Castle (complete with moat) shortly after they were married in 1970 and continued their labor of love over more than four decades, the Castle growing and morphing over time. Thanks to urban renewal in the Hudson Valley in the project’s early years, they acquired building materials from city teardowns, and as a result Wing’s Castle was built with 85 percent recycled materials (60 percent of the stone used in the Castle was repurposed from an old railroad bridge).

But it’s not just the structure that tells a story; every room in the Castle is filled with antiques, collectibles, artworks, militaria, and, of course, some tchotchkes. The Castle has been the backdrop for movies, videos and photo shoots; it’s been featured on HGTV’s Extreme Homes and on the History Channel; and it’s even been listed on New York’s Haunted History Trail (though I was unable to verify otherworldly activity).

The B&B accommodations include a (surprisingly quite lovely) dungeon room and a tower room, as well as a three-bedroom cottage (the cottage, however, is without WiFi or TV). While there are many and varied places to stay in and around Millbrook, I’d readily surrender to the dungeon at Wing’s Castle. But if you’re not so inclined, be sure to visit for a guided tour, offered Wednesday through Sunday.

717 Bangall Road, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 677-9085 (Reservations by phone only) wingscastle.com

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF WING’S CASTLE

PHOTO COURTESY OF SHUNPIKE DAIRY

SHUNPIKE DAIRY

PHOTO COURTESY OF THE MILLBROOK FARMERS’ MARKET

MILLBROOK FARMERS’ MARKET

I don’t know anyone who doesn’t like a good farmers’ market—it’s like a community cocktail party, except instead of cocktails and canapés, you have lemonade and muffins. Millbrook’s Farmers’ Market is no exception: The town comes out, local merchants provide the freshest of wares, and in Millbrook, the band plays on with live music all summer long.

Aside from local produce, dairy, artisanal cheeses, meats and fish, you’ll also find maple syrup, BBQ sauces and rubs, baked goods and desserts, gourmet charcuterie, olive oil, granola, fresh-cut flowers and organic juices and sodas. If you’re looking for crafts, you’re in luck there, too. Select from handmade quilts, linens, cashmere crafts, children’s toys and more.

And here’s one thing I’ve never seen at a farmers’ market before: bourbon, rye, vodka and gin, all from New York State’s Yankee Distillery. Maybe we shouldn’t rule out the cocktails just yet …

3263 Franklin Avenue, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845)243-4410. millbrooknyfarmersmarket.com

JESSICA BENNETT PHOTO

As a teen in New York City, if I’d known there was a high school in the state with its own zoo, well… I suspect I might have pestered my parents until they moved us upstate. The lucky parents in Millbrook, however, don’t have to endure such tactics by their kids. The Millbrook School, a coed preparatory school, does indeed have its very own zoo—and is the only high school in the country able to make such a claim. It was founded in 1936, when biology teacher Frank Trevor joined the school’s faculty and brought with him his own family of animals.

This unique resource means Millbrook students can expand their coursework to include animal behavior, animal biology, ecology and zoology. Students also help design the zoo’s exhibits and enrichment activities for the animals. On a daily basis, they help feed and care for the zoo’s residents as part of the school’s community service program, learning about conservation and ecological, as well as personal, responsibility.

But you don’t have to be associated with the Millbrook School to visit the zoo, which welcomes guests 365 days a year. More than 180 species from six continents call Millbrook home, among them such endangered species as the White-Naped Crane, Lake Victoria Cichlid, Ring-Tailed Lemur, Red Wolf, Blanding’s Turtle, Kaiser’s Spotted Newt, Golden Lion Tamarin, Black-and-White Ruffed Lemur and Red Panda—for which the zoo participates in specialized breeding programs.

If you’d like to keep up with some of your new friends after your visit (or if you can’t fit a visit into your schedule), take advantage of the zoo’s live feed at www.

Millbrook.org/TrevorZooLive.

282 Millbrook School Road, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 677-3704. trevorzoo.org

PHOTO BY RON GINSBURG

TREVOR ZOO

MUSEUM IN THE STREETS©

The Museum in the Streets© program originated in France, and the idea is to allow visitors and residents to learn the history and preserve the heritage of their towns and cities through self-guided walking tours. There are currently 18 MITS programs in the United States and about 10 in Europe; Millbrook’s was installed in 2014.

