Heather Reynolds and Chanses (Becky Pearman Photography)
Ehrhardt, S.C. – The top athletes in endurance are set to compete in the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Endurance Team Selection Trail CEI2* 120 at Broxton Bridge Planation in Ehrhardt, S.C., April 18-19. Fifteen individuals will vie for a spot on the team that will compete in Normandy, France, on a course from Sartilly to the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel on Thursday, August 28.
Currently, three competitors in this weekend’s competition are tied for first place on US Endurance Rider Ranking List. Cody Boysen, Ellen Olson, and Heather Reynolds all have 500 points as of October 20, 2013.
Boysen (Sidney, Iowa,) will ride Viktory Banner, a 13-year-old Arabian gelding he co-owns with Roxi Welling. The pair won the Zone Team Endurance Challenge (ZTEC) 160km CEI3* senior division in June of last year.
Olson (Lamotte, Iowa) will compete with Farzad Faryadi’s 13-year-old Arabian gelding Hot Desert Knight, with whom she won the FITS 100-mile Ride in March.
Reynolds (Dunnellon, Fla.), who represented the U.S. at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian games and the 2012 Longines FEI World Endurance Championship, entered 2013 with a win at the ZTEC 120-km CEI2* in June 2012, riding her own eight-year-old Arabian gelding Bound for Honor. This weekend she’ll compete with her own Chanses, a nine-year-old Arabian gelding.
Sitting just behind them on the Ranking List are Jeremy Reynolds, husband of Heather, in fourth place with 490 points, and Meg Sleeper in fifth with 450 points. Reynolds (Dunnellon, Fla.) joined his wife in representing the U.S. at the 2012 Longines FEI World Endurance Championship. This weekend he’ll ride his own RR Gold Dust Rising, an eight-year-old Arabian Gelding, in the 120km competition.
Sleeper (Frenchtown, N.J.), who also competed for the U.S. at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and finished 11th at the 2012 Longines FEI World Endurance Championship, will ride her own 14-year-old Arabian Mare, Syrocco Reveille. Gene Limlaw will ride Sleeper’s second horse entered in the competition, Syrocco Cadence, a 10-year-old Arabian mare.
Kelsey Russell (Williston, Fla.), an up-and-comer in endurance, will compete with My Wild Irish Gold, a 10-year-old Anglo Arab mare owned by Valerie Kanavy. The pair rode to an impressive fifth-place finish at the 2013 FEI World Endurance Championship for Juniors and Young Riders in July of last year.
Kanavy (Fort Valley, Va.) will bring two horses to Broxton Bridge Plantation. She will compete with Just Gold, a nine-year-old Arabian gelding, while Wendy MacCoubrey will ride Raven About Gold, a seven-year-old Arabian mare. Kanavy helped the U.S. to a fourth-place finish at the 2012 Longines FEI World Endurance Championship as the first member of the team to finish.
This weekend’s event will begin at 7 a.m. ET on Saturday, April 19.
Olympic and European Dressage champion Charlotte Dujardin OBE demonstrates the grace and harmony of her sport, alongside Kanstantsin Geronik from the Minsk Bolshoi ballet. Photos (c) FEI/Hamish Brown.
Lausanne (SUI), 17 April 2014 – The worlds of equestrian sport and ballet met face to face in spectacular fashion today for a photoshoot to launch the start of the flagship FEI World Cup Finals in Lyon, France (17-21 April).
Double Olympic gold medallist Charlotte Dujardin (GBR) from the world of Dressage and US Jumping rider Charlie Jacobs were joined by dancers from the world-famous Minsk Bolshoi ballet at Lyon’s Eurexpo venue for this week’s Longines FEI World Cup Jumping and Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Finals.
Dancers from the Minsk Bolshoi, performing Swan Lake at the Lyon Amphitheatre in Lyon as part of a nationwide French tour, took time out from their schedule to showcase the parallels between ballet and equestrian sport – the poise and grace of the dancers and the athleticism and beauty of the horses.
