Jacob Fletcher and Atlantic Domino (Shannon Brinkman Photo)
Tyler, Texas – A small but mighty field of 11 combinations competed in the Adequan Advanced Gold Cup Final division of the 2015 Nutrena USEA American Eventing Championships presented by VTO Saddlery (AEC) at the Texas Rose Horse Park over the weekend. The USEF Open Horse Trial National Championship was held in conjunction with the Advanced division, allowing this year’s nine U.S. competitors to earn an additional prestigious title. Twenty-one-year-old Jacob Fletcher had a stellar weekend on his home turf in Area V, leading from start to finish, with Atlantic Domino to win both the Adequan Advanced Gold Cup Final and USEF Open Horse Trial National Championship titles.
Fletcher (North Little Rock, Ark.), an Eventing 25 Program participant in 2013 and 2015, started the week off on Thursday with a smooth, accurate dressage test aboard Atlantic Domino to receive an impressive score of 27.6 and sit atop the leaderboard. The pair made light work of Captain Mark Phillips’ cross-country course on Friday, adding just 4.0 time penalties to their dressage score. Fletcher and the 2005 Irish Sport Horse gelding owned by Fletcher Farms brought their weekend to a triumphant finish on Saturday with a double-clear round over Marc Donovan’s show jumping track. The duo claimed top honors with a final score of 31.6.
“I had a really successful run at Richland Park before this, and I was looking to build on that, but I was not expecting to do so well,” said a pleasantly surprised Fletcher. “Atlantic Domino was fantastic in dressage, even with an error, and on cross-country he was very good. You had to be very fast where you could be because the course was quite twisty. Show jumping is his best phase so I was expecting a double-clear round. He was really great and I couldn’t be prouder of him.”
The win had added meaning since Fletcher won on his home turf of Area V. “Area V was very lucky to host the AEC. I thought someone from Area V should win the Advanced division before the AEC moves to a new venue next year, and I am happy and proud that I was able to do that.”
The young rising stars owned the division as twenty-year-old Caroline Martin (Miami Beach, Fla.), a 2013 Eventing 18 program alum, won the Reserve Champion title with her and Sherrie Martin’s Quantum Solace. She and the 2005 Argentinian Thoroughbred gelding had a solid dressage test to score 36.7 to lie in seventh place after the first phase. The pair had the only double-clear cross-country round to move up to third place on the leaderboard. Martin and Quantum Solace continued their fantastic form in the final phase, having a double-clear show jumping round to make them the only pair to finish on their dressage score of 36.7.
Buck Davidson (Unionville, Pa.) and Wundermaske finished third in the division on a score of 43.0. He and Sharon White’s 2003 Hanoverian/TB gelding began the competition with a dressage score of 32.6. The pair added 2.4 time penalties to their score on cross-country day and had two rails in the show jumping phase.
Ian Millar and Teddy du Bosquetiau. Photos by Ben Radvanyi.
Caledon, Ontario – For the second year in a row, Ian Millar of Perth, ON rode away with the Caledon Cup at the CSI2* Canadian Show Jumping Tournament held September 23 to 27 at the Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park in Caledon, ON.
Following three intense phases of show jumping, all held in different formats, Millar decisively won the 2015 Caledon Cup, presented by RAM Equestrian, after claiming victory in the third and final phase, the $75,000 CSI2* Caledon Cup – Phase Three, presented by Edge Mutual Insurance and Aviva Insurance. Coupled with his second-place finish in Friday night’s $35,000 CSI2* Caledon Cup – Phase Two, Millar was awarded the Caledon Cup for the second year in a row. Millar also won the coveted Caledon Cup in 2011 riding Star Power.
Millar’s win in the $75,000 CSI2* Caledon Cup – Phase Three did not come easy, however. Course designer Bernardo Cabral of Portugal set a technical track, and his tight time allowed prevented three riders from moving forward to the jump-off. Friday night’s Phase Two winners, Amy Millar and Heros, jumped clear but failed to make it home in 76 seconds, a fate that also befell Calgary’s Vanessa Mannix riding Grand Cru vd Vijk Eiken and Jonathon Millar aboard his father’s 2012 London Olympic mount, Star Power.
Six riders did find the key to a clear round, however, and advanced to the jump-off. Hyde Moffatt of Brantford, ON set the pace with a clear round in 45.31 seconds riding Egor for owner Martha Younger. Olympic medalist Leslie Howard of the United States riding Utah and Ireland’s Conor Swail riding Grafton for owner Susan and Ariel Grange both took a shot and came home well under Moffatt’s time, but at the expense of a fallen rail.
Next into the ring, Millar executed a clear round in a time of 44.49 seconds to move into the lead. Mac Cone gave it his best shot with Gasper van den Doorn for owner Chadburn Holdings, but crossed the timers in 45.31 seconds to tie with Moffatt. As the final challenger, Isabelle Lapierre of Levis, QC laid it all on the line riding Cescha M, but a rail at the penultimate fence would leave the pair in sixth place.
Millar praised Cabral’s course for producing an exciting class, saying, “The course designer was building to a mixed group. You had young horses, you had riders who are just gaining experience, and you had some sophisticated riders. He got the right results beautifully. He leaned more on the technical side, and it was tricky to get it done. His time allowed was right on the money. As soon as you have to do something faster, you run the risk of making a mistake.”
With a record ten Olympic appearances, Millar’s is a familiar name among show jumping fans. His mount, however, is a relative newcomer to the international scene. Teddy du Bosquetiau was purchased this spring in Belgium for Emily Kinch of Barbados, who trains with the Millar family. Kinch, 22, met her goal of competing at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games, and has now handed the reins over to Millar to campaign.
