Category Archives: JRPR

Johnny Robb

Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, JRPR

Grand Prix Dressage Star Sagacious Receives Papers with KWPN Crown Predicate Honors

Leave a comment

Sagacious HF recently earned Crown Predicate honors from the KWPN (Dutch) Registry, which places him in the top 200 FEI Dressage Horses in the world. (Photo by SusanJStickle.com)

Wellington, FL (June 11, 2010) – Al Guden’s 11-year-old Grand Prix KWPN gelding, Sagacious HF, recently earned Crown Predicate honors from the KWPN (Dutch) Registry. This special symbol on his registration papers means he is ranked in the top 200 FEI Dressage Horses in the world. Sagacious HF was actually ranked 56th in the world.

Guden’s journey with Sagacious HF started when Al purchased the 4-month-old colt in Holland in 1999. Sagacious was imported to the US in 2004. Guden put the young gelding in training with Lauren Sammis and that combination turned out to be a very successful match. In 2007, Sagacious and Sammis proved they had what it takes to be international contenders by winning the Team Gold and Individual Silver Medals at the Pan American Games in Rio. Over the next three years they made a very successful transition from the small tour to winning CDI Grand Prix classes at the nation’s most competitive shows. Al Guden, Lauren Sammis and Sagacious became on popular trio on the dressage circuit.

Continue reading Grand Prix Dressage Star Sagacious Receives Papers with KWPN Crown Predicate Honors →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, JRPR, Training/Clinics

Cesar Parra and the Piaffe-Performance Team Win Big at ESDCTA CDI Dressage

Leave a comment

International dressage rider Cesar Parra and his Piaffe-Performance Team debuted their horses at the Eastern States Dressage and Combined Training Association Memorial Day CDI with great success. (Photo by SusanJStickle.com)

Allentown, NJ (June 8, 2010)  – Cesar Parra and his Piaffe-Performance team debuted their horses in the northeast at the Eastern States Dressage and Combined Training Association’s Memorial Day CDI with great success.  It was the team’s first show in New Jersey after returning from the winter season in Florida and collectively they spent much of the show in the winner’s circle.

Cesar Parra dominated the small tour with Lori Washton’s KWPN gelding, Olympia. Parra and Olympia won the Prix St. Georges score of 71.789 and the Intermediaire I with a score of 71.000 percent. The seasoned pair has shown at this level just over a dozen times and has always been over 70%. They are in top form as they head for the USEF/Collecting Gaits Farm Dressage Festival of Champions August 6-15 at the U.S. Equestrian Team headquarters in Gladstone, New Jersey. Parra also notes that Olympia’s consistent performances will be just what it takes to represent the US at next year’s Pan American Games.

Continue reading Cesar Parra and the Piaffe-Performance Team Win Big at ESDCTA CDI Dressage →

Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, JRPR

Mystery Writer & Grand Prix Dressage Rider Tami Hoag Relocates to Florida Year Round

Leave a comment

"Traveling from coast to coast is for the birds," says Tami Hoag, taking a little time out to enjoy a few parrots in her new year round residence in tropical Florida.

Wellington, FL (June 2, 2010) – New York Times bestselling mystery writer and Grand Prix dressage rider Tami Hoag has traveled from coast to coast each year to live the winters in Florida and the summers in California. This year marks a big change for Hoag as she has decided to stay in Wellington year round.

Hoag will continue to create her thrilling and heart-stopping murder mystery New York Times Bestsellers while she trains and competes in Florida. “The stress of traveling back and forth is a lot for the horses and this is a great opportunity to settle in and make Wellington home. The best resources are available in the area including boarding, training and showing,” said Hoag.

Hoag released her latest mystery novel Deeper Than the Dead this year and it quickly became Hoag’s fifteenth New York Times bestseller. Hoag is in full swing with the sequel to Deeper Than the Dead called Secrets to the Grave. “It is already scheduled to go on sale in December of 2010, so no time to dilly-dally. My day consists of riding in the morning, the gym in the afternoon, and working in the evenings,” Hoag said.

Continue reading Mystery Writer & Grand Prix Dressage Rider Tami Hoag Relocates to Florida Year Round →

*Featured/Spotlights, Breeds, Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, JRPR

Miniature Therapy Horse Proves She Is Magic When She Is Named AARP’s “Most Heroic Pet in America”

1 Comment

Strebors Black Magic On Demand was recently named the “Most Heroic Pet in America” by the AARP. Magic has worked with over 4,000 people. (Photos courtesy of Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses)

Morton, Ill. (May 24, 2010) – Strebors Black Magic On Demand, a Miniature Horse registered with the American Miniature Horse Registry (AMHR), is spreading a special form of magic as a therapy horse. Known to her many fans as Magic, the black mini with blue eyes was recently named the “Most Heroic Pet in America” by the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons).

