Category Archives: Events

Competitions, Dressage, Driving, Endurance Riding, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, Para-Equestrian, Show Jumping, Vaulting, Western/Reining, World Equestrian Games

Alltech Signs Up as Title Sponsor for the FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 in Normandy

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Laurent Beauvais, Chairman of the Basse-Normandie Regional Council and of the Normandy 2014 Organising Committee, and Dr Pearse Lyons, President of Alltech, celebrating the announcement of Alltech as the title sponsor of the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games - Normandy © MC Chantrait

Lausanne (SUI), 8 July 2011 – Laurent Beauvais, chairman of the Basse-Normandie Regional Council and Normandy 2014 Organising Committee, and Alltech president Dr Pearse Lyons today announced that Alltech will be the title sponsor of the 2014 FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy.

The agreement represents an historic partnership in the world of equestrian sports with a commitment from Alltech to the value of EUR 10 million. The seventh edition of the FEI World Equestrian Games will officially be known as the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Normandy 2014.

“Alltech is proud to continue our partnership with the World Equestrian Games,” said Alltech President and Founder, Dr Pearse Lyons.

“These world championships of equestrian sport epitomise the values that we applaud; passion, excellence and performance. When the eyes of the world tune in to watch the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France, we will be there. France and Normandy in particular, with its worldwide reputation of excellence in horse breeding, is a strategic location for our company. Alltech has a long-standing history of serving the agricultural community in France and we are thrilled to support the event in Normandy and to share in the pride of this spectacular event.”

“The FEI is delighted by the renewal of Alltech’s title sponsorship of the FEI’s flagship event, the FEI World Equestrian Games,” said FEI Secretary General Ingmar de Vos. “We are proud of the Games’ enduring appeal and are looking forward to an unforgettable seventh edition organised by Normandy 2014’s professional team and supported by an outstanding title sponsor such as Alltech.”

Continue reading Alltech Signs Up as Title Sponsor for the FEI World Equestrian Games 2014 in Normandy →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, FEI, FEI, Show Jumping, USEF

FEI Nations Cup Jumping Gets Back Underway at CSIO5* Falsterbo

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Charlie Jayne and Athena. Photo by Sophie Durieux.

Lexington, KY – FEI Nations Cup Jumping gets back underway tomorrow at CSIO5* Falsterbo. After a month’s hiatus, the world’s top show jumping teams will return to the ring in Sweden. The U.S. has drawn the first position of the nine teams for their Chef d’Equipe George Morris.

Charlie Jayne will lead things off for the U.S. with The London Group’s Athena. This pair has jumped in the Nations Cups in La Baule, Rome, and St. Gallen making this their fourth consecutive appearance.

Two Young Riders will jump in the second and third positions. Saer Coulter and Copernicus Stables’ Springtime will follow Jayne into the ring and Lucy Davis will ride Old Oak Farm’s Nemo 119 in the third position. Both Team Gold medalists at the 2010 Adequan FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North, they contested their first Nations Cup at CSIO4* Buenos Aires last fall. They are now also taking their first step into the top level of CSIO5* jumping together.

Christine McCrea will jump in the anchor spot on Romantovich Take One for Candy Tribble. This pair has been brilliant in Europe so far, jumping two clear rounds over a tough track in St. Gallen’s Nations Cup and then jumping to third in the Grand Prix two days later.

For more information about these riders, please visit: http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/2011FEINationsCup/ which will also feature footage of the American competitors once the competition is over. Live coverage is available at www.feitv.org.

Competitions, Diana de Rosa, Eventing/H.T., Events

Southern Eighths Welcomes Back Nikon as a Major Sponsor

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Together Southern Eighths and Nikon Support the Unsung Heroes of Eventing

Southern Eighths Farm in Chesterfield, South Carolina and Nikon are working together to support Eventing’s amateur riders. “We approached Nikon about becoming a sponsor of our Southern Eighth/Nikon Three-Day Event scheduled to take place on May 3-6, 2012 because we felt it was a good fit and they agreed,” commented owner Brad Turley. “Together our goal is to focus on the amateur riders, the unsung heroes of the Eventing world. Best of all, these amateur riders have a chance to compete at a facility that is good enough to host the high profile Eventers but this place is for the rest of us. This is a place where the amateur riders can feel like the pros.”

“We here at Nikon are proud to be involved with Southern Eighths Farm’s recognized three-day event and support all the Amateur riders and their passion for Eventing. It is this same passion that drives Nikon each day. We look forward to a long relationship and wish all the competitors Good Luck!” remarked Bill Pekala, General Manager, Nikon Pro Services.

