Category Archives: Hunter/Equitation

*Featured/Spotlights, Classic Company, Community/Charity, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Jacksonville Winter Series Host a Global Opening Week

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Rodrigo Pessoa & HH Let’s Fly. Photos ©Flashpoint Photography

Green Cove Springs, FL – January 15, 2011 – Only the United Nations could compare to this week’s global gathering of delegates for the FEI World Cup Qualifier with 28 of the world’s best equine athletes looking to garner points towards a spot in the finals, held April 27th through May 1st in Leipzig, Germany. Kent Farrington, who divides his residence between Greenwich, CT in the summer and Wellington, FL during the winter, partnered with crowd favorite Up Chiqui claimed the first victory in Friday evening’s $31,500 CSI Welcome.

International great Guilherme Jorge (BRA) was tasked with creating a speed test worthy of 25 high performance horses, combining both physical and mental challenges. Set at regulation 1.45m (maximum height 4’9”) with a time allowance of 78 seconds, the biggest test may have been how quick riders could make a choice – coming off of fence #3 [oxer] should they take a sharp inside turn to the triple combination to 4ABC, possibly shaving off precious seconds, or play it safe and swing out wider? “This is sort of his [Up Chiqui’s] specialty, a speed round because he’s very, very fast, so the inside option is unnecessary because he can go just as quickly around a wider option,” Farrington complimented of his mount, 14-year-old Belgium bred gelding Up Chiqui.

Continue reading Jacksonville Winter Series Host a Global Opening Week →

Classic Company, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Gulf Coast Winter Series 2011

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Because of popular demand we have added Hunter Breeding to each week in Gulfport this winter. The classes will be held on Thursday mid day and will offer Yearling, Two Year Olds and Three Year Olds. Also, due to popular demand we will be adding a non restricted 1.0m Children’s Adult Jumper Division to run hand in hand with the Zone 4 1.0m Children’s Adult but will allow for cross entry into the 1.10 – 1.15 Zone 4 Children’s Adult Jumpers.

We are also very pleased to see so many exhibitors taking advantage of the reduced stall price if paid in full by closing date (Feb. 1). For those who have not fully read the prize list, the stall price this year is $225.00 per week but if paid in full by closing date, the price is $200. For stalls call 843 768 5503.

Jeff is putting the stalls up in Gulfport now so don’t wait too long to send in your camper or stall reservation. It’s going to be a great year in Gulfport with lots of new classes and new prize money offerings along with great improvements, like a new jumper rider’s lounge placed ringside jumper ring one.

Also, if you are tired of the cold and snow, of course you can come to Jacksonville, Florida (the only state in the country without snow) or come on down early to Gulfport. Call Janet at our office for more information about early arrivals: 228 669 2687.

See you at the rings,

Bob Bell
The Classic Company, Ltd.
www.ClassicCompany.com
Phone/FAX:  (843) 768-5503
Post Office Box 1311  Johns Island  SC 29457

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Hunter/Equitation

Rosalynn Makes a Clean Sweep in the Sanctuary High Performance Working Hunters at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival

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Kelley Farmer and Rosalynn were the Sanctuary High Performance Working Hunter champions during the first week of the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Photos © Sportfot, Official Sport Photographer of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, www.sportfot.com.

Wellington, FL – January 13, 2011 – The 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival runs from January 12 – April 3 and will host the sport’s most talented hunter and jumper riders. The first week of competition at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center continued today as professional riders sought championship honors in various hunter divisions.

This year, the High Performance Working Hunter division sponsored by The Sanctuary at PBIEC has been added to the list of divisions for competition. The new division is open to all riders and horses, and includes fences ranging in height from 4′ to 4’6″.

While eight horse and rider combinations competed over a two-day period, only one stood above them all. Kelley Farmer, riding her and Larry Glefke’s mount Rosalynn, topped the field winning all five of the division’s classes. The five-for-five winning streak was quite a feat for Rosalynn and Farmer as it is the first week of showing at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival.