“Emily had the tremendous accomplishment of riding that horse at the Pan American Games and now that she is returning to Barbados, the family has offered me the ride,” explained Millar of the new addition to his competition string. “I only started riding the horse last week, and this was our first show together.”
Teddy du Bosquetiau is a 12-year-old Belgian Sport Horse gelding (Ogano Sitte x Albion du Chene Brule) owned by Emily Kinch, Allan Kinch and Fiona Kinch.
“He has a lot of thoroughbred in him and I grew up on thoroughbreds, so I am comfortable with his blood,” said Millar, 68, who was a member of Canada’s gold medal team at the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games. “With the warmbloods you see in our sport today, many riders would not be comfortable with as much blood as this horse has. You think forward, and he’s gone! But if you’re comfortable, you think fast and he goes. You don’t have to manufacture or create it.
“It is always an honour to win the Caledon Cup, and especially to win it with a new horse like that,” continued Millar. “Emily was here, and she was so excited. She loves this horse, and she’s so pleased that I am going to ride it.”
The new match proved to be a winning one. In addition to winning the overall Caledon Cup, presented by RAM Equestrian, Millar was awarded a $1,000 bonus from Henry Equestrian Plan (HEP) as the highest-placed rider using the HEP-signature saddle pad presented to all entries at the FEI horse inspection.
“The footing was superb, the course designing was great, and we enjoyed a fantastic week of weather,” said Millar. “EMG ran a great Canadian Show Jumping Tournament. This is an event I look forward to each year.”
Millar has yet another reason to look forward to coming to the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament: the addition of a new indoor arena, installed as part of a major renovation at the Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park in preparation for the Toronto 2015 Pan American Games. After Thursday’s $10,000 Caledon Cup – Phase One was held outdoors in a speed format, horses and riders headed indoors for the first time for the $35,000 Caledon Cup – Phase Two.
“I’ve said it to everyone who will listen to me: we are going to have so much fun in that arena!” raved Millar about the new indoor arena, which measures an impressive 117m x 275m. “Some arenas you are in, the atmosphere is just all right, and some are like being in a dungeon. The atmosphere in this arena was excellent. It was an entertaining competition, and the benefit of this arena to the sport is going to be tremendous. I kept saying that the Games were important, and the legacy was equally important, if not more so. Having an indoor venue like this is critical.”
Darcy Hayes and Say When
On Saturday, the $5,000 Canadian Hunter Derby was held indoors with Darcy Hayes taking the win riding Say When for owner Danielle Baran. Kristjan Good was the runner-up riding Bally Sea for Stephanie Mackie, while Muffie Guthrie of Guelph, ON placed third with Lucky 2 Knight and fourth with Damiro Van Ter Notelaere, both owned by Knightwood Stables. Hayes, who is based out of Sorensen Stables, rounded out the top five riding Berlena for owner Christine Carlsen.
Pan Am Challenge classes for junior and amateur show jumping athletes rounded out the competition at the Canadian Show Jumping Tournament. Maddy Watzeck of Oakville, ON topped a 30-horse starting field riding Utopia Belles to win the $10,000 Low Pan Am Challenge. Riders qualified for the Low Pan Am Challenge based on points earned throughout the Caledon Pan Am Equestrian Park show season in the .9m, 1m and 1.10m divisions.
Meanwhile, riders qualified for the $20,000 High Pan Am Challenge, presented by MVS Solutions, based on money won in the 1.20m, 1.30m and 1.40m divisions. Miranda Travers-Cavill of Claremont, ON emerged victorious riding Verdi Birdy for owner Glenn Young, taking the win over Chantal Masselin of Creemore, ON and her own Tout Court Z.
For more information on the CSI2* Canadian Show Jumping Tournament, including full results, please visit www.equiman.com.
Contact: Jennifer Ward
Starting Gate Communications
Cell: (613) 292-5439 www.startinggate.ca
Upper Marlboro, MD – Capital Challenge Horse Show (CCHS), presented by Well Placed Smile, began the first day of elite hunter competition at The Show Place Arena at Prince George’s Equestrian Center, as the start of a number of divisions were underway including the Future Hunter divisions, which will be highlighted on Wednesday, September 30, in the Future Hunter North American Championship presented by Douglas Wheeler and Cismont Manor Farm. Live stream coverage from CCHS is available all day through the conclusion of competition on Sunday, October 4, covering both the indoor and outdoor arenas, on the EquestrianCounsel.com CCHS Live Webcast presented by Leone Equestrian Law.
Competition at CCHS today included the First and Second Year Working Hunter Divisions as well as the High Performance Hunter division presented by Rendezvous Farm, which attracted many of the best hunter combinations in the country as they prepare for WCHR Pro Challenge on Wednesday and WCHR Pro Finals on Friday. These divisions will crown their champions tomorrow, Tuesday, September 29 and Wednesday, October 30.
Competition at Capital Challenge Horse Show will continue throughout the week. Don’t miss a beat and tune in for complete live stream coverage of many exciting classes still ahead!
EquestrianCounsel.com CCHS Live Webcast presented by Leone Equestrian Law will include classes such as:
Wednesday, September 30: Future Hunter North American Championship, WCHR Professional Challenge, WCHR Developing Pro Challenge
Friday, October 2: WCHR Adult Amateur Challenge, ARIAT National Adult Medal Finals, $10,000 North American Junior/AA Challenge Cup Round 1, WCHR Professional Finals
Saturday, October 3: WCHR Pony Challenge, $10,000 North American Junior/AO Challenge Cup Final Round, Junior/Pony World Champion Hunter U/S
Tomorrow’s competition will begin with the Regular Conformation Model at 7:30am and will honor divisional champions for select hunter classes.
