All posts by Associate Editor

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, FEI

Australians on Top after Dressage at Pau

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Clayton Fredericks. Images: Kit Houghton/FEI

Lausanne (SUI),14 October 2011 – Australian riders head the leaderboard after Dressage at Les Etoiles de Pau (FRA), the final leg of the 2011 HSBC FEI Classics, which has attracted its most competitive field yet – 69 riders representing 17 nations.

Clayton Fredericks, currently ninth in the HSBC FEI Classics, and his compatriot Christopher Burton, who is making his first visit to this popular event at the foot of the Pyrenees, are in equal first place on 43.7 penalties apiece.

Fredericks, whose last CCI4* victory was at Rolex Kentucky in 2007, is riding the 11-year-old Bendigo lll, the winner of Saumur CCI3* this year but a debutant at this level. Burton rides the experienced Holstein Park Leilani, winner of Adelaide CCI4* in 2008.

“Bendigo felt really rideable today,” commented Fredericks, who will be able to get an early feel of tomorrow’s Cross Country on his first ride, the mare Laurent Dunges Rose, on which he is lying 27th on 54.0 penalties.

Continue reading Australians on Top after Dressage at Pau →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Events, Pan American Games, USEF

Changes to the 2011 US Eventing Team for the 2011 Pan American Games

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The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) and the United States Olympic Committee have made the following change to the entry for the U.S. Eventing Team for the 2011 Pan American Games.

Constance Holling’s Downtown Harrison has been withdrawn by his rider Jonathan Holling for veterinary reasons and replaced by Lynn Symansky and her own 8-year-old Thoroughbred gelding Donner.

The U.S. Eventing Team for the 2011 Pan American Games will now include the following five athlete/horse combinations:

Hannah Sue Burnett (The Plains, VA) and Jacqueline Mars’ Harbour Pilot
Harbour Pilot is an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding
Buck Davidson (Ocala, FL) and Sharon Will’s Absolute Liberty
Absolute Liberty is an 8-year-old Thoroughbred x Oldenburg mare
Shannon Lilley (Gilroy, CA) and The Lilley Group’s Ballingowan Pizzaz
Ballingowan Pizzaz is a 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding
Michael Pollard (Dalton, GA) and Nathalie Pollard’s Schoensgreen Hanni
Schoensgreen Hanni is an 8-year-old German Sport Horse mare
Lynn Symansky (Middleburg, VA) and her own Donner
Donner is an 8-year-old Thoroughbred gelding

Follow the U.S. Team at the Pan American Games (photos, blogs and wall-to-wall coverage): http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/2011PanAmGames/.

And on Twitter: @USEquestrianHP.

For media requests or more information, please contact USEF Press Officer, Joanie Morris, at jmorris@usef.org.

*Featured/Spotlights, Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Revolution Sports, Show Jumping

The Rolex One to Watch – October 2011

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Oleg Krasyuk riding Caligula at the CSI4* "Donbass Tour" in Donetsk (UKR).

The Rolex One to Watch for October 2011 is Ukrainian rider, Oleg Krasyuk. Based at Magna Racino near Vienna, Austria, the 34-year-old jumped from number 399 to 185 during September – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 214 places.

The Rolex One to Watch is an initiative which identifies the rider who has made the biggest jump within or into the Top 250 of the Rolex Rankings the previous month.

Born on 19 April 1977, and brought up in a small town near Dnepropetrovsk (USSR), Krasyuk’s first trainer was Alexandr Kuvichko, who has now sadly passed away. Krasyuk has also been trained by Viktor Poganovsky, one of the most decorated Soviet riders and a team Olympic champion at the 1980 Moscow Olympic Games.

After his gold medal at the Ukrainian Championships in 1997, and at the age of 20, Oleksandr Onischenko – a wealthy businessman and philanthropist – offered Krasyuk the opportunity to travel to Germany and train with three-time European champion Paul Schockemöhle – and Norbert Nuxoll – ex Show Jumper and colleague of Schockemöhle. Training with Schockemöhle and Nuxoll turned out to be a pivotal moment in Krasyuk’s career. Under their leadership, Krasyuk competed in Grands Prix, European and World Championships. To this day Krasyuk considers Nuxoll to be one of the most influential people in his life.

