Category Archives: *Featured/Spotlights

Special features, spotlights, headlines

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Show Jumping

Richard Spooner and Lady Like Race to Finish in $50,000 Vita Flex Match Races

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Richard Spooner and Lady Like won the $50,000 Vita Flex Match Races. Photo © Sportfot

Ali Wolff and Lanoo Lap the Pros in the $25,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Classic

Wellington, FL – March 19, 2011 – It was a fun night of competition with a highlight event, the $50,000 Vita Flex Match Races at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Advancing through five rounds of races, it was Richard Spooner (USA) and Lady Like, owned by the C&S Partnership LLC who finished as the winners. In the final round, they topped Daniela Cordero of the Dominican Republic and T Cavalier.

The FTI WEF’s tenth week of competition, sponsored by Artisan Farms, continues through Sunday, March 20. Sunday will conclude week ten at The Stadium with the $15,000 Artisan Farms Young Riders Grand Prix at 10 a.m. and the $78,000 Pennfield Feeds FEI CSI 2* Grand Prix at 2 p.m., each held on the grass field at The Palm Beach International Equestrian Center Stadium. The 2011 WEF will continue through April 3 and award more than $6 million in prize money.

There were 32 combinations in tonight’s Match Races. The course was set by Michel Vaillancourt of Aiken, SC, and it featured a race down the middle of the ring over the final line on the mirror-image courses. The class was held in bracket format with head-to-head competition.

Continue reading Richard Spooner and Lady Like Race to Finish in $50,000 Vita Flex Match Races →

*Featured/Spotlights, Breeds, Contributors/Press, Wild Horse Sources

Wild Horse Lawsuit Update

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You are invited to attend the next hearing March 24, 2 p.m., Sacramento, California

Our lawsuit against the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) continues! We won’t give up, and you’re invited to attend the next hearing in Sacramento. We want the Judges to know that there is a large contingent of people who really care about protecting wild horses and burros. And we need you to balance out the BLM people who will be in the gallery, silently willing the Court to rule in their favor.

When: March 24, 2011, 2 p.m. (Note: you should check the Court’s website listed below on March 23, or check with IDA, to confirm the hearing hasn’t been postponed, which does happen occasionally.)

What: Next hearing in the case of IN DEFENSE OF ANIMALS; DREAMCATCHER WILD HORSE AND BURRO SANCTUARY; BARBARA CLARKE; CHAD HANSON; LINDA HAY, Plaintiffs, v. UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR; BUREAU OF LAND MANAGEMENT; KEN SALAZAR, Secretary of the United States Department of the Interior; ROBERT ABBEY, Director of the Bureau of Land Management; KEN COLLUM, Field Manager of Eagle Lake Field Office, Defendants.

Continue reading Wild Horse Lawsuit Update →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Diana de Rosa, Disciplines, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, Show Jumping

Heart of the Carolinas Three-Day Event Is All about Amateur Riders

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Photos taken at Southern Eighths farm. © Diana De Rosa Photos

April 28 – May 1, 2011

If ever there was a place that shouts “Long Live the Long Format,” Southern Eighths is that place and on  April 28 – May 1 Classic Eventing will host its inaugural Heart of the Carolinas (HOTC) Three-Day Event on this 300-acre facility.  This Long Format Three-Day Event is the amateur rider’s “Rolex.”  It’s the event where Beginner Novice, Novice and Training level riders can negotiate their ultimate Long Format test in a USEA recognized T3D, N3D and BN3D event.  And what makes this event even more unique is that it is the only Three-Day Event that offers a Beginner-Novice division.

Southern Eighths is located in the middle of USEA Areas II and III on the North and South Carolina border.  The Farm is specially designed to accommodate and maximize the Long Format experience, from its centrally located “holds” and “starts,” two steeplechase tracks and groomed “roads and tracks” to the special derby course used for show jumping.  The site also includes a cross-country course that was created by well-known course designer Tremaine Cooper.

Southern Eighths also has a recently added 38-stall guest barn with RV hookups and has made special arrangements with the local community for those needing accommodations and other necessities.

