Category Archives: Competitions

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

Jacksonville, Pensacola and Gulfport 2012

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The 2012 Winter Circuits are just around the corner.  We posted our three winter circuits today on our website: Jacksonville (Jan. 11-29), Pensacola (Jan. 11-29), and Gulfport (Feb. 8 – Mar. 18).

Come join us for nine great weeks of showing.  The prize lists will be in the mail on Friday Nov. 18th so you should get them the week of Thanksgiving.

If you want to download them, they are posted at the following web address: http://www.classiccompany.com/showdocs.php#jax.

I am flying to all three locations Monday and Tuesday so I will report.

We hope you will join us. If you have any questions please call the Classic Company at 843-768-5503 or email info@classiccompany.com.

See you at the rings,
Bob Bell
The Classic Company, Ltd.
www.ClassicCompany.com
Phone/FAX:  (843) 768-5503
Post Office Box 1311  Johns Island  SC 29457

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

Jessica Springsteen Takes Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider Title at Alltech National Horse Show

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Jessica Springsteen and Cincinnati La Silla, 3rd $250,000 ANHS GP. Photo by Shawn McMillen

Lexington, Kentucky – November 20, 2011 – Part of the sizzle of a breathtaking Saturday night of world-class show jumping at this year’s Alltech National Horse Show in Lexington, Kentucky, was the awarding of the Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider title.

The 2011 title was awarded to one of the nation’s fastest rising stars, Jessica Springsteen of Colts Neck, New Jersey.

The Alltech National Horse Show concluded on Sunday, November 6, after a highly successful five day inaugural run at the Alltech Arena at the world-renowned Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, site of last year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

Jolicoeur’s award was presented on Saturday night, following the victory gallop for the $250,000 Alltech National Horse Show Grand Prix. Richard Spooner of California, riding Cristallo, raced to the primetime win.

Continue reading Jessica Springsteen Takes Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider Title at Alltech National Horse Show →

Competitions, Driving, Events, JRPR

Chester Weber Wins Katydid CDE Four-In-Hand with New Team of Horses

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Chester Weber drove away as the winner of the Four-In-Hand Advanced Horse Teams with a new team of horses during the 2011 Katydid CDE. (Photo courtesy of PicsofYou.com)

Aiken, SC (November 10, 2011) – Chester Weber, the eight-time USEF National Four-In-Hand Combined Driving Champion, drove away as the winner of the Four-In-Hand Advanced Horse Teams with a new team of horses during the 2011 Katydid CDE in Aiken, South Carolina. Weber’s new team, including three horses owned by Jane Forbes Clark and two by Weber, proved their future star power by winning the dressage, marathon and cones during the event.

Weber, who has proven he can dominate the Four-In-Hand field regardless of the horses he is driving, said he was pleased with the effort his new team gave. “Boris W is a five-year-old that I have had in training in Ocala for a year. This was his first show and I have high hopes for him. I drove him in the left lead in dressage and cones,” Weber said. “Caletta is an eight-year-old Austrian bred mare owned by Jane Clark and I drove her all three days in the right wheel. Caletta previously competed at the World Equestrian Games with Jim Fairclough.”

Caletta’s full sister, Celina, also made the team and the 10-year-old competed all three days in the left wheel. “The other two were Boy W and Jane Clark’s Splash and I drove them together in the lead of the marathon,” Weber said, adding that he feels he has added great depth to his stable with the combined talents of Team Weber and Team Clark.

Continue reading Chester Weber Wins Katydid CDE Four-In-Hand with New Team of Horses →

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

Alltech National Horse Show Wrap Up: November 2-7, 2011

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Lexington, KY – November 8, 2011 – Open Jumper action at the Alltech National Horse Show, 128th Edition, wrapped up on Saturday night with a fast-paced jump-off during the Alltech National Horse Show $250,000 Grand Prix CSI-W. Richard Spooner and Cristallo set the pace with tidy inside turns and a clear effort, beating Great Britain’s Nick Skelton aboard Carlo 273 by just three-tenths of a second. Jessica Springsteen and Cincinatti Le Silla rounded out the three as the fastest four-fault combination during the short course.

Spooner and Cristallo, owned by Show Jumping Syndicates of Agua Dulce, CA, were the first to master the technical course and qualify for the speed phase. The “Master of Faster” did not disappoint when he returned to the ring with his veteran mount. He made a very nice inside turn to the first wide oxer, and followed it with another very tight turn to the wall before galloping home over the double combination and final oxer. Although it almost seemed that the turn to the wall would be too much, Cristallo leapt over it without a rub and the pair broke the beam at 37.970 seconds with all the rails intact. The pair set a pace that no other horse and rider combinations would be able to catch, and eventually led the night’s victory gallop.

Skelton was the last to challenge the short course with Carlo 273, and the speedy duo produced the only other fault-free round. They also managed to catch all the inside turns, and although they had a fast gallop through the end of the course, a slow start proved costly when they tripped the timers at 38.33 to place second.

Continue reading Alltech National Horse Show Wrap Up: November 2-7, 2011 →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Polo, Revolution Sports

La Dolfina Wins 2011 Hurlingham Open Final, Argentina, in a Dramatic 19-18 Win

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La Dolfina and Ellerstina faced off, once again, in an Open Championship Final for the second time in one month. Following a closely fought Tortugas Open Final, where Ellerstina snatched victory away from La Dolfina with a last-second goal, the two teams were ready for a repeat match.

The first two chukkas saw both teams go head-to-head, with all eight players displaying enormously high levels of skill and class in a closely fought competition. It wasn’t until the third chukka that La Dolfina broke away following a string of goals from Adolfo Cambiaso and Pablo MacDonough.

