Category Archives: Competitions

Dr. Cesar Parra Rides Away from Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of Champions on Emotional High and as Member of 2011 U.S. Pan Am Dressage Team

Dr. Cesar Parra and Grandioso during the awards ceremony at the 2011 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of Champions at Gladstone. (Photo courtesy of Sue Stickle)

Gladstone, NJ (September 19, 2011) – Dr. Cesar Parra, the international dressage rider who has made no secret about his love for the United States of America, realized a dream come true during the 2011 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of Champions when he was named as a member of the 2011 United States Dressage Team headed to the Pan American Games in Mexico. Parra also made history with his Pan Am goal, becoming the first Latin American rider to compete on a United States Dressage Team. The Intermediaire I Championship served as the USEF Selection Trials for the upcoming Games, and Parra rode Michael and Sarah Davis’s Grandioso to third place in the division and to a spot on the team.

Parra, a former dentist from South America who went on to become one of Colombia’s top international riders, moved his family to the United States in 1999 and became an American citizen in 2008. Last year at Gladstone Parra recognized his first dream of becoming an American champion when he rode Lori Washton’s Olympia to the National Intermediaire I Championship. Parra’s second dream, to represent the United States by being a member of the U.S. Dressage Team, has now also become a reality.

“This past weekend was very emotional and exciting for all of us. We had set as a goal to make the USA team for the Pan Am Games, so to accomplish that is wonderful. I feel very blessed to be representing the country that has given my family and I such a wonderful new life,” Parra said. Parra is no stranger to the Pan Am Games as he placed fourth individually at the 2003 Pan Am Games riding for Colombia. As a Colombian rider he also competed in the Olympics, the World Equestrian Games and was named the Colombian National Champion multiple times.

Continue reading Dr. Cesar Parra Rides Away from Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of Champions on Emotional High and as Member of 2011 U.S. Pan Am Dressage Team

Tryon Fall Classic 2011

It is with great regret I send this message. After 25 years of management of the Tryon Fall Classic we have been forced to cancel this year’s event.  Single “A” shows across the country are failing to get enough entries.  Almost 25 percent of the all the USEF “A” shows have cancelled so far this year and the Tryon Fall Classic is now a statistic for 2011.

Carol Kent and I plan to get together soon and discuss plans for 2012 which could include a new venue and a different set of class offerings.  We did not work this hard and long to give up now.

Have a great fall and see you in Atlanta in November.  The prize list is in the mail and online.

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

Caroline Roffman Wins Young Adult Brentina Cup Championship at 2011 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions

Caroline Roffman rode Beemer to the win in the Young Adult Brentina Cup Championship. (Photo courtesy of Sue Stickle)

Gladstone, NJ (September 16, 2011) – Dressage rider Caroline Roffman added another prestigious title to her growing resume, cementing her place in the history books of dressage riders by winning the Young Adult Brentina Cup Championship aboard Beemer at the 2011 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions in Gladstone, New Jersey. Roffman’s Brentina Cup victory comes on the heels of a successful 2011 Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships at the Lamplight Equestrian Center in which she rode away with three Reserve Championships aboard San City, Bon Chance and Pie.

As dressage’s reigning “it girl,” Roffman piloted Beemer to a close victory over Olivia Lagoy-Weltz and Riffalino. Roffman said she was thrilled to ride Beemer, a sales horse owned by her trainer Lars Petersen and Global Dressage, and that the 13-year-old gelding has given her a great introduction to the Grand Prix ring.

“I had dreamed of competing at Gladstone in the Brentina Cup for years, ever since the class was developed,” Roffman said. “To win this award was so exciting, but it was mostly icing on the cake. Just being there and being part of it was thrilling.”

While Roffman has been riding Beemer throughout the year, she wasn’t certain if he would be available to compete in the Brentina Cup since he was for sale. “The opportunity Lars gave me to ride Beemer was incredible and gave me so much experience. I am so lucky and I cannot thank him enough,” Roffman said. “Beemer will now be marketed for sale and with several people already inquiring about him I doubt he will be around for long.”

