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

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 3 Dressage Team Grand Prix

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Holland's Imke Schellekens-Bartels and Hunter Douglas Sunrise finished first in today's opening leg of the Dressage Team Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA.

DUTCH TAKE THE LEAD IN DRESSAGE TEAM GRAND PRIX by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 27 September – With Imke Schellekens-Bartels in pole position and Hans Peter Minderhoud lying third after the first half of the Team Grand Prix concluded at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today, the much-fancied Dutch team look set to live up to expectations and chase the one title that has always eluded them.  The history of the Dressage World Team Championship has been completely dominated by Germany since 1966, but for a single victory for Russia, ironically on the hallowed German turf at Aachen, back in 1970.

The Netherlands however are the new powerhouse in the world of dressage, and today they took a strong lead in the race for the World team title.  However a superb test from Christoph Koschel and Donnperignon who slotted into second has guaranteed the old rivalry with Germany will continue unabated as the second tranche of riders take their turn tomorrow.  When Koschel’s mark of 72.368 was added to the 67.702 awarded to team-mate Anabel Balkenhol and Dablino who slotted into twelfth place, then Germany was assured of second position on the team leaderboard at the halfway stage with just over five points separating the two nations.  But they need to be careful, because the British were impressive when taking two top-ten places – Fiona Bigwood and Wie Atlantico de Ymas filling fourth spot and Maria Eilberg and Two Sox claiming tenth.  And with Carl Hester and Laura Bechtolsheimer still to come, the British are a force to be reckoned with.

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

FEI World Jumping Championships for Young Horses 2010

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Clement McMahon and NLS Coole Al Clover took Ireland's first-ever title at the FEI World Championship for Young Horses when topping the 6 Year Old division at the 2010 event in Lanaken, Belgium yesterday. Photo: FEI/Dirk Caremans.

DUTCH, IRISH AND BELGIAN-BRED HORSES TAKE THE TITLES AT LANAKEN

Lanaken (BEL), 27 September – The Dutch, Irish and Belgian Studbooks came out on top at the FEI World Jumping Championships for Young Horses at Lanaken in Belgium over the weekend where, once again, up-and-coming stars of the future got their first big chance to shine.

Huge entries and tough competition were the order of the day, and enthusiastic crowds of spectators, breeders, producers and riders enjoyed the annual spectacle which has become one of the most important dates on the international jumping calendar as studbooks compare their merit and undergo scrutiny in the showring.

RIDDEN TO SUCCESS
The 5 Year Old title went the dark bay KWPN gelding Always There which is owned by T & L Collins and who was ridden to success by Brazil’s Camilla Mazza de Benedicto.  Sired by Indoctro, Always There pipped the Westphalian stallion Comme Il Faut – Cornet Obolensky x Ramiro – owned by Gestut Zhaschkow which was steered into silver medal position by Germany’s Franz-Josef Dahlmann.  Third place and bronze in this division went to the Holstein Cortado with Denmark’s Andreas Schou on board.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, FEI, Racing Sources, Western/Reining, World Equestrian Games

Team USA Takes Gold at FEI World Reining Championship

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The American Quarter Horse Journal — During the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Lexington, Kentucky, the powerhouse team from the United States took the gold medal September 26, 2010, at the FEI World Reining Championship presented by John Deere, making it a three-peat, with team wins in every World Equestrian Games in which reining has been included.

Belgium won the team silver medal, while Italy earned the bronze. The order of finish for the remaining top-10 teams is: Austria, Canada, Germany, Brazil, the Netherlands, Great Britain and Mexico.

U.S. Reining Chef d’Equipe Jeff Petska noted how tough the competition was at this year’s games, but he says the United States “brought a bunch of heavyweights to a heavyweight fight.”

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

Spain’s Ponton Flies to Endurance World Championship, Presented by Meydan

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Lexington, Ky., Sept. 27, 2010 — Maria Mercedes Alvarez Ponton of Spain, riding Nobby, literally out-galloped her rivals to win the individual gold medal at the Endurance World Championships, presented by Meydan, at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.

But HH Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, on Ciel Oriental, and his son, HE Sheikh Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum, on SAS Alexis, sprinted through the finish line only 1:55 later to claim the silver and bronze individual medals and lead the United Arab Emirates to their first team gold medal at a World Equestrian Games.

Ponton completed the last loop at an average speed of 29.44 kilometers per hour, while her UAE competitors chased her at an average speed of 31.66 kph. Ponton’s average time throughout the 100-mile race was a speedy 21.07 kph.

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

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Endurance Championship Report

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Spain's Maria Mercedes Alvarez Ponton and Nobby on their way to securing individual gold in the Endurance Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.

MIGHTY MARIA WINS ENDURANCE GOLD, UAE SCOOP TEAM TITLE by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 26 September – Spain’s Maria Mercedes Alvarez Ponton and her super-horse, Nobby, wrote their names into the history books of the sport of Endurance today when adding the individual gold medal at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky to their 2008 World Championship and 2009 European Championship titles.  The hat-trick has never been done before, and Nobby’s extraordinary recovery-rate proved key to their success once again. But Ponton herself is something of a super-woman.  Only seven weeks ago she gave birth to her daughter, Maria, yet she had the stamina, skill, physical fitness and concentration to win the coveted title against the sharpest competition today.