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Championships, Competitions, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, USEF

Dutton & Leatherman Storm to Lead of USEF National Eventing Championships

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Phillip Dutton and Ben (Shannon Brinkman Photo)

Elkton, MD – Competition officially got underway Thursday in the 2011 USEF National Eventing Championships, held in conjunction with the Dansko Fair Hill International, with the first day of dressage. Grey skies and intermittent rain did not dampen spirits as the first half of competitors in the CCI3* and CCI2* completed their tests. Phillip Dutton is the pacesetter at the halfway mark in the CCI3*, while Andrea Leatherman heads the CCI2* field. Dutton and Leatherman lead both their respective USEF National Championship and CCI divisions.

Full results for the CCI3* and CCI2* are available here: http://www.evententries.com/livescoring/14839.html.

The dressage phase for both divisions concludes Friday.

2011 USEF National CCI3* Eventing Championships

Dutton and Team Rebecca LLC’s Ben established a commanding lead in the CCI3* with a score of 47.2, putting them more than seven points in front of second-placed Erin Sylvester. The 10-year-old Holsteiner gelding has not been eventing long but is already making a mark on the sport.

Continue reading Dutton & Leatherman Storm to Lead of USEF National Eventing Championships →

Breeds, Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Dressage, Equestrian Assistance

KWPN-NA Awards $9,000 to Young Riders in 2011

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Catherine Chamberlain and her KWPN gelding Verdicci

2012 Applications and Details Online

Sutherlin, OR — The KWPN-NA awarded $9,000 to three young riders in 2011 through the Willy Arts Grant, sponsored by Little Creek Farm. Madeleine Birch, Salt Lake City, UT, Sadie Lahey, Eagle, ID, and Catherine Chamberlain from Chandler, AZ were each awarded $3,000 to help make their equestrian dreams a reality. The riders were able to use the funds to pay for lessons, clinics and competition expenses. All three riders parlayed their grants into successful show seasons, with each rider earning a gold medal at the 2011 North American Junior and Young Riders Championships (NAJYRC). The Willy Arts Grant is an annual scholarship award and is intended to aid in the development of KWPN-NA horse/rider combinations competing in young rider divisions.

Madeleine Birch, 20, is a full-time student at the University of Utah, majoring in Biology, with the goal of attending medical school in 2014. In the meantime, Birch rides her horse Uoeri, a 10-year-old KWPN gelding (Houston x Idorette by Kaiserstern) that was bred by H. H. Pieters. The duo made their Prix St. Georges debut this year at shows in Denver, CO and Nampa, ID and qualified for the NAJYRC, where they claimed a Team Gold Medal and finished 8th individually. “He’s pretty easy going, as long as you can make him think it’s his idea,” Birch said of Uoeri. “He’s easy to travel with and likes to show.” Birch’s aspirations include another trip to the NAJYRC in 2012 and then onto the Brentina Cup.

Continue reading KWPN-NA Awards $9,000 to Young Riders in 2011 →

Events, National Horse Show, Phelps Media Group, Products/Services

The Equus Pavilion Encompasses Equine Education at Alltech National Horse Show

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The full display area of a surgery table with a life-size horse. Photo Courtesy of Rood and Riddle.

Lexington, KY – October 13, 2011 – Beginning Thursday, November 3, over 1,000 students from the Kentucky public school system will begin flocking to the Equus Pavilion at the Alltech National Horse Show. The Equus Pavilion will serve as an educational expo striving to revolutionize equine education. The students will visit from 9 a.m.-2 p.m. on Thursday and Friday, with an upward estimate of about 40,000 spectators and exhibitors from the Alltech National Horse Show viewing and participating in the expo throughout the horse show.

Technical Coordinator and Course Designer for the Alltech National Horse Show, Bobby Murphy, began developing the educational expo in July of 2011 when the North American Junior and Young Rider Championships were underway at the Kentucky Horse Park. “Mason Phelps and I had spoken about how we could make a difference with the equine education, and the expo came out of that,” explained Murphy. “I knew we had the resources to accomplish the educational expo and provide the clinics and demonstrations necessary to make it educational and interactive.”

The Equus Pavilion is designed to simulate the design of a show ring, and even has its own competitive schedule, which allows participants to partake in interactive educational booths, compete in a horseless horse show, take part in clinics and demonstrations, and complete arts and crafts projects, all revolving around an equine education curriculum.

