Category Archives: *Featured/Spotlights

Special features, spotlights, headlines

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

Dancer, Wrigley-Miller and Yoder Set to Drive in Their First FEI World Pair Driving Championship

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Joe Yoder winning the 2011 National Championship (Photo by Picsofyou.com)

Lexington, KY – The 2011 FEI World Pair Driving Championship get underway this week in Conty, France, and three American drivers are set to make their International Championships debut. Led by Chef d’Equipe Chester Weber and Coach Michael Freund, the U.S. will be represented by Katherin Dancer, Misdee Wrigley-Miller and Joe Yoder. These three drivers drove as a team at Reisenbeck CAI in July and earned valuable international experience which Weber believes will serve them well going into the World Championship.

Dancer, a German expatriate now lives in California where she runs a riding program – she drives a team of Warmblood horses and comes off a strong spring which featured a third place finish at the USEF National Pair Driving Championships at the Live Oak CDE in March. She is guided by her husband Scott, who serves as her navigator.

Wrigley-Miller is also driving on her first international team, but she is also hugely successful in the Saddlebred world. She drives a promising group of young warmbloods and with her pair, Wrigley-Miller had top finishes at the Live Oak CDE, Sunshine State CDE and at the German National Championships. She also competed at Great Britain’s Royal Windsor Horse Show in 2010.

She has one of the best navigators in the world, Dutch superstar Koos de Ronde, on her carriage for the marathon.

“We made that decision earlier in the year,” said Weber. “It seems to be going quite well. There was a small injury to one of her best marathon horses – but that horse is back for the World Championships and we are excited about that.”

Continue reading Dancer, Wrigley-Miller and Yoder Set to Drive in Their First FEI World Pair Driving Championship →

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

Jennie Edwards Captures the USHJA Tad Coffin Zone III Junior Equitation Finals at HITS Culpeper

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© ESI Photography. Jennie Edwards and her own Welcome on course during the USHJA Tad Coffin Zone III Junior Equitation Finals at HITS Culpeper.

CULPEPER, VIRGINIA (August 22, 2011) — Jennie Edwards and her own Welcome rose to the top when she won the blue in the USHJA Tad Coffin Zone III Junior Equitation Finals on Saturday night at HITS Commonwealth Park in Culpeper, Virginia.

Edwards of Jacksonville, Florida is a seasoned equitation rider and trains under the tutelage of her aunt, Ginny Edwards at Hidden Hollow Farm. In all, 33 riders navigated course designer Jerry Dougherty’s route, and 12 of the top riders were invited back to show on the flat. After the flat phase, the top four were brought back for additional testing over fences, after which, Edwards emerged as the winner.

“I got this horse back in March and he’s been such a great ride,” said Jennie Edwards. “I’ve learned so much on him already. This is one of the most important events I look forward to each year, so winning it was just great. I couldn’t believe when it happened.”

For her efforts, Jennie Edwards won a Tad Coffin Performance Saddle, and a cooler donated by Gary Baker, while Ginny Edwards won a $300 trainer award for helping to guide her student to the crown.

“My goals this year were to qualify for the USEF Pessoa Medal Finals, the regional ASPCA Maclay Finals and this Final,” added Edwards. “I’ve been able to do all of that so far, so this year has been really successful for me. I’m very lucky to have my aunt as my trainer – she is so caring and hardworking, and it made the win a lot more special with her there.”

Continue reading Jennie Edwards Captures the USHJA Tad Coffin Zone III Junior Equitation Finals at HITS Culpeper →

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

FEI World Endurance Championships For Young Horses 2011, Compiegne (FRA)

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BAHRAIN AND UAE TAKE YOUNG ENDURANCE HORSE TITLES by Louise Parkes

Salman Isa Al Radhi from Bahrain steered Persepolia Larzac to win the 8 Year Old title at the FEI World Endurance Championships for Young Horses 2011. Photo: FEI/Gilly Wheeler.

Lausanne (SUI), 22 August 2011 – Horse and rider combinations from Bahrain and the United Arab Emirates claimed the titles at the FEI World Endurance Championships for Young Horses which took place at Compiegne in France last Friday. Over testing courses, and in intense heat, it was Bahrain’s Salman Isa Al Radhi and Persepolia Larzac who returned the quickest time in the 8 Year Old division, while the UAE’s Shames Sd Sn Al Marri produced a strong ride with Qatar La Majorie to win the 7 Year Old competition.