His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) took the silver medal with Ciel Oriental while his son, His Excellency Sheikh Hamdan Bin Al Maktoum took bronze, and it was no surprise when the UAE claimed the team title as His HE Sheikh Hamdan joined with HE Sheikh Majid Bin Mohammed Al Maktoum and Sheikh Rashid Dalmook Al Maktoum to finish well ahead of the French in silver medal position and Germany in bronze.

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

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Reining Team Championship Report

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The US team claimed team gold for the third consecutive time in the Reining Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today. Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton.

AMERICAN HEAVYWEIGHTS TAKE TEAM REINING TITLE FOR THE THIRD TIME by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 26 September – The host nation and defending double-champions from the USA scooped the first gold medals of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games when spinning, slide-stopping and galloping to a convincing victory in the Reining Team Championship at The Horse Park in Kentucky today.  They dominated the leaderboard when filling first, third, fourth and ninth places and their final score of 674.5 left them almost 10 points clear of Belgium in silver medal position while Italy took bronze.  And it was an historic moment for the Belgians as they claimed their first World Championship title in this discipline.

“We were always trying for third place, so silver is a dream come true!” said Belgium’s Cira Baeck afterwards.  However the team effort produced by the Americans was exceptional and, as US Chef d’Equipe Jeff Petska said, “we came here under a lot of pressure – reining is a big sport on our home soil, but my boys really rose to the occasion.”

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Endurance Riding, Events, FEI, Western/Reining, World Equestrian Games

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 Day 2

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FEI President Princess Haya officially declared the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games open in Lexington, Kentucky last night. Photo: FEI/Dirk Caremans.

AUDIO LINK:

Interview with Dressage rider Isabell Werth (GER)
http://www.lloydbell.co.uk/access/client_zone/Isabell%20Werth-GER%20dres%2025-9.mp3

FEI TV – As well as live competition coverage throughout the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, FEI TV will make all competitions available post-event via VoD, plus an exclusive daily 30-minute VoD highlights show from the Kentucky Horse Park featuring the best of the day’s action, interviews, previews and reviews. There will also be lots of behind the scenes footage available.  Check out www.feitv.org.

DAY TWO GETS UNDERWAY AT THE KENTUCKY HORSE PARK by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 26 September – It’s all happening at The Horse Park in Kentucky this morning where the closing stages of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Reining Team Championships are taking place in the Alltech Pavilion while the Endurance competitors are enjoying perfect weather conditions on their 160kms course.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Breeds, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, FEI, Racing Sources, Western/Reining, World Equestrian Games

After Day 1 of WEG, Team USA Leads the Team Reining Competition

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By Holly Clanahan of America’s Horse

With roughly half of the rides completed in the team reining competition of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, Team USA is on top. The reining world championships are presented by John Deere.

Here is the team ranking so far (Download full results here):

  • Team USA – 444
  • Team Austria – 432.5
  • Team Brazil – 425
  • Team Belgium – 424.5
  • Team Netherlands – 422
  • Team Mexico – 420.5
  • Team Australia – 420
  • Team Great Britain – 404.5
  • Team Italy – 224
  • Team Germany – 220.5

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, FEI, Western/Reining, World Equestrian Games

Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games 2010 – Day 1

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Italy's Stefano Massignan went into the lead in the Reining Championship as the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games got underway in Lexington, Kentucky today. Photo: Kit Houghton.

As well as live competition coverage throughout the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, FEI TV will make all competitions available post-event via VoD, plus an exclusive daily 30-minute VoD highlights show from the Kentucky Horse Park featuring the best of the day’s action, interviews, previews and reviews. There will also be lots of behind the scenes footage available.  Check out www.feitv.org.

ITALY LEADS INDIVIDUAL RANKING IN REINING, BUT USA HEADS TEAM LEADERBOARD

Endurance Begins Tomorrow

by Louise Parkes

Lexington, 25 September – American-based Italian, Stefano Massignan, took the first-day lead in the Reining Championship at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Kentucky, USA today.  However the host nation, who are defending champions, hold the team advantage as the remaining riders go into the arena tomorrow following great performances from Craig Schmersal and Tim McQuay.

Read more> http://www.horsesinthesouth.com/article/article_detail.aspx?id=12193

*Featured/Spotlights, Breeds, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, FEI, Western/Reining, World Equestrian Games

Reining World Championship Starts the Action at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

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LEXINGTON, KY — The day before the official start of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, the stars of the reining world began their quest for the Reining World Championships, presented by John Deere, during the official horse inspection. Some 74 competitors from 22 nations presented their horses to the five-person ground jury. Three horse-and-rider combinations were not accepted, leaving 14 countries competing for team medals and seven countries represented by individual riders.

“The level of competition here is going to be second to none,” said Reining discipline manager Brad Ettelman. “This is truly the equestrian event of a lifetime for the U.S., and we are thrilled that Reining is experiencing a homecoming of sorts. Reining has experienced incredible growth internationally over the years, and we will certainly be showcasing the best the world has to offer at this WEG.”

Duane Latimer from Canada, the reigning individual gold medalist, is back to defend his title aboard a new mount, and Tim McQuay, a member of the U.S. gold-medal team in 2006, will help his defend their title again. Dressage star Anky van Grunsven of The Netherlands has traded in her breeches for chaps during these World Games and will attempt to make a successful transition to “Western” dressage.

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