Christel Krøyer.

For the seventh year in a row JBK Horse Shows welcomes everybody to Odense Congress Center hosting worldclass equestrian sport. Preperations are in full swing and the organisers are very keen to put together a week of memorable sport.
As previous years the show will host first leg of the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage tournament attracting some of the biggest stars in dressage. In 2012 Dutch star Adelinde Cornelissen won the first leg in Odense after close competition with stars such as Helen Langehanenberg and Edward Gal.
The World Cup Grand Prix will take place on Saturday 19th followed by the Freestyle on Sunday 20th of October. The spectators will also experience exciting Grand Prix Jumping.
Most of the team behind the ECCO FEI European Championships in Herning will also be in Odense doing their very best to create a great show everybody involved.
Young future stars
Alongside with the international equestrian stars the young horses will be competing at the finals in the Danish Equestrian Federation´s Championships for young horses in both dressage and jumping on October 15th-17th. The finals are presented by Blue Hors and Maskinhuset A/S.
See you in Odense !

Dejeudressage.

Che de Jeu (Glock’s Voice x Jazz x Contango) is sold to Australia and will leave Edward Gal’s barn in short time. Mr. Howard and Sally McDonald of Berwick Vic. bought Che for their daughter Stephanie who will take the ride on him in the near future.

Che de Jeu is a 6 year old gelding who was successful with Edward’s stablerider Marieke v.d. Putten in the Finals Pavo Cup 2011/2012 and was in the 2013 Dutch Team 6 yr. old horses at WCYH in Verden Germany this year. Che de Jeu will be stabled at and trained further after arriving in Australia by Grand Prix rider Brett Parbery who also intermediated the sale and in due time Stephanie will take over the riding of Che.

Equine Canada is pleased to announce that Desi Dillingham, MBE, Special Advisor (Dressage), has graciously agreed to spearhead building and leading a team of experts to design and implement programs for Canada’s current and future international dressage stars.
After an in-depth review and interview process to fill the role of Technical Advisor/Chef d’Equipe for dressage, it was decided not to proceed with filing the role at this time, and that the best course of action for the future of dressage, is to draw upon Canada’s own immense pool of expertise and diverse resources. The goal is to create a team that will work collectively to design and implement world-class programs supporting the efforts put forth by Canadian athletes in their quest to represent their country at the highest levels of competition.
We are grateful to those candidates who put forward their applications for consideration for the role of Technical Advisor/Chef d’Equipe and wish to express our thanks for their commitment to our athletes and the development of the sport in Canada.
“Equine Canada is excited to have Desi working with dressage in this new expanded role,” said Christine Peters, Manager of Dressage at Equine Canada. “The next 11 months leading up to the World Equestrian Games will be extremely busy and having Desi and her vast experience to draw on will help Canada continue to raise the bar and once again be competitive on the world stage. Realizing these goals will take extraordinary effort and commitment from everyone involved. By building on the current momentum in collaboration with our athletes, owners and industry experts we can pull together a strong team to design programs which will identify, support, and develop not only our current stars but also next generation athletes.”
Dillingham will work in collaboration with the Dressage Canada High Performance Committee, Youth High Performance Committee, and the fundraising groups, to identify individual experts to assume specific roles within the new team. Her depth of knowledge and experience in the sport, and her expansive connections with the international equestrian industry will be of immense benefit and instrumental in forming an innovative team.
“I am very excited by this opportunity. As we head into this challenge, we do so knowing that everything we do moving forward must be with an eye to excelling at the international level, and especially so, as we head toward next year’s WEG. We are very fortunate that Canada has an incredible wealth of gifted experts in this sport and it is our goal to tap into that to create a highly skilled and effective team,” commented Dillingham. “The past few months I have truly enjoyed working with everyone I’ve met and have been impressed by their encouragement and support, and their firm belief that Canada has the raw talent necessary to make an impact on the world stage. We have a big job ahead of us but I’m confident with the right team of experts all pulling together, we can make a difference.”
“I am very pleased Desi has agreed to work with Dressage Canada on this process, and look forward to working more closely with her in the coming months,” commented Sarah Bradley, Chair, Dressage Canada.

