Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, FEI, FEI, Show Jumping, USEF

Kessler Leads American Effort in Final Round of EY Cup

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Reed Kessler and Ligist. Aly Sanderford/ Phelps Media Group

Leipzig, Germany – The EY Cup, held in conjunction with the Rolex/FEI World Cup Final, came to close in Leipzig this morning with the final round of the CSI2*. The six Americans riders that have been contesting the competition all week looked to complete their time in Germany on a high note. With each competitor limited to riding one horse, there was all to play for over Frank Rothenberger’s 1.45m course. Twenty-nine combinations would start the first round with six returning to the jump-off.

Reed Kessler of Armonk, NY lead the American effort placing fifth with her Swedish Warmblood Ligist. Throughout the three rounds of the EY Cup, Kessler improved her performance each time she entered the ring. As the sixth horse in the ring, Ligist jumped a confident clear round to be the first to qualify to return for the shortened course.

“I had some really bad luck yesterday, I had a really fast time and he just nicked the back rail in front which is so unlike him. The luck evened out today, as he nicked the first couple, after the first few jumps he started jumping really well. I was definitely excited to be the only clean American.”

Continue reading Kessler Leads American Effort in Final Round of EY Cup →

Competitions, Contributors/Press, Diana de Rosa, Disciplines, Dressage, Events, Show Jumping

Heart of the Carolinas Three-Day Event – Results after Dressage

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Sarah Morton and Conference Call. Photos by Diana De Rosa

For the first of three days for the Heart of the Carolinas Three-Day Event, taking place at Southern Eights Farm in Chesterfield, SC, April 29 – May 1, three divisions were featured: Beginner-Novice, Novice, and Training.  In the Dressage, Jim Baker and Wings are leading the way in Beginner-Novice with a score of 42.3.  Anne Lane Maunder and Penny Lane are leading in Novice on a score of 29.3 and Sarah Morton and Conference Call head up the Training level riders with a score of 29.6.

Sarah Morton and Conference Call
“I felt like I had a really good test,” commented Sarah after her ride.  “I was a little mad with myself because I forgot a halt but even with the atmosphere out there he put his head down and went to work and stayed right there.”

Conference Call, an 8-year-old American Thoroughbred, is owned by Diane Lemmon, who is also his farrier.  “She bought him as a two-year-old off the track,” explained Sarah.  “I got the opportunity to break him.  She and I have both competed with him and I was lucky to get him this weekend.

Continue reading Heart of the Carolinas Three-Day Event – Results after Dressage →

Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, Kentucky Three-Day, Media/Radio/TV Sources

Eventing Radio Episode 137 by Bit of Britain – Rolex Day 2 Dressage

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The second day wrap up show done live from the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event. Listen as Chris reviews the day with Mark Todd, Oliver Townend and the leader Tiana Coudray. Tune in right here…

Eventing Radio Episode 137 by Bit of Britain – Show Notes and Links:

  • Show Host: Chris Stafford
  • Photo Credit: Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister Lead at Rolex after Dressage, Credit: USEA
  • Guest: Mark Todd
  • Guest: Oliver Townend
  • Guest: Doug Payne
  • Guest: Tiana Coudray
  • Guest: Joe Meyer
  • News: The Eventing Radio Show and HORSES IN THE MORNING show will be live from Rolex Kentucky 3DE: April 27 – May 1, 2011 from 4-5:30pm Eastern.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Events, USEF, Western/Reining

Shawn Flarida Wins First-Ever CRI 5* Kentucky Reining Cup

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Shawn Flarida and KL Lil Conquistador. (Photo by Stock Image Services.com)

Lexington, KY – For the first time in the history of the Western saddle sport of reining, a collection of the world’s best reining athletes slid into the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, to contest the inaugural five-star reining competition known as the CRI5* – the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup. When the dirt in the arena settled, it was Shawn Flarida and KL Lil Conquistador who laid down a spectacular pattern to take the title on a score of 226.5 in this the highest level of reining competition in the world.

From a country music icon to the current USEF Equestrian of the Year to the four-member U.S. Team that rocked the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games with their Team Gold and two Individual medals to a three-member family show down, this was a night of reining that won’t soon be forgotten. Reiners from three nations (United States, Canada and Mexico) took part at the event which was held concurrent with the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event sponsored by Bridgestone. In addition to the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup CRI5*, which offered $50,000 in prize money and is this year’s only five-star reining event in the Western hemisphere, there will be the first-ever World Championship Freestyle competition on Saturday.

