Category Archives: *Featured/Spotlights

Special features, spotlights, headlines

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Polo, Revolution Sports

La Dolfina Wins 2011 Hurlingham Open Final, Argentina, in a Dramatic 19-18 Win

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La Dolfina and Ellerstina faced off, once again, in an Open Championship Final for the second time in one month. Following a closely fought Tortugas Open Final, where Ellerstina snatched victory away from La Dolfina with a last-second goal, the two teams were ready for a repeat match.

The first two chukkas saw both teams go head-to-head, with all eight players displaying enormously high levels of skill and class in a closely fought competition. It wasn’t until the third chukka that La Dolfina broke away following a string of goals from Adolfo Cambiaso and Pablo MacDonough.

Leading the next four chukkas, La Dolfina extended their lead to 19-14 in the final chukka, and looked certain to secure their first Open Final win of 2011. However, when Ellerstina’s, Facundo Pieres, scored four goals La Dolfina’s lead was reduced to 19-18. With only seconds remaining La Dolfina defended the ball deep in their own half following wave after wave of attacks from Ellerstina to win the match at the final bell.

Continue reading La Dolfina Wins 2011 Hurlingham Open Final, Argentina, in a Dramatic 19-18 Win →

*Featured/Spotlights, Contributors/Press, Revolution Sports, Show Jumping

The Rolex One to Watch – November 2011

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Albert Voorn riding Eurocommerce Lexington at the CSI2* Valkenswaard (NED). Photo: SPORTFOT/Rolex

The Rolex One to Watch for November 2011 is Dutch rider, Albert Voorn. Based at Golden Dream Stables, situated approximately 45 kms from Eindhoven (NED), the 55-year-old jumped from number 342 to 225 during October – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 117 places.

The Rolex One to Watch is an initiative which identifies the rider who has made the biggest jump within or into the Top 250 of the Rolex Rankings the previous month.

Born on 23 May 1956, and brought up in Hilversum – a small town in the province of North Holland – Voorn started to ride when he was eight years old. Voorn bought a New Forest pony foal called Marinette from his own savings, which he learned to ride with the help of his neighbour when the pony was old enough. It was with Marinette that Voorn rode his first competition, and went on to compete internationally. Voorn sold Marinette to the Vermeulen family in Breukelen, and with this money he bought a three-year-old horse.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Maclay, National Horse Show, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Sarah Milliren Garners 2011 ASPCA Maclay National Championship Title at Alltech NHS

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Sarah Milliren of Sapula, OK, won the 2011 ASPCA Maclay National Championships. Photo Credit: Rebecca Walton/PMG

Lexington, KY – November 6, 2011 – Today marked the final day of competition at the Alltech National Horse Show, 128th Edition. The highlight event at the Alltech Arena in Lexington, KY, was the 2011 Maclay National Championship for the ASCPA Alfred B. Maclay Horsemanship Classes – Presented by Hadfield’s Saddlery. Riders worked all year to qualify for this event and after three phases of competition and a final test it was 17-year-old Sarah Milliren of Sapula, OK, leading the victory gallop and taking home the championship honors.

In the first round of competition, 198 riders were tested on a course designed by the judges, Cynthia Hankins and Kip Rosenthal in cooperation with course designer Richard Jeffery. The fences included bending lines with inside options, as well as a vertical-oxer or oxer-vertical double combination option followed by an oxer-oxer combination. The end of the course included a snaking line of obstacles with the ASPCA fence and a technical vertical-vertical fan bounce. While some riders had difficulties during the first round, the course was very inviting overall and gave each rider many opportunities to show off their horsemanship.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Driving, Events, USEF

Scott Monroe Holds On to Lead after Cones to Win USEF National Single Horse Championship at Katydid

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Scott Monroe and Bethesda After Dark ("Shadow"). PicsofYou.com

Lexington, KY – Scott Monroe (Sharon, CT) and his black Morgan gelding Bethesda After Dark (“Shadow”) held onto their marathon lead and after Sunday’s cone phase won the USEF National Single Horse Championship at Katydid, with a score of 132.39.

Kim Stover and Laughlin – fifth after the marathon – surged ahead and took second on a score of 141.25.

In third was Sara Schmitt (Bedminster, NJ) who finished on a score of 142.58. Schmitt, driving Kaboom, was fourth after the first two phases.

Seventeen-year-old Jan Jan Hamilton (Alva, FL), driving JAO Desperado (“Desi”), was the only advanced driver that went double clear in cones.

