Category Archives: Driving

Community/Charity, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Driving, Endurance Riding, Eventing/H.T., Events, Hunter/Equitation, Para-Equestrian, Show Jumping, USEF, Vaulting, Western/Reining, World Equestrian Games

52 Weeks in the Pursuit of Excellence

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With every eye on the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, 2010 was the Year of the Horse in the United States as the world arrived on our doorstep in Lexington, KY, for 16 days of competition, demonstration and fun. It took years of planning and didn’t kick off until the end of the ninth month of the year.

Here is how 2010 unfolded before, during and after the Equestrian Event that stopped the American Equestrian community in its tracks. Anyone who makes a life with horses knows it’s not only about the few days a year when the world is watching – it is about every day of every year.

January: 2010 began with honoring the champions from the previous year at the 2010 USEF Annual Meeting. Dressage superstar Steffen Peters repeated as Equestrian of the Year. It was a monumental task to get him from a horse show in California to Louisville, but it was all worth it when he was there, in person, to accept his Dressage award. The night before, his beloved horse, Ravel, was honored as the Farnam/Platform USEF Horse of the Year after storming through 2009 winning on both sides of this country (including the Rolex/FEI World Cup Final) and sweeping the CHIO Aachen in Germany – a first for an American combination. Owner Akiko Yamazaki was on hand to collect the award honoring America’s champion of 2009. Find the details here: http://www.usef.org/_IFrames/newsdisplay/viewPR.aspx?id=5264&star=true and http://www.usef.org/_IFrames/newsdisplay/viewPR.aspx?id=5265&star=true. There would be even bigger plans for this pair in 2010.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Driving, Events, FEI, FEI

Hat Trick for Koos de Ronde in Mechelen

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Koos de Ronde on his way to his hat trick victory in Mechelen. Photo: FEI/Rinaldo de Craen

Koos de Ronde did it again. The Dutch golden team member of Kentucky has won the FEI World Cup Driving competition in Mechelen for the third time in a row. De Ronde beat Hungary’s Jozsef Dobrovitz with an exciting fast and clear round to put the pressure on last-to-go and wild card driver Boyd Exell. But the World Champion from Australia was unable to stay clear and left the arena with 15 penalty points. When the scores were finally tallied, De Ronde was declared the deserved winner.

Charley is back
After wins in 2008 and 2009 in the Nekkerhal just 140 kilometres from his home in The Netherlands, Koos de Ronde was determined to be the best again in Mechelen. Koos was very pleased to be able to use his black horse Charley in the lead of his team again after having to replace him at Budapest due to injury. De Ronde put his team in the highest gear from the start and was the only driver with two clear rounds.

Too generous
Boyd Exell, who had received one of the three wild cards from the organisers, was last to go in the Winning Round after a very fast first round. Koos had asked him to be generous before he went into the fully packed arena, but Boyd explained afterwards that he had not planned to be that generous! Boyd, who had swapped his leaders around, went too fast in tight places and knocked three balls down.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12857

*Featured/Spotlights, Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Driving, Equestrian Assistance, EQUUS Foundation, JRPR, USEF

Vote for Combined Driver Chester Weber as America’s Favorite Driving Equestrian

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Chester Weber is in the running for America’s Favorite Equestrian. Vote now to have Weber win the Favorite Equestrian in the Driving discipline. Each vote donates $5 to The EQUUS Foundation. (Photo courtesy of Live Oak Combined Driving)

All Votes Support the EQUUS Foundation

Ocala, FL (December 22, 2010) – United States Combined Driver Chester Weber, a member of the winning Silver Medal 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Combined Driving team and the eight-time USEF National Four-In-Hand Champion, needs your votes for America’s Favorite Equestrian. America’s Favorite Equestrian is an interactive fund raising effort presented jointly by partnership of The EQUUS Foundation and The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) to raise funds to advance the equestrian sport on an annual basis.

“I am flattered to be chosen as one of the drivers for America’s Favorite Equestrian, but the thing I am most pleased about is that each vote gives a $5 donation to The EQUUS Foundation,” Weber said. “I truly believe in supporting The EQUUS Foundation and it is a great benefit that this contest will raise money for them. The votes really make a difference because 100% of all donations will be used to support charitable causes.”

Weber is one of eight talented athletes who have been named in the driving discipline category of America’s Favorite Equestrian. Eight athletes have also been selected in the disciplines of show jumping, dressage, eventing, reining, vaulting, endurance and para-equestrian. The athlete with the most votes in each discipline will be the winner of that discipline.

