Tag Archives: Colorado Horse Park

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Events, Show Jumping

The Colorado Horse Park Honors Military Families with Second Annual Appreciation Event

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Celebrate Military Appreciation Day at the Colorado Horse Park. Photo credit: Jon Kassel

Parker, CO — The Colorado Horse Park (CHP) is taking leaps and bounds to honor American service men and women on Saturday July 21, 2012 with its second annual Military Appreciation Day. The enthusiastic staff and volunteers of the international equestrian complex, along with horse show competitors and spectators, will offer their respect and entertain veterans and current military members with a fun-filled day of festivities.

“We wanted to offer our tribute to military men and women and their families. They deserve to be recognized and rewarded for their service. At the Colorado Horse Park, we are pleased to serve the community and our service members as they have served us for years,” commented Helen Krieble, CEO and President of CHP.

Families can join us for pony rides, a jumping competition, face painting and an obstacle course, as well as snacks and refreshments, all compliments of CHP. The festivities begin at 3:00 p.m. so come join the fun.

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Competitions, Contributors/Press, Events, Show Jumping

John Pearce Wins Second Grand Prix in a Row

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John Pearce & Chianto. Photo: Jon Kassel

Parker, CO — The first half of the Colorado Summer Circuit came to a close this weekend and was highlighted by the $25,000 Summer in the Rockies IIII Grand Prix.   Eighteen horses and riders competed for first place and a large cash prize at the Colorado Horse Park (CHP). This was the third Grand Prix in the series of six events, with the action continuing the week of July 2 with Summer in the Rockies IV. John Pearce has had an exceptional three weeks, winning two out of the three Grand Prix.

The riders raved about Saturday’s course by international designer Marina Azevedo of Brazil. The track took advantage of the large derby field at CHP, and included a triple combination toward the crowd and an oxer along the VIP seating area, making it exciting for the spectators. “Today’s course was the best of the circuit by far. [The designer] was great; she is one of my favorites,” exclaimed winner, John Pearce.   Azevedo had the perfect number of five horses in the jump-off: Pearce and Bjorn Ikast with two rides each, and Christian Heineking of Wylie, Texas.

The jump off was a nail-biter with Heineking laying down a scorching clear trip. Neither Pearce with Johnny B Good or Ikast with Brave Heart could catch Heineking. With his WEG mount Chianto, Olympian Pearce gave an exciting, determined ride that somehow managed to cut .58 seconds off Heineking’s seemingly unbeatable time. Ikast and his second mount, Colorado, were unable to duplicate Pearce’s efforts and finished in fourth place.

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Competitions, Contributors/Press, Events, Show Jumping

John Pearce Continues His Winning Ways in the $25,000 Littleton Equine Medical Center and Platinum Performance Grand Prix

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John Pearce and Johnny B Good. Flying Horse Photography

Parker, CO — John Pearce had a winning week at the Colorado Horse Park during Summer in the Rockies II. First clinching the victory in the $10,000 Open Welcome Stake and then again during the $25,000 Littleton Equine Medical Center and Platinum Performance Grand Prix when he finished first and second. Twenty-two talented pairs faced the challenging Danny Foster course, but only three turned in phenomenal, clear, first-round performances.

“I love the look of riders working hard,” Danny Foster, FEI I course designer, said of his track. “Just like any other sport, spectators want to see athletes performing.” Foster used CHP’s bank and a long gallop to the last jump among his tools to separate great from good riding.

Though Foster, a Pan-American Games gold medalist during his competitive career, agreed that the track was challenging, he had hoped that more riders would master the questions and advance to the jump-off. “As a designer you want to encourage them, but if you don’t have scores, you don’t have sport,” he explained. “So, I need to create scores without causing a loss of confidence in the horses or riders. I don’t want to take away any heart.”

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Competitions, Contributors/Press, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

John Pearce Wins $10,000 Welcome Stake at Summer in the Rockies II

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John Pearce & Chianto. Photo: Flying Horse Photography

Parker, CO — Summer in the Rockies II kicked off the second week of the Colorado Summer Circuit with a multitude of impressive horses and competitors from around North America. One of the first big classes of the week was the $10,000 Open Welcome Stake held Thursday afternoon.

Danny Foster’s track proved to be a technical one for the riders and horses, but a few particular pairs were able to conquer all of its obstacles. In first place, was John Pearce, riding his WEG partner Chianto to the victory.

“Today we saw a very challenging course, and it was a long course. It wasn’t real tall, but it was tricky. It was very technical, but obviously it rode well for me today,” said Pearce. This is not the Canadian Olympian’s first appearance at CHP, and he was seemingly thrilled to be back in Parker, stating, “It’s a great spot and I enjoy it thoroughly.”

