Category Archives: Competitions

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Phelps Media Group

Louise Serio and Castle Rock Sweep Performance Working Hunters at WEF I

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Louise Serio and Castle Rock Swept the Performance Working 3'6" Hunter division at WEF I. Photo By: SportFot

Wellington, FL – January 14, 2012 – The prestigious Winter Equestrian Festival got underway with its first week of competition at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. Derbydown owner and trainer Louise Serio started off right, claiming the Performance Working 3’6″ Hunter Championship after sweeping the division aboard Bryan Baldwin’s Castle Rock. Serio also took home the reserve championship honors in the Pre-Green Level 2 Hunters with Aate’, owned by Bright Star 158, LLC.

Over the years, Serio and Castle Rock have won many coveted titles, including WEF’s 2011 WCHR Pro Hunter Classic and 2010 USHJA International Hunter Derby. This week they returned the arena and were unstoppable. The duo claimed the first place prize in all of the Performance Working 3’6″ Hunter classes, and were eventually honored with the championship tricolor.

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Community/Charity, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Phelps Media Group, Publications/Media, Show Jumping, Training/Clinics

Olympic Silver Medalist Peter Leone to Present and Sign DVDs at College Preparatory Invitational on Saturday January 14

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Peter Leone and Select winning the $100,000 Grand Prix of Devon. Photo by Charles Fox

Wellington, FL – January 13, 2012 – Olympic Silver Medalist Peter Leone will join Kimberly S. Jaussi, Ph.D., at a workshop, “Leadership, Vision and the Equestrian Athlete”, to share his experiences, answer questions and offer advice. The workshop will be held during the College Preparatory Invitational (CPI) in the Special Events Pavilion at the Palm Beach Equestrian Center at 11:00 am on Saturday, January 14, 2012.

After the workshop Leone will autograph his DVD, Ride the Body: Select Insights of Peter Leone, that he produced along with Jaussi. The informative and practical DVD will be awarded to all the first place winners at the CPI. A drawing will be held during the workshop for additional DVD prizes.

Leone and Jaussi also co-authored the upcoming book, Peter Leone’s Show Jumping Clinic: Success Strategies for Equestrian Athletes (Storey Publishing), which will hit the shelves in spring of 2012.

Continue reading Olympic Silver Medalist Peter Leone to Present and Sign DVDs at College Preparatory Invitational on Saturday January 14 →

Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

$200,000 Gene Mische American Invitational, Presented by G & C Farm, Returns to Raymond James on April 7

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Kent Farrington and Uceko were the winners of the 2011 Gene Mische American Invitational. PHOTO © James Parker, The Book LLC

Tampa, Florida – January 13, 2012 – The 2012 Gene Mische American Invitational, presented by G & C Farm returns to Tampa’s Raymond James Stadium on Saturday, April 7, 2012 at 7:30pm.

This year marks the 40th anniversary of this enduring classic and promises to be a magical night of show jumping as the world’s greatest riders and horses gather in the Tampa Bay area to decide the American Invitational title. Also, with the 2012 Olympic Games on the horizon, this year’s American Invitational, presented by G & C Farm, becomes even more exciting and spectators at Raymond James will get a chance to see many of the top riders who have made their way on to the short list of qualifiers for London.

Over the years, the American Invitational has been recognized as the crown jewel of American show jumping, and year in and year out, has been one of its toughest tests. Often called the Super Bowl of Show Jumping, the event also offers one of the biggest purses in all of equestrian sport.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage, Events, Phelps Media Group

European Champion Carl Hester to Compete at World Dressage Masters Palm Beach

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Carl Hester and Uthopia. Photo by Leslie Bliss

Wellington, FL – January 13, 2012 – Organizers of the World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach received confirmation on Thursday that Great Britain’s Carl Hester has accepted an invitation to compete at the 2012 WDM Palm Beach, which takes place from January 26th to 28th, 2012. Hester led the British Dressage Team to a historic gold medal at the 2011 European Dressage Championships, and went on to win individual silver riding the nine year old stallion Uthopia. Hester’s exclusive appearance at the WDM Palm Beach will be his first time competing on American soil since he was a member of the British Dressage Team that won a silver medal at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

“We are thrilled that Carl has accepted our invitation to attend the 2012 WDM Palm Beach,” says Noreen O’Sullivan of Wellington Classic Dressage. “We already have an impressive group of world class horses and riders, and the addition of Carl’s name to that list is exciting news for the WDM’s presenting sponsors, for the organizers, and of course for the spectators.”