Continue reading Heart of the Carolinas Three-Day Event Is All about Amateur Riders →

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

Rodrigo Pessoa & Let’s Fly Soar to Victory in $231,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix CSI 4*-W

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Rodrigo Pessoa and Let's Fly won the $231,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix CSI-W 4* Presented by Bainbridge Companies during week nine at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Photo © Sportfot

Wellington, FL – March 12, 2010 – Saturday Night Lights at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival brought a crowd of over 4,200 spectators out to the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center this weekend to watch Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa and Let’s Fly jump to victory in the $231,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix CSI 4*-W Presented by Bainbridge Companies. Pessoa earned the winning cut of prize money after an exciting jump-off of many of the top horses and riders in the world.

The FTI Winter Equestrian Festival’s ninth week of competition, sponsored by Bainbridge Companies, will conclude with the Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Classic on Sunday at 1 p.m. The 2011 WEF will continue through April 3 and award more than $6 million in prize money.

Leopoldo Palacios of Venezuela designed tonight’s course for a field of 42 starters. Eight jumped clear in the first round to advance to the jump-off. Six of those eight were the top women riding for the United States followed up by two of the world’s best men from Great Britain and Brazil. The men were able to best the ladies tonight, taking the top two places with the only clear rounds over the short course.

Continue reading Rodrigo Pessoa & Let’s Fly Soar to Victory in $231,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix CSI 4*-W →

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

Gulf Coast Winter Classics Wraps with Circuit Awards, $25,000 Budweiser Grand Prix and a Bittersweet Farewell to Continental B

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Wilhelm Genn & Happy Z. ©Flashpoint Photography

GULFPORT, MS — Mar. 14, 2011 — “I want to thank the exhibitors, trainers, owners and my staff for the best winter shows we have ever had in Gulfport. Both Janet McCarroll [Co-Chair of the Winter Classics] and I are thrilled that our shows went so well and were so well attended.  It’s always sad when all the horse trailers and campers start leaving after a circuit, but all good times must come to an end… until next year,” Bob Bell of The Classic Company said Sunday evening as crews began the task of packing up.

This was the most anticipated week; exhibitors were on pins and needles awaiting the announcements for this year’s Circuit Awards. Aiken, SC based Daniel Geitner was the first recipient, taking the Grand Champion title in both the High Performance Hunters with the Robin Hughes owned Living Color and the Green Conformation Grand Hunter with Allison Mills’ Stature. Via text Geitner said he was thrilled with the news and had enjoyed the weeks of competition in the Gulf greatly. Jordan Siegel of the Flower Mound, TX based Summer Hill Farm garnered two Circuit Awards, beginning with the 1st Year Green Working Hunters partnered with Cherry Stone for owner Fallon Bock and later in the Performance Working 3’6-3’9 Hunters piloting Jetset for owner Castle Point Farm, LLC. And Memphis, TN based pro Phoebe Sheets grabbed a pair of Circuit Awards as well, first in the Baby Green Hunters with Jean Tuttle’s Ring Ling and in the Performance Working 3’3 Hunters aboard Casino for owner Cheryl Rubenstein.

Continue reading Gulf Coast Winter Classics Wraps with Circuit Awards, $25,000 Budweiser Grand Prix and a Bittersweet Farewell to Continental B →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, Fundraisers, Phelps Media Group, Polo

Team USA – Purina Mills Wins Dressage Quadrille, Team Vanderbilt-Ingram Victorious in Polo Match at 10th Annual Challenge of the Americas

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Team USA. All photos: Susan J. Stickle Photography

March 12, 2011 – Tonight was a gorgeous evening, where Team Purina USA performed a stunning quadrille under the lights at this year’s Challenge of the Americas. In its tenth year, the Challenge of the Americas is an annual fundraiser for the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Play for P.I.N.K., and is sponsored by the International Polo Club Palm Beach. Team USA beat Team International and Team Can/America by earning the evening’s highest score of 93.95, marking their first ever win during the Challenge.  It was not an easy fight, however, as Team International scored a very close 91.95.  Throughout the performance, the teams were judged on impact on the audience, spacing and alignment, choreography interpretation, and harmony.