World number one Dressage rider Dujardin, dubbed the girl with the dancing horse after claiming double gold at the London 2012 Olympic Games with Valegro, said: “I’m very very excited to be here in Lyon and today has been a real experience.”
Dujardin, who was totally spellbound by the evening performance of Swan Lake after the photoshoot, is competing in her first Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Finals and will be dancing to new music with her horse in Sunday’s Freestyle competition. “I’ve got brand new music that I’ve never competed to before, first time competing to it, but it’s a great floor plan and I love the music,” the triple world record holder said.
US Elite Jumping rider Charlie Jacobs demonstrates the power and athleticism of his sport, alongside Liudmila Khitrova from the Minsk Bolshoi.
Massachusetts-born Jacobs, whose family owns the NHL professional ice hockey team, the Boston Bruins (Sports Business Journal’s 2012 Sports Team of the Year), commented: “The photoshoot was drawing some similarities between the ballerinas and the jumping of the horses here. They’re very similar in terms of athletic ability; they’re very delicate but they’re very powerful.”
Making his debut at the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final, Jacobs is keen to put up a good showing this week: “I have my fingers crossed, and my toes! It’s a very big week for us.”
The FEI World Cup Jumping and Dressage Finals 2014 will be held at Lyon’s Eurexpo from 17-21 April.
FEI TV behind the scenes footage from the unique photoshoot can now be viewed on the FEI’s YouTube channel here.
Competitive Prize Money Classes Can Help Hunt for Top of USHJA National Hunter Derby Standings
Buffalo, NY – April 16, 2014 – This spring, there will be no better spot for multiple weeks of hunter derby competition on the east coast than Western New York. Between May 15 and June 22, 2014, the Buffalo Showtime Horse Shows and The Derby at the Genesee Country Village & Museum will provide competitors with a total of four USHJA National Hunter Derbies and one highly-anticipated $35,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby. Together the four hunter derbies offer a lucrative $52,000 in total prize money.
The Buffalo Showtime Horse Shows will offer three $4,000 USHJA National Derbies and The Derby at the Genesee Country Village & Museum will offer one $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby. With a total of $17,000 up for grabs, the four USHJA National Hunter Derbies provide competitors with the perfect opportunity to accumulate prize money and climb the USHJA Money Won Standings, all while staying in one region.
The Buffalo Showtime I Horse Show will run May 15-18, 2014 at the Fairgrounds Showplex in Hamburg, NY, with the $4,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby held on Saturday, May 17, 2014 and sponsored by Skibbereen Farm.
From there, three back-to-back weeks of hunter derbies kick off with The Derby at the Genesee Country Village & Museum $5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby. The Derby at the GCV&M will become one of only three stand-alone hunter derbies in the country, allowing for emphasis on providing spectators and exhibitors with the highest quality hunter derby experience.
The expansive grassy Great Meadow at the Genesee Country Village & Museum will serve as the backdrop and stage for the National Hunter Derby on Saturday, June 7, 2014.
Less than a week later, riders can return to the show ring at the Buffalo Showtime II Horse Show, running June 12-15, 2014 with the National Hunter Derby, sponsored by Stellar Equestrian, on Saturday, June 14, 2014. The Buffalo Showtime Horse Shows continue the following week with the Buffalo Showtime III Horse Show to be held June 19-22, 2014 with a hunter derby, sponsored by Up the Creek Farm, on Saturday, June 21, 2014.
For riders and owners from USHJA Zone 2, the derbies could have a big, positive impact on their year-end standings. USHJA Money Won Standings by Zone are based on money won solely at competitions held in the owner or rider’s home zone, so with all four derbies in Zone 2, riders and owners have numerous opportunities to climb the ladder.
Stay up to date with all the latest announcements and updates from The Derby by liking the event on Facebook here!
