All posts by Associate Editor

Competitions, Dressage, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival: Week Ten Wrap-up and Week Eleven Upcoming Events

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Wellington, FL – March 19, 2012 – The tenth week of competition at the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) concluded on Sunday. Sponsored by Artisan Farms, the week featured numerous exciting events, including the $80,000 Pennfield Feeds CSI 3* Grand Prix and $15,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix Final. Week eleven runs March 21-25 and features the USEF Selection Trials for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games. The 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of competition that conclude on April 1, 2012, and will be awarding more than $6 million in prize money through the circuit.

It’s a Big Week at the FTI WEF Week 11 – See What You Can Watch!

The Global Dressage Festival National Challenge is the next horse show at the Stadium show grounds of the Global Dressage Festival. The event takes place on Tuesday, March 20 and Wednesday, March 21. Come and watch top dressage competition in the beautiful new show grounds.

Continue reading FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival: Week Ten Wrap-up and Week Eleven Upcoming Events →

Community/Charity, Eventing/H.T., Events, Fundraisers, Phelps Media Group

Successful Aiken Olympic Gala Raises Funds for USET Foundation and U.S. Eventing High Performance Program

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Joan Hampf, Jessica Hampf (hosts) and committee members Jack Wetzel, Amy Ruth Borun and Evie Dutton. Photo By: Kate Samuels

Aiken, SC – March 19, 2012 – On Friday, March 16, 2012, Phillip and Evie Dutton hosted the fourth annual Olympic Gala in Aiken, SC at their winter facility in Bridle Creek. They helped bring the Aiken community together for a night of cocktails, a catered buffet, dancing, and a silent auction. The night raised $65,000 with all proceeds going to the USET Foundation for the benefit of the U.S. Eventing High Performance programs.

Top eventing riders Phillip Dutton and Boyd Martin stepped forward as the Celebrity Hosts of the evening, welcoming the crowds as everybody gathered to enjoy the open bar and hors d’oeuvres, partaking in the raffle and silent auction while enjoying the music of Preston and Weston.

“I thought the gala was great, everyone had a wonderful time,” Evie commented. “We had over 300 people in attendance and there was a lot of excitement, especially with it being an Olympic year. There was great music, dancing and everyone really enjoyed themselves.”

Continue reading Successful Aiken Olympic Gala Raises Funds for USET Foundation and U.S. Eventing High Performance Program →

Wild Horse Sources

Official SAM Statement Regarding BLM Appointing Callie Hendrickson to Advisory Board

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SAM has received thousands of emails regarding the appointment of Callie Hendrickson to the National Wild Horse and Burro Advisory Board. By a large majority, the comments received through various social media sites have raised concern and strong opposition to Ms. Hendrickson being appointed to the Board because of her ardent support for slaughter of wild horses. While others on the Board have also expressed support for efforts to revive the slaughter of wild horses, as well as domestic horses, Ms. Hendrickson has signaled her support for United Horsemen, the most aggressive coalition in this country advising support for horse slaughter for human consumption. SAM feels compelled to respond to the thousands of inquires we have received about Ms. Hendrickson’s appointment.

The most glaring and perplexing part of the Hendrickson appointment is this: at a time when the Bureau of Land Management, from the Secretary of the Interior and the current BLM Director on down have expressed in no uncertain terms that there will be no slaughter of wild horses, why appoint an individual that supports slaughter to the only public advisory Board that makes recommendations on how to improve the Wild Horse and Burro Program.

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Dressage, Olympic Games, Para-Equestrian

2012 Paralympic Games Registration

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United States Para-Equestrian Team in Saugerties, NY September 2011. Photo by: Lindsay Y McCall

Lexington, KY – U.S. Athletes wishing to be considered to compete at the 2012 Paralympic Games must complete their 2012 Paralympic Games Registration. Registration must be completed online by April 1, 2012.

In order to receive registration information all interested individuals should email Laureen Johnson at lkjohnson@usef.org the following information:

1. Name as it appears on Passport

2. Email Address

To learn more about the 2012 Paralympic Games Online Registration visit; http://www.usef.org/documents/highPerformance/paralympic/MemotoAllPotential2012ParalympicAthletes.pdf.

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Community/Charity, Competitions, Dressage, Events, USEF

Intercollegiate Dressage Association’s 2012 National Championship Preview

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Riders from over 20 colleges and universities throughout the United States will converge at the Centenary College Equestrian Center in Long Valley, New Jersey for the Intercollegiate Dressage Association’s 10th annual National Championship. Centenary College and their dressage team will host over 100 riders who will compete April 28th and 29th as either part of a 4 member team or as individuals in each of the IDA’s four divisions: Introductory, Lower Training, Upper Training and First Level.

The IDA is comprised of approximately 600 student riders representing 55 colleges and universities in the US and Canada, which are divided into 10 regions. The qualifying teams and individual riders earn their way to the Championship by earning points in IDA sanctioned competitions held throughout the academic year within their respective regions.

