Fran Jurga`s Hoofcare + Lameness: Olympics

Showing posts with label Olympics. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 22, 2012

Olympic Farriers Honored with Medal Ceremony by Worshipful Company of Farriers

The podium was crowded at the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery Barracks in Woolwich, London on the summer night of July 29th. The Olympics had begun a few days before. The world had arrived in London. At nearby Greenwich Park, the eventing was in full swing.

A team medal ceremony was in order; even though they represented different nations' teams, they were all from the same tribe: Team Farrier, indeed, in more ways than one.

Anyone who has ever said, "That farrier deserves a medal" had their wishes come true that night.

The farriers standing together for the official photo represented countries from as far away as Australia.

They were the guests of the famed Worshipful Company of Farriers.

Each farrier was presented with a certificate and engraved silver medal by the Master of the Company, Mr Stephen Scott.

"The Company decided to hold a reception to mark the contribution made by the team farriers, both from the UK and overseas, to the success of the London 2012 Olympics," Mrs Clifford told the Hoof Blog via email.

"We were very fortunate to be able to hold it at Woolwich Barracks, thanks to the Commanding Officer and staff of the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, which made it easy to transport the farriers to and from Greenwich Park.

Farriers, dignitaries and hosts at medal ceremony: Captain Richard Todd, Troop Captain, King's Troop; Robert McIntosh (UK); Ben Benson (UK); Major Mark Edward, Commanding Officer, King's Troop; Lee Collins (UK); WCF Upper Warden, Major General Sir Evelyn Webb-Carter; Nicholas Deacon (UK); Marcus Thorne (UK); Sandy Parker (Australia); James Goddard (UK); WCF Master, Mr. Stephen Scott; Ian Hughes (UK); Paul Armstrong (UK); Jim Blurton (UK); Jay Tovey (UK); David Le Corre (France); Per Christofferson (Denmark); William Mulqueen (UK); Simon Persse (UK); WCF Middle Warden, Mr Simon Fleet; WCF Renter Warden, Mr Wayne Upton. (Farriers are listed by name only; dignitaries and hosts by name and title.) Photo provided by Gillian Harris, Forge Magazine.

The evening began with a champagne reception, followed by a two-course buffet dinner.

"Each farrier was presented with a certificate and engraved silver medal by the Master of the Company, Mr Stephen Scott; sadly and inevitably, not every eligible farrier was able to attend, as some had to be on duty that evening, but those who couldn't get there will receive their certificates and medals in due course."

The silver farrier medal carries the Company's coat of arms. The reverse of each has the individual farrier's name engraved on it. The Company's motto, Vi et Virtute ('By strength and by virtue') is at the bottom.

Invited official team farriers (listed alphabetically by last name of farrier) who could not attend were:

Rene Biella (Colombia),
Gerardus de Crom (Holland),
Guillaume Duhamel (Chile),
Yves Joosen (Saudi Arabia),
Dieter Kroehnert (Germany),
Todd Meister (USA),
Brendan Murray (UK),
Andrew Nickalls (UK resident, looking after the New Zealand team),
Randall Pawlak (Canada),
Nigel Perrott (UK resident, looking after the Ireland team),
Sergio Pinto (Portugal),
Haydn Price (UK),
Damien Rotkopf (Portugal),
Mark Skippon (UK),
Stephen Teichman (USA),
Gaelle Terranova (Portugal),
David Watson (Thailand)

The Clerk said that those team farriers were either obliged to work at that time, or had not yet arrived.

The group included a team of British farriers working under London Olympics Lead Farrier Jim Blurton; they provided services to countries that were not staffed with a team farrier. They were also stationed at each arena and warmup ring, as well as staffing the Olympic forge at Greenwich Park. They were highly visible on the telecast of the equestrian events, as one farrier was stationed at the out gate of the main arena, where one of the BBC/NBC cameras was pointed for each dressage rider and showjumper.

Mrs. Clifford continued, "We have received very positive feedback from those who were there, and the event achieved its aim of recognizing the commitment made by the farriers to the well being of the horses involved and to the success of the Games overall."

Woolwich Barracks, home of the King's Troop, Royal Artillery was the site of shooting events for the Olympics, and hosted the farrier reception. (michaelpead.co.uk photo)

About the King's Troop: The Royal Artillery Barracks at Woolwich in the Royal Borough of Greenwich in London, was built in the late 1700s as the home of the Royal Artillery. The King's Troop, Royal Horse Artillery moved from the St John's Wood Barracks to their new quarters and stables on the Woolwich site in 2012, bringing with them a complement of 75 or thereabouts horses, historic gun carriages and artillery pieces used for their display. The Barracks are the site of shooting events at the 2012 Summer Olympics and Paralympics.

