January 16, 2011 – Although USDA has acknowledged that planting Monsanto’s genetically engineered (GE) alfalfa poses a significant risk that regular crops will be contaminated, the agency is still proposing to deregulate GE alfalfa and allow commercial plantings!
The agency’s analysis does NOT prove that GE alfalfa is safe for the environment or for animals, nor does it establish how farmers could adequately be protected from contamination and the resulting loss of markets. The agency’s proposal would leave farmers and the public paying the price while enriching Monsanto.
Urge President Obama and Secretary Vilsack to reject GE alfalfa!
MESSAGE: “I am ___________ from __________. I am calling to comment on USDA’s proposal to approve the commercial release of GE alfalfa and their failure to adequately address the public health, environmental, and economic consequences of that release. I strongly urge you to reject the planting of GE alfalfa.”
Wellington, FL – January 15, 2011 – The FTI Winter Equestrian Festival saw a busy start to its first weekend in the 2011 season. Competitors will be awarded numerous championships throughout the season, which runs through April 3. Today, one of those championships was presented in the Illustrated Properties Small Junior 16-17 year old Hunter division.
Shawn Casady of Midtown, TN, took the tricolor aboard Glass Castle. Elm Rock LLC owns Glass Castle, a 10-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare. “I’m very thankful to Susie Humes, Elm Rock LLC, and Ken and Emily Smith,” stated Casady.
Casady was more than happy with his results aboard Glass Castle, as this is only his second show on her. “She is a wonderful horse and beautiful to ride,” he beamed.
Casady secured the division championship in a field of 14 riders by placing first, second, fourth and fifth over fences, and placing second under saddle.
Wellington, FL – January 15, 2011 – Nick Skelton (GBR) continued his great week today with his second major win in the International Arena. He piloted Beverly Widdowson’s Unique to victory in the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Classic. Today’s classic is part of the Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series, which will track the best horse/rider combinations through week 11 for a bonus of $50,000.
The first week of the FTI WEF concludes tomorrow, January 16. The 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of competition through April 3, 2011, and they will be awarding almost $6 million in prize money through the circuit. The highlight jumper class is tomorrow’s $30,000 Speed Derby on Sunday at 2 p.m.
This week’s course designer in the International Arena is Anthony D’Ambrosio of Red Hook, NY. Although entries were light in today’s Time First Jump-off class at 12, it was great competition. Three found the route to the jump-off, with Skelton and Unique returning first. They put down the trip to best with no faults in 39.171 seconds.
Wellington, FL – January 15, 2011 – The first annual FTI Great Charity Challenge galloped out of the gates in 2010 with huge momentum, raising over $560,000 for 24 non-profit charities. The success of the inaugural event inspired Equestrian Sport Productions to set a fundraising goal of $1 million for the 2011 FTI Great Charity Challenge presented by Fidelity Investments, which is a featured event of the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival.
The Great Charity Challenge (GCC) is a relay style jumping competition that is scheduled to take place at 6:00 p.m. on February 19, 2011 in the International Arena at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Thirty relay teams will be formed, consisting of two junior/amateur riders and one professional rider. Each equestrian team is assigned a charity to represent, and the charity matched with the winning team will win over $100,000!
The event will also host the Equestrian Aid Foundation Carnival, where children can enjoy carnival games, a dunk tank, a moon bounce, and more. In the true spirit of giving, the EAF will contribute half of the proceeds received from the Carnival to the total prize money awarded to the 30 charities participating in the GCC. The other half of the proceeds will be contributed to the Equestrian Aid Foundation.
Snow is melting for most of us and we are back from the holidays. I’m sure you are noticing that things are starting to jell for you and people are wanting to do business. That’s great! We have brought in some really great new members and renewals so I hope that when we send you these contacts you’ll take some time and CONTACT some of them. These are the people that want to do business with you!
Things are pretty busy around here. We are working with our Toronto Chapter Director, Lucie Burdon-Sereda, and our Platinum Media Sponsor, John Allan at Redstone Media (Equine Wellness Magazine), to make the first WHIA Canadian Conference, March 4-5, a big success. Lucie has done a bang up job bringing in some top industry leaders as speakers. You can contact Lucie at www.jequinesport.com.
