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All are invited to the Bucks County Equestrian Social 2009 hosted by Cindy Stys Equestrian & Country Properties & Bucks County Equestrian Join us for this FUN, complimentary networking event. Free Food & beverages. Door Prizes Call Cindy at 610-849-1790 When/Where: Tinicum Park Polo Club July 11th - starts at 1:00pm
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A Farewell to my trainer...
Jean-Claude Racinet, my dressage trainer and friend sadly passed away at the age of 79 on April 25th in Lexington, KY. I received the sad call from his son, Jean-François, my Godchild, early that morning. Jean-Claude had suffered from a fall from a horse while giving a clinic in Germany this past autumn and never made a full recovery. I had first met Jean-Claude and his wife Susan in the summer of 1989 where I took a lesson on one of his school horses in the Poconos. His methods were different from any other trainers I had known so I was skeptical at first. Even though his methods were rather unconventional, everything he had told me worked on my horse at home. To clench my devotion he showed me a video of a Quarter Horse, Sizzlin, he had trained to the Grand Prix level. The passage and piaffe he put on this horse were undeniably impressive. It didn't take long before I became a devoted student organizing clinics in NJ, NY &; PA once he moved back down south. He spent many hours in the car on our way to and fro clinics and late at night after the lessons telling me about the French masters and history of the French School. What cherished memories. Jean-Claude was passionate about horses and riding. 'Riding in Lightness' was his brand, mantra, trademark if you will. This was his life blood that would keep him from soundly sleeping at night he would tell me. He was a genius both on and off horse back. Want to know about history or politics, he would clue you in, the NY Times cross-word puzzle was his specialty, manipulation of the horse's spine to relieve subluxations, Jean-Claude through thousands of hours of studying and conversations with a prominent French vet-osteopath, had it figured out. I remember meeting him and Susan at Fair Hill, MD where race horse owners had hired him to work on their horse's vertebra blockings. Yes, he was that good. One of my most memorable lessons was trying to feel the 3 beat canter on horse back. Jean-Claude suggested I listen to Beethoven's Symphony #7 which contains a perfect 3 beat movement. I did and it helped! In fact a 5 week stay as a working student at the Racinet residence in South Carolina back in the early 90s, opened my soul to classical music (Mozart and Beethoven were his favorites). Thank you Jean-Claude for sharing this passion with me. I remember driving back to NJ blasting Symphony # 9 in the car - he would have been proud of me. A true victory for Jean-Claude was towards the end of this life, he was giving numerous clinics in Germany, "enemy camp"; as he would have jokingly referred to in the past. And it is an irony, almost like a Shakespearean tragedy, that this is also where he had the fall that eventually led to his demise. Show Jumping legend, George Morris, a proponent of the French School, couldn't believe this in fact when I told him. I had to repeat it a several times. And then there is Susan, his devoted and loving wife. I do believe if it wasn't for her, Jean-Claude wouldn't have lived to see almost 80 years of age. She was always there for him, admired him and I know how much he loved her. When staying at their place I would notice how he would fret when she had left the house to go shopping for example. If she didn't come home when expected he would get nervous thinking something had happened to her. When away from home giving clinics he was always in touch with her. He was a lucky man to have Susan at his side even during his last breath so I am told. To this day, Jean-Claude was for sure an influence in my life and his teachings will remain at the core of my riding. Adieu le maître et mon cher ami... Cindy A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 9, at Pen Merryl Farm in Greenville, VA. Memorial contributions may be made to Jean-François Racinet. The family will receive friends at the home. Arrangements are by Harrison Funeral Home & Crematory.
