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The Gallop by Kim F. Miller |
Horses rescued from a rescue facility in mid-June are faring well in the care of the Los Angeles County Department of Animal Care and Control. Over 100 horses were seized at the Equus Sanctuary in Antelope Valley’s Pearblossom on June 15. On the recommendation of three independent veterinarians, 12 horses were euthanized on the spot, along with several cats. The facility’s owner Janis Damiani was charged with 29 counts of animal cruelty. On June 30, she was found guilty of one count of felony animal cruelty and sentenced to at least two years in prison. The other 28 cruelty charges were dropped. The rest of the removed horses are being cared for at facilities throughout Los Angeles County, and, in some cases, in foster care arrangements. At presstime, the courts were still working through the process of determining who owned the horses. As such, they were not yet available for adoption. The Department of Animal Care and Control’s Michelle Roache expects that these issues may be resolved soon. She encourages anyone able to take in one or more of these horses to contact the department at 562-658-2000 for a status update. The sad situation has already generated many offers of help from the equestrian community, but more assistance will be needed. Some supporters of the Equus Sanctuary protested the removal of the horses, asserting that their thinness was the result of age, not neglect. Time has debunked that idea, Roache says. “They have fattened up and they look like different horses in just three weeks time,” she says. “It’s a night and day difference that clearly shows that their condition was the result of lack of food and water.” In terms of the number of horses involved, this case was unprecedented, Roache reports. Despite the bad ending, she surmises that the Equus Sanctuary began with the best of intentions. “It appears to be a situation that started well, but they just got overwhelmed and could not provide the proper care.” Nary a week after the Olympics wind down, the 2008-2009 World Cup show jumping season swings into action. The first jumping qualifier took place Sat., Aug. 30 at Del Mar Horsepark and another 10 are lined up through March 28 of next year. This season there are more than the usual reasons to get fired up about this exciting league. First, the Finals return to our backyard: Las Vegas, in an April 2009 event that will once again combine jumping with dressage. There, our region’s riders will be due a bit more respect among the world’s best thanks to the 2008 second-place finish of West Coast (Oregon) based Rich Fellers and his amazing horse Flexible. The season also includes a new qualifier, held at a brand new competition: Rudy Leone and Dale Harvey’s Sacramento International Horse Show. The venue is the Rancho Murieta Equine Complex in Rancho Murieta, the date is Nov. 6-9, and the highlight will be the $75,000 Anderson Family World Cup class. Top trainer Rudy Leone jumped through more than a few hoops to get this show on the road, and he has in mind an international caliber affair. That idea is a perfect fit for the FEI’s new mandate that standards be raised for all aspects of events hosting World Cup qualifiers in North America. Organizers must now stage a second FEI class during such shows, with $25,000 in prize money. In most cases, this class will serve as an intensely competitive warm-up for the big-ticket qualifier, typically held two days later on Friday or Saturday night. The FEI also wants organizers to increase spectatorship for these shows, again ideally shooting for the significant crowds that flock to such competitions in Western Europe. Most of our West Coast qualifiers have good attendance already, but organizers are furthering their marketing efforts, too. “The FEI’s directive makes it sound like there has been no existing effort (to increase spectatorship), and that is not the case at all,” comments Dale Harvey, a key player in managing HITS’ four qualifiers at Thermal and the World Cup class at the new Sacramento event. “For all of my shows and those that I’ve been involved with, there has been a very big effort to increase spectatorship.” “It’s not so easy,” he continues. Unlike the situation in Europe, show jumping, nor any other equestrian event, is not a mainstream sport in the States and it continues to be a tough sell in an area and an era with myriad entertainment options. For the Thermal qualifiers, Harvey says HITS will be targeting the nearby Palm Springs area for new fans. Last year, the indoor venue at Thermal was filled to its capacity of roughly 2,000 spectators. Management is currently looking at ways to expand its seating capacity. Last year also, a relay-style jumping competition was a big hit with enthusiasts and Harvey says more spectator-friendly classes are part of the plan to increase their shows’ appeal to fans. The West Coast World Cup League consists of qualifiers at the following shows. The dates for every class are not all locked in yet, but typically the qualifiers take place on Friday or Saturday nights and the $25,000 classes run two days before the World Cup leg. • Aug. 27-31, Showpark All Seasons Summer
San Diego
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