Category Archives: Disciplines

Competitions, Events, Show Jumping, USEF

Eighty-four Riders to Contest the 2011 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Final – East

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Lexington, KY – The Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Finals celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2011 and this year’s competition is a strong as ever. The championship style competition again hosts finals for the top up-and-coming junior and young riders on both the east and west coasts. This weekend all eyes will be on the U.S. Equestrian Foundation Headquarters in Gladstone, NJ for the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Final – East. Two weeks ago Demi Stiegler topped a field of more than 40 riders judged by Sue Ashe and Molly Cawley-Ashe in the Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Final – West at the Los Angeles Equestrian Center.

Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Final – East

The Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Final – East will host 84 of the top young competitors from the hunter and jumper ranks. Making up the strong field that descends upon Gladstone October 7-9 are USEF National Champions, Adequan/FEI North American Junior and Young Rider presented by Gotham North (NAJYRC) medalists and highly decorated equitation stars. George Morris and Jimmy Lee will serve as the judges.

Lillie Keenan (New York, NY) heads to Gladstone on a mission after winning at nearly every turn this summer. At the beginning of August, she won both the Reserve and Grand Championship at the 2011 USEF National Junior Hunter Championship – East Coast. Three weeks later in Kentucky, Keenan brought spectators to their feet at the $100,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals as she piloted C Coast Z to a resounding victory. Learn more about the former USEF Pony Finals champion’s win in Lexington here: http://usefnetwork.com/news/7489/2011/8/21/lillie_keenan_and_c_coast_z_win_the.aspx.

Continue reading Eighty-four Riders to Contest the 2011 Platinum Performance/USEF Show Jumping Talent Search Final – East →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, National Horse Show, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Local Rider Christina Kelly Qualifies for the Alltech National Horse Show

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Christina Kelly competing in the Amateur Owner Jumpers in Kentucky. Photo: Rebecca Walton

Lexington, KY – October 5, 2011 – The Alltech National Horse Show’s debut at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, is just a few weeks away, and local rider Christina Kelly is quickly preparing for her own debut at the event. Kelly is based out of her family’s Diamond Edge Farm in Nicholasville, KY, and will be competing in the $25,000 Junior Jumper Division, as well as the $50,000 SJHOF Junior/Amateur Championships, sponsored by Sleepy P Ranch, Chansonette and Deeridge Farm.

Although Kelly represents Ireland, she has been competing in the United States for a number of years and has taken the circuit by storm in 2011. She has won numerous Junior Jumper Classics aboard her three talented mounts: Camirage, Creata Van Ten Biesen, and HH Narcos Du Marais, which have all earned a spot on the qualification list for this year’s Alltech National Horse Show.

“This is my first year competing during the Alltech National Horse Show, and I love the Kentucky Horse Park so I think it’s going to be a great event,” commented Kelly. “There are a lot of European riders coming over for the other classes and I think it’s going to be a great horse show, especially because it will be in the Alltech Arena. It’s going to be focused on that main event and I think it will be amazing.”

Kelly continued, “I love the Kentucky Horse Park. We stay there for five weeks during the summer and the horses never seem to get tired of it. They jump so much better on that footing and they have the grass field to ride in, I think they really like it and they perform better there.”

Continue reading Local Rider Christina Kelly Qualifies for the Alltech National Horse Show →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, USEF

Strong Start at Boekelo for Land Rover US Eventing Team

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Remington XXV, the first of four Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team horses to contest the Boekelo CCI3* in the Netherlands, got the team off to a good start on the first day of dressage. With Boyd Martin (West Grove, PA), he put in a polished performance to finish on a score of 45.8. This effort puts them fourth after the first day of dressage.

Henley House Stables’ 15-year-old Hanoverian gelding has had top finishes at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Bridgestone and the Pau CCI4*, but this is his first attempt at Holland’s showcase CCI3*.

“He was good,” said Martin after his ride. “It wasn’t his best test but he went in there and handled the atmosphere and put in a workmanlike test.”

Zara Phillips leads the way for Great Britain at the halfway point with Lord Lauries on a score of 40.6.

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Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Events, USEF

The Land Rover US Eventing Team Takes on Strong Field at the Boekelo CCI3*

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Four American horses and three riders are set to take on a huge and hugely competitive field at the Boekelo CCI3* in The Netherlands. The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team for Boekelo is comprised of Boyd Martin’s pair Remington XXV (owned by Henley House Stables, LLC) and Otis Barbotiere (owned by The Otis Barbotiere Syndicate), Michael Pollard on his own, his wife Nathalie’s and his father-in-law Carl Bouckaert’s DV8, and Tamra Smith on Leigh Mesher’s Mar de Amor.

“I’m really excited to be representing the US at Boekelo,” said Pollard. “DV8 seems to be going really well, and the course seems like it will really suit him. I believe this will be a great progression for him, and I will look to contribute a good score for the team.”