Magic, owned by Debbie and Jorge Garcia-Bengochea of Gentle Carousel Miniature Therapy Horses in High Springs, Florida, was featured in the 2010 May/June issue of AARP Magazine for her heroic efforts as a therapy mini. “I am so proud of her,” Debbie Garcia-Bengochea said. “She has worked with over 4,000 people, but the story that helped her win the ‘Most Heroic Pet’ title has to do with a woman who hadn’t talked in three years.”

Garcia-Bengochea said that in September of 2009, a reporter from the Ocala Star-Banner newspaper was taking photos of a Gentle Carousel visit at an assisted care facility. “A woman who had not spoken since she arrived at the assisted care facility three years earlier began talking to Magic. ‘Isn’t she beautiful’ were her first words and then ‘It’s a horse’,” Garcia-Bengochea said. “The activities director began to cry and told the woman she loved her.”

Continue reading Miniature Therapy Horse Proves She Is Magic When She Is Named AARP’s “Most Heroic Pet in America” →

Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Driving, Events, FEI, JRPR, Training/Clinics, Western/Reining, World Equestrian Games

Combined Driver Chester Weber Lectures at Central Florida Community College

Leave a comment

Chester Weber discusses the training program he is using that will lead him to the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky this fall. (Photos courtesy of Central Florida Community College)

Ocala, FL (May 12, 2010) – Combined Driver Chester Weber, the eight-time USEF National Four In Hand Champion, recently shared the secret to his success with students in an Exercise Physiology class in the Equine Studies program at Central Florida Community College (CFCC). The community college is the only two-year institution in Florida that offers an equine program, and Equine Studies is the college’s most popular Associate in Science degree program.

“Chester gave a wonderful talk to my Exercise Physiology students during their last class of the semester,” said Dr. Judy Downer, Associate Professor of Equine Studies. “Chester summarized his training and conditioning program that he is using that will lead him up to the World Equestrian Games in Kentucky this fall. It was a great review of the subjects we covered all semester.”

Continue reading Combined Driver Chester Weber Lectures at Central Florida Community College →

Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, JRPR, Training/Clinics

Six-Time Olympian Robert Dover Charms Standing Room Only Crowd at Sho Clothes Shop Talk

Leave a comment

Six-time Olympic Dressage rider Robert Dover spoke at a recent “Shop Talk” at Sho Clothes dressage boutique in Wellington. Dover is the new coach for the Canadian Dressage Team.

Wellington, FL (May 10, 2010) – It was standing room only at Sho Clothes dressage boutique’s recent “Shop Talk,” thanks to an energetic crowd eager to hear six-time Olympic Dressage rider Robert Dover speak. Dover, the new coach for the Canadian Dressage team, has earned more honors than any other US Dressage rider, competing in six consecutive Olympics as well as representing the United States in four World Championships and seven World Cups.

Dover, who served as the Captain for the US Equestrian Team during all six of his Olympic experiences, charmed the audience during “Shop Talk.” The monthly get together for equestrians is presented by Sho Clothes at their Wellington boutique in association with the Gold Coast Dressage Association.

“This was our final ‘Shop Talk’ until the fall and having Robert speak was a great way to end our season. In addition to being one of the best dressage riders of our generation, Robert is a wonderful speaker and it was a treat for everyone,” said Betsy Rebar Sell, who co-owns Sho Clothes with Michele Hundt.

Continue reading Six-Time Olympian Robert Dover Charms Standing Room Only Crowd at Sho Clothes Shop Talk →

Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Driving, Events, JRPR

Canadian Four-In-Hand Driver Deb Laderoute Wins Arenus’s EQUILITE Performance & Conditioning Award at Live Oak Competition

Leave a comment

Deb Laderoute, a Four-In-Hand Combined Driver from Canada, won Arenus’s EQUILITE Performance & Conditioning Award at the 2010 Live Oak International Competition. (Photo courtesy of PicsofYou.com)

Ocala, FL (May 4, 2010)  – Four-In-Hand Combined Driver Deb Laderoute, who will represent Canada in the 2010 World Equestrian Games, drove away with Arenus’s EQUILITE Performance & Conditioning Award during the recent Live Oak International Competition in Ocala, Florida. Laderoute and her team were awarded EQUILITE brand products from award sponsor Arenus, makers of animal health products and supplement blends including STEADFAST joint health, ASSURE digestive aid and SORE NO-MORE liniment.

“All of the teams competing at Live Oak were amazing, but our team of judges picked Deb because they thought her team was exceptional,” said Arenus representative Stacey Small, creator of the EQUILITE line of products.  “It was a very exciting competition, and awarding Deb with a tote bag filled with our award-winning natural animal health and herbal blend products was just the icing on the cake.”