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Four American Miniature Horses Fill In for Santa’s Reindeer during Holiday HorseFest

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Linda Kern drove the chestnut Miniature Horses four-in-hand team, I’m Little SoWhat, Master of the Chase, All Fyred Up, and Rhapsody in Red, with help from her son-in-law Doug Johnson. (Photo courtesy of JRPR)

Ho, Ho, Ho – Miniature Horses Escort Santa Claus!

West Palm Beach, FL (December 20, 2010) – Four perfectly matched tiny American Miniature Horses recently filled in for Santa’s reindeer, much to the delight of the crowd, at the Fidelity Investments Holiday HorseFest at the Meyer Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach’s downtown waterfront. With more than 4,000 spectators in attendance, the holiday festival showcased a fun and festive afternoon of show jumping, musical performances, pony rides, holiday fun, prize giveaways, a competition for the 2011 $1 Million Great Charity Challenge and, of course, the arrival of Santa Claus.

Owner Linda Kern, of Caribbean Dreams Miniatures in Loxahatchee, Florida, drove the chestnut Miniature Horses four-in-hand team with help from her son-in-law Doug Johnson. “The four American Miniature Horses that pulled Santa’s sleigh, or carriage if you will, are a good example of the versatility you can find in the miniature world,” said Johnny Robb, Marketing Director for the American Miniature Horse Registry (AMHR). “It was fantastic for the crowd to see miniatures who have won National Championships and Reserve Championships as single driving horses, pairs, tandem, unicorn, and the four-in-hand.”

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Driving, Events, Fundraisers, Phelps Media Group

“Salute to Driving” Benefit to Support the USET Foundation

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Lisa Singer has helped organize the Salute to Driving after representing the United States at multiple World Championship events. Photo By: Paige DD Singer.

Aiken, SC – December 17, 2010 – The Salute to Driving fundraising event that is being held in Aiken, and Windsor SC, February 19-21, 2011 will benefit this country’s High Performance Driving programs. The exciting weekend event will feature a beautiful dinner and auction on Saturday evening, multiple driving clinics with some of the world’s top trainers throughout the weekend, and a Combined Test Competition for all on Monday. In addition to supporting the USET Foundation, the Salute to Driving event is being held to help raise awareness and educate different audiences about the discipline of driving.

The fundraising dinner and auction for the Salute to Driving will be held on Saturday, February 19, at Wendy O’Brien’s Trout Walk Farm in Aiken. The affair will get underway at 6:30 p.m. with a beautifully catered dinner and full bar. Guests will have the opportunity to bid on fabulous items during the live auction.  Some highlighted items include Brunch at the Green Boundary Club, two lessons with top driver Michael Freund at Sunshine State, Little Everglades or Live Oak, a dinner for eight presented by Jack Wetzel at his new log cabin, a week long vacation in a large Victorian Home on the beach in Cape May, NJ, and a Print “Patriots Barn” by Jamie Wyeth, signed and remarked by the artist. Throughout the night there will also be over 20 raffle items available including a photo shoot and dancing lessons.

Continue reading “Salute to Driving” Benefit to Support the USET Foundation →

*Featured/Spotlights, Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Driving, Endurance Riding, Equestrian Assistance, EQUUS Foundation, Eventing/H.T., Events, Para-Equestrian, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping, USEF, Vaulting, Western/Reining

The EQUUS Foundation and the USEF Launch America’s Favorite Equestrian

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WESTPORT, CT – December 17, 2010 – America’s Favorite Equestrian is an interactive fundraising effort presented jointly in partnership by The EQUUS Foundation and The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) to raise funds to advance the equestrian sport on an annual basis.

Using mobile texting, you can vote to select America’s Favorite Equestrians and support The EQUUS Foundation with a $5 gift. 100% of all donations will be used to support charitable causes. A minimum of $10,000 in “sport welfare” grants will be awarded, with an additional $5,000 grant awarded to the equestrian discipline generating the most votes.

The objective is for the America’s Favorite Equestrians to be an ongoing program with all equestrian disciplines/breeds represented and the winners recognized in a permanent “Hall of Fame”. The original intent was to launch the inaugural program in conjunction with the World Equestrian Games, which is why initially the eight disciplines of dressage, driving, endurance, eventing, jumping, para-dressage, reining, and vaulting were selected. The affiliates of the United States Equestrian Federation representing these disciplines selected the equestrians.  But, there were some logistics involved in establishing the mobile texting system and developing the website, which delayed the launch until December.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12751

*Featured/Spotlights, Breeds, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Driving, Events, JRPR

Lusitanos Light Up the Season at West Palm Beach’s Waterfront Holiday HorseFest

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Cherri Reiber and the Lusitanos Zerbino Interagro and Visitor Interagro presented a tandem driving exhibition at the Fidelity Investments Holiday HorseFest. (Photo courtesy of JRPR)

West Palm Beach, FL (December 17, 2010) – Two magnificent Lusitanos, driven in tandem by Cherri Reiber, kicked off the holiday season in style at Fidelity Investments Holiday HorseFest at the Meyer Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach’s downtown waterfront.  With more than four thousand spectators in attendance, the Lusitanos’ thrilling demonstration lit up the holiday show, which was presented as a fun and festive afternoon of show jumping, musical performances, pony rides, holiday fun, prize giveaways and a competition for the 2011 $1 Million Great Charity Challenge.