The Derby at the Genesee Country Village & Museum Fast Facts:
What:
The Derby at the Genesee Country Village & Museum:
$5,000 USHJA National Hunter Derby
$35,000 USHJA International Hunter Derby
Where:
The Genesee Country Village & Museum
1410 Flint Hill Road
Mumford, NY 14511
Supporting The Derby is the perfect way to enjoy a fabulous day with friends, clients or colleagues, all while helping others and gaining valuable marketing and exposure!
To learn more about the numerous available sponsorship opportunities, click here or contact us online for more information!
Devon Kane and Destiny. (Photo courtesy of SusanJStickle.com)
Wellington, FL (April 16, 2014) – For the third consecutive year, Week 12 of the 2014 Adequan Global Dressage Festival was presented by Diamante Farms of Wellington, Florida. The prestigious CDI5*/3* and National Show of Week 12 featured outstanding riders and horses, including Diamante Farms’ own Devon Kane and her horse Destiny.
The GDF 12 CDI5*/3* and National Show took place on Thursday, March 27 – Sunday, March 30 at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center. Diamante Farms, a dressage facility owned by Terri Kane and her daughter Devon, was happy to sponsor an event that is so central to their beloved sport of dressage. The week’s CDI 5* had the status of being the highest possible rating in international level competition. While Devon Kane competes with the best equestrians in the sport, she and Diamante Farms find equal importance in supporting all levels of riders. The Adequan Global Dressage Festival — which hosts a range of classes from pony and junior to USEF-rated National classes — helps them do just that.
Besides serving as one of the presenting sponsors of GDF 12, Devon Kane was a competitor in the CDI 3*. She and her self-trained Danish Warmblood, Destiny, earned a 68.100% in the Open division of the FEI Grand Prix on March 27. Kane spent nearly seven years training the 16.2-hand gelding, refining him from the barely-broke animal she affectionately referred to as her “dragon” to the Grand Prix champion he currently is today. After the FEI Grand Prix 3*, Kane said, “I’m so in love with my dragon! Desi was fantastic today – 68 for 6th in the 3* CDI Grand Prix. So proud and excited! We are getting better and better every time. Lots of 8s and plenty room to improve!”
On March 30, Kane and Destiny came in fifth in the Open division of the FEI Grand Prix Special 3* with a score of 66.490%.
Between Kane’s two days of competition, she further participated in the AGDF by assisting with the exciting liberty demonstration with an Arabian stallion from Al-Marah Arabians. The stallion and his handler from Al-Marah Arabians gave a spectacular performance complete with rears, bows, galloping at liberty through the arena, and traditional Arabian attire.
Devon Kane and all of Diamante Farms’ continued support and sponsorship is part of their dedication to nurture the sport and the equestrian community. Diamante Farms offers dressage training, showing, and boarding services on 10 beautiful acres in Wellington.
To learn more about Diamante Farms and Devon Kane, visit DiamanteFarms.com or call 210-240-1614.
Contact: Devon Kane
Diamante Farms devkane@mac.com
210-240-1614
Defending Champions Beezie Madden and Simon (Arnd Bronkhorst/www.arnd.nl/FEI)
Lexington, Ky. – A talented contingent of American riders have traveled to Lyon, France, looking to secure top results for the United States in FEI World Cup Final competition. Many of the world’s best jumping and dressage riders have assembled at the Lyon Eurexpo to contest the only annual FEI championship, which will be held April 17-21. In the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final, 11 riders will try to extend the U.S. winning streak to three consecutive years, and once again look to bring the World Cup back across the Atlantic. In the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final, two team veterans head to France eyeing the first American victory since 2009.
Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final
The Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final gets underway Friday, April 18, with the Speed Leg and continues the following day with round two. The 2014 champion will be crowned on Monday, April 21, with the final two rounds of competition.
“We are in a similar position as we were last year, when we sent eleven riders (including the defending champion) to do battle against the best in the world,” said U.S. Chef d’Equipe Robert Ridland. “The United States has produced more World Cup winners than any other country, and with the talented group of riders we have here in Lyon, we look to extend that record.”
