Community/Charity, Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, National Horse Show, Phelps Media Group, Products/Services, Show Jumping

The Alltech National Horse Show Announces the Barnmice Contest to Celebrate Equestrian Social Media Partnership

Leave a comment

Lexington, KY – October 20, 2011 – The Alltech National Horse Show is proud to announce that it has become the most recent event to join the Barnmice online equestrian social community. Barnmice is an online video and social community for horse fans from over 200 countries who share a love of horses and horse sports. Barnmice incorporates the best of Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and Blogger into one dynamic destination for horse enthusiasts of every background.

In order to stay up to date with the most recent and exciting news from the Alltech National Horse Show, create a free profile at Barnmice.com today. Also, be sure to enter the “Barnmice Alltech National Horse Show Contest” where participants will be eligible to win four general admission tickets to the prestigious Alltech National Horse Show for Sunday, November 6, 2011.

Simply create a profile on Barnmice, and when asked “Where did you hear about Barnmice?” add “Alltech National Horse Show” to be entered for your chance to win. The contest will occur October 20-30, giving contestants the chance to not only win tickets, but also stay updated right up to the start of the show.

Continue reading The Alltech National Horse Show Announces the Barnmice Contest to Celebrate Equestrian Social Media Partnership →

Championships, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Events, USEF

Riders Head to Lexington, KY for USEF National CCI1* Eventing Championship

Leave a comment

Lexington, KY – The 2011 National Championship season for eventing comes to a close this weekend at the Kentucky Horse Park with the USEF National CCI1* Eventing Championship. More than 30 horse-and-rider combinations will be vying for top honors in the championship which is held in conjunction with the Hagyard MidSouth Three Day & Team Challenge, October 21-23.

Four National Championships will be up for grabs this weekend in Lexington, KY. Riders will have the opportunity to be crowned USEF National CCI1* Eventing Champion, USEF National 19-21 Year Old Eventing Champion, USEF National Junior Eventing Champion and USEF National Amateur Eventing Champion.

The first horse inspection for all CCI1* competitors will take place Thursday, October 20. Competition officially gets underway for the one star division and National Championship Friday, October 21.

For more information about the Hagyard MidSouth Three Day & Team Challenge including schedules, ride times and results visit: http://www.kyevents.net/shows/info/tchallenge.

Visit http://usefnetwork.com/featured/EventersinEurope/ to keep up with the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team.

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage, Events, FEI, Pan American Games

USA Dominates Dressage at Pan American Games

Leave a comment
L to R - Heather Blitz (silver), Steffen Peters (gold) and Marisa Festerling (bronze). Photo: FEI/ Stockimageservices.com

Lausanne (SUI), 20 October 2011 – American Dressage riders swept all before them when returning a record-breaking fourth consecutive team victory and filling all the steps of the individual medal podium at the 2011 Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.  On Sunday they cruised confidently into pole position in the team event ahead of the silver medallists from Canada while Colombia claimed the bronze.  And yesterday Steffen Peters steered Weltino’s Magic to individual gold ahead of Heather Blitz with Paragon in silver and Marisa Festerling and Big Tyme in bronze.

It was a convincing performance at all levels, and anchorman Peters was the linchpin of the American side.  But, as he pointed out in the aftermath of the team success, he was under considerably less pressure than usual due to the highly-competitive performances of his team-mates.  “Over the past few years I have always had to carry a lot of weight on my shoulders as the very last rider, but the team did an awesome job – every single horse, every single rider,” he pointed out.  The silver medallists from Canada and bronze medallists from Colombia had plenty of reason to celebrate too, as their second and third-place finishes have provided them with qualifying spots for the 2012 Olympic Games in London.

TEAM MEDALS
A total of 12 nations battled it out for the team medals, and the combined US score of 75.754 gave them a clear five-point victory. Peters and Weltino’s Magic produced the only score over 80% – his 80.132 setting a new Pan-American Games record – and he was awarded the leading mark by all five members of the Ground Jury – Great Britain’s Stephen Clarke, Raphael Saleh from France, Canada’s Cara Witham, Argentina’s Gabriel Armando and President, Lilo Fore, from the USA.

Continue reading USA Dominates Dressage at Pan American Games →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Dressage, Events, Pan American Games, USEF

US Dressage Team Invincible in Individual Medals 2011 Pan American Games

Leave a comment
Steffen Peters and Weltino's Magic Celebrate Gold (Photos: Shannon Brinkman)

The U.S. Dressage Team continued to own the Guadalajara Country Club’s beautiful dressage arena, continuing their medal run at the 2011 Pan American Games. They added Individual Gold, Silver and Bronze to the Team Gold they won on Sunday and they all scored over 80 percent in today’s freestyle.

