On Jan. 12, footing expert Bart Poels e-mailed his resignation as consultant for the HITS Thermal circuit. “I feel that my name has been abused and my expertise as a footing specialist has been disregarded.”
The news ignited already heated debates about whether the New York-based show management company, HITS, would fully fulfill its promises regarding footing and other matters before the Thermal venue’s sophomore season.
On Jan. 13, at the end of a newly-added Premiere Classic show week, HITS issued a standard post-event release. In it, Sunday’s Grand Prix winner Richard Spooner described the footing as “the best footing in California,” and said “this year HITS hit a home run.” (The victory aboard Gerry the Grey marked Spooner’s 99th career Grand Prix win, and Spooner said he hopes to notch his 100th during the Desert Circuit.)
Canadian Grand Prix competitor John Pearce, a big winner in Thermal last year, was also quoted in the release as being very pleased. “Originally, I wasn’t planning on attending this week but I wanted to check things out. I’m glad I did: I’m quite impressed with everything that’s been done,” said Pearce. “The place looks great! As soon as you arrive you can tell there have been lots of improvements -- from the entrance, the flowers and landscaping.”
As a famous person once said, “If you’re not a little confused, you’re not thinking clearly.”
On Jan. 15, Bernie Traurig attempted to make sense of the situation. In his Zone 10 Jumper Committee, WCAR and PCHA role as technical representative for the circuit, Traurig began his report by expressing his disappointment over Poels’ resignation. “How unfortunate it is, in light of all the efforts that were made by so many to insure world class footing, that it went astray as stated in Bart Poels’ letter.”
In his widely forwarded e-mail resignation, Poels disassociated himself with the footing in any of the venue’s many arenas. “I have no confidence in your ability to provide footing to the quality that I would require.” His letter cited several instances in which the footing materials he recommended were mixed and installed in his absence, and that his advice regarding equipment and techniques had not been followed.
Try It, You’ll Like It
Fred Baeur, HITS West Coast vice president of operations, opted out of any debate and instead says the company stands behind the footing and its maintenance. “We feel the footing will speak for itself and ask that exhibitors give it a try or listen to people who have competed on it before reaching a conclusion.”
Poels had recommended that the footing be watered and dragged every 35-40 horses, and some question whether HITS will comply with this schedule-slowing and labor intensive step. “We’re going to maintain the footing so that it’s top quality,” says Bauer. “It was the assumption from the outset that this footing would require regular maintenance and that’s what we are going to do.”
“We regret that Bart felt he had to resign,” Bauer continues, noting that Poels was near the end of his assignment. “But we stand by the quality of the footing.”
After visiting Thermal on Jan. 9, Traurig praised HITS for completing many of the items on its extensive to-do list before the Premiere opener. The exceptions were completion of the footing and arena being built for Thermal’s four World Cup qualifiers, the first of which is Feb. 3., the footing in jumper rings 2, 3 and 4 and completion of the footing in an additional practice ring. “These are all promised to be complete by the start of the Desert Circuit 1 on Jan. 22,” Traurig stated in his report. “All in all, there have been many upgrades that should make this facility a lot more pleasant than its debut last year.”
Traurig noted Spooner and Pearce’s praise for the footing, but added that only 13 horses competed in the Grand Prix that day. The weather was uncharacteristically cool and the arena was watered and rolled frequently. “Whether the footing stays good for the length of the circuit remains to be seen.”
After a second footing test, on Dec. 13, both Traurig and USEF show jumping managing director Sally Ike were confident about the safety and suitability of the riding surface. Ike flew out from New Jersey along with USEF footing consultant Allen Rheinheimer. “The Federation thinks HITS has gone way beyond what needs to be done according to the rules,” she commented. “I think the footing is going to be just fine.”
Poels’ departure did not alter the Federation’s position. “Our confidence has not changed with his resignation,” says USEF CEO John Long. “Tom (Struzzieri) says it will be great and if it isn’t he will fix it. We have confidence in Tom.”
The footing tests so far have been in the outdoor rings. Ike said she was also fully confident about the footing set to be installed in the tented World Cup ring. That surface will be the EquiBase mat system, topped with EquiBase geo-textiles and fibers, that is used in several European venues. “Our Nations Cup riders rode on it in Rome, and they loved it,” Ike reports.
The full, now-seven week circuit was set to begin Jan. 22. At presstime Bauer said exhibitor numbers for 2008 looked to be comparable to last year, when the circuit had a peak week of 3,600 horses.
United Horseman’s Group
As has been the case throughout the racing industry, footing has been a flashpoint in the hunter/jumper world for the last several years. It has a huge impact on the safety and welfare of horses competing at every level, and all the more so in the Grand Prix ring. “There is a global concern about footing,” Ike confirms. “One might say that Europeans have been a step ahead of us on this issue.” She notes, however, that many of that continent’s most famous equestrian venues have only switched to the best all-weather footing in relatively recently years.
