Devon, Pa. – June 1, 2018 – Following Thursday night’s spectacular performances in the $250,000 Sapphire Grand Prix of Devon CSI4*, show jumping fans returned to the Devon Horse Show and Country Fair on Friday afternoon to watch USA’s David Raposa and his own Iliona capture the $35,000 Devon Speed Derby CSI4*, sponsored by Glycogard.
Beth Bidgood and Uprising Rise to the Occasion in Amateur-Owner Over 35 3’6″ Hunter Division
Beth Bidgood and her own Uprising started off with double blues in both over fences classes on Friday afternoon, the first day of the Amateur-Owner Over 35 3’6″ Hunter division at the historic Devon Horse Show, proving they are in top form after having a successful winter season showing in Florida at the Winter Equestrian Festival (WEF).
Misdee Wrigley Miller Conquers Coaching Championship
With the conclusion of the $35,000 Devon Speed Derby CSI4*, attention in the Dixon Oval shifted to the Four-in-Hand Coaching championship, where Misdee Wrigley Miller took home the tricolor ribbon. Miller competed with her Holland and Holland Park Drag coach that was pulled by her team of four bay Dutch Warmbloods.
Misdee Wrigley Miller has proven her talent many times over in multiple equestrian disciplines. She has competed successfully in pleasure driving, racked up the ribbons in Saddlebred divisions, and traveled to the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games in Normandy, France to represent the United States in combined driving.
Now, making her return to the Devon Horse Show, Wrigley Miller is in the spotlight again. She demonstrated her skill over five days of coaching competition to claim the championship.
“It was really special to come back and come back in a big way,” Wrigley Miller said.
The coaching division transports spectators back in time. Competitors dress to the nines to present their matched four-in-hand teams and antique vehicles, many over 100 years old. During the five classes of the division, entrants are judged on numerous qualities including performance, presentation and appointments.
The division ended Friday night with a timed competition over an obstacle course. Wrigley Miller added a third place finish in that class to three wins and a second place over the previous days of competition, clinching the championship.
“Coaching challenges me as a horsewoman, and I like that,” Wrigley Miller said. “It’s a good test, and it’s an accumulation of several nights.”
She and her team also have a strong presence in the Saddlebred divisions at Devon. She has two mounts in championship classes on Saturday, and her trainer, Larry Hodge, and husband, James Miller, are both competing as well.
“Devon is like coming home,” Wrigley Miller said. “It really is. The people here are so lovely. Being able to compete in front of a large and knowledgeable crowd is really special and something that we don’t do with the Saddlebreds so much. We basically show to ourselves. To be able to come here to Devon with the whole county fair atmosphere is so much fun. It’s so much more than a horse show. It’s an experience.”
Hodge rode Hillcroft Farm LLC’s Two Sweet to Kiss to victory in the Five-Gaited Saddle Horse Stake Friday evening, and taking the Three-Gaited Saddle Horse Stake was Luman Wadhams on Thunderboomer, owned by Overtime Farm LLC. Several of the Saddlebred, Hackney and Friesian divisions crowned their champions Friday night:
Western Country Pleasure Championship
Lynn Finelli and her own CH Winsdown Edgecliff
Fine Harness Championship
Smith Lilly and We Must Be Nuts, owned by Grace Arnold
Hackney Pony Amateur Championship
Kathleen Comeau and her own X-tremely Grand
Friesian Horse Pleasure Championship
Shawnda Smoker and her own Rouke H
Hackney/Harness Pony Amateur Championship
Carl Nichols and Crystal Creek’s Hot To Trot, owned by Kathryn Nichols
Show Pleasure Driving Championship
Cathy Rogers Holmes and her own Who
Roadster Pony Championship
Joe Harrod and Heartland River Dance, owned by Susanne Har
Mary Adelaide Brakenridge for Phelps Media Group, Inc. International
Lexington, Ky. – The exciting marathon phase took place Saturday at the Kentucky Classic CDE, the host of the final USEF National Combined Driving Championship competitions of 2014. Drivers demonstrated their skill through seven obstacles on the marathon track at the Kentucky Horse Park in Lexington, Ky.
USEF National Pairs Championship
By expertly guiding her pair through the tough obstacles, Misdee Wrigley Miller (Lakewood Ranch, Fla.) stayed atop the leaderboard in the championship with a total score of 127.75.
“I really enjoyed it. The course drove great; my horses were good. I was a little bit rusty but it came back to me,” Wrigley Miller said of switching back to a pair after driving four-in-hand at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games.
Steve Wilson (Louisville, Ky.) had a great day with his pair of Lipizzaner geldings and ended in second place with a score of 138.86. Max Montoya (Hebron, Ky.) had a steady round with his team of Georgian Grande geldings to head into the final day in third with a score of 146.01.
Paul Maye and Markus (Picsofyou.com)
USEF National Combined Driving Pony Championships – Single Pony
Having the fastest times in five of the seven obstacles, Paul Maye (Fairfield, Va.) won the marathon phase and moved into the lead with Harmony Sporthorses’ Markus on a score of 112.91.
“What can I say? He was his usual self. He is always good,” Maye said of Markus.
Miranda Cadwell (Southern Pines, N.C.) also progressed up the standings with a wonderful effort in the second phase, putting her in second with an overall score of 124.50.
USEF National Combined Driving Pony Championships – Pair Pony
Amy Cross (Aiken, S.C.) maintained her lead with Wendy O’Brien’s Welsh geldings. After an outstanding performance over the track, Cross goes into the final phase on a score of 111.44
“It went really well today actually. I was really happy with it,” Cross said. “They really responded to me today.”
Amy Cross (Picsofyou.com)
Jennifer Matheson (Aiken, S.C.) piloted Katrina Becker’s pony pair to a second-place finish in the marathon. She stays in second place overall with a score of 119.23.
The cones phase begins at the Kentucky Classic CDE begins at 9:00am ET on Sunday. The entire day of cones competition will be streamed live on the USEF Network.
By Kathleen Landwehr
For more information on the Kentucky Classic CDE, click here.
Caen, France – The 2014 FEI World Team and Individual for Four-in-Hands Driving Championship, held as part of the Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games, got underway with 23 drivers performing their dressage tests. The U.S. sent two drivers before the Ground Jury of Klaus Christ (GER), Andrew Counsell (GBR), Anne-Marie Turbe (FRA), Joaquin Medina (ESP), and Pia Skar (DEN). Both Misdee Wrigley Miller and Lisa Stroud are making their Four-in-Hand World Championship debut this week and did not disappoint in the first phase.
Stroud (West Grove, Pa.) had a solid performance for her dressage test on Thursday, highlighted by quality extended trot and halts. Her team of Dutch Warmblood geldings owned by Willow Star LLC and Koos de Ronde stayed attentive to Stroud’s aids, helping to earn a score of 56.10 to put Stroud in ninth place after the first day of competition. This feat was all the more impressive considering she has only worked with the team since January of this year.
“I was very excited. I thought my horses absolutely went into the ring; they were focused, and they gave their full attention. Today I felt like they were with me right down to the last halt,” Stroud said. “I had a couple little breaks in the walk with their enthusiasm, but I will take that because everything else they gave me was perfect. I’m really happy.”
Wrigley Miller (Lakewood Ranch, Fla.) was the first American competitor to head into the driving stadium at the La Prairie Racecourse, driving her own team of KWPN geldings to a score of 58.05. Wrigley Miller only began driving a team of horses in December 2013, but has continued to build form in each competition, and her World Championship debut on Thursday was no different as she performed the best test of her Four-in-Hand career.
“I was really pleased; the horses really came together. This was the best test all year,” said Wrigley Miller, who is enjoying competing at the 2014 Alltech FEI World Equestrian Games. “I’m very, very excited; I’m a bit overwhelmed by it. As soon as I trotted in I thought this is it. I’m here, let’s enjoy it.”
After the first day of dressage, Wrigley Miller stands in 13th place.
The dressage portion of the 2014 FEI World Team and Individual for Four-in-Hands Driving Championship concludes on Friday and the U.S. will be represented by Chester Weber at 2:50pm local time.
Chester Weber on his way to a win in Saumur last year (Photo Courtesy of Chester Weber)
Saumur, France – The United States has fielded an exciting team for this week’s Saumur CAIO4*, which will run June 5-9, in Saumur, France. Chester Weber, Lisa Stroud, and Misdee Wrigley-Miller have their sights set on top Team and Individual placings in Four-in-Hand competition, while Laurie Astegiano will represent the U.S. as an Individual in the Pony Team division.
Weber (Ocala, Fla.) heads to Saumur on strong form after claiming victory at the Royal Windsor Horse Show two weeks ago. He will look to display the form that has earned him 11 National Four-in-Hand Titles, as well as multiple World Championship Team and Individual medals, over the weekend.
Stroud (West Grove, Penn.) has vast experience in the Pony Team ranks, having garnered nine National Titles and Team and Individual World Championship medals. In 2014, she has stepped up to the Four-in-Hand ranks and spent the last few months competing in Europe, contesting the Horst CAI3* and the Windsor CAI3*.
Wrigley-Miller (Lakewood Ranch, Fla.), the 2014 Four-in-Hand Reserve National Champion and 2012 USEF National Pairs Champion, also began driving in Four-in-Hand competition this year, having joined Weber and Stroud in Windsor two weeks ago.
Rounding out the U.S. effort in Saumur is Astegiano (Roussac, France), who was the winner of the Pony Team division at last year’s premier French driving competition. As she tries to earn a repeat victory, she will look to display the form that has earned her two Team Bronze medals at the World Championships.
Lexington, Ky. – Three entries will vie for the USEF National Four-in-Hand Championship title this week at Live Oak International in Ocala, Fla. Held March 19-23, the drivers will perform in the dressage, marathon, and cones phases and hope to come out on top by the competition’s end.
Chester Weber (Ocala, Fla.) aims for his eleventh USEF National Four-in-Hand Championship title. After winning his tenth National title just five months ago at the Kentucky Classic CDE, Weber has remained in top form, winning the Advanced Horse Team division at the Kingdom of the Sun CDE. He began the competition with a personal-best dressage score of 30.89 and maintained his lead throughout the marathon and cones phases to finish on a score of 124.81.
Misdee Wrigley-Miller (Lakewood Ranch, Fla.) aided the U.S. team to a fourth-place finish at the 2013 FEI World Driving Championships for Pairs last September in Topolcianky, Slovakia, but this year she has changed her focus to the Four-in-Hand division. She is off to a great start in 2014, winning at Sunshine State CDE and coming in third in the Kingdom of the Sun CDE in the Advanced Horse Team divisions.
Casey Zubek (Manhattan, Ill.) rounds out the championship field in Ocala. In September 2013, he and his team won the Advanced Horse Team division at the Hermitage Classic CDE. Zubek kicked off 2014 with a second-place finish at the Kingdom of the Sun CDE in the Advanced Horse Team division.
Competition begins Thursday at 9:00am ET with dressage, while the marathon phase kicks off on Saturday at 9:00am ET. The championship title will be decided Sunday following the cones phase beginning at 9:00am ET.
Anyone interested can watch the marathon and cones phases live on the USEF Network presented by SmartPak. USEFNetwork.com will be live streaming the driving marathon and cones phases on Saturday and Sunday beginning at 9:00am ET and 8:00am ET respectively. Live Oak International also hosts a CSI 2* jumping competition and USEF Network coverage will include jumper classes on Saturday at 2:00pm ET and Sunday at 2:30pm ET.
Misdee Wrigley-Miller (Rinaldo de Craen/decraen.com)
Topolcianky, Slovakia – The second day of dressage at the 2013 FEI World Driving Championships for Pairs came to a conclusion on Friday with the latter half of competitors performing their tests. Following the completion of the first phase of the championship, the U.S. stands in fourth place on a score of 94, just 0.9 of a point out of podium position.
Misdee Wrigley-Miller (Lakewood Ranch, FL) was the sole U.S. representative on Friday, charging into fifth place individually. The 2013 USEF National Pairs Champion drove her own pair to a score of 40.26 to lay less than one point out of Bronze medal position. Wrigley-Miller utilized experience gained from competing in the 2011 FEI World Driving Championships for Pairs, as well as many of Europe’s most prestigious competitions, to produce a top five finish in the dressage.
