Tag Archives: cross country

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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This Week in International Disciplines – April 27, 2011

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Eventing

Tamra Smith stormed to victory with Mar de Amor by nearly 14 points in the CIC3* at the Twin Rivers Ranch in California. The pair won the dressage and never looked back, adding just a few time faults on both the cross country and the show jumping. Their final score was 53.6. Barbara Crabo and Eveready II were second on a score of 67.3 after picking up 13.6 time faults on the cross country, and Pam Fisher and Sea Lion rounded out the top three on the strength of a clear show jumping round.

Jolie Wentworth and Governess scored a win in the CIC1*, capitalizing on a clear show jumping round to win by three-tenths of a point over Olympic Silver medalist Gina Miles, who was second on her dressage mark of 50.9 with Sunspite Patronus. Erin Kellerhouse and Parfait were third with a score of 52.4 after one rail in the final phase kept them from the top spot.

In the Revere CCI2*, the Gold medalist from the 2009 Adequan FEI North American Junior and Young Rider Championships presented by Gotham North won another close division  on the colorful paint, Project Runway. Their final score of 54.4 gave them a narrow lead over Anna Collier and Uppercrust D, who finished on a score of 54.9. Dressage winner Lauren Billys on Ballingowan Ginger were third after picking up time faults on the cross country.

Continue reading This Week in International Disciplines – April 27, 2011 →

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

Triumphant Todd Flies to Kentucky in Hunt for Further HSBC FEI Classics Points

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Lexington, KY (USA), 27 April 2011 – Mark Todd (NZL) has flown to the US for this weekend’s Rolex Kentucky Three Day Event (April 28 – May 1) in a bid to keep up momentum in the HSBC FEI Classics.

Todd interrupted celebrations for his magnificent win at Badminton last weekend and within 24 hours was on a plane en route to Kentucky, where today he will trot up NZB Grass Valley, a horse that knows its way around the Kentucky Horse Park having been a key member of New Zealand’s bronze medal team at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games last year.

Both Todd and fellow traveller Mary King (GBR), third at Badminton, have said that the lure of the generous prize-money on offer in the HSBC FEI Classics is making them plan their CCI4* seasons carefully.

King, a member of Britain’s triumphant gold medal team last year, is making a two-pronged attack: she rides her home-bred mare Kings Temptress, seventh at Burghley last year, and the exciting prospect Fernhill Urco, a horse that had clocked up useful CCI3* results before spending most of last year on the sidelines.

Other overseas visitors in the 53-strong field are former (2006) Kentucky winner Clayton Fredericks (AUS) with the German-bred mare Be My Guest, third at Burghley last year, and William Fox-Pitt (GBR) and Oliver Townend (GBR) who have three HSBC FEI Classics titles between them.

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Championships, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, Kentucky Three-Day, Media/Radio/TV Sources, Show Jumping, USEF, Western/Reining

Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup to Air LIVE on USEFNetwork.com

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Lexington, KY – Join USEFNetwork.com for two days of LIVE, world-class reining, with the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup, April 29-30, 2011. The CRI5* and the Tarter Farm and Ranch Equipment World Freestyle Championship will air live from the Alltech Arena in Lexington, Kentucky, featuring reiners from around the world, including U.S. favorites Tim McQuay, Craig Schmersal, Tom McCutcheon and Shawn Flarida, all members of the Gold Medal-winning 2010 Adequan U.S. Reining Team.

The inaugural Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup will take place alongside the Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bridgestone, April 28 – May 1, the only CCI4* eventing competition in the United States.