Reigning champion Beezie Madden (Cazenovia, N.Y.) brings her winning partner from the 2013 Final, Abigail Wexner’s Simon, to Lyon to defend her title. The pair spent the winter jumping at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival and helped the U.S. to a third-place finish in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup presented by G&C Farm. Additionally, the two-time Olympic Games Team Gold medalist heads into the Final in strong form after winning the Gene Mische $200,000 American Invitational, presented by G&C Farm to kick off April.
In Lyon, Madden will be joined by a strong group of U.S. team veterans including Kent Farrington, McLain Ward, and Leslie Burr Howard. Farrington (Wellington, Fla.) enjoyed an extremely successful 2013/2014 FEI World Cup Qualifying season that saw him win the World Cup Qualifier at the Washington International Horse Show among other top placings, helping him to top the North American East Coast League. At this year’s Final, the 2011 Pan American Games Team Gold medalist will ride Amalaya Investments’ Voyeur and Robin Parsky’s Blue Angel.
After finishing second at the 2009 Final, Ward (Brewster, N.Y.) looks for a World Cup victory to add to his extensive resume, which boasts two Olympic Team Gold medals (2004 and 2008) and a 2006 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games Team Silver medal, among many prestigious Grand Prix victories. In Lyon, he will ride Sagamore Farms’ international veteran, Rothchild, and Double H Farm’s exciting HH Carlos Z. Burr Howard (Darian, Conn.) will utilize the experience that helped the U.S. to Team Gold at the 1984 Olympic Games and Team Silver at the 1996 Olympic Games as she looks for a strong finish with Jane Clark’s Tic-Tac in France.
Charlie Jayne and Chill R Z (Shawn McMillen Photography)
A talented group of riders under the age of 30 are set to demonstrate what the future of U.S. jumping looks like at the 2014 Final. Katie Dinan, Lucy Davis, Charlie Jayne, Saer Coulter, and Ashlee Bond Clarke are all set to go head-to-head with many of the best in the sport in Lyon.
Dinan (Wellington, Fla.) and Davis (Los Angeles, Calif.) are making their second Finals appearance and look to improve upon the results garnered in 2013. Additionally, they both represented the U.S. at the 2013 Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup Jumping Final, helping to secure a Consolation Round victory. In France they will again team up with their partners from Barcelona, Dinan with Grant Road Partners LLC’s Nougat du Vallet and Davis on Old Oak Farm’s Barron.
Reserves for the U.S. team at the 2012 Olympic Games, Jayne (Elgin, Ill.) and Alex Jayne and Maura Thatcher’s Chill R Z, are also making their second consecutive start at an FEI World Cup Final. For Jayne this will be his fourth trip to the annual championship after appearing at the previous three finals in Leipzig, s’Hertogenbosch, and Gothenburg.
Coulter (San Francisco, Calif.) and Bond Clarke (Hidden Hills, Calif.), along with Davis, represent a group of the West Coast’s rising stars making an impact on the international scene. Coulter will make her Finals debut in Lyon but is well acquainted with the competition, having attended the 2013 edition after receiving the USET Foundation’s Maxine Beard Award. The top U.S. finisher in the North American West Coast League will ride Copernicus Stables, LLC’s Springtime and Carmena Z in her first Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Final. Bond Clarke has had a successful lead up to her third Finals, including winning the AIG $1 Million Grand Prix in Thermal and two earlier Grand Prixes at the same venue. In France, she will ride Little Valley Farms’ Chela LS and Klatte Zuchtoff & Little Valley Farms’ Agrostar.
Rounding out the U.S. effort in Lyon are Charlie Jacobs and Jenni Martin-McAllister. Jacobs (Boston, Mass.) was a member of the winning American team at the 2012 CSIOW Buenos Aires and will use that experience in his first Finals with CMJ Sporthorse, LLC’s Flaming Star. Martin-McAllister (Sun Valley, Calif.) enters the 2014 Final after having collected top finishes on the West Coast, including a third-place finish in the $50,000 Tuff Rider/Equine Couture Grand Prix before traveling to Florida and finishing fifth in the $50,000 Live Oak Grand Prix CSI2*-W. She will ride Granville Equine’s Casseur de Prix in France.
