September 2020 Issue

Page 22 September 2020 EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Tell our advertisers you found them in East Coast Equestrian. "Indoors" Move, Then Cancel, But Some Championships Will Be Held Event, an Olympic qualifier, set to run from November 12th to 15th at the 950-acre Ocala Jockey Club farm in Reddick, Florida. “We have wished to serve our part in the economic recov- ery of the community and the competition needs of the event- ing sport,” said Pavla Nygaard, president of the Ocala Jockey Club. “However there has been increased concern on OJC’s part regarding the significant increase in community transmission of Covid-19, and a corresponding concern regarding current and continuing insufficient availabil- ity of local and national tools to combat such community trans- mission of this virus.” Organizers of the National Horse Show said they are confi- dent they can hold the show safely at the indoor Alltech Arena by setting extensive new rules and putting health protocols in place. “It’s tough to pull off a horse show in a time of a world pandemic,” said Jennifer Burger, president of the NHS. “But we are a go. We are anticipating a great show.” She said they are holding the stabling area at 50 percent capaci- ty and there will be no spectators allowed. The roughly 600 to 700 exhibitors and others entering the area each day will be required to wear masks at all times and undergo temperature checks at the gate. Burger said a security company has been hired to ensure protocols are followed. “There will be zero tolerance [for violators],” she said. While horse show enthusi- asts cannot attend in person, there will be a high-quality livestream at the National Horse Show’s website ( www.nhs.org) and daily newsletters posted for the dura- tion of the show from Oct. 23 to Nov. 1, said Burger. Ericka Houlihan of Clarks- ville, MD, said she was looking forward to competing in the low junior amateur-owner jumper division at the WIHS with her Dutch Warmblood Petrushka III. “I think [cancellation] was the right decision given the cir- cumstances,” she said. “I feel sad for those looking forward to it, but there will more horse shows to look forward to once this is behind us.” (Continued from page 1) Pennsylvania Agriculture Secretary Russell Redding an- nounced August 19 that Penn- sylvania’s agriculture industry will be celebrated virtually for the 2021 PA Farm Show, with no in-person events or competitions, to mitigate against COVID-19. “There are times in the life of a farmer when the risks are too great or uncertain, requiring farm- ers to make the tough decision to leave a field fallow,” said Red- ding. “To protect our assets – both our people and our resources – from incalculable losses, we have made the tough decision to take a year to lie in fallow. Rather than an in-person Farm Show, we will celebrate Pennsylvania agriculture virtually for 2021 as we prepare for a productive future. “We’ll look at our strengths and where we need to invest together in order to grow and culti- vate for tomorrow. We’ll consider what has become crystal clear during the pandemic – that agricul- ture is essential for life; our people are resilient and innovative. We will focus on agricultural aware- ness, education, and literacy while highlighting the interconnectedness of our food chain,” added Redding. The department announced the theme for the 2021 virtual PAFarm Show to be Cultivating Tomorrow . Details of the virtual show will PA Farm Show Will be Virtual (Continued on page 24)