The first two members of the U.S. team completed their dressage tests on Thursday. Rachael Blanchard (Upperville, VA) drove a pair owned by Heather Briggs of Belle Grey Farm to a score of 53.76 to stand 28th at the end of the first phase, while Scott Dancer (Woodside, CA) lays 35th after driving his horses to a score of 56. Both Blanchard and Dancer are making their first World Championship appearance.
Dancer will be the first American on the marathon when he sets off at 12:15pm local time. Blanchard follows him at 12:55pm and Wrigley-Miller rounds out the U.S. effort at 2:50pm.
“We were very pleased with Misdee’s top-five performance today. Her competitive nature and exceptional composure helped lead the U.S. team to 4th place in the nations’ standings. The U.S. team is just 0.9 of a penalty point behind the Irish squad, which will equate to 4.5 seconds in tomorrow’s cross country marathon,” said Chef d’Equipe Chester Weber. “Therefore, tomorrow’s strategy will be to attack from the start to the finish. We have an experienced support team and we will do our utmost to give our drivers every advantage possible in what will promise to be a close race for the medals.”
At the end of the dressage, Germany leads the Team standings on 81.7, closely followed by Hungary on 82.4, and Ireland stands third with 93.1 points. In the Individual classification Germany’s Carola Diener leads on a score of 35.58, with Barry Capstick of Ireland in second with a 36.93, and Hungary’s Zoltan Lazar lays third on 39.49.
Misdee Wrigley Miller claimed her first USEF National Pair Driving Championship title at the 2013 Live Oak International. Photo by PicsOfYou.com.
Ocala, Florida – Misdee Wrigley Miller of Lakewood Ranch, FL, claimed her first United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) National Pair Driving Championship title on Sunday, March 24, at the 2013 Live Oak International in Ocala, FL.
Wrigley Miller staged a successful comeback in Sunday’s third and final phase of cones competition, earning a score of 5.61 penalty points with her horses, Beau and Snoopy. With an overall three-phase total of 139.85 penalty points, Wrigley Miller was awarded the USEF National Pair Driving Championship as the highest-placed U.S. competitor. Canada’s Rae Fischer of Listowel, ON, won the FEI Pair Horse division with a final score of 131.55 penalty points.
“Everyone kept saying ‘fight, keep fighting!’, and that’s what I had to do!” said Wrigley Miller, who had won the opening phase of dressage driving Beau and Rient W, but slipped to third position following a challenging day in Saturday’s marathon phase.
“Everything went great until the fourth hazard; I was a little too fast and got hung up on a post,” said Wrigley Miller of her trouble at the Morgan Stanley Bull Market hazard with her veteran Snoopy and the seven-year-old Beau, a new addition to her team. “I was going back and forth and back and forth and, at the end of the day, I had to put my groom down, and that’s 10 penalty points added. I wound up last in the marathon when I had been 12 points in the lead going into it, and ended up third in the overall standings. I really had to fight today. It’s been a roller coaster. People say to never give up; it’s a three day event, and it’s not over until the last person drives through the cones, and it’s true. And I won!”
Wrigley Miller was especially pleased to win the title at Live Oak, which has been hosting driving events for more than 20 years at Live Oak Plantation, the private 4,000-acre farm of the Weber family.
“I’ve been involved with Live Oak for almost since its conception,” said Wrigley Miller. “I’m just so thrilled for Chester and his mom and his family that it’s grown into such an incredible international event. It’s surely one of the top-ranked shows in the world.”
Offering the highest amount of prize money of any driving event in North America, Live Oak International is organized by nine-time winner of the USEF Four In Hand Driving Championship Chester C. Weber, his mother Charlotte C. Weber, and his sister, Juliet W. Reid, who led the Washington International Horse Show as President of the Board for the past four years. Chester Weber was leading the FEI Four-in-Hand Team Horse division heading into Sunday’s final cones phase but, unfortunately, weather conditions prevented the competition from concluding. The FEI Pony Team division, which had been led by Allison Stroud, was also unable to finish.
Prior to the stormy weather, Suzy Stafford overtook Paul Maye to win the FEI Single Pony division with a perfect cones performance and a final score of 113.76 penalty points while Wendy O’Brien held on to win the FEI Pair Pony division with 113.76. Leslie Berndl won the FEI Single Horse division with 117.95 penalty points.