This year’s United States Team featured Betsy Steiner, aboard Domingo, owned by TAH Enterprises and Trisha Hessinger, George Williams riding Sandro Simian, owned by Mitzi Presnell and Holly Shook, Pamela Goodrich showing Karateka III owned by Judy Sprieser, Bill Warren with Romantic, owned by Team Romantic LLC, Jim Koford riding Liberty, owned by Barbara Marks, and John Zopatti aboard Fabio, owned by Christina Hewitt and sponsored by Blue Marlin Farms. Terry Ciotti-Gallo handled the team’s choreography, music and coaching.

The winning team completed passages, tempi changes, half passes and pirouettes, all in perfect harmony with one another. They performed to an original melody of music featuring the theme of New York, honoring the Twin Towers. The team opened with “Two Yankees”, followed by Jay-Z and Alicia Keyes’ “New York” and ended their performance with Frank Sinatra’s “New York, New York”.

Continue reading Team USA – Purina Mills Wins Dressage Quadrille, Team Vanderbilt-Ingram Victorious in Polo Match at 10th Annual Challenge of the Americas →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

Kent Farrington and Valhalla Speed to Victory in $31,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Classic

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Kent Farrington and Valhalla won the $31,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Jumpers during week nine at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival. Photo © Sportfot

Wellington, FL – March 11, 2011 – Kent Farrington (USA) and Valhalla were the fastest today in the $31,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Classic. The class was the feature event on Friday at the 2011 FTI Winter Equestrian Festival, which is in its ninth week of competition.

The G&C Farm 1.45m Classic is part of an initiative to increase FEI ROLEX ranking classes at the FTI Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF). Thanks to the support of G&C Farm, owned by Gustavo and Carolina Mirabal, the FTI WEF was able to add eight new FEI ROLEX ranking classes to the schedule. There are now 27 ranking classes during the FTI WEF. G&C Farm has kindly sponsored the 1.45m Jumper division, which adds five of the additional FEI ROLEX ranking classes.

The FTI Winter Equestrian Festival’s ninth week of competition continues through Sunday, March 13. Sponsored by Bainbridge Companies, the week will feature the $231,000 FEI World Cup Grand Prix presented by Bainbridge Companies on Saturday at 7 p.m. and the Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Series Classic on Sunday at 1 p.m. The 2011 WEF will continue through April 3 and award more than $6 million in prize money.

Continue reading Kent Farrington and Valhalla Speed to Victory in $31,000 G&C Farm 1.45m Classic →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, Phelps Media Group

Steffen Peters Soars to Record Score at World Dressage Masters Palm Beach

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Steffen Peters and Ravel performing their rock n' roll freestyle to a sold out house. All photos: Susan J. Stickle for Phelps Media Group.

Wellington, FL – March 11, 2011 – The 2011 World Dressage Masters Palm Beach presented by International Palm Beach will be remembered for breaking records, and the results of Friday night’s Grand Prix Freestyle finale are no exception. Olympic and World Equestrian Games medalist and 2009 World Cup Final Champion Steffen Peters danced his way to the highest score ever awarded at the WDM Palm Beach. Riding to a collection of rock songs including Sympathy for the Devil and Viva la Vida, Peters and Akiko Yamazaki’s 13 year old Dutch Warmblood gelding Ravel captivated the sold out audience and received a winning score of 84.550% from the FEI ground jury.

Having won the Grand Prix at both the 2009 and 2010 WDM Palm Beach but having then settled for third and then second place, Peters was thrilled to have finally achieved a WDM freestyle victory. “Maybe there is some truth to ‘three is a charm’,” he said. “Last year was very close between Salinero and Ravel. Certainly it was one of my goals to win World Dressage Masters and I’m happy that it happened tonight.”

