Category Archives: Events

Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

Pablo Barrios and G&C Quick Star 11 Succeed in $40,000 Surpass Grand Prix, CSI 2*

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Pablo Barrios and G&C Quick Star 11 won the $40,000 Surpass Grand Prix, CSI 2* during the second week of the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Photo © Sportfot

Wellington, FL – January 29, 2011 – Pablo Barrios (VEN) and G&C Quick Star 11, owned by G&C Farm of Wellington, FL, captured the top prize in tonight’s $40,000 Surpass Grand Prix, CSI 2*. This was the second event of 11 in the “Saturday Night Lights” series at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). A crowd of 4,700 spectators were there to enjoy top-class show jumping and all that the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center has to offer.

The third week of the FTI WEF concludes with tomorrow’s competition. The 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival has 12 weeks of competition through April 3, 2011, and they will be awarding more than $6 million in prize money through the circuit.

This week’s course designer in the International Arena is Olaf Petersen Sr. of Germany. There were 41 entries in the grand prix, and 12 were able to keep all of the jumps up to advance to the jump-off.

Schuyler Riley described of the course, “The first round was a beautiful course. Rails fell everywhere. It was a very technical, precise-riding course.”

Continue reading Pablo Barrios and G&C Quick Star 11 Succeed in $40,000 Surpass Grand Prix, CSI 2* →

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

Canadian Olympian John Pearce Scores a One-Two Punch in Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, Presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at HITS Thermal

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© Flying Horse Photography. Canadian Olympian John Pearce rides Son of a Gun in the $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health.

THERMAL, CA (January 29, 2011) — Canadian Olympian John Pearce made it clear that he is determined to make a return trip to the Pfizer $1 Million Grand Prix when he scored both the blue and red ribbons in Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at the HITS Desert Horse Park in Thermal, California.

Pearce, of Bermuda Dunes, California, and Forest View Farm’s Chianto took the victory gallop in the Friday’s feature class after he got the best of the 33 starters that challenged Canadian Course Designer Danny Foster’s first-round course and the 13 pairs that advanced to the jump-off to secure $7,500 in first-place prize money.

“Danny (Foster) did a beautiful job on the course,” said Pearce. “For the first Grand Prix of the circuit, he hit it right on the money! He couldn’t have done it any better.”

Continue reading Canadian Olympian John Pearce Scores a One-Two Punch in Friday’s $25,000 SmartPak Grand Prix, Presented by Pfizer Animal Health, at HITS Thermal →

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

Jacksonville A to Z Finale – Alissa Kinsey & Grisset Share a Spotlight and Meg O’Mara Does It Her Way with Sinatra IV

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Alissa Kinsey & Grisset. ©Flashpoint Photography

Green Cove Springs, FL — January 29, 2011 — Show Jumping action took center stage for the finale of the Jacksonville Winter Series. Starting with the $10,000 Children-Adult Jumper Classic, sponsored by Cedar Street Advisors, it was the Sunshine State’s own Alissa Kinsey from Ft Myers and phenom mare Grisset taking the top spot.

Dave Ballard of Olympic fame took over course designing honors for this final week of competition and created layouts that both tested exhibitors and took spectators’ breaths away at times. A starting field of 27 crossed through the in gate on Saturday afternoon with high hopes of claiming the big prize in the $10,000 Cedar Street Advisors Children-Adult Jumper Classic. Nearly half survived the 68 second limited twisty 12 obstacle first round to advance into the dash for the cash jump off.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=13075

Community/Charity, Conferences, Contributors/Press, Events, Training/Clinics, USEF

Certified Horsemanship Association Produces Regional Conferences around the Continent for All Horse Enthusiasts

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Lexington, KY – The Certified Horsemanship Association (CHA) Regional Conferences are being held around the continent this year. These educational events are open to the public and provide horses for participants to ride with top instructors. Press are invited to attend. Other are being added to the below list all the time at http://www.cha-ahse.org/regions.htm.

