Category Archives: Show Jumping

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

More Big Surprises as Medal Favourites Miss the Cut to Second Round

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Photo: Prince Abdullah

Anchor riders proved key to the result of today’s first round of the team Jumping competition at the London 2012 Olympic Games at Greenwich Park. And it is Saudi Arabia that holds the lead going into tomorrow’s second-round medal-decider carrying just a single time penalty, while Great Britain, The Netherlands, Sweden and Switzerland lie less than a fence behind in silver medal spot carrying four faults apiece.

With five faults on the board, Canada finished sixth and, with only the top eight teams going through to tomorrow’s second round, Brazil and USA clinched the last two available places when closing their day with eight faults.

But there were heads shaking in disbelief when Germany missed the cut along with France and Belgium, as not one of the riders from any of these top-level nations managed to keep a clean sheet today. The Germans are giants in this game, and even though they encountered selection problems in the lead-up to London when star-riders Carsten-Otto Nagel, Ludger Beerbaum and Marco Kutscher had issues with their horses, it had been expected that they would feature strongly.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Olympic Games, Show Jumping, USEF

Fellers Leads U.S. to Second Round of Olympic Games Nations Cup

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Rich Fellers and Flexible (Shannon Brinkman)

Greenwich, UK – Rich Fellers (Sherwood, OR) and Flexible continued adding to their clear round tally today at the Olympic Games by securing the U.S. team’s position in the second round of the Nations Cup with an immaculate effort. Team USA’s score of eight faults means that they are tied with Brazil for equal seventh place. The top eight teams from today’s jumping go forward to tomorrow, led by the team from Saudi Arabia who are carrying one time fault forward to tomorrow.

Fellers and Harry and Mollie Chapman’s 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse stallion entered the ring in the anchor position for team USA and were the only American combination to jump a clear round. Flexible was extraordinary, and Fellers rode him with so much confidence that that the veteran World Cup Champion thrived in Greenwich’s main arena.

“As a team I wish we were in little better position but we are all fighters; we can come from behind,” said Fellers.

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FEI, Olympic Games, Show Jumping

Canadian Horse Victor Disqualified from Olympic Equestrian Events

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The Canadian horse Victor, ridden by Tiffany Foster, has been disqualified under the FEI’s hypersensitivity protocol due to an area of clear and obvious hypersensitivity on the front of the left forelimb.

The Veterinary Commission stated that the horse had an area of inflammation and sensitivity on the left forelimb just above the hoof. There was no accusation of malpractice, but the horse was deemed unfit to compete by the Ground Jury and was disqualified from the Second Qualifier of the Jumping competition at the Olympic Games this morning.

A protest lodged by the Canadian chef d’equipe was heard by the FEI Appeal Committee before the end of the competition in order to facilitate the athlete taking part in the competition if the protest was successful. However, the protest was denied based on Annex XI of the FEI Veterinary Regulations, which state: “there is no appeal against the decision of the Ground Jury to disqualify a horse for abnormal sensitivity from an Event”. The FEI General Regulations also clearly state that there is no appeal against an elimination of a horse for veterinary reasons.

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

Blythe Marano and Urban Lead $50,000 Rood & Riddle Grand Prix Victory Gallop at Kentucky Summer Classic

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Blythe Marano and Urban won the $50,000 Rood & Riddle Grand Prix at the Kentucky Summer Classic. Photo By: Kendall Bierer/PMG

Lexington KY – August 4, 2012 – The applause and excitement could be heard resounding throughout the Kentucky Horse Park tonight as the $50,000 Rood & Riddle Grand Prix got underway in the Rolex Stadium. It was the fifth day of the Kentucky Summer Classic, and the nation’s top riders gathered to show under the bright lights of the stadium for a share in the prize money, and the desired $8,000 SSG ‘Go Clean for the Green’ Digital Riding Glove promotion bonus. Out of 33 entries only five were able to ride the first course clear, and progress into the arduous jump-off. It was Blythe Marano and Urban who wowed the crowd tonight, taking the top earnings and the bonus money. Aaron Vale piloted Palm Sunday to the second place finish as the only other rider to go double clear.

