All posts by Associate Editor

Diana de Rosa, Dressage, Equestrian Assistance, Products/Services

Healthy Horse Boutique Supports Haddad Staller in Her Olympic Quest

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A Portion of All August and September Purchases from Healthy Horse Boutique to Benefit World Class Dressage Rider

Carbondale, CO — July 21, 2011 — “My goal when starting Healthy Horse Boutique was to create a company that could ultimately support equestrians who are in need of help,” explained Marian Nilsen, owner of both Healthy Horse Boutique and Cookies with a Clue. With this goal in mind Nilsen is ready to kick off her Healthy Horse Boutique Rider Crusade with a campaign supporting 2006 and 2010 World Equestrian Games U.S. Team Dressage alternate and 2007 and 2010 World Cup Finalist, Catherine Haddad Staller.

Catherine is an American dressage rider presently stationed in Vechta, Germany.  She represents the United States in competitions throughout Europe at both national and international levels. With her Grand Prix horses — Maximus JSS, Cadillac and Winyamaro — she has accumulated over 80 top ten placings and wins at Grand Prix level. Since 1995, she has run a successful training and sales facility in Germany.

Catherine will travel to the United States at the beginning of August with her two Olympic contenders — Cadillac and Winyamaro — to spend two months training and showing on American soil.  “This is a preparation tour for me and my horses.  I hope to pick up some good qualifying scores at the CDI-Ws for both the World Cup and our Olympic Selection Trials,” explained Catherine, who plans to compete in the two Saugerties CDI-Ws and at Devon where she won the World Cup qualifier last year with Winyamaro.

Continue reading Healthy Horse Boutique Supports Haddad Staller in Her Olympic Quest →

Competitions, Events, Show Jumping, USEF

USEF Names Riders for CSIO Rotterdam

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Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will be represented by five show jumpers at the CSIO Rotterdam, which runs August 24-28, 2011 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Please click on any athlete or team name for more information about them.

The following horse/rider combinations have been named in ranked order to represent the U.S.

Beezie Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo (13-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Coral Reef Ranch)

Laura Kraut and Cedric (13-year-old Dutch-bred gelding owned by Happy Hill Farm)

Lauren Hough and Quick Study (12-year-old Selle Francais gelding owned by Laura and Meredith Mateo)

Christine McCrea and Romantovich Take One (11-year-old KWPN gelding owned by Windsor Show Stables)

Mario Deslauriers and Urico (10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Jane Clark)

Please visit www.usefnetwork.com for more information or visit www.chio.nl.

Dressage, Events, JRPR, Products/Services

A One-Stop Dressage Specialist Shop – The Horse of Course Supports the Sport, of Course!

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The Horse of Course, Inc. tack store is highly regarded as a one-stop dressage specialist shop. Here Beth Haist presents the trophy to Arlene Page with the Raleigh Show staff. (Photo courtesy of WNCPhoto.com)

Claremore, OK (July 21, 2011) – In keeping with their tradition of paying it forward, The Horse of Course, Inc., one of the nation’s premier tack shops specializing in dressage tack, clothing and supplies, is increasing their sponsorship and support of dressage shows and events throughout the country.

Following an active season in Florida, The Horse of Course headed north with a stop at the Raleigh CDI where the store supported the CDI as a Bronze Sponsor. From North Carolina, Horse of Course continued on to the Kentucky Dressage Association CDI hosted at the Kentucky Horse Park.  The Kentucky Horse Park is also home to the United States Dressage Federation (USDF), another organization that Horse of Course has supported for many years and plans are in the works to expand their participation with USDF in 2012.

Fall will find the Horse of Course continuing the northern trek with plans to attend the USEF National Dressage Championships at Gladstone, The Dressage at Devon CDI, Saugerties, and New England Dressage Association’s show just to name a few.  This will be Horse of Course’s first year at Devon and they are coming on board as Bronze Sponsors.  Horse of Course is also jumping in as a new sponsor at Saugerties.

“I love the tradition and the fashion statement of the jog, so The Horse of Course will be sponsoring the jog at Saugerties and at Dressage at Devon,” said Beth Haist, CEO of The Horse of Course. “We will have our mobile show trailer at all of the shows except for Devon, where we will be set up in booth 52.”

