Tag Archives: Christine McCrea

Christine McCrea and Romantovich Take One Lead the Way in $50k American Gold Cup Qualifier

Christine McCrea and Romantovich Take One win The American Gold Cup Qualifier. Photos by Parker/Russell the Book LLC

North Salem, NY – September 14, 2012 – Christine McCrea jumped ahead of the competition Friday to place first in the $50,000 American Gold Cup Qualifier at the picturesque Old Salem Farm in North Salem, NY. The day was clear and warm to welcome the 50 entrants to the final class of the day on the spectacular grass Grand Prix field.

Six entries went clear and headed to the jump-off.  McCrea had the winning time with 40.830 seconds aboard Romantovich Take One owned by Candy Tribble. “He’s really fast,” McCrea said. “He’s always been really fast.”

She added that the course was challenging for the qualifier to Sunday’s $200,000 American Gold Cup. She found the naturally hilly landscape added an extra level of difficulty to the course designed by Steve Stephens.

“The course was tricky because I think the terrain here adds a lot of spice,” she said. “You know, if you don’t ride on a terrain like this very often, you can really struggle with the hill, either working for you or against you.”

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Christine McCrea Honored with 2012 Whitney Stone Cup from USET Foundation

The USET Foundation presented Christine McCrea (center) with the Whitney Stone Cup. Photo By: Phelps Media Group

Gladstone, NJ – January 30, 2012 – The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is pleased to announce that Pan American Games Show Jumping Team and Individual Gold medalist Christine McCrea of East Windsor, CT, is the recipient of the 2012 Whitney Stone Cup. The award is presented annually to an active competitor who displays consistent excellence in international competition and high standards of sportsmanlike conduct while serving as an ambassador for the United States and equestrian sport. McCrea represented the United States on numerous occasions in 2011 with her talented mount, Romantovich Take One, and earned Show Jumping’s Individual Gold medal at the 2011 Pan American Games with five clear rounds.

McCrea was presented with the trophy during the USET Foundation’s benefit, “An English Country Evening”, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL, on January 27, 2012.

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Pan American Gold Medalist Christine McCrea Headed to Alltech National Horse Show

Christine McCrea, Individual Gold Medal at the XVI Pan American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico will compete at the Alltech National Horse Show beginning on Wednesday

Lexington, KY – October 30, 2011 – Christine McCrea, who on Saturday powered her way to the Pan American Games Gold Medal in Guadalajara, Mexico, makes her next stop at the debut of the Alltech National Horse Show in Lexington, Kentucky, beginning on Wednesday.

McCrea, who was perfect through five rounds of world-class jumping in Mexico, picked up two Gold medals in her first ever appearance at the Pan American Games.  Her two clear rounds on Thursday in the Nations Cup were a key factor as the United States Show Jumping squad scored Gold, and in so doing, secured one of the final coveted spots at the Olympic Games in London in 2012.

In addition to McCrea, the big money Open Jumper division at the Alltech National Horse Show features nine Olympic veterans, including McLain Ward, who was also a member of the United States Gold Medal team in Guadalajara.

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Less Than a Second Wins Gold for McCrea at 2011 Pan American Games

Christine McCrea and Romantovich Take One. Photo: Shannon Brinkman

GUADALAJARA, Mexico – In a sport of inches it came down to 7/100ths of a second. Beezie Madden (Cazenovia, NY) had led the 2011 Pan American Games since Wednesday, and when she landed over the last fence in the second round of the day it seemed Individual Gold was secure with her fifth clear round of the Games.

Until the clock stopped.

She and Coral Reef Via Volo finished with a time of 66.07, just over the time allowed of 66 seconds. That one time fault left her in the Silver medal position behind her teammate Christine McCrea (Windsor, CT) and Romantovich Take One.

It was an epic finish. There wasn’t a rail separating the top five horses going into the final round – and at the end of all the jumping, McCrea and Windsor Show Stables’ 11-year-old Dutch gelding finished up the way they started. They jumped five clear rounds over three days and ended their first Pan American Games with Team and Individual Gold on a score of .88.

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Awesome Americans Take Pan American Jumping by Storm

(L to R) Kent Farrington, Christine McCrea, Beezie Madden and McLain Ward. McCrea also clinched the Individual title yesterday ahead of Madden in silver-medal position. Photo: FEI/ StockImagesServices.com

Guadalajara (MEX), 30 October 2011 – American Jumping riders showed their class yesterday when adding Individual gold and silver to the team title they claimed last Thursday at the 2011 Pan-American Games in Guadalajara, Mexico.  The team victory was utterly convincing, as all four riders kept a clean sheet to leave them with a final tally of just 2.90.

And yesterday Christine McCrea rose from runner-up spot to snatch the Individual title from team-mate Beezie Madden who paid a very heavy price for a single time fault in the second round of the decider.

Despite their obvious strengths, there was plenty of pressure on the US side from the outset, as the defending Olympic champions had not yet qualified for London 2012.  So Thursday’s result was more than pleasing for US Chef d’Equipe, George Morris, who, typically, was as impressed by his side’s skill in the ring as he was by what they achieved.  “It’s the way they rode. I’m an ideological horseman. I’m not interested in it unless it’s beautifully ridden,” he said after Madden (Coral Reef Via Volo), McCrea (Romantovich Take One), Kent Farrington (Uceko) and McLain Ward (Antares) delivered the goods.