Leading the next four chukkas, La Dolfina extended their lead to 19-14 in the final chukka, and looked certain to secure their first Open Final win of 2011. However, when Ellerstina’s, Facundo Pieres, scored four goals La Dolfina’s lead was reduced to 19-18. With only seconds remaining La Dolfina defended the ball deep in their own half following wave after wave of attacks from Ellerstina to win the match at the final bell.

Continue reading La Dolfina Wins 2011 Hurlingham Open Final, Argentina, in a Dramatic 19-18 Win →

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

Sarah Milliren Garners 2011 ASPCA Maclay National Championship Title at Alltech NHS

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Sarah Milliren of Sapula, OK, won the 2011 ASPCA Maclay National Championships. Photo Credit: Rebecca Walton/PMG

Lexington, KY – November 6, 2011 – Today marked the final day of competition at the Alltech National Horse Show, 128th Edition. The highlight event at the Alltech Arena in Lexington, KY, was the 2011 Maclay National Championship for the ASCPA Alfred B. Maclay Horsemanship Classes – Presented by Hadfield’s Saddlery. Riders worked all year to qualify for this event and after three phases of competition and a final test it was 17-year-old Sarah Milliren of Sapula, OK, leading the victory gallop and taking home the championship honors.

In the first round of competition, 198 riders were tested on a course designed by the judges, Cynthia Hankins and Kip Rosenthal in cooperation with course designer Richard Jeffery. The fences included bending lines with inside options, as well as a vertical-oxer or oxer-vertical double combination option followed by an oxer-oxer combination. The end of the course included a snaking line of obstacles with the ASPCA fence and a technical vertical-vertical fan bounce. While some riders had difficulties during the first round, the course was very inviting overall and gave each rider many opportunities to show off their horsemanship.

Continue reading Sarah Milliren Garners 2011 ASPCA Maclay National Championship Title at Alltech NHS →

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Driving, Events, USEF

Scott Monroe Holds On to Lead after Cones to Win USEF National Single Horse Championship at Katydid

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Scott Monroe and Bethesda After Dark ("Shadow"). PicsofYou.com

Lexington, KY – Scott Monroe (Sharon, CT) and his black Morgan gelding Bethesda After Dark (“Shadow”) held onto their marathon lead and after Sunday’s cone phase won the USEF National Single Horse Championship at Katydid, with a score of 132.39.

Kim Stover and Laughlin – fifth after the marathon – surged ahead and took second on a score of 141.25.

In third was Sara Schmitt (Bedminster, NJ) who finished on a score of 142.58. Schmitt, driving Kaboom, was fourth after the first two phases.

Seventeen-year-old Jan Jan Hamilton (Alva, FL), driving JAO Desperado (“Desi”), was the only advanced driver that went double clear in cones.

A fairly new event in the growing driving community of Aiken, this marks the first USEF National Championship held at Katydid.

Complete results, as well as photographs and articles, are available on USEFNetwork.com at: http://usefnetwork.com/featured/2011DrivingNatlChamps/.

For more information on combined driving programs please contact Elizabeth Staller at estaller@usef.org.

Championships, Competitions, Driving, Events, USEF

Scott Monroe Takes the Lead after Marathon at USEF National Single Horse Championship at Katydid

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Lexington, KY – Scott Monroe (Sharon, CT) took the lead on Saturday during the marathon in Aiken, SC, at the USEF National Single Horse Championship at Katydid, with a score of 123.39.

Monroe was nearly 7 points in front of Olof Larsson (Ocala, FL) as they head into Sunday’s cones phase. In third place was Sterling Graburn (Georgetown, KY) who on Friday had led after the dressage competition phase. He finished the day Saturday with a combined score 133.46.

Saturday’s marathon course was designed by Barry Hunter, FEI course designer who also designed the courses in Conty, France, for the FEI World Pair Championship this summer.

The drivers will now turn their focus to Sunday’s cones phase – scheduled to begin at 10 a.m. ET. – and the conclusion of their quest to earn the title of National Champion.

Continue reading Scott Monroe Takes the Lead after Marathon at USEF National Single Horse Championship at Katydid →

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

Richard Spooner and Cristallo Capture Alltech NHS $250,000 Grand Prix CSI-W Victory

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Richard Spooner and Cristallo won the Alltech National Horse Show $250,000 Grand Prix CSI-W. Photo By: Shawn McMillen

Lexington, KY – November 5, 2011 – The Open Jumper action at the Alltech National Horse Show, 128th Edition, wrapped up tonight with a fast-paced jump-off during the Alltech National Horse Show $250,000 Grand Prix CSI-W. Richard Spooner and Cristallo set the pace with tidy inside turns and a clear effort, beating Great Britain’s Nick Skelton aboard Carlo 273 by just three-tenths of a second. Jessica Springsteen and Cincinatti Le Silla rounded out the three as the fastest four-fault combination during the short course.

Richard Jeffery set a large, technical track for tonight’s first round to challenge the horse and rider combinations. It included a triple bar, an oxer-oxer double combination, and a challenging vertical-oxer-vertical triple combination going towards the gate. Only five riders managed to complete the course with all fences in place and return for the short course. They began over an oxer-vertical double combination before making a very sharp inside turn to a second oxer. Riders then had a long gallop to a single vertical before making another sharp turn to the wall. Finally, they made a right turn to a vertical-oxer double combination before galloping home over the last wide oxer.

Continue reading Richard Spooner and Cristallo Capture Alltech NHS $250,000 Grand Prix CSI-W Victory →