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Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 6 Reining Individual Championship

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On the podium after the final of the Individual Reining Championship at the WEG were (centre) gold medallist Tom McCutcheon (USA), (left) silver medallist Craig Schmersal (USA) and (right) bronze medallist Duane Latimer (CAN). Photo: FEI/Dirk Caremans.

McCUTCHEON GRABS REINING GOLD by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 30 September – America reclaimed the individual World Championship title at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in The Horse Park at Kentucky, USA this afternoon, but it wasn’t the hot favourite, Shawn Flarida, who stood tall and proud as the host nation’s flag was raised.  The loss of a stirrup would cost the 2002 World Champion dearly, and it was team-mate and fellow gold medallist in last Sunday’s team event Tom McCutcheon who stood top of the podium.

Underlining the US domination of the sport right now, US rider Craig Schmersal took silver medal position, while defending World Champion Duane Latimer from Canada had to settle for bronze.

ELECTRIC
The atmosphere in the packed stadium was electric all afternoon as the 21 qualified riders battled it out, and Latimer took the lead when third-last to go in the penultimate group.  However the man who took the FEI World Equestrian Games by storm in Aachen four years ago was not riding his great horse Hang Ten Surprize.  It was a “catch-ride” he picked up earlier in the year, the considerably less-experienced six year old Dun Playin Tag, that put the leading score of 222.5 on the board.

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Peters Rides to U.S. Bronze Medal at Dressage World Championships, Presented by Alltech

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Lexington, Ky., Sept. 29, 2010 — U.S. rider Steffen Peters made history today when he rode Ravel to the Grand Prix Special individual bronze medal in the Dressage World Championships, presented by Alltech, at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. He is the first American ever to win an individual medal in the World Championships.

Peters, 46, from San Diego, Calif., scored 78.54 percent, to finish behind gold medalist Edward Gal of the Netherlands on Moorlands Totilas (85.70%) and Laura Bechtolsheimer, 25, of Great Britain, on Mistral Hojris (81.70%). The three riders finished yesterday’s team Grand Prix in the same order.

Peters was born in Germany and immigrated to United States in 1992. He rode on his first U.S. team at the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, winning the team bronze medal. At the 2006 World Equestrian Games, Peters and Ravel, a 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding, led the U.S. team to the bronze medal. They finished a painfully close fourth in the 2008 Olympics, and in 2009 they won the FEI World Cup Final.

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Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 5 Dressage Grand Prix Special

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The Netherlands' Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas produced another stunning performance to win individual gold in the Grand Prix Special at the Alltech FEI WEG. Photo FEI/Dirk Caremans.

GAL AND TOTILAS WIN THE SPECIAL IN STYLE – CAN THEY MAKE IT A HAT-TRICK OF GOLD? by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 29 September – The sensational partnership of Edward Gal and Moorlands Totilas made Dutch dressage history today when becoming the first combination from The Netherlands to win the World Championship Grand Prix Special title at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA.  But this extraordinary pair is also on the brink of adding another record to the list they just keep on compiling.  If they can add Friday’s Freestyle to their haul, then they will become the first partnership ever to take both titles, and on present form they look well-set for a hat-trick of gold after yesterday’s team victory.

Silver medallist Laura Bechtolsheimer set a new British record when beating the score she set at the Alltech FEI European Championships in Windsor (GBR) last summer, while Steffen Peters and Ravel took bronze for the USA.  Peters was emotional afterwards.  “I’ve been counting the days and hours since I missed that bronze medal in Hong Kong (Beijing 2008 Olympic Games),” he pointed out, “so this means a lot to me.  I can’t believe how lucky I am, what he (Ravel) did for me today was unbelievable.” And Bechtolsheimer also became the first British rider ever to take World Championship silver in the Special.  The previous best British result was bronze for Jennie-Loriston Clarke and Dutch Courage back in 1978 at Goodwood (GBR).

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Party Down at Edition Boiselle!

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Gabriele Celebrates 200 Years of Family Farm, Plus 25th Anniversary of Edition Boiselle

On one of the last warm days of the summer, international traveler and renowned equestrian photographer Gabriele Boiselle celebrated the 200th anniversary of Voglerhof, her family’s farm in Speyer, Germany.

Festivities began at 3 PM local time in the farm’s courtyard, but then ran well into the evening, with glittering lights and twinkling candles illuminating the celebration. Guests included Gabriele’s mother, Margaret, as well as friends from across the globe, sharing laughter along with anecdotes and stories from times past. Glasses overflowed with good wine and Champagne, and Catering Butcher Schreiner provided a menu filled with delectable goodies.

While Voglerhof is now the headquarters of Edition Boiselle, Gabriele says she remembers the days when she was growing up, when the farm was filled with animals.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12232

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Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 5

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Jerich Parzival shows the spot on his tongue which led to his elimination from yesterday Dressage Team Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky.

JERICH PARZIVAL by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 29 September – The Dutch Equestrian Federation has pointed out that Adelinde Cornelissen’s gelding Jerich Parzival, which was eliminated during the Team Grand Prix Dressage competition yesterday at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, bit his tongue during the dressage test and not in the warm-up beforehand as reported in yesterday’s FEI press release.

The Dutch rider and her horse were eliminated following movement number 5 (of 33), the halt and rein-back, when the Ground Jury observed blood in the horse’s saliva. The Dutch Federation has stated that photographs show there was no blood visible during the first four movements of the test.

