Category Archives: Show Jumping

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Events, Show Jumping, USEF, USHJA

Team Show Jumpers Take the Stage at the 2011 Adequan/FEI NAJYRC

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Junior Gold Medal Jumping Team, U.S. Zone 4. Photo by Sportfot.

Lexington, KY – It was a clean sweep for the U.S. when Junior and Young Rider Show Jumping Teams vied in the USHJA North American Show Jumping Championships today.

In the Junior division, the team from U.S. Zone 4 led the victory gallop with their Gold medal in tow while the U.S. Zone 2 carried the Silver, and U.S. combined Zones 1/6 took the Bronze.

Michael Hughes and Shockwave, Hayley Barnhill aboard Toucan Tango, Hasbrouck Donovan on Delilah, and Frances Land with Merlin earned the first-ever Gold for Zone 4 with a team total of only 12 faults after two grueling rounds in the Rolex stadium.

While a steady four on the outside line and a difficult water jump caused rails to come down for many, the Zone 4 team persevered. Barnhill, aboard the 9-year-old Tango, went clear for both rounds, one of only six to do so.

“It feels amazing,” said the 18-year-old Barnhill. “Zone 4 has never won a gold medal here, and it’s just awesome to be the first ones to do it.”

Team Chef Kim Land (Frances Land’s mother) could not have been more excited. “I’m really proud of them, with how they helped each other,” she said. “They’ve had their ups and downs this week and today everybody just came together and got better and better.”

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

FEI Nations Cup 2011 Round 6

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GERMANY WINS THROUGH IN EXCITING THREE-WAY SHOWDOWN by Louise Parkes

(L to R): Hickstead's Daisy Bunn, German team members Holger Wulschner, Janne-Frederike Meyer, Chef d'Equipe Sonke Sonksen, Philipp Weishaupt and Marcus Ehning, FEI President HRH Princess Haya and Andrew Finding, British Equestrian Federation. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.

Hickstead (GBR), 29 July 2011 – Germany emerged victorious in a three-way jump-off against France and the USA at the sixth leg of the FEI Nations Cup 2011 at Hickstead (GBR) today.  In a competition that produced big scores as the notoriously testing British track took its toll, it was Marcus Ehning who sealed the result with the only double-clear of the competition and the quickest run against the clock.

The French lined up second ahead of the Americans in third, but for the USA the danger has not gone away.  Lying second-last on the series table going into today’s event, they failed to improve their position and must now head to Dublin, Ireland next week under even greater pressure.  The Germans, meanwhile, have overtaken the Irish to move into second place on the leaderboard and lie just a comfortable five points off the leading Dutch who, however, didn’t enjoy their best afternoon when having to settle for joint-sixth alongside the struggling Irish in today’s competition.  It was another rough day for the Danes whose fate appears to be sealed.  They look relegation-bound in this, their debut season, having picked up just eight points from the six legs of the series to date.  It will take something very special indeed to rectify that situation with just two competitions left to go.

HALFWAY STAGE
The Germans and French were joint-leaders at the halfway stage, carrying just four faults each.  Olivier Guillon (Lord de Theize) and Roger-Yves Bost (Nifrane de Kreisker) contributed clears to the French cause while Penelope Leprevost (Topinambour) and Kevin Staut (Silvana de Hus) left just one fence on the floor. Meanwhile Germany’s Janne-Friederike (Cellagon Lambrasco) and Marcus Ehning (Plot Blue) were foot-perfect, thus ensuring Philipp Weishaupt’s single error was the only addition to their scoreline as Holger Wulschner’s (Cefalo) double-error was dropped.

Continue reading FEI Nations Cup 2011 Round 6 →

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

McLain Ward Places First and Second in $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic at Kentucky Summer Horse Show

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McLain Ward and Pjotter Van De Zonnehoeve won the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show. Photo By: Rebecca Walton/PMG.

