Our Sport Psychology columnist Ann Reilly has been missing from the pages of Sidelines lately while she recovers from a badly broken leg, but she’s back in the saddle on her new horse, Dennis.  Despite the dressage saddle, Ann says she’s still a hunter/jumper rider, and is hoping a brace will let her jump again

Catching up: Don’t forget that The Charlie Weaver Benefit Trust is a great way to remember Charlie...You can send donations to The Charlie Weaver Benefit Trust: c/o Stormy Byorum, Stephens Cori Capital Advisors, 65 East 55th Street, 22nd floor, New York, New York, 10022

Have you seen Mason Phelps’ profile picture on facebook? The Commodore looks quite ship shape!!

Laura Kraut has been doing so well with the lovely grey Cedric. (To catch up with Lauren, check out Jan Westmark’s interview with her in the Horse Show section of this issue.) Cedric was owned by the late Peter Widener Wetherill, who, just like his mother, loved beautiful, winning horses. Laura and Cedric’s win at Chantilly, France, would have been so wonderful for Peter to see. For many years, his mother “Tootie” had a chateau there, cared for the beautiful roses herself and watched her French race horses run. If there is a heaven, we’re sure Peter, Tootie and Jim had front row seats to watch Cedric.

Carl Bessette has happily chose a new summer destination at the invitation of Bengt and Jill Soderquist at their home in Indian River, Michigan. Coaching, riding and giving clinics, Carl is definitely enjoying the northern summer. He is stabling his hunters at the amazing Far Hills Farm, home of Craig and daughter Heather Waldron. Everyone was very impressed with his carrot feeding technique, until his ever faithful perfect carrot-eater clipped Carl’s lips....low and behold the blood - who knew one could bleed so much !!  When politely asked if he would be showing off his clever (?) talents soon again..and he said NO !!!  Does this mean that you can teach an ole dog new tricks?

Imagine Susie Schoellkopf as your summer camp commander! Her hugely popular summer camp at The Buffalo Riding Club, is a fund raiser for The Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Program... If you have kids who love to ride you had better look into this one early... It is sold out each year.

Karen Cudmore has to be one of the very nicest girls we know – so we were pleased when she took home the lion’s share of prize money at the $50,000 Grand Prix of Denver with her good horse Southern Pride... Not only did she win the class, she also was well-placed on her other two rides. It is worth the trip to the farm out west to get Karen’s homemade cookies and lemonade... Oh yeah, and to look at the horses and listen to Blair’s comedy show.

Hillary Dobbs became the youngest American rider to ever earn a million dollars in grand prix winnings on July 2, during the 41st annual Lake Placid Horse Shows.  The 22 year old Harvard graduate and daughter of former CNN anchor Lou Dobbs broke the previous record held by two-time Olympic Gold medalist McLain Ward, which he set in 1999 at the age of 23 after the American Invitational in Tampa, FL. Hillary’s second place ribbon aboard Marengo in the $30,000 Intercat, Inc. Open Jumper Classic CSI 2* in Lake Placid pushed her winnings past the million dollar mark, and her victory in the $30,000 Battenkill Grand Prix (2nd year she has won it) also on the bay Holsteiner at the Vermont Summer Festival on July 18 put her total earnings  at $1,023,785.75. You go, girl!

It was so good to have Eugene R. Mische as an honored guest for the Opening festivities at the 45th Cleveland Grand Prix on Sunday July 18 at the Chagrin Valley PHA Horse Show in Moreland Hills, Ohio. Gene, along with the late D. Jerry Baker and Laddie Andahazy were the founding organizers of the first grand prix held in the United States at the Cleveland Metroparks Polo Field in 1965.  Billie Steffee, show benefactor extraordinaire, of Craighead Farms, Novelty, Ohio was also a  honored guest.

This year’s Cleveland Grand Prix was won for the 10th time (!) by Margie Engle on Gladewinds Farm’s Indigo. Margie was also second on Hidden Creek’s Pamina L.

Our contributing editor John Quirk dropped us a line to tell us what he’s been up to, and that he is one busy man. He’s most busy writing his autobiography of his six careers.  “As a hobby,” John says, “I’m active with the Navy — concentrating on aviation. The current admirals treat me as some sort of legend, which is the wrong word. It is remarkable that I survived what I considered at the time to be an ordinary pilot life! I will be 90 on Aug 15.  Just one more day and one more year and one more decade.”

We’re so glad that Schuyler Riley’s horses are okay after a terrible accident while heading home from Spruce. The trailer flipped and it took several hours to get the horses out, but everyone walked away with just minor scratches!!

