Category Archives: *Featured/Spotlights

Special features, spotlights, headlines

Day One of USEF Para-Dressage Selection Trials for 2010 Alltech FEI WEG Concludes

Robin Brueckmann and Raison D"Etre. Photos © 2010 Lindsay McCall/PMG.

Wayne, IL – June 26, 2010 – Sunshine covered the splendid Lamplight Equestrian Center on Friday as the USEF Para-Dressage Selection Trials for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games commenced.  The day began at 12:30 PM with top Para-Equestrians competing for the ten spots on the USEF Para-Dressage Team.  This was the first of three days that the qualified riders were able to showcase their top skills, great horses, and a chance to be in front of international judges.  The three judges were Chris Porterfield (GBR), Lillian Iannone (ARG), and Carlos Lopes (POR).  Over the three days of competition each day will count towards their total score to qualify for the World Equestrian Games.

In today’s short course team test, Rebecca Hart earned both the first place and second place ribbons.  Hart rode her trusty gelding Norteassa to the blue earning a 69.048 % overall.  Hart also earned the second place ribbon with Kazan earning a 68.889% overall.

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United States Para-Equestrian Association Announces Riders for 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Selection Trials

Missy Ransehousen is Chef d'Equipe for Para-Dressage at 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Photo © 2010 C. Mike Tomlinson.

Thousand Oaks, CA – June 21, 2010 – The United States Para-Equestrian Association would like to announce their qualified riders for the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games (WEG) Selection Trials scheduled for June 24-27, 2010.  The amount of Para-Dressage participants has tripled in one year, which means more Para-Equestrians are challenging themselves to international competition.  The riders making their way to Lamplight Equestrian Center in Wayne, Illinois for the Para-Dressage Selection Trials include equestrians that, despite their disabilities, have overcome and adapted to showcase their athletic abilities.

Fifteen United States Para-Equestrians have scores that will allow them to compete at the Selection Trials.  Out of those 15, ten of the riders will be selected for WEG.  Out of the ten riders, four will make the team, and six will ride as individuals.

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Safety Helmets Strongly Recommended by Dressage Committee

21 June 2010 – Following the accident in which Courtney King-Dye (USA) sustained serious head injuries in a schooling fall in Florida earlier this year, the FEI Dressage Committee has today issued a recommendation regarding the wearing of protective headgear.

The FEI Dressage Committee strongly recommends that all riders should wear properly fastened safety helmets when training and in pre-competition warm-ups at all international Dressage shows.

Riders still have the choice of wearing protective headgear in the competition arena.

Media Contact:

Grania Willis
FEI Director Press Relations
Tel: +41 787 506 142
Email: grania.willis@fei.org

Sharon Hunt Is Talk of the Town in Luhmühlen

Sharon Hunt (GBR) claimed her first-ever CCI4* victory when winning at Luhmühlen with the Irish Sport Horse Tankerstown to move into fourth place in the HSBC FEI Classics standings after three of five events. (Photo: Kit Houghton/FEI)

20 June 2010 – Sharon Hunt (GBR) enjoyed the biggest thrill of her long partnership with Tankers Town when the fleet-footed gelding gave her a first CCI4* win, at Luhmühlen, presented by E.ON Avacon, the third leg of the HSBC FEI Classics.

“I’m shocked,” said the 32-year-old, “but I always knew he was a phenomenal horse.”

The optimum time of 90 seconds proved extremely difficult on the spacious Jumping track and only nine out of the 32 finishers avoided collecting time penalties.

Tankers Town lowered the third fence, but Hunt kept up a good speed and did not incur any other penalties, giving her the slimmest of leads – just 0.2 of a penalty – over Ingrid Klimke (GER), whose chances of a first CCI4* win disappeared when she had both parts of the double at five down.

“The course really suited my horse because he is so good at jumping fast,” explained Hunt.

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Caitlin Creel Captures ASPCA Maclay at 2010 Showplace Spring Spectacular II

At the 2010 Showplace Spring Spectacular II, Caitlin Creel and Calvin 46 win ASPCA Maclay. Photos 2010 © Lindsay McCall/PMG.

Wayne, IL – June 18, 2010 – Today’s hunter competition at the Showplace Spring Spectacular II at the Lamplight Equestrian Center began at 8:00 a.m. in the Main Hunter Ring. Juniors brought out their top equitation horses for the morning’s competitions in the ASPCA Maclay and the USEF/Pessoa Hunt Seat Medal. Winning the ASPCA Maclay was Caitlin Creel aboard Calvin 46.  Shortly after a ring drag the USEF/Pessoa Hunt Seat Medal commenced. Coming from fourth place before the test and then taking home the blue was Nicki LaChapelle and Perfect Landing.

The ASPCA Maclay course and the USEF/Pessoa Hunt Seat Medal were both designed by Skip Bailey of Wellington, Florida. Both courses featured a diagonal two-stride, two option verticals coming home, and a figure eight to two split rail fences.

