The monster-sized garbage truck was headed straight for the horse I was riding down busy Columbus Avenue, at the height of evening rush hour on New York City’s Upper West Side. Gears grinding loudly, the vehicle kept chugging toward us as I maneuvered my horse as close as possible to the parked cars along the curb in an attempt to avoid a truck-horse-human collision.
The perpetually rearing wooden horse still stares out the enormous picture window oblivious to the constant bustle of New York City, just as he’s done since 1912. All around him, the world has changed. The once plentiful shops offering equestrian accouterments to clients with names like Rockefeller and Kennedy have disappeared, leaving Manhattan Saddlery as the sole surviving tack shop in the borough.
It was 8:45 p.m. on a Thursday evening. It was dark, wet and cold outside. I had 24 hours until the chili cook-off fundraiser I’d been planning for the Area II Young Riders, and the anxiety was setting in, as it always does before any function I plan.
I was doing my best to balance my time between my full-time job at Sinead Halpin Eventing, my part-time job at Prestige Saddles, my commitment to Young Riders, my part-time job teaching at River Edge Farm, and my personal commitment to fitness.
More Magic, a successful Grand Prix dressage horse, died on May 12 of cancer. He was 17.
A dark bay Westphalian gelding by Maraschino, More Magic was bred in Germany and trained to the Grand Prix level by Coby van Baalen. Olympic veteran Christine Traurig took over the ride in 2003 and competed him successfully in Europe for owner Dan Trierweiler until she moved back to the United States at the end of 2005.
G. Leslie Grimes, huntsman for the Green Spring Valley Hounds, died on April 7 at his home in Butler, Md., following an extended illness. He was 89.
Devon by Norman Schmidt
Norman Schmidt’s love for drawing and painting started at the age of 6 when he produced a charcoal drawing of a horse’s head from a simple learn-to-draw kit. From that point on, he was hooked on fine art and horses.
Today, Schmidt and his wife operate NSchmidt Design Group, a professional graphic design and photography studio catering to Fortune 500 companies, from their New Jersey horse farm.
Washington D. “Wash” Bishop, an international eventer and former U.S. Equestrian Federation team selector, died at his home in Middleburg, Va., on May 9. He was 53.
Mr. Bishop was born on Sept. 25, 1955, and grew up in Birmingham, Ala. In 1973, he moved to Virginia to ride and train event horses. At age 16, he was invited to train with the U.S. Equestrian Team eventing squad with legendary coach Jack LeGoff. Ultimately, this unique opportunity led to a spot on the 1980 Olympic team, the 1995 European Championship team, and the 1996 Olympic short list.
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