MITS plaques indicate the stops along the tour and, along with a brochure and map, are bilingual in English and Italian to pay homage to the heritage of many of Millbrook’s builders; their descendants remain strong community members today.

You can pick up your own map and guide at many of the local businesses and head over to St. Joseph’s Church on North Avenue to start your tour.

(845) 266-3505. millbrookmits.org info@themuseuminthestreets.com

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CITY GUIDE

PHOTO COURTESY OF INNISFREE GARDEN

INNISFREE GARDEN

WALBRIDGE FARM MARKET

More than 900 acres comprise Walbridge Farm, a sustainable registered Black Angus operation. Their cattle are not exposed to pesticides or insecticides and are finished with non-GMO grain from Walbridge’s own crops.

If you’re like me and fond of eating your way through places you visit, then you might find yourself picking up a cooler to fill at the Walbridge Farm Market. In addition to their own Angus beef, they sell their farm-fresh eggs, maple syrup and honey, as well as other local products including meats, dairy, fruits and vegetables, and fresh-baked breads and sweets.

538 Route 343, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 677-6221. walbridgefarm.com

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Noted as one of the world’s best gardens (it’s where Martha Stewart likes to take visitors to New York), Innisfree Garden is not merely beautiful, but also a masterpiece of landscape architecture

by Lester Collins. Artistically, it melds Modernist and Romantic ideas with traditional Chinese and Japanese principles of garden design, but, practically speaking, it’s a beautiful way to spend a summer afternoon.

Tours take about 90 minutes, but there is seating throughout the garden and a designated picnic area, so you can while away the time and smell the roses, literally.

Before you go, be sure to check the calendar of events on the Innisfree website for special guided walks, documentary screenings, talks or exhibits. The garden is open May 7 through Oct. 16 this year.

362 Tyrrel Road, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 677-8000. innisfreegarden.org

There are lots of interesting shops in town, but if you only have time for a couple, make sure one is Punch. According to owner Ruthie Bontecou, the inventory here changes “almost daily” to keep up with the shop’s dedicated local clientele. Best of all, not only can you find something for everyone— with apparel and accessories for women, men and children—but you can also find all manner of gifts, décor and objects for every area in your home and garden.

It’s the perfect spot if you “need” to pick up a new pair of Hunter wellies, a gift for your host, something to brighten your personal space, or just something to remember your time in Millbrook.

15 Merritt Avenue, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 677-6796. shoppunchnow.com

MILLBROOK VINEYARDS AND WINERY

For the past 20 years, Millbrook Vineyards has been voted “Best Winery” in the Hudson Valley—that’s more than enough recommendation to visit a wine tasting or two to sample their portfolio. Located along the Dutchess County Wine Trail, the winery offers tours and tastings daily and hosts special events throughout the year, such as a Summer Solstice Lobster Bake, Jazz at the Grille, an annual Harvest Party, and a 5K obstacle race.

From Memorial Day through October the Vineyard Grille, an open-air café, is available to guests, and there’s a picnic area to enjoy as well. If you really want to make an afternoon of it, hike along the vineyard’s walking trail, too. Conveniently, if you’d like to continue to enjoy Millbrook’s wines, you can purchase on site, and the vineyard will also ship to your home.

26 Wing Road, Millbrook, NY 12545 (800) 662-9463 or (845) 677-8383. millbrookwine.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF MILLBROOK VINEYARDS

TOM MOORE PHOTOS

PHOTO COURTESY OF PUNCH

PUNCH

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ORVIS SANDANONA SHOOTING GROUNDS

For a day of outdoorsy activity, the Orvis Sandanona Shooting Grounds is a great place to spend some time in the open air and learn (or perfect) your shooting and fishing skills. The Sandanona shooting clay course is among the best in the country (Orvis introduced one of the first such courses as its Vermont shooting school), and the 20-stand course will challenge novice and experienced shooters alike.

Alternatively, the Sandanona Wingshooting School provides hunters of all levels of experience with a system to use for “upland, waterfowl, and sporting clays.” Participants receive extensive hands-on firing instruction, classroom instruction and complimentary gunfitting.

If fishing is your preference, the Sandanona grounds also have two private ponds and a trout stream, and their fly fishing school will introduce you to fly-casting techniques, fishing knots and a foundation in freshwater entomology. Already a seasoned fisherman? Arrange for a guided fishing tour tailored to your preferences so you can get your best catch yet.

