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Sunday, November 05 2023 / Published in Sidelines Feature, Sidelines Spotlight, What's Happenin'

The Pan American Games Final Outing at Loch Moy Farm

By Liz Halliday

During the first week of October, the U.S. eventing team gathered at Loch Moy Farm in Maryland for the mandatory final outing ahead of the 2023 Pan American Games. The event offered a unique and invaluable preparation for the upcoming Games, held in Santiago, Chile, and while competition certainly ran through the veins of the event, the primary focus was not to necessarily win but to ensure that both horse and rider were well prepared for the grand stage of the Pan Am Games. I definitely think the outing was a useful step toward finding success at the Games and gave each member of the team, and the alternates, a chance to compete and spend time together in one space.

We started on Friday morning riding through the 4*B dressage test in front of two experienced judges. I was riding both Miks Master C, my horse named to the Pan Am team, and also Cooley Nutcracker, who was my direct reserve horse. While I did think that some of the judging was a bit mixed between the two judges, it was still a great opportunity to run through the test that we would do in Santiago and to review their comments. This was all about refining the performance and addressing any areas that needed improvement ahead of the Pan Am Games. Both of my horses were feeling very fresh and fit, but I was still pleased with how they both performed and was grateful for the chance to practice the test.

It was a busy day for me as I had two other horses competing in the Advanced combined test, so we had a quick turnaround before the show jumping later that morning. The jumping track was up to height and quite a tight course with a difficult time to make. There was also cross-country going on right next to the arena, so it made for some very fresh, excited horses! Both Miks Master C and Cooley Nutcracker jumped excellent, clear rounds with a couple of planned time faults as I purposefully decided to focus on polite, controlled rounds. I was trying to think about the big picture and what we were trying to achieve with this competition, and I felt that both horses needed to have settled and organized performances to be better prepared for their big future competitions.

The cross-country phase was scheduled for the next morning and the weather had certainly taken a turn. We went from warm, sunny weather the day before to a wet, windy, cold Saturday. The course that Ian Stark had designed for us was not particularly big and challenging, but it was very twisty and would take some focus to give the horses a great ride in the inclement weather. I went out of the start box on both horses with a plan to have very organized rounds and to check in on the controls and adjustability. Both horses are very bold, keen cross-country rides and it was good for them to have quieter rounds without as much pressure to be fast. I was pleased with them both, and I felt that there were some good footwork questions on the course and that it was an overall useful experience for them.

The focus for every team member was definitely on honing technique, making necessary adjustments and having a meticulous plan for a successful cross-country performance at the Pan Am Games. I was very pleased to see that the other team riders and the alternates had excellent cross-country rounds and their horses finished in good form, despite being a bit wet and soggy!

The Pan American Games mandatory outing was more than just another competition—it was a steppingstone toward a successful performance in Santiago and a chance for all of the team members and staff to work together at one venue. The primary goal was to prepare both horse and rider for success rather than push hard to win the class—the real achievement and victory was in the preparation it afforded. Team USA used this experience to pinpoint areas for improvement, and to solidify their readiness to represent the country at a senior championship three weeks later. I know that we all left the mandatory outing ready to fight hard for medals in Chile.

Photo:

Liz and Miks Master C at the Loch Moy Farm in Maryland.

Photo by US Equestrian

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Events at TerraNova is pleased to release the priz Events at TerraNova is pleased to release the prize list for its hunter/jumper circuit, TerraNova Winter Series, hosted at TerraNova Equestrian Center February 14-18, February 21-15, March 13-17, and March 20-24. The series features FEI CSI 2* show jumping, cross-rail hunters, and everything in between. "There is something for everyone at the competition this year," said Mike Belisle, Winter Series Manager and Director of Sport at TerraNova. 

Now a Level 5 competition, additional prize money has been allocated to various national jumper classes. Jumper class highlights include:
🔹$65,000 FEI CSI 2* 1.45m Grand Prix 
🔹$32,000 FEI 1.45m Welcome Speed
🔹$20,000 1.35m National Prix
🔹$15,000 NAL 1.30m/1.40m/ Junior/Amateur Classic (Week 1)

The competition also features A-rated, C-rated, and non-rated hunters, offering opportunities for riders and horses of all levels to experience Florida's premier equestrian destination. Hunter highlights include:
🔹$5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby
🔹$1,500 USHJA Pony Hunter Derby
🔹$1,000 Green Incentive Stake

The prize list, entry forms, and seasonal stabling information can be found at www.terranovaequestrian.com.

terranova_eq 
#terranovaequestriancenter #shareterranova #showterranova
Hot horseman takeover day 6️⃣!!! 🔥Jorge Va Hot horseman takeover day 6️⃣!!!

