Category Archives: Disciplines

Bestselling Author Tami Hoag Debuts Newest Thriller Down the Darkest Road at Sho Clothes “Shop Talk”

Wellington, FL (January 9, 2012) – New York Times bestselling author Tami Hoag will unveil her newest thriller Down the Darkest Road at Sho Clothes “Shop Talk” on Tuesday, January 10. Hoag, who is well known on the dressage scene in South Florida as a Grand Prix rider, will not only speak at “Shop Talk” but will also sign books and meet with fans.

“I am a big fan of Sho Clothes and have spoken at ‘Shop Talk’ before. I always look forward to returning,” Hoag said. “Tuesday night should be a great time because I enjoy meeting fans and talking about my new books. Down the Darkest Road is the third book in this series and I think my fans are going to like it.”

Down the Darkest Road will give horse fans and non-horse fans alike a thrill, and in typical Hoag fashion it’s a novel that’s hard to put down. “Tami will be speaking at 6:30 pm on Tuesday night and I know we will have a packed house,” said Michele Hundt, owner of Sho Clothes. “Tami is a great speaker and has a huge fan base in South Florida. I love all of her novels and can’t wait to read Down the Darkest Road.”

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Olympian Peter Leone Presents Soon to Be Released Book to Annual Meeting of the IHSA in Orlando

Peter Cashman from West Point, Peter Leone, Naomi Blumenthal, and IHSA Founder and Executive Director, Bob Cacchione

Orlando, Florida – January 5, 2012 – Olympian Peter Leone joined members of the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) Board of Directors at their annual meeting held in Orlando, FL to celebrate the launch of his new book, Peter Leone’s Show Jumping Clinic: Success Strategies for Equestrian Athletes. Leone’s book, written along with Kimberly S. Jaussi, PhD, herself an avid rider, writer and leadership professor and coach, explores every aspect of riding from the basics of correct use of aids through to the psychology of approaching a World Cup course. The book employs diagrams, exercises and anecdotes, as well as photos featuring riders such as McLain Ward, Richard Spooner and Georgina Bloomberg, as models demonstrating concepts from his text. Coaches, such as Eddie Federwisch from Virginia Intermont College, lauded the publication of the book as a comprehensive modern textbook on riding. Peter Leone’s Show Jumping Clinic: Success Strategies for Equestrian Athletes is slick and easy to read with a fresh format and catchy phrases that stick with you.

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Two Hundred Days to Go to London 2012

Lausanne (SUI), 9 January 2012 – Twenty one nations are celebrating their Olympic qualification today, 9 January, which marks the 200-day countdown to London 2012 and 100 years of equestrian sport in the Olympic movement.

Eleven countries have now secured the opportunity to join the nine nations already qualified at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 in Kentucky and hosts Great Britain at London 2012 through a series of nail-biting qualifiers held around the world for their Olympic Group.

Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Chile, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Mexico, Saudi Arabia, Sweden, Switzerland, the USA and Ukraine will join hosts Great Britain in team Jumping.

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World Dressage Masters Palm Beach Announces Change to Line-Up

Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro. Photo courtesy of British Dressage

Wellington, FL – January 6, 2012 – Organizers of the World Dressage Masters presented by Axel Johnson Group have been informed that the stallion Totilas and his rider Matthias Rath of Germany will be unable to attend the WDM Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach, which is set to take place January 26th to 28th.

“I received a call this morning from Paul Schockemöhle, one of the owners of Totilas,” said WDM Palm Beach organizer Noreen O’Sullivan of Wellington Classic Dressage. “I am very sorry to announce that Totilas will not be able to compete in this year’s World Dressage Masters Palm Beach. The owners feel the horse has just returned to light work after an injury and would not be ready for this event. We have already invited Totilas and Matthias to our 2013 WDM event. The owners and Matthias were very disappointed they would not be able to attend this year’s WDM Palm Beach but also said they look forward to accepting our invitation for next year if the horse is going well.”

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Rolf-Göran Bengtsson in Historic Rolex Rankings Lead

Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE) becomes first Swede to lead the Rolex Rankings.

Lausanne (SUI), 6 January 2012 – Rolf-Göran Bengtsson (SWE) is celebrating after securing the world number one slot in the Rolex Rankings for the first time in his career.

The Hong Kong individual silver medallist has also made history by becoming the first Swedish world number in an Olympic discipline.

In the latest Rolex Rankings, published today, Bengtsson is 81 points ahead of Eric Lamaze (CAN), the reigning Olympic champion who had topped the Rolex Rankings since 1 June 2011.

Bengtsson, who turns 50 this year, will be celebrating his promotion to world number one at the Swedish National Federation’s annual awards ceremony in Stockholm this weekend, when the Swedes will be looking back on a successful 2011 season.

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“Salute to Driving” Benefit to Support the USET Foundation

The "Salute to Driving" will take place February 18-20, 2012. Photo By: Vicki Long.

Aiken, SC – January 4, 2012 – The Second Annual Salute to Driving fundraising event is pleased to announce that it will once again be held in Aiken, and Windsor SC, February 18-20, 2012, and will feature many exciting new additions. Last year’s debut event benefited this country’s High Performance Driving programs for the United States Equestrian Team Foundation, raising over $30,000. The exciting weekend event will feature a beautiful dinner and auction on Saturday evening, multiple driving clinics with some of the world’s top trainers, and a Combined Test Competition for any drivers Preliminary-Advanced on Monday. The Salute to Driving event is being held to help raise awareness and educate different audiences about the discipline of driving.