For more information on the 2015 Capital Challenge Horse Show, please visit www.capitalchallenge.org.
About Capital Challenge Horse Show In its 22nd year, the Capital Challenge Horse Show sets itself apart with a distinct and unique focus on preeminent hunter competition. Held each autumn at the Prince George’s Equestrian Center in Upper Marlboro, MD, this year’s show will take place on September 26 – October 4. In addition to several prestigious equitation events, the Capital Challenge Horse Show will once again host the World Champion Hunter Rider Finals and will assemble the country’s best horses and riders to compete in junior, amateur, and professional hunter classes.
Ashton Alexander takes home the blue with a seamless and bold performance aboard Fernway Park. Alexander, of Ocala, FL, is trained by Bibby Hill and Don Stewart of Don Stewart Stables, also in Ocala, FL. Alexander successfully navigated the course, designed by Phil DeVita, and was called back last to test. She managed to hold onto the lead spot to secure her victory, for the second year in a row. Congratulations Ashton – everyone at Southeast Medal Finals wishes you a successful Indoor Circuit!
Contact Information:
Managers:
James Lala, Philip DeVita & Stadium Jumping
(561) 906-6668 jdlala@aol.com
Live feed by Bryan Morgan brought to you by Holly Hill Horse Transport.
Southeast Medal Finals Fast Facts:
WHAT:
The Southeast Medal Finals is an A-rated indoor and outdoor hunter, jumper, and equitation finals horse show modeled after the New England Medal Finals. It attracts top riders and offers both a fantastic prep for those headed to Indoors or a special culmination for those ending their show season.
WHEN: September 17-20, 2015
WHERE: The Jacksonville Equestrian Center, Jacksonville, FL, featuring a large indoor coliseum with over 3,000 seats, two outdoor rings and a turf arena plus schooling rings and 500 permanent stalls. It is centrally located for USHJA Zone 4 and Region 3 competitors. The complex includes a network of adjacent trails, available to explore and enjoy for a casual hack during horse show down times. Area attractions include a 18 hole public golf course across the street, so Dad and Brother will have something fun to do to pass the time and a swimming center within walking distance.
Physical Address: 13611 Normandy Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32221
Charlotte Dujardin, aboard Renaissance Tyme, and Robert Dover during Sunday’s Master’s Class. Photo by Josh Walker for The Chronicle of the Horse.
New York, NY – The second annual Rolex Central Park Horse Show wrapped with a day of equestrian demonstrations and family-friendly fun on Sunday. Number-one dressage rider in the world Charlotte Dujardin took to Wollman Rink aboard Evi Strasser’s Renaissance Tyme, along with Olympian and United States Dressage Federation Hall of Fame Member Robert Dover, for a Master’s Class, presented by The Chronicle of the Horse and Breyer.
Dujardin guided spectators and viewers tuning in via live stream through her process of warming up, schooling and cooling down her horses with commentary from herself and Dover.
Dujardin had only sat on Renaissance Tyme, a 12-year-old German-bred Oldenburg gelding, twice before Sunday’s exhibition, including a performance in Saturday night’s U.S. Open $75,000 Dressage Freestyle, presented by Axel Johnson Group, at the Rolex Central Park Horse Show.
“I hope you all can appreciate after two times riding this horse Charlotte is able to get on and beautifully show this animal how she works,” said Dover. “The training is so secure that the end result is what you see with Valegro and the other horses she rides.”
According to Dujardin, when riding someone else’s horse, keying into how that rider rides is the hardest part. While continuing to learn more about Renaissance Tyme, she demonstrated Grand Prix movements and shared her philosophies on the development of each gait, transitions and more. “What you see as the end result in dressage is years and years of training,” she said. “It’s a bit like gymnastics with a horse.”
While Dujardin boasts Olympic, FEI World Equestrian Games and European Championship gold medals to her credit, her message to spectators was focused on the well-being of her horse, as well as establishing a solid foundation for success.
“It’s like building a house: if you have a bad foundation, you’ll have a bad house. If you have bad basics on a horse, you’re going to run into problems,” she said. “It’s so important that these horses enjoy every day of their work. I hack my horses on the road; they all go outside and have a normal life, even Valegro. We don’t wrap them up in cotton wool.”
United States Pony Club Mounted Games. Photo by Meg Banks for Equestrian Sport Productions
Preceding Dujardin’s Master’s Class, horse-sport fans of New York City and beyond were welcomed into Central Park for admission-free demonstrations, including a versatility exhibition of the Arabian Horse, United States Pony Club mounted games, a show jumping clinic with Candice King, and the Land Rover Mini-Car Driving Experience.
The Rolex Central Park Horse Show concluded Sunday, September 27, but the excitement isn’t over yet. Coverage of Friday night’s $212,000 U.S. Open CSI 3* Grand Prix, presented by Rolex, will air tonight, Sunday, September 27, 2015, on NBC Sports Network from 9:00 – 10:30 p.m. EST. Show managers are already making plans for the return of the Rolex Central Park Horse Show in 2016 with more competition showcasing varying disciplines of horse sport in the heart of New York City’s iconic Central Park.
