Category Archives: Dressage

The Discipline of Riding Dressage

Championships, Competitions, Dressage, Events, FEI, USDF, USEF

Region 5 and Region 1 Take the Team Dressage Gold Medals at the 2011 Adequan/FEI NAJYRC

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Region 5 claimed the Gold medal in the Young Rider competition. Photo by SusanJStickle.com

Lexington, KY – Temperatures soared, but dressage competitors managed to keep their cool as the 2011 Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North kicked off today at the Kentucky Horse Park.

This is the third year the championships have been held at the Kentucky venue, which was the site of the 2010 Alltech/FEI World Equestrian Games last fall.

The day began with Junior and Young Rider dressage competitors vying side-by-side in the USDF/Platinum Performance Dressage Championship Team tests and ended with the pomp and pageantry of the official opening ceremonies.

Competitors started early in the Young Rider Team dressage event, but late in the day when the dust cleared from the center line it was U.S. Region 5 standing on the Gold-medal podium for the second year in a row.

Brandi Roenick, aboard Pretty Lady, Madeleine Birch on Uoeri, Catherine Chamberline on Verdicci, and Aylin Corapcioglu aboard Ruhmann captured the top spot with a combined Team score of 198.104.

“It’s just great to be a double Gold medalist!” gushed Birch, 20, who was part of the 2010 Gold-medal-winning Young Rider Team, “especially coming back here with my own horse,” she added.

Continue reading Region 5 and Region 1 Take the Team Dressage Gold Medals at the 2011 Adequan/FEI NAJYRC →

Competitions, Dressage, Endurance Riding, Eventing/H.T., FEI, Show Jumping, USEF, Western/Reining

NAJYRC Stars on the Rise at the Kentucky Horse Park

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Lexington, KY – It’s “all hands on deck” as the final touches are being made and the horses and riders are arriving at the Kentucky Horse Park for what has become a celebrated annual event – the Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North. And for the 2011 competition, there are some exciting additions to this highly-regarded series of international championships.

In addition to championships being contested in dressage, eventing, and show jumping, for the first time at the NAJYRC, the discipline of endurance will contest a CEI4* 100-mile championship race (a CEI2* 75-mile, non-championship race will also be run concurrently). Additionally, reining, which joined the championships in 2008 for the first time, will have two divisions for the first time in 2011. Non-championship events will also take place in the form of a vaulting demonstration during the Opening Ceremonies and a pair of para-dressage freestyles prior to the dressage freestyle championships on Saturday.

In all, some 250 riders spanning six countries have made the pilgrimage to the Kentucky Horse Park to battle for medals. Among them include:

174 riders from the U.S. (57 dressage, 19 endurance, 39 eventing, 52 jumping, 7 reining)
59 riders from Canada (21 dressage, 3 endurance, 9 eventing, 12 jumping, 14 reining)
10 riders from Mexico (3 endurance, 3 jumping, 4 reining)
2 riders from Columbia (endurance)
1 rider from Germany (endurance)
1 rider from Spain (endurance)

Continue reading NAJYRC Stars on the Rise at the Kentucky Horse Park →

Dressage, Eventing/H.T., FEI, Olympic Games, Show Jumping

FEI Counts Down to 100 Years of Olympic Equestrian Sport

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Lausanne (SUI), 27 July 2011 – Olympic fever is ramping up as today marks the one-year countdown to the London 2012 Olympic Games and 100 years of equestrian sport in the Olympic movement.

The London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony on 27 July will be followed by 12 days of equestrian competition in Greenwich Park, where the world’s best horses and riders will compete for six gold medals in the Olympic disciplines of Eventing, Dressage and Jumping.

To celebrate one year to go, the FEI will be running London 2012 image campaigns on Facebook and will be constantly updating news on both Facebook and Twitter as nations qualify for the equestrian events.

The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) has also launched an interactive twitter stadium and world map on www.london2012.com/1yeartogo.

