Great Britain's Joanne Eccles won the Individual Female Technical Test in the Vaulting Championships at the WEG today. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.
GERMANY WINS ROUND ONE OF TEAM FREESTYLE, LOOSER AND ECCLES TOP TECHNICAL TESTS by Louise Parkes
Lexington, 8 October – The German team, ably assisted by longeur Alexander Hartl, won the first round of the Freestyle while Great Britain’s Joanne Eccles and Switzerland’s Patrick Looser topped the Technical Tests in the Vaulting Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today.
Germany finished with a score of 7.698 to pin Austria back into second place, and for the host nation there was deep disappointment. The American team, leading after the Compulsory Test, had to interrupt their Romeo and Juliet themed Freestyle when a movement fell apart. There were no apparent injuries however and they went on to complete their test but had to settle for third in the Freestyle and third overall.
Great Britain's Emma Sheardown overcame a major setback to put in a personal best performance and claim Freestyle gold in Para Dressage Grade 1a at the WEG today. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.
SHEER GRIT EARNS GOLD FOR SHEARDOWN, BRENNER MAKES IT A DOUBLE by Louise Parkes
Lexington, 8 October – British Para-Dressage star Anne Dunham said on Thursday night, “don’t say I can’t – say I can. It may be slow and it may be hard, but it’s always worth it in the end.” Those words rang true this afternoon when, against all the odds, her team-mate Emma Sheardown overcame a nasty accident the previous evening to come out and produce the best performance of her life and clinch the Individual Grade 1a Freestyle title at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA.
Once again the British had it all their own way in Grade 1a, but the placings were re-jigged. Yesterday’s Individual champion Sophie Christiansen had to settle for silver this time around while Dunham took bronze.
Olympic champions Eric Lamaze and Hickstead from Canada have qualified for tomorrow's Final Four competition that will decide the new Jumping World Champion at the WEG. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.
AL SHARBATLY SPRINGS A SURPRISE TO JOIN LAMAZE, LE JEUNE AND PESSOA IN FINAL FOUR by Louise Parkes
Lexington, 8 October – Saudi Arabia’s Abdullah Al Sharbatly sprang a big surprise today when, riding the brilliant mare Seldana di Campalto, he produced two more amazing clear rounds to earn his place in the Final Four competition which will decide the individual Jumping medals at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA tomorrow night. The 28 year old will join three giants of the sport in the exciting contest which tests horsemanship skills to the limit as the riders exchange horses. But Al Sharbatly has no fear of competing against the reigning Olympic Champion Eric Lamaze from Canada, former World Champion Rodrigo Pessoa from Brazil and Belgium’s Philippe Le Jeune.
After securing the coveted top-four qualifying spot tonight the Saudi rider said, “You never know what’s going to happen. Even if you ride perfectly well tomorrow you need a little luck and I think we will see a big surprise!”
SCRATCHED
With America’s Laura Kraut and her Olympic gold medal winning ride Cedric scratched from the startlist after this morning’s veterinary inspection there was a 29-strong field in today’s first round in which course designer Conrad Homfeld once again tested control and accuracy. Home hero McLain Ward produced the first clear with Sapphire when seventh to go and only four others would follow suit in this round in which the faults were evenly spread around the 12-fence course. However it was the penultimate triple combination which proved the bogey, the middle oxer in particular claiming a large number of victims, and it was here that Germany’s Carsten-Otto Nagel’s great run with Corradina came unstuck with four very expensive faults that dropped them from overnight third down to sixth.
October 8, 2010 – Lexington, KY – Ties almost never happen in four-in-hand driving, but they’re the rule of the day at the Driving World Championships at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. The United States and the Netherlands are tied for first in the race for the team medals, at 76.16 penalties, with their top two drivers tied for second and fourth.
The only clear leader is Boyd Exell of Australia, who drove his team to a five-point lead in dressage, scoring 30.08 penalties, the best dressage score ever recorded in a World Championship. Chester Weber of the USA and IJsbrand Chardon of the Netherlands are tied for second (35.97), and Tucker Johnson of the USA and Theo Timmerman of the Netherlands are tied for fourth (40.19).
“I think I’ve seen maybe two ties in 20 years, so to have the teams and the four of us tied is amazing,” said Johnson.