The level of competition was expert, and performances these Western horses and riders put in thrilled the crowd. In fact, three of the four members of the Gold-medal WEG team were the top four riders.

Continue reading Shawn Flarida Wins First-Ever CRI 5* Kentucky Reining Cup →

FEI

Ward Stands Tenth as US Sends Seven to the Final Round of Rolex/FEI World Cup Final

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McLain Ward and Antares F. Rebecca Walton/Phelps Media Group

Leipzig, Germany – The Rolex/FEI World Cup Final saw a shuffle throughout the standings after the conclusion of the second round this afternoon. With forty-four World Cup points up for grabs and the chance to head into the final round on zero faults, clear rounds were at a premium. Forty horse/rider combinations jumped Frank Rothenberger’s impressive track, with seven riders representing six different nations returning for the jump-off.

In Sunday’s final only the top twenty-nine riders from the first two rounds will have the opportunity to jump in the championship. The US will be represented by seven riders in this round and McLain Ward (Brewster, NY) will lead the charge as the top placed American.

Ward rebounded from Thursday’s first round, which saw him lower two rails despite posting a competitive time. Today Ward riding Antares F and the pair jumped a stylish clear round to be the third horse to qualify for the jump-off. The Wurttemberger gelding owned by Grant Road Partners, LLC demonstrated immaculate jumping to make light work of Friday’s initial course.

Continue reading Ward Stands Tenth as US Sends Seven to the Final Round of Rolex/FEI World Cup Final →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, Kentucky Three-Day, Show Jumping, USEF

USA’s Coudray Springs into Lead after Dressage at 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event

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Tiana Coudray and Ringwood Magister. Photo by Shannon Brinkman.

Lexington, KY – There was one new name added to the top three riders after the dressage at the 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bridgestone, but it was an important one. Tiana Coudray made the trip from California worth the effort when she wowed the judges in the Rolex Stadium with Ringwood Magister. Their score of 40.8 leaves them with a narrow margin over Mary King, from Great Britain who lies second on 41.7. Thursday’s winner, Allison Springer, holds on to a top-three placing with Arthur on 42.3.

Ringwood Magister, an elegant and flashy 10-year-old Irish Sport Horse, has excellent paces and presence. Coudray coaxed him down the ramp into the Rolex Stadium and into the electric environment, managing him beautifully in the ring.

“He’d been really good in warm up,” said Coudray. “And I started down the ramp so he kind of knew something was up.”

Ringwood Magister misbehaved quite exuberantly on the way to the ring and found relaxing quite difficult, but Coudray is confident that once he gets in the ring, he goes to work. “When I got him down into the ring,” said Coudray, “I still wasn’t quite sure which way this was going to go. But he really put it together and went to work.”

Continue reading USA’s Coudray Springs into Lead after Dressage at 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, Kentucky Three-Day

American Tiana Coudray in the Lead Going into Today’s Cross Country at the Second Leg of the HSBC FEI Classics

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Tiana Coudray (USA) and Ringwood Magister are in the lead after Dressage at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, second leg of the HSBC FEI Classics.

Lexington, KY (USA), 30 April 2011 – Following two days of dressage at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, second leg of the HSBC FEI Classics, America’s Tiana Coudray is in pole position with her Jersey Fresh CCI*** 2010 winner Ringwood Magister.

The duo earned the best marks from the judges for a penalty score of 40.8.

“The trot work was tidy but maybe a bit conservative. It was during the canter work that I felt confident enough to show off what Magister can do – that’s the best bit for him,” said Coudray. “When we cantered down the centre line for the final time that’s when it hit me we’d done a good test.”

Britain’s Mary King is less than a penalty behind the leading duo with her four-star first timer Fernhill Urco.

“I wasn’t expecting such a good test from him. He’s a positive-thinking horse who is always forward and I find him strong but in the last month he’s really improved,” said King, who also occupies fourth with her home-bred bay mare Kings Temptress.

Continue reading American Tiana Coudray in the Lead Going into Today’s Cross Country at the Second Leg of the HSBC FEI Classics →

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, Kentucky Three-Day, Show Jumping

Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event 2011 after Dressage Phase

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Tiana Coudray (USA), Riding Ringwood Magister. All photos credit Stock Image Services.com, provided by Rolex.

