Emanuel Andrade and Wilco. Photos copyright Mancini Photos.
Wellington, FL – November 3, 2014 – Equestrian Sport Productions (ESP), management company of the world-renowned Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF), hosted its Fall Finale Horse Show this weekend on October 31 – November 2, 2014, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center (PBIEC) in Wellington, FL. The show hosted its $25,000 ESP Fall Finale Grand Prix on Sunday with a win for Venezuela’s Emanuel Andrade and Wilco, Andrade also finishing second aboard Nokia de Brekka.
Thirty entries contested the first round course set by Hector Loyola, where 13 went clear to advance to the jump-off. Seven combinations jumped double clear over the short course, and Andrade completed the two fastest clear rounds. He and Wilco stopped the clock in 42.74 seconds for the win. With Nokia de Brekka, a brand new horse that he has only been showing for two weeks, Andrade took the second place prize in 44.59 seconds. Tom Foley and Sweet Oak Farm’s Petrushka III placed third in 44.79 seconds, and Catherine Pasmore and Pasmore Stables LLC’s Z Canta were fourth in 45.02 seconds.
Andrade represented Venezuela in the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in France this summer and spent some time showing in Europe before returning to the states. He was excited to do so well with his horses on Sunday.
“It was a big day. I was in Europe for two months and then I come back and I am doing very good here, so I am very happy. I love this horse show,” the rider acknowledged. “The course was nice. It was technical. It was difficult, but I really liked it.”
Emanuel Andrade and Nokia de Brekka
He jumped first with Nokia de Brekka and then improved on that time with Wilco. The winning 11-year-old KWPN gelding (Nabab de Reve x Fedor) is usually Andrade’s 1.60m horse and the rider was surprised at how fast he went.
“The class was difficult, but the jump-off was very difficult,” Andrade stated. “I went fast with my first one and then faster with the second one. Nokia is fun. He is very small, but he is so fast. Wilco is a really good horse. He is a bit german. He is a big horse with big scope and a big stride. That was new for me because I have always been with smaller horses. You didn’t think he could go that fast, but he was really good and I am really happy with the results. He was amazing.”
In addition to his grand prix victory, Andrade also won the $10,000 Open Welcome Stake earlier in the week, repeating his victories from the Fall II and Fall III Welcome Stakes. This time the win came with Nokia de Brekka, a 13-year-old Selle Francais gelding (Quick Star SF x Apache d’Adriers). Nine out of 19 entries jumped clear to advance to the jump-off where the pair had the fastest double clear round for the win.
“He has a lot of scope and he likes to go forward to every jump, that is the way he likes to jump,” Andrade said of Nokia. “He is like a little toy that you can go really forward with and win the 1.45m class.”
The 2014 ESP Fall Circuit will continue with two more weeks of competition featuring $10,000 Welcome Stakes on Sunday, November 9, and Sunday November 16. The ESP November “Regional” and Jumper 3 horse show runs November 8-9 and counts for both PBCHA & ESP Circuits. The ESP “Regional” Pre-Charity and Jumper 3 competition runs November 15-16. To view the prize list and for more information, please visit www.equestriansport.com.
It was double gold for Henrique Pinheiro and Land Quenote Do Feroleto at the FEI South American Eventing Championship 2014 which drew to a close at Barretos in Brazil yesterday. (FEI/Claudia Lesconski)
Barretos (BRA), 3 November 2014 – The host nation had plenty to celebrate when taking team and individual gold at the FEI South American Eventing Championship 2014 staged at Cross Horse Stables in Barretos, Sao Paulo, Brazil at the weekend.
This important CCI 2* is one of the two qualifying competitions in the South American region for the Pan-American Games which will take place in Ontario, Canada in July 2015. A total of four countries contested the team medals, while 26 horse-and-rider combinations battled it out for the individual title which went to Brazil’s Henrique Pinheiro riding Land Quenote do Feroleto.
And it was a convincing team victory, with Brazil finishing more than 23 penalty points clear of the silver medallists from Chile, while Argentina took the bronze and Uruguay missed out on a podium placing.
Full complement
Chile was the only country to finish with a full complement of four riders, and Carlos Lobos got off to a spectacular start with a dressage mark of 46.2 which left him out in front in the individual rankings at the end of the first phase. However, only three riders managed to score below 50 in dressage, and when two of them were flying the Brazilian flag that left the host nation already in a strong position going into cross-country day.
Marcio Carvalho Jorge was lying in runner-up spot with Coronel MCJ on a mark of 48.3, while Serguei Fofanoff and Estiva TW was third on 49.8, and Pinheiro bolstered the strong Brazilian attack when filling fourth spot on a mark of 50.8.
Pierre Michelet from France, the man who set the challenge at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 and at the FEI World Breeding Eventing Championships for Young Horses at Le Lion d’Anger in France over the last few months, is one of the most sought-after cross-country course designers in the world. He put his extraordinary expertise to work in the creation of the cross-country test at Barretos, and it certainly proved influential.
One horse-and-rider combination retired while 10 were eliminated, and the Brazilians began to look vulnerable when Marcio Carvalho Jorge was amongst the latter, leaving them with only a three-man side going into the final day.
However, the remaining three were well capable of carrying the weight.
Jumping phase
Chile’s Lobos was still holding the lead as the final jumping phase began having added just 0.8 time penalties during his cross-country run, and with Jorge out of contention, Brazil’s Fofanoff was sitting in silver medal position having added just 1.2 to his tally. Pinheiro lay in bronze medal spot and always looked threatening when he was the only rider to bring his horse home inside the time on cross-country day. And when he produced one of just four clears over the colored poles, the 36-year-old rider rocketed up to gold medal spot with his 11-year-old Holsteiner mare in the final analysis.
A single jumping error cost Lobos dearly, moving him on to a final score of 51.0 which left him so tantalisingly close, just 0.2 behind in silver medal position while, despite putting 12 additional faults on the board, Fofanoff dropped just one place to take the bronze.
The final score for the Brazilian team was 199.9 which left them well clear of Chile’s Lobos, Carlos Villarroel (Paradigma), Sergio Iturriaga (Versailled) and Guillermo Garin (Ubago) on 133.6 in team silver spot. Argentina’s Juan Alberto Gallardo (CT Red Hot) and Juan Sebastian Vargas (Remonta Nantes) were both eliminated in the cross-country phase, but Marcelo Rawson (Larghago) and Luciano Brunello (Erevan) finished on creditable scores of 81.4 and 84.4 respectively. So when Francisco Calvelo Martinez and Noir de la Muralla were the only members of the Uruguayan side to post a finishing score, the bronze went to Argentina.
Qualification spot
Yesterday’s result has earned the winning team a qualification spot for the 2015 Pan-American Games, and it seems the host country for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games is in really great shape.
“We are very pleased with the result which is a good step towards our ultimate goal of taking a good place in the Pan-American Games and the Olympics,” said New Zealand super-star Mark Todd who coaches the Brazilian side.
This is the second significant result for Brazilian eventers in just over two months. At the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy, France, the team of Ruy Fonseca, Gabriel Figueirdo and Marcelo Tosi lined up eighth of the 16 competing nations, beating considerably more experienced sides including the crack New Zealand squad that included Todd.
Results:
FEI South American Eventing Championship 2014:
Team Championship: GOLD – Brazil 199.9: Land Quenote Do Feroleto (Henrique Pinheiro) 50.8, Estiva TW (Serguei Fofanoff) 63.0, CDC Superstar (Andre Paro) 86.1, Coronel MCJ (Marcio Carvalho Jorge) Elim; SILVER – Chile 223.7: Ranco (Carlos Lobos) 51.0, Paradigma (Carlos Villarroel) 83.7, Versailled (Sergio Iturriaga) 89.0, Ubago (Guillermo Garin) 133.6; BRONZE – Argentina 1165.8: Larthago (Marcelo Javier Humberto Rawson)) 84.4, Erevan (Luciano Brunello) 81.4, CT RED (Juan Alberto Gallardo) Elim, Remonta Nantes (Juan Sebastian Vargas) Elim.
Individual Championship: GOLD – Land Quenote Do Feroleto (Henrique Pinheiro) BRA 50.8; SILVER – Ranco (Carlos Lobos) CHI 51.0; BRONZE – Estiva TW (Serguei Fofanoff) BRA 63.0.
Eirin Bruheim and NLF Favorite. Liz Crawley Photography.
Tryon, NC – November 3, 2014 – Throughout the summer, Eirin Bruheim of Norway successfully competed all over Europe, but now the amateur rider has returned to her home base in the United States to work closely with her talented string of horses. This month, she traveled to Tryon, North Carolina to compete for two weeks during their Fall Horse Shows and check out the growing equestrian center.
“The facility at Tryon looks so good and my horses enjoyed it,” noted Bruheim. “The stalls are all close to the rings, spacious and with wide aisles. The paths have proper footing between the stalls and the rings. Not to mention how great it was for spectators.”
