Tag Archives: Hannah Selleck

“East Meets West” – Big Names Launch Longines FEI World Cup Jumping North American League

Jessica Springsteen addresses the media at today’s launch of the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping™ North American League at SPORTELAmerica in Miami (USA). (FEI/Mark Serota/AP)

Miami (USA), 17 March 2015 – The brand new Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League was launched in Miami (USA) today by three of the biggest names in the sport – Beezie Madden, the most decorated US female equestrian athlete of all time and currently the only woman in the top 10 of the Longines world rider rankings, American Gold Cup winner and FEI Solidarity Ambassador Jessica Springsteen, and Hannah Selleck, team and individual gold medallist at young rider level and one of the sport’s up-and-coming stars.

The trio, who all started riding almost as soon as they could walk, are already gearing up for the new league, which kicks off in August 2015 across seven East and seven West Coast venues in three countries: the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The North American League boasts a minimum of US $2.4 million prize money across the series, and offers the best Jumping athletes from North America and around the world the chance to qualify for the jackpot of more than US $1.4 million (€1.3 million) on offer annually at the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final.

Elegance is an attitude

“Longines’ motto is ‘elegance is an attitude.’ It’s true of their core business but it also rings true for equestrian sport,” Beezie Madden said. “Our sport is about elegance and the harmony we achieve with our horses is essential to success. Longines is the perfect partner for equestrian sport.”

“We are part of an exceptional sport because we get to rely on a very special partner: the horse,” Jessica Springsteen said. “Our horses are so much more than an animal. They are hard-working talented athletes with their own personalities. It’s an awesome sport and I’m so excited to share my passion for it with you today.”

“Horses are a great leveler,” Hannah Selleck said. “As riders we know that you can be winning one day, and on the ground the next. Riders can have very long careers which last for many years. Some of the more mature riders are old enough to be my father, but I quite like the one I’ve got!”

The 14 events* that will host legs of the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping™ North American League were selected after a rigorous screening process from a long list of 25 applicants. Impressively, 11 of the events featured in the recently published North American Riders Group Top 25 rankings.

The Longines FEI World Cup Jumping™ North American League will be showcased on a broad range of global platforms, from live TV broadcasts to streaming on digital outlets and mobile, focusing on the drama of equestrian sport with fascinating behind-the-scenes documentary-style coverage.

US passion

“The Longines FEI World Cup Jumping North American League is a massive boost to our sport and will dominate the headlines in 2015,” FEI 1st Vice-President and Chair of the FEI Jumping Committee John Madden (USA) said. “The new league is a huge opportunity for our athletes to shine on a North American stage and showcase top-level equestrian sport to fans across North America and the world.

“This league is also ideally suited to wide-ranging global brands that want to reach out to North American and international audiences, drawing very clear affinities with their own visions and values alongside Longines.”

Longines equestrian boost

Longines, the FEI’s Official Top Partner, Timekeeper and Watch of the FEI, is a major supporter of the Olympic sport of Jumping around the world, and is already title partner of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Western European League and Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping China League.

Longines is now looking forward to supporting the further growth of Jumping across North America as the official Title Partner and Watch of the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League. In addition, Longines will also provide a dedicated timekeeping team and data handling service for each of the 14 legs.

“We are proud to be partnering the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League,” Juan-Carlos Capelli, Vice President of Longines and Head of International Marketing said. “This association is part of our long-term commitment with the FEI as we are its Top Partner, but also the Title Partner, Official Timekeeper and Watch of the Longines FEI World Cup Jumping Western European League, Chinese League and, as of today, the North American League.”

The Swiss watchmaker’s timing heritage in the United States goes back to the 1870s, and by 1886 the company’s popular chronograph engraved with a jockey and his mount was being used by most sport judges in New York.

To celebrate this time-honoured legacy and the launch of the new league, the coveted Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping trophy will be showcased at Morays Jewelers boutique in Miami, before being transported to Las Vegas for this year’s Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final. The world’s best riders, including many of those that will go on to contest the new season North American League, will be bidding to be crowned the Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping champion in Vegas (15-19 April).

Today’s launch was held at SPORTELAmerica, the annual sports media industry convention in the USA.