Continue reading Rosalynn Makes a Clean Sweep in the Sanctuary High Performance Working Hunters at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival →

*Featured/Spotlights, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, HITS, Hunter/Equitation, Products/Services, Show Jumping

High Five! FarmVet to Sponsor Level 5 Jumpers at HITS Horse Shows in 2011

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© ESI Photography. FarmVet returns as a sponsor of HITS Horse Shows nationwide in 2011.

SAUGERTIES, NY (January 12, 2011) — HITS is pleased to announce that long-time sponsor FarmVet will return as a nationwide sponsor of HITS Horse Shows for the 2011 show jumping season that is set to kick off in the next couple of weeks at HITS Ocala, HITS Thermal and HITS Arizona.

This season, FarmVet will again be the title sponsor of the FarmVet Level 5 Jumper Division and has expanded its sponsorship to each HITS venue. This popular jumper division features fences set at 3’11” which is perfect for riders to move their horses up through the ranks.

Last winter, the FarmVet Level 5 Jumper Division featured some of the top jumper riders in the country, including Aaron Vale who was Reserve Circuit Champion at HITS Ocala. “The FarmVet Level 5 Jumper Division is crucial to the development of young horses and up-and-coming riders,” said HITS’ Account Executive for Corporate Sponsorship Lisa Engel. “We appreciate FarmVet’s support of HITS and its commitment to the development of both horses and riders in this important division.”

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12944

*Featured/Spotlights, Classic Company, Community/Charity, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

New Schedule for Week One of the Jacksonville Winter Series

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January 10th, 2011

Exhibitors,

All is looking well for the Jacksonville Winter Series this year. We are not in snow and ice and we have a few stalls available for weeks one and three and for the most part, we are sold out for week two. I want to thank everyone for sending in thier entries this year that helped a great deal with our planning.

We do have a new schedule for week one. I have published it on this link.

http://www.classiccompany.com/zdocs/jax_sch.pdf

If you have any questions the show office number is 904 284 1579.

See you at the rings,

Bob Bell

The Classic Company, Ltd.

www.ClassicCompany.com

Phone/FAX: (843) 768-5503

Post Office Box 1311 Johns Island SC 29457

Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping, Training/Clinics

USET Foundation Hosts Luncheon to Wrap Up 5th Annual George Morris Horsemastership Clinic

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Wellington, FL – January 11, 2011 – Saturday, January 8, 2011 marked the final day of the weeklong George Morris Horsemastership Clinic held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) where 12 of the country’s top young riders showcased their skills.  At the completion of the final day, all of the participants had the opportunity to enjoy luncheon hosted by the United States Equestrian Team Foundation at the International Club at PBIEC.

Participants in the clinic included:
Ali Wolff – New Albany, OH
Hayley Barnhill – Collierville, TN
Karen Polle – New York, NY
Brittany Hurst – Jackson, NJ
Taylor Ann Adams – Ocala, FL
Kelsey Thatcher – Riverton, UT
Lillie Keenan – New York, NY
Molly Braswell – Ocala, FL
Chase Boggio – Canton, GA
Victoria Birdsall – Topsfield, MA
Kate Haley – Orchard Park, NY
Anna Hallene – Hinsdale, IL

Throughout the week, riders completed five mounted sessions with Morris, and were also treated to 10 other presentations from various specialists ranging from United States Team Veterinarian Tim Ober to Olympians McLain Ward, Laura Kraut, Anne Kursinski and Beezie Madden, as well as ASPCA Ambassadors Georgina Bloomberg and Brianne Goutal.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12927

Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, EQUUS Foundation, Events, Fundraisers, Hunter/Equitation, Phelps Media Group, Polo, Show Jumping

Performer Line Up Finalized for Equestrian Idol on Friday, February 4, 2011 in Wellington

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Jenna Wyatt (pictured) will perform with Taylor Blauweiss, Diana Bricker, Hillary Dobbs, Lou Galterio, Casey Hodges, Teaghan James, Jen White Kane, Brian Lookabill, Ki-Juan Minors, and Robert Orthwein at the 2011 Equestrian Idol Musical Cabaret on February 4 in Wellington. Photo courtesy of Jenna Wyatt.