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Contributors/Press, Equine Assisted Therapy

Equine Therapy: Horses and Oxytocin, by Claire Dorotik

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The other day, a client in my office brought up an interesting issue. From the time she was young, she recalls being a “dog person”, and always finding great joy and comfort in their presence. However, recently, she has noticed that the mere sight of dog hair in her house can send her into a fit.

After assessing, and ruling out any OCD diagnosis, and looking back into her history to determine exactly when this frustration started, what became clear is that around the time her first child was born (she has two — ages 5 and 7), she began to resent the dog hair in the house.

So I asked her about how the process of maternal bonding had gone. Pausing, she related that actually she had struggled mightily with the bonding process, and at times had to force herself to hug, comfort, and console her young boy. Given that we had already discussed her fractured relationship with her mother who could be overbearing, critical, and downright nasty, we concluded that the development of oxytocin (which typically happens during the mother-child bonding phase) had also suffered.

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Competitions, Dressage, Events

Upcoming Events at the Global Dressage Festival

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Global Dressage Festival National Classic 2, Tuesday, March 20 and Wednesday, March 21 at the Stadium show grounds in Wellington, FL.

The $120,000 West Palm Beach CDI-5*, presented by Diamante Farms, and National Show: March 29 – April 1.  This prestigious event features the only CDI5* in North America this year and takes place at the Global Dressage Festival (GDF) Stadium show grounds in Wellington, FL.  The FEI Grand Prix class will be held on Thursday, March 29 and the FEI Olympic Grand Prix Special on Friday, March 30 in the morning.  The FEI Grand Prix Freestyle will be held on Friday evening.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Charlotte Jacobs Earns Position on United States Young Riders European Tour

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Charlotte Jacobs and Promised Land during the $15,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix. Photo By: Rebecca Walton/PMG

East Aurora, NY and Wellington, FL – March 20, 2012 – The 2012 Artisan Farms Young Rider Series came to a close yesterday following its final event, the $15,000 Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix. Once again proving her consistency, Charlotte Jacobs piloted Promised Land to a second place finish, which eventually helped her tie for the second place position overall in the four-part series. As the highest placing American, Jacobs has now earned a position on the USEF Young Riders European Tour.

This year during the Series, Jacobs completed three clear rounds and two four-fault rounds with Promised Land, including the fastest four-fault effort during the final event, which earned the red ribbon. “It was a really long course,” explained Jacobs. “It was out here on the field, so everybody was expecting it to be long, but having the triple at the end of course caught a lot of people including myself. It was big and it was difficult, there were a lot of technical places, but I thought it was a good course overall.”

Continue reading Charlotte Jacobs Earns Position on United States Young Riders European Tour →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, JRPR, Show Jumping

Laura Chapot and Margie Engle Continue Winning Streak in 1.35m Jumper Classes

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Margie Engle and Hidden Creek’s Pamina L were victorious in the 1.35 Jumper series during the fourth week of the 2012 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. (Photo courtesy of Sportfot.com)

Wellington, FL (March 20, 2012) – Veteran Grand Prix rider Laura Chapot has moved her KWPN mare Valentia up through the ranks of the Young Jumper classes, and during the fourth week of the 2012 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival the flashy gray mare hit her stride. Valentia won two more 1.35 Jumper classes during week four, proving why she was the Circuit Champion in the division during last year’s show circuit.

World Development Group, a premier developer committed to building the Equestrian Lifestyle, sponsors the 1.35 Jumper classes. Margie Engle, another staple on the Grand Prix circuit, also cruised to victory in a 1.35 Jumper class on Hidden Creek’s Pamina L. “Laura and Margie have spent years at the top of the show jumping world and the World Development Group is proud to welcome them to the winner’s circle,” said David Zinaman, Director of Real Estate Sales and Marketing for the World Development Group.

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Classic Company, Classic Company, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Gulf Coast Winter Classic 6 – Finale 2012

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We had a great winter.  Great Competition, Great Exhibitors, and Sponsors, not to mention, we did have some great parties each week.  Well, we are moving to Atlanta on Monday for our final two weeks of our winter circuit.

The week the exhibitors sponsored another brunch on Friday during the USHJA National Hunter Derby.  Thanks to Tustin Farm, Audry Winzinger and John Mastriano, Sugar Run Farm, Pat Bostwick, Equi-Feb, Tim Patrick Horse Shoe Service, Jewel Jumps, Benny’s Wash n Fold, Gamboa Veterinary Services, and Janet McCarroll. The exhibitors and management thank you.

The 2012 winner of the Gulf Coast Winter Classic Sportsmanship Award which was donated by Bosley and Co in 2000 was Genie Harper.  Genie has been a wonderful exhibitor for years on the Gulf and we are all proud that she won the vote from the staff and management.

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