Category Archives: Driving

Competitions, Dressage, Driving, Events, Show Jumping, USEF, Vaulting

This Week in International Disciplines – June 30, 2011

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Mt. Eden Team. Primo Ponies Photography.

Vaulting
Several U.S. vaulters participated in the CVI competition in Saratoga, CA. Patrick Stevens took home the win in the Male Senior CVI2*with a score of 7.195, while Joseph Gadd came in second with a 6.247. In the competitive Female Senior CVI2*, Mary McCormick took home the win with an impressive score of 8.219. Katharine Wick came in a close second with an 8.147, while Marisa Hamar finished third with a 7.671. The Mt. Eden Sun Team finished in first in the Senior Team CVI2* with a score of 7.799. The Woodside A Team came in second with a 7.420 and the Pacific Coast Vaulters finished third with a 6.931. In the Senior Pas de Deux, Rosalind Ross and Devon Maitozo had strong performances to win with an 8.121. Kimberly and Cassidy Palmer finished second with a score of 7.086, while Alexandra Thrasher and Joseph Gadd came in third with 6.849. In the Male Senior CVI1*, Nicholas Cox took the top prize with a score of 5.363. Tessa Divita took the top prize in the Female Senior CVI1* with a 7.067. Grace Robinson came in second with a 6.753, while Karly Frankel-Newman finished third with a 6.732. In the Senior Team CVI1*, the Mt. Eden 7 Sisters won the division with a score of 5.995, while Tambourine came in second with a 5.260.

Please visit http://www.cvisaratoga.com for more information.

Dressage
At the CDI-W Milton in Canada, David Marcus competed two horses throughout the weekend. In the Prix St Georges class, Marcus and Don Kontes finished in fourth with a score of 66.711%, while he tied for fifth with Chevri’s Capital with a 65.570%. Marcus once again had strong finishes in the Intermediaire I class, finishing third with Chevri’s Capital with a score of 69.737% and fifth with Don Kontes with a score of 67.895%. Susan Dutta had consistent performances in the Grand Prix class, finishing third with Currency DC scoring a 65.182% and fourth with Manette DC scoring a 65.061%. In the Grand Prix Special, Dutta and Golden Choice DC finished third with a score of 62.515%.

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Competitions, Dressage, Driving, Show Jumping, USEF, Vaulting

USEF Names Riders, Drivers and Vaulters for CHIO Aachen

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Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will be represented in four disciplines at CHIO Aachen, which runs July 8-17, 2011 in Aachen, Germany. Please click on any athlete or team name for more information about them.

The following horse/rider combinations have been named in ranked order to represent the U.S. in Dressage:

Steffen Peters (San Diego, CA) will ride Four Winds Farm and Akiko Yamazaki’s Ravel
Ravel is a 13-year-old KWPN gelding

Jan Ebeling (Moorpark, CA) will ride Ann Romney and Amy Roberts Ebeling Rafalca
Rafalca is a 14-year-old Oldenburg mare

Guenter Seidel (Cardiff, CA) will ride Dick and Jane Brown’s UII
UII is a 10-year-old Dutch Warmblood

Todd Flettrich (Royal Palm Beach, FL) will ride Cherry Knoll Farm’s Otto
Otto is a 15-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding

Catherine Haddad-Staller (Vectha, Germany) and Winyamaro have been named as the first ranked substitute.

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Breeds, Championships, Competitions, Driving, Events

Combined Driver Shelly Temple Raising Funds to Represent US in World Driving Championships

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June 27, 2011 – Getting to Europe for humans isn’t as hard as it seems — passport, airplane ticket, maps, and some spending money and you’re ready to go.

However, an equestrian athlete traveling to Europe to complete for one’s nation is a tougher.  Shelly Temple, 3 time US National Champion Combined Driver and member of the 2007 bronze medal team, is seeking to travel to Slovenia to compete in the World Pony Driving Championships.  Her Morgan pony, Cooper, is a top form in 2011 where Temple hopes to improve upon her second place in dressage in 2007.

