Winter 2024/2025 Issue

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For permission please call (717) 509-9800 or email steph@eastcoastequestrian.net EAST COAST EQUESTRIAN Winter 2024/2025 Page 31 Hot Summer Leads to Expensive Hay of inputs (seed, fertilizer, etc.) are not dropping. Some seed prices have stayed the same, while oth- ers have gone up.” Lancaster Farming reported on the problems hay farmers have been facing. Early spring rainfall helped produce a robust first cut- ting of hay. But after that, farms in Pennsylvania, Maryland and east- ern Ohio were hit with extremely hot and dry conditions. Reporter Tom Venesky interviewed Donald Gott, a farmer in southern Mary- land, whose orchardgrass and alfal- fa yields were cut drastically by the extreme heat. In that interview Gott said his fields typically produce around 1,600 small square bales of second cutting alfalfa, but this year the number dropped to 300. The second cutting of orchardgrass hasn’t even happened yet, and it’s at least a month behind. Gott sometimes gets four cuttings of or- chardgrass each year, but this year he’ll be lucky to get three. Back in Kennett Square, Peter Hicks expects things to get more expensive. “I would think the price is going up once you get to Decem- ber, January, February, just because with the timothy and alfalfa the quality is not there.” He laughs at the suggestion that farmers depend on predictability. “Farming is not predictable. You have to go out there with that mindset. You have to set some goals and know where your breakevens are.” Penn State’s Extension service enumerates the challeng- es farmers faced this year, from a mild winter to unseasonable warmth in early spring. “Then, an extended period of cool and wet, delayed planting, and one of the worst years for slugs in memory. Then, drought paired with multi- ple weeks of extreme heat through July. Then a tropical storm, and more drought in August.” That famous curse “may you live in interesting times,” has rarely had a more precise explanation. (Continued from page 27) William Coleman and Diabolo Win CCI4-S at Plantation Field International Aclear across country clinched the win for US Olympic Eventing Team member William Coleman and Diabolo, a 12-year-old Hol- steiner gelding owned by the Dia- bolo Group, in the $40,000 Brooke USACCI4-S at the Plantation Field International Three-Day Event, held September 19-22 in Unionville, PA. Coleman and Diabolo took the lead in dressage and held on through the end, adding just 3.6 time faults for a final score of 27.5 Coleman said, “He was very ready to go today – I actually had a hard time getting him in the start box. But he loves his job, so I can’t be annoyed that he gets a bit hyper; once he gets out there, he settles very quickly. He’s just a lovely horse. He jumped around today very well, I wasn’t really pressing him for time, but he was full of running all the way to the end.” Though Diabolo traveled to Paris for the Olympics, he did not compete. He returned to the United States and won the Adequan USEA Advanced Title at the American Eventing Championships. Standing second after show jumping, Boyd Martin and Tsetser- leg TSF, a 17-year-old Trakehner gelding owned by the Turner fami- ly, also jumped clear but a slow and conservative ride added 26.4 time faults to their score and dropped them to 12th place overall. William Coleman and Diabolo, back from a trip to Paris where a slight injury kept them from competing in the Olympics, led start to finish at Plantation Field to best last year’s winner, Ariel Grald on Isla de Coco, who finished in second. Photo credit: Amy Dragoo Photography This opened the door for Ariel Grald, who won the CCI4-S at this event in 2023, to move up from 8th to second place overall riding Annie Eldridge’s Isla de Coco, a ten-year-old Holsteiner mare, after going clear and also adding just 3.6 time faults. “I think this is an important event in the calendar,” said Grald. “We’re ramping up for our long events in the fall and this one ticks all the boxes to prepare for that.” Comparing the cross country course to last year she said, “I think the track was similar to last year but it asked different questions, and that is where [cross-country course de- signer] Derek diGrazia is a genius: he uses the terrain very well, and I felt like this was a good fitness run. Isla de Coco is doing her first four-star long at Morven Park, and I felt like it was important to make her run up and down the hills here. Derek set a great track, it had really good questions and I feel like the horses were able to read it well.” Irish rider Michael Nolan piloted Carrabeg Hulla Balou, a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse geld- ing owned by Susan Martin, around clear and with 6.4 time faults to finish in third place – a standing that they held from start to finish. “It was good to get my horse’s dressage more consistent, and it was good to get a clear cross-coun- try round because we needed the qualification,” he said. “I’m an FEI ‘C’ rider, so I have to do two to qualify and then hopefully do something bigger next year.” He also rode a couple of horses at the two-star level this weekend. Nolan has been in the US for ten years working for Robin Walker in Michigan, after moving from his home in County Wex- ford. Walker bought Carrabeg Hulla Balou as a three-year-old in Ireland, and Nolan brought him up the levels. While he may be a new face at this big event, he said that the other upper-level riders have been friend- ly and welcoming since he moved to the US, and he feels that they are more friends than competitors. Nolan said that he plans to give Louie another CCI4-S run at Morven Park (VA), then move up to a Long-Format CCI4-star at TerraNova (FL) in November. A total of 173 horses com- peted in the event across all levels from the CCI1-S up to the Four- Star. Though 38 horses started the CCI4-S division, 34 continued on to cross country. Twelve horses jumped clear in show jumping, but only eight jumped clear and in the time allowed. Three horses received a CR, or Compulsory Retirement, for accumulating 20 or more jumping penalties, and one withdrew following show jumping. In the Precise Buildings CCI3-S, Ema Klugman (Aus- tralia) riding RF Redfern, an 11-year-old Westphalian mare owned by Team Fern, won the division on her dressage score of 28.8. Alexandra Baugh (USA) finished second riding Hubert Des 3 Arbres (29.6), and Sharon White rounded out the top three with Jaguars Duende (30.7). Every year the Plantation Field International Board recognizes “Unionville Equestrian Legends” – outstanding members of the local equestrian community. This year’s honorees were DD and Michael Matz, of Coatesville, PA. Michael Matz is an American race horse trainer and member of the 1976, 1992 and 1996 US Olympic show jumping teams. He was chosen to carry the United States flag at the 1996 Olympic Games, in recog- nition of the heroism he showed during the crash of United Flight 232, where he returned to the plane to rescue the four children seated beside him. As a racehorse trainer, he has two Triple Crown wins, including the 2012 Belmont Stakes with Union Rags and the 2006 Kentucky Derby with Barbaro. DD Matz made a name for herself in the Amateur Owner ring and won her first show jumping Grand Prix in Wellington in 1991. Her grandfather is the late Robert Kleberg, founder of the legendary King Ranch, which covers more than 825,000 acres. He produced 1946 Triple Crown winner Assault as well as Middleground, winner of the 1950 Kentucky Derby and Belmont Stakes. DD has devoted her professional life to breeding and racing thoroughbreds. The event also features a Coun- try Fair, and Boyd Martin’s wife Silva brought their three kids out to the event to enjoy the activities. Boyd said, “I just ran into my family as they were busy on the mechani- cal bull and eating ice cream before they head to the bounce house.”