Broadcast Schedule for the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup:

April 29:          LIVE CRI5*, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. EDT
April 30:          LIVE Tarter Farm and Ranch Equipment World Freestyle Championship, 5:30 p.m. – 7:30 p.m. EDT

Broadcast Schedule for the Rolex Equestrian Championships presented by Land Rover:

April 28:          LIVE Dressage on USEFNetwork.com
April 29:          LIVE Dressage on USEFNetwork.com
April 30:          LIVE Cross-Country on USEFNetwork.com
May 1:              LIVE Show Jumping on USEFNetwork.com (off air from 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EDT)
LIVE Show Jumping and highlights on NBC Sports, 2:00 – 3:00 p.m. EDT

All broadcast times subject to change.

To find out more about the 2011 Rolex Kentucky Three-Day Event, presented by Bridgestone, visit www.rk3de.org. To find out more about the Ariat Kentucky Reining Cup, visit www.kentuckyreining.com.

United States Equestrian Federation | 4047 Iron Works Parkway | Lexington | KY | 40511

*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, Show Jumping

Todd Rolls Back the Years to Win a Fourth Badminton

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Mark Todd (NZL) on NZB Land Vision celebrates after winning at Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials 2011 - first leg of the HSBC FEI Classics 2011 © Peter Nixon/FEI

Lausanne (SUI), 25 April 2011 – It was a special moment in Eventing history as an ecstatic crowd at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (GBR), first leg of the HSBC FEI Classics, rose to their feet to salute the achievement of Mark Todd (NZL) in winning for the fourth time here since 1980.

“Thirty-one years’ experience comes in handy sometimes!” joked the ever-relaxed Todd, whose mount NZB Land Vision had never experienced the rarefied CCI4* atmosphere before.

“It is incredibly special, though, right up there with the back-to-back Olympic golds. When I came back to the sport (in 2008) it was to see if I could get back to top level. It has always been my aim to win another big one.”

Long acknowledged as the one of the best horsemen the world has ever seen, Todd is also the oldest winner of Badminton (after Andrew Hoy) by an astonishing eight years; he has matched Mark Phillips’ record of four Badminton victories (only Lucinda Green has more, six) and has achieved this major victory after just three years back in the sport after an eight-year “retirement”.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, Show Jumping

Todd Is Back in Pole Position in Closest Ever Finale at Badminton

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Mark Todd (NZL) on NZB Land Vision leads on Cross-Country Day at Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials 2011 – first leg of the HSBC FEI Classics 2011 © Kit Houghton/FEI

Lausanne (SUI), 24 April 2011 – There was a thrilling climax to Cross-Country day at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials – the first leg of the HSBC FEI Classics – when Mark Todd (NZL) returned to a hero’s welcome, having produced a masterful display of riding to bring the inexperienced NZB Land Vision home clear and into the lead.

However, the three-time Badminton winner and double Olympic champion will need all his renowned skill in tomorrow’s Jumping phase for, in a remarkable result, the price of one fence covers the top 12 riders.

“Land Vision is a good horse but he’s relatively young (10) and he did feel green,” said Todd, whose last appearance in a CCI4* press conference was 12 years ago when he finished second on Word Perfect.

“He definitely felt tired after Huntsmans Close and I had to nurse him home, but he felt really genuine. I had to give him a bit of a shake-up in the Quarry but he picked up and that’s the sign of a good horse.”

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British Trio Have the Edge after Dressage at Badminton

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Ruth Edge (GBR) on Two Thyme takes the lead on Day 2 of Dressage at Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials 2011 – first leg of the HSBC FEI Classics 2011 © Kit Houghton/FEI

Lausanne (SUI), 23 April 2011 – A trio of British girls head the leaderboard after the Dressage phase at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (GBR), the first leg of the HSBC FEI Classics 2011.

Ruth Edge (GBR), in pole position with the excellent score of 33.3 penalties on the 17-year-old Two Thyme, winner at Luhmühlen in 2007, is no stranger to the limelight in this phase – indeed, she regularly wins national titles in this discipline.

“There’s always a lot of pressure on me here and I’m anxious not to let anyone down because it’s a lot of work to get this horse here,’ she said. “But he was awesome today and belied his age. As he’s older, I hadn’t done much work with him this week and, as a result, he felt physically fresh.”