Dr Wojtek Markowski (POL), the competition’s technical delegate, said afterwards, “The rule is clear, and it is written to protect the welfare of the horse: blood coming from the mouth is contrary to the welfare of the horse and the horse must be eliminated for veterinary reasons.”

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Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 4 Dressage Team Grand Prix

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The Dutch team pictured on the podium after becoming World Dressage Champions for the first time at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today. Left to right - Adelinde Cornelissen (Jerich Parzival), Imke Schellekens-Bartels (Hunter Douglas Sunrise), Hans Peter Minderhoud (Exquis Nadine) and Edward Gal (Moorlands Totilas). Photo: FEI/Dirk Caremans.

THE DUTCH DRESSAGE DREAM COMES TRUE DESPITE HEARTBREAK FOR ADELINDE by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 28 September – Dutch courage was tested to the limit at The Horse Park in Kentucky today but, despite everything that was thrown at them, The Netherlands came through to take Dressage team gold at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.  It was an historic victory as they at last broke the stranglehold of the long-dominant Germans who, this time around, had to settle for bronze while the British rose magnificently to the occasion and claimed silver with considerable style.

In the midst of today’s celebrations however there was also heartbreak in the Dutch camp, as Adelinde Cornelissen was eliminated early in her test when the judges noticed blood in the saliva of her gelding Jerich Parzival.  Strong favourites for an individual medal later in the week and key players in the Dutch side, the Dutch partnership were just moving forward after completing the rein-back when Ground Jury President Stephen Clarke (GBR) intervened to tell the rider that she could not continue.  Cornelissen said afterwards that she thought she must have been doing the wrong test, but she put a brave face on it at a mid-day press conference. Asked how she was feeling after this shocking disappointment she said, “I have felt better I must say!  On one hand it’s such a shame that you can’t finish your test and he was in really great shape…. but on the other hand I’m happy he’s (Parzival) OK and there’s nothing seriously wrong with him.”  In fact the big chestnut gelding had bitten his tongue during his warm-up, and veterinary examination showed only a very slight injury.  “There was just a tiny spot on the tip of his tongue,” Cornelissen explained, “and it had already stopped bleeding on the way back to the stable, but it ended my test.”

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Jerich Parzival Eliminated from Dressage World Championships at the Alltech FEI WEG

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Lexington, Ky., Day 4 — Jerich Parzival, ridden by Adelinde Cornelissen of the Netherlands, was eliminated during Tuesday morning’s team Grand Prix at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. The elimination occurred following movement number 5 of 33, the halt and rein-back, when the ground jury observed blood in the horse’s saliva.

Dr. Wojtek Markowski (POL), the competition’s technical delegate, said, “The rule is clear, and it is written to protect the welfare of the horse: blood coming from the mouth is contrary to the welfare of the horse and the horse must be eliminated for veterinary reasons.”

Dr. Markowski added that the FEI rule does not specify what amount of blood must be present; elimination is automatic if blood is visible in the horse’s mouth. There was no suggestion that any abuse of the horse had occurred.

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Qualifying Complete for Reining Individual Finals at Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

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Lexington, Ky., Sept. 28 — Great Britain dominated the second individual qualifying round at the World Reining Championship, presented by John Deere, today at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. The top qualifying score of 217.5 went to Great Britain’s Lee Rutter, riding Setting Off Sparks, while his countryman Doug Allen with Don Julio Whiz had the second-highest score of 216.5.

Twenty horses were given this second chance at qualifying for Thursday’s individual finals. Sixteen horse-and-rider teams had already qualified by posting high marks during the team reining competition.

Other riders qualifying Tuesday included Fredrik Thomsson of Sweden, marking the first time his country has ever sent a rider to the individual finals. Australia’s Warren Backhouse and the Netherlands’ Hubertus Heule rounded out the qualifiers.

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Dutch Team Wins Gold Medal for First Time at Dressage World Championships

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Lexington, Ky., Sept. 28 — The teams from the Netherlands and Great Britain each did something they’ve never done before in the Dressage World Championships, presented by Alltech, at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

The Netherlands won the team gold medal (229.74) for the first time ever, and Great Britain won the team silver medal (224.67), the first team medal they’ve ever won in the World Games.

Germany earned the team bronze medal (220.59), marking the first time they have not won the team gold medal since 1970.

The United States finished close behind in fourth (218.12).

As expected, superstar Moorlands Totilas, with Edward Gal, led the Dutch team to victory by topping the individual standings with a score of 84.04 percent. Teammates Imke Schellekens-Bartels, on Hunter Douglas Sunrise, and Hans Peter Minderhoud, on Exquis Nadine, provided scores of 73.44 percent and 72.25 percent to secure the gold medal.

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Dutch Riders Lead Dressage World Championships, Presented by Alltech

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Lexington, Ky., Sept. 27, 2010 — Dutch riders Imke Schellekens-Bartels and Hans Peter Minderhoud gave the Netherlands a strong lead today over Germany in the Dressage World Championships, presented by Alltech.

Riding Hunter Douglas Sunrise, Schellekens-Bartels, 33, took the individual lead by scoring 73.44 percent. Aboard Exquis Nadine, Minderhoud, 36, moved into third place individually by scoring 72.25 percent. Their team total of 145.70 has put their team more than 5 points ahead of Germany (140.34) at the halfway point of the team competition.

German rider Christoph Koschel, riding Donnperignon, sits between the two Dutch riders, scoring 72.63 percent. Two of the five judges preferred Koschel’s test to Schellekens-Bartels’ test. Teammate Anabel Balkenhol scored 67.70 percent to place 12th.

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