Category Archives: Eventing/H.T.

Championships, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Events, USEF

Walker Claims 2011 USEF National CCI1* Eventing Championship Riding for the First Time as an American

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Robin Walker and Florenz (Image by Xpress Foto © 2011)

Lexington, KY – Riders from throughout the United States travelled to the Kentucky Horse Park to contest the 2011 USEF National CCI1* Eventing Championships held October 21-23. These championships, which were hosted in conjunction with the Hagyard MidSouth Three Day & Team Challenge, saw 25 U.S. competitors braved the frigid autumn temperatures to vie for top honors. Robin Walker and Florenz scored a wire-to-wire victory finishing more than 10 points ahead of the other National Championship competition.

Walker (Grass Lake, MI) was competing for the first time under the U.S. flag at the Hagyard MidSouth Three Day after having changed his nationality four days prior to the start of competition. He finished his first competition as an American in style, piloting Florenz to double-clear rounds in both the cross country and show jumping to add nothing to their dressage score of 45.

This pair was the winner of both the CCI1* and USEF National CCI1* Eventing Championship. Walker thinks very highly of Anne-Marie Rasch’s seven-year-old Oldenburg and believes she has a future in the sport.

Continue reading Walker Claims 2011 USEF National CCI1* Eventing Championship Riding for the First Time as an American →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, Pan American Games

USA Wins Team Gold, Canada’s Phoenix Claims Individual Title

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Canada's Jessica Phoenix and Pavarotti on their way to taking the Individual title in Eventing at the Pan-American Games. Photo: FEI/Anthony Trollope.

Lausanne (SUI), 25 October 2011 – American riders scooped Eventing Team gold in convincing fashion at the Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico on Sunday when all five team-members sensationally completed on their Dressage scores.  But the USA had to settle for silver and bronze in the battle for the Individual title, as Canada’s Jessica Phoenix stood firm to capitalise on the advantage she had established in the Dressage arena last Friday.

It was a historic result for 28-year-old Phoenix, who hails from Uxbridge, Ontario as she is only the second Canadian rider ever to earn individual Eventing gold in the history of the Pan-American Games.  Riding the nine-year-old Westphalian gelding, Pavarotti, she set the target with a Dressage mark of 43.90 and never looked back.  A flawless Cross Country performance on Saturday was followed by another copybook round over the coloured poles on Sunday to clinch individual gold.  “It’s a dream come true,” she said afterwards.

PIVOTAL
The Dressage placings proved pivotal, as the top four all remained within that grouping, although America’s Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot improved from third to fill silver medal spot in the final analysis.  Team-mate, Bruce Davidson Jr., moved up from fourth to take the bronze at the expense of fellow-American Michael Pollard who narrowly missed a medal-placing with two fences down on the final afternoon.

Continue reading USA Wins Team Gold, Canada’s Phoenix Claims Individual Title →

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, FEI

FEI World Eventing Championships for Young Horses 2011 – Le Lion d’Angers (FRA)

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GERMANY’S JUNG AND BRITAIN’S KING TAKE THE TITLES by Louise Parkes

Michael Jung won the 6 Year Old title with the Hannoverian mare, Rocana FST. Photo: FEI/www.equi-photos.com

Lausanne (SUI), 24 October 2011 – Germany’s Michael Jung won the 6 Year Old title with the Hannoverian mare Rocana while Great Britain’s Kitty King claimed the 7 Year Old honours with the Dutch-bred mare Zidante at the 26th FEI World Eventing Championships for Young Horses at Le Lion d’Angers over the weekend. This specialist fixture is widely recognised for identifying the rising stars of the future. Proof of this is clear in the number of horses which progress from Mondial du Lion to produce results at European, World Championship and Olympic level. Frenchman Nicolas Touzaint is the most prolific winner in the history of the event having won six gold medals between 2000 and 2005, including the 6 year old championship in 2000 and the 7 year old championship in 2001 riding Galan de Sauvagère, his double individual European gold medal winning mount. Jung won the silver medal in both the 6 and 7 year old categories with his 2010 FEI World Eventing Championship ride La Biosthétique-Sam, and 2011 Lexington CCI4* winner, King’s Temptress ridden by Great Britain’s Mary King, is another Le Lion graduate.

The ‘Mondial du Lion’ has taken place every year since 1986 at the same venue – the Isle Briand Estate – and is always staged at the beginning of the French All Saints holidays. The winner of the inaugural fixture was the current coach of the French eventing team, Laurent Bousquet, on Jim Pam. That year 43 combinations lined out, a number which rose so rapidly it had to be capped at 110 by the FEI. The Championships have also proven increasingly popular with the public, with attendance figures rising from 5,000 in 1986 to a record 41,000 in 2009.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Events, Pan American Games, USEF

Historic Team Gold Medal for US Eventing Team at the 2011 Pan American Games

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The U.S. Eventing Team Wins the Team Gold Medal

GUADALAJARA, Mexico – In an unprecedented effort, the U.S. Eventing Team stormed to Team Gold at the 2011 Pan American Games in classic style. All five team members added nothing to their dressage scores, to finish on 138.6 – a feat never before achieved in a Team Eventing Championship.

After winning the dressage, they jumped five spectacular clear rounds on Saturday’s cross-country course, for the first time in anyone’s memory and then sealed the victory at Club Hippica with double-clear show jumping.

“I would like to give a really special congratulations to my team,” said Chef d’Equipe Mark Phillips. “Five people finishing on their dressage score – that’s never been done before in the history of our sport.”

Anchored by Buck Davidson (Ocala, FL), who led the way on Absolute Liberty as the pathfinder for the U.S. Team – he set a standard that the entire team maintained for three days. It was a truly phenomenal effort and all four of them finished within eight points of each other.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Events, Pan American Games, USEF

US Eventing Team Extends Lead at 2011 Pan American Games

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Hannah Burnett and Harbour Pilot (Photo: Shannon Brinkman)

GUADALAJARA, Mexico – The five riders on the U.S. Eventing Team travelled to the Santa Sofia Country Club and impressively extended their lead at the Pan American Games. All five produced fault-free rounds over John Williams’ cross country track adding nothing to their 138.6 team total from dressage. They head into Sunday’s show jumping phase nearly 22 points clear of the second-placed Canadian team. Dressage Leader Jessica Phoenix of Canada still leads the individual standings with a score of 43.9 on Pavarotti, but the U.S. occupies five of the top six positions.

The first combination on course for the U.S. squad, Buck Davidson (Ocala, FL) and Absolute Liberty, set the tone for the day by making easy work of the track, adding no penalties. Davidson, son of World and Pan American Games champion Bruce Davidson, added to his own legacy by guiding Shannon Will’s 8-year-old mare to a double clear round despite riding with one stirrup on the last section of the course after his right stirrup broke.

“She was amazing every place she needed to look after me she did,” said Davidson. “What more could you ask of her? She did everything like it was a training level.”

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, Pan American Games, USEF

US Eventing Team Leads 2011 Pan American Games after Dressage

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Michael Pollard and Schoensgreen Hanni Lead the U.S. Eventers (Photo: Shannon Brinkman)

Guadalajara, Mexico – The U.S. Eventing Team got their competition off to a strong start in the dressage phase at the 2011 Pan American Games, cruising to the lead by more than nine points. The top three riders’ scores from each team count, so the United States goes forward to Saturday’s cross country on a score of 138.6 penalties. Canada is second on a combined total of 147.4 and Brazil sits third on 162.7. Canadian Jessica Phoenix leads the pack individually with a score of 43.9 on Pavarotti – but the U.S. has four riders in the top five and all five riders in the top 10.

Best for the U.S. was Schoensgreen Hanni and Michael Pollard (Dalton, GA) who made a lovely impression in the ring at Club Hippica, and put forward a very credible effort to score 44.5. Owned by Pollard’s wife Nathalie, the 8-year-old German Sport Horse mare didn’t make any mistakes for Pollard and they cruised into second place.

“I was really pleased,” said Pollard. “She presented exactly what we’ve been working on with no major mistakes – maybe a couple of things I would like to do a little bit better, but I thought all in all she did a good test today. She’s a horse that can do the other phases as well, so it should be a good weekend.”

Continue reading US Eventing Team Leads 2011 Pan American Games after Dressage →

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

Who Will Be Inducted into the America’s Favorite Equestrian Hall of Fame? Voting Closes on October 31st!

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WESTPORT, CT – October 21, 2011 – Who Will Be Inducted into the America’s Favorite Equestrian Hall of Fame? Voting ends on October 31, 2011. America’s Favorite Equestrians will be selected based on the athletes with the highest number of votes recorded in each of the eight disciplines.

The announcement will be made at the America’s Favorite Equestrian Victory Celebration on Friday, November 4, 2011, at 9:30 p.m., at the Alltech National Horse Show in Lexington, Kentucky.

This is it! Keep Voting! All it takes is a $5 gift to The EQUUS Foundation to insure that your favorite is America’s favorite. Click here to see the equestrian entries and to vote.

For information on The EQUUS Foundation, Inc., visit the EQUUS website at www.equusfoundation.org or contact The EQUUS Foundation, Inc., at (203) 259-1550 or equus@equusfoundation.org.

Continue reading Who Will Be Inducted into the America’s Favorite Equestrian Hall of Fame? Voting Closes on October 31st! →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Events, Pan American Games, USEF

Eventing Set to Begin at 2011 Pan American Games

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Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot (Photo: Shannon Brinkman)

Guadalajara, Mexico – The U.S. Eventing Team presented five horses at the First Horse Inspection of the 2011 Pan American Games and all were accepted without incident. The United States drew fourth position, but of the three countries drawn ahead only Venezuela has a complete team; therefore American Buck Davidson and Absolute Liberty will be second in the ring in Friday’s dressage.

All five horses looked sharp, and the Ground Jury of Wayne Quarles (USA), Janine Rohr (ARG) and Alain James (FRA) passed them as fit and ready to contest the CCI2* level competition. Under the care of Chef d’Equipe Capt. Mark Phillips, veterinarian Dr. Brendan Furlong and farrier Stephen Teichman, the U.S. Team presented a strong and fit looking group of horses.

Listen to what Dr. Furlong had to say about the squad: http://www.usefnetwork.com/blogs/170/dr_brendan_furlong_on_the_eventing.aspx.

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Championships, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Events, USEF

Riders Head to Lexington, KY for USEF National CCI1* Eventing Championship

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Lexington, KY – The 2011 National Championship season for eventing comes to a close this weekend at the Kentucky Horse Park with the USEF National CCI1* Eventing Championship. More than 30 horse-and-rider combinations will be vying for top honors in the championship which is held in conjunction with the Hagyard MidSouth Three Day & Team Challenge, October 21-23.

Four National Championships will be up for grabs this weekend in Lexington, KY. Riders will have the opportunity to be crowned USEF National CCI1* Eventing Champion, USEF National 19-21 Year Old Eventing Champion, USEF National Junior Eventing Champion and USEF National Amateur Eventing Champion.

The first horse inspection for all CCI1* competitors will take place Thursday, October 20. Competition officially gets underway for the one star division and National Championship Friday, October 21.

For more information about the Hagyard MidSouth Three Day & Team Challenge including schedules, ride times and results visit: http://www.kyevents.net/shows/info/tchallenge.

Visit http://usefnetwork.com/featured/EventersinEurope/ to keep up with the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team.

Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Eventing/H.T., Events, Media/Radio/TV Sources, Publications/Media, Training/Clinics, USEA, Webinars

Don’t Miss This Tonight! Free Webinar – How Good Riders Get Good – A Lifetime of Insights with Denny Emerson

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Date: October 17th
Topic: How Good Riders Get Good –  A Lifetime of Insights with Denny Emerson
Speaker: Denny Emerson
Time: 5:00 pm Pacific  7:00 Central  8:00 Eastern
Format: Simulcast – attend via your phone or computer
Duration: 45 minutes

The Open Session
USEA Hall of Fame Inductee and author of “How Good Riders Get Good,” Denny Emerson is a wealth of knowledge and one of the most respected horseman (across all disciplines) in the equestrian sports community.  He will discuss the cross roads and critical decisions that riders must make in their careers in order to truly become “good.”  This session will be open to both horse professionals and their customers. We expect it to be quite inspirational.

Members Session – Live Q&A and Personal Tips on Equestrian Career Planning
Speaker: Denny Emerson
Date: October 17th
Time: Immediately following the open session
Format: Simulcast – attend via your phone or computer
Summary: This members only session will enable our members to engage in some “one on one” discussion with Denny about their own careers.

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