News

Silver Oak and other top shows support the Kevin Babington Foundation

Details: May 18, 2021; By Staff Writers

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich.--Immediately following Kevin Babington’s tragic fall, The Silver Oak Jumper Tournament and others rallied to build support towards Babington’s long and costly road to recovery.

Kevin Babington center with Dian left accepts a trophy at Silver Oakes Kevin Babington, center, with Diana, left ,accepts a trophy from Jeff Papows, right, at Silver OakThis past season, The World Equestrian Centers, Traverse City Horse Shows, The WEF, The National Horse show and Split Rock have all become involved in different ways at different times to support Babington.

Not only has it made the cost of therapy more manageable, but it has also allowed Babington's family to stay involved in the Sport which is very important to him.

Babington has made progress physically and is teaching, and he is living in rehab with every spare minute; and at the same time, never complaining.

We are amazed at his patience and tenacity.

This season The Silver Oak Jumper Tournament and The Traverse City Horse Shows will again hold “The 1.25m Open Babington Benefit Classic” the week of Silver Oak this September with the entry fees going directly to support Babington.

Support House bill outlawing unfettered use of commercial sized fireworks

Details: May 13, 2021; By SARA CAVANAGH

HARRISBURG, Pa.--Because of the continued use of dangerous fireworks set off in neighborhoods that cause fires and terrify horse, dogs, children and veterans suffering from traumatic stress, Representative Peter Schweyer, Democrat of Lehigh County, has introduced Pennsylvania House Bill 988 that would repeal a state law allowing residents to buy and set off powerful fireworks.

Ban fireworks This bill would reinstate the provisions as they existed before those changes, according to Schweyer.

"How many houses and barn have to burn, children have to be injured, and horses, livestock and dogs have to panic and be killed before our legislators admit that the changes to the law were a mistake?" said Donna Foulk in a letter to The Horse. "I am terrified to put my horses out at night since presently it is legal to shoot these high power fireworks anytime and the set back is only 150 feet."

“People expect fireworks on certain holidays,” Schweyer said in an article in Morning Call.. “But, in the summer, when fireworks are going off at night in the middle of the week, it’s extraordinarily disruptive to quality of life. This, coupled with potential damage to neighboring homes packed closely together, we’re not talking about somebody singeing their back yard or losing a shed. We’re talking about an entire block that could go up.

There is a facebook site called ban backyard fireworks that has good information, videos and photos.

Fireworks have been set off next to farms that arch over the fields and terrify horses, causing them to panic and gallop around the field, potentially causing injury to themselves, and some of them have broken through their fences and gotten loose.

These fireworks have caused fires and have the potential to cause massive fires of entire rows of houses.

This bill would allow the use of fireworks on July 4, but it would prevent the use of commercial sized fireworks being set off throughout the summer, as they are now being set off.

It is important that everyone contact their legislator and support passage of this bill.

Follows a list of legislators with their email addresses.

Please contact your legislator and contact your neighbors to also support this bill.

PHBA funds further new tests into gene doping in horses

Details: May 12, 2021; By SARA CAVANAGH

KENNETT SQUARE, Pa.--Pennsylvania Horse Breeders Association President Gregory Newell announced at the annual meeting at the Kennett Square Golf Club that the $300,000 donated to New Bolton Center for research on gene doping in horses had gone even farther than anyone had thought it would.

Brian SanfratelloIn a press release provided at the meeting, Penn Vet researchers said that a new test can detect the presence of gene doping.

Researchers have successfully developed a new test to systematically detect the local administration of illicit, gene doping therapies.

The findings from the study are a significant breakthrough in the collective fight to advance the welfare and integrity of sport for both horses and humans.

"For the first time, we have demonstrated that a polymerase chain reaction test, known as a PCR test, performed on a blood sample can detect the local administration of a gene therapy into the joint of the horse," said Mary Robinson, the director of the Equine Pharmacology Laboratory at Penn Vet's New Bolton Center. "While this test is currently limited in that it can only detect a specific gene therapy, it provides proof of concept that a gene therapy administered into the joint can be detected in a blood sample in a manner that is quick, convenient and consistent with our long-term goal of deploying pre-race testing in the future."

Correction - Jack Fisher misquoted

Details: May 8, 2021; By SARA CAVANAGH

In the story that I wrote on Jack Fisher being named to the Hall of Fame, I misquoted Fisher concerning the number of wins that Todd Pletcher has.

The correct quote should be, "Todd Pletcher has over 700 graded stakes wins and over 100 grade 1 wins."

I left out the critical "graded" after 700.

My apologies.

Sara Cavanagh

Editor

Short list for dressage at the Tokyo Olympics

Details: May 8, 2021; By Staff Writers

LEXINGTON, Ky.--US Equestrian announced the 12 riders who have been selected to the U.S. Dressage Olympic Short List.

dressage short list The total of 15 rider/horse combinations are in consideration for the three team spots and one traveling reserve for the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Games this summer.

The following riders and horses have been selected to the U.S. Dressage Team Olympic Short List and are listed in alphabetical order:

US Dressage Team Short List for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics

Katherine Bateson-Chandler of Wellington, Fla., and Alcazar, a 2005 Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Jane Clark

Susan Dutta of Wellington, Fla., and her own and Tim Dutta’s Don Design DC, a 2010 Hanoverian gelding, and her own and Tim Dutta’s Figeac DC, a 2009 Oldenburg gelding

Ben Ebeling of Moorpark, Calif., and Illuster Van De Kampert, a 2008 Belgian Warmblood gelding owned by Sasha Cutter for Nuvolari Holdings and Amy Roberts Ebeling

Letter to the Editor

Details: May 7, 2021; By Staff Writers

Hi folks.

I’m usually not picky (nor an inveterate fact checker) but the quote by Jack Fisher in his hall of fame article about Todd Pletcher is not accurate.

It says Todd has 700 wins...he has over 5100, and is SEVENTH all time.

I’m sure nothing was meant, but just wanted to correct the record for an otherwise very enjoyable publication.

Regards,

Rod Law

Jack Fisher elected to Racing's Hall of Fame

Details: May 6, 2021; By SARA CAVANAGH

MONKTON, Md.--Jack Fisher,57, a steeplechase trainer from Monkton, who was born and raised in Unionville, Pa., has been elected to the National Museum of Racing Hall of Fame and will be inducted in a ceremony in Saratoga on Aug. 6.

jackfisheriroquois Jack Fisher"This is kind of the pinnacle of a career, I think I'll just quit now," said Fisher, who is already leading in both Trainer, Races Won and by a huge amount in Trainer Money Won in this year's standings and has at least one potential Eclipse Award 2021 winner in Snap Decision.

Also elected this year are America Pharoah, who won racing's Triple Crown, and Todd Pletcher, who has won seven Eclipse Awards as a flat trainer.

"It's a great honor," said Fisher."When I think of the names of those in the Hall of Fame, and then I think of Todd, he's won over 700 races and has 119 G1 winners."

Fisher said that he owed a lot of it to Call Louis, Woody Boy Would and Saluter, who helped start his winning career.

Fisher won his first race as a trainer with Call Louis in 1988, and Call Louis went on to win a number of allowance races as well as winning the Virginia Gold Cup in 1989.

"Call Louis was a poor flat horse and a mediocre hurdle horse, but then he won seven in a row as a timber horse," said Fisher.

Fisher both trained and rode Mrs. Henry Stern's Saluter, who won 22 races, including winning the Virginia Gold Cup six times, from 1994 through 1999.