Lexington, KY – The U.S. Para-Equestrian Team continued to make strides in qualifying for the 2012 Paralympic Games by winning Team Gold at the 2011 Melbourne CPEDI3* held in conjunction with the Saddle World Dressage Festival. The U.S. was represented by Donna Ponessa, Becca Hart, Erin Alberda, and Mary Jordan all riding borrowed horses at the competition held December 8-11 at the National Equestrian Centre in Werribee, Victoria. The team win came in spectacular fashion as the four riders earned the highest overall team score that the U.S. has ever produced. Australia place second with New Zealand and Japan placing third and fourth, respectively.
The winning was not limited to the team competition – U.S. riders finished no lower than second in any of the tests they rode. In Grade 1a competition, Ponessa (New Windsor, NY) produced three winning efforts riding Miike Setsuko’s Don Armani to scores of 70.588%, 69.5% and 68.5% in the Team Test, Individual Test and Freestyle, respectively. Alberda of Woodinville, WA, also had a clean sweep of her Grade III division tests scoring 66.913% in the Team Test, 65.556% for the Individual Test and earning a 71.5% Freestyle score with Adele Plumbridge’s Southern Cross Tamaris. Grade IV rider, Jordan (Wells, ME) produced second-place efforts in the Team Test, Individual Test and Freestyle riding Elainie Castiellini’s Northern Charmer to scores of 64.271%, 65.161% and 68%, respectively.
WESTPORT, CT – December 16, 2011 – Halters, lead ropes, hay, horse feed, shampoo & conditioner, salt blocks, grooming brushes, fly spray, ink cartridges, supplements, blankets, saddles, bridles, riding helmets, postage stamps, saddle pads, shavings, buckets, boots, duct tape, rakes, clippers, fly masks, gift cards to supply stores, and more.
GEORGETOWN, KY – DECEMBER 19, 2011 – Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, KY, has joined with Lexington’s Maker’s Mark Secretariat Center and CANTER Michigan to permanently retire two Thoroughbreds, Ferdinand’s Star and Mikethespike.
Chicago (EWA) – A six month investigation by the EWA and other animal investigation organizations has finally determined the predominant source of abandoned horses in the Southwestern US. The findings show that most or all of more than 5,000 horses a year are being abandoned after being rejected for slaughter at the Mexican border.