The recent Heart of the Carolinas recognized event April 28 – May 1 sponsored by Nikon was an indication of just how good this facility is and it is the riders who say it best. They love the facility, the organization, the footing, the courses, the jumps – just everything.

Becky Brown and EZ dominated the Training level (32.90) and Annie Lane Maunder and Penny Lane (37.30) were the winners in the Novice division.

Continue reading Southern Eighths Welcomes Back Nikon as a Major Sponsor →

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

International Bromont: Clinic for Jumper Course Designer

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Leopoldo Palacios - International Bromont 2010. Credit: Proaction Photo.

Bromont, July 7th – This year, International Bromont will offer a clinic presented by world-renowned course designer Leopoldo Palacios while he is attending the International Bromont. The clinic is recognized by Equine Canada and can be used in maintaining or upgrading the jumper course design status.

Mr. Palacios will design the courses for FEI classes the first week of competition and stay in Bromont to run the clinic on July 27, 28 and 29 from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Places are limited and registration will end on July 15th.

Details and inscription at: http://www.internationalbromont.org/formulaires-e.shtml.

International Bromont is a leader in Hunter/Jumper events, offering two weeks of competition from July 20th to 24th and July 27th to 31st, 2011. As for the last 36 years, this event will take place in the Eastern Townships region of Quebec, a short distance from the Vermont border. It is the biggest horse show in Eastern Canada with a total prize money over $400,000 and one of five major Canadian events on the World Cup circuit.

Continue reading International Bromont: Clinic for Jumper Course Designer →

Competitions, Events, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Jennifer Brennan and Ducky Speed to Victory in $1,500 NAL/WIHS Child/Adult Jumper Classic at Brandywine Valley Summer Series

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Jennifer Brennan and Ducky Speed won $1,500 NAL/WIHS Child/Adult Jumper Classic at the Brandywine Valley Summer Series. Photo By: Ron Schwane Photography

Devon, PA – July 7, 2011 – Bright, sunny skies kicked off the day at the Brandywine Valley Summer Series, presented by Taylor Harris Insurance Services, but as the jumpers took to the Dixon Oval at the Devon Show Grounds scattered thunderstorms moved into the area. The riders prevailed through the wet weather, with Patricia Griffith and Wieminka B taking the top spot in the 1.40m Open Jumpers, while Jennifer Brennan and Ducky scored the winning title in the $1,500 NAL/WIHS Child/Adult Jumper Classic.

The $1,500 NAL/WIHS Child/Adult Jumper Classic was the last class of the day in the Dixon Oval, where riders showed over a technical course by Kenny Krome. The first round featured a triple bar, three double combinations, and a liverpool. Eight from the original starting order advanced to the short course, where riders had to start over the triple bar and make a bending line to a single vertical. They then made a sharp right turn to a single oxer and turned to a single vertical, before making their way through a vertical-oxer double combination, a related vertical, and a final wide oxer.

Jennifer Brennan and Ducky, owned by Shannon Dell, were the fastest of the fast, completing a double clear effort in just 31.890 seconds to take home the winning ribbon. “Today I just wanted to be fast and clean,” she explained after the victory gallop. “There weren’t any sneaky inside turns, I just had to keep him straight and point him at the jumps. Ducky is awesome, very easy to ride. He knows his job and he’s as competitive as you are. If you want to win, he wants to win more!”

The second place prize went to Olivia Fry Weeks and H. J. El Divino, who stopped the clock just one second short of the leading time in 32.803 seconds. The first to tackle the track was Isabelle Caccamise and Qrocus Landais, who broke the beam at 35.135 seconds for third. Rounding out the top four was yesterday’s winner, Patrick McGinnia and JET Show Stables’ Conn, who tripped the timers in 35.387 seconds with all the rails intact.

Continue reading Jennifer Brennan and Ducky Speed to Victory in $1,500 NAL/WIHS Child/Adult Jumper Classic at Brandywine Valley Summer Series →

Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Phelps Media Group

A Full Schedule for Peter Pletcher and All Hunter Riders on Day Two of Horse Shows by the Bay

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Peter Pletcher and Copperfield. Credit: Katie Anich/PMG

Traverse City, MI – July 7, 2011 – Sun and a light breeze set the stage for a wonderful day for the hunters at Horse Shows by the Bay today. It was very busy in the R. L. Polk Family Main Hunter Ring, with over ninety rounds to be seen. As the professional hunter divisions came to a close this afternoon, several championship ribbons were presented, with Peter Pletcher of Magnolia, TX, Kelley Farmer of Keswick, VA, and Erynn Ballard of Hornby, OT taking home these top honors.

