All posts by Associate Editor

Pure Thoughts Horse Rescue to Donate Horses for Fete Cheval

Rescue horses at Pure Thoughts Horse Rescue in Loxahatchee, FL. Photo courtesy of Pure Thoughts Horse Rescue.

WELLINGTON, FL – February 22, 2011 – What do Smarty Sides, Tucker, Dirty During, Babylon, Smart As Lil, and Pimento have in common? They are six of the rescue horses at Pure Thoughts Horse Rescue in Loxahatchee, Florida, that will be the equine performers at the Fete Cheval on Friday, March 11, 2011, in Wellington, Florida, presented by Foundation Farm.

“We are so pleased that Pure Thoughts, an all volunteer 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization dedicated to saving the lives of horses, yearlings and foals, bound for slaughter and victims of starvation, neglect and abuse, is donating the horses for this year’s event. It is a wonderful opportunity to directly tie together our mission with the event that we are sponsoring, and an opportunity for our guests to see first hand that despite neglect and abuse, these horses can continue to have useful lives,” said Lynn Coakley, President of The EQUUS Foundation. Pure Thoughts (http://www.purethoughtshorserescue.com) is one of the 60 charities that received grants from The EQUUS Foundation in 2010.

Casual chic will be the attire for this fun-filled evening at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center, from 6:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. The event will include a cocktail reception, auction, and dinner, but the highlight of the evening will be the gymkhana games in the International Grand Prix Arena. Ralph Caristo, Leo Conroy, and a guest from the audience will “judge” the competitors. Mason Phelps, Jr., will emcee the event.

Continue reading Pure Thoughts Horse Rescue to Donate Horses for Fete Cheval

Final Startlist Announced For FEI World Cup Driving In Leipzig

Boyd Exell will be facing strong opponents in Leipzig. FEI/Rinaldo de Craen

Driving fans will be treated to a thrilling Final for the 10th season of the FEI World Cup Driving series in Leipzig, Germany, from 27 April to 1 May 2011.Five of the seven four-in-hand drivers who will start in Leipzig have already won a World Cup round this season, highlighting the incredible level of skills for this year’s FEI World Cup Driving Final.

The finalists will all start from scratch and, as this year’s series was so tightly contested, it won’t be until the very last second of the Final on the afternoon of Sunday 1 May that the new World Cup Champion will be announced.

British-based Australian driver Boyd Exell – double World Cup champion and gold medallist at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky last year – will be aiming for a hat trick in Leipzig. Exell has won three out of the six competitions this season and was runner-up three times, but he will be facing up to the strongest ever indoor opponents.

Dutch driver Koos de Ronde, runner-up in the 2010 final and winner at this year’s FEI World Cup Driving competition in Mechelen for the third time in a row, has his sights set on the overall series title once again. De Ronde is a very fast driver and will certainly give Exell a run for his money in Leipzig.

Continue reading Final Startlist Announced For FEI World Cup Driving In Leipzig

Cesar Parra and Piaffe-Performance Students Make a Splash at the Wellington Classic Dressage Spring Challenge CDI

International dressage rider and trainer Cesar Parra, who owns Piaffe-Performance with locations in Florida and New Jersey, rode into the winner’s circle at the Wellington Classic Dressage Spring Challenge CDI on Grandioso. (Photo courtesy of Horse Sport Photo.com)

Wellington, FL (February 21, 2011) – International Dressage Rider Cesar Parra and his students at Piaffe-Performance made a big splash at the Wellington Classic Dressage Spring Challenge CDI, when Parra and all eight of his students rode into the winner’s circle. Despite rain that kept the sky cloudy and the rings muddy, the riders at Piaffe-Performance shone as they captured the blue in 11 classes at the show.

“I am so excited about this show and how all of my riders did. I am so proud of everyone,” Parra said. “We had eight riders and won 11 classes, which is truly wonderful. In addition to my students doing great, I feel like I rode two very special horses, Grandioso and Lindner, and was very pleased that both horses did their best and were successful.”

Parra said that although the rings were a mess and it was raining, he made the decision to ride. “It was raining like crazy and a lot of competitors were scratching but I made the decision to go ahead and compete and I am really glad I did,” Parra said. “I was able to ride and warm up like I always do and within five minutes the sun came out. I competed Grandioso in the Intermediaire 2 class, which is a more risky and more forward test, but Grandioso stepped up to the challenge and I am so proud of him.”