WELLINGTON, FL – January 10, 2011 – Presented by Tiffany & Co. Palm Beach Gardens, the Equestrian Idol “All Stars” Musical Cabaret on Friday, February 4, 2011, promises the best in musical entertainment and cuisine for the equestrian and local residents in Wellington and Palm Beach County.

For this fifth year of the event, the past four Idol winners, Taylor Blauweiss, Ki-Juan Minors, Jen White Kane, and Brian Lookabill, will pair up with new performers in a musical cabaret, guaranteed to energize the audience even more than in the past years. Taylor Blauweiss, the first “Equestrian Idol,” will pair up with Hillary Dobbs; Ki-Juan Minors, winning in 2008, will pair up with Teaghan James and Robert Orthwein; 2009 winner Jen White Kane will pair up with Diana Bricker and Jenna Wyatt; and the reigning 2010 winner Brian Lookabill will pair up with Casey Hodges and Lou Galterio.

New this year, the performers represent the three disciplines competing at the highest levels of the equestrian sport in Wellington – dressage, polo and show jumping. The competition will be fierce for past performers, Dianna Bricker, Hillary Dobbs, and Casey Hodges, along with new performer, Teaghan James, representing the show jumping/hunter equestrian community. Jenna Wyatt is a United States Dressage Federation (USDF) bronze, silver and gold medalist, currently competing at the Grand Prix level. She is also a singer/songwriter, host of “Dressage under the Stars,” and regularly sings the national Anthem at major sporting events, including the Winter Equestrian Festival and the International Polo Club while wintering in Wellington.

Continue reading Performer Line Up Finalized for Equestrian Idol on Friday, February 4, 2011 in Wellington →

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.

Continue reading 52 Weeks in the Pursuit of Excellence →

Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping, Training/Clinics, USEF

USEF Network Will Broadcast George H. Morris Horsemastership Training Session

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Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation will be showcasing one of the greatest opportunities for young jumping riders to kick off the 2011 USEF Network broadcast schedule.

The Fifth Annual George H. Morris Horsemastership Training Session, presented by the USEF in 2011, will take place January 4-8, 2011 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. This exclusive opportunity is offered to 12 of the nation’s best rising stars, and they will spend four days learning from the U.S. Show Jumping Chef d’Equipe George Morris and several other legends of the sport.

The morning riding sessions will be available for the first time on the USEFNetwork.com, the same free online resource that provided wall-to-wall coverage for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Please join the USEF and take advantage of this opportunity to learn remotely from some of the best at: www.USEFNetwork.com.

For more information, and the complete schedule, please visit: http://www.usef.org/documents/disciplines/jumper/AuditorSchedule.pdf.

Awards, Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Hunter/Equitation, USEF

Kathryn Clapp Named USEF SmartPak Adult Amateur Hunter Leading Rider for 2010

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Kathryn Clapp and Donnerkind. Photo by Al Cook.

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) is proud to announce that the SmartPak Adult Amateur Hunter Leading Rider for 2010 is Kathryn Clapp of Charlottesville, VA. Clapp earned the honor aboard her equine partner Donnerkind, a 16.1-hand dark brown Hannoverian owned by Thomas Bishop’s The Barracks Farm also in Charlotteville.

Based on accumulative points during the 2010 competition year, the SmartPak Adult Amateur Hunter Ranking List, the award comes with a prize from the USEF and SmartPak. Clapp’s accumulation of 1,000 points earned her the prize by a wide margin.

Clapp, 24, said, “This past year has been one of the best opportunities of my life. He was a great horse and a lot of fun, and I want to thank all the people that helped me get there.”

Continue reading Kathryn Clapp Named USEF SmartPak Adult Amateur Hunter Leading Rider for 2010 →