Tiana Coudray (USA) today, 29th April 2011, is currently lying in first position after the final day of Dressage at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, in Lexington. Rolex Grand Slam contender Mark Tood (NZL) is lying in joint 17th with his horse Grass Valley.

William Fox-Pitt riding Neuf Des Coeurs is lying in 19th position and Oliver Townend, riding ODT Sonas Rovatio is in 26th place.

Current Standings:
1. Tiana Coudray (USA) riding Ringwood Magister, 40.8
2. Mary King (GBR) riding Fernhill Urco, 41.7
3. Allison Springer (USA) riding Arthur, 42.3
4. Mary King (GBR) riding Kings Tempress, 47.7
5. William Coleman (USA) riding Twizzel, 48.2
6. James Alliston (GBR) riding Jumbo’s Jake, 48.2
7. Kim Steverson (USA) riding Tipperary Liadhnan, 48.5
8. Sinead Halpin (USA) riding Manoir de Carneville, 48.7
9. Boyd Martin (USA) riding Remington XXV, 49.0
10. Clayton Fredericks (AUS) riding Be My Guest, 50.2
=17. Mark Todd (NZL) riding Grass Valley, 51.8

Further news and details are available on www.rk3de.org.

After winning the 2011 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials on NZB Land Vision earlier this week, Mark Todd enters ‘Rolex’ as the live contender for the coveted Rolex Grand Slam title.  With one of three legs of the Rolex Grand Slam complete, Todd must now win at both the 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and the 2011 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, in order to become only the second rider, after Pippa Funnell, to scoop the $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam for winning the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials, the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, and the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, all in succession. So far the Rolex Grand Slam feat has only been achieved by Pippa Funnell, who won all three competitions in 2003 on two different horses.

Mary King (GBR) Riding Fernhill Urco
Alison Springer (USA), Riding Arthur
*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Driving, Events, FEI, FEI

Exell Sets the Tone in Leipzig

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Boyd Exell on his way to victory in the warm up round of the FEI World Cup Driving Final in Leipzig. Photo: FEI/Rinaldo de Craen

Leipzig (GER) 29 April 2011 – Title defender Boyd Exell from Australia has won the warm up round of the FEI World Cup Driving Final in Leipzig this evening. The current four-in-hand World Champion was the only driver who finished the course in a clear round. Sweden’s Tomas Eriksson came second driving his brand new marathon carriage. Dutch driver Koos de Ronde finished third.

Ring rusty
The competitors were all a bit ring rusty after a break of several months. Some drivers competed in the last World Cup competition in Bordeaux at the start of February; others had an even longer break after the show in Mechelen at the end of December.

Wild card replacement
Home driver Georg von Stein replaced wild card driver Christian Plücker who unfortunately had to withdraw only two days ago because of two injured horses. Plücker had won the special indoor competition at the German Equestrian Centre in Warendorf in February and had herewith claimed the wild card. Von Stein finished second and was therefore the first candidate to replace Plücker. Von Stein had kept on training his horses so it was not difficult for him to prepare his team for his first ever World Cup start. Von Stein finished fifth in tonight’s competition, behind Switzerland’s Werner Ulrich.

Continue reading Exell Sets the Tone in Leipzig →

Community/Charity, Contributors/Press, Events

The Colorado Horse Park’s Conditioning for Success Clinic a Huge Success

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Parker, CO — As part of its commitment to education, The Colorado Horse Park (CHP) hosted a two-part series, Conditioning for Success, this spring. Featuring area experts such as Terry Swanson DVM, partner at Littleton Equine Medical Center, and Deeda Randle, M.S. in Animal Physiology, the event drew riders and auditors from around the region.

“The goal was to help riders and trainers do everything they can to prepare their horses for competition,” explained organizer Vivien Van Buren. “Like all sports, equestrian events have become highly competitive; the best athletes are using the latest in research and technology to help improve their performance and recover quickly after competition.”

Part one, held March 5, was a discussion forum focusing on a variety of topics including horse and rider nutrition, veterinary therapies for sport horses, physiology and the latest in conditioning programs. The sessions were designed to help riders prepare their horses and themselves for competition.

Continue reading The Colorado Horse Park’s Conditioning for Success Clinic a Huge Success →

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