Pollard (Dalton, GA) was also named to the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team for the 2011 Pan American Games with Schoensgreen Hanni set to take place in Guadalajara later this month. Learn more about the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team for the 2011 Pan American Games here: http://usef.org/_IFrames/newsdisplay/viewPR.aspx?id=7533&star=true.

Continue reading The Land Rover US Eventing Team Takes on Strong Field at the Boekelo CCI3* →

Community/Charity, Driving, Eventing/H.T., JRPR, Training/Clinics

Canadian Eventer Kim Logue Wins Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience to Train with Chester Weber through Gift of the Horse Website Contest

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Kim Logue is Chester Weber’s biggest fan and won an essay contest for an opportunity to train with the legendary combined driver. (Photo courtesy of Ze’ev Gedalof)

Ocala, FL (September 8, 2011) – Canadian rider Kim Logue may just be the biggest fan of Combined Driver Chester Weber, a fact she proved when she won a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to spend two days on Weber’s Live Oak Plantation in Ocala, Florida, training with the legendary combined driver. Logue won the contest on the Gift of the Horse website by writing an award winning essay explaining why she is Weber’s biggest fan.

In her winning essay she said, “Chester Weber is a champion many times over, but there are other reasons I am his number one fan. He has been the introduction to the sport of Combined Driving, not just for me, but also for countless enthusiasts. I can vividly remember an entrancing demo during the Symphony of the Horse Charity Fundraiser in Gainesville, Florida where he was wearing a headset mic and whipping around the arena describing the sport in general, as well as the specific methods he was using moment by moment, with his team in action, to give a taste of the sport.”

Logue went on to write that she admires that fact that Weber believes in cross training his horses and she added that she is his number one fan, “because of the respect and appreciation he has shown for his carefully selected staff team. I am his number one fan because he is known to provide horses to students from time to time, including Canadians! I am his number one fan because he is known to invest in horses being shown in other sports, including by Canadian riders. I am his number one fan because some of the most amazing photographs published of him are taken by his wife.”

Continue reading Canadian Eventer Kim Logue Wins Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience to Train with Chester Weber through Gift of the Horse Website Contest →

Breeds, Contributors/Press, Racing

Old Friends, The National Museum of Racing & Hall of Fame, and Nick Ryan’s Saloon to Present “Hall of Fame Day at Old Friends”

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GEORGETOWN, KY – OCTOBER 6, 2011 – Old Friends, the Thoroughbred Retirement Farm in Georgetown, KY, has partnered with the National Museum of Racing and Hall of Fame and Lexington’s Nick Ryan’s Saloon to proudly present “Hall of Fame Day at Old Friends” on Monday October 17, 2011.

The event will kick off at 3pm at Old Friends, 1841 Paynes Depot Road in Georgetown, with an observance for the three great Thoroughbred Champions who have been laid to rest at the farm’s official Hall of Fame Cemetery: Skip Away, Noor, and Precisionist.

The afternoon will be highlighted by tours of the farm and visits with many of the stars of the turf now retired at Old Friends.

Hall of Fame Day continues with an evening soiree (6pm) at Nick Ryan’s Saloon, located at 157 West Jefferson Street in Lexington.

Tickets to Nick Ryan’s are $50 and include a BBQ buffet, drinks, live music, and many special guests; reservations can be made by calling (502) 863-1775.

“We’re flattered that the National Racing Hall of Fame has honored Old Friends by designated us as the official cemetery for Hall of Famer’s whose final resting spots may be in jeopardy,” said Old Friends founder, Michael Blowen. “We’re grateful to Nick Ryan’s for their participation and support and we welcome everyone to the event, especially members of the Hall of Fame.”

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Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Phelps Media Group

Lene Bruheim and Pristine Park Win Children’s Hunter Classic at GSEC Fall Classic

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Lene Bruheim and Pristine Park won the Children's Hunter Classic at the GSEC Fall Classic for Nordic Lights Farm. Photo Courtesy of the Client

Katy, TX – October 5, 2011 – It was a great week for the horses of Nordic Lights Farm during the GSEC Fall Classic, held at the Great Southwest Equestrian Center in Katy, TX, from September 28 – October 2, 2011. Junior rider Lene Bruheim competed aboard Elisabeth Bruheim’s Pristine Park for the first time and the duo proved very successful. They were the winners of the Children’s Hunter Classic, as well as the Children’s Equitation Over Fences for Nordic Lights Farm.

After winning the first round of the Children’s Hunter Classic, Lene and Pristine Park returned to the ring and laid down a beautiful trip that received the highest score of the day and eventually garnered them the blue ribbon prize. The pair also went on to receive the top call in the Children’s Equitation Over Fences for their impressive partnership.

