Category Archives: FEI

Competitions, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, FEI

Sun Shines on Halpin at Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials

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Sinead Halpin (USA) and Manoir de Carneville scored the only sub-40 Dressage mark at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials to take the overnight lead. (Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton)

Burghley (GBR), 31 August 2012 – Sinead Halpin (USA), who was first reserve for the US Olympic team, finally got her moment in the sun when she took a convincing lead after the Dressage phase at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (GBR), finale of the 2011-2012 HSBC FEI Classics.

Halpin, 30, who won the HSBC Training Bursary when third on Manoir de Carneville at her CCI4* debut, Rolex Kentucky in 2011, was 15th at Burghley last year, but her test this time was 10 marks better – 36.5 – and she has a 3.7 penalty margin over the chasing pack.

“It felt good from the moment he went in there,” Halpin said, after earning the only sub-40 dressage mark with an exquisite display of elastic paces, smooth transitions and general showmanship.

“The horse picked up straight away and did some fabulous work, especially the medium trot. I had high expectations, but to be in first place in this company in Britain is amazing. Insane, even!”

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Championships, Competitions, Dressage, Driving, Events, FEI, Para-Equestrian, USEF

U.S. Para-Equestrian Drivers Complete Dressage Tests in Breda

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Breda, The Netherlands – Competition at the 2012 FEI World Para-Equestrian Driving Championships for Singles commenced Thursday at the Outdoor Brabant in Breda, The Netherlands. All three competitors on the U.S. Team successfully completed their dressage tests and the team sits in 4th place on a score of 124.0.

Veteran Diane Kastama’s 57.40 was the best score of the day for the Americans and it has her tied for 13th individually. Kastama (Arroyo Grande, CA), who is driving the de Ronde’s KWPN Ruby R Van Stalle De Maurik, is tied with Great Britian’s Mick Ward.

Driving Ben Honsbeek’s KWPN gelding Night, Pam Johnson (Pleasant Hill, MO) earned a 66.60 and sits in 19th place.

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Championships, Competitions, Driving, Events, FEI, Para-Equestrian, USEF

Horses and Riders Ready in Breda for the FEI World Para-Equestrian Driving Championships for Singles

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Para-equestrian drivers and their supporters enjoyed some time off and toured the Hague on Monday. They got an up-close look at Queen Beatrix's Golden Coach

Breda, The Netherlands – International para-equestrian drivers are in Breda, The Netherlands right now ready to compete at the 2012 FEI World Para-Equestrian Driving Championships for Singles. The first vet check took place Wednesday and the three horses that will be driven by Americans passed with ease. Athletes schooled in dressage today and attended the official marathon course walk. Competition begins Thursday.

Three competitors will represent the U.S. driving borrowed horses.

Karen Gorham (Burnet, TX) will drive the Family De Bryne’s New Forest Pony, Rozendaal’s Solomon. Gorham has been an equestrian driver since the 1980s. She was involved in a hurricane Rita related truck accident in 2005 and has made use of a prosthetic left arm ever since. Her para-driving career is in its infancy, after the accident she did not resume driving until 2010, but her combined driving experience is sure to help her this weekend in Breda.

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

Felix Vogg (SUI) Wins FEI World Cup Eventing 2012 Title

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CORRECTION:
A recalculation of the points for the FEI World Cup Eventing has revealed that Switzerland’s Felix Vogg has won the 2012 title, not Karin Donckers (BEL) as previously advised. Please note corrected copy below.

Switzerland's Felix Vogg, winner of the FEI World Cup Eventing title for 2012. (Photo: FEI/Jean Morel)

Lausanne (SUI), 29 August 2012 – Switzerland’s Felix Vogg has won the FEI World Cup Eventing 2012 title. The 22-year-old finished the World Cup season on 86 points, level with Belgium’s Karin Donckers, but under the series rules, in the event of equality, the rider with the highest placing is declared the winner and Vogg’s second place finish in Strzegom (POL) has secured him the title and the winner’s cheque of €9,000.