FEI.
A Dressage Freestyle test event to review the judging of Freestyle competitions in order increase consistency and accuracy will be held on the premises of the German Equestrian Federation at Warendorf on 24 September. The event, which will be open to the public and media, will be held at Grand Prix level and will feature 20 Freestyle performances.
An internal debriefing session involving the FEI Dressage Committee, the Board members of the FEI Stakeholder Clubs, the members of the FEI Freestyle working group Katrina Wüst (GER), Peter Holler (GER), and Stephen Clarke (GBR), as well as David Stickland (USA), a Senior Research Physicist at Princeton University and FEI consultant on statistical analysis in Dressage judging, will take place on the following day.
FEI Judges Stephen Clarke (GBR), Wim Ernes (NED), Christoph Hess (GER), Peter Holler (GER), Henning Lehrmann (GER), Hans-Christian Matthiesen (DEN), Ulrike Nivelle (GER), Dr Dieter Schüle (GER), Christof Umbach (LUX), and Katrina Wüst (GER) will be officiating.
“The idea to hold a test event to help us improve Freestyle judging was presented at this year’s FEI Sports Forum and was welcomed by the participants,” FEI Dressage Committee Chairman Frank Kemperman said.
“The Freestyle is characterized by the most subjective judging elements of all FEI Dressage tests and continuous efforts should be made to further increase its objectivity. This will be beneficial to riders, judges, spectators and the entire sport,” he added. “Various new ideas will be explored during five rounds of testing and we are anticipating that the event will be an important step forward towards greater transparency in Freestyle judging.”
The conclusions reached as a result of the test event will be discussed by the FEI Dressage Committee.

USDF.

Lexington, KY (September 12, 2013) -The United States Dressage Federation (USDF)  is pleased to announce that Marilyn Heath will be presented with the 2013 Lifetime Achievement Award at the Salute Gala & Annual Awards Banquet, on December 7, 2013, during the Adequan/USDF Annual Convention in Lexington, KY. Award winners are those who have shown a lifetime of dedication to USDF through volunteering, and developing programs, projects, and committees that have contributed to USDF’s mission. They also have a long history of membership in USDF.
Marilyn Heath, of Naples, FL, has been a long and faithful volunteer to USDF through her dedication to judge education and involvement with USDF’s “L” Education Program and the Delaware Valley Combined Training Association (DVCTA). After becoming a USEF “S” Judge in 1989, Marilyn could have worked towards becoming an FEI dressage judge. She chose, instead, to focus on judge education and became an “L” faculty member in 1992. As the co-chair and chair of the “L” Education Program, Marilyn exhibited strong leadership in updating the program and its materials, promoting consistency among other judge education programs, and providing accessibility to judge education to a wider audience. The DVCTA has also recognized her devotion to the sport, by creating the Marilyn O. Heath Judges Education Fund, in honor of her enthusiastic commitment to improving dressage judging education in America. Marilyn’s passion for judging, personal integrity, and leadership have positively impacted USDF’s judge education program, USDF’s education mission, and the development of consistent and correct dressage education for all.
USDF President George Williams said, “In her quiet unassuming way, Marilyn Heath oversaw the USDF “L” Program with a diligence and expertise that ensured it remained one of the best judges’ training programs in the world.”

USDF.

