Category Archives: Awards

Awards, Community/Charity, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, JRPR, Products/Services, Show Jumping

Rodrigo Pessoa and Champ 163 Win Arenus Performance and Conditioning Award during Third Week of the Winter Equestrian Festival

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Champ 163 and Rodrigo Pessoa won the Arenus Performance and Conditioning Award during the third week of the WEF. Melissa Bennington and Kristen Galvan, Sales Specialists for Arenus, presented Pessoa with the award. (Photo courtesy of JRPR)

Wellington, FL (February 7, 2011) – Brazilian Olympic Gold medalist Rodrigo Pessoa rode away as the winner of the Arenus Performance and Conditioning Award aboard Champ 163 during the third week of the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Champ 163, owned by Legacy Stables LLC, finished ninth in the 1.50m Jumper Classic.

“Rodrigo is a legend in the show jumping world and it was a thrill to present him with the Arenus Performance and Conditioning Award,” said Melissa Bennington, northeast Sales Specialist for Arenus. “Rodrigo made history and broke a world record when he and Baloubet du Rouet won the World Cup Final three years in a row. Rodrigo has also competed and medaled in multiple Olympics and Pan Am Games and it was an honor to meet him and present him with the Arenus award.”

The Performance and Conditioning Award is sponsored by Arenus, a premier provider of innovative health and nutrition products for pets and horses, and is given to one horse during the show whose conditioning enhances its performance. Kristen Galvan, an Arenus Sales Specialist for the southeast, was also thrilled to meet Rodrigo. “It’s not often you get to meet someone who has made such an impact on the show jumping world,” she said.

Continue reading Rodrigo Pessoa and Champ 163 Win Arenus Performance and Conditioning Award during Third Week of the Winter Equestrian Festival →

Awards, Community/Charity, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, JRPR, Show Jumping

Week 4 of the Winter Equestrian Festival – Laura Kraut and Cedric Win The Sanctuary Peak Performance Award in Grand Prix

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Olympic stars Laura Kraut and Cedric won The Sanctuary Peak Performance Award during the fourth week of the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. (Photo courtesy of Sportfot)

Wellington, FL (February 8, 2011) – Winter Equestrian Festival veteran Laura Kraut, and her Gold Medal Olympic partner Cedric, not only cruised to victory in the $78,000 Adequan Grand Prix during the fourth week of WEF, but the pair also rode away with The Sanctuary Peak Performance Award. Sponsored by The Sanctuary Equine Sports Therapy & Rehabilitation Center, the award is presented to a horse with a successful performance due to their conditioning and fitness level.

Cedric, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding by Chambertin x Carolus Z and owned by Happy Hill Farm, proved he was fit and ready to be back in the winner’s circle when he bested 48 other entries to gallop away with the blue ribbon. Cedric, who competed with Kraut at the 2010 World Equestrian Games, recently enjoyed two months off and this class was his first return to the Grand Prix ring.

“Cedric is an amazing horse and The Sanctuary was thrilled to award Laura and Cedric with the Peak Performance Award. From his 2008 Olympic Gold Medal victory to his victory in this Grand Prix, Cedric has an extraordinary ability and is a great pleasure to watch. When he is galloping around the course it is easy to see that he is fit and well conditioned, which of course helps lead to his winning performance,” said Brenda McDuffee, General Manager of The Sanctuary Equine Sports Therapy & Rehabilitation Center. “We will be awarding six Peak Performance Awards during the Grand Prix’s at WEF and we want to congratulate Laura and Cedric on winning the first Peak Performance Award from The Sanctuary.”

Continue reading Week 4 of the Winter Equestrian Festival – Laura Kraut and Cedric Win The Sanctuary Peak Performance Award in Grand Prix →

Awards, Breeds, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping, USEF

Connemaras Honored with Special USEF Awards

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Donna Miller and ArdCeltic Art. Photo courtesy Donna Miller.

Lexington, KY – Each year at the United States Equestrian Federation Horse of the Year awards dinner, two Connemara Ponies are honored with special awards from the American Connemara Pony Society for excellence in USEF eventing and hunter competitions.

