Category Archives: *Featured/Spotlights

Special features, spotlights, headlines

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Endurance Riding, Events, FEI

Double-Gold for Uruguay and Chile at Pan-American Endurance Championships

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Uruguay’s Bernardo Algorta and Cacique claimed the Senior Individual title at the Pan-American Endurance Championships 2011 in Santo Domingo, Chile. Photo: FEI/Chilean NF

Lausanne (SUI), 24 October 2011 – Endurance riders from Uruguay claimed Team and Individual gold in the Senior division, while the host nation of Chile dominated the Young Riders classes at the 2011 Pan-American Endurance Championships staged in Santo Domingo (CHI) last weekend.  Bernardo Algorta registered an impressive average speed of 20 kilometres an hour with his horse, Cacique, to take the Senior title for Uruguay, while Chile’s Sebastian Taverne and Eclipse covered the challenging course at an average of 19.73 kmh to secure the Young Rider honours.

Attention to detail in the preparation of the venue and facilities in Santo Domingo drew high praise for the Organising Committee from competitors, officials, supporters and spectators alike.  But the highest accolade of all was heaped on by Chile’s President, Sebastian Pinera, who attended the event and said that it provided “a great boost to Chile and to South America in general.”

ENTHUSIASTS
The history of Endurance in Chile dates back to a visit by a group of enthusiasts to the FEI World Championships at Fort Riley in Kansas, USA back in 1996.  On returning home they introduced the discipline to their native country, and began to organise races over distances of between 40 and 80 kilometres.  Chilean competitors who rose to prominence during the early years included Marcial Taverne, Antonio Llompart, Alejandro Donoso, Marcelo Cortes and Ignacio Urenda.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Events, Pan American Games, Show Jumping, USEF

Jumping Clear Rounds Win Individual Medals at 2011 Pan American Games

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Hannah Burnett (Silver), Jessica Phoenix (Gold) and Buck Davidson (Bronze). Shannon Brinkman Photo.

GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Immaculate jumping won Individual eventing medals at the 2011 Pan American Games – and the top three horses were beautifully ridden over three days. Canadian Jessica Phoenix held onto her dressage lead, adding nothing to her winning score of 43.9 with Don Good’s Pavarotti.  She had the Team Gold medal-winning Americans chasing her all weekend, and after the last fence was jumped, she shared the medal podium with two of them.  Hannah Burnett and Harbour Pilot won Silver and Buck Davidson on Absolute Liberty won Bronze.

Read about the Gold-medal Team effort here: http://www.usefnetwork.com/news/7769/2011/10/23/historic_team_gold_medal_for_us_e.aspx.

Burnett (The Plains, VA) rode with determination far beyond her 25 years on Jacqueline Mars’ 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding Harbour Pilot. They were third after the dressage on a score of 45.2, jumped a foot-perfect round on Saturday in the cross country and then cemented her medal with two clear rounds in the show jumping. Burnett’s teammate Michael Pollard (Dalton, GA) jumped a terrific clear on Schoensgreen Hanni in the first round, only to have two rails in the Individual round and drop to fourth place.

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

Schwizer and Carlina Make It a Double in Helsinki

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Switzerland's Pius Schwizer and Carlina, pictured with Anthony Schaub from Rolex, after winning the second leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping series in Helsinki, Finland today. Photo: FEI/Matti Heitanen.

YouTube: http://youtu.be/l2f3G1opGNU

Helsinki (FIN), 23 October 2011 – Switzerland’s Pius Schwizer secured a superb back-to-back double when adding victory in the second leg of the Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2011/2012 series in Helsinki, Finland today to his opening-round success in Oslo, Norway last Sunday.  Once again riding Carlina, the 49 year old rider was one of nine through to the second-round jump-off against the clock in which he set a target that could not be matched despite some heroic efforts from those who followed him.

Malin Baryard-Johnsson nearly stole his thunder with a feat of derring-do that would challenge even the trick-riding expertise of the Ukrainian Cossacks.  In a heart-stopping “save” that had spectators on the edges of their seats, the Swedish rider managed to stay onboard her 11 year old gelding H&M Reveur de Hurtebise and finish third behind Holland’s Michael Van der Vleuten while the host nation’s Nina Fagerstrom slotted into fourth.