Here’s who we have so far: Melissa Monardo – Marketing Manager, Ontario Equestrian Federation; Melanie Prosser – REACH Huron – Director, Program Services; Lucie Burdon-Sereda – Owner – J’Equine Sport and EBPM accreditation; Sue Leslie, Ontario Horse Industry Racing Association; Sandi Holst, Holst Equation – Accountant; David Delagran, Attorney – Beard Winter, LLP; Stephanie Kirton – BFL Insurance; Jennifer Coxworthy – Owner of Richvale Saddlery; Cheryl Gibson – Equibow Canada; Dr. Barbara Sloat – Chiropractor; Dr. Nathalie Coté – DMV, DVSc, Dipl ACVS; Peter Skoggard-Sutherland-Chan School & Teaching Clinic, Equine Wellness Magazine Editors; Christine Rolando – equine appraiser; Sharon Campbell-Rayment; Julia Sutor, Pet Memorials. Marc Andre Blouin of Agribran-Purina will be a luncheon speaker. The deadline for early bird registration is January 22, 2011. You can find out more about this event by visiting our Canadian website.
Horses have, for some time now, been showing promise as a complementary modality for humans experiencing psychological distress. As the unconscious guarding that is so typical of human interactions is absent from these horse-human relationships, people often develop an affinity and camaraderie with their equine partners. Especially in the case of trauma, the hallmark neurobiological changes, such as increased excitatory neurochemicals, and exaggerated startle response, tend to obfuscate human social dynamics. As these particular individuals often feel outside of the human experience, and even detached from the self, they typically find a kinship with horses that extends beyond a cognitive congruence. Physiological changes register a calming response, and mitigation of some of the trauma effects while in the presence of horses.
Similarly, several studies have indicated that human-animal touch, and the resultant syncing of mind and body responses to be integral in trauma recovery, (Brooks, 2006; Perry, 2006; Van der Kolk, 2003; Yorke, Adams & Coady, 2008). This response has been particularly strong in human-equine interactions, (Bass, Duchowny & Llabre, 2009; Davis, 2009; Schultz, Remick-Barlow & Robbins, 2007).
NO SECRET SO CLOSE is the story of a the most unthinkable betrayal humanly possible — at only 24 years old, Claire Dorotik’s father has been murdered, her mother arrested, and now, in a sinister twist of fate, Claire’s mother points the finger at Claire, accusing her of killing her own father. Battling the feelings of loss, abandonment, terror, and dissociation, and also learning about them, Claire struggles to stay in her master’s program for psychotherapy. However, when Claire’s brothers also betray her and side with her mother, Claire is left all alone to care for the 18 horses she and her mother owned. As the story unfolds, what is revealed is the horses’ amazing capacity for empathy in the face of human trauma, and the almost psychic ability to provide the author with what had been taken from her. Arising from these horrifying circumstances, the most unthinkable heroes — the horses — show Claire that life is still worth living.
Excerpt #2 from NO SECRET SO CLOSE:
When I entered the house, there was no warm smell. Only the faint odor of dog pee. My mother’s dog, Simone, hadn’t taken the news lightly. She was permanently planted on the couch. Her couch. She had done this before. Whenever my mom left her alone, she would retaliate. She’d claim the couch, and adorn it with whatever she wanted. Houseplants, her dog bowl, my mom’s underwear. Alex’s friends had tried to move her. But she snapped at them. Even though she wasn’t particularly a large dog, her bite was intimidating nonetheless. She was my mother’s negotiation. After years of breeding Irish Wolfhounds and discovering that an unmanaged pack of them became aggressive toward the neighbors pets, and even the foals a few times, she thought she should try something different. Simone was a Russian Wolfhound. They are lighter and supposedly more docile. Of course it wasn’t until the last of the Wolfhounds died, five small dogs and one foal with a slashed side later, that my mother thought it might be time for a change. One of those small dogs was mine. My little Rudy, a perfect little white Maltese that I’d got from a rescue. His previous owner had died, and I felt like I had won the lottery. I had always wanted a Maltese, but you never find them at the rescues. If you do, they don’t really look like a Maltese, and the rescues are just trying to pass them off as purebred to get them adopted. I had him only six months. But I should have never brought him home for Christmas with me. Merry Christmas. All I wanted was for my mom to stop the Wolfhounds from killing other dogs, or get rid of them. But my pleas, like many things, fell on deaf ears.