Athlete biographies (click on the links for more detailed information):

Beezie Madden (20/11/1963)

Elizabeth (Beezie) Madden is the most decorated US female equestrian athlete of all time and was the first female Jumping rider to earn over US $1 million in prize money. The three-time Olympian’s long list of accolades includes two Olympic team gold and an individual bronze medal, team and individual silver (2006) and team and individual bronze (2014) at the FEI World Equestrian Games™, and two team gold and an individual silver at the Pan-American Games. The four-time winner of the USEF Equestrian of the Year title and 2013 Rolex FEI World Cup™ champion, last year became the first woman to win the prestigious Longines King George V Gold Cup at Hickstead (GBR) shortly after returning six weeks on the sidelines with a broken collarbone.

Jessica Springsteen (30/12/1991)

Jessica Springsteen may have one of the most iconic surnames in the international rock music scene, but the accolades and titles she has earned in the show ring are all her own. Spurred on by her parents’ passion for horses, the Duke University graduate won multiple national titles in her junior and young rider career, and has continued to excel in the senior ranks of the sport. The FEI Solidarity Ambassador, who trains with Olympic gold medallists Laura Kraut (USA) and Nick Skelton (GBR), enjoyed a banner year in 2014. She was a member of the winning US team in the Furusiyya FEI Nations Cup™ in Dublin (IRE), won the American Gold Cup at the New York venue in North Salem, and was one of 10 riders to be long-listed for the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ in Normandy (FRA) with Vindicat W. She was also declared leading rider at the Washington International Horse Show in October. This season she has already notched up eight top-10 finishes with her string of horses, headlined by Vindicat W, Lisona, and Davendy S.

Hannah Selleck (16/12/1988)

Actor Tom Selleck’s daughter, Hannah has her sights set firmly on the Rio 2016 Olympic Games. She began riding at the age of four and achieved great success during her years as a Young Rider. She had a standout year in 2008, winning team and individual gold at the North American Young Riders Championship and the United States Equestrian Federation Talent Search Finals West. In 2013, Selleck was third in the Showpark Summer Festival Grand Prix with the mare Barla. In 2014, the pair cruised to a fifth-place finish in the Amalaya Investments Trophy class at the Longines Los Angeles Masters. Olympians Will Simpson, Leslie Burr Howard, and Ian Millar have all supplemented her training over the years.

Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping North American League

A total of 14 athletes from the new North American league will qualify for next year’s prestigious Longines FEI World Cup™ Jumping Final, which will take place in Gothenburg (SWE) on 23-28 March 2016.

The top seven athletes from the East Coast US, top three from West Coast US, and the two best-placed athletes from Canada and Mexico, will qualify for next year’s Final, alongside winners of 15 leagues around the world.

About Longines

Longines, the FEI’s Top Partner, Official Timekeeper and Official Watch of the FEI, has a long equestrian sports tradition: www.fei.org/hub/longines/longines-equestrian-sports.

About FEI

The FEI, founded in 1921, is the world governing body for Jumping, Dressage & Para-Equestrian Dressage, Eventing, Driving & Para-Driving, Endurance, Vaulting and Reining. Recognised by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), the FEI celebrated 100 years of equestrian sport in the Olympic movement at the London 2012 Olympic Games. www.fei.org

Media Contacts:

At FEI:

Grania Willis
Director Media Relations
Grania.willis@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 42

Ruth Grundy
Manager Press Relations
ruth.grundy@fei.org
+41 78 750 61 45

At Longines:

Longines International Public Relations
2610 Saint-Imier, Switzerland
publicrelations@longines.com
www.longines.com

Hannah Selleck and Laura Kraut Win Longines L.A. Masters Charity Class for JustWorld in Style

Laura Kraut dressed as Catwoman for the occasion.

Los Angeles, Calif. – October 2, 2014 – Eight months ago, top West Coast rider Hannah Selleck joined JustWorld International as an Ambassador. Since then, in support of the charity, she has jumped from a plane, traveled halfway around the world and, most recently, tackled a 1.35m speed track dressed as Batman’s villain, Poison Ivy. Paired with Olympic Champion Laura Kraut, who dressed as Catwoman, the JustWorld team captured the win in a unique charity class at the inaugural Longines Los Angeles Masters with the fastest time by over two seconds.

The Longines L.A. Masters, the American leg of the Masters Grand Slam Indoor Circuit, turned the Los Angeles Convention Center into an equestrian mecca. One of the most talked about events over the four days of international competition was Friday night’s costume charity class. Twenty-two top riders traded their breeches and show coats for creative costumes and JustWorld International made history as the winning charity team of the flagship American event.