Region 1 (British Columbia, WA, Western MT, ID, OR, Alberta)
Conference – Canyonview Equestrian Center in Silverton, OR – February 24-27
Contact Sherilyn Sander at (971) 239-1348or at sherilyns@canyonview.us

Region 2 (Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Eastern MT, ND, SD)
Conference – Horse 3 at Keystone Centre in Brandon, Manitoba – April 15-17
Contact Tara Reimer (204) 392-6308 or at tara@cloud9ranch.ca

Region 3 (MN, WI, Western Ontario, Upper MI, IA, IL)
Conference – Minnesota Horse Expo/Minnesota State Fairgrounds in St. Paul – April 29–May 1
Contact Laura Jones at (807) 577-3630 or at fljones@tbaytel.net

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Associations/Breeds, Awards, Breeds, Championships, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Events, USEF

ASHA High Point Awards Program to Replace ASHA Regional Championships

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Lexington, KY – The American Saddlebred Horse Association (ASHA) has announced that the ASHA Regional Championships have been discontinued, effective in 2011.

This change allows for more focus to be placed on the new ASHA High Point Awards program being implemented in the 2011 competition year. The ASHA High Point Awards program, an initiative of the Charter Club Council, recognizes Saddlebred and Half Saddlebred achievement, not only in the traditional show ring, but also in a wide range of open breed competition including dressage, combined driving, eventing, endurance/distance/competitive trail, hunter/jumper, and other disciplines.

In order for the ASHA High Point Awards program to be as comprehensive as possible, ASHA encourages management of all competitions where Saddlebreds and Half-Saddlebreds compete, to register their competitions with ASHA and be included on the ASHA Competition Calendar. The competition registration form can be found here. All ASHA members are urged to notify ASHA if a competition in their local area is missing from the ASHA Competition Calendar.

Full details of the ASHA High Point Awards program are posted on the ASHA website, www.asha.net.

For questions about the ASHA High Point Awards program, contact Brenda Newell, Senior Program Administrator, at 859.475.1461 or b.newell@asha.net, or Susan Harris, Registry Associate/Competitions, at 864.293.2741 or s.harris@asha.net.

Championships, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Hunter/Equitation, USEF, Western/Reining

2011 IHSA National Championships – A Preview to the Road to Lexington

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Fairfield, CT — In poker it’s called re-shuffling the deck, and when the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association (IHSA) announced at the start of the 2010 semester that it had realigned its nine Zones to eight – changing the geography of its competitive regions and impacting coaching strategies – it promised to make the road to the 2011 IHSA National Championships, May 5-8, at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, an interesting one.

With Regional and Zone Championships, and Western Semi-Finals, still ahead for the 370-plus schools and more than 8,700 students competing this 2010-2011 season, a lot can happen between now and May. But with the close of the fall semester, team and individual performances are beginning to suggest where Nationals candidates might emerge.

Zone Hunter Seat Championships and Western Semi-Finals this spring represent the final step for qualifying IHSA teams and individuals. Each Region sends its top individual riders and one team to their respective Hunter Seat Zone Championship; at Zones, the top two individual riders and top two teams move on to Nationals.

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Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, USEF

This Week in International Disciplines – Dressage

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Tina Konyot and Calecto V at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Photo by Shannon Brinkman/USEF Archives.

The first 2010 CDI kicked off the season in Florida over the weekend and Tina Konyot took top honors with Calecto V. They represented the U.S. at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games last fall and returned to form after a winter break with a convincing performance for a score of 71.745% to win the Grand Prix for the Freestyle. Konyot was then second in the Freestyle behind Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven and Favourit from Sweden.

Elizabeth Austin scored a win in the Grand Prix for the Special with Olivier – their score of 66.809% gave them a clear victory over Tuny Page and Alina. The pair swapped places in the Special, with Page’s score of 65.771% relegating Austin and Olivier to second on 62.917%.