“The crowd really enjoyed the tandem driving exhibition and the two Lusitanos, Vistor Interagro and Zerbino Interagro, piloted by Reiber put on a fabulous performance,” said Peter Van Borst, the United States representative for Interagro Lusitanos, the largest breeder and exporter of Lusitano horses in the world. “Tandem driving is considered by driving aficionados to be one of the most difficult forms of the driving discipline due to the fact of minimal control over the lead horse. These two horses have only been working together for a few weeks, and despite the imposing venue Vistor Interagro and Zerbino Interagro put on a show that the crowd will remember for a long time.”

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12749

Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Driving, Endurance Riding, FEI

FEI President Names Executive Board Members

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Sheikh Khalid

Lausanne (SUI), 13 December 2010 – FEI President HRH Princess Haya has today named Chairman of Geographical Group VII Sheikh Khalid Bin Abdulla Al Khalifa (BRN) and Chair of the Driving Committee Richard Nicoll (USA) as members of the FEI Executive Board.

Sheikh Khalid and Mr Nicoll will serve on the Executive Board alongside First Vice President John McEwen (GBR) and Second Vice President Pablo Mayorga (ARG), who were approved at the General Assembly.

Sheikh Khalid, whose carrier as a sports administrator began in 1987, is an international judge in Endurance. He has been Chair of Group VII since 2006. He has been the Vice President of the Bahrain Royal Equestrian and Endurance Federation and the Bahrain Olympic Committee since 2009. This year he became the Chief Executive Officer of the Bahrain Olympic Committee. In the past he has been involved at the senior level in international sports clubs and committees for motor sports, Jumping and Endurance.

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Exell Back on Track in Geneva

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Boyd Exell (AUS) crossing the exciting water splash on the course in Geneva. Photo: FEI/Rinaldo de Craen

Boyd Exell is back on track after winning the fifth qualifier of this season’s FEI World Cup Driving in Geneva. Exell was too strong for IJsbrand Chardon and Tomas Eriksson and claimed his only victory rewarded with World Cup points this season. This is Boyd Exell’s third victory at Geneva’s Palexpo after his win in 2008 and the series’ Final last April.

Leader of the standings
After his wild card wins in Hannover and Stuttgart for which he did not receive World Cup points, Exell claimed ten points in Stockholm where he came second behind wild card driver Tomas Eriksson. In Budapest, it was Switzerland’s Werner Ulrich who beat the Australian World Cup and World four-in-hand Driving Champion. Thanks to his victory in Geneva, Exell has taken over the lead in the standings and has secured his ticket for the FEI World Cup Driving Final in Leipzig at the end of April 2011. Exell will start once more this season in Mechelen, Belgium, where he will compete with his third wild card for the season.

The older the faster
Boyd Exell competed with the same four horses in all five competitions he has done so far. The Britain-based Australian title holder has been travelling with seven horses in order to be able to replace one if any injuries occurred during the long trips between World Cup events. But the geldings, which on average are 17-and-a-half years old, went faster and faster at every competition. Boyd noticed this in Budapest last week and cut down their feed supplies to help them slow down.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12696

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Ultimate Win for Ulrich in Budapest

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Werner Ulrich set a solid base for his victory as first starter in the Winning Round. Photo: FEI/Rinaldo de Craen

What nobody expected in Hungary’s capital city happened today: Switzerland’s Werner Ulrich stayed ahead of top favourite Boyd Exell from Australia and won the FEI World Cup Driving competition in Budapest. Exell made two mistakes and came second, ahead of Ulrich’s compatriot Daniel Würgler. This was the second FEI World Cup Driving win in Ulrich’s 31 year long driving career. His first World Cup win came in Mechelen back in 2005.

Heart for Driving
The Papp Lászlo Budapest Sportarena was filled with enthusiastic driving fans this afternoon. In Budapest you feel that driving has a special place in the people’s hearts. The driving sport is extremely popular in Hungary, stimulated even further by the Lázár brothers who are very successful in both pairs and team driving and who enjoy celebrity status in Hungary.

Hungarian O-course designer Gábor Fintha had designed one of the best courses of the season for today’s competition, with technical challenges and fast lines, including a bridge with fireworks.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12661