Continue reading A One-Stop Dressage Specialist Shop – The Horse of Course Supports the Sport, of Course! →

Breeds, JRPR, Products/Services, Publications/Media

World Equestrian Brands, LLC Offers Must-Own Book for Breeders and Riders on Selected Sires of Germany

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"Selected Sires of Germany" is a must-have library addition for breeders and riders everywhere. (Photo courtesy of World Equestrian Brands, LLC)

Buena Vista, VA (July 20, 2011) – A gorgeous, hardcover book depicting the bloodlines of selected sires of Germany is a must-have library addition for breeders and riders everywhere. World Equestrian Brands is offering the 2012-2013 edition of “Ausgewahlte Hengste Deutchlands,” which translates to “Selected Sires of Germany,” and information on the book will be available through their website.

“This book is a must for breeders and riders, as it is a great resource pertaining to many of the bloodlines people are investing in. The photography is excellent and bloodlines are depicted in a tree showing four generations of every horse in the book,” said Robin Moore, President of World Equestrian Brands, the United States distributor of Amerigo saddles and strap goods, Amerigo Vega saddles, Vespucci, E. A. Mattes and Equilibrium products.

The hardcover book features 608 pages written in German, packed with great images of the stallions. “It comes with a soft cover that lists the stallions in English that are in the hardcover book, with in-depth bloodline information, as well as a performance and breeding records when available which makes it useful for breeders and competitors alike,” Moore said. “Even if you don’t speak or read German, you won’t have trouble thanks to the translation guide.”

Moore said the breed book will be available on the World Equestrian Brands website by mid-August and will cost $125. “This book comes out every two years, and is a valuable resource,” Moore said, adding that this will be the first time World Equestrian Brands offers the book. “I have admired this book for years, and have acquired about five copies through the years. It beckons you to pick it up and imagine the possibilities.”

For more information on World Equestrian Brands, visit their website at www.worldequestrianbrands.com or call 1-888-637-8463.

For more information contact:
Robin Moore
World Equestrian Brands LLC
1-540-264-0154
1-888-637-8463
rmoore@worldequestrianbrands.com
www.worldequestrianbrands.com

Competitions, Dressage, Driving, Events, FEI, JRPR

Top American Four-In-Hand Driver Chester Weber Puts In Brilliant Performance at 2011 CHIO Aachen and Ties for First in FEI World Cup Standings

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Chester Weber, with the new additions of Uniek and Splash owned by Jane Clark, put in a brilliant performance at the 2011 World Equestrian Festival CHIO at Aachen. (Photo courtesy of Franz Steindl)

Aachen, Germany (June 20, 2011) – American Four-In-Hand Combined Driver Chester Weber put in a brilliant performance at the 2011 World Equestrian Festival CHIO Aachen, earning the highest results of his career at Aachen with a win in Dressage and finishing in the third place in the individual standings. Weber, the eight-time USEF National Four-In-Hand Combined Driving Champion, is now tied for first place in the standings for the FEI World Cup qualifications after 9 of 14 competitions.

Following his victory at the prestigious CHIO Aachen, Weber, the 2008 World Champion silver medalist, wrote on his Facebook page to thank and update his many fans in the United States. “Thanks to everyone for the support. We had our best results at Aachen ever. One first, two seconds, one fifth and one seventh place finish. In the combination we ended third!”

Weber, who competed as an individual for the United States, made headlines across the globe during his second dressage test, when he piloted Para, Senate and Jane Clark’s Splash and Uniek to a first place victory with a total score of 34.69. Exell earned a 37.12 in the second dressage test to place second. While Weber had two canter mistakes in the dressage test, he kept his cool and persevered to win. “When I made the mistakes I said to myself ‘bring them back and just go again’ and it went well from there,” he said.

During his winning dressage test, Weber scored an impressive 193, 203, 194, 196 and 193 from the judges. His dressage score helped him win the Prize of Martello Immobilienmanagement GmbH & Co. KG. “This was the first time I scored under 40 penalty points with my two new leader horses and I am very pleased with that,” Weber said. Ed Young, the United States Driving Chef d’Equipe, said Weber drove a wonderful test and described it as “beautiful.”

