Category Archives: Competitions

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, FEI

Australia’s First HSBC FEI Classics Attracts Stellar Cast

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HSBC FEI Classics 2012 current leader William Fox-Pitt on Cross Country day at Les Etoiles de Pau (FRA), the season opener.

Lausanne (SUI), 16 November 2011 – The Australians and New Zealanders are grasping their chance to capitalise on the HSBC FEI Classics, which offers the single biggest prize in Eventing, at the second leg of the 2012 season taking place this weekend at the Adelaide International 3 Day Event in South Australia (18-20 November).

This is the first time Adelaide has been part of the HSBC FEI Classics, which incorporates the world’s six CCI4*s. The 2011/2012 season will then travel to Kentucky (USA) next spring and climax at Burghley (GBR) in September.

“The Australian International 3 Day Event is the country’s ultimate equestrian competition,” explained Event Director and dual Olympic gold medalist Gillian Rolton (AUS).

“Adelaide has hosted this hallmark event for the last thirteen years and this year we’re ecstatic to be hosting the prestigious HSBC FEI Classics for the very first time.

Continue reading Australia’s First HSBC FEI Classics Attracts Stellar Cast →

Awards, Breeds, Competitions, Dressage, Events, JRPR

Barcida Interagro Wins Year End Lusitano High Score Award at Gold Coast Dressage Association Banquet

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Lusitano Stallion Also Wins USEF High Score of the Year for All Breeds

Barcida Interagro won the Lusitano High Score of the Year Award during the Gold Coast Dressage Association year-end banquet and also rode away with the USEF High Score of the Year for all breeds. (Photo by Marilyn Fallon)

Wellington, FL (November 10, 2011) – Barcida Interagro, a beautiful five-year-old grey Lusitano stallion owned by Cindy Barrera and ridden by Heather Bender, won the Lusitano High Score of the Year Award during the Gold Coast Dressage Association year-end banquet and also rode away with the USEF High Score of the Year for all breeds. Barcida’s score of 77.200% helped the stallion clinch the prestigious titles.

Barcida was imported from Interagro Lusitanos in Brazil, the world’s largest breeder and exporter of Lusitano horses, and purchased in the February 2010 Lusitano Collection auction. “Barcida has been in consistent training with me since his arrival in the United States,” said Bender, an FEI rider and trainer. “Barcida is an extremely talented, healthy and valuable stallion that has everything most competitive riders look for. His show record is off to an amazing start and he has received 9’s for his walk and 8’s for the canter! He is an extremely trainable stallion with a super temperament and is currently schooling Third Level and doing a single flying change. Barcida Interagro not only has competitive beautiful gaits against any breed, but he is unbelievably comfortable to ride. His temperament makes him well suited for an amateur in a guided professional program.”

Continue reading Barcida Interagro Wins Year End Lusitano High Score Award at Gold Coast Dressage Association Banquet →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage, Events, Para-Equestrian

United States Para-Equestrian Team Wins Gold at 2011 CPEDI3* in Mexico City

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Jonathan Wentz on NTEC Richter Scale (2011 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Champion). Photos © 2011 Lindsay Y McCall

Mexico City, Mexico – November 15, 2011 – Sitting aboard a horse with unbelievable mountain views from all angles in a brand new facility was what eighteen para-equestrians experienced at the most recent CPEDI3* event. The red carpet was rolled out for United States Para-Equestrian Team at the 2011 CPEDI3* in Mexico City, Mexico at Rancho San Juan.  Eighteen Para-Equestrians competed under five stringent judges for their respective country November 10-12, 2011.  The five countries represented were Mexico, United States, Venezuela, Norway, and Argentina. The United States Team included Chef d’Equipe Kai Handt, Para-Equestrian Donna Ponessa (Grade Ia), Jonathan Wentz (Grade Ib), and Dale Dedrick (Grade III) who gave flawless interpretations of their tests to take home the Team Gold for the United States.

