Category Archives: Events

Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Show Jumping

Beezie Madden and Danny Boy Dash to Victory in $31,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round 11

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Beezie Madden and Danny Boy won the final $31,000 WEF Challenge Cup during week eleven at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Photo © Sportfot

Wellington, FL – March 24, 2011 – The final round of the $31,000 WEF Challenge Cup Series was held on Thursday afternoon with a victory for Beezie Madden (USA) and Abigail Wexner’s Danny Boy at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival.

Week 11 of the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival is sponsored by FTI Consulting Inc. The week’s feature events will include the final Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic on Sunday at 2:30 p.m., and the feature event of the circuit, the $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix on Saturday. Gates open at 6 p.m. The event will also be webcast live on the USEF Network, seen here: http://www.usefnetwork.com/FTIGrandPrix2011/.

Guilherme Jorge of Brazil is the course designer in the International Arena this week. A total of 41 competitors showed over the first round course and 11 qualified for the jump-off. With one competitor choosing not to return, ten jumped off against the clock.

Great Britain’s Nick Skelton and Big Star, owned by Beverly and Gary Widdowson, were first to attempt the short course and jumped clear in 40.48 seconds to blaze the leading time. Eight rounds followed but no one was able to jump without fault until the final competitors entered the ring.

Continue reading Beezie Madden and Danny Boy Dash to Victory in $31,000 WEF Challenge Cup Round 11 →

*Featured/Spotlights, Auctions, Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Driving, Events, JRPR

Chester Weber Donates Carriage Ride to the Ocala Symphony Orchestra Ball’s Live Auction and Bidding Is Expected to Be Fierce

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Ocala native Chester Weber is donating a carriage ride to the live auction at the Ocala Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony Ball, Friday, April 8th at the Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club. (Photo courtesy of Live Oak Combined Driving)

Ocala, FL (March 24, 2011) – Ocala residents love their native son Chester Weber, the eight-time USEF National Four-In-Hand Combined Driving Champion, whose home base is Live Oak Stud in Ocala. Weber is known for his involvement in education and the arts in his hometown community and will be donating a carriage ride, pulled by his world-class combined driving team, to the live auction of the Ocala Symphony Orchestra’s Symphony Ball, Friday, April 8th at the Golden Ocala Golf and Equestrian Club.

“Chester’s generosity in donating this carriage ride is sincerely appreciated by the Ocala Orchestra Board of Directors and Membership. The carriage ride will be presented during our Live Auction program segment and is expected to bring some of the highest bidding of the evening,” said Cindy Van Heyde, Vice President of the Ocala Symphony Orchestra.

Van Heyde said she expects fierce competition as bidders battle to win the carriage ride with Weber, a local celebrity as well as the United States’ leading combined driver. “Many of the people who will be attending the Symphony Ball are familiar with the annual driving event that Chester hosts at Live Oak Stud every March, and they appreciate the beauty of the farm and the sport of combined driving. I fully expect a very competitive bidding environment,” she said.

Continue reading Chester Weber Donates Carriage Ride to the Ocala Symphony Orchestra Ball’s Live Auction and Bidding Is Expected to Be Fierce →

Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, FEI, FEI, Show Jumping

2012 Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final Awarded to ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NED)

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Lausanne (SUI), 24 March 2011 – The FEI Bureau has awarded the 2012 Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final to ‘s-Hertogenbosch (NED). This major event, which will be held in conjunction with the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Final, will take place from 18 to 22 April 2012.

This weekend, ‘s-Hertogenbosch, located in the southern Netherlands, will play host to the last qualifiers of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping and the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage for the 2010/2011 season.

Both competitions will be broadcast LIVE on the official FEI online video platform FEI TV on Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 March.

FEI Media contacts:
Malina Gueorguiev
Manager Press Relations
malina.gueorguiev@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 33

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
ruth.grundy@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 45

*Featured/Spotlights, Community/Charity, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, JRPR, Para-Equestrian

Canadian Para-Equestrian Lauren Barwick Shines at 2011 Dressage Affaire CPED13*

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Lauren Barwick dominated the Grade II division at the 2011 Dressage Affaire at the Del Mar Horsepark during the CPED13* Para-Equestrian Dressage competition on her two horses Off to Paris (shown here) and Ferdonia 2 (below). (Photos courtesy of Lindsay Y McCall)

Parelli Natural Horsemanship Student Excels

Del Mar, CA (March 23, 2011) – Canadian Para-Equestrian Team member Lauren Barwick dominated the Grade II division at the 2011 Dressage Affaire at the Del Mar Horsepark during the CPED13* Para-Equestrian Dressage competition, riding away with the blue ribbon on Off To Paris and the red on Ferdonia 2 in the Individual Test. Barwick also took home top honors in the Freestyle, riding Ferdonia 2 to first place with a high score of 75.167% and earning second on Off To Paris with a 73.333.