The Wellington, Florida, USA and Paris, France based non-profit organization was one of 11 charities selected to compete in the charity class. JustWorld’s dedicated and ongoing partner, Longines, who is also the title sponsor of the Masters Grand Slam, generously sponsored the JustWorld Team. The photographer’s flash illuminated this generosity when capturing an image of the $35,000 check presented to JustWorld.

“The charity class was about going out there and having fun while raising awareness for our individual charities,” Kraut said. “Of course, Hannah and I were still competitive; we wanted to win for JustWorld, but this was about helping JustWorld raise money to continue to do their good work. This was my opportunity to help, and it was great fun.”

Not only did Selleck and Kraut lay down the quickest times of the night, but Poison Ivy and Catwoman came alive with their fantastic costumes and a professional make-up team to perfect the look. The extra efforts earned the pair scores of 9, 9 and 8 from celebrity style judges Jeannie Mai, Sebastian Roché and Ariana Rockefeller.

Hannah Selleck earned one of the fastest times of the night
Hannah Selleck earned one of the fastest times of the night

Selleck remarked, “A charity class at an event like the L.A. Masters is such a great way to raise awareness for charities like JustWorld. Laura and I went first and set a time that couldn’t be beat, so we raised money and awareness for JustWorld. And to do it all in costume made it that much more fun.”

Selleck and Kraut were not the only JustWorld Ambassadors on sight at the L.A. Masters. Frenchman Kevin Staut, currently ranked fifth on the Longines World Ranking List, choreographed the introduction skit to the charity class. Staut dressed as the evil Joker, while Philipe Rozier and Olivia Chowdry fought Gotham’s brutes as Batman’s faithful sidekick, Robin. The antiheroes rode into the arena on a Harley Davidson, generously loaned to JustWorld for use during the skit by Harley-Davidson Buell of Glendale.

“I didn’t know that I would be the Joker for the charity class skit,” Staut laughed. “Jessica Newman, the founder of JustWorld, knows me too well. She didn’t tell me until right before. It was so much fun riding the Harley-Davidson, and the skit was hilarious. Philipe had to fight me, and it definitely earned a few laughs.”

Shortly after the conclusion of the first edition of the Longines Los Angeles Masters Grand Slam, Staut caught a plane to travel to the JustWorld Guatemala Project, alongside French actress, Marina Hands, and JustWorld Founder and Executive Director, Jessica Newman. Staut was excited to be able to see firsthand the good work of CNN Hero, Juan Pablo Romero Fuentes. While visiting, Staut will conduct a clinic that will directly benefit JustWorld International and Fuentes’ project, Los Patojos.

About JustWorld International

JustWorld International is a not-for-profit, humanitarian organization that funds life-changing education, nutrition, health and hygiene, and leadership and cultural development programs for impoverished children in Cambodia, Honduras, Guatemala, and Colombia.

JustWorld International is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization in the United States and a registered Association 1901 in France. Tax-deductible donations are accepted in Switzerland and JustWorld’s supporters may send their donations to Fondation Philanthropia, a Swiss public-benefit umbrella foundation. Tax-deductible donations are also accepted in Canada. Canadian donors please click here. JustWorld International has no political or religious affiliation.

Media Contact: Kendall Bierer
JustWorld International
phone (561) 309-9873 fax (561) 753-3386
jwinfo@justworldinternational.org

JustWorld Ambassadors Compete in Star-Studded Event at Longines LA Masters Charity Class

Olympic Champion and JustWorld Ambassador Laura Kraut with Andretti S.

Spotlights shine on Olympian Laura Kraut and West Coast star Hannah Selleck

Los Angeles, CA – September 23, 2014 – The Longines Los Angeles Masters, promising to be one of the most spectacular sporting events of the equestrian world, is making history at the Los Angeles Convention Center September 25-28, 2014, with JustWorld International included in its charitable giving commitment. The Wellington, FL, USA and Paris, France based non-profit organization is one of 10 charities selected to compete in the charity class, and will be represented by JustWorld Ambassadors Olympian Laura Kraut and top West Coast rider Hannah Selleck. JustWorld’s dedicated and ongoing partner Longines will generously be sponsoring the JustWorld Team.

