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

Leslie Howard and Lennox Lewis 2 Triumph in $10,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty Open Stake at ESP’s Holiday and Horses Competition

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Leslie Howard and Lennox Lewis 2 © ManciniPhotos

Wellington, FL – November 30, 2011 – Leslie Howard and her longtime mount Lennox Lewis 2 took home the first big win of the week at Equestrian Sport Production’s (ESP) 2011 Holiday and Horses competition. The show kicked off on Wednesday at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL, highlighting the exciting $10,000 Wellington Equestrian Realty Open Stake class in the International Arena. Wellington Equestrian Realty has been a great supporter of equestrian sport and will be an official sponsor of the upcoming FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival.

ESP’s Holiday and Horses competition will continue through Sunday, December 4, with a full schedule of top hunter/jumper competition. Thursday will feature the $31,000 Holiday and Horses Opener, Friday will highlight the $31,000 G&C Farm 1.45m FEI class, the $50,000 Holiday and Horses CSI 2*-W Grand Prix will be held under the lights on Saturday night, and a $20,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby will conclude the competition on Sunday.

Today’s stake class saw 42 entries compete over a 1.40m course designed by Anthony D’Ambrosio. Sixteen were able to clear the course without fault and those entries jumped off immediately following their rounds. The lead changed hands several times throughout the class, but it was the fastest clear round of Leslie Howard and Lennox Lewis 2, jumping 32nd in the order of go, that held on for the win. The pair stopped the clock in 33.452 seconds.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, FEI, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Charlie Jacobs and Leap of Joy Win Ericsson Grand Prix at CSIO-W Buenos Aires

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Charlie Jacobs and Leap of Joy won the Ericsson Grand Prix at the CSIO-W Buenos Aires. Photo By: Haras El Capricho

Buenos Aires, Argentina – November 29, 2011 – Delaware North Companies and Boston Bruins Principal Charlie Jacobs had great success at the CSIO-W Buenos Aires in Argentina held November 23-27, 2011 at Haras El Capricho, The talented amateur rider won three classes for his family’s Deeridge Farm, including the Ericsson Grand Prix aboard Leap of Joy, and the Nissan International Speed Derby with Flaming Star. He traveled to the event as a member of the United States Show Jumping Team competing in the FEI Nations Cup, which eventually earned the fifth place honors.

On Sunday, Jacobs topped off a great week by claiming the victory in the Ericsson Grand Prix with Leap of Joy. The pair completed a clear first round, and was the first to return for the four-horse jump-off. Once again they left all the fences standing, setting the unbeatable pace at 43.77 seconds. Canada’s Angela Lawrence came the closest to catching Jacobs, finishing second after crossing the finish line without fault riding Utan. Their time of 44.84 seconds was over a second off of the winning pace set by Jacobs.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, FEI, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

United States Places Fifth in FEI Nations Cup at CSIO-W Buenos Aires

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U.S. rider Charlie Jacobs wins Ericsson Grand Prix with Leap of Joy

Charlie Jacobs and Leap of Joy won the Ericsson Grand Prix at the CSIO-W Buenos Aires. Photo By: Haras El Capricho

Buenos Aires, Argentina – November 28, 2011 – The United States Show Jumping Team finished fifth during the FEI Nations Cup at CSIO-W Buenos Aires in Argentina held November 25, 2011 at Haras El Capricho, with 29 faults. The Jumping team included Charlie Jacobs of Buffalo, NY, aboard Leap of Joy, Ali Wolff of New Albany, OH, with Blacklick Bend Farm’s Lanoo, Cara Anthony of Redmond, WA, riding Potcreek Partners, LLC’s Woodpecker de Villars, and Cara Raether of Bedford, NY, aboard Trelawny Farm’s Lyonell. Jacobs also won three individual classes, including the Ericsson Grand Prix with Leap of Joy and the Nissan International Speed Derby with Flaming Star.

Following a strong first round of competition, the United States Show Jumping Team, competing in the FEI Nations Cup at CSIO-W Buenos Aires on Friday, had to settle for a fifth place at the end of the day. Three of the U.S. horse and rider combinations, Jacobs and Leap of Joy, Anthony with Woodpecker de Villars and Raether on Lyonell, all had four faults in round one. The first round drop score was that of Lanoo and Wolff who had two knockdowns. The team total of 12 faults had the US squad sitting seven faults off the lead in third place following the first round of action.

