All posts by Associate Editor

Oppermann and Pessoa Highlight International Field in $5,000 CSIO Welcome Stakes

Rodrigo Pessoa and HH Palouchin. Photos © Sportfot

Wellington, FL – February 29, 2012 – Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa and HH Palouchin and Germany’s Jörg Oppermann and Lux As If each jumped to victory in Wednesday’s double $5,000 Welcome Stake classes during week eight’s CSIO 4* competition, sponsored by G&C Farm, at the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF). Due to a large number of entries, the Welcome Stake was held as two classes, with half of the entries showing in the afternoon, and the remaining entries showing later in the evening. $5,000 in prize money was awarded to each section.

Anthony D’Ambrosio, of Red Hook, NY, is the course designer in the International Arena this week. Each Welcome Stake class was held in a one round format against the clock with a time allowed of 77 seconds. In the day session, D’Ambrosio saw 13 clear rounds, the fastest time of 58.94 seconds winning the top prize for Rodrigo Pessoa and HH Palouchin, owned by Double H Farms.

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Weber Captures FEI Four-In-Hand Division at 2012 Little Everglades Combined Driving Event

Chester Weber won the FEI Four-In-Hand Division at The Little Everglades Combined Driving Event. (Photo courtesy of PicsofYou.com)

Dade City, FL (March 1, 2012) – One year after adding the talented horses Uniek and Splash to his team, Weber once again drove away as the winner of the FEI Four-In-Hand division at the 2012 Little Everglades Combined Driving Event. Weber debuted Uniek and Splash at the Dade City, Florida, competition last year and returned this year to reclaim his title.

“I was very pleased with how my team performed. They were super,” Weber said. “One of the highlights of the event was our dressage test. It went very well with Uniek and Splash, who are owned by Jane Forbes Clark, in the lead; Boris was the left wheel for the first time and Senate in the right wheel.”

Team Weber drove away with a score of 38.83 in the dressage test, proving that Weber has lived up his title as “the dressage specialist,” a term coined by the foreign press. Weber received the high praise during his 2011 European summer tour in which he kept the American flag flying high in winner’s circles in Austria, Hungary and Germany.

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15-Year-Old Emanuel Andrade Named Future Champion at Winter Equestrian Festival

15-year-old Emanuel Andrade, pictured riding Costa, was named the Future Champions Leading Junior Jumper Rider. Photo by Sportfot

Wellington, Florida – 15-year-old Emanuel Andrade was presented as the Future Champions Leading Junior Jumper Rider on Saturday, February 25, at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, Florida. The teen, who hails from Caracas, Venezuela and who has his stables and family home in Palm Beach County regularly champions the charity Step by Step Foundation in competition in show jumping competitions. He has been consistently winning in the Junior Jumper division and placing in Grand Prix competitions against some of the top international riders in the world at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center this year.

In a special presentation held during Saturday evening’s $100,000 CSI3* Fidelity Investments Grand Prix, Andrade was recognized in the International Arena as the Future Champions Leading Junior Jumper Rider, sponsored by Marley Goodman.

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Charlotte Jacobs Awarded Multiple Equitation Victories during WEF VII

Charlotte Jacobs and Stallone VDL won the WIHS Equitation Overall during Week VII of the Winter Equestrian Festival. Photo: James Parker/Kathy Russell, The Book LLC

Wellington, FL and East Aurora, NY – February 29, 2012 – Junior rider Charlotte Jacobs of North Star Ventures continued her winning streak in the equitation ring during Week VII of the Winter Equestrian Festival. Jacobs and Stallone VDL topped a field of 59 entries during the WIHS Equitation, and then went on to win the Platinum Performance USEF Show Jumping Talent Search.

During Week V of the Winter Equestrian Festival, Jacobs was also victorious in the WIHS Equitation with her stellar mount Stallone VDL. This week, the duo won the jumper phase and placed second in the hunter phase to claim the overall blue ribbon. Jacobs and Stallone VDL also earned the top call during the Platinum Performance USEF Show Jumping Talent Search. They wrapped up the weekend by placing second in the ASPCA Maclay.

“Stallone VDL was really good this weekend; he’s great at his job and he always there for me,” remarked Jacobs. “The WIHS Equitation was a big class and a lot of the people that do well during the Finals in the Fall are down here, so it’s tough competition and very nice to do well. He was perfect in the Talent Search as well, because he doesn’t care about the open water or anything like that. He can be a little lazy sometimes, but once you get him going he’s very straightforward.”

Continue reading Charlotte Jacobs Awarded Multiple Equitation Victories during WEF VII

Nick Haness Brings Home Three Top Ribbons in the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix

©Flying Horse Photography. Nick Haness and Carolyn Mittler’s Cristiano cruised to victory in the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix during Desert Circuit IV

THERMAL, CA (February 28, 2012) – Nick Haness of San Clemente, California had a tremendous afternoon on Sunday at HITS Thermal when he piloted three horses to ribbons in the $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix, including the blue aboard Carolyn Mittler’s Cristiano to cap an action-packed week for hunter riders during Desert Circuit IV.