The McKenna Trophy is awarded in memory of Joan McKenna, and is presented to the high scoring purebred or halfbred Connemara competing in USEF eventing competitions at the Preliminary level or above. This year the McKenna Trophy was presented to ArdCeltic Art owned by Donna Miller of Alpharetta, GA. In 2010, ArdCeltic Art successfully competed at the Preliminary level with his owner, and also won in his debut in Intermediate with Clark Montgomery in the irons.

The Clifden Trophy, donated by D. J. Moore and Laura Balding, is given to the high scoring purebred or halfbred Connemara competing in USEF Pony Hunter divisions. The trophy was awarded again this year to Micaela Kennedy’s First Kiss. First Kiss was shown throughout 2010 with much success by Will Kennedy, Ashley Foster, Brianna Sims, Taylor Curry, Emily Hartley and Matthew Sassmannhausen.

Congratulations to both Connemaras on these outstanding achievements! For more information regarding the Clifden and McKenna trophies, please visit www.acps.org or contact Mary Vance at mvance@usef.org or (859) 225-6951.

Awards, Community/Charity, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, JRPR

Hope Greenfield Wins Everglades Dressage Adult Amateur High Score Award at Gold Coast Dressage Opener Festival CDI

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Hope Greenfield, of New Jersey, won the Everglades Dressage Overall High Score Adult Amateur Award with her horse Zuni at the Gold Coast Dressage Opener Festival CDI. Everglades Dressage Farm, and trainer Bethany Peslar of Wellington, sponsors the award. (Photo courtesy of JRPR)

Wellington, FL (February 4, 2011) – The Gold Coast Dressage Opener Festival CDI may have been the biggest show of Hope Greenfield’s career, but that didn’t stop the New Jersey rider from earning the highest Adult Amateur score of the entire show. With a score of 69.714% in the USEF Second Level class aboard her Dutch horse Zuni, Greenfield rode away with the Everglades Dressage Overall High Score Adult Amateur Award at the show, sponsored by Everglades Dressage Farm and Bethany Peslar.

“I was thrilled with how my horse went. The whole weekend was really wonderful,” Greenfield said. “This is my first season to come to Florida and it is a big deal for me. It is much more competitive than what I am used to and this was, by far, the biggest show I have ever shown in.”

Greenfield said she has owned Zuni for a year-and-a-half and bought him because she thought he was a “nifty” horse. She trains with Lauren Sammis and last year sent Zuni to Florida with Sammis. “He’s a nice young horse that I wanted to start correctly so I sent him to Florida last year although I didn’t come down except for a few visits,” Greenfield said. “Zuni is a really fun horse and I was pleased with how he went during the show. I haven’t competed him since June or July so it was a great return to the show ring.”

Continue reading Hope Greenfield Wins Everglades Dressage Adult Amateur High Score Award at Gold Coast Dressage Opener Festival CDI →

Awards, Breeds, Community/Charity, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Dressage, Events, JRPR

Lusitano Trainer Wins Premier Sportsmanship Award at International Horse Sport Palm Beach Dressage Show

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Lusitano trainer and competitor Cherri Reiber, shown aboard her Lusitano Sargon Interagro, won the Premier Sportsmanship Award at the International Horse Sport Palm Beach Dressage Show. (Photo courtesy of JRPR)

Wellington, FL (February 4, 2011) – Dressage rider and trainer Cherri Reiber, who represented the United States at the 2000 World Cup, proved that she is not only a world-class athlete but also a good sport when she won the Premier Equestrian Sportsmanship Award at the International Horse Sport Palm Beach Dressage Premier Show. Sponsored by Premier Equestrian, a leading supplier of dressage arenas, horse jumps, arena footing and stable accessories, the Premier Sportsmanship Award is awarded to a rider who displays a high level of sportsmanship during a show.