Peter Pletcher took over the reins for Kelley Farmer this morning on both of her First Year Green Working Hunter horses, Coin Toss, owned by Am Free, Inc., and Straight Talk, owned by CH Farm LLC. Pletcher rode Coin Toss to the top of both over fences classes today and Straight Talk took home both of the red ribbons. Though Coin Toss was able to edge ahead of Straight Talk in the First Year Green Hunters, Straight Talk was still able to take home the Champion ribbon for the division, having won all three classes yesterday. Coin Toss’s wins today with Pletcher allowed him to take home the Reserve Champion honors for the division. After his many successful rides today, Peter commented, “I think doing the catch rides for Kelley Farmer’s horses was today’s highlight; that was pretty fun.”

In the Second Year Green Working Hunter division Cookie Beck and Erynn Ballard brought their “A” game, both riding two horses in the division. Ballard was able to secure the Championship title on Sigfried, owned by Susanne Stroh, with a blue ribbon in both the hunter and the handy hunter rounds today. Reserve Champion went to Cookie Beck aboard Last Call, owned by Lisa Cudahy.

“Sigfried is probably the best second-year horse that we have right now, and he’s won a lot for me – he won in Palm Beach, he won a class at Devon, and I have a really good relationship with him. I just meet him at the horse shows because he doesn’t live with me. We just love each other, and he always tries hard. Today he just went out and did the best that he could, the handy was great, and he just tries so hard every time.” says Ballard of her mount Sigfried.

Continue reading A Full Schedule for Peter Pletcher and All Hunter Riders on Day Two of Horse Shows by the Bay →

Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, FEI

FEI Nations Cup 2011 – Draw Report, Round 4

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AMERICANS IN THE HOT SEAT AS ROUND FOUR GETS UNDERWAY by Louise Parkes

The draw for the fourth leg of the FEI Nations Cup 2011 series took place at Falsterbo, Sweden this evening. Photo: Falsterbo Press Office.

Falsterbo (SWE), 7 July 2011 – The American team have the unenviable task of of being first into the ring when the FEI Nations Cup 2011 resumes at Falsterbo, Sweden tomorrow afternoon.  The draw took place this evening, and the order of go for the competition which begins at 14.30 local time is as follows:

1. USA: 2, Belgium; 3, The Netherlands; 4, Germany; 5, Great Britain; 6, Sweden; 7, Ireland;  8, Denmark; 9, France.

The nine-team line-up reflects a guest appearance for the host country in the eight-leg, eight-nation tournament.  Sweden is entitled to compete despite relegation to the Promotional League last season.  They can’t take points from tomorrow’s competition, but the home runners could well pull off a big and satisfying result – they won here on their home ground last summer, and they’ve been fighting hard, and very successfully, in this year’s Promotional League series.  Chef d’Equipe, Sylve Soderstrand, is sending out his big guns – Rolf-Goran Bengtsson, Malin Bayard-Johnsson and Peder Fredrickson along with Angelika Augustsson, winner of the Gothenburg leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping series last season.  “We are here with our best team. And we are very pleased to compete on our homeground,” he said today. But this is not only a different league from where we have been competing recently – it is a different planet!” he added.

SUPREMELY CONFIDENT
The first three legs have been so exciting, and Dutch Chef d’Equipe, Rob Ehrens, should be feeling supremely confident after the double scored by his teams in both Rome (ITA) and St Gallen (SUI) over the previous two legs.  “I hope we keep up our form” he said in typically stoic fashion this afternoon.

Continue reading FEI Nations Cup 2011 – Draw Report, Round 4 →

Competitions, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, Show Jumping, USEF

This Week in International Disciplines – July 7, 2011

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Will Faudree and DHI Colour Candy. Photo by stock image services.com

Eventing
In preparation of the London 2012 Olympic Games, the CIC2* Greenwich Park Eventing Invitational was held as the London Test Event. Piggy French of Great Britain lead from start to finish with DHI Topper W, finishing on her dressage score of 34.70 in front of the stunning backdrop of Greenwich Park. Michael Jung of Germany and River of Joy came in second, while Pippa Funnell of Great Britain and Billy Shannon finished third. Will Faudree and DHI Colour Candy were the top placed American pair, finishing in 21st place.

For complete results and more information, please visit click here.

