Guenter Seidel brings us up-to-date on his road to recovery, we welcome Mary Phelps as an HRN Affiliate, and Heather Blitz reviews iPhone Apps. All here on this week’s show.
Lisa Williams and Sanmorino Named National Horse Show Grand Hunter Champions
Cazenovia, NY – November 4, 2010 – Hunter divisions at the 127th National Horse Show concluded on Thursday afternoon with the presentation of championship awards followed by a special $50,000 National Horse Show Hunter Classic, held to honor Charlie Weaver. Hannah Goodson-Cutt rode Caretano to victory in the $50,000 Hunter Classic and was also named Best Child Rider on a Horse for her excellent success over the two days of hunter competition. Lisa Williams rode Sanmorino to the prestigious National Horse Show Grand Hunter Championship and Jennifer Alfano received the Leading Hunter Rider prize.
The $50,000 NHS Hunter Classic was held in a two round format with the top twelve horses and riders competing over a second round handy course to determine top standings. With a two round total of 177 points, junior rider Hannah Goodson-Cutt and Caretano came out in first place, just half a point ahead of second place finishers Molly Ashe-Cawley and Back in the Game with a score of 176.5. Maggie Boylan and Poetic finished in third place, Hasbrouck Donovan and Quality Time earned the fourth place prize, and Jennifer Alfano rode Jersey Boy to fifth place.
HRH Princess Haya addresses the General Assembly after scoring a landslide victory for re-election as FEI President. (Photo: FEI/William Tzeng)
Taipei, 5 November 2010 – HRH Princess Haya Al Hussein (JOR) was today re-elected as President of the FEI at the Federation’s General Assembly in Taipei in a landslide victory in the first round of voting. Princess Haya, who was seeking a second and final four-year term as President, won with 90 votes of a total 124 valid ballots.
The other contenders for the position were Sven Holmberg (SWE), the first Vice President of the FEI, who received 23 votes, and former Vice President of the Netherlands Equestrian Federation, Henk Rottinghuis (NED), who received 11 votes.
HRH Princess Haya was accorded a standing ovation as she returned to the stage after the election to address the electorate. “Thank you so much for your confidence and trust. I promise that I won’t let you down”, an emotional HRH Princess Haya commented.
The 8th annual Arabian Horse Association Sport Horse National Show was held September 22-25th in Nampa, Idaho. KB Omega Fahim+++// and daughter KB Jull Fahim+//, swept the open FEI dressage division. This is the first time a father and daughter have dominated the entire open FEI dressage competition of this national championship show. Fourteen year old KB Omega Fahim+++// won Grand Prix and Intermediate 11, while eleven year old KB Jull Fahim+// captured Intermediate 1 and Prix St. Georges. People were on the edge of their seats for the final Grand Prix test to be performed on the last day of the championships. Omega, under his exceptional trainer and rider, Chelsey Sibley, completed this monumental task with grace and ease. During the evening’s special ceremony, both horses were presented and awarded as champions of each test. Jull also achieved the open FEI high point of the show.
Approximately 400 horses displayed their athletic abilities at the Idaho Horse Park. The Sport Horse National Championship Show featured 90 classes in several divisions that included in hand, hunter, jumper, dressage and driving, to name a few. Horses from forty-one states and two Canadian provinces came to compete in this national event. The prominent dressage judges were Marlene Schneider, Brian Ross, Jacqueline Lindberg and Sandra Chohany. Sport Horse Nationals is the only single-breed sport horse event in the nation offered just for Arabian, Half-Arabian and Anglo-Arabian horses registered with the Arabian Horse Association or the Canadian Arabian Horse Registry.
The breeder of Omega and Jull, Elaine Kerrigan, has devoted the past 35+ years creating these amazing Arabian sport horse athletes. According to Chris Bailey, “Not only is Omega amazing but he also produces the perfect get; kind, smart and athletic. I have not seen one Omega offspring that I would not want.”
Arabian stallion KB Omega Fahim+++// is owned by breeder Elaine Kerrigan of Kerrigan Bloodstock in Eureka, CA and Half-Arabian KB Jull Fahim+// is owned by Chris Bailey, also of Eureka. Both horses are trained and shown by Chelsey Sibley of Sky Ranch, in Sonora, CA.
Cazenovia, NY – November 3, 2010 – The 2010 Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament featuring the 127th National Horse Show continued with its second day of competition on Wednesday with the start of the professional, amateur-owner, and junior hunter divisions. Horses and riders showed two rounds over fences and went under saddle in the day’s competition. Horses with multiple top ribbons included Red Panda, Superman, Goosebumps, Last Call, Fabricio, and Back in the Game.