Barwick’s success in the Para-Dressage spotlight has been aided by mentor and coach Pat Parelli, founder of Parelli Natural Horsemanship, Inc. Barwick is a Senior Protégé and mentor in the Parelli Natural Horsemanship’s Mastery Program.

“Lauren is an outstanding horsewoman and has the ability to easily connect with her horses,” Parelli said. “At the Dressage Affaire in Del Mar, Lauren had only been riding Off to Paris and Ferdonia for 10 days so it was quite an accomplishment to win first and second in both classes. Lauren knows that building a relationship and developing a great partnership with each horse is paramount, and she is dedicated to putting the horse’s needs first which shows each time she rides.”

Continue reading Canadian Para-Equestrian Lauren Barwick Shines at 2011 Dressage Affaire CPED13* →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, HITS, Show Jumping

30th Anniversary Season of HITS Ocala Ends with a Win for Kent Farrington in the $100,000 DeLuca Toyota Tundra Grand Prix

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© ESI Photography. Kent Farrington and Top Gun on course in the $100,000 DeLuca Toyota Tundra Grand Prix, presented by Great American Insurance Group.

OCALA, FL (March 22, 2011) — Sunday’s $100,000 DeLuca Toyota Tundra Grand Prix, presented by Great American Insurance Group, was not only the season finale to the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit, but also the 36th Grand Prix of the 2011 HITS Show Season, which marked the virtual mid-way point for the qualifying period for this year’s Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix. Kent Farrington felt the need for speed, when he and Iron Horse Farm’s Top Gun captured the win, to conclude the HITS Ocala Winter Circuit.

“Yesterday was an extraordinary finish to the Ocala Winter Circuit,” said Tom Struzzieri, HITS President and CEO. “Similar to our shows in Thermal, we’ve been blessed with some incredible weather in Ocala this season, which always adds to the enjoyment of the show. I’m very pleased that we had the opportunity to welcome so many new faces this year, which helped contribute to some really exciting competition. I was particularly impressed by the number of exhibitors that participated in, and the number of spectators that came out to watch, our Parade of Champions ceremony. Those riders should be proud of their accomplishments, and it was very nice to see the community from both within and outside the horse show acknowledge their efforts.”

Continue reading 30th Anniversary Season of HITS Ocala Ends with a Win for Kent Farrington in the $100,000 DeLuca Toyota Tundra Grand Prix →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, JRPR

Caroline Roffman Is Riding on Cloud Nine Thanks to Invitation to Compete at Aachen

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Caroline Roffman has been invited to compete in the Under 25 competition at the World Equestrian Festival CHIO in Aachen, Germany. (Photo courtesy of Sharon Packer)

Wellington, FL (March 21, 2011) – Dressage rider Caroline Roffman, who at 22 years old has already tasted her fair share of success in the dressage world, is floating on cloud nine following an invitation to compete at the World Equestrian Festival in Aachen, Germany. Roffman has been invited to compete in the Under 25 competition at the 2011 CHIO Aachen in Germany, July 8-17.

“They held the Under 25 competition for the first time last year and it was successful so they have decided to offer it again,” Roffman said. “I have always wanted to see Aachen, and now to be able to show there for the first time is just amazing.”

While Roffman isn’t certain which horse she will take to Aachen, she is hoping her new ride, Beemer, a 13-year-old, 17.2 hand bay Holsteiner owned in part by her trainer Lars Petersen, will be able to make the trip. “Beemer is a sale horse so I might not have the option of showing him by July, but I am hopeful that he won’t sell until after Aachen and I will get the opportunity of a lifetime to take him to Germany,” Roffman said.

Continue reading Caroline Roffman Is Riding on Cloud Nine Thanks to Invitation to Compete at Aachen →

Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Events

Historic Simonton Home Tour to Help Rescue Horses, Statesville, NC April 9, 2011

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STATESVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA Historic Simonton Place Home Tour
April 9, 2011
10:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.
Saturday April 9th, 2011
2030 Simonton Rd. Statesville 10 A.M. to 2 P.M.
This is a rare opportunity to tour the Pre-Revolutionary Simonton Place, one of the oldest homesteads in Iredell County and site of one of the first county courthouses and jail.

There will be a Home Tour with History of Simonton Family and the home.  All Proceeds to Benefit The United States Equine Rescue League of the Central Piedmont of NC (www.userl.org).  Included in the tour are a Barn Tour, Butter Churning Demonstrations, Spinning Demonstrations, Tea Service, Equine Massage/Chiropractic Demos.  There will also be an opportunity to Meet the Rescue Horses! Concessions will be available.  For more information call 704-872-3388 or visit www.userlcpnc.org.

