Tag Archives: Hollow Creek Farm

Competitions, Hunter/Equitation, Show Jumping

Hollow Creek Farm Presents Under 25 Grand Prix Series at 2017 Winter Equestrian Festival

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Emanuel Andrade. Photo © Starting Gate Communications.

Wellington, Florida – January 4, 2017 – Hollow Creek Farm will present the Under 25 Grand Prix Series held throughout the Winter Equestrian Festival from January 11 through April 2, 2017, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL.

Now in its seventh season, the Under 25 Grand Prix Series, presented by The Dutta Corp. in association with Guido Klatte, has been expanded to ten events offering a total of $215,000 in prize money for the 2017 season.  Showcasing the top young talent in show jumping sport, the Under 25 Grand Prix Series is open to riders of any nationality, aged 25 and under, capable of competing at the 1.45m level. New for 2017, all classes have been sanctioned as CSI-U25 events by the International Equestrian Federation (FEI), with the exception of the Team event, and will be held under FEI rules.

Hollow Creek Farm is home to 20-year-old Emanuel Andrade, one of the sport’s top up-and-coming athletes who will be partaking in the Series. Despite his young age, Andrade has represented his native Venezuela in Olympic, World Equestrian Games, and Pan American Games competition. Having sponsored the Children, Junior, and Young Rider Nations’ Cup events for the past four years at the Winter Equestrian Festival, Hollow Creek Farm now turns its attention to the Under 25 competitors in 2017.

“Like we did with the Nations’ Cup events, we are trying to find ways to make the classes for younger people more important and high-profile,” said Andrade of the decision to sponsor this year’s Under 25 Grand Prix Series. “We want to help give opportunities to young riders, and feel that the Under 25 Series offers prize money, variety, and an opportunity to spotlight the good riders and good horses coming up in our sport.”

One of the features that Andrade appreciates most is that Under 25 riders can gain valuable FEI experience at the 1.45m level while competing against their peers.

“The Winter Equestrian Festival is very competitive,” said Andrade. “Everyone brings their best horses, and if you want to jump in the FEI classes against all the professionals, it’s very hard to place, let alone win. The Under 25 competition is also hard, but riders have a better chance to gain experience and have a good result than going straight into a five-star grand prix. It’s a very important Series for the development of young riders.”

Gaining positive experience is paramount for progress, and the variety offered in the Under 25 Grand Prix Series helps up-and-coming talent prepare for future competition, both as team members as well as individuals. Developed as a bridge to the international level of grand prix competition, the Series gives athletes, both human and equine, an opportunity to compete under a myriad of conditions, including jumping on grass, under the lights at night, and in team competition; all important elements that competitors will face as their international careers progress.

Following the first nine events in the Hollow Creek Farm Under 25 Grand Prix Series, the top 30 riders in the point standings will be invited to contest the $50,000 Hollow Creek Farm Under 25 Grand Prix Final on Sunday, April 2, in the International Arena.

The overall Series winner will be invited to compete in the CSI2* division of the Chantilly Horse Show, a Global Champions Tour event, from July 13-16, 2017, in France. In addition to their entry, the winner will also receive two tickets to the Chantilly VIP lounge and transportation for one horse generously provided by The Dutta Corp. in association with Guido Klatte.

Hollow Creek Farm Media Contact:  Jennifer Ward
Starting Gate Communications
Cell: (613) 292-5439
www.startinggate.ca

Jennifer Wood, Show Jumping

Hollow Creek Farm Offers Team Opportunities with Children, Junior, and Young Rider Nations’ Cups

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Having competed in the Hollow Creek Farm Junior Nations’ Cup in 2013 and 2014, Emanuel Andrade, 19, is now on track to represent Venezuela at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Photo credit – Starting Gate Communications.

Wellington, Florida – March 1, 2016 – For the fourth consecutive year, the Hollow Creek Farm Nations’ Cup Series will spotlight the next generation of show jumping superstars through its Children, Junior and Young Rider Nations’ Cup program. Having proved extremely popular the past three seasons, the program gives young competitors from around the globe an opportunity to come together and experience team pressure and camaraderie by competing in their own marquee Nations’ Cup events.