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Americans Reign in Rotterdam

Rotterdam (NED), 18 June – The all-female US team stormed to victory at the fourth leg of the 2010 Meydan FEI Nations Cup in Rotterdam today where, for the first time this season, the French did not have their way and had to settle for equal-fifth place.  There was an air of determination about the winning side from the start, and with three double-clears they proved untouchable.

Great Britain’s march back to the top end of the sport continued as they slotted into runner-up spot with a one-fault advantage over the third-place home team, and there was huge relief for Dutch Chef d’Equipe Rob Ehrens.  “Today was so much better,” he said as, at last, his riders managed to shake off the run of poor results that has left them lingering in the bottom-four relegation zone for the last few weeks.  They have only moved up one place on the leaderboard however and still remain extremely vulnerable along with Switzerland, Sweden and Poland.

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Klimke Clinches Pole Position at Luhmühlen

Luhmühlen debutants Ingrid Klimke (GER) and FRH Butts Abraxxas head the field after Dressage at the German CCI4*, the third leg of the HSBC FEI Classics (Photo: FEI/Kit Houghton)

18 June 2010 – Ingrid Klimke (GER) proved that she is back at the top of her game when producing a typically convincing display to take the Dressage lead at Luhmühlen, presented by E.ON Avacon, which is the third leg of the HSBC FEI Classics.

The Olympic and World team gold medallist, who gave birth to her second daughter, Philippa, on March 8, is, surprisingly, making her debut at her home nation’s CCI4*, and is out to convince the German selectors that she should be a member of the team defending their title at the FEI Alltech World Equestrian Games in September.

Klimke, 42, was relieved at the calmness of the 13-year-old Butts Abraxxas, which she said had been over-excited on his arrival at the event. “He was doing the flying changes without any help from me,” she joked. “Fortunately, in the arena he was so relaxed and was totally listening to me.”

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FEI Secretary General Marks 100-day Countdown to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games

17 June 2010 – Alex McLin, FEI Secretary General, marks the 100-day countdown to the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games with a specially extended video message today, expressing his confidence that the FEI’s flagship event will be an incredible celebration of equestrian sport when it opens in the 1,200 acre Kentucky Horse Park on 25 September.

“Spectators can expect to see the best equestrian sport can offer,” Alex McLin says. “The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games are 100 days away so we’re in the final stretches of preparation. It’s hard to believe it’s been five years since the award of the bid because everything that’s been achieved since then is absolutely incredible.

“All the infrastructure has been delivered on time, the teams are working well together on the ground and we have every reason to be confident that we’ll have a fantastic Games.”

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Meydan FEI Nations Cup 2010 – Rotterdam Preview

FEI TV – Follow the fourth leg of the 2010 Meydan FEI Nations Cup series in Rotterdam LIVE on FEI TV – www.feitv.org

CAN THE FRENCH MAKE IT A FABULOUS FOUR?

Rotterdam (NED), 15 June 2010 – As the 2010 Meydan FEI Nations Cup series reaches the half-way stage at Rotterdam in The Netherlands this Friday, the big question on everyone’s lips is, “Can the runaway French be stopped in their tracks?” The defending series champions have a commanding advantage at the top of the 2010 leaderboard after their hat-trick of victories at La Baule (FRA), Rome (ITA) and St Gallen (SUI) over the last four weeks, and Chef d’Equipe Laurent Elias is taking no chances with another crack side for this latest fixture.

The French are also the defending champions at Rotterdam where Penelope Leprevost was the heroine in 2009 when clinching the honours in a thrilling third-round head-to-head against America’s McLain Ward.  The lady from Normandy has firmly established herself as a linchpin of her national side since then, and is again selected for this week’s event alongside Kevin Staut, Patrice Deleveau, Michel Robert and Marie Etter Pellegrin.

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FEI World Cup Driving Qualification – Vecsés

Koos de Ronde (Ned), winner of the CAIO Vecsés 2010. (c) Marie de Ronde-Oudemans.

Victory for de Ronde in Vecsés

Vecsés (HUN), 13 JUNE 2010 – Dutch four-in-hand driver Koos de Ronde took the victory at the international combined driving event in Vecsés, Hungary. De Ronde stayed ahead of home driver Zoltán Lázár in this FEI World Cup Qualifying competition, where the horse teams also battled in the nations competition. Switzerland’s Werner Ulrich came third, improving every event with his Lusitano team of horses.

Heat hit Hungary

The temperature in Vecsés, the home base of the sympathetic Hungarian four-in-hand driver József Dobrovitz and his family, rose to around 30 degrees Celsius throughout the weekend. The organising committee had taken the necessary precautions to ensure the welfare of the horses and shortened the A-section of the marathon to 1,2 kilometres and lowered the pace of the walk section. All competitors got fifteen minutes instead the usual ten minutes rest at the obligatory halt in the marathon before the obstacle phase. This turned out to be a wise decision and none of the competing horses had any problems at the finish of the marathon.

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