About Rolex Central Park Horse Show
Launched in September 2014, Rolex Central Park Horse Show is the first-ever outdoor, multi-day equestrian sporting event in New York City, showcasing some of the best show jumpers and dressage riders in the world as they vie for top prizes against a backdrop of skyscrapers in one of the world’s most iconic venues. As the event founder, Mark Bellissimo is the CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions and International Equestrian Group LLC; Managing Partner of Wellington Equestrian Partners (WEF), Tryon Equestrian Partners and Colorado Equestrian Partners; and Publisher of The Chronicle of The Horse magazine. In its second year, Rolex Central Park Horse Show will make its triumphant return from September 23 to 27, 2015 and will feature five days of multi-discipline equestrian sport and performances, ranging from Arabians and Dressage to Hunters and Show Jumping. The Rolex Central Park Horse Show will also host the inaugural U.S. Open in the following categories: Jumpers, Dressage, Hunters, U25 Jumpers, and Arabians. For more information, visit http://centralparkhorseshow.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CPhorseshow, and follow @cphorseshow on Twitter and Instagram.
Media Contact:
Shin-Jung Hong
Nicholas & Lence Communications ShinJung@nicholaslence.com
Tel: 212.938.0005
Franz Schiltz (LUX) drove Frodo, a son of Florestan I, to gold in the seven-year-old class at the FEI World Driving Championships for Young Horses at Mezőhegyes (HUN), finishing on a score of 16.46. (FEI/Krisztina Horváth)
Mezőhegyes (HUN), 27 September 2015 – After four days of sport, Enfado P, Bazyli and Frodo claimed the three titles on offer at the inaugural edition of the FEI World Driving Championships for young horses in Mezőhegyes, Hungary.
The competition took place at the Mezőhegyes State Stud, renowned for breeding the Nónius horse and the Mezőhegyes Sport Horse. The international Ground Jury was chaired by Dr Klaus Christ (GER), with members Jan-Erik Pålsson (SWE), Joaquin Medina Garcia (ESP) and Klaus Peppersack (GER). The latter was officially thanked by the Chairman of the FEI Technical Committee Driving Károly Fugli (HUN) during the press conference as he will retire as an active Driving Judge due to the age limit rule.
Five-year-olds
The seven horses in the five-year-old category battled it out over three days in combined dressage and cones competitions. The horses were judged on the basic paces in dressage, the level of training appropriate to the age of the horse and overall impression to include character and education of the driving horse in the dressage and the cones. The most influential point was the character of the horse and the horse’s drivability.
The Sachsen-Thuringen heavy warmblood horse Enfado P, driven by Jovanca Marie Kessler (GER), set the highest scores in dressage. The gelding by Excellent P earned 17 points for the walk, nine for the working trot, seven for the medium trot and 18 on education. In the cones, the combination had a 0.3 penalty-point deduction for exceeding the time allowed, which resulted in the total score of 8.27 points.
Jovanca Marie Kessler is trained by the well-known German single driver and trainer Dieter Lauterbach. It is not the first time in her young career that Kessler has won an FEI medal, as she claimed bronze at last year’s European Youth Driving Championships.
The 19-year-old was very pleased with her performance: “I have had this horse since last summer and I have been working with him since February. I have more horses at home. I felt that my experience from competing at previous Championships helped me a lot here. This was the last competition of the season for Enfado P. I am planning to go to the next World Championships in Conty 2016, but it all depends on the horse.”
Her compatriot William Slater drove the Sachsen-Thüringen heavy warmblood mare Anni 95 to take silver. The daughter of Lord Brown I finished the competition with a total of 7.43 points. Slater was assisted on the carriage by his wife, the 2011 FEI World Pair Driving champion Carola Slater-Diener.
The bronze medal went to one of the Nonius horses bred at Mezőhegyes, the black stallion Mezőhegyes Nonius 8 Taksony, driven by Krisztián Németh (HUN), a professional horse truck, who finished on a total score of 6.43.
Six-year-olds
The 11 starters in the six-year-old horse-class had four days of competition, with two days of combined dressage and cones, and then the top seven going through to the dressage final. The last day consisted of a combined marathon and cones competition, which included two marathon obstacles, a water passage and several cones.
The Silesian horses, nicely driven by the very successful single driver Bartlomiej Kwiatek (POL), dominated this class. Kwiatek took home the gold medal with Bazyli, the stallion with which he won the CAI2* competition in Boguslawice (POL) last month. The son of his top horse Lokan finished on a total score of 15.16 penalty points. Kwiatek then drove his second horse, the black mare Frezja, to win the silver medal. The daughter of Regiment finished on a score of 14.70 points to stay just ahead of bronze medallist Claus Quast (GER) with Partitur 7. The Hanoverian mare by Weltruhm scored 14.29 points.
After his hugely successful day, Kwiatek said: “Mezőhegyes is a very nice place and the organisers did a great job to make it a high quality competition. My horses are very good, and I am very happy that I finished first and second place. They are not easy horses but they did their best, as well as my team. I was here with four horses in two categories and it was not an easy job to prepare everything and without them I would not have been able to do it. I have been driving Bazyli for a year now and I am really looking forward to compete with him and also with my other horses at the next FEI World Driving Championships for Young Horses.”
Seven-year-olds
The seven-year-old division was the biggest class of the championships, with 19 starters that took on the same competition format as the six-year-olds.
Franz Schiltz (LUX) drove Frodo, a son of Florestan I, to gold with a finishing score of 16.46. The Oldenburger gelding was successful earlier this season already, when Schiltz came second with him at the CAI3* in Nebanice (CZE), where they made their international debut.
“I am very pleased with my horse Frodo; it was a pleasure to drive him today in the combined marathon,” Schiltz said. “I felt like I was suffering a bit in the second qualification round, but luckily that is not visible in the scores of the judges. My horse went very well in the combined dressage and marathon phase as well, he was easy to drive and I feel that he has good potential for the future. I have been training him for two years now.”