“My brother loves going to shows but does not love all the walking on dirt paths with the horses, but this show is so spectator friendly as well with separate human walkways and all the relevant areas being close and connected,” she continued. “He could watch me in one ring and turn around and walk a few steps to see me in the big ring. I was very pleased with how it looks now – I can’t imagine how it will be when it’s done!”
Bruheim brought four horses to compete, including her first grand prix mount from her junior years, who is making his return to the ring after a long hiatus. Bruheim and Cicero 75 took home blue ribbons in the Low and Training Jumper classes and eventually moved up to the 1.20m Open Jumpers.
“I couldn’t be more excited to have my best friend back competing – it’s like we haven’t missed a day,” she explained. “He started with the 0.85m and ended at 1.20m and had some great clear rounds.”
Bruheim was also successful with her other mounts, competing in the $25,000 Grand Prix and the $50,000 Grand Prix each week. During the first week, she and NLF Favorite captured the third place award in the $25,000 Grand Prix after completing a fantastic double clear effort. NLF Billy on Show and NLF Newsflash also earned good ribbons throughout the two weeks in the Open Jumper divisions.
“NLF Favorite was good as always,” smiled Bruheim. “She is getting some valuable mileage in the ring and really settling down into the show life well. NLF Billy On Show was so energetic and ready to start showing. It was nice to see that the break gave him his fire back. NLF Newsflash stepped up for some bigger classes, and he jumped great. The break was good for him. These big Irish horses need a lot of flatwork, and it showed how much it helped him in the ring.”
Now Bruheim and her horses will return to Texas for a well-deserved rest after a long year. Nordic Lights Farm will make the trip to Wellington, Florida for the 2015 Winter Equestrian Festival to begin gearing up for the show season again.
Nordic Lights Farm is a 70-acre establishment located in Tomball, Texas, that was founded in 2007 by the Bruheim family to help further the equestrian goals of 20-year-old Eirin Bruheim and 18-year-old Lene Bruheim. Both girls have worked their way up through the ranks and are currently competing at the top levels in the hunter and jumper divisions aboard their incredible string of horses.
Rebecca Walton for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
Schuyler Ayres pilots Waterloo over a fence in the Olympic Arena during the 2012 Atlanta Fall Classic. Flashpoint Photography.
The Atlanta Fall Classic is set to kick off November 5th to the 16th. This is your last chance in 2014 to experience the award-winning, USHJA Members Choice Award Shows at the premier Olympic facility at the Georgia International Horse Park!
Late fees start soon so make sure to enter now online for free! The HORSESHOWSONLINE onsite software is now integrated with credit card services and capable of processing all major credit cards through Charter Merchant Services. Sign up now and don’t miss the last 2014 Classic Company show! There is still some time! Horseshowsonline.com is offering their service free of charge right now, so visit HORSESHOWSONLINE.COM to enter!
It’s still green in Atlanta!
It may be fall, but there’s still a lot of green in Atlanta… cash, that is. Both weeks I and II offer the $10,000 Welcome Class and the $1,500 Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic. Week I offers the $25,000 Barry Lane Jumper Classics and the $5,000 1.40 meter High Junior/Amateur Jumper Classic. Week II raises the cash bar and offers the $10,000 NHJL Junior/AO 1.40 meter class and the 1.15 meter $10,000 NAL Children’s/Adult Jumper Classic.
The $45,000 Cedar Street Advisors Grand Prix kicks off the high-stakes action Week I and the $45,000 EMO Grand Prix wraps up the two weeks of top show competition.
Don’t worry, hunters – Classic Company has you covered too! Each week the $2,500 USHJA National Hunter Derby takes place and the $15,000 International Hunter Derby is scheduled for Week II. A host of classics take place both weeks and even include a Short Stirrup Hunter Classic for those young equestrians who have their sites on the big derbies one day.
The coveted National Classic Equitation Finals will take place Week I in the covered arena Friday night. The top ribbon winners in the Classic Company Equitation classes are invited to compete in this prestigious Finals competition that highlights the up and coming talent in the sport of show jumping. Besides winning top honors in the National Classic Equitation Championship Finals, the winning rider and his or her trainer will receive the coveted letterman jackets. Contact the show office at 770.602.2510 to see if you qualified.
The Atlanta Fall Classic attracts riders from all over the country because of the international, Olympic venue and the Classic Company’s hallmark blue ribbon service. Home to the 1996 Olympics, riders have the opportunity to compete in the Olympic arena and ride for some of the top prize money offered this fall. With more than 300,000 in prize money offered, world-class stabling and arenas, top show management staff and a division for everyone in your barn, there is no better place to be in November. From the jumper ring to the short stirrup arena, each competition ring is highly decorated and staffed with top-notch, friendly professional show staff.
Did You Reserve Your VIP Table?
The entire VIP tent overlooking the Olympic Grand Prix Arena has been upgraded. There are only 100 seats available per event for the Atlanta Fall Classic. That fact plus the best seating, complete with heaters in case the fall chill sets in, and the newly upgraded menu will make you want to book your table now!
Week One: Saturday – Grand Prix BBQ: * Whole Pig, Roasted and Barbequed Pulled on Site * BBQ Grilled Chicken Breasts * Baked Beans, Corn on the Cob, Creamy Cole Slaw, Corn Bread Muffins Desserts: Assorted Cookies and Brownies
Week Two: Friday – International Hunter Derby Chef’s Carving Station: * Roasted Turkey Breast * Jack Daniels Top Round of Beef * Smashed Garlic Potatoes, Creamy Sweet Potato Mash, Green Bean Almondine Desserts: Pumpkin Pie Mousse, Chocolate Pecan Pie and Martinis
Week Two: Saturday – Grand Prix Surf and Turf Kabobs Grilled on Site * Montreal Seasoned Beef Tips, Sweet Onions, Bell Pepper, Sweet Onion * Teriyaki Chicken, Red Onions, Pineapple, Red Pepper Grilled Citrus Shrimp, Lemons, Limes, Oranges * Vegetable Kabobs, Assorted Vegetables Wild Rice Pilaf Grilled Fall Vegetables Desserts: Assortment of Proof’s Posh Puddings, Dark Chocolate Sea Salt, Banana, Key Lime
Every table receives two complimentary bottles of wine and there is a cash bar available. Dinner tables are $400 per seating and seat 8. Single seats are available at $50 each. There are only 100 seats per night-so make sure to reserve your table now!
Pensacola is a favorite among the Junior Riders, Amateurs and Professionals
Pssst… only 66 days until Pensacola… what are you doing this winter? The Classic Company is going to the beach! Join them on the Gulf of Mexico for the best in show jumping action! This circuit has received rave reviews and equestrians travel from around the country to get their “leg up” on the competition.
The Classic Company is a USHJA’s Members Choice Award winner, recognized for producing top quality show jumping events in the United States. For more information on Classic Company and its exhibitor-friendly, top quality hunter jumper events, please visit them at classiccompany.com or call them at 843-768-5503.
All sponsorship, marketing and press inquiries should be directed to Lisa Engel, Sponsorship, Marketing and Public Relations Director at lisa@classiccompany.com.
Stay up to date: Like us on Facebook and Follow us on Twitter!
See you at the ring,
Bob Bell
The Classic Company, Ltd. www.ClassicCompany.com
Phone/FAX: (843) 768-5503
Post Office Box 1311 Johns Island SC 29457
Tori Colvin and Patrick by Shawn McMillan Photography.
Lexington, KY – November 2, 2014 – The history books were made to house Tori Colvin’s name. The young phenom has been winning championship titles since she was wearing garters and riding ponies. At just 17 years old, she has already won the USHJA International Hunter Derby Finals, the Artisan Farms Young Rider Grand Prix Series, and countless other awards. One major title had eluded her, and today she changed that for good at the 2014 National Horse Show when she captured the prestigious ASPCA Alfred B. Maclay Championship, presented by Dover Saddlery.
“I never thought I would win an equitation final,” said Colvin of Loxahatchee, Florida after her victory. “It feels great. I thought Patrick went amazing. I thought that my second round was better than my first round, but Patrick really produced great rounds all day.”
The Kentucky Horse Park hosted 153 of the country’s top junior riders who turned out to vie for the winning title. Judges McLain Ward and Chrystine Tauber designed a course that tested the riders’ precision and horsemanship skills with two combinations, multiple bending lines, and an inside turn to a three-stride line that would be a deciding factor for today’s winners.
Trainer Don Stewart said, “I thought today when I walked it that the people who are going to win this class are going to go inside and do three and do five correctly. They gave the option for people to play it safe by going around. That’s not how McLain wins these big classes, though. He will do the inside turns; he goes to win the class. The judges weren’t going to penalize you if you went around, but if you want to win these classes, you have to do what is hard.”