Ask about special happenings, like their Dog Training Seminar, Shotgun Classic, and Clays & Clubs (sporting clays and golf) events. And just in case you need further outfitting, there’s a shop on the grounds, too.

3047 Sharon Road, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 677-9701. orvis.com/sandanona

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It’s easy to perceive the nature lover in Frank Bartow, owner of Millbrook’s Belvoir Gallery. The walls are filled with landscapes and sporting and wildlife art. Among the artists adorning the gallery space are sporting artists Henry Collins Bispham, Arthur Loring Brackett, Henry Dutton Morse and Arthur Fitzwilliam Tait; landscape artists Ogden Pleissner, John Pirnak and Joellyn Duesberry; and wildlife artists Douglas Allen and Peter Corbin, to name a few.

This summer Belvoir is featuring a new exhibit of pastel paintings by Marlene Wiedenbaum, “A Slice of Summer.” Surely, while in Millbrook, Belvoir will have something to catch your eye.

3278 Franklin Avenue, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845) 605-1130. belvoirgallery.com

MILLBROOK ARTS GROUP

Sponsoring musical and theatrical events throughout the year, Millbrook Arts Group organizes a summer concert series on Saturdays throughout the season, covering all genres of music from big band to jazz and swing, from blues to country to rock. Visit their website for dates and times—and bring a picnic! millbrookartsgroup.org

BABETTE’S KITCHEN

Start your day like a local with a latte, pastry and breakfast sandwiches from Babette’s Kitchen, “simply good food” so good it will instantly become your morning Millbrook fix. The casual dining spot is also a town favorite for lunch and to-go dinners, with eclectic offerings like Italian panini, savory pies, soups, burritos and their famed meatloaf (a must-try).

Ingredients are seasonal and locally sourced, making everything on the menu especially tasty.

3293 Route 44, Millbrook, NY 12545 (845)677-8602. babetteskitchen.com

PHOTO COURTESY OF BELVOIR GALLERY

PHOTO COURTESY OF ORVIS SANDANONA

BELVOIR GALLERY

FILM REVIEW

Harry And Snowman Gives New Life To Show Jumping’s Favorite Love Story The film based on the bestselling book The Eighty-Dollar Champion is a documentary that plays like a fairytale.

By CATIE STASZ AK Photos Courtesy of FILMRISE Harry de Leyer paid just $80 for Snowman, the horse who became show jumping’s Horse of the Year in 1958 and 1959.

R

arely is the movie better than the book, and even less often does the movie tell the true story. Films are usually based on true stories, but what the tag lines so often fail to include is the fine print—that “based,” means loosely based, at best.

Which is why director Ron Davis would not sign on to tell the story of legendary show jumper Harry de Leyer and his “Cinderella Horse” Snowman, notably told in the 2011 No. 1 New York Times bestseller The Eighty-Dollar Champion, unless he could do it his way.

“I didn’t want to do an archival film

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with a dead horse and dead people,” Davis said. “Harry is not only alive and well, but he is still going to horse shows and to the barn. When I found that out, I thought it would be a really cool film where something that happened in the ’50s could be told today. I thought things could go really well. To be able to tell the real story—not the story that may get made by a feature film, a fictionalized story—but to really be able to tell the true story, is really remarkable.”

Davis’ film is a heartwarming documentary, but the word “documentary” shouldn’t deter you from bringing

the family to theaters to see it (it was released internationally on May 19 and is scheduled for a Sept. 30 release in North America; Magnolia Pictures acquired the North American rights to the film in early February). The film is not a boring recollection of facts; it eloquently tells the story of a relationship so strong that it had the power to turn a Dutch immigrant and an Amish plow horse into beloved American darlings. It’s a story even the most esteemed creative directors in Hollywood couldn’t dream up, and it’s told straight from the horse’s mouth— well, his owner’s mouth.

Harry de Leyer—the real Harry de Leyer, fondly nicknamed show jumping’s “Galloping Grandfather”—is the star of the film. Now 86 and living in Dyke, Va., he still has a farm and continues to ride and train. De Leyer takes the viewer through the story of Snowman, interspersing personal reflection and narration with brutally honest, laugh-out-loud oneliners. In 1956, de Leyer was an instructor at the all-girls Knox School in Long Island, N.Y., when he drove a few hours south to the New Holland Sales Stable’s auction in Pennsylvania to purchase a cheap lesson horse for his program.

There, he found a big gray plow horse bound for the glue factory. He bought the horse, whom he and his family named Snowman, for just $80.

