All posts by Associate Editor

2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event Presented by Bridgestone Shines On

Buck Davidson and Titanium at the jog. Photo by Joanie Morris/USEF Archives

Lexington, KY – The weather has been the topic of conversation at the 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Bridgestone as a rain-plagued Kentucky was battered once again on Wednesday morning.

But the show goes on at the Kentucky Horse Park.

The first horse inspection was delayed one hour from its rescheduled 10 a.m. start time and about halfway through the inspection the sun even began to shine. Due to tornadic activity in the area, the eventing horses were moved from their stabling to the Alltech Arena where they peacefully coexisted with the reining horses (in town for the inaugural Kentucky Reining Cup CRI5*) while the storm passed.

Forty-five horses were presented for America’s only CCI4* and of those, 29 are vying for USEF National CCI4* Championship honors.

Buck Davidson, USEF National Champion from 2003 and 2009, just returned from the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials where he rode BallyNoe Castle RM to 21st place. He’ll ride Titanium in Kentucky this weekend. The pair was 16th in 2010 in the horse’s first CCI4* and Davidson is looking forward to one of his favorite events.

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AQHA Rule Changes

The American Quarter Horse Journal — In many cases, AQHA rule changes are the result of recommendations from AQHA members or the various AQHA standing committees.

Once approved at convention by the respective AQHA standing committees, the rule changes are then reviewed by the AQHA Executive Committee and approved by the AQHA Board of Directors. The Executive Committee has the final word on all rule changes except changes to the Association’s bylaws and any rules and regulations pertaining to the registration of horses.

AQHA standing committee reports are available to the public.

American Quarter Horse Association
1600 Quarter Horse Drive
Amarillo, TX 79104

College Preparatory Invitational Announces Exciting News for the 2012 Event

Wellington, FL – April 27, 2011 – The College Preparatory Invitational (CPI) is pleased to announce many exciting changes and improvements to their program for their 2012 horse show. Following an extremely successful inaugural event in 2011, the CPI is already in the midst of developing a bigger and better event for their second year. The 2012 horse show will be larger, allowing more riders to compete, and will include dressage classes and an increase to five scholarships that will be awarded.

The mission of the CPI is to prepare and educate student riders in grades 8 – 12 about the format of college equestrian competition, encourage academics and horsemanship, and to provide the riders with resources to create their desired college equestrian experience. The show is specifically geared to promote college recruitment of equestrians by providing the opportunity for coaches and potential students to meet.

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Call for Entries: 2011 Poster Contest Washington International Horse Show

Washington, DC, April 25, 2011 – Let the horses inspire you! The Washington International Horse Show (WIHS), the leading indoor equestrian event in the US, is seeking an original poster design for its 53rd annual event, to be held Oct. 25-30, 2011, at Verizon Center in Washington, DC.  The six-day equine extravaganza features the country’s leading horses and riders in exciting jumping competition.

The poster contest is open to US-based artists, both amateur and professional, 18 years or older.  A maximum of three entries per artist will be accepted. There is no entry fee. The work submitted must be original and may be in any medium suitable for duplicating on posters and souvenir merchandise. The deadline for entries is 4:00 p.m., Monday, May 31, 2011.

Entries should be inspired by the WIHS and reflect an equestrian or horse theme. Artists also should consider the event’s longstanding ties to Washington, DC.

The winning design will be selected by a panel of judges and will be used to promote the 2011 horse show. The winning artist will receive significant publicity, 100 posters and a package of all other items produced with the winning design, four weeklong passes to the show and the option to have a vendor booth during the show. The artist retains the original artwork.

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FEI TV Goes behind the Scenes at Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Finals 2010/2011

Leipzig (GER), 28 April 2011 – FEI TV’s Phil Ghazala captures the excitement at the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Finals in Leipzig (GER) with a fascinating behind-the-scenes reportage featuring interviews with riders, course designer Frank Rothenberger, visits to the stables and some of the 300 trade stands.

Watch it on the FEI’s YouTube channel here.

Fab Four
For the first time in the history of equestrian sport, the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping, Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage, FEI World Cup Driving and the inaugural FEI World Cup Vaulting will take place under one roof in Leipzig (27 April to 1 May), bringing together four world-class disciplines for a fabulous festival of sport.

Live Coverage
Watch high quality, uninterrupted LIVE coverage on FEI TV according to the following timetable (all times are in GMT):

Continue reading FEI TV Goes behind the Scenes at Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Finals 2010/2011

Dressage Radio Episode 101 – Dressage Down Under

Brett Parbery and Penny Castles discuss dressage down under as they prepare for the Sydney CDI and we also preview the World Cup Dressage Finals taking place this week in Leipzig, Germany. Take a listen right here.

Dressage Radio Episode 101 – Show Notes and Links:

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Stuttgart Media Team Scoops Rolex FEI World Cup Press Office Award for 2010/2011

Jörg Klopfer (GER), press officer of the Stuttgart Masters team, presented with “Best Press Office” award for the Rolex FEI World Cup Western European League 2010/2011 © Kit Houghton/FEI

Lausanne (SUI), 28 April 2011 – The Stuttgart German Masters media team has been awarded the inaugural Best Press Office award for its outstanding contribution to the Rolex FEI World Cup Western European League 2010/2011.

Over 200 journalists and photographers covering the 12 Western European League qualifiers of the Rolex FEI World Cup 2010/2011 season cast their votes for the press office that has demonstrated exemplary communication skills, high quality on-site and online media services and ability to supply information swiftly.

The Best Press Office award was introduced at the start of the Rolex FEI World Cup 2010/2011 season to celebrate the hard work of the event organising teams.