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Affordable Equestrian Facility
• 988 sq. ft., 1 bath, 3 bdrm single story -  MLS® $449,500 - price reduced! Stroudsburg, Monroe County - Affordable equestrian facility featuring 64 x 120 barn/indoor arena combination with 13 box stalls in total - 10 of which are 12 x 12 and 3 huge foaling stalls, tack room, wash stall & fenced pasture. Many possibilities for expansion. Formerly a breeding farm, currently boarding horses, property also has a cute ranch w/ hardwood floors & a possibly usable 2nd floor, all on 8.49 acres. Property also includes a cute 2 bedrm, 2 bath mobile home perfect for the trainer or grounds keeper. Most of acreage (7+) is zoned commercial. Excellent location in the Poconos, trails nearby, close to Rt. 80, ski resorts, outlets, shopping. Property information
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• 1,344 sq. ft., 2 bath, 3 bdrm 2 story - $324,500 New Tripoli, Lynn - Gem of a horse property! This delightful farmette features state-of –the-art newer barn with 2 12x12 box stalls w/ rubber mats & chew guards, large heated finished tack room w/ sink & door padlock, large wash stall w/ hot & cold water, & nifty swing-out waterers w/ frost-free hydrants so no more lugging buckets! Loafing area by barn has screenings as footing w/ Nelson waterer complete w/ monitor. If this is not enough, owners spent $16,000 on PVC vinyl fencing! Separate newer hay barn & manure bin. 3 separate paddocks. Inviting Cape Cod offers cheery kitchen enhanced w/ large skylight, pull-out cabinet drawers & computer desk. Newer h/w flooring downstairs, cedar closet & Jacuzzi tub in master bath. Heated garage w/ steel beam, workbench with numerous outlets, storage loft, convenient mudroom/laundry area adjacent to kitchen. Stocked trout stream on 1.3 acres across street used as additional turnout (can get wet during heavy rains). Separate and easy access for vets & farriers. Very well thought out equestrian property! Large horse farm less than a mile down road. Property information
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92 acre Horse Farm w/ Race Track & ponds
• 3 bath ranch "trainer's apartment" - MLS® $829,000 Ringtown, Schuylkill County - Former race horse stable now currently a Quarter Horse breeding farm.
Half mile track used 9 months out of the yr. around a large pond which can be regulated
43 box stalls plus separate bank barn used for quarantine. Heated stallion barn is equipped w/ wash stall, medicine room & laundry rm,. Trainer’s quarters on 2nd level. Stalls in foal barn have been redone in oak & have automatic waterers. Main barn equipped w/ oil heat & separate foaling stall, stalls have also been redone in oak. 13 stud paddocks with 7 having automatic waterers. Round pen, 6 pastures, hay fields w/ capacity to make approximately 5,000 bales, new metal roofs on 3 barns, office with restroom & kitchen, tack building, large garage. Two 6 ton & two 8 ton grain bins. Approximately 1 hr. from Penn National & Pocono Downs tracks. There is a ridge on property that would be ideal for development if buyer does not need all the acreage. Excellent subdivision possibilities!
The 21 acres in the Boro of Ringtown which is where most of the structures are has been rezoned residential so to keep the Grandfather clause current, horses (even just a few) must always be kept on the property or else property will revert to residential.
Property information
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40 stall equestrian facilityon 32+ acres
• 1 bath, 4 bdrm 2 story - MLS® $849,000 - Original price $1,250.00 Hamburg, Berks County - Reduced by over $400,000!! Highly functional equestrian facility on 32+ acres less than 10 minutes from Rt. 78. Total of 40 stalls, 72x160 indoor arena with new footing and skylights featuring 2 viewing rooms and restroom for clients' convenience. Main stable houses 28 stalls and is conveniently attached to indoor arena & includes 2 wash stalls and 2 tack rooms. Additional stalls can be found in the well preserved bank barn which has several attached turn-outs & smaller barn which includes lay-up or foaling stall. Also included is a run-in shed for 24 hr. turnout, 14 paddocks & large outdoor riding ring. Appealing 4 bedroom stone farm house enhanced by large sunroom with slate flooring. New kitchen floor. Wide window sills and random width floor boards. Efficient central closed loop water system w/ heat pump also produces central air. Perfect facility for any discipline including racing! Excellent income potential. Property information
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• 1,648 sq. ft., 2 bath, 4 bdrm 2 story - $369,000 Barnesville, Hometown - Farmhouse with lovely wrap-around porch with most renovations now completed including remodeled bathrooms. New windows throughout. 5 stall barn with turnout area. Garden area with miniature landscaping pond. Gorgeous large open field on top of property can be fenced in and used as pasture or build another home, indoor arena or barn.
Property information
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• 6,500 sq. ft., 4 bath, 5 bdrm ranch - $1,750,000 - Motivated seller! Effort, Chestnut Hill Township - A life of quiet elegance beckons in this sensational custom home perched on a hilltop with a 2400 foot paved driveway lined with lights on over 71 spectacular acres. Laced with luxurious amenities, the 6,500 square foot home welcomes horsemen, fishermen and nature lovers. This stunning property captures glorious panoramic views and has endless living and entertaining possibilities. Exceptional craftsmanship throughout. Chefs will find delight in the kitchen boasting granite counter tops, hickory cabinets and top of the line stainless appliances including a Viking stove, grill/griddle and Sub Zero refrigerator. Tile floors/raidiant heat, fabulous floor to ceiling stone fireplace, wet bar and game area, formal dining room, oak paneled office with marble floors, and 4 car garage. 40 x 60 pole barn with cement floor & electric, impressively solid 6 stall horse barn with tack and wash area. 40 acres fenced with oak rails, several smaller pastures with run in sheds. Relax in the heated in ground pool, and fishermen will take delight in the stocked trout stream. Seller says it's a Class A! Professional landscaping surrounding this magnificent home. Enjoy the wildlife watching deer, turkeys, fox and bear roaming the property. Unique and rare opportunity for the discriminating buyer. Seller says he spent $600,000 in the stone work alone! Appraised at $2,200,000 this past fall. Seller motivated - moving to Montana. Property information
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A Farewell to my trainer...
