Category Archives: Eventing/H.T.

*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

The Final Round of America’s Favorite Equestrian Is Underway. Vote for Your Favorite!

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WESTPORT, CT – October 1, 2011 – The results of Round 4 of America’s Favorite Equestrian are in. Three equestrians in each of the eight disciplines that participated in the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games have moved onto the Final Round.

“America’s Favorite Equestrian is an innovative and contemporary concept designed to engage the equestrian community,” said John Long, CEO, United States Equestrian Federation (USEF). “It is an exciting project to be a part of because the proceeds benefit so many worthy causes supported by The EQUUS Foundation.”

“Like any new program, getting the word out is always a challenge”, said Lynn Coakley, President, The EQUUS Foundation. “We hope that the America’s Favorite Equestrian program will help us build grass roots support within the equestrian community to improve the quality of life of horses and promote the use of horses to enrich the lives of those in need. A $5 donation multiplied by the many who already know the magical and powerful impact of horses in our lives will go a long way.”

Who Will Win?
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.

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.

Continue reading The Final Round of America’s Favorite Equestrian Is Underway. Vote for Your Favorite! →

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

Three Hundred Days to London 2012

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Lausanne (SUI), 1 October 2011 – Today, 1 October 2011, marks 300 days to go to the 2012 London Olympic Games where equestrian sport will celebrate its centenary on the Olympic Programme.

So far, teams and individual riders from 18 nations have qualified to compete in the three Olympic equestrian disciplines of Jumping, Dressage and Eventing.

Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Syria, Ukraine and the USA will compete alongside host nation Great Britain.

To date, Germany and Sweden join host nation Great Britain in having qualified teams in all three disciplines.

In just two weeks, eyes will be turning to the 16th Pan-American Games (14 to 29 October) in Guadalajara (MEX), which will host team qualifiers for FEI Olympic Groups D (North America) and E (South and Central America). Two nations from these groups which have not yet qualified will be able to secure their spot in Eventing and Dressage and three teams will qualify in Jumping.

Continue reading Three Hundred Days to London 2012 →

Eventing/H.T., Products/Services

Allison Springer Joins Mountain Horse’s Team Rider Program

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Scranton, PA — (October 1, 2011) – Mountain Horse is pleased to announce the latest addition to their Team Rider program, Allison Springer.  A veteran four-star event rider, trainer, and coach, and one of eventing’s brightest young stars, Allison knows how demanding the eventing world can be and relies on the proven, world-famous quality that is found in every design and detail of Mountain Horse products, from their innovative outerwear to their all-season footwear.

“Mountain Horse is a tremendous line of riding apparel. Their clothes and footwear are all well designed, functional and durable. But best of all, it is also very stylish! I particularly love the Autumn and Winter collection which offers a variety of boots and clothes to keep me warm without the bulk that can prevent me from riding well. I am proud to represent Mountain Horse as they are definitely a brand that focuses on helping me to ride well while ensuring that I look good while I’m doing it!”

“All of us at Mountain Horse are really pleased to have such great, young talent represent the line. We are a company that is run by equestrians, all of whom are super passionate about riding. So it really resonates with us to have the world’s up and coming young stars recognize and embrace that passion in the design and functionality of our products. We recognize how hard these event riders work for their craft, and truly feel like partners when it comes to helping them work and compete to the best of their ability,” states Sharon Gladski, Mountain Horse USA Brand Manager.

Mountain Horse products are exclusively distributed in the U.S. by English Riding Supply. For more information on Mountain Horse Team Riders, or to see the exciting new Fall/Winter line, visit us at www.MountainHorseUSA.com.

Continue reading Allison Springer Joins Mountain Horse’s Team Rider Program →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, Show Jumping, USEF

Land Rover Awards $50,000 in Performance Grants to the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team

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Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister. Photo: www. stockimageservices. com

After a hugely successful early fall campaign for the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team, six riders will receive Land Rover Performance Grants based on their performance at the 2011 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials or the 2011 Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials.

2011 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (CCI4*) – Northampton, UK
Boyd Martin led the American effort with the Neville Bardos Syndicate’s Neville Bardos at the Burghley CCI4*. The pair finished seventh, earning a $10,000 Land Rover Performance Grant in addition to the $15,000 base grant which they received prior to their trip to the UK as part of the Land Rover Competition and Training Grant initiative. Their $10,000 Land Rover Performance Grant was based on their top 10% finish at a CCI4*.

“It was fantastic gesture for Land Rover to reward Neville with the $10,000 bonus thanks to his top finish at Burghley,” said Martin. “A huge international trip like this amounts to thousands of dollars in expenses, and this performance grant will be going directly toward offsetting a lot of the costs for Neville’s trip to England. Land Rover has absolutely made my dream of competing at Burghley a reality with their grants.”

Sinead Halpin rode Manoir de Carneville to a 15th place finish at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials and will receive a $5,000 Land Rover Performance Grant for their top 20% finish at a CCI4*. Halpin’s trip to her first European CCI4* was funded by the USET Foundation’s Jacqueline Mars Grant.