First established at the Paris Gucci Masters in 2011, the Longines Masters Grand Slam has exemplified a long-standing commitment to charitable giving. The charity class continues the tradition of giving back, using a unique class to showcase 10 charities at the inaugural Los Angeles event. The exciting competition not only signifies the promise of the organizers and partners, but also the commitment of the riders representing the organizations most dear to their heart.

On September 27, the charity class will be alive with an array of colors, with Selleck and Kraut at the helm of costumed creativity. Clad in the purple and blue colors of JustWorld International, the representatives will tackle the track in style. At the end of the competition, prizes will not only be given to the winning teams, but also to those in the best costumes with a Style Award, and the JustWorld Ambassadors have promised that they will not disappoint!

JustWorld’s charity class team brings an abundance of experience to the challenge. Olympic Champion Laura Kraut has been involved with the organization since its inception, finding herself drawn to jump for a just world to bring joy to the lives of children who have not been as fortunate. Kraut has continually topped international competition and she’ll leave nothing to chance as she rides as strong as ever in Los Angeles for JustWorld.

JustWorld Ambassador Hannah Selleck will represent JustWorld International during the Longines LA Masters charity class
JustWorld Ambassador Hannah Selleck will represent JustWorld International during the Longines LA Masters charity class

Native to Southern California, Hannah Selleck, committed equestrian and daughter of American actor Tom Selleck, joins Kraut as they race against the clock. She recently assisted JustWorld International during the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France. Selleck’s role as JustWorld Ambassador at the Games was a dual one. As a member of the Ambassadors Committee, Selleck represented JustWorld in her beliefs that the equestrian world should be a vector of unity.   Plus Selleck served as a spokesperson assisting in all public relations and media efforts, as well as raising public awareness for projects funded by JustWorld in Guatemala, Honduras, Cambodia and Colombia.

“Show jumping in costume will definitely be fun. But riding on a team with Laura and on behalf of JustWorld will be a nice combination of good times for a good cause,” remarked Selleck.

JustWorld was born out of the Show Jumping discipline, created by top international competitor Jessica Newman, making the Longines Los Angeles Masters charity class the perfect fit for the non-profit organization. JustWorld has deep roots in the equestrian community, funding projects and placing a focus on children and education in an effort to empower a generation to lift themselves out of poverty.

For more information on JustWorld International, please visit www.justworldinternational.org.

About JustWorld International

JustWorld International is a not-for-profit, humanitarian organization that funds life-changing education, nutrition, health and hygiene, and leadership and cultural development programs for impoverished children in Cambodia, Honduras, Guatemala, and Colombia.

JustWorld International is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization in the United States and a registered Association 1901 in France. Tax-deductible donations are accepted in Switzerland and JustWorld’s supporters may send their donations to Fondation Philanthropia, a Swiss public-benefit umbrella foundation. Tax-deductible donations are also accepted in Canada. Canadian donors please click here. JustWorld International has no political or religious affiliation.

Media Contact: Kendall Bierer
JustWorld International
phone (561) 309-9873 fax (561) 753-3386
jwinfo@justworldinternational.org

Hannah Selleck Named JustWorld International’s Ambassador Representative of the WEG

Hannah Selleck at the 2014 Winter Equestrian Festival. Photo by: SportFot.

Caen, France – July 23, 2014 – JustWorld International is pleased to announce that Hannah Selleck will be their ambassador at the upcoming Games in Normandy, France. As one of only four charities chosen, this selection provides JustWorld an unparalleled opportunity to benefit from the outstanding visibility offered by this exceptional international equestrian event.

“It’s a huge honor that Hannah will be both a JustWorld Ambassador and our representative at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy,” JustWorld Executive Director Jessica Newman enthused. “The test event in France was fantastic. We’re looking forward to fabulous Games full of excitement and emotion!

A Dual Role for Selleck

Selleck’s role as ambassador will be a dual one. Her selection puts her on the Games Ambassadors’ Committee, a small group of distinctive ambassadors who have a connection with equestrianism. The stated purpose of the organizers in creating this committee is to bring together well-known figures, all of whom believe that the equestrian world should be a vector of unity. In this role, Hannah will use her image and her voice to further that goal.