Steffen Peters (San Diego, CA) wasn’t sure it would be possible to top Heather Blitz (Wellington, FL) and Paragon’s score of 86.650%, but he rode with a fierce determination and got every point out of Weltino’s Magic. They scored 87.300% for their freestyle to music by Seven and Five for a combined average of 82.690%. Jan and Bruce Hlavacek’s 9-year-old Westphalian gelding gave Peters his second Gold medal of these Games.

“What an amazing day and an amazing competition,” said the Olympic veteran. “I still have to think about the moment that I came out of the arena and when the scores were announced it probably took 30 seconds but it seemed like three hours. It is a very exciting day, congratulations to my teammates. The big score that Heather pulled in – I don’t think I’ve ever had that much pressure going into the arena knowing that there was an 86% in front of me.”

Continue reading US Dressage Team Invincible in Individual Medals 2011 Pan American Games →

Breeds, Contributors/Press, Racing

Personalized Euthanized at Old Friends

Leave a comment

GEORGETOWN, KY — OCTOBER 20, 2011 — Personalized, one of only four foals produced by Hall of Fame champion Precisionist, has died.

The 21-year-old mare was humanely euthanized at Old Friends Thoroughbred Retirement Facility in Georgetown, KY, where she had been pensioned since 2008. The mare was discovered in her paddock having suffered a fractured hip.

“We welcomed Personalized to Old Friends because of our great love for her sire but it wasn’t long before her kind eyes and gentle disposition made her special regardless of her lineage,” said Old Friends president and founder, Michael Blowen.

Owned and bred by Florida-based Fred Hooper, who also bred her sire, Personalized (Precisionist – Ski Title, by Baldski) only had eight starts in her career and no wins, earning only $1,050.  She was discovered in a feedlot Yakima, WA in 2008 by the Columbia Basin Equine Rescue and then found a permanent home at Old Friends.

Continue reading Personalized Euthanized at Old Friends →

Para-Equestrian, USEF

Para-Equestrian Training Session to Host Eight Riders

Leave a comment

Lexington, KY – Eight riders have been selected by Para-Equestrian High Performance Committee from an impressive group of applicants to participate in the upcoming Para-Equestrian Training Session to be held at USET Headquarters in Gladstone, NJ. This training session will take place November 5-6, 2011 and will be conducted by Robert Dover and Para-Equestrian Team Coach Missy Ransehousen.

The following riders have been selected to participate in the Para-Equestrian Training Session:

Erin Alberda (Woodinville, WA), Grade III
Charlotte Bathalon (South Burlington, VT), Grade II
Rebecca Hart (Unionville, PA), Grade II
Mary Jordan (Wells, ME), Grade IV
Margaret McIntosh (Reading, PA), Grade II
Elizabeth Pigott (Downington, PA), Grade II
Donna Ponessa (New Windsor, NY), Grade 1a
Freddie Win (Woodbridge, NJ), Grade IV

Continue reading Para-Equestrian Training Session to Host Eight Riders →

Competitions, Driving, Events, JRPR, Media/Radio/TV Sources

2011 CHIO Aachen Marathon Driving to Air on HRTV

Leave a comment
Chester Weber competing at the CHIO Aachen. (Photo courtesy of Franz Steindl)

Ocala, FL (October 19, 2011) – On Thursday, October 20th, HRTV will air the 2011 CHIO Aachen Marathon Driving followed by a re-airing of “Holding the Reins,” which showcases Chester Weber, America’s most decorated competitor in the sport of Combined Driving.  The show will air at 9:30pm Eastern and Pacific, in addition to a 1:30am air on Friday morning, 10:30pm Pacific.  The two shows highlight the sport of Combined Driving at its most competitive.

HRTV, The Network for Horse Sports, will run the CHIO Aachen Marathon, the most demanding phase of Combined Driving that combines agility, teamwork, and stamina. “Holding the Reins” is a 24-minute look at the exciting world of combined driving – which is considered one of the fastest growing sports in the industry – and features the story of how Weber grew up on a Thoroughbred racehorse farm to become one of our country’s leading drivers.

Weber has had great success both nationally and internationally, bringing home numerous wins under the American flag.  At the 2011 CHIO Aachen, Weber won the dressage phase and finished third individually at the prestigious competition.  On the same European tour Weber won the CAI Vecses, CAI Altenfelden, and the CAI Riesenbeck.  Most recently, the decorated driver served as Chef d’Equipe to the Pony and Pony Pairs Teams at the 2011 World Pony Driving Championships in Lipica, Slovenia, where Pony Team USA took home the Team Bronze Medal and Suzy Stafford, competing as an individual for Team USA, took home the Individual Bronze Medal.  The goal-oriented Weber has his sights set on being the best in the world and during the HRTV show the United States Driving Chef d’Equipe, Ed Young, discussed Weber’s ambitions. “I think we will see Chester become the World Champion,” Young said.