About the Company: The records of the City of London Corporation show that on 27th March 1356, in the 30th year of the reign of Edward III, the Mayor, Henry Pykard, summoned before him all the farriers of the City to deal with the many offenses and damages which had been committed by "people not wise therein" who kept forges in the City and meddled with practices which they did not understand, to the greater detriment of the horse. The Mayor ordered the choosing of two Wardens who were given full power to oversee and govern the trade and to deal with any default.

It may be 650 or so years later, but the Worshipful Company of Farriers is still overseeing the trade--in London and throughout the United Kingdom. Farriery in Britain is regulated by an Act of Parliament which requires that only professional farriers in possession of the Company's Diploma can shoe horses.

Hoofcare and Lameness thanks Mrs Charlotte Clifford, Clerk of the Company, and Gillian Harris of Forge Magazine for their kind assistance with this article.

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Wednesday, August 08, 2012

Update on Hypersensitive Disqualification of Canadian Rider Tiffany Foster 's Horse from Olympics for Cut on Coronet

It's the story that has stayed on everyone's mind. Less than an hour before she was to mount up and ride in her first Olympic Games, Canadian team member Tiffany Foster found out that FEI officials had declared her horse unfit to compete.

The judgement was based on the FEI's carefully-crafted policy on what is called a horse's "hypersensitivity" to stimulus on the lower legs. A small cut on the coronet (hair line between hoof and pastern) had caused the horse to react to examination.

According to reports, a thermal imaging examination confirmed the clinical exam: an area of heat could also have been evident on the diagnostic images.

The test was designed to identify horses that had been deliberately hypersensitized. A horse with sore pasterns will protect the painful area as it goes over a jump and is less likely to rub or knock an obstacle.

Even though the FEI said that no wrongdoing had taken place, Tiffany was out and the Games went on. At a press conference, her mentor, 2008 Olympic Individual Gold Medalist Eric Lamaze, lashed out at the FEI hypersensitivity protocol. Later, he lashed out at his own national federation, even though Canada did appeal the ruling immediately.

US veterinarian Kent Allen of Virginia
quaified the disqualification statement
at the Olympics press conference;
he is the FEI's Foreign Vet Delegate.
(Erin GIlmore photo)

According to FEI policy, there is no appeal on veterinary cases.

FEI Foreign Veterinary Delegate Kent Allen was on hand to explain the FEI’s decision during the press conference. He confirmed that 86 Olympic horses were monitored on the first day of the competition, and 70 were monitored the second day. Victor was the only horse found to have abnormally excessive evidence of hypersensitivity.

“The equine Olympic athlete is the most closely monitored athlete at the Olympic Games, and the FEI’s mandate is for the welfare of the horse and the well being of the horse,” Allen stated. “It’s very regrettable in this circumstance, that the horse was simply too hypersensitive in that leg to continue on.”

Lamaze lashed out: "This is a complete miscarriage of justice,” he said. “We all know why they use the test and we all understand it. This has nothing to do with this rule."

On Tuesday, August 7, the Canadian federation issued a brief statement accepting the FEI judgment. Those were fighting words to the ears of Lamaze. He said he would simply not ride for Canada again unless the national authorities showed support for Tiffany Foster in this situation.

Unrest in the Canadian camp after Foster's disqualification (Erin Gilmore photo)

Eyebrows went up around the world this afternoon when Canada issued a new statement on the disqualification of Tiffany Foster and the system used to do it. Here are their new words:

Canada's Clarification Statement

August 8, 2012, London, England - Equine Canada has issued the following further statements regarding the International Equestrian Federation's (FEI) hypersensitivity testing protocol.

"Equine Canada agrees that the FEI's hypersensitivity protocol is in place to protect the welfare of the horse and the fairness of our sport," states Mr. Gallagher.

"Victor sustained a superficial cut on the front of the left front coronary band," states Canadian Olympic Team Veterinarian for Jumping Dr. Sylvie Surprenant. "In our opinion the horse was fit to compete as he showed no signs of lameness.

"However the FEI hypersensitivity protocol is such that if the horse is sensitive to the touch, regardless of the cause, the horse is disqualified. While the FEI rules for the hypersensitivity protocol were followed, we believe that there should be a review of this protocol."

