Category Archives: Show Jumping

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, FEI, FEI, Show Jumping

Irish Make It a Double in Dublin as Germany Claims the 2012 Title

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(L to R) Darragh Kerins, Richie Moloney, Chef d’Equipe Robert Splaine, Cian O’Connor and Clem McMahon. Photo: FEI/Tony Parkes.

Dublin (IRL), 17 August 2012 – The Irish recorded a back-to-back double when winning the last leg of the FEI Nations Cup 2012 on home turf in Dublin, Ireland today.  The result rocketed them up the leaderboard to third place behind France in the final standings, but, despite a disappointing day when finishing an uncharacteristic last, it was Germany that claimed the series title for the fifth time in the 10-year history of the top-level league.

A 29-fault total put paid to German chances this afternoon, but, as Chef d’Equipe Sonke Sonksen said afterwards, “we are still walking away with a big cheque!” having collected the winner’s prize of €100,000. “We’ve had a fantastic season right up until Hickstead, and then the Irish showed us that they are getting stronger and stronger.  This is one of the best teams they’ve ever had,” he pointed out.  And there was certainly excitement in the Irish camp as the comparatively young foursome of Clem McMahon, Richie Moloney, Darragh Kerins and Cian O’Connor secured the win with considerable comfort, anchorman O’Connor not jumping in the second round as the destination of the coveted Aga Khan trophy was already decided.

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

Final Prize List Online and Ready to Print for First-Ever Southeast Medal Finals!

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Jacksonville, FL – August 15, 2012 – As the time for the First Annual Southeast Medal Finals is growing near, the occupancy for hotels is rapidly increasing. The Southeast Medal Finals urges all exhibitors, spectators and supporters to begin booking their stays at hotels through www.equestriantravel.com. The three-day competition will take place on September 21-23, 2012 at the Jacksonville Equestrian Center in Jacksonville, FL. The show is patterned after the successful and long-standing New England Medal Finals, giving riders in Zone 4 and Region 3, a chance to compete for the top honors in an array of classes.

The Southeast Medal Finals have taken the complexity out of arranging your stay in the beautiful city of Jacksonville. All travel arrangements can be made through www.equestriantravel.com presented by CONNECTIONS. Visit the website to see a full show schedule, as well as hotel reservations. Choose the Southeast Medal Finals link, and book your trip either online or through CONNECTIONS. The site offers several hotels of the best amenities including the Best Western Inn, Country Inn & Suites, Fairfield Inn & Suites, and the Hospitality Inn.

Continue reading Final Prize List Online and Ready to Print for First-Ever Southeast Medal Finals! →

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

Lionshare Farm Wins Top Honors at US Pony Finals and The Jumper Classic

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Parker Wright and Anisette. Photo by Shawn McMillen

Wellington, FL – August 16, 2012 – The US Pony Finals is the much-anticipated, celebrated annual event held at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY. The finest ponies and young riders earn the opportunity to compete at the event, which showcases our country’s future top equestrians.

US Pony Finals proved very successful for trainer, Elizabeth Pandich, and her Lionshare Farm clients and ponies. The plan was to have the riders and ponies performing at their peak for the coveted competition. Pandich’s focused strategy worked like a charm.

In the Medium Green Ponies, Parker Wright expertly piloted Lionshare Farm’s Anisette to second place overall, earning the red ribbon in both the under saddle and over fences out of 66 of the top medium green pony and rider teams from around the country. The pair was awarded the Reserve Championship of the Division.

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

Scott Stewart Leads Mounts to the Winner’s Circle at Bluegrass Festival Horse Show

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Scott Stewart won the Regular Conformation Championship with recently acquired mount Showman at the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show.Photo By: Ashley N. Williams/PMG

Lexington, KY – August 16, 2012 – It was perfect weather at the Stonelea Arena for greeting champions into the winner’s circle today at Bluegrass Festival Horse Show at the Kentucky Horse Park. The Professional Hunters Divisions wrapped up the two-day competition with one name resounding above others. While Hunt Tosh and Rosalynn earned an honorary moment of pinning in the High Performance Hunter division, it was Scott Stewart who brought an A-team of mounts who gave top-notch performances, all worthy of the championship tricolors in three of today’s five hunter events.

Aligned in an original pattern, today’s hunt course designed by Patrick Rodes, posed an intricate track for riders to navigate. The first over fences class used only eight of the eleven obstacles, while the handy class used nine of the eleven, with fence two consisting of two options, creating different lines to fence three, the narrow trot-jump. Both courses’ lines closed with the vertical-oxer outside line, finishing on the near side of ring.