Not only would Snowman become the best lesson horse and “family pet” de Leyer ever had—there are adorable photographs of de Leyer’s 10 children lined up in a row along the horse’s back—but he would also display an uncanny ability to jump. The ex-workhorse took the man who saved his life to the pinnacle of the sport, winning the prestigious Open Jumper Championship at the National Horse Show at Madison Square Garden (N.Y.) two years in a row, in 1958 and

1959. He was also named Horse of the Year in each of those seasons, besting wellbred horses owned by some of the wealthiest members of American society.

Harry and Snowman were household names in the ’50s.

Now, the millennial generation will get to know them too.

Yes, it happened, and no, it’s not an exaggeration. Even Davis himself was skeptical at first, but the proof is in the hours of high-quality historical footage and home movies—as well as the more than 1,200 photographs—from the Knox School, the de Leyers’ Hollandia Farm, and nearly every major horse show in the 1950s. There are also particularly fun scenes in which Harry and Snowman, full-blown celebrities, are shown on nationally broadcast talk and game shows. There are interviews with Harry’s brother Willy, his daughter Harriet, and his sons Andre and Marty, as well as with fellow show jumper Rodney Jenkins, horse show commentator Peter Doubleday and the equally legendary George Morris, who also add their own anecdotes and perspectives.

“At first, I thought the whole story had been romanticized, that the relationship between Harry and Snowman had been romanticized over the years, and that when you found out the real story, I was going to find out that Snowman was just a good horse, and Harry was lucky,” Davis admitted. “I was surprised that the horse clearly loved Harry on so many different fronts and experiences. He gave and gave and gave to Harry and the

family and did so many things that you couldn’t argue that this horse really loved him. The movie is ultimately not about the winning and the championships; it’s a love story between Harry and Snowman and Snowman and the family. That’s really what makes it good.”

And it is good. In one of the best parts of the film, de Leyer describes how Snowman showed up on his doorstep after jumping a wood fence—with a tire attached to his lead rope. There’s also a heartwarming scene in which the de Leyer children go swimming with Snowman in the ocean. Can you imagine a top-level show jumper being a child’s personal diving board in today’s sport?

The film is a tearjerker at times as well, as sacrifices must be made to achieve great heights. You’ll have to watch Harry and Snowman to get the whole story, which has no greater endorser than de Leyer himself.

“I think it’s great,” said de Leyer, who attended an advanced screening of the film Feb. 21 in Wellington, Fla., as part of a fundraiser for the Equestrian Aid Foundation that raised $116,000 for equestrian professionals suffering from illness or catastrophic injuries. “It was very well done. Ron did a very good job, and he told it right down to the bottom like it is. It’s the true story.”

Harry and Snowman debuted at the 2015 Full Frame Film Festival (N.C.) last April and has received numerous awards, including the Audience Award for Best Documentary at the Nantucket Film Festival (Mass.), Prescott Film Festival (Ariz.), New Hampshire Film Festival, Middleburg Film Festival (Va.) and New Orleans Film Festival (La.); the People’s Choice Award for Best Feature at the Equus Film Festival (N.Y.); and the Audience Award for “Best of the Fest” at the Woods Hole Film Festival (Mass.).

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CHARITY SPOTLIGHT A CLOSER LOOK AT:

Horse & Family Institute A North Carolina charity shows how interacting with horses helps people communicate better with each other.

By HALEY WEISS Photos by HFI

O

n their first day at a Horse & Family Institute communication program in Jacksonville, N.C., one couple walked into class completely silent. The husband sat up high on one set of bleachers, while the wife took a lower seat on another set. The pair appeared so disconnected that Kristen DelVecchio Fraessdorf, HFI’s co-founder and chief operations officer, had to assure the staff that the two individuals were in fact married. But after four weeks of working with HFI’s instructors and horses, the couple showed up to class holding hands.

“What the couple realized is that they just didn’t know how to talk to each other anymore,” Fraessdorf recalled.

Once they learned how to effectively communicate, Fraessdorf said the couple told her, “It’s like we’ve just gotten married again.”

From veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder to families, from straight-A students to children with learning disabilities, HFI helps clients improve their communication skills in order to form meaningful connections with others.

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HFI offers programs for a variety of ages. Working directly with horses, participants also learn about themselves, a key to developing better human-to-human communication skills.