The silver medal went to Arie Dibbits (NED), driving the KWPN-gelding Dynamo (v. Sunny Boy). Dibbits and Dynamo are regular competitors at Dutch national events, and finished third in the young horse class at the CAI3* Dillenburg (GER) 2015. Mezőhegyes was their first big international experience together.
Rudolf Pirhofer (AUT) took home the bronze medal with the Austrian warmblood Bambuccat on a score of 14.02. The combination, winners of the young horse class at the CAI3* Altenfelden (AUT) this year, proved they are a pair for the future again in Mezőhegyes.
Final results
Five-year-olds: 1. Enfado P – Jovanca Marie Kessler (GER) 8.27
2. Anni 95 – William Slater (GER) 7.43
3. Mezőhegyes Nonius 8 Taksony – Krisztián Németh (HUN) 6.43
Rancho Murieta (USA), 27 September 2015 – Last to go in a six-man jump off proved pivotal when Samuel Parot (CHI) delivered the fastest double clear in the $100,000 Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping at the Sacramento International Horse Show on Saturday night. Aboard 12-year-old bay gelding Atlantis (Andiamo-Royal Bravour L), Parot shaved over half a second off the USA’s Quentin Judge’s target time of 37.55 seconds to finish at the head of the 24-starter field.
“The jump off was super,” Parot said after the win. “The design was perfect. I had the opportunity to see all the rider make the mistakes, but my horse is very fast so it was unnecessary to leave out the stride.”
Before Parot’s round, both Richard Spooner (USA) and Karl Cook (USA) attempted to leave out a stride to the final fence, resulting in knockdowns for both. After watching the eight strides lead to mistakes on the Alan Wade-designed course, commentator and 1976 Olympian Buddy Brown said that if he were to attempt the course, he would put in the nine strides without having to sacrifice speed. Just as the words left his mouth, Parot did exactly that, proving that Brown’s approach was the winning one.
California love
“There is something I would like to say about Samuel because I know him very well because he shows a lot in France,” said Eric Navet (FRA), third place finisher in the class. “Before I moved here to California, I met Samuel at many of the shows in France. He’s a great guy, always happy, always friendly, and he’s a very, very efficient and fast rider so I’m not surprised that he got the win tonight.”
Parot’s partnership with his horse only began in May, ahead of this year’s Pan American Games. A broken collarbone at the beginning of the Spruce Meadows Summer Series sidelined the 50-year-old rider for a few weeks, but he was back to his winning ways shortly after. On his first trip to California this week, he won the $35,000 Open Stake World Cup qualifier with Atlantis, giving a strong indication that the pair were on top form for the big class on Saturday evening.
“Today (Atlantis) jumped super,” Parot said. “This is our seventh show together. He likes a very soft ride. He’s very sensitive, very careful. I’m very happy. I love California. It’s my first time that I’ve come here.”
Next on the schedule for Parot and Atlantis is a stop in Los Angeles for the Longines Masters event before moving onto Del Mar, Calgary, and Las Vegas to compete in the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League qualifiers. He plans to head back to Wellington, his home base, by the end of the year.
Indoor challenge
The evening class, inside and under lights, proved to be quite an adjustment for many of the horses, especially after the long summer season in large, outdoor arenas. The Irish-bred stallion Flexible, a crowd favorite and winner of the first West Coast North American League event at Thunderbird, was first in the order of go with Rich Fellers but his round resulted in uncharacteristic rails.
“The horses are trying to adjust to the lights,” Brown commented, after a few veteran riders also picked up faults. Additionally, the well-prepared course challenged riders throughout with its complex questions, demanding the highest level of precision from all starters.
“The principles are basically the same,” Wade said about designing tracks indoors as opposed to the large, outdoor venues. “You try and build them over the couple of days, and this was the biggest test. And tonight, the bigger the class, the more fair and open the distances were. The other night, I felt I had to test a bit more control because we were at 1.45 (meters). And when we got the bigger fences, it was more scope tests, and I was just trying to be fair to everyone.”
Many riders will continue to Los Angeles from Sacramento, where they will compete in another indoor venue and hope that they and their horses have gained valuable experience from the first indoor event of the fall season.
Six horses went clear in the first round, one picked up a single time fault, and one collected two faults. Two horses were eliminated.
The course designer was Alan Wade.
It was an all-male jump-off, with four Americans, one Chilean, and one Frenchman.
The first round was contested over 13 obstacles with 16 jumping efforts. The jump-off round had seven obstacles with eight efforts. The height was set at 1.60 meters.
Quotes
Danielle Ballard, marketing and event manager for West Palms Events: “We are greatly honored to be a part of the North American League, and we really appreciate Longines and the FEI’s support in creating a very, very well-rounded look at show jumping. The marketing around it is very important to make sure people see the sport of show jumping so we are very thankful to be a part of the North American League and very honored.”
Quentin Judge (USA): “I think for a rider you have to know your horse well and know that your horse is going to be able to cope with it. I’m lucky to have a really seasoned, fantastic horse that I can rely on in just about any venue and I think this was a great venue for him and a great test.”
Eric Navet (FRA): “I’m very lucky to have (Jonkheer Z) to show because he has a lot of experience, and he has been doing very, very good things with Karl (Cook). He’s been shown in two World Cup Finals, and now we are getting Karl prepared with that chestnut mare that he showed today. She was very good. We look for the future for Karl, so in these kinds of grand prix, each rider is only allowed to show just one horse so that’s why I showed Jonkheer. He’s a little bit of the past for Karl, and Karl shows Temba, which is the future for him.”
