Category Archives: *Featured/Spotlights

Special features, spotlights, headlines

Kentucky Fall Classic Wrap-Up: November 11-14, 2010

Chris Payne and Clooney claimed the championship honors during the Pre-Green 3' division at the Kentucky Fall Classic. Photo By: Holly Whiteman.

Lexington, KY – November 17, 2010 – It was a weekend full of gorgeous and unseasonably warm weather for the Kentucky Fall Classic. The event was held in the New Alltech Indoor Arena November 11-14, 2010 and featured the areas top hunters and jumpers.

Alliy Moyer took home both the champion and reserve champion honors in the Junior Hunter division. She showed Safari to the championship prize and was awarded the reserve championship tricolor for her ride aboard Momentus.

Later in the day, Susan Moriconi was awarded the championship prize in the Adult Amateur Hunter division on her horse, Liberty. Anne Molnar took home the reserve championship prize for her ride aboard Apriol.

Continue reading Kentucky Fall Classic Wrap-Up: November 11-14, 2010

Shelly Temple and Pony Pair Finish 2010 Season with a Win at Katydid CDE

Shelly Temple and groom Dottie Paul competed in the driven dressage on day 1, Katydid CDE. Photo credit: Pics of You.

The cold temperatures in Windsor, South Caroline did not dampen the enthusiasm of Shelly Temple, Cooper and Harry at the Katydid CDE.  Held at Katrina Becker’s Katydid Farm, the Katydid CDE featured four days of combined driving at the training, preliminary, and intermediate levels.  Shelly and her new combination of ponies, reigning National Champion pony Cooper, and former National Champion Harry, finished out their season with win.  Harry is owned by Jack Wetzel of Aiken, South Carolina.

“The ponies continue to come together as a team,” remarked Shelly after winning dressage with a 40.22.  “The boys will have a little time off then will be back to work to build on the foundation we established this fall.”  Saturday saw the team, including Shelly’s husband/navigator, Fran Doto, take 4th place in marathon yet preserve their overall 1st place standing.  Sunday’s cones competition featured another cool but sunny day, and a double clear round for Team Catalyst resulting in a first place in preliminary pair ponies in their second competition.

Continue reading Shelly Temple and Pony Pair Finish 2010 Season with a Win at Katydid CDE

Alissa Kinsey Wins Barry Lane Memorial; David Jennings Triumphs in EMO $25k Grand Prix

David Jennings & Marcus Aurelius ©Flashpoint Photography

Conyers, GA — November 14, 2010 — Classic Company’s Season Finale event, the Atlanta Fall Classics, is a virtual cornucopia of equestrian competition with everything from Zone Championships to a $25,000 Adult-Child Jumper Classic to a show jumping Grand Prix just in the first week. “We always like to end our year big!” Classic Company President Bob Bell quipped.

Friday’s kick off of head to head competition began with the USHJA National Hunter Classic. This event is considered a stepping stone to the regular Hunter Derbies for many and designer Joe Carnicone gave riders a taste of that experience with a layout offering four higher option fences to garnish bonus points. Top scores were invited to return for a handy round in which an overall point total would determine the victor. Round one found Camden, SC favorite Elizabeth Boyd riding the Lee Cesery owned Marquis to an early lead, but the young talents of Marlena Parker and Edie Ringger were right on her coat tails. And when the scores were tallied it was Edie Ringger of Midland, GA with her mount Norway de la Fosse taking the number one position.

Continue reading Alissa Kinsey Wins Barry Lane Memorial; David Jennings Triumphs in EMO $25k Grand Prix

Combined Driver Chester Weber Speaks At CHA Conference at Oaks of Lake City

Chester Weber, who recently helped his team win the Silver Medal in Combined Driving at the 2010 WEG, spoke and gave a demonstration at Lakes of Oak City Equestrian Center in Lake City, Florida. (Photo courtesy of Susanna Dicks)

Lake City, FL (November 11, 2010) – Combined Driver Chester Weber is passionate about driving and never misses an opportunity to share his passion for the sport. As the reigning eight-time USEF National Four-In-Hand Combined Driving Champion, Weber spoke recently at the CHA Conference at the Oaks of Lake City, home of the O’Connor Signature Equestrian Center in Lake City, Florida.

“While at the Oaks of Lake City Equestrian Center I had the chance to introduce the sport of combined driving to everyone attending the conference,” Weber said. “It was an intimate group, so in addition to demonstrating different aspects of combined driving, I was also able to field questions from individuals.”

Weber is fresh off his third time competing in the World Equestrian Games. Weber, along with U.S. Combined Driving teammates James Fairclough and Tucker Johnson, won the team silver medal at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky. Weber won the cones phase of the Combined Driving event with an almost record-setting time to help the U.S. Team clinch the silver medal.

