There is something about jumping a horse over a fence, something that makes you feel good. Perhaps it's the risk, the gamble. In any event it's a thing I need. – William Faulkner
Hum On!
When your Hummer runs out of gas, it’s back to one-horse power
Gone from Gitmo
The Suspended Stable Manager of Jump-Off XXXXIII fame who had been suspended for allowing owners for visit their horses on Mondays and Public Holidays has been reinstated. Not for long. Not surprisingly, she has resigned from “Guantanamo Bay”. Owners must still fill in applications to visit their horses on remand at Gitmo.
No Special Award for Weier
After being unceremoniously dumped on Christmas Eve as Honorary Steward General of the FEI after twenty years of service, Paul Weier issued his own farewell to the stewards he has trained. He then chose not to travel to London to get the "Special Award" that the FEI belatedly wanted to present him. Perhaps the FEI aren't too happy with being shown up by the man the world knows as "Uncle Paul." There was no mention of his award in the FEI General Assembly summary.
Don't worry Uncle Paul. We still think you are special! Thanks for everything you've done for us in Asia.
Beijing or Bust
The FEI is reputedly insisting that equestrian sports at the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games be kept in (duh) Beijing. The Beijing Olympic Games Organising Committee (BOGOC) want to shift the games to Hong Kong, where they will have less health and quarantine issues and where they will also have to spend much less on infrastructure. The FEI have been fighting to keep equestrian sports in the Olympic programme and want to have their sport in the thick of the Beijing games and not a few thousand miles away.
Citizenship Confusion
A Russian that claims Singaporean citizenship rode as an Indonesian in the recent Asian Showjumping Challenge. In TLOTB, multiple personalities, oops, we mean multiple passports, seems to be allowed.
Mini pigs and dwarfish horses all the rage in Moscow
From an article in Pravda - “Aside from the pigs, the dwarf horses are also quite popular. It is pretty expensive thing to buy, though. A minihorse will cost you about $10,000. A minihorse has the size of a large dog (70cm high in withers).”
And Jump-Off thought them Russkies were after Indonesian Warmbloods. Or was that Indon hotbloods…
What a lot of track
The Indian city of Pune hosted an international showjumping event for the first time. Their newspaper, the Pune Newsline reported that the showjumping course would be built over 8,000 acres.
We hope that riders got to Pune early because Jump-Off thinks it might have taken the riders a few days to walk that course.
Polo Promotions
Congrats to Quzier Ambak and Shaffik Mustapha who both crossed-over from jumping to polo to win the C Division of the Tsunami Relief Charity Polo Tournament at the Royal Selangor Polo Club. Together with Jogo Polo captain Khairi Jamaluddin, they were all triple promoted from –3 to 0 in the new polo handicaps published by the Royal Malaysian Polo Association in March 2005, the first time triple promotions have been awarded in recent memory.
Private Polo Lessons
King Power Duty Free, whose chairman Khun Vichai is the main polo player in Thailand are on the right track. They held a competition to find a “King Power Polo Angel.” The field of hundreds was whittled down to just 30, who were paraded before the last polo event.
As none of these Thai lasses had ever played polo before, Jump-Off is guessing that the winning Polo Angel would be given some very private lessons.
A Flock of Seagulls
A race at Sandown Racecourse, Melbourne, Australia was nullified by officials when 5 jockeys fell off after a flock of seagulls flew into the racing horses.
No, not the 80's band but a real flock of seagulls.
Flee you later
A polo club in TLOTB first suspended, then sacked their club manager for misappropriating funds. His nick on his e-mail address had been flee@.... He got caught, so Jump-off guesses he didn’t manage to flee in time.
Worst Non-Saddlery Store Name
Spotted at One Utama Shopping Centre. No, they were not selling skins of any sort.
Transitions
Births – Congratulations to Johari Lee and Soraya Pauline of Penang Turf Club Equestrian Centre on the birth of their first child, Sophia Fathima Cheah Johari, born on 3rd March 2005
Farewell - Dennis Kennedy has finished his contract with the Selangor Turf Club and has returned to Queensland, Australia.
Consulting - Lorna Fisher has finished her contract with the Selangor Turf Club is now a freelance consultant in the equestrian industry. She consults in Malaysia, Singapore and the South East Asian region.
Moved - Lingesparan is now at MAFEC.
Started – The South East Asian Eventing League. The EAM’s kickstart to eventing in preparation of the 2006 Doha Asian Games and in anticipation of eventing in the SEA Games if it is held in Thailand in 2007.
Awarded – 2006 FEI General Assembly has been awarded to Malaysia and will be held in Kuala Lumpur
To read previous editions of Jump-Off, please click on the links below:
