We decided to share one of our stories from the 2015 American Horses In Sport issue to give online readers a glimpse at how we look back at the previous year in sport. Find out who we chose as our Horses and Horsemen of the Year for 2015 and get a taste of the issue. What are you missing if you don’t subscribe?
It’s a funny thing, to name a “Horseman of the Year.” We consider a broad spectrum of criteria when we debate who to choose each year—we look not only at competitive accomplishments but also contributions to the sport and obvious dedication to the horses’ well-being. We look beyond the riders to others in the sport at times, too.
So when we came to the question of naming a Hunter Horseman of the Year this year, we thought hard and debated strongly. There were plenty of riders who collected impressive victories at big competitions. There were lots of trainers who had great years with multiple horses winning. A number of behind-the-scenes and administrative people worked hard to advance the sport. We applaud all their accomplishments, and any one of them could deservedly be named our Hunter Horseman of the Year.
But this was a tough year for the hunter industry in the eyes of the general public. What we internally referred to as “Inclusive-gate”—the legal wranglings surrounding Brigid Colvin’s USEF suspension—lifted the curtain on the sad reality of “preparation” for many hunters showing. The hunter division has been plagued by a growing culture of quieting, via pharmaceutical or herbal or excessive exercise methods. Some are more detrimental to the horse than others, for sure. But if you look in the trash cans full of quieting paste tubes and sharps containers full of syringes on the show grounds, it’s sometimes hard to think in terms of “horsemanship.”
We know that there are many horsemen out there in the sport—at all levels—who care for their horses with utmost respect for the horse’s well-being and fair sport. But what we really felt was lacking in the aftermath of Inclusive-gate was a major player in the spotlight of the sport who would stand up and publicly denounce the use of quieting medications. We had hoped that someone would declare, “I will do my best to ensure my horse’s well-being as well as his performance.”
Do you know who did come forward with that declaration? The general public did, in response to our coverage of Inclusive-gate. Not many of those who responded have appeared in the pages of the Chronicle in our coverage of top shows, but they do exemplify what we think of as “horsemen.” They came forward to us—sending emails and letters declaring their commitment to being good stewards of their horses’ care.
From a professional trainer who had worked in an A-circuit barn: “The things I witnessed, both in barn and on the circuit, were a level of cruelty and disrespect for horses that was so high that I chose to walk away. I became a ‘grassroots trainer’ and took on a full-time day job so that I could work with people who believed as I did in compassionate, kind training of horse and rider and working with partnerships between horse and rider that are built over months and years, not over days and shows.”
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From an amateur rider: “I don’t have a competitive horse, I have a safe horse who has never had any ‘medication’ other than for managing the occasional bump and bruise encountered in the daily lives of young horses. I do the amateurs reasonably effectively and a couple 3′ derbies a year and have just decided to stop doing them. The last three rated show derbies I did were dominated by the robots ridden by trainers trying to score some cash for their owners. My goals center around different things—a smooth round, finding that darn oxer on the long approach, having fun.”
From a horse show mother: “I’m not a trainer or a professional but did the A circuit with my daughter. [We] had to buy young green ponies and horses. No drugs and did not longe. We successfully went to Pony Finals, Harrisburg, Washington, Devon and Old Salem, to name a few. While showing one we were training the next one. It can be done.”
From another professional trainer: “At my farm, we have several excellent hunters and jumpers who have consistently done very well in the big leagues without any performance meds, drugs or even Perfect Prep. Would they have performed even better with drugs? In some cases, yes. Would we succumb to the pressures to win by using drugs? Never. Is this frustrating? Yes! The playing field is hard enough in the hunters, and to some extent the jumpers. Money, skills, luck, etc., are enough to keep this sport beyond the reach of most. Illegal drug use by our top contenders is the nail in everyone’s coffin, and the biggest losers, as usual, are our beloved horses.”
So this year, we don’t have one specific name as our Hunter Horseman of the Year, but we extend our recognition with that title to all those horsemen out there who are making their horses’ well-being a priority over winning at all costs. Perhaps you’re picking up blues at top-tier shows, or less prestigious ribbons at smaller venues, but you’re the ones prioritizing your horses no matter what the result.
We know you’re out there, doing the right thing at shows and back in your own barns all over the country, at all levels of involvement. We might not know all your names, but we know there are lots of you. You let your conscience guide your horse care, you enjoy the process as much as the blue ribbon, and you stand up for your horses’ welfare. So if you’re one of those ethical people who can be found all over the country, in every division, we salute you as our Hunter Horseman of the Year.
This is the Show Hunter Horseman of the Year article from the 2015 edition of the Chronicle’s annual American Horses In Sport issue. In the AHIS issue, we name a Horse and Horseman of the Year in the disciplines of show hunters, show jumpers, eventing and dressage, publish a Between Rounds forum written by experts in each discipline, and include statistics and photos of winners in each sport. It’s a comprehensive look at the year.