Green Cove Springs, FL – January 15, 2011 – Only the United Nations could compare to this week’s global gathering of delegates for the FEI World Cup Qualifier with 28 of the world’s best equine athletes looking to garner points towards a spot in the finals, held April 27th through May 1st in Leipzig, Germany. Kent Farrington, who divides his residence between Greenwich, CT in the summer and Wellington, FL during the winter, partnered with crowd favorite Up Chiqui claimed the first victory in Friday evening’s $31,500 CSI Welcome.
International great Guilherme Jorge (BRA) was tasked with creating a speed test worthy of 25 high performance horses, combining both physical and mental challenges. Set at regulation 1.45m (maximum height 4’9”) with a time allowance of 78 seconds, the biggest test may have been how quick riders could make a choice – coming off of fence #3 [oxer] should they take a sharp inside turn to the triple combination to 4ABC, possibly shaving off precious seconds, or play it safe and swing out wider? “This is sort of his [Up Chiqui’s] specialty, a speed round because he’s very, very fast, so the inside option is unnecessary because he can go just as quickly around a wider option,” Farrington complimented of his mount, 14-year-old Belgium bred gelding Up Chiqui.
Because of popular demand we have added Hunter Breeding to each week in Gulfport this winter. The classes will be held on Thursday mid day and will offer Yearling, Two Year Olds and Three Year Olds. Also, due to popular demand we will be adding a non restricted 1.0m Children’s Adult Jumper Division to run hand in hand with the Zone 4 1.0m Children’s Adult but will allow for cross entry into the 1.10 – 1.15 Zone 4 Children’s Adult Jumpers.
We are also very pleased to see so many exhibitors taking advantage of the reduced stall price if paid in full by closing date (Feb. 1). For those who have not fully read the prize list, the stall price this year is $225.00 per week but if paid in full by closing date, the price is $200. For stalls call 843 768 5503.
Jeff is putting the stalls up in Gulfport now so don’t wait too long to send in your camper or stall reservation. It’s going to be a great year in Gulfport with lots of new classes and new prize money offerings along with great improvements, like a new jumper rider’s lounge placed ringside jumper ring one.
Also, if you are tired of the cold and snow, of course you can come to Jacksonville, Florida (the only state in the country without snow) or come on down early to Gulfport. Call Janet at our office for more information about early arrivals: 228 669 2687.
See you at the rings,
Bob Bell
The Classic Company, Ltd. www.ClassicCompany.com
Phone/FAX: (843) 768-5503
Post Office Box 1311 Johns Island SC 29457
World Equestrian Brands is pleased to announce they are a Gold Level Sponsor of the 2011 American Eventing Championships. Shown here is 2010 WEG US Team Member Buck Davidson, who is sponsored by Amerigo and Vespucci. (Photo courtesy of World Equestrian Brands, LLC)
Buena Vista, VA (January 14, 2010) – Eventers competing at the 2011 USEA American Eventing Championships will have a chance to win amazing prizes thanks to a Gold Level Sponsorship from World Equestrian Brands, LLC. Located in Buena Vista, Virginia, World Equestrian Brands is a distributor of Amerigo saddles and strap goods, Amerigo Vega saddles, Vespucci, E. A. Mattes and Equilibrium products.
“World Equestrian Brands is thrilled to be a sponsor of the 2011 American Eventing Championships,” said Robin Moore, owner of World Equestrian Brands, LLC. “We have many clients who are eventers and they all work so hard and are extremely dedicated to their horses and the sport. We look forward to setting up at the AECs and awarding some great prizes.”
During the AEC, World Equestrian Brands will be providing an assortment of prizes including Amerigo Saddles, a Mattes pad, a Vespucci bridle, and Equilibrium boots. “We are really excited because World Equestrian Brands will also be awarding a prize to the Rider of the Year,” Moore said, adding that World Equestrian Brands will also be a sponsor of the USEA Leaderboard.