Continue reading Top American Four-In-Hand Driver Chester Weber Puts In Brilliant Performance at 2011 CHIO Aachen and Ties for First in FEI World Cup Standings →

Competitions, Dressage, Events, FEI, FEI

FEI Balkan Dressage Championships 2011, Istanbul (TUR)

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DOUBLE-GOLD FOR GREECE AND TURKEY, BUT ROMANIA’S ALEXANDRESCU SECURES SENIOR TITLE by Louise Parkes

Alexandra Alexopoulou from Greece claimed Young Rider Individual Gold at the FEI Balkan Dressage Championships 2011 in Istanbul (TUR) riding Marco Polo.

Lausanne (SUI), 20 JULY 2011 – Turkish riders claimed team and individual gold in the Children’s division while Greece dominated both the Junior and Young Rider Individual finals at the recent FEI Balkan Dressage Championships, Romania took the Senior title when Selina Alexandrescu and Merkur Siker Casino reigned supreme.

This year the fixture returned to Istanbul in Turkey where the very first Balkan Championships took place in 1968.  The 2011 venue was the Istanbul Equestrian Club at Maslak, and riders from four countries – Greece, Turkey, Romania and Bulgaria – participated at the event.

TWO-WAY CONTEST
Only one team championship took place, and it was the Turkish foursome of Lina Uzunhasan (Sjonnie), Ekin Karahan (Adamo), Ella Irene Gurso (Zinnia) and Karla Yona Nahmias (Ubaldi) who clinched the gold in a two-way contest with their neighbours from Greece.  It was a close-fought affair however, with just over three marks separating the two sides at the end of the competition in which the test produced by Turkey’s Nahmias and Ubaldi proved pivotal. The scores from judges Alla Soubbotina, Irmeli Summanen, Bo Jena, Maja Stukelj and Victoire Mandl gave Nahmias a mark of 71.483 which tipped the odds in favour of the Turkish side.

Nahmias had to settle for runner-up spot in the Preliminary Competition in which team-mate Lina Uzunhasan and Sjonnie came out on top.  But in the Individual Final the situation was reversed, with Uzunhasan taking silver with a score of 67.321 while Nahmias, now really into her stride, registered 72.036 to top the medal podium.  Bronze went to Kyveli Tzortzaki (Ombox Yamma Yamma Man), who, together with Vasiliki Valtairou (Chiron), Konstantina Katsiti (Gelo Notturon) and Isabella-Nina Ravini (Guinness) was a member of the silver-medal-winning Greek team.

Continue reading FEI Balkan Dressage Championships 2011, Istanbul (TUR) →

Competitions, Contributors/Press, Events, Hunter/Equitation

Page Tredennick’s Splash Wins $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby

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Page Tredennick's Splash took home the blue ribbon in the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby sponsored by Nutrena. Photo credit: Flying Horse Photography

Jackson Brittan Finishes 1st and 2nd in the $5,000 Pony Hunter Derby

Parker, CO — Because the popularity of the hunter derby continues to grow, an entire day was devoted to this event during the final week of the Colorado Summer Circuit. From the ponies to the high performance horses, there was a big money derby in each division. The day was punctuated with the popular Pink Coat Luncheon sponsored by Littleton Equine Medical Center and produced by Foxfire Farm, as well as an end of day exhibitor’s party.

$5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby Sponsored by Nutrena
Thirty-three horses competed in the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby sponsored by Nutrena during The Colorado Horse Park’s Derby Day. Riders found a flowing course that utilized the hilly terrain of the large derby field at the park.

Emily Hertz rode Page Tredennick’s Splash to the win in the two-round class. The nine-year-old Dutch Warmblood/Thoroughbred gelding had only competed in one non-rated Derby prior to today’s class. “He really rose to the occasion,” Tredennick said. “He’s a ham — a sweet, sweet horse.”

While Splash may have wondered what he was doing in the large arena with long, flowing distances to the heavily decorated fences, he quickly got down to the business of showcasing his quality jump and beautiful canter. Hertz explained, “I thought he was perfect in the handy round; I couldn’t have asked him to be any better.”