2011 Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials (CCI3*) – Woodstock, UK
Tiana Coudray jumped up to a second place finish with Ringwood Magister at the Blenheim CCI3*, marking a return to form for the California combination. They will receive a $10,000 Land Rover Performance Grant based on their top 10% finish. Clark Montgomery and Loughan Glen finished fifth and Will Faudree and Pawlow were eighth, which also marked a top 10% finish for both combinations. They will also receive an additional $10,000. Both Faudree and Montgomery received Land Rover Competition and Training Grants to fund their trip, as did Phillip Dutton, who finished 12th on Mighty Nice. Dutton and Mighty Nice finished in the top 20% at Mighty Nice’s first CCI3*, meaning that they receive a $5,000 Land Rover Performance Grant.

Championships, Competitions, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, Para-Equestrian, Show Jumping, USEF

This Week in International Disciplines, September 20, 2011

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Wentz and NTEC Richter Scale. Photo by Lindsay Yosay McCall.

Para-Equestrian

The USEF National Para-Equestrian Dressage Championships took center stage at the NEDA Fall Festival in Saugerties, NY. WEG veteran and Southern Methodist University student, Jonathan Wentz put in three calculated efforts to sweep his three Grade 1b tests and score his first national championship. Riding NTEC Richter Scale, Wentz tallied an overall championship score of 71.531% giving him the edge over Dale Dedrick and Bonifatus. A first-time National Championship competitor had a three test combined score of 71.223%.

The U.S. took a step forward in qualifying for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London by winning the FEI Team Competition at the Saugerties CPEDI3* (which ran concurrently with the National Championship). The U.S. team composed of Wentz, Hart, Mary Jordan riding Sebastian, and Wendy Fryke and Lateran, topped Canada.

Competition in the five Para-Equestrian Grades was held in the CPEDI3*. In Grade 1a competition, Donna Ponessa has topped both the team and freestyle tests. In the team test, she scored 66.765% on Otto and topped the freestyle on Western Rose with a 68.5%. Canada’s Jody Schloss and Inspector Rebus scored 68.417% in the individual test on the final day of competition. Dedrick won the team and individual tests scoring 70.079% and 72.063% respectively in Grade II. Hart and Dedrick rode to an equal score of 71.833%, Hart claimed the victory as her collective marks were higher.

Continue reading This Week in International Disciplines, September 20, 2011 →

Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, Olympic Games

Japan Secures Olympic Eventing Qualification for London 2012

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Japan secures qualification for Eventing at London 2012 at the Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials (GBR). Photo: Fiona Scott-Maxwell/FEI.

Lausanne (SUI), 12 September 2011 – Japan has secured qualification for the Olympic Eventing next year following the London 2012 Eventing Team Qualifier for Asia-Pacific nations which took place at the Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials (GBR) from 8-11 September.

New Zealand, led by Clarke Johnstone, finished first in the team competition, but they are already qualified for London 2012 after claiming team bronze at last year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky (USA). The battle for the remaining slot was between Japan and Australia.

Japan fielded five riders, but their first, Yoshiaki Oiwa, was eliminated with a Cross Country fall. But Kenki Sato, Takeaki Tsuchiya and Atsushi Negishi all went clear and, at the end of Cross Country day, Japan had a four-penalty lead over Australia.

Australia became vulnerable after Lucinda Fredericks fell on the Cross Country and Bill Levett had a run-out, but the Australian their problems worsened when Brook Staples was eliminated for two refusals in the Jumping phase.

Japan’s best-placed rider, Kenki Sato, who was 16th overall in the CCI*** at Blenheim on Chippieh, said: “It’s a miracle. This is a dream come true for our country, and for my family, to qualify for the Olympics and go to Greenwich. I owe everything to my horse, and to Michael Jung [the German world champion with whom he is based] who trains me.”

Continue reading Japan Secures Olympic Eventing Qualification for London 2012 →

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

FEI European Junior Eventing Championships 2011 – Vale Sabroso (POR)

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BRITISH TAKE TEAM AND INDIVIDUAL GOLD by Louise Parkes

L to R - Kevin Seignier from France (Silver), Great Britain's Zoe Brenan (Gold) and David Doel, also from Great Britain (Bronze). Photo: FEI/Michael Steiger.

Lausanne (SUI), 12 September 2011 – Great Britain claimed team gold along with two of the three individual medals on offer at the FEI European Junior Eventing Championships 2011 at Vale Sabroso in Portugal over the weekend.  However the team silver medallists from Germany put up a spirited fight when the side was reduced to just three riders following last-minute injury problems and, leading through the dressage and cross-country phases, they were only pipped at the post in the final jumping test to finish ahead of the bronze medallists from France.

Zoe Brenan took individual gold for Britain riding Latino K while her compatriot, David Doel riding Kings Cross, scooped the bronze when finishing just 0.7 points behind Kevin Seigner and Or du Genet from France who slotted into individual silver spot.

The venue, in the beautiful Alcacer do Sol region, opened its gates to competitors from 15 nations – Italy, Spain, Sweden, Finland, Hungary, the Czech Republic, Great Britain, France, Germany, Denmark, Poland, Ireland, Portugal, Switzerland and The Netherlands – with eight countries vying for the team medals and a total of 52 starters.