Lexington, KY – July 28, 2011 – It was a late night at the Kentucky Horse Park as riders gathered at the Rolex Stadium to compete in the $25,000 Hagyard Lexington Classic at the Kentucky Summer Horse Show. McLain Ward proved to be the best of the best, dominating the jump-off with the only two double clear efforts aboard Pjotter Van De Zonnehoeve and Vocas to place first and second, respectively. Ashlee Bond and Shane Sweetnam also tackled the short course, but with four faults each they placed third and fourth, respectively.

Tonight’s class was the third of seven grand prix events that make up the Hagyard Challenge Series, sponsored by Hagyard Medical Institute and presented by Pfizer Animal Health. Following the final event in the series, a cash prize of $45,000 will be awarded to the rider accumulating the most points throughout the series for the Leading Rider Bonus.

Twenty-seven riders competed over tonight’s first round designed by Richard Jeffery of Bournemouth, England, which featured an open water with a scored lath and pole, a oxer-vertical double combination, and an oxer-vertical-vertical triple combination. Only three riders were able complete the technical track without fault and advance to the jump-off. The short course began over a single oxer to two single verticals, a second oxer, the first two obstacles in the triple combination, and finished with a gallop over a large oxer near the gate.

“It was a good course,” noted eventual winner McLain Ward. “Obviously it is very hot, so I am sure that was a factor. It is a great venue with great footing and good lighting. I thought it was a difficult course, but very appropriate.”

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Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Wood, Maclay, Show Jumping

Regional Maclay Finals, $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, and $25,000 Grand Prix Headline St. Louis National Charity Horse Show

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Last year's Region 5 and Maclay National Championship winner Hayley Barnhill

St. Louis, MO – July 27, 2011 – The 2011 St. Louis National Horse Show will be packed with classes guaranteed to please just about every exhibitor. Taking place from Sept. 14-18 at the National Equestrian Center in Lake Saint Louis, MO, the Show is honored to once again host the Regional Maclay Finals, Region 5, on Saturday, September 17, at 7 p.m. The Maclay Regionals will take center stage in the spacious indoor ring on Saturday evening under the watchful eyes of judges Alex Jayne and Linda Andrisani.

This year, the Show is thrilled to also feature a $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, which will debut in the outdoor Grand Prix ring at 2 p.m. on Sunday, September 18.  “I think this will be a great Derby for both exhibitors and spectators,” said Show Manager Tom Blankenship.  “The large amount of space we have in the outdoor ring will allow our course designer, Richard Jeffery, to create something really special to ride and to watch.”

And jumper riders will take to the outdoor Grand Prix ring on Saturday, September 17 at 2 p.m. to tackle Jeffery’s course for the St. Louis National Charity Horse Show $25,000 Grand Prix.  Adding excitement to the events, both the Derby and the Grand Prix offer ringside tailgate parking.

Continue reading Regional Maclay Finals, $15,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, and $25,000 Grand Prix Headline St. Louis National Charity Horse Show →

Competitions, Dressage, Endurance Riding, Eventing/H.T., FEI, Show Jumping, USEF, Western/Reining

NAJYRC Stars on the Rise at the Kentucky Horse Park

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Lexington, KY – It’s “all hands on deck” as the final touches are being made and the horses and riders are arriving at the Kentucky Horse Park for what has become a celebrated annual event – the Adequan/FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North. And for the 2011 competition, there are some exciting additions to this highly-regarded series of international championships.

In addition to championships being contested in dressage, eventing, and show jumping, for the first time at the NAJYRC, the discipline of endurance will contest a CEI4* 100-mile championship race (a CEI2* 75-mile, non-championship race will also be run concurrently). Additionally, reining, which joined the championships in 2008 for the first time, will have two divisions for the first time in 2011. Non-championship events will also take place in the form of a vaulting demonstration during the Opening Ceremonies and a pair of para-dressage freestyles prior to the dressage freestyle championships on Saturday.

