Category Archives: Competitions

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

U.S. Drivers Look Strong in Slovenia as Temple and Matheson Cruise to Top Placings

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The U.S. Team ready for competition in Lipica. Photo by Marie de Ronde

Lexington, KY – The U.S. drivers put in incredible performances on the first day of competition at the FEI World Pony Driving Championships. Competition got underway in Lipica, Slovenia, with the Pony Pair Championship and the first section of the Pony Singles Championship completing the driven dressage. The U.S. drivers are poised for top individual honors as they occupy first and third places in these two championship divisions.

Jennifer Matheson (Aiken, SC) led off the American effort on Thursday in the Pair Pony Championship and did not disappoint. Matheson and her pair, owned by her mother-in-law Katrina Becker, drove to a solid score of 46.08 to stand in third place heading into Saturday’s marathon.

Matheson is driving under the U.S. flag for the first time in Lipica after having represented her native Canada in the 2005 World Pony Driving Championships.

“I’m thrilled to be driving here, and I have worked hard to get to these championships. I drove for Canada in 2005 and was the alternate in 2007 and the alternate in 2009,” Matheson said. “My dressage was good. There were a few things that could have gone better, but I was really happy.”

Wendy O’Brien is making her World Championship debut this week and had a credible performance in the first phase driving her own pony pair to joint 21st place on a score of 61.82. O’Brien, who also hails from Aiken, SC, was the winner of the Southern Pines CDE in April.

Continue reading U.S. Drivers Look Strong in Slovenia as Temple and Matheson Cruise to Top Placings →

Competitions, Dressage, Events, FEI, FEI, Olympic Games, Para-Equestrian, Show Jumping

FEI Announces Dressage Ground Juries for London 2012 and the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Final

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Stephen Clarke has officiated at five World Cup Finals, three European Championships, three World Equestrian Games, and London will be his second Olympic Games. Photo: Kit Houghton/FEI.

Lausanne (SUI), 23 September 2011 – The Ground Juries for Dressage at the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Final 2012 have been announced following blind draws at the FEI’s headquarters in Lausanne (SUI) today (23 September).

Leif Törnblad (DEN), Maribel Alonso (MEX), Jean-Michel Roudier (FRA), Gary Rockwell (USA), Wim Ernes (NED) and Evi Eisenhardt (GER) will form the Dressage Ground Jury at the London 2012 Olympic Games alongside Stephen Clarke, who as a host country judge was already appointed President of the Ground Jury.

The Ground Jury for Paralympic Equestrian at the London 2012 Paralympics has been confirmed: Lilian Iannone (ARG), Freddy Leyman (BEL), Anne Prain (FRA), Gudrun Hofinga (GER), Sarah Rodger (GBR) and Carlos Lopes (POR) will join President of the Ground Jury Kjell Myhre (NOR).

The Ground Jury for the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Final 2012 in ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NED) 18-22 April 2012 will also be seven-strong: Ghislain Fouarge (NED) will serve as President of the Ground Jury with Stephen Clarke (GBR), Gary Rockwell (USA), Katrina Wüst (GER), Isabelle Judet (FRA), Susan Hoevenaars (AUS) and Leif Törnblad (DEN).

Trond Asmyr, FEI Director Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage, explained:

“The international judges representing the Ground Juries for London 2012 and the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Final 2012 are extremely happy about their appointments.

Continue reading FEI Announces Dressage Ground Juries for London 2012 and the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Final →

Competitions, Events, FEI, FEI, Show Jumping

Seven Nations Line Out for FEI Promotional League Final in Barcelona

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FEI TV Preview: http://youtu.be/KfqXxcm8Oks

Lausanne (SUI), 22 September 2011 – The line-up for the next year’s FEI Nations Cup series will be decided on Sunday following the all-important Final of the 2011 FEI Promotional League which takes place in Barcelona, Spain.  The winning team will earn a place in the 2012 Top League alongside Germany, Great Britain, France, Ireland, The Netherlands and Belgium who all re-qualified during this season’s eight-nation tournament.  After a year’s absence, Switzerland is already assured of a return to the elite group, having claimed the 2011 FEI Promotional League title.  Next Sunday’s competition will fill the last remaining qualifying spot.

The Spanish hosts are amongst the seven nations who will battle it out, and they certainly cannot be overlooked.  They just missed out on one of the three Olympic qualifying places available at last week’s thrilling FEI European Jumping Championships on their home turf in Madrid.  Pilar Cordon was particularly impressive over the early days of the competition, eventually slotting into 23rd individually, and the 38 year old rider is joined by an experienced crew that includes Julio Arias, Sergio Alvarez Moya, Rutherford Latham and Antonio Marinas Soto.  Adding an extra dimension of excitement for the Spanish contestants is the centennial celebration of CSIO Barcelona which was first staged in 1902.

