Category Archives: Competitions

Competitions, Dressage, Driving, Events, USEF

Chester Weber Claims Second European Four-in-Hand Victory

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Altenfelden – the driving competition with heart

Chester Weber. Courtesy of HippoEvent.

Altenfelden, Austria – The 20th anniversary of the CAI Altenfelden is history. It was an event with top sport performances by competitors from 18 nations. Chester Weber, the American driving sport star and winner of the king class (the four-in-hand horse class), said, “I like the nice atmosphere of the Altenfelden competition. The people are all very friendly and try to support the competitors the best they can. During this competition I have the opportunity to meet and compete against drivers from the Eastern part of Europe – more than I usually do in the other competitions. This is a great and different experience for me.”

The marathon test is in every driving competition one of the action high points. It is also drawing the crowds. During the 2011 Altenfelden marathon the competitors had to complete eight obstacles – two of which were built new this year, the others were remodeled. Different weather conditions – from sun to heavy rain – were made the test even more dambing for the competitors, but the international top drivers mastered them without accident. Wins for Tomas Eriksson (SWE), Reinhard Burggraf (GER) and Henrik Höper (DEN) in the horse classes.

Continue reading Chester Weber Claims Second European Four-in-Hand Victory →

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

Sponsorship Opportunities Now Available for the 2011 $25,000 Franktown Meadows Hunter Derby

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Carson City, NV – June 20, 2011 – The 2011 $25,000 Franktown Meadows USHJA International Hunter Derby offers exceptional sponsorship opportunities for an international equestrian event. This exciting event will take place on September 5, 2011, and is the West Coast’s only standalone hunter derby. The Franktown Meadows Hunter Derby will showcase the best horse and rider combinations in the country as they compete for the winning title at the Franktown Meadows Equestrian Facility in Carson City, NV. There are multiple levels of sponsorship with a wide range of prices for every budget and endless benefits.

The Franktown Meadows Hunter Derby offers a plethora of opportunities for both local and national sponsors. Included with certain sponsorship levels are VIP tables, derby field signage, a champagne brunch, jump sponsorship, as well as pre-event, derby day, and post event advertising. The hunter derby is an ideal venue for sponsors to entertain their guests, increase networking and exposure, and become immersed in an exceptional equestrian community. Sponsors will also be showing their support for a great cause, ALS of Nevada. This event will feature many of the top- ranked equestrians in the nation and many equestrian and business community members from the Greater Reno/Tahoe area.

Sponsorship opportunities are available for all budgets, with prices ranging from $100 to the Derby Day title sponsor of $25,000. Sponsorship at every level has rewarding benefits and ample opportunities for recognition, while participating in a one of a kind, truly exceptional equestrian event. All sponsors are greatly appreciated and will find satisfaction in supporting a great cause, ALS of Northern Nevada.

Continue reading Sponsorship Opportunities Now Available for the 2011 $25,000 Franktown Meadows Hunter Derby →

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

Atlanta Summer Classics Awards over $160,000 in First Week

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Elizabeth Boyd and Brunello Win $25,000 USHJA Hunter Derby; Chasen Boggio and Hennessey Victorious in $35,000 EMO Grand Prix

Liza Boyd & Brunello © Flashpoint Photography

Conyers, GA — June 19, 2011 — There’s more than one reason exhibitors use the phrase “I’m showing in Hotlanta”; just ask Elizabeth Boyd who picked up some “hot” cash in Friday evening’s $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby or Chasen Boggio who’ll be depositing a big check from Sunday’s $35,000 Adequan Grand Prix.

Kicking off a huge week at the Georgia International Horse Park, the Hunter riders took center stage on Friday evening as 30 determined horses vied for the spotlight in the $25,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby presented by the Classic Company. It had the feel of a red carpet extravaganza with competitors donning Shadbelly jackets, shiny boots, braided manes and tails – all those special touches to further impress the panel of four judges: Mike Rosser, Betsy Perry, Leo Conroy, and Mike Lowrey. Beauty aside, what the judges really wanted to see was the talent used to negotiate the 12 obstacles brought to reality from the imagination of designer Allen Rheinheimer.  Making use of the expansive Olympic arena, Rheinheimer created a track that traversed its entirety including the sizable bank along the back wall. Additionally riders encountered 4 options with height choices of 3’6 or 4’ as well as bending and broken lines throughout. Only the top 12 scores would be invited back for the handy round two. Continue reading Atlanta Summer Classics Awards over $160,000 in First Week →

Competitions, Events, Show Jumping, USEF

American Ricky Neal and Transmission Finish European Young Rider Tour with CSIOY Hagen Grand Prix Victory

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Hagen, Germany – Ricky Neal saved his best performance of the U.S. Show Jumping Young Rider European Tour for the CSIOY Hagen Grand Prix. And the 19-year-old was rewarded with a major victory on Transmission. He topped a strong field of 48 competitors to take the top spot over Stephanie van den Brink and Wapper from the Netherlands and Germany’s Andreas Kreuzer on Kanazia.