Continue reading Combined Driver Chester Weber Speaks At CHA Conference at Oaks of Lake City

Ken and Arle Adams Make Record-Breaking $5 Million Gift to USET Foundation

George Morris, Jane Forbes Clark, Arle Adams, Ken Adams. Photo By: Kenneth Kraus/ PhelpsSports.com.

Gladstone, New Jersey – November 10, 2010 – The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is honored to announce a $5 million endowment bequest from Ken and Arle Adams of Wellington, Florida. This gift will mark the creation of the Ken and Arle Adams International Competition and Training Grant Fund. Providing an annual grant, the fund will add supplemental funding to the three Olympic disciplines’ High Performance programs: dressage, eventing, and show jumping. These funds further augment the international competition and training plans that repeatedly generate Olympic and World Championship medal winning performances. Grants of such generous nature are what allow the United States of America to remain at the top of the international equestrian sport.

“This extraordinary gift will be the largest gift ever made to the USET Foundation, and the Foundation is so grateful to Ken and Arle for their generosity. Leaving a dynamic legacy that will forever bear their name, the Adams’ gift will be a determining factor in this country’s ability to medal consistently in international championships in the future,” remarked Jane Forbes Clark, USET Foundation President and CEO.

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Hackney Ponies Added to the Excitement at the World Equestrian Games

Lieutenant Dan, a Hackney Pony owned by Georgia Blevins, gave a high stepping, action packed driving demonstration at the WEG. (Photo by JRPR)

Lexington, KY (November 9, 2010) – Early Edition, a high stepping Hackney Pony, took part in a driving demonstration at the Equine Village at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, much to the delight of the crowd who gathered around to find out more about the glamorous, eye-catching Hackney. Early Edition, owned by T. J. and Georgia Blevins of Blevins Farm in Bowling Green, Kentucky, is an American and Canadian National Champion Hackney Pleasure Pony.

Blevins said she was thrilled to be asked to perform a demonstration with Early Edition at the World Equestrian Games and was pleased that so many people were introduced to the breed. In addition to winning the Canadian National Champion Pleasure Pony title in 2009, the flashy Hackney, who is trained by Matt Schuckert of Debonaire Stables, also won the Championship at the Indianapolis Charity Horse Show in 2010.

Early Edition was bred by Bent Tree Farms of Virginia and started his career as a Road Pony, becoming the 2002 World Champion Four-Year-Old Road Pony Champion. Under the ownership of the late Jane Mueller, Early Edition switched to the Pleasure Pony division where in 2006 he became the World Grand Champion Pleasure Pony.

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Hayley Barnhill Proves Victorious in 2010 ASPCA Maclay National Championships

Hayley Barnhill was victorious with Podest during the 2010 ASPCA Maclay National Championships. Photo Credit: Rebecca Walton/PMG.

Syracuse, NY – November 7, 2010 – Today marked the final day of competition at the 2010 Syracuse Invitational Sporthorse Tournament featuring the 127th National Horse Show. The highlight event at the Oncenter Complex in Syracuse, NY, was the 2010 ASPCA Maclay National Championships. Riders worked all year to qualify for this event and after three phases of competition and it was 17-year-old Hayley Barnhill of Collierville, TN, leading the victory gallop and taking home the championship honors.

In the first round of competition, 153 riders were tested on a course designed by the judges, Scott Hofstetter and Melanie Smith Taylor in cooperation with course designer Richard Jeffery. The fences included a vertical-oxer-vertical triple combination, a natural fan jump off of a sharp left turn and then a sharp right turn to the ASPCA fence. Riders then continued to a tall vertical on the left lead before making their way to a triple bar double combination. While some riders had difficulties during the first round, the course was very inviting overall and gave riders many opportunities to show-off their horsemanship.

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Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping 2010/2011 – Round 4

The Netherlands' Jeroen Dubbeldam steered BMC Van Grunsven Simon to victory in the fourth leg of the 2010/2011 Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping series in Verona, Italy. Photo: Kit Houghton.

DUBBELDAM DELIVERS IN VERONA by Louise Parkes

Verona (ITA), 7 November 2010 – The Netherlands’ Jeroen Dubbeldam broke the German stranglehold on the 2010/2011 Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping series when delivering a sensational victory in Verona, Italy this afternoon.  German riders dominated at the first three legs at Oslo (NOR), Helsinki (FIN) and Lyon (FRA) so far this season, but the flying Dutchman set an impossible target when second to go in today’s thrilling 10-horse jump-off and couldn’t be caught despite the best efforts of the world-class field that followed him.