Endurance riding only developed into a competitive sport in the 1950s and arrived in Europe during the following decade. In 1982 it became an FEI-approved discipline, and gradually the number of events increased. In 1998 the World Championships were staged in the United Arab Emirates, with competitors from 47 Federations taking part, and this proved the catalyst for an explosion of growth in participation over the following years.

This year’s FEI World Championships for Young Endurance Horses attracted competitors from 20 countries – Austria, Bahrain, Belgium, Brazil, France, Germany, Great Britian, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Oman, Portugal, Qatar, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, United Arab Emirates, Uruguay.

8 Year Olds
Of the 27 starters in the 8 Year Old Championship, a total of 14 were representing France, but the host nation had to settle for silver medal position when Bahrain’s Al Radhi completed the 160 km course with an average speed of 19.442 kmh. Al Radhi, who only joined the Royal Endurance Team of Bahrain in 2011, was delighted with the performance of his mare Persepolia Larzac.  “From the third loop I could feel her speed.  I rode her in a 160km race in Germany this year and came fifth, but this is my first time in Compiegne,” he explained.

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

Who Will Make History at the HSBC FEI European Eventing Championships?

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Kristina Cook leads Great Britain to Gold at HSBC FEI European Championships 2009 in Fontainebleau (FRA). Image: Kit Houghton/FEI.

Lausanne (SUI), 22 August 2011 – The hand of history will be resting heavily on some of the 71 riders heading for this week’s HSBC FEI European Eventing Championship in Luhmühlen (GER) on 25-28 August, as anticipation mounts for what promises to be an enthralling competition.

Host nation Germany, the reigning Olympic Champions, were World Champions in 2006, and their superstar rider Michael Jung (GER) is widely tipped for yet more individual honours. But they are making no secret of their longing to win European team gold on home ground for the first time – they had to settle for silver last time in Luhmühlen in 1999.

German team trainers Hans Melzer and Christopher Bartle have some of the world’s most talented and experienced riders from which to choose a dozen representatives – the home side is allowed 12 places.

Most notable among them are the World Champion Jung, riding his fabulous horse La Biosthetique Sam, and a quartet of Olympic gold medallists: Ingrid Klimke, Frank Ostholt, Peter Thomsen and dual CCI4* winner Andreas Dibowski.

Add to that mix former Pau CCI4* winner Dirk Schrade and Luhmühlen CCI4* runner-up Sandra Auffarth, who has been taking the circuit by storm, plus a host of other consistently successful competitors, and German supporters could well be celebrating by Sunday evening.

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

FEI European Dressage Championships 2011 Day 4, Freestyle

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CORNELISSEN IS THE FREESTYLE QUEEN by Louise Parkes

On the podium after the Grand Prix Freestyle: L to R - silver medallist Carl Hester (GBR), gold medallist Adelinde Cornelissen (NED) and bronze medallist Patrik Kittel (SWE). Photo: FEI/Peter Nixon.

Rotterdam (NED), 21 August 2011 – The Netherlands’ Adelinde Cornelissen was in a class of her own as she claimed her second gold medal in two days when winning the Grand Prix Freestyle at the FEI European Dressage Championships 2011 in Rotterdam (NED) this afternoon.

Yesterday she was super-cool when topping the Grand Prix Special, despite an error of course that might have unhinged many others, but today she was simply super-confident, ultra-professional and totally concentrated as she steered Jerich Parzival to a flawless performance that left the Freestyle result beyond any doubt.  “She did a wonderful job, and was the clear winner of the day,” said Ground Jury President Ghislain Fouarge afterwards.

In a gripping competition filled with all kinds of possibilities, the spectators engaged with every competitor that came into the ring and expressed their opinion each time a result went up on the board. There was a huge roar from the home side when Cornelissen was awarded the winning mark of 88.839, but it was almost matched by the approval registered for the 84.179 achieved by silver medallist Carl Hester from Great Britain who has stolen the hearts of a whole new generation of dressage fans. Bronze went to Sweden’s Patrick Kittel whose foot-perfect test with Watermill Scandic was awarded 83.429.