This competition was unique because they did not ride their own mounts, each of the para-equestrians rode a horse that was graciously donated by The Mexico Para-Equestrian Team.  The United States Para-Equestrian Team rode horses donated by The Baitenmanns (Erica Baitenmann is a Mexico Para-Equestrian rider).  Besides earning the Team Gold the United States Para-Equestrians excelled individually as well.  Donna Ponessa of New Windsor, NY captured gold medals in Grade Ia Freestyle, Individual, and Team competition while riding Gecko, USEF 2011 Para-Equestrian Dressage National Champion Jonathan Wentz from Tyler, TX also earned three gold medals in each Grade Ib test aboard Ariello, Grade II rider, Dale Dedrick from Ann Arbor, MI earned the Silver Medal on Bruno in Mexico City rounding out a spectacular weekend for the United States.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Classic Company, Classic Company, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Atlanta Fall Classics – Week One

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Patricia Hennessy and Little Tom Win $25,000 Barry Lane Memorial Jumper Classic; Megan Edrick and Cadence Victorious in $25,000 EMO Insurance Grand Prix

Patricia Hennessy & Little Tom ©Flashpoint Photography

Conyers, GA — Nov 13, 2011 — The 10th Annual Barry Lane Memorial Jumper Classic kicked off the action of the Atlanta Fall Classics at the Georgia International Horse Park. “This is always a personal event to the horse show staff. Barry Lane was not only a great supporter of the Atlanta events, but a dear friend to many of us. We all feel her presence here and hope she’s enjoying this class,” Bob Bell, President of Classic Company, said. This year’s Jumper Classic boasted 59 entries.

The format of the classic was changed this year, Bell explained. “For the past eight years we’ve offered $25,000 in a single classic to the Adult and Children jumpers but rules have changed, so rather than give up our Barry Lane Memorial we ran it as two classes. The first on Saturday evening under the lights of the Olympic arena for $10,000 and the second class on Sunday afternoon prior to the Grand Prix for $15,000. They were both a great success.”

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Associations/Breeds, Championships, Competitions, Events, USEF, Western/Reining

World’s Premier Reining Event Returns to Oklahoma City for 25th Year

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Oklahoma City, OK – The international sport of Reining will host the world’s premier event for reiners – the 2011 NRHA Futurity & Adequan North American Affiliate Championship (NAAC) Show November 24 through December 3 at Oklahoma State Fair Park in Oklahoma City. This year’s event will be the 25th to be held in Oklahoma City.

It’s the most elite reining event in the world with more than 2,000 entries competing for nearly $2 million in cash and prizes. More than 1,300 horses and 127,000 visitors come from nearly 20 countries to compete and watch the excitement unfold. During its 10-day run, the show contributes more than $67 million to the overall Oklahoma City economy.

The show offers a plentitude of spectator events and activities including a western gift market, NRHA / Markel Insurance Horse sales, NRHA Open World Championship Shootout presented by Equine Sports Medicine and 4R Performance Horses Hometown Heroes Slide & Freestyle Reining benefitting the Oklahoma City National Memorial & Museum.

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

Katie Robinson and Rock Steady Garner Amateur-Owner Hunter Championship at Alltech NHS

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Katie Robinson and Rock Steady won the Amateur Owner 36 & Over Working Hunter Championship at the Alltech National Horse Show. Photo By: Rebecca Walton/PMG

East Aurora, NY – November 14, 2011 – Katie Robinson of Deeridge Farm capped off an excellent 2011 show season at the Alltech National Horse Show, 128th Edition, held at the Alltech Arena in Lexington, KY, from November 2-6, 2011. After claiming the Amateur-Owner 36 and Over Hunter Championship at the 2011 Capital Challenge Horse Show, Robinson continued her winning ways aboard Rock Steady to win the division’s championship prize at the Alltech National Horse Show.

Robinson, of Bronxsville, NY, was very consistent with Rock Steady, winning the handy class and the under saddle class. Their wonderful effort earned them the Amateur-Owner 36 and Over Hunter Championship title.

“This is a great way to finish up the year,” said Robinson. “I love the ring, and I think Rock Steady did, too. It was big, the footing was great, the jumps were really pretty, and it was so much fun to be showing of there. My plan going into the handy was to be as prompt with the turns and as lively as possible. I’ve ridden him for just about a year, we had a great Florida, and we really clicked from the beginning. He’s my type, he just keeps galloping and he’s really fun.”

The Alltech National Horse Show marked the end of the 2011 show season for Robinson, but she will continue to compete with her family’s Deeridge Farm in 2012 during the prestigious Winter Equestrian Festival in Wellington, FL.

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

Classic Company, Classic Company, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Jacksonville Winter Series, Show Jumping

Atlanta Fall Classic Highlights

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We had a great week in Conyers.  The weather got a little chilly a few mornings but warmed up perfect for showing.

