The December 27 and 28 clinic with Nona Garson at The Ridge Farm has been delayed until current quarantines are lifted and conditions are rendered safe in Wellington, FL, due to the recent outbreak of the Equine Herpes Virus-1 (EHV-1). The illness has temporarily halted the local equestrian community.
Garson, a 2000 Olympic veteran, teaches several clinics each year at her farms in New Jersey and Florida, and although all horses on her farms are “healthy and safe,” she has decided to postpone the two-day clinic until the Village of Wellington gets the “all clear” signal. Garson said she would like to reschedule the clinic to be held before the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) commences, and a few possible weekends are available. One possibility is President’s Day weekend, February 17-19, 2007, and another option is to wait until after WEF, which would be some time in April 2007.
Clinic sections will be divided into three groups: Low, with fences 2’6” and under; Intermediate, with fences around 3’; and Advanced, with fences set at 3’6” and above. Groupings will be added or separated, as required according to enrollment. In general, each group works on general rhythm, pace, position and a few gymnastics, although Garson customizes the lessons for each individual.
In addition to the clinic, Garson hosts the Intercontinental Sport Horse Auction every year at The Ridge Farm, and the event is scheduled for January 27, 2007. Currently, the date of the auction has not changed, and the horses that have been imported from Europe for the event are being held in a self-imposed quarantine at her New Jersey location until it is determined that conditions in Wellington are safe and all horses are healthy.
“We are forging ahead with the auction, and provided that all goes well in Wellington, the date will not change. We are taking every precaution to ensure the wellbeing of the horses,” Garson explained.
The veterinarian for the auction, Dr. Brendan Furlong, has worked with Garson for many years, in addition to being the vet for the United States Olympic Three-Day Event Team. He is the primary care physician for her mounts, as well as for the horses offered in the auction. “We will be doing everything that is ethically and medically and morally correct to ensure that we have healthy horses and that we are not endangering the welfare of anyone by going forward,” Furlong commented.
The Intercontinental Sport Horse Auction is in its fourth year and offers an elite selection of dressage, hunter and jumper horses that Garson has handpicked from around the world. Interested parties will be able to view the final group of horses online at www.interconsporthorse.com, which will have breeding details, individual specifications and photos. There will be video clips available of each horse at least one week before the auction. Horses can be tried or viewed, by appointment, from Tuesday, January 23, 2007, through the date of the auction, and The Ridge Farm will host a cocktail party and viewing on Friday, January 26, 2007, where each horse will be shown, provided that the date does not change.
For more information about the rescheduled two-day clinic, please contact The Ridge Farm at (732) 681-4376. The dates and times will be determined when it can be confirmed that the virus outbreak has passed and the schedule for the Winter Equestrian Festival has been finalized, pending any changes that might be made.
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