Haness was impressive in the popular hunter prix that featured more than 50 horse-and-rider combinations in the first round, over a course set by Rian Beals. The seasoned hunter rider brought home a score of 92 in the first round and set the stage for some tight competition. In the second round, Haness and Cristiano nailed down the victory in the Devoucoux class when they scored an 89 for a total score of 173 and the blue ribbon. More importantly, Haness looks like he will be a “shoo-in” to return for the Diamond Mills $500,000 Hunter Prix Final that will take place at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York this fall. Last year, the rising star finished in second place aboard Jessica Singer’s Cruise and collected $90,000 in prize money.

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Dressage under the Stars Returns Tonight at Palm Beach Polo and Hunt Club

Dressage under the Stars

Tonight
Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Palm Beach Polo and Hunt Club
2470 Greenview Cove Drive
Wellington, FL, 33414

Doors open at 6:30 p.m.

Don’t miss the exceptional opportunity to watch Cappy Peterson perform a bridle-less demonstration.

Cocktails and Dinner
followed by
Musical Freestyle Competition Patio-Side

Reservations are highly recommended.

Please call (561) 389-4951.

Media Contact: Mason Phelps
Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
phone 561.753.3389  fax 561.753.3386
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com

Inaugural Camden Winter Classic Wrap Up

Photo by Ann Taylor. Bethel's Peri and Grace Howard capture the blue in the Fenwick Equestrian Hunter Derby. Presenting is Wilhelmina McEwan of Fenwick and Maddie Godard

Aiken, SC based Equus Events, Inc. wrapped up its inaugural Camden Winter Classic horse show on Sunday.  The show which took place February 24-26 at the South Carolina Equine Park in Camden, SC was a USEF sanctioned “A” rated event and included many exciting hunter and jumper classes.  “We are extremely excited to be back in Camden,” said show organizer J. P. Godard of Equus Events, Inc.  “The city of Camden and the South Carolina Equine Park and its staff have been extremely welcoming to us and we are looking forward to being back at the SCEP very soon.”  The SCEP has recently gone through major renovations including footing by Bob Kiser (footing consultant for the 2010 World Equestrian Games), improved stabling with rubber mats in every stall, and many other structural and cosmetic updates throughout the entire park.  They have also recently installed a new pavilion which is the perfect “party” spot or a relaxed area to watch the competition throughout the park.

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FEI Bureau Initiates Suspension Proceedings against International Dressage Riders Club

Lausanne (SUI), 29 February 2012 – The FEI Bureau has initiated suspension proceedings against the International Dressage Riders Club (IDRC) as an FEI Associate Member due to the Club’s apparent lack of respect for the fundamental principles of good governance, in particular, the Club’s removal of two of its members without an opportunity to be heard and its ongoing refusal to reinstate them.

The Club filed an appeal with the FEI Tribunal last year, claiming that the FEI Statutes guaranteed that its proposed candidate should be appointed and that no other person or entity was authorised to propose candidates for the athlete representative on the Dressage Committee. The FEI Tribunal issued a decision on 7 November 2011 denying the IDRC’s appeal.

The IDRC passed new Statutes at its 30 October 2011 General Assembly allowing the IDRC General Assembly to remove IDRC members without an opportunity to be heard. These new Statutes had not been provided to members in advance of the General Assembly, nor had they been finalised at the time of the General Assembly.

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Live Oak International Celebrates 20th Anniversary with World Class Combined Driving and Exciting New FEI CSI** Show Jumping

Mark Your Calendars for March 22-25

Chester Weber will compete at Live Oak International’s 20th Anniversary. (Photo courtesy of My Weber)

Ocala, FL (February 28, 2012) – The 2012 Live Oak International, the premier Combined Driving event in North America that attracts competitors from around the world, has added Show Jumping to their exciting weekend of competition, which will also include the USEF National Championships for Four-In-Hand horses. Celebrating their 20th Anniversary, Live Oak International will be held at the 4,500-acre picturesque Live Oak Plantation in Ocala, Florida, from March 22nd to the 25th.

Combined Driver Chester Weber, the eight-time United States National Four-In-Hand Champion and three time Silver Medalist, is based out of Live Oak and will compete at the prestigious event. “It’s hard to believe that this is the show’s 20th year, but I am proud to say that each year the event gets better and better. My sister, Juliet W. Reid, has worked hard to develop show jumping at the event, and we are pleased to once again donate proceeds to the Marion Therapeutic Riding Association.”

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Equine Therapy: A Few Good Studies, by Claire Dorotik

Equine therapy studies are hard to find. And perhaps even more challenging to find are studies that utilize sound research protocol. Of course this leaves many well intentioned mental health practitioners to question the validity of equine therapy. On the other hand, there are many potential recipients of equine therapy who wish that there insurance company would cover equine work so that they may partake in it.

So, that being said, let’s take a look at a few good equine therapy studies:

http://www.animalsandsociety.org/assets/library/736_s3.pdf

Looking at the outcomes of 31 participants in an equine-assisted experiential therapy program, this article describes the intervention and the psychological measures that were completed prior to treatment, immediately following treatment and 6 months after treatment. After discussing the results of the study, the article also delves into the clinical implications and limitations of the study, and makes suggestions for further research.

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