On Saturday, March 5, three separate Nations’ Cup team events will be held at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center in Wellington, FL. Following the same format as the traditional Nations’ Cup, a featured event at the Winter Equestrian Festival since 2002, teams of four riders each, with the best three scores counting, will represent their countries in the Nations’ Cups for Children, Junior, and Young Riders.

Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Denmark, Ecuador, Ireland, Mexico, the United States and Venezuela will all be fielding Nations’ Cup teams, cheered on by legions of fans who are encouraged to show their patriotism.

For many of the participants, the Hollow Creek Farm Nations’ Cup represents the first opportunity to compete as members of a team for their country under International Equestrian Federation (FEI) rules.

“Hollow Creek Farm really enjoys hosting the Nations’ Cup for Children, Junior and Young Rider competitors,” said Angel Karolyi of Hollow Creek Farm. “For many of the riders, this event will be their first opportunity to compete under FEI rules in a team competition that also has the importance of a top championship.

“The idea is to begin to set the groundwork for young riders to compete together as a team,” continued Karolyi, a veteran of Nations’ Cup and major games competition. “The Hollow Creek Farm Nations’ Cup Series gives them the opportunity to experience the team format before they reach the top levels of international competition. It is very important to expose these young riders to the responsibility of not only performing well for yourself, but for others who are relying on you.”

The first round of each Nations’ Cup competition will be held in the International Arena during the afternoon, with the second round held under the lights at night. In the evening session, the Children’s Nations’ Cup for riders aged 12 to 14 will be held first, followed by the Junior Nations’ Cup for riders aged 14 to 18. The Young Riders Nations’ Cup will be Saturday’s third and final team competition, featuring competitors aged 16 to 21.

Competing at the Winter Equestrian Festival, considered by many to be the winter mecca of show jumping sport, is the dream of numerous riders around the globe, regardless of age.

“To be able to give these young people exposure to such a high quality event as up and coming athletes in the sport is very important to Hollow Creek Farm,” said Karolyi, who represented Venezuela at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. “We hope the experience inspires them to dream of how far they could go in this sport, and to start setting goals in order to get there. We want these young riders to be excited for the future.”

Hollow Creek Farm has a living example of the springboard its Nations’ Cup Series can provide. Its star rider, 19-year-old Emanuel Andrade, competed in the Junior Nations’ Cup in both 2013 and 2014 representing his native Venezuela. He has since gone on to compete at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France, and at the 2015 Pan American Games held in Toronto, Canada, where he was involved in the jump-off for the individual bronze medal.

While Andrade got his first taste of international team competition in the Hollow Creek Farm Junior Nations’ Cup, he will be a member of Venezuela’s senior Nations’ Cup team at the Winter Equestrian Festival for the second time in 2016. His story proves the success of Hollow Creek Farm’s mission to provide talented young riders with the opportunity to grow and develop in the sport, both as team members and as individuals.

In addition to the Nations’ Cup events, Hollow Creek Farm also sponsors Children’s, Junior, and Young Riders’ Welcome classes on Thursday, March 3, as well as Grand Prix classes on Sunday, March 6, for individual honors. All competition takes place in the International Arena, putting the future of the sport in the spotlight.

Hollow Creek Farm Media Contact: Jennifer Ward
Starting Gate Communications
Cell: (613) 292-5439
www.startinggate.ca

Please visit www.pbiec.com or call 561-793-5867 for more information.

FEI, Hunter/Equitation, Jennifer Ward, Show Jumping

Hollow Creek Farm Returns to Sponsor 2nd Annual FEI Nations’ Cups for Children, Juniors and Young Riders

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Emanuel Andrade, pictured competing with Crossfire 10, will once again represent Venezuela in the second annual Hollow Creek Junior FEI Nations’ Cup. Photo by Mancini Photos.

Wellington, Florida – For the second year, Hollow Creek Farm will generously sponsor FEI Nations’ Cup events for Children, Juniors and Young Riders at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival (FTI WEF) in Wellington, Florida.

The marquee events for up and coming riders are held during CSIO week at FTI WEF, running February 26 to March 2, 2014, at the Palm Beach International Equestrian Center.  Having held senior FEI Nations’ Cup competition since 2002, adding the three separate team competitions for Children, Juniors and Young Riders to the FTI WEF line-up was a natural fit.  And the timing on the schedule couldn’t be better.  After being inspired by watching the senior Furusiyya FEI Nations’ Cup competition on Friday night, the next generation of show jumping athletes will strive to proudly represent their respective countries in Saturday’s two-round team competition.

