Category Archives: Hunter/Equitation

2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Receives Entries from 60 Countries

May 7, 2010 – LEXINGTON, KY – The World Games 2010 Foundation is pleased to announce that 60 National Federations have submitted entries in principle for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. They are:

Argentina                                France                                     Norway
Australia                                 Germany                                 Paraguay
Austria                                                Great Britain                          Poland
Belgium                                   Greece                                    Portugal
Bermuda                                 Guatemala                              Qatar
Brazil                                       Hungary                                  Russia
Bahrain                                   India                                        Saudi Arabia
Continue reading 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Receives Entries from 60 Countries

HSBC FEI World Cup Eventing Goes Worldwide

6 May 2010 – HSBC FEI World Cup Eventing takes place at opposite ends of the globe this weekend (7-9 May), with the third and fourth events in the 2010 series taking place at Sydney (AUS) and Marbach (GER).

A new reciprocal arrangement between the organisers of last month’s Kihikihi CIC***-W (NZL) and Sydney has meant that Australian and New Zealand riders have received funding to travel across the Tasman Sea to compete in these events.

As a result, two New Zealanders, Clarke Johnstone, currently lying equal fifth in the HSBC FEI World Cup Eventing standings, and Jenna Mahoney, ninth, will be contesting Sydney. Blair Richardson, the third Kiwi entered, already lives in Australia.

Continue reading HSBC FEI World Cup Eventing Goes Worldwide

Let the Horses Inspire You!

New York artist Mickey Paraskevas designed the 2009 WIHS Poster.

Washington, DC – April 28, 2010 – Let the horses inspire you! The Washington International Horse Show (WIHS), the leading indoor equestrian event in the U.S., is seeking original poster designs for its 52nd annual event, to be held Oct. 26-31, 2010, at Verizon Center in Washington, D.C.  The six-day equine extravaganza features the country’s leading horses and riders in exciting jumping competition.

The poster contest is open to U.S.-based artists, both amateur and professional, 18 years or older.  A maximum of three entries per artist will be accepted. There is no entry fee. Artists submit photos (prints or digital files) of their work (not slides, not original art).  The work submitted must be original and may be in any medium suitable for duplicating on posters and souvenir merchandise. The deadline for entries is 4:00 P.M., Monday, May 31, 2010.

Continue reading Let the Horses Inspire You!

ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship Win Goes to Michael Murphy at Tournament of Champions

ASPCA Maclay winner Michael Murphy on Winnetou (Owner Elizabeth Patz) Tournament of Champions at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center. Photo © 2010 Lindsay Y McCall/PMG.
ASPCA Maclay winner Michael Murphy on Winnetou (Owner Elizabeth Patz) Tournament of Champions at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center. Photo © 2010 Lindsay Y McCall/PMG.

Tampa, FL – April 8, 2010 – Riders brought forth their finest efforts in the equitation classes at the Tampa Equestrian Festival’s Tournament of Champions held at the Bob Thomas Equestrian Center at the Florida State Fairgrounds. Earning the top accolade in the ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship class was Michael Murphy aboard Winnetou. Testing Robert McCune’s equitation course to first place in the Pessoa USEF Hunt Seat Medal was Shawn Casady riding Eastwood.

These outstanding riders exchanged placings in the equitation classes when Murphy won the ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship, while Casady rode into second place. Then, Casady earned the blue ribbon in the Pessoa USEF Hunt Seat Medal class and Murphy took home the second place prize.

Murphy has been riding Winnetou for approximately two weeks, since his prior equitation horse had sold. Elizabeth Patz, who also shows at Murphy family’s facility, owns Winnetou. “I am still figuring this horse out a little bit,” remarked Murphy. “He sometimes gets a little bunched up and compressed so I try to allow him to be soft. He is definitely learning to open up and not stay so tight.”

Continue reading ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship Win Goes to Michael Murphy at Tournament of Champions

Sandy Ferrell and Showman Claim Another Championship in the Western Hay & Suncoast Bedding First Year Green Hunters at 2010 FTI WEF

Sandy Ferrell and Showman Claimed the Western Hay and Suncoast Bedding First Year Green Working Hunter Championship © 2010 Randi Muster
Sandy Ferrell and Showman Claimed the Western Hay and Suncoast Bedding First Year Green Working Hunter Championship © 2010 Randi Muster

Wellington, FL – April 1, 2010 – This is the last week of the 2010 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) for hunters to secure a tricolor, and Sandy Ferrell and Showman, owned by Alexa & Krista Weisman, ended on a great note when they received their third championship of the twelve-week FTI WEF in the Western Hay & Suncoast Bedding First Year Green Working Hunters.

Alexa and Krista Weisman bought Showman from Scott Stewart and Ken Berkley about two years ago, and owner Alexa Weisman also competes with her mount in the Amateur Hunter divisions.

Ferrell, of Bernville, PA, competed with Showman six times throughout the 2010 FTI WEF, and has been champion three times, and reserve champion twice in the First Year Green Working Hunters. This is a very impressive feat, especially for one of the most well-attended hunter divisions at the horse show. Ferrell described the eight-year-old Westphalian gelding as the “epitome of a show hunter. He’s beautiful, elegant, talented, and he goes to win.”

Continue reading Sandy Ferrell and Showman Claim Another Championship in the Western Hay & Suncoast Bedding First Year Green Hunters at 2010 FTI WEF

Let’s Dance – Classic Company to Debut Musical Freestyle Hunt Seat Equitation Championship

Olivia Hostetter and Cinzano ©Flashpoint Photography
Olivia Hostetter and Cinzano ©Flashpoint Photography

Conyers, GA — March 31, 2010 — Classic Company’s president Bob Bell announced the first ever Musical Freestyle Hunt Seat Equitation Championship will premiere at the upcoming Atlanta Summer Classics, June 16-27, in the former Olympic Grand Prix arena of the Georgia International Horse Park.

The idea came to Bell while outside a schooling ring on an off day of his show, sitting in a golf cart chatting on his phone the sound of a nearby stereo drifted over causing his attention to shift towards the horse and rider working over the fences to the beat of the music playing. “I saw the look of pure enjoyment on the rider’s face. Both horse and rider were having a great time with the music as a backdrop to their workout, so it started me on a quest to recreate that fun in our class offerings,” Bell mused.

Continue reading Let’s Dance – Classic Company to Debut Musical Freestyle Hunt Seat Equitation Championship

Jacksonville A to Z and Gulfport Updates

We had another great week in Jacksonville.  This week we were minus our leader, Tony Weight, the President of NFHJA, because he had shoulder surgery, but somehow we made it through.  We all wish Tony a speedy recovery. It’s hard to believe that four weeks have gone by this fast.

The Jacksonville Winter Series is quickly drawing to a close.  Four exciting weeks have flown by, but there is still another week of fun!  The Jacksonville Finale boasts yet another $25,000 Grand Prix on Saturday, Feb. 6th at 7:00 p.m.  The $10,000 Bruning Foundation Equitation Classic presented by Jerry Parks Insurance Group will be held Friday, Feb. 5th at 7:00 p.m.  Come out and cheer on your favorite horse and rider in both of these exciting events! Plans are already underway for 2011.

On Friday night the show hosted the USHJA National Hunter Classic. Megan Young won the call aboard Levaro, owned by Rachel Herman. Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=10078

A Platinum Win for Aaron Vale in the $25,000 Jacksonville A-Z Grand Prix

Aaron Vale & Platinum ©Flashpoint Photography
Aaron Vale & Platinum ©Flashpoint Photography

Green Cove Springs, FL — January 30, 2010 — Tonight’s $25,000 Jacksonville A-Z Grand Prix sponsored by North Florida Hunter Jumper Association closed out Week IV of competition with one of the most successful riders in show jumping, Aaron Vale, adding another win to his illustrious career.

After a week of observation, course designer Allen Rheinheimer put all he learned about today’s starting field into a lengthy and technical 13 obstacle/6 effort test with a time allowance of 96 tight seconds. “It was a little bit on the snug side for sure,” chuckled Vale about the tick tock of the clock. A vast majority of the faults in round one occurred from battling the clock, with 3 horses retiring and 6 having time issues.  It wasn’t until the 6th in the field of 21, birthday girl Claire Lee, that the audience saw a clear round. Lee and partner High Roller posted a clean run of 91.786, which held as the only perfect ride until 3 rounds later when Vale and Platinum assured a jump off with a clean 94.083 seconds. Only one other horse and rider combo, Tony Font and Gardenio (owned by YZ Partners LLC) with a clean 93.776, would accompany them to the final round. Vale said, “This was surprising. When I walked the course I thought, wow – we had 9 clear last week, we’re going to have more clear this week. We only got 3 so sometimes you just can’t tell. Allen did a great job.” Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=10050