Continue reading Page Tredennick’s Splash Wins $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby →

Community/Charity, FEI, Show Jumping

In Memoriam: Double Olympic Champion d’Oriola (FRA)

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France's double Olympic champion Pierre Jonqueres d'Oriola, who has died at the age of 91.

Lausanne (SUI), 20 July 2011 – France’s double Olympic champion Pierre Jonqueres d’Oriola passed away at his home in the Pyrenees on Tuesday 19 July. He was aged 91.

Born on 1 February 1920, d’Oriola won individual gold in the Jumping at the 1952 Olympics in Helsinki riding Ali Baba. This was the second Olympic medal for the d’Oriola family in Helsinki. Only six days earlier his cousin Christian d’Oriola had won gold in the fencing.

Twelve years later in Tokyo, Pierre Jonqueres d’Oriola again took individual Jumping gold, this time on Lutteur B, and led the French to team silver. D’Oriola’s was the only gold for France in the Tokyo Olympics, earning him special congratulations from General de Gaulle and the rider received a hero’s welcome on his return to his homeland.

He won individual gold at the 1966 world championships in Buenos Aires (ARG) with a new horse Pomone B. D’Oriola rode in the change-horse final against three other legendary names in the sport – José de Borhoques (ESP), Raimondo d’Inzeo (ITA) and Nelson Pessoa (BRA) – to become the first French rider to claim the title. D’Oriola went on to take silver in the team event at the Mexico Olympics in 1968, his fifth and final appearance at the Olympic Games.

Continue reading In Memoriam: Double Olympic Champion d’Oriola (FRA) →

Contributors/Press, FEI, Revolution Sports, Show Jumping

The Rolex One to Watch – June 2011

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Hans-Dieter Dreher riding Magnus Romeo in the Rolex Grand Prix at the 2011 CHIO Aachen. Photo: Kit Houghton/Rolex

20 July 2011 – The Rolex One to Watch for June 2011 is German rider, Hans-Dieter Dreher. Based at the Grenzland Stud in Eimeldingen, Germany, the 39-year-old jumped from number 386 to 231 during June – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 155 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.

Hans-Dieter Dreher was born in Schopfheim in February 1972 and grew up on his parents’ riding yard in Adelhausen, Baden-Wuerttemberg, Germany. He started riding as a six-year-old and was trained by his father, Horst Dreher, who was himself a successful rider in the region at this time.

Hans-Dieter began show jumping at nine years old, and by the age of 13 had won his first title as junior champion of Baden-Wuerttemberg. After completing school, he finished his professional education as a rider and later worked at a stable in Alsace, France for three years. He currently rides and trains at the Grenzland Stud in Eimeldingen in the south of Germany, owned by Dr. Carmen Vogt-Brändlin.

Continue reading The Rolex One to Watch – June 2011 →

Contributors/Press, Equine Assisted Therapy, Media/Radio/TV Sources, Publications/Media, Training/Clinics

Equine Therapy: “BUCK” the Movie, by Claire Dorotik

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Before Ceasar Milan came onto the scene, people thought that fixing bad behavior in dogs had little to do with the dog owner, and even less to do with the relationship he/she had with the dog. Well, we now know that the way a dog acts is often a telling reflection of the way the owner handles him/her. And what Ceasar has done for dog owners, Buck Brannaman has done for horse owners. The newly released movie “Buck” tells the story.

Weaving easily between poignant moments at several of Buck’s four day colt starting workshops and glimpses into his home life and horrific past, the movie sheds light into horse and human relationships in a way not seen before. As the inspirational force for the movie, “The Horse Whisperer” with Robert Redford, Buck has taken the teachings of the late Ray Hunt, and embarked on a non-stop journey to encourage people to re-think the nature of the horse and the way he is trained.

In one of his well-attended seminars Brannaman describes riding the horse as asking a prey animal to “allow a predator (human) to crawl on his back,” then adds that he’d also like to “strap some pieces of dead animal (saddle) on the horse’s back too.” The movie then intersperses interviews with several of Buck’s friends, followers, and clients that have seen miracles occur with their mounts, and in the process, given cause to reconsider not just how they approach their horse, but their life as well.

Continue reading Equine Therapy: “BUCK” the Movie, by Claire Dorotik →