"We feel that further discussion of the hypersensitivity protocol needs to take place in order to ensure a balance is reached between the philosophical intent and the real-world application. Canada looks forward to playing a role in those discussions along with other nations within the FEI family," states Mr. Gallagher

"Equine Canada wants to make it clear that there is absolutely no accusation of any wrongdoing on the part of our athlete Tiffany Foster or any member of the Canadian Team. Equine Canada fully stands behind and supports our athlete Tiffany Foster, as well as our entire team.

Everyone at Equine Canada and the Canadian Olympic Team are disheartened and extremely disappointed over the premature ending of Tiffany Foster's Olympic dream, and remain fiercely proud of both her incredible sportsmanship and athletic achievements," states Mr. Gallagher.

(end of statement)

Tiffany Silver and Eric Lamaze, teammates for Canada's showjumping squad in London. Lamaze went into London as the defending individual Olympic gold medalist. (Erin Gilmore photo)

Will the new Canadian statement appease Lamaze and bring him home happy or will he be out shopping for a new nation's flag? Will a new chapter open in the ongoing saga of the FEI's hypersensitization protocol?

The Olympics just aren't over yet.

To learn more:
FEI explanation of hypersensitivity testing

Thanks to Erin Gilmore of www.proequest.com for her photos from the press conference and quotes.

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Sunday, August 05, 2012

Olympic Hypersensitivity: Cut on Coronet Forces Canadian Jumper's Horse Out of Games

An FEI inspection of a jumper's pasterns. The clipped pasterns on showjumpers means that any cuts and scrapes, especially on light-colored hooves and coronets, are visible. When these horses compete, they wear jumping boots and may have studs screwed into their shoes. Their pasterns are exposed below the boots. Horses wearing studs commonly step on themselves when they scramble before or after a jump and it's not unusual to have a cut or scrape on the pastern. Many wear a stud girth to protect their bellies from the studs, but nothing protects the pastern area. (FEI web site photo)

A controversy has erupted in London over a subject that has often been covered on this blog and over at The Jurga Report: disqualification of an international rider for a positive test for hypersensitivity in a horse's lower leg under FEI regulations.

In this article, The Hoof Blog will give the official statement from the FEI, then pass along some quotes from Canadian connections and look at what hypersensitivity is. This is a collection of facts and quotes...the second-guessing will be left to others.

Sunday morning the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), world governing body for equestrian sport, issued the following statement:

"The Canadian horse Victor, ridden by Tiffany Foster, has been disqualified under the FEI’s hypersensitivity protocol due to an area of clear and obvious hypersensitivity on the front of the left forelimb.

"The Veterinary Commission stated that the horse had an area of inflammation and sensitivity on the left forelimb just above the hoof. There was no accusation of malpractice, but the horse was deemed unfit to compete by the Ground Jury and was disqualified from the Second Qualifier of the Jumping competition at the Olympic Games this morning.

"A protest lodged by the Canadian chef d’equipe was heard by the FEI Appeal Committee before the end of the competition in order to facilitate the athlete taking part in the competition if the protest was successful.

"However, the protest was denied based on Annex XI of the FEI Veterinary Regulations, which state: 'there is no appeal against the decision of the Ground Jury to disqualify a horse for abnormal sensitivity from an Event'.

"The FEI General Regulations also clearly state that there is no appeal against an elimination of a horse for veterinary reasons.

"The horse Victor, ridden by Tiffany Foster, will take no further part in the equestrian events at London 2012." (end of FEI statement)

The statement was issued after a press conference was convened at 5 p.m. (London GMT).

What happened? According to a Team Canada press release: "Less than one hour before the start of team competition, scheduled to commence at 11 a.m., FEI veterinarians entered the stall of Victor, the horse ridden by (Tiffany) Foster.

"Following a routine examination of the horse in its stall, Terrance Millar, chef d'équipe of the Canadian Olympic Team for Show Jumping, was informed that Foster was disqualified under the International Equestrian Federation's (FEI) hypersensitivity protocol."

According to the Horse-Canada.com web site, Millar stated that the FEI officials used thermography to evaluate the horse.

Canadian rider Tiffany Foster, from Schomberg, Ontario, is a protege of 2008 Individual Jumping Gold Medalist Eric Lamaze who is riding in her first Olympics. She was walking the course in the arena when veterinary officials examined her horse.

Foster's horse, Victor, is a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Artisan Farms and Torrey Pines Stable of Ontario.

Earlier this summer, a jumper ridden by Ireland's Denis Lynch was also disqualified for hypersensitivity.

Using a Thermographic Camera to Treat a Horse

A typical thermographic examination of a horse's leg usually involves the display of the resulting image on a monitor or laptop screen. (Image courtesy of vetmoves.com)

Definitions: Sensitivity, Hyposensitivity and Hypersensitivity

In the realm of horse sports governed by the FEI, limb sensitivity refers to the sensation perceived by horses in their legs.

If the sensation is increased beyond normal limits it is called hypersensitivity. Conversely, if the sensation is below normal limits it is called hyposensitivity.

Hypersensitivity can be produced by a range of normal occurrences, such as insect stings, accidental self-inflicted injuries, skin infections etc. Hyposensitivity could result from traumatic or surgical cutting of the nerves to that area of the limb (i.e. neurectomy.)

Hypersensitisation is the term used to define the artificial production of hypersensitivity. It is contrary to horse welfare and fair play as it could encourage horses to jump more carefully and higher.

Sample thermography image

Princess Haya, President of the FEI: "We've had an incredible Games so far. I hope to see Tiffany again in the future, it's very sad for Tiffany that she's unable to compete."

Thermographic evaluations of sport horse limbs has been controversial in the past; FEI protocol calls for both clinical examination and diagnostic imaging of an area of concern.

Veterinarian and former farrier Mike Pownall DVM of McKee-Pownell Equine Services in Ontario commented: "Thermography has too many false positives to be used as the deciding factor on whether a rider is disqualified. More research has to be done to determine a gold standard way to protect the horse. Until then, it is unfair to the horse, the rider and the nation."

Thermography is also used by the US Department of Agriculture in the examination of Tennessee walking horses for the practice of soring at horse shows.

"The rule was put in to protect the horses, but this is just a blind application of a rule without any commonsense at all," commented Canadian chef d'equipe Torchy Millar on Tiffany Foster's elimination.

The flag of the Canadian Equestrian Team

The London Games have been a nightmare for Canada so far. One rider, eventer Hawley Bennett-Awad was hospitalized after she was injured on cross-country. Dressage rider David Marcus was eliminated when his horse suffered a meltdown during the team dressage Grand Prix...after doing most of the test in a torrential downpour. He shied repeatedly and tried to bolt, as if he was being pinged by an electrical shock from the ground, but no other horses had similar problems.

The horse van bringing the Canadian jumpers into London's Greenwich Park facility broke down on the way. Eric Lamaze, defending Olympic gold medalist in the sport, is competing after the tragic death of his Beijing partner, Hickstead. Lamaze is riding a young, inexperienced mare at London.

And now, Canadian jumping has lost its young team member, forcing all team medal hopes on the three remaining riders: Lamaze, Henselwood and Millar.

If I've read the scoring correctly, Canada is in sixth place going into tomorrow's final round for the team medals, but since there are four nations tied for second, it is well within the realm of possibility that Canada can still score a medal.

That would be poetic justice, in the end, since Tiffany Foster would be entitled to stand on the podium with her teammates, and wear whatever medal they can win without her. Tomorrow's final round will be one to watch.

Git 'er done, Team Canada...here's your pep talk!

To learn more:

FEI page on hypersensitivity testing for show jumpers

Canada.com coverage of the disqualification

Canada fury as Foster's horse is disqualified

Photo of Tiffany Silver at press conference by Cealy Tetley, www.tetleyphoto.com

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Friday, August 03, 2012

Olympic Horseshoes: Eventing at London 2012 Saved the Best for Last

Source: sfgate.com via Hoofcare Publishing on Pinterest

This is one of my favorite photos from the Olympics so far.

This was the final obstacle on the eventing cross-country course: the horse had to jump through an Olympic-sized horseshoe, with some brush across the base. Mark Todd's horse went through the brush--he was tired--and it slowed down the time.

The shoe is great except no one can explain the heel nails; a small detail, but perhaps studs in the heels would have been appropriate given the discipline.

The horseshoe was flanked on either side by bookend sculpthres of giant jumping horses made of shoes.

Presumably, the obstacle will enjoy a second life being recycled at another cross-country course somewhere in Britain. So maybe we'll see it again. Like so many of the cross country obstacles, it is unique!

Speaking of shoes, many were lost on the course that day, including by Great Britain's Zara Phillips, whose horse High Kingdom lost both front shoes somewhere along the way but still managed to get home.

We're still waiting for a comment from Zara's mother, Princess Anne, who is former master of the Worshipful Company of Farriers and a great friend to the farrier profession in Great Britain.

It was great to hear NBC Olympics commentator Melanie Smith Taylor in the USA give a shout-out to the important role that farriers play in the safety of horses and riders in the sport of eventing.

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Thursday, August 02, 2012

London's Olympic Farriers: Brendan Murray, Team GB

British eventing team farrier Brendan Murray in his "team kit"

British eventing team farrier Brendan Murray was already on the job, even though the Olympics were still a few days away. But that's all part of his job.

It was the dawn of Brendan's sixth Olympic Games with the British team, and he knows enough of the ropes that he’s now an official part of the advance crew that sets up the stables and organizes the “kit”, as the vast trunks and trailers of equipment are called. Even though the Games are on British soil, the British team is required, as are all countries, to ship in their gear through a system that x-rays it all...and accounts for every shoe and nail.

Even though the temporary stable area in London’s ancient Greenwich Park boasts a farrier’s forge, which will be manned by British farriers, team farriers Murray and Haydn Price of Wales have a complete farrier setup of their own, buried in one of the containers stacked behind the stables. Since forges aren’t allowed in the stables, they will rely on the Olympic forge for that.

Brendan said he planned to use the same hand tools he uses every day, although he wasn't expecting that he would be shoeing any of the horses.

Brendan with German team farrier Dieter
Krohnert at the European championships.

What is involved in being the team farrier for Great Britain--besides hanging around during the competitions, in case a horse loses a shoe or needs a farrier’s help? While some nations have their team farriers take over the shoeing of the team horses before the Games, quite the opposite is true for Great Britain.

“Part of my job,” Brendan shared, “is visiting the hroses during their training. I chat with their grooms, look at the horses’ feet, ahead of time."

But he doesn’t shoe them.

Instead, Brendan Murray considers himself to be in a stewardship role as an extension of the farriers who normally shoe the Team GB horses.

“The team horses are prepared by their home farriers,” he said. “And when they are at the event, I am their caretaker. Just as I have been for the past 22 years. My role is to represent the home farriers, and take care of the horses they’ve worked so very hard to prepare for these Games.

“I am extremely fortunate and very proud to represent my country in this role, by taking care of the horses,” he continued.

Brendan was scheduled to turn over the farrier operation for Great Britain when Haydn Price arrived this week.

Brendan played a big role on and
off the camera on the film
War Horse; you can see him in
the forge scene.

When he’s not shoeing, Brendan often works as a stunt rider or a double or shoes horses on movie sets for a client who provides horses for film production companies. His most recent film is Snow White and the Huntsman, where you can see Brendan riding a horse on a beach; he recently completed the production of Sleeping Beauty, and shod a horse for the star, Angelina Jolie.

Brendan shod the horses on the set for the film War Horse last year, and had a cameo role as one of the farriers, a role he discussed in an interview for The Hoof Blog.

Among his other career starring roles was as an escort, representing his former military unit, the King's Troop Royal Horse Artillery, for the gun-wagon caisson carrying the casket of Princess Diana as it rolled through the streets of London to her funeral.

Here's hoping that Brendan Murray writes his memoirs some day. They'd be a fascinating read!

Stay tuned for a follow-up interview with Brendan after the Games!

To learn more:

British Farrier Brendan Murray Receives Medal for Service

War Horse Farrier: Lights, Camera, Hoofcare! Who Shod Joey?

WEG Begins: British Team Farrier Interview

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Tuesday, July 31, 2012

London 2012 Farriers: Meet James Blurton, Lead Farrier

Jim Blurton of Wales is one of those farriers who has more than one claim to fame. But his most recent is the one that might stick the longest.

Jim is a former world champion at the Calgary Stampede. He’s a veteran of countless Welsh national horseshoeing teams. He’s a successful farrier with a burgeoning group practice employing ten or so farriers, and a manufacturing entrepreneur whose name is on the farrier supply map for manufacturing farrier hand tools and pre-made bar shoes.

But as of yesterday--and forever more--he’ll be remembered as the “Lead Farrier”. His position is attached to the veterinary services department of the London Olympic Games’ organizing committee, a.k.a. LOCOG.

Jim said that his day begins at 5:30 a.m. and that, on the day we first spoke, it ended at 10:30 p.m. There were horses to be attended to: if not shod, they still may need to be adjusted, clenches looked at and maintenance provided. He was waiting for his team of volunteers to arrive the next day (Saturday) when the official duties would begin.

Jim Blurton, NTO Lead Farrier for the London 2012 Olympic Games

Jim’s plan is to spread the farrier team throughout the park and station farriers wherever horses are competing or training. The crew of British farriers has been through a training program, and understands what is expected of them.

There are five positions in the training center area; one farrier is needed at each of five warmup arena. A farrier also needs to be in the forge at the stables and one at the competition venue itself. For the cross-country on Monday, farriers will be at the start and the finish of the course.

Another farrier is on duty at the receiving station, about five miles away. Peden Bloodstock is there, facilitating the processing of any arriving horses. They are all checked for their proper permits and transferred from their vans to official LOCOG transports that carry the horses into the park. Everything that has been sent with a horse is x-rayed at this receiving station, and the farrier is on hand to make sure the horses didn’t have any shoe problems during transport to London.

And the forge itself? It's important to know that it's up in the air. It's built on stilts, just like all the stables and buildings at the equestrian center--even the stadium and the arena itself are built on platforms on stilts. Horses go up and down ramps to get where they're going, and back again.

This morning I spoke with Jay Tovey, an Olympic farrier from Bedfordshire, England who was one of several assisting Jim Blurton on this second day of eventing dressage. Jay has been in the Park with Jim since last Monday and spent today minding hooves at a warmup arena. The sun was shining when we spoke, but they had been through thunder and lightning and a downpour during the dressage.

“Brilliant!” was Jay Tovey’s comment on the farrier scheme. He said that people at the staging center and the park were aware of the farriers and what they were assigned to do.

One of Jim Blurton's business accomplishments has been the mass production of heart bar shoes;
this photo is a still from his video on fitting heart bars.

In the meantime, Jay and Jim are having a few encounters with farriers from other countries. As Jay looked across the arena where he was stationed, he said he could see Nigel Perrott from Somerset, England, who is the farrier for the Irish eventing team, and Dieter Krohnert, the long-time farrier for the German National Federation teams.

I asked Jim Blurton what qualified him to be selected for the job and he had to stop and think a minute. Then he reasoned it out: they needed someone who could be away from his or her business for a month--which jim can be only because of the staff he has at home to take up the slack.

They needed someone who could manage people, he added slowly, which the size of his shoeing and manufacturing business obviously proves.

“And they needed someone who’d know what they’re doing,” he ended.

Coming up: More about the forge, farriers from other countries, and a salute to some of the farriers whose hard work helped their horses get to London.

Thanks to Team Thailand's farrier, David Watson, for taking the photo of Jim in the Olympic forge.

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Monday, April 16, 2012

FEI Veterinarian ID Card System Begins June 1, 2012; All Treating, Team and Private Equine Practitioners at Events Must Comply

The following information is posted to assist the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the worldwide governing body for horse sport. It applies to veterinarians from all countries who plan to work on horses at events in all FEI sports:

The FEI has announced the introduction of an ID card and online exam for veterinarians working at FEI events. The exam focuses on the FEI Veterinary and Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations.

The new system, which comes into effect on 1 June 2012, requires Competitors’ Private Veterinarians, Team Veterinarians and Treating Veterinarians appointed by Organizing Committees to pass the online exam based on the relevant FEI regulations affecting vets who support horses competing at FEI events.

Veterinarians work far behind the scenes at FEI events, as well as during the event itself, for national teams and sometimes for individual owners. Now they will all be required to meet the FEI's standards and carry appropriate credentials reflecting that. (USDA photo)

Veterinarians wishing to work at FEI events must apply for access to the exam through their National Federations and fulfill the FEI eligibility requirements. Successful candidates should then download their “FEI Permitted Treating Veterinarian” ID card and obtain accreditation from Organizing Committees for stable and treatment areas.

Existing FEI Official Veterinarians (including Veterinary Delegates, Testing Veterinarians and Head Treatment Vets) are currently exempt from the examination requirement, providing they download their “FEI Official Veterinarian” ID cards before 31 December 2012.

The FEI Official Veterinarian ID card will allow these veterinarians to work either as FEI Official Veterinarians or as Permitted Treating Veterinarians at an event. The ID cards must be produced if requested by Stewards and other FEI Officials. The cards have an advanced “QR” (quick-response) bar code, which allows easy public access to professional profiles on the FEI’s dedicated new database.

The exam and ID card are free of charge and relevant documents are available online for reference to encourage understanding of the key FEI Veterinary Regulations, Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations and General Regulations.

Graeme Cook, FEI Veterinary Director

“The FEI is continuing to harness the latest technology in its Clean Sport campaign,” explained Graeme Cooke, FEI Veterinary Director. “This initiative follows the launch of several online tools to help everyone associated with horse sport manage their responsibilities under the FEI Equine Anti-Doping Rules.”

Further comments from Graeme Cook:

“The introduction of this exam and ID card for veterinarians working at FEI events has been well received during the initial testing phase and is designed to strengthen our very clear approach to anti-doping and biosecurity at FEI Events.