Continue reading The Equus Pavilion Encompasses Equine Education at Alltech National Horse Show →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Events, More/Other, Pan American Games, Show Jumping, USEF

American Dressage Horses and Riders Arrive in Guadalajara for 2011 Pan American Games

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Despite the remnants of Hurricane Jova drenching Guadalajara, Mexico, the U.S. Dressage Team arrived without incident at the Guadalajara Country Club, the venue for the Dressage and Jumping disciplines for the 2011 Pan American Games.

The four horses, Big Tyme, Grandioso, Paragon and Weltino’s Magic arrived on Tuesday afternoon with their grooms, Dr. Rick Mitchell, the team vet, Julie Mitchell, his wife and vet tech, the Canadian horses and their team and a dressage horse from Ecuador. Tim Dutta orchestrated the effort with the help of Tex Sutton Forwarding’s crew and all of the horses arrived in great condition. After a good night’s rest they were happy and bright this morning looking for something to do.

The two-legged athletes arrived Wednesday midday, after navigating USOC Team Processing in Houston on Tuesday. They were all happy to arrive and cleared customs without issue. They came in on the same flight as The U.S. cycling and swimming teams with Chef d’Equipe Eva Salomon, Team Leader Jenny van Wieren and Technical Advisor Anne Gribbons. Steffen Peters (San Diego, CA) is an Olympic veteran at his first Pan American Games, but for Heather Blitz (Wellington, FL), Marisa Festerling (Moorpark, CA) and Cesar Parra (Whitehouse Station, NJ), it was their first trip to USOC Team Processing.

Continue reading American Dressage Horses and Riders Arrive in Guadalajara for 2011 Pan American Games →

*Featured/Spotlights, Community/Charity, EQUUS Foundation, Phelps Media Group, Washington Int'l Horse Show

The EQUUS Foundation Partners with the Washington International Horse Show to Support Kids’ Day

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Photos courtesy of the Washington International Horse Show.

WESTPORT, CT – October 12, 2011 – The EQUUS Foundation is pleased to announce a new partnership with the Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) in support of its Kids’ Day on Saturday, October 29, 2011.

“The Washington international Horse Show is thrilled to have support from The EQUUS Foundation for our Kids’ Day event. Kids’ Day is a wonderful way to expose the equestrian sport to the local community and engage the youth of Washington, D.C. By aligning with the The EQUUS Foundation, we will further our mission of promoting a greater interest and education of all things equestrian,” said Bridget Love Meehan, Executive Director, Washington International Horse Show.

Fun & Excitement in the Nation’s Capital
An equestrian tradition since 1958, the Washington International Horse Show, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, will bring top notch equestrian competition to the nation’s capital from October 25-30, 2011 and a free family-friendly event for the local community.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Events, USEF

77 Horses to Contest the 2011 USEF National Eventing Championships at the Dansko Fair Hill International

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Phillip Dutton and Ben (Shannon Brinkman Photo)

Elkton, MD – More than 100 horses, 77 of which were from the US, were presented to the Ground Juries Wednesday afternoon at the Dansko Fair Hill International, where 45 horse-and-rider combinations will compete in the CCI3* and 62 in the CCI2*. Three horses were held for re-inspection: Tipperary Liadhnan, ridden by Thailand’s Nina Ligon, and King Billy, ridden by Laura VanderVliet, in the three-star; and Elizabeth Spencer’s Firewater in the two-star. Only Monte Carlo, Ashley Leith’s CCI2* ride, was not accepted. The Dansko Fair Hill International, running October 13-16, once again hosts the 2011 USEF National CCI2* and CCI3* Eventing Championship.

The future of the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team will be on full display this weekend in the autumn fixture CCI, with many riders eyeing important qualifications and strong results heading into 2012. Four riders come to Fair Hill after honing their skills overseas earlier this year thanks to the Land Rover Competition and Training Grants. William Coleman, Phillip Dutton, Will Faudree and Boyd Martin will all be showcasing what they learned while competing in Europe this summer and fall.

Learn more about the Land Rover Grants here.

Continue reading 77 Horses to Contest the 2011 USEF National Eventing Championships at the Dansko Fair Hill International →

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

Zone 4 Finals in Atlanta

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The Zone 4 Finals – North, as you know, have been moved to the Atlanta Fall Classic I (Nov. 9-13) at the Georgia International Horse Park in Conyers.

These zone finals are a great way to get bonus points for year end zone awards.

The following divisions will have awards for zone members. The divisions will be the first three classes of the division: