Category Archives: Show Jumping

Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

First Annual Aiken Harvest Classic Horse Show Just Weeks Away

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Kathy Nofsinger and Patti Brantley, Live Oak Hounds and Arnold Bloom, Aiken Hounds. Shawn McMillen photo

September 25th, 2012 – Fall is officially here and the first annual Aiken Harvest Classic Horse Show is just a few weeks away.  This brand new event will take place in Aiken, SC at Highfields Event Center and will be produced by Equus Events, Inc. and J. P. Godard.  This year’s feature classes include a $1,000 Pony Hunter Derby Sponsored by Reflections Farm, a $1,000 Children’s/Adult Hunter Derby sponsored by Dietrich and Company Equine Insurance, and the $5,000 Aiken Jumper Derby sponsored by JRS Construction.  The Jumper Derby will be a unique class that will have a “jump off” style format but will include more natural style obstacles and a slightly longer course. The Pony and Children’s/Adult Derbies will be modeled after today’s popular International Hunter Derbies featuring a classic round and a handy hunter round with many natural obstacles, long flowing lines, and option jumps.  All derby winners will receive a special jacket and a cooler presented by English Riding Supply.

Many thanks to Reflections Farm, Dietrich and Company Equine Insurance, and JRS Construction for their gracious sponsorship of these exciting new classes.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Maclay, National Horse Show, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Final Four Regions Wrap Up ASPCA Maclay Regionals before Alltech National Horse Show

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Meg O'Mara wins Region 3 ASPCA Maclay Regionals. ESI Photography/The Digital Place

September 25, 2012 – It was a full weekend for junior riders as the final four regions concluded their ASPCA Maclay Regionals. The anticipation was tangible as the nation’s top riders competed for the chance to attend the prestigious ASPCA Alfred B. Maclay Finals during the Alltech National Horse Show this fall at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. Michael Hughes captured the first place honors for Region 1, with Lillie Keenan riding to the top of the ranks for Region 2. Meg O’Mara took the championship in the ASPCA Maclay Regionals for Region 3, while Taylor Schmidt rode to the top of the standings for Region 4.

The ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship class has been held since 1933, and it is one of the most prestigious competitions for junior riders in the United States. Its winners are some of the biggest names in the equestrian sport. Previous winners include: William Steinkraus in 1941, Frank Chapot (1948), George Morris (1952), Leslie Burr Howard (1972), and Nicole Shahinian Simpson in 1992. The 2010 ASPCA winner was Hayley Barnhill, and Sarah Milliren took the title during the 2012 Alltech National Horse Show.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Peter Leone and Lincourt Gino Make History at the American Gold Cup

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On Friday Leone and Gino were third in the $50,000 American Gold Cup Qualifier. Photo by Julien Lecomte

Wellington, FL – September 24, 2012 – Peter Leone and Monica Carrera’s Lincourt Gino received a huge ovation from the spectators as the only horse and rider team to go double clear around Steve Stephen’s challenging long and short tracks around the rolling terrain of the Old Salem Grand Prix field in the American Gold Cup. It was Leone’s second American Gold Cup win; in 1988 he won the prize aboard the amazing American Quarter Horse, Threes and Sevens.

Leone’s clean jump-off round (44.050 seconds) placed him ahead of Kent Farrington, who came in second riding Voyeur with a time of 41.630 seconds with four faults in the second round. McLain Ward, riding Antares F, claimed third place with a time of 42.00 seconds with four faults in round two, while Beezie Madden, riding Cortes C, earned the fourth place ribbon with a time of 43.140 seconds, also with four faults in the jump-off.

“It felt good to be in the jump-off with three of the best riders in America, three of the best riders in the world,” said Leone.

