Zayna Rizvi, winner of the Mirror Lake Inn Classic, rides her horse Excellent, while her groom Hector Garay walks beside them. (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

Top-range show jumping horses are not cheap. Yes, you can purchase a horse for around $3,000, but if you are looking for a top, well-trained horse, $100,000 and beyond is not unusual. A lot of factors go into the value of a horse.

Elements influencing their value include breeding, is it registered, their bloodlines and training. A well-trained horse will easily get a higher price, as training a horse is expensive. The age and soundness of the horse matter. Has it peaked or does it have several good years ahead? Is it healthy or have a track record of visiting the vet?

Riders at the Lake Placid Horse Shows view their horses as fellow athletes. Watch a rider and their horse in competition; the horse’s athletic ability is immediately apparent. So a horse with high athleticism will command a higher price. Coupled with that is a horse’s overall appearance. Face it, our society is drawn to attractive people, and it stands to reason that they are also drawn to horses that catch people’s attention.

And finally, there is the horse’s competition record, which includes its wins, where it did well and what the competition was like. When I was first introduced to the Lake Placid Horse Show in the early 1980s, Idle Dice, then ridden by Rodney Jenkins, was the talk of the town and circuit. Sired by Hayhook and foaled by Oklahoma, Idle Dice, the Secretariat of the horse-show world, had a fantastic record of doing well in big races. For example, Idle Dice won the America Gold Cup three times and is the only horse to win the President’s Cup at the International Horse Show twice.

Idle Dice’s $400,000 in prize money won in 31 Grand Prix victories would be worth over $2 million today. No surprise, Idle Dice was the 1977 Grand Prix Horse of the Year and the first horse to be inducted into the Show Jumping Hall of Fame.

LaTonna Wilson, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

The other aspect that’s impossible to assign a monetary amount to is the bond between the rider and a horse. When Jenkins rode Idle Dice, both did better than with other pairings. “Idle Dice was much smarter than I was, and very sensitive to everything,” said Jenkins, the winningest rider of all time during a Hall of Fame interview. “The relationship between a man and his horse is most important.”

“What I love most about show jumping is my relationship with the animal,” said trainer and Grand Prix rider Heather Caristo-Williams. “For me, it’s all about the horse. Of course, I love winning, but my bond with my horse is the most important thing. I wouldn’t be able to compete at the higher levels without having a strong bond between the two of us.”

“My horse is amazing,” said Zayna Rizvi, winner of the Mirror Lake Inn High Junior Amateur Classic. “He’s so sweet in the barn, but when he comes in the ring and knows it’s time, he’s very competitive and, at the same time, very caring. He tries to keep me safe. He’s just an awesome horse to ride. I have so much fun with him; we have such a great connection. I consider him one of my best friends. I think we do so well together because we trust each other.”

Owners bringing their horses to Lake Placid and the expense that goes with it, high on their minds are not only the show rings and the quality of their footings, the names of the course designers, the stall set-up and timing of the event, but the veterinary services provided.

Face it, Lake Placid is not horse country like Lexington, Kentucky, known for its abundance of stables. Thus, the Lake Placid Horse Shows arranged to have well-trained vets onsite and backup support provided by Rood & Riddle, which maintains the largest equine hospital in the nation in Lexington, and major facilities in Saratoga Springs and Wellington, Florida.

Veterinary technician Sarah Grogan (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

In the past, if a horse had a significant injury, they put the animal down. Today, that’s no longer the case, as the veterinary medical care provided by agencies like Rood & Riddle is equal to and, in many cases, better than found in many hospitals for humans. Consequently, a horse can often be saved and, depending on the injury, jump again or be given new life on a stud farm or other options.

“Our duty is to be here in case any equine emergency happens or just anything from just very minor to emergencies,” said veterinary technician Sarah Grogan, who works for Danielle Stacy of Fairfield Equine, LPHS, during the show. “Our patients are the horses competing in the show, and we help if they need any maintenance, sustain an injury, and advise the owners on any type of medication their horses might need.”

The horse shows’ veterinary service provides peace of mind as they are there to keep the horses healthy and happy throughout their stay and, on occasion, will take care of an owner’s pet.

“We look at these horses as athletes,” said Grogan. “Like any athlete, they get sore and strains just like any human athlete. We have to make sure they are fit and ready for competition without them being able to talk with us. That requires a special listening skill. As part of that, we listen to the riders because they spend the most time with that animal. So, between the rider, the veterinarian, and all the other players involved, such as massage therapists, farriers, and the guys that put their shoes on, we devise a good plan for keeping the horses happy, healthy, healthy, and fit for competition.”

Just as a person’s GP may send them to a specialist when needed, horse owners and the onsite vets at Lake Placid know that if such additional support is required, Rood & Riddle in Saratoga has the diagnostic capacity, surgeons, and other specialists available. Their services range from telemedicine consults to bringing the horse to the hospital.

Heather Caristo-Williams (Provided photo — Naj Wikoff)

“The Lake Placid Horse Show provides exceptional veterinary services,” said Caristo-Williams. “We appreciate their compassion for the animals, not just for the horses, but for the entire team. Having the vets so involved is huge. We are fortunate that Lake Placid has a clinic here where multiple practices can come in, so everybody has the chance to work with their vets and the veterinary services provided by the show. The veterinary services here are fantastic.”

(Naj Wikoff lives in Keene Valley. He has been covering events for the News for more than 15 years.)

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