Sacramento International Horse Show
The Sacramento International Horse Show is one of Northern California’s premier equestrian events and takes place at the Murieta Equestrian Center in Rancho Murieta, California. The facility features four indoor arenas, 13 outdoor arenas, shopping, dining, bleacher seating to accommodate 3,000 spectators and VIP seating/dining areas. The show attracts sell-out crowds for its grand prix classes and special events, and riders on the international circuit regularly attend the Sacramento International on their way to qualifying for the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final.
Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League
A total of 14 athletes from the new North American League will qualify for next year’s prestigious Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final, which will take place in Gothenburg (SWE) on 23-28 March 2016.
The top seven athletes from the East Coast US, top three from West Coast US and the two best-placed athletes from Canada and Mexico will qualify for the Final, alongside winners of the 13 other leagues from around the world.
Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League
The new North American league was launched by Beezie Madden, the most decorated US female equestrian athlete of all time, American Gold Cup winner and FEI Solidarity Ambassador Jessica Springsteen, and Hannah Selleck, team and individual gold medalist at young rider level and one of the sport’s up-and-coming stars. The full launch release is available here: https://goo.gl/kCIsyW.
The North American League boasts a minimum of US $2.4 million prize money across the series, and offers the best Jumping athletes from North America and around the world the chance to qualify for the jackpot of more than US $1.4 million (€1.3 million) on offer annually at the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final.
New York, USA, 26 September 2015 – Isabell Werth produced an electrifying dressage performance on El Santo to the delight of the passionate New York fans who packed the stands to watch the world’s best riders compete in the U.S. Open Dressage Freestyle, Presented by Axel Johnson Group, at the 2015 Rolex Central Park Horse Show.
Competing under the lights in one of the world’s most iconic locations, dressage took the spotlight in Central Park, as returning champion Isabell Werth defended her title, while first-time competitor and six-time Olympian Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfvén rode in New York City for the first time. With a score of 80.33 Rolex Testimonee Isabell Werth topped the scoreboard following her stunning performance aboard El Santo.
“I am really, really happy that we could do it twice and come back here at this beautiful arena under this outstanding skyline. Always when I start with the music and the pressure, I feel the spectators are awake and coming with me. I was really happy with ‘Ernie’ – it was a completely good test,” said Werth.
Decorated dressage rider Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfvén of Sweden came second on Paridon Magi competing at the Rolex Central Park Horse Show. “I’m incredibly excited to be here. As a kid I always loved New York City and enjoyed coming here, but I never imagined that one day I would have the opportunity to ride here,” said Tinne. “That was a lot of fun [tonight] and I am going to remember it for a long time. I am extremely proud of my horse.”
Summing up the night, third placed Catherine Haddad Staller said, “Everybody has already put it all into a lot of great words but I think ‘magic’ is the best word to describe it riding here; it’s a magical feeling to ride in this atmosphere; it’s a magical arena and the crowd response is fantastic.”
EXPANDED EVENT
After the 2014 debut of the sold-out Rolex Central Park Horse Show, Mark Bellissimo, CEO of International Equestrian Group, was delighted to see the reach and impact of the thrilling event expand to more international talent this year. “We work hard to make sure the show itself is as special as it can be, but it is the riders who truly make it unforgettable,” he said. “We are very proud to present the best in sport across so many disciplines in the heart of New York City.”
FINAL RESULTS OF U.S. OPEN DRESSAGE FREESTYLE, PRESENTED BY AXEL JOHNSON GROUP
1. Isabell Werth (GER) riding El Santo, 80.333
2. Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfvén (SWE) riding Paridon Magi, 76.587
3. Catherine Haddad Staller (USA) riding Mane Stream Hotmail, 74.240
4. Karen Pavicic (CAN) riding Don Daiquiri, 71.125
5. Charlotte Jorst (USA) riding Kastel’s Nintendo, 71,792
6. Juan Matute Jr (ESP) riding Don Diego Ymas, 70.708
7. Lauren Sammis (USA) riding Whitman, 66.750
Isabell Werth and El Santo NRW. Photos by Josh Walker for The Chronicle of the Horse.
Jennifer Alfano, Giavanna Rinaldi and Sophie Gochman win in U.S. Open Hunter Debut
New York, NY – The final day of competition at the Rolex Central Park Horse Show celebrated international dressage on Saturday in the U.S. Open $75,000 Dressage Freestyle, presented by Axel Johnson Group. Germany’s Isabell Werth and El Santo NRW gave the crowd a commanding performance with a final score of 80.333% and her second win after taking top honors at the event in 2014. Also on Saturday, the U.S. Open Hunters made their debut in Central Park with wins for Jennifer Alfano, Giavanna Rinaldi and Sophie Gochman in their respective classes. The Rolex Central Park Horse Show wraps on Sunday, Sept. 27, with admission-free demonstrations and activities from 10 a.m. – 12:30 p.m., and a ticketed Dressage Master’s Class with Charlotte Dujardin at 1:30 p.m.
Seven riders representing five countries participated in the U.S. Open Dressage competition in Central Park with the top four riders all hailing from different corners of the world. Sweden’s Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfvén and Paridon Magi scored a 76.587% to take home the red ribbon for Lövsta Stuteri South. Catherine Haddad Staller was the top-placing rider for the U.S. in third on a score of 76.587% aboard Rowan O’Riley’s Mane Stream Hotmail. Fourth was presented to Karen Pavicic (CAN) and her own Don Daiquiri after a score of 72.125%. Charlotte Jorst (USA) capped the top five in the irons of Kastel’s Nintendo for Kastel Denmark with a score of 71.792%.
After Werth and her 14-year-old German-bred gelding (Ehrentusch x Rythme) boasted the top score from Friday’s U.S. Open Dressage Grand Prix exhibition competition, they returned to Wollman Rink with even more focus and drive on Saturday.