Continue reading Cesar Parra and Piaffe-Performance Students Make a Splash at the Wellington Classic Dressage Spring Challenge CDI

Award-Winning Combined Driver Chester Weber Appears on HRTV Show Filmed at Live Oak Stud

Combined Driver Chester Weber, the eight-time USEF Combined Driving National Champion, will appear on an HRTV show filmed on location at Live Oak Stud, Weber’s home, in Ocala. (Photo courtesy of Ray Jowers Ocala Digital Art Masters and Camera Club)

Ocala, FL (February 21, 2011) – Television crews and cameras descended on the rolling hills of Live Oak Stud in Ocala recently, to not only film a show about the farms success in the race horse world but to also interview Combined Driver Chester Weber and capture footage of his famous equine teammate Jamaica. While the show will chronicle the success of Weber’s mother, Charlotte Weber, the owner of Live Oak Stud who has solely guided the 4,500-acre Thoroughbred farm for the last four decades, it will also touch on Weber and his achievements in the combined driving world.

Raised on the family’s Thoroughbred operation, Live Oak Stud, Weber dreamed of being a jockey when he was young. At 6’2” he physically outgrew that possibility, so Weber turned his heart and his attention to driving. Weber soon discovered that driving brought out his competitive nature and he fell in love with the speed and challenge of combined driving.

Considered a force to be reckoned with in the Combined Driving world, Weber is the eight-time USEF National Four-In-Hand Driving Champion. He has competed in three World Equestrian Games, was the first American to win the prestigious German Fahrderby at Riesenbeck and he also accomplished what no other American had done before when he won the Individual Silver Medal at the 2008 World Driving Championships.

Continue reading Award-Winning Combined Driver Chester Weber Appears on HRTV Show Filmed at Live Oak Stud

2011 FTI Great Charity Challenge Presented by Fidelity Investments Is Huge Success and Awards More Than $1 Million to 32 Palm Beach County Charities

The Kessler family competed for Resource Depot. Photos © Anne Gittins Photography, Sportfot, and ManciniPhotos

Wellington, FL – February 20, 2011 – The Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, Florida transformed into a field of dreams for 32 Palm Beach charities in the second annual FTI Great Charity Challenge presented by Fidelity Investments where over a million dollars was raised in an exciting Pro-Am show jumping event on February 19. A signature event of the 12 week FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival, the event featured 32 teams of three riders ranging in age from 11 to 70 where amateurs competed side by side with their professional heroes. Each team was randomly assigned to a charity to compete for $1,020,000 in prize money with the winning charity receiving $150,000 with a sliding scale to 32nd place of $10,000. A crowd of 6,000 came out to enjoy the family fun as part of the Saturday Night Lights series which continues through April 2nd.

Every team was generously sponsored by an equestrian family with additional monies coming from corporate and individual donors as well as all proceeds from ticket and VIP table sales for the evening’s event produced by Equestrian Sport Productions, which donates its staff and venue for the event.

The winning team, competing for Wheels for Kids, set a blazing fast time of 91.376 seconds. The riders were Olympian Pablo Barrios, 18-year-old Luis Fernando Larrazabal, and 14-year-old Emmanuel Andrade. All three riders are from Venezuela and competed for team sponsors, Gustavo and Carolina Mirabal of G&C Farm. The Mirabals, Barrios, and Larrazabal live in Wellington, FL.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=13288

Glen Senk Steals the Spotlight with Another Place in the Peggy Cone Memorial WCHR Adult Hunter Classic

Glen Senk and Another Place are the winners of the Peggy Cone Memorial WCHR Adult Hunter Classic during the sixth week of the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Photo © Sportfot

Olivia Esse and Small Affair Win WCHR Junior/Amateur-Owner Palm Beach Hunter Classic Spectacular

Wellington, FL – February 20, 2011 – Glen Senk did more than steal the show this morning as fifty-three entries came out for a chance to win the title in the Peggy Cone Memorial WCHR Adult Hunter Classic. Senk had a total of four entries in the class, all of which placed in the top twelve. Senk’s newest mount, Another Place, took top honors in the class with an average score of 83.5 in the first round and 85.5 in the second round.

Senk, and his own Fashion Farm, recently purchased Another Place, an eight-year-old Holsteiner gelding by Carano, through his trainer Scott Stewart. This week marks only the fifth time that Another Place has shown in competition. “He’s the sweetest, gentlest, kindest animal,” beamed Senk about his new horse.

Senk went on to place third on his own mount Declaration, a nine-year-old Westphalian gelding by Collin-L. He was awarded sixth on another of his mounts, Blessed. Blessed is a seven-year-old Holsteiner mare by Limotas. Senk’s fourth ride, Highland Park, also owned by Senk’s Fashion Farm, was awarded the eleventh place award. Highland Park is a twelve-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Welt Hit II.

Continue reading Glen Senk Steals the Spotlight with Another Place in the Peggy Cone Memorial WCHR Adult Hunter Classic

Save Wild Horses from Inhumane Roundups!