HELD THE LEAD
The German team of Franziska Dennersmann (Rantan Plan Z), Charlotte Hachmeister (Kassio) and Josephine Wilms (Corvette D) held the lead after the dressage phase, with Ireland in second and Great Britain in third ahead of France.  This was a particularly good result for the Irish who do not always shine in the dressage department, but normally tend to come into their own when the jumping phases get underway.  However the Irish Juniors have clearly raised their game, and on this occasion Tori Dixon and Shadow Light were sharing third place on the individual leaderboard with Belgium’s Valentine Gabriel and Chopin Van’T Kattekwaad going into cross-country day on a score of 45.0.  German team member, Wilms, was lying second with a mark of 44.0 while British individual, Emily King, led the way with a mark of 41.9 from Mr Hiho.

Continue reading FEI European Junior Eventing Championships 2011 – Vale Sabroso (POR) →

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

Coudray Leads the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team as They Jump Their Way into the Top 10 at Fidelity Blenheim International Horse Trials

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Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister. Photo: Stockimageservices. com

Lexington, KY – With three riders in the top 10, the Land River U.S. Eventing Team had everything to play for in the show jumping on the final day of the 2011 Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials in Woodstock, U.K.

And Tiana Coudray played the game the best for the U.S. throughout the week, adding nothing to her dressage score of 49.4 to finish second on Jaital, Inc.’s, Ringwood Magister, a 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding.

“Today it was pretty much textbook,” said Coudray after the show jumping.

The California native has had a rough spring. After falling at their first CCI4* at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Bridgestone in April, they then struggled at the Luhmühlen CIC3*, but Coudray made the decision to stick it out in England over the summer and regain the form that saw her win the Jersey Fresh CCI3* with her flashy grey in 2010.

She found it at Blenheim.

“I am so, so pleased,” said Coudray. “It’s extra special because things have been so tough for quite a while. I was a pretty good way to finish off the season.”

Continue reading Coudray Leads the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team as They Jump Their Way into the Top 10 at Fidelity Blenheim International Horse Trials →

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

Coudray Leads the Way for the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team at the Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials

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Lexington, KY – The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team served notice today at the Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials that their next generation of horses and riders are going to be very competitive on the world stage. Four of the six American starters completed the cross-country in the top 14. Piggy French occupies the top two spots on Lemington Lett Dance and DHI Topper W for Great Britain adding nothing to her dressage mark on either horse to take over the lead from dressage winner Bettina Hoy who finished with 7.6 time penalties.

Led by Tiana Coudray (Ojai, CA) who has returned to the form that saw her win the 2010 Jersey Fresh CCI3* last spring, she rode a determined and calculated round on Ringwood Magister to gallop into fourth place, adding nothing to her dressage score of 49.4.

The flashy 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse has had an inconsistent 2011, and Coudray has been in the U.K. since June – determined to get back on track after an unsuccessful Luhmuhlen CIC3*. She succeeded at Blenheim and delivered on the expectation that she has always had for her striking grey gelding.

“The track rode as expected,” said Coudray. “I executed my plan. It was perfectly suited for what we needed to do. My horse was amazing.”

Veteran stalwart Phillip Dutton (West Grove, PA) is having a changing of the guard within his stable, as some of his seasoned campaigners have been retired. Today, Mighty Nice proved to him and owner Bruce Duchossois how classy he is and at only 7 years old, gives them a lot to look forward to. The recipient of a Land Rover Competition and Training Grant, Dutton was pleased with his round.

Continue reading Coudray Leads the Way for the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team at the Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials →

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

Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team Dressage Success Continues at Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials

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Lexington, KY – Good fortune in the dressage ring continued for the 2011 Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team at the 2011 Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials. The final two U.S. riders drew Friday times and both of them produced very competitive efforts.

Clark Montgomery led the day for the USA with a score of 45.4. He rode Holly Becker, Kathleen Kraft and Carole Montgomery’s Loughan Glen to a score of 45.4. The CCI3* winners at the Bromont International Horse Trials in June, Loughan Glen and Montgomery received a Land Rover Competition and Training Grant to test their form in the U.K.

Montgomery and the 9-year-old Irish Sport Horse had two mistakes, keeping them from an even better score, and there was more than a 20-point differential in the judges’ marks. They sit in seventh place heading into the cross-country.

“I was very happy with Glen today,” said Montgomery. “Overall, I felt the quality of work has improved from Bromont. Unfortunately, I made a mistake in the extended trot and then forgot my halt so I am a couple of points higher than I should be. I am really looking forward to the cross-country tomorrow. The course is beautiful and the ground is perfect.”

They are less than a point and one place ahead of teammate Jules Stiller who rode a stellar test on Thursday on Headley Stud Eventing’s Enjoy Me. They head to the cross-country on a score of 46.2, just a few marks ahead of California Rider Tiana Coudray and Jaital, Inc.’s Ringwood Magister on a 49.4.

Continue reading Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team Dressage Success Continues at Fidelity Blenheim Palace International Horse Trials →