Bettina Scherer maintained her lead in the Intermediate Single Pony division with 114.55 while Boots Wright did the same in the Intermediate Pair Pony division, winning with 114.26. John Levy driving Sky moved ahead of Robin Groves to win the Intermediate Single Horse division, which attracted a total of 12 entries. Having won the dressage and marathon phases, Zenon Gal claimed the Intermediate Pair division with 134.86 penalty points.
While Misdee Wrigley Miller is a familiar face among the driving community, a newcomer to the international show jumping ranks won the $33,000 CSI2* Hollow Creek Winning Round competition on Sunday afternoon. The format sees the top 10 riders, regardless of faults, advance to a second ‘winning round’ where everyone starts with a clean slate. From the starting field of 29 entries, eight riders posted clear rounds and were joined in the winning round by Sharn Wordley of New Zealand and Kim Prince of the United States, both of whom had incurred one time fault in the opening round.
Rafael Jose Contreras flies to the finish riding Valencio R.A.G. in the $33,000 CSI2* Hollow Creek Farm Winning Round. Photo by Mark Astrom
With the winning round underway, speed was the name of the game over the track set by two-time Olympic course designer Leopoldo Palacios of Venezuela. The times grew progressively faster until Andre Thieme of Germany took over the lead with a time of 47.60 seconds riding Clitschko 4. With only one rider left to challenge, hopes were riding high on Rafael Jose Contreras of the Dominican Republic. The 20-year-old did not disappoint, treating the crowd to an exuberant performance riding Valencio R.A.G. and stopping the clock in 44.91 seconds, almost three seconds faster than Thieme.
“It’s my first FEI win!” said a thrilled Contreras. “I’ve had my horse for four years, and he’s a great horse. He’s really spooky, but a good spooky.”
A college student in Santo Domingo, Contreras has been traveling back and forth to the United States for the past five years to train with Paulo Santana. 2013 marked his first trip to the Live Oak International, but he’s already making plans to return.
“I’ve never been here before, but for sure I’m going to come back!” promised Contreras. “It was really, really nice, I enjoyed it here. The course design and the footing are really good. The owners are really nice people.”
Jerry Parks Insurance Group recognized Contreras as the Leading Amateur Rider, awarding him a $1,000 bonus, while Chloe Reid, daughter of Live Oak International Co-President Juliet W. Reid, was named the Leading Junior Rider and also received a $1,000 bonus.
Having won the $5,000 1.30m Waldron Wealth Management Power &Speed, the $10,000 E2 Show Jumpers Welcome Stake, and Saturday’s $50,000 CSI2* Live Oak International Grand Prix, it was no surprise that Todd Minikus of Wellington, FL, was awarded the $10,000 Leading Rider bonus, presented by G&C Farm.
For the first time, live coverage of the Live Oak International show jumping and driving competition was offered on the USEF Network at www.usefnetwork.com. The Live Oak International is the only event in North America to feature both international show jumping and driving events.
Live Oak International wishes to recognize its generous sponsors for their support, including 14 Hands Vineyards, ABBA, Adequan, American Invitational, Michael Ayers, BB&T Chazel Insurance, Beloved Farm, Ned Bliss, Brandywine Tent, Camping World, Cannon Carriages, Cape Code Finished Wood Siding, Charles Owen, Cheney Brothers, Jane Forbes Clark, The Clothes Horse, Coast to Coast Truck & Trailer, Connollys Nursery, Dever, Don Stewart Stables, Dutta Corp, E2 Show Jumpers, Equine Journal, Fidelity Investments, Dr. Rae and Nancy Fischer, Florida Express, Freund, G&C Farm, Gloria Austin, Golden Ocala Golf & Equestrian Club, Grand Oaks Resort & Carriage Museum, Great American Insurance Group, Hermitage International Training Center, Hillcroft Farm, Hilton, Hollow Creek Farm, Wayne Humphreys, Insight Credit Union, Iron Spring Farm, Jerry Parks Insurance Group, Joan Pletcher Realtor, John Deere, Johnson Horse Transportation, Pixie Keating, Kentucky Classic, Kentucky Equine Research, Mary Mott-Kocsis, John Levy, Louisburg Farm, Lugano Diamonds, Marion County Visitor and Convention Bureau, Mark’s Steak House, Mid State Electric, Morgan Stanley, Ocala Star-Banner, Palm Chevrolet & Kia, Party Time Rentals, Pine Flakes, PlaneSense, Peterson & Smith, RBC, Rood & Riddle Equine Hospital, The Sanctuary, Seminole Wellness, Shepherd Kaplan LLC, Signature Brands ,Sleepy P Farm, SmartPak, Christine Smith-Byerly, Stella Artois, Stonecliff Farm, Tequestrian, Trout Walk Farm, Waldron Wealth Management, Harley Waller, Waterside Environmental Care, Woodside Stables, WR Ranch and Dave and Boots Wright.