Getting to Europe has been Temple’s goal since 2010; however, she states, “Shipping the horse and carriages is very expensive.” The cost for Team Catalyst to compete at the World Championships is estimated to be around $50,000.  Traditionally, the drivers have had to raise the majority of funds to get there and to compete. “We have worked very hard to get ready and now ask for your help to get there and hopefully win a medal for the US,” exclaims Temple.

To learn how you can support Temple, Cooper, and Team Catalyst visit www.catalystdriving.com or call 804-837-4888.

*Featured/Spotlights, Community/Charity, Driving, JRPR, Media/Radio/TV Sources

HRTV Re-Airs the Show “Holding the Reins” Showcasing Chester Weber and Combined Driving Following Weber’s Four-In-Hand Victory in Hungary

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Chester Weber is featured in an episode on HRTV called “Holding the Reins.” HRTV will re-air the show in June and July, with added commentary from Weber about his win in Hungary. (Photo courtesy of Altenfelden Hippoevent)

Ocala, FL (June 22, 2011) – Fans of USEF National Four-In-Hand Combined Driver Chester Weber have been lining up to congratulate the American driver following his victory at the CAIO Vecses, an international combined driving competition held recently in Vecses, Hungary. Weber won the Four-In-Hand division against a highly competitive field of international drivers.

HRTV, The Network for Horse Sports, recently aired a show on Weber called “Holding the Reins,” and they also congratulated Weber on his recent victory. HRTV said they will re-air “Holding the Reins” in June and July with an added interview in which Weber discusses his victory in Hungary. The show is a 24-minute look at the exciting world of combined driving – which is considered one of the fastest growing sports in the industry – and features the story of how Weber grew up on a Thoroughbred racehorse farm to become one of our country’s leading drivers.

Weber has had great success both internationally and nationally and is currently the USEF National Four-In-Hand Champion, a championship he has won a record eight years in a row. The goal-oriented Weber has his sights set on being the best in the world and during the HRTV show the United States Driving Chef d’Equipe, Ed Young, discussed Weber’s ambitions. “I think we will see Chester become the World Champion,” Young said.

“Holding the Reins” not only highlights Weber’s success, but also brings to light the intriguing and challenging sport of combined driving. The sport features speed, power, agility, grace, beauty and teamwork. “There are three phases in combined driving — dressage, the cross-country marathon and the cones. The cross-country is the real showstopper. You don’t have to like horses to appreciate the marathon,” Weber said.

Continue reading HRTV Re-Airs the Show “Holding the Reins” Showcasing Chester Weber and Combined Driving Following Weber’s Four-In-Hand Victory in Hungary →

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

Chester Weber Goes Two-for-Two with Four-In-Hand Win at CAI-Altenfelden

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Chester Weber won the Four-In-Hand competition at the 20th annual CAI-Altenfelden in Austria. Weber is now two-for-two in his European tour. (Photo courtesy of Marie de Ronde-Oudemans)

Altenfelden, Austria (June 22, 2011) – Combined Driver Chester Weber is now two-for-two in his European tour, winning the Four-In-Hand competition at the 20th annual CAI-Altenfelden in Austria. Weber’s win had the foreign press praising the American driver, referring to Weber as “remarkable,” “special guest,” “the American driving sport super star” and the “dressage specialist.”

Weber proved he was the “dressage specialist” in the four-in-hand, which the Europeans call the king discipline, by decidedly winning the dressage by 12 points. “I won the dressage, was fourth in the marathon and second in the cones,” Weber said. In combined driving the winner is the driver with the lowest cumulative score, and in the end the stars and stripes were flying as Weber captured the overall win.