With their Step By Step Foundation, Tipa Tipa Elementary School in Haiti is finally complete at the 6 month anniversary of the devastating earthquake. Charity founder Liliane Stransky and her equestrian daughter Daniela headed off to Puerto Rico for the Central American and Caribbean Games, where the mom and daughter cheered on not one, but two, of their own jumpers that were being shown on not one, but two different teams.  Representing the Dominican Republic, Stransky Mission Farm’s new rider and trainer Hector Florentino, competed on their bay jumper Ulltimo, while  El Salvador’s Diego Muyshondt piloted their horse Irkurus in the international competitions.

James Lala’s “Wellington Quarantine” is gearing up for the upcoming season, and it promises to be a busy one.  He also said that he rode for Tracye Ferguson for the month of July at the most competitive shows at High Prairie Farm and was excited about getting back in the show ring again!

What a surprise to see Kay Altheuser Learner judging at one of the Colorado Summer shows. It’s great that Jim Hagman unchained her from the barn for the week. She certainly got her eyes opened with 34 states and four foreign countries competing. A show like that widens ones scope from the local circuits.

Marnye Langer let her trainer, Jenny McAlister, ride her Glados mare in two grand prix at the recent Woodside Summer Circuit in Northern California. Sitting on her hands evidently worked for Marnye, since the mare was second in the $20,000 and fourth in the $30,000.

Norman Dello Joio, Mexican Chef D’Equipe, has been very busy lately.  Mexico will participate at the NAYRC with one team at Lexington this summer, as well as in the Central American and Caribbean Games in Puerto Rico.  Besides, he has to pull together a team for the Masters in Spruce Meadows, and also for the WEG in Kentucky

Hugs and prayers to Jay Matter, who was diagnosed with liver cancer.

Aiken, SC is going gang busters with its Equine Steering Committee, they are putting together a Dancing With Equines series this year which will highlight jumping, dressage, fox hunting and polo. More horsy towns need to model themselves after Aiken.

Is Ashlee Bond going to corner the market on “unmentionables”??? Check this out: mybondies.com

Congratulations to Aaron Vale on his grand prix win in Culpeper, making it three in a row on his Virginia tour!  Upperville, Roanoke, and Culpeper! Guy Thomas won the Triple Crown offered by show managers Rudy Leone and Adrian Ward for winning three grand prix in a row offered by the two show managements?  Between prize money and bonus money he won over $100,000 and it was done on the same horse — Peterbilt. Read more about Guy and his hopes for WEG in this issue. Pretty cool!

Michael Morrissey has been suspended for three months and issued a yellow card with retroactive disqualification for excessive use of the whip in class 101 at the Wellington CSI 2* held on 27 February 2010. He has also been subjected to a fine of CHF 2,000. The suspension from FEI competition will run from 5 May to 4 August, concurrent with the three-month suspension imposed by the United States Equestrian Federation.

“I apologize unreservedly for this incident”, Michael said. “I overreacted when the horse stopped and that is unforgivable. Horse welfare has to take precedence over competitive interests and I know that I was in breach of that basic principle.”

Steve DiCarlo and Tania Siniard have recently been engaged and will be uniting their two barns. Tania’s is Cavallino Farms, with around 14 clients/horses and Steve (who never has really named his practice) also has about 15 clients and horses. Their new barn name will be Benchmark Stables. Tania says that the last thirty days have brought on some life changing events including a clinic abroad, their engagement, and the passing of their beloved barn dog, Nia.

On the move: The Swiss European team champion Clarissa Crotta moved to Schleswig-Holstein beginning of June, where the Swedish Olympic silver medal winner Rolf-GF6ran Bengtsson has his barn. Clarissa suffered a shoulder injury beginning of the year falling from her top horse Westside van Meerputhoeve at the CSI of Abu Dhabi. Now she needs more assistance than her previous trainer Willi Melliger and her horse’s owner Stephan Stamm could provide.

Bernie Traurig is jumping on-line with his web site, www.equestriancoach.com.  “”Equestriancoach.com allows riders of every discipline to receive training advice from experienced veterans that they may never have the chance to ride with in person.   We travel to film the guest coaches, who dedicate their time to specific topics they wish to share, and the footage is edited with slow motion features, voice overs, and stills. Hopefully, it will allow the horse world to be more accessible and cohesive, making education by these superstars affordable to everyone in the sport,” Said Bernie.  Good luck, with this; it sounds like a real winner!

Congratulations to Ann Mather and Deborah Rieman who have joined SmartPak Equine, LLC’s Board of Directors.

News to share:  New baby, engagement, pickup truck?  On the move, having parties, falling off horses?  Share what’s happenin’ with your horse show friends by e-mailing us at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .  Be sure to put “News for Asides” in the subject line.

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