The 501(c)(3) uses horses to teach people “effective/reflective” communication: how to communicate what they see instead of what they feel something looks like.

“For example, if you do something in the round pen with a horse, someone might say, ‘You looked frustrated,’ ” said Fraessdorf. “Well, no, what I saw happen was you clenched your fists, and your elbows straightened out, and the horse got faster. Effective/reflective communication is stating what we observe somebody doing as opposed to what we think they’re doing.”

HFI also teaches people how to question others effectively in order to get thoughtful responses. Fraessdorf said clients often complain that people don’t listen to them.

“What is actually happening is they’re not asking the right questions,” she explained.

“If you ask someone, ‘How was your day?’ usually the answer is ‘fine,’ or sometimes you don’t get a chance to respond because people just walk away. So the question is really–– especially with people we care about and the people we work with and our family members––‘Tell me something about your day that was different than anything else that you’ve experienced.’ ” The non-profit offers youth, adult and

family programs in an outdoor classroom environment, and classes range in length depending upon clients’ needs. HFI is also in the process of expanding its three-day veterans’ program into a longer curriculum that will focus on one’s overall demeanor and how to give an effective presentation to others.

The institute also has a new HorseSense Club, a faith-based program for youth aged 5 to 18 that teaches life skills, character building and horsemanship on the ground as well as in English and western tack, and there’s a three-day facilitation program for those wanting to learn the organization’s specific teaching methods.

HFI’s seven horses are key to the positive changes in clients’ lives. “Since horses are super-sensitive to pressure, they make great teaching tools,” said Fraessdorf, “and because they’re so large, they can be intimidating, so people pay attention. Horses work because people pay attention, and the feedback that the horses give is instantaneous.”

HFI participants agree that the horses make influential teachers. “I think horses have the ability to identify what type of person they’re dealing with right off the bat,” said Aldo Cox, an active-duty Marine

Aldo Cox, a Marine on active duty, says his interactions with his family have improved “due to patience, assertiveness, body language, facial expressions and not being sarcastic, because the horses responded to those things.”

participating in HFI’s Equine-Assisted Communication program, which receives funds from the Semper Fi Foundation.

“I have a traumatic brain injury, some anxiety, depression, PTSD issues, a lot of anger, a lot of aggression, and I kind of just closed off from people and isolated myself,” said Cox, of Jacksonville, Fla. “I can say that therapy with the horses has helped, because I became aware of the way I was acting. To see [the horses] respond and react to the way I presented myself shed a lot of light on some of the issues I was having with people.

There’s a noticeable difference between when I’m being aggressive or passiveaggressive with the horse versus when I’m being assertive. It painted a picture of how I’m acting throughout my life at home and with my kids.”

Such self-awareness leads to better interpersonal skills, says HFI’s chief executive officer, Chris Robbins, himself a Marine Corps veteran.

“We’re always learning something about each other,” Robbins said. “We can learn from the 5-year-old, and we can learn from someone who’s been doing it forever.

We’re always open-minded in that we can learn something new and fresh about our activity and interactivity with other people.”

Although every exercise affects people

differently, Fraessdorf has seen the most “a-ha” moments triggered by two in particular.

In one exercise, participants are divided in two groups in the round pen with a horse.

Using traffic cones and jumps, one group builds a physical representation of a problem, often a communication problem that they experience in life. Once the obstacle is complete, the observing group gives feedback to the builders on how they worked together as a team. The instructors then surprise the observers by asking them to get the horse to go through the obstacle, while the builders watch.

“Very few people will actually break the obstacle down into pieces,” said Fraessdorf.

“If people don’t break it down, we will ask the builders for their input, and then we will ask, ‘What would have happened if you had taken the obstacle apart one piece at a time, instead of having it be one big mess?’ Most of the time people are like, ‘You know, I didn’t think about it,’ and I say, ‘Well, think about the problems you have with communication.

What if you just focused on one thing?’

The point of the exercise is to have people identify that we all have obstacles, and they may look different to everybody. The horse represents the participants in that exercise: ‘Did you stay away from the obstacle while it was being built?’ How did you get yourself through it?’ ” For the other exercise, participants assemble a round pen, put a horse in it and then disassemble the pen. “Some people are blindfolded, some can talk and others can’t,” Fraessdorf said. “So it’s dealing with limitations that we have, how we accomplish tasks when we have limitations that we may or may not be

aware of and what that looks like.”

