Tag Archives: Allison Springer

Championships, Competitions, Eventing/H.T.

First Divisional Champions Honored at the USEA American Eventing Championships

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Allison Springer and Arthur. Photos ©ShannonBrinkmanPhotography.

Mill Spring, NC – September 2, 2016 – The 2016 Nutrena® USEA American Eventing Championships presented by Land Rover (AEC) continued at Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC), as the first of many championships honors were awarded in the George H. Morris Arena following the final phase of show jumping for seven different divisions.

Adequan® Gold Cup Advanced Finals

Allison Springer and longtime mount Arthur, a 17-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding (Windstar x Kelly) owned by Arthur Syndicate LLC, rose to the occasion once again in their admitted strongest phase of dressage, as the pair earned a 25.3 to hold a slight lead over Ryan Wood and Powell, a 10-year-old Oldenburg gelding (Pablito x Dinara) owned by Summit Sport Horses, who received a 25.4. Marilyn Little and RF Demeter, a 14-year-old Oldenburg mare (Rubin-Royal x Patricia) owned by Jacqueline Mars, Raylyn Farms, and Patrick Witte, are currently in third with a score of 28.0.

The division, which is an annual highlight of the Nutrena® USEA American Eventing Championships each year, features some of the best riders in the country including experienced CCI 4* riders and Olympians. Springer is no stranger to holding a lead heading into the second day of competition as Arthur, who is notoriously spooky in the two remaining phases, excels in dressage. The pair consistently scores below average on the flat at the Advanced level and will continue their success on cross-country Saturday.

“He was super today. I had not my usual prep for him because he was first out at 8 a.m. He hasn’t been anywhere since Kentucky this spring. I got injured and his first cross-country school was last week since then,” explained Springer. “The last couple of weeks I’ve been working with Karen O’Connor and I feel good and he feels good. He just was so happy to be at a show and doing something again.”

“I was a bit late getting to the warm-up, but he was focused and ready to do his job. When Arthur is good, he’s so good. It was just a fluid nice test,” she added.

The pair, who has been together for the entirety of Arthur’s career, has experienced both ups and downs in their performances together, but Springer is hopeful that the duo will be able to lay down a solid round Saturday around a difficult track, that could be an interesting test for Arthur.

“He is very very spooky. He’s not spooky at the jumps, but everything around them. When he’s like that he gets very tense in his back and jump a little low and tight. I think I’ve had to learn a lot about how to ride and train more like a show jumper,” she commented. “Certainly this type of event with a lot to look at on course makes it difficult to make up time and we’ll just see. He’s a good horse and he knows his job.”

Ryan Wood and Powell found themselves hot on the heels of the veteran pair, sitting just a tenth of a point behind the leaders, a subtle contrast to the levels of experience, as this duo is just finding their feet at the Advanced and FEI CCI 3* level, compared to Springer and Arthur who have been together for more than ten years.

“He felt fantastic. I thought I smoked the test today,” he laughed. “We’ve been working a lot on the flying changes. I had four horses in the Advanced division and we hit all of our changes. It’s usually a 50/50 change of getting them and we’re starting to get the hang of it.”

Marilyn Little continued her domination at the AECs, as she leads the Merial Open Intermediate division aboard RF Scandalous and holds second aboard RF Overdressed. She also guided her veteran Advanced mount, RF Demeter, to a current third place position in the Adequan® Gold Cup Advanced Finals.

“She held it together quite well. There was no familiarization so she perked up again heading into the ring,” said Little. “I thought she let me position her really well for the lateral work and the rideabilty will sometimes go there. That and the tension are typically the first things that creep up on her, but we didn’t see that today.”

Broadstone Masters Beginner Novice

Letha Calvin and Look Cody Look, a 19-year-old Thoroughbred gelding (Code Word R x Look N Good Darling), maintained their lead in the Broadstone Masters Beginner Novice division adding nothing to their original score of 27.5 heading into show jumping Saturday. Calvin and Look Cody Look made easy work of the course, while William Barclay and Stormn Hudson KD, a 7-year-old Trakehner gelding (Blitz und Donner x Stormn Doreen KD), moved into second place with a 28.3, while Erin Wiel and Boomtown II, a 19-year-old Thoroughbred, sit in third place with a score of 28.8.

“I was very pleased because we had a double clear ride on both horses in the division. They both looked at a lot of things out there and if I hadn’t ridden with my pants on fire today, they both would have had stops,” she laughed. “I thought it would be challenging and it was even a little bit more challenging than I thought it would be.

“I was concerned about the purple jump after the water and it rode a lot better than I thought it was going to ride. What I’ve figured out over the years is that I like to overthink things and I have learned that whether I’m first or last or anywhere in between the goal in each of the jumping phases is a clear round,” she added.

Merial Open Intermediate

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous, a 11-year-old Oldenburg mare (Carry Gold x Richardia) owned by Jacqueline Mars, Robin Parsky, Phoebe Manders and Michael Manders, maintained their lead in the Merial Open Intermediate division after finishing one of the quickest rounds of the day, crossing through the finish line just .4 seconds over the optimum time to hold first place leading into the final day of division competition with a 22.7. Doug Payne piloted his own Lysander, a 9-year-old Thoroughbred/Holsteiner (Lordship x Just for Terry), to hold second place after adding .8 time faults to their dressage score for a total of 29.7. Little guided her second mount in the division, RF Overdressed, a 9-year-old Hanoverian gelding (Countdown x Delia) owned by Jacqueline Mars, Robin Parsky, and Raylyn Farms, to third place, finishing as one of only of two combinations to complete the track inside of the optimum time.

Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous
Marilyn Little and RF Scandalous

With two horses sitting within the top three of the largest division of the week, as well as RF Demeter placed in the top three of the Adequan® Gold Cup Advanced Finals, Little has set herself up to have a banner week. Speaking of both horses on course, she commented, “I tried to come out of the box really strong. I’m not sure it’s possible to leave the first field up on your minutes, but I tried as hard as I could to get there. I tried to start the way I wanted to finish.

“They were both very focused and I felt like Overdressed went beautifully. He’s really coming into his own. He handled everything very well and it is always a great feeling when they show you they’re ready for more,” she added, commenting on her trip around the track with RF Overdressed.

RF Scandalous, who still has a tight hold on the lead, felt great on course, as the outing served as one of her first in a few months after returning from an injury last year. Little noted, “I was glad that there were quite a few turns at the beginning because she was amped at the beginning. The turns helped to keep her thinking and aware.”

Professional’s Choice Training Amateur

Kristen Paysinger and her own, 8-year-old Oldenburg mare Luistana (Linton x Espersica) have been a force in the Professional’s Choice Training Amateur division as the duo finished the week on their original dressage score of 25.0, completing a fantastic competition in all three phases. Patricia Hidalgo and Sapphire Storm, a 8-year-old Thoroughbred mare (Orchard Park x Sailor’s Gold) finished in second place with a score of 26.4, while Natasha Erschen and 6-year-old Irish Sport Horse Emerald Lion (Keltic Lion x Unknown) collected third place honors with a score of 26.8.

“I thought my horse was amazing. I thought the atmosphere was really going to through her off and she was just on it,” said Paysinger. “There was a lot of pressure and I’m really proud of her. She didn’t want to go into the combination at 4ab, but listened to me really well.

“This week I’ve learned to really keep my focus and not let all of the hustle and bustle of the venue get to you. You have to stay focused with just you and your horse and that really helped a lot and was something new for me,” said Hidalgo.

Second and third place were only separated by four tenths of a point, capping an exciting competition for the riders in the division. Erschen commented that she was particularly pleased with her mare’s ability to finish on their dressage score.

“I was proud to finish on her dressage score. This is her first year at Training, and for her to come here and jump as well as she did, as well as put in a solid round in each phase, I was just really happy,” she concluded.

Novice Amateur

Sarah Fishetto and Sin Fallo kept a hold on their lead after the cross-country portion of the Novice Amateur division on their strong starting score of 24.3. The duo, who have had some difficulty with the phase in the past, felt they gained an immense amount of confidence after their completion of the track. Alison Wilably and her own Mr. Mile High are currently seated in second place with a 26.3, while Cecelia Bette piloted her own Mystery K hold third place with a score of 27.5.

“We came out and she was super bold and ready to go. We’ve had some issues in the past so we decided to roll out with a little bit of a bolder take on the course,” she explained. “The footing held up really well and it all fell into place.

“A lot of our practice has been keeping her from rushing. She’s a horse that really fakes the confidence. She will rush at things and then stop or run out because she gets nervous. We’ve been working on keeping her up and the backend going,” noted Fischetto.

Novice Horse

The Novice Horse division rounded out the final day of competition for the 35 riders entered in the competitive class, which was championed by Ashley Phillips and her own Bayani Slade with a final score of 25.3, to complete the week on her original dressage score. Dominic Schramm and Cooley Renaissance Man, owned by Stormy Craine, rode to second place, with a tied score of 25.3, but Phillip’s cross-country round was closer to the optimum time, which ultimately gave her the win. Martha Lambert and her own Sutton finished the week in third place with a score of 26.8.

“He came out and he was very jazzed so I knew the atmosphere in here would get to him. He was a little bit fresh to begin with but really started to focus on me after fence three so I was proud of him,” said Phillips. “We’ve had issues with him not being able to focus at competitions and this week he was really in the zone, which was really great.”

Schramm, who finished a successful week with Cooley Renaissance Man, was pleased with the progress and maturity the gelding showed throughout the competition and feels that he has finally solidified himself in each of the three phases.

“He doesn’t really pay much attention to the smaller jumps so the biggest thing is managing him and trying to keep his focus. We want to keep him fresh and towards the end he started to tap the rails, which was making me a bit nervous. He’s such a good horse and really knows and understands his job now.”

Broadstone Beginner Novice Horse

Doug Payne and Mr. Mitchel, a 4-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, rode to victory with a 28.3 in the Broadstone Beginner Novice Horse division, as the pair surpassed Rumsey Keefe and her own Eightofasttocatch, an 11-year-old Thoroughbred gelding, who finished on their dressage score of 30.5, as well as Lauren Chumley and Nikolas, a 5-year-old Sport Pony Nikolas (Novalis T x Capina Mia), owned by Melissa Dowling, who completed the weekend on a 31.3.

Payne and Mr. Mitchel have just started their eventing career together, as the gelding was imported in late fall and began in full training with Payne in early January. The atmosphere of TIEC has been a major talking point for the riders, as they feel it helps horses of all ages and levels gain valuable experience.

“I think this particular facility has a distinct advantage over any of the AECs I’ve been to, in that it’s such a big atmosphere and both of these horses will continue on to do big things. I think that placing them in a bigger environment will only serve them better in the future,” said Payne, who also sits towards the top of the leaderboard in the Merial Open Intermediate division and will pilot Vandiver around the Adequan® Gold Cup Advanced Finals cross-country track Saturday afternoon. “I think the cross-country course was an asset. I think having a tighter and more energetic environment really prepares them for the bigger things ahead overseas if they are able to get that far. If you can introduce young horses to that, it doesn’t seem like such a big deal down the line.”

Keefe and Eightofasttocatch rose up the leaderboard to ultimately finish second in the final division of the day at TIEC. Keefe is a major supporter of the Thoroughbred breed and was proud to display the breed’s best qualities this week.