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US Jumping Team Wins Gold – Completes Equestrian Sweep of Team Gold at 2011 Pan American Games

Team Gold (L-R) Kent Farrington, Christine McCrea, Beezie Madden, McLain Ward (Photo: Shannon Brinkman)

GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Everything was at stake for the American show jumping team at the 2011 Pan American Games, including qualification for the 2012 Olympic Games. They faced the pressure and delivered the United States its third Equestrian Team Gold medal of the 2011 Games – jumping eight clear rounds in the Nations Cup today. Their score of 2.90 from the first class on Wednesday didn’t change and they led Brazil (11.58) and Mexico (13.24) in the medal ceremony.

“It’s the way they rode; it’s not the result,” said Chef d’Equipe George Morris. “I’m an ideological horseman. I’m not interested in it unless it’s beautifully ridden.”

By the time individual leader Beezie Madden (Cazenovia, NY) went in the ring as the last to jump for the team, she was jumping for herself, because the U.S. team already won based on the clear rounds of her teammates.

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USEF Names Riders for CSIO Rotterdam

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) will be represented by five show jumpers at the CSIO Rotterdam, which runs August 24-28, 2011 in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Please click on any athlete or team name for more information about them.

The following horse/rider combinations have been named in ranked order to represent the U.S.

Beezie Madden and Coral Reef Via Volo (13-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare owned by Coral Reef Ranch)

Laura Kraut and Cedric (13-year-old Dutch-bred gelding owned by Happy Hill Farm)

Lauren Hough and Quick Study (12-year-old Selle Francais gelding owned by Laura and Meredith Mateo)

Christine McCrea and Romantovich Take One (11-year-old KWPN gelding owned by Windsor Show Stables)

Mario Deslauriers and Urico (10-year-old Dutch Warmblood gelding owned by Jane Clark)

Please visit www.usefnetwork.com for more information or visit www.chio.nl.

FEI Nations Cup Jumping Gets Back Underway at CSIO5* Falsterbo

Charlie Jayne and Athena. Photo by Sophie Durieux.

Lexington, KY – FEI Nations Cup Jumping gets back underway tomorrow at CSIO5* Falsterbo. After a month’s hiatus, the world’s top show jumping teams will return to the ring in Sweden. The U.S. has drawn the first position of the nine teams for their Chef d’Equipe George Morris.

Charlie Jayne will lead things off for the U.S. with The London Group’s Athena. This pair has jumped in the Nations Cups in La Baule, Rome, and St. Gallen making this their fourth consecutive appearance.

Two Young Riders will jump in the second and third positions. Saer Coulter and Copernicus Stables’ Springtime will follow Jayne into the ring and Lucy Davis will ride Old Oak Farm’s Nemo 119 in the third position. Both Team Gold medalists at the 2010 Adequan FEI North American Junior & Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North, they contested their first Nations Cup at CSIO4* Buenos Aires last fall. They are now also taking their first step into the top level of CSIO5* jumping together.

Christine McCrea will jump in the anchor spot on Romantovich Take One for Candy Tribble. This pair has been brilliant in Europe so far, jumping two clear rounds over a tough track in St. Gallen’s Nations Cup and then jumping to third in the Grand Prix two days later.

For more information about these riders, please visit: http://www.usefnetwork.com/featured/2011FEINationsCup/ which will also feature footage of the American competitors once the competition is over. Live coverage is available at www.feitv.org.

Madden, Kraut, Hough, McCrea & Farrington to Jump for U.S. at CSIO5* Hickstead & CSIO5* Dublin

Lexington, KY – The United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) named the following horse/rider combinations for CSIO5*competitions: Hickstead and Dublin, which are part of the 2011 FEI Nations Cup Series. These riders will jump at CSIO5* Hickstead, England, July 26-31 which is held in conjunction with the Longines Royal International Horse Show and CSIO5* Dublin, Ireland, August 3-7 as part of the prestigious Royal Dublin Horse Show.

Beezie Madden (Cazenovia, NY) will ride Coral Reef Ranch’s Coral Reef Via Volo
Coral Reef Via Volo is a 13-year-old Belgian Warmblood mare

Laura Kraut (Wellington, FL) will ride Happy Hill Farm’s Cedric or Stars and Stripes’ Tierra
Cedric is a 13-year-old Holsteiner gelding
Teirra is an 11-year-old KWPN mare

Lauren Hough (Wellington, FL) will ride Laura and Meredith Mateo’s Quick Study
Quick Study is a 12-year-old Selle Francais gelding

Christine McCrea (Windsor, CT) will ride Windsor Show Stable’s Romantovich Take One
Romantovich Take One is an 11-year-old KWPN gelding

Kent Farrington (Chicago, IL) will ride R.C.G. Farm’s Uceko
Uceko is an 11-year-old KWPN gelding

Information about Hickstead and the Longines Royal International Horse Show is available here: http://www.hickstead.co.uk/horse-shows.aspx.

Information about the Royal Dublin Horse Show is available here:  http://www.dublinhorseshow.com.