Absorbine® and Back on Track® Sponsor Kappy Kaplan Farrier Appreciation Event at Wellington International
Absorbine® and Back on Track® Sponsor Farrier Appreciation Event at Wellington International
Farriers from the Kappy Kaplan Farrier Appreciation Event posed with
Luciana Lossio (BRA) and Lady Louise Jmen, winners of the
$385,000 Bainbridge Companies CSI5* Grand Prix. ©Sportfot
East Longmeadow, Mass. – March 13, 2024 – Absorbine® and Back on Track® participated in a special event honoring farriers on March 9, held during Wellington International's Saturday Night Lights, featuring the $385,000 Bainbridge Companies CSI5* Grand Prix during the ninth week of international competition at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Absorbine® and Back on Track® generously sponsored the annual Kappy Kaplan Farrier Appreciation Event in the Wellington Club. Farriers from across the country came together to enjoy camaraderie, dinner and show jumping.
"Absorbine® and its parent company, W.F. Young, are proud to support this event honoring farriers, the backbone of our horse industry," said W.F. Young Vice President of Marketing Amy Cairy. We are proud to join our colleagues at Back on Track® for this event."
Back on Track® Chief Operating Officer James Ruder added, "We all rely on the expertise of farriers to help our horses succeed, and it is only fitting that we collaborate to honor American farriers in the name of a great like Kappy Kaplan."
Both Cairy and Ruder thanked Lenore Brown and her Wellington International team who made the event possible.
The event's namesake, Kappy Kaplan, was a legendary horseman and farrier who made an impact on the industry. His years of riding and training horses gave him the ability to analyze gait faults and develop solutions to enhance a horse's way of going. He taught shoeing and basic forging skills and became known as "the professor" by all who sought his knowledge.
Kaplan was a close friend of Gene Mische, founder of WEF. He became the official farrier of Mische's Stadium Jumping shows, including WEF, and one of the original stakeholders in the iconic Wellington show series.
"Oh, I'm so proud," said his daughter Veronica "Cookie" Kaplan Gallea, who attended the event for the first time. "I wish I had been able to attend many years earlier. But it's as grand as he was. It's beautiful. He was a great person who had this quality to make you feel like you were the most important person in the world when he was with you. He's still so missed by everyone."
In an address to the group by retired farrier T.J. Jones, a longtime Kaplan friend, he explained that many of today's farriers may not be aware that they follow Kappy's principles to shoe their clients' horses every day.
Photo 1 - W.F. Young Marketing Assistant Morgan Palmer, W.F. Young Vice President of Marketing Amy Cairy, Back on Track - USA CEO and Managing Director James Ruder and Back on Track Director of Information Technology Sandra Pikulski
Photo 2 - T.J. Jones and friends
Photo 3 - Linda Jones addresses the group
Photo 4 - Absorbine® raffle winner Michael Barnes with W.F.Young Marketing Assistant Morgan Palmer and W.F. Young Vice President of Marketing Amy Cairy.
Photo 5 - Sponsors W.F. Young Vice President of Marketing Amy Cairy and Back on Track - USA CEO and Managing Director James Ruder. Photos by Snap Photography and Cinema
"Today marks 30 years to honor and celebrate Kappy Kaplan's contribution to the farrier industry," Jones said. "In Kappy's day, it was not about the paycheck. It was only for the love of the horse. The man and his reputation were held in such high regard by veterinarians, trainers and owners alike. Kappy offered his knowledge to anyone who wanted to better understand the horse. The main reason I'm speaking tonight is in the hope that you'll get to know and truly understand the gift he gave us."
Jones' wife, Linda Jones, is penning a book about Kaplan that, she says, should be ready for release by late fall or early 2025.
Absorbine® and Back on Track® provided all attendees with generous gift bags and both raffled collections of their products for lucky prize winners.
After a brief program, the group enjoyed dinner and world-class show jumping. In the International Arena, it was a dream come true for Luciana Lossio (BRA) and Lady Louise Jmen, who competed in and won their first-ever five-star, edging out top contenders Nayel Nassar (EGY) and Karl Cook (USA) to earn the victory gallop.