This week we hosted the annual Barry Lane Memorial Children’s Adult Jumper Classic.  As we have for the past eight years we offered $25,000, but because of all the hoops the jumper committees want us to jump through for permission to offer such a class (and we were told not to ask again until we offered more money to the Jr AOs or the Open horses), we ran two classes, a $10,000 and a $15,000 class.  They were a great success.  We had 59 compete for the big bucks.  One class held on Saturday under the lights in the Olympic stadium and one on Sunday before the Grand Prix.

The winner of the first class was Little Tom and Patricia Hennessy trained by Chris Kappler.

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

Totilas to Make Exclusive Appearance at World Dressage Masters Palm Beach

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Germany's Matthias Alexander Rath and Totilas will be competing at the 2012 World Dressage Masters Palm Beach. Photo By: John Flannagan

Wellington, FL – November 10, 2011 – Totilas, the reigning Dressage World Champion and current world record holder in the Grand Prix Freestyle, is coming to the 2012 World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by International Polo Club Palm Beach. His appearance at the prestigious WDM CDI5*’s only event in North America, at the Jim Brandon Equestrian Center on January 26 to 29, 2012. This will be the ONLY public appearance of this legendary stallion during his visit to North America. The WDM Palm Beach CDI5* will run concurrently with the Wellington Classic Sunshine Challenge CDI3*/CPEI3*. The World Dressage Masters CDI5* presented by Axel Johnson Group is the world’s premier dressage series, with over half a million dollars in prize money, and each show boasts over 100,000 Euros in prize money.

With his current rider, Germany’s Matthias Alexander Rath, Totilas won the CHIO Aachen 2011 in July; Totilas and Rath went on to help the German Team win a silver medal at the European Dressage Championships in August. The WDM Palm Beach will launch Rath’s and Totilas 2012 competition season, which is directed towards the London 2012 Olympics. Totilas is an 11 year old KWPN stallion co-owned by renowned German Olympic Show Jumper and breeder Paul Schockemöhle and German Olympic Dressage rider Ann-Katrin Linsenhof.

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Championships, Community/Charity, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, National Horse Show, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Rave Reviews for Inaugural Alltech National Horse Show

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Kent Farrington. Photo By: Shawn McMillen

Lexington, KY – November 11, 2011 – The final competitive ride has been ridden, all of beautiful trophies and ribbons have been awarded, the hundreds of vendors have packed up and moved on, and the thousands of equestrians that called Lexington, Kentucky home for one exciting week in November are competing elsewhere, but the excitement of the debut of the Alltech National Horse Show is something that will long be remembered. When all is said and done, the show’s debut will go down in the record books as one of the most successful in the history of equestrian events in the United States.

The Alltech National Horse Show, 128th edition, closed with great excitement, receiving unanimous approval from the horse show community. The Show was a great success with the thousands of attendees, in addition to nearly half a million viewers who watched the events unfold online.

Each ticket sold contributed to a large donation given to each of the nine charities highlighted at this year’s show.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Community/Charity, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Jacksonville Winter Series, Show Jumping

2012 Jacksonville Winter Series

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We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you to the 2012 Jacksonville Winter Series. There are many notable changes this year and we expect that you will be as excited about them as we are. Jumper Exhibitors will be pleased to find that each of the three weeks will feature a $5,000 Welcome Class in addition to a $25,000 Grand Prix. Hunter Exhibitors will be equally excited to find that each week also features a $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Classic, in addition to the usual division classics. The Wounded Warrior Project, a national organization that helps injured service members, will be the beneficiary of Week 2. We are thrilled to partner up with such a worthy cause. The $5,000 Equitation Classic will be an additional highlight of week 2, and should be a distinctive complement to the circuit’s standard classes. Week 3 will not be outdone with special class offerings, but the spotlight will likely be stolen by the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby. We are delighted to be the host of this distinctive class for the second year in a row. Additional offerings of week 3 include the $5,000 Children’s/Adult Jumper Classic, $500 Circuit High Point Hunter & $500 Circuit High Point Jumper. You might also take note that the World Cup Qualifier is missing this year; however, we strongly feel, and expect that you will agree, that this change will allow us to switch the focus back to our main exhibitors and provide a smooth schedule jam packed with special offerings and prize money galore! We truly hope that you, our exhibitors, will appreciate and enjoy the changes and special offerings we have arranged for 2012. As always, we look forward to seeing familiar faces and to making new friends.

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