CANADIAN SELECTION
Olympic champion, Eric Lamaze, heads up the Canadian selection, and will be joined by Jill Henselwood, Chris Pratt and Jenna Thompson.  Italian Chef d’Equipe, former Swiss jumping star Markus Fuchs, has five riders to choose from, and with Juan Carlos Garcia, Emanuele Gaudiano, Giulia Martinengo Marquet, Luca Marziani and Luca Maria Moneta on call-up, has no shortage of talent and experience available to him either.  The Polish team cut their teeth in the Top League last summer and, although their presence was short-lived, they showed dramatic improvement as the season progressed.  So team manager Rudiger Wassibauer will be hoping for a good result from Msciwoj Kiecon, Andrzej Lemanski, Antoni Tomaszewski and Lukasz Walilewski on Sunday afternoon.

Continue reading Seven Nations Line Out for FEI Promotional League Final in Barcelona →

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

Qualifying Lists for the Alltech National Horse Show Now Available Online

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Lexington, KY – September 21, 2011 – The Alltech National Horse Show, 128th Edition, is pleased to announce that the Qualifying Lists for this year’s event are now available online. Please visit www.kentuckyhorseshows.com to view the lists of horses in the Amateur-Owner Hunter, Junior Hunter, Professional Hunter, Junior Jumper, and Amateur-Owner Jumper divisions that have qualified. Exhibitors may also download the prize list and entry blank for this year’s show online.

The Alltech National Horse Show, 128th Edition, will be held from November 2-6, 2011, at the beautiful, new Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington.

This year’s show, designated CSI4*-W, will feature a complete schedule of ‘AA’-rated hunter divisions, including the Pony Lane Farm High Performance Hunter section. Also on the agenda, a big money Open Jumper division highlighted by the Sasco Creek Farm $50,000 Welcome Speed Class, the $75,000 Double H Farms Thursday’s Jump-Off class, the $60,000 Spy Coast Farm Faults Converted Speed class on Friday and of course, the $250,000 Alltech National Horse Show Grand Prix, an FEI World Cup qualifying event. $100,000 will be up for grabs for the Junior and Amateur Jumper divisions, including the $50,000 SJHOF Junior/Amateur Championships, sponsored by Sleepy P Ranch, Chansonette and Deeridge Farm. The final Sunday is highlighted by the signature event of the National Horse Show, the ASPCA Alfred B. Maclay Finals, presented by C. M. Hadfield’s Saddlery.

Founded in 1883 at the original Madison Square Garden, the National Horse Show is America’s oldest indoor horse show, firmly established as a major fixture on the national and international sports and social event calendars. The National Horse Show Association’s primary activity is the annual production of the National Horse Show and all ancillary events. Over the years, the National Horse Show has provided financial aid to many worthwhile charities.

Continue reading Qualifying Lists for the Alltech National Horse Show Now Available Online →

Championships, Competitions, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, Para-Equestrian, Show Jumping, USEF

This Week in International Disciplines, September 20, 2011

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Wentz and NTEC Richter Scale. Photo by Lindsay Yosay McCall.

Para-Equestrian

The USEF National Para-Equestrian Dressage Championships took center stage at the NEDA Fall Festival in Saugerties, NY. WEG veteran and Southern Methodist University student, Jonathan Wentz put in three calculated efforts to sweep his three Grade 1b tests and score his first national championship. Riding NTEC Richter Scale, Wentz tallied an overall championship score of 71.531% giving him the edge over Dale Dedrick and Bonifatus. A first-time National Championship competitor had a three test combined score of 71.223%.

The U.S. took a step forward in qualifying for the 2012 Paralympic Games in London by winning the FEI Team Competition at the Saugerties CPEDI3* (which ran concurrently with the National Championship). The U.S. team composed of Wentz, Hart, Mary Jordan riding Sebastian, and Wendy Fryke and Lateran, topped Canada.

Competition in the five Para-Equestrian Grades was held in the CPEDI3*. In Grade 1a competition, Donna Ponessa has topped both the team and freestyle tests. In the team test, she scored 66.765% on Otto and topped the freestyle on Western Rose with a 68.5%. Canada’s Jody Schloss and Inspector Rebus scored 68.417% in the individual test on the final day of competition. Dedrick won the team and individual tests scoring 70.079% and 72.063% respectively in Grade II. Hart and Dedrick rode to an equal score of 71.833%, Hart claimed the victory as her collective marks were higher.