Anthony D’Ambrosio designed tonight’s track, using bending lines, tight turns, a vertical-oxer double combination, an open water jump, and a triple bar-oxer-vertical triple combination. The jump-off course began over a standalone vertical near the in gate and moved them with a left turn over an oxer. From there, they then had to use their mount’s pace to their advantage to clear a large space and ride to a vertical and make a hard right rollback to a skinny vertical. Upon landing, they then navigated toward the triple bar-oxer combination, shortened from the previous round, and with a right turn take an oxer along the outside and race to the final vertical to break the beam.

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

Laura Chapot Finds a Winning Formula with Another $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix Victory at HITS-on-the-Hudson

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©ESI Photography. Laura Chapot and Quointreau Un Prince get some serious height over the CWD fence in Friday's $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix

SAUGERTIES, NY (August 4, 2012) – Laura Chapot just extended her impressive mid-summer winning streak with another victory in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at HITS-on-the-Hudson. Friday’s triumph marked the fourth consecutive win for Chapot in the last two weeks and the second victory aboard Quointreau Un Prince, an 8-year-old mount she bought three years ago from McLain Ward.

The winning streak started during the first week of the summer series on Sunday, July 24 when she piloted Quointreau Un Prince to the blue in the $50,000 HITS Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health. She then followed that with another stellar performance in last week’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, aboard Mary Chapot’s Umberto. Two days later, she and Umberto returned to take it all again in Sunday’s $75,000 Chartis Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health.

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

Paige Johnson Continues to Dominate High Amateur-Owner Jumpers at Kentucky Summer Classic

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Paige Johnson and Amagedon 3 won the High Amateur-Owner Jumpers at the Kentucky Summer Classic. Photo By: Kendall Bierer/PMG

Lexington KY – August 3, 2012 – Although storm clouds hung sullenly over the Kentucky Horse Park this afternoon, the amateur and junior jumper riders were not deterred as they tackled their respective courses to vie for the top honors in the Rolex Stadium. Paige Johnson topped today’s High Amateur-Owner Jumpers with Amagedon 3. Megan Nusz slid into the second place finish with Vesuvius, and Mallory Vale guided MI Phone to the third place award. In the High Junior Jumpers, Emanuel Andrade claimed the blue ribbon with his quick and clean effort aboard Tiny Tim, while Elizabeth Patz picked up the second place just ahead of Gabrielle Bausano.

The United States’ very own Anthony D’Ambrosio designed today’s tracks in the Rolex Stadium. For the High Jumpers, riders were faced with an opening oxer-oxer line, a vertical-oxer-vertical triple combination, an oxer-vertical double combination, a triple bar and several standalone obstacles. To shave the seconds off their time over the shortened track, riders had to use an open gallop and utilize tight turns. The jump-off opened with the first oxer, and then continued with a right turn over a second large oxer and forward across the ring to the triple bar. They then had to move forward over a skinny vertical and progress through the technical double combination and take another oxer only a few short strides upon landing. Riders then raced to the final obstacle, a standalone vertical, to break the beam.

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

Jumping Gets Off to a Dramatic Start at Greenwich Park

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Marc Houtzager and Tamino, members of the Dutch team that produced four clear rounds in today's Jumping First Qualifier. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.

London (GBR), 4 August 2012 – The first Jumping competition of the London 2012 Olympic Games at Greenwich Park threw up some big surprises today. Olympic course designer Bob Ellis’ track was expected to be a relatively gentle introduction for the Jumping riders, but two of the biggest stars of the game were amongst four to be eliminated.

A total of four nations completed on a zero score, and Sweden was amongst them despite elimination for Lisen Fredricson at the troublesome double at fence three where she took a heavy fall when landing in the middle of the opening triple bar. The Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium also kept a clean sheet, while Brazil, France, Germany and the USA each collected just one time penalty to finish in equal-fifth ahead of Saudi Arabia, with three on the board, in ninth place.