Jumping
Numerous U.S. riders were competing at Spruce Meadows over the holiday weekend. To start things off, U.S. riders interestingly took all of the odd places in the top ten in the 1.60m Great-West Life Cup. Leslie Howard finished on top with Utah while Mario Deslauriers and Diablo came in third. In the 1.45m Cargill Cup, Rich Fellers took top honors with McGuinness, while Richard Spooner and Quirino 3 came in a close second.  McLain Ward and Rothchild came in second in the 1.50m RSA Cup. Ward then won the next class – this time in the 1.45m WESTJET Cup with Pjotter Van De Zonnehoeve. Deslauriers was second with Urico. Kristen Coe and Tristan jumped clean and fast to win the 1.50m Duncan Ross Cup.

The U.S. riders dominated the top ten of the 1.50m Talisman Energy Cup, and Ward took home another win, this time aboard Vocas. Deslauriers and Vicomte D were second while Spooner finished fourth.  In the 1.60m RBC Financial Group Cup, Katherine Dinan and Vancouver were the top American pair finishing in third place. Ward continued his winning streak with Oh D’Eole in the 1.45m West Canadian Cup.  In the 1.60m ESSO Challenge World Cup Qualifier, U.S. riders dominated the top three. Rich Fellers and Flexible scored a big win with clean, lightning-fast rounds. Deslauriers and Urico were second while Farrington and Uceko finished third.

Continue reading This Week in International Disciplines – July 7, 2011 →

Competitions, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, Show Jumping

Greenwich Test Event Hailed a Huge Success

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The London skyline provided the perfect backdrop to this week's Greenwich Park Eventing Invitational (CIC**) - the equestrian test event for the 2012 Olympic Games. Photo: FEI Photo Catalogue.

London Prepares Series (GBR), 7 July 2011 – Greenwich Park in London (GBR) is a much quieter place today as the runners and riders, supporters, officials and most of the staff who helped create a magical atmosphere during this week’s test event have departed from the site where the equestrian Olympic Games will take place in 2012.

The Greenwich Park Eventing Invitational (CIC**) has already been hailed a huge success, but after a week of hectic activity, and three days of intense competition, it is now time to reflect in the aftermath.

The lasting memory for those lucky enough to be there this week is the sound of the excited school-children screaming with delight as they witnessed top-class horse sport at close quarters for the very first time.  For the hardened professionals, both in the saddle and on foot performing their various essential tasks, it was a heart-warming experience.

A generation of young people, who would otherwise never be exposed to the sport, were curious, enthralled and intrigued by what they saw, and they’ve shaken the foundations of a sometimes conservative world.  They’ve reminded us all that horse sport isn’t just about equine talent and rider skills.  It’s also about fun and entertainment, about embracing the partnership between man and horse and presenting it in a whole new light to a world of people who, given the opportunity, will learn to love it.

There is a sense right now that the equestrian events at London 2012 could mark the beginning of a whole new era, and how timely that will be for equestrian sport which celebrates its centenary as part of the Olympic movement next year.

Continue reading Greenwich Test Event Hailed a Huge Success →

Breeds, Events, Racing, Racing Sources

Delta Fireworks Boost Two New Juveniles into National Poll

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The American Quarter Horse Journal, July 7, 2011 – Sizzlin Cartel set a 350-yard track record in Saturday’s Firecracker Futurity (G2) at Delta Downs, earning him a No. 8 ranking in the latest AQHA Racing-Horseplayernow.com National Top 10 poll for 2-year-olds. He was one of two Delta Downs-based juveniles to make a national splash this week, joining Sunday’s Lee Berwick Memorial Futurity (RG1) winner Little Bit Trashy, who debuted at No. 10.

Sizzlin Cartel lowered the 350-yard standard to :17.218 behind a romping, 1 1/2-length win in the Firecracker Futurity. Runner-up in the Harrah’s Entertainment Futurity (G3) final at Louisiana Downs earlier this year, Sizzlin Cartel has now won three of five lifetime starts.

Little Bit Trashy set a Lee Berwick Memorial Futurity stakes-record time of :17.231 for 350 yards, winning for the third time in four career starts while taking on fellow Louisiana-bred runners.

Meanwhile, this Friday’s Rainbow Futurity (G1) trials at Ruidoso Downs will feature three of the top-ranked juveniles in the nation in this week’s poll, No. 3 Mighty B Valiant, No. 4 Silver For Me and No. 9 JLS Party Wagon. Separate Fire maintains the top spot in the 2-year-old poll as July is unveiled, while Rylees Boy remained No. 1 among pollsters in the rankings for horses 3 and older.

Continue reading Delta Fireworks Boost Two New Juveniles into National Poll →