Dear Animal Advocates,
The U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM) continues to mismanage the care of wild horses and burros. The agency’s current policies allow inhumane methods of gathering and confining equines, and could spell the end for these national icons. But there’s still an opportunity to help save our wild horses. U.S. Representative Dan Burton of Indiana has succeeded in passing an amendment to the Interior Appropriations Bill to cut $2 million from the BLM’s annual budget in order to pressure the agency to end its ill-conceived efforts.

This amendment was adopted by the U.S. House of Representatives and will soon be considered in the Senate. Please let your two U.S. senators know that they should support the Burton amendment to cut $2 million dollars from the BLM’s budget—this cut saves money and our country’s wild horses.

What You Can Do
Please ask your U.S. senators to support a $2 million reduction in the BLM’s budget and help protect wild horses! Visit the ASPCA Advocacy Center online to email your senators now.

Thank you for your support.

http://www.aspca.org/

Beezie Madden Scores Second Win of the Week with Prima in $50,000 G&C Farm Palm Beach Jumping Derby

Beezie Madden and Prima jumping out of the Devils' Dyke. Photos © Sportfot

Wellington, FL – February 20, 2011 – Two-time Olympic gold medalist Beezie Madden scored her second win this week at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival in the $50,000 G&C Farm Palm Beach Jumping Derby. She and Prima, owned by Neapolitan Holding Co., LLC, were the fastest over a challenging derby course on the grass field at The Stadium.

The FTI Winter Equestrian Festival’s sixth week concluded today and was sponsored by Fidelity Investments. The 2011 WEF will continue through April 3 and award more than $6 million in prize money.

There were 22 entries in today’s derby, and the course was designed by Richard Jeffery of Bournemouth, England. It featured a step bank, open water, liverpools, Devil’s Dyke, and a triple option jump through a “maze” of hedges. The format was Table C, where rails down were converted into added seconds for a final time.

Madden and Prima, a 12-year-old KWPN mare by Kigali x Nimmerdor, went ninth in the order and were lightning fast through most of the course. With a huge, open stride, Madden barely pulled on the reins and made the trip look smooth and easy. They had no faults for a final time of 122.81 seconds for the win.

Continue reading Beezie Madden Scores Second Win of the Week with Prima in $50,000 G&C Farm Palm Beach Jumping Derby

Gulfport Winter Classic Offers “Lagniappe” for All!

Holly Shepherd & Figaro B. ©Flashpoint Photography

Gulfport, MS — Feb 20, 2011 — A Cajun expression Lagniappe (lan-yap), “small extra gift”, describes best what Mother Nature left as a token on her visit to the Gulf Coast Winter Classics. Not only did temps continue to heat up, but so did the rivalry for supremacy in both the Hunter and Jumper divisions.

Beginning in the Hunter Divisions where for the second week several of the top horse-rider combinations turned in stellar performances. Holly Shepherd of Grand Bay, AL rode Figaro B for owner Linda Bobrik to the Championship in the 1st Year Green Working and top place in the USHJA Hunter Classic, while Hillsboro, VA based Tom Brennan picked up the tri colors in the 2nd Year Green Working aboard Lynn Rice’s Purple Heart. And taking the Championship title in the High Performance Hunters for week two was Cincinnati, OH resident Sarah Mechlin paired with Olivia Weaver’s agreeable horse Yes Indeed.

Over in the jumper rings the theme was “Les Bon Temps Rouler”, let the good times roll, and in Friday afternoon’s Lucky Sevens Welcome Stake Wilhelm Genn of Lebanon, OH kept on enjoying the good times with his mount Copyright 3 taking the victory.

Continue reading Gulfport Winter Classic Offers “Lagniappe” for All!

Tip of the Week – Helping Our Horses with Stress!

We all know about stress in people, but what about our horses?  Horses were meant to be herd animals, wandering around the land, and grazing over 20 hours a day.

They are a “flight or fight” animal meaning fear or threat causes physiological changes (adrenaline, cortisone, increased heart rate, and increased blood to muscles) causing them to run away or fight by biting, kicking, rearing, and striking.  Yet we “break” them to behave how we want which conflicts with their natural instinct.

We confine them to stalls and paddocks, oftentimes with horses as stablemates they may not choose if given the choice.  Many show and race horses only get to exercise an hour a day and even then we control them during that time.

We feed meals of hay and high concentrated grains giving them lots of energy while only keeping them busy a few hours a day.  We expect them to walk onto trailers, which are moving, confining, noisy, and unnatural objects to be feared.  All these factors contribute to their stress.

Continue reading Tip of the Week – Helping Our Horses with Stress!