Through her work with HFI, Fraessdorf has combined her previous career in corporate education with her longstanding equestrian passion. She started riding at age 5 and had her own horses in a dressage and hunter/jumper barn. College and career kept her out of the saddle, but she’s made up for lost time. She founded HFI—originally called Coastal Carolina HorseSense—12 years ago with the late horse trainer Aleck Barnard, who died last year. Fraessdorf also is an equine sports massage therapist. “I made it my mission to really get back into horses, because I was missing it,” she said. “I thought, ‘I really want to take what I’ve learned and develop it and share it with other people.’”

“The instructors are amazing,” said Cox, who was in his seventh week of classes at the time of this interview. “They are patient and understand that they may be dealing with people who can’t communicate as effectively as one would want. They’ve taken the time to teach us about the horses and about ourselves. The experience has been great and almost overwhelming. I’m super-grateful for the program. I’ve put into practice some of the things that I’ve learned, and I could see how the conversation went differently [with my wife and kids] due to patience, assertiveness, body language, facial expressions and not being sarcastic, because the horses responded to those things. My communication efforts and abilities have definitely improved because of the tactics that I’ve learned.”

>>

WHAT IT IS: Horse & Family Institute is a non-profit learning organization that uses horses to teach meaningful communication skills to all ages.

HFI helps participants understand body language and teaches listening skills, questioning techniques and horsemanship.

>>

LEARN MORE: Visit HFI’s website at

>> >>

GET IN TOUCH: Call (910) 467-9740.

horseandfamilyinst.org.

GET INVOLVED: Make a donation online at horseandfamilyinst.org/donate-to-HFI or send one to Horse & Family Institute, 138 Catino Farms Lane, Jacksonville, N.C. 28546. Volunteers of all ages and professions are welcome.

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BEST OF WEB & PRINT

What’s Hot On The Web We’re following six Olympic hopeful riders on their Road To The Olympics. They check in every few weeks with details about their horses’ preparation, care and training as they travel the road to Rio. Behind-the-scenes photos, fun facts and insightful looks at horse care at the top level—you can find all the Road To The Olympics stories at coth.com/category/tags/road-olympics.

Here’s who we’re keeping up to date with:

u Clark Montgomery Clark Montgomery isn’t leaving anything to chance in his preparation plan for his Olympic hopeful, Loughan Glen, as he looks toward Rio. He fills readers in on his event schedule, how he’s schooling “Glen,” and what he’s choosing to do to get the best out of the horse.

“He’s earned himself a few tickets to some dressage shows this month to get ready for Bramham, which is absolutely hilarious because I’ve never had to do that with him before. We’ll go and do a couple of different tests that he doesn’t know and make sure he gets a bit softer. It’s not to drill him, but to take him in the arena and take a lot of the pressure off so that he just goes in the ring and starts to be his real soft, happy self again,” Montgomery said.

coth.com/category/author-name/mclain-ward-told-catie-staszak

coth.com/category/author-name/clark-montgomery-told-lindsay-berreth

u Laura Graves U.S. dressage’s breakout star from 2014 is looking to add an Olympic Games to her résumé with her best friend, Verdades. Graves lets readers into “Diddy’s” downtime as well as his show ring moments in the spotlight. She also talks about how she and coach Debbie MacDonald are fine-tuning their performances as they look to the Games. “[We’ve been] really picky on ourselves, and me in the way that I ride and the way that I correct my horse, and making sure that he never feels that we’re being as picky as we really are, because he’s quite good and proficient at his job. So it’s important to keep that stress within myself knowing how badly I want things to improve and not letting him bear the brunt of that,” Graves said.

u Kasey Perry-Glass She and Goerklintgaards Dublet are this year’s Cinderella story in dressage, as in their first year of Grand Prix CDI showing, they’re in contention for an Olympic team spot. She’s sharing just how she got to this point and how she’s managing the new demands.

“From the moment we bought Dublet, the Olympics was our goal and something we wanted to shoot for. We knew he was special, and we knew believing in the process was always our goal. To come from where I came from before I got him to now, it’s just a huge step,” Perry-Glass said.

coth.com/category/author-name/laura-graves-told-kimberly-loushin

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MEG MCGUIRE PHOTOGRAPHY PHOTO

u McLain Ward This two-time Olympic team gold medalist is aiming for his fourth Olympic Games with a young mare that has set the world on fire this spring. As Ward jetted from Rome to Devon to Rotterdam, he’s kept us informed about how he’s planned his schedule, how he deals with the pressure, and just what makes HH Azur so special.