“He’s been doing this for about a year after finishing on the track. He’s actually much better in this type of environment. He loves this atmosphere. He can be a little bit hot, but he can also be quiet sometimes so it’s about keeping a rhythm with him,” said Keefe, describing her ride and Eightofasttocatch, who earned more than $1,000,000 during his time on the racetrack. “He loves the galloping and running on cross-country and I really felt like he ate it up yesterday.”

Chumley, an established dressage rider who was bit by the eventing bug as a cross-training tool for her horses, finished in third place after leading the division aboard Nikolas, as the pair dropped a single rail in stadium and placed them in fourth.

“He’s a green horse and this is only his fourth or fifth horse trial. I’m still trying to figure out what I’m doing in the stadium out there, but he was really focused for this big of an atmosphere. For being five and at his first AEC, I’m really proud. I’m excited to see what he can do in the future,” commented Chumley.

To learn more about Tryon International Equestrian Center (TIEC), please visit www.tryon.com.

About the AEC

The Nutrena® USEA American Eventing Championships (AEC) presented by Land Rover is the pinnacle of the sport for the national levels. Held annually, this event draws together the best competitors from across the country vying for national titles from the Beginner Novice through the Advanced level. This year’s AEC is being held at the Tryon International Equestrian Center in Mill Spring, NC from Wednesday, August 31 through Sunday, September 4.

Leslie Mintz & Shelby Allen for USEA/Carly Weilminster for TIEC

Eventing/H.T., JRPR, Kentucky Three-Day

World Equestrian Brands Gets Ready to Celebrate Riders at 2016 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event

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Bruce ‘Buck’ Davidson (photo courtesy of Mike McNally).

Buena Vista, VA (April 27, 2016) – The Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Land Rover, is almost upon us, and World Equestrian Brands is looking forward to celebrating many of its top sponsored riders at this highly anticipated annual event. The year 2016 is a big year at Rolex for World Equestrian Brands, the Virginia-based distributer of top brands Vespucci, Amerigo, E. A. Mattes, and Equilibrium. World Equestrian Brands’ sponsored riders Bruce ‘Buck’ Davidson Jr., Kim Severson, Allison Springer, and Alexandra Knowles are all competing in this premier North American CIC 4* Eventing competition. World Equestrian Brands will also be partnering with the fan-favorite website, Eventing Nation, for a tailgating party during the competition.

The prestigious Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event CIC4* will be held April 28 – May 1, 2016. The competition is held every year at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Kentucky, and draws record number crowds. Top international horse and rider combinations will be vying for an opportunity to win a piece of the competition’s $350,000 prize, as well a chance to prepare their horses to potentially be chosen to represent their countries at the 2016 Olympic Games, to be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

Buck Davidson, the alternate for the 2012 U.S. Olympic Team, has three horses that will compete at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event – Copper Beach, Petite Flower, and Park Trader. Davidson, whose many accomplishments include being the #1 Ranked Eventing Rider in the United States in 2011, competing in the Pan American Games in 2011, and being the #2 Ranked Eventing Rider in the United States in 2010 and 2009, runs a training and competition facility during the winters in Ocala, Florida and in the summers in Riegelsville, Pennsylvania.

Kim Severson has won the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event three times and is hoping to make 2016 a fourth. Severson has competed internationally on Olympic teams and in World Equestrian Games. This year, Severson is making the trek to the Kentucky Horse Park with her own Fernhill Fearless, a 16-year-old Irish Thoroughbred gelding.

Allison Springer, from Upperville, Virginia, is bringing the Team Arthur Syndicate’s 17-year-old Irish Thoroughbred gelding, Arthur, to Rolex for the fifth time. The pair has had a successful partnership since 2007, and has competed around the world, most recently in the Carolina Horse Trials CIC3* Advanced. There, Springer and Arthur triumphed out of a tough field of 70 competitors. They are listed as a top pair to watch in the upcoming Rolex CIC 4* competition.

Allison Knowles (photo courtesy of JRPR)
Allison Knowles (photo courtesy of JRPR)

Alexandra ‘Allie’ Knowles will be competing Sound Prospect at this year’s Rolex event. Knowles competed in her first Rolex Kentucky CIC4 * event in 2013 and has been one to watch in upper level competitions ever since. Sound Prospect is one of four Thoroughbreds in this year’s competition, and the pair seems in top form after placing second in the CCI 3* event at Galway Downs at the end of 2015.

While keeping an eye on the exciting riding that will be taking place, World Equestrian Brands will also be helping to sponsor Eventing Nation’s “Insanity in the Middle” Rolex Tailgate Party, presented by Amerigo, all day on Saturday during the Cross-Country competition. The public is invited to attend this fun-filled party that will host Jimmy Wofford and his Top Dog contest. Spectators who are interested in learning more about the cross-country portion of the event can meet at the head of the lake to participate in a course walk with Allie Knowles and Sharon White on Friday evening at 5:30.

“We are really excited to be partnering with Eventing Nation on the tailgate party at Rolex this year! I hope everyone will stop by for the opportunity to win some prizes from Vespucci and Equilibrium and catch up on all the action of the event,” says Robin Moore, CEO of World Equestrian Brands.

World Equestrian Brands distributes popular tack and equipment throughout North America from the brands Amerigo, Vespucci, Equilibrium, and E. A. Mattes. For more information about this premier distributor of high-quality equestrian brands, visit www.worldequestrianbrands.com. For more information on the 2016 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day event, visit www.rk3de.com.

Robin Moore
World Equestrian Brands
540-264-0154
rmoore@worldequestrianbrands.com
www.worldequestrianbrands.com

Dressage, Eventing/H.T.

Allison Springer and Arthur Start with Early Dressage Lead in $75k Wellington Eventing Showcase

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Allison Springer and Arthur. Photos: ©SusanJStickle.