Teams from 15 nations lined out, and the hosts from Great Britain slotted into equal-10th alongside Australia when a single error from Scott Brash had to be taken in account after Peter Charles also fell victim to the distance between the second and third fences. The Ukraine finished 12th, Canada 13th, Mexico 14th and Chile 15th. There were 32 clear rounds, eight horse-and-rider combinations picked up a single time fault and 11 completed the course with just one fence down. All teams go through to tomorrow’s first round of the team competition and the top 10 nations then qualify for Monday’s second round medal-decider.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Olympic Games, Show Jumping, USEF

Strong Start for U.S. Olympic Show Jumping Team in First Individual Qualifier

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McLain Ward and Antares F (Shannon Brinkman)

Greenwich, UK – Clear rounds were the order of the day in the First Individual Qualifier for Jumping in the main arena at Greenwich Park. Of the 75 starters in the Olympic Show Jumping Competition, 32 jumped clear rounds. Of those, two belonged to American riders Rich Fellers and McLain Ward. Reed Kessler added just one time fault at her first Olympic Games meaning the USA heads to the Team Competition with a strong start. Team Competition begins Sunday, August 5.

Chef d’Equipe George Morris commandeered another solid effort out of his squad; he retires from this role at the end of the year.

Ward (Brewster, NY) proved he is back on form after shattering his kneecap in January. He rode Antares F to a textbook clear over Bob Ellis’ track to start the U.S.’s effort off right. The 12-year-old Baden Wurtenburger gelding, owned by Grant Road Partners, made light work of the track. Always stylish, the nearly white gelding remained beautifully rideable between the fences for Ward. Ward won Team Gold twice with the mighty Sapphire (at the 2004 and 2008 Olympic Games) jumping in the first spot on the team. He has no problem leading off the American effort.

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

Kaitlin Campbell Takes the 2012 Hagyard Challenge Series Lead

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Kaitlin Campbell holds the current lead in the 2012 Hagyard Challenge Series (pictured with Rocky W). Photo By: Kendall Bierer/PMG

Lexington KY – August 3, 2012 – It was an exciting Thursday night for Kaitlin Campbell as she rode not one, but two mounts to the top awards in the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic at the Kentucky Summer Classic. Her double-clear efforts knocked fellow young rider Reed Kessler from the first place position, taking over as the series leader. Campbell now holds the top spot in the 2012 Hagyard Challenge Series, sponsored by the Hagyard Equine Medical Institute. Consisting of seven grand prix classes to be held during the 2012 show series at the Kentucky Horse Park, the Hagyard Challenge Series offers a $50,000 Leading Rider Award. The rider accumulating the most points throughout the series will be presented with the bonus during the $50,000 World Cup Qualifier at the Kentucky National Horse Show in September 2012.

On Thursday, August 2, 2012, Campbell piloted Rocky W to the first place finish in the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic, and also picked up the second place award with her other mount Grand Pleasure. The 17-year-old rider jumped to the top of the Leading Rider Standings, holding a prominent lead with a total of 420 points.

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Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Laura Kraut and Belmont Capture First Place Finish at Casas Novas in the Gran Premio Telefonica

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Laura Kraut showed Belmont to his first Grand Prix win in the Gran Premio Telefonica at Casas Novas on July 29, 2012. Kraut and Belmont pictured at the 2012 Winter Equestrian Festival. Photo By: Kenneth Kraus/PhelpsSports.com

A Coruña, Spain – August 3, 2012 – Laura Kraut guided several top mounts to the CSI 4* at Casas Novas, winning the Gran Premio Telefonica on the final day with Belmont, owned by Mrs. B. Widdowson. She exhibited the 11-year-old bay gelding to the first place finish in a stunning time of 44.25 seconds, beating some of the world’s best. Casa Novas got underway from July 27-29, 2012, with Kraut picking up the top placing throughout the three-day show jumping competition.

On the final day of the CSI 4* Casas Novas, Kraut entered the ring as the 39th rider out of the field of 46 entrants. She posted a fantastic effort over the first round course, and then guided Belmont to a seemingly flawless first place finish over the challenging second round.

Javier Trenor of Spain designed the demanding course with obstacles that challenged both horse and rider alike. It consisted of bending lines, unrelated distances, a triple bar, an oxer-vertical-oxer triple combination and a liver pool. The second course demanded a speedy delivery as riders maneuvered the quick turns and raced against the clock. Kraut guided Belmont to the first place finish with a double-clear effort in 44.25 seconds to claim the top award.

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