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

Exell Uncontested Winner in Stockholm

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Boyd Exell (AUS), winner of the third FEI World Cup Driving 2011/2012 qualifier held in Stockholm (SWE) this weekend. ©Anna Vähäkuopus/FEI

Stockholm (SWE), 27 November 2011 – Triple FEI World Cup Driving Champion Boyd Exell (AUS) is the uncontested winner of the third FEI World Cup Driving competition of the season in Sweden’s capital Stockholm. Exell drove two fluent clear rounds and finished well ahead of wild card driver Tomas Eriksson (SWE) and IJsbrand Chardon (NED).

Practice rounds

After two ‘practice competitions’ in Hannover and Stuttgart where he competed with a wild card, Boyd collected his first World Cup points of the season. He began using a new horse this season to replace some of the older horses on his four-in-hand team. After two competitions and some good advice from the previous owner Jozsef Dobrovitz, the eight-year-old trotter Bajnok is now a reliable member of Boyd’s team.

Fire works

Boyd drove two impeccable rounds in the Globen Arena in Stockholm where the enthusiastic spectators contributed to a fantastic atmosphere. Sweden’s Dan Henriksson had challenged the drivers by designing a technical course with many different options. This resulted in a very exciting competition the highlight of which was the fireworks going off when the competitors crossed the finishing line on the bridge.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, FEI, World Equestrian Games

FEI Celebrates 90th Birthday and 1000-Day Countdown to Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014

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Lausanne (SUI), 24 November 2011 – Today, 24 November, is a historic day for the FEI as the Federation celebrates its 90th birthday and joins in the celebrations for the 1000-day countdown to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2014.

Exactly 90 years ago, on 24 November 1921, representatives from national equestrian organisations from Belgium, Denmark, France, Italy, Japan, Norway, Sweden and the United States gathered in Paris (FRA) with the objective of forming an international federation. The inclusion of equestrian sport in the Olympic movement and the rapid development of the sport overall made it clear that internationally recognised rules supervised by a world governing body were essential. The Fédération Equestre Internationale was born and Baron du Teil of France was elected as the first FEI President.

“The FEI was founded in 1921 at a small gathering in troubled post-war Europe; now, 90 years later, the FEI is an international organisation with 132 Member Federations and is in charge of almost 3,500 events organised all over the world. More than 50,000 horses and 32,000 riders, drivers and vaulters are today registered with the FEI,” FEI President HRH Princess Haya commented.

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

Atlanta Fall Classics – Classic Company Ends 2011 Season on High Note

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Michael Tokaruk and Ultaire Win $25,000 EMO Welcome Jumper Stake; Megan Edrick and Cadence Repeat Victory in $25,000 EMO Grand Prix

Michael Tokaruk & Ultaire ©Flashpoint Photography

Conyers, GA — Nov 20, 2011 — Week two of the Atlanta Fall Classics put the jumpers center stage for the finale event of Classic Company’s 2011 season with two big $25,000 classes. “This week’s big money classes were a nice way to end the season for our exhibitors. It’s been a great year of shows and the new season will be even better!” Bob Bell, President of Classic Company, said.

Show jumping action kicked off on Friday with the $25,000 EMO Welcome Stake presented by EMO Insurance. The field of 31 was a virtual who’s who of the sport with the likes of Olympic vet Chris Kappler, USET Champion Schuyler Riley, and show jumping Million Dollar Club member Wilhelm Genn taking on Allen Rheinheimer’s complex 12 fence layout with one goal-clear the jumps and beat the 82 second time allowance.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Events, FEI, FEI, Show Jumping

Beerbaum Storms to Victory in Stuttgart

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Magali Dubois Vaucher from Rolex presents a Rolex time-piece to Germany’s Ludger Beerbaum who won today’s fifth leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2011/2012 series at Stuttgart, Germany riding Gotha. Photo: FEI/Karl-Heinz Frieler.

Stuttgart (GER), 20 November 2011 – Ludger Beerbaum claimed the honours for Germany today in the fifth leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping Western European League series on his home turf at Stuttgart.  Madeleine Winter-Schulze’s 10-year-old mare, Gotha, has been going from strength to strength in the hands of the five-time Olympian in recent months, and produced a superb jump-off round to clinch maximum points for the 48-year-old veteran who won the prestigious series title 18 years ago.