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Awards, Breeds, Competitions, Dressage, Events, JRPR

Lusitano Stallion Batistuta V.O. Is Two-for-Two after Winning Interagro Lusitano High Score Award at the Wellington Classic Dressage Holiday Challenge

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Carmen Franco and the Lusitano stallion Batistuta V.O. won the High Point Lusitano Award at the Wellington Classic Holiday Challenge. (Photo courtesy of JRPR)

Wellington, FL (January 12, 2012) – Nan Sexton’s handsome Lusitano Batistuta V.O. rode into the winner’s circle at the Wellington Classic Holiday Challenge, winning the USEF First/Second Level Test of Choice class with a 70.968%. Ridden by trainer Carmen Franco, the stallion’s score also helped him win the High Score Lusitano Award, sponsored by Interagro Lusitanos, the largest breeder and exporter of Lusitano horses in the world. The Holiday Challenge was the second show of Batistuta’s career, and the second time for the brilliant buckskin to earn the Lusitano High Score.

The High Score Lusitano Award, which is sponsored by Interagro Lusitanos of Brazil, recognizes the highest scoring Lusitano at select dressage shows on the Florida circuit and highlights the dynamic and competitive Lusitano breed. “I do enjoy the Lusitano breed,” said Franco, who trains for Sexton’s Southgate Farm. “This was Batistuta’s second show and there is no way to describe him except to say he is awesome. He’s a very talented and athletic horse with great gaits. He is only six years old, but he is a fun horse to ride and he has lots of positive energy. I think that the future will take him to the FEI level.”

Continue reading Lusitano Stallion Batistuta V.O. Is Two-for-Two after Winning Interagro Lusitano High Score Award at the Wellington Classic Dressage Holiday Challenge →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Round 1 of $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup Series Goes to McLain Ward and Oh’ D Eole at WEF

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Castle Rock and Louise Serio Sweep CWD Performance Working Hunter 3’6″ Championship

McLain Ward with Oh D'Eole. Photos © Sportfot

Wellington, FL – January 12, 2012 – Olympic gold medalist McLain Ward (USA) was able to beat a field of 39 competitors to take the first round victory in the $30,000 WEF Challenge Cup Series at the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. He and Oh’ D Eole triumphed in the jump-off over Charlie Jayne (USA) on Chill R Z and Darragh Kerins (IRL) with Hot Wheels. Today’s grand prix marked the start of an exciting show jumping season, where riders will compete over 12 weeks to win bonus money in the $100,000 FTI Consulting Rider Challenge.

The first week of the FTI WEF runs through Sunday, January 15, and is sponsored by Surpass. The 2012 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of competition that conclude on April 1, 2012, and they will be awarding more than $6 million in prize money through the circuit. The highlight jumper class in week one is the $30,000 Surpass Grand Prix on Saturday, January 14, at 7 p.m.

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Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival Competition Begins with Great Expectations

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Cian O’Connor and Everything Capture First G&C Farm 1.45m Jumper Victory

Cian O'Connor (IRL) and Everything won the $8,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Jumpers on the opening day of the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival. Photo © Sportfot

Wellington, FL – January 11, 2012 – The FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) kicked off competition today with hunter/jumper classes in 10 rings. In the International Arena, Olympian Cian O’Connor (IRL) scored the first win of the season with Everything, owned by Abdulla Humaid Al Muhairi, in the G&C Farm 1.45m Jumpers.

The first week of the FTI WEF runs through Sunday, January 15, and is sponsored by Surpass. The 2012 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of competition that conclude on April 1, 2012, and they will be awarding more than $6 million in prize money through the circuit. The highlight jumper class in week one is the $30,000 Surpass Grand Prix on Saturday, January 14, at 7 p.m.

This week’s course designer in the International Arena is Steve Stephens of Palmetto, FL. The G&C Farm 1.45m class was a time first round format and welcomed 19 entries. O’Connor and his first mount, Blue Loyd owned by Ashkirk Ltd and O’Connor, were neat around the course to finish in sixth place.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival Hosts Opening Press Conference

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The panel of Michael Stone, Mark Bellissimo, Louise Serio, Christine McCrea, Rodrigo Pessoa and Hunter Harrison spoke about the 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival at the opening press conference. Photos © ManciniPhotos.

Wellington, FL – January 10, 2012 – The 2012 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) hosted its opening press conference on Tuesday afternoon at the White Horse Tavern in Wellington, FL. A large crowd of local, national, and international media were in attendance to hear the latest news on the 12-week competition, which begins tomorrow. The FTI WEF will host thousands of the world’s best horses and riders on January 11 – April 1 at the beautiful Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in what has become the world’s largest and longest running horse show.

This afternoon’s press conference was hosted by Equestrian Sport Productions’ (ESP) CEO Mark Bellissimo and President Michael Stone, with additional commentary from top hunter rider and trainer Louise Serio, Pan American Games Show Jumping Individual and U.S. Team Gold Medalist Christine McCrea, Wellington Equestrian Partner Hunter Harrison, and Olympic Show Jumping Gold Medalist Rodrigo Pessoa.

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Competitions, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, Olympic Games, Show Jumping

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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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage, Events, Phelps Media Group

World Dressage Masters Palm Beach Announces Change to Line-Up

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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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