Reiber, who is well known for training and competing Lusitanos, has proven she is unflappable under pressure while at a horse show, which helped Reiber clinch the sportsmanship award. Thanks to being a great sport, Reiber, who twice made it to the Olympic selection trials, rode away with a pair of German-designed Roeckl gloves from Premier Equestrian.

“Sportsmanship is very important in the show world and I am definitely honored to have been awarded the Premier Sportsmanship Award,” Reiber said, adding that she is also looking forward to presenting a Lusitano demonstration on February 19th for The Lusitano Collection at the Winter Equestrian Festival. “I was also pleased with how my new Lusitano, Sargon Interagro, did at the show. I just got him in June so we are still getting to know each other.”

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*Featured/Spotlights, Awards, Disciplines, Driving, Events

Shelly Temple Wins 2010 USEF Horse of the Year for Combined Driving Single Pony

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Shelly Temple and Cooper race across the water hazard on their way to winning their 2nd national championship

For the third time, LR Ami B-Line, a Morgan gelding owned, trained, and competed by Shelly Temple, has been named the USEF Horse of the Year for Combined Driving-Single Pony. Cooper was honored twice previously in 2006 and 2007.

The 2010 HOTY honor capped a successful season for Shelly and her Team Catalyst.  She won the National Championship for Combined Driving Single Pony for the second time in her career. Shelly, Cooper, and Shelly’s husband, Fran Doto, won many combined driving events across the U.S. in a variety of divisions, including:

  • Advanced Single Pony, Laurels at Landhope, Pennsylvania
  • Advanced Single Pony, Iron Horse CDE, Illinois
  • FEI Single Pony, Live Oak International CDE, Florida
  • Preliminary Pair Pony, Pine Tree CDE, North Carolina
  • Preliminary Pair Pony, Katydid CDE, South Carolina

Continue reading Shelly Temple Wins 2010 USEF Horse of the Year for Combined Driving Single Pony →

Awards, Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Events, Phelps Media Group

USET Foundation Recognizes Loyal and Generous Supporters

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USET Foundation President Jane Forbes Clark with the 25 Year Award recipients from the Gold Medal Club. Photo By: Rebecca Walton/PMG.

Wellington, FL – February 3, 2011 – The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is pleased to recognize the generous support of their Gold Medal Club (GMC) members. The Gold Medal club is the lifeblood of the USET Foundation, accounting for nearly 80% of individual contributions each year, and is comprised of members who contribute a minimum of $1,000 or more annually. On Friday, January 28, 2011, the Board of Trustees hosted a cocktail reception recognizing GMC Members that have made the USET Foundation a priority in their charitable giving for 10, 15, 25 and 30 years.

The GMC members have been a vital and essential source of support to the U.S. equestrian teams. For the last 10 years, the following GMC members have continued to generously support the USET Foundation: The Chronicle of the Horse, Suzanne Dansby Bollman, Brendan & Wendy Furlong, Elizabeth L. Johnson, Deborah Anne Levy, Mr. & Mrs. Southwood Morcott, Mr. & Mrs. J. David Page, Peapack-Gladstone Bank, Rosalie & Bethany Peslar, Frank J. Ponzio, Mr. & Mrs. Carl Segal, H. Donnan Sharp, Gretchen Wallerich and Nancy Hamill Winter.

Receiving the 15 Year Award was the California Dressage Society, Armand & Alison Leone, Robert V. Lindsay, Mr. & Mrs. Walter McPhail, Mr. & Mrs. Gerald Parsky, Mr. & Mrs. Mark P. Piwowar and Mr. & Mrs. Eric L. Straus.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Awards, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Driving, Events, JRPR, USEF

Combined Driver Chester Weber Wins “2010 USEF Horse of the Year for Combined Driving Four-In-Hand Horses” Title

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Chester Weber won the 2010 USEF Horse of the Year for Combined Driving Four-In-Hand Horses title during the recent USEF Horse of the Year awards ceremony in Lexington. (Photo: Jennifer Thompson, DVM)

Lexington, KY (February 3, 2011) – Combined Driver Chester Weber may be in the running for the most decorated Combined Driver in United States history, but he doesn’t just settle for winning awards. Weber is also an extremely active member of the United States Equestrian Federation and in January was elected to serve on the USEF Executive Committee at the USEF National Convention in Lexington, Kentucky.

