Category Archives: *Featured/Spotlights

Special features, spotlights, headlines

*Featured/Spotlights, Breeds, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Driving, Events, JRPR, Racing

American Shetland Ponies and Minis Wow the Crowd at the Secretariat Festival in Kentucky

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Chuck McCallister gave a harness demonstration with his award-winning pony Seamair All That Glitters during the Secretariat Festival in Paris, Kentucky. (Photo by JRPR)

Paris, KY (October 7, 2010) – While the recent Secretariat Festival in Paris, Kentucky was all about the famous Triple Crown winner called Big Red, some of Secretariat’s smaller equine cousins put on a show during the festival that brought the fans to their feet. Members of the American Shetland Pony Club and American Miniature Horse Registry (ASPC/AMHR) wowed the crowd with a driving exhibition, costume contest, jumping and halter demonstrations.

Chuck McCallister, of Tuigpaarden Farms in Ocala, Florida and Shelbyville, Kentucky, gave a harness demonstration with his award-winning pony Seamair All That Glitters, a double registered American Show Pony and American Hackney Pony. “Glitter is part of the American Show Pony Registry that was created by the American Shetland Pony Club in 1995,” said Zona Schneider, Director of Operations with the ASPC/AMHR, who was on hand for the Secretariat Festival. “The American Show Pony Registry includes Hackneys, Shetlands and Shetland/Hackney crosses that measure 48” and under at the wither. American Show Ponies are sought after as impressive athletes and are a crowd favorite when they drive into the show ring.”

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, FEI, Show Jumping, World Equestrian Games

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 12 Jumping Team Final

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Germany stormed to victory in the Team Jumping Championship at the WEG tonight. Pictured left to right - Carsten-Otto Nagel, Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum, Marcus Ehning and Janne-Freidericke Meyer. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.

GERMANS CLINCH TEAM JUMPING GOLD IN A THRILLER by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 6 October – Germany swept to a crisp, clean victory in the Team Jumping Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA tonight.  And a new page of jumping history was written, when, for the very first time, a victorious German Championship side included two lady riders.  Janne Friederike Meyer and Meredith Michaels-Beerbaum joined forces with Carsten-Otto Nagel and Marcus Ehning to clinch gold ahead of France in silver and the surprising Belgians who took bronze.  The Belgians have been competing in the Promotional League in recent seasons, but, already set to return to the top-level Meydan FEI Nations Cup series in 2011 after topping the rankings in the second-division series this year, they must now be considered a serious force to be reckoned with once again.

Today the Germans did it in the best way possible when producing three zero scores from their first three riders.  Last man in was Ehning who picked up four faults with Plot Blue, but as he said tonight, “Thanks to my team I was already a World Champion before I went in!” The French rallied brilliantly to snatch silver.  They were lying fifth overnight, but World No. 1 Kevin Staut was furious with himself about his opening effort on Monday and was determined to make amends.  His last-to-go clear with Silvana de Hus was the clincher when added to a faultless run from Olivier Guillon and Lord de Theize and just a single error from both Penelope Leprevost (Mylord Carthago) and Patrice Deleveau (Katchina Mail).

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12292

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, FEI, Para-Equestrian, World Equestrian Games

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 12 Para Dressage Championship

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Hannelore Brenner and Women of the World claimed individual gold in Grade 3 of the Para Dressage Championship at the WEG today. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.

INDIVIDUAL GOLD FOR WELLS AND BRENNER by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 6 October – Great Britain’s Sophie Wells and Germany’s Hannelore Brenner claimed the first individual gold medals in the Para Dressage Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today.

Wells, who is also highly-competitive in able-bodied sport and who competed on the fifth-placed British team at the European Young Riders Championship at Kronberg in Germany this summer, scooped the Grade 4 title.  She produced a forward, flowing test with no mistakes from her chestnut gelding Pinocchio to score 71.677 which left her just over 1.5 points ahead of silver medallist Frank Hosmar from Germany while Denmark’s Henrik Weber Sibbesen claimed bronze.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, FEI, Vaulting, World Equestrian Games

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 12 Vaulting Championships

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Germany's Gero Meyer won the Male Individual Compulsory Test as the Vaulting Championships got underway today at the WEG. Photo: FEI/Dirk Caremans.

USA LEADS TEAM CHAMPIONSHIP, BRITISH AND GERMAN RIDERS TOP INDIVIDUAL TESTS by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 6 October – The host nation took the early lead in the Vaulting Championships at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today where Germany’s Gero Meyer headed up the Male Individual and Great Britain’s Joanne Eccles topped the Female Individual competition.

Today’s tests were all based around the seven compulsory movements and the US team horse, Palatine, with lunger Carolyn Bland at the end of the line, helped the Americans to rack up a winning score of 7,207.  Germany lies second after the first day, with Austria in third ahead of Switzerland, France, Slovakia and Brazil.

The British team had to settle for eighth place, with Australia in ninth, while South Africa rounded up the top 10 nations.  A total of 20 countries are represented by teams in the FEI World Vaulting Championship.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Driving, Events, FEI, World Equestrian Games

Americans Sweep Presentation to Start Driving World Championships at Alltech FEI WEG

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October 6. 2010 – Lexington, KY – The Americans who will be contesting the Driving World Championships wish today’s presentation competition counted toward the medal scores, but they don’t. It was just for fun and beauty — and a bottle of champagne presented to each of the 17 drivers who took part.

The three judges declared Chester Weber the winner, awarding him 49.5 of a possible 50 points. James Fairclough (48.33) and Tucker Johnson (48.17), who’ve been Weber’s championship teammates for most of the last two decades, finished second and third.