“The new exam will ensure a consistent level of understanding and interpretation of our current regulations, wider knowledge of Clean Sport and help us to maintain the longstanding FEI Welfare Code.

“The simple process has been designed with busy practicing vets in mind, for instance candidates can save their progress and complete the exam later should they be interrupted.

“The introduction of ID cards with QR codes also allows FEI Officials to efficiently check the identity of veterinarians at our events using iPhone, BlackBerry or Android smartphones.”

Got credentials? This is a media credential confirmation package for the 2008 Olympics.

Editor's Note: There are two types of veterinarians working at FEI events: Permitted Treating Veterinarians and FEI Official Veterinarians.

The FEI Veterinary and Equine Anti-Doping and Controlled Medication Regulations, along with various other resources are available at the FEI Clean Sport website; additionally the General Regulations are available here.

Olympic credentials photo for media by PJMorse. FEI veterinary ID art via FEI Focus. Thanks!

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Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Professional Farriers Honor Larry Rumsby

AAPF Presentation: (left to right) Director Steve Prescott, Vice President Dave Farley, Director Roy Bloom, Honorary Member #1 Larry Rumsby, President Jeff Ridley and Director David Dawson.

Canadian farrier Larry Rumsby of Bromont, Quebec received special recognition recently when he was named the first honorary member of the American Association of Professional Farriers (AAPF). Larry was presented with a forged horseshoe coat rack, designed and forged by AAPF Director Jennifer Horn, at a reception in his honor at the Florida home of AAPF Vice President Dave Farley and his wife Karen.

Olympic Gold Farriers in the same place at the same time: Holland's Rob Renirie, farrier to the 2008 Olympic Gold Medal Dressage team, and Larry Rumsby, farrier to the 2008 Olympic Individual Gold Medal Show Jumper, posed one day on the porch of Larry's family's farmhouse, appropriately situated on Rumsby Road, a stone's throw from Quebec's signature skiing and equestrian resort at Bromont, where the equestrian events of the 1976 Olympics were held.

Larry has been featured on the Hoof Blog in the past and is known around the world in the FEI horse sport world. For many years he traveled the world and was responsible for the shoeing of Eric Lamaze's Dutch Warmblood stallion Hickstead and other top Canadian jumpers.

Wearing Larry's shoes, Hickstead won the Gold Medal at the 2008 Beijing Olympics (Hong Kong).

The Hoof Blog toasted Larry after Hickstead won the Gold Medal at the 2008 Olympics. The graphic still works four years later, and the sentiment is just as sincere. This anvil and tools sculpture stands at the entrance to Marechalerie Bromont.

Larry's wife, Louise Mongeau, runs Marechalerie Bromont, a thriving farrier supply business.

To learn more:

Golden Horseshoes: Larry Rumsby's Shoes Were "Lamazing" for Canada in Hong Kong

Seamus Brady Will Live On in Legend

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Wednesday, July 06, 2011

Olympic Test Event: London 2012 Will Bring a Country Sport to the City

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London's preparing! The host city for the 2012 Olympics is running an equestrian "test event" over the inner-city park that will be home to all the equestrian events next summer during the Games. Photo by Ollie O'Brien.

The Olympics began this week in London. Not really, it was just the test event to get the feel of the equestrian facilities in Greenwich Park, but there's no doubt that the 2012 Olympics is only a little more than a year away, and there's no better way to make people take it seriously than to have a walk around the new facility. Forty top riders took part in the test event, which was at the two-star level and ended on Wednesday with show jumping. Dozens more riders attended as observers to check the lay of the land, or the arena, depending on whether they are eventers, dressage riders, or show jumpers.

An above-ground arena and stabling area was designed to be built in London's Greenwich Park for this week's Olympic Test Event and next year's Olympics. The temporary dressage and jumping ring means that the Olympics will disturb the historic park as little as possible. Photo by Khedara.

Notice that the grass underneath the dressage and showjumping arena was not dug up; the 5000 square-meter arena merely perches atop the grand lawn on 2100 legs. Presumably they are sunk into the ground.

Great Britain's Piggy French, the eventual individual winner, lead from the dressage phase. Just as much as everyone cares who wins, people care what the arena surface is like, how the warmup rings work, where the start for cross-country is located, and dozens of other aspects of the event. Eventing is only one of the equestrian sports, including modern pentathalon, that will use the facility.

Nina Ligon of Thailand (and Virginia, USA) rode her dressage test in the bright sun on Monday. Nina's farrier, David Watson, accompanied Team Thailand to London.