The first of the elite team to make their mark was in the Green Working Hunter Conformation division, the second event to be seen in the Stonelea Arena. Scott Stewart rode Beholden, a dark brown gelding, owned by Fashion Farm of Philadelphia, PA, to a back-to-back class win in the over fences and handy class, as well as a second place in the under saddle class. The duo was awarded the championship honors, while Chris Payne and Lugano, owned by Susan Moriconi of St. Louis, MO, also ranked high and took the reserve championship.

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Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Kentucky Horse Shows, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Megan Moshontz-Bash and Pourkoipa Fontaine Fault-Free and Fast for First Place in 1.35m Open Jumpers at Bluegrass Festival Horse Show

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Megan Moshontz-Bash and Pourkoipa Fontaine won the 1.35m Open Jumper class at the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show. Photo By: Kendall Bierer/PMG

Lexington, KY – August 16, 2012 – The morning was ablaze with fierce competition in the Rolex Stadium as the second day of the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show got underway at the Kentucky Horse Park. Time was the bottom line today, with riders speeding to break the beam with both accuracy and an unsurpassed pace. Shane Sweetnam and Solerina exceeded expectations in the 1.40m Open Jumpers, capturing the victory with an insurmountable lead. It was Megan Moshontz-Bash and Pourkoipa Fontaine who emerged triumphant in the 1.35m Open Jumpers with a spectacular double-clear effort, and an outstanding time to beat.

The 1.35m Open Jumpers welcomed riders and their mounts to a challenging second-day course, designed by Allen Rheinheimer of the United States. He utilized a tight time allowed of 77 seconds, and designed a course consisting of an oxer-vertical-oxer triple combination, a vertical-oxer double combination, standalone obstacles, and demanding lines. The jump-off was immediate, and Rheinheimer made sure it challenged the duos fairly. They began over a single vertical and with a bend to the left* took a large oxer. They continued through the double combination and with a sharp left rollback took a standalone vertical set in the center of the ring. From there, they made a right over the Sleepy P Ranch oxer and finished with the Hagyard Lexington blue-white-and-red vertical.

Continue reading Megan Moshontz-Bash and Pourkoipa Fontaine Fault-Free and Fast for First Place in 1.35m Open Jumpers at Bluegrass Festival Horse Show →

Competitions, Events, FEI, FEI, Show Jumping

France to the Fore at Final Leg in Dublin

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FEI Jumping Director, John Roche, pictured with Pat Hanley, Show Director for Dublin Horse Show during the draw for the last leg of the FEI Nations Cup 2012 series in Dublin (IRL) today. Photo: FEI/Tony Parkes.

Dublin (IRL), 16 August 2012 – The French will be first to go as the final leg of the FEI Nations Cup 2012 gets underway at the Royal Dublin Society showgrounds in Dublin, Ireland tomorrow afternoon.  Monsoon-like weather conditions descended on the Irish capital city yesterday making conditions very difficult for competitors on the opening-day. But the sun returned this morning, and all is set for an exciting conclusion to the eight-leg, eight-nation annual series.

The draw was conducted by FEI Jumping Director, John Roche, and Dublin Horse Show Show Director Pat Hanley. And there was a big smile on the face of Irish Chef d’Equipe, Robert Splaine, when his side got the coveted last-to-go spot.  “The time-allowed is likely to be tight and the course will be technical, so it’s always helpful to be drawn last. Running late gives us time to assess things,” the Irishman pointed out.

The order-of-go for tomorrow’s competition is: 1, France; 2, Sweden; 3, Belgium; 4, Great Britain; 5, The Netherlands; 6, Switzerland; 7, Germany; 8, Ireland.

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Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Kentucky Horse Shows, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Hunt Tosh and Rosalynn Repeat Excellence for Double Blue Ribbons at Bluegrass Festival Horse Show

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Hunt Tosh and Rosalynn were awarded two blue ribbons in the High Performance Hunter division at the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show. Photo By: Ashley N. Williams/PMG

Lexington, KY – August 15, 2012 – It was a welcoming day for the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show at the Kentucky Horse Park show grounds where five divisions were set to display the top hunter horse and rider combinations. The morning started off with a variation of winners while the two divisions to emerge with double blue ribbons were Scott Stewart and Dedication for the Second Year Working Green Hunters and Hunt Tosh and Rosalynn in the High Performance Hunters.

The course, designed by Patrick Rodes, was made up of nine fences signature of a traditional hunt field. Made of natural woods, the obstacles assorted of vertical oxer combinations, decorative stand-alones and a grassy rolltop, all strategically arranged on a bed of freshly churned footing. The course lines ran smooth, with pleasant stride counts and thoughtful approaches, suggesting fine ingenuity.