According to Newman, in her role as JustWorld Ambassador, Selleck will also be the spokesperson assisting at all PR, media, and VIP events, raising public awareness of projects funded by JustWorld in Guatemala, Honduras, Cambodia, and Colombia.

JustWorld has a spot in the heart of the Games Village, and from there Selleck will participate in ‘Meet and Greet’ events, autograph sessions, and other activities which are in the planning stages over the next few weeks.

“Hannah’s high profile and outgoing personality,” states Newman, “will help JustWorld to achieve the goal of becoming a household name at every level of equestrian sport, and to reach out to many new international equestrians coming from all over the world for the Games.”

JustWorld was born out of the Show Jumping discipline, of which Selleck is a part, but the hope is that it will eventually have as much support from all the different disciplines present at the Games, as it currently does in Show Jumping. As ambassador, Hannah will be instrumental in moving toward this goal.

“I am so honored that JustWorld has chosen me to be their official ambassador at the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy. I can’t think of a better way than this to participate,” explained Selleck. “Of course, at some point I hope to represent the United States at this international event, but I look forward to being a voice for the positive work that JustWorld does.”

More about Hannah Selleck

As owner and operator of Descanso Farm, Selleck is combining her equestrian knowledge with her desire to develop top sport horses. Over the past decade, the emerging young talent has made a name for herself in the equitation and jumper disciplines.

Selleck is a committed equestrian as well as a model for equestrian fashion. With a love of horses that began at the tender age of four atop a tiny pony, she has carried her passion through her teenage years and into adulthood. Selleck trained with Karen Healey for the duration of her junior riding career, accomplishing a series of prestigious medal finals victories such as winning the 2008 North American Young Riders Championship Team Gold and Individual Gold medals, as well as the Style of Riding Award, and the USEF Talent Search Medal Finals, to cap off a very successful junior career. Olympians Will Simpson, Leslie Burr Howard, and Ian Millar have all supplemented her training over the years.

She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication Studies from Loyola Marymount University in 2011, while interning with a public relations firm in Beverly Hills, and upon graduation made the decision to follow the path of becoming a top international show jumper. Currently riding with Ilan Ferder, Selleck recently competed successfully at the 2014 Spruce Meadows Summer Series in Calgary, Canada, which hosts the best show jumping athletes and horses from throughout the world.

Along with competing show jumpers, Selleck is involved in breeding and developing her own string of young horses at Descanso Farm. She has recently left her native California and is currently living in New York City. When her show schedule will allow, she plans to join a JWI trip, hopefully within the coming year.

More about JustWorld International

JustWorld International is a humanitarian organization registered as a 501(c)(3) association in the United States and as a 1901 law association in France. JustWorld is also part of the Lombard Odier Philanthropic Foundation, an umbrella foundation registered in Switzerland and exempt from tax. JustWorld has no political or religious affiliations. JustWorld International acts as a catalyst to provoke positive changes in developing countries. JustWorld International is able to accomplish this kind of progress thanks to partnerships with local organizations. Its projects aim to offer basic education and professional training, as well as nutritional, health and hygiene programs for children in poor communities in Honduras, Cambodia, Guatemala and Colombia. More information is available on www.justworldinternational.org.

About the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy

The Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy will lead the way for other major events in France: the Euro 2016, the World Handball Championships in 2017 and the Ryder Cup in 2018. Organized every four years, alternately with the Olympic Games, under the authority of the Fédération Équestre Internationale (FEI), the World Equestrian Games represent the biggest equestrian event in the world. For a fortnight, from August 23 – September 7, the event will boast the equivalent of eight world championships, one for each discipline featured on the program. Three of them are Olympic sports (Jumping, Eventing and Dressage) and a fourth one is present at the Paralympic Games (Para-dressage). In addition to the four other disciplines (Endurance, Vaulting, Reining and Driving), the organizers have included two demonstration sports, which are played by teams, polo and horseball. Taking place two years before the Olympic Games in Rio, the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games™ 2014 in Normandy will showcase the world elite of equestrian sport for the 500,000 spectators expected. This event offers quality of event sites, intensity of the competition and an unparalleled level of participation where 76 nations will be represented and almost 1,000 horses and competitors will come together to provide entertainment and performances that will never be forgotten. More information is available on www.normandie2014.com.

Kendall Bierer/Phelps Media Group – Phone: +1 (561) 309-9873 – E-mail: kb@phelpsmediagroup.com