“The excitement in the run-up to the Olympic equestrian events at London 2012 is huge and the stunning location of Greenwich Park means that we are at the heart of the Games,” said HRH Princess Haya, President of the FEI. “We are proud to be given centre stage at such a poignant time when we will be marking 100 years of equestrian sport in the Olympic movement.

Continue reading FEI Counts Down to 100 Years of Olympic Equestrian Sport →

Disciplines, Dressage, Jane Savoie, Training/Clinics

Motivation from Moshi 72, by Jane Savoie

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Words have power. They have energy. They create a state of being in our minds. Horses don’t use words, but we understand the energy behind what you say.

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” I say, the wounds from a stick or stone will probably heal, but the damage caused by the negative words we hear may sting for life.

Never underestimate how your words affect those around you, as well as how they reflect back and affect YOU. If your self-talk is negative, your experience is going to be negative. If you speak positively, your experience will reflect the same. If you bark and growl at your horse without careful thought to the attitude you’re projecting, your horse is going to feel insecure and you’re going to maintain a negative vibration. If you’re snapping at the people around you, the energy you’re projecting can be just as damaging as a pointed stick jabbing into someone’s heart.

Have you ever asked yourself, is it better to be right, or is it better to be kind? It’s a very pertinent question. Sometimes you have to stand your ground and be firm in what you consider “right.” Sometimes being right is just not that important. Choosing which applies in each situation is one of the things you have to decide on your own. Observing the results of your choices, right or wrong, is where wisdom is born.

Continue reading Motivation from Moshi 72, by Jane Savoie →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage, Events, FEI, FEI

FEI European Dressage Championships for Young Riders and Juniors 2011, Broholm Castle (DEN)

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TRIUMPHANT GERMANS MAKE IT FIVE-TIME GOLD, HAT-TRICK FOR ROTHENBERGER by Louise Parkes

Young Rider Individual medallists (L to R): Cathrine Dufour DEN (silver), Sanneke Rothenberger GER (gold) and Carina Nevermann Torup DEN (bronze). Rothenberger also won Young Rider Team and Freestyle gold. Photo: FEI/Ridehesten.

Lausanne (SUI), 24 JULY 2011 – German riders had it almost all their own way when claiming both the Young Rider and Junior team titles as well as three of the individual gold medals on offer at the FEI European Dressage Championships for Young Riders and Juniors 2011 at Broholm Castle in Denmark this weekend.  But the host nation did themselves proud when finishing a close second in both team events and then coming out on top in today’s Junior Freestyle Championship won by Nanna Skodborg Merrald and Millibar.

For Germany’s Sanneke Rothenberger these championships have been a particular triumph, as the 18 year old daughter of Olympians Sven and Gonnelien Rothenberger continues an ever-upward trajectory in her already impressive career.  She won team gold as a Pony rider, and in 2007 made history in the German Youth Riders Championship when clinching silver in both the Pony and Junior divisions.  She won team and individual gold at the FEI European Junior Championships in 2009 and last year claimed team gold and individual silver at Young Rider level.  This weekend, with her 10 year old Oldenburg gelding Deveraux which she has been competing for the last four years, she stepped up her game even further when taking Young Rider Team, Individual and Freestyle gold, firmly placing herself at the forefront of her sport and displaying an awesome talent in the making.

HRH Princess Benedikte of Denmark, the dedicated and active patroness of the Danish Equestrian Federation, attended the event and today the FEI President, HRH Princess Haya, was also at Broholm Castle to present the medals to the winning riders. It has been a testing few days in every respect, as the weather did all it could to disrupt this year’s fixture with pouring rain and high winds creating a less-than-perfect competition environment.  But the next generation of top-class dressage competitors rode through it with determination and emerged triumphant in the end.

Continue reading FEI European Dressage Championships for Young Riders and Juniors 2011, Broholm Castle (DEN) →

*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage, Equestrian Assistance, FEI, Olympic Games, Para-Equestrian

Para-Equestrians Get Grant Boost for London 2012

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Gold standard: Britain’s Lee Pearson (GBR), MBE OBE has become a Paralympic icon with nine Paralympic gold medals to his name (pictured at Beijing 2008 Paralympic Games)

Lausanne (SUI), 25 July 2011 – Para-Equestrians bidding to compete at the London 2012 Paralympic Games can now apply for funding as part of a brand new grant scheme to help with training expenses.