The small tour classes featured some exciting up-and-coming horses with qualification for the 2011 Pan Americana Games on their minds. Heather Blitz and Paragon scored 75.746% to win the Prix St Georges and 73.509% to win the Intermediaire I, Shawna Harding and Rigo were runners-up in both classes but went on to win the Intermediaire I Freestyle.

Complete results are available here: http://www.gcdafl.org/.

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

Wellington Classic Dressage Challenge to Host 2011 Exquis World Dressage Masters CDI5*

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Steffen Peters and Ravel at the World Dressage Masters. Photo by Ken Braddick.

West Palm Beach, FL – Pending FEI approval, the Exquis World Dressage Masters CDI5* has been rescheduled for March 9-12 at the Wellington Classic Dressage Challenge in West Palm Beach, FL. The featured event, the Freestyle, will be held under the lights on Friday evening. The only CDI5* held annually in the United States, the World Dressage Masters attracts some of the world’s best.

Over the last two years, World, Olympic and World Cup Champions have all been in attendance and 2011 promises to not disappoint. Held for the first time at the world-class Palm Beach County Jim Brandon Equestrian Center in West Palm Beach – South Florida will again welcome the dressage world.

For more information, please visit: http://www.wellingtonclassicdressage.com/index.html or http://www.worlddressagemasters.com/EN/. Please contact Eva Salomon with questions at esalomon@usef.org.

Awards, Breeds, Contributors/Press, Events, USEF

PHR Silver Stirrup Awards Kick Off the Festivities at the USEF Annual Meeting

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USEF's Trisha Watkins with Silver Stirrup recipient Ashley Guidry. Photo by Geoff Oliver Bugbee/USEF.

Lexington, KY – Honors for the best in U.S. sport horse owners, breeders and sires were presented at the Performance Horse Registry’s (PHR) Annual Silver Stirrup Awards during the first of many celebrations hosted at the 2011 United States Equestrian Federation’s Annual Meeting held at the Downtown Hyatt in Lexington from January 19-23. Also on Thursday, the inaugural American Performance Horse Awards and the USEF/Rood & Riddle Thoroughbred Horses in Sport Awards were also bestowed.

Attendants from across the country applauded the horse owners and breeders. Among the many awards was one presented by familiar PHR and Silver Stirrup Awards sponsors Joan Irvine Smith and The Oaks. The winner of the South Pacific Award for Leading U.S.-based Jumper Sire, Lio Calyon (Holliostro x Zoellnerin), is owned by Wild Turkey Farm in Woodside, CA.

The Performance Horse Registry came to the USEF via the Jockey Club in 2000. Today, it serves several purposes: first, it is the main source of complete pedigree data on horses at the Federation. It also serves as a registry for horses that do not fit into the typical breed registry format. Many horses enter the PHR to do both: get their horse’s entire pedigree recorded with the Federation, and obtain identification papers for their horses. Those horses competing in USEF-licensed competitions can be nominated for the Silver Stirrup Awards.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Awards, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, USEF, Western/Reining, World Equestrian Games

McCutcheon Scores 2010 USEF Equestrian of the Year Title; Harris Honored for a Lifetime of Excellence

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Tom McCutcheon, Don Harris and Kelsey Kimbler. Photo: Geoff Oliver Bugbee/USEF

Lexington, KY – In a year that equestrian sport was forever changed in the United States, an all-American horseman was honored for his golden achievement. For the second consecutive year, the voters for USEF Horse and Equestrian of the Year have crowned a horse and his rider as champions in both categories.

Tom McCutcheon, the only American double Gold medalist at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games had barely finished celebrating the achievements of Gunners Special Nite as 2010 Farnam/Platform USEF Horse of the Year on Friday evening at the USEF Annual Meeting, when he would find himself on stage again, this time picking up an honor all his own.

McCutcheon wrote his place in history, becoming the first reiner to be crowned USEF Equestrian of the Year.

Continue reading McCutcheon Scores 2010 USEF Equestrian of the Year Title; Harris Honored for a Lifetime of Excellence →