While Weber and his team proved they were capable of winning the entire four-in-hand class with an 8-point lead, all eyes were on the American driver during his dressage test. European news sources reported that Weber was an “American driving sport super star who was in a class of his own” following his dressage test. “I work very hard with my team on the dressage, so I am flattered to hear so many great remarks about our test,” Weber said, adding that he is pleased with the two new horses on his team, Uniek and Splash owned by Jane Forbes Clark, as they have added depth and talent to his string.

Weber, who is the eight-time USEF National Four-In-Hand Combined Driving Champion, described the Altenfelden driving competition as a great atmosphere. “I had a chance to meet and compete against drivers from the Eastern part of Europe,” he said. “I usually don’t have a chance to go up against these drivers so it was a great experience for me.”

Continue reading Chester Weber Goes Two-for-Two with Four-In-Hand Win at CAI-Altenfelden →

Competitions, Dressage, Driving, Events, USEF

Chester Weber Claims Second European Four-in-Hand Victory

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Altenfelden – the driving competition with heart

Chester Weber. Courtesy of HippoEvent.

Altenfelden, Austria – The 20th anniversary of the CAI Altenfelden is history. It was an event with top sport performances by competitors from 18 nations. Chester Weber, the American driving sport star and winner of the king class (the four-in-hand horse class), said, “I like the nice atmosphere of the Altenfelden competition. The people are all very friendly and try to support the competitors the best they can. During this competition I have the opportunity to meet and compete against drivers from the Eastern part of Europe – more than I usually do in the other competitions. This is a great and different experience for me.”

The marathon test is in every driving competition one of the action high points. It is also drawing the crowds. During the 2011 Altenfelden marathon the competitors had to complete eight obstacles – two of which were built new this year, the others were remodeled. Different weather conditions – from sun to heavy rain – were made the test even more dambing for the competitors, but the international top drivers mastered them without accident. Wins for Tomas Eriksson (SWE), Reinhard Burggraf (GER) and Henrik Höper (DEN) in the horse classes.

Continue reading Chester Weber Claims Second European Four-in-Hand Victory →

Competitions, Dressage, Driving, Endurance Riding, Eventing/H.T., Events, Show Jumping, USEF, Vaulting

This Week in International Disciplines – June 16, 2011

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Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen. (Stockimageservices .com Photo).

Eventing
The Bromont CCI drew many U.S. riders to Canada for the weekend and all three CCI divisions were won from wire-to-wire. Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen picked up a big win in the CCI3* finishing on a score of 47. The pair maintained their dressage lead adding just a handful of time faults on their clean cross country round, and went in to the show jumping phase with a rail in hand. They had the fourth fence down, the only fault during their otherwise lovely round, enabling Montgomery to hold on to the win. Great Britain’s Leslie Law rode Rehy Lux to a close second while Philip Dutton and William Penn finished third. Canadian Rebecca Howard and Roquefort won the CCI2* but Americans Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot and Philip Dutton and Mighty Nice rounded out the top three. In the CCI1* Will Coleman and Zipp added just a few time cross country time penalties and a rail in stadium to their dressage score to win on a 47.80.

Please visit http://www.evententries.com/livescoring/64.html for complete results and www.bromont3dayevent.com for more information.

Jumping
Numerous jumping competitions took place around the globe this past week, but Spruce Meadows in Calgary had the majority of the U.S. entries.

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Competitions, Driving, Events, Phelps Media Group

The Bromont International Driving: A Unique Opportunity in Canada

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Chester Weber wins the 2010 Bromont International Driving. Photo Credit: Normand St-Jacques.

Bromont, Quebec, June 15, 2011 – The Bromont International Driving celebrates its 10th anniversary and invites you to join us!

On the picturesque setting of the Bromont Olympic Equestrian Park in the Eastern Townships, the Bromont International Driving is getting ready for its 10th edition. The only FEI Combined Driving show in Canada, Bromont International Driving is proud to host some of the best drivers of the sports’ elite on one of the best sites in the country.