Continue reading This Week in International Disciplines, September 20, 2011 →

Competitions, Dressage, Events, JRPR

Dressage Rider Suzanne Dansby-Bollman Heads to Dressage at Devon with Cooper and New Musical Freestyle

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Suzanne Dansby-Bollman and Cooper are headed to Dressage at Devon where they will debut their new musical freestyle. (Photo courtesy of David Mullinix)

Atlanta, GA (September 21, 2011) – Dressage rider Suzanne Dansby-Bollman is thrilled that her Grand Prix partner Cooper, an 18.3 hand Holsteiner gelding, has returned to the show ring after an injury that took him out of competition four years ago. The 19-year-old superstar is back, better than ever, and will compete at the prestigious Dressage at Devon, September 27 – October 2, with a musical freestyle designed especially for the impressive and expressive gelding.

“Words can’t describe how excited I am that Cooper will be able to compete at Devon. We were invited to compete at the National Grand Prix Championships at Gladstone, but I decided not to go because I felt we needed the extra two weeks to work on our new freestyle,” Dansby-Bollman said. “Terry Ciatti-Gallo and I have been working these past couple of months on the choreography for a new and exciting freestyle for Cooper, which we will debut at Devon. We entertained the idea of using other types of music, but revisited the Celtic theme. We both concluded that it is the most suitable for Cooper’s personality, and his big, expressive gaits.”

Dansby-Bollman said she believes Cooper will be at the optimum fitness level for Devon and she is looking forward to the show, which is considered a premier North American equestrian event. “We are ready to go for it now, especially since the temperatures have dropped 25 degrees, literally, from 100 degrees to 75 degrees in the last couple of days,” she said, adding that her Atlanta-based Dancing Horse Farm can get quite hot.

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Awards, Competitions, Dressage, Events, JRPR, Wellington Classic Dressage

Pan Am Competitor Marco Bernal Wins Premier Equestrian Sportsmanship Award at Wellington Classic Dressage Fall Challenge I Show

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Marco Bernal competed his Westphalian stallion Farewell IV at the Wellington Classic Dressage Challenge Fall I Show and rode away as winner of the Premier Sportsmanship Award. (Photo courtesy of JRPR)

Wellington, FL (September 21, 2011) – Colombian dressage rider Marco Bernal, who is headed to the Pan American Games in Mexico in October to compete for his native country on his Westphalian stallion Farewell IV, earned the Premier Equestrian Sportsmanship Award at the Wellington Classic Dressage Fall Challenge I Show. Thanks to his positive attitude and never-ending smile, just a few examples of Bernal’s good sportsmanship, the highly decorated dressage rider rode away with a new pair of German-designed Roeckl gloves from Premier Equestrian.

“Having Marco win our first Sportsmanship award of the 2011/2012 Dressage season was the perfect way to kick things off because I can’t think of anyone who exemplifies being a good sport more than Marco,” said Heidi Zorn, President of Premier Equestrian, a leading supplier of dressage arenas, horse jumps, arena footing and stable accessories. “I have watched Marco ride for many years and he is a super competitor with a super attitude. I am really pleased that he began the season for us and I also want to wish him the best of luck at the upcoming Pan Am Games.”

Bernal, who owns Marco Bernal International Dressage in Wellington, said he is looking forward to competing in Mexico. This will be the fifth time for Bernal to represent his country in the Pan Am Games. In 1999, the accomplished rider won a Silver medal at the Pan Am Games. He has also represented Colombia at the 2009 Rolex FEI World Cup in Las Vegas, competed in 2010 in the World Equestrian Games for Colombia and in 2010 competed in the Central American and Caribbean Games in Puerto Rico aboard Farewell, winning both the team Gold and the Individual Gold Medal.

Continue reading Pan Am Competitor Marco Bernal Wins Premier Equestrian Sportsmanship Award at Wellington Classic Dressage Fall Challenge I Show →

Championships, Competitions, Driving, Events, FEI, USEF

U.S. Drivers Ready for FEI World Driving Championships in Slovenia

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Lexington, KY – The U.S. brings a wealth of championship experience to Lipica, Slovenia, this week for the FEI World Driving Championships. The seven drivers that will represent the U.S. have competed in a total of 13 World Driving Championships and have claimed 14 USEF National Championships as a group. Miranda Cadwell, Shelly Temple, Laurie Astegiano, Lisa Stroud, and Suzy Stafford were all members of the Bronze medal-winning U.S. team in Dorthelyst, Denmark, in 2005 and look to add to their extensive resumes in Lipica. In 2011, they will be under the veteran guidance of Chester Weber as Chef d’Equipe and Michael Freund as coach.