“Pristine Park was awesome to ride this weekend,” commented Lene. “He was a touch fresh the first day, but amazing the second day. I couldn’t ask for a more willing horse to mount, and I really started to get the hang of his ride by the Children’s Hunter Classic.”

During the GSEC Fall Classic, Lene trained with professional rider Shannon Slyfield, who has ridden Pristine Park to many excellent ribbons. This week, Slyfield and Pristine Park took home a third and fifth place award in the Performance Working 3’3″ Hunter division.

Nordic Lights Farm is a 70-acre establishment located in Tomball, TX, and was founded in 2007 by the Bruheim family to help further the equestrian goals of 18-year-old Eirin Bruheim and 16-year-old Lene Bruheim. Both girls have worked their way up through the ranks and are currently competing at the top levels in the hunter and jumper divisions aboard their incredible string of horses.

Media Contact: Mason Phelps
Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
phone 561.753.3389  fax 561.753.3386
pmginfo@phelpsmediagroup.com

Events, Olympic Games, Show Jumping, USEF

USEF Names Date and Location for USEF Show Jumping National Championship and Selection Trials for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games

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Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) has determined the date and location for the USEF Selection Trials for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2012 Olympic Games. The competition will be hosted by Equestrian Sport Productions at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, Florida from March 21-24, 2012. This competition will also serve as the 2012 USEF Show Jumping National Championship. It will consist of four rounds over three days of jumping.

“We were fortunate that we had very strong bids from both Equestrian Sport Productions and Tom Struzzieri at HITS from which to choose,” said John Long, CEO of the USEF. “We are looking forward to working with Mark Bellisimo, Michael Stone and their entire team at Equestrian Sport Productions again in 2012.”

More information about the competition will be available in January.

For more information regarding the USEF High Performance Jumping Programs, please contact Lizzy Chesson at lchesson@usef.org.

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Wood

Eight Championships Awarded in Pro & Future Hunters at 2011 Capital Challenge Horse Show

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Rosalynn and Hunt Tosh. Photos © Parker/Russell - The Book LLC and Jennifer Wood Media, Inc.

Upper Marlboro, MD – October 4, 2011 – Eight championships were awarded today at the Capital Challenge Horse Show, honoring the best hunters in the country. Sandy Ferrell piloted Showman, owned by Krista and Alexa Weisman, to the championship in the $9,000 Second Year Green Working Hunters. In the $10,000 High Performance Hunters, Hunt Tosh and Dr. Betsee Parker’s Rosalynn earned the top tricolor. Along with those two rated divisions, championships were given in five Future Hunter divisions and the Performance Hunters 3’6”. The Capital Challenge Horse Show, held at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD, runs through Sunday, October 9.

The professional hunters will wrap up their divisions tomorrow. The highlight classes of the week for the professional hunter riders are the $15,000 WCHR Professional Challenge on Wednesday, October 5, and the $7,500 WCHR Professional Finals, presented by the John R. Ingram Fund, for the top six hunter riders in the country on Friday, October 7.

Ferrell and Showman won the Second Year Green Hunter championship, but they are no strangers to the winner’s circle at Capital Challenge. Two years ago, they swept the Future Hunter awards with a division tricolor, the North American Championship class victory, and the Grand Future Hunter Championship. Last year he was reserve champion in the First Year Green Hunters.

This week, Ferrell and Showman, a nine-year-old Westphalian gelding by Showstar, won three out of the four over fences classes and were third in the under saddle. The reserve championship went to Taken, ridden by Kelley Farmer for Nancy Amling. They were second in the handy hunter and third, third, and fourth in the other jumping classes.

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Competitions, Events, Pan American Games, Show Jumping, USEF

Changes to the US Show Jumping Team for the 2011 Pan American Games

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The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) recommended to the USOC the following changes to the entry for the U.S. Show Jumping Team for the 2011 Pan American Games Team.

Happy Hill Farm’s Cedric, currently based in Europe with his rider, U.S. Team veteran Laura Kraut, is no longer available to represent the United States at the 2011 Pan American Games due to European Union quarantine regulations, transportation and logistics issues.

“I am greatly disappointed that Cedric and I will not be able to represent the United States in the 2011 Pan American Games. After learning about the quarantine restrictions this week, we determined it was not possible to attend.  I have had the honor and privilege of representing our country throughout my career, and I regret that we will miss this important event.”

Kraut and Cedric will be replaced with the Traveling Reserve Kent Farrington (Chicago, IL) and RCG Farm’s Uceko. Mario Deslauriers (New York, NY) and Jane Forbes Clark’s Urico will now serve as the Traveling Reserve.

The Pan American Games are set to begin on October 16 in Guadalajara, Mexico. More information about the event http://www.guadalajara2011.org.mx/ENG/01_inicio/ and follow the U.S. Riders on the USEF Network here http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/2011PanAmGames/.