Jörg Klopfer, press officer of the Stuttgart German Masters team, was presented with the award at a Rolex Media Reception in the Leipzig Press Club today during the FEI World Cup Finals in Leipzig (GER). Jörg Klopfer is a former journalist and a previous award winner for services to the press. He was press chief at the 1993 IAAF World Athletics Championships in Stuttgart, which was covered by over 3,000 journalists and the Stuttgart team won the Association Internationale de la Presse Sportive (AIPS) award for best press centre.

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U.S. Horses Fit to Compete in the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final

Shawna Harding and Come On III at the First Horse Inspection at the 2011 Reem Acra FEI World Cup Final. (Photo by Aly Sanderford/PMG)

Leipzig, Germany – The United States presented three horses to the veterinary panel at the Horse Inspection this afternoon for the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final. All proved sound and ready to compete. There were 18 horse/rider combinations fielded from the 11 nations competing at the 2011 Final.

The U.S. will be represented by:

Rider / Age / Home Town / Horse / Age / Breed / Sex / Owner
Jan Ebeling / 52 / Moorpark, CA / Rafalca / 14 / Oldenburg / Mare / Ann Romney
Catherine Haddad-Staller / 47 / Vechta, Germany / Winyamaro / 11 / Hanoverian / Gelding / Catherine Haddad-Staller
Shawna Harding / 41 / Aiken, SC / Come On III / 12 / Danish Warmblood / Gelding / Shawna Harding

“All of our combinations looked good, sound and ready to compete. Everyone is really excited to be here,” said Eva Salomon, USEF Dressage Team Chef d’Equipe. “We will do our first training in the main arena tonight and look forward to getting underway tomorrow.”

Continue reading U.S. Horses Fit to Compete in the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final

Schroder Starts the Action in Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Final

Leipzig (GER), 27 April 2011 – The Netherlands’ Gerco Schroder will be first into the ring as the 2010/2011 Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Final gets underway in Leipzig, Germany tomorrow afternoon.  A total of 43 riders will compete for the coveted title which crowns the champion of the indoor international jumping season and which draws the best horse-and-rider combinations from all around the world.

The order-of-go in the first of the three deciding competitions is as follows:

1, Eurocommerce New Orleans (Gerco Schroder) NED; 2, Tristan (Kirsten Coe) USA; 3, Ulysse (Pius Schwizer) SUI; 4, Regina Z (Harrie Smolders) NED; 5, Cash (Marco Kutscher) GER; 6, Taloubet Z (Christian Ahlmann) GER; 7, Winningmood (Luciana Diniz) POR; 8, Lucie (Lars Nieberg) GER; 9, Abbervail Van Het Dingeshof (Denis Lynch) IRL; 10, Athena (Charlie Jayne) USA; 11, Ballade Van Het Indihoff (Brianne Goutal) USA; 12, G&C Quick Star (Pablo Barrios) VEN; 13, Cevo Socrates (Edwina Alexander) AUS; 14, Rocketman 2 (Vladimir Beletsky) RUS; 15, Cristallo (Richard Spooner) USA; 16, Rothchild (McLain Ward) USA; 17, Souvenir (Philipp Weishaupt) GER; 18, Cadett 7 (Ashlee Bond) USA; 19, Ulrike R (Gunnar Klettenberg) EST; 20, Wisconsin (Sergio Alvarez Moya) ESP; 21, H&M Tornesch (Malin Baryard-Johnsson) SWE; 22, Wonderboy III (Ahmad Saber Hamcho) SYR; 23, Napoli du Ry (Simon Delestre) FRA; 24, BMC Van Grunsven Sim (Jeroen Dubbeldam) NED; 25, Indigo (Margie Engle) USA; 26, Utopia (John Perez) COL; 27, Hickstead (Eric Lamaze) CAN; 28, Leonard (Jose Alberto Martinez Vazquez) MEX; 29, Danny Boy (Beezie Madden) USA; 30, Cinnamon (Tilt Kivisild) EST; 31, Shutterfly (Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum) GER; 32, Sabrina (Marcus Ehning) GER; 33, Delphi (Katie McVean) NZL; 34, Seldana di Campalto (Abdullah Al Sharbatly) KSA; 35, Tinka’s Serenade (Billy Twomey) IRL; 36, Flexible (Rich Fellers) USA; 37, Silvana de Hus (Kevin Staut) FRA; 38, Coupe de Coeur (Ludger Beerbaum) GER; 39, Tomba (Eduardo Menezes) BRA; 40, Casall La Silla (Rolf-Goran Bengtsson) SWE; 41, Snowyriver II (Daisuke Kawaguchi) JPN; 42, Uwwalon (Michelle Spadone) USA; 43, Chico Z (Yuri Mansur Guerios) BRA.

Continue reading Schroder Starts the Action in Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Final

Beezie Madden Kicks Off the 2011 Rolex/FEI World Cup Final in Leipzig, Germany

Beezie Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo. Photo by Rebecca Walton/PMG.

Leipzig, Germany – Beezie Madden kicked off the 2011 Rolex/FEI World Cup Final with a win for the U.S. Wednesday morning in the Opening Competition.  Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo bested the field of 24 as the only combination to jump faultlessly in the first round.

Madden (Cazenovia, NY) was the first U.S. rider in the ring and set the tone immediately. The Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Coral Reef Ranch jumped carefully yet efficiently over Frank Rothenberger’s 11-obstacle course.

“She felt good, fresh, but that’s why I did this class. I knew that she would be fresh, and she jumped very well and everything went great,” said Madden of her mare’s winning effort.

In the jump-off held immediately after her initial round, Madden chose to jump a more conservative round, leaving all the poles in place but collecting four time faults. However, this would prove immaterial as no other combination was able to replicate their fault-free first round.

Madden will give Coral Reef Via Volo’s stable mate, Danny Boy, a chance to jump in the 2011 Final tomorrow.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=13750