Jean-Claude Racinet, my dressage trainer and friend sadly passed away at the age of 79 on April 25th in Lexington, KY. I received the sad call from his son, Jean-François, my Godchild, early that morning. Jean-Claude had suffered from a fall from a horse while giving a clinic in Germany this past autumn and never made a full recovery. I had first met Jean-Claude and his wife Susan in the summer of 1989 where I took a lesson on one of his school horses in the Poconos. His methods were different from any other trainers I had known so I was skeptical at first. Even though his methods were rather unconventional, everything he had told me worked on my horse at home. To clench my devotion he showed me a video of a Quarter Horse, Sizzlin, he had trained to the Grand Prix level. The passage and piaffe he put on this horse were undeniably impressive. It didn't take long before I became a devoted student organizing clinics in NJ, NY &; PA once he moved back down south. He spent many hours in the car on our way to and fro clinics and late at night after the lessons telling me about the French masters and history of the French School. What cherished memories. Jean-Claude was passionate about horses and riding. 'Riding in Lightness' was his brand, mantra, trademark if you will. This was his life blood that would keep him from soundly sleeping at night he would tell me. He was a genius both on and off horse back. Want to know about history or politics, he would clue you in, the NY Times cross-word puzzle was his specialty, manipulation of the horse's spine to relieve subluxations, Jean-Claude through thousands of hours of studying and conversations with a prominent French vet-osteopath, had it figured out. I remember meeting him and Susan at Fair Hill, MD where race horse owners had hired him to work on their horse's vertebra blockings. Yes, he was that good. One of my most memorable lessons was trying to feel the 3 beat canter on horse back. Jean-Claude suggested I listen to Beethoven's Symphony #7 which contains a perfect 3 beat movement. I did and it helped! In fact a 5 week stay as a working student at the Racinet residence in South Carolina back in the early 90s, opened my soul to classical music (Mozart and Beethoven were his favorites). Thank you Jean-Claude for sharing this passion with me. I remember driving back to NJ blasting Symphony # 9 in the car - he would have been proud of me. A true victory for Jean-Claude was towards the end of this life, he was giving numerous clinics in Germany, "enemy camp"; as he would have jokingly referred to in the past. And it is an irony, almost like a Shakespearean tragedy, that this is also where he had the fall that eventually led to his demise. Show Jumping legend, George Morris, a proponent of the French School, couldn't believe this in fact when I told him. I had to repeat it a several times. And then there is Susan, his devoted and loving wife. I do believe if it wasn't for her, Jean-Claude wouldn't have lived to see almost 80 years of age. She was always there for him, admired him and I know how much he loved her. When staying at their place I would notice how he would fret when she had left the house to go shopping for example. If she didn't come home when expected he would get nervous thinking something had happened to her. When away from home giving clinics he was always in touch with her. He was a lucky man to have Susan at his side even during his last breath so I am told. To this day, Jean-Claude was for sure an influence in my life and his teachings will remain at the core of my riding. Adieu le maître et mon cher ami... Cindy A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, May 9, at Pen Merryl Farm in Greenville, VA. Memorial contributions may be made to Jean-François Racinet. The family will receive friends at the home. Arrangements are by Harrison Funeral Home & Crematory.