Piggy French (GBR), second, had the distinction of scoring the only 10 of the competition, awarded by Ground Jury President Anne-Mette Binder (DEN) for her halt on Jakata, and it was greeted by a deafening roar of approval from the packed stands.

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, Show Jumping

Dream Start for Young Laura Collett at Badminton – Opener for HSBC FEI Classics

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Laura Collett (GBR) on Rayef in the lead after Day 1 of Dressage at Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials 2011 - opener for the HSBC FEI Classics 2011 © Kit Houghton/FEI

Lausanne (SUI), 22 April 2011 – Laura Collett (GBR) made a dream start to her debut at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (GBR), the first leg of the HSBC FEI Classics, when heading several more experienced riders at the end of the first day of Dressage.

Collett, 21, is renowned for having a cool head and a tidy style – she was a successful rider of show ponies as a child – and she presented a neat and pleasing picture on the 12-year-old Dutch-bred Rayef, the horse on which she won Junior and Young Rider European titles in 2007 and 2009.

“That’s his best test ever,” said a delighted Collett on learning of her score of 36.5 penalties, which gives her a 3.3 lead over Germany’s Marina Köhncke. “Yogi Briesner (trainer) told me to ride as if I was at home. Rayef didn’t make any mistakes and he was soft and attentive. It was nice to sit on.

“My whole life has been about getting to Badminton, so to be here for the first time on such a good horse feels amazing.”

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*Featured/Spotlights, Competitions, Contributors/Press, Disciplines, Dressage, Eventing/H.T., Events, FEI, Show Jumping

HSBC FEI Classics Opener Attracts Lucky Seven Line-Up for Badminton

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Paul Tapner (AUS), winner of the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials in 2010 with Inonothing, rides Kilfinnie in this year’s event and opener for the HSBC FEI Classics 2011 © Kit Houghton/FEI

Lausanne (SUI), 21 April 2011 – The HSBC FEI Classics 2011, an exciting series linking five of the world’s top level events, begins in style today (Thursday 21 April – Monday 25 April) at the Mitsubishi Motors Badminton Horse Trials (GBR).

The first crucial qualifier for the 2012 London Olympic Games has attracted arguably the strongest international field for many years with representatives from 11 nations and seven former winners entered.

Oliver Townend (GBR), 28, the 2009 victor, wasn’t even born when the double Olympic champion Mark Todd (NZL), 55, made his Badminton debut – and won – 31 years ago. Both riders have been in dominant form on the British national circuit this spring. Townend rides the grey Ashdale Cruise Master, fifth at Luhmühlen last year, while Todd has Major Milestone, 11th at Burghley last time, and is last to go on the former Townend ride NZB Land Vision, guaranteeing a gripping end to Cross-Country day on Sunday.

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FEI Welcomes Adelaide to HSBC FEI Classics 2012 Season

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Wendy Schaeffer on Koyuna Sun Shine - winner of the 2010 Australia International 3 Day Event 2010 © Jim Hillman InMotion Photography

Lausanne (SUI), 15 April 2011 – The FEI is delighted to welcome the Australian International 3 Day Event to the HSBC FEI Classics 2012 season.

The Adelaide-based event, which in 2002 became the first CCI 4* in the southern hemisphere, will host the second leg of the HSBC FEI Classics 2012 season against the stunning city centre backdrop of Adelaide Park Lands on 18-20 November 2011.

“The Australian International 3 Day Event is the country’s premier equestrian competition and one of only six 4* events held around the world,” explained Event Director and dual Olympic gold medallist Gillian Rolton (AUS). “For the last 10 years, Adelaide has been the chosen host city of this hallmark equestrian event. We are now extremely proud to take our place in the HSBC FEI Classics 2012 season and we’re looking forward to welcoming visitors and competitors to an action-packed event in our unique City of Adelaide Parkland setting.”

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