Boyd Exell (AUS) set a new World Championship record in the Driving Dressage to take the lead at the Four-In-Hand Driving Championship at the WEG. Photo: FEI/Rinaldo Craen
New World Championship Record for Exell by Cindy Timmer
Australia’s Boyd Exell set a new World Championship record this afternoon with his team of black geldings, owned by Hungary’s Vincze Tamas. Exell put down a faultless dressage test, which was awarded with a magnificent score of 30.08 penalty points. The previous World Record was set by Chester Weber (USA), who scored 32.13 penalty points at the 2008 World four-in-hand Driving Championships in Beesd (NED).
New leader
Exell, who won the CAIO Aachen and Royal Windsor Horse Show 2010 with this same team, has now taken over the lead in the standings from IJsbrand Chardon (NED) and Chester Weber (USA) who both set a score of 35.97 penalty points on the first dressage day. USA’s Tucker Johnson and Dutch driver Theo Timmerman, who both finished dressage with a score of 40.19, are tied in fourth place.
Lexington, KY – October 8, 2010 – Todd Flettrich and his grand prix mount Otto were recently a part of the United States Dressage Team that competed during the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) in Lexington, KY. The pair finished with a great score in the FEI Grand Prix and Flettrich left Kentucky happy with his consistent results and a fun experience riding for his country.
Flettrich considers it a great honor to have been a part of the United States Team at this year’s WEG, and believes the competition was a positive stepping stone toward his future goals. Flettrich has made it his main goal to compete in the 2012 Olympic Games in London and feels that his horse and his riding show improvement with each international competition.
During WEG, Flettrich showed first for Team USA on the opening day of dressage competition with his mount Otto, a 14-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding owned by Cherry Knoll Farm. The pair finished in the 38th position out of the world’s very best horses and riders.
Daily radio coverage of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games continues with a wrap up of the day’s events. We recap the Jumping Team Finals, Para Dressage Individual Championship Tests, Combined Driving Dressage and Vaulting Individual Freestyle today as we record at the International Equestrian Festival in front of a live audience. Listen in.
2010 Radio Show Episode 122 by SUCCEED – Show Notes and Links:
American Laura Goldman finished fourth aboard Carlingford JD in the Grade Ia Individual Test for ParaDressage at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Photo By: Lauren Giannini.
Lexington, KY – October 7, 2010 – ParaDressage participated and crowned champions for the first time in the history of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. For many of the para-equestrians participating in the Games was reward in and of itself, but for the Europeans who came to Kentucky Horse Park winning was the name of the game. Great Britain emerged victorious with team gold, helped along by their medal sweep in Grade 1a. Germany took team silver, and the Netherlands prevailed for the bronze.
In the team competition, the USA finished eighth out of 16 participating nations. American para-equestrians gave their best effort but were unable to match the scores of the European riders. The difference between the American para-riders’ score of 197.456 and the British tally of 214.529 did not seem like much, but fractions mean the difference between being a medalist or an also ran.
The Individual tests in Grades II, Ia and Ib concluded just before the medal ceremony. Yesterday, Grades III and IV went under the scrutiny of the panel of five judges.
Guest Co-Host Jamie Jennings sits in this week as we speak to one of the top horse trainers and clinicians in the world, Chris Cox. Plus, we have a delightful conversation with Amanda Adams about the Girl Scouts horse program. Listen in…
Stable Scoop Episode 112 – Show Notes and Links:
Host: Glenn the Geek
Guest Co-Host: Event rider and radio personality Jamie Jennings and host of the brand new HRN live morning radio show HORSES IN THE MORNING that will begin November 1, 2010.
Guest: One of the top horse trainers and clinicians in the country, Chris Cox.
October 5, 2010 – Lexington, KY – Great Britain, the team expected to win the gold medal at the Para Dressage World Championships, has taken the lead halfway through the team competition. Germany stands second, with the Netherlands third and Denmark fourth.
The 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games mark the first time that para dressage has been part of the World Games.
“[The British team hasn’t] lost a gold medal at a major championship since the sport started, so there is a lot pressure,” said Sophie Christiansen of the British team, whose score of 69.41 percent in grade Ia team test on Rivaldo Of Berkeley aided the British effort. “I went to [the 2004 Athens Paralympics] at 16, so I know how to deal with the pressure. We have so much support, and that gives us Brits the upper hand.”
