Category Archives: Disciplines

United States Places Fifth in FEI Nations Cup at CSIO-W Buenos Aires

U.S. rider Charlie Jacobs wins Ericsson Grand Prix with Leap of Joy

Charlie Jacobs and Leap of Joy won the Ericsson Grand Prix at the CSIO-W Buenos Aires. Photo By: Haras El Capricho

Buenos Aires, Argentina – November 28, 2011 – The United States Show Jumping Team finished fifth during the FEI Nations Cup at CSIO-W Buenos Aires in Argentina held November 25, 2011 at Haras El Capricho, with 29 faults. The Jumping team included Charlie Jacobs of Buffalo, NY, aboard Leap of Joy, Ali Wolff of New Albany, OH, with Blacklick Bend Farm’s Lanoo, Cara Anthony of Redmond, WA, riding Potcreek Partners, LLC’s Woodpecker de Villars, and Cara Raether of Bedford, NY, aboard Trelawny Farm’s Lyonell. Jacobs also won three individual classes, including the Ericsson Grand Prix with Leap of Joy and the Nissan International Speed Derby with Flaming Star.

Following a strong first round of competition, the United States Show Jumping Team, competing in the FEI Nations Cup at CSIO-W Buenos Aires on Friday, had to settle for a fifth place at the end of the day. Three of the U.S. horse and rider combinations, Jacobs and Leap of Joy, Anthony with Woodpecker de Villars and Raether on Lyonell, all had four faults in round one. The first round drop score was that of Lanoo and Wolff who had two knockdowns. The team total of 12 faults had the US squad sitting seven faults off the lead in third place following the first round of action.

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Swedish Riders Hold the Reins at the Top of Reem Acra Rankings

Lausanne (SUI), 28 November 2011 – Previously lying in equal-seventh position, Sweden’s Patrik Kittel has now moved into second place on the Western European League table following his superb victory with Toy Story in the third leg of the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage 2011/2012 series in Stockholm, Sweden yesterday.

His Swedish colleague, Tinne Vilhelmson Silfven, who was only 0.1 point behind Kittel’s winning score when filling runner-up spot yesterday, continues to head the leaderboard going into the next round at Olympia in London, Great Britain on 14 December.

Please find below the updated leaderboard.

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Kittel Wins Out in Super-Tight Battle in Stockholm

Patrik Kittel and Toy Story won the third leg of the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage series on their home turf in Stockholm, Sweden this afternoon. Photo: FEI/Roland Thunholm.

Stockholm (SWE), 27 November 2011 – Patrik Kittel headed up a Swedish one-two in the third leg of the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage 2011/2012 series in Stockholm, Sweden today.  But it was a close-fought affair as the 35-year-old rider and his 11 year old gelding, Toy Story, only pipped Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven and Don Auriello by 0.1 of a percentage point, while Germany’s Isabell Werth (Warum Nicht FRH) and Helen Langehanenberg (Responsible) had to settle for third and fourth places respectively.

In a weekend full of interesting twists and turns, multiple champion Werth finished well down the line in seventh place in Saturday’s Grand Prix won by Vilhelmson-Silfven. And, adding to the litany of surprises, was a very pleasant one for Norway’s Siril Helljesen who steered her lovely mare, Dorina, into Grand Prix runner-up spot.

But Kittel’s latest Freestyle victory underlines his great strength in depth.  He has 13 Grand Prix-level horses now at the base in Muenster, Germany which he has been operating for the last 15 years.  “I’m very lucky to have so many right at the moment,” he said this afternoon. “Toy Story does not have a great amount of experience but he is very talented and he really took me by surprise today!” he pointed out.

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Exell Uncontested Winner in Stockholm

Boyd Exell (AUS), winner of the third FEI World Cup Driving 2011/2012 qualifier held in Stockholm (SWE) this weekend. ©Anna Vähäkuopus/FEI

Stockholm (SWE), 27 November 2011 – Triple FEI World Cup Driving Champion Boyd Exell (AUS) is the uncontested winner of the third FEI World Cup Driving competition of the season in Sweden’s capital Stockholm. Exell drove two fluent clear rounds and finished well ahead of wild card driver Tomas Eriksson (SWE) and IJsbrand Chardon (NED).

Practice rounds

After two ‘practice competitions’ in Hannover and Stuttgart where he competed with a wild card, Boyd collected his first World Cup points of the season. He began using a new horse this season to replace some of the older horses on his four-in-hand team. After two competitions and some good advice from the previous owner Jozsef Dobrovitz, the eight-year-old trotter Bajnok is now a reliable member of Boyd’s team.

Fire works

Boyd drove two impeccable rounds in the Globen Arena in Stockholm where the enthusiastic spectators contributed to a fantastic atmosphere. Sweden’s Dan Henriksson had challenged the drivers by designing a technical course with many different options. This resulted in a very exciting competition the highlight of which was the fireworks going off when the competitors crossed the finishing line on the bridge.

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Vosburgh Winner Fabulous Strike to Old Friends

GEORGETOWN, KY – NOVEMBER 23, 2011 – Fabulous Strike, winner of the 2007 Vosburgh Stakes, has been permanently pensioned at Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Center in Georgetown, KY.

The 8-year-old Pennsylvania bred was retired from racing in September and was donated to Old Friends by his owner and breeder, Walter Downey and his Tea Party Stable.

Fabulous Strike (Smart Strike – Fabulous Find by Lost Code) is a five-time graded stakes winner and was one of the nation’s top sprinters between 2007 and 2009. In addition to the Vosburgh, his victories include the GR1 Aristides Breeders’ Cup Sprint in 2007 and the GR2 Alfred G. Vanderbilt H. in 2009. In all, the gelding captured 15 of his 28 starts and had total career earnings of $1, 448, 399.