It was Schwizer who was wearing the biggest smile at the end of the day however, as, with the maximum 40 points already posting him to the top of the leaderboard, he is well on his way to the 2011/2012 series final in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands next April.

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

Minderhoud Wins Reem Acra Opening Round in Odense

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The Netherlands' Hans Peter Minderhoud and IPS Tango won the opening leg of the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage series in Odense, Denmark today. Photo: FEI/Ridehesten.com

Odense (DEN), 23 October 2011 – Dutch rider, Hans Peter Minderhoud, was in reflective mood after winning the opening leg of the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage series in Odense, Denmark this afternoon with the 11 year old chestnut stallion, IPS Tango.  He has his sights firmly set on a place at the series final in ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands next April along with a spot at the London Olympic Games, but he knows he has a lot of work to do to get there.

It is a very different story for the Dutchman who enjoyed such a long and fruitful partnership with the great mare, Exquis Nadine, who was retired during the FEI European Dressage Championships in Rotterdam this summer.  He is now working with a horse that is something of a “work in progress” rather than super-experienced, but he was delighted with his result today.  “I’m not surprised that he won,” the Dutchman said afterwards. “My horse is in good shape, even yesterday when we finished third in the Grand Prix.  He is really coming along,” he added.

RESPONSIBLE
Runner-up was Germany’s Helen Langehanenberg with the aptly-named Responsible, while yesterday’s Grand Prix winner, Tinne Vilhelmsson Silfven from Sweden, slotted into third with Don Auriello.  “He is only nine years old and in his first year competing in Grand Prix,” she said of her horse.  “Perhaps he was a bit tired compared with yesterday, but I am very pleased with third place,” the Swedish rider added.

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

Historic Team Gold Medal for US Eventing Team at the 2011 Pan American Games

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The U.S. Eventing Team Wins the Team Gold Medal

GUADALAJARA, Mexico – In an unprecedented effort, the U.S. Eventing Team stormed to Team Gold at the 2011 Pan American Games in classic style. All five team members added nothing to their dressage scores, to finish on 138.6 – a feat never before achieved in a Team Eventing Championship.

After winning the dressage, they jumped five spectacular clear rounds on Saturday’s cross-country course, for the first time in anyone’s memory and then sealed the victory at Club Hippica with double-clear show jumping.

“I would like to give a really special congratulations to my team,” said Chef d’Equipe Mark Phillips. “Five people finishing on their dressage score – that’s never been done before in the history of our sport.”

Anchored by Buck Davidson (Ocala, FL), who led the way on Absolute Liberty as the pathfinder for the U.S. Team – he set a standard that the entire team maintained for three days. It was a truly phenomenal effort and all four of them finished within eight points of each other.

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

First FEI World Cup Driving Points for IJsbrand Chardon

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IJsbrand Chardon (NED), winner of the first FEI Word Cup Driving 2011/2012 qualifier held in Hannover (GER) this weekend. © Rinaldo de Craen/FEI

Hannover (GER), 23 October 2011 – IJsbrand Chardon (NED) won the first FEI World Cup Driving competition of the season held in Hannover, Germany, this weekend. His compatriot Koos de Ronde finished second, ahead of Tomas Eriksson (SWE) who was struck by fate in the winning round.

Misfortune
Second starter in the winning round Tomas Eriksson was well on his way to putting Chardon under serious pressure, driving his team of Swedish warm blood horses very fast, when fate struck. In the corner just before the last gate, Tomas’s left leader horse slipped and fell down. His right leader horse and his left wheeler horse also fell down which forced Tomas to stop. With the very fast help from his fellow competitors and his grooms, Tomas’s horses got back up and were lead out of the arena without major injuries.

Safe round
Chardon knew he had an advantage of nearly 10 seconds over Koos de Ronde when he entered the arena. The four-time world champion drove a fast but safe round and secured his first victory of the season despite one knock down. Chardon is competing with his team of Lipizzaner horses for the third season and feels they are getting better at every competition.

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

US Eventing Team Extends Lead at 2011 Pan American Games

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Hannah Burnett and Harbour Pilot (Photo: Shannon Brinkman)

GUADALAJARA, Mexico – The five riders on the U.S. Eventing Team travelled to the Santa Sofia Country Club and impressively extended their lead at the Pan American Games. All five produced fault-free rounds over John Williams’ cross country track adding nothing to their 138.6 team total from dressage. They head into Sunday’s show jumping phase nearly 22 points clear of the second-placed Canadian team. Dressage Leader Jessica Phoenix of Canada still leads the individual standings with a score of 43.9 on Pavarotti, but the U.S. occupies five of the top six positions.