The “abysmal” conditions at the 2004 Olympics may have been the tipping point toward intense worldwide pro-activity regarding footing, says Ike. The passing, in 2001, of renowned German footing expert Hermann Duckek, “the Duke of Dirt,” may have heightened concerns.
For sure, footing has been the lightening rod of criticism in what seems to be deteriorating relations between some, but definitely not all, show managers and exhibitors. Long-standing perceptions that greedy managers are reaping gross profits while returning little quality to exhibitors have intensified dramatically since Thermal debuted in 2007.
The newly formed United Horseman’s Group held its first meeting during the Los Angeles National in November. San Diego-based international competitor Ali Nilforushan is leading the charge and Grand Prix riders Mandy Porter, Susie Hutchison, Guillermo Obligado and Leslie Steele comprise its board of directors.
“Our fees have tripled since 10 years ago and the quality of horse shows has stayed the same or gone backward,” says Nilforushan. “I am basically standing up for riders and horsemen who are slowly being weeded out of the business because they can’t make a living at it.”
The United Horseman’s Group started the year with 120 members, says Nilforushan. He expects that number to grow quickly once the show season gets underway. He says the UHG’s model is Europe’s Show Jumping Riders Club, which uses the collective clout of its membership to insist on high standards at shows. As to the role it will play, Nilforushan offers the example of a trainer telling the show office there are rocks in an arena, but getting no response. “The trainer calls us and we tell show management that, if they don’t remove the rocks, our members will vote whether to boycott or partially boycott the show.”
Nilforushan says the Group will hold meetings monthly, starting some time after the Thermal circuit has closed. Fed up because “I believe (HITS) missed all their deadlines,” the rider went to Palm Beach, FL instead of Thermal this winter. He closed 2007 with 38 World Cup points and prefers to take his chances against East Coast riders rather than try to earn more in Thermal’s four qualifiers. His choice, he says, was made on behalf of the well-being of both his horses and his clients. “For my clients to suffer through another Thermal would have been the absolute demise of my clients.”
Nilforushan says the United Horseman’s Group was formed to improve conditions at all competitions, but acknowledges that complaints about Thermal were the catalyst for the group’s creation. As to why exhibitors’ needs could not be adequately served by the region’s many existing organizations, Nilforushan laughs: “These organizations are useless! They do nothing. Nobody is confrontational. My personality is confrontational. I don’t mind getting in their face.”
Show manager Larry Langer has jumped into the fray, admonishing critics to instead thank HITS chief Tom Struzzieri for the good he has done the sport by investing so heavily in the huge Thermal venue. He noted that Thermal is far from the only venue faced with footing challenges.
A manager of shows throughout California and in Colorado, Langer addressed familiar laments about the USEF’s 30 year old mileage rule giving organizers too much protection. In an e-mail to WCAR membership, Langer laid out several scenarios in which removal of the Federation’s date protection system could kill incentives to stage a great show, dilute the pool of competitors and inspire point-crazy exhibitors to create their own competitions.
Langer offered the United Horseman’s Group one of his show dates during the organization’s first meeting. “Larry said, ‘You can run it the way you want to,’” Nilforushan reports. Details and a date have not been set yet, but the rider says it’s a great step in the UHG’s goal of staging two shows this year. Contact unitedhorsemansgroup@yahoo.com for more information.
Mutch Ado
The Ronnie Mutch Equitation Classic’s move to Thermal was greeted with far less controversy. The unique class will be showcased on March 16, before the marquee event of the $200,000 Invitational Grand Prix. Sponsored by the R.W. Ronnie Mutch Educational Foundation, the Classic strives to reward self-sufficient horsemanship.
It is open to all who win a major equitation class at any of the country’s big circuits, including, of course, Thermal. The first round is a tricky, but somewhat traditional equitation route. The top 10 continue to a second course that is notoriously tough: trot fences, counter canters, gymnastic obstacles, options, etc.
Throughout the roughly two-and-a-half hour class, contestants are cordoned off from the rest of the show grounds. They may bring a groom but are otherwise prohibited from conferring with anyone. Rodrigo Pessoa, Bert Mutch and George Morris have been past judges, but the identity of these officials and the course designer is top secret until showtime. In addition to the two arena judges, a third monitors the warm-up area. With the power to add or subtract up to two points to a contender’s score, this judge looks for effective schooling and good demeanor toward the groom and horse.
The Classic has been held at the Winter Equestrian Festival since its inception in 1999. With the change in management at that Florida circuit, the Foundation seized a chance to try the Classic out West. California’s own Zazou Hoffman and Karli Postel are past winners of the Foundation’s wonderful scholarships, and the organization’s Carol Coleman says that an increase in West Coast applicants is part of reason for moving it here. Coleman says the Foundation’s eventual goal is the make the class a national championship, and she welcomes the chance to broaden its fanbase.
For more information on the Classic or the Foundation’s scholarships, visit www.rwmutch.com.
The Gallop welcomes news, tips and photos. Please contact Kim F. Miller at kimfmiller1@mac.com or at 949-644-2165.
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