If Peters’ victory was a decisive one, such was not the case between second and third places, where there was a close contest between Tina Konyot of the US and Sweden’s Tinne Vilhelmsson Silfven. Konyot had finished second in Thursday’s Grand Prix and Vilhelmsson Silfven third, but after two strong performances with exciting music and choreography, the two riders switched places in the Freestyle. Vilhelmsson Silfven and Antonia Ax:son Johnson’s 12 year old Danish gelding Favourit performed an elegant program to a collection of Eurhythmics tunes, receiving a score of 77.975%. Konyot’s powerful black Danish stallion Calecto V was shown off to a contemporary score that included, appropriately, the song Black Horse in a Cherry Tree. A score of 76.775% was not quite enough to put Konyot into second place for a second time, but she wasn’t disappointed with the outcome.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=13429

*Featured/Spotlights, Community/Charity, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, JRPR, Polo, Products/Services

Arenus Announces Sponsorship of Challenge of the Americas at International Polo Club Palm Beach to Benefit Breast Cancer Research

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Arenus will be sponsoring the polo portion of the competition which takes place March 12 at the International Polo Club Palm Beach in Wellington, Florida. (Photo courtesy of Sue Stickle)

Wellington, FL (March 10, 2011) – Arenus, a premier provider of innovative health and nutrition products for pets and horses, is pleased to announce they are sponsors of The Challenge of the Americas, a Grand Prix International Musical Freestyle Quadrille Team Challenge and Polo Extravaganza to benefit the Breast Cancer Research Foundation and Play for P.I.N.K. (Prevention, Immediate diagnosis, New technology, Knowledge). The Challenge of the Americas will be held at the International Polo Club Palm Beach on March 12.

“The Challenge of the Americas is well known in the equestrian world for its spectacular performances and the fact that it raises money to fight breast cancer. Arenus is pleased to be part of the 10th Anniversary of The Challenge of the Americas and we are excited to announce that we are sponsoring the polo playing during the event,” said Kristen Galvan, an Arenus Sales Specialist for the southeast.

The Challenge of the Americas is an annual fundraiser and a one-of-a-kind affair that highlights the equestrian sports of dressage and polo.  Riders competing in the event make up a “Who’s Who” of top equestrians from the United States, Canada, Latin American and Europe. The Challenge Gala, an elegant evening of dinner and dancing, gets underway immediately following The Challenge of the Americas competition. An awards presentation will be featured and guests will have the chance to meet and socialize with riders and judges.

Continue reading Arenus Announces Sponsorship of Challenge of the Americas at International Polo Club Palm Beach to Benefit Breast Cancer Research →

*Featured/Spotlights, Breeds, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Driving, Events

Morgan Pair Wins Little Everglades CAI

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Dade City, Florida – Morgans come from behind to take the lead, winning at Little Everglades International CAI in Dade City, Florida February 24-27, 2011.  With a strong showing of eight advanced pairs, the Morgans continue to put in a strong showing against larger equine competitors who dominate the sport of combined driving.  Standing in 6th place after the dressage and marathon, owner Alan Aulson drove his athletic Morgans with speed and confidence winning the cones competition, pushing him ahead to win the blue in the FEI Pairs Division.

Nordby Coalie’s Duke (Caduceus Falcon x Coal Creek Sabra’s Coalie), Nordby Coalie’s Coal Dust (Ortawn Captain Royal x Coal Creek Sabra’s Coalie), and Nordby Shadow’s Sam Spade (Ortawn Captain Royal x Ribbon Shadow SRD) are all registered black American Morgan Horses.  When driving a pair in competition you can alternate three horses in the three phases: dressage, marathon, and cones so all three horses competed.  The Morgans are owned by Maureen and Alan Aulson of Georgetown, MA; who are also the owners of the state of the art equine resort Black Equestrian Center in Bronson, Florida.

This is a very important year for the advanced pair drivers as they are all being observed at competitions by United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) officials who will select the best pairs to compete on the United States Team at the World’s Pairs Driving Championship to be held in Conty, France August 24-28, 2011.  Earlier this year, USEF held a week long Invitational Clinic at Black Prong Equestrian Center were all pairs, horses and ponies, schooled with the USEF driving coach, Michael Freund.  For more information on Team Black Prong visit www.blackprong.com/Team or contact BlackProngCenter@aol.com.