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USEF Announces 2012 Eventing Developing Riders

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) Eventing High Performance program congratulates the following horse and rider combinations for their acceptance into the 2012 Developing Rider Program.

2012 USEF Developing Riders

Susan Beebee (Southern Pines, NC) and Plan Bee Equestrian’s Wolf
Wolf is an 8-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding

Maya Black (Clinton, WA) and her own and Teresa Stewart’s Konyagi
Konyagi is a 10-year-old Thoroughbred gelding

and Dawn Dofelmier’s Doesn’t Play Fair
Doesn’t Play Fair is a 5-year-old Holsteiner gelding

Jennie Brannigan (West Grove, PA) and Nina Gardner’s No Objection
No Objection is a 14-year-old Thoroughbred gelding

Maris Burns (Carnation, WA) and her own Young Gun
Young Gun is a 12-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding

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Nordic Lights Farm’s Eirin Bruheim and Cicero 75 Win $5,000 Mini Prix at 2011 Final Chase

Eirin Bruheim and Cicero 75 won the $5,000 Open Jumper Mini Prix at the Final Chase Horse Show. Photo By: David Mullinix

Katy, TX – November 22, 2011 – As the Thanksgiving holiday approaches, Nordic Lights Farm wrapped up the 2011 show season during the Final Chase Horse Show at the Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, Texas. Eirin Bruheim claimed the winning honors during the $5,000 Open Jumper Mini Prix aboard Cicero 75, as well as the High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Championship. Her sister Lene Bruheim was also very successful, earning top honors in the hunter, jumper, and equitation rings.

Eirin and her talented mount Cicero 75 proved to be a dominating combination during the Final Chase Horse Show. For the second week in a row they took home the High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Championship after earning a first place ribbon, a second place ribbon, and a fourth place ribbon. The pair then tackled the $5,000 Open Jumper Mini Prix where their incredible double-clear effort scored the winning prize. Eirin also competed with new mount Anyway to earn the sixth place award, and in the High Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumpers garnered a third and fourth place ribbon.

“The show this weekend was awesome,” said Eirin. “Cicero and Anyway were both so lively yet polite; it was a joy to be able to ride them. I finally feel like I’m officially back from my six month break and I am ready for WEF!”

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USEF High Performance Training Lists Updated for the 2012 Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team

Lexington, KY – The USEF Eventing High Performance Training Lists have been revised for the upcoming 2012 season. Athlete/Horse combinations will be invited to participate in training sessions this winter with U.S. Chef d’Equipe and Technical Advisor Capt. Mark Phillips. Preparation for and success at the 2012 Olympic Games were the Eventing Selectors and the High Performance Committee’s highest priorities in developing these lists.

A List

Phillip Dutton (West Grove, PA) and Bruce Duchossois’ Mighty Nice
Mighty Nice is a 7-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding

Sinead Halpin (Oldwick, NJ) and Carriag LLC’s Manoir de Carnville
Manoir de Carnville is an 11-year-old Selle Francais gelding

Boyd Martin (West Grove, PA) and the Neville Bardos Syndicate’s Neville Bardos
Neville Bardos is a 12-year-old Australian Thoroughbred gelding

Boyd Martin (West Grove, PA) and the Otis Barbotiere Syndicate’s Otis Barbotiere
Otis Barbotiere is a 9-year-old Selle Francais gelding

Continue reading USEF High Performance Training Lists Updated for the 2012 Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team

Atlanta Fall Classics – Classic Company Ends 2011 Season on High Note

Michael Tokaruk and Ultaire Win $25,000 EMO Welcome Jumper Stake; Megan Edrick and Cadence Repeat Victory in $25,000 EMO Grand Prix

Michael Tokaruk & Ultaire ©Flashpoint Photography

Conyers, GA — Nov 20, 2011 — Week two of the Atlanta Fall Classics put the jumpers center stage for the finale event of Classic Company’s 2011 season with two big $25,000 classes. “This week’s big money classes were a nice way to end the season for our exhibitors. It’s been a great year of shows and the new season will be even better!” Bob Bell, President of Classic Company, said.

Show jumping action kicked off on Friday with the $25,000 EMO Welcome Stake presented by EMO Insurance. The field of 31 was a virtual who’s who of the sport with the likes of Olympic vet Chris Kappler, USET Champion Schuyler Riley, and show jumping Million Dollar Club member Wilhelm Genn taking on Allen Rheinheimer’s complex 12 fence layout with one goal-clear the jumps and beat the 82 second time allowance.

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Beerbaum Storms to Victory in Stuttgart

Magali Dubois Vaucher from Rolex presents a Rolex time-piece to Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum who won today’s fifth leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2011/2012 series at Stuttgart, Germany riding Gotha. Photo: FEI/Karl-Heinz Frieler.

Stuttgart (GER), 20 November 2011 – Ludger Beerbaum claimed the honours for Germany today in the fifth leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Western European League series on his home turf at Stuttgart.  Madeleine Winter-Schulze’s 10-year-old mare, Gotha, has been going from strength to strength in the hands of the five-time Olympian in recent months, and produced a superb jump-off round to clinch maximum points for the 48-year-old veteran who won the prestigious series title 18 years ago.

It was no walk-in-the-park afternoon for the world’s top competitors, with only six of the 39 starters finding all the answers to the demanding 13-fence first-round track set by Christa Jung.  The German course designer stretched them from the first fence to the last, and the eight retirements on course were testament to the degree of difficulty.

“It was not too technical but it was quite big – Christa did a good job,” Beerbaum said afterwards. “There were mistakes at all the fences, except, I think, the first – it was selective,” he added.

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