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Events, Show Jumping

Allison Kroff Wins $10,000 Open Welcome Stake at the Colorado Horse Park

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The Colorado Summer Circuit Kicks Off–More Than $1,000,000 in Cash and Prizes

Allison Kroff & Washington. Photo: Flying Horse Photography

Parker, CO — It has been an exciting first week at the Colorado Horse Park (CHP) with professionals from around the world completing their first rides of the Colorado Summer Circuit. Summer in the Rockies I has been awarding cash prizes to an assortment of hunters and jumpers, but one combination is already standing out. Allison Kroff and her horse Washington jumped to victory on Thursday, placing first in the $10,000 Open Welcome Stake, the first big jumper class of the circuit.

“It’s very exciting; he’s just stepping up to this level,” Kroff said of her 9-year-old stallion from Holland. “I’m very excited that he marched in here for the first time and jumped around and did his job!” Washington, a Dutch Warmblood with Heartbreaker and Indorado bloodlines, was imported from Holland as a 6-year-old.

“It was a really good course,” Kroff reported of the Hector Loyola-designed track. “You had a lot of questions and you had to know your horse very well to be able to answer the questions.”

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Eventing/H.T., Events

Heather Dubois Wins the Colorado Horse Park CCI Two-Star

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Riders from 15 States Compete

Heather Dubois. All photos: Cristy Cumberworth

Parker, CO — It was a horse lover’s paradise at The Colorado Horse Park (CHP) this weekend, with riders competing in three different shows in three different disciplines. The spotlight was on the international riders in the CHP CCI Three-Day Event and Horse Trials, which brought riders from 15 states, including Minnesota, Louisiana, Idaho and Texas. Adding to the excitement was the presence of cross-country course designer, Olympic gold medalist David O’Connor.

Heather Dubois, Black Forest, CO, led the victory gallop in the two-star division on Every Wish. “He’s the love of my life,” she said of her 13-year-old Thoroughbred gelding.

The pair started off with a successful trip up centerline. “I was really happy with his dressage test,” she commented about her 62.50. Heather considered the cross-country course to be “substantial”, but the questions were easily answered by this pair who were clean jumping and added only 8.4 time penalties, putting them into second place. “He was just solid,” she explained of her horse’s cross-country round. “He recovered well and was still rideable and forward,” she said. A clean show jumping round put them in the winning slot.

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Competitions, Contributors/Press, Dressage, Events

Good Dressage Rewarded with High Scores at The Colorado Horse Park

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Mary Allyn's Rock On, ridden by Shannon Dahmer, won two FEI High Points. All photos: Artizencreations.com

Parker, CO — A thrilling summer at The Colorado Horse Park continued last week during the 2011 Parker Adventist Hospital Dressage in the Rockies Presented by Horseware Ireland. More than 40 scores above 70% were awarded by judges Sandy Osborn, Olympic bronze medalist Hilda Gurney and Beverly Rogers. As one of the largest dressage shows in the region, Dressage in the Rockies attracted competitors not only from Colorado, but the surrounding states. The three-day event was actually three separate shows (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), allowing riders to earn qualifying scores for various championships and awards in a single weekend.

“I want to congratulate all these riders on their success; these scores came from very legitimate judges,” said show manager Glenda McElroy of Cornerstone Dressage. “All of the judges have been very complimentary about the quality of horses and riders.” McElroy’s Cornerstone Dressage, based out of Los Angeles, has managed some of the top CDI (international) shows in the country, as well as the Rolex FEI World Cup Dressage Finals in 2005, 2007 and 2009.

Among the big winners during the 2011 Parker Adventist Hospital Dressage in the Rockies Presented by Horseware Ireland was rider Shannon Dahmer. She collected six High Point and Reserve High Point awards over the course of the three shows with three different horses.

Riding Mary Allyn’s Rock On, Dahmer won the Intermediaire I classes and FEI High Point during shows I and III. On Saturday, Dahmer and “Rocky” performed an Intermediaire I Freestyle to a compilation of music from the “Rocky” soundtracks, including “Eye of the Tiger”. “He thinks he’s very cool,” Dahmer said of the 13-year-old Oldenburg gelding, “so the music really suits him. Plus, everyone knows it so you can get the crowd involved.” The pair received a 70% for their efforts.