The team will be composed of Astegiano, Cadwell, Stroud, Temple, Jennifer Matheson, and Wendy O’Brien. While Stafford will drive her own Morgan mare, Josephine, as an individual.

The U.S. will have three chances to earn an individual medal in the Single Pony Championship with Cadwell, Temple, and Stafford. Cadwell will aiming for her first World Championship medal in the Single Pony division after winning Gold with her Pony Pair in 2007. The Southern Pines, NC, native brings her 2009 World Pony Driving Championships partner, Kaboom, to Lipica.

Often recognized for her proficiency in the dressage phase, Temple is a three-time (and reigning) USEF National Champion having won in 2006, 2010, and 2011. She brings LR Ami B-Line to the World Championships (the Morgan gelding that helped her win the 2011 National Championship).

Stafford won the Individual Bronze medal at the 2009 World Pony Driving Championships with longtime partner Courage to Lead. Josephine is poised for a strong performance under the guidance of Stafford after collecting three second-place finishes, including being Reserve USEF National Champion in 2011.

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Art/Photography, Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

2011 Capital Challenge Horse Show Reveals Annual Program Artwork by Michael Tang

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Cover artwork by Michael Tang courtesy of the Capital Challenge Horse Show.

Upper Marlboro, MD – September 19, 2011 – The 2011 Capital Challenge Horse Show will run from October 1-9 at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center. Every year, the show’s program and official poster feature new artwork by Michael Tang.

Creating the original watercolor for the annual Capital Challenge is always a challenge for Father Michael Tang.  One might think that creating a photo-realist image of a horse and rider is as simple as copying a photo, but in reality, the photo is only the beginning.

This year’s poster of Scott Stewart and Declaration gave Tang many things to consider. It is natural to assume that a stunning photo of a fabulous hunter could easily be recreated as a painting, but the fact is that in addition to assessing the horse and rider, Tang becomes instantly aware of everything else that goes into creating a spectacular piece of art: lighting, background, and the simple details that render emotion.

When Tang begins his work he studies the photo for what he will need to alter in order to create the painting.  First, changes often need to be made to finesse a horse’s jumping style; knees might need to be made tighter or squared up. Next, the rider’s equitation might need to be tweaked or garb replaced.  Tang explains, “As someone who is a traditionalist (I still wear my Charles Owen when hacking at the barn), I always replace the helmet with a classically styled hunt cap.”

In addition to the rider’s gear, the horse’s tack might need some work as well; for example, an elastic girth with fleece might need to be changed to one of proper leather.

Continue reading 2011 Capital Challenge Horse Show Reveals Annual Program Artwork by Michael Tang →

Competitions, Events, HITS, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Farnam Adult Medal and Best Adult Rider Winners Crowned at the 2011 Marshall & Sterling League National Finals

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© ESI Photography. Elysse Ruschmeyer of South Glastonbury, Connecticut rode her own Arktis to the blue in Saturday's Farnam Adult Medal

SAUGERTIES, NY (September 20, 2011) – Just as Marshall & Sterling League action reached its peak at the National Finals, riders entered the Strongid C 2X Grand Prix Stadium on Saturday to compete for the popular Farnam Adult Medal.

Elysse Ruschmeyer of South Glastonbury, Connecticut aboard her own Arktis was crowned the winner of the Farnam Adult Medal. She topped a field of 41 riders who competed all year in hopes of qualifying for the finals. Ruschmeyer also rode to a top-five finish in the Hudson Adult Equitation Classic.

Jerry Dougherty of Bokeelia, Florida designed the course for the class and after showing over his first round track, 12 riders returned for a second round.

Ruschmeyer, trained by Armand Chenelle, earned a high-score of 82 in the first round and came back in the second round to impress the judges again, earning a score of 86 to propel her to the victory.

Chenelle had great success at the Marshall & Sterling League National Finals as he scored back-to-back wins on Saturday. He also coached daughter Rebekah Chenelle and Rosario to a victory in the National PHA Medal Final.

Following Ruschmeyer was Kiva Iscol of Pound Ridge, New York aboard Halifax Farm’s Tristan Van’t Hof, who earned second place honors under the direction of Mechael Henaghan. Miranda Scarpone of Kinnelon, New Jersey, trained by Robert Beck, finished in third aboard Beck’s Temptation.

Continue reading Farnam Adult Medal and Best Adult Rider Winners Crowned at the 2011 Marshall & Sterling League National Finals →