These Championships have provided a refreshing boost for the sport of Dressage, as a rising tide is exposing a wealth of new human and equine talent while also highlighting the quality of the current stars.

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

FEI European Dressage Championships 2011 Day 3, Grand Prix Special

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ADELINDE DOES THE DOUBLE ON A DRAMATIC DAY IN ROTTERDAM by Louise Parkes

Adelinde Cornelissen and Jerich Parzival won gold in the Grand Prix Special at the FEI European Dressage Championships 2011 today. Photo: FEI/Peter Nixon.

Rotterdam (NED), 20 August 2011 – Adelinde Cornelissen defended her title in style when recording her second successive victory in the Grand Prix Special at the FEI European Dressage Championships 2011 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands today.  On the afternoon she claimed gold with Jerich Parzival at Windsor in Great Britain two years ago she set a new world-record with her sparkling chestnut gelding. But today’s competition was an altogether different affair as, despite the highest expectations, the leading riders all made significant mistakes including the eventual champion.

Cornelissen’s class showed through however with a superb recovery.  “I knew I had to ride double-well afterwards!” she explained, and that was exactly what she did, producing a run of late scores that not only rescued her from disaster but provided her with the ultimate accolade once again.

British riders took silver and bronze, Carl Hester and Uthopia once again displaying their massive potential, and Laura Bechtolsheimer and Mistral Hojris producing a much-improved performance to that shown in Thursday’s Team Championship in which she and her team-mates reigned supreme.

The biggest surprise of the day was the uncertain performance of Germany’s Matthias Alexander Rath and Totilas. In the team event 48 hours earlier it seemed the stallion and his relatively new rider were at last cementing their partnership, but from the outset this afternoon they were hesitant and sometimes at odds with one another. Despite that, they finished just outside a medal position in fourth place.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Auctions, Breeds, Contributors/Press, Dressage, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Horses Unlimited’s Mega Reduction Sale Gives Buyers an Opportunity to Purchase Some of the Best Bloodlines with Minimum $1000 Bid

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Credit: Susan J Stickle, Caption: Leonardo's Quest HU is by the Grand Prix stallion Leonberg out of dam from the famous bloodlines of Quebec and Capitol.

Albuquerque, NM — Potential buyers will have a one-time chance to purchase horses from the heart of the herd of the nation’s leading breeder, Horses Unlimited. On Saturday, August 27, 2011 at 3:00 p.m. MDT, Horses Unlimited will sell nearly 40 homebreds via auction at their farm in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Rarely does an opportunity like this come along for sporthorse enthusiasts. “We have put together the best collection of horses we have ever offered for this auction,” says Anne Sparks, owner of Horses Unlimited.  Every horse that reaches the minimum reserve bid of $1000 will be sold. The collection includes a variety of hunters, jumpers and dressage horses. They represent some of the finest Hanoverian, Oldenburg, RPSI, Holsteiner and Westfalen bloodlines available anywhere in the world, including those of Donnerhall, Weltmeyer, Wolkenstein II, Sandro, Pik L, Leonberg, Hailo, Capitol and Quebec.  “After more than a decade, I’ve decided to scale back my breeding operation. I will still be involved, just with a smaller herd of breeding and performance horses,” added Sparks.

Currently ranked first on the USEF Leading Dressage Breeders list, Horses Unlimited has proven that Sparks’ breeding philosophies produce quality athletes that have successful performance careers. The Pik L son, Pikko Del Cerro HU, is the leading point earner on the list of fourteen dressage performers bred by Anne Sparks. Last week, Pikko del Cerro HU was fully licensed as a stallion by the American Hanoverian Society. Ridden by Olympian Lisa Wilcox, Cerro is currently eighth in the USDF Intermediaire I standings and thirteenth in Prix St. Georges. His sire, Pik L, is a proven producer and potential buyers can choose from ten of his offspring in Saturday’s sale.

Horses Unlimited’s top ranking was obtained from the performance of offspring by four of Sparks’ stallions. Eight of those are sired by Pik L, with Leonberg, Glorioso Noir and Galant du Serein siring the balance of performers.  Multiple offspring by these sires are also available in the herd reduction.