Continue reading Caroline Roffman Wins Young Adult Brentina Cup Championship at 2011 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions

FEI European Jumping Championships 2011 Final Day

L to R - Silver medallist Carsten-Otto Nagel from Germany, Gold medallist Rolf-Goran Bengtsson from Sweden and Bronze medallist Nick Skelton from Great Britain. Photo: Kit Houghton/FEI.

For a wrap-up of the Championships including interview with gold medallist Rolf-Goran Bengtsson (SWE) click http://youtu.be/smMqIO173pc.

HISTORIC FIRST AS SWEDEN’S BENGTSSON AND NINJA SWEEP INDIVIDUAL GOLD, by Louise Parkes

Madrid (ESP), 18 September 2011 – Sweden’s Rolf-Goran Bengtsson and the brilliant little Ninja la Silla added European gold to their 2008 Olympic silver medal when sweeping to victory in the closing stages of the individual title-decider at the FEI European Jumping Championships in Madrid, Spain today. This was a historic first, as the only European medal previously stashed in the Swedish trophy cabinet throughout the 54-year history of this event is the bronze collected by the same rider at Arnhem in Holland in 2001.

In a cliff-hanger of a class that had spectators on the edges of their seats right to the very end, the pendulum of good fortune appeared to have swung in the direction of The Netherlands’ Gerco Schroder who was in the lead as the final round got underway. But Lady Luck was not smiling on the Dutchman today, and it was Germany’s Carsten-Otto Nagel and Corradina who claimed their second successive European silver medal, while Great Britain’s Nick Skelton and Carlo took bronze.

It truly was a battle of the giants of the sport. And in the end it was the sport that everyone was talking about tonight. The extraordinary atmosphere of cooperation that prevailed throughout the entire week between the riders, officials and organisers created a powerful sense of a great sport in good shape. As Ground Jury President, Stephan Ellenbruch, pointed out, “It’s been a fantastic event, and at the end of it we can only see smiling faces which is great!”

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Wentz Leads 2011 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championships

Jonathan Wentz and NTEC Richter Scale. Photo: Lindsay Yosay McCall 2011.

Saugerties, NY – A blast of autumn greeted riders on the second day of 2011 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championships as temperatures dropped to near 40 degrees overnight. The cool weather did not stop the best Para-Equestrian competitors in the U.S. from achieving strong scores in their Freestyles. Competitors from the five different grades (athletes are graded based on the severity of their disability) of Para-Equestrian Dressage are vying for the National Championship title.

Jonathan Wentz, a member of the Kentucky Equine Research U.S. Para-Equestrian Dressage Team at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, heads the field in the National Championship with his WEG partner, NTEC Richter Scale.

Wentz (Richardson, TX), who has two rides in the Grade 1b division, used the experience he gained last year in Kentucky. He rode his coach Kai Handt’s NTEC Richter Scale to a score of 71.515% in Friday’s Team Test, which counts for 40% of the overall score, and produced an eye-catching Freestyle today to score 71%. Wentz will try to maintain his lead tomorrow’s finale, the Individual Test.

Wentz found that his experience at last year’s WEG has served him well: “You know what the judges are looking for,” he said. “At WEG I learned how to fight for it and read the judges’ sheets and work on what they were looking for.”

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Grace Weidner Wins USEF Talent Search at Buffalo International Horse Show with Serato

Grace Weidner dominated the jumpers divisions at the Buffalo International Horse Show, posting all double-clear efforts and practically untouchable target times. Photo © 2011 Kendall Bierer/PMG.

Buffalo, NY – September 16, 2011 – Competitors of the 65th Buffalo International Horse Show were greeted by a brisk morning as the hunter classes began. Today commenced the third day of the prestigious horse show, full of horse and rider combinations competing to win top honors and prize money in their respective divisions. The morning divisions featured the $1,000 “Full Monty” Amateur-Owner Hunter Classic, where Penelope Ayers aboard Cezanne took the top honors. The $500 “Shogun” Adult Hunter Classic also featured gifted pairs, but it was Kelly Campbell aboard MI Shebeirach, who finished with a score of 147, winning the champion tricolor and cash prize. Grace Weidner dominated the jumpers classes during the afternoon, posting all double-clear efforts and practically untouchable target times.