Continue reading 2011 CHIO Aachen Marathon Driving to Air on HRTV →

Competitions, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping, Washington Int'l Horse Show

WIHS Regional Horse Show & Zone 3 Finals

1 Comment

Washington, DC – October 17, 2011 – Polish your boots and spiff up your horses because The Washington International Regional Horse Show & Zone 3 Finals starts this week. This popular show is the sister event to the Washington International Horse Show, the country’s leading metropolitan indoor horse show, held the following week at Verizon Center in downtown Washington, D.C. In addition to being a top show in its own right with a broad selection of classes for riders of all levels, the WIHS Regional Show offers several last-minute ways to qualify for the big event at Verizon Center.

The Regional will take place Friday through Sunday, Oct. 21-23, at Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD. The U.S. Hunter Jumper Assn. (USHJA) Zone 3 Finals, hosted by the Regional, will be held on Sunday. A warm-up day on Thursday, Oct. 20, from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., will give horses and riders a chance to acclimate to the indoor and outdoor arenas before the show begins.

Riders across the country compete year-round to earn enough points to qualify for Verizon Center. The Regional Show provides a great opportunity for top riders from our local area as well. The Regional Show’s Children’s and Adult Hunter champions will qualify for the WIHS Children’s and Adult Championship held Tuesday evening, Oct. 25, and the top Regional Horses and Ponies owned by exhibitors living within 100 miles of Washington, D.C. will qualify for the Regional Hunter Finals on Sunday, Oct. 30.

Continue reading WIHS Regional Horse Show & Zone 3 Finals →

*Featured/Spotlights

What You Must Know about Equine Posture, by Karen Gellman, DVM, PhD

2 Comments

Gravity. It’s not just a good idea… it’s the law! This goes for horses and dogs as well as people. Pretty much all activity on earth is influenced by gravity, and the forces generated by gravity are the primary source of most athletic injury. However, most injuries aren’t caused by running or jumping, as you would think. They actually originate with how the person or animal uses their body while standing. In horses, this is especially critical, because they spend 20-22 hours a day standing: standing and eating, standing and sleeping or just plain standing.

What goes into posture?

Did you ever think about what it takes to stand up? You have to organize your legs, joint by joint, engage your spine, support your head and at the same time, keep the whole apparatus from falling over. All these tasks are done unconsciously by postural control centers in the brain, which process information about the body’s position in space. The nerves that receive information and take it to the central nervous system are called afferent nerves, and a special class of them are known as “proprioceptors.” Proprioceptors tell the brain where different parts of the body are: feet on the ground, head in the air, how much each joint is bent, etc. The most important information needed to generate posture comes from the position of the head and upper neck, the contact between the feet and the ground surface, and the position of the temporo-mandibular joints (TMJ), or jaw joints. These areas are very rich in proprioceptors; information transmitted to the postural control centers from these three regions will generate the correct standing posture needed to keep the animal upright.

Continue reading What You Must Know about Equine Posture, by Karen Gellman, DVM, PhD →

*Featured/Spotlights, Championships, Competitions, Driving, Events, FEI, FEI

Eleventh Season of the FEI World Cup Driving Attracts World Class Field

Leave a comment
FEI World Cup Driving title holder Boyd Exell of Australia. © Kit Houghton

Lausanne (SUI), 12 October 2011 – After an exciting outdoor season with the FEI Open European Driving Championships for Four-in-Hand in Breda (NED) as its highlight, the sport of four-in-hand Driving moves indoors for the 11th season of the FEI World Cup Driving.

Ten top class drivers will battle it out for the ultimate title of FEI World Cup Driving champion. Germany, who was absent from the series for the past two seasons, is making a significant comeback and will now be represented by two drivers, Rainer Duen and Georg von Stein.

New comer
The qualification season consisted of 14 competitions held throughout Europe with the top 10 drivers qualifying for the 2011-2012 season. Amongst these, there is one new comer: Georg von Stein from Germany. Von Stein competed as a wild card in the FEI World Cup Driving Final 2011 in Leipzig where he finished sixth.

Continue reading Eleventh Season of the FEI World Cup Driving Attracts World Class Field →

Your Southern Source for Everything Horse

Share via
Facebook
X (Twitter)
LinkedIn
Mix
Email
Print
Copy Link
Copy link
CopyCopied