Wellington, FL – February 5, 2016 – Allison Springer (USA) and her veteran mount Arthur secured an early lead in the dressage phase of the $75,000 Asheville Regional Airport Wellington Eventing Showcase, presented by Wellington Equestrian Realty. Competition will continue with the show jumping phase beginning at 10:30 a.m. in the Global International Ring at Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) Saturday morning, February 6, with the cross-country phase starting with the first rider on course at 1 p.m.

Springer and Arthur took the lead with a score of 29.1. Buck Davidson (USA) and Ballynoecastle RM will move into the show jumping phase in second place, receiving a 30.1, while Boyd Martin (USA), winner of last year’s event, sits in third place aboard new mount Blackfoot Mystery with a 30.6.

Allison Springer and Arthur have a storied partnership, as the duo have tested some of the largest CCI 4* events in the world, including the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day CCI4* multiple times, and the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials CCI 4*, where the duo has finished 6th and 21st respectively. Arthur, known to be a generally spooky mount, braved the atmosphere of the Global International Ring on a windy day in Wellington, FL, and Springer was proud of the 17-year-old gelding.

“He feels great,” Springer said. “He’s 17 this year and it’s fun to see him and Reggie, Buck’s horse, here. They really started out together, and it’s been so many years. He feels great and is so happy to be out doing stuff again. He’s jumping really well and I’m hoping that I can stay focused tomorrow and give him a good ride.”

Springer has waited to bring Arthur back into competition after an injury last year sidelined him for majority of the 2015 season. Looking in top form, the combination impressed in their first run of 2016. They are using this event to prepare for their first CCI4* run of 2016 at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event in April.

“He got hurt before Rolex last year and now he feels strong and well. This for me is one of our big preps for Rolex this year. He’ll do this and an easy February getting him fit and we’ll maybe do a run at The Fork,” commented Springer. “This is the perfect event for him because it has the noise and the stadium. I’m really grateful (that) Mark [Bellissimo], Jim [Wolf], and Michael [Stone] have put this together for us. We all can’t thank [them] enough. Arthur is happy to be here.”

“We haven’t had a run since last year’s showcase here,” Springer continued. “This is good practice for my horse. He can be a bit of a spook, but he’s pretty good with the technical stuff. I’ve worked really hard on my show jumping because it’s not Arthur’s strongest phase, but he’s fully capable and it just requires a lot of focus on my part. I’m going to be thinking positive.”

Buck Davidson and Ballynoecastle RM
Buck Davidson and Ballynoecastle RM

Buck Davidson (USA) and crowd favorite Ballynoecastle RM shot to the top of the standings before Springer’s ride as the third to last pair to go on the first day of competition. The pair, who has represented the United States on numerous occasions, is back in action for the 2016 season.

Davidson commented, “It’s a great experience for all of us to come to a new venue and have some new fans and bring a new kind of excitement to Wellington. As for Reggie, you end up saying the same thing every time. He’s just a professional. I’m disappointed in myself that I missed the one change, but he was perfect as usual and we’re on to focusing on the next day.”

“It’s an awesome course,” Davidson said of tomorrow’s cross-country track. “It’s perfectly laid out and I wish the fairways at my golf course looked as nice as this. We’re all appreciative of that and all of the horses should be able to have a good, quick run. It’s not very long, and the fences are well presented. The ground is perfect, and I think you’ll see a great competition tomorrow.”

With two new mounts entered in the competition for the first time, Boyd Martin (USA) made the most of both rides, piloting Welcome Shadow to a score of 35.9 to sit in 20th place moving into show jumping tomorrow, and rode Blackfoot Mystery to a third place finish after the first phase.

Martin said, “We had a great event last year, but it just feels bigger and better this year. I think the field of riders is actually higher quality than last year. There’s a lot more of the top horses here. I was really happy with my two horses today. I brought a green one named Welcome Shadow that did quite well and my new horse Blackfoot Mystery came in and did a good test. We had a few little mistakes, but I think he’s all class. I’m looking forward to building a partnership with him and bringing him up for Rolex later this spring.”

“It’s the beginning of the season. My fellows haven’t had a run since last year and it’s a big pressure show jumping atmosphere. It’s an enclosed and proper ring. The cross country isn’t too big, but it’s a bit trickier than last year. I think riders will have to be decisive on course.”

Event Director Jim Wolf was on hand to comment on the improvements that have been made to make the 2016 Asheville Regional Airport Wellington Eventing Showcase, presented by Wellington Equestrian Realty, better than ever.

“Last year was a start-up event and we went a bit cautious with the course. We wanted to understand the venue and get the riders comfortable with the format. I’d really like to thank all of the riders and their owners for believing in the event,” he noted. “We were trying to create something a bit different for eventing because it was a showcase, giving us a way to introduce the sport to this community. I used to event and that’s where my heart still lies. I knew that there was a real fan base and owner base for eventing that they hadn’t tapped into yet.”

“All of the owners in equestrian sport are incredibly important and event horses are a special leap of faith because there isn’t great prize money, but that’s something that we’re addressing here and want to change within this sport. We also thought that we could introduce some new owners to the sport and last year we were successful doing that,” he continued. “People have really supported this event, which is great, and we have an incredible group of sponsors behind this. They have really stepped up and these are very long term supporters of eventing like Land Rover, Rolex, Adequan®, Ariat, and then we have Asheville Regional Airport and Wellington Equestrian Realty who are great partners for this new event.”

Competition will be live streamed tomorrow beginning at 10:30 a.m. with show jumping and continue with cross country at 1 p.m. provided by The Chronicle of the Horse. Please visit http://bit.ly/1NTWM6t to watch the competition live.

For more information on the $75,000 Asheville Regional Airport Wellington Eventing Showcase, presented by Wellington Equestrian Realty, please visit www.pbiec.com.