Eurovestech plc, the pan-European development capital fund, has put up a €25,500 grant to support 15 equestrian athletes around the world as they prepare for London 2012.

The grants, which will be distributed by the FEI, will be available to riders who have not won medals at the Paralympics, World Championships or World Equestrian Games since 2004.

National Federations representing Para-Equestrians from smaller nations where funding is limited are urged to apply for the grants. The grants are available both to riders who compete on their own horses and those that compete on borrowed horses.

Interested riders should contact their National Federation with their competition and training plans before 15 August 2011.

“It’s great news to hear of this initiative as the IPC is keen that a great number of athletes get the opportunity to compete at the London 2012 Paralympic Games across all sports, including Para-Equestrian,” explained Chief Executive Officer of the International Paralympic Committee Xavier Gonzalez.

Continue reading Para-Equestrians Get Grant Boost for London 2012 →

Championships, Competitions, Dressage, Events, JRPR

Caroline Roffman to Compete Three Horses at the 2011 National Young Horse and Developing Horse Championships

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At last year’s Markel/USEF National Young Horse Championship, Caroline Roffman and Bon Chance won the Five-Year-Old division. (Photo courtesy of fireandearthphoto .com)

Wellington, FL (July 21, 2011) – At last year’s Markel/USEF National Young Horse Championship in Lamplight, Illinois, Caroline Roffman and her Hanoverian gelding Bon Chance won the Five-Year-Old division. This year, Roffman will compete three horses at the National Young Horse Championships and the Developing Horse Championships. San City will compete in the Five-Year-Old division, Bon Chance will compete in the Six-Year-Old division, and her Hanoverian gelding, Pie will compete in the Developing Horse Championships.  Roffman is hoping that three is truly a charm.

“Bon Chance has developed wonderfully and has truly matured and come into his own. He has so much talent and presence and I can’t wait to show him off,” Roffman said, adding that in addition to winning the Five-Year-Old Championship, Bon Chance was Reserve Champion in the Four-Year-Old Championship in 2009.

Roffman also has the chance to defend her Five-Year-Old Championship title, this time aboard San City, a five-year-old stallion owned by Linda Crabtree. “He was shown by Linda’s daughter and successful event rider Katie Wooten last year in the Four-Year-Olds,” Roffman said. “I was given the ride on San City last fall and have trained and developed him with these championships as our goal. San City has the presence of a stallion but the rideability and character of a gelding. He is both beautiful and talented and has developed beyond what I thought he could have in a relatively short amount of time.” Roffman said she has even bred one of her mares to San City. “I like him that much!” she said. “He is San Remo x Bolero and bred by Marefield Meadows.”

Roffman, who was named the 2010 FEI Rising Star by the International Equestrian Federation and received her award at the FEI Awards ceremony in Taipei, is also looking forward to riding her horse Pie, a Hanoverian by Worldly, in the Developing Horse Championships. “Pie is very special to me, not only because I have had him for many years but because of his loving character and overachieving nature,” she said. “Pie showed as a six-year-old and qualified for the championships, but was unable to attend. He had nearly two years off and underwent a last effort surgery. To my delight he came back and has developed rapidly. This has been his first full year of showing and he has exceeded my expectations.”

Continue reading Caroline Roffman to Compete Three Horses at the 2011 National Young Horse and Developing Horse Championships →

Dressage, Events, JRPR, Training/Clinics

Everglades Dressage Trainer and Grand Prix Rider Bethany Peslar Teaches Successful Clinic on “Seat, Position and Effectiveness of the Aids”

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Bethany Peslar taught a successful clinic to an enthusiastic group of students recently at Planeta Stables in New Hope PA. (Photo courtesy of Everglades Dressage)

New Hope, PA (July 22, 2011) – Grand Prix Dressage rider and trainer Bethany Peslar taught a clinic this month at Planeta Stables in New Hope, Pennsylvania.  The focus of the clinic was “Seat, Position and Effectiveness of the Aids”. Known for giving her students 110% during a clinic or lesson, Peslar’s talent, dedication and ability to keep the concepts clear helped the riders not only enjoy the day but come away with a better seat and deeper understanding of the effectiveness of the aids.

