It’s hard to believe that the school year is nearly at an end. I had a chance to ride the Esse family and Oscany Inc.’s spectacular hunters at the Oaks in San Juan Capistrano. I also rode their horse Clocktower Optimist in some medal classes.
It is so much fun to arrive at the show and see the giant grass field from above with scores of what appear to be Breyer horses jumping over colorful, flower-covered boxes in the hunter and jumper classes.
The Junior Hunter division was held on the grass. Something about the grass muffles the sounds and makes each round hauntingly quiet. It’s exhilarating the way these magnificent creatures gallop over a natural emerald green surface. The horses really seem to enjoy it. They perk up their ears and elongate their stride. That could also be because the lines are set pretty long.
There is always some grumbling from trainers and parents about how long the classes take on grass, especially the hunters. That’s because each round, even the jog, involves more space. The horses, the good ones, go at a slow rhythmic pace because of their huge stride. I really hope that Blenheim EquiSports management can find another facility that equals this one. The Oaks is one of my favorite shows because of the grass.
The next big event was the FEI World Cup Show Jumping Final in Las Vegas. Wow, what fun!!
It is a fantastic opportunity to see the best jumpers and dressage horses in the world. I have been lucky enough to go in 2003, 2005 and now in 2007. That means I was 11 when I went to my first World Cup. Last time I went with Kim Miller, the editor of this magazine, and we had media passes. We got to walk the course before each round. It changed my life and I don’t say that just to say it. It was an epochal event.
I realized that show jumping is considered a real sport in the rest of the world. It is televised and the riders have corporate sponsors. It is written about on the sports pages of the newspapers and there are, amazingly, fan clubs devoted to the top riders.
The courses this year were extremely technical. The jumps were so high and scopey that only the super athletic horses could make it to the final round. Unfortunately the Americans didn’t do as well as the Europeans, but the Americans have not done well in a World Cup for many, many years. There are a million explanations, but that should be saved for another column.
What did I learn from being there? It takes a special horse for an indoor ring that is that tiny. I could clearly see certain horses lose their focus as they came around a blind turn. The combination jumps would come up so quickly that they barely had time to spring up and down. This competition really required the cat-like pounce jump that past Olympic veterinarian Dan Marks talked about in the George Morris Horse Mastership Sessions I attended and reported on earlier this year. The jump-off courses demanded quick handy turns as well as jet fuel to accelerate.
For those of you from the West Coast, put the next World Cup on your calendar right now. It will be in 2009. Hopefully it will be in Las Vegas again. It is one of those must-go-to events for anyone who loves horses.
My mom and I drove from Santa Monica and stayed in modest accommodations. One can always go last minute and it just works out. Las Vegas is like a giant Disneyland with lots of restaurants and flashy entertainment. Did you know that the Las Vegas phone book actually gives gambling instructions and warns of the pros and cons of different brands of slot machines? It also describes the different poker games and how to play them. I wonder if I could learn to play well enough to win a Grand Prix horse?

Flintridge
My most recent adventure was the Children’s Show at Flintridge.
It is one of the last of the charity shows remaining in California. The other two big ones are Portuguese Bend and Menlo Park. All three have a special ambiance that is a nice break from the “big business” shows. Flintridge is unique because it offers a tandem, or “hunt teams,” class. A team of three riders jumps a course head to toe, in costume. The last jump of the course is jumped three abreast. The theme can be from, but is not limited to, a musical, a film, or a pop song. A non-riding entourage, usually adorable small children, is allowed to enter the ring to present a bribe or gift basket to the judges. The baskets are later auctioned off and the profits go to the charity.
I was on a team with Carly Baxter and Corinne Miller. John French was our creative consultant. We chose “Hairspray” as our theme. We wore beehive wigs, miniskirts, and cat-eye glasses. We dressed our horses in bright fishnet stockings and matching saddle pads. We won second. There were some amazing costumes and a good time was had by all.
A show like this is important because it is inclusive of the youngest riders. They offer lead line and walk-trot, short, medium and long stirrup, etc. The venue provides lovely shaded seating at tables with tablecloths. The setting welcomes parents to relax and watch the show in comfort. It’s a great introduction to the sport.
It is essential that the parents who pay the bill realize that it is a real sport. I competed in the Junior Jumper division and was co-champion on my horse Eva Hesse. When the jumps get high, the spectators take note. The jumpers are the end result of years of lessons. It would be great if management would put this class before leadline or walk-trot so that it could be an entertaining and educational experience for the audience.
Why not have the announcers say a few words about each competitor? If a parent is potentially investing thousands, sometimes millions of dollars, in their child’s sport, then it would definitely be in everyone’s best interest to explain the end result.
Instead, when we went to the horse show managers to offer suggestions they said they want to eliminate the Junior Jumpers altogether, citing lack of entries. We were told the total number of horses at the show went up by 60 horses.
I think national umbrella organizations, USEF and the USHJA, should encourage charity shows by: a) Giving them a break on the fees they pay to hold the show; b) Demanding that they go to on-line entries and results; and c) Putting the High Junior Jumpers at the most spectator friendly point in the schedule.
The Junior Jumper division is slow to fill. I think this is because the first class falls on a Friday afternoon. Even in the best of situations, Friday traffic in Los Angeles is horrific. Shorten the division to two classes so that it can go on the weekend or put one class in the pony ring, once again, to expose the young riders and their parents to the sport. It is time to think strategically and not get stuck in a rut.
My next report will be from Del Mar, then Devon.
Zazou Hoffman lives in Los Angeles and is an accomplished hunter/jumper equestrian who reports frequently for California Riding Magazine.