Eventing/H.T., JRPR

World Equestrian Brands Ambassadors Dominate Richland Park Horse Trials

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Buck Davidson and Balleynoe Castle RM (photos courtesy of Leslie Mintz/USEA Photos)

Richland, MI (August 28, 2015) – World Equestrian Brands ambassadors Buck Davidson, Kim Severson, Allison Springer, and Allie Knowles left the Richland Park Horse Trials victorious this past weekend, winning three divisions and earning several other competitive placings.

Buck Davidson and Ballynoe Castle RM, who were champions of the 2011 Adequan USEA Gold Cup CIC 3*, earned their second win in the same division at Richland Park this year. Despite competing with a few broken ribs from a fall during the competition just a few hours prior to his cross country trip, Davidson had an impressive cross country round on “Reggie,” as Ballynoe Castle RM is affectionately known. “My goal was just to get balanced and try to survive today,” laughed Davidson. “He looked after me. He is awesome, as all my horses are; I’m very proud of them.” The 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse, owned by Carl and Cassandra Segal, also jumped a clear round in the show jumping portion of the event, helping Davidson to clinch the win in the CIC 3* event.

Kim Severson faced her own challenges in the advanced cross country portion of her ride. A mistake in the posted optimum time left her expecting a few time penalties. When she finished, she learned she was actually only a second over the optimum time, earning her and her ride – Cooley Cross Border – a win in the Advanced division. The single time fault in the cross country round as well as a clear round in the advanced show jumping put Severson in the obvious lead.

Severson has been taking it “very, very slow” with Cooley Cross Border, an 8-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding who has been Severson’s equine partner since 2011. Severson said, “I’m really excited about this horse. He is a horse of the quality that we need that hopefully can go on and perform at the highest level for us.”

Kim Severson and 8 year old Irish Sport Horse Cooley Cross Border
Kim Severson and 8 year old Irish Sport Horse Cooley Cross Border

Severson also took first place in the Open Preliminary division with Hope Cove, a 2001 Zangersheide owned by Michelle Parker. Severson has been riding Hope Cove since 2013.

World Equestrian Brands also sponsors Allison Springer and Allie Knowles, who were both successful in the Richland Park Horse Trials as well. Springer took 8th place in the CIC 2* on Cascani, and 10th on Athlone Anto in the Advanced division. “I feel so blessed with both my horses this weekend; they did incredible. They both jumped beautifully and were so much fun to ride. Thank you to everyone who made these partnerships possible!”

World Equestrian Brands is thrilled with the tremendous success of its ambassadors at the Richland Park Horse Trials. The company is proud to support these athletes and their horses with the highest quality brands of tack and equipment available on the market. The company’s first-class line of products includes saddles, bridles, girths, leg wraps, saddle pads, therapeutic equipment and more by Amerigo, Vespucci, E. A. Mattes, and Equilibrium.

For more information about World Equestrian Brands and its products, visit www.worldequestrianbrands.com or call 1-888-637-8463.

Robin Moore
World Equestrian Brands
540-264-0154
rmoore@worldequestrianbrands.com
www.worldequestrianbrands.com

Eventing/H.T., USEF

Springer in Third after Day One at Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials

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Allison Springer and Arthur (Libby Law Photography)

Lexington, Ky. – The first day of dressage began at the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials on Thursday at Burghley House, Stamford in Lincolnshire, England, with the first batch of U.S. riders coming down the centerline. In the CCI4*, a talented international field performed their tests in front of the judging panel of Christian Landolt, Ernst Topp, and Angela Tucker. Allison Springer (Upperville, Va.) and Arthur had a stellar dressage test, earning a 41.2 and putting them in third place, just one point behind the first-place score. Arthur Syndicate, LLC’s 15-year-old Irish sport horse cross gelding performed brilliantly for Springer. She attributed that performance to their strong bond.

“I’m blessed that I have such a beautiful animal to ride,” Springer said. “He’s very, very spooky, so this is actually a difficult phase for him to get his most relaxed. He’s 15 (years old); I’ve had him for 10 years now, so we do have a partnership.”

Springer said she’s walked Saturday’s cross country course twice, and she believes Arthur is ready for the challenge.

“It’s Burghley; it’s big. Everyone says the same thing. Historically, that’s been our least consistent phase, but I know he can do it and I have to go out and ride like I did a couple years ago here.”

Marylyn Little (Frederick, Md.) performed a lovely test with Team Demeter, LLC’s RF Demeter to earn a 47.5, putting them in fifth place. The Karen E. Stives High Performance Eventing Grant recipient and the12-year-old Oldenburg mare had a flowing test with quality trot work.

USEF Land Rover Competition Grant recipient Meghan O’Donoghue (Carbondale, Ill.) rounded out the U.S. effort on Thursday, riding her own Pirate to a score of 54.2. She and the 12-year-old thoroughbred gelding currently sit in 14th place.

Australia’s Sam Griffiths and Happy Times lead the field with a score of 40.2 following the first day of dressage. Fellow countryman Andrew Hoy sits in second place with Rutherglen on a score of 40.8.

Hannah Sue Burnett, who also received a Karen E. Stives High Performance Eventing Grant, will perform her dressage test tomorrow with long-time partner Harbour Pilot, an 11-year-old Irish sport horse gelding owned by Jacqueline Mars.

To view live scores, go to http://www.bdwp.co.uk/bur/14/.

For more information on the Land Rover Burghley International Horse Trials, click here.

Follow the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team here.

Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Kentucky Three-Day, Revolution Sports

Allison Springer (USA) Leads the 2014 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event after Dressage

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1st – Allison Springer and Arthur.

(USA, 25 April 2014) Allison Springer (USA) riding Arthur, today Friday 25 April 2014, is the current leader after the Dressage phase, with William Fox-Pitt (GBR) riding Bay My Hero in 2nd place, and Lauren Kieffer (USA) riding Veronica in 3rd place at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, in Lexington.