Felix Vogg competed at three World Cup fixtures during the 2012 series – Strzegom, Malmö (SWE), where he finished seventh and 11th, and Haras du Pin (FRA), where he finished 12th. With only the three best performances counting, Vogg’s 38 points from Strzegom and 48 (28/20) from his two Malmö placings bettered the 18 earned in Haras du Pin and the points from the French fixture were dropped from his tally, leaving him on 86.

Karin Donckers also ended the FEI World Cup Eventing season on 86 points, after finishing third, eighth and ninth in Haras du Pin, to leave her second overall in the series.

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

Burghley Guarantees a Thrilling Finale to HSBC FEI Classics 2012

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William Fox-Pitt, current leader in the HSBC FEI Classics, will be competing at this week's Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (GBR) hoping to clinch the 2012 series title. (Photo: Mark Harvey/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), 28 August 2012 – This weekend’s Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (GBR) (30 August – 2 September) looks set to provide a thrilling climax to the HSBC FEI Classics 2012 series, with a bumper international entry and a surge in ticket sales following the huge success of the equestrian events at the London 2012 Olympic Games.

Britain’s Eventing summer has been something of a washout and both riders and spectators are clearly looking forward to some high-quality sport in the beautiful park at Burghley. The organisers have received a record entry and will run up to 90 horses representing 11 nations.

Olympians in the field include team gold medallist Dirk Schrade (GER) on Hop And Skip, plus silver medallists William Fox-Pitt (GBR) with last year’s winner Parklane Hawk and Seacookie, and Mary King (GBR) on her home-bred mare Kings Temptress, third last year.

Four members of New Zealand’s bronze medal team will also be competing: Andrew Nicholson, who brings Avebury, the runner-up in 2011, plus either Calico Joe or Mr Cruise Control, Mark Todd (Major Milestone), Jonathan Paget (Clifton Lush) and Caroline Powell (Boston Two Tip).

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

Karin Donckers Is 2012 FEI World Cup Eventing Champion

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Karin Donckers (BEL), seen here en route to third place with Lamicell Charizard, claimed a top-10 placing with each of her three horses at Haras du Pin (FRA) to win the FEI World Cup Eventing title for 2012. (Photo: FEI/Jean Morel)

Lausanne (SUI), 27 August 2012 – Karin Donckers, Belgium’s leading lady rider, can add the 2012 FEI World Cup Eventing title to her long list of honours after scoring three top 10 places in a highly successful raid at Haras du Pin (FRA), the final leg of the season.

She was third on the 12-year-old thoroughbred Lamicell Charizard, a horse Donckers bought as a two-year-old at a racing sales in Germany, and eighth and ninth on two eight-year-olds, Lamicell Unique and Extebaria Van’t Verahof.

The first rider to win the FEI World Cup Eventing title, worth €9,000 this season, through scoring all points in just one outing, Donckers finished just two points ahead of Swiss rider Felix Vogg, who had headed the leaderboard after Malmö (SWE) earlier this month.

Vogg earned points at three events: Strzegom (POL), where he was the runner-up, Malmö, where he was seventh, and Haras du Pin, where he finished 12th with Onfire.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Endurance Riding, Events, FEI, FEI

Massive Medal Haul for UAE at Longines FEI World Endurance Championships

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HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum steered Madji du Pont to take individual gold at the Longines FEI World Endurance Championships 2012. Photo: FEI/Gilly Wheeler.

Euston Park (GBR), 26 August 2012 – Competitors from the United Arab Emirates (UAE) claimed team gold and all three individual medals at the Longines FEI World Endurance Championships 2012 staged at Euston Park (GBR) yesterday. HH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum steered Madji du Pont to take the individual title ahead of fellow-countryman HE Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum who rode Yamamah into silver medal position, while Ali Khalfan Al Jahouri and Vendaval claimed individual bronze.

