Category Archives: Dressage

The Discipline of Riding Dressage

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Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 16 Para Dressage Championships

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On the Para Dressage podium on the final day of the WEG - the medallists from the Freestyle Grade 4 Championship - (left to right) Michele George BEL (silver), (centre) Sophie Wells GBR (gold) and (right) Frank Hosmar NED (bronze).

WELLS’ VICTORY TAKES BRITAIN TO TOP OF THE MEDAL TABLE by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 10 October – Para Dressage rider Sophie Wells claimed Grade 4 Freestyle gold to put Great Britain at the top of the medal table as the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games came to a close at the Horse Park in Kentucky, USA today having attracted a massive attendance of over 500,000 spectators to the 16-day extravaganza. The British Para squad have been in fantastic form, scooping six individuals gold medals along with the team title.  And Wells steered her 13 year old gelding Pinocchio to victory today despite a glitch in her test.

Belgium’s Michele George took silver with FBW Rainman ahead of The Netherlands’ Frank Hosmar and Tiesto in bronze.

STOPPED
Wells’ test began well.  “I was quite happy with my trot but then when I picked up the walk he came against me and my first movement was a compulsory, which was a simple change, and he stopped!” she explained.  Now she had to make a quick decision.  “I knew I had to find somewhere else in my plan where I could put in another simple change, so all the time I was going through my next movements I was trying to think where I could put it in, and I didn’t want to mess up my floor plan because it’s good and they give you marks for that as well – times three,” she explained.

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Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 16 Four-In-Hand Driving Championship

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Boyd Exell (AUS) finally claimed the World Four-in-Hand Driving title he has been craving when winning at the WEG today. Photo: FEI/Rinaldo de Craen

GOLD AT LAST FOR EXELL by Cindy Timmer

Boyd Exell from Australia has been on the hunt for a gold medal in four-in-hand driving for many years and at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky it finally came together for him. After a World Record dressage test and third place in the marathon, Exell drove a safe cones course and won his first individual gold medal. Dutch driver IJsbrand Chardon took the silver; with the bronze going to USA’s Tucker Johnson. The Dutch team won the gold, ahead of the USA and Germany.

Drama-filled day
Today was another drama-filled day in the full Driving Stadium as there were problems with the timing system half-way through the competition. Team drivers Ludwig Weinmayr from Germany and USA’s Chester Weber had to leave the arena while the repairs were done. Weber was the first driver to go after the enforced break and the 35-year-old multiple US Champion showed his professionalism by driving the first double clear round of the day despite the long wait. His compatriot James Fairclough followed him and did the same to secure team silver for the USA.

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Exell Stays on Top with Fast Marathon in Driving World Championships at WEG

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Photo by Marc Manning

October 9. 2010 – Lexington, KY – Australia’s Boyd Exell drove the day’s third-fastest marathon to maintain the lead he took in the first phase of Driving World Championships at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.  Second-placed IJsbrand Chardon has put the Dutch team in front (273.77), while third-placed Tucker Johnson is leading the U.S. team’s charge for second place (300.92). Sweden is third (311.24).

“Normally on most marathons you’ll have one little something somewhere, but today seemed almost perfect. Even going safe we were still fast, “said Exell, 38. “I wanted to go fast enough to put pressure on Chardon, but not make mistakes. The horses were machines out there; they just really did it on their own.”

Exell, along with teammate Gavin Robson, has put Australia in the team medal hunt too. They’re in fourth, with 311.99 penalties, just behind Sweden. Australia has never won a team medal at the Driving World Championships.

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Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 15 Four-In-Hand Driving Championship

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Title defender IJsbrand Chardon (NED) fought his way back in the marathon. Photo: FEI/Rinaldo de Craen

CHARDON FIGHTS BACK IN THE MARATHON by Cindy Timmer

Title defender IJsbrand Chardon fought like a lion in today’s marathon, which he won ahead of Tomas Eriksson (SWE) and winner of the dressage Boyd Exell (AUS). Chardon had been under a lot of stress before the start of the marathon when he discovered his marathon carriage had been damaged. The Ground Jury allowed him to start last in the marathon to give the four-times World Champion enough time to repair his carriage.

Huge crowds
The marathon was followed by a large number of spectators, who enjoyed watching the 25 international competitors on the eight marathon obstacles, designed by USA’s Richard Nicoll. The temperatures rose to 30 degrees Celsius and all necessary precautions were taken to ensure the welfare of the horses, with plenty of ice, water and misting fans at the halt and finish of the marathon.

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Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 15 Para Dressage Championships

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Angelika Trabert and Ariva-Avanti from Germany took Freestyle Grade 2 gold in the Para Dressage Championship at the WEG today. Photo: FEI/Dirk Caremans.

PEARSON TAKES FREESTYLE GRADE 1B GOLD YET AGAIN, TRABERT CLAIMS GRADE 2 FREESTYLE TITLE  by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 9 October – Great Britain’s Lee Pearson took the Para Dressage Grade 1b Freestyle Championship by storm at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today.  And in Grade 2 it was Germany’s Angelika Trabert who swept to victory with a great ride on her bay mare Ariva-Avanti.

Pearson’s World Championship record is legendary.  He was a double gold medallist in Denmark in 1999, took Team and Individual gold in Moorsele, Belgium in 2003 and team and two individual titles on his home turf in Hartpury, Great Britain in 2007.  This week he has excelled once again with a hat-trick of gold medals, but another new star has also been born.

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2010 Radio Show Episode 123 by SUCCEED – Driving, Vaulting and Land Rovers

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We were all over the park today covering driving dressage and vaulting. We have audio clips for you from both and a little fun too! Listen in.

2010 Radio Show Episode 123 by SUCCEED – Show Notes and Links:

  • Hosts: Samantha Clark and Glenn the Geek
  • Location: The International Equestrian Festival in downtown Lexington.
    Recording at 7:00 PM every night. Stop down and join us.
  • Guest: Mike and Jerry McClennan
  • Guest: Joshua Rector‘s mother Shirley Rector.
  • Guest: Rochelle Steabler
  • Guest: Kai Vorberg
  • Guest: Joanne Eccles
  • Guest: British Vaulting Squad
  • Coverage: Follow all the coverage of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games on the Horse Radio Network.

_________________________________________

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Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 14 Para Dressage Championships

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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.

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The Leaders Are All Tied Up in Driving World Championships at 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

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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.

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Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 14 Four-In-Hand Driving Championship

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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.

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Todd Flettrich Views World Equestrian Games as a Great Stepping Stone toward Future Goals

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Todd Flettrich and Otto had a great showing in the FEI Dressage Grand Prix at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Photo © 2010 Susan J. Stickle

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.

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