The field was narrowed down to twenty riders who were asked to return for the flat phase, with Hunter Holloway of Topeka, Kansas in the lead position, followed by Colvin and Sophie Simpson of Wellington, Florida. The flat test counted for half of the riders’ overall score, and riders were asked to complete small circles, half-passes, and two changes of lead, as well as drop their stirrups.
After the flat phase, Holloway and Colvin remained in the top two spots. The top 15 competitors then had to complete a second course with increased difficulty that included a halt, counter canter fence, trot fence, and hand gallop fence. It also had three combinations as well as multiple turns where riders had to showcase balance and accuracy. The standings were as listed and the riders were asked to return in reverse order:
Hunter Holloway
Tori Colvin
Michael Hughes
Spencer Smith
Kelli Cruciotti
Ali Tritschler
Madison Goetzmann
Virigina Ingram
Rebekah Chenelle
Caitlin Boyle
McKayla Langmeier
Vivian Yowan
Sophie Simpson
Lilly Higgins
TJ O’Mara
The delicate track separated the top riders. Michael Hughes of Allendale, New Jersey, a decorated jumper rider, had a light rub in the second combination, but demonstrated a very good halt and counter canter transition that helped him remain in third place. The Maclay Final marked the conclusion of the 18-year-old’s equitation career.
“I think not only are the courses the same that we jump in the grand prix and the high juniors, but the pressure is the same as being last in the jump-off,” explained Hughes at the end of the day. “You know what you have to do. Doing equitation really taught me that you have to go in and do it exactly as you have to do it.”
Ali Tritschler of Southport, Connecticut was able to move into fourth place ahead of Spencer Smith with a very smooth and confident round. Smith rode the counter canter transition well, but did not demonstrate enough of a hand gallop, dropping to fifth place. However, at the end of the competition, Smith was awarded the Wilson Dennehy Equitation Trophy as the rider with the best results overall from the ASPCA Maclay Final and the Pessoa/US Hunter Seat Medal Finals.
The work-off determined third through tenth place in the standings, but when Colvin and Holloway each produced flawless rounds that demonstrated their superb horsemanship skills, Ward and Tauber asked them to return for a final test, completing the same test, but swapping horses.
Colvin returned first on Holloway’s Any Given Sunday and laid down the gauntlet by taking an inside turn on an unfamiliar horse and easily riding down the outside line with a controlled halt.
“I thought it would be a lot of fun to do another horse,” admitted Colvin. “Hunter’s horse was amazing – he was like a hunter. I love riding hunters. He had more energy than Patrick.”
Hunter Holloway and Any Given Sunday
Holloway knew that she would need to be perfect to stay in the lead, and while she demonstrated a good trot fence and a lovely ride through the diagonal line as well as completing the inside turn with Colvin’s Patrick, an extra stride at the final fence would cost her the win with a deep distance.
“I got really nervous for the final round and I miscounted down the final line, which was very unfortunate,” explained 15-year-old Holloway. “Patrick is straightforward and fun to ride though, so it was fun.”
Holloway added, “This has always been a goal of mine. Hopefully next year we will come back and do even better. This is the best I’ve done here. I have an amazing team and amazing people in my life. It’s really special to be able to come here and do this.”
The judges were very impressed with the level of riding demonstrated throughout the day. “We had talked earlier in the year about the general concept and what we wanted to see in the way of horsemanship and the riders commanding their mounts,” noted Tauber. “I think you could see that the lines on the courses required a good connection. You had to ride leg to hand, know the track, and know how your horse had to be ridden on the course. Not every person could ride it the same. You had to ride it according to what you were sitting on. Our top riders did it beautifully. I think we were very thrilled with our top group.”
Tauber added, “The final showed whether you could go from collected to a counter canter to a hand gallop to a rollback turn and bending line with your eye on it. But, that was exactly what that course was about. It let the people who were really riding well shine. The other weaknesses were exposed.”
For Ward, the Maclay is more than just a junior championship: it is a test for riders to advance to the highest levels of the sport. “I think the basis of the courses and the thought process is that this isn’t a be-all, end-all. This is a stepping-stone to something greater,” he commented. “We hope that these events will point out the riders who are going to go on to do great things in their careers and for this country. The three kids sitting here, and all the young riders competing here today, really stepped up to the plate and had great performances.”
For Holloway, the two-time Olympic Gold medalist also commented, “Don’t worry, Hunter – second place worked out OK for me!”
Colvin’s victory today also marked a third win in as many years at the championship for Andre Dignelli and the team at Heritage Farm. “When you come to these events with someone who rides like Tori, you know you have a shot at winning,” he commented. “My goal is to try not to mess it up. I agonized for 75 rounds if I was going to have her go inside and do three to the five or do five. We took a shot and it paid off for us today. But this feeling never gets old.”
ASPCA Federal Legislative Manager Caroline Schnurr concluded, “We applaud Tori’s commitment to horsemanship as a unique talent that led to this truly impressive victory. This championship embodies not only the spirit of excellence, in equestrian sport, but in humane and responsible stewardship of equines, and in doing what is right and compassionate for horses and all animals. We now encourage Tori, and all those who compete in this prestigious competition, to join us in being a voice for the animals and helping us, and our Equine Welfare Ambassadors, many of whom are ASPCA Maclay National Champions themselves, in making a difference for animals.”
The ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship class has been held since 1933, and it is one of the most prestigious competitions for junior riders in the United States. Its winners are some of the biggest names in equestrian sport. Previous winners include: William Steinkraus in 1941, Frank Chapot (1948), George Morris (1952), Leslie Burr Howard (1972), Stacia Klein Madden (1987) and Nicole Shahinian Simpson (1992). The 2012 ASPCA Maclay National Championship winner was Jacob Pope of Columbia, Maryland, and in 2013 Lillie Keenan of New York, New York, won the title.
Founded in 1883 at the original Madison Square Garden, the National Horse Show is America’s oldest indoor horse show, firmly established as a major fixture on the national and international sports and social event calendars. The National Horse Show Association’s primary activity is the annual production of the National Horse Show and all ancillary events. Over the years, the National Horse Show has provided financial aid to many worthwhile charities.
About the National Horse Show
Founded in 1883 at the original Madison Square Garden, the National Horse Show is America’s oldest indoor horse show, firmly established as a major fixture on the national and international sports and social event calendars. The National Horse Show Association’s primary activity is the annual production of the National Horse Show and all ancillary events. Over the years, the National Horse Show has provided financial aid to many worthwhile charities.
With $755,000 in prize money offered, this year’s National Horse Show offers an International Open Jumpers with $460,000 in prize money, while the top rated hunter sections have a total purse of $195,000. Meanwhile, $100,000 in total is offered to the Amateur-Owner and U 25 Jumper sections.
For the fourth consecutive year, The National Horse Show received a top ranking from NARG, the North American Riders Group and was named the Show Hunter Hall of Fame Horse Show of the Year in four back-to-back years.
What:
The Alltech National Horse Show is a week-long championship event featuring “AA”-rated hunters, open jumpers, junior/amateur jumpers, and the ASPCA Alfred B. Maclay Finals. The event will run October 28 – November 2, 2014, indoors in the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, site of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
Parking:
The Kentucky Horse Park has waived the normal parking fee during the Alltech National Horse Show. Parking is free. While dogs are permitted at the Kentucky Horse Park on a leash, no dogs are allowed in the Alltech Arena during the ANHS.
Directions:
The Kentucky Horse Park is located at 4089 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY 40511. The KHP is 8 miles northeast of Lexington at Exit 120 on Interstate 75.
Information:
2245 Stone Garden Lane Lexington, KY 40513
Cindy Bozan
email: cindy@nhs.org
Phone: (859) 608-3709
Fax: (866) 285-9496
Hotels:
HILTON – DOWNTOWN – 859-231-9000 – Approximately 6 miles
CLARION HOTEL (formerly Holiday Inn North) – 859 – 233-0512 – Approximately 4 miles
FAIRFIELD INN & SUITES BY MARRIOTT – 859 -977-5870 – Approximately 4 miles
FOUR POINTS SHERATON – 859-259-1311 – Approximately 4 miles
LA QUINTA – 859-231-7551 – Approximately 4 miles
KNIGHTS INN – 859-231-0232 – Approximately 4 miles
EMBASSY SUITES – 859-455-5000 – Approximately 4 miles
MARRIOT GRIFFIN GATE – 859-231-5100 – Approximately 4 miles
RESIDENCE INN – 859-231-6191 – Approximately 5 miles
COURTYARD BY MARRIOT – 859-253-4646 – Approximately 5 miles
HOLIDAY INN GEORGETOWN – 502-570-0220 – Approximately 6 miles
RAMADA INN – 859-299-1261 – Approximately 6 miles
RED ROOF INN – 859-293-2626 – Approximately 6 miles
HAMPTON INN – 502-867-4888 – Approximately 6 miles
SUPER EIGHT – 502-863-4888 – Approximately 6 miles
MICROTEL INN & SUITES – 502-868-8000 – Approximately 6 miles
Reigning FEI European champion, Roger Yves Bost from France, steered Qoud‘Coeur de la Loge to victory on home turf at the third leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2014/2015 Western European League series in Lyon, France today. (FEI/Pierre Costabadie)
Lyon (FRA), 2 November 2014 – There was a frenzy of French excitement at the third leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2014/2015 Western European League in Lyon today when the reigning FEI European individual champion, Roger Yves Bost, emerged victorious on home ground.