Advance Ticket Price $10 Adults and $5 Seniors (60+) and $5 Kids (-12).  To purchase tickets, call 704-872-3388.  Admission at the door is $12 Adults, $6 Seniors (60+), and $6 Kids (-12)

Continue reading Historic Simonton Home Tour to Help Rescue Horses, Statesville, NC April 9, 2011 →

Community/Charity, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, Phelps Media Group, Polo

2011 Challenge of the Americas Raises $275,000 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation

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Mason Phelps, Mary Ross and Brian O'Connor at the 2011 Challenge of the Americas Photo Credit: Susan J. Stickle Photography

Wellington, FL – March 22, 2011 – The tenth annual Challenge of the Americas competition and Gala were held Saturday evening, March12, at the beautiful International Polo Club Palm Beach. Held as a benefit for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Play for P.I.N.K., the event raised approximately $275,000 in support of research to help find a cure for this disease that has affected so many lives.

The Challenge Gala got underway following an exciting evening of equestrian competition that included the first ever four-on-four polo match, where Team Vanderbilt-Ingram proved victorious.  Following polo the musical quadrille team challenge commenced with Team Purina USA earning the winning score in this fantabulous event.  This year’s gala, a sold-out affair with almost 600 in attendance, featured an evening of dinner and dancing and was held in the New Nespresso Lodge just off Piaget Field at the International Polo Club Palm Beach.  The sit-down dinner, silent auction and dancing was enjoyed by top riders, trainers and judges from the equestrian world of dressage and polo, along with generous sponsors and supporters.

Held as a benefit for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation over the last ten years, the Challenge of the Americas has raised over 1.5 million since its inception in 2002. This year they will once again add a generous donation to that total. President of Play for P.I.N.K., spoke at the Gala and acknowledged all that Challenge of the Americas has done for breast cancer research. Play for P.I.N.K. (Prevention, Immediate diagnosis, New technology, Knowledge) is a grassroots organization dedicated to raising funds to fight breast cancer, by creating and promoting awareness of breast cancer through sporting and lifestyle events. They contribute 100% of all funds raised to The Breast Cancer Research Foundation.

Continue reading 2011 Challenge of the Americas Raises $275,000 for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation →

Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI

FEI Bureau Approves Points System for HSBC FEI Classics 2011

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Lausanne (SUI), 21 March 2011 – The FEI Bureau has approved a revised points system for the HSBC FEI Classics 2011 series.

The new system, which takes on board recommendations from event organisers involved in the series, has now been brought in line with other rankings and standings in Eventing.

Information on the revised points system can be found here.

HSBC has supported the HSBC FEI Classics series since 2008 and will be contributing US$ 1 million in prize money over the next three years, which represents the biggest pot on offer in Eventing on an annual basis.

The HSBC FEI Classics 2011 series, which offers a prize of US$150,000 to the series champion, once again takes in the five four-star events – the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (GBR), Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event (USA), Luhmühlen CCI 4* presented by E.ON (GER), The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (GBR) and Les Etoiles de Pau CCI 4* (FRA).

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

Nick Skelton and Big Star Continue to Shine in $78,000 Pennfield Feeds Grand Prix, CSI 2*

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Nick Skelton and Big Star. All photos © Sportfot

Pasmore Wins Final Round; Kessler, Jacobs and Arcand Top the Standings to Compete at the EY Cup Finals in Leipzig, Germany

Wellington, FL – March 20, 2011 – Week 10 of the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF) concluded with two great events at The Stadium, the grass field venue at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Nick Skelton (GBR) and Big Star, owned by Beverly and Gary Widdowson, notched another big win this circuit by taking the top prize in the $78,000 Pennfield Feeds Grand Prix, CSI 2*.

The FTI Winter Equestrian Festival’s feature event, the $500,000 FTI Consulting Finale Grand Prix, CSI 5* will be next week on Saturday, March 26. The 2011 WEF will continue through April 3 and awards more than $6 million in prize money.

Michel Vaillancourt of Aiken, SC, was the designer for the classes at The Stadium today. There were 43 entries in the grand prix, and seven of those went clear to advance to the jump-off. The first entry in the class and the first to return was Hector Florentino (DOM) on Stransky’s Mission Farm’s Ultimo. They had a rail at 8b, the oxer out of the double combination, for four faults in 46.50 seconds. They finished in seventh place.

Continue reading Nick Skelton and Big Star Continue to Shine in $78,000 Pennfield Feeds Grand Prix, CSI 2* →