“She’s so much horse and has so much power that you just have to make sure that you keep that a little bit under wraps so that she’s not so fit and so fresh that it’s not completely in control.

We try to find weeks and time where we can let her down a little, so that she does take a breath and stays relaxed within herself,” Ward said.

coth.com/category/tags/road-olympics-kasey-perry-glass

u Callan

BOB LANGRISH PHOTO

Solem

In her quest for her first international championship team spot, Callan Solem is being incredibly insightful and detailed about her journey with VDL Wizard. She’s new to the team selection process and fiercely devoted to her horse.

“In another interview someone asked me, ‘Have you taken a moment to enjoy that this dream is coming true?’ But it’s not over. The dream wasn’t to be on the short list or go to the Olympics.

The goal is to be useful at the Olympics. I’m not interested in going and being the drop score. I will keep working, making sure that my Ts are crossed and my Is are dotted,” she said.

Don’t Miss In The Magazine DRESSAGE ISSUE: Take

u The Future Of Judging

A Tour Of Adventure

Farms p. 58

In our annual Dressage Issue, June 6 & 13, Lisa Slade examines the lack of young riders and trainers coming up the long and demanding pipeline to judge dressage at the international level. Officials argue it shouldn’t be an easy process and that it’s not for THE LOOMING CRISIS IN everyone, but then how do you convince trainers to DRESSAGE JUDGING leave their businesses for the licensing process?

Inside: “If you look at us on the USEF Dressage Committee—I’ve been on that for 25 years, and I look around, and I think, ‘There’s nobody under 60 here,’ ” says FEI four-star judge and L Program instructor Janet Foy. Vol. 79, No. 14

June 6 & 13, 2016 • $4.99

p. 42

Nicho Meredith On Pronunc iations & Poker p. 64 Jeremy Steinberg’s Commen cement Address p. 66 Three Perspectives On Eventing Accidents p. 78

coth.com/category/author-name/ callan-solem-told-mollie-bailey

u Phillip

Dutton and Emma Ford

Making an Olympic team is nothing new for five-time Olympian Phillip Dutton, and this year it’s more a case of “which horse” than “if.” Dutton’s head groom, Emma Ford, is joining in with her take on how she cares for Dutton’s top horses behind the scenes as well.

“They’re such individuals. It’s very easy in a barn of 40 to just go through the day and make it happen, but I try very hard to treat them as individuals,” Ford said. “Some of them like their hay in a certain spot in the stall, otherwise they won’t eat it, stuff like that. Whatever I think helps them be happy through the day, I try to make that happen for them.”

coth.com/category/author-name/ phillip-dutton-and-emma-ford-told-ann-glavan

u Living Legend And

u Riders Weigh In On

Patty Heuckeroth has accumulated the kind of year-end titles and prestigious honors that earn you a place in the sport’s history, but even more importantly, she’s been an advocate for the horse and for oldfashioned horsemanship. In the May 2 & 9 Spring Horse Shows Issue, Mollie Bailey explores Heuckeroth’s career, in which she’s spent as much time with young horses as with national champions, seen the promise in equines of all types, and passed on her expertise to many others.

“I respect someone as a rider and trainer who can show me many [horses] they’re winning with that they started, not ones who bought the best and did well,” she said.

We asked prominent riders Will Faudree, Tamie Smith and Doug Payne how they feel about the challenges faced by their sport this spring. In the June 6 & 13 issue, they discussed how they cope with competing in a risk sport and the work being done to make it safer— but they’re not ready to write off the heights or speed of the upper levels, either.

“If we can quantify the problem— say at so much force this fence has to fall, I think you’ll see more innovation in collapsible jumps,” says Doug Payne.

“If you’re not comfortable at the upper levels, do a lower level,” says Will Faudree. “If you’re hiking, and you go to Mount Everest, you know it’s going to be hard.”

Horseman Patty Heuckeroth

Eventing Accidents

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PARTING WAYS

Ahead By A Whip Photo by TOD MARKS

Jockey Kieran Norris’ whip briefly took a narrow lead from Hooded ( Jack Doyle), after Norris fell from Help From Heaven during the 2016 Sport of Kings maiden hurdle at the Iroquois Steeplechase in Nashville, Tenn., on May 14. No one was injured in the spill.

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