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Competitions, Events, Show Jumping, USEF

Samantha Harrison Wins 2012 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals West

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Samantha Harrison riding Santika (Flying Horse Photography)

Los Angeles, CA – After three days and numerous tests, Samantha Harrison (La Canada, CA) found herself leading the victory gallop of the 2012 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals West. The win was made even more sweet for the Oklahoma State University junior and member of the NCAA Equestrian team. “Winning means so much to me because every single year I’ve gone in on Santika, something has gone wrong. It was a really big accomplishment to go out there and be consistent in all three phases.”

Samantha (Karen Healey, trainer) was particularly happy to win on Santika, who also won the Best Horse Award, as the pair has been together for many years. “I’ve had her a really long time. We’ve had a connection ever since I got her, and we’ve only gotten to know each other even better. We’ve really learned to figure each other out over the years,” Samantha explained. From the Six-Year-Old Jumpers to Junior Jumper Show Jumping Hall of Fame Western League Champion to riding on the Gold medal Zone 10 team at the Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North to winning ribbons in her first grand prix events, Samantha and Santika have a long, rich history together. The Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals West is another exemplary accomplishment for Samantha and her bay mare.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Jennifer Ward, Show Jumping

Yann Candele Claims Caledon Cup at Canadian Show Jumping Tournament

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Yann Candele guides Carlotta Singular to victory in the $50,000 RAM Equestrian Caledon Cup Grand Prix. Photo – Cealy Tetley

September 23, 2012 – Palgrave, Ontario – Having dominated the CSI2* Canadian Show Jumping Tournament, Yann Candele of Caledon, ON, rode away with the Caledon Cup on Sunday, September 23.  Candele won all three phases of competition comprising the Caledon Cup at the Caledon Equestrian Park in Palgrave, ON, recently named the official equestrian venue of the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games.

Candele won Thursday’s $15,000 Caledon Cup Phase 1 riding Carlotta Singular, and returned to the grand prix arena on Saturday to win the $35,000 Caledon Cup Phase 2 with Game Ready.  In Sunday’s third and final phase, the $50,000 RAM Equestrian Caledon Cup Phase 3, Candele qualified both Carlotta Singular and Game Ready for the five horse jump-off.

Mac Cone, 60, of King City, ON, opened the jump-off with a clear performance in a time of 38.93 seconds riding Unanimous, an 11-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by The Unanimous Group and Southern Ways.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Classic Company, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Maclay, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Meg O’Mara Finesses the Course to Secure the ASPCA Maclay Regionals at Southeast Medal Finals

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Meg O'Mara and Vancouver

Jacksonville, FL – September 23, 2012 – The highly-anticipated third and final day of the first Southeast Medal Finals featured the ASPCA Maclay Region Three Finals. A group of 37 skilled riders determined to master Alan Rheinheimer’s course competed for today’s top prize.

Traveling away from the in gate, the course opened with a bold oxer to oxer line. The track turned to the left and over a vertical on the far short end of the arena. From here the riders were asked to rollback to fence #4, a vertical on the diagonal, followed by two options for fence #5 and fence #6. With a turn to the right to fence #7, an oxer, the acuteness of which was determined by the options chosen, the route continued with a bending line to an oxer/vertical two stride. Then, a turn to the right took the riders over a vertical on the far short end, followed by an rollback to fence #10 and a bending line to a combination − a pair of natural verticals, then another bending line to the left to a single oxer headed toward the in gate. A turn to the right and through the center of the arena on the diagonal took the track to the final fence of the course, an oxer.

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Competitions, Events, FEI, FEI, Show Jumping

Spanish Win FEI Nations Cup Promotional League Final on Home Turf in Barcelona

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(left to right) Chef d’Equipe Marco Fuste, Manuel Anon, Paola Amilibia Puig, Pilar Cordon and Sergio Alvarez Moya. Photo: FEI/Nacho Olano.

Barcelona (ESP), 23 September 2012 – It was sweet success for Marco Fuste’s Spanish side today when they snatched victory from Sweden in the closing moments of the 2012 FEI Nations Cup Promotional League Final on home turf in Barcelona. Just twelve months ago the host nation had to settle for runner-up spot when newly-crowned FEI European Champion, Rolf-Goran Bengtsson, gave Sweden the edge. But today the tables were turned, and it was the Spanish who were celebrating.