Lexington, KY (September 11, 2013) – The United States Dressage Federation (USDF) is pleased to announce that Charles de Kunffy and Anne Gribbons will be inducted into the Roemer Foundation/USDF Hall of Fame (HOF) at the Salute Gala and Annual Awards Banquet, on December 7, 2013, during the Adequan/USDF Annual Convention in Lexington, KY. Induction into the HOF is an honor bestowed on individuals and horses that have made outstanding contributions to dressage in the United States. 
         Charles de Kunffy has become known as a lifelong educator, prolific author, and charismatic instructor, and has had a resounding impact on dressage in America. For more than fifty years, he has dedicated his life to teaching classical dressage and sharing his passion for training and riding with horses and riders from all walks of life. His work as a national and international teacher, lecturer, and clinician has taken him throughout Europe, Africa, Australia, Canada, and the United States. Charles has published over seven books, including two autobiographies, as well as contributed his expertise to publications such as Dressage and Combined Training, The Chronicle of the Horse, Dressage Today, and USDF Connection.  A retired FEI “C” (now 3*) and USEF “S” Judge, Charles has also served in various roles for several groups, including the Training of Teachers of Tomorrow Trust, USDF “L” Education Program, and International Dressage Judges Club.
            USDF President George Williams said, “Charles is one of the most eloquent ambassadors of dressage in our lifetime. There is no doubt his writing and teachings will continue to inspire many more generations of dressage enthusiasts to come.”
Anne Gribbons has been a driving force in all facets of dressage in the United States. Her profound career has spanned over four decades and has made a considerable impact on the sport. During her time as an international rider, Anne represented the United States at the 1995 Pan American Games, in which the United States dressage team won the silver medal. She has also ridden and trained numerous horses to Grand Prix, including Kristall, Leonardo II, Tappan Zee, and Metallic, who was a member of the 1996 Olympic Bronze Medal Team. As an FEI 5* dressage judge, Anne has judged numerous CDIs, Olympic and Pan American trials, and FEI World Cup Finals. Anne’s extensive involvement with USDF and USEF has resulted in the development of the American Dressage Pipeline, which was implemented during her tenure as USEF Dressage Technical Advisor and National Coach. She also served as a presenter for the 2010 USDF/USEF Young Rider Graduate Program and the 2011 Adequan/USDF National Symposium. In 2010, Anne was elected to serve as a member of the FEI Dressage Committee through 2013. Whether as a breeder, competitor, trainer, writer, or judge, Anne Gribbons has always been a strong advocate for dressage in the US.
USDF President George Williams said, “Anne has never stood still and is a fearless advocate for dressage in the US. She is a well rounded horsewoman, interested in all aspects of our sport, who has proven time and again that she lives and breathes dressage. Anne has been a major force in the development of dressage in our country.”

WESTPORT, CT – September 9, 2013 – Over $275,000 in grants were awarded in 2013 to 75 charitable organizations dedicated to horse welfare in 26 states and the District of Columbia, including Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Michigan, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Tennessee, Texas, Virginia, Washington and Wisconsin.

Among those 75, seven were designated as Horse Whisperer Grant Recipients. Horse Whisperers is the Foundation’s named grant program for a special group of people and organizations with an extraordinary kinship with horses who wish to sustain the magical and powerful impact horses have on our lives. 

Horse Whisperers annual and multi-year pledges of $5,000 or more are used for the award of grants to exceptional organizations devoted to the well-being of horses and fostering the use of equine assisted activities and therapies (EAAT). Horse Whisperers may also elect to use their donations for the award of a scholarship to an individual to reward equine volunteer service. Horse Whisperer grants and scholarships are named by the donors in honor of a family member, friend, associate, or in the memory of a loved one or a loved equine companion.
The EQUUS Foundation is proud to announce that the following organizations were designated as Horse Whisperer recipients this year:

Michele E. Arnhold Memorial Horse Whisperer Grants
Established in 2008 by the family of Michele E. Arnhold in memory of her pursuit of excellence and her commitment and contribution to the equestrian sport, the EQUUS Foundation awards $10,000 annually to worthy equine organizations in the name of Michele E. Arnhold. In 2013, two $5,000 grants were awarded.
American Institute for Neuro-Integrative Development (AIND)
 
AIND was selected to receive a $5,000 Michele E. Arnhold Grant to provide therapeutic riding instruction to students with neuro-biologically based learning and developmental disabilities at their Giant Steps School in Southport, Connecticut.

The program, which started as a pilot in 2007, is held at the Fairfield County Hunt Club in Westport, Connecticut, which donates the use of its facilities and horses. The Bridgeport Police Mounted Unit also supports the program by donating larger horses for the older children involved.
 
“As scientists begin to unravel the underlying causes of Autism Spectrum Disorders and other related disorders of development, the reality is that our kids are left with the hard work of learning tasks that many take for granted. Simple tasks like tooth brushing can require hours of special teaching and practice”, said Kathy Robertson, Executive Director, AIND/Giant Steps School. “It is such a pleasure to see the many benefits our kids receive from riding, not the least of which is how intrinsically happy they are on horses.”

The grant will be used specifically to implement a quantitative assessment tool designed to scientifically validate the use of equine therapy for those with physical, emotional and cognitive challenges. Dr. Margaret Bauman, a distinguished pediatric neurologist and research investigator who has been a pioneer in the study and treatment of autism for the past 25 years, is a consultant on this project.