It was no walk-in-the-park afternoon for the world’s top competitors, with only six of the 39 starters finding all the answers to the demanding 13-fence first-round track set by Christa Jung.  The German course designer stretched them from the first fence to the last, and the eight retirements on course were testament to the degree of difficulty.

“It was not too technical but it was quite big – Christa did a good job,” Beerbaum said afterwards. “There were mistakes at all the fences, except, I think, the first – it was selective,” he added.

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

Stuart Tinney Jumps His Way to Adelaide HSBC FEI Classics Victory

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Stuart Tinney on Panamera jumps to victory at the HSBC FEI Classics in Adelaide. Jenny Barnes Photography/FEI.

Adelaide (AUS), 20 November 2011 – Stuart Tinney (AUS) and Panamera produced a superb Jumping clear today to clinch victory at the HSBC FEI Classics in Adelaide, the second leg of the 2012 series.

The beautiful clear riding by Tinney on the 12-year-old Staccato mare gave him enough to elevate him to the victory dais with a total of 51.30 penalties. “Frankly, I’m a little surprised to be sitting here,” said Tinney. “The mare is a lovely jumper and I knew she would jump clear if I rode her well enough.” Panamera jumped just one of four clear rounds of the 21 to start the final HSBC FEI Classics Jumping phase. “It is fantastic that HSBC has come on board and I will try to think of ways to get more HSBC points.”

“I came here to win,” declared Western Australian sheep farmer, Sonja Johnson, and she very nearly did riding Nikki Brooks’ racehorse Parkiarrup Illict Liaison. The flashy chestnut just rubbed a rail for the addition of four penalties and second place by less than a rail. Johnson, who returns to Western Australia to “commence shearing” was delighted with Liaison’s performance and hopes that this effort “has put us right back in the mix for London.”

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

Shane Rose Keeps a Cool Head on Sultry Cross Country Day at HSBC FEI Classics in Adelaide

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Shane Rose on HSBC FEI Classics debutante Taurus leads after Cross Country in Adelaide. Jenny Barnes Photography/FEI.

Adelaide (AUS), 19 November 2011 – With storm clouds threatening over the nearby Adelaide hills, Shane Rose kept his cool riding the HSBC FEI Classics debutante Taurus to come home clear Jumping and time to remain on his Dressage score moving from third to first place with 45.40 penalties.

“The secret is to have nice horses and to ride them well,” said Rose. “Taurus is a great horse and he is getting better. He was great today.”

Western Australian sheep farmer and Olympic silver medalist Sonja Johnson proved today that she is tough and is certainly no one horse wonder. Her success with the Australian Stock Horse, Ringwould Jaguar, is now part of Olympic history, but she was back to her Cross Country best today riding the barely 16hh Thoroughbred gelding Parkiarrup Illict Liason by Made of Gold.

They posted the second of just two HSBC FEI Classics Cross Country clears. Their efforts have catapulted them from 11th after the Dressage phase to second place with 49.80 penalties. “He’s a fabulous little South Australian bred Thoroughbred and he bucked a lot of jockeys off before he came to me,” explained Sonja. “He is fit and loves it out there. He is a great fun horse.” Sonja’s efforts are all the more remarkable, as she has only been able to ride since last August following a broken pelvis, the result of a riding accident.

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

Koos de Ronde Drives Four Clear Rounds at FEI World Cup

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Dutch driver Koos de Ronde has won the second leg of the FEI World Cup Driving in Stuttgart. De Ronde, who drove four clear rounds, was very happy to secure his first ever win in Stuttgart. Wild card driver Boyd Exell finished in second place only 0.68 seconds behind De Ronde. De Ronde’s compatriot and Hannover winner IJsbrand Chardon came third.

World Class
The seven drivers put down an excellent performance this afternoon in the Stuttgart Schleyer Halle, which was filled with enthusiastic spectators. The sensational course, designed by German course designer Falk Böhnisch, the excellent footing, the well-chosen music and the light show all contributed to a World Class Driving competition.

Exciting competition
Zoltan Lázar, Boyd Exell, IJsbrand Chardon and Koos de Ronde all drove clear rounds. Lázar was 5 seconds short to make it to the winning round and finished fourth in his first FEI World Cup Driving competition this season.

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