For more information on the Live Oak International, including full results, please visit www.liveoakinternational.com.
Contact: Jennifer Ward
Starting Gate Communications
Cell: (613) 292-5439 www.startinggate.ca
Ocala, FL – The 2013 USEF National Pairs Championship concluded Sunday afternoon at the Live Oak International with the influential cones phase. Under blustery conditions and the threat of severe storms, the field of four went to task in the John Deere Arena.
Misdee Wrigley-Miller (Lakewood Ranch, FL) travelled to Live Oak with her sights set on securing her first USEF National Pairs Championship. The 2011 FEI World Pair Driving Championship veteran did just that driving a near faultless round to add a National Title to her growing list of accomplishments.
“I’m over the moon,” said an ecstatic Wrigley-Miller. “I’ve broken my demon.”
A single ball down for three points and an additional 2.61 time faults meant Wrigley-Miller finished on a three day total of 139.85.
The cones phase hosted an additional challenge for drivers as show jumps were set within the cones course, to be used later in the afternoon for the $33,000 CSI 2* Hollow Creek Farm Winning Round. However, due to the weather many of the jumps had to be moved or changed, therefore the cones course looked very different when drivers entered the arena than it had when they walked in the morning.
“I was really, really happy. The course was extremely difficult,” said Wrigley-Miller. “The course I walked this morning wasn’t there.”
Collecting Reserve Champion honors was Lisa Singer (Chadds Ford, PA); the eight-time National Champion incurred nine points for three balls down and 9.05 time faults. Singer finished on an overall score of 151.12.
Canada’s Rae Fischer was the winner of the Live Oak International’s FEI Pair Horse division which was sponsored by Scott and Kathi Dancer on a score of 131.55.
In addition to the USEF National Championship, Live Oak International also hosts Four-in-Hand, Pairs, Singles, and Pony driving competition at both the FEI and Intermediate levels. For a second year, it will host world class jumping competition in conjunction with the driving. The USEFNetwork.com presented by Smartpak will host wall-to-wall coverage of the marathon on Saturday and Sunday’s cones, in addition to Saturday’s $50,000 Live Oak International CSI 2* Grand Prix and the $33,000 CSI 2* Hollow Creek Farm Winning Round on Sunday. The live stream, video-on-demand, photos and news can be found here.
Gladstone, NJ – February 6, 2012 – The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is pleased to announce the election of new Trustees Georgina Bloomberg, George Davis, Elizabeth Juliano, Murray Kessler, Lyle Lovett, Misdee Wrigley Miller, MK Pritzker and Philip Richter. The new Trustees were elected to the Board on January 28, 2012 during the USET Foundation’s Annual Meeting. They will aid and assist the USET Foundation in its mission to support 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.
Georgina Bloomberg of North Salem, NY and Wellington, FL has been competing in Show Jumping at the international level for many years. She has represented the United States at the World Cup Finals and also in Nations Cup competitions. Bloomberg won the Maxine Beard Award in 2004 and she also founded The Rider’s Closet to distribute used clothing and equipment to college equestrian teams and pony clubs.
Gladstone, NJ – February 6, 2012 – The United States Equestrian Team Foundation is pleased to announce the election of new Trustees Georgina Bloomberg, George Davis, Elizabeth Juliano, Murray Kessler, Lyle Lovett, Misdee Wrigley Miller, MK Pritzker and Philip Richter. The new Trustees were elected to the Board on January 28, 2012 during the USET Foundation’s Annual Meeting. They will aid and assist the USET Foundation in its mission to support 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.