Scientific validation that equine therapy is effective for individuals diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder and others with special needs will lead to the opportunities for these individuals to acquire coverage by insurance companies and referrals by doctors, psychologists, etc. as well as initiating new therapeutic riding programs for individuals in areas without access to any.
 
Giving Alternative Learners Uplifting Opportunities, Inc. (GALLOPNYC)
 
GallopNYC was selected to to receive a $5,000 Michele E. Arnhold Grant to provide therapeutic riding to low-income children and youth with disabilities in the New York metropolitan area.

GallopNYC uses three commercial riding facilities, two in Brooklyn and one in Forest Hills, to offer these services.

The grant will cover the cost of providing a 10-week session to 12 riders who are currently on the waitlist while seeking financial assistance.

If you were to visit GallopNYC on any given day, you might see:

     * a boy with autism finding his voice to tell his pony to trot;
     * a child from an abusive family falling in love with a horse and sharing her fears;
     * a high school drop-out gaining the courage to try for his GED and college;
     * a boy with Down syndrome developing strength and balance;
     * an adult with cognitive disabilities finding a purpose in helping others.

This grant will allow these young people with disabilities and special needs in the New York metropolitan area to get started on a path to enjoying the many benefits of therapeutic riding, and as parents, teachers, and counselors alike tell confirm, improve their quality of life forever.
 
GallopNYC has been serving the New York metropolitan area since 2005 by helping riders walk, talk, connect, focus, behave, and learn through therapeutic horsemanship. Most recently, they rescued their first equine, taking the initial steps toward a long-term plan to have our their rescued equines and dedicated facility.
 

Daniel D. Barkan Memorial Horse Whisperer Grants
Established in 2013 by the family of Daniel D. Barkan, a quiet philanthropist and gentleman, in memory of his life-long love of horses, the EQUUS Foundation awards $10,000 annually to worthy equine organizations in the name of Daniel D. Barkan. In 2013, two $5,000 grants were awarded.
Days End Farm Horse Rescue
Days End Farm Horse Rescue (DEFHR) based in Lisbon, Maryland, was selected to receive a $5,000 Daniel D. Barkan Grant to help fulfill its mission of ensuring quality care and treatment of horses through intervention, education, and outreach.

The grant will be used to support its Rescue, Rehabilitation, and Adoption Program for the horses at the farm now so space can be made available for those needing help in the future. 

The number of abused/neglected horses continues to escalate in Maryland and across the United States. Funding is critical to help rescue suffering horses and prevent animal cruelty. All horses that come to DEFHR suffer from malnutrition, hoof disease/deformity, parasitic infestation, physical abuse and/or painful ailments. 

Through Days End’s many varied and successful programs, horses are given a second chance at life with caring humans. People flourish and thrive as contributing members of a compassionate community. The bonds that are formed between horses and caregivers make the world a better place. 

DEFHR rescues, rehabilitates, trains and adopts horses. The farm houses 50-80 horses daily, accepts about 150 impounded horses yearly, has rehabilitated 1,834 horses since 1989, and adopted out an outstanding 94%. The farm has a trained staff and volunteers to provide critical and extended care, including round-the-clock care and monitoring.
High Hopes Therapeutic Riding Center
High Hopes Therapeutic Riding Center was selected to to receive a $5,000 Daniel D. Barkan Grant to support the involvement of children and adults with disabilities in its therapeutic riding programs. The grant will be used specifically for its Scholarship Program to ensure that financial barriers do not preclude participation for individuals in need. 

For individuals who cannot typically participate in group sports – for either physical or emotional reasons – the horse allows them to have a recreational experience in which they simultaneously accomplish individual and group goals. 

The horse is such a strong motivator that it allows participants to challenge themselves on a new level without feeling the stresses of keeping up with their peers. Since horseback riding is often a new skill for all participants it is a unique opportunity to participate in a recreational activity where everyone starts on the same level. 

High Hopes’ therapeutic riding and equine-assisted programs are conducted in a peaceful, rural setting that provides sensory stimulation that cannot be duplicated in a gym, clinic or other standard rehabilitation setting. 

High Hopes programs are designed to foster independence, improve the individual’s confidence, communication and problem-solving skills, and provide challenging individualized therapeutic and educational activities to a population with limited resources.