The man of the hour is Haydn Price, head farrier for London 2012's test event. Haydn is from Wales and is normally Great Britain's team farrier for dressage and show jumping.

Haydn was ecstatic about the facilities that have been built at Greenwich Park--which include pop-up stables and an equally pop-up 5000 square-meter arena standing on 2100 legs. He described that setting as "lovely" by email and went on to comment:

"It is going to be an amazing event next year, (one) where the event will be taken to the people rather than the people taken to the event.

"The atmosphere here today has been incredible: the local schools have been made an integral aspect of this event by being invited to attend. Children of all ages have today experienced something truly magnificent; many of then had never seen a horse other than the occasional mounted police officers that patrol London and the district.

"Yep, the countryside has well and truly arrived in the heart of the City of London!"

The wash stall; the "pop-up" Olympic stabling area is built above ground on platforms; horses come and go on ramps. (© FEI photo by Kit Houghton)

Equestrian Route in Greenwich Park for 2012 Olympics

I had to ask what a "Saxon Tumuli" is (or are). Apparently they are ancient burial mounds.

Here's a map of Greenwich Park with the route of the cross-country overlaid, although I am not sure if this is the four-star cross-country route proposed for the Olympics or the five-minute 2-star used for the test event. What the Google Earth view doesn't show you is the undulating terrain, which made for a course with lots of tight turns and ups and downs.

This brief video, courtesy of www.greenwich.co.uk shows some action from the cross-country on Tuesday. The opening shots are from a jump where a group of vocal and local schoolchildren dominated the spectators. They added a very different dimension to the traditional course observation etiquette.

How's this for great community public relations? The schoolchildren of Greenwich are working to “design a Greenwich jump” which will feature in the cross-country course for London 2012.

The right stud for Olympic terrain

Riders chose to stud up today. From a report by John Thier on Eventingnation.com earlier today: "People were using some huge studs today. The ground was maybe a bit firm and not the least bit muddy, but it was still slick.

"I don't know how to describe the ground at Greenwich--it isn't sand but it isn't clay and it doesn't have the feel of plain dirt. It does not have much hold and after the first few rides word quickly filtered back to the barns to really stud up. With the big studs the ground rode fine."

A photo slide show from Tuesday's cross-country, courtesy of www.greenwich.co.uk.

Wednesday's program consisted of two consecutive show jumping competitions to determine both the team result (winner: Great Britain) and the individual high-scorer (Piggy French of Great Britain). A showjumping demonstration by specialist jumpers and riders also gave the arena a workout.

Leader of Greenwich Council Mr. Chris Roberts was quoted on the greenwich.co.uk web site as saying that being a host borough continued “to be a source of tremendous pride” for his district.

"(One thousand) of our residents are working on the Olympic sites, our businesses have secured something like £70million worth of contracts and we have the most iconic venues of the Games, which will continue to support our tourism in the years following the Games," Roberts is quoted as saying.

Just out of site in this shot is the Greenwich Maritime Museum, one of the greatest historical museums in the world, and the Royal Observatory at Greenwich, home of Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), the 0 hour by which all clocks in the world are set and time zones and meridiens of longitude are determined.

In case you ever wondered: there is no daylight savings time in GMT.

If you're looking for Greenwich on your GPS, the longitude coordinate is 0° 0' 0". Latitude, however, is 51° 28' 38"N.

At night, a green laser cuts through the night sky in Greenwich to mark the meridien.

So what happens on Wednesday night? Does someone pull a plug? Does the arena have a fold-up command, will the stables deflate, do the crowds just disappear?

The main part of the park has already been re-opened to the public, after being closed off during the cross-country.

You get the feeling that Greenwich Park--which is 568 years old--might just go back to being a place for picnics and dog walkers. There's probably a plan to fill in all the hoofprints, and leave no trace of the horses behind.

But they'll be back, and they're bringing their friends. Word is spreading around the world that Greenwich has passed The Test, with flying colors.

Let's hope that Olympic mascots Wenlock (left) and Mandeville (right) aren't allowed anywhere near the horses. (Photo by Matt Northam)

The Olympic Rings hang in a London train station; I wonder if they are pointing the way to Platform 9 3/4? There's no question that for many people, a trip to London for the Olympics next year will be full of Harry Potter symbolism. I wonder if the cross-country or show jumping designers will theme an obstacle or jump that will be recognizable as such only to the wizards in the crowd.

Travel from the coffin bone to the periople in a special microscopic image; just click here to order this poster created by Dr Lisa Lancaster at the Equine Foot Laboratory at Michigan State University.

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