Results after Dressage Phase:

1. Allison Springer/Arthur (USA) 39.5
2. William Fox-Pitt/Bay My Hero (GBR) 44.0
3. Lauren Kieffer/Veronica (USA) 46.7
4=. Jan Byyny/Inmidair (USA) 49.5
4=. Phillip Dutton/Mr Medicott 49.5
4=. Michael Pollard/Mensa G (USA) 49.5
7. Will Faudree/Pawlow (USA) 49.8
8. Doug Payne/Crown Talisman (USA) 51.2
9. Marilyn Little/RF Demeter (USA) 51.3
10. William Fox-Pitt/Seacookie TSF (GBR) 51.5

Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing Current Contender

Andrew Nicholson (NZL) has travelled to the Kentucky Horse Park as the new Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing ‘live contender’ and the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event defending champion. This follows the news announced on 23 April 2014 that last year’s winner of the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials, Jonathan Paget (NZL), has officially been disqualified following a “partial decision” by the sport’s governing body Tribunal. As a result of Paget’s disqualification, Andrew Nicholson and Avebury have now been promoted and are the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials 2013 winners.

All eyes are now on Nicholson to see if he can repeat the form he demonstrated in 2013, by winning the 2014 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, which will put him one competition away from the coveted USD $350,000 Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing Prize. Nicholson is competing in Kentucky on his grey gelding Avebury and is currently lying in joint 11th place after the Dressage phase on a score of 51.7.

Quote from Allison Springer (USA) (link to audio of full post-event press conference below):

Q. Allison – how does it feel to be back with Arthur?

We know each other well. As a competitor he has given me most of my mileage so I have learned to be a little bit more relaxed and understanding with him and he was pretty wild when I rode him at lunchtime – I thought, uh oh, I’m in a little bit of trouble here, but you just have to do the best job you can. It’s emotional; it’s been a big year and it’s emotional to have my horse back and strong and feeling great.

2nd - William Fox-Pitt and Bay My Hero
2nd – William Fox-Pitt and Bay My Hero

Quote from William Fox-Pitt (GBR) (link to audio of full press conference below):

Q. William – Bay May Hero – what a lovely horse – thoughts on that test?

He is a cool horse; he’s such a fun horse to ride and one that’s always on your side. You go in there and that atmosphere and that crowd in there was fantastic – you need a horse that’s good and he really tried.

It was a huge relief to get a 44 (as the scores have all been so high) and delighted with how he went. There were a couple of rusty moments as he hasn’t had a big day out for a while – I’m really excited.

Quotes from Lauren Kieffer (USA) (link to audio of full press conference below):

Q. Lauren – competing in just your second Rolex – how does it feel this time?

I’ve been riding Veronica for about a year now and it’s definitely a different mind-set this time around – I came to give a shot at it and there is a lot to do tomorrow – it certainly won’t be a dressage show, but I’m happy with how it went today.

Quotes from Andrew Nicholson (NZL), currently live contender of the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing:

Q. Andrew – how did you feel the test went for you?

It wasn’t as good as he is on grass – I thought he might be a bit like this on this surface [all weather] – grass gives him a little bit more balance. I was having to ride him a bit more strongly in there to keep him looking half active. But he’s good. I know he can do better than that.

Q. So you are currently within five points of the leaders?

If they stay scoring that for the last few and if I can finish on that, then I think I can probably win!

3rd - Lauren Kieffer and Veronica
3rd – Lauren Kieffer and Veronica

Copyright Free Audio

Please click on the following links for copyright free audio of the post-event Press Conference after Dressage Day Two with the top three placed riders:
http://po.st/0n8oIY

For more information on the 2014 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event and full Results/Leaderboard, please visit www.rk3de.org.

Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing

In 2001, Rolex created the Rolex Grand Slam of Eventing. This trophy is awarded to the rider who manages to win the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials and the Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials event in any consecutive order. Until now, only British rider Pippa Funnell has managed this staggering achievement, winning the title in 2003.

Revolution Sports + Entertainment
team@revolutionsports.co.uk
www.revolutionsports.co.uk

Competitions, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Kentucky Three-Day

Springer Soars to Top Following Dressage at Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event

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Allison Springer and Arthur (Shannon Brinkman)

Lexington, Ky. – The second day of dressage came to a close Friday at the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented Land Rover with a new set of names atop the leaderboard. Twenty-nine horse-and-rider combinations performed their test in the Rolex Stadium in front of the Ground Jury of Sandy Phillips (GBR), Gillian Rolton (AUS), and Christina Klingspor (SWE). The U.S. riders had another day of impressive performances at the Kentucky Horse Park.

Allison Springer (Upperville, Va.) rode longtime partner Arthur into the lead with a score of 39.5, 4.5 points ahead of second place. With the Arthur Syndicate LLC’s 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding, Springer had a beautiful test with great work at the trot and canter with quality flying changes.

“No, he’s not a more mellow guy but I think we know each other really well,” Springer replied of Arthur’s sometimes spooky nature. “As a competitor he has given me most of my mileage so I’ve learned to be a little bit more relaxed and understanding of what I have… I think he remembers Kentucky because he was so nice at the jog and that’s the nicest he has actually walked down that ramp and trotted around the arena… It’s very emotional to have my horse back and strong and feeling great.”

Sitting in second place are William Fox-Pitt (GBR) and Bay My Hero on a score of 44.0 after a wonderful test. Fox-Pitt and Catherine Witt’s 11-year-old Irish Sport Horse gelding had a very smooth test making the movements look easy.

“I was very happy with Bay My Hero today. He couldn’t have gone very much better,” Fox-Pitt said of his dressage test. “He likes to look at everything but today he really held it together well. I was very pleased with him.”