A fairly new event in the growing driving community of Aiken, this marks the first USEF National Championship held at Katydid.

Complete results, as well as photographs and articles, are available on USEFNetwork.com at: http://usefnetwork.com/featured/2011DrivingNatlChamps/.

For more information on combined driving programs please contact Elizabeth Staller at estaller@usef.org.

*Featured/Spotlights, Community/Charity, FEI, Show Jumping

Death of Equine Superstar Hickstead

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Sensational Jumping stallion Hickstead collapsed and died in Verona (ITA) today. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.

Lausanne (SUI), 6 November 2011 – The fourth leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2011/2012 series at Verona, Italy was stopped today following the sudden death of the stallion Hickstead, ridden by reigning Olympic champion and world number one Eric Lamaze (CAN).

Drawn 22nd of the 39 on the startlist, the Canadian partnership had just completed Rolf Ludi’s 13-fence track with a single rail down in the middle of the combination when Hickstead collapsed and died.

The competition was stopped at the request of the riders, and Lamaze’s fellow-competitors gathered in the Verona arena to pay their respects to one of the greatest horses of all time, and to support their colleague in his moment of loss with a minute’s silence.

HRH Princess Haya, FEI President, added her condolences to those that have poured in since news of the horse’s death. “Hickstead really was a horse in a million and my heart goes out to Eric and everyone connected with this wonderful horse. This is a terrible loss, but Hickstead truly will never be forgotten. We were very lucky to have known him.”

FEI Jumping Director, John Roche, said, “Shortly after finishing his round of jumping Hickstead collapsed in the arena and died.  As yet the cause of death is unknown, but our deepest sympathies go out to the owners, to Eric and to all the connections of one of the greatest Jumping horses of all time. Hickstead’s presence on the circuit will be very sadly missed.”

At FEI
Grania Willis
Director Press Relations
Email: grania.willis@fei.org
Tel: +41 787 506 142

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

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, National Horse Show, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Richard Spooner and Cristallo Capture Alltech NHS $250,000 Grand Prix CSI-W Victory

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Richard Spooner and Cristallo won the Alltech National Horse Show $250,000 Grand Prix CSI-W. Photo By: Shawn McMillen

Lexington, KY – November 5, 2011 – The Open Jumper action at the Alltech National Horse Show, 128th Edition, wrapped up tonight with a fast-paced jump-off during the Alltech National Horse Show $250,000 Grand Prix CSI-W. Richard Spooner and Cristallo set the pace with tidy inside turns and a clear effort, beating Great Britain’s Nick Skelton aboard Carlo 273 by just three-tenths of a second. Jessica Springsteen and Cincinatti Le Silla rounded out the three as the fastest four-fault combination during the short course.

Richard Jeffery set a large, technical track for tonight’s first round to challenge the horse and rider combinations. It included a triple bar, an oxer-oxer double combination, and a challenging vertical-oxer-vertical triple combination going towards the gate. Only five riders managed to complete the course with all fences in place and return for the short course. They began over an oxer-vertical double combination before making a very sharp inside turn to a second oxer. Riders then had a long gallop to a single vertical before making another sharp turn to the wall. Finally, they made a right turn to a vertical-oxer double combination before galloping home over the last wide oxer.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, National Horse Show, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Lillie Keenan & Vanhattan Ride to Top of Show Jumpers Hall of Fame Championship at Alltech NHS

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Lillie Keenan and Vanhattan won the $50,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Championship. By: Shawn McMillen

Lexington, KY – November 5, 2011 – This evening hosted an array of talented Junior and Amateur-Owner Jumper riders as they vied for the top honors at the Alltech National Horse Show, 128th Edition. The $50,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame Junior/Amateur-Owner Jumper Championship put riders and horses to the test as the qualifying riders competed for the coveted winning honors. This was the first time in the history of the Show Jumping Hall of Fame series that such a large purse was offered. It was Lillie Keenan who rode Vanhattan to the top of the leaderboard for the third consecutive night and led the victory gallop.