In all, some 250 riders spanning six countries have made the pilgrimage to the Kentucky Horse Park to battle for medals. Among them include:

174 riders from the U.S. (57 dressage, 19 endurance, 39 eventing, 52 jumping, 7 reining)
59 riders from Canada (21 dressage, 3 endurance, 9 eventing, 12 jumping, 14 reining)
10 riders from Mexico (3 endurance, 3 jumping, 4 reining)
2 riders from Columbia (endurance)
1 rider from Germany (endurance)
1 rider from Spain (endurance)

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Community/Charity, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Maclay, National Horse Show, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Dr. and Mrs. Pearse Lyons Named Honorary Chairpersons of the Alltech National Horse Show, 128th Edition

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Dr. and Mrs. Pearse Lyons have been named Honorary Chairpersons of this year's Alltech National Horse Show, 128th Edition. Photo: © Alltech.

Lexington, KY – July 26, 2011 – The Alltech National Horse Show, 128th edition, announced today that Dr. and Mrs. Pearse Lyons have been named the Honorary Chairpersons for the inaugural event to be staged at the Alltech Arena at the world-renowned Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, site of last year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, from November 2-6, 2011.

Dr. Lyons, the President and Founder of Alltech, presides over a company that has become one of the most important and generous sponsors for equestrian events worldwide.

“That’s why we asked them to become our Honorary Chairpersons,” said National Horse Show of America, Ltd President, Mason Phelps, Jr. “We wanted to honor Dr. and Mrs. Lyons because of their commitment, not only to this show, but their contribution to the industry all over the world. Without them the Alltech National Horse Show would certainly still be a storied tradition, but the new beginning would not have been possible without the commitment of Alltech.”

“Deirdre and I are touched by this honor and delighted to have this opportunity to bring enthusiastic support to the Alltech National Horse Show,” said Dr. Pearse Lyons, Alltech’s president and founder.  “The show is an institution in the equestrian world, and we are pleased to be a part of preserving its legacy.”

Earlier this year Dr. Lyons was honored with the Kentucky Chamber of Commerce’s Commonwealth Legacy Award for his pivotal leadership role in the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, which were recently shown to have had a $201.5 million economic impact on the state of Kentucky.

Continue reading Dr. and Mrs. Pearse Lyons Named Honorary Chairpersons of the Alltech National Horse Show, 128th Edition →

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

Horse Shows by the Bay Series III a Hunter/Jumper Spectacular

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Wilhelm Genn and Copyright 3 jump the Mackinac Bridge at Horse Shows by the Bay. Photo Credit: Katie Anich/PMG

Traverse City, MI – July 25, 2011 – The third week of Horse Shows by the Bay proved to be an excellent series for both hunters and jumpers. A hunter derby and an open jumper grand prix demonstrated the best of the best in both disciplines, while numerous other events made for another action-packed show in scenic Traverse City, MI. Several jumper classics, as well as a welcome prix, added to the week’s bustling schedule, as did an adult hunter classic and a children’s hunter classic. Equitation riders also continued to fine-tune their skills, resulting in medal classes that were overflowing with up-and-coming equestrian talent. Finally, multiple division championship and grand championship honors were awarded, adding to the winning atmosphere that enveloped week III at Flintfields Horse Park.

In Friday night’s $20,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby, Kelley Farmer made a clean sweep of the top four spots aboard Clearly, Praise, Red Sky, and Bases Loaded. A three-way tie between Clearly, Praise, and Red Sky, all with phenomenal overall scores of 387, amazed the large crowd who turned out for the evening event. Farmer also had a fabulous score with Bases Loaded, earning a 364 for their polished turn in the ring. Clearly is owned by Jane Gaston, Praise belongs to Selma Garber, Red Sky is owned by Larry Glefke, and Bases Loaded is owned by Am Free, Inc. Farmer’s slew of smooth rides saw her win this event for the second year in a row. Peter Pletcher also had great success on multiple mounts in the derby, finishing fifth, sixth, and seventh in the highly-anticipated contest. Pletcher rode Copperfield, owned by Jennifer Noski, to a fifth place finish. Primero, owned by Sleepy P Ranch LLC, came in sixth with Pletcher, while Susan Baker’s Tell All came in seventh. Finishing eighth was Carson Gibson on Shadyside Farm’s Caden, coming in ninth was Melissa Donnelly on Elizabeth Stroh’s Chin Chin, and placing tenth was David Beisel on Ammeretto, owned by Equine Holdings. Eleventh place went to Micah Gentry on Robin Swinderman’s INXS, and the twelfth position was earned by Rachel Geiger on her own Midnight Date.