Lauren Kieffer (Middleburg, Va.) and Veronica lie in third place with 46.7 heading into Saturday’s cross country phase after putting in a solid test on Friday. In only her second appearance at Kentucky, Kieffer moved into her respectable position with Team Rebecca, LLC’s 12-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare on the strength of good trot work and nice flying changes.

“Last time I was here in 2010 with my Young Rider horse Snooze Alarm and he was great and it was a super experience,” Kieffer said of her first experience at Kentucky’s CCI4*. Continuing about her mount this year, she said, “I have been riding Veronica for about a year now and it’s definitely a different mindset this time around. I came here to give a shot at it. There is a lot to do tomorrow. It certainly won’t be a dressage show but I’m happy with how it went today.”

Looking forward to tomorrow’s cross country day, Springer has two different rides with Arthur and stablemate Copycat Chloe, Copycat Chloe Syndicate, LLC’s 12-year-old Trakehner/Thoroughbred mare. “I think it is interesting for me looking at the course because I have two very different horses, one doing her first four-star, so what’s important about that is giving a very educational run, a confidence-building experience.”

“I think there is quite a bit to do out there. Obviously with Arthur I want to have a great day tomorrow, we all do. I think the angled hedges [16A and B] are about the most sever angle I will have jumped,” Springer said with a laugh. “I really trust Derek [di Grazia] as a course designer. I think there are tough questions but I as a rider trust him a lot and I have a lot of faith in Arthur and what we have together. I hope to give him the best ride that I can.”

Kieffer added that it was a beautiful, well done course, saying that “Derek is a genius as course designer.” She thought the course will require a rider’s constant attention, but has clear lines when presented to a horse clearly should ride quite well.

“I think it does look like a great course. What’s out there needs to be attacked and encourages forward riding and forward horses,” Fox-Pitt shared of what should be a great day of cross country. “It’s always a tough track and you never really know how the day is going to go.”

Cross country day begins tomorrow at 11:00am ET with Buck Davidson and Park Trader.

By Kathleen Landwehr

Watch the live stream on the USEF Network presented by SmartPak here: http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/2014Rolex/.

For more information about the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event presented by Land Rover, visit www.rk3de.org.

Follow the Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team at http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/LandRoverUSEventingTeam/.

*Featured/Spotlights, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Kentucky Three-Day

Arthur Is King of Dressage at Kentucky

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Alison Springer (USA) and Arthur were outstanding in the Dressage, scoring the only sub-40 mark to take the overnight lead at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event (USA), third leg of the FEI Classics™. Photo: Anthony Trollope/FEI.

Lausanne (SUI), 25 April 2014 – Alison Springer (USA) and the evergreen chestnut gelding Arthur are in the lead after Dressage at the Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event, third leg of the FEI Classics™ 2013/2014.

Thirty-nine-year-old Springer and the 15-year-old Irish Sport Horse Arthur are one of the most enduring partnerships in the sport. Their brilliant score of 39.5, the only sub-40 mark in the field, comes as no surprise, even though good scores have been hard to come by in this phase.

William Fox-Pitt (GBR), a former dual winner of Kentucky, in 2010 and 2012, is in second place, five penalties in arrears, with the 11-year-old Bay My Hero, on which he was fourth at Pau (FRA) in 2012.

“He’s a cool horse and fun to work with,” said Fox-Pitt. “It’s a huge relief to score 44 because the marking has been quite strict, but he’s a real trier.”

Fox-Pitt is also in equal 10th place on last year’s runner-up, Seacookie, level with his former pupil, Sinead Halpin on the 2012 Burghley runner-up Manoir de Carney.

Lauren Kieffer (USA), 26, who has not ridden at a CCI4* since finishing 29th in 2010 on Snooze Alarm, finds herself in elevated company in third place on 46.7.

Kieffer, originally from Illinois, is trained by David and Karen O’Connor, and now has the ride on the 12-year-old mare Veronica, previously trained by Karen O’Connor.

Phillip Dutton (Mr Medicott), Jan Byyny (Inmidair) and Michael Pollard (Mensa G) are tied in fourth place on 49.5.

An all-female ground jury made up of Christina Klingspor (SWE) as president, Sandy Phillips (GBR) and Gill Rolton (AUS) placed Michael Pollard (USA) and Mensa G at the top of the leaderboard on the first day of Dressage when only two riders managed to break the 50-penalty barrier.

“Mensa has won the Dressage before and is pretty consistent, but his work today was probably the best he’s done, although we lost some marks with bad changes,” said Pollard afterwards. “We’ve been working hard on shaving the rough edges off every single aspect of the test and it’s paid off.”

Looking ahead to the Cross Country, Pollard commented: “I think it may be a little stiffer this year, but I’ve got a good horse who generally goes straight and has plenty of stamina.”

New Zealander Andrew Nicholson, last year’s Kentucky winner, has come to Kentucky with the declared intention of having a crack at the Rolex Grand Slam, worth $350,000 to the rider who can win Kentucky, Badminton and Burghley consecutively.

He is perhaps not as highly placed as he would like at this stage, in 11th position on dual Burghley winner Avebury, but is still in close contention ahead of what is expected to be a challenging Cross Country day.

US riders form the largest percentage of the field and their new team trainer David O’Connor will be earmarking potential combinations for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Normandy in August – the US last won the team title in 2002 in Jerez (ESP).

With this in mind, the general consensus is that Course Designer Derek di Grazia (USA) has increased the difficulty of his Cross Country track. “It’s a strong course,” concedes Will Faudree (USA), “but it’s beautifully built and inviting.”

The course presents the usual mix of big, bold fences and accuracy tests, most notably a different route at Kentucky’s famous Head of the Lake water complex (18/19) and a new combination at 14abc, the Land Rover at the Hollow, where a keyhole fence is followed by a difficult line to a corner and a forward distance to an oxer.