When the combined scores of Sheikh Mohammed and Sheikh Rashid were added to those of HE Sheikh Majid bin Mohammed Al Maktoum who finished sixth with Kangoo D’Aurabelle, the UAE also claimed team gold as they finished a full two hours ahead of the silver medallists from France. Oman took team bronze, while the USA slotted into fourth place ahead of Belgium in fifth.

A total of 147 horse-and-rider combinations from 38 countries – Argentina, Australia, Austria, Algeria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, China, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, France, Germany, Great Britain, Guatemala, Italy, Japan, Lebanon, Lithuania, Malaysia, The Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Pakistan, Poland, Portugal, Qatar, Russia, Saudi Arabia, Slovakia, South Africa, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay, USA – lined out for the 14th running of these Championships, which took place over a 160km course.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Endurance Riding, Events, FEI, USEF

U.S. Team Finishes Fourth at the Longines FEI World Endurance Championship

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Meg Sleeper and Syrocco Reveille on race day (Merri Melde-Endurance.net)

Newmarket, UK – Saturday, August 25 started out pleasant at Euston Park, but throughout the day the weather deteriorated into heavy downpours and severe thunderstorms. Due to the extreme weather, officials had to call the race off for the safety of the horses and riders. In an unusual finish to an endurance race, several riders were placed based on the position they were in at the time that the race was called, but the majority of the riders finished the sixth and final loop.

The U.S. Team made quite a showing against stiff competition finishing in fourth place with a combined time of 24:45:00. Valerie Kanavy (Fort Valley, VA) was the first member of the team to finish with Reach For The Gold in 20th place with a time of 08:00:06. Jeremy Reynolds (Dunnellon, FL) and A Kutt Above were right behind her, finishing in 21st place with a time of 08:00:09. Heather Reynolds (Dunnellon, FL) and Riverwatch finished in 36th place with a time of 08:44:45. John Crandell III (West River, MD) was unable to finish the race when Heraldic did not pass the mandatory re-check at Vet Check 5.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Endurance Riding, Events, FEI, USEF

The Race Is Set to Begin at the Longines FEI World Endurance Championship

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The U.S. Endurance Team (Carolyn Hock)

Newmarket, UK – A true championship test awaits some of the best endurance riders from around the world in Euston Park near Newmarket, Suffolk, UK for the Longines FEI World Endurance Championship. The 160-km race will take place on August 25 across the English countryside where riders will encounter heathland, forest tracks, river meadows, and open farmland. The United States will be represented by five riders, who aim to bring back both team and individual medals for their country.

The U.S. team will be compromised of John Crandell III, Valerie Kanavy, Heather Reynolds, and Jeremy Reynolds, while Margaret Sleeper will compete as an individual.

John Crandell III (West River, MD) had a banner year in 2011 with John Crandell Jr.’s Heraldic and the pair hopes to continue their success across the pond. Crandell and Heraldic rode to an Individual Silver medal in last year’s Pan American Endurance Championships in Santo Domingo, Chile and helped the U.S. team clinch the Silver medal.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Driving, Events, FEI, JRPR

Dual Medals for Chester Weber at Driving World Championships

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Chester Weber and his team take a victory lap following their success at the 2012 Driving World Championships in Riesenbeck (Photo courtesy of My Elisabeth Weber)

Riesenbeck, Germany (August 21, 2012) — Combined Driver Chester Weber, the nine-time USEF National Four-In-Hand Champion, is sporting an Individual Silver medal around his neck following a successful weekend at the 2012 FEI Four-in-Hand Driving World Championships. Weber took the Championships by storm, driving away with the Individual Silver while he and his US teammates, Jimmy Fairclough and Joe Yoder, captured the Bronze Team Medal.

Weber made a name for himself in 2008, when he became the first American to ever win an individual medal in the Four-in-Hand division at the World Driving Championships. Weber won the Individual Silver that year, and returned this weekend intent on defending his title – which he did with brilliance.

“It was great to be back on the medal podium,” Weber said. “The horses were fantastic the entire weekend. They had the best show of the year.”

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