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Competitions, Contributors/Press, Events, Hunter/Equitation

John French Leads an Impressive Group of Hunters at the Colorado Summer Circuit

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John French and Crown Affair won the $1,000 Open Hunter Classic Sponsored by Horse Connection. Photo credit: Flying Horse Photography

Parker, CO — While the Grand Prix horses are always a big draw at any hunter/jumper show, the hunters are getting a lot of attention during the Colorado Summer Circuit. Show manager Pat Boyle not only has great prize money in every division, but he’s created a wonderful, lush platform for the course designers to develop classes that show off the athletic ability and beauty of some of the nation’s finest hunters.

Last week John French and Yellow Dog Farm’s Crown Affair won three of four over fences classes in the High Performance Hunter division and also took home the blue ribbon in the $1,000 Open Hunter Classic sponsored by Horse Connection. Crown Affair, a Holsteiner stallion by Cor de la Bryere out of a Capitol I mare, is always a favorite in the Derby classes. “We’re preparing for the Derby Finals in Kentucky,” French explained. “He’s on his farewell tour and will retire at the Hampton Classic.” Although his show schedule is winding down, the handsome bay stallion will continue his already successful breeding career. With Crown Affair’s incredible performances, French said, “It’s hard when he goes so well. Does he really want to retire? I was so proud of how he went this week.”

French also praised the courses. He said, “The jumps were amazing with so much greenery and brush, plus a few natural jumps. It makes the horses jump their best. I was really happy that we came.”

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Competitions, Contributors/Press, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Jessie Lang and C. Quito Win $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby

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C. Quito claimed the blue ribbon in the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby during Summer in the Rockies III. Photo credit: Flying Horse Photography

 

Bjorn Ikast Makes It Three in a Row in the $30,000 Gesco Grand Prix

Parker, CO — The third week of the Colorado Summer Circuit ended with big money classes! Jessie Lang riding Margot Snowdon’s C. Quito brought home the blue ribbon and the winning check to Wyoming in the $10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby. Amateur rider Rachel Boggus bested the pros in the $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby. And in the $30,000 Gesco Grand Prix, Bjorn Ikast made it three in a row by leading the victory gallop in the Prix for the third consecutive week.

$10,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby
Hunter riders got the opportunity to ride their Derbies over the big, permanent Linda Allen designed Derby field at The Colorado Horse Park. With banks and hilly terrain, riders were able to show off their horse’s brilliance in an inviting setting over the Skip Bailey-designed courses.

“The course was so beautifully put together,” said Jessie Lang, rider of C. Quito, a nine-year-old approved BWP (Belgian) stallion. The son of Parco (by Darco) won both rounds by a nice margin. After a successful indoor season last fall, including the Regular Conformation Hunter Championship at Harrisburg, C. Quito has had a light show season in 2011 to accommodate his busy breeding schedule this spring. The stallion was obviously in top form, earning a 90 from one judging panel in the handy round and bonus points in both rounds, to finish with a 382 overall.

In between his first and second rounds, C. Quito went over to the Adult Amateur ring with his owner Margot Snowdon, laying down trips that earned him first and fourth place ribbons in that division.

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Competitions, Contributors/Press, Events, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Great Cash, Prizes and Fun during Summer in the Rockies II

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Bjorn Ikast Wins Second Consecutive Grand Prix

Bjorn Ikast & Omar Shariff. Photo credit: Flying Horse Photography

Parker, CO — The second week of the Colorado Summer Circuit finished Sunday with great style. Summer in the Rockies II awarded cash and prizes to riders in all divisions, from the Adult Amateur Hunters to the Open Jumpers. Competitors and sponsors were treated to a range of hospitality. Among the social highlights — Friday Afternoon Club at A Bit of Tack with margaritas and munchies, a fabulous tented party complete with a band in Central Park, and a wonderful VIP party during the $25,000 Grand Prix Presented by Littleton Equine Medical Center and Platinum Performance. Sunday brunch on Father’s Day rounded out the fun.

“Our goal with the expanded circuit was to create a destination,” said CHP Vice President Brian Curry. “We have people that are staying in Colorado for the summer, so we wanted them to feel at home and help them have wonderful memories from their trip.”

Many riders that have attended shows at the Park for almost 20 years are saying that the facility never looked better. Not only are there many beautiful new flower beds, rings full of new jumps, including elegant water features in the hunter rings, there’s also the new permanent coffee shop, Stable Grounds, offering lattes, cappuccinos and pastries.

Of course, all of the new amenities are a wonderful backdrop to the real draw — the horse show. While this week’s $25,000 Grand Prix Presented by Littleton Equine Medical Center and Platinum Performance found the same three riders claiming the top three spots, they had to run for their placings in the jump-off, a real thrill for the spectators.

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