In a competition that sizzled with excitement from beginning to end, it came down to a 14-horse jump-off against the clock in which the 49-year-old rider and his 10-year-old horse Qoud’Coeur de la Loge snatched victory from the grasp of Dutch veteran Wout-Jan van der Schans and Capetown.
Today’s success was all the more special for Bost as his winning ride is by his great former campaigner, the stallion Ideal de la Loge. And in a field sparkling with quality combinations, it was Germany’s Hans-Dieter Dreher and Embassy ll who slotted into third ahead of The Netherlands’ Gerco Schroder and Cognac Champblanc in fourth place.
Significant jumping test
A total of 18 countries were represented by the 40 starters, and course-designer Frank Rothenberger’s first-round track certainly presented a significant jumping test. Maximum-height verticals and oxers were spread all around the arena, but, arguably, the final decorative white planks produced some of the biggest surprises of the day when the top three riders in the current Longines world rankings all went out of contention here.
The statistics spoke for themselves, with seven riders opting to retire in round one, including former Olympic and FEI World Cup™ champion Rodrigo Pessoa from Brazil (Status), Australian star Edwina Tops-Alexander (Old Chap Tame) and Spain’s Sergio Alvarez-Moya (Action-Breaker). But no-one would have expected that current World no. 1 Scott Brash from Great Britain with his London 2012 Olympic team gold-medal-winning ride Hello Sanctos, World no. 2 Ludger Beerbaum and his European team silver-medal-winning ride Chiara, and world no 3, fellow-German and three-time FEI World Cup™ Jumping champion Marcus Ehning partnering the spectacular Cornado NRW, would all sail around the track only to fall foul of the final obstacle.
Bost explained afterwards, “The problem was that horses had to give so much at the previous oxer, so it was up to the rider to keep their focus and momentum coming down to the last fence. I had to cut my distance short and go on a long stride, and that worked for me,” he said.
Major target
Jump-off pathfinder, Wout-Jan van der Schans, set them a blistering target when clear in 37.24 seconds with Capetown. Key to success in this round was the ability to gallop long distances and arrive in balance at the next obstacle, and making a really good job of the roll-back from the oxer that was now second on the course to, the following oxer at fence seven. Another long run down the long side of the arena took them to the water-tray oxer at eight and then riders had to take further risk on the roll-back to the remaining two elements of the triple combination. From there it was a case of making a good distance to the penultimate Longines vertical and racing down to the final oxer on the other side of the arena.
And, fourth to go, Germany’s Hans-Dieter and Embassy ll had a great crack at it with the extravagant 13-year-old horse giving the fences plenty of air but still returning a good time of 38.41 seconds to slot temporarily into second. Bost’s round changed everything, however.
The Frenchman started out to a roar of “allez Bosty” from the sidelines, and “allez” he most certainly did, with his French-bred horse answering his every question along the way. For anyone who watched this rider at his best with Ideal de la Loge there was a sense of deja vu, and he was very aware of that himself. “He’s very similar to Ideal, not just physically but in his attitude as well,” Bost said afterwards. “He loves to go fast, just like his father, but he is easier in the mouth,” the rider pointed out after posting the new target of 36.82.
Four French
And, try as they might, the rest couldn’t better that.
There were four French in the final barrage, and Bost’s fellow-countryman, Simon Delestre, returned the quickest time of 35.89 with Qlassic Bois Margot but left the penultimate oxer on the floor. Third-last into the arena, America’s Lauren Hough and Ohlala also bettered the time when breaking the beam in 36.54 but again left one on the ground while the man who claimed team and individual silver at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy, Patrice Delaveau, set the crowd alight again when second-last into the arena with Carinjo HDC. But the pair arrived on a bad stride to the first element of the double three fences from home, and it fell apart for them there. And when The Netherlands’ Gerco Schroder opted for a calm and careful clear with the clean-jumping 11-year-old grey, Cognac Champblanc, then he easily slotted into fourth place.
Course designer, Frank Rothenberger, admitted that he was surprised at how well the horses and riders coped with his very tough track.
“I was expecting to get eight or nine into the jump-off so in the end I was surprised when we had 14, but this is a big arena with excellent footing, and the horses were well prepared having already jumped in other big classes over the last few days,” he said.
Huge potential
Bost talked about Qoud’Coeur de la Loge who, just last weekend, won the 3-Star Grand Prix at St Lo in France. “He is a horse with huge potential and we are carefully planning his career. I want to save him a bit as well, choosing the shows he goes to, but I’m super-confident about his future and very happy with him,” he said.
Wout-Jan van der Schans was more than pleased with his runner-up result. “I was first to go in the jump-off so I had to be super-fast and, to be honest, I feel like I won today! I couldn’t do the WEG (Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy) because the horse was a bit green and not ready and I was a bit frustrated about that. But we went to the (Furusiyya FEI) Nations Cup Final in Barcelona and we won the Grand Prix there on the Sunday, and today he gave me everything he had, so I think he is great!” he added.
Bost made another little piece of equestrian history today when he was the first French rider ever to win the FEI World Cup™ Jumping qualifier in Lyon. “It’s a very special thing to happen on the 20th anniversary of our show,” said Show Director Sylvie Robert this evening.
For further information on the third leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2014/2015 Western European League series at Lyon in France, visit website www.equitalyon.com or contact Press Officer Veronique Gauthier, Email veronique-gauthier@club-internet.fr, Tel +33 967 073 729.
The next leg will take place in Verona, Italy on Sunday 9 November. For details of the Italian fixture, go to website www.jumpingverona.it, or contact Press Officer Caterina Vagnozzi, Email c.vagnozzi@gmail.com, Tel +39 335 6107070.
Facts and Figures:
Lyon, France was the venue for the third leg of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2014/2015 Western European series today.
40 horse-and-rider combinations from 18 countries lined out.
Course designer was Germany’s Frank Rothenberger.
14 horse-and-rider combinations from 9 nations qualified for the second-round jump-off against the clock.
The country with the biggest number of riders in the jump-off was France, with four in total.
Only four horse-and-rider combinations jumped double-clear rounds.
Today’s winner was reigning European champion Roger Yves Bost from France riding Qoud’Coeur de la Loge, a 10-year-old daughter of the stallion Ideal de la Loge which also brought this rider many great successes during their career together.
The Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping 2015 Final will take place in Las Vegas, USA from 15-19 April 2015.
It will be the sixth time for the FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final to visit the American city.
Quotes:
Hans-Dieter Dreher GER, talking about his horse Embassy ll – “I have not been competing this horse for a while so I’m very happy to finish third!”
Frank Rothenberger GER, course designer – “I have to admit I was impressed with how well the horses handled the course today, and by how fast they were against the clock.”
Longines Live Timing Jumping application: available free for download from The App Store (iPhone) & Android Markets. Combining precision and performance, this is a detailed and exclusive application designed especially for Jumping fans – follow live results, see latest Longines Rankings, view competition schedules, obtain exclusive information and alerts on your favorite riders and get all the latest FEI news.
Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping press kit: download all the details from www.feipresskits.org (contains series calendar, competition schedule, online media tools and history).
Longines has been based at Saint-Imier (SUI) since 1832. Its watchmaking expertise reflects a strong devotion to tradition, elegance and performance. It has generations of experience as the official timekeeper at world championships and as a partner of international sports federations.
Longines’ passion for equestrian sports began in 1878, when it produced a chronograph engraved with a jockey and its mount. Over the years, the brand has built strong and long-lasting links with equestrian sports. In 1912, Longines was proud to partner with its first Jumping event, the Grande Concurso Hippico Internacional, in Portugal.
Today, Longines’ involvement in equestrianism includes Jumping, Endurance and flat racing.
Longines is a member of The Swatch Group S.A., the world’s leading manufacturer of horological products. With an excellent reputation for creating refined timepieces, the brand, whose emblem is the winged hourglass, has outlets in over 130 countries.
Jen Alfano and Candid jumped to a reserve championship in the Green Conformation Hunters. Photo by Emily Riden.
Lexington, KY – October 31, 2014 – The National Horse Show, 131st edition, welcomed the top hunter riders in the nation to the Alltech Arena. Kicking off the week, the professional hunters vied for the prestigious honors, with SBS Farms and Jennifer Alfano leaving their mark on Lexington. Candid topped a field of competitors during the Green Conformation Hunters, riding to the reserve rosette.