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April 4, 2009 proved to be too windy and chilly of a day for riding but it didn't keep over 3,000 horse enthusiasts away from the Eastern PA Horse Expo held at the Allentown Fairgrounds. A brainchild of Bill and Noelle Vander Brink of Bucks County Equestrian, this new Expo had all the makings of success. Aside from a strategic advertising campaign, the vendor booths were professionally installed and sold-out, I might add. The venue was in the hub of a city yet close enough to the country to draw horse people out from their farms and a radio station was on site broadcasting live adding a flavor of excitement and further promoting the event. Outdoor demonstrations were given by Amanda Enwright from Black Horse Stables, JC Cutting Horses and Patrick King. My dear friend and avid equestrian, Donna Foulk of Penn State Co-operative Office, was on hand to give a talk on hay quality and toxic plants and Cheyenne Mease of HealthHeartSoul lectured on The Mind-Body Energy Connection related to equestrian performance. If you missed out on this expo you can look forward to two more in the fall. The Delaware Valley Horse Expo and the Lehigh Valley Horse Expo. We'll see you there! www.cshorseproperties.com
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Thanks to universalsports.comwe can watch the World Cup Final in Las Vegas in real time and yesterday's Grand Prix dressage was as good as it gets (at least for one of the US riders). Steffen Peters on Ravel, won the class - the first time an American won a leg of the dressage final on US soil (by 4 points no less). What a joy to watch their flawless test! I always heard that the zig zags were extremely difficult and Robert Dover, who was doing the commentary, said most of the previous combinations couldn't nail them down but Steffen and Ravel did them perfectly. It really was quite spectacular - what precision and harmony. At my job at the USEF I have had the pleasure of working with Steffen several times with making his entries into international competitions in Europe. He is quite reserved and uncomplicated. At the WEG in Aachen 2006 I went on my own dime but because I played a role with the accreditation and entries I got a pass and was able to hang out with the staff and riders. One afternoon I ended up at the rider hotel and was standing outside when Steffen noticed me standing there and offered me a ride to the show grounds, clearly where he and Shannon, his wife, were headed. This was a few hours before the musical freestyle and he (riding Floriano) was our only hope for a possible medal so you can imagine the stress he must have been under. Yet he still offered me a ride. CONGRATULATIONS STEFFEN & AKIKO YAMAZAKI ! (owner)
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Note that this information is outdated. Presented by Lehigh Valley Horse Council: Including Roping The art and the finesse of horsemanship and cows. Speaker: Mr. Peter Fuller When/Where: Willow Brook Farms, Catasauqua, PAMay 14, 2009 (Thursday) 7:00 PM
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Thank you to all those who attended our Equestrian Social at the Tinicum Park Polo Club in Erwinna, PA which we co-hosted with Bucks County Equestrian. Although I was pre-occupied with hostess duties and chatting with our guests, I was able to catch glimses of the exciting polo game unfolding before us. The weather was glorious which just added to the overall enjoyment of the day.  
 
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Horses ridden by 4 competitors in the team competition tested positive for Capsaicin which “is classified as a« doping » prohibited substance given its hypersensitizing properties, and as a « medication class A » prohibited substance for its pain relieving properties.” according to the FEI’s website. These riders are from Germany, Ireland, Norway (bronze team medal winner) and Brazil and have been temporarily suspended by the FEI which excluded them from the individual show jumping final. Apparently this substance has been difficult to detect until only recently and the laboratory in Hong Kong is reported as being very “cutting edge”. It’s hard to imagine how riders, their vets and coaches would want to jeopardize their careers especially at an event like the Olympics where everyone is under the microscope! And even worse to risk the welfare of the horses. Both Germany & Ireland were stripped of their medals in 2004 because
of positive drug testing. What on earth were they thinking????? HELLO – is anybody home? Jeez! It’s quite possible that Norway which won the bronze medal could end up losing it which means the Swiss (my husband’s country) will get the bronze. Not such a thrill once the Games are over. At least the tests for dressage and eventing horses have all come up with negative results.
Okay I will stop my ranting on this topic for now. Just glad the FEI has been taking a very tough stance on doping in general as it rightfully so should be doing! Will keep you posted on how this shakes out. Cindy
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I can’t help but feel melancholy since the four year build-up and all the preparation which goes into each Olympic Games has concluded. It’s always exciting to be involved with a sport which has been one of the original sports in the modern day Olympics. It is horse sport’s most coveted competition. Let’s hope it remains in the Olympics for a long, long time. The FEI has been very proactive especially lately under the leadership of President HRH Princess Haya Bint Al Hussein in amending its rules to include the participation of more countries (e.g. trimming the dressage team down from 4 to 3 riders) to satisfy the International Olympic Committee’s requirement of allowing the inclusion of as many nations as possible.
It was a great Olympics for our show jumping team winning the team gold and individual bronze. Eventing’s disappointment of not winning a team medal was sweetened by Gina Miles clenching of the individual silver. This was the first Olympics since 1988 (Seoul) that the US dressage team comes home without the bronze. In fact we were out of the medals completely in dressage. There is a lot of controversy about the judges awarding Isabelle Werth (GER) the silver medal despite her horse’s notably disobedient behavior during the test.
The year directly following the Olympic year is a rather barren one allowing for some down time and also preparation for the World Equestrian Games which occurs a year later. The only major championship will be the World Cup Finals. The 2010 Kentucky World Equestrian Games will be here before you know it. The US will get to showcase its first major world championship in horse sport. Something definitely to look forward to! All the past WEGs have been hosted by European countries.
Best,
Cindy
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