🔥Jorge Vasquez🔥
Between his polo career—from groom to coach—and a love of travel, Jorge Vasquez has been to 60 countries, all seven continents, all 50 states and seen all seven wonders of the world—some of them twice. “I’ve been to China, Egypt, India, Dominican Republic, Argentina, a lot of places to play polo,” Jorge said. “I wish travel was my full-time job!”
Jorge is originally from Santiago, Chile, where his dad was a racehorse trainer and his uncle played polo. “I was too cool for school,” Jorge joked, “So I ended up having to do polo.” But Jorge isn’t complaining. There are “a million things” he loves about polo. “Obviously the 
adrenaline, and then the horses—the horses are very special,” he said. “They’re very well trained, and there’s something really special about a polo pony that can read your body and take you wherever you want to go—most of the time without asking any questions!”
Now living in Lexington, Kentucky, Jorge coaches the University of Kentucky polo team, is the U.S. Polo Association midstates circuit governor and is the polo manager at Gainesway Farm, 
where he also recently became the official tour guide. “I stay busy when I’m at home—that’s why I travel!” Jorge laughed, a common occurrence with his easygoing personality. “I like to think I’ve lived a pretty good life, and I get rejuvenated by teaching the game and teaching 
young horses how to play polo. That’s my favorite thing about the sport—teaching horses to play.”

With over 30 years in the industry, Jorge’s biggest takeaway from horses is, “The nicer you 
ask, the easier you’ll get results.” With all his experience, Jorge hopes to pass on the gifts of patience and understanding to those within his sphere of influence. “And that if you pay it forward long enough,” he added, “it will eventually pay you back.”
📸Photo by Kacy Brown
Hot horseman takeover day 5️⃣!!! 🔥Jet Rusi Hot horseman takeover day 5️⃣!!!

🔥Jet Rusidovski🔥
It wasn’t horses that took Jet Rusidovski from his hometown of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, to where he lives now in Austin, Texas, in 2008. It was the weather. “I came down to visit family down here and it was negative 30 degrees in Wisconsin and it was 60 degrees here, and that was the end of it,” Jet said.

He grew up braving the cold on horseback in Wisconsin, riding and showing hunter-
jumpers from the time he was 4 all through his Junior career. “When adult life started, I had to juggle adult life and horses, and then it became my profession,” he said. Jet now works for Kelly Lorek at Southern Way Farm, training both horses and clients and traveling to shows all over the country. “Our program has been growing by leaps and bounds in the last year, and that says we’re doing something right!”

Jet hopes his experience as part of a successful program will help instill in others that everyone deserves a chance. “There were definitely times in my career I was not given a chance, and Kelly is the one who really gave me that chance,” Jet shared. “She didn’t judge me for mistakes I made in the past, she didn’t hold anything against me—she saw that I had the potential and she gave me the chance to actually show it. She gave the right coaching and the right guidance to get me where I am today, and I feel I’m in a really great place with unlimited opportunities at this point in my career.” When not traveling to shows, Jet travels to Wisconsin to visit family (weather permitting, of course) and would love to revisit childhood vacation spots in Greece and Europe, or check out the weather in Hawaii. He also prioritizes catching up with friends outside of the horse world. “If people see me around at a horse show, don’t be afraid to say hi!” he said. 
“Sometimes I’m so concentrated it looks like I want nothing to do with anyone; I’m actually just deep in thought or something. But I love to say hi to everybody.”
📸Photo by Kristie Scholten
Day 4️⃣ of our hot horseman takeover! 🔥Jo Day 4️⃣ of our hot horseman takeover! 
🔥Jonathan Cohen🔥
Most riders aren’t born into professional equestrian families; some lucky ones, like Jonathan Cohen, end up spending so much time at the barn they are practically adopted into them. 
Jonathan fell in love with horses at a friend’s birthday party while he was growing up in downtown Chicago, Illinois. At 16, he began riding with Alex Jayne—and now works for Alex’s Our Day Farm. “I’m sandwiched right between his three children in terms of age, so apart from missing their earliest years, we’ve basically grown up together,” Jonathan said. “I’m incredibly fortunate to work for a family that treats me like family.”
Jonathan’s title is barn manager. “But the job description is very loose—that’s what keeps it interesting,” he said. After he gets done riding in the morning, he starts on whatever needs to be done around the farm—which perfectly suits his love of “projects.” Outside of work and horses, Jonathan puts that passion for building into home renovation; when he’s completely renovated one home, he sells it and moves on to the next. “I love building stuff, especially when it’s something that meets a very specific need and can’t just be bought,” he said. “I’ll see things I can make better, I start working on the idea in my head, and more often than not I end up building it.”

Our Day Farm splits its time between Elgin, Illinois, and Wellington, Florida. When in Illinois, Jonathan spends much of his time building jumps. “I like to replicate some of the more interesting things we see over the course of the season, as well as anything our horses might need to practice,” he said. Clearly, Jonathan loves what he does. “I’m super lucky that when I wake up every day, I don’t have to go to work. I just go to the barn. It’s my job, and it’s definitely a lot of work most days, but really I’m just going to the barn like any other day.”
📸Photo by Melissa Fuller
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