“Ernie [El Santo NRW] did a really great job today and improved from yesterday. We could take risks and I’m really satisfied,” said Werth. “I’m really happy that we could come back here and do it twice. It is an outstanding and special atmosphere and beautiful venue. The skyline is brilliant – never have I seen a skyline like this for a competition.”
While winning was the highlight of her week, Werth’s experience in New York City was made all the richer with the presence of Pope Francis as he passed through Central Park on his recent visit to the U.S. “I was standing on the roof of the steward trailer and caught the eye of the Pope,” she said. “It made this show a double highlights in my life. It was really amazing and a feeling I will never forget.”
An impressive crowd turned out to watch the cast of dressage riders that traveled to New York this week. For Werth, their excitement made her job that much more rewarding.
“When I start my music, I feel like the spectators are awake and coming with me,” she said. “I think the special thing about this freestyle is that you have a lot of transitions and a lot of combinations between extensions, half pass, passage and piaffe. There’s no break and no time to think. But, now after a while I feel really at home in this freestyle and together with this music.”
Tinne Vilhelmson-Silfvén and Paridon Magi
Second-place rider Vilhelmson-Silfvén was onsite in Central Park all week to experience the event and admits it was something she will never forget. “I think to ride in here tonight is one of the most amazing things I’ve ever done,” she said. “This whole week has almost been unreal.”
Vilhelmson-Silfvén had never competed Paridon Magi before Saturday evening and was proud of his performance. “I’ve known him for a long time, but it was my first time competing him and the first time riding this freestyle. Walking from the warm-up area, he was like ‘let’s do this’.”
The U.S. was well-represented by Catherine Haddad Staller, who described her experience at the Rolex Central Park Horse Show as “magical.”
“I have to say it makes me very, very proud of my country because we are moving into the big time when it comes to horse sports,” she said. “New York City proves that for us. You need a promoter, you need a sponsor, you need a venue like this, and then the riders will come and it makes me very proud.”
Number-one dressage rider in the world Charlotte Dujardin participated in the U.S. Open Dressage with a demonstration performance aboard Evi Strasser’s Renaissance Tyme. They performed Dujardin’s wildly popular freestyle based on Dreamworks’ How to Train Your Dragon and will present a Master’s Class on Sunday at 1:30 p.m.
“For me, this week has been completely different because I’ve had no pressure,” said Charlotte. “It’s been complete fun to be here in New York. I’ve done some sightseeing and it is brilliant to be here and to see the show, the backdrop and how everything is set up. It was like learning new buttons with Evi’s horse. I rode him once yesterday before today. For tomorrow, hopefully I can go through the basics of how I train and bit more of what I do. I’ll have another day on my riding and feeling of this horse. It will be good fun.”
Antonia Johnson is fourth generation Chairman and Owner of Axel Johnson Group, as well as the Founder and Owner of top equestrian breeding and training farm, Lövsta Stud Farm. She was in the stands watching as not only her rider – Vilhelmson-Silfvén – but also her vision for dressage in America experienced success.
“Years and years ago I was born on Park Avenue. I grew up in NYC and this is really my home. I moved to Sweden when I was around 10 years old, but I have an unbelievable passion for Central Park,” said Johnson. “When Mark called me and asked if I was willing to support dressage I just felt we could do it together. This is just the start of something that will be really exciting over the years.”
Bellissimo stated that a show like the Rolex Central Park Horse Show takes a great deal of energy and vision, a combination he says Axel Johnson Group has plenty of. “Antonia’s confidence in this has been spectacular and it really meant a lot that she and Axel Johnson Group stepped up to support it,” he said.
U.S. Open Hunters $50,000 Duchossois Cup, presented by The Gochman Family
Jennifer Alfano and Miss Lucy
Jennifer Alfano and Miss Lucy, a 13-year-old Dutch Warmblood mare, were the ones to beat in the U.S. Open Hunters $50,000 Duchossois Cup, presented by The Gochman Family. Alfano led both the first and second rounds on scores of 89 and 90 for a guaranteed victory over courses built by Bobby Murphy of Lexington, KY.
Ten riders were part of U.S. Open Hunters debut at the Rolex Central Park Horse Show with all riders competing in each of the two rounds. Scott Stewart and David Gochman’s Empire sat in first on scores of 85 and 87 before Alfano entered the ring. Stewart was bumped to second, while third went to Maggie Jayne and Alex Jayne’s All Wrapped Up with an 86 and 83.
Kelley Farmer and Mindful took fourth for owner Kensel, LLC on scores of 83 and 81, while Louise Serio and Autumn Janesky’s Temptation rounded out the top five on an 80 and 82.
“It’s so exciting to be a part of this,” said Alfano. “To be in this atmosphere with that crowd is really special. I have to say thank you to Becky [Gochman] and Mark [Bellissimo] for putting it on and inviting me – what a great day.”
For the course, Murphy implored the help of street artist Max Collins to give the U.S. Open Hunter fences some New York City flair. Brush boxes were spray painted to resemble graffiti, and Manhattan-inspired images imposed on standards and jumps. For Collins, the experience was like nothing he ever dreamed he would be a part of.
“I know nothing about horses,” he said. “It seemed like a unique experience and I got excited to be involved in something so different. It’s been interesting to see how these guys have their own artistic approach to designing the jumps.”
For Murphy, the collaboration was a long-time coming after meeting Collins three years ago. “To take a photo and paste it on a jump makes your horse look like it’s jumping anything,” he said. “We designed the back side of the jumps for the horse and the front side for the photographers. We saw the ring as a canvas and I think we created some really beautiful art.”
Despite the unfamiliar obstacles, Alfano’s confidence in Miss Lucy never wavered. “Lucy is fearless. She thrives in places like this and she walked in today and looked around like ‘Cool, all these people came to see me,'” she said. “I knew she’d be great – you can jump her in any ring over any jump. Bobby always makes a beautiful course. It was nice to ride and he got some really nice rounds.”
The U.S. Open Hunters was born from the inspiration of both Mark Bellissimo and sponsor Becky Gochman, and sprung from the success of last year’s first-annual Rolex Central Park Horse Show.
“During the first day of the show last year, I ran into Becky and she stopped me and said, ‘We have to bring hunters to New York City.’ She shows great passion, and without her support it would be hard for us to do this,” said Bellissimo. “This whole show is an opportunity to elevate equestrian sport in the world’s largest city. The level of competition that we saw was great and we sold over 800 tickets for the hunter competition.”
“This event was a long time coming because I believe hunters should have just as much play in country as jumpers and I’m very proud that this discipline was brought to light in the great city of New York,” added Gochman. “Thank you to the great riders and thank you to Mark for accepting this idea.”
$2,500 Junior/Amateur Hunter Classic, presented by Meralex
Junior and Amateur Hunter riders took their turn in Central Park’s spotlight with a one-round classic, crowning Giavanna Rinaldi the winner aboard Taken for owner Jessica Stitt. Their score of 87 was four points higher than second-place finisher Stephanie Danhakl and her own Enough Said on an 83.
“Taken has done a lot of derbies over the summer and done really well, so he was used to the big crowd, big ring, scary jumps and he handled it really well,” said 16-year-old Rinaldi. “I really wanted to show here after watching last year and was really excited I got the opportunity to come.”
Annabel Revers and MTM Hands Down rounded out the victory gallop in third for owners Beechwood Stables, LLC on a score of 80. Kelly Bauernschmidt and her own Legato were fourth with a 73, and Samantha Kasowitz capped the top placings with a 72 aboard Mon Ami for Fair Play Farm.
$1,000 Pony Hunter Freestyle
Pony Hunter competition was presented with a twist at the Rolex Central Park Horse Show. Run as a freestyle set to music, the class for small and medium ponies played a song of each rider’s choice during their round. Sophie Gochman used the opportunity to pick a song to calm the nerves of an easily-excited Bit Of Love, owned by Dr. Betsee Parker. The strategy paid off and Gochman scored an 83 in the one-round classic for the win.
“It was amazing with the towers surrounding you and such a big crowd. It was so fun and I loved it,” said Gochman. “I chose the song Royals because it’s calming and Chester [Bit Of Love] can sometimes get excited in situations like this. I was surprised at how relaxed he was. He was confident, so I felt good about it.”
Mimi Gochman was runner-up to her sister by a single point with a score of 82 aboard Love Me Tender, also owned by Parker.
“For me as an old horseman, it’s nice to come back to New York,” said Parker. “The last time I was here was the last year The National Horse Show was at Madison Square Garden. Both girls did a wonderful job today.”
Stella Propp and her own Heart To Forget scored a 77 for third, while Tessa Downey and her own Grand Jete’ took fourth with a 76. Francesca Calamari rounded out the top five on a 70 in the irons of Sophia Calamari’s Empire’s Paris.
The Rolex Central Park Horse Show concludes Sunday, September 27, with free equestrian demonstrations, Land Rover Mini-Car Driving Experience for Children and a ticketed Dressage Master’s Class with Charlotte Dujardin, presented by Chronicle of the Horse and Breyer.
About Rolex Central Park Horse Show
Launched in September 2014, Rolex Central Park Horse Show is the first-ever outdoor, multi-day equestrian sporting event in New York City, showcasing some of the best show jumpers and dressage riders in the world as they vie for top prizes against a backdrop of skyscrapers in one of the world’s most iconic venues. As the event founder, Mark Bellissimo is the CEO of Equestrian Sport Productions and International Equestrian Group LLC; Managing Partner of Wellington Equestrian Partners (WEF), Tryon Equestrian Partners and Colorado Equestrian Partners; and Publisher of The Chronicle of The Horse magazine. In its second year, Rolex Central Park Horse Show will make its triumphant return from September 23 to 27, 2015 and will feature five days of multi-discipline equestrian sport and performances, ranging from Arabians and Dressage to Hunters and Show Jumping. The Rolex Central Park Horse Show will also host the inaugural U.S. Open in the following categories: Jumpers, Dressage, Hunters, U25 Jumpers, and Arabians. For more information, visit http://centralparkhorseshow.com, on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/CPhorseshow, and follow @cphorseshow on Twitter and Instagram.
Media Contact:
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Live feed by Bryan Morgan brought to you by Holly Hill Horse Transport.
Southeast Medal Finals Fast Facts:
WHAT:
The Southeast Medal Finals is an A-rated indoor and outdoor hunter, jumper, and equitation finals horse show modeled after the New England Medal Finals. It attracts top riders and offers both a fantastic prep for those headed to Indoors or a special culmination for those ending their show season.
WHEN: September 17-20, 2015
WHERE: The Jacksonville Equestrian Center, Jacksonville, FL, featuring a large indoor coliseum with over 3,000 seats, two outdoor rings and a turf arena plus schooling rings and 500 permanent stalls. It is centrally located for USHJA Zone 4 and Region 3 competitors. The complex includes a network of adjacent trails, available to explore and enjoy for a casual hack during horse show down times. Area attractions include a 18 hole public golf course across the street, so Dad and Brother will have something fun to do to pass the time and a swimming center within walking distance.
Physical Address: 13611 Normandy Blvd., Jacksonville, FL 32221