The top eight from the first round went forward to the jump-off and Neal flew to victory over the short course with a time of 44.62 on his 16-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding. He was more than a second faster than van den Brink.

The U.S. Young Rider team tied for third with Germany in the CSIYO Nations Cup. Catherine Pasmore on My Boy 18, Karen Polle on What Ever 11, Reed Kessler on Onisha and Jessica Springsteen on Vornado van den Hoendrik put in a solid effort in Saturday’s challenging Nations Cup to finish on 24 faults. Pasmore jumped a clear first round, and then had one rail in the second. Polle picked up 12 faults in each leg. Kessler had four faults in round one and bounced back with a clear round in the second and Springsteen added eight in each leg. The Netherlands won on an impressive score of four and Great Britain finished close behind on eight.

Michele Grubb served as Chef d’Equipe.

The U.S. riders picked up ribbons throughout the week, all the results are available here:
http://www.equi-score.de/index.php?mod=mod_hagena.t.w.2011.

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

Dibowski Is Flawless at Luhmühlen in HSBC FEI Classics

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Lausanne (SUI), 19 June 2011 – Andreas Dibowski, a valuable member of Germany’s teams for many years, was at his consistent best in a tense finale at Luhmühlen, presented by E.ON Avacon (GER), and seized victory with a flawless Jumping round on Euroridings Butts Leon to gain his first points in the 2011 HSBC FEI Classics.

“I have been riding here for 22 years, so the pressure to win was building,” said Dibowski. “Nowadays, it is so close at the top of the sport that you cannot allow mistakes. The Jumping course was well built, but asked enough questions, as it should in the modern sport.

“We haven’t had the best weather this weekend, but we have had the very best conditions, thanks to the new all-weather arenas. It is important that the first rider to go gets the same conditions as the very last.”

Dibowski, who has indicated that he may take his Luhmühlen winning ride to Burghley (GBR) in September, shoots into fourth place in the HSBC FEI Classics, in which the top five riders at five CCI4*s will share a prize pool of US$330,000. Dibowski is now in behind Mary King (GBR), whose eighth place at Luhmühlen on the gallant Apache Sauce gave her a few extra points, Piggy French (GBR), fourth, and Badminton winner Mark Todd (NZL).

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Classic Company, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Charleston Summer Classic Hunter Derby 2011

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June 18, 2011 – We had a terrific week in Conyers for our first show.  The show was sold out for stalls, the weather was cooler than it’s been in years and the parties were lots of fun for all.  We do have a few stalls open for week two – call 678 374 5900 for the show office.

Highlights this week:

USHJA National Hunter Classic was won by Status Quo and ridden by Clair Kellner.

2. Ramano, Martin Schlaeppe
3. Vince, Greg Burrow
4. Snowday, Triple Creek Farm
5. Happenstance, Natalie Sterrett
6. Premonition FR, John Gillen
7. Breaking News, Fit to Print Farm
8. Julian, Amanda Forad
9. Solitaire, Kira Epstein
10. Concierge, Nestledown Eq Svc
11. Tatan, Greener Pastures
12. Excurs, Terry Russell

USHJA $25,000 International Hunter Derby was won by Brunnello, owned by Mrs. Janet Peterson and shown to the win by Elizabeth Boyd.  We added Brunnello to the Jack Geitner Memorial Trophy that was donated by the Wellington Show Stables many years ago.

Continue reading Charleston Summer Classic Hunter Derby 2011 →

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

Olympians Clinch Grand Prix Wins, Local Families Enjoy HITS-on-the-Hudson, and Devoucoux Hunter Prix Riders Gain Momentum as the Race to Pfizer Million Weekend Continues

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© ESI Photography. Patricia Griffith on course with Lexi Maounis' Platinum in Saturday's $5,000 Devoucoux Hunter Prix at HITS-on-the-Hudson in Saugerties, New York.

SAUGERTIES, NY (June 17, 2011) — The HITS-on-the-Hudson show grounds in Saugerties, New York were bustling for three weeks straight as entries poured in, barns were at capacity and the weather cooperated for a successful spring show series – a momentum that should transition to HITS Culpeper at Commonwealth Park in Culpeper, Virginia July 6-17.

Grand Prix classes welcome Olympic medalists
Olympic riders proved why they have medals in their trophy cases, winning four out of the six Grand Prix classes offered during the three weeks of competition. McLain Ward of Brewster, New York rode to victory three times in the Strongid C 2X Grand Prix Stadium, capturing Grand Prix purses of $25,000, $50,000 and $75,000. Margie Engle of West Palm Beach, Florida, lauded as the winningest female rider in the world, started her time in Saugerties off on the right foot by winning the $10,000 Brook Ledge Open Welcome. She went on to win the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, during week II.