Salute to Driving will kick off its festivities on Saturday, February 18, 2012, with dressage clinics by Tjreed Velstra of The Netherlands and Hardy Zantke of California at Chateau Log and Courage to Lead Farms. Auditing these clinics is free, and Velstra will lead the USEF long listed drivers while Zantke teaches the developing drivers. Other special events include a hazard demonstration and clinic, harnessing demonstrations, and a carriage exhibit.

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Diamond Stripes Retires at Old Friends

GEORGETOWN, KY — JANUARY 3, 2012 — Diamond Stripes, the 9-year-old son of Notebook, has been retired to Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, KY,

Michael Blowen, president and founder of Old Friends, made the announcement today.

Bred in Florida by Mr. and Mrs. Samuel Rogers Jr, for their Four Roses Thoroughbreds, Diamond Stripes won six of his 16 starts, including three black-type victories. His earnings total $1,479,014.

Diamond Stripes broke his maiden in the 2006 Pegasus Stakes (GR3) and the following year he captured the Meadowlands Cup (GR2). The win earned him entry into that year’s Breeders’ Cup Classic, where he finished 8th on an off track.

His greatest victory, however, came in 2008 in Dubai where he triumphed in the $1-million Godolphin Mile (UAE-II) under jockey Edgar Prado.

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Dressage at Devon to Focus on Capital Campaign and Dressage Education in 2012

Devon, PA (January 2, 2012) – America’s most prestigious Dressage Horse Show, Dressage at Devon has continued to grow and evolve over the past 37 years. The show has provided a top show venue for competitors, a unique “Norman Rockwell” style American shopping venue and has benefited various charities over the years. Over the past 21 years, Thorncroft Equestrian Center has been the charitable beneficiary of the Dressage at Devon horse show. This month Thorncroft Equestrian Center opted to move in a new direction for their fundraising efforts giving Dressage at Devon an opportunity to focus on the capital campaign allocating proceeds from the show to continued improvements at the show grounds and to focus on dressage education.

“It is a great time for Dressage at Devon to give even more back to the sport,” said Lori Kaminski, President of the Dressage at Devon Board of Directors. “Dressage at Devon has decided to take this opportunity to focus on our mission statement of producing a world class dressage and dressage sport horse breeding show, promoting the sport of dressage, and supporting dressage education. We have already initiated a capital campaign along with the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair Foundation to raise the funds needed to excavate and rebuild the schooling arena using the same high quality footing that has already been installed in the competition arenas. This improvement will include the necessary drainage and provide a safer environment for horses, riders, and handlers. Educational sessions for dressage judges and dressage sport horse judges are in the planning stages for 2012 and we are currently in the process of identifying the topics and presenters for the Wednesday evening forum and the weekend mini seminars.”

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Bestselling Author Tami Hoag Hits the Road on South Florida Book Tour to Promote Latest Thriller “Down the Darkest Road”

Meet Tami Hoag in Delray Beach, Wellington and Vero Beach

Photo courtesy of Tami Hoag

Wellington, FL (January 3, 2012) – New York Times bestselling author Tami Hoag, who is a professional Grand Prix dressage rider when she isn’t sitting at her keyboard pounding out suspenseful novels, is hitting the road to debut her newest novel, Down the Darkest Road. Hoag’s book tour started in Minnesota leads back to her home of Wellington, Florida, as she visits bookstores, meets fans and signs books in the South Florida area.

Hoag kicks off the Florida leg of her book tour Wednesday, January 4th at Murder on the Beach at 7 pm in Delray Beach, Florida, followed by the Wellington Barnes & Noble on Thursday, January 5 at 7 pm, located in The Shoppes at Wellington Green. On Saturday, January 7, Hoag will appear at the Vero Beach Book Center, in Vero Beach, at 3 pm.

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The Dressage Foundation Awards $10,000 to U.S. Dressage Instructors

Sara Schmitt and Kaboom. Photo: Pics of You.

The Dressage Foundation has announced that a total of $10,000 has been awarded to U.S. dressage instructors through the Major Anders Lindgren Scholarship program. Due to the recent restructuring of the scholarship guidelines, to provide up to three scholarships per year for the recipients to train in the United States, interest was very high. This year, the Selection Committee chose the following recipients:

Sarah Geikie (CT) was awarded the $6,000 Lindgren Scholarship. Sarah has been a professional dressage trainer for 30 years. She is a popular clinician across the country, an FEI dressage judge, a competitor, and a USDF Certified Instructor through 4th Level. She is also an Examiner and faculty member for the Instructor Certification Program. Sarah will use the scholarship funds to train with Kathy Connelly.

Sara Schmitt (NJ) is the recipient of a $2,000 Lindgren Scholarship. She has been instructing for 25 years, from Training Level through Grand Prix. Sara is the resident trainer at Hawk Hollow Ranch in Bedminster, NJ, and is also an active competitor. She plans to train with Belinda Nairn-Wertman in early 2012.

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