“Everyone was very enthusiastic about learning how to improve their seat. I really enjoyed working with each rider and it was a fun day,” Peslar said, adding that she enjoyed the camaraderie with the riders including Pam Olshavsky, Alex Poggi, Eileen Ward and Roberta Weiss. “Alex rode Zoey, my lesson horse who is a nine-year-old Friesian mare. I always enjoy teaching on Zoey, and I know there are a lot of my students who can’t wait to ride her each week.”

Peslar said much of the clinic was focused on getting everyone to sit correctly. “Almost everyone spent their entire ride on the lunge so they could really concentrate on their seat without worrying about steering. Some of the issues I worked on were sitting straight and upright in the saddle, never leaning forward or backward and not collapsing to one side or the other. We also worked on keeping an invisible straight line from hip to heel as well as how to achieve a deep seat. An issue many of the riders had was gripping or pinching in with their knees and holding too much tension in their upper leg. This literally pushes them out of the saddle and prevents the rider from having a deep seat.”

Continue reading Everglades Dressage Trainer and Grand Prix Rider Bethany Peslar Teaches Successful Clinic on “Seat, Position and Effectiveness of the Aids” →

Dressage, Media/Radio/TV Sources

Dressage Radio Episode 113 – Diane Creech & Young Reporter Koryn Staehling

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Canadian Diane Creech is collecting blue ribbons both north and south of the border so Chris caught up with her to find out the secret of her success. Our first Young Reporter Koryn Staehling tells us about the Kids 4 Dressage Festival that was hosted by Lendon Gray. Plus, we welcome a new sponsor, HorseShow.com. Listen in…

Dressage Radio Episode 113 – Show Notes and Links:

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Competitions, Dressage, Events, JRPR

Cesar Parra Is Three for Three in Europe with Hemer-Edelburg Win

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International dressage rider and trainer Cesar Parra rode Grandioso into the winner’s circle at the Hemer-Edelburg show. (Photo courtesy of Dirk Flowtow)

Balve, Germany (July 22, 2011) – Dressage rider and trainer Cesar Parra, who competes Michael and Sarah Davis’ ten-year-old Westphalian gelding Grandioso, rode the world-class horse into the winner’s circle at the Hemer-Edelburg show in Germany. The win at Hemer-Edelburg was the third win in a row for the duo, proving that the pair is a formidable combination on the international level.

“I am so happy with Grandioso’s success here in Europe. I have always said, and known, that Grandioso is a very special horse,” Parra said. “Having shown in Germany for many years, I know how difficult it is to win a class here. Our time here has been fantastic from a training perspective of course, but it has also given us more confidence in the ring.”

Parra, who is in Europe through July staying at Arnd Erben’s stable in Iserlohn, Germany, said their win was made even more special because the Davis family was in Germany visiting. “That made it even more fun,” Parra said.

Parra is prepping Grandioso for the Festival of Champions and the CDI in Saugerties when they return to the United States, with their sights set on the Pan Am Games. “Grandi’s strongest suit is his desire to work and the sheer quality of all three gaits. He is such a complete horse; there is no hole in him. He is actually suited very well for the Grand Prix test. He and I both enjoy a challenge, so the transition to the big tour will be a good one for him,” Parra said.

While Parra and Grandioso’s European tour is winding down, Parra said it is an experience he won’t forget. “It’s exciting when you get to show successfully in Germany,” Parra said. It is a dream for many people and I know I am tremendously blessed to be here and I thank God for that. It wouldn’t happen without the hard work and support of many people, to whom I am so very grateful.”

For more information on Parra or Piaffe-Performance visit their website at www.piaffe-performance.com.

For more information contact:
Dr. Cesar Parra
drcesarparra@msn.com
www.piaffe-performance.com
410-977-8352