Brianne Goutal (New York, N.Y.) had been planning on making her third career Finals appearance in Lyon but has had to withdraw due to injury. She plans to be back competing in May.
Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final
The hotly contested Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final gets underway Saturday afternoon with the FEI Grand Prix Test. All eyes will be on the Lyon Eurexpo on Sunday, April 20, as the winner of the FEI Grand Prix Freestyle will be crowned the 2014 Final champion.
This year’s Final is shaping up to be a battle of the titans of the sport, as current Olympic and European champions, Great Britain’s Charlotte Dujardin and Valegro, look to add the World Cup title their resume. They will be pushed all the way by the world-class field, including reigning champions, Germany’s Helen Langehanenberg and Damon Hill, as well as the United States’ Tina Konyot and Cesar Parra.
Tina Konyot and Calecto V (SusanJStickle.com)
Konyot (Palm City, Fla.) has represented the U.S. at the 2010 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games and the 2012 Olympic Games with her longtime partner Calecto V and the pair make their first World Cup start in Lyon. They head into the weekend on strong form after a successful winter campaign on the Florida circuit, including winning the Freestyle at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival CDI5* presented by Diamante Farms.
Parra (Whitehouse Station, N.J.) and Michael and Sarah Davis’ Van the Man also head to Lyon on the heels of a strong winter season spent competing in Wellington. The pair has built a strong partnership over the years and recently finished sixth in the Freestyle at the Adequan Global Dressage Festival CDI-W sponsored by Today’s Equestrian and GF Enterprises, LLC.
“I am very excited to have two excellent combinations going to Lyon for the Reem Acra FEI World Cup Dressage Final, Tina Konyot with her Olympic stallion, Calecto V, and Cesar Parra riding Van The Man,” said USEF Chef d’Equipe Robert Dover. “Both horses have continued throughout the winter Florida season receiving ever higher scores in the Grand Prix as well as their Freestyles and I feel confident our athletes will deliver strong performances in France.”
By Helen Murray
Learn more about the 2014 FEI World Cup Finals here.
To watch the 2014 FEI World Cup Finals live, visit feitv.org.
Jonathan Wentz and NTEC Richter Scale at the 2012 London Paralympics. Photo (C) Lindsay Yosay McCall.
Established by Margaret H. Duprey and The Barnfield Foundation
Gladstone, NJ – April 16, 2014 – The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is pleased to announce an exciting new fundraising initiative, The Jonathan Wentz Memorial Challenge for High Performance Para Dressage, made possible through the generosity of Margaret H. Duprey and The Barnfield Foundation. The goal of the initiative is to raise $800,000 for High Performance Para Dressage. Mrs. Duprey and the Barnfield Foundation have each pledged up to $200,000. They will each match, dollar for dollar, every gift commitment of $4,000 and above made by April 1, 2015.
The Jonathan Wentz Memorial Challenge for High Performance Para Dressage offers an incredible opportunity for those who share a passion and interest in increasing support for these most inspiring and deserving athletes, and their quest to represent this country in international competition including the World Equestrian Games and Paralympics.
“Our family is so excited and honored that Jonathan is being recognized in this way. His dream was to not only be a world class equestrian, but to also help develop a world class United States Para Dressage Team. This, as you know, not only takes dedication, sacrifice, training and skill of the athletes, but also the funds to compete nationally and internationally. My hope is that The Jonathan Wentz Memorial Challenge will raise awareness and the funds needed to carry on his dream of developing a world class team!” said Tina Wentz (Jonathan’s mother).