The grooms and drivers spent about 10 hours polishing the horses, harnesses and vehicles, before putting on their finest driving livery. Not all drivers in these World Championships took part in this presentation.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, FEI, Para-Equestrian, World Equestrian Games

Wells and Brenner Gather Gold in Para Dressage World Championships

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October 6, 2010 – Lexington, KY – British riders have traditionally dominated the medals at the Para Dressage World Championships, and Sophie Wells lived up to that history by taking individual gold in the grade IV individual test, aboard the flashy chestnut Dutch Warmblood, Pinocchio. Her score of 71.677 percent gave her the definitive lead over the Netherlands’ Frank Hosmar, and Denmark’s Henrik Weber Sibbesen at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

“I was quite pleased with my test,” said Wells, 20. “ My horse was a little difficult to warm up, but I thought that the trot work was actually quite good. He came against me a little bit when I picked up the canter after the walk, but then he came back to me again, which was good.  When we were in here on Monday, he was quite distracted by the open corners, but today he was much better.”

Hosmar, 42, was equally thrilled with his score of 70.129 percent aboard his bay Dutch Warmblood Tiesto.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, FEI, Show Jumping, World Equestrian Games

Germany Takes Team Lead on Day 2 of Jumping World Championship, Presented by Rolex

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October 5, 2010 – Lexington, KY – Germany rose to the top of the leaderboard with a score of 17.80 on the second day of team competition in the Jumping World Championship, presented by Rolex, at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

An impressive showing by Brazil put them in second with 18.49 faults, with the U.S. fractionally behind them in third place (18.69 faults). Tomorrow (Wednesday) the 10 top-placed teams will contest the third and final round to decide the gold medal.

Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa, who sits in second individually, said the team is thrilled with their performance today, but he knows there are many more jumps in front of them.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, FEI, Para-Equestrian, World Equestrian Games

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 11 Para Dressage Championship

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Great Britain's Lee Pearson topped the Grade 1b Team Test as the Para Dressage Championship got underway at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.

BRITISH DOUBLE ON OPENING DAY OF PARA DRESSAGE by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 5 October – Great Britain scored a double on the opening day of the Para Dressage Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today, while riders from Holland, Germany and Belgium also topped their divisional contests.  Lee Pearson, a living legend of the Para Dressage world, clinched the Grade 1b Team Test honours with his nine year old gelding, Gentleman, while fellow-Briton, Anne Dunham, steered Teddy into pole position in Grade 1a.

Para Dressage has been included in the FEI World Equestrian Games for the first time in Kentucky, and the big question is whether any of the other competing nations can beat break the British stranglehold. Great Britain has won team gold in every championship since the sport began.

Para-Dressage, which joined the FEI disciplines in 2006, provides riders with physical disabilities the opportunity to compete in high performance equestrian sport alongside able-bodied riders from all over the world.  The FEI was one of the first international governing bodies to regulate sport for both able-bodied and disabled athletes.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12280

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, FEI, Show Jumping, World Equestrian Games

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 11 Jumping Championship

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Saudi Arabia's Khaled Al Eid jumped into the individual lead with Presley Boy today in the Jumping Championship at the WEG. Photo: FEI/Dirk Caremans.

GERMANY JUMPS AHEAD ON TEAM LEADERBOARD, SAUDI ARABIA’S AL EID HEADS INDIVIDUAL RANKING by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 5 October – As the American team lost their grip on pole position, Germany snatched the lead in the Jumping Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today.  And, lying fifth overnight, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Khaled Al Eid rocketed to the top of the individual leaderboard when all those ahead of him faltered.  The 41 year old Saudi rider added just a single time penalty to his tally in an otherwise flawless performance from his stallion, Presley Boy, but the 2000 Olympic bronze medallist has his tutor, Brazil’s Rodrigo Pessoa, breathing down his neck going into tomorrow’s next Championship leg.  It’s going to be a hard-fought battle for the 2010 individual title, with only a fence dividing the top 13 riders heading into the third day of competition.

Brazil lies second in the team standings, less than a fence behind the leading Germans, while only fractions further in arrears in third, the host nation holds a narrow advantage over Canada, with France and Saudi Arabia in fifth and sixth places.  Perhaps not the biggest surprise of the day was the success of the strong Australian foursome who produced two of just 17 clear rounds to move up from 14th to seventh position. Belgium lies eighth, Sweden ninth and Great Britain holds tenth spot, and only the top ten teams from today’s competition go through to tomorrow evening’s second round team medal decider.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12279

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, FEI, Show Jumping, World Equestrian Games

ALLTECH FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 10 Jumping Championship

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Mario Deslauriers and Urico won the first qualifier to help put the USA in pole position in the Jumping Championship at the WEG today. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.

AMERICANS TAKE THE LEAD AS JUMPING CHAMPIONSHIP GETS UNDERWAY by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 4 October – The host nation took a firm grip on both the team and individual leaderboards as the Jumping Championship got underway at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today. Mario Deslauriers steered the powerful gelding Urico into pole position in the exciting Speed event, which is both the first individual qualifier and the class that decides the rankings for tomorrow’s team competition.  And he had the best back-up around in the shape of fellow-American McLain Ward who steered the great mare Sapphire home just a little slower to slot into runner-up spot.

As expected, the US riders, who are strongly tipped for medals this week, came out with all guns blazing.  But there were plenty of surprises throughout the day and the biggest of these was the spectacular performance of Hungary’s Sandor Szasz who slotted into third place.  Riding Moosbachhofs Goldwing the relatively unknown 39 year old stormed into the lead with a clear round in 71.79 seconds as the first half of the competition was coming to a close. But, with just four left to run before the lunch-break, Deslauriers and Urico raced through the timers in 71.25 seconds to re-set the target.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12271