The morning commenced with the 3’6″ Amateur-Owner Hunter division. Kelly Jones and her mount, O So Soxy, impressed the judges, claiming the first place ribbon during the first round and the second place ribbon during the classic round. The talented duo not only won the championship award for the division, but they were also announced as the overall Amateur-Owner Grand Champion. Penelope Ayers and her mount Cezanne were named the reserve champion for the division, finishing their second course with the class high total of 85 points.

Jennifer Gurney rode The Other Brother to the top honors during the Low Amateur-Owner 3’3″ class, and combined with yesterday’s consistent rounds, the pair also earned the championship award. Lauren Engle aboard Shannon Pride claimed the reserve tricolor.

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FEI European Jumping Championships 2011 Day 3

FEI TV commentator Steve Hadley & Irish international Jumping rider Cian O’Connor sum up today’s amazing action at the FEI European Jumping Championships in Madrid, Spain on FEI YouTube Channel: http://goo.gl/ccphY.

GERMANY MAKES IT A MAGNIFICENT SEVEN, by Louise Parkes

Carsten-Otto Nagel, Marco Kutscher, Chef d'Equipe Otto Becker, Janne-Frederike Meyer and Ludger Beerbaum. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.

Madrid (ESP), 16 September 2011 – Germany scooped team gold for the seventh time in the history of the FEI European Jumping Championships with a superb final-day performance at the Club de Campo in Madrid, Spain today. As the overnight leaders from The Netherlands faltered, eventually dropping to a disappointing fourth, the Germans flexed their not-inconsiderable muscle with three great clear rounds to snatch the title, while France moved up to seize silver and the British claimed the bronze.

An Olympic qualifying spot was some compensation to the Dutch who always looked like taking one of the three coveted spots available to non-qualified nations and, following a game of fluctuating fortunes today, it will be Switzerland and Sweden who will join them in London next summer. The Spanish also became contenders as the competition progressed, but their chances faded, as did those of the Irish whose only possibility of representation now lies in the Olympic rankings list.

DEMONSTRATION OF SOLIDARITY
The day began with a demonstration of solidarity in the sport as, following agreement by all concerned, the water fence which caused so many faults yesterday, was altered. The grey wall used in the first round was replaced with the darker frontage that had been used for the opening speed competition.

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FEI European Jumping Championships 2011 Day 4

DOUBLE GOLD WOULD BE PERFECT EARLY BIRTHDAY GIFT FOR NAGEL

Madrid (ESP), 17 September 2011 – Carsten-Otto Nagel is the man of the moment in Madrid. The 48-year-old already has a team gold medal in his back pocket after yesterday’s German victory at the FEI European Jumping Championships and, as leader of the individual rankings, he’s hoping to make that double gold here at the Club de Campo de Villa Madrid tomorrow.

Nagel will celebrate his 49th birthday next Friday, and what better present could there be than two European gold medals to add to the team gold from last year’s Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games that’s already in his collection.

There were five no-shows for this morning’s second horse inspection, most notably Pilar Lucrecia Cordón, best-placed of the Spanish in 12th overnight. Nuage Bleu has a minor leg injury and there was no question of risking the 10-year-old gelding over two big courses tomorrow. But the home side still has Julio Arias and Jarnac to cheer on and the Spanish rider’s fan club is sure to be out in force in the glorious Club de Campo showgrounds tomorrow afternoon.

Others who decided to give their horses a longer lie-in this morning were the three Belgians, Jos Lansink (Cavalor Valentina van’t Heike, Gregory Wathelet (Copin van de Broy) and world champion Philippe le Jeune (Vigo d’Arsouilles STX), as well as Italy’s Natale Chiaudani (Almero 12).