The financial need for Para Dressage athletes at the High Performance international level can be quite significant. Unlike in most countries, the United States Equestrian Teams do not receive any government subsidies. The main source of funds for our athletes to participate in international competition comes through the USET Foundation from individuals and foundations whose interest and commitment to equestrian sport motivates them to make generous charitable contributions.
In addition to shipping horses to Europe and making sure that the correct support staff is in place, such as veterinarians and farriers, additional support staff is also needed for the riders as well so that they can function at the highest level both physically and emotionally when they are competing.
While traveling, especially overseas, wheelchair accessibility can be limited, and an individual benefits from having a personal care assistant to help the athlete not only move through low accessibility areas but they can also monitor the rider’s physical well-being. Other supplementary support staff may include a person who is physically capable of helping a rider to mount his or her horse before competition and a physical therapist to work the rider’s muscles. Many athletes who are paralyzed or have muscle spasticity can have muscle spasms, muscle soreness, and physical issues that may need a licensed physical therapist to monitor and address.
The Jonathan Wentz Memorial Challenge for High Performance Para Dressage will require extraordinary commitment and the support of those in the equestrian community who love the sport and desire to see our athletes, both equine and human, compete and win at the highest levels of international competition.
“This amazing opportunity to establish new levels of support and success for the United States High Performance Dressage program is thanks to Margaret H. Duprey and The Barnfield Foundation, both long time loyal supporters of equestrian sport. I thank them for their true leadership and applaud their commitment in making The Jonathan Wentz Memorial Challenge for High Performance Para Dressage possible,” said Bonnie B. Jenkins, USET Foundation Executive Director.
For more information on the USET Foundation and The Jonathan Wentz Memorial Challenge for High Performance Para Dressage, please call Bonnie B. Jenkins, Executive Director or Sara Ike, Major Gifts Officer, at (908) 234-1251.
The United States Equestrian Team Foundation (www.uset.org) is the non-profit organization that supports the competition, training, coaching, travel and educational needs of America’s elite and developing international, high-performance horses and athletes in partnership with the United States Equestrian Federation.
About United States Para-Equestrian Association:
The USPEA is a network of riders, judges, national federation board members, and equestrian enthusiasts. The association gives athletes the ability to get involved and expand their knowledge and experience in the Para-Equestrian sport. The USPEA encourages para-athletes to participate in all disciplines under the para-equestrian umbrella.
The USPEA is a recognized affiliate of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) which serves as the National Governing Body for the equestrian sport. This relationship between the USPEA and USEF is to encourage para-equestrian competitors, leisure riders, coaches, fans and enthusiasts to network and get involved with the entire equestrian sport.
Ultimately the goal of the USPEA is to foster growth in the para-equestrian discipline. From growth in the number of participants to growth as a team, and growth in the experience and knowledge of all involved. From local horse shows to international Olympic Games, the USPEA will provide para-equestrians the knowledge of what they need to succeed. The USPEA connects with the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the Federation Equestre Internationale (FEI), the United States Dressage Federation (USDF), and USEF which provides Para-Equestrians the top equestrian resources.
In June 2010, the USPEA earned its 501 (c)(3) status which has encouraged supporters to help supply funding to the Para-Equestrian Team as a recognized affiliate of the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF).
For more information about the USPEA, please visit www.USPEA.org or contact USPEA President Hope Hand by e-mail: Wheeler966@aol.com or by phone: (610)356-6481.
Todd Minikus and Babalou 41. (Photo courtesy of ManciniPhotos.com)
Wellington, FL (April 14, 2014) – Vita Flex Victory Team member Todd Minikus rode Babalou 41 to an exciting first place finish in the $100,000 Suncast 1.50m Championship Jumper Classic Final during the concluding 2014 weekend at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival.
There were 84 entries in first round, held Saturday, March 29, and the top 25% returned for the second round, held the next day due to dangerous storms. Todd Minikus was one of only three riders to turn in double clear rounds, winning with the fastest time of 48.78.
