All posts by Associate Editor

Community/Charity

USET Foundation Welcomes New Trustees

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Gladstone, NJ – February 6, 2012 – The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is pleased to announce the election of new Trustees Georgina Bloomberg, George Davis, Elizabeth Juliano, Murray Kessler, Lyle Lovett, Misdee Wrigley Miller, MK Pritzker and Philip Richter. The new Trustees were elected to the Board on January 28, 2012 during the USET Foundation’s Annual Meeting. They will aid and assist the USET Foundation in its mission to support the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America’s elite and developing international, high-performance horses and athletes in partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation.

Georgina Bloomberg of North Salem, NY and Wellington, FL has been competing in Show Jumping at the international level for many years. She has represented the United States at the World Cup Finals and also in Nations Cup competitions. Bloomberg won the Maxine Beard Award in 2004 and she also founded The Rider’s Closet to distribute used clothing and equipment to college equestrian teams and pony clubs.

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Associations/Breeds, Awards, Hunter/Equitation, National Horse Show, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Alltech National Horse Show Is NARG’s Top Ranked American Event for 2011

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February 1, 2012 – The Alltech National Horse Show, following its debut at the Kentucky Horse Park last November, on Tuesday evening was awarded the North American Riders Group’s highest ranking for any American horse show.

The North American Riders Group (NARG), representing the riders and owners in North America, is comprised of the top horsemen from the United States, Canada and Mexico and was formed with the goal of improving the sport of show jumping. In their presentation of the NARG Top 25 Horse Shows of 2011, they stated, “The North American Riders Group remains steadfast in achieving an essential goal-improving our sport so that once again show jumping in North America will rank among the greatest in the world.”

Their report said, “After overwhelmingly positive results from our 2010 Top 25 report, NARG and a host of volunteers once again spent hundreds of hours to numerically evaluate 50 of the top horse shows in North America.”

Continue reading Alltech National Horse Show Is NARG’s Top Ranked American Event for 2011 →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Scott Brash and Whisky Mac Win $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic

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Kathryn Haefner and Columbus Find Victory in the Hunter Ring

Scott Brash and Whisky Mac. Photos © Sportfot

Wellington, FL – February 5, 2012 – Week four of the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), sponsored by Adequan, concluded on Sunday with a win for Great Britain’s Scott Brash and Whisky Mac in the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic.

Week four of the FTI WEF was sponsored by Adequan. Week five, sponsored by Spy Coast Farm, will run February 8-12. The 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of competition that conclude on April 1, 2012, and they will be awarding more than $6 million in prize money through the circuit.

Forty-four entries showed in the 1.50m class over a track set by 2012 Olympic course designer Bob Ellis of Great Britain. Six went clear to jump-off and five completed double clear rounds. Scott Brash and Whisky Mac, owned by Stan Brash, finished with the fastest time of 44.670 seconds taking the top prize.

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Competitions, Dressage, Events

Wrap-up of 2012 Global Dressage Festival Inaugural Event

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Wellington, FL – February 6, 2012 – The inaugural event of the 2012 Global Dressage Festival (GDF) was a great success featuring the $50,000 Wellington Dressage CDI-W, presented by Magnolia Farm, and National Show, which took place February 2-5.

The GDF continues with the Florida Dressage Classic CDI-W and National Show, presented by the United States PRE Association, February 16-19 at the newly constructed venue that extends the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) show grounds.

Opening day of the Wellington Dressage CDI-W and National Show featured nine levels of national competition on Thursday.  All of the participants seemed pleased with the venue, especially local resident Laurie Moore, who had the honor of riding as the first competitor in the show.  Moore was pleased with the distinction and her performance on her horse Rolero.  As she exited the arena Moore beamed with excitement and exclaimed, “It’s fabulous! The facility has the ambiance of a very significant event with all of the international flags flying over the arena. I felt so important!”

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Community/Charity, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Volunteers and Donated Horses Needed for WEF Collegiate Equitation Challenge on February 10

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Wellington, FL – February 5, 2012 – The National Collegiate Equestrian Association (formerly Varsity Equestrian) is pleased to announce the 3nd Annual Collegiate Equitation Challenge to be held at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL. The first round of the event will take place on Friday, February 10, 2012 at 2 p.m. in Ring 8 and the finals will be at 7 p.m. in the International Arena of the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.

Volunteers and donated horses are still needed for the event. Those interested in donating a horse for the competition can visit http://winterheavenfarm.com/invitational/donation_form.html to sign up.

The donated horses will do a warm-up with the owner/trainer/rider and then jump a round with two different Collegiate riders. If it is a sale horse, it will be announced to the audience of the warm-up and the class. For junior riders doing the warm-up, it is an opportunity to be seen by the NCAA coaches that are watching. It is also a great opportunity for a horse to get good mileage in the International Arena under the lights.

Continue reading Volunteers and Donated Horses Needed for WEF Collegiate Equitation Challenge on February 10 →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage, Events

Holzer Wins Grand Prix Special in Wellington Dressage CDI-W at Global Dressage Festival

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Ashley Holzer and Pop Art

Wellington, FL – February 5, 2012 – Ashley Holzer of Canada won the FEI Olympic Grand Prix Special in the $50,000 Wellington Dressage CDI-W, presented by Magnolia Farm, on Sunday, the final day of the 2012 Global Dressage Festival’s (GDF) inaugural event.

