Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven and Don Auriello. Photos: SusanJStickle.com
Wellington, FL – February 19, 2012 – Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfven of Sweden captured her second victory on Don Auriello at the $50,000 Florida Dressage Classic CDI-W, presented by the United States P.R.E. Association, this time in the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle under the lights on Saturday. The nighttime atmosphere at the Global Dressage Festival (GDF) was filled with excitement for the world cup event that featured twelve entries from five different nations.
The electric atmosphere was great for the crowd, but it made things a little more difficult for Vilhelmson-Silfven who scored 76.350%. “I am super pleased,” said Vilhelmson-Silfven. “He was a bit more tense here in the dark, but it was good practice for me. I had a better feeling with him today than yesterday. The facility has made a huge difference. It’s very nice.”
James Koford of Wellington, FL rode Pharaoh to second place with a score of 73.450%. Koford was thrilled with his finish because he hopes to use the prize money from this competition and his victory in the freestyle at the first GDF to pay for World Cup Final expenses, should he receive an invitation.
Caroline Roffman is being sponsored by Premier Equestrian. (Photo courtesy of Sue Stickle)
Sandy, UT (December 12, 2011) — Premier Equestrian, a leading supplier of dressage arenas, horse jumps, arena footing and stable accessories, is pleased to announce their sponsorship of Wellington-based dressage rider and trainer Caroline Roffman. The 23-year-old has set the dressage world on fire and during the fall of 2011 proved she is a rider to be reckoned with when she won the Young Adult Brentina Cup at the Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Festival of Champions and took home three Reserve National Championship titles from the Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships.
“Premier is very excited to be sponsoring Caroline. She is certainly one of the brightest dressage stars of our young generation and, in addition to that, she is a lovely young woman,” said Heidi Zorn, President of Premier Equestrian. “Premier is a world leader in dressage products, from arenas and letters to footing for the arenas, and we are proud that Caroline will be using and supporting our products.”
Caroline Roffman rode Beemer to the win in the Young Adult Brentina Cup Championship. (Photo courtesy of Sue Stickle)
Gladstone, NJ (September 16, 2011) – Dressage rider Caroline Roffman added another prestigious title to her growing resume, cementing her place in the history books of dressage riders by winning the Young Adult Brentina Cup Championship aboard Beemer at the 2011 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions in Gladstone, New Jersey. Roffman’s Brentina Cup victory comes on the heels of a successful 2011 Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships at the Lamplight Equestrian Center in which she rode away with three Reserve Championships aboard San City, Bon Chance and Pie.
As dressage’s reigning “it girl,” Roffman piloted Beemer to a close victory over Olivia Lagoy-Weltz and Riffalino. Roffman said she was thrilled to ride Beemer, a sales horse owned by her trainer Lars Petersen and Global Dressage, and that the 13-year-old gelding has given her a great introduction to the Grand Prix ring.
“I had dreamed of competing at Gladstone in the Brentina Cup for years, ever since the class was developed,” Roffman said. “To win this award was so exciting, but it was mostly icing on the cake. Just being there and being part of it was thrilling.”
While Roffman has been riding Beemer throughout the year, she wasn’t certain if he would be available to compete in the Brentina Cup since he was for sale. “The opportunity Lars gave me to ride Beemer was incredible and gave me so much experience. I am so lucky and I cannot thank him enough,” Roffman said. “Beemer will now be marketed for sale and with several people already inquiring about him I doubt he will be around for long.”
Caroline Roffman and Beemer. Photos: SusanJStickle.com
Gladstone, NJ – Just over 3/10ths of a point decided the Young Adult ‘Brentina Cup’ champion – the first Championship awarded at the 2011 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions at the USET Foundation Headquarters.
Caroline Roffman and Beemer edged out Olivia LaGoy-Weltz for the top spot with a two-day combined score of 65.822% to LaGoy-Weltz’ 65.518%.
Roffman has had a very successful Young Rider career and has done very well training and producing young horses, but Beemer is showing her the Grand Prix ropes and has given her the first Brentina Cup win of her career.
“I’m honored to be here and feel lucky to have the opportunity to ride this horse,” said Roffman about Lars Petersen and Global Dressage Sales’ 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding.
Because Beemer has been for sale this year, Roffman didn’t know if she would still have him in the barn to be able to bring him to contest these championships. She capitalized on the opportunity of him not getting sold.
“It was cleaner,” she said about her performance in the Young Rider Grand Prix test. “I wanted to have a clean ride. It lacked a lot of the brilliance from Thursday, but I did a better job.”