Wilhelm Genn & Samantha Schaefer Score Big Wins at Week III of Jacksonville Winter Series

Green Cove Springs, FL­­ January 22, 2010 – The third week of competition at the 2010 Jacksonville Winter Series got in full swing this afternoon with the $5000 Open Jumper Classic being won by Lebanon, Ohio’s Wilhelm Genn, as both owner and rider, piloting the brilliant mare Happy Z.

Wilhem Genn on Happy Z (click for larger image)
Wilhem Genn on Happy Z (click for larger image)

Presented by Farm House Tack, the Jumper Classic served as a prelim to Saturday evening’s featured event, the $25,000 Marco Family Foundation benefitting H.O.R.S.E. Therapies, a nonprofit therapeutic equine program to air people with special needs as well as military personnel in the Horses for Heroes and Wounded Warriors programs. This week’s course designer Buddy Brown of Stanford, CA got a good gauge of the talent on hand while the competitors learned how tough grabbing that prize money would be with only 6 clean first rounds. Genn was the only rider to bring two mounts into jump off runs, Chantal for owner Laura Ryan-Barnaclo and his own Happy Z. Despite some fierce competition the afternoon’s glory belonged to the popular chestnut Happy Z whose winning time of 33.025 simply couldn’t be caught. “She’s very much like a fine wine- better with age.” a happy Genn proclaimed.
Finishing in second place was teenage phenom Samantha Schaefer riding Sugar Ray –owned by Schaefer- to a clear time of 35.980, third place to veteran rider-owner Mary Lisa Leffler taking Gerona 92 to a clean time of 37.000, fourth place went to Wisconsin based Denise Wilson aboard the Blue Gate Farm entry Life is Life with a clean time of 40.194, and completing the top five was Indiana’s own Erin McCabe as rider-owner of Midnight Hour finishing with 4 faults in a quick 33.825.

Samantha Schaefer on Castle (click for larger image)
Samantha Schaefer on Castle (click for larger image)

As evening fell the lights of the covered arena seem to shine extra brightly for rider Samantha Schaefer as the 16 year-old received top marks in the $10,000 Jerry Parks Insurance Group Hunter Classic. The number one horse of the evening was Castle, owned by Ashley Toffolon and piloted by Schaefer with a first round score of 169.500.

In all, 22 horses competed on the course designed by Paul Jewel of Lambertville, New Jersey. The class consisted of two sections, with amateurs and juniors jumping 3’6” while professionals had an option of 3’6” or 3’9” fences depending on the horse’s level. The layout of 10 fences required strenuous efforts of both horse and rider with its bending and broken lines throughout the course.  Judges Sue Ashe, William Sparks, and Chris Wayne presided over the scoring, returning only the top 12 pairs for round 2.

Schaefer is no stranger to winning this Classic- in 2007 she won aboard Lyle, the 17-year old German Warmblood then owned by Stephanie Keen and in 2008 with Lazy Sunday, a 9 year-old Zangersheide owned by Keli Colby at the time. Schaefer has made transitioning from being one of the nations most acclaimed pony riders to a top junior rider look effortless, but will be the first to say it’s only through daily hard work that she’s stays in the upper rankings. Sixth in the order, Castle and Schaefer finished the first round strong with combined judges’ score of 168. “I was very confident coming into the class with him [Castle] because I knew he would go right around, if anything it would just interest him a little bit and maybe spark him up a little, because he’s a really quiet easy going horse.” Schaefer said of the 11 year-old Dutch Warmblood, who along with both owner Ashley Toffolon and on occasion Schaefer train with Andre Dignelli of Heritage Farm in New York. 

Regarding their round one ride Schaefer admitted, “I needed a lot of lead changes in the first class and I should have asked him in a few places to land on the correct lead, so that may have made it not quite as smooth.” Those who know Schaefer well will state she is always far more critical of her rides than any judge, as evidenced by the duo’s scores. “But in the second round he landed on every lead so it all flowed really well. He kind of glided around- real nice! He’s really good at this type of class because he’s brave and just awesome!” Schaefer added. The pair’s second round score of 177 was added to give a total score of 345. As things progressed Schaefer’s biggest competition became herself.