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

The Rolex One to Watch – July 2011

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Antonio Alfonso riding SNAI Boa Vista. Photo: SPORTFOT/Rolex

19 August 2011 – The Rolex One to Watch for July 2011 is Italian rider, Antonio Alfonso. Based at the Castello Stables in Rome, Italy, the 33-year-old jumped from number 368 to 218 during July – a move up the Rolex Rankings of 150 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 in Sora – a little town near Frosinone in central Italy – on 13 January 1978, Alfonso started to ride some of his uncle’s horses when he was five-years-old. He first competed when he was 13.

Alfonso’s first trainer was Carlos Dodero, an experienced Jumping rider and trainer who has competed for Argentina in the Pan American Games and the FEI World Equestrian Games. Alfonso has also been trained by Duccio Bartalucci, silver medallist at the Mediterannean Games in Split in 1979. Currently he works very closely with Natale Chiaudani, who shares the same sponsor. Chiaudani has competed in five FEI Nations Cups and won the silver medal at the Italian Championships in 2009.

From 1 January 2011 Alfonso has ridden in 21 official Jumping competitions, both nationally and internationally. He has been in magnificent form, recording nine victories, seven second places, and nine third places.

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

New Zealand’s Johnstone Has One Last Push in FEI World Cup Eventing

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Clarke Johnstone (NZL) - leader since first leg of FEI World Cup Eventing 2011 in Kihikihi (NZL). Photo: Kit Houghton/FEI

Lausanne (SUI), 19 August 2011 – Antipodean riders Clarke Johnstone (NZL) and Chris Burton (AUS) are making absolutely sure of their FEI World Cup Eventing bonus by travelling to the last event in the 2011 series, which is underway at Haras du Pin (FRA) today.

Both riders are now based in Britain, where they are making quite an impact on the national circuit.

They will be hard to beat in the race to secure the FEI World Cup Eventing 2011 champion title and for Clarke Johnstone this would be a sweet victory after his brilliant wins at the first and second legs at Kihikihi (NZL) and Sydney (AUS).

A strong field of 47 riders representing 12 nations will contest this popular event, including several leading French names and Olympians such as Mark Todd (NZL) and Clayton Fredericks (AUS), so the Antipodean influence is expected to be strong.

Emily Baldwin, who scored a one-two-three on Drivetime at FEI World Cup Eventing’s third leg at Chatsworth (GBR), and was last year’s Le Pin winner, had signalled that she would be returning to the final leg of the 2011 series in her quest for further points. She will be missed after suffering a broken collarbone at Gatcombe.

Follow the event on www.legrandcomplet.com.

Continue reading New Zealand’s Johnstone Has One Last Push in FEI World Cup Eventing →

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

FEI European Dressage Championships 2011 Day 2, Team Championship

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BRITISH CLINCH HISTORIC TEAM VICTORY by Louise Parkes

The British team of (L to R) Emile Faurie, Charlotte Dujardin, Carl Hester and Laura Bechtolsheimer won the team title at the FEI European Dressage Championships 2011. Photo: FEI/Peter Nixon.

Rotterdam (NED), 18 August 2011 – Britain claimed team gold for the first time in the 25-year history of the FEI European Dressage Championships when Carl Hester and the fabulous stallion, Uthopia, produced a dream performance at the Kralingsbos stadium in Rotterdam, The Netherlands today.  With his country already in front at the halfway stage following yesterday’s good results from first-line rider Emile Faurie and Elmegardens Marquis and the new British star partnership of Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro, 44-year-old Hester racked up a score of 82.568 which left him with the leading individual mark of the competition and took the pressure off anchor Laura Bechtolsheimer with Mistral Hojris.

The result is a triumph for British Dressage which, over the last three years, has risen up the ranks and now looks like the most threatening force in the sport ahead of next year’s Olympic Games on their home turf.

“Some of us have seen Great Britain through the dark days – 20 years ago this would never have seemed possible – so it’s a truly historic moment for us, and London should be a sell-out now!” Hester said proudly this evening.

BATTLE FOR SILVER
Germany pipped The Netherlands by just over three points in the battle for the silver medals, Isabell Werth’s test with El Santo NRW slotting her temporarily into individual second place with a score of 75.213.  “I was unhappy with the piaffe, but the rest was very good,” she commented afterwards. And she laughed when adding that “his piaffe was really good during the prize-giving this evening!”

Continue reading FEI European Dressage Championships 2011 Day 2, Team Championship →