Former Olympic gold medalist Jimmy Wofford (USA) predicts that this combination will be influential. He describes the field as “relatively inexperienced and extremely talented” and says: “Some will amaze us and some we’ll feel sorry for. It’s a hard course.”

Buck Davidson (USA) and Park Trader will be first out on the Cross Country tomorrow (Saturday) at 11am (US time). Follow what is sure to be a fascinating competition with live coverage of the entire event on the FEI’s official video platform FEI TV and see live results on www.rk3de.org.

Results after Dressage

1 Alison Springer/Arthur (USA) 39.5
2 William Fox-Pitt/Bay My Hero (GBR) 44.0
3 Lauren Kieffer/Veronica (USA) 46.7
4= Phillip Dutton/Mr Medicott (USA) 49.5
4= Jan Byyny/Inmidair (USA) 49.5
4= Michael Pollard/Mensa G (USA) 49.5
7 Will Faudree/Pawlow (USA) 49.8
8 Doug Payne/Crown Talisman (USA) 51.2
9 Marilyn Little/RF Demeter (USA) 51.3
10= William Fox-Pitt/Seacookie (GBR) 51.5
10= Sinead Halpin/Manoir de Carney (USA) 51.5

FEI Classics™ 2013/2014 Leaderboard (after 2 of 6 events)

1 William Fox-Pitt (GBR) 15 points
2 Christopher Burton (AUS) 15
3 Maxime Livio (FRA) 124 Sonja Johnson (AUS) 12
5 Craig Barrett (AUS) 10
6 Phillip Dutton (USA) 8
7 Shane Rose (AUS) 8
8 Andrew Nicholson (NZL) 6
9 Stuart Tinney (AUS) 6
10 Donatien Schauly (FRA) 5

See full standings here. 

FEI Classics™ 2013/2014 calendar

1 Les Etoiles de Pau CCI 4* (FRA) – 23-27 October 2013
2 Australian International 3 Day Event (AUS) – 14-17 November 2013
3 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event (USA) – 23-27 April 2014
4 Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (GBR) – 8-11 May 2014
5 Luhmühlen CCI 4* presented by DHL Paket (GER) – 12-15 June 2014
6 Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials (GBR) – 4-7 September 2014

Prize money

At the end of the FEI Classics™ 2013/2014 season, the five riders with the highest number of points collected across the six FEI Classics™ events will share a total prize fund of US$120,000 split as follows: 1st – US$40,000 (Series Champion); 2nd – US$35,000; 3rd – US$25,000; 4th – US$15,000; 5th – US$5,000.

Join the FEI on Facebook & Twitter

Our signature twitter hashtags for this series are #Classics and #Eventing. We encourage you to use them, and if you have space: #FEI Classics™ #Eventing.

FEI PRESS RELEASE By Kate Green

Media Contacts:

At Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event:

Marty Bauman
+1 508 698 6810 ext. 10
marty@classic-communications.com
www.rk3de.org

At FEI:

Grania Willis
Director Media Relations
Grania.willis@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 42

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
ruth.grundy@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 45

 

Eventing/H.T., USEF

Davidson and Springer Take on Galway Downs CCI3* with Help of USEF Land Rover Competition Grants

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Temecula, Calif. – Two recipients of the USEF Land Rover Competition Grants head from the East Coast to the West Coast to tackle the CCI3* at the Galway Downs International Event and Horse Trials. Buck Davidson brings Sharon Will’s Absolute Liberty and Allison Springer will ride Copycat Chloe Syndicate, LLC’s Copycat Chloe in Temecula, Calif., on October 31 – November 3.

Davidson (Ocala, Fla.) and the 10-year-old Oldenburg mare last contested a CCI3* at Bromont in 2011, where they finished fourth, and aim to have another strong performance. In the fall of 2011, the pair represented the U.S. at the Pan American Games and achieved Team Gold and Individual Bronze medals. Davidson and Absolute Liberty are coming off a fifth-place finish in the Advanced A division at the Plantation Field Horse Trials and seem poised for a top performance.

Springer (Upperville, Va.) and the 11-year-old Trakehner/Thoroughbred mare will compete in their second CCI3* after becoming a partnership only earlier this year. The pair finished fifth in the Bromont CCI3* in June. Recently, they took second-place honors at the Plantation Field Horse Trials in the Advanced A division, then finished third in the Advanced Championship at the Morven Park Fall Horse Trials. Springer aims to grow her partnership with Copycat Chloe this weekend with a solid effort at Galway Downs.

By Kathleen Landwehr

Learn more about the Galway Downs International Event and Horse Trial here.

Follow the 2013 Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team here.

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Eventing/H.T., Events, Show Jumping, USEF

Halpin and Springer Produce Top Ten Finishes at Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials

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Sinead Halpin and Manoir De Carneville (Shannon Brinkman)

Stamford, England – The Land Rover U.S. Eventing Team showed that the future is bright claiming two spots within the top ten at The Land Rover Burghley Horse Trials. Sunday proved to be an influential day of Show Jumping as the leaderboard saw a huge shake-up from top to bottom. Sinead Halpin and Allison Springer put a summer’s worth of training in England, thanks to Land Rover Competition and Training Grants, to the test producing classy efforts throughout the week to claim second and sixth places respectively.

Halpin (Oldwick, NJ) entered Burghley’s main arena as the overnight leader with Carriag LLC’s Manoir De Carneville but three unfortunate rails left them in runner-up position. The 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding collected twelve faults after lowering the oxer at three, the third element of the triple and the out of the double to finish on a score of 48.3.

“He warmed up beautifully and certainly was a bit tired but I feel like we were as prepared as we could have been going into that situation,” said Halpin following her round. “So it was disappointing but I’m still proud of him.”

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