Continue reading Canadian Four-In-Hand Driver Deb Laderoute Wins Arenus’s EQUILITE Performance & Conditioning Award at Live Oak Competition →

*Featured/Spotlights, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Driving, Equestrian Assistance, Events, JRPR, Products/Services, Training/Clinics

Chester Weber and Charles Owen Team Up to Put Helmet Safety in the Spotlight

1 Comment
Chester Weber wears a helmet cam on his Charles Owen helmet. Weber uses the helmet cam as a training tool and is a strong proponent of wearing a helmet for safety. (Photo courtesy of PicsofYou.com)

Ocala, FL (April 27, 2010) – Helmets are the center stage topic in equestrian safety right now, and USEF Safety Committee member Chester Weber has turned his Charles Owen helmet into a box office hit! Safety really is a movie, thanks to a camera installed on Weber’s Charles Owen helmet.

Combined Driver Weber, the eight-time USEF National Four-In-Hand Champion, uses his helmet camera as a training tool. “The helmet cam is a way to record the driver’s-eye view of a four-in-hand team. I use it as a training tool at home,” Weber said. “The helmet cam makes safety fun and acts as a training tool that can enhance future performances.”

When it comes to safety, Weber has always put his money where his mouth is. He and his team are long-time users of Charles Owen helmets, which provide safety and offer unparalleled comfort. “The importance of wearing helmets is in the spotlight right now, and as a driver I certainly recommend wearing helmets, especially in the marathon,” Weber said.

Continue reading Chester Weber and Charles Owen Team Up to Put Helmet Safety in the Spotlight →

*Featured/Spotlights, Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Driving, JRPR

Chester Weber’s Equine Teammate, Rolex W, Paints “Moneigh” to Be Displayed in Kentucky during Rolex Three-Day Event

5 Comments
Rolex W, a member of Chester Weber’s eight-time National Four-In-Hand Combined Driving team, paints a “Moneigh” for Mary Simons of the ReRun Thoroughbred organization. (Photo courtesy of ReRun, Inc)
Rolex W, a member of Chester Weber’s eight-time National Four-In-Hand Combined Driving team, paints a “Moneigh” for Mary Simons of the ReRun Thoroughbred organization. (Photo courtesy of ReRun, Inc)

Ocala, FL (April 12, 2010) – Rolex W, one of Chester Weber’s distinguished and award-winning equine teammates, has lent his artistic horse skills to the ReRun Thoroughbred Charity Moneigh collection. Rolex not only painted a Moneigh with his nose, but due to his name and his fame, the painting will be on display in a Lexington art gallery during the Rolex Three-Day Event.

“We are honoring Rolex W in April during the Rolex Three-Day Event at the Kentucky Horse Park,” said Mary Simons, of the ReRun Organization. “Rolex’s painting will be on display at Your Frame of Mind Galleries in the Lexington Convention Center in April. Also, his other painting will be auctioned off in our semi-annual eBay auction beginning April 25.”

Weber, the eight-time National Four-In-Hand Combined Driving Champion, lent the artistic skills of Rolex to the charity organization. Rolex helped the ReRun Thoroughbred charity by painting masterpieces known as “Moneighs.” The name Moneigh is derived from the name of the famous artist and the sound a horse makes.

Continue reading Chester Weber’s Equine Teammate, Rolex W, Paints “Moneigh” to Be Displayed in Kentucky during Rolex Three-Day Event →

Art/Photography, Contributors/Press, Driving, JRPR

Equestrian Artist Moe Hahn Paints Chester Weber’s Four-In-Hand Horses during Live Oak Competition

Leave a comment
Equestrian artist Moe Hahn works on a painting of the combined driving horses that are part of Chester Weber’s famous and award-winning four-in-hand team.
Equestrian artist Moe Hahn works on a painting of the combined driving horses that are part of Chester Weber’s famous and award-winning four-in-hand team.

Ocala, FL (April 6, 2010) – Equestrian artist Moe Hahn has captured in action the beautiful bay horses that make up eight-time USEF National Four-In-Hand Combined Driving Champion Chester Weber’s team. Hahn, who lives in Ocala, is a well-known artist who displays her work at the Ocala Breeders’ Feed & Supply Stores in Ocala, Florida.

“I am painting Team Weber from a photo that I took last year during the Live Oak competition. I love the ambience of Live Oak and this year was great because Chester stopped by my booth and signed the painting,” Hahn said. “I started the painting about one month ago and have a few more months before it will be finished.”

Hahn has completed a sister piece to the one she is working on now, also taken from a photo she took at Live Oak. “I have been a vendor at Live Oak for the last five years. It’s the only one I do all year,” Hahn said. “Both paintings were taken from photos I took at the Hilton’s Haven obstacle at Live Oak.”

Continue reading Equestrian Artist Moe Hahn Paints Chester Weber’s Four-In-Hand Horses during Live Oak Competition →