Steffen Peters and Ravel. Photos: SusanJStickle.com
Gladstone, NJ – Rain greeted the competitors on the first day of the 2011 Collecting Gaits Farm/USEF Dressage Festival of Champions but the quality of the competition shone through. The Grand Prix National Championship headlined the day, and the rain was at its heaviest during the class. Due to the conditions, the Prix St. Georges – which was scheduled for this afternoon – has been postponed until Friday, which will push the Intermediaire I Championship back one day.
Steffen Peters rode Ravel like it was 70 and sunny (which it probably was at their San Diego base) and between the raindrops put in the effort that the fans were expecting from the 2008 National Champions, the 2009 FEI World Cup Dressage Champions, the 2009 CHIO Aachen Champions and most recently, the Individual Bronze medalists from the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. Peters rode according to the conditions.
“I rode a little more conservatively,” said Peters. “I went for a clean test and it worked out great. He’s such a trooper.”
The 13-year-old Dutch gelding owned by Four Winds Farm and Akiko Yamazaki made his first competitive appearance in Gladstone and rose to the historical atmosphere. They scored 77.660% in a valiant, yet somewhat soggy test. The footing in the Dick and Jane Brown Arena was redone in 2010 and held up admirably in the conditions. The New Jersey area has been plagued by flooding and incredible amounts of rain between Hurricane Irene and the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee.
“I really trusted the decision that they made,” said Peters. “It was safe, not slippery. I think the horses felt a little stuck. But they weren’t slipping at all. The main concern is safety and the decision to call it safe was very good.”
Caroline Roffman riding Bon Chance at the 2011 Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships. (Photo compliments of PhelpsPhotos.com)
Wayne, IL (August 30, 2011) – On the same weekend that Hurricane Irene battered its way up the East Coast, dressage rider Caroline Roffman took the 2011 Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championships at the Lamplight Equestrian Center by storm. Roffman, of Wellington, Florida, rode away with three Reserve Championships aboard San City, Bon Chance, and Pie, once again solidifying her place in the dressage world as a successful trainer and competitor.
“San City was Reserve Champion in the Five-Year-Old division, Bon Chance tied for the Championship in the Six-Year-Olds, although because it is an American show the tie breaker goes to the American horse, and Pie finished as Reserve Champion in the Developing Horse Championships,” Roffman said. “What a weekend!”
Roffman was especially pleased with San City, a Hanoverian eventing stallion owned by Linda Crabtree, who made history in the Five-Year-Old Preliminary Test when he earned an 89% and a comment of “Wow” from judge Linda Zang.
“On the first day San City was amazing and he went above and beyond what he had ever done before,” Roffman said. “He really couldn’t have done any better. His 89% score was the highest ever given in the U.S. He was a little tired the second day, but I am still so proud of him.”
Emily Wagner and Wakeup. All photos: Chuck Swan/Swan Studio LLC.
Wayne, IL – Competition was in full swing at the Lamplight Equestrian Center as the top 6-year-olds and developing horses in the U.S. took to Ring 2 for their first National Championship classes of the weekend. The day began with competitors in the USEF Dressage Seat Medal Finals presented by Dressage Today 14-18 division performing in an optional warm-up class.
In the Markel/USEF National Young Horse Dressage Championship 6-year-old division the standard was set earlier. Members of the 2005 foal crop demonstrated fluid gaits and a strong foundation in advanced movements such as half-pass and flying changes.
Emily Wagner (La Cygne, KS) and her own American-bred Warmblood stallion Wakeup performed a strong and powerful test to score an 8.88. The judging panel of Janet Foy, Gary Rockwell and Anne Gribbons rewarded Wakeup (Wagnis – Maiden Montreal by Macho) for a mature performance demonstrating phenomenal cadence in the trot work and a fluid walk tour. The pair made their 10-hour drive from Kansas well worth the trip scoring a 9.2 for their trot, an 8.8 in the walk, 8.5 and 8.9 for the canter and submission respectively. Their general impression score, a 9.0, was the highest of the day.
For Wagner, today’s performance was especially meaningful as Wakeup is a member of the second generation of horses she has competed successfully. “His dad was my Young Rider Horse. It’s so cool because I know his whole family, his brothers and half-brothers,” she said.
At last year’s Markel/USEF National Young Horse Championship, Caroline Roffman and Bon Chance won the Five-Year-Old division. (Photo courtesy of fireandearthphoto .com)
Wellington, FL (July 21, 2011) – At last year’s Markel/USEF National Young Horse Championship in Lamplight, Illinois, Caroline Roffman and her Hanoverian gelding Bon Chance won the Five-Year-Old division. This year, Roffman will compete three horses at the National Young Horse Championships and the Developing Horse Championships. San City will compete in the Five-Year-Old division, Bon Chance will compete in the Six-Year-Old division, and her Hanoverian gelding, Pie will compete in the Developing Horse Championships. Roffman is hoping that three is truly a charm.