“Unfortunately, the rain put a damper on things,” Minikus said. “That mare’s very green, and she’d never done something like that, where she had to come back hours later, so maybe the night’s rest worked out. She went like a professional show horse. We kind of saved her for that class. She’s extremely careful, so if you can get her into the middle of the jump, chances are she’ll leave it up.”
Minikus hopes to continue showing the talented mare and looks forward to seeing her future success.
“I’ve been showing her for three years now,” Minikus explained. “We did schooling jumpers for two years. She was always an exceptional mare, extremely extravagant with her jump. She kind of leveled out this past year and has done some good things. Stewart Moran is her trainer; basically I just catch ride her. She lives with Stewart and his team, and I ride her at the ring. They have done a great job with her. Santa, who flats her, has done a fantastic job. I would like to thank Mr. and Mrs. Haefner for the opportunity to ride her. It’s been a good team so far.”
Vita Flex, a leading supplier of advanced performance products for horses, is proud to be a part of Todd Minikus’ team. Competitors at all levels strive to keep their horses in top competitive form. Vita Flex products are researched and tested by equine nutritionists and veterinarians, and have been relied upon for more than two decades by owners, trainers and top riders.
The Vita Flex Victory Team is comprised of many world-class riders from all disciplines. Members rely on Vita Flex products and are proud to represent the company. Vita Flex Nutrition offers animal health supplements, antioxidants, electrolytes, joint supplements, performance products, topicals and vitamins and minerals.
Raeford, N.C. – The 2014 USEF National Single Horse Driving Championship came to an exciting conclusion on Sunday in the cones phase of the Southern Pines CDE. On another beautiful day at the Carolina Horse Park, 2013 Champion, Leslie Berndl, held her nerve to drive a near flawless effort over Richard Nicoll’s cones course to retain the title.
Berndl (Newcastle, Calif.) and 13-year-old KWPN gelding Uminco were the final competitors to tackle the cones course in the championship finishing within the time allowed and only dislodging two balls to add six points to their overall score. They finished on a total of 119.67 on weekend that surpassed expectation for the World Championship veteran.
“It was amazing, just amazing,” said the back-to-back Champion of her time at the Southern Pines CDE.
Berndl spent the winter training and competing in Florida and came to the Carolina Horse Park with her sights firmly set on claiming the 2014 title.
“It doesn’t feel real,” said of Berndl of winning the USEF National Single Horse Driving Championship for the second time.
Earning Reserve Champion honors was Suzy Stafford (Wilmington, Del.) and PVF Peace of Mind on a score of 122.43. The 2011 FEI World Driving Championships for Combined Ponies Individual Silver medalist and her own seven-year-old Morgan mare added 2.8 time faults and three penalties for a single ball down on the cones course to finish less three points behind Berndl.
Finishing in overall third place were Donna Crookston (Saltsburg, Pa.) and her own 18-year-old Morgan gelding RG Cowboy’s Black Cadillac on score of 140, rising one place after the marathon as the only entry to drive double clear on the cones course in the Single Horse division.
Maarten Huygens and Knockout at Citrus Series / Photos by KFAM Photography.
Enter by Monday for the Show Especially Developed for Developing Horses and Riders
Wellington, FL – April 12, 2013 – Citrus Series Horse Show Wellington returns on Saturday, April 19 to Jim Brandon Equestrian Center at Okeeheelee Park. The monthly, unrated shows are scheduled throughout the year plus, several USEF rated shows are planned for the summer months.
On Friday, April 18, the ring will open for un-judged warm-up at 1 p.m. On Saturday, the ring is open for flat at 7:15 a.m. with classes kicking off at 8 a.m. Citrus Series will also hold the 3′ Phelps Media Group Southeast Medal Junior, the Cedar Street Advisors Southeast Medal Adult, and the 2’6″ Child Adult qualifying classes.