Like last year, the first round of the FEI Nations’ Cup for all three divisions will be held on Saturday afternoon in the International Arena.  The second round of competition will begin at 6 p.m. on Saturday night, giving the young riders a rare opportunity to compete under the lights in a night event, cheered on by an enthusiastic and patriotic crowd.  In the evening event, the Children’s FEI Nations’ Cup for riders aged 12 to 14 will be held first, followed by the Junior FEI Nations’ Cup for riders aged 14 to 18.  The Young Rider FEI Nations’ Cup will be Saturday night’s third and final team competition, featuring competitors aged 16 to 21.

Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Germany, Mexico, the United States and Venezuela have all confirmed their participation.  Thanks to Hollow Creek Farm, who has generously sponsored the high cost of flying the horses internationally, many riders will be traveling from their home countries to compete in the event on their own horses.

While show jumping is primarily an individual sport, the importance of learning to compete as a team member is an essential part of every rider’s development.

“I think it’s important for the kids to have an opportunity to experience riding on a team early on, before they get to the top level,” said Angel Karolyi of Hollow Creek Farm, who has ridden on numerous Nations’ Cup teams for his native Venezuela including at the 2011 Pan American Games.  “It’s a completely different competition than all of the other individual classes.  The whole purpose is quite different.  Yes, you want to go clear and produce a good round, but it’s also about doing what’s best for the team.  You can’t think only about yourself; you have to think about the other people representing your country and together plan a strategy to be the best team on the day.”

While the Hollow Creek FEI Nations’ Cup events will give experience to developing riders, Karolyi believes there are additional benefits for the sport as well.

“Having had this interesting experience, it might motivate up and coming riders to get deeper into the sport, to become more involved and committed to competing,” said Karolyi of the potential for future development.  “As a concept, having Nations’ Cup divisions for Children, Junior and Young Rider competitors will help our sport grow as a whole.”

This may only be the second year of the Hollow Creek FEI Nations’ Cup program, but Karolyi sees no limit as to how far it can go.

“We have more countries competing this year, and I think it will become an even bigger deal as the years go by,” said Karolyi, noting that last year there were eight nations participating, and this year there are 10.  “There will be more interest from other countries to come and compete, and it will continue to grow.  Mark Bellissimo and his team are doing a great job with WEF; it’s become the main place for people to come for the sport.  I think the Hollow Creek FEI Nations’ Cup events will become very prestigious in the years ahead.”

Hollow Creek Farm’s interest in encouraging young athletes to experience riding in a team format stems from its star pupil, Emanuel Andrade.  At only 16 years of age, Andrade was named the Leading Jumper Rider of the 2013 FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival, an incredible achievement for any competitor.  His long list of accomplishments during last year’s FTI WEF included claiming 14 Championship titles and 10 Reserve Championship titles won primarily in the Low, Medium and High Junior Jumper divisions.  Last year, Andrade was a member of the Venezuelan team that claimed bronze in the Junior FEI Nations’ Cup.  He will once again be riding as a member of the Venezuelan Junior Nations’ Cup team in 2014.

In addition to the FEI Nations’ Cup events, Hollow Creek Farm will sponsor special Children’s, Junior, and Young Rider Welcome classes on Wednesday, February 26, and Classics for each division on Thursday, February 28, all to be held in the International Arena.  Hollow Creek Farm is also the weekly title sponsor of the Medium Junior Jumper division for the duration of the 12-week FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival.

“It is really exciting for us to be a part of this Nations’ Cup program, which is so innovative and unique,” concluded Karolyi.  “We are proud to be able to support both the sport itself and the young up and coming riders who are the future of show jumping.  There is no better showcase for this type of event than at the FTI Consulting Winter Equestrian Festival, and we wish all of the competitors the best of luck!”

For more information on Hollow Creek, please visit www.hollowcreekfarms.com.

Contact:  Jennifer Ward
Starting Gate Communications
Cell: (613) 292-5439
www.startinggate.ca