Italy finished third ahead of Canada in fourth, Poland in fifth and the Russian Federation in sixth, while the three-member Danish side retired in the second round. It was very much a two-nation affair however as Spain and Sweden were locked in close combat from the outset, leaving the rest to trail in their wake.  And the only double-clear of the competition, produced by pathfinders Pilar Cordon and Nuage Bleu, along with the foot-perfect second round from anchor partnership Sergio Moya and Action-Breaker, helped swing it in Spain’s favour.

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Competitions, Events, Jennifer Ward, Show Jumping

Yann Candele Is Game Ready at Canadian Show Jumping Tournament

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Yann Candele of Caledon, ON, and Game Ready won the $35,000 Caledon Cup Phase 2. Photo – Cealy Tetley

Palgrave, Ontario – With three chances at victory, Yann Candele of Caledon, ON, was the odds on favourite to win the $35,000 Caledon Cup Phase 2 on Saturday, September 22, at the CSI2* Canadian Show Jumping Tournament (CSJT).  The five-day international show jumping competition runs through September 23 at the Caledon Equestrian Park in Palgrave, ON, recently named the official equestrian venue of the Toronto 2015 Pan/Parapan American Games.

The starting field for the second phase of competition in the Caledon Cup was narrowed down to 25 contenders for Saturday’s $35,000 Caledon Cup Phase 2, presented by Aviva Elite/Peel Maryborough.  Of those, 10 jumped clear over the track set by two-time Olympic course designer Leopoldo Palacios to advance to the jump-off, including Candele with all three of his entered mounts.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

American Gold Cup Wrap-up: $200,000 AGC Title Goes to Peter Leone and Lincourt Gino

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Peter Leone and Lincourt Gino claimed the $200,000 American Gold Cup. Photos by Parker/Russell the Book LLC

North Salem, NY — September 22, 2012 — Peter Leone, aboard Lincourt Gino, sailed to the win as the only double clear horse and rider combination in the starting field of 29 at the $200,000 American Gold Cup at Old Salem Farm in North Salem, NY, on Sunday, Sept. 16.

Leone’s clean round (44.050 seconds) placed him ahead of Kent Farrington, who came in second riding Voyeur with a time of 41.630 seconds with four faults in the second round. McLain Ward, riding Antares F, claimed third place with a time of 42.00 seconds with four faults in round two, while Beezie Madden, riding Cortes C, earned the fourth place ribbon with a time of 43.140 seconds, also with four faults in the jump-off.

Leone, an Olympic silver medalist, rode third in the jump-off and said his strategy was to see how it unfolded as Madden and Farrington took to the course before him and how he would use that information to keep Ward, the fourth rider, at bay.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Maclay, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Margaret Collins Earns the Junior Southeast Medal Finals with Flying Changes

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Margaret Collins and Samy

Jacksonville, FL – September 22, 2012 – In its second day, the first Southeast Medal Finals received accolades from sponsors, competitors, trainers, family and spectators. It was a day to remember for great fun and top competition.

Today’s highlight was the evening class of 31 juniors competing over a technical and challenging course in the Southeast Medal Finals Class. The course began on the far end of the stadium with a single oxer on the short end and continued to the right a four-stride line on the diagonal. Turning to the left the track created an “S” over fence four, a vertical by the in gate, curving around to fence five, an oxer headed in the opposite direction to a turn to the right, a two-stride pair of natural verticals. The riders then had a gallop to the right to an oxer and a bending line to another two-stride, this time, an oxer to a vertical. At this point in the course, the riders had the option of several different approaches to fence nine. Some took the short route with inside turns and some went for a long gallop around the jumps. Either way, it was a tricky fence to find the right distance and many riders lost points there. After fence nine, the course’s path wound back around to the left to the final line, an oxer to vertical.

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