Starting at the shows on May 10-11, Citrus Series will offer Marshall and Sterling Insurance League qualifying classes. The Marshall & Sterling Insurance League offers members the opportunity to compete throughout the year for points that will earn them a place at the Marshall & Sterling Insurance League National Finals Horse Show to be held September 10-14, 2014 at the world-class HITS-on-the-Hudson show grounds in Saugerties, New York. The League will hold finals competition in Children’s Hunter, Adult Hunter, Bit O’ Straw Hunter, HITS 2′ and 2’6″ Hunter, Children’s Jumpers, Adult Jumpers, the M&S Children’s Horse and Pony Medal, M&S 2’6 Children’s and Adult Medal, M&S Adult Medal, and M&S Junior Medal. A national points system will determine the qualifiers in each division. Those who qualify to compete at the National Finals will be counted among the best riders in the country.
Riders must be members of the Marshall & Sterling Insurance League for their points to count toward qualifying for the Finals. Only the rider need join. There is just one membership, regardless of how many horses you show.
More information on the Marshall & Sterling Insurance League can be found by clicking here. For specific questions, please call the League office at 845.246.8833 or email Patti@HitsShows.com.
Please Note Prices: Classes $30
Medic fee $45
If time permits, un-judged do-overs allowed for $25
Entries close five days before show
Entering after closing date $35 per horse
Proper attire required
Cross-entry permitted
Day stalls $50
Overnight stalls $75
About Citrus Series Horse Shows
The unique features of the show are designed to help trainers, developing horses and riders achieve their goals affordably. Professionals and adults may ride ponies. If time permits, competitors can do do-overs to make sure the horse and rider leave the ring with a positive learning experience. A user-friendly class schedule and sale horse identifiers provide an opportunity to market sale horses.
Rebecca Ragan and Jazzman
Owners, breeders, riders, trainers and their assistants are encouraged to bring their up-and-coming horses and riders to come experience Citrus Series, at Jim Brandon Equestrian Center Okeeheelee Park, a close, convenient, high-quality facility. Ship-ins are welcome at no cost and permanent day and overnight stalls are available. Jim Brandon Equestrian Center is located under three miles/five minutes from the intersection of 441 and Forest Hill Boulevard.
Raeford, N.C. – The marathon phase of the USEF National Single Horse Driving Championship, which is being held in conjunction with the Southern Pines CDE, proved to be a back-and-forth battle between two of America’s most experienced drivers. Leslie Berndl and Suzy Stafford traded quick times through Richard Nicoll’s eight-obstacle marathon course on a picturesque day at the Carolina Horse Park. While Stafford was able to capture victory on the marathon, it is Berndl who will drive last in the cones as the leader of the National Championship at the conclusion of two phases of competition.
Berndl (Newcastle, Calif.) and her own 13-year-old KWPN gelding, Uminco, headed onto the marathon with the overnight lead after winning the dressage with a score of 34.24, and a 4.65 lead over Stafford. The 2013 USEF National Single Horse Driving Champions posted competitive scores throughout each hazard including driving the fastest time in obstacle two and placing second in obstacle four. Additionally, they continued their pursuit to back-to-back titles by driving the third quickest times in obstacles one, five, six, seven, and eight on their way to finishing the marathon on a score of 79.43 in second place.
Berndl heads into the final cones phase on a total score of 113.67, giving her more than a three-point cushion over the field.
Stafford (Wilmington, Del.) and her own PVF Peace of Mind currently stand in second place in the Championship with score of 117.35. The three-time USEF Single Pony Champion, utilized her vast experience with the seven-year-old Morgan as they won the first and third obstacles, and posted second-place scores in obstacles five, six, and seven. On their way to winning Saturday’s marathon on a score of 78.76, the Live Oak International winners also placed third in obstacle four.
Kate Shields (Middleburg, Va.) held her third place overall standing with her own 13-year-old Welsh Cob gelding, Hastening Winslow, on a two-day score of 138.78, after placing seventh on the marathon with a score of 95.64.
Championship competition comes to a close on Sunday with the cones phase.