Corvet Z a 12 year-old Zangersheide gelding, also ridden by Schaefer and owned by Manhattan Mortgage Co., Inc. actually led the first round with a score of 169.50. “He’s just coming off of a little vacation and he was just great! In the second round I got a little excited at the last jump and he just nicked it a bit but overall he was really nice.” Schaefer said of her second place winning mount that finished with a combined total of 334.50.  “I really have to thank Don Stewart for all his help! And Kim Stewart…and Andre…it’s really a team effort and I’m the fortunate one who benefits from them all.” a beaming Schaefer said.

Schaefer has become a master of balance, both in and out of the saddle as she juggles the pressures of high school and a full competition schedule with the appearance of ease. She explained, “I attend a special school that is a self paced type, when I’m not showing I do a lot more. I’m in a classroom about 3 hours a day and some online class work. It’s scheduled for me, which is really good because I have a structure to follow that’s well organized. I work really hard late fall and early winter to get ahead and now [show season] I have two classes to finish up while I’m here.”  After the Jacksonville Winter Series the precocious Schaefer will take a week off to relax at school before heading to compete in West Palm Beach.

Official results for the $10,000 Jerry Parks Insurance Group Hunter Classic were:

1st Place- Samantha Schaefer and Castle owned by Ashley Toffolon
2nd Place- Samantha Schaefer and Corvet Z owned by Manhattan Mortgage Co., Inc
3rd Place- Shawn Casady and Eastwood owned by Kelly Tropin
4th Place- Taylor Adams and Chrystalle owned by Meridian Farms
5th Place- Taylor Adams and Rio’s Splash owned by Sarah Robin
6th Place- Gary Young and Cliché owned by Isobel Goldsmith
7th Place- Hasbrouck Donovan and Falcao owned by Donald Stewart
8th Place- Shawn Casady and Caruso owned by Bettina Richman
9th Place- Joy Janouskovec and Samaritan owned by Jennifer Munday
10th Place- Hasbrouck Donovan and Raquel owned by Ann Garnett
11th Place- Olivia Chowdry and Enchanted owned by Sage Flynn
12th Place- Mark Ferris and Promo owned by Ruth Douglas

The Jacksonville Winter Series continues through February 7th  with classes Wednesday through Sunday beginning at 8AM until about 5PM except for special events on Saturday evenings at 7PM. Admission to the shows is free – parking at special weekend events is a $5 donation, which goes to support local charities. 

For more information or results on the 2010 Jacksonville Winter Series please visit http://www.classiccompany.com/ or call the show office at 904-284-1579. 

Flashpoint Media Services, based in Harrodsburg, KY, is a comprehensive public relations firm specializing in the equestrian sports. For additional information contact Robbi Meisel, 859-734 3713, robbi@flashpointmediaservices.com

Photos: Wilhelm Genn & Happy Z-Samantha Schaefer & Castle ©Flashpoint Photography

Client: The Classic Company

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Joe Fargis Receives USHJA Lifetime Achievement Award

Fargis

FarmVet would like to congratulate Joe Fargis, one of our Sponsored Riders, for the honor he received in December from the United States Hunter Jumper Association.  Last month Fargis and fellow equestrian, Larry Langer, were awarded with the USHJA Lifetime Achievement Award at the 2009 Evening of Equestrians Dinner during.  Recipients of this award have dedicated their lives to promoting the disciplines of hunters and jumpers on a national level.

Olympian Joe Fargis certainly has an impressive list of accomplishments.  He has represented the United States for more than 40 years and continues to be a force to reckon with today.  Fargis is probably best known for his double Gold Medal wins at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games with Touch of Class.  Then in 1988 at the Olympic Games in Seoul, Korea, Fargis and his mount, Mill Pearl, helped the U.S. team win the Silver Medal.

Today Fargis continues to compete in Grand Prix events around the country and has recent wins at such events as the American Gold Cup in Devon, the USET Wellington Cup, the Hampton Classic Grand Prix, and the I Love New York Grand Prix.  Fargis also gives back to the equestrian community by serving on the USHJA Horse Welfare Committee and by teaching clinics all over the country.

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