PRINCETON, N.J.--The three fall shows at Princeton Show jumping had to be canceled after USEF gave the same dates to nearby FEI shows, which meant the riders that normally took their young horses to the Princeton shows had to go to the FEI shows that offer more money and points.
The Princeton series offered excellent facilities with good footing and attractive fences where top riders could take their new horses and up and coming students to compete and learn.
The series includes Nations Cups for Children/Adult and Junior/Amateur Jumpers and Young Jumper Championships.
Losing a series like Princeton means that there is one less place to start new horses and riders, and it's happening all over the country.
USEF sets horse show dates, and there is no appeal.
A letter that Andrew Philbrick, who organizes and manages Princeton Show Jumping at the facility in Skillman, N.J., wrote to his exhibitors follows:
IT IS WITH profound sadness that Princeton Show Jumping is being forced, due to a profound lack of entries, to cancel our Fall USEF National Horse Shows:
September 18-22
September 25-29
October 3-6
Unfortunately, there are three elite FEI International Horse Shows very close to our Princeton Fall National Horse Shows on these dates and several more surrounding these dates.
Sadly, we do not have enough entries to provide real competition to you or even to pay our staff.
USEF Horse show entries are down nationwide and profoundly down at many East Coast shows. This is partially due to new migration patterns that include extensive FEI International Horse Shows in Michigan, Lexington, and Tryon. In addition to these substantial International Horse Shows, there are new and relatively new FEI Horse Shows at Old Salem, NY, Greenwich, CT, Silo Ridge, NY, HITS, NY, and more.
Princeton seeks to promote and protect a horse and rider development program at our National Shows. We will do our best to survive this new reality, but without a profound change in horse show licensing policy, the future survival of USEF National Shows on the East Coast is genuinely in doubt.
Once again, we are deeply saddened by this cancellation of the Princeton Horse Show Fall Series.
We thank every Rider, Trainer, Horse Owner, USEF Licensed Official, Horse Show Staff, and Crew who have supported, worked at and relied on our Princeton Show Jumping facility and development programs.
We sincerely hope this is not the future of our sport.
Warm Regards,
Andrew H. Philbrick