“Combined Driving is my passion but my passion also extends to promoting and protecting all equestrian sports and serving on the governing body of the USEF,” Weber said, adding that he was thrilled when his team of horses won the 2010 USEF Horse of the Year for Combined Driving Four-In-Hand Horses title during the convention in Lexington. “It was great to receive recognition in front of all of our sport horse peers.”

Weber’s horses that made up the 2010 Horse of the Year winning team included Para, Boy W, Grumus and Horus du Bois. “I am very proud of all of my horses,” Weber said, adding that he wants to thank his entire team, from staff to sponsors, for helping Team Weber win the award.

Continue reading Combined Driver Chester Weber Wins “2010 USEF Horse of the Year for Combined Driving Four-In-Hand Horses” Title →

*Featured/Spotlights, Awards, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, JRPR, Western/Reining

Arenus and the National Reining Horse Association Congratulate Shawn Flarida on Winning Rider of the Year Title

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Arenus is pleased to announce that WEG Gold Medalist Shawn Flarida has won the Rider of the Year title. Sponsored by Arenus, in conjunction with the National Reining Horse Association, Flarida won the title aboard RC Fancy Step. (Photo courtesy of Waltenberry.com)

St. Louis, MO (February 2, 2011) – Reining champion Shawn Flarida has added another win to his long and impressive resume, riding away with the 2010 National Reining Horse Rider of the Year title. Sponsored by Arenus, a premier provider of innovative health and nutritional products for pets and horses, in conjunction with the National Reining Horse Association (NRHA), Flarida won the Rider of the Year title with RC Fancy Step, owned by the Plummer Family of SDP Buffalo Ranch in Fort Worth, Texas.

“We are really proud of Shawn for winning the title and it couldn’t have happened to a nicer person or to a rider who is more committed to the sport of reining,” said Brady Karren, Arenus Equine Sales Specialist/Nutritionist. “Shawn has been supporting Arenus for a long time and serves as an Arenus Ambassador because he believes in our products. Arenus wants to congratulate all the Rider of the Year winners. Everyone put in a great amount of effort and dedication and Arenus is once again pleased to sponsor the Rider of the Year award.”

Continue reading Arenus and the National Reining Horse Association Congratulate Shawn Flarida on Winning Rider of the Year Title →

*Featured/Spotlights, Awards, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Driving, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping, Western/Reining, World Equestrian Games

USET Foundation Honors WEG Athletes and Special Award Winners

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Jane Forbes Clark awards Whitney Stone Cup to Tucker Johnson with Brownlee O. Currey. Photo By: Rebecca Walton/PMG.

Wellington, FL – February 2, 2011 – The United States Equestrian Team (USET) Foundation Board of Trustees hosted a cocktail reception on Friday, January 28, 2011, to honor the equestrian athletes that represented the United States during the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG), the recipients of the Foundations’ Gold Medal Club Anniversary Awards, the Lionel Guerrand-Hermes Trophy, and the Whitney Stone Cup. The reception was held at Player’s Club in Wellington, FL.

The reception opened with lovely remarks by Foundation President Jane Forbes Clark, recognizing the efforts of all the equestrian athletes that represented the United States during WEG, as well as their team of supporters. The United States earned a Team and Individual Gold Medal and an Individual Silver Medal in Reining, an Individual Gold Medal in Vaulting, a Team Silver and Individual Bronze Medal in Driving, and two Individual Bronze Medals in Dressage.

The party also recognized members of the Gold Medal Club, the most loyal and generous supporters of the USET Foundation. These individuals have been a vital and essential source of support to the U.S. equestrian teams. Special awards were presented to those supporters recognizing their giving at the Gold Medal Club level for 10, 15, 25 and 30 years.

Continue reading USET Foundation Honors WEG Athletes and Special Award Winners →