The Green Working Hunter division began the day with a win over fences for Amanda Steege and Majestic, owned by Lisa Arena. Cookie Beck rode Last Call, owned by Lisa Cudahy, to the blue ribbon in the flat class and the win in the handy hunter class.
Steege was thrilled with her excellent first round this morning and praised Majestic. “I’ve never won here before and his owners are from Fairport, NY, which is very close. They were excited just to get to show here, and for their horse to win a class, I’m sure they are over the moon,” she smiled.
Washington, D.C. – November 3, 2010 – The 52nd Washington International Horse Show (WIHS) hosted the best hunter, jumper, and equitation riders in the nation competing for top prizes at Verizon Center in downtown Washington, D.C. over six days of competition, and the WIHS thanks all of the sponsors, employees, exhibitors, volunteers, and spectators for making this year’s show an incredible success.
“The WIHS was a success,” said horse show manager Robert Ridland. “We felt, and it seems to backed up by input from riders, that it was run very smoothly in terms of the unusual logistical problems it has inherently. It’s a unique challenge, and we don’t want it to disappear. We are happy to go through what it takes to keep this show going. We have the support of many riders who come to this show because they feel the same way.”
Show manager David Distler agreed, “I was happy with the way everything went. There was a lot going on at the same time in the city, with the The Daily Show and President Obama next door, to the rally, and the marathon all in the same week. A lot of issues could have been very difficult, but we overcame them in large part because we have a great staff.”
Lausanne, 3 November – The 2010 HSBC FEI Classics are set to come to a thrilling climax this weekend (November 4-7) at Les Etoiles de Pau in south-west France.
Three out of four of this season’s CCI4* winners are entered for what promises to be the closest finale yet to the series in which the leading rider will scoop a fabulous US$150,000.
William Fox-Pitt (GBR), the inaugural HSBC FEI Classics winner in 2008, leads the table with a win at Kentucky (on Cool Mountain) and a second placing at Burghley (on Seacookie), but he is not invincible, and will need to achieve a high placing at Pau on Navigator if he is to stay ahead of the chasing pack.
Fellow CCI4* winners Paul Tapner (AUS) and Sharon Hunt (GBR) are both entered; only the Burghley victor, Caroline Powell (NZL), is absent, but her 21 points may well be enough to keep her in the top five money-earning places.
The summer season came to a close with several terrific fundraisers. It was great to see so many people with a passion to help others in need.
“Back Where It All Began” held during the Hampton Classic Horse Show turned out to be a fun-filled, elegant event. Special thanks to the event chairman Stephanie Riggio for creating a successful evening.
More than 1,200 eventers joined us at the competitors’ party during the American Eventing Championships at Chattahoochee Hills in Fairburn, Ga. Great food, dancing and an auction completed the party.
The “Play It Forward” poker tournament in Las Vegas was great fun as the competition moved from the reining ring to the poker table. Special thanks to Mandi Brumley of Brumley Management Group and all our friends at the High Roller Reining Classic.
Germany's Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum and Checkmate won the third leg of the 2010/2011 Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping series at Lyon, France today. Meredith is pictured being presented with a Rolex watch by Anthony Schaub, Rolex.
MEREDITH AND CHECKMATE STEAL THE LIMELIGHT AT LYON by Louise Parkes
Lyon (FRA), 31 October 2010 – Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum recorded Germany’s third consecutive victory of the 2010/2011 Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping season when topping the line-up at Lyon in France this afternoon following a great performance from Checkmate. And it was a very special victory for the multiple-champion who most recently helped the German team to gold at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA.
“My last World Cup ride was in Las Vegas in 2009 – I have been out of the indoor sport for almost two years now so this was a big day for me today, and a great day for me too!” pointed out the 40 year old rider. And her win wasn’t easily achieved. She had the best of the draw when last to go in the nine-horse jump-off, but she had to chase the super-tight target time set by The Netherlands’ Gerco Schroder in a competition that was filled with surprises. Not the least of these was the third-place finish for Colombia’s Rene Lopez who nearly brought the house down with the excitement he created during his race against the clock with his brave mare Noblesse Des Tess.
Exell driving his Dream Team to victory in Hannover. Photo: FEI/Rinaldo de Craen
EXELL PUTS THE PRESSURE ON IN HANNOVER by Cindy Timmer
Hannover (GER) 31 October 2010 – Australian Boyd Exell laid down a marker for his rivals as the FEI World Cup Driving season got underway in Germany.
The Double World Cup Champion and recent World Four-in-Hand Champion won the first competition of the season in Hannover, finishing ahead of Hungary’s József Dobrovitz and IJsbrand Chardon from the Netherlands.
The 10th season of the FEI World Cup Driving kicked off traditionally during the German Classics show where the drivers and their horses received a warm welcome from the enthusiastic spectators at the near-capacity Hannover Messe Halle.