Continue reading FEI European Jumping Championships 2011 Day 4

United States Para-Equestrians Excel at the 2011 Fall Festival of Dressage CPEDI3*

Mary Jordan (Grade IV) and Sebastian. Photos © Lindsay Yosay McCall

Saugerties, NY – September 16, 2011 – At 7:30 a.m. Friday morning it was a brisk but beautiful 46 degrees at the 2011 NEDA Fall Festival of Dressage and 2011 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championships. Twenty-four Para-Equestrians competed in the CPEDI3* with riders from U.S.A., Ireland, Canada, Mexico, and Bermuda. Grade Ia, Ib, II, and III were dominated by United States riders.  James Dwyer of Ireland and his horse Orlando earned the Grade IV win. With the tough competition of the CPEDI3* and the National Championships hanging over the United States Para-Equestrians, the U.S.A still excelled over the rest. It may be September, but these riders are preparing and building their team for 2012 when London hosts the 2012 Paralympics.

Friday’s competition for the CPEDI3* consisted of the same scoring style as the Paralympics, the Team and Individual score of each team rider will be combined and averaged.  The lowest averaged number will be dropped from each team’s score and a final tally will be conducted.  The 2011 USEF Para-Equestrian Dressage National Championship scores are calculated with the team competition representing 40% of the total score, Saturday’s Freestyle representing 20% followed by Sunday’s Individual classes earning the last 40%. For many equestrians, this is a weekend not about scores but about first time rides, first time shows, and first time travels.

Dale Dedrick a retired Orthopedic Surgeon from Ann Arbor, Michigan is a brand new rider to Para-Equestrian Dressage. In Friday’s Team competition she earned the top score of 70.079% in Grade II. Dedrick was happy with Bonifatius’ progress and performance for his first day out.  She noted, “Bonifatius is a great horse and he has phenomenal gates.  The test today was not my best test but it was a good test.” Since being introduced to the Para-Equestrian world Dedrick has utilized a training program that fits her inability to tolerate a lot of activity for a duration of time.  She explained, “Since I have a pacemaker, I can’t tolerate a lot of activity.  Therefore, I ride in short bursts and walk for a length of time.  Those long walks on the bit have increased my horse’s back strength, endurance, and it has overall helped both of us.”

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Lindsay Lynch Captures the Adult Working Hunter Championship at the Marshall & Sterling League National Final

©ESI Photography. Lindsay Lynch and Bethany Greskovich’s Brother Bear captured the blue ribbon in Thursday's $1,250 Adult Working Hunter at the 2011 Marshall & Sterling League National Finals.

SAUGERTIES, NY (September 17, 2011) – On a beautiful and sunny Friday morning, 30 qualified riders took to the Strongid C 2X Grand Prix Stadium at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, NY to compete for the Marshall & Sterling Adult Working Hunter Championship. In the end, Lindsay Lynch and Bethany Greskovich’s Brother Bear stood in the winner’s circle to accept the honors.

Lynch, of Medford, New Jersey, was one of 30 competitors who competed in the Adult Hunter Division over courses designed by Jerry Dougherty of Bokeelia, Florida. She earned the Championship prize after capturing the first-place victory in Thursday’s $1,250 Adult Working Hunter and finishing fourth in the Adult Working Hunter Under Saddle.

“Bear is a great horse,” said Lynch. “He really put it all out there this week and jumped his little heart out. Despite being a little fresh this week, he knows how to put on a cute little face for the judge when he walks in the ring.”

Lynch has been a Marshall & Sterling competitor for several years. “I’ve been showing in the League for a few years now and I always enjoy coming to the National Finals. It’s nice to have the spotlight in the Grand Prix Ring and winning the Championship was a very good way to finish up before we head to the Zone II Finals.”

Reserve Champion honors went to Kelly Champion of Washington, New Jersey who finished second in both the Under Saddle and Friday’s Hunter Stake aboard her own All In.

Continue reading Lindsay Lynch Captures the Adult Working Hunter Championship at the Marshall & Sterling League National Final