Holzer was aboard Pop Art, the horse that she rode in the 2008 Olympic Games.  The pair scored an impressive 71.867% in spite of Holzer’s mistake.

“My horse was great, his jockey today was not stellar,” said Holzer. “Because this Olympic Special is a bit different from the Grand Prix Special I normally do, I had a moment of confusion on the centerline after the first pirouette, and made a mistake on the one tempis. I am happy with my horse though, he feels like a young horse again.”

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, FEI, FEI, Vaulting

Male Champion Looser Retires at the Top While Eccles Family Dominate Female Final

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YouTube – http://youtu.be/AW8pQO2c4Cs

Patric Looser and his horse Record RS Von der Wintermuehle made an emotional retirement from the sport after winning the 2011/2012 FEI World Cup Vaulting Final. Photo: FEI/Christophe Bricot/Jumping International de Bordeaux.

Bordeaux (FRA), 5 February 2012 – Emotions ran high at the 2011/2012 FEI World Cup Vaulting Final in Bordeaux, France today where Switzerland’s Patric Looser made the perfect exit from the sport when taking the Male title in style, and Great Britain’s Joanne Eccles pipped her younger sister, Hannah, for the Female honours.

This first official FEI World Cup Vaulting season visited five qualifying venues over the winter months, and today’s closing stages saw the sport at its very best.  Looser was determined to produce a better result than he did in yesterday’s first round.  “I’m going to try to enjoy every second of my Freestyle today” he said before the competition began.  “Yesterday was not my best performance – I was a bit stiff in my body although I didn’t make any mistakes, but I’m in first position by a good distance as the competition begins today and I intend to be more relaxed and just enjoy my routine and my horse!” he explained.

He succeeded in doing just that, adding this new title to the one he earned at the Final in Leipzig, Germany last April and to his career-defining gold medals at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky in 2010 and last year’s FEI European Championships.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Driving, Events, FEI, FEI

Boyd Exell Writes History at Bordeaux

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Boyd Exell (AUS) has written history at Bordeaux by winning the FEI World Cup Driving title for the fourth consecutive time. ©Rinaldo de Craen/FEI

BORDEAUX (FRA), 5 February 2012 – Boyd Exell (AUS) has entered the history books by winning the FEI World Cup Driving Final for the fourth consecutive time.

Dutch drivers IJsbrand Chardon (NED) and Koos de Ronde (NED) fought like lions but were unable to beat Exell, who was simply unbeatable.

Class of his own
Last starter Boyd Exell felt the pressure on his shoulders despite his 8-second head start on Chardon after the first competition on Friday evening. Boyd however proved to be in a class of his own again, cheered on by the many enthusiastic spectators. The triple FEI World Cup Driving Champion put down an amazingly fast and clear round with his solid team of horses and widened the gap further on Chardon and De Ronde, who were in second and third place.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Events, FEI, FEI, Show Jumping

Staut and Silvana Are Brilliant in Bordeaux

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YouTube – http://youtu.be/I4DTWXpLhz0

Kevin Staut is presented with a Rolex watch by Arnaud Reverdin, Commercial Director, Rolex France. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.

Bordeaux (FRA), 4 February 2012 – French hero, Kevin Staut, won the eleventh qualifying round of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2011/2012 series on his home turf at Bordeaux tonight.  Riding the 13 year old grey mare, Silvana HDC, he devastated the opposition in the ten-horse jump-off with a display of class and courage that snatched the honours from Australian runners-up Edwina Top-Alexander and Cevo Itot du Chateau.  Belgium’s Rik Hemeryck slotted into third with Quarco de Kerambars, while Ireland’s Denis Lynch finished fourth with his exciting new stallion, Contifex.

But tonight’s competition was as much about the battle for positions on the Western  European League leaderboard as anything else.  Following the next, and last, qualifying leg at Gothenburg, Sweden, the top-18 riders will make the cut for the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping final which will take place in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands at the end of April.  So the placings all the way down the line are critical at this stage, and the pressure is at boiling point.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage, Events

Koford Wins Grand Prix Freestyle in Wellington Dressage CDI-W at Global Dressage Festival

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James Koford and Pharaoh

Wellington, FL – February 4, 2012 – James Koford, of Wellington, FL, was all smiles as he won the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle in the Wellington Dressage CDI-W, presented by Magnolia Farm, on Saturday.  Riding Pharaoh, owned by Hannah Hollandshook, Koford won the featured event of the 2012 Global Dressage Festival (GDF) with a score of 73.300%.  Shawna Harding, of Aiken, SC, was second with Come On III scoring 70.575%.  Koford’s winning attitude did not go unnoticed by Janet Foy, who served as the FEI Judge at the letter “C”.

“What I really so enjoyed was Jim’s smile during the pirouettes and the piaffe/passage parts of the test,” said Foy. “You can tell he enjoys this horse and was really nice to see.”

The test was also nice for Hollandshook to see. The 20-year-old was Koford’s groom on Saturday, but shortly before coming to Florida she had a successful outing on Pharaoh at the Intermediaire I level.

Continue reading Koford Wins Grand Prix Freestyle in Wellington Dressage CDI-W at Global Dressage Festival →