Last year’s 9th edition was particularly successful: the show allowed participating drivers a chance to qualify for the Kentucky World Games. Moreover, the International hosted a record 8 four-horse driving teams including talented American driver Chester Weber, an honor for the competition.

For its 10th edition, the Bromont International Driving is hoping to host even more driving teams. Amongst our officials this year, we are happy to count FEI Judge Marsoe Larose and returning course designer Gunnar Larsson, who was here in 2007.

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Competitions, Dressage, Driving, Events, FEI, JRPR

Champion Driver Suzy Stafford Is All Smiles after Competing at the Elk Creek CDE

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Suzy Stafford competed Miss Josephine and Peace of Mind at the Elk Creek CDE in Maryland. Stafford is shown here with Peace of Mind during their winning dressage test. (Photo courtesy of Vicki Long)

Chester County, PA (June 10, 2011) – Believing in the motto “practice makes perfect,” Gold Medalist Combined Driver Suzy Stafford competed at the Elk Creek CDE, held at Fair Hill in Maryland, with the hopes of perfecting the training and skills of two of her talented ponies. Stafford drove away all smiles following the event, saying she was pleased with the progress of each of her equine partners including her registered half-Arabian mare, Miss Josephine, who is long-listed for the 2011 FEI World Pony Driving Championships in Europe.

“I wanted to use Elk Creek as a schooling event to prepare Josephine for her European debut at the World Pony Championships, which will be held in Slovenia in September,” Stafford said. “I was just schooling Josie so I didn’t finish the marathon, but she won the best dressage and cones in the advanced division. Josie is in a good place right now in her training program and we are improving our dressage score every time out.”

Stafford said her goal is to not have Josie peak too early, as she wants the pony’s ultimate performance to be in September. While Josephine will make her debut at the World Pony Driving Championships, Stafford is a veteran of the championships and in 2005 won an Individual Gold Medal with Cefnoakpark Bouncer, a Team Bronze with Bouncer in 2007 and an Individual Bronze with Courage To Lead in 2009. “My goal for the 2011 World Pony Driving Championships is to win medals and represent the United States to the best of our ability,” Stafford said.

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

American Flag Waves High in Hungary as Chester Weber Wins at Vecses

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Chester Weber, America’s reigning four-in-hand driving champion, proved he also has the ability to dominate on foreign soil when he won the international combined driving competition in Vecses, Hungary. (Photo courtesy of Marie de Ronde-Oudemans)

Vecses, Hungary (June 8, 2011) – The American flag was waving high in Hungary when Combined Driver Chester Weber drove the team, comprised of two of Jane Clark’s horses and two of his own horses, to victory at CAIO Vecses, an international combined driving competition in Vecses, Hungary. Weber won the dressage phase with a score of 37.25, placed sixth in the marathon and followed it up with a double clear cones trip which launched him into the win with a total score of 145.51. Koos de Ronde, of the Netherlands, finished in second with 149.63 and Jozsef Dobrovitz, of Hungary, came in third with a score of 150.22.

Weber, who celebrated his 36th birthday on the day of the dressage test at the CAIO Vecses, said he was thrilled with the win and pleased with the results throughout the competition. “I used Jane Clark’s horses Uniek and Splash in the dressage test and was very pleased that we received a first place from all five judges,” Weber said. “The marathon was exceptionally competitive, and it was fantastic to compete against the best drivers in the world. We posted the fastest time on the sixth obstacle of the marathon, which I was very happy about.  We then went double clear in the cones and ended up second in that phase to round out our win.”

Weber, who is the eight-time USEF National Four-In-Hand Combined Driving Champion, is staying in Europe as he prepares for Aachen in July. “We brought nine horses with us to Europe and right now we are staying outside of Frankfurt, Germany at Michael Freund’s, our U.S. team coach, as we continue to work the horses. Next week we will compete at the CAI Altenfelden in Austria,” Weber said.

Continue reading American Flag Waves High in Hungary as Chester Weber Wins at Vecses →