Category Archives: Show Jumping

Jennifer Alfano Sweeps First Day of Professional Hunters at Kentucky Spring Horse Show

Jennifer Alfano and Jersey Boy scored two blue ribbons at the Kentucky Spring Horse Show in the High Performance Hunters, sweeping the first day of classes. Photo By: Kendall Bierer/PMG

Lexington, KY – May 9, 2011 – Riders gathered at the Stonelea Ring to face the demanding hunter course as the first day of the Kentucky Spring Horse Show got underway. They were greeted with a brisk morning air, and a cloud filled sky, as the divisions commenced with top riders from across the nation competing for the winning honors in their respective divisions. Opening day marked the beginning of the First Year Green Working Hunter, Second Year Green Working Hunter, Green Conformation, Regular Conformation and High Performance Hunter classes. Leading the way in the Green Conformation Hunters was Hunt Tosh aboard Say Again, while Havens Schatt exhibited both Macallan and Valencia to top honors in the Second Year Green Working Hunters. It was Jennifer Alfano, however, who stole the show in the Regular Conformation Hunters with Lions Paw, as well as the High Performance Hunters with the revered Jersey Boy, sweeping both divisions.

Alfano piloted the nine-year-old thoroughbred, Lion’s Paw, owned by Danny Robertshaw of Camden, SC, to two blue ribbons in the Regular Conformation Hunters. She originally began showing the gelding at the beginning of HITS Ocala; however, this was her first time show with him this spring. “I had him since the beginning of Florida, and he hasn’t actually been shown since the third week. I was thrilled with him. He was great, and the course rode nicely. He’s pretty simple to ride, he never spooks at anything, and he is just a fun horse to ride.”

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The Jumping Owners Club Announces the Launch of Its New Website

Wednesday 9 May 2012 – The Jumping Owners Club (JOC) today announced the launch of its first ever website which has been created to both raise awareness of the Club and its role within equestrian sport, as well as to provide Club members with a single source of news and information. The website address is www.jumpingownersclub.com.

The JOC was founded in partnership with the FEI in 2004 to recognise the role of the owner in the sport of Show Jumping, and to provide them with a representative voice. The Club currently has over 50 members from around the world, all of whom own horses which compete at a variety of levels. The Club is chaired by Mr. Christian Baillet, owner of Randgraaf, and notable members include Mrs. Madeleine Winter-Schulze, owner of Gotha FRH and Coupe de Coeur 2 ridden by Ludger Beerbaum, and Mrs. Emmanuele Perron-Pette, owner of Kevin Staut’s leading mare Silvana HDC.

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George Whitaker – The Rolex One to Watch for May 2012

George Whitaker proudly wearing his team bronze medal at the FEI European Jumping Championships for Children, Juniors and Young Riders 2011 in Comporta (POR). Photo: SPORTFOT/Rolex

9 May 2012 – The Rolex One to Watch for May 2012 is George Whitaker (GBR). Currently based in Huddersfield, Yorkshire in Northern England, the 19-year-old jumped from 354th to 231st during May – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 123 places.

George is from the most successful family in the sport of Jumping, and he forms part of the next generation of the Whitaker dynasty, along with his brother William, and cousin Ellen. His uncles, John and Michael, have been the cornerstone of the British Jumping team for the last 30 years; they both won team silver at the Los Angeles 1984 Olympic Games as well as numerous European and World Championship medals.

George is part of the British Equestrian Federation’s UK Sport-funded World Class Development Programme, which works with talented riders to maximise their potential and deliver success in Dressage, Eventing and Jumping. He is also currently undergoing an apprenticeship with the intention of gaining skills in horse care and management.

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Pivotal Opening Round at La Baule as FEI Nations Cup 2012 Paves Way to London Olympic Games

Team Germany, winners of the FEI Nations Cup Top League 2011. Pictured from left to right: Carsten-Otto Nagel, Ludger Beerbaum, Otto Becker (Chef d'Equipe), Marco Kutscher and Thomas Voss. © FEI/CHIO Rotterdam Press

Lausanne (SUI), 8 May 2012 – As the FEI Nations Cup celebrates its 10th anniversary in 2012, the world-class series will have an extra edge in the lead-up to this summer’s London Olympic Games. Chefs d’Equipe and trainers will use this most testing team Jumping tournament to view the form and medal-winning potential of the talent available to them, and there is huge anticipation of a great season ahead.

French riders in particular will be under no illusions as the action gets underway this Friday afternoon (11 May) on their home ground at La Baule. Pascal Dubois, National Technical Director of the Fédération Française d’Equitation (FFE) said recently, “Because it is the only CSIO 5* in France, we have to honour our nation with a most experienced team in La Baule. The programme for the top 10 rider-horse couples in France amongst which the Olympic team will be chosen is set. According to the results obtained in La Baule, we will compose a team which will participate to the Rome CSIO 5*, to St Gallen and to Rotterdam. The FEI Nations Cup circuit is the format which comes the closest to the Olympic Games, requiring both performance but also a good team cohesion. Evidently, we are going to be very attentive to each rider’s performance.”

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First-Ever Southeast Medal Finals in Jacksonville Proud Supporter of Wounded Warrior Project

Jacksonville, FL – May 7, 2012 – The Southeast Medal Finals is pleased to announce the event will be a proud supporter of the Wounded Warrior Project (WWP). The First Annual Southeast Medal Finals will take place on September 21-23, 2012 at the Jacksonville Equestrian Center. Highlights include the Southeast Junior 3′ Medal Finals and the Southeast Adult 3′ Medal Finals, the Region Three ASPCA Maclay Regionals.

WWP was founded by several veterans and friends, moved by stories of the first wounded service members returning home from Afghanistan and Iraq, took action to help others in need. What started as a program to provide comfort items to wounded service members has grown into a complete rehabilitative effort to assist warriors as they recover and transition back to civilian life.