The course this evening was designed by Richard Jeffery of Bournemouth, England, and he built it with several oxers, a double combination, a triple combination, roll backs, and several bending lines. Out of the original field of 31 qualifying riders, only five rode clear and continued into the jump-off. The short course challenged the horse and rider combinations beginning over a standalone vertical designed to look like a traditional starting gate from the Keeneland racetrack. From there, the course continued over a vertical-oxer combination headed toward the in-gate. A sharp right turn upon landing from the oxer had the riders quickly showing over the second oxer of the outside vertical-oxer combination. With a hard right rollback, a single green vertical led to the Alltech oxer where riders then raced to finish over the Muhammad Ali skinny vertical and trip the timers.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, National Horse Show, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Kent Farrington & Up Chiqui Dominate $60k Spy Coast Farm Open Jumper Speed Stake at Alltech NHS

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Kent Farrington and Up Chiqui dominated the $60,000 Spy Coast Farm Open Jumper Speed Stake. Photo By: Shawn McMillen

Lexington, KY – November 4, 2011 – The jumper action continued this evening at the Alltech National Horse Show, 128th Edition, and speed was the name of the game as riders competed in the $60,000 Spy Coast Farm Open Jumper Speed Stake. The speedy veteran pair of Kent Farrington and Up Chiqui dominated the class with blazing time, beating second place finishers Nicholas Dello Joio and Notre Star De La Nutria by almost four seconds. Great Britain’s Scott Brash and Bon Ami rounded out the top three with a quick and clear effort.

Richard Jeffery designed a technical course for tonight’s event, which featured an option fence, multiple rollbacks, a vertical-vertical double combination, and an oxer-vertical double combination. “I thought it was a very fast track, meaning that all of us were going to be taking basically the same lines,” eventual winner Kent Farrington remarked. “It came down to the faster mover, turning even shorter on the rollbacks, because there weren’t too many places to play to your horse’s strength.”

Although he was fifth in the order, Farrington of Chicago, IL, and Up Chiqui, owned by Boone, Dobbs and Farrington, entered the ring ready to win during tonight’s speed competition. The duo has always been known for their quick rounds, and tonight they lived up to the hype. They raced around the technical course with ease, never touching a rail. The pair broke the beam at an incredible 57.35 seconds, setting a pace that would not be caught and eventually leading the victory gallop.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, Pan American Games, Show Jumping, USEF

Ten Medals for Equestrian Team USA at the 2011 Pan American Games

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The U.S. Sweep in Dressage (Photo: Rick Mitchell)

It was an epic adventure in Mexico for the United States Equestrian Federation’s Dressage, Eventing and Jumping Teams. They won a record 10 medals across the three disciplines and cemented a solid foundation for the 2012 Olympic Games.

Bookended by double Gold medalists Steffen Peters, who rode the Hlavacek’s Weltino’s Magic to record scores in the dressage ring at the Guadalajara Country Club, and Christine McCrea, who jumped five immaculate rounds on Windsor Show Stables’ Romantovich Take One at the same venue 10 days later, the U.S. won at every turn.

The dressage team of Peters, Heather Blitz, Marissa Festerling and Cesar Parra got the winning going – they cruised to Team Gold over Canada and Colombia – and then reinforced it with a sweep of the individual medals for Peters, Blitz and Festerling. The standard was extraordinary and with each test, a new challenge was handed over. Personal bests were the order of the day for the freestyles, Blitz and her Paragon made Olympic veteran Peters work for every point, after they wowed the crowd at their first Team Championship. Festerling commandeered a terrific Bronze medal effort out of a very energetic Big Tyme and also stood on the podium for the second time at her first championship.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, National Horse Show, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping

Scott Stewart and Dedication Win Grand Champion Hunter Title at Alltech National Horse Show

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Scott Stewart and Dedication won the Grand Champion Hunter Title at the Alltech National Horse Show, 128th Edition. Photo By: Kendall Bierer/PMG

[Lexington, KY] – November 3, 2011 – Today marked the second day of competition at the Alltech National Horse, 128th Edition, and it was the professional hunter divisions that took center stage this afternoon as they completed their under saddle and stake classes. Scott Stewart earned the highest honor of the day with his First Year Green Working Hunter mount, Dedication, owned by Fashion Farm of New York, NY. After scoring three blue ribbons, the duo took home the division’s tricolor and was eventually honored with the Grand Champion Hunter Award.

The First Year Green Working Hunters were the first to complete their stake class today and wrapped up their second day of competition. Stewart and Dedication showed brilliantly over Richard Jeffery’s courses to earn three first place ribbons and a second place ribbon, which included a win in the stake class with a score of 88. They picked up the championship award, while Tammy Provost and Libretto, owned by Alliy Moyer of Carmel, IN, earned the reserve championship honors. With their impressive effort in all four classes, Stewart and Dedication returned to the ring at the end of the day to receive the prestigious Grand Champion Hunter title.

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