“Bon Chance has developed wonderfully and has truly matured and come into his own. He has so much talent and presence and I can’t wait to show him off,” Roffman said, adding that in addition to winning the Five-Year-Old Championship, Bon Chance was Reserve Champion in the Four-Year-Old Championship in 2009.
Roffman also has the chance to defend her Five-Year-Old Championship title, this time aboard San City, a five-year-old stallion owned by Linda Crabtree. “He was shown by Linda’s daughter and successful event rider Katie Wooten last year in the Four-Year-Olds,” Roffman said. “I was given the ride on San City last fall and have trained and developed him with these championships as our goal. San City has the presence of a stallion but the rideability and character of a gelding. He is both beautiful and talented and has developed beyond what I thought he could have in a relatively short amount of time.” Roffman said she has even bred one of her mares to San City. “I like him that much!” she said. “He is San Remo x Bolero and bred by Marefield Meadows.”
Roffman, who was named the 2010 FEI Rising Star by the International Equestrian Federation and received her award at the FEI Awards ceremony in Taipei, is also looking forward to riding her horse Pie, a Hanoverian by Worldly, in the Developing Horse Championships. “Pie is very special to me, not only because I have had him for many years but because of his loving character and overachieving nature,” she said. “Pie showed as a six-year-old and qualified for the championships, but was unable to attend. He had nearly two years off and underwent a last effort surgery. To my delight he came back and has developed rapidly. This has been his first full year of showing and he has exceeded my expectations.”
Caroline Roffman rode Pie into the winner’s circle at the prestigious 2011 CDI3*Y/J Capital Dressage Classic in Raleigh. Roffman won two USEF Developing Horse classes on Pie and also took home the blue in the USEF Brentina Cup aboard Beemer. (Photo courtesy of WNC Photography)
Raleigh, NC (June 8, 2011) – Dressage rider Caroline Roffman encountered a few setbacks as she headed north to compete at Allentown and Raleigh, including three flat tires, a broken axel and having to scratch one of her horses from competition at Allentown. While Roffman could have been singing the blues during the ill-fated trip to New Jersey, she turned things around and brought home the blues in North Carolina at the prestigious 2011 CDI3*Y/J Capital Dressage Classic in Raleigh. Roffman, who was named the 2010 FEI Rising Star by the International Equestrian Federation, won two USEF Developing Horse classes on Pie with scores of 73.235 and 69.706, and also took home the blue in the USEF Brentina Cup aboard Beemer with a 68.974.
“After what was a disastrous start to our two-week show tour, Raleigh ended up being a great success. I finished qualifying Beemer for the Brentina Cup and Pie for the Developing Horse Championships. After a minor setback for Pie when we were broken down on the side of the road, it was necessary to scratch him from Allentown,” Roffman said. “With several days off and many fingers crossed, Pie went back under saddle at Raleigh where he really rose to the occasion and won both of his classes in a highly competitive field of horses.”
Roffman added, “One of the judges wrote on Pie’s test that he was an ‘incredible horse,’ which really made my weekend,” Roffman said. “This is his first year back in the show ring and to be in the winner’s circle with him is just phenomenal. I have had Pie since he was four years old and he is eight now. I trained him myself and he qualified for the Six-Year-Old Championships but wasn’t able to attend due to a lameness issue. But he is back now, stronger and better than ever.”
Caroline Roffman rode Bon Chance to victory in the FEI Young Horse Test for Six-Year-Olds at the International Horse Sport Champions Cup CDI3* show. (Photo courtesy of Susan J Stickle)
Loxahatchee, FL (April 7, 2011) – When the International Equestrian Federation awarded dressage rider Caroline Roffman with the 2010 FEI Rising Star Award they said Roffman was “one of the brightest hopes of the U.S. Dressage community.” Roffman lived up to their prediction at the International Horse Sport Champions Cup CDI3* at Equestrian Estates in Loxahatchee, riding into the winner’s circle again and again and taking home high scores on several of her horses.
“I could not have imagined a show going much better for my horses than the Champions Cup. All of my horses made good progress from the last show and really showed me they are on track for success in their prospective levels,” Roffman said. “I showed three horses in two classes each and finished first in all six classes with qualifying scores.”
Roffman rode into the winner’s circle on Pie in the FEI Test of Choice class with a score of 69.412 and in the USEF Developing Horse class with a score of 71.618. “Pie did his first two Developing Horse classes and showed me he is very capable of doing this level quite well. He continues to gain confidence inside the show arena and I am excited for his future,” Roffman said.