The first division featured in the Stonelea Arena was the Green Conformation Hunters. Christopher Payne on his mount Lugano, owned by Susan Moriconi of St. Louis, MO, took home the first and sixth place ribbons after a show of beautiful horsemanship on the course. Kelley Farmer aboard Lightning Z, owned by Lochmoore Stables of Lebanon, OH, took two third place ribbons in the over fences classes in the division.

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Competitions, Events, HITS, HITS, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

USHJA Tad Coffin Zone III Junior Equitation Finals Celebrates Its Seventh Season at HITS Culpeper

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©ESI Photography. Jennie Edwards and her own Welcome on course during the USHJA Tad Coffin Zone III Junior Equitation Finals at HITS Culpeper in 2011.

CULPEPER, VA (August 15, 2012) – Show jumping returns to HITS Culpeper today for two consecutive weeks of show jumping, highlighted by the seventh annual USHJA Tad Coffin Zone III Junior Equitation Finals. Riders from Maryland, Virginia, North Carolina, Delaware and West Virginia will soon duel it out for the USHJA Zone III title at Culpeper’s Winston National.

On Saturday, August 18, the highly anticipated annual event will run in the Grand Prix ring. Riders qualified for the finals by winning a Zone III national or state medal class over a 3’ or 3’6” course during the past year. During the finals, the 3’ section will compete first, followed by those showing at 3’6”.

“I can’t believe we are getting ready to hold this class for the seventh time! Every year the riding has been getting better and better and I can’t wait to see what’s in store this year,” said event coordinator Pam Haviland. “I am proud that we can come together and host such a great Finals for our young riders. The sponsors really make it a first-class event.”

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Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Kentucky Horse Shows, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Ilan Bluman and Quatro Go Clear with Blazing Speed in 1.40m Open Jumpers at Bluegrass Festival Horse Show

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Ilan Bluman and Quatro won the 1.40m Open Jumper class at the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show. Photo By: Kendall Bierer/PMG

Lexington, KY – August 15, 2012 – It was the start of the Bluegrass Festival Horse Show at the Kentucky Horse Park, and talented horse and rider combinations gathered at the Rolex Stadium to showcase their speed and agility in the 1.35m and 1.40m Open Jumpers. Today was all about accuracy and tripping the timers with a blazing fast time. It was Shane Sweetnam and Kalle who delivered the 1.35m Open Jumper Victory, and later in the day Columbia’s Ilan Bluman rode to the top of the leaderboard in the 1.40 Open Jumpers.

The 1.40m Open Jumper class featured a one-round timed course, and gave competitors a real challenge with courses designed by Allen Rheinheimer. Twenty-one horse and rider combinations were challenged over a course that included an oxer-vertical double combination, open lines, tight turns, and an optional water jump.

Kim Farlinger and Caprice Van De Brouwerhoeve laid down a competitive time to beat after clearing the course in a speedy 83.693 seconds. Although their time seemed as though it would be hard to beat, while still keeping all rails intact, Jorge Verswyvel aboard Victoria, owned by Louis Garcia of Mexico, stepped up to the plate. The pair posted a clean round more than ten seconds faster than Farlinger’s, proving that Rheinheimer’s course was built to test the strengths of horse and rider alike. Verswyvel’s time of 73.400 seconds proved good enough for the second place.

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Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Ward, Show Jumping

Marisa Hutton Claims Cash Bonus from SSG Riding Gloves

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Marisa Hutton won a $1,000 bonus in the SSG Riding Gloves ‘Go Clean for the Green’ promotion after winning the $10,000 Aubrey Grace Memorial Children’s/Adult Amateur Classic at the Giant Steps Charity Classic. Deb Dawson Photography

Petaluma, California – Marisa Hutton of Santa Barbara, CA was awarded a $1,000 bonus by SSG Riding Gloves as part of its ‘Go Clean for the Green’ promotion after winning the $10,000 Aubrey Grace Memorial Children’s/Adult Amateur Classic on August 5 during the Giant Steps Charity Classic at the Sonoma Horse Park in Petaluma, CA.

Riding Larissa, a 12-year-old German Warmblood mare owned by Eldorado 29, Hutton topped a competitive field of 36 to take the win.  More than half of the competitors were wearing SSG ‘Digital’ gloves, giving them a chance to win the $1,000 bonus.

“I really like the gloves,” said Hutton, who trains with Samantha and William Martin.  “I didn’t really ride with gloves before this.  I borrowed a friend’s pair and wore them for a few days before the class and ended up going out and buying my own pair.”

She continued, “I think the promotion is really smart.  It definitely pushed me to buy my SSG ‘Digitals’ more quickly and it adds that extra incentive to do well.”

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