The first combination on course for the U.S. squad, Buck Davidson (Ocala, FL) and Absolute Liberty, set the tone for the day by making easy work of the track, adding no penalties. Davidson, son of World and Pan American Games champion Bruce Davidson, added to his own legacy by guiding Shannon Will’s 8-year-old mare to a double clear round despite riding with one stirrup on the last section of the course after his right stirrup broke.

“She was amazing every place she needed to look after me she did,” said Davidson. “What more could you ask of her? She did everything like it was a training level.”

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

US Eventing Team Leads 2011 Pan American Games after Dressage

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Michael Pollard and Schoensgreen Hanni Lead the U.S. Eventers (Photo: Shannon Brinkman)

Guadalajara, Mexico – The U.S. Eventing Team got their competition off to a strong start in the dressage phase at the 2011 Pan American Games, cruising to the lead by more than nine points. The top three riders’ scores from each team count, so the United States goes forward to Saturday’s cross country on a score of 138.6 penalties. Canada is second on a combined total of 147.4 and Brazil sits third on 162.7. Canadian Jessica Phoenix leads the pack individually with a score of 43.9 on Pavarotti – but the U.S. has four riders in the top five and all five riders in the top 10.

Best for the U.S. was Schoensgreen Hanni and Michael Pollard (Dalton, GA) who made a lovely impression in the ring at Club Hippica, and put forward a very credible effort to score 44.5. Owned by Pollard’s wife Nathalie, the 8-year-old German Sport Horse mare didn’t make any mistakes for Pollard and they cruised into second place.

“I was really pleased,” said Pollard. “She presented exactly what we’ve been working on with no major mistakes – maybe a couple of things I would like to do a little bit better, but I thought all in all she did a good test today. She’s a horse that can do the other phases as well, so it should be a good weekend.”

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*Featured/Spotlights, Community/Charity, Dressage, Driving, Endurance Riding, EQUUS Foundation, Eventing/H.T., National Horse Show, Para-Equestrian, Phelps Media Group, Show Jumping, USEF, Vaulting, Western/Reining

Who Will Be Inducted into the America’s Favorite Equestrian Hall of Fame? Voting Closes on October 31st!

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WESTPORT, CT – October 21, 2011 – Who Will Be Inducted into the America’s Favorite Equestrian Hall of Fame? Voting ends on October 31, 2011. America’s Favorite Equestrians will be selected based on the athletes with the highest number of votes recorded in each of the eight disciplines.

The announcement will be made at the America’s Favorite Equestrian Victory Celebration on Friday, November 4, 2011, at 9:30 p.m., at the Alltech National Horse Show in Lexington, Kentucky.

This is it! Keep Voting! All it takes is a $5 gift to The EQUUS Foundation to insure that your favorite is America’s favorite. Click here to see the equestrian entries and to vote.

For information on The EQUUS Foundation, Inc., visit the EQUUS website at www.equusfoundation.org or contact The EQUUS Foundation, Inc., at (203) 259-1550 or equus@equusfoundation.org.

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

Eventing Set to Begin at 2011 Pan American Games

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Hannah Sue Burnett and Harbour Pilot (Photo: Shannon Brinkman)

Guadalajara, Mexico – The U.S. Eventing Team presented five horses at the First Horse Inspection of the 2011 Pan American Games and all were accepted without incident. The United States drew fourth position, but of the three countries drawn ahead only Venezuela has a complete team; therefore American Buck Davidson and Absolute Liberty will be second in the ring in Friday’s dressage.

All five horses looked sharp, and the Ground Jury of Wayne Quarles (USA), Janine Rohr (ARG) and Alain James (FRA) passed them as fit and ready to contest the CCI2* level competition. Under the care of Chef d’Equipe Capt. Mark Phillips, veterinarian Dr. Brendan Furlong and farrier Stephen Teichman, the U.S. Team presented a strong and fit looking group of horses.

Listen to what Dr. Furlong had to say about the squad: http://www.usefnetwork.com/blogs/170/dr_brendan_furlong_on_the_eventing.aspx.

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