With roughly half of the rides completed in the team reining competition of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, Team USA is on top. The reining world championships are presented by John Deere.
Lexington, Ky., Sept. 25, 2010 — With roughly half of the rides completed in the team Reining competition of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, Team Italy is on top in the Reining World Championships, presented by John Deere.
Italian Stefano Massignan scored a chart-topping 224 aboard Yellow Jersey, winner of the 2009 Italian Reining Horse Association Level 4 Open Derby. Yellow Jersey is a 6-year-old American Quarter Horse stallion sired by Wimpys Little Step and owned by Arcese Quarter Horses USA.
“He’s an easy horse, but he has a big heart, a big mind,” Massignan said of his mount. “He’s phenomenal. You can make that go-round if you ride a special horse, (and) he’s special – for the rest of my life.”
The team Reining competition continues Sunday, September 26, with the remaining 35 riders.
Italy's Stefano Massignan went into the lead in the Reining Championship as the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games got underway in Lexington, Kentucky today. Photo: Kit Houghton.
As well as live competition coverage throughout the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, FEI TV will make all competitions available post-event via VoD, plus an exclusive daily 30-minute VoD highlights show from the Kentucky Horse Park featuring the best of the day’s action, interviews, previews and reviews. There will also be lots of behind the scenes footage available. Check out www.feitv.org.
ITALY LEADS INDIVIDUAL RANKING IN REINING, BUT USA HEADS TEAM LEADERBOARD
Endurance Begins Tomorrow
by Louise Parkes
Lexington, 25 September – American-based Italian, Stefano Massignan, took the first-day lead in the Reining Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today. However the host nation, who are defending champions, hold the team advantage as the remaining riders go into the arena tomorrow following great performances from Craig Schmersal and Tim McQuay.
LEXINGTON, KY — The day before the official start of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, the stars of the reining world began their quest for the Reining World Championships, presented by John Deere, during the official horse inspection. Some 74 competitors from 22 nations presented their horses to the five-person ground jury. Three horse-and-rider combinations were not accepted, leaving 14 countries competing for team medals and seven countries represented by individual riders.
“The level of competition here is going to be second to none,” said Reining discipline manager Brad Ettelman. “This is truly the equestrian event of a lifetime for the U.S., and we are thrilled that Reining is experiencing a homecoming of sorts. Reining has experienced incredible growth internationally over the years, and we will certainly be showcasing the best the world has to offer at this WEG.”
Duane Latimer from Canada, the reigning individual gold medalist, is back to defend his title aboard a new mount, and Tim McQuay, a member of the U.S. gold-medal team in 2006, will help his defend their title again. Dressage star Anky van Grunsven of The Netherlands has traded in her breeches for chaps during these World Games and will attempt to make a successful transition to “Western” dressage.
Union City, Calif. May 5, 2010 – Ariat International, the leading manufacturer of innovative performance equestrian footwear, apparel and belts, is delighted to announce its sponsorship of Shawn Flarida, world-renowned reiner and Western horseman.
“We are thrilled to have Shawn join forces with Ariat,” said Susan Alcala, Ariat’s vice president of marketing. “He is the consummate athlete, known for his passion and commitment to his sport, which complements our brand values perfectly.”
Flarida is the National Reining Horse Association’s all-time leading money earner, and the first ever Three Million Dollar Rider. He has five NRHA Open Futurity championships to his name and has won the All-American Quarter Horse Congress eight times. Yet despite this impressive resume, Flarida is known throughout the industry for his humility and unmatched work ethic.
September 23, 2010 – LEXINGTON, KY – 1 day to go – The 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games have announced definite entries for the following disciplines: Dressage, Endurance and Reining.
The 2010 Games will begin September 25 with the Reining competition and Opening Ceremonies. Endurance will be held on September 26. The Dressage competition will begin September 27 and will end on October 1 with the sold-out Dressage Freestyle.
Definite entries for Driving, Eventing, Jumping, Para-Dressage and Vaulting will be available within the coming days.
The American Quarter Horse Journal — During the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, September 25 – October 10, in Lexington, Kentucky, NBC Sports will provide six and a half hours of reining event coverage. AQHA is an official sponsor of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and the official breed sponsor of reining.
Coverage Schedule on NBC Sports
Sunday, September 26, live coverage from noon to 1:30 p.m. EDT, featuring team reining competition
Sunday, October 3, from 1 to 4 p.m. EDT, featuring individual reining competition
Sunday, October 10, from 4 to 6 p.m. EDT, reining featured as part of the overall WEG recap
This TV coverage marks the largest commitment a network has ever made to equestrian sports in U.S. television history.
Universal Sports, NBC Sports and UniversalSports.com to cover more than 80 hours of 2010 World Equestrian Games
September 22, 2010: Universal Sports and NBC Sports are teaming up to provide fans with the most extensive live television coverage of equestrian sports in U.S. history. NBC Sports will air 8 ½ hours of LIVE coverage on three consecutive weekends, beginning this Saturday at 12 Noon ET. Universal Sports will show more than 15 hours LIVE, including the majority of the show jumping competition. Universal Sports will also air taped broadcasts of the Reining Final, the Dressage Freestyle, the Driving competition and the Vaulting Final. The joint effort will include more than 30 hours of live and taped television coverage of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, KY. This total amount of U.S. television coverage is unprecedented for equestrian sports in this country.
This prestigious international event is being held at Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington from September 25 to October 10. Lexington-area cable operator Insight Communications will offer the Universal Sports network to its subscribers on a trial basis beginning on September 24, allowing local horse enthusiasts to watch the action from start to finish.
22 September 2010 – History will be made when the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games opens on Saturday 25 September in the Kentucky Horse Park, Lexington, one of the world’s most evocative permanent equestrian centres located in the heart of the USA’s famed ‘Blue Grass Horse Country’.
It is the sixth occasion that the competitive disciplines have come together to take part in the world’s greatest equestrian extravaganza, but the first time that the Games have been held outside Europe and the first time they have had a title sponsor – the animal nutrition company Alltech.
When the nominated entries were received last month, over 900 athletes and 1,300 horses were listed, and while this number will reduce as selections are finalised over the next few days the scale of the event is enormous.
Matt Mills and Whiz Bang Boom. Photo copyright John O'Hara Photography
Las Vegas, NV – September 16, 2010 – The 2010 High Roller Reining Classic (HRRC) runs this week, and the highlight events on Saturday and Sunday, September 17-18, will be featured on Equestrian Life at www.equestrianlife.com/highroller. The High Roller Reining Classic is held at the one-of-a- kind hotel, casino, and equestrian center South Point in Las Vegas, Nevada. Live coverage of the High Roller Reining Classic on Equestrian Life will begin with the Non Pro Derby on Friday, September 17, at 11 a.m. PST/2 p.m. EST and resume with the Open Derby on Saturday, September 18, at 11 a.m. PST/2 p.m. EST.
Equestrian Life is celebrating its second anniversary as the media partner for the High Roller Reining Classic and will once again provide live streaming video coverage of the Futurity, Non Pro Derby and Open Derby classes free of charge at www.equestrianlife.com. One of Equestrian Life’s most popular events, HRRC attracted over 10,000 online viewers in 2009.
A simple, free registration on www.equestrianlife.com/highroller is all it takes to get cutting-edge coverage of the High Roller Reining Classic from the talented team at Equestrian Life. In addition, viewers will be able to participate in live chats with other fans and members while the derbies are being streamed online right from the same webpage.