Joining the ranks of Ward and Engle was Danielle Torano of Southwest Ranches, Florida, who kicked off the spring Grand Prix circuit with a win in the first $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, during week I. Also making his mark on the high-performance world was Hector Florentino of the Dominican Republic, who made his HITS Saugerties debut in style with a win in the $100,000 Purina Mills Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, during the final hours of competition in week III.

Continue reading Olympians Clinch Grand Prix Wins, Local Families Enjoy HITS-on-the-Hudson, and Devoucoux Hunter Prix Riders Gain Momentum as the Race to Pfizer Million Weekend Continues →

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

French and Her Flying Machine Speed to Pole Position at Luhmühlen in HSBC FEI Classics

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Piggy French (GBR) and the aptly named Flying Machine galloped through the worst of the weather to take over the lead at the third leg of the HSBC FEI Classics 2011 at Luhmühlen. (Photo: Peter Nixon/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), 18 June 2011 – Piggy French (GBR) galloped through pouring rain on her appropriately named 10-year-old Irish gelding Flying Machine to take the lead after Cross-Country at Luhmühlen, presented by E.ON Avacon (GER), the third leg of the HSBC FEI Classics.

The leaderboard has changed substantially and now the cost of just one Jumping fence covers the top four riders, ensuring a thrilling day’s sport tomorrow. French is highly competent in this phase, but she has no margin for error if she is to score her longed-for first CCI4* victory.

“I have not managed to run the horse as often as you would like to before a four-star, but the shock treatment seems to have worked!” said French. “I am very excited about how he coped with it all. I am lucky to have many lovely horses to ride and when you have a day like this, it’s a bonus. The rain was unbelievable, and my gloves were heavy with water so I got rid of them, but it was no better without them!”

The home side’s Sandra Auffarth (GER) had the ride of her life to move up a place to second on the nine-year-old Selle Francais Opgun Louvo, the horse she rode into third place in the 2009 Young Horse Championships at Le Lion d’Angers (FRA). The German rider was making her four-star debut and it will be quite a story if she snatches victory tomorrow – and she says her horse is a good jumper.

Continue reading French and Her Flying Machine Speed to Pole Position at Luhmühlen in HSBC FEI Classics →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage, Events, FEI, FEI

Ostholt Shows His Artistry to Lead Luhmühlen in HSBC FEI Classics

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Frank Ostholt (GER) and Little Paint head an international field at the third leg of the HSBC FEI Classics 2011 at Luhmühlen. (Photo: Peter Nixon/FEI)

Lausanne (SUI), 17 June 2011 – Frank Ostholt (GER) is back in the limelight at Luhmühlen, presented by E.ON Avacon (GER), a competition he won back in 2006 on probably his best known horse, Air Jordan.

Ostholt, 35, an Olympic team gold medallist in Hong Kong in 2008, heads an international field at the third leg of the HSBC FEI Classics 2011 series on Little Paint, a 13-year-old gelding by Nitron, on which he took second place at Luhmühlen three years ago.

He has just 1.9 penalties in hand over Britain’s Piggy French on Flying Machine. French, the reigning European silver medallist, is a rider with her sights firmly set on a first CCI4* win, having finished a close second recently at Badminton, and is well placed in the HSBC FEI Classics leaderboard in third.

There are five Germans in the top 10 after Dressage, including the reigning World Champion and 2009 Luhmühlen winner Michael Jung (eighth), this time riding the 12-year-old Leopin, a recent winner of Compiegne CCI2* (FRA), but Sweden, Australia, Italy and New Zealand are also represented in the 43-strong field.

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

Record Entries for 25th FEI European Dressage Championships

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Edward Gal and Totilas who carried off double gold in Windsor 2009, but the world famous black stallion will be representing Germany with Matthias Alexander Rath in the saddle. © Kit Houghton/FEI

Lausanne (SUI), 17 June 2011 – The 25th FEI European Dressage Championships are set to be the biggest yet, with a record 21 nations aiming to compete in Rotterdam (NED) on 17-21 August. And tickets for the Freestyle-to-Music, which will decide the individual medals on 21 August, are already sold out with tickets for the other three days selling fast.

As the Rotterdam organisers celebrate the 60-day countdown to the Championships, 18 National Federations have indicated that they hope to field full teams and a further three countries plan to send individuals.

The previous European record was set in 1997 when 19 nations participated in Verden (GER), although Arnhem (NED) hosted the largest ever Open European Championships in 1999 when riders from 25 nations competed.

“It is fitting that we mark the 25th year of the FEI European Dressage Championships with such an impressive entry,” said Trond Asmyr, Director of Dressage and Para-Equestrian Dressage at the FEI.

“Since Freestyle-to-Music was elevated to Olympic level, the popularity of Dressage has risen dramatically and it’s no surprise that tickets for the Final at the impressive Kralingse Forest site sold out soon after they went on sale. Fans will need to be quick if they want to see their European heroes perform in August.

Continue reading Record Entries for 25th FEI European Dressage Championships →