His winning margin was a narrow one however as Germany’s Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, winner with Checkmate just a week ago in Lyon, came dangerously close to making it a back-to-back double with a superb performance from the 17 year old Shutterfly who was only fractionally slower against the clock.  And Sweden’s Rolf-Goran Bengtsson and Casall La Silla finished third in the star-studded line-up.  Dubbeldam was crowned Olympic champion in Sydney (AUS) in 2000, Michaels-Beerbaum’s many successes include three Rolex FEI World Cup Jumping titles and, most recently, team Jumping gold at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA, while Bengtsson took individual silver at the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing.  Also in the top ten today were Carsten-Otto Nagel (4th) who was a member of that German gold medal winning side last month, Ireland’s Billy Twomey (5th) who finished individually 11th in Kentucky, and the man who continues to wear the Rolex armband as No. 1 Rider in the World Rankings, Kevin Staut from France (6th).  This truly was a line-up of champions.

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Margie Engle and Indigo Top International Competition in $100,000 World Cup Qualifier of Syracuse

Margie Engle and Indigo jumped to victory in the $100,000 Detwiler Fenton FEI World Cup Qualifier of Syracuse. Photo By: Reflections Photography.

Syracuse, NY – November 6, 2010 – The fast paced action continued in downtown Syracuse today.  The featured class of the night was the $100,000 Detwiler Fenton FEI World Cup Qualifier of Syracuse presented by G&C Farm.  The great US rider, Margie Engle, out rode 27 riders representing six countries to take the lionshare $100,000 purse.  As she stepped into the arena as the last of three qualifiers of the jump-off, Margie Engle knew all she had to do was to keep the rails from hitting the dirt and she would leave the ring as the winner of the $100,000 Detwiler Fenton FEI World Cup Qualifier of Syracuse presented by G & C Farm. Her Dutch warmblood horse, Indigo, helped her reach that goal as the massive grey gelding gave it his all over every fence and crossed the timers clean in 39.15 seconds. “He’s such a trier. He gives it everything he has,” said Engle after her win.

Earlier this afternoon Engle also rocked the house by winning the $30, 0000 TK99 Speed Derby.  Besting a field of 22 riders from five different countries was rider Margie Engle and her mare Pamina L. The pair dominated the class with a blistering clean round in 48.91 seconds.  The only rider to come close to taking home the blue ribbon was the young Irish rider, Darragh Kenny, who finished second aboard Looping Star, posting a clean go in 49.220 seconds.  The TK99 class is all about speed and strategy and the key to winning is having a fast, responsive horse with the ability to turn smoothly on the fly. Rails down convert to the time so riders with errors on course could still potentially win if their horse was fast. Richard Jeffery designed a challenging course that pushed riders to move forward while keeping their horses focused on the job at hand. The fifth fence on the course, a narrow white gate in shallow cups, proved to be a bogey fence, falling several times during the performance.  As the class progressed the riders pushed their horses faster and faster trying to have the best time.  Although Engle’s mare jumps big over every fence, Pamina L is still incredibly fast.  Although there were five riders to follow the pair, including hometown favorite Beezie Madden, no one was able to best Engle’s time and she earned the win and points towards a spot in Sunday’s Syracuse Sporthorse Cup.

Continue reading Margie Engle and Indigo Top International Competition in $100,000 World Cup Qualifier of Syracuse

Dibowski Wins First CCI4* but Fox-Pitt Takes a Second HSBC FEI Classics

William Fox-Pitt (GBR), 2010 season's winner of the FEI HSBC Classics (c) Peter Nixon/FEI

Pau, 7 November – Andreas Dibowski (GER) finally achieved the CCI4* win he so deserves with an immaculate Jumping round in the most testing of conditions at a rain-soaked Les Etoiles de Pau (FRA), the final leg of the HSBC FEI Classics.

But William Fox-Pitt’s (GBR) second place on Navigator, who hit three rails, was still good enough to win him a second HSBC FEI Classics title in three years and US$150,000.

Dibowski, who has endured four runner-up spots at CCI4*s, earned a rapturous reception from an excited, if damp, French crowd. “I am really happy and excited,” he said. “After my Dressage (he was 11th), I didn’t expect to win, but everyone needs a little bit of luck at this level and today it was my day.”

Fox-Pitt was generous in defeat. “If someone had told me I’d be second at the start of this week, I’d have thought it was a dream. It’s the first time I’ve had a clear Cross-Country at Pau! And I had to stay in second place to win the HSBC FEI Classics, so I’m very relieved and pleased and pleased with my horse for coping so well.”

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