It was only two years ago that Alfano purchased a young horse for the USHJA Pre-Green Incentive Program. She saw a horse with the capacity to climb the ranks and become one of the industry’s best. Together, they dominated the Pre-Green Hunters throughout 2013, and fresh off the Pennsylvania National Horse Show Grand Hunter Championship, they showcased their talents at the National Horse Show.
Alfano rode the gelding to second place over fences, as well as third place in the handy on the opening day of the show. They were also awarded second place for Candid’s conformation during the Green Conformation Hunter model. On the second day of competition Candid surpassed competitors to take second place in the stake, and also captured the red ribbon during the under saddle.
“It is always really special to win on Candid because he is my horse, and one that I have been able to bring up through the ranks,” Alfano said. “He was so consistent this week, and it was really fun to compete at the National Horse Show. It is such a prestigious event, and it has a very historic feel.”
Alfano also earned good ribbons with Billie Steffee’s Maggie May. Steffee was onsite to see the bay Brandenberger mare put forth consistent rounds during the Second Year Green Hunters. The SBS Farms team will now have a rest before the start of the winter circuit.
Based out of Buffalo, NY, SBS Farms’ Susie Schoellkopf and Jennifer Alfano run one of the foremost show hunter training operations in the country, and travel nationwide to compete in the nation’s most prestigious horse shows. SBS Farms, Inc. continues the proud tradition of the Saddle and Bridle Club as one of the top show stables in the northeast. Schoellkopf is also the Executive Director of the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center, which houses both The Buffalo Equestrian Center as well as SBS Farms. Built in 1922, the 160-stall facility is a historical landmark, with its unique English Tudor and gothic style architecture. For more information on SBS Farms and the Buffalo Therapeutic Riding Center, please visit www.thebtrc.org.
Lexington, KY – November 1, 2014 – The National Horse Show is steeped in history, and the 2014 Grand Champion Junior Hunter is a horse that is not only adding to that history, but creating quite the legacy for himself as well.
“In the history of the [United States Equestrian Federation] and the [American Horse Show Association] there has never been a Small Junior Working Hunter that has won as many of the big ones as he has. You’re looking at an animal that is historic,” said Dr. Betsee Parker.
The horse that she is describing is her own Ovation, a 14-year-old Warmblood gelding who claimed the Junior Hunter Grand Championship with Tori Colvin in the irons.
Ovation and Colvin won two of the three over fences classes and the under saddle this week at the Kentucky Horse Park before ultimately being named the Small Junior 16-17 Hunter champions and going on to receive the Overdressed Challenge Trophy as the overall champions.
Parker values each and every one of the championships that Ovation has won, but there is something particularly special about the National Horse Show.
“These qualifiers are the ones that everyone wants to get to,” Parker said. “Mason Phelps has just done a spectacular job of reviving the National Horse Show. I was one of those dyed in the wool New York City/Madison Square Garden types, but on its own right now in Kentucky it has become a stand out, magnificent first tier show.”
Finishing in reserve in the Small Junior 16-17 Hunter division, presented by Dayle Duchossois and Edward Fortino, were Kaitlyn Van Konyenburg and Triton Z.
Kaitlyn Van Konyenburg and Wish List Top the List in Large Junior 16-17 Hunters
The reserve tricolor in the Small Junior Hunters was just the start for Van Konyenburg. The 16-year-old will also be returning home to California with the Large Junior 16-17 Hunter championship cooler earned aboard her own Wish List.
“I’m really, really excited. I didn’t think it would happen, but it did!” said an excited Van Konyenburg.
“He’s just a good guy,” Van Konyenburg said of the 11-year-old Hanoverian gelding. “Riding him, you have to be really still. He gets really nervous if you’re not still enough, which I had to learn because I’m a little bit sloppy sometimes. He made me learn how to sit still. He’s just a really fun ride. You can trust him over everything because you know he’s going to go over everything. He’s never stopped at a jump. He’s just a good all-around solid guy.”
For the last six years, Van Konyenburg has been training with Carleton Brooks and Traci Barmen Brooks and their Balmoral Farm in the heart of Los Angeles, only about 500 feet from Sunset Boulevard. Van Konyenburg credits them with helping her get to where she is today: winning multiple top honors at one of the most prestigious horse shows in the country.
“We’re a really good team because we can be serious, but we can still have fun which is good because I like to have fun,” Van Konyenburg said. “I like this sport with them because I can have a lot a lot of fun and be good, but not be one of those kids who has to feel like winning is everything.”
Traci added, “It’s been a long road, but she’s come so far. When we first met Kaitlyn she was scared to jump an X. We had to beg her, and we had to make her sing a song while she went over it… She’s come a long way from that.”
“She has natural talent. There’s no question,” Carleton said. “The empathy for the horses carries over. The horses know it right away.”
Van Konyenburg also gives her mom a lot of credit for her support of her riding and showing over the years.
“I love my mom so much. She literally is the best cheerleader,” Van Konyenburg said. “I have three brothers and sisters, so she’s really dedicated a lot of time to coming to the horse shows. She’s such a good role model for me. These two too; Carleton has been really good with helping me learn how to be a good person, and so has Tracey.”
Lilli Hymowitz Dominates in Junior 15 and Under Hunters
In the Junior 15 and Under Hunters, Lilli Hymowitz is quick to thank her horses, and on Saturday there were two in particular who received a little extra praise.
Hymowitz dominated the Junior Hunters for her age division, winning both the Small and Large Junior 15 and Under Hunter Division championships aboard Enjoy and Tiffani respectively.
“Enjoy is amazing,” Hymowitz said of her day’s first winning mount, an 8-year-old Holsteiner gelding previously ridden by her sister, Cloe Hymowitz. “He was a challenge. This is my first time being at Indoors on him. Harrisburg and Capital Challenge and Washington were all good. I had little mistakes in all of my classes like a hard rub or a swap or something. It’s nice for it to all come together.”
Hymowitz continued, “You have to let him do his own thing and let him find the jump. If you leave him alone, he’s perfect. He’s the sweetest in the barn out of all of mine for sure. He’s so nice and gives kisses.”
While Enjoy might be the sweetest, Hymowitz’s Large Junior Hunter, Tiffani, is the one who really has her heart.
“She’s probably my favorite,” Hymowitz said. “She’s not as friendly in the barn, and as soon as she goes in the ring, she knows it’s time to work. She really does anything that you tell her to do as long as you give her instructions, so it’s very different from Enjoy. You leave him alone, and she’s more ‘tell me what to do.’ I like Tiffani’s ride better because I’m just more in control, but I’ve learned how to ride Enjoy too.”
Reserve in the Large Junior 16-17 Hunters, presented by Susie Humes, went to Kerry McCahill and Imagine. Reserves in the Junior 15 and Under Hunter divisions went to Victoria Press and Akinda in the Smalls and Kelly Arani and Antwerp in the Large division.
In the Junior 3’3″ Hunter division, the championship honor went to Hailey Livingston and Brego, and the reserve championship went to Grace Finerman and Carlsson.
Saturday marked the conclusion hunter competition at the National Horse Show, but the competition continues on Sunday with the highly anticipated ASPCA Maclay Horsemanship National Championship Final.
Founded in 1883 at the original Madison Square Garden, the National Horse Show is America’s oldest indoor horse show, firmly established as a major fixture on the national and international sports and social event calendars. The National Horse Show Association’s primary activity is the annual production of the National Horse Show and all ancillary events. Over the years, the National Horse Show has provided financial aid to many worthwhile charities.
With $755,000 in prize money offered, this year’s National Horse Show offers an International Open Jumpers with $460,000 in prize money, while the top rated hunter sections have a total purse of $195,000. Meanwhile, $100,000 in total is offered to the Amateur-Owner and U 25 Jumper sections.
For the fourth consecutive year, The National Horse Show received a top ranking from NARG, the North American Riders Group and was named the Show Hunter Hall of Fame Horse Show of the Year in four back-to-back years.
What:
The Alltech National Horse Show is a week-long championship event featuring “AA”-rated hunters, open jumpers, junior/amateur jumpers, and the ASPCA Alfred B. Maclay Finals. The event will run October 28 – November 2, 2014, indoors in the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, site of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
Parking:
The Kentucky Horse Park has waived the normal parking fee during the Alltech National Horse Show. Parking is free. While dogs are permitted at the Kentucky Horse Park on a leash, no dogs are allowed in the Alltech Arena during the ANHS.
Directions:
The Kentucky Horse Park is located at 4089 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY 40511. The KHP is 8 miles northeast of Lexington at Exit 120 on Interstate 75.
Information:
2245 Stone Garden Lane Lexington, KY 40513
Cindy Bozan
email: cindy@nhs.org
Phone: (859) 608-3709
Fax: (866) 285-9496
Hotels:
HILTON – DOWNTOWN – 859-231-9000 – Approximately 6 miles
CLARION HOTEL (formerly Holiday Inn North) – 859 – 233-0512 – Approximately 4 miles
FAIRFIELD INN & SUITES BY MARRIOTT – 859 -977-5870 – Approximately 4 miles
FOUR POINTS SHERATON – 859-259-1311 – Approximately 4 miles
LA QUINTA – 859-231-7551 – Approximately 4 miles
KNIGHTS INN – 859-231-0232 – Approximately 4 miles
EMBASSY SUITES – 859-455-5000 – Approximately 4 miles
MARRIOT GRIFFIN GATE – 859-231-5100 – Approximately 4 miles
RESIDENCE INN – 859-231-6191 – Approximately 5 miles
COURTYARD BY MARRIOT – 859-253-4646 – Approximately 5 miles
HOLIDAY INN GEORGETOWN – 502-570-0220 – Approximately 6 miles
RAMADA INN – 859-299-1261 – Approximately 6 miles
RED ROOF INN – 859-293-2626 – Approximately 6 miles
HAMPTON INN – 502-867-4888 – Approximately 6 miles
SUPER EIGHT – 502-863-4888 – Approximately 6 miles
MICROTEL INN & SUITES – 502-868-8000 – Approximately 6 miles
Shawn Casady Captures Inaugural $65,000 Sleepy P Ranch & Deeridge Farms Under 25 Championship with Twister
Lexington, KY – November 1, 2014 – In front of a pumped up Saturday night crowd at the 131st National Horse Show in Lexington, Kentucky, Olympic teammates Beezie Madden and McLain Ward did battle once again. In this skirmish it was Madden and Cortes ‘C’ edging out Ward and Rothchild by a single second to claim the title in the $250,000 Canadian Pacific Grand Prix CSI4*-W, presented by the Harrison Family. Madden had the advantage of going last and ripped across the finish line in a sensational time of 34.71 seconds to nail down the win. Just minutes earlier, Ward and Rothchild had posted the top time of 35.73 seconds, but ended up settling for second place. Georgina Bloomberg and Juvina finished in third in 39.46 seconds.
Thirty-eight starters went to the post and were faced with a solid World Cup test with 13 numbered obstacles and 16 jumping efforts, designed by popular Brazilian course designer Guilherme Jorge. He used a triple combination early on at 5abc and a double later at 9ab. The triple caused plenty of problems at the top of the order and then once the riders began to solve that dilemma, fence 6, the tall CP vertical and 12, the very wide CP oxer coming home, began to take their toll. All in all though, faults were spread throughout the course and a snug time allowed added time faults to a number of score sheets, but none more heartbreaking than the single time infraction that prevented Laura Kraut and Andretti S from advancing to the dash for cash.
Tonight’s top finishers all had praise for Jorge’s tough, but fair, test.
“Today he really ratcheted up the test,” Ward noted. “I think it was an appropriate test for a World Cup. Three of the best horses in the class, in my opinion, near the top. So I think that was a really good result for this level of competition.”
Madden agreed. “I think he made it a bit more difficult today. I think he was a little restricted in the height in the prize list for the other classes. In this one he had a little bit more freedom, and I think it made for a good jump-off and a good result. It was a good class.”
“Thursday was very much on the soft side, but he learned the footing is good here; there are good horses here,” added Bloomberg. “Today he did a really good test which is the most important thing.”
Overall, eight horse and rider combinations mastered the first round course, totaling seven women and Ward, and all of the riders were from the United States. In fact, the highest placed foreign rider tonight was Beat Mandli of Switzerland with Antares F in 10th place.
Although the jump-off would prove to be one of the best we’ve seen in a long, long time, it didn’t start out that way. Over the shortened jump-off track, the first three to return all rolled the rail in the same fashion, at that same problematic fence #6. Brianne Goutal, the first to go clean in the first round with Nice de Prissey, had that rail and then one more to finish with eight faults in 38.856 seconds.
Kirsten Coe and Baronez had only the troublesome rail at fence 6 down to move ahead of Goutal with only four faults on her scorecard, in 40.54 seconds. Local favorite, Reed Kessler, finished with eight faults, but was faster than Goutal to move ahead of her in the order with Cylana in 37.53 seconds.
And then the fun began.
Candice King guided Kismet 50 to the first double clear of the night, much to the delight of the boisterous crowd on hand. King was clean and concise in a time 41.66 seconds, but in the end she would be nearly seven seconds off the winning pace. But, she certainly got the crowd buzzing.
And Georgina Bloomberg got them going even more. Making some neat turns with Juvina, Bloomberg galloped home almost two seconds faster than King in 39.46 seconds. “For me, my aim with her is to go for a nice slow clear and hopefully have that be good enough for a good ribbon,” Bloomberg said. “Today, I felt I could be a little quicker and take a shot at it. I also knew that realistically, she at her fastest is always going to be a little slower than Beezie and McLain at their fastest. So I knew if they didn’t pull any rails, I probably wouldn’t finish behind them,” she said.
McLain Ward and Rothchild
McLain Ward and Rothchild were the next to enter the ring and from the start, Ward never let off the gas. He was at high speed the entire way around the eight fence track. Meeting every fence almost perfectly, Ward raced home almost four seconds faster than Bloomberg in 35.73 seconds. “I didn’t think I left a lot out there, but I wasn’t confident I was going to win either with Beezie coming behind me,” Ward admitted. “I have to say though, if I was in that position 100 times I would have ridden the same exact ground. With her coming behind me, I think I would have ridden the same round. Maybe if I had gone after her, I would have tried to do the impossible, but I did about all that I could. My horse doesn’t have quite as big a stride, but he jumped super.”
“Rothchild just keeps giving and giving,” he said. “I would have liked to have won, but I really can’t second guess anything that I did.”
Lillie Keenan and Pumped Up Kicks, in their race for tonight’s top prize, dislodged the rail at 8 on their way to a finish time of 38.82 seconds. She would end up fifth on the night.
That set the stage for Beezie Madden and her always ready to go partner, Cortes ‘C.’ Madden matched Ward’s track step for step, but Cortes, naturally, has the bigger stride. However, it was Madden’s approach to the final fence that really sealed the deal on tonight’s win. The pair raced home in 34.71 seconds, a second ahead of Ward and Rothchild. “I knew McLain was very fast. My husband John told me that. I knew that I would have to pull out all the stops. He also told me to take a risk and use his scope at the last fence. I think maybe I stretched it a little too far,” she laughed.
“He’s been amazing all year. I’m really happy that he came back and did well,” said the WEG Team and Individual Bronze medalist. “This is his first competition back in the states. I’m really happy he’s still on form and doing well.”
“He’s like a big puppy dog. He loves attention from people. He’ll put his head right in your lap. I think he’d love to be a lapdog in his next life,” she smiled. “He’ll let you know if he doesn’t like something though. He’ll make that very clear.”
Hunter Harrison, the CEO of Canadian Pacific and Chairman of the Board of the National Horse Show and sponsor of tonight’s event, said, “Let me congratulate Georgina and McLain and Beezie for an outstanding performance. It’s a pleasure for us to be able to sponsor a show of this prestige and for it to come off as well as it did. You can congratulate the course designer. He did a wonderful job because you see the cream came to the top here tonight. Three of the top riders in country and three of the top riders in the world,” he said. “We just feel very privileged at Canadian Pacific to be able to sponsor a wonderful event like this.”
Harrison then announced some very exciting news. “We made a commitment today to go through the 2016 National Horse Show as sponsors. We would probably go even further, except we have a policy that you cannot go beyond a CEO’s tenure. I’m out in 2017 and we’ll have to sell the new CEO that it’s a tradition that he should carry on,” he smiled.
Madden captured the Martha Jolicoeur Leading Lady Rider award and the Audi Leading Rider award for her efforts tonight, but more importantly, she bankrolled some valuable World Cup points as everybody is fighting for a spot at the World Cup Finals in Las Vegas next April. “My first goal is to qualify. Even though I had a good score today, I really only have planned to do seven qualifiers unless I get desperate and start scrambling around,” she said. “Seven scores count, so I need all those to be good really.”
Tonight was certainly a step in the right direction.
Madden and Ward will head to Toronto next. For Bloomberg, it’s wait and see. “I’m right on the cusp for Toronto. So I’ll have my bags packed and ready to go if I get the call the night before,” she said. “I’d love to go. Juvina has had a little rest now, and she felt fresh so I felt like I could make a little shot at it. Hopefully, I get into Toronto. If not, Paris is the next stop.”
Not a bad alternative.
Shawn Casady Moves Up the Ranks to Claim Inaugural $65,000 Sleepy P Ranch & Deeridge Farm Under 25 Championship
The final day of the $65,000 Sleepy P Ranch & Deeridge Farm Under 25 Championship at the 131st National Horse Show ultimately came down to two demanding rounds and an upset in the ranks as Shawn Casady and Twister made a comeback to seal the victory. Casady jumped from the fourth position to the first with a double clear today, finishing on a total of 6 penalties to lead the victory gallop for the inaugural championship.
Casady’s consistent efforts in the first two days of competition put him just behind the 18-year-old Michael Hughes and MacArthur. Hughes and MacArthur, owned by Christina Fried, led the standings going into the final day of competition, with day one and two class winners Wilton Porter and Kalvin Dobbs sitting in third and second respectively. With zero penalties to his name, Hughes entered the competition with the weight of the world on his shoulders.
MacArthur, a horse known for his foot speed, unfortunately had one rail during the opening round and continued into the second round with four penalties. A rub at the front rail of the tenth obstacle dropped him from the lead, leaving Casady to take the championship with six penalties overall.
“MacArthur is usually a horse that thrives off going a lot more, so I was a little bit surprised the first night when he went so well,” Hughes recounted. “Usually he can be a little bit spooky the first night, but he was great every round. He tried so hard. We made a few mistakes the last couple of rounds, being a little bit nervous. But other than that he was amazing all week.”
Hughes continued, “Going into the second round, I knew I couldn’t have a rail. I could have time faults, but MacArthur’s naturally a fast horse so I didn’t think I would. I thought it was going to be a great course for him. I was a bit surprised by the rail we had. I couldn’t have asked any more from him all week.”
Casady, a rider recently turned professional, was thrilled with his win aboard Twister, owned by Cavallo Farms, LLC. He trained with Ken and Emily Smith of Ashland Farm during his junior years, and his transition to professional rider has been smooth as he continues his relationship with their operation.
“As a junior I was always busy, kind of like a professional, catch riding and working for different people,” Casady said. “I have been trying to do more, ride more and get more classes like this. It’s been a really smooth transition. I’ve worked with Twister for a couple years now. The Spoglis own him – huge thanks to them for the opportunity to ride a real grand prix horse like that.”
Casady continued, “He likes to be ridden together with seat and contact. He’s not a small catty horse. You have to worry a little about the time allowed, but he thrives off the pace of it and it works.”
Third place finisher Nicole Bellissimo made a huge comeback after initially placing 17th on the opening day of competition. Although she consistently rode VDL Bellefleur to four clear rounds, her opening day put her into a low rank when she incurred time faults for her tidy round.
Bellissimo described, “I’ve had her since the end of her 6-year-old year, so even though she’s 8 years old right now, I know her extremely well. We’ve been stepping her up and down. She’s done some grand prix, won a 1.50m class at Bromont and jumped clear at New Albany. We let her tell us how she’s feeling and try not to push her too much.”
Casady admitted that the quality of horses was unbelievable, with the top ranked riders in the nation, 25 and younger, vying for the first annual championship.
“This championship is great!” Casady said. “It’s neat that they started it this year, and I’m excited to see where it goes. It is a really great program. I don’t think there was a bad horse in the class. Every round, every horse, every rider – it was intense!”
The Under 25 Championship was brought about with the support of Suzanne Porter of Sleepy P Ranch as a way of closing the gap between the High Amateur-Owner and Junior Jumpers and the Grand Prix. Most of the riders have competed through the pipeline, whether it was pony jumpers or equitation medals.
Hughes is one of those riders, entering into his last equitation competition of his junior years tomorrow during the ASPCA Maclay Final. Although he felt the nerves during the championship division today, now that he has achieved a great result at this year’s National Horse Show, he feels a bit less pressure going into the Maclay.
“I’d say that today was a lot similar height-wise to an under 25 grand prix , but the level of pressure going in made it all bigger going around. You just had to make sure everything was perfect, so hopefully you could jump a clear round. Pressure made everything harder than usual today, but the jumpers are my first priority. I’m pretty relaxed going into tomorrow. I have a great horse, and hopefully it all goes well.”
The ASPCA Maclay Finals will conclude the 131st National Horse Show tomorrow, commencing at 7 a.m.
About the National Horse Show
Founded in 1883 at the original Madison Square Garden, the National Horse Show is America’s oldest indoor horse show, firmly established as a major fixture on the national and international sports and social event calendars. The National Horse Show Association’s primary activity is the annual production of the National Horse Show and all ancillary events. Over the years, the National Horse Show has provided financial aid to many worthwhile charities.
With $755,000 in prize money offered, this year’s National Horse Show offers an International Open Jumpers with $460,000 in prize money, while the top rated hunter sections have a total purse of $195,000. Meanwhile, $100,000 in total is offered to the Amateur-Owner and U 25 Jumper sections.
For the fourth consecutive year, The National Horse Show received a top ranking from NARG, the North American Riders Group and was named the Show Hunter Hall of Fame Horse Show of the Year in four back-to-back years.
What:
The Alltech National Horse Show is a week-long championship event featuring “AA”-rated hunters, open jumpers, junior/amateur jumpers, and the ASPCA Alfred B. Maclay Finals. The event will run October 28 – November 2, 2014, indoors in the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, site of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
Parking:
The Kentucky Horse Park has waived the normal parking fee during the Alltech National Horse Show. Parking is free. While dogs are permitted at the Kentucky Horse Park on a leash, no dogs are allowed in the Alltech Arena during the ANHS.
Directions:
The Kentucky Horse Park is located at 4089 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY 40511. The KHP is 8 miles northeast of Lexington at Exit 120 on Interstate 75.
Information:
2245 Stone Garden Lane Lexington, KY 40513
Cindy Bozan
email: cindy@nhs.org
Phone: (859) 608-3709
Fax: (866) 285-9496
Hotels:
HILTON – DOWNTOWN – 859-231-9000 – Approximately 6 miles
CLARION HOTEL (formerly Holiday Inn North) – 859 – 233-0512 – Approximately 4 miles
FAIRFIELD INN & SUITES BY MARRIOTT – 859 -977-5870 – Approximately 4 miles
FOUR POINTS SHERATON – 859-259-1311 – Approximately 4 miles
LA QUINTA – 859-231-7551 – Approximately 4 miles
KNIGHTS INN – 859-231-0232 – Approximately 4 miles
EMBASSY SUITES – 859-455-5000 – Approximately 4 miles
MARRIOT GRIFFIN GATE – 859-231-5100 – Approximately 4 miles
RESIDENCE INN – 859-231-6191 – Approximately 5 miles
COURTYARD BY MARRIOT – 859-253-4646 – Approximately 5 miles
HOLIDAY INN GEORGETOWN – 502-570-0220 – Approximately 6 miles
RAMADA INN – 859-299-1261 – Approximately 6 miles
RED ROOF INN – 859-293-2626 – Approximately 6 miles
HAMPTON INN – 502-867-4888 – Approximately 6 miles
SUPER EIGHT – 502-863-4888 – Approximately 6 miles
MICROTEL INN & SUITES – 502-868-8000 – Approximately 6 miles
Victoria Colvin Secures SJHOF East Coast Junior Series Championship
Lexington, KY – October 31, 2014 – It was a race to the finish today during the Amalaya Investments $20,000 Show Jumping Hall of Fame (SJHOF) Amateur-Owner Jumper Championship, presented by the Nusz Family, at the National Horse Show. Thirty-one of the East Coast’s most talented horse and rider combinations competed in the series finale, but it was Chicago’s Catherine Tyree and Don’t Go who proved that they have what it takes to go to the top. They shattered Tori Colvin’s time by over two seconds to seal their win in a blazing time of 30.478 seconds. Colvin however secured her second consecutive East Coast Junior Series Overall Championship.
“This is my biggest jumper win for sure,” Tyree smiled. “It is truly an honor to not only compete here at the National Horse Show, but also end up winning one of these classes.”
Tyree and her own Don’t Go, a 12-year-old stallion, put forth their best effort through the entire Show Jumping Hall of Fame Jumper Classic Series, only narrowly missing the Amateur-Owner Jumper Classic Series overall victory by 81 points, just behind Laura Linback and Attention Please.
Tyree said of her mount, “I call him my war horse. He is so reliable. He is game for anything. I can do a small ring like Washington or a big ring like the Hamptons. He is so good to me. I always know he is going to be there for me. His character is what makes him so great.”
Thirteen riders qualified for the shortened course, designed by internationally renowned course designer Guilherme Jorge of Brazil. In the jump-off, only seven of the original 16 jumping efforts remained in the Alltech Arena, allowing ample opportunity for the riders to open their strides and tackle the long distances to the obstacles.
Colvin set the pace early in the order with Don Juan, using his foot speed to her advantage over the course to break the beam in 32.052 seconds. Her speed went unmatched until Tyree entered the ring aboard Don’t Go.
Tyree had already tested the track as the second rider to go in the jump off with her first qualified mount, Wetter. The opportunity gave her an advantage as she executed her plan both efficiently and effectively aboard Don’t Go on her second try. His large stride covered the ground with ease, leaving out strides to trip the timers in an astonishing 30.478 seconds.
“Don’t Go is such a game horse,” Tyree said. “Once I picked up the gallop to the first jump and went off the nine strides to the oxer, I was able to do only five strides turning back to the next oxer. That was where I was able to get the time. He has such a big stride, is so careful and has such a fighting attitude. I knew that if I gave it a good shot, he would give his all for me.”
Haley Gassel gave a valiant effort with Quite Dark 2, owned by Westwind Equine Training Center, but was shy of the victory by 4/10ths of a second. Gassel has ridden Quite Dark 2 for almost two years, and she showed the confidence she has in their partnership as she sliced the turns and raced to the final oxer.
“He is very sweet in the barn, and in the ring he is very confident,” Gassel said. “You put him anywhere and he will jump. If you ride him correctly, he will always go clean. He is just a great horse in general. He has a huge stride. I always tell people that he has to have an 18-foot stride. He covers the ground incredibly, it gets so long, but it is not a loose long. It is still tight and adjustable.”
Gassel concluded the Amalaya Investments $20,000 SJHF Amateur-Owner/Junior Jumper Championship in second place, while Colvin finished third. Colvin was presented with the overall series award as the highest scoring junior for her second consecutive year.
“I call him my donkey in the barn,” Colvin laughed as she talked of her mount Don Juan. “When we gallop around he doesn’t even canter, but when you point him at a jump, he is like a dirt bike. He revs up because he has to in order to make it over the jump. His mom was a pony, so he is really small, and he has the pony attitude, too.”
Colvin concluded the series with 955 points, a full 250 points ahead of fellow contenders. She proved unstoppable from her wins during the Winter Equestrian Festival, and her lead became insurmountable after the Lake Placid Horse Shows.
Colvin continued, “You have to be consistent throughout the year in order to win the series, and I think that for the juniors to be able to have that opportunity gives us a great chance and experience.”
Francois Mathy Goes Wire to Wire to Win Chansonette Farm $45,000 Gamblers Choice Costume Class
Halloween Night at the 2014 National Horse Show featured creative costumes throughout the building; some on the many kids that came to trick or treat as well as those created by the riders in tonight’s popular Chansonette Farm $45,000 Gamblers Choice Costume Class. Although it wasn’t realized at the time, the class was over right after the first rider finished his imaginative course. Francois Mathy of Belgium, dressed as a soccer referee, raced Ornellaia through some tight tricky turns and amassed a grand total of 1340 points to secure the Friday night wire to wire win.
No one else came close.
The 200 point Joker fence, a tall, difficult 1.65m vertical of three white poles in the center of the ring proved to be the decider for many of the competitors tonight as only 11 of the 25 riders in the Gamblers Choice were able to add the 200 points to their score. Almost all that cleared the Joker ended up in the money when the tally was finally counted. Fourteen riders saw the 200 points deducted sending them home without a prize.
Schuyler Riley came the closet to catching Mathy’s top score but was still 110 points off the pace in second place. Riley, dressed as a big game hunter, rode Dobra de Porceyo to a total score of 1230 points.
Third place went to cat woman Laura Kraut and Cedric with 1220 points over the Guilherme Jorge designed course.
Rounding out the top four was Shane Sweetnam, riding as Woody from Toy Story. Sweetnam piloted Cyklon 1083 to a 1210 point total.
Francois Mathy and Ornellaia
“It is never easy in this kind of class when you go first,” said Mathy following his victory gallop. “You don’t have a lot of references; you don’t know how many obstacles you can jump. I saw the first part was quite tricky and I had quite a few fences coming up quite quickly, and I thought if I could do that all right, the rest of the course was smoother and easier. In this kind of class what you have to do is try to keep the fences as close as possible and not run too much without jumping a fence. I think that worked out quite good in my course. I just kept going around in the same way, not too many changes of direction.”
“In this kind of class I don’t think you always meet everything really right, you have to improvise a little bit. As soon as you have a fence down, your whole course goes flat, and for me tonight, that didn’t happen,” Mathy detailed. “I was really happy. This mare is still quite green and she jumped super, and the fences were just coming. It’s quite amazing what these horses can do. The fences keep coming at them every four strides and they have to jump it clear. I was really impressed, especially at the joker, a big 1.65m fence; she jumped that really, really well,” he said.
And did he think his lead would hold up? “Normally not,” he said. “Normally in this kind of class when you show the way, someone is going to catch you. I think my track was not so bad a track, but not so many other riders tried it. I think just two copied me. Normally when you go first you don’t have a big advantage. But that worked out all right today,” he smiled. “My track maybe was not the best, but it won today.”
This is the Belgian’s second trip to Lexington and his week was a successful one. “I’ve had a good show. I came last year and I enjoyed it a lot also. I won one of the big classes with a very good mare last year,” he recalled. “The facility is fantastic. I think it is great sport here. The conditions are super. The ring has really good ground. The facility is exceptional with the stabling also. We have plenty of room to ride.”
Mathy also has the World Cup Finals in mind. “I enjoy coming here. It’s important for us because we can also get some World Cup points here and in Europe it’s quite difficult to access the World Cup classes because it’s a limited number of riders per nation and there are not as many World Cup shows as here,” he said. “It gives you a good opportunity here.”
For tomorrow’s $250,000 CP World Cup Grand Prix, Mathy will saddle Royal. “The same one I jumped last week in Washington,” he said. “He jumped really good, was tenth in the grand prix in Washington. Hopefully we have a good shot tomorrow – that’s the main goal here this week.”
Finishing in fifth place tonight was Lisona and Jessica Springsteen, decked out in pirate regalia. Springsteen scored 1100 points and crossed the finish line in 53.72 seconds to edge out Olivier Philippaerts who also scored 1100, but finished with a slower time in 57.19 seconds. The Belgian rider was dressed out as Raggedy Andy.
Seventh place went to Cassinja S and Charlie Jacobs. The Principal of the Boston Bruins was dressed accordingly and banked a total of 1080 points. Eighth went to Balous Day Date and Candice King with 1000 points. King was decked out as Miss Captain America.
Tomorrow the jumper divisions will conclude with the Under 25 Championship Final Competition and the $250,000 CP World Cup Grand Prix.
About the National Horse Show
Founded in 1883 at the original Madison Square Garden, the National Horse Show is America’s oldest indoor horse show, firmly established as a major fixture on the national and international sports and social event calendars. The National Horse Show Association’s primary activity is the annual production of the National Horse Show and all ancillary events. Over the years, the National Horse Show has provided financial aid to many worthwhile charities.
With $755,000 in prize money offered, this year’s National Horse Show offers an International Open Jumpers with $460,000 in prize money, while the top rated hunter sections have a total purse of $195,000. Meanwhile, $100,000 in total is offered to the Amateur-Owner and U 25 Jumper sections.
For the fourth consecutive year, The National Horse Show received a top ranking from NARG, the North American Riders Group and was named the Show Hunter Hall of Fame Horse Show of the Year in four back-to-back years.
What:
The Alltech National Horse Show is a week-long championship event featuring “AA”-rated hunters, open jumpers, junior/amateur jumpers, and the ASPCA Alfred B. Maclay Finals. The event will run October 28 – November 2, 2014, indoors in the Alltech Arena at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, KY, site of the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
Parking:
The Kentucky Horse Park has waived the normal parking fee during the Alltech National Horse Show. Parking is free. While dogs are permitted at the Kentucky Horse Park on a leash, no dogs are allowed in the Alltech Arena during the ANHS.
Directions:
The Kentucky Horse Park is located at 4089 Iron Works Parkway, Lexington, KY 40511. The KHP is 8 miles northeast of Lexington at Exit 120 on Interstate 75.
Information:
2245 Stone Garden Lane Lexington, KY 40513
Cindy Bozan
email: cindy@nhs.org
Phone: (859) 608-3709
Fax: (866) 285-9496
Hotels:
HILTON – DOWNTOWN – 859-231-9000 – Approximately 6 miles
CLARION HOTEL (formerly Holiday Inn North) – 859 – 233-0512 – Approximately 4 miles
FAIRFIELD INN & SUITES BY MARRIOTT – 859 -977-5870 – Approximately 4 miles
FOUR POINTS SHERATON – 859-259-1311 – Approximately 4 miles
LA QUINTA – 859-231-7551 – Approximately 4 miles
KNIGHTS INN – 859-231-0232 – Approximately 4 miles
EMBASSY SUITES – 859-455-5000 – Approximately 4 miles
MARRIOT GRIFFIN GATE – 859-231-5100 – Approximately 4 miles
RESIDENCE INN – 859-231-6191 – Approximately 5 miles
COURTYARD BY MARRIOT – 859-253-4646 – Approximately 5 miles
HOLIDAY INN GEORGETOWN – 502-570-0220 – Approximately 6 miles
RAMADA INN – 859-299-1261 – Approximately 6 miles
RED ROOF INN – 859-293-2626 – Approximately 6 miles
HAMPTON INN – 502-867-4888 – Approximately 6 miles
SUPER EIGHT – 502-863-4888 – Approximately 6 miles
MICROTEL INN & SUITES – 502-868-8000 – Approximately 6 miles