Tens of thousands of Wounded Warriors and caregivers receive support each year through WWP programs designed to nurture the mind and body, and encourage economic empowerment and engagement.

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Canadian Artist Captures a Hickstead “Moment in Time”

Calgary, Alberta – One of Canada’s great Equine artists will forever be remembered for capturing a “Moment in Time” of the world’s most famous show jumping horse. 2012 is an Olympic year, and a new horse will reign as champion and carry the title for another four years, but the world will never forget the one whose place it will take. Rocky Mountain Show Jumping is pleased at this time to announce that Kim Penner has captured a famous Hickstead “Moment in Time.”

Kim’s rendition of the Hickstead “Moment in Time” is a must see, and will be unveiled next month in Goby’s Grill at Anderson Ranch, available for all who love the sport to see during their tournaments hosted this summer.  Just one month prior to the London Olympics, John Anderson and Phillip Rozon, the lead promoters’ of the project will be pleased to present Kim’s painting of Hickstead, Eric Lamaze’s four legged partner who carried him to countless victories around the world, and was tragically lost last November during an International competition in Verona, Italy.

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Two-for-Two, Fellers and Flexible Win the $100,000 Hermes Grand Prix of Del Mar

Rich Fellers and Flexible go two-for-two (Rick Osteen Photography)

Del Mar, CA – For a second night Marina Azevedo built a demanding course at the Del Mar National Horse Show for the 20 entries to jump in the $100,000 Hermes Grand Prix of Del Mar presented by Intuit. Six of the entries contesting the 13 obstacle course were members of the USEF Long List for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games. These combinations were contesting the first of four 2012 US Show Jumping Team Observation Events. And in the second and final class of the Del Mar Observation Event long listed riders once again jumped into top placings.

In the first round, only two combinations were able to produce fault-free efforts. Two members of the USEF Long List for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games, Rich Fellers and Flexible and Lauren Hough with Blue Angel, would need to return and jump-off to decide the winner of Saturday’s class. Neither Fellers nor Hough were able to reproduce their clear efforts from round one with both collecting four faults. However, Fellers (Sherwood, OR) produced the quickest jump-off time for the second night in a row, to claim his second Grand Prix victory of the Observation Event.

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Italians Win First Round of FEI Promotional League 2012 European Series

Italy won the opening leg of the FEI Promotional League 2012 European series at Lummen, Belgium today. L to R - Natale Chiaudani, Luca Marziani, Chef d'Equipe Stefano Scaccabarozzi, Francesca Capponi and Juan Carlos Garcia. Photo: FEI/Dirk Caremans.

Lausanne (SUI), 4 May 2012 – Lummen in Belgium played host to the opening leg of the 2012 FEI Nations Cup Promotional League European series today (4 May), and it was the Italian team who came out on top in the tough 14-nation contest.

A total of nine countries went through to the second round, with Belgium and Canada sharing the lead carrying just four faults each at the halfway stage, while Italy, Germany, Mexico, Spain and Switzerland carried eight and Denmark carried 14.  But as the leaders faltered, the Italians stood firm, and it was second-round clears from Juan Carlos Garcia (Bonzai van de Warande), Francesca Capponi (Stallone) and Natale Chiaudani (Almero 12) that clinched it for Stefano Scaccabarozzi’s side that also included Luca Marziani (Wivina).

JOINT RUNNERS-UP

Twin brothers Nicola (Carlos VHPZ) and Olivier Philippaerts (Cabrio van de Heffinck), sons of Belgian star Ludo Philippaerts, were joined by Donaal Brondeel (Dreemeersen Adorado) and Niels Bruynseels (Castelino van de Helle) to secure joint-runner-up spot for the host nation led by Chef d’Equipe Philippe Guerdat. They shared second place with Canada’s Yann Candele (Carlotta Singular La Magnifica), Tiffany Foster (Victor), Jill Henselwood (George) and Ian Millar (Star Power) when each side added just four faults to bring their final tally to 12.

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Fellers and Flexible Do It Again, Flying to Victory in the $50,000 Surfside Grand Prix

Rich Fellers & Flexible (Rick Osteen Photography)

Del Mar, CA – An international field contested the $50,000 Surfside Grand Prix presented by ShowBiz Magazine Friday evening at the Del Mar National Horse Show. Of the 26 entries in the class, six combinations were members of the USEF Long List for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games. The prestigious California horse show, held at the Del Mar Fairgrounds, serves as the first of four 2012 US Show Jumping Team Observation Events. Leading the victory lap tonight were Rich Fellers and Flexible, having bested the five horse jump-off, which included three long listed combinations.

Lauren Hough was the first member of the USEF Long List for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games to produce a fault-free effort over the first round. Riding Robyn Parsky’s Blue Angel, the Wellington, FL resident jumped a tidy, efficient round over the initial course. In the jump-off the 10-year-old Anglo-European mare looked on her way to producing a second clear round but slicing the turn to the penultimate jump resulted in four faults. They finished in fourth place.

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Charleston Summer Housing

Planning early for accommodations in Charleston is important.  There are hotels but many are more than 15 miles away.  Most exhibitors have rented condos on Seabrook or Kiawah Island in the past and our show is in high season for the islands.  Plan early.

Coastal Getaways handles the rentals of homes/villas on Seabrook Island.  They have everything from one bedroom villas to five bedroom homes.  They will work closely with you to accommodate your arrival and departure dates since they realize that not everyone will come from Saturday to Saturday.  Their website is www.coastalgetawaysofsc.com or call 843 789 4438.

If you have any questions, call our office:  843 768 5503 or send us an email at info@classiccompany.com.

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