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Dressage, Eventing/H.T., FEI, Olympic Games, Show Jumping

FEI Counts Down to 100 Years of Olympic Equestrian Sport

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Lausanne (SUI), 27 July 2011 – Olympic fever is ramping up as today marks the one-year countdown to the London 2012 Olympic Games and 100 years of equestrian sport in the Olympic movement.

The London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony on 27 July will be followed by 12 days of equestrian competition in Greenwich Park, where the world’s best horses and riders will compete for six gold medals in the Olympic disciplines of Eventing, Dressage and Jumping.

To celebrate one year to go, the FEI will be running London 2012 image campaigns on Facebook and will be constantly updating news on both Facebook and Twitter as nations qualify for the equestrian events.

The London 2012 Organising Committee (LOCOG) has also launched an interactive twitter stadium and world map on www.london2012.com/1yeartogo.

“The excitement in the run-up to the Olympic equestrian events at London 2012 is huge and the stunning location of Greenwich Park means that we are at the heart of the Games,” said HRH Princess Haya, President of the FEI. “We are proud to be given centre stage at such a poignant time when we will be marking 100 years of equestrian sport in the Olympic movement.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

G&C Farms Pablo Barrios Posts Victory at Global Champions Tour in Chantilly, France

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Pablo Barrios and G&C Quick Star won the Prix France Galop 1.50m speed class at the Global Champions Tour event in Chantilly, France. Photo © Cealy Tetley

Wellington, FL – July 26, 2011 – G&C Farm and rider Pablo Barrios have continued their summer tour with victory and strong performances at major CSI five star competitions across Europe, including a win at the Global Champions Tour event in Chantilly, France. G&C Farm is based in Wellington, FL, and owned by Gustavo and Carolina Mirabal of Venezuela. Barrios, who competes for Venezuela, is also based in Wellington.

Barrios piloted G&C Quick Star 11 to the win in the Prix France Galop 1.50m speed class in Chantilly. The pair posted a time of 66.34 seconds for the win over Alvaro de Miranda (BRA) on AD Wilbert Z and Leopold van Asten (NED) with VDL Groep Amelie.

This was the second win for the pair on the Global Champions Tour circuit this summer. G&C Quick Star 11 is a 13-year-old KWPN mare by Quick Star x Grannus. “Quick Star has been so solid and consistent this year,” Barrios said. “We are very happy with her and want to keep her strong and ready for the Pan American Games this fall.”

Barrios was very pleased to have posted another win at a five star show. “Winning never gets old,” he said with a smile. “Just being at these shows gives me a lot of knowledge and experience. I hope we can continue our success.”

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Community/Charity, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping, USEF

Hampton Classic Horse Show to Hold a Food Drive in Support of Local Food Pantry

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Bridgehampton, NY – The 36th Annual Hampton Classic Horse Show, which returns to Bridgehampton, NY, August 28 – September 4, is sponsoring a food drive in support of the Sag Harbor Food Pantry. The online personal shopping service, mygofer.com, is lending its support as sponsor of the Drive.

Spectators who present three or more nonperishable items at the entrance gate on Tuesday, August 30 or Wednesday, August 31 will be granted free admission to the show that day courtesy of mygofer.com. All of the items collected will be donated to the local Sag Harbor Food Pantry and shared with other area food pantries, depending on the amount of food collected.

www.mygofer.com is an innovative one-stop shopping experience that offers a range of groceries, prescriptions, and various other products with same day delivery service to the customer. It is available within hours for pickup at local participating Kmart stores, and in some locations, is available for home delivery.

“mygofer.com makes life easier for our customers and gives them more time in their day to focus on what’s important to them. It allows them to shop online for groceries, prescriptions, health and beauty products, electronics and more and have them delivered that same day to their home or to a local participating Kmart store where it is available for pickup,” said Rob Roy, director and general manager of mygofer.com. “Given mygofer.com